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Archive: April 2011 (92-104 of 303)

Apr 20 2011 01:28 PM ET

Ratings: 'One Tree Hill,' 'Hellcats' return; 'Parenthood' finale rises

by James Hibberd

Categories: TV Ratings

Image Credit: The CW

The CW’s bubble shows One Tree Hill and Hellcats returned Tuesday night after more than a month off the air. The ultra-veteran consummate survivor One Tree matched its last episode (1.4 million viewers, 1.1 preliminary adults 18-49 rating), but newbie Hellcats (1.1 million, 0.5) — a show that the network was intending to pick up — sunk 17 percent to a problematic series low.

Across broadcast, networks were probably impacted by the Knicks vs. Celtics NBA playoffs on cable.

Fox led the night with Glee (9.7 million, 3.7) dropping 12 percent and Raising Hope (5.7 million, 3.2) slipping 4 percent, but struggling freshman comedy Traffic Light (3.2 million, 1.4) perked up, thanks to having an original lead-in this week. READ FULL STORY »

Apr 20 2011 12:32 PM ET

'Breaking In': Christian Slater and tonight's guest star, NASCAR champ Jimmie Johnson, talk Contra Security, racing, and sabotage

by Mandi Bierly

Categories: Breaking In, Television, TV Scoop

Image Credit: Jordin Althaus/Fox

On tonight’s episode of Fox’s Breaking In, five-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson guest stars as himself, a childhood friend of Christian Slater’s Oz who needs his Contra Security team to investigate interference on his race-day radio frequency that cost him a win. Slater and Johnson, who have a bit of history themselves, phoned EW for a quick chat.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Christian, I know producers were looking for a case that would bring Michael Rosenbaum’s Dutch more into the fold, and this one requires his expertise. But how did Jimmie’s name come up?
CHRISTIAN SLATER: When I heard about the possibility of doing something with NASCAR, the first person I thought of was Jimmie Johnson, who I recommended immediately. We met at a Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien taping [in 2009], and we actually did a race. Conan had it all set up. I don’t think I was actually supposed to even participate. They didn’t have enough helmets for all us. [Johnson laughs.] We partnered up, and then we beat him. So I liked Jimmie from that moment on. READ FULL STORY »

Apr 20 2011 06:41 AM ET

'Dancing With the Stars' eliminated contestant: 'There is a reason for everything in life'

by Carrie Borzillo

Categories: Dancing With the Stars, Reality TV

SPOILER ALERT: Don’t click through if you don’t want to know who was booted off Dancing With the Stars last night. READ FULL STORY »

Apr 20 2011 03:06 AM ET

Neil Gaiman, Stephen Fry, and Russell T. Davies pay tribute to late 'Doctor Who' actress Elisabeth Sladen

by Clark Collis

Categories: Doctor Who, Sci-Fi, Television

Neil Gaiman, Stephen Fry, John Barrowman, and Edgar Wright have all paid tribute via Twitter to Elisabeth Sladen, who played Sarah Jane Smith in Doctor Who. The former star of the cult BBC sci-fi show died yesterday at the age of 63.

“Big sadness. Rest in Peace,” wrote comics legend Gaiman, who has has penned an episode of the new season of Doctor Who. Comedian and author Fry was moved to say, “What terribly sad news about Elisabeth Sladen — her Sarah Jane was part of my childhood. Deepest sympathy to her family.” Doctor Who and Torchwood star John Barrowman described how he was “proud to have worked with such an icon of the sci fi world.” Shaun of the Dead director and Doctor Who fan Edgar Wright wrote, “I cannot believe Elisabeth Sladen is no longer with us. She was the definitive companion for all time and space. Rest in peace Sarah Jane.”

Finally, writer and producer Russell T. Davies—who created the recent Doctor Who spin-off show The Sarah Jane Adventures—has also praised the actress. “I knew there was a great, great woman and a great actor sitting there not working,” Davies told BBC News. “And so we reached out to her and she then turned out to be such good company, and so cheeky, and so much fun as well and, of course, absolutely unchanged by time. She was such a beautiful woman.”

