Archive: April 2011 (105-117 of 303)

Apr 19 2011 10:16 AM ET

'Game of Thrones' premiere ratings are in

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Categories: Game of Thrones, TV Ratings

Mark-Addy

Image Credit: HBO

The heavily hyped debut of Game of Thrones couldn’t come close to the premiere of HBO’s last big drama series, Boardwalk Empire, yet it still turned in a solid number Sunday night.

The first episode delivered a decent 2.2 million viewers for its premiere airing, then a rather strong 1.2 million for its first encore (the NBA playoff game between the Celtics and Knicks might have pushed some viewership to the second airing), and another 800,000 for the third telecast for an overall healthy total of 4.2 million. HBO then aired Thrones six times across all its channels Monday night, and those numbers will be added to this post later today.

Thrones first telecast was down 54 percent from the premiere of 2010′s Boardwalk (4.8 million) which received an immediate second season renewal. Yet HBO always takes into account what Sunday show was used to ramp up viewers to the new program’s premiere, and Thrones had a weak platform — Mildred Pierce, which averaged around 1 million viewers, a number Thrones more than doubled. READ FULL STORY »

Apr 19 2011 09:06 AM ET

'Smallville,' 'Supernatural,' 'Burn Notice,' 'The Killing': Find out what's next in the Spoiler Room

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Categories: Burn Notice, Castle, Chuck, Gossip Girl, In Plain Sight, Justified, NCIS, Nurse Jackie, One Tree Hill, Smallville, Supernatural, Television, The Big Bang Theory, The Killing, The Middle, The Spoiler Room, TV Scoop, White Collar

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Image Credit: Jack Rowand/The CW(3); Glenn Watson/USA; Carole Segal/AMC

What a lovely day it is for television news, Roomies!

I’ll keep today’s usually-rambly intro short: You want scoop? Ask! All you have to do is email me at spoilerroom@ew.com or find me on Twitter (@EWSandraG), where you will see I’ve already started celebrating Supernatural‘s upcoming Western episode (see below for scoop!). Don’t see yours below? Come back Friday; there’s a good chance it might be there then.

Enjoy!

‘SMALLVILLE’: BOOSTER GOLD’S BIG ARRIVAL … AND BIG EGO

Smallville‘s better-than-ever farewell season continues Friday with the appearance of Booster Gold and the Blue Beetle/Jaime Reyes in an episode that will have both fans of the mythology and beloved Clois squealing in delight. As teased in previews, the episode indeed features an iconic phonebooth transformation (but not into the full tights-and-cape). The moment is all you’d hope it to be, but what got this nerd really excited? The steps that were taken toward creating a critical part of mythology: our hero’s name. Also great: Lois’ interactions with Jaime, Clark’s almost child-like reaction to Booster douche (who is actually as frustrating as he his hilarious), and the arrival of clumsy Kent. Take it all in, Smallville fans, because we’re in the homestretch. Luckily, the show’s been making it more than worth the 10-year investment. READ FULL STORY »

Apr 19 2011 01:56 AM ET

'DWTS' pro Cheryl Burke: Time to say ta-ta to the breast comments, Len Goodman?

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Categories: Dancing With the Stars
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Image Credit: ADAM TAYLOR/ABC

Is Len Goodman starting to sound like a bit of a boob on Dancing with the Stars? Pro Cheryl Burke said she “felt violated” when the elder judge singled out her breasts by calling them ”rocky mountains” during Monday’s installment. “I consider him my great grandpa here on set,” Burke told reporters afterwards. “We’ve known each other now for almost six years and this is the first time he’s ever commented on my rocky mountains.”

In fact, Burke and Chris Jericho are  starting to see a pattern. “I think he’s got a fetish for breasts because he’s talking about Wendy’s dumplings, Kendra’s chesticles, and now Cheryl’s rocky mountains,” said Chris Jericho, who’s apparently more forgiving of Goodman’s sexual nicknames than his partner. “They are great analogies. I plan to use all three of them in the future.” — With reporting from Carrie Borzillo

Apr 19 2011 01:26 AM ET

DWTS: Reality star Kendra Wilkinson likes to create drama

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Categories: Dancing With the Stars
Dancing-Kendra-Wilknison

Image Credit: Bob D’Amico/ABC

Hmm, maybe Kendra Wilkinson wasn’t as angry as we thought last week when Carrie Ann Inaba said she was afraid of being “elegant.”  The former co-star of The Girls Next Door told reporters Monday that playing the good girl doesn’t always make for good TV on Dancing with the Stars – which is why she appeared to be rather peeved after Inaba’s comments from the previous week.

 ”It’s a family show for ABC. But at the end of that day it’s entertaining,” Wilkinson admitted. “If were a viewer I’d want to see a teeny bit of drama. Not a lot — just enough drama. It gives it balance. That’s what I want to see so that’s what I’m giving them.”

