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Archive: July 2009 (66-78 of 104)

Jul 16 2009 02:01 AM ET

Just in time: My 2008-09 Emmy predictions!

Remember: This is who I think will make the cut in the major categories, not necessarily who I want to make the cut. That’s what my Dream Emmy Ballot is for. Stay close to EW.com tomorrow morning for complete coverage of the 2008-09 nominations. And start channel surfing at around 8:35 am/ET — you may see me on a nationally televised morning show!

Best Drama

Breaking Bad
Damages
Dexter
House
Mad Men
Lost

Best Comedy

30 Rock
The Office
Weeds
Flight of the Conchords
Family Guy
Two and a Half Men

Keep reading for my predix in the major acting categories!

Best Actress (Drama)
Glenn Close
Kyra Sedgwick
Elisabeth Moss
Sally Field
Mariska Hargitay
January Jones

Best Actor (Drama)
James Spader
Michael C. Hall
Bryan Cranston
Hugh Laurie
Jon Hamm
Denis Leary

Best Actress (Comedy)
Tina Fey
Mary Louise Parker
Christina Applegate
America Ferrera
Toni Collette
Julia Louis-Dreyfus

Best Actor (Comedy)
David Duchovny
Jim Parsons
Charlie Sheen
Steve Carell
Alec Baldwin
Tony Shalhoub

Jul 15 2009 09:31 PM ET

Ratings: MLB All-Star Game tops 'America's Got Talent'

by Mandi Bierly

Categories: TV Biz, TV Ratings

America’s national pastime defeated America’s amateur talent pool Tuesday night, as 14.6 million viewers tuned in for the Major League Baseball All-Star Game on Fox. (Sports fans are certainly consistent: That’s nearly identical to last year’s audience.) America’s Got Talent was the evening’s second-most watched program, with 13.5 million viewers, up 27 percent from last Tuesday.

Time	Show	Viewers (in millions)
8 p.m.	MLB All-Star Pre-Game (Fox) NCIS (CBS) America’s Got Talent (NBC) The Superstars (ABC) 90210 (The CW)	11.2 10.5 (repeat) 7.5 (repeat) 3.6 .7 (repeat)
8:30 p.m.	MLB All-Star Game (Fox)	14.6
9 p.m.	America’s Got Talent (NBC) Big Brother 11 (CBS) Better Off Ted (ABC) Hitched or Ditched (The CW)	13.5 6.2 2.5 .8 (repeat)
9:30 p.m.	Scrubs (ABC)	2.1 (repeat)
10 p.m.	Law & Order: SVU (NBC) Primetime: Family Secrets (ABC) 48 Hours Mystery (CBS)	7.1 (repeat) 6.2 5.6 (repeat)

Jul 14 2009 11:39 PM ET

Exclusive: Daphne Zuniga returns to 'Melrose Place'

by Lynette Rice

Categories: Television

Jo is back! EW.com has learned exclusively that Daphne Zuniga — last seen on One Tree Hill — will reprise her role as photographer Jo Reynolds in The CW’s reboot of Melrose Place
this fall. She’ll guest star in at least two episodes; her character
returns to town after enjoying success in her career as a professional
photographer.

Zuniga is the fourth member of the original Melrose Place cast to sign onto The CW’s update; Josie Bissett, who played Jane Andrews Mancini, is also expected to make a guest-starring appearance this fall while Laura Leighton (Sydney) and Thomas Calabro (Michael) will recur. Melrose Place debuts Sept. 8.

Jul 14 2009 11:27 PM ET

Exclusive: Jennifer Garner returns to ABC!

by Michael Ausiello

Categories:

Holy Rambaldi artifact, Jennifer Garner is reteaming with ABC!

Ex-Alias superstar Jennifer Garner has inked a fresh development deal with her old network, sources confirm to me exclusively.

What are the specifics of the pact? And does it involve the words “Alias” and “movie”? Keep reading for all the deets…

ABC declined to comment, but I’m told the deal calls for the four-time Emmy nominee to develop projects via her Vandalia Films production shingle (that’s tradespeak for “office space on studio lot”). There are no plans for Garner to act in any of said projects (apologies for the shameless Alias tease earlier), but as one Alphabet insider says, “If Jennifer wants to make a guest appearance no one is going to stop her.”

The deal — coming three years after Garner ended her five-season run as Sydney Bristow on Alias — marks a big turning point for Garner’s fledgling production company, which so far has dabbled mostly in independent film.

Reaction? Surprised that ABC would make a (likely mega-bucks) deal with Garner that doesn’t include an acting component? Sound off below!

More TV Scoop:
True Blood breaks another record
Gossip Girl‘s taboo romance
Is Smallville about to get, ahem, Super?

