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Archive: July 2011 (196-208 of 285)

Jul 13 2011 12:10 PM ET

ABC renews 'Rookie Blue' for third season

Categories: TV Biz

ABC just gave a big show of support to its summer cop series: The network picked up Rookie Blue for a third season. In fact, season three is already in development and will shoot in Toronto later this summer.

The drama ranks No. 1 in its Thursday at 10 slot among adults 18-49. ABC says Rookie Blue is producing year-to-year gains, improving by 8% in total viewers and by 14% in adults 18-49 versus the network’s averages in the hour last summer.

Rookie Blue follows five ambitious rookie cops and stars Missy Peregrym, Gregory Smith, Charlotte Sullivan and Enuka Okuma.

Jul 13 2011 10:02 AM ET

Oprah Winfrey is now a TV host-actress-co-author-producer-publisher-chairman-CEO-CCO

by Kate Ward

Categories: Oprah Winfrey, Television

Image Credit: Charles Rex Arbogast/AP Images

That’s a lot of hyphens. But it’s true: The host of the dearly departed Oprah Winfrey Show has been named the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Creative Officer of OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network, according to a press release from the network. (She currently serves as chairman; Peter Liguori was named the interim CEO after Christina Norman was fired due to the network’s struggling ratings.) Tyra, you have a lot of catching up to do.

Follow Kate on Twitter @KateWardEW

Jul 13 2011 02:17 AM ET

'America's Got Talent' : What you didn't see on TV

by Shaunna Murphy

Categories: Reality TV

Image Credit: Chris Haston/NBC

As soon as I took my seat in the sparkly, spacious and thankfully air-conditioned Studio 36 in CBS Studios, it became very clear that America’s Got Talent is first and foremost a family show. My row-mates were a group of 12-year-old Canadian boys who were excitedly wielding homemade posters for the Miami All Stars contestants, and the warm-up comedian was handing out plastic light-up glow rings to the preteen girls whose lungs were still untarnished enough to scream the loudest. Minutes later, he prompted two little boys to do a booty shake dance-off on stage. The closest thing I can compare it to is the fabulous What Would You Do? taping I attended in Florida some time in the early 90′s, but even that was less strange than some of the things I witnessed at America’s Got Talent. READ FULL STORY »

Jul 12 2011 10:08 PM ET

Ted Danson takes over 'CSI' from Laurence Fishburne

by Lynette Rice and James Hibberd

Categories: Casting, CSI, TV Biz

Image Credit: Jason Kempin/Getty Images

The crime scene behind the yellow tape just got a lot more interesting on CSI.

CBS is set to announce that Ted Danson will take over for Laurence Fishburne as the drama’s leading man for the show’s 12th season. Danson will play the CSI supervisor for the grave shift after heading the crime lab in Portland. He comes to the team as they are still grappling with the professional and personal fallout from last season’s take-down of serial killer, Nate Haskell.

“You can create a new character on the page, but until the perfect actor comes along and breathes life into it, it’s just words,” said executive producer Carol Mendelsohn. “We’re very excited Ted Danson came along.”

Danson — the veteran Emmy-winning TV actor who was most recently seen toking doobies with Zach Galfianakis on HBO’s Bored to Death -- replaces Fishburne, who left the series in May after CBS declined to renew his contract. Fishburne came to the drama more than two years ago in an attempt to fill the void left by William Petersen (Gil Grissom). Despite his high-profile status as a film actor, Fishburne’s presence as Dr. Raymond Langston wasn’t enough to keep CSI’s ratings strong in the wake of Peterson’s departure. The former Top 5 show finished the season with a 3.3 rating among adults 18-49, ranked No. 30. READ FULL STORY »

