Archive: January 2011 (183-195 of 323)

Jan 14 2011 09:55 AM ET

Michael Scott to leave 'Office' early

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Categories: Casting, Television, TV Biz

the-officeImage Credit: Justin Lubin/NBCMichael Scott isn’t even going to make it to the end of his last season on The Office. NBC has confirmed to EW the HitFix.com report that showrunner Paul Lieberstein said that Steve Carell’s imminent departure from the show will take place with four episodes remaining. Amy Ryan’s Holly will — POTENTIAL SPOILER ALERT — say goodbye one or two episodes before Scott’s farewell, so fans hoping those two would walk into the sunset together may be disappointed. Darryl, Dwight, and Andy will spend the season’s last four episodes scrambling for power in Michael’s absence, and several other characters will also be introduced (or re-introduced: Dave Koechner’s Todd Packer). Jim, Lieberstein confirmed, will not be in the hunt to become manager.

Read more:
Steve Carell nominates Colin Powell to succeed him on ‘The Office’
Steve Carell on the end of Michael Scott: ‘The Office’ is not a fairy tale
Angela Kinsey: ‘Michael Scott departing is going to make a great season and great TV for us’

Jan 14 2011 09:00 AM ET

'Big Bang Theory,' 'Glee,' 'Bones,' 'House': Find out what's next in the Spoiler Room

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Categories: Alex O'Loughlin, Big Love, Bones, Casting Scoops, Criminal Minds, Glee, Hawaii Five-O, House, Justified, Raising Hope, Royal Pains, Television, The Big Bang Theory, The Game, The Spoiler Room, TV Scoop, V, White Collar

Spoiler-Room-11311Image Credit: Richard Cartwright/CBS; Ray Mickshaw/Fox; Adam TayEditor’s note: This week’s Spoiler Room is rated PG-13 for references to male reproductive organs and discussions about Neal Caffrey’s upcoming philandering on White Collar. You’ve been warned — and likely enticed to continue reading because your filthy mind sustains itself on risque scoop. (One of us! One of us!)

For the PG set, we also have Bones scoop straight from executive producer Stephen Nathan, a relationship-related Glee tease, much more.

Send all scoop requests and complaints about decency standards to spoilerroom@ew.com or Tweet them to me at @EWSandraG.

‘THE BIG BANG THEORY”S BIG ROAD TRIP
The first thing to escape Mayim Bialik’s mouth when asked about The Big Bang Theory’s upcoming Jan. 20 episode, “The Love Car Displacement,” is a soft giggle. READ FULL STORY »

Jan 13 2011 10:56 PM ET

'Six Feet Under' star Lauren Ambrose joins 'Torchwood' -- EXCLUSIVE

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Categories: Casting Scoops, EW Exclusive, Television, TV Biz

Six Feet Under star Lauren Ambrose is joining Starz’ highly-anticipated global edition of Torchwood.

Ambrose will appear in seven of the 10 episodes of the drama’s upcoming season, playing Jilly Kitzinger — “a sweet-talking PR genius with a heart of stone who’s just cornered the most important client of her career … and maybe of all time.”

Production on Torchwood: Miracle Day started Monday, and follows the show making waves last week at TCA press tour when showrunner Russell T. Davies revealed the season’s mind-bending plot: READ FULL STORY »

Jan 13 2011 10:53 PM ET

ABC picks up two more girly pilots, including one from ... Carrie Ann Inaba?

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Categories: Television, TV Biz, TV Pilots

On the heels of its decision to take Charlie’s Angels to the next level, ABC has ordered two more drama pilots that are sure to skew female if ordered to series in May. The first one is Partners from Ed Bernero (Criminal Minds) that centers on two female police detectives who are fiercely loyal to one another since they’re also secretly sisters.

