Image Credit: Charles Norfleet/PR PhotosReady to feel old? Zoe Kravitz, aka the daughter of rocker Lenny and onetime Cosby kid Lisa Bonet, is now old enough to be guest-starring on a show as racy as Showtime’s Californication! READ FULL STORY »
Archive: April 2010 (1-10 of 136)
Apr 30
2010
03:45 PM ET
Exclusive: 'Californication' scores Lenny Kravitz's daughter
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Apr 30
2010
02:29 PM ET
Exclusive: Sarah Wayne Callies Joins 'Walking Dead'
Image Credit: David Livingston/Getty ImagesThis just in: Prison Break fave Sarah Wayne Callies has just scored the female lead in AMC’s eagerly anticipated The Walking Dead series, based on Robert Kirkman’s megapopular comic books! READ FULL STORY »
Apr 30
2010
12:09 PM ET
'Supernatural' penultimate episode: Exclusive First Look!
Image Credit: Jack Rowand/The CWAs the end of the world draws near — or at least the end of the season — all hell is breaking loose on Supernatural. In fact, as you’ll see after the jump in an Ausiello Files exclusive sneak peek at the CW hit’s penultimate episode, scheduled to air on Thursday, May 6, at 9 p.m./ET, it isn’t just the Winchester boys who are having a devil of a time… READ FULL STORY »
Apr 30
2010
07:57 AM ET
First Look: Rob Lowe shakes up 'Parks and Recreation'
Image Credit: Danny Feld/NBCThe exiting Brothers & Sisters actor joins the NBC comedy next month as one of two state employees (the other being Party Down‘s Adam Scott) brought in to fix Pawnee’s budgetary crisis. Executive producer Michael Schur likens it to “an action movie where the FBI shows up and the local cops say, ‘This is our jurisdiction! And the FBI says, ‘Not anymore!’” But Lowe’s character, Chris Traeger, wins everyone over with his “very optimistic, positive, forward-thinking” attitude, explains Schur, who hints that he “very quickly falls into a romantic entanglement” with one of the locals. “I don’t want to spoil who it is because it’s kind of a surprise.”
Apr 30
2010
12:25 AM ET
'Legend of the Seeker' fans: Don't hold out hope
Despite a small but rabid fanbase that is actively trying to save the syndicated show, Legend of the Seeker is still expected to sunset on May 22. A spokeswoman for ABC Studios would not comment, but a source close to the show that’s based on Terry Goodkind’s fantasy novels said repeats will continue to run through early November but the studio is not expected to produce a third season. Given the current state of costly yet low-rated genre shows (see V, FlashForward), it’s unlikely that Legend will find another production home.
The show from Hercules/Xena: Warrior Princess producers Sam Raimi and Robert Tapert made a splash at Comic-Con two years ago and had a strong first season, but a combination of factors hurt the drama: Many of the Tribune stations dropped the syndicated series from Saturday nights, and international sales all but disappeared. Overseas sales help to prop up high-concept series, which is why NBC’s low-rated Heroes is still on the air (at least, for now).
Legend marked a comeback, of sorts, for the once vibrant first-run market. Syndicated dramas like Hercules and Xena used to be the bread and butter of independent TV stations, but then off-net runs of procedural dramas like CSI and Law & Order saturated the market so shows like Kung Fu: the Legend Continues, Darkman and Babylon 5 were no longer needed.
Apr 29
2010
05:26 PM ET
Conan O'Brien on '60 Minutes': Relationship with NBC becoming 'toxic'
Image Credit: Paul Drinkwater/NBCIn an interview with 60 Minutes’ Steve Kroft that will air Sunday, Conan O’Brien said he wouldn’t have taken back The Tonight Show from Jay Leno if the roles had been reversed. “I know me, I wouldn’t have done that,” O’Brien tells Kroft. “If I had surrendered The Tonight Show and handed it over to somebody publicly and wished them well…and then…six months later. But that’s me, you know. Everyone’s got their own, you know, way of doing things.”
O’Brien also explained why he decided to leave NBC rather than air at midnight behind Leno. “I think this relationship is going to be toxic and maybe we just need to go our separate ways,” he says. “That’s really how it felt to me…and I started to feel that I’m not sure these people even really want me here….I can’t do it [anymore].”
The interview — O’Brien’s first since leaving NBC and signing onto TBS — will air on the very day his contractual muzzle expires (as part of his exit deal with NBC, O’Brien agreed not to give any interviews in print or broadcast until after May 1). The piece is also expected to include highlights from O’Brien’s 32-city “Legally Prohibited From Being Funny On TV Tour.” His new talk show on TBS bows in November.
