New Season of Girls Next Door Starts Sunday
Posted by Wendy Michaels Categories: Reality, Cable, Renewals,
I admit it. I watch it—not faithfully, mind you—but I have seen more than my fair share of The Girls Next Door on E! Seems I’m not the only one to tune in because E! renewed the reality show for a second season. The series follows Girls Holly Madison, Kendra Wilkinson and Bridget Marquardt, who all are Hugh Hefner’s girlfriends and live at the Playboy Mansion. My personal viewership is pure curiousity. I just can’t wrap my head around the fact that three women are shacking up with Hefner. But, I suppose, it is the Playboy Mansion and he is a millionaire, so their “attraction” to him is likely based on access to the finer things in life. E!‘s executive producer for the series, Brent Zacky says, “It’s surprising, considering what many of the skeptics said when it first aired. I think a major reason for its success is that the viewers love the girls.” Well, I wouldn’t go that far, but I’m only speaking for myself. At any rate, I’m sure I’ll be tuning in again at some point during season 2—the new season premieres on Sunday night.
Read More 
| Reality TV World
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It was only a matter of time before someone made a movie ‘o the week about the pandemic. Who doesn’t love a little doom and gloom as the world is overtaken with disease? And who will save us from the deadly virus? The Hallmark Channel is currently producing a movie called (appropriately) Pandemic—with an all-star cast: Tiffani Thiessen, Vincent Spano, Faye Dunaway, Eric Roberts, French Stewart, Bruce Boxleitner, Renee Taylor and Bob Gunton. The movie will follow the snowball effect of a young man’s death from flu-like symptoms as he travels from Los Angeles to Australia. The passengers are quarantined, but of course, the doctor from the Center for Disease Control (played by Thiessen) has to stop the spread of the virus and save the world. Gotta love the casting—French Stewart plays another doctor, Eric Roberts is the mayor of Los Angeles, and Faye Dunaway is the governor of California. No word yet on an air date.
Read More | comingsoon.net
Mark Wahlberg Introduces New HBO Project
Posted by Wendy Michaels Categories: Drama, Cable, HBO, Entourage, News,
Mark Wahlberg has done great things for HBO, by bringing the mega-popular Entourage to the network as an executive producer. Wahlberg’s latest gig as executive producer is for a new half-hour drama titled In Treatment, also for HBO. The series is based on an Israeli series of the same name—a therapist who treats his patients calmly and professionally is actually a complete mess who has to seek therapy for himself. HBO has ordered five episodes, but has yet to commit to putting the series on the air. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the episodes will be presented as one long pilot. The pilot will be directed by Rodrigo Garcia (Six Feet Under, Big Love), so there’s definitely potential.
Read More | Zap2it
E! Entertainment Television will be offering a number of its programs for download and purchase on Apple’s iTunes. The Hollywood Reporter reports that the network will make weekly episodes of The Girls Next Door, The Soup, Dr. 90210 and The Simple Life: ‘Til Death Do Us Part available the day after they have broadcast. Each episode will cost $1.99. Ted Harbert, E! Entertainment president and CEO says the move reinforces their “E! Everywhere” initiative, by making their programming available on multiple platforms. “E!‘s programing appeals to a very young demographic, and these viewers are the most aggressive users of this technology,” Harbert said. “We thought the relationship between our programming and iTunes would be the perfect match.”
Read More | Hollywood Reporter
Office Singing Competition
Posted by Wendy Michaels Categories: Prime Time, Reality, CBS, American Idol, The Office,
Don’t be fooled – it’s not a sing-off among our favorite cast members of The Office, but rather the latest reality show concept. I’ve said it before, and I guess I’m going to keep saying it… a reality show can be created about virtually anything. The latest reality concept, called The Singing Office, asks employees of two different companies to audition on the spot. CBS ordered the pilot, so we’ll see how well this baby flies. Reminiscent of American Idol, the best five singers “go to Hollywood” and are vocally trained and assisted by a choreographer to perform their song for a studio audience. The audience chooses the better of the two offices, and the team wins a cash prize. If the show takes off, the season would end with the final winners of each episode competing for the grand prize. The show’s producer, Laurie Girion says, “Everybody knows people at their office who stand up at the Christmas party and sing karaoke. This is a show for these people. We’re not looking for the next pop star, we are celebrating the real people who have picked up a hairbrush and have sung in front of a mirror.”
