Archive: November 2011 (222-234 of 321)

Nov 8 2011 01:58 PM ET

TLC orders drunk driving reality show -- EXCLUSIVE

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Categories: EW Exclusive, Reality TV
DUI

Image Credit: TLC

Here’s guilty pleasuring viewing for you: Sit on the couch, have a beer and watch irresponsible drivers take field sobriety tests on TLC.

The network has ordered D.U.I., a new series that goes behind the scenes of drunk-driving law enforcement in Oklahoma. TLC has picked up 12 episodes, with six debuting next month and the rest planned for 2012.

Unlike COPS, the TLC show just focuses on drunk-driving suspects and follows their story from being pulled over and being interrogated, to, if necessary, arrest and sentencing. The show debuts Dec. 1 at 9 p.m. and here’s an exclusive preview: READ FULL STORY »

Nov 8 2011 01:36 PM ET

Sneak peek: 'All-American Muslim' series premiere -- EXCLUSIVE VIDEO

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Categories: EW Exclusive, Reality TV

All-American Muslim, TLC’s newest reality show, debuts this Sunday at 10 p.m. The eight-part series follows the daily lives of five American-Muslim families who live in Dearborn, Mich., one of the largest concentrations of American Muslims in the country. In this exclusive clip, we meet Fouad Zaban, the head coach of the local high school football team. Since Zaban and the majority of his team are Muslim, he rearranges football practice to accommodate their fasting schedule during Ramadan, the holy month on the Islamic calendar where Muslims refrain from eating or drinking during sunrise to sunset. Check out the clip here, and then let us know in the comments if you’ll be tuning in to All-American Muslim. READ FULL STORY »

Nov 8 2011 01:09 PM ET

NBC, Andy Samberg sued for copyright infringement

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Categories: Lawsuits, Music, Saturday Night Live, Television
Shy-Ronnie

Image Credit: NBC

A lawsuit filed last week against Saturday Night Live‘s Andy Samberg and The Lonely Island is no laughing matter. According to documents obtained by EW, St. Louis musicians Aleric ”Rick tha Ruler” Banks and Monique Hines claim they created and copyrighted the music forming the basis for SNL digital shorts “Shy Ronnie” and “Like A Boss.” Banks and Hines say they sent master recordings to Samberg and his bandmates Akiva Shaffer and Jorma Taccone, who then recorded their own lyrics over the plaintiff’s music. The music for “Like a Boss” appeared on SNL April 4, 2009. “Shy Ronnie” aired Dec. 5, 2009, and was nominated for a 2010 Emmy.

NBC Universal, which owns SNL, and Universal Republic Records are also named in the suit. Banks and Hines claim they have received neither credit nor royalties for their music despite petitions to Universal Music Group. They are seeking all profits gained from the skits, plus attorney’s fees, unspecified additional damages, and interest.

NBC Universal has no comment on the litigation.

Nov 8 2011 12:37 PM ET

Jonathan Jackson to leave 'General Hospital': Report

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Categories: Daytime Soaps
Jonathan-Jackson

Image Credit: Craig Sjodin/ABC

ABC won’t confirm or deny a report that says Jonathan Jackson — the actor who plays Lucky Spencer on General Hospital — is leaving the daytime drama. Apparently, the actor will shoot his final scenes on Nov. 17; they will air in December.

Jackson is reportedly worn out from the grind of a daytime soap, not to mention the heavy-duty storylines involving the death of his character’s child.

The actor already shot his final scenes with Anthony Geary, who plays Lucky’s dad Luke.

Jackson joined the show in 1993. He’s won four Emmys for his work on the ABC sudser.

 

Nov 8 2011 12:03 PM ET

'Terra Nova' roars back, but CBS comedy block rules earth

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Categories: Television, Terra Nova, TV Ratings

Helluva performance by Fox’s Terra Nova on Monday: The dino drama (recap here) was up 24 percent in the adults 18-49 demo (2.6 rating/6 share) and 17 percent in total viewers (7.6 million) versus last week, according to early results. It also posted its highest-ever rating in male teens (2.7/9) — assuming you care about what those little buggers are watching on broadcast TV. Anyway, this is all good news for the freshman series, which has yet to learn whether it’ll be back for a second season. (That decision will come around upfronts time this May). READ FULL STORY »

Nov 8 2011 11:52 AM ET

'Glee' teen sex slammed by protest groups

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Categories: Glee, Music
glee-kiss

Two organizations have come out swinging against teen sex on tonight’s Glee.

The watchdogs at the Parents Television Council slammed the show for an episode that depicts two young couples — one straight, one gay — having sex for the first time. The organization says its objection has nothing to do with the gender of the characters, just their ages.

“The fact that Glee intends to not only broadcast, but celebrate children having sex is reprehensible,” said PTC president Tim Winter. “The gender of the high school characters involved is irrelevant. Teen sex is now more prevalent on TV than adult sex and Glee is only playing into that trend. Research proves that television is a teen sexual super peer that can, and likely will, influence a teen’s decision to become sexually active. Fox knows the show inherently attracts kids; celebrating teen sex constitutes gross recklessness.” READ FULL STORY »

Nov 8 2011 11:38 AM ET

'Bones': New squintern Luke Kleintank on the show's new 'dynamic duo.' Plus, EXCLUSIVE VIDEO

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Categories: Bones, Television, TV Scoop
Luke-Kleintank

Image Credit: Richard Foreman/Fox

The death of Vincent Nigel-Murray last season was a devastating loss for the team at the Jeffersonian, but they’re on their way to filling the void with the addition of new squintern Finn Abernathy, who makes his debut on this Thursday’s episode.

