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Archive: December 2010 (53-65 of 163)

Dec 16 2010 12:01 AM ET

'Million Dollar Listing': Chad Rogers replaced with agent Josh Altman

Categories: Casting, Casting Scoops, EW Exclusive, Million Dollar Listing, Reality TV, TV Biz

million-dollar-listing Image Credit: Isabella Vosmikova/BravoEW has learned that agent Chad Rogers, 33, has left Bravo’s real estate-focused reality series Million Dollar Listing. His replacement for the show’s fourth season: agent Josh Altman, a big player in the L.A. real estate game who sold $38 million in property in the past year and currently holds an inventory of $50 million in listings. One of Altman’s recent sales in L.A.’s Beverly Park neighborhood went for a hefty $16.5 million, and was the sixth-largest sale in Los Angeles county in 2010.

Altman joins the cast alongside Josh Flagg, who’s been on Million Dollar Listing for the past two seasons, and Madison Hildebrand, who has appeared on the series since it premiered in August of 2006. Season 4 is set to debut on Feb. 1.

Check out a preview of the upcoming season here:

READ FULL STORY »

Dec 15 2010 05:19 PM ET

'Hell on Wheels' rolls to full-season pickup on AMC

by Kate Ward

Categories: Television

Hell on Wheels has stepped up to AMC’s station: The network announced today that it has ordered a full season of the post-Civil War-era project. Wheels, which is centered on the construction of the first Transcontinental Railroad, stars Anson Mount (In Her Shoes) as a former Confederate soldier seeking vengeance on the Union officers who murdered his wife. Joe and Tony Gayton are writers and executive producers on the project. “We are thrilled to bring Hell on Wheels to series,” AMC’s senior vice president of original programming, production, and digital content Joel Stillerman said in the release. “AMC’s commitment to the Western is long-standing, and the genre is an important part of our brand and history as a channel. The show has some incredibly original twists and turns and a contemporary sensibility that we think will bring a very broad audience to our newest drama series.”

Dec 15 2010 02:30 PM ET

'The Sing-Off' ratings rock; third season likely

by Lynette Rice

Categories: Ratings, Reality TV, Television, TV Ratings

Image Credit: Harper Smith/NBCIf the The Sing-Off inspired NBC to order The Voice of America, then the network might be on the right track when it comes to finding viewer-friendly competition shows: The second season of the Nick Lachey-hosted show is up 25 percent in total viewers and 26 percent among adults 18-49 versus its year-ago numbers.

The show that features a cappella groups competing for a $100,000 prize and a recording contract has averaged 8.9 million viewers and a 2.9 rating/8 share over its three telecasts this month. (Each 18-49 ratings point represents 1.3 million viewers). That includes a series record on Dec. 13, when the show earned a 3.3/9 and 9.5 million viewers. That’s NBC’s best performance in the time period, excluding the Olympics, in 22 months.

Last year, the debut season of the show only averaged 6.9 million viewers.

NBC hasn’t made a decision about a third season of The Sing-Off, but it seems likely that NBC will bring it back. The second season finale airs Dec. 20, which NBC just decided to extend to 10:30 p.m. (It’s now a two-and-a-half hour episode). NBC will follow it with a special preview episode of Perfect Couples, a comedy about three engaged couples that officially bows on Jan. 20.

Meanwhile, the winter’s other competition show on ABC hasn’t fared nearly as well. Skating With the Stars may have opened with 9.4 million viewers on Nov. 22, but it hasn’t had the benefit of a hefty lead-in from Dancing With the Stars. As a result, the show dropped to 6.1 million on Nov. 29 and 2.9 million on Dec. 6. On Dec. 13, it averaged 3.8 million.

Dec 15 2010 01:05 PM ET

Marc Cherry developing drama for ABC

by Margaret Lyons

Categories: Desperate Housewives, Television, TV Biz

Desperate Housewives creator Marc Cherry has a new show in development at ABC: Hallelujah would center on a small town “which finds itself being torn apart by the forces of good and evil,” according to Variety. Things improve, however, when a stranger comes to town “looking to bring justice, peace, and a little bit of faith” to the residents of Hallelujah, Tenn. Don’t necessarily expect to see Hallelujah on your TV set yet, though: This is just a script deal, and the show has yet to be ordered to pilot.