Jul 12 2011 08:49 PM ET

First 'X Factor' judges photo and preview: Simon Cowell mocks 'American Idol'

by James Hibberd

Categories: American Idol, Reality TV, Simon Cowell, The X Factor

Aww, don’t they look all sweet? Below is the first official judges photo from Fox’s The X Factor, with Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, L.A. Reid and that girl from the Pussycat Dolls, as well as a video preview. Don’t be fooled, the battle lines are being drawn. Cowell’s X Factor preview just debuted during MLB All-Star Game tonight takes a swipe at Fox’s own American Idol. See what you think: Is Cowell just spoofing the idea of being nice in this? Seems to us like he’s taking a shot at his former show: READ FULL STORY »

Jul 12 2011 08:00 PM ET

'Human Target' star Mark Valley joins 'Harry's Law'

by James Hibberd

Categories: Casting

Image Credit: Getty Images

Human Target star Mark Valley has set his sights on NBC’s Harry’s Law.

The chiseled actor is trading comic action for courtroom drama, becoming the latest star to sign onto the second season of the Kathy Bates series. Valley will be a series regular on the drama, playing one of Harriett “Harry” Korn’s new hot-shot attorneys hired in the wake of her rising profile as a defense attorney. He joins Broadway star Karen Olivo, who’ll play another new member of the legal eagle team. Valley previously had a role in David E. Kelley’s Boston Legal, then had a head-turning appearance on Fox’s Fringe that led to a starring role on Human Target, which lasted two seasons.

Also breaking: With a new governor coming into Hawaii Five-0, Jean Smart is signing onto Harry’s for a multi-episode arc. She’ll be the prosecutor going after an accused murderer played by Alfred Molina. All the Harry’s Law casting news is part of creator Kelley’s master plan to bolster the show in its second season. What do you think about Valley signing onto the legal drama?

Jul 12 2011 05:55 PM ET

Juliette Lewis joins NBC's 'The Firm'

by James Hibberd

Categories: Casting

Image Credit: WireImage.com

NBC’s The Firm is firming up its cast (sorry). Natural Born Killers and Cape Fear star Juliette Lewis is joining the legal drama, along with The Killing‘s Callum Keith Rennie.

They join previously announced star Josh Lucas in the NBC update of John Grisham’s novel, with Lucas playing lawyer Mitchell McDeere.

Lewis, will play Tammy, Mitch’s “feisty, sexy receptionist, whose work life is made all the more tumultuous by her on-again, off-again relationship with Mitch’s brother.” The brother, Ray, is played by Rennie and described as a “charming yet volatile older brother whose work as an investigator in Mitch’s office is uniquely informed by his past stretch in prison for manslaughter.” The Firm starts shooting in the fall and will join NBC’s schedule midseason. (And if you’re wondering if this means whether Rennie, who played Sarah Linden’s perturbed love interest, will be back in season two of The Killing, I’m told that he’s expected to continue as a guest star).

Jul 12 2011 05:51 PM ET

'Teen Mom' Maci wants to move in with her boyfriend -- EXCLUSIVE VIDEO

by Archana Ram

Categories: EW Exclusive, Reality TV, Teen Mom, Television

Last week on Teen Mom, it was Catelynn and Tyler, and this week it’s Maci who wants to move in with her significant other. In this exclusive clip from tonight’s episode (MTV, 10 p.m.), while visiting her mom, Maci brings up cohabiting with Kyle. Much like Tyler’s mom, Maci’s is none too fond of the idea. Actually, her exact words are, “You’re so full of crap.” Check it out: READ FULL STORY »

Jul 12 2011 04:23 PM ET

'Alphas' premiere powers Syfy to bigger ratings

by James Hibberd

Categories: TV Ratings

Image Credit: Syfy

Syfy’s new scripted programming block of Alphas and Warehouse 13 got off to an impressive start Monday night.

Alphas was Syfy’s most-watched series debut in two years, the super-power ensemble drama series delivering 2.5 million viewers and a 0.9 in the adults 18-49 demo.

