It’s over: Fox and DirecTV have reached an agreement for the satellite provider to continue carrying Fox cable changes and broadcast network.
Can you believe all those sensationalistic threats about DirecTV no longer airing everything from X Factor to American Horror Story didn’t come to pass? We sure can. Here was a letter EW.com received a week ago: READ FULL STORY »
In the wake of a decision by Days of Our Lives to feature its first same-sex relationship, the NBC soap has announced plans to reveal another gay character on the traditionally conservative sudser. EW has learned exclusively that Will Horton (Chandler Massey) will come out on the show, which introduced its first gay character last summer. Freddie Smith joined the show in June to play Sonny, a good-natured young man who returns home to join his family.
Massey, who earned his first Emmy nomination last year for his work on Days, released this statement: “I’m thrilled to be able to portray my character in an empowering way that will show his struggle to accept who he is. It is my hope that this storyline will inspire others to be true to themselves as well.” READ FULL STORY »
Image Credit: Todd Williamson/WireImage.com
The cameras were present when Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries got engaged. Their wedding was filmed for a two-part extravaganza, which aired earlier this month (and continues to air in repeats). So it’s only natural to assume that their break-up would be chronicled by E!’s cameras, right?
Well, for once, your assumption is likely wrong. Though the boom mics have barely left Kardashian’s side since Keeping Up with the Kardashians premiered four years ago, she was not being filmed today when she filed divorce papers at Los Angeles’ Superior Court. According to a rep at E!, both Keeping Up with the Kardashians and Kourtney & Kim Take New York are not currently in production. But it’s likely viewers will see at least some of the drama unfold: Kourtney & Kim wrapped only one week ago.
Read more:
Kim Kardashian, Kris Humphries divorcing
Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries divorce by the numbers: 72 days of marriage equals…
‘Kim’s Fairytale Wedding’: Was it worth the wait?
It’s Homecoming Week for Conan O’Brien: The man who hosted Late Night from 1993 to 2009 in New York returns tonight to the Big Apple to host five nights of his TBS talk show, Conan. O’Brien recently chatted with EW about the New York shows, the difference between audiences in New York and Los Angeles, and the painful regret of the jeggings incident.
On the vibe of his New York shows:
“When we travel with the show, we like the DNA of the show to change. It’s really important to me that these feel like New York shows, so one of the key components was to make sure that I’m out amongst the people, and that it’s not something where it’s just, ‘Okay, he’s in the Beacon Theatre, but he’s doing the same old crap.’ This will be me going outside and doing the same old crap, which will be a whole new way of looking at it. In the four days that I was shooting [pre-taped segments] there, I got to just about every part of New York City, which was really fun. I could not pass a street corner where the ghost of an old remote that I had shot in the 90s would [appear]… I would pass a corner and look out the window and see Riverside Park and think, “Oh right, I was dressed as a woman on a unicycle.” We’ll be down in the Garment District and I’ll look out the window and be like, “Yeah, I remember wearing an antelope head, riding on Andy Richter’s back in ’98.” It’s all these old war stories coming back.
“This is my first time back in New York as a tourist. So it’s that cliché where I’ve never gone to the Empire State Building or the Statue of Liberty when I lived in New York, so now we’re actually taking the show to New York as guests, which is a fascinating new experience. I’m going to be terrified of Central Park. I’m going to be complaining about the urine smell. I’m going to be horrified that my half a bagel with cream cheese costs $35. And I’m going to walk around with a cardboard suitcase and look up at the skyscrapers and marvel at ‘them moving boxes’ that take you from one floor to the next. I’m going to look at New York with a fresh eye.” READ FULL STORY »
Image Credit: WireImage.com
There’s about to be a new Queen of daytime talk: Oscar-nominated actress/singer Queen Latifah will be the host of her very own syndicated talk show.
The yet-to-be-titled show — which will be produced by Latifah’s Flavor Unit Entertainment (she’ll serve as executive producer alongside co-founder Shakim Compere), James Lassiter, Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith’s Overbrook Entertainment (Overbook’s Miguel Melendez will also executive produce), and Sony Pictures Television — is being developed for fall 2013. Compere said in a statement regarding the project, “We’ve had a long and successful history both personally and professionally with Overbrook’s Miguel, JL, Jada and Will. We share a common vision and have been wanting to collaborate for quite some time. The talk show is the perfect project to work on together.”
Of course, this won’t be the star’s first foray into hosting a talk show, as her gabfest The Queen Latifah Show, ran in syndication from 1999 to 2001.
(Reporting by James Hibberd)
Read more:
Queen Latifah says she was sexually abused as child
Screen Gem: Queen Latifah
Queen Latifah talks Sundance role
Carrie-Anne Moss makes her big debut on NBC’s Chuck on Friday and EW has two first-look action photos, plus a few words from the former Ms. Trinity herself.