Jul 14 2009 11:06 PM ET

'Green Hornet': Chow out as Kato; Rogen stays

by Jeff Jensen

Categories:

First he was no longer directing The Green Hornet. Now, Stephen Chow, the Hong Kong actor-helmer-madcap mayhem maestro behind the martial arts comedies Kung Fu Hustle and Shaolin Soccer, has left the production altogether. Chow will no longer be playing sidekick Kato to Seth Rogen’s Green Hornet in director Michel Gondry’s relaunch of the 20th century pulp hero as 21st century superhero. “There was a mutual and amicable decision by both sides to move on,” a Columbia Pictures spokesperon said in a statement. “We are out now to cast a new Kato and remain fully committed to Michel Gondry’s exciting vision for the film, which will begin production this September.” Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) is directing from a script written by Rogen and frequent collaborator Evan Goldberg (Superbad). Cameron Diaz is in talks for the female lead. (Reporting by Nicole Sperling)

Jul 14 2009 10:30 PM ET

Ratings: NBC's 'America's Got Talent' takes another week

by Tanner Stransky

Categories: TV Biz, TV Ratings

In a bit of news that will likely shock no one who remotely follows television ratings, NBC’s summer juggernaut America’s Got Talent took the top spot for the week ending July 12, pulling in 11.9 million viewers with its Wednesday night edition. The show’s Tuesday night episode came in at No. 3, with 10.6 million viewers, as a repeat episode of CBS’ NCIS stole the No. 2 spot with 11.0 million viewers. Last week, Talent took the top two spots, but the ratings from two weeks ago saw the same 1-2-3 line-up as this week.

As has been the case pretty much all summer, repeats — especially those on CBS — have dominated the Top 20. In the new-episode column this week, however, you’ll find a Michael Jackson-themed episode of ABC’s Primetime: Family Secrets (8.7 million viewers) at No. 8; ABC’s Wipeout (8.2 million viewers) at No. 11; two episodes of Fox’s So You Think You Can Dance (7.9 million and 7.6 million viewers) at Nos. 12 and 15; ABC’s The Bachelorette (7.7 million) at No. 13; and a Michael Jackson-centric episode of NBC’s Dateline (6.3 million) at No. 20. CBS’ summer staple Big Brother (6.6 million viewers) finally launched and debuted its 11th season at No. 18, representing an 8 percent increase over last summer’s premiere.

Overall, the summer has been difficult for the broadcast networks. Only CBS has grown its audience from last summer, and that’s only been by a rather meager 2 percent. (In fact, CBS was the only broadcast network to grow its audience during the past season, as well.) So far this summer, NBC and ABC are down 12 percent from the comparable period last year, while Fox is down a startling 20 percent. Many of the viewers are undoubtedly moving over to scripted dramas on cable networks like TNT, USA, and Lifetime.

The full Top 20 on the broadcast networks for the week is after the jump.

READ FULL STORY »

Jul 14 2009 10:29 PM ET

'Scrubs' exclusive: Eliza Coupe upgraded to regular

by Michael Ausiello

Categories: Scrubs

Congratulations are in order to Eliza Coupe: Scrubs has officially promoted the actress to a series regular.

Scrubs boss Bill Lawrence recently hinted that Coupe’s hilariously insensitive intern, Denise (a.k.a. “Jo”), would play an integral part in next season’s med school reboot. “I really like Eliza,” he told me last month. “I think she’s a really interesting actress and we didn’t give her a full character [last season]. I think she’s hyper-talented.”

No argument here.

Coupe joins a refreshed ensemble that will include three or four new regulars in addition to returning vets Donald Faison and John C. McGinley. Zach Braff, Sarah Chalke, Judy Reyes and Ken Jenkins are expected to make guest appearances.

Reaction to Coupe’s promotion? Share in the comments!

More TV Scoop:
True Blood breaks another record
Gossip Girl‘s taboo romance
Is Smallville about to get, ahem, Super?

Jul 14 2009 09:26 PM ET

Ratings: 'The Bachelorette' dominates, 'Road Trip' has flat tire

by Tim Stack

Categories: Reality TV, Television, TV Biz, TV Ratings

ABC’s The Bachelorette was once again the top original program last night, with 7.9 million viewers according to preliminary overnight ratings. Meanwhile, NBC’s new series, Great American Road Trip, now in its new Monday night time slot, bombed with only 3.3 million fans; Trip premiered last Tuesday to 4.7 million eyes.

