Thursday, May 20, 2010

CBS Moves 'Big Bang,' and New Rivals Feel the Pain

Source: popeater.com

In one fell swoop, CBS has upended Thursday night television by moving the hugely popular 'Big Bang Theory' to 8PM, a decision that has clearly rattled the nerdy show's future time-slot victims rivals.

The brains behind NBC's 'Community' promptly responded to fan concerns that CBS was trying to destroy his lovable-yet-ratings-impaired show. Dan Harmon told his Twitter followers, "Well, if CBS thinks I'm a big enough threat to send a terminator, the least I can do is prove them right."

Harmon later jokingly described 'Big Bang's' move to 8PM as a "bad dream."

Of course, 'Community' isn't the only show that will feel the pain once 'Theory' is fact at 8. 'Bones' creator Hart Hanson has spent years watching his forensic crime drama place second behind 'Survivor,' which is moving to Wednesdays.

"Bones has traded Survivor for Big Bang Theory?" he asked on Twitter. "I have to admit, I find Big Bang much funnier, even during tribal council whatchamahoozies."

Noah Hawley, creator of ABC's new show 'My Generation,' which will make its debut at 8PM on Thursdays, asked his rival producers/writers, "Are you ready to rumble?"

Whether there will be much of a fight remains to be seen, but CBS isn't feeling sorry for its rivals.

"We're not in the charity business," scheduling chief Kelly Kahl told The Live Feed. "The performance of [NBC's] comedies is not something that deterred us. People like those shows, but they're not setting the world on fire ratings wise."

Warner Bros., which produces 'Big Bang,' was equally dismissive of the current Thursday offerings on NBC and beyond.

"I do believe there is a tremendous opportunity in the time period," Peter Roth, president at Warner, told the New York Times. "It's not one of the most competitive time periods; the competition is relatively weak."

'Big Bang' is in its third season and is the highest-rated sitcom on TV among the much-coveted 18-49 demographic. It was recently announced that repeats of the show, about a pair of physicists and their hot neighbor, will air on TBS starting next year.

American Idol Finals Are Set!

Source:eonline




Just think, maybe someday one of the two American Idol finalists can enjoy the same sort of success that has blessed Justin Bieber.

The 16-year-old pop sensation was definitely a highlight (in-studio on March 31, when he taped his "Your Smile"-"Baby" medley, and for the at-home folks tonight) as we waited patiently for Ryan Seacrest to name the two contestants moving on into next week's final round.

Barring a major upset, it certainly seemed as if the field was set long before last night, but America can be unpredictable like that...

Eh, not so much.

Casey James was eliminated and Crystal Bowersox and Lee Dewyze will square off next Tuesday in the hope of being named the next American Idol.

"I can't believe it man," Casey said, when Ryan asked about his experience on the show, which included a trip to his Texas hometown, where he was treated like a hunky king. "I'm so thankful for the opportunity. It's been an amazing journey and I'm just so honored that I'm here."

The 27-year-old, who peaked with "Jealous Guy" during Lennon-McCartney week, had come a long way since being objectified by Kara DioGuardi and Posh Spice during the audition round, but in the end he didn't go quite as far as a certain single mom from Toledo, Ohio, and a paint store employee from Chicago.

Crystal's lost her mojo a bit in recent weeks, but she spent the majority of the season as the frontrunner. Lee, meanwhile, started off as a dark horse but may have won the whole thing already with his rousing performance of "Hallelujah" last night.

Either way, may the best Idol win.

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Double Takes: 10 Pairs of TV Doppelgangers

Source by TV.com

A couple months ago, while watching March Madness, it occurred to me that Steve Carell bares an uncanny resemblance to Coach Mike Krzyzewski of Duke. Like, if there is ever a Coach K biopic, Carell could play the starring role. And a couple weeks ago, 30 Rock pointed out that there's some major twinnage happening between Elizabeth Banks and Chelsea Handler.

As it turns out, there are a ton of look-alikes in the celebrity world (Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Javier Bardem, for example, share one body)—and many to take note of in the realm of television. Here are ten current pairs:

Double Takes: 10 Pairs of TV Doppelgangers

10. Accidentally on Purpose's Jon Foster (with Nicolas Wright) and How to Make It in America's Bryan Greenberg (with Victor Rasuk)
Who knew these two could pull off the Timberlake curl and five o'clock shadow so well—and with their dark-haired BFFs in tow?

Double Takes: 10 Pairs of TV Doppelgangers

9. Kiersten Warren (shown here on Desperate Housewives) and Weeds' Mary-Louise Parker
Kiersten Warren has also appeared on Dirty Sexy Money, Nip/Tuck, and Fringe—and all this time I thought MLP was just working overtime.

Double Takes: 10 Pairs of TV Doppelgangers

8. Lost's Nestor Carbonell and The New Adventures of Old Christine's Eric McCormack
Has Will Truman been on the island all along?

Double Takes: 10 Pairs of TV Doppelgangers

7. House's Lisa Edelstein and Rena Sofer (shown here on Bones)
We could have sworn it was Cuddy hitting on Booth (David Boreanaz) earlier this month in Bones's "The Predator in the Pool" and working with Agent Gibbs and company on NCIS.

