Archive: July 2011 (27-39 of 285)

Jul 27 2011 09:16 PM ET

Harrison Ford fights with Chewbacca on Jimmy Kimmel -- PHOTO, VIDEO

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Categories: EW Exclusive, Late Night, Star Wars

Tonight Harrison Ford stops by Jimmy Kimmel Live!, where the ABC late night host reunites Han Solo with his old Millennium Falcon co-pilot Chewbacca. Sources are keeping quiet on the contents of the cold open skit which brings together Ford with his tall furry Star Wars co-star, but Geeks of a Certain Age should definitely watch. Need more convincing? The episode is guest directed by Jon Favreau. Here’s our exclusive photo, and we’ll update tomorrow morning with any available video from the show:

UPDATE: Video added below! “I’m done with that Star Wars crap!”

READ FULL STORY »

Jul 27 2011 07:17 PM ET

James Van Der Beek on his 'Franklin & Bash' guest spot: 'I always thought Mark-Paul Gosselaar and I were the same person.'

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Categories: Cable, Television
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Image Credit: Danny Feld/TNT

James Van Der Beek and Mark-Paul Gosselaar will appear together on television for the first time in tonight’s episode of Franklin & Bash. And if you think it’s wrong that the two former teen icons (and sort-of doppelgangers) have never collided, join the club, Van Der Beek tells EW.

“After years of being confused for one another, we actually met. I always thought we were the same person. It wasn’t until I saw him on set that I realized we weren’t,” he jokes. Van Der Beek guests tonight on an episode that finds Peter (Gosselaar) representing his ex-girlfriend’s fiancé after he is accused of solicitation. “What’s funny is that the more [our characters] talked, the more we found out how similar we are. It trips us both out,” says Van Der Beek. “There’s a line that Breckin Meyer’s character has in the episode where he says, ‘Well, clearly Janie has a type.’”  READ FULL STORY »

Jul 27 2011 06:42 PM ET

Gene Simmons proposal gives 'Family Jewels' record ratings

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Categories: Reality TV, TV Ratings
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Tuesday’s season finale of A&E’s Gene Simmons Family Jewels delivered the most-watched episode in the show’s history when the KISS frontman proposed to longtime girlfriend Shannon Tweed.

The episode was seen by 3 million viewers and left viewers in a cliffhanger — not revealing Tweed’s answer. It’s pretty rare for any reality show to hit a series high in its sixth season, and the series is billed as the “longest running celebrity family show” on TV. Fans will get the answer when Family Jewels resumes its run on Sept. 6. See video of the proposal here.

Jul 27 2011 05:32 PM ET

'So You Think You Can Dance' alum Alex Wong on his latest injury: 'I really want to dance again.'

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Categories: Reality TV, So You Think You Can Dance, Television
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Image Credit: Mathieu Young/Fox

Last year, when So You Think You Can Dance season 7 contestant Alex Wong had to drop out of the competition due to a ruptured Achilles tendon on his right leg, that long wail you may have heard was SYTYCD fans everywhere expressing their grief over the loss of one of the show’s very best dancers ever. (There’s a reason he was known as “Alex Freaking Wong.”) Dance fiends at least took comfort in knowing that Alex would likely return this season to perform as an All Star. But then exec producer Nigel Lythgoe announced two weeks ago that Alex had ruptured his Achilles tendon on his left leg and would not be able to return, and all hope drained away from the world. Okay, not really, but it was such a shocking, unfortunate development, we phoned up Alex to see how he’s handling the injury, what the future holds for him, and why he kept on dancing after his Achilles had blown. 

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: So how are you doing?
ALEX WONG: [Chuckles] I’m good, as good as I could be with a ruptured Achilles, a second time in a row. [Laughs] READ FULL STORY »

Jul 27 2011 04:23 PM ET

Parents Television Council urging NBC affiliates to drop 'Playboy Club'

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Categories: Television
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Image Credit: Matt Dinerstein/NBC

The Parents Television Council (PTC) is hoping most of NBC’s affiliates don’t come along to play, boy, with The Playboy Club. (I know, terrible. But it’s hump day.) More than one month after a Salt Lake City NBC affiliate said they would not be airing the drama — which is set in a 1960s Playboy-themed nightclub — the TV watchdog issued a statement urging other stations to follow suit. The PTC, which excerpted a letter it sent to all NBC affiliates, claimed that stations that allow the series to air are “‘glamorizing’ and ‘putting a veneer of sophistication on an industry that exploits women and destroys families,’ while asserting that NBC has completely betrayed the trust of American families.”