As fans know, the actress is joining the show as Gertrude Verbanski, a former spy who now runs Verbanski Corp., the chief rival of Chuck’s new spy company Carmichael Industries. She’s ruthless and deadly, yet she also has a weak spot for her old rival John Casey. “It’s a love interest with some dysfunction,” Moss tells EW. “They have a history together and she’s using using her connections and powers to get close to him. They’re a match made in heaven.”
With all its pop culture references, will there be any shout outs to The Matrix? READ FULL STORY »
Image Credit: FX (the happiest pic of the show we could find)
Boo! American Horror Story will return for a second season.
This is one of the fastest pickups in the history of the network, which tends to wait until at least the fifth episode airs before renewing a show. But given the show’s ratings and, just as important, the rating growth the past couple weeks, and — hey, it’s also freakin’ Halloween — this was an easy decision.
By announcing today, FX is also able to promote its four-episode Halloween marathon of the show that begins tonight — so those how haven’t seen AHS can get caught up. READ FULL STORY »
Perfect stunt casting: Burt Reynolds will guest star on FX’s Archer.
Sterling Archer has long had a Reynolds fixation. Along with James Bond, the 1970s Reynolds heyday is one of the clear inspirations for his satiric character. Here’s two photos from the episode, where Reynolds plays himself. ”I think the only person on the planet who’s a bigger fan of Burt Reynolds than me is Sterling Archer,” said Archer creator Adam Reed. “Archer constantly tries to imitate Burt and always raves about Burt’s movies and all-around awesomeness. So to have Burt recording voice-overs for the show was just amazing.” Archer returns in January. Below the pics, I’ve added an old Archer clip where Sterling gives Burt a shout-out: READ FULL STORY »
After Friday’s good news/bad news season premieres for Grimm and Chuck against high-flying Game 7 of the World Series on Friday, NBC is going to re-air both episodes to give viewers another chance to check them out.
The first episode of Grimm and the final season premiere of Chuck will both repeat on Saturday, Nov. 5.
Meanwhile, NBC has taken an unusual step to promote Grimm, which really pleasantly surprised in the ratings on Friday night. READ FULL STORY »
Image Credit: Jordin Althaus/ABC
Television streaming continues to be a high priority for companies with video-on-demand services as both Netflix and Amazon.com recently solidified their ability to stream ABC and Disney TV shows, according to a release.
For Netflix, which has fallen on tough times according to recent financial and stock reports, this meant extending their licensing deal with Disney-ABC Television. Under the terms, content will still be made available on the site 30 days after the last episode of each season airs. But the deal includes additional shows previously unavailable, including ABC Family’s Switched at Birth, prior episodes of Disney Channel’s Kick Buttowski, and all episodes of Alias.
Meanwhile, Amazon struck their own short-term deal for similar content, which would make prior seasons of Grey’s Anatomy, Lost, and other shows available for streaming for members of the Amazon Prime program.
Image Credit: ABC
Looks like ABC’s Once Upon a Time might have some real staying power.
The fantasy drama managed to hold onto nearly all of its strong premiere rating in Week 2 despite heavier competition. Sunday night’s episode had 11.6 million viewers and a 3.9 preliminary adults 18-49 rating — that actually matches the early rating for the show’s debut, which was later adjusted up a tenth to a 4.0. High concept shows like Once often get big premiere audiences from curious viewers, but fail to maintain their ratings in the second week — that’s a early big hurdle the fairy tale drama just passed. Also on ABC, Desperate Housewives (9.3 million, 3.2) and Pan Am (5.6 million, 1.9) were up a tenth of a point each.
Once remained steady despite really intense competition on all three rival broadcasters in its time period: CBS’s 60 Minutes interview with the Madoff family delivered a large rating and bled over into the 8 p.m. hour thanks to football overrun, NBC’s Cowboys vs. Patriots game was huge, and Fox aired what’s often the most popular Simpsons episode of the year.
Lewis Jacob/NBC
Tonight’s episode of The Sing-Off begins, appropriately, with a Halloween-themed performance of freaky songs (Danny Elfman’s “This Is Halloween,” Warren Zevon’s “Werevolves of London,” and Ray Parker Jr.’s “Ghostbusters”; click the link above to see it now). Afterwards, the top seven groups will each perform a medley of three hits by a pop music icon. Here are the tunes the talented singers will tackle: READ FULL STORY »
Image Credit: Gene Page/AMC
How shocking was that death on the latest episode of AMC’s zombie show, The Walking Dead? Let me count the ways…
James Hibberd
@James_Hibberd
Lynette Rice
@EWLynette