“He’s good ole boy from the hills,” says actor Luke Kleintank, who in the past has appeared in several episodes of Gossip Girl and No Ordinary Family.

Finn, who sports what Kleintank calls a “Larry the Cable Guy” accent, certainly makes a strong impression on the team, especially with Hodgins — but that’s not necessarily a good thing. “The best way I can describe it is that it’s like the relationship I have with my brothers,” he says. “They [bicker], but kind of fall in love with each other at the end … I think he and Hodgins are going to be a dynamic duo, the two brothers that are just doing stupid stuff together.” READ FULL STORY »

Nov 8 2011 11:22 AM ET

MSNBC to air Conrad Murray documentary

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Categories: Documentary, Michael Jackson

MSNBC will air a documentary about Conrad Murray this Thursday that features an interview with the doctor who was convicted Monday of involuntary manslaughter. The interview for Michael Jackson and The Doctor: A Fatal Friendship was conducted in November 2009, prior to Murray being charged.

October Films, which produced the documentary, filmed Murray throughout the subsequent two years and continued to record him during the trial.

UK Broadcaster Steve Hewlett conducted the interview with Murray. Zodiak Rights, the international division of Zodiak Media Group, has pre-sold the program to major broadcasters around the world.

NBC has the rights to use limited excerpts of the documentary for Dateline and The Today Show. NBC recorded its own interview with Murray that was arranged by Zodiac.

For more:

Nancy Grace weighs in on Conrad Murray

Nov 8 2011 09:32 AM ET

'Fringe,' 'Nikita,' and 'Suburgatory' stars dish in the Spoiler Room: Video Edition!

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Categories: Fringe, Nikita, Suburgatory, Television, The Spoiler Room, TV Scoop

Roomies, today is an exciting day, and not just because I got the next episode of American Horror Story in the mail. I’m happy as a clam to present to you Spoiler Room’s new video venture that will bring you the best teasy bit straight from the people we watch (and dream about — Just me? Okay.) every week. (Note: Not to worry, you’ll still get your regular Spoiler Room column on Fridays. This is extra credit!) In this first edition, Fringe‘s Anna Torv, Nikita‘s Maggie Q, and Suburgatory star Jane Levy take your questions and/or dish on what’s coming up on their shows.

As always, make sure you’re sending me your burning questions via e-mail (spoilerroom@ew.com) and Twitter (@EWSandraG). And stay tuned for details on how you can submit your question via video and be included on future installments of this new bi-monthly series.

Oh, and don’t be shy about sending me your general thoughts on the video and how you might want to get involved. But please be gentle — there’s nothing I can do about the stupid, overly enthusiastic faces I make. It just happens. READ FULL STORY »

Nov 8 2011 12:19 AM ET

Nancy Grace on Conrad Murray: 'He and Casey Anthony can have a tea party in four years'

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Categories: Dancing With the Stars
nancy-grace

Image Credit: ABC

Nancy Grace may have donned her ballroom best on Monday but she was eager to shed the sequins after the show to address the day’s big news: The conviction of Michael Jackson’s doctor for involuntary manslaughter.

Unfortunately, the HLN anchor couldn’t return to her day job and comment on the case outside of the Los Angeles courtroom Monday; she had a tango and an instant jive to perform that night, after all. (Her routines earned a 24 and a 20, the lowest scores of the night.) But Grace still had some thoughts to share about Dr. Conrad Murray after the show. READ FULL STORY »

Nov 7 2011 11:57 PM ET

'Dancing with the Stars': Hope and Maks 'hit the reset button'

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Categories: Dancing With the Stars
hope-solo

Image Credit: ABC

Is the Cold War finally over?

On Monday’s episode of Dancing with the Stars, Hope Solo told Brooke Burke that she and partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy “hit the reset button” to become a “new and improved team.” What did that involve, exactly? Well, there was an apology from the pro for “being totally rough” last week, followed by a trip home to meet the parents who revealed that the Ukrainian-American hunk was a mama’s boy who used to cry a lot. READ FULL STORY »

Nov 7 2011 09:59 PM ET

'Boss' ratings: Gee, maybe that renewal wasn't such a good idea

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Categories: TV Ratings
Boss-Kelsey-Grammer

Kelsey Grammer may be doing some of the best work of his career on Starz’ Boss but unfortunately, not a lot of folks are seeing it. The drama’s original episode on Friday only averaged 268,000 viewers — down 31% versus the week before, when it lured 391,000.

The show repeated at 10 and took in an additional 131,000, which is down 52% versus the week before when it averaged 274,000.

Starz has already renewed Boss for a second season before the first one started, a move that doesn’t always turn out well. The drama stars Grammer as the surly mayor of Chicago who privately suffers from a debilitating neurological disorder. Stay tuned.

For more:

Boss premieres to decent ratings

Nov 7 2011 09:37 PM ET

'Raising Hope' casts 'High School Musical' star -- EXCLUSIVE

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Categories: Casting Scoops, EW Exclusive, Raising Hope
tisdale

Image Credit: Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic/Getty Images

Sharpay Evans, meet the Chance Family!

EW has learned exclusively that Ashley Tisdale, aka Sharpay from Disney’s High School Musical franchise, will make a cameo in February as the fake girlfriend of Jimmy Chance (Lucas Neff). It’s for the show’s Valentine’s Day episode.

Here’s the official logline: Jimmy pretends to have a girlfriend to make Sabrina (Shannon Woodward) jealous which ends up working: She ends up breaking up with her longtime boyfriend Wyatt. Thanks for your help, Sharpay!

Tisdale recently appeared on CW’s shortlived series Hellcats and lends her voice to Disney’s hit show Phineas and Ferb.

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