Archive: January 2011 (53-65 of 323)

Jan 26 2011 07:19 PM ET

Will Ferrell hired as NBC's 'Office' temp

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Categories: Television, TV Biz

Image Credit: Jen Lowery/Startraksphoto.com; Vito Amati/Getty Im

With Steve Carell stepping out of NBC’s The Office, producers have enlisted Will Ferrell to help boost the show’s numbers during the season’s home stretch.

Ferrell will reunite with his Anchorman co-star in a four-episode arc later this season. He’ll play a branch manager who arrives from the home office and proves to be just as inept as Michael Scott.

“We found Steve Carell when he was nothing but a movie star and we turned him into a television star,” says executive producer Paul Lieberstein. “We are proud to continue The Office‘s tradition of discovering famous talent, and we hope that once America gets a good look at Will, they’ll see what we see: tremendous raw sexuality.” READ FULL STORY »

Jan 26 2011 06:13 PM ET

Obama address viewership falls from last year

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Categories: Television, TV Biz, TV Ratings

Image Credit: Pablo Martinez Monsivais/Pool/Getty Images

The president’s State of the Union Address drew 43 million viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research.

That’s down 11% from his speech last year, and down 18% from his address in 2009.

The networks carrying the speech included ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, TEL, UNI, CNN, CNBC, Fox News, and MSNBC

Fox News was the most-watched of the cable news networks carrying the speech, averaging 5 million viewers. CNN was second with 3 million and MSNBC ranked third with 2.5 million.

Further EW coverage: Critic Ken Tucker: Why Maddow was wrong to criticize CNN for airing Michelle Bachman’s speech. … PopWatch: What was Michelle Bachmann looking at?

Jan 26 2011 05:17 PM ET

'Fringe' Friday ratings spike thanks to DVR

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Categories: Television, TV Biz, TV Ratings

Fox’s Fringe story continues to improve. After delivering a surprisingly strong number on Friday despite moving from Thursdays, the drama has gained an additional 42 percent thanks to DVR playback after only three days of Nielsen measurements.

Fringe jumped from a 1.9 adult demo rating on Friday night (matching its Thursday average) to a 2.7, thanks to the added viewing. Compare that to CBS’ Blue Bloods, which has averaged a 2.4 on the night. Competition will climb in the coming weeks as Fringe will face more original shows like CW’s Supernatural, but this is a great start.

Jan 26 2011 04:50 PM ET

Bradley Whitford to reunite with 'West Wing' co-star on USA's 'In Plain Sight' -- EXCLUSIVE

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Categories: Scoop, Television, TV Biz

Image Credit: Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic.com; Albert L. Ortega/PR Photos

There’s going to be a mini-West Wing reunion next season on USA’s In Plain Sight.

Bradley Whitford will guest star on the series, joining his fellow former White House adviser Mary McCormack.

Of course, McCormack stars on the show as a U.S. Marshal working in the highly secretive branch of the witness protection program. Next season, Whitford will play a career military man who is a star witness for a Blackwater-style military contract company.

Whitford won’t be the first of McCormack’s West Wing alums to have appeared on the show — Richard Schiff and Josh Malina have been in previous episodes. USA will debut season four sometime this spring.

Jan 26 2011 03:42 PM ET

NBC develops Chelsea Handler's 'Are You There, Vodka' book for possible series

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Categories: Fall TV, Scoop, Television, TV Pilots

Chelsea-HandlerFrom Wonder Woman…to Chelsea Handler! NBC made a flurry of pilot orders today, including one inspired by Handler’s bestselling book Are You There, Vodka? It’s Me Chelsea. The E! talk show host will executive produce the multi-camera comedy – along with Tom Werner, Mike Clements, and Tom Brunelle – that will focus on the lives of a group of 20-somethings who live and work together with a very outspoken young woman. Other exec producers include Julie Larson and Dottie Dartland Zicklin. Handler will not appear.

NBC also ordered these other comedy pilots today: READ FULL STORY »

Jan 26 2011 03:26 PM ET

CBS renews 'The Talk' for 2011-12 season

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Categories:

The-TalkImage Credit: CBSCBS announced today that it has renewed The Talk for the 2011-12 season. Hosted by Julie Chen, Sara Gilbert, Sharon Osbourne, Leah Remini and Holly Robinson Peete, The Talk delivered season-high audiences for the last two weeks.
“After only a few months on the air, The Talk has delivered creative and ratings growth and established a strong profile in daytime,” said Nina Tassler, President, CBS Entertainment, in a statement.  ”The co-hosts have clicked together, the topics have connected with the audience and the show has added a new dimension to our top-rated daytime line-up.  We’re excited about its current success and the potential to grow and evolve The Talk even further.”

Since its premiere in October when it replaced As the World Turns, The Talk has averaged 2.21 million viewers, a 1.1 rating/6 share in women 25-54 and a 0.8/5 in women 18-49.  It delivered season-high weekly audiences during the week of Jan. 7 (2.34 million) and Jan. 14 (2.40 million), while also matching season-highs in key women demographics.

Jan 26 2011 02:30 PM ET

'Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome' stars revealed: Here's the new Adama -- EXCLUSIVE

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Categories: Scoop, Television, TV Biz

Pasqualino on left; Cotton on right (Image Credit: Pasqualino: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)

Who’s going to play young William Adama in Syfy’s highly anticipated Battlestar Galactica prequel Blood & Chrome?

Syfy has cast Luke Pasqualino (Skins — U.K.) as Adama. While Ben Cotton (Hellcats, Riese) is the other lead, playing Adama’s commanding officer.