Apr 19 2011 09:29 PM ET

Pia Toscano to perform on 'Dancing With the Stars'

by Lynette Rice

Categories: American Idol, Dancing With the Stars, Reality TV, Television

Image Credit: Michael Becker/Fox

That date with Mark Ballas sure paid off. Former American Idol contestant Pia Toscano will perform on Dancing With the Stars next Tuesday, and Ballas will dance to her tune with Karina Smirnoff. The announcement was made on Tuesday’s show.

Toscano’s ouster from Idol two weeks ago proved to be one of the most controversial exits from the show in its ten-season history. Very soon afterwards, Toscano was reportedly romantically linked with DWTS pro Ballas, a relationship both she and Ballas have since tried to play down in the press. (Possibly adding fuel to the fire: Both Idol and DWTS shoot in adjacent soundstages at CBS Television City in Los Angeles.)

Toscano is also set to appear on American Idol tomorrow. Once eliminated from the show, contestants like Toscano are handled by 19 Entertainment and free to do various appearances on other network shows like The Tonight Show, etc.

After the show, Ballas admitted to reporters that he didn’t know about Toscano’s appearance until it was announced by Tom Bergeron. “We get no say on Tuesday performances,” the pro admitted. “It was all the producer’s call.” When asked if he plans to give Toscano any tips, Ballas replied, ” She doesn’t need my advice. She’s fine. She’s awesome.” — Reporting by Carrie Borzillo

Apr 19 2011 08:01 PM ET

HBO answers your 'Game of Thrones' renewal burning questions

by James Hibberd

Categories: Game of Thrones

HBO brass got on the phone with EW to talk about their decision to renew Game of Thrones after one episode. Below, HBO co-president Richard Plepler and programming president Michael Lombardo answer some of your burning questions from our comment boards:

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: What made you decide to renew Thrones?
MICHAEL LOMBARDO: It’s a great show that only gets better with every episode, and when it ends you’re left wanting more. On a creative level, it was screaming for another season. We absolutely had an expectation that this would be a slow [ratings] build. It’s challenging for people who’ve decided it’s not a genre for them. The word of mouth has been great and we don’t even have OnDemand numbers yet. We thought it was a great starting place.
RICHARD PLEPLER: It’s a quintessential HBO show — it has a passionate connection with a big part of our audience. Whether the final number is 7 or 8 million viewers, it doesn’t take anything away from the addictive quality of the show for a large chunk of our audience.

How many episodes is the second season? READ FULL STORY »

Apr 19 2011 06:34 PM ET

'Happy Days' cast sues CBS over royalties

by Kate Ward

Categories: Lawsuits, Television, TV Biz

According to papers obtained by EW, several Happy Days stars — and the estate of late actor Tom Bosley — have filed a lawsuit against CBS, claiming the network violated breach of contract by cutting them out of merchandising revenues. Anson Williams, Don Most, Marion Ross, Erin Moran, and the Bosley estate, the suit says, were guaranteed 5 percent of royalties profits if their images appeared on a product. The suit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, is asking for $10 million; the plaintiffs claim they are owed millions. A CBS spokesperson said in response to the lawsuit, “We agree that funds are owed to the actors and have been working with them for quite some time to resolve the issue.”

Apr 19 2011 06:05 PM ET

President Trump? 'We think it's a stunt,' says an NBC exec

by Benjamin Svetkey

Categories: Politics, Reality TV, Television, The Celebrity Apprentice, TV Biz

Image Credit: Ali Goldstein/NBC

Donald Trump will apparently be making a big political announcement on the May 22 season finale of Celebrity Apprentice. No, he won’t be saying whether or not he’ll be running for president, but instead he’ll supposedly be revealing the future date upon which he actually will announce whether he’s running for president. But let’s save everyone some time and get it over with now: He won’t be. He has never seriously considered a run for the White House. It was all a gigantic ratings stunt, a negotiating ploy to get NBC to cut a bigger paycheck when the time comes to sign up for another season of his suddenly popular again TV show. At least, that’s the only theory that makes any sense to us — and we’re not alone.

“We at the network have no idea whether Trump is serious about [running for president] or not,” one NBC exec tells EW. “He won’t tell even us — and we haven’t pushed because we’ve just decided it is whatever it is. If he wants to spout off about things, we’re happy to let him. But our inclination is that he’s not serious about running for president. We think it’s a stunt.”