Dec 15 2010 11:08 AM ET

Showtime gives 'The Green Room' a second season

by Jeff Labrecque

Categories: Deals, Showtime, Television, TV Biz

Showtime has ordered a second season of The Green Room with Paul Provenza. The show offers uncensored roundtable conversations with a collection of accomplished comics, including Ray Romano, Kathy Griffin, Margaret Cho, Lewis Black and Judd Apatow. Six new episodes will be filmed in January, and Showtime will premiere them later next year.

Dec 15 2010 10:00 AM ET

'American Idol': Exclusive first look at new promo poster!

by Lynette Rice

Categories: American Idol, First Look, Television, TV Scoop

Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines: The race is about to begin! EW has this exclusive first look at Fox’s official American Idol promotional poster — complete with a leaping Steven Tyler and a rather reserved Ryan Seacrest. Meanwhile, we have a curtseying Jennifer Lopez in a frothy, short skirt, while Randy Jackson seems to be surfing a wave of enthusiasm for season 10.

American Idol moves to Wednesdays and Thursdays this season. It begins Jan. 19.

More ‘American Idol’:
‘Idol’: New challenges for finalists
‘Idol’ to air on Wednesday/Thursday
Kid Rock: Steven Tyler on ‘Idol’? ‘Stupid’
Which singing competition series are you most looking forward to seeing?

Dec 15 2010 09:35 AM ET

Roger Ebert's 'At The Movies' set to return in January

by Margaret Lyons

Categories: Casting, Television, TV Biz, TV Pilots

Roger Ebert Presents At The Movies will debut on January 21, 2011 on public television in 192 markets and on the Armed Forces Network, according to Roger Ebert’s tweets. The newest iteration was initially supposed to star critics Elvis Mitchell and Christy Lemire, but Mitchell has been dropped, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. The new cohost has not been announced.

Dec 15 2010 09:02 AM ET

MTV selects new gals for 'Teen Mom'

by Jennifer Armstrong

Categories: Reality TV, TV Scoop

MTV will bring us more tearjerking real-life drama in the form of four new teen moms starting Jan. 11 — and now, EW has learned, the network has chosen which 16 and Pregnant subjects will continue to open their complicated lives to TV audiences in Teen Mom 2.

The new cast will be: Chelsea, from Vermillion, S.D., who has a great supporter in her dad but a volatile relationship with her boyfriend; Kailyn, from Nazareth, Pa., who’s living with her boyfriend and his parents; Jenelle, a North Carolina surfer who’s struggled to put her carefree partying days behind her to focus on her newborn; and Leah, a West Virginia cheerleader raising premature twins with her boyfriend. Original Teen Mom participants Amber, Catelynn, Farrah, and Maci are still filming as well and will return to the airwaves in a future season.

Midseason premieres (on cable!): When to look for ‘Big Love’ and ‘Justified’

Dec 15 2010 06:06 AM ET

'Breaking Bad' star Bryan Cranston on his Golden Globe nomination and upcoming 'SNL'-esque Web series

by Sandra Gonzalez

Categories: Breaking Bad, Cable, Golden Globe Awards, TV Biz

Image Credit: Ursula Coyote/AMCBryan Cranston was in bed when his Golden Globe nomination in the Best Actor category for Breaking Bad was announced yesterday, but who can blame him? Between his work on six feature films and his upcoming Saturday Night Live-meets-Curb Your Enthusiasm Web series on Atom.com, The Handlers, the actor hasn’t had much time for R&R since concluding season 3 of his critically lauded AMC drama (EW critic Ken Tucker’s pick for best show of 2010), which returns this summer.

In an interview with EW, Cranston talked about his nomination and the political satire show that he’s thrown his time and massive talent behind.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: First off, congrats on your Best Actor Golden Globe nomination.
BRYAN CRANSTON: Thank you.

You feel good?
I’m thrilled on many different levels. First of all, you work hard, and you don’t know where it’s going to take you, and you keep your nose down. Then, someone taps you on the shoulder and says, “Hey, guess what?” It’s a great feeling to be able to get the cherry on top of a very sweet career that I enjoy doing. That being said, I don’t know any actor, really, who tries to work toward that. It has to be accepted as once in a while, if you’re very, very lucky, something like this comes along. And I’ve been blessed with an abundance of luck.