Time	Show	Viewers (in millions)
8pm	The Bachelorette (ABC) How I Met Your Mother (CBS) House (Fox) Great American Road Trip (NBC) One Tree Hill (The CW)	7.9 5.2 (repeat) 4.0 (repeat) 3.3 1.0 (repeat)
8:30pm	Rules of Engagement (CBS)	5.4 (repeat)
9pm	Two and a Half Men (CBS) Law & Order: Criminal Intent (NBC) Lie to Me (Fox) Gossip Girl (The CW)	8.9 (repeat) 4.3 3.2 (repeat) 0.5 (repeat)
9:30pm	The Big Bang Theory (CBS)	8.1 (repeat)
10pm	CSI: Miami (CBS) Dateline: NBC (NBC) Here Come the Newlyweds (ABC)	8.0 (repeat) 5.4 5.0

Jul 14 2009 08:09 PM ET

Armchair Casting Director: 'Southland'

by Michael Ausiello

Categories: Southland

NBC’s cop drama is adding two new recurring roles in season 2. They are…

Andre: Good-looking, slick, at times overly aggressive African-American male in his 30s. He’s Lydia’s (Regina King) new partner. Sees her as a rising star. She sees him as a pain in the ass. Series regular potential.

Gil: A native Los Angeleno of Mexican-American heritage, Gil is a NARC Detective on the force. Goes back and forth between aggressive and friendly. He’s in his 30s. Series regular potential.

Got casting suggestions? Post ‘em below!

Jul 14 2009 04:01 PM ET

'True Blood' ratings: Still not sucking!

by Michael Ausiello

Categories: Entourage

Viewers’ thirst for True Blood is intensifying: After taking a week off, the bloody good vampire saga’s latest episode on Sunday attracted a series-high 3.9 million viewers. The potent Blood helped lift Hung, which grew 29 percent from its debut with 3.6 million viewers, and Entourage, which kicked off its sixth season with 3.4 million viewers — its largest audience in more than two years.

Jul 14 2009 03:17 PM ET

Armchair Casting Director: 'The Mentalist'

by Michael Ausiello

Categories: The Mentalist

The Mentalist is giving Terry Kinney’s new agent, Sam Bosco, an entourage. Producers are currently casting the following two roles…

Melanie: Sam’s plain-but-pretty female assistant. She’s in her late 20s. Five-episode arc. Debuts in episode 2.

Agent Hicks: A white male in his late 20s to mid 40s, Hicks works under Sam at the CBI Serial Crimes Unit. Five-episode arc. Debuts in episode 2.

Got casting suggestions? Post ‘em below!

Jul 14 2009 12:09 AM ET

'Harper's Island:' No chance for second season, insiders say

by Lynette Rice

Categories:

It was a killer ending on July 11 for Harper’s Island, CBS’ limited-run series about a serial murderer who wreaks havoc on a Pacific Northwest wedding. Unfortunately, the killer’s final slash of the knife marked the end of the horror series, as well. Though the show’s finale may have attracted its best audience (3.8 million) since May 23, insiders insist there won’t be another installment of the show that starred Christopher Gorham, Elaine Cassidy, and Katie Cassidy (pictured). CBS won’t officially comment, but the heavily-serialized drama was never a star performer — it averaged 4.8 million viewers over its 13-episode run — thus it being relegated to Saturdays after briefly airing on Thursdays in the spring.

The series was originally designed as a Survivor-style anthology; the show could reinvent itself with a new locale and fresh players each season but the conceit would largely remain the same, i.e. a killer’s on the loose and he/she is racking up victims over a 13-week period.

More on ‘Harper’s Island’
‘Harper’s Island’ finale recap: I now pronounce you man and…knife!
‘Harper’s Island’: Which cast member is destined for stardom?
‘Harper’s Island’: Who’s the killer? And who needs to die?
Breaking: ‘Harper’s Island’ made me feel something! (Other than ennui.)

Jul 13 2009 08:24 PM ET

Scooplets on 'Psych,' 'Supernatural,' 'Melrose Place,' and more!

by Michael Ausiello

Categories: Melrose Place, Psych, Supernatural

• Melrose Place: Singer-actress-bombshell Taryn Manning (Sons of Anarchy) will appear in the debut season’s third episode as a singer whose music video is being directed by Jonah. The week before, model-turned-actress Taylor Cole (Summerland) guests as David’s ex-girlfriend.

• Supernatural: The CW serial thriller is adding the recurring role of Raphael, a mechanic who becomes possessed by one of the most powerful beings in the universe. Speaking of powerful beings, I miss Keri Russell.

Wait, there’s more casting scoop after the jump!

• Psych: An American Werewolf in London‘s David Naughton has signed on to guest star in the show’s Halloween-themed episode, co-written by leading man James Roday. He’ll play Dr. Ken Tucker (no connection to EW TV critic extraordinaire), a self-serving sociopath with a plan that Shawn and Gus uncover. Psych‘s fourth season begins Aug. 7.

• Stargate: Universe: Producers are searching for a “name” actress to play the late wife of Robert Carlyle’s Nic Rush. The character will appear via flashback. SGU debuts this fall. Watch a clip here. Or don’t. No sweat off my back.