Yes, you read that headline right: The Breakfast Club‘s Bender, Judd Nelson, is starring as Santa in the Hallmark Channel original movie Cancel Christmas, premiering Nov. 13. We’ve got three exclusive clips below, showing Nelson in full Claus costume and in the decidedly less festive clothing he dons when the Christmas Board of Directors gives him 30 days to change the hearts of privileged school kids and make Christmas less commercial — or lose it forever. Happy holidays! READ FULL STORY »
The CW is going after the Twi-hards.
The network is launching a trailer to promote Thursday night hit The Vampire Diaries and new series Secret Circle specifically to Twilight fans. The promo will play in movie theaters before screenings of Twilight: Breaking Dawn: Part 1 for the first two weeks of the film’s release.
Though some Vampire Diaries fans look down on the sparkly Twilight vamps, the big-screen franchise has an enviously huge fan base. In the ad, The CW presents its shows as having the same supernatural elements of the Twilight films (vampires, werewolves, witches). But unlike watching Bella and Edward moon over each other, it rarely takes years of waiting around for CW characters to get amorous.
“Come for a bite …” teases The CW’s tagline. Viewers then see whipped cream on a vampire victim’s neck and a shirtless Ian Somerhalder. “… Stay for dessert,” the teaser concludes. Breaking Dawn opens Nov. 18 and about 50 percent of screenings nationwide will get the promo. Here’s an exclusive look: READ FULL STORY »
Image Credit: Image Credit: Rich Pilling/MLB
Hot off his World Series win and MVP title, St. Louis Cardinals’ David Freese is coming to ABC.
Freese has made the talk-show rounds since helping the Cards win the championship, appearing on NBC’s The Tonight Show and the syndicated Ellen. But now he’s landed a guest star role on an episode of ABC’s upcoming new comedy Work It. The third baseman will play himself on the show, appearing as Angel’s (Amaury Nolasco) favorite baseball player.
Work It joins ABC in midseason. Here’s the trailer for the cross-dressing comedy for those who haven’t yet seen it: READ FULL STORY »
Image credit: Monty Brinton/CBS
Each week, host Jeff Probst answers a few questions about the most recent episode of Survivor: South Pacific.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: I don’t want to minimize the importance of food out there, but it still amazes me watching people sit out challenges in favor of some grub. Even though Upolu all felt safe, we’ve seen people in the past that felt just as safe and then went home. Also, for some of these huge Survivor fans like Rick and Cochran that have been dying for years to get on the show, don’t they want to experience every last bit of it? What’s your take on this? Is it more important to refuel, even if you leave yourself exposed?
JEFF PROBST: The only conclusion I can draw is that it’s just in your DNA. Some people, like myself, would probably participate in every challenge no matter what because immunity is your only protection in the game. But others don’t have that killer instinct. They see food, they think “I’m hungry. My alliance is strong, why not!” You see it in all aspects of life. I was at the gym the other day and I walked in and saw a guy who I see every day and he was absolutely unrecognizable. He was huge. It seemed to have happened overnight. I asked, “What gives?” He said, “Pills baby.” In one month he had put on 20 lbs. My first reaction was, “Are you at all concerned about the long term impact?” Clearly he wasn’t. I think it’s the same in the game of Survivor. Some people just approach life from a short-term gain point of view. I’m always big picture first, then micro. Then again, maybe one of those who sat out will ultimately win the game and completely disprove this theory. READ FULL STORY »
Image Credit: Ray Michshaw/FX
SPOILER ALERT IF YOU HAVEN’T WATCHED THE LATEST EPISODE OF AMERICAN HORROR STORY! SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER!
Tonight’s American Horror Story (read Jeff Jensen’s recap here) opened with one of the most disturbing sequences I’ve seen on TV: the mass shooting of the students of Westfield High by Tate (Evan Peters). Utterly haunting. Viewers also once again saw the hospital technician who fainted upon seeing Vivien’s ultrasound. Basically, it appears Vivien (Connie Britton) is pregnant with a demon baby. No big shocker there. And we saw a guest appearance by Modern Family‘s Eric Stonestreet who was plagued with paranoia over the urban legend of Piggy Man — and frankly, I don’t blame him, based on the Piggy Man’s appearance. EW talked to co-creator Ryan Murphy about all the terror and what’s in store for next week. READ FULL STORY »
The CW’s 90210 will welcome back a familiar snob to the sudsy drama early next year.