The season three debut of Warehouse tallied 2.3 million and 0.8 in the demo, dipping just slightly from last year. Meanwhile, over on TNT… READ FULL STORY »

Jul 12 2011 04:05 PM ET

Scream queen cast in 'Hawaii Five-0'

by James Hibberd

Categories: Casting, Hawaii Five-O

Image Credit: WireImage.com

Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Hostel: Part II actress Lauren German has been added to CBS’ Hawaii Five-0 team. (TVLine first reported the story.)

German has a recurring role next season as a “smart, beautiful, ex-Homeland Security Officer hand picked by the governor to join the Five-0 task force, not to just help them fight crime, but keep them in check.”

She joins veteran actor Tom Sizemore and ex-Lostie Terry O’Quinn as new hires for the show’s second season.

Jul 12 2011 03:06 PM ET

'True Blood': Alan Ball and Charlaine Harris discuss Sunday's shocking death of [SPOILER] -- EXCLUSIVE

by Tim Stack

Categories: EW Exclusive, Rumor Police!, Scoop, Television, True Blood, TV Biz, TV Scoop

SPOILER ALERT if you haven’t watched this week’s True Blood… Okay, now let’s continue. This past Sunday’s episode concluded with Eric (Alexander Skarsgard) sucking the life out of Claudine (Lara Pulver), Sookie’s fairy godmother. The twist surprised many fans of Charlaine Harris’ book series, because Claudine doesn’t bite the dust until much later in the novels. Executive producer Alan Ball tells EW that just because Sookie’s mentor is gone doesn’t mean we’ve seen the last of the fairy world. “After everything that was going on with the fairies in the first episode, I think we wanted to sort of put a pin in that, but obviously it’s not over,” says Ball. “I felt it would have more impact if it was someone we knew as opposed to just a random fairy.”

It’s also another example of Blood diverging from its source material, like keeping Lafayette (Nelsan Ellis) alive and introducing the original character of Jessica (Deborah Ann Woll). READ FULL STORY »

Jul 12 2011 02:15 PM ET

'Brady Bunch,' 'Gilligan's Island' creator Sherwood Schwartz dead at 94

by Sandra Gonzalez

Categories: In Memoriam

Image Credit: Roger Walsh /Landov

The man behind some of the most influential shows — and theme songs — of the ’60s and ’70s, Sherwood Schwartz, died this morning, his son Lloyd Schwartz and nephew Douglas Schwartz confirm to EW.

Schwartz, who created both The Brady Bunch and Gilligan’s Island, was 94 and died at 4 a.m. of natural causes surrounded by family and loved ones, his son and business partner since 1972, said. “I learned so much from him. I produced all around. I’ve worked as a network executive, and no one came close to being as good as he was in every single way. And I’m not the only one saying that. If you ask any other producers who was best, they’ll say Sherwood Schwartz,” Lloyd Schwartz tells EW.

SHERWOOD SCHWARTZ: A tribute to his TV legacy

At the time of his death, Sherwood Schwartz was working with his son on the Gilligan’s Island movie for Warner Bros., which Lloyd Schwartz said will go on as planned. “We’ve been getting the script in and we’re turning it over soon. That will be another legacy of his,” he said. “He’s just going to go on. Some of my job is to make sure things are as he’d liked them to be — and they will be.” READ FULL STORY »

Jul 12 2011 01:04 PM ET

'Curb Your Enthusiasm' premiere is most-watched episode in seven years

by James Hibberd

Categories: TV Ratings

Image Credit: HBO

This is what happens when vampires support malcontents: HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm came back super strong Sunday night, with the eighth season premiere delivering 1.7 million viewers. That’s up 53 percent from its seventh season opener, with 2.1 million tuning in total, when you include the show’s repeat.

Curb was helped by a lead-in from True Blood this season (5 million, then another 1.1 million at 11 p.m.). Blood is down slightly from its 5.4 million season premiere a couple weeks back, which isn’t a big deal considering how strong the show performs in general.