UPDATE: CBS has released more quotes from O’Brien’s interview Sunday. Read the quotes after the jump. READ FULL STORY »
Apr 29
2010
01:31 PM ET
Oprah Winfrey's network to infiltrate eating disorder clinics
The Oprah Winfrey Network announced today that it will add a new show called Inside Rehab to its prime time lineup when the cable network debuts in January. Over the course of eight episodes, the docu-series will offer “a rare look inside an eating disorder treatment facility where patients face their demons and struggle to come to terms with what’s behind the food.”
“Inside Rehab takes viewers into the world of eating disorders in a raw and transformative way,” said Lisa Erspamer, chief creative officer, in a statement. “Whether you have issues with food or know someone who does, this series offers perspective, hope, and the possibility to see food-based issues in a new light.”
The show was developed by Winfrey’s Harpo Studios and produced by the team behind the docu-series Obsessed. OWN will bow in roughly 80 million homes and will feature shows like Oprah’s Next Chapter, a new one-hour show that will feature Winfrey hitting the road to have “more riveting conversations with the people we all want to hear from, in some very unexpected places,” along with Visionaries: Inside the Creative Mind; Your Own Show: Oprah’s Search for the Next TV Star and Why Not? With Shania Twain.
Apr 29
2010
01:13 PM ET
'Happy Town' posts not-so-cheery numbers
Image Credit: Ken Woroner/ABCThe debut of ABC’s Happy Town — a serialized drama about a small Minnesota town that’s haunted by a series of unsolved kidnappings — wasn’t worth smiling about: It posted ABC’s lowest-rated series premiere of the season, down 43 percent from Eastwick’s debut in the time period last fall. The drama only attracted 5.2 million viewers and a 1.7 rating/5 share among adults 18-49; far lower than what Eastwick earned on Sept. 23 (a 3.0/8, 8.5 million viewers).
With original episodes of The Middle, Modern Family, and Cougar Town as lead-ins, Happy Town still finished second in its time slot against an original of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (it helped that CBS aired a repeat of CSI: NY). ABC still found a cause to celebrate its newest addition to the lineup: Happy Town boosted the time slot average versus the same night last year (when it aired The Unusuals) by 6 percent in total viewers and by 13 percent in adults 18-49. The drama also improved ABC’s averages in the time slot (which was previously filled by now-dead Eastwick and the final episodes of Ugly Betty) by 11 percent in total viewers and by 6 percent in adults 18-49.
In contrast, the news was great for ABC’s Modern Family, which ranked as Wednesday’s No. 1 scripted show among adults 18-49 (it averaged 9.8 million viewers). Overall, the American Idol-fueled Fox won the night in all the key demographics, including adults 18-49 and total viewers.
Apr 29
2010
08:59 AM ET
Exclusive First Look: 'Smallville' season finale showdown!
Image Credit: Jack Rowand/The CWThis only looks like a screen grab from Dancing With the Stars. It’s actually a sneak peek at the wet-’n-wild showdown Smallville‘s staging in its May 14 season finale between Clark and Zod. Our money’s on the future Superman, natch, but his nemesis’ dagger is made of blue kryptonite — you know, the kind that strips our hero of his powers — so at least he has a, um, fighting chance.
Apr 28
2010
10:06 PM ET
'NCIS' stars seek bumps in pay; How much is Michael Weatherly worth?
Image Credit: Sonja Flemming/CBSUPDATE 4/30: EW.com has confirmed that CBS TV Studios has closed a new deal with David McCallum, who plays Dr. Donald “Ducky” Mallard.
With NCIS preparing to wrap its seventh season on April 29, the cast has plenty to crow about: The CBS drama is not only averaging 18.94 million viewers (up 5% versus last season), it’s the most-watched scripted show of the year. So it’s hardly any wonder that co-stars Michael Weatherly (Tony DiNozzo), Pauley Perrette (Abby Sciuto), David McCallum (Dr. Mallard) and Sean Murray (Timothy McGee) are looking to score bigger salaries before the show returns next fall.
Their actions are not exactly earth-shattering; the four actors are at the end of their traditional seven-year contracts so CBS expects them to seek bumps in pay (star/producer Mark Harmon is already a lock, while co-stars Cote De Pablo, who plays Ziva David, and Rocky Carroll, as Leon Vance, have deals that reportedly expire next year). The real question is how much CBS is willing to pay the four stars moving forward: Deadline.com is reporting that the company dangled low-ball offers, which stalled negotiations. Representatives for CBS declined to comment. Last year, CBS TV Studios, as well as other production companies, attempted to institute a pay freeze with its stars, but that didn’t include actors who were at the end of their deals.