It sure looks like one. READ FULL STORY »

Apr 19 2011 04:56 PM ET

'16 and Pregnant' premieres tonight: Watch a sneak peek here -- EXCLUSIVE VIDEO

by Archana Ram

Categories: 16 & Pregnant, EW Exclusive, Reality TV, Television

MTV’s groundbreaking series 16 and Pregnant returns tonight at 10 p.m., with a new season of fresh-faced moms, their boyfriends, and the topsy-turvy ride called unexpected pregnancy. In tonight’s installment, the drama gets going with a set of twins. But 16-year-old Jordan copes not with twin babies, but with her own twin sister, Jessica, who feels jilted when her sister shifts priorities to build her own family. Watch our exclusive clip of what goes down: READ FULL STORY »

Apr 19 2011 02:55 PM ET

Matt Smith previews the new season of 'Doctor Who': 'We learn so much about the characters'

by Clark Collis

Categories: Doctor Who, Sci-Fi, Television, TV Scoop

This Saturday, the new season of cult British sci-fi show Doctor Who debuts on BBC America. The premiere is the first half of a two-part story in which the titular time lord (Matt Smith) travels back to 1969 America and battles an alien menace known as The Silence, with help from Richard Nixon.

As a self-confessed Whovian, I have of course marked this momentous occasion by placing a four foot tall inflatable Dalek outside my office door. Also, over the next few days I will be posting interviews with cast members Karen Gillan, Arthur Darvill, and Alex Kingston. But first up, it’s Mr. Gallifrey himself: Matt Smith.

READ FULL STORY »

Apr 19 2011 11:48 AM ET

Demi Lovato won't return to Disney Channel show

by Lynette Rice

Categories: Television

Image Credit: Dean Hendler

A Disney Channel spokeswoman confirmed a report in People that Demi Lovato, the star of Sonny with a Chance who took time out to seek help for personal issues, won’t return to the kiddie show that made her a star. The 18-year-old actress told the magazine that “it made sense for me to go ahead and leave the show to focus on my music. It’s kind of sad for me that a chapter of my life has ended but there couldn’t be a better time for me to move on.”

The network already made contingency plans by reworking the ‘tween series. The producers focused on the show-within-a-show, the comedy/sketch/music-variety “So Random!” It will feature guest stars, comedy sketches, musical performances and digital shorts and will bow in June.

Lovato is expected to continue to record under Disney’s label Hollywood Records.

Apr 19 2011 11:40 AM ET

Simon Cowell expects Mariah Carey to join 'X Factor' 'in some form'

by Jeff Labrecque

Categories: Music, Music Biz, Reality TV, Simon Cowell, The X Factor, TV Biz

Image Credit: Albert L. Ortega/PR Photos

Simon Cowell says he is still looking for two more judges to join L.A. Reid on the new show, The X Factor (despite the fact that Reid revealed Cheryl Cole will appear on the U.S. version of the show). And if Cowell gets his way — and he normally does — Mariah Carey will play some role on his music competition. In a radio interview with Jackie Brown on 92.9 in Spokane, Wash., Cowell acknowledged that Carey’s imminent motherhood was a stumbling block for extensive involvement, but he seemed confident that the chanteuse would appear. “I think Mariah will have a role on the live shows,” said Cowell. “I met her recently and she was in great form. Her idea was to be the judge of the judges, which of course, only Mariah can come up with. But she’ll be involved in some form. I literally adore her. I love her to bits.”

Representatives for Cowell and Carey did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Apr 19 2011 11:12 AM ET

HBO renews 'Game of Thrones' for second season!

by James Hibberd

Categories: Game of Thrones

Image Credit: Helen Sloan

Winter is coming — back!

HBO has renewed its fantasy series Game of Thrones after airing only one episode. The show’s second season will likely debut next year and will be based on George R.R. Martin’s second book in his Song of Ice and Fire series, A Clash of Kings.

“We are delighted by the way David Benioff and D.B. Weiss have brought George R.R. Martin’s amazing book series to the screen, and thrilled by the support of the media and our viewers,” said Michael Lombardo, president of HBO. “This is the continuation of an exciting creative partnership.” READ FULL STORY »