Double Takes: 10 Pairs of TV Doppelgangers

6. V's Scott Wolf and Michael J. Fox (shown here on Rescue Me)
Oddly enough, Wolf also resembles a young Tom Cruise. And I mean that in the best possible way.

Double Takes: 10 Pairs of TV Doppelgangers

5. Supernatural's Jensen Ackles (with Jared Padalecki) and One Tree Hill's James Lafferty (with Chad Michael Murray)
Both boys are seen here with their slightly-taller, more-attractive TV brothers.

Double Takes: 10 Pairs of TV Doppelgangers

4. House's Olivia Wilde and Chuck's Yvonne Strahovski
Besides the cheekbones and the eyes, these two ladies also have "playing a huge nerd" in common.

Double Takes: 10 Pairs of TV Doppelgangers

3. Human Target's Mark Valley (with Chi McBride) and V's Joel Gretsch (with Morris Chestnut)
Sandy blonde hair? Check. Strong jawline? Check. Beefy black goatee'd sidekick? Check.

Double Takes: 10 Pairs of TV Doppelgangers

2. Gossip Girl's Chace Crawford and The Vampire Diaries' Ian Somerhalder
And Zac Efron could be their little brother.

Double Takes: 10 Pairs of TV Doppelgangers

1. V's Elizabeth Mitchell and FlashForward's Sonya Walger
Both of them were supposedly on Lost, but I don't buy it. THEY'RE THE SAME PERSON.

Despite Jail Term, Reality Teen Claims Innocence in Orlando Bloom Burglary

She's officially a convicted felon for her role in a 2009 heist at Orlando Bloom's home, but Pretty Wild star Alexis Neiers wants to clear her name.

"I didn't do anything wrong," Neiers, 18, tells E! News. "I thought we were going to trial and we had a great shot at this. I had been so confident because I had thought up until this point that I didn't do anything wrong."

In a last-minute plea bargain Monday, Neiers accepted a six-month jail term and three years probation for what her attorney Jeffery Rubenstein called "a limited role" in the caper. Rubenstein has said the plea was due in large part to Bloom's willingness to testify.

Neiers was seen on surveillance video as one of four people entering Bloom's Hollywood Hills home last July, but she previously insisted she was drunk at the time and was unaware that she was involved in a break-in. She begins her jail term on June 24.

"You go into this thinking, 'I may only serve 30 percent of the time,' or whatever, but I could end up serving a full six months. I want to prepare myself mentally as best as I can. I'm going to walk into that courtroom with my head held high and do the right thing."


Over a half-million dollars in artwork, watches and other valuables were stolen from the actor, allegedly by a ring of teenage burglars who committed a year-long crime spree that raided the homes of Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, Rachel Bilson and other young celebrities that netted more than $3 million in luxury goods.

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

'American Idol' Ayla Brown gets 'Early Show' gig -the next Katie Couric

'American Idol' Ayla Brown gets 'Early Show' gig -the next Katie CouricAyla Brown, semi-finalist from "American Idol" and daughter of the newly-elected Republican Senator from Massachusetts Scott Brown, has landed herself a TV gig just weeks before she graduates from Boston College.

The Associated Press is reporting that Brown will be a producer, focusing on producing pieces for a youth audience. The show became interested in her after she appeared on "The Early Show" back in January. Executive Producer David Friedman says, "You can't create the next Katie Couric, you just have to find the talent that you think can develop into something."

Interesting that he cites Katie Couric, the long-time "Today" host. We know she's not on the CBS Evening News, but her morning show roots were at the Peacock and not the Eye. Perhaps Friedman should've said the next Julie Chen?

'The City' Olivia Palermo thinks Whitney Port's line is inconsistent

'The City' Olivia Palermo thinks Whitney Port's line is inconsistent"I'm just gonna pass and that's gonna be it." Power trip much, Olivia?




Every good reality show needs its villain, and Olivia Palermo is doing a wonderful job of filling those shoes in this clip from "The City," courtesy of our good friends at the Los Angeles Times' Show Tracker. Now that she's working for Elle.com instead of as an accessories editor, Olivia intends to blacklist Whitney Port's new line, Whitney Eve, from the site -- despite Erin Kaplan's suggestions.

Olivia says that the line is unfocused. "There's not like a theme, it's sort of all over the place," she says. We're sure that Olivia has a great eye for fashion, but when we saw the Whitney Eve line on the runway in the April 27 episode, it looked consistent to us! Plus, there's no way that Olivia knows better than Kelly Cutrone.

Whitney may get a break from Elle.com after all, though. Later on in the episode, Whitney learns that Elle Magazine nominated her to be included in another site's feature on emerging designers. "I wonder if Olivia has anything to do with it? That's super nice of her," Whitney gushes. We're pretty sure that it wasn't Olivia's doing, though. This one has Erin written all over it.

"The only issue now is that you owe Olivia a favor," Whitney's friend Roxy Olin says. We're sure Olivia will be happy to collect -- whether she had anything to do with Whitney's big break or not.