A reality show that is not real? Perish the thought!  But Wilkinson said she did demonstrate to Inaba that there were no hard feelings. “I never said I didn’t like Carrie Ann. I think she’s one of the best people ever,” Wilkinson said. “I didn’t apologize, but I made sure she knew that I appreciate her and what she means through her messages. That 8 from her [during Monday's show] was a way of making up on the dance floor between each other. That showed me that she does have confidence in me.” — With reporting from Carrie Borzillo

 I have confidence … you’ll follow me on Twitter. @EWLynette

Apr 19 2011 12:28 AM ET

'DWTS': Kirstie Alley on snagging Travolta, and removing Maks' shirt

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Categories: Dancing With the Stars
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Image Credit: Adam Taylor/ABC

Kirstie Alley, a nation of googly-eyed women owe you a debt of gratitude. It was Alley’s idea to get Maksim Chmerkovskiy to go topless for their Fox Trot during Monday’s Dancing with the Stars (which earned them 23 out of 30 points). “I wanted it reminiscent of when I was in high school in the early ’70s when the first American Woman came out,” Alley told reporters afterwards. “They had no shirts all the time. I begged him and I honestly didn’t know if he would do it even until today.”

In contrast, it was a lot easier to convince John Travolta to serve as their “dance doctor” during rehearsals — though it helped the actor was a huge fan of Chmerkovskiy. “He said verbatim, `Maks is the best thing to happen to dance since me.’ Before he left he took me aside and said he really feels like Maks could do films. You know how John did when he did dancing films, he would change the whole culture, the way people dressed, the way people talked. He feels that way about Maks.”

“The whole thing was a bit surreal because she didn’t tell me,” added Chmerkovskiy “We’re sitting at her house, we’re filming a package, great. Boom, he walks in. I’m like whoa. You rarely meet a big [star], you know, it’s probably like him and I don’t know maybe Al Pacino for me and [Barack] Obama, I don’t know. And, you feel like wow. And so when he said that, I was like, okay, that’s a little much. So I told him afterward that it’s been an amazing experience and thank you for an opportunity like that.” — With reporting from Carrie Borzillo

Apr 18 2011 10:08 PM ET

Mary Steenburgen to play Elijah Wood's mom on FX comedy 'Wilfred' -- EXCLUSIVE

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Categories: Casting, Scoop, TV Biz
Mary-Steenburgen-Elijah

Image Credit: Sylvain Gaboury/PR Photos; Will Ragozzino/Getty Images

Mother Mary! Mary Steenburgen has signed on to guest star in an episode of Wilfred, FX’s upcoming comedy starring Elijah Wood, EW has learned exclusively. The Oscar-winning Steenburgen (Melvin and Howard) will play Catherine, the mother of Ryan (Wood), a struggling dude who forms a unique relationship with his neighbor’s canine pet: He sees him as a man in a dog suit. Chris Klein, Ed Helms, Rashida Jones, and Jane Kaczmarek will also guest on the series, which debuts in June and is based on the Australian series of the same name.

Read more:
Jane Kaczmarek to guest on FX’s ‘Wilfred’
FX orders new Elijah Wood comedy

Apr 18 2011 09:18 PM ET

Hoover to ABC for canceling soaps: You suck!

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Categories: Advertising, Daytime Soaps, Television, TV Biz
Susan-Lucci-Erika-Slezak

Image Credit: Everett Collection; Mathew Imaging/FilmMagic.com

Hoover stood up with irate fans today by announcing that it will yank advertising from ABC in light of the net’s decision to cancel All My Children and One Life to Live. On the vacuum company’s Facebook page, vice president of marketing Brian Kirkendall said “we hear you loud and clear” and plans to discontinue advertising with ABC this Friday.

“We’re making every attempt to pull our spots from these programs sooner,” Kirkendall said. “Because we feel that’s not enough, we also want to help get your voice heard with ABC. So, we’ve set up a special email address, SaveTheSoaps@Hoover.com, to help pull together the mass emotional outpouring of support for our beloved ABC soaps and get it to our contacts at ABC. Please, send your emails to us at SaveTheSoaps@Hoover.com, and we’ll get every, single last one of them to ABC.”  READ FULL STORY »

Apr 18 2011 06:46 PM ET

'Game of Thrones': Watch the brilliant opening credits here -- VIDEO

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Categories: Game of Thrones

Those who caught HBO’s premiere of Game of Thrones last night were treated to one of the most brilliant title credits we’ve seen in recent years. Created by a company called Elastic, not only does the sequence help orientate viewers to the land of Westeros by displaying a map of the Seven Kingdoms, but its intricate vision of a gameboard coming to life is both thematic and artful (the rousing score is catchy too). Watch the video below, then check out my recap of the premiere episode here.  READ FULL STORY »

Apr 18 2011 05:29 PM ET

'Gossip Girl': Billy Baldwin on the return of Serena's father, how Lily reminds him of his mother-in-law

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Categories: Gossip Girl, Television, TV Scoop
Gossip-Girl

Image Credit: GIOVANNI RUFINO/THE CW

The return of Dr. William van der Woodsen (Billy Baldwin) can mean only a few things: 1) He wants something, 2) He’s back to hit on Lily some more, or 3) He’s there to put out a fire. In tonight’s episode, it’s likely all three.