The second one is dubbed Grace, a one-hour from Krista Vernoff (Grey’s Anatomy) and Carrie Ann Inaba (yep, that Inaba from Dancing with the Stars) that focuses on a dysfunctional family set in the world of professional dance. We trust it will boast a generous sequin budget and, with any luck, a cameo or two by Maksim Chmerkovskiy.

For more about fall 2011-12 development: Will remakes of The Munsters and True Lies become great hits? Are you ready for a new take on Sherlock Holmes?

Jan 13 2011 09:11 PM ET

'Community' planning Dungeons & Dragons episode

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Categories: Community, Television, TV Biz

Chevy Chase as Dungeon Master?

NBC’s Community is planning an upcoming episode centered around the cast playing the role-playing classic Dungeons & Dragons.

Unlike last year’s fan-favorite paintball episode, though, the D&D episode won’t go full tilt and have the cast, like, running around the forest with swords or anything, creator Dan Harmon said.

“They’re just sitting at a table playing,” he told critics at TCA press tour. “But it’s stylized to make it interesting and people are going to like it a lot.” READ FULL STORY »

Jan 13 2011 07:20 PM ET

Syfy to develop show about campus ghost stories

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Categories: Cable, Deals, Reality TV, TV Biz

We already know that school can be scary, but this SyFy project is taking it to a whole new level: The cable network announced today that it is developing a one-hour reality series with Mark Burnett (Survivor) called School Spirits. The project, which is also from Seth Jarrett (Celebrity Ghost Stories), will focus on hauntings that have occurred on school campuses nationwide.

“Paranormal encounters at high schools and colleges often become legendary stories spanning and touching generations,” said Mark Stern, Syfy president of original programming in a statement. “We’re excited to partner with Mark and Seth as they bring compelling, firsthand stories to life.”

Jan 13 2011 06:25 PM ET

'The Game' star Tia Mowry Hardrict: Cast was 'always extremely stressed' at The CW, now she's 'at peace'

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Categories: Television, The Game, TV Biz

TheGame-MelanieImage Credit: BETThe tumultuous road that has led to a seemingly sunny future for BET’s saved-from-the-grave sitcom, The Game, has been full of lessons for star and former Sister, Sister actress Tia Mowry Hardrict. The biggest of all? The overwhelming value of a second chance in Hollywood.

“Blessed,” Mowry said when describing her feelings about coming back for a 13-episode season almost two years after being canceled by the CW — something the actress said she could see coming.

“Production costs were getting cut. We weren’t getting any advertisement, no media attention. I had prepared myself,” she said of the weeks leading up to the show’s axing in 2009. “We never felt like we were in the can. We were always extremely stressed. We felt like we could never be extremely creative. We never felt like the network got us.”  READ FULL STORY »

Jan 13 2011 05:53 PM ET

Gwyneth and Cee Lo together on 'SNL' -- EXCLUSIVE photo

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Categories: EW Exclusive, Saturday Night Live

SNL-PaltrowLook at Gwyneth! She’s so pretty. Look at that hair! So straight. So blond. And look at Cee Lo — he seems to be admiring Gwynnie’s beauty as well. Gwyneth appears to be looking… at something right above my head. But Jason Sudeikis, he’s looking at the camera. Someone has to — they’re shooting a promo for this week’s SNL, after all. Perhaps they’re discussing whether G-Love and Cee Lo will perform a duet on “Forget You“? One can only hope.

Jan 13 2011 04:57 PM ET

Ryan Murphy joins Oxygen's 'Glee Project'

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Categories: Glee, Reality TV, Television, TV Biz

Ryan Murphy has decided he wants to be a part of that reality spin-off of Glee after all.

The Glee creator has been added as an executive producer on the upcoming Oxygen series.

Even as the press release went out announcing Murphy, producers on the Glee Project panel at TCA press tour shrugged off Murphy’s lack of presence on the project up until this point. READ FULL STORY »

Jan 13 2011 03:02 PM ET

Syfy's 'Being Human' more 'gritty' than 'Twilight'?