First, here’s some official character descriptions that give you some new details about the show: READ FULL STORY »

Jan 26 2011 01:49 PM ET

'Dog the Bounty Hunter' meets himself in 200th episode -- EXCLUSIVE VIDEO

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Categories: Television, TV Biz

The 200th episode of A&E’s Dog the Bounty Hunter has the intrepid criminal catchers coming face-to-face with themselves after they bust into a house only to find their own show TV. Tonight, A&E airs a one-hour retrospective followed by the 200th episode of Dog. Here’s the exclusive clip:
READ FULL STORY »

Jan 26 2011 12:16 PM ET

Josh Gad launching 'Borat'-like online comedy series -- EXCLUSIVE

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Categories: Scoop, Television, TV Biz

Image Credit: Tyler Clancey/ BBC Worldwide Productions

Actor Josh Gad has created a new scripted comedy series that’s going to be distributed exclusively online.

In Gigi: Almost American, a foreigner played by Gad immigrates to the U.S. with dreams of obtaining the American dream — and not letting his lack of street smarts, fashion sense, or mastery of English stand in his way.

The Borat-like series is from BBC Worldwide Productions (the company’s first digital series, in fact), My Damn Channel and comedy troupe The Lost Nomads.

The Love and Other Drugs and Back to You actor says he’s been developing the 10-episode series for the past year and calls it a “passion project” for himself and the Nomads comedy troupe. Gigi will be on My Damn Channel’s site sometime this spring.

Jan 26 2011 11:36 AM ET

Sexy 'Vampire Diaries' teaser asks: 'Got Wood?' -- EXCLUSIVE VIDEO

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Categories: Scoop, Television, The Vampire Diaries, Trailers, TV Biz

The new Vampire Diaries trailer is here! EW.com obtained the steamy midseason teaser for season two of The CW’s biggest hit and it includes a new tagline that asks: “Got Wood?”

The video comes just one day after EW.com’s report on the show’s new billboard campaign urging fans to “Catch VD.” Asked whether this is yet another attempt to lure viewers with racy marketing, The CW’s Department of Double Entendres had no comment. Here’s the video: READ FULL STORY »

Jan 26 2011 01:57 AM ET

Sarah Michelle Gellar's new CBS thriller pilot 'Ringer': The producer spills details! -- EXCLUSIVE

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Categories: Buffy, EW Exclusive, Ringer, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Scoop, Television, The Good Wife, TV Biz, TV Pilots, TV Scoop

Sarah-Michelle-GellarImage Credit: Stephen Lovekin/Getty ImagesThe networks have been on a pilot-greenlighting tear lately. But which possible show has the potential to be a gem of the 2011-12 season? We’ll go out on a limb here: CBS’ in-the-works thriller Ringer, which—should the pilot get the pickup to series during May’s network upfronts—would mark the much-anticipated return of Buffy the Vampire Slayer star Sarah Michelle Gellar to regular series television. Granted, Gellar acolytes have been titillated by her possible return before with HBO’s The Wonderful Maladys, only to have the pilot never make it to series. But alas, the potential seems to be there with Ringer. Until now, the show has only been described as drama about “a troubled young woman on the run who hides out by living the life of her wealthy twin sister, until she learns her sibling’s life has a bounty on it as well.” Rather vague. Are you dying for more details? Us, too, so we tracked down Peter Traugott, the pilot’s producer and head of Brillstein Entertainment Partners, the production company behind Ringer, and grilled him about the pilot. Here, Traugott spills more about Ringer’s plot, its enviable star Sarah Michelle Gellar and getting her to come back to network television (she wanted to do cable!), and why the show is indeed a good fit for CBS.

WHAT IS RINGER EXACTLY? READ FULL STORY »

Jan 25 2011 08:02 PM ET

'The Sunset Limited': An atheist and ex-convict walk into a room...

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Categories: Television, Trailers

Attention Samuel L. Jackson and Tommy Lee Jones: Your Emmy awaits. On Feb. 12, HBO brings us The Sunset Limited, a small screen adaptation of the 2006 play from No Country for Old Men author Cormac McCarthy. The telefilm, appropriately, focuses on two nameless old men, a Christian ex-convict played by Jackson and atheist professor played by No Country alum Jones. Expect lots of discussion of life’s big questions (ex. “Do you ever think about Jesus?”) and plenty of Jackson crazyface. Oh, and all the action takes place in one room. So try not to be disappointed when you discover a shark isn’t there with them. READ FULL STORY »

Jan 25 2011 07:02 PM ET

'Being Human' skins MTV's 'Skins' (so says SyFy!)

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Categories: Cable, TV Ratings

being-humanImage Credit: Jill Greenberg/SyfyOh man, this is war: Syfy tried to make hay of the anti-Skins sentiment today by saying its new scripted drama Being Human “skinned” the competition, including week two of the MTV drama.

Monday’s episode of Being Human grew 9 percent over its premiere episode last week in total viewers (to 2.14 million), and another 21% in adults 18-49 (to 1.21 million). More importantly to SyFy, it outperformed the second episode of Skins by a margin of 41 percent in adults 18-49, 182 percent in adults 25-54 and 35 percent in total viewers. (Good job, Syfy — except MTV wants those pimply-faced viewers south of 30, right?)

Speaking of which, the Human episode attracted 575,000 adults ages 18-34 and 614,000 women 18-49 — the network’s best performance in the demo for a SyFy original since Warehouse 13 on July 28, 2009. Being Human continues to represent SyFy’s most successful winter series launch since Battlestar Galactica in January, 2005.

Being Human follows three roommates — a vampire, a ghost, and a werewolf — who attempt to lead normal lives.

Read more:
BBC’s Being Human season 3 gets U.S. premiere date — EXCLUSIVE

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