Along with suggesting affiliates ban the series, the PTC is also demanding an “explanation as to how the Playboy brand is consistent with NBC’s values and obligations to serve the public interest.” Playboy Club star Eddie Cibrian, meanwhile, is spending his time trying to even out the exploitation gender gap with this ad.

Read more:
Eddie Cibrian adds to list of Great Pop Culture Moments in Bathtubs
NBC station refuses to air ‘The Playboy Club’
‘Playboy Club’ star Amber Heard: ‘I don’t think it’s that racy’

Jul 27 2011 04:03 PM ET

Glen Mazzara named new showrunner for 'The Walking Dead'

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Categories: The Walking Dead, TV Biz

Well, it’s official: Glen Mazzara is stepping in for Frank Darabont as The Walking Dead‘s new showrunner.

Sources confirm Mazzara is taking over the top writer-producer job on the breakout hit. Mazzara has worked on The Shield, Life, Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior and Hawthorne, and he joined Dead at the start of production on season 2.

Still no word on what sort of role that Darabont, whom we’re told is under a two-year contract, will have on the show. And there’s still no word what exactly led to his exit, aside from a general sense of having trouble adjusting to the TV landscape (some have pointed to an interview where Darabont expressed frustration with the show’s TV-sized budget).

Read more:
‘The Walking Dead’ showrunner Frank Darabont stepping down

Jul 27 2011 03:54 PM ET

'The Voice' tour begins tonight! EW catches up with the contestants at rehearsals -- VIDEO

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Categories: Broadcast, Music, Reality TV, Television, The Voice

The live tour featuring the Top 8 contestants from NBC’s The Voice (but not the superstar coaches!) launches tonight at Los Angeles’ Gibson Amphitheatre. So, in preparation for the six-city tour, EW caught up with the folks hitting the road — that’d be Beverly McClellan, Frenchie Davis, Dia Frampton, Xenia, Nakia, Vicci Martinez, Casey Weston, and winner Javier Colon — yesterday as they had a little time between rehearsals.

Here’s what scoop we could glean from them about the tour — and as a bonus, below, you’ll find a little video of the eight belters rehearsing the “Faith”/”Freedom” (George Michael extravaganza!) opening to show, along with Nakia going solo with Cee Lo Green’s “Forget You”:

READ FULL STORY »

Jul 27 2011 03:34 PM ET

TeenNick's '90s block launches strong in ratings

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Categories: TV Ratings

TeenNick has successfully brought back the ’90s. The network’s late-night launch of its retro “The ‘90s Are All That” block delivered the channel’s biggest viewership ever for the time period.

Kenan & Kel (1995), All That (1996), Doug (1991), and Clarissa Explains It All (1992) all performed well for the network. From midnight to 2 a.m. across basic cable, the block averaged 555,000 viewers, up 114 percent from last year. As you might expect, among the show’s target audience of 12 to 24, the block also bested older-skewing talk shows like The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Conan, and Late Show with David Letterman.

Read more:
Kenan, Kel, Clarissa, Doug: I’ve missed you, my old friends

Jul 27 2011 02:13 PM ET

History to unveil 'Vietnam in HD' with Michael C. Hall- EXCLUSIVE

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Categories: Scoop
Vietnam

Image Credit: History

Apocalypse wow: History channel is set to announce a six-hour miniseries that brings the Vietnam War into 2011 with a true high-definition telecast.

The network collected thousands of hours of uncensored war footage for the project, much of which has never previously been seen, then restored and and converted the most compelling moments to HD. Much of the footage was from soldiers’ personal handheld cameras. Dexter star Michael C. Hall will narrate the project, with the words of more than a dozen war veterans voiced by Edward Burns, Kevin Connolly, Adrian Grenier, Zachary Levi, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Dean Cain, Dylan McDermott, and others.