“He’s returned to help put out some of the family fires regarding Lily and Serena and the entangled webs they’ve woven,” Baldwin teases to EW. “It’s causing some tension because Rufus would like to step up and be a man of the house. [But] when it comes to van der Woodsen dysfunction and crisis, I think the family generally recognizes it’s best placed in William’s hands — at least, that’s William’s take on it.”  READ FULL STORY »

Apr 18 2011 05:06 PM ET

'Bones': Michael Clarke Duncan talks 'Finder' episode

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Categories: Bones, Television, TV Scoop
Bones

Image Credit: Glenn Watson/FOX

This Thursday’s “Finder” episode of Bones serves as a backdoor pilot for a potential new Fox show costarring Oscar nominee Michael Clarke Duncan (The Green Mile) as Leo Knox, the legal advisor, bodyguard, and best friend to Geoff Stults’ Walter Sherman, a former military policeman who can locate anything and anyone. If “Finder” — also featuring Saffron Burrows as Ike Latulippe, the badass who drives the boats, flies the planes, and owns The Ends of the Earth, the bar they call their headquarters — makes it to series, it will be Duncan’s first regular TV gig. (If not, at least he’s got voicing Kilowog in this summer’s Green Lantern to fall back on.)   READ FULL STORY »

Apr 18 2011 04:59 PM ET

'Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition' -- EXCLUSIVE VIDEO

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Categories: EW Exclusive, First Look, Reality TV

As much as I used to enjoy watching Paul DiMeo tear up on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, I’ve lost interest in the ABC show. But my hunger for over-the-top transformations has never waned, so I’m particularly giddy about the upcoming debut of Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition. No one’s starving themselves for a cash prize here: This is a show for the “super obese” who set out to “safely” lose half their body weight (ABC’s words, not mine).

Apparently, it took 365 days to shoot eight one-hour episodes for the series that’ll bow May 30. Eight people whose weight exceeded their ideal by approximately 225 percent – and who are roughly 200 pounds or more overweight — will go through the change under the watchful eyes of trainer (and transformation specialist!) Chris Powell. No surgery, here — just good old-fashioned dieting and super-duper hard work. Speaking of which, check out the extremes Powell has his clients go to in order to shed the pounds. (I’m assuming he had the one dude drag a plane because the prop house was fresh out of small planets). READ FULL STORY »

Apr 18 2011 03:42 PM ET

Cedric the Entertainer in ... a 'Hot in Cleveland' spinoff?!

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Categories: Casting, TV Biz

Crazy, right? But it’s true: TV Land is developing a spinoff of the network’s hit comedy Hot in Cleveland that’ll star the comedian as a minister. No, Cedric the Entertainer hasn’t already been on the show: His new character will pop up during this summer’s new episodes. Apparently, Cedric gets involved in the ladies’ latest “humorous adventures.”

Here’s what Cedric has to say: “We’re definitely going to bring people quality entertainment and laughs with this new show.  I’m very excited to be working with TV Land and the creative team of Hot in Cleveland.” Adds Cleveland creator Suzanne Martin in a statement, “Cedric is hilarious and I’m so happy to do this show with him. We are going to have a lot of fun developing and exploring his role as a minister.”

Of course, this all depends on whether Cedric and Martin deliver a good pilot script to TV Land. Stay tuned.

Apr 18 2011 02:37 PM ET

'Everybody Loves Raymond' producer: Has media inflamed Charlie Sheen situation?

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Categories:
PHIL-ROSENTHAL

Image Credit: Alexandra Wyman/WireImage

Phil Rosenthal still thanks his lucky stars for one heckuva run on CBS: He was blessed with a “great group of people” when he executive produced Everybody Loves Raymond, the most-watched comedy of its time. So he’s grateful he’s not in Chuck Lorre’s situation — having to decide whether to carry on with TV’s No. 1 comedy without Charlie Sheen.

But Rosenthal does have something to say about the scandal surrounding the controversial star. “I don’t know all the details of the situation well enough,” cautions Rosenthal, while attending the premiere of Exporting Raymond, his documentary that’s out April 29. “I do know that the media and the audience they are trying to attract is the equivalent of a group of people standing at the base of the building yelling up at a guy to jump.  That’s all I want to say about that.” READ FULL STORY »

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