Fortunately, there is plenty of time to iron out new deals. Though it’s unclear when a resolution will occur, it seems likely that new contracts will be in place – and Weatherly, Paulette, McCallum and Murray will be back where fans want them – by the time NCIS resumes production in July. Stay tuned.
Apr 28
2010
07:17 PM ET
Ask Ausiello: Spoilers on '24,' 'Smallville,' 'Mother,' 'Glee,' 'Grey's,' and more!
Image Credit: Michael Desmond/ABC; Fox; CBSGot a scoop request? An anonymous tip you’re dying to share? Just want to say hi? You can send any/all of the above to ausielloscoop@ew.com
Question: I’m literally dying for some 24 scoop. Please, give me some! – Daniel
Ausiello: The May 24 series finale will find Jack squaring off against his most formidable adversary yet: Chloe! “Chloe and Jack are in a real face-off,” reveals executive producer Howard Gordon. “And Chloe has to decide between her duty [as head of CTU] and her friendship and allegiance to Jack. Their relationship gets put to the test in a way it’s never been tested before. It’s a collision course that culminates in the finale. It’s about as hairy a confrontation as you can possibly imagine, and it’s a nearly lethal one.” Playing those scenes was “really fun” and “very emotional,” says Mary Lynn Rajskub. “[It's] kind of crazy…what happens between Jack and Chloe. I’ve never done anything like that.”
Question: I realize Katherine Heigl isn’t returning, but will Grey’s Anatomy find a way to give Alex closure about Izzie? —Sharon
Ausiello: Not on Shonda Rhimes’ watch. The boss lady tells me she has no plans to tie up the loose ends of the Alex-Izzie love story. “It’s going to linger,” she says. “And I actually feel good about it lingering because [it means] Alex is left with unfinished business. And that’s going to be very interesting for his character.” READ FULL STORY »
Apr 28
2010
07:05 PM ET
'American Idol' and those (maddening!) overruns into 'Glee': How and why they happen
Image Credit: Michael Becker / FoxAny fan of Glee – especially those who own DVRs – can certainly attest to how American Idol hasn’t done the greatest job of finishing on time of late. For the last three weeks, Idol has run beyond its scheduled end time – which has pushed back the start of Glee and prevented DVRs from capturing the dramedy’s thrilling conclusions (last night, it was part of a performance by Kristin Chenoweth). Gripes one EW.com poster named John K: “I’m thinking about shunning American Idol for good now – bad enough they have the worst season in their 9 years, but they continue to have no idea how to run and manage a show to end on time. I have two DVRs and I tape 2 different things after Glee, so adding time to cover for AI’s mismanagement is not an option.” Adds another named SaneN85,” I’m with you here. I have 1 dual DVR, so it’s a pain when AI goes over. I record both Parenthood and V after Glee and Lost, so adding time is NOT an option. Why can’t that ridiculous show figure out how to end on time?”
To be fair, Fox has tried to warn viewers about impending delays on Idol. On the night of Glee’s April 13 premiere, for example, Fox aired promos saying the dramedy would begin at the unusual time of 9:30 p.m.. And on April 21, host Ryan Seacrest alerted viewers that the typically bloated Idol Gives Back edition would run late (it ended at 10:24 p.m.). Still, that’s done little to assuage suspicions that Idol may be running long on purpose. “They’ve been getting off for seven years on time and all of a sudden they can’t?” says one exec at a competing network. “It doesn’t make sense.” There’s some thought that Fox may be trying to shove more commercials into Idol, though the network insists that it’s airing no more than usual.
Over-runs are not an out-of-the-ordinary occurrence when you’re dealing with a live show. The network’s not commenting, but a source close to Idol said that while it’s always the producers’ aim to end the show on time, unpredictable elements wreak havoc on the show’s clock (not to mention your DVRs) year after year. READ FULL STORY »
Apr 28
2010
01:08 PM ET
Exclusive First Look: '24' series finale!
I have no clue who Jack is pointing his gun at. Nor do I know what’s inside that humongous backpack of his. But here’s what I do know: The 24 series finale airs (appropriately enough) on May 24 and this is your exclusive first look!
Image Credit: Kelsey McNeal/Fox
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