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Categories: Television, TV Biz

Press tour critics want to know: Syfy’s new supernatural drama Being Human is about a vampire, a werewolf and a girl … soooo did that give producers a moment of pause? Since the show might strongly remind everybody of a certain other title?

“Not a moment of pause in that way — if we’re talking between the lines to each other,” said executive producer Jeremy Carver about the remake of the Brit hit, which premieres Monday night. “What we love about the show is how grounded it is. It’s set in an urban environments. Our characters are all living double lives. There’s a certain grittiness due to the realism to the show that peels off our show from competitors.”

Plus, in Being Human, the girl is a ghost, so there’s that.

Jan 13 2011 02:34 PM ET

USA to air 'The Space Between' on 9/11 anniversary

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Categories: Golden Globe Awards, Movie Biz, Television, TV Biz

The USA Network has acquired The Space Between, a movie about a lonely flight attendant and a 10-year-old Pakistani-American boy set on the morning of 9/11, and will air it on the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks. Melissa Leo (The Fighter) plays the stewardess who takes it upon herself to drive the child back to New York City after their plane is grounded in Texas. “After screening the film during the Tribeca Film Festival, we knew that its home had to be USA,” said Jane Blaney, the station’s executive vice president. “Its message of tolerance and respect is a perfect fit with our Characters Unite pro-social initiative.”

Writer/director Travis Fine (The Others) said in a statement, “I’m honored that USA will be airing The Space Between on the 10th anniversary of 9/11. I know that day will be a time for worldwide reflection and remembrance of the tragedy and heroism that is still so vividly etched in our memory.”

Jan 13 2011 02:02 PM ET

'The Talk' attracts its biggest weekly audience to date

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Categories: Television, TV Ratings

CBS_The-TalkImage Credit: James White/CBSCBS’ freshman daytime yakker The Talk attracted its biggest audience ever for the week ending Jan. 7. It averaged 2.3 million viewers and beat One Life to Life in women 18-34 (.6/4 versus a .4/3) and tied the sudser among women 18-49.

The new talk show — co-hosted by Julie Chen, Sara Gilbert, Sharon Osbourne, Holly Robinson Peete, Leah Remini and Marissa Jaret Winokur — still has a ways to go before it becomes truly competitive among women 18-49, the key daytime target. Last week, The Talk ranked No. 10 in the demo with a .8 rating. CBS’ The Young and the Restless was No. 1 with a 1.7 rating, followed by ABC’s General Hospital (1.4), and NBC’s Days of Our Lives and ABC’s The View (both of which earned a 1.2).

Last week, The View averaged 2.9 million viewers, which was down 8 percent versus its year-ago average of 3.2 million. The top show in daytime last week was, as usual, Y&R with 5.1 million.

Jan 13 2011 01:57 PM ET

'Charlie's Angels' pilot greenlit by ABC! -- EXCLUSIVE

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Categories: Scoop, Television, TV Biz

It’s on: Charlie’s Angels just got officially greenlit as a pilot at ABC.

This move has been long expected, but now the project is firmly moving forward, along with Smallville writer-producers Miles Millar and Al Gough. The new modern-day version of the show will be set in Miami.

The producers (Leonard Goldberg, Drew Barrymore, Nancy Juvonen), Sony Pictures TV and Flower Films will now dive into casting to figure out the tricky task of finding TV’s new Angels. We hear there’s an offer out to Mark Piznarski (Gossip Girl) to direct.

Remakes have traditionally struggled to find viewers on broadcast, though CBS’ showed with Hawaii Five-0 that you can pull off a primetime hit with a classic title. And Angels is certainly on-brand for a network that has a strong female following with shows like Grey’s Anatomy and Desperate Housewives.

If Charlies Angels is on ABC’s schedule next fall, will you watch?

For more about fall 2011-12 development: Will remakes of The Munsters and True Lies become great hits? Are you ready for a new take on Sherlock Holmes?

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