I was sad to not see the show on there.
I was, too, actually…. READ FULL STORY »

Dec 14 2010 05:48 PM ET

'Glee': Chris Colfer on his Golden Globe nomination and his new big-screen project

by Tim Stack

Categories: Glee, Golden Globe Awards, Jane Lynch, Television, TV Biz

Image Credit: Allen Berezovsky/PR PhotosGlee‘s Chris Colfer now has more to be glee-ful about than a phenomenal second season: He’s been nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor in TV Series, Mini-Series, or Made-for-TV Movie. Shortly after finding out about his nod, Colfer rang EW to talk about the Globes, as well as his upcoming foray into movies.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: So how did you find out? Were you awake?
CHRIS COLFER: I woke up with a phone call. I was not awake for the announcement. My publicist called me at 5 a.m., and I’ve been wide awake since.

Have you celebrated yet?
No not really! For one, all my friends are on the show and they’re working today! And all my family lives four hours away so I have no one to celebrate with. So I might go get some frozen yogurt and have a party by myself. READ FULL STORY »

Dec 14 2010 05:45 PM ET

It's official: David Hasselhoff headed to 'Britain's Got Talent'

by Sandra Gonzalez

Categories: Casting, Reality TV, Television, TV Biz

Image Credit: Mitch Haaseth/NBCA&E might have pulled The Hasselhoffs from their lineup, but across the pond, they just can’t get enough of David Hasselhoff.

A publicist for the actor confirms to EW that the former Baywatch and Knight Rider star will join the judging panel at Britain’s Got Talent, more than a week after it was announced he was in talks for the gig.

The former America’s Got Talent judge will fill one of two recently available spots, with the other going to British comedian Michael McIntyre, according to the United Kingdom Press Association. The panel will also include existing judge Amanda Holden, and Simon Cowell will lend his critiques during the live portions of the show.

More on David Hasselhoff:
A&E yanks ‘The Hasselhoffs’ off the air
David Hasselhoff ‘in talks’ for ‘Britain’s Got Talent’
‘Dancing with the Stars’: First eliminated contestant speaks about having ‘no regrets’
David Hasselhoff returns to ‘Young and the Restless’

Dec 14 2010 04:44 PM ET

'Simpsons' exclusive: Jane Lynch to guest as Homer's work rival

by Dan Snierson

Categories: EW Exclusive, Glee, Scoop, Television, The Simpsons

Image Credit: Bob Charlotte/PR Photos; FoxFans of The Simpsons can shout with Glee: Jane Lynch is lending her voice to an episode of the animated Fox comedy, EW has learned exclusively. Lynch — whose Emmy-winning performance as Glee’s menacing Sue Sylvester earned her a Golden Globe nomination on Tuesday — plays Roz, Homer’s new assistant at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant. “This woman seems terrifically nice, but then it turns out she’s just completely undermining him every step of the way and gets his job — until he can discover her one weakness with the help of Ned Flanders,” explains Simpsons executive producer Al Jean.

Jean notes that it was an easy decision to cast Lynch as the duplicitous Roz: “She can do edge, sweetness, and a mix of both,” he says of the actress, who recorded her lines last week. “I’m just embarrassed we didn’t ask her before she was so successful because she’s funny in everything she does. We were very happy when she said yes.” The episode, titled “Replaceable You,” is slated to air early next season. Three of Lynch’s Glee co-stars — Lea Michele, Cory Monteith, and Amber Riley — guest-starred on the first episode of this season.

Dan on Twitter: @dansnierson

Dec 14 2010 03:05 PM ET

Fox pulls remaining 'Running Wilde' episodes

by Margaret Lyons

Categories: Television

Image Credit: Myles Aronowitz/FOXRunning Wilde isn’t going to be running — ho, ho — anymore. Fox confirmed that the remaining five episodes (including a one-hour finale) will not air this month as initially planned. The network says that the episodes will air at a later date, but could not say what that date is.

UPDATE: Fox announced the new day and airtimes for the remaining episodes. They are:
Sunday, December 19 at 7 and 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, December 26 at 9:30 p.m.
Tuesday, December 28 from 9–10 p.m. (one-hour season finale)