EW has learned exclusively that Sara Foster, who played Naomi’s snobby and manipulative sister Jen, will return for three episodes.
The dirty details: Jen surprises Naomi (Annalynne McCord) with a visit at the end of episode 416, with baby Jacques in tow. Jen then coerces Naomi into helping her find a rich, eligible bachelor, but the guy ends up having eyes for Naomi, instead. Snap!
There will be one less lippy Brit on the competition shows next year: Piers Morgan announced today that he’s leaving NBC’s America’s Got Talent to focus on his CNN gig.
He tweeted this today: “I’m leaving America’s Got Talent after 6 wonderful years. Turned out that juggling’s harder than it looks, so I’m going to focus on CNN.” He also announced his plans to leave on his cable show — first by joking to the Movie Academy that he was “available” to host the Oscars.
“I’ve loved every single second,” Morgan said of the talent show. “I’m going to focus on what will be a huge year here at CNN with the upcoming election.” He also thanked his “great friend” Simon Cowell for the opportunity, and congratulated fellow co-hosts Sharon Osbourne and Howie Mandel — along with host Nick Cannon — for the relief they must be feeling for no longer having to work with him.
Morgan began hosting his eponymous show on CNN last January in the timeslot previously occupied by Larry King Live.
Anderson Cooper’s daytime talk show Anderson has been picked up for a second season in several major and mid-range syndication markets, including Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, San Diego, Indianapolis, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Austin, and Providence, R.I.. The series was also acquired by Fox affiliates in New York, Minneapolis, and Tampa, Fla.
Read more:
From the magazine: Hanging with Mr. Cooper
Anderson Cooper can’t help but fall for ‘ambassador of love’ Courtney Stodden
‘Real Housewives of Beverly Hills’ talk Russell Armstrong’s suicide on ‘Anderson’
A&E has launched an online prequel site for its upcoming Stephen King miniseries Bag of Bones, EW has learned. READ FULL STORY »
Image Credit: Jeffrey Mayer/WireImage.com
Former Girlfriends star Persia White has been cast as Abby Bennett, the mother who abandoned Bonnie (Kat Graham), on The Vampire Diaries, EW has learned exclusively. She’ll first appear in episode 312 and recur. Abby is described as a beautiful but troubled woman who is burdened by the secrets of her past that led her to leave Bonnie. She’s also “as determined and fiery as any Bennett woman.” Is that code for “she’s also a witch,” or, perhaps, was there a reason we learned in last week’s episode that someone can be either a witch or a vampire but never both?
The Vampire Diaries airs its midseason finale tomorrow night on The CW. The network’s top-rated show then returns Jan. 5 with episode 310, which, as first reported by The Hollywood Reporter, will feature Torrey DeVitto, star of Pretty Little Liars and wife of TVD‘s Paul Wesley, in a recurring role as a doctor who’s intrigued by Alaric’s powers of recovery. (Code for “Alaric dies at this week’s Homecoming Dance but lives because it was at the hands of a supernatural being who, for once, isn’t Damon?” UPDATE: Exec producer Julie Plec says Alaric won’t, in fact, use his ring until the New Year.)
Read more:
EW’s recaps of The Vampire Diaries
Bones and Southland actor Kevin Alejandro is a busy man. After recently booking a guest stint on ABC’s upcoming GCB, the actor is now signed on for a very intriguing-sounding role on the return of A&E’s Breakout Kings.
Alejandro plays a tatted-up Latino inmate dying from lung cancer. With only a few months to live, he’s convinced that he can atone for his past crimes by committing new ones — against people who have thus far escaped all secular punishments for their known sins. He escapes prison and goes on a murder spree.
Breakout Kings returns for its second season sometime in 2012.
Read more:
‘True Blood’ news: Eric’s new sister is…
Image Credit: ©A.M.P.A.S.
UPDATED: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences made a lot of noise in August when it announced that Brett Ratner, the director of the Rush Hour series and Tower Heist, would produce the 84th Academy Awards for ABC this February. Lost in all the hubbub, however, was how Don Mischer, an industry veteran when it comes to producing live events for TV, would be doing the show with him. It didn’t fly off the radar for Ratner, however, who acknowledged feeling comfortable about taking the gig because Mischer “is just a pro.”
Perhaps this is one time the Academy should listen to Ratner. READ FULL STORY »
A teen idol has agreed to play the role of the knucklehead young man who got Tim Allen’s daughter pregnant on ABC’s Last Man Standing.
And the lucky guy is.. READ FULL STORY »
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Lynette Rice
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