The project follows up History’s 2009′s Emmy-winning miniseries, WWII in HD, which similarly told the story of a war using the first-person accounts of soldiers, reporters and other personnel. The miniseries premieres this fall. 

UPDATE: Here’s the trailer as promised (warning, contains graphic descriptions): READ FULL STORY »

Jul 27 2011 01:37 PM ET

TLC renews 'Say Yes to the Dress: Bridesmaids' -- EXCLUSIVE

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Categories:
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Image Credit: TLC

TLC’s wedding dress decision-making reality franchise just got another boost.

The network is renewing freshman spin-off Say Yes to the Dress: Bridesmaids for a second season. TLC is picking up 18 half-hour episodes to premiere in March of next year. The show gives viewers a look at the drama of finding a gown that meets the expectations of a diverse group of demanding bridesmaids with the help of a group of outspoken consultants. The first season averaged 1.7 million viewers per episodes.

The successful launch of the show brings TLC’s gown-agreement franchise up to five shows. In addition to the original, there’s Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta, Say Yes to the Dress: Big Bliss and Say Yes to the Dress: Randy Knows Best.
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Jul 27 2011 01:24 PM ET

Countdown to 'Bachelor Pad': Let's rewatch Jake and Vienna's hate-filled interview!

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Categories: Bachelor Pad, Reality TV

Thirteen days. That’s how long we have to wait until the August 8 premiere of Bachelor Pad 2. This season promises to be even more of a brain-cell-killing sleaze-fest than last year, in large part due to the two tragic fameosexuals cited in the headline above. Yes, Jake and Vienna will come face to face again in the Pad, one year after they treated viewers to a deliciously ugly break-up interview on ABC. If you haven’t watched it in awhile — or, God forbid, if you’ve never seen it — treat yourself to a clip of the interview after the jump. I can’t decide what tickles me the most: Is it when Vienna calls Jake a “fame whore”? Is it the way Jake’s jaw clenches in barely-contained rage as he refutes her claim that he no longer works as a pilot? Is it how Vienna pronounces “polygraph” as “poly-a-graph”? Or is it how Jake’s true rageaholic self finally emerges as he barks, “PLEASE STOP INTERRUPTING ME!” So many moments to choose from! READ FULL STORY »

Jul 27 2011 09:07 AM ET

See a clip from 'The Simpsons' Halloween episode featuring Ned Flanders as... Dexter! -- EXCLUSIVE VIDEO

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Categories: Comic-Con, Dexter, EW Exclusive, The Simpsons, TV Scoop
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Ned Flanders may be a God-fearing individual, but apparently he’s not afraid to slice and dice. In this clip from The Simpsons’ annual Halloween episode “Treehouse of Horror XXII” — which was shown last weekend at the animated Fox comedy’s Comic-Con panel — the opening credits of Dexter are given a Springfield makeover, with Flanders assuming the role of the meticulous serial killer, Dexter Morgan. As we’ll learn when “Treehouse of Horror XXII” airs Oct. 30, Homer’s pious neighbor believes that the big guy upstairs is instructing him to murder various residents of the town. Click below to enjoy the diddily-dum-doodily dark side of Ned Flanders. READ FULL STORY »

Jul 27 2011 09:00 AM ET

George W. Bush to discuss 9/11 in National Geographic special

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Categories: Cable, Television

With the 10th anniversary of 9/11 approaching, the National Geographic Channel has announced plans to air a documentary with George W. Bush, in which the former president will speak in intimate detail about the days and weeks following the nation’s deadliest terrorist attack, the network announced today.

“One of my concerns, like the concerns of other husbands and wives, was, ‘Was my spouse okay? Was Laura okay?’ And my second concern was ‘Were our girls okay?’” a release quotes him as saying during the interview.

The in-depth chat was filmed during the two days after the death of Osama bin Laden. “And President Obama called me [and] told me that Osama bin Laden had been killed. And my response was, I congratulated him and the special operators that conducted a very dangerous mission … And so I was grateful. I didn’t feel any great sense of happiness or jubilation. I felt a sense of closure. And I felt a sense of gratitude that justice had been done,” he says in the doc.

George W. Bush: The 9/11 Interview airs Aug. 28 at 10 p.m. ET

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