Read More | Reuters
Arrested Development Airs Again
Posted by Wendy Michaels Categories: Cable, FOX, Syndication, Arrested Development, HDTV, Internet,
OK, so we know that Arrested Development was canceled. We just have to accept it and move on (sob!). To me, it always begs the question: “How can sub-par sitcoms continue into their umpteenth season while something cool and hilarious like Arrested Development gets canceled?” It’s just not fair. But anyhoo… Arrested Development will be returning in syndication with a very interesting arrangement. The 53 episodes have been sold to both MSN and cable networks HDNet and G4. The agreement is that MSN has rights for three years, beginning later this year, and will be free to MSN subscribers. Additional interactive elements are planned to further enhance the greatness that is Arrested Development. Then, HDNet also gets the series for three years, beginning in September (airing in high definition, of course), and G4 (owned by Comcast) will get the series in October. Now if only someone could bring it back from the dead.
Read More | Reuters
Zach Braff May Star in Upcoming Fletch Prequel
Posted by Wendy Michaels Categories: Comedy, Prime Time, NBC, Scrubs, Talent,
Scrubs creator Bill Lawrence is on board to adapt and direct Fletch Won, a prequel to 1985’s Fletch, starring Chevy Chase. Lawrence’s top pick for the actor to play the young Fletch-ling? None other than Scrubs star, Zach Braff. Being a huge Braff fan (and ok, a fan of Fletch—who isn’t?), I couldn’t be happier about the news. If you recall, Fletch is the funny-guy investigative journalist made famous by Chase, and Braff should have no problem filling those shoes. The film will be based on Gregory Mcdonald’s comedy-mystery that follows reporter Irwin Fletcher on his first murder case. Lawrence is thrilled to take on the job, saying, “Like Batman Begins, I think people will enjoy seeing how Irwin Fletcher became Fletch. Not only can I recite the original Fletch movie line for line, I actually read all the Greg Mcdonald books as a kid. Consider me obsessed—I’m going to try as hard as I can not to screw this up.” In response to his determination to get Braff to star, Lawrence said, “Zach is perfect for the role. I’m going to use all my pull trying to make him do it.” And what perfect timing – Fletch Won is scheduled to begin shooting in April, during Scrubs’ hiatus.
Read More | Yahoo! News
Desperate Housewives Character to Die
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Comedy, Prime Time, ABC, Desperate Housewives,
Big news for the upcoming season of Desperate Housewives. It has already been leaked by Marc Cherry that a leading character will die next year. The show’s creator tells TV Guide that the death will be connected to a supermarket hostage situation. Several major characters will be inside that store including Lynette (Felicity Huffman). Expect to see that storyline come November sweeps. I wonder if this is Cherry’s way of cleaning house??
In addition to the obvious ratings ploy, it has also been announced that a new character will be visiting Wisteria Lane. Josh Henderson, recently part of FX’s Over There will become a regular cast member. As Edie’s nephew, Austin, Henderson will be brought on to stir things up on the street. Maybe he can stir up some new storylines for Mike and Susan?
Read More | TV Guide
The host of The Good Night Show has been fired after her bosses learned of her questionable job history. Prior to landing her gig on the PBS Kids Sprout network, Melanie Martinez appeared in two videos called Technical Virgin. The stage actress spoofed PSAs centered on young women keeping their virginity. Apparently, the PBS President didn’t feel this was an appropriate image for someone who appeared in front of pre-school aged children. The Good Night Show airs for three hours each evening and helps get young children to sleep. No word yet on a replacement for Martinez.
Read More | Philadelphia Daily News
Prison Break to Fill in the Gaps
Posted by Wendy Michaels Categories: Drama, Prime Time, FOX, Grey’s Anatomy, Prison Break, Talent,
With the announcement that Patricia Wettig will be leaving the series, many fans are left wondering how Fox can fill the void left on Prison Break. Patricia Wettig will be joining Brothers & Sisters, and John Billingsley (who plays Wettig’s brother—the victim of the set-up that framed Lincoln Burrows) is leaving for The Nine. Billingsly’s face was never really revealed on the show, so it was easy enough to replace the actor with Jeff Perry, who has appeared on Grey’s Anatomy and Nash Bridges. According to series creator Paul Scheuring, Wettig is “not out of the picture yet.” The plan is for her storyline—and that of the conspiracy to set up Burrows—to take a backseat during the initial episodes, as the focus now will be on the manhunt for Lincoln, Michael Scofield (Wentworth Miller) and the other escapees. Scheuring says, “In the early part of the season, it’s really going to be much more about the immediacy of having to get the hell away from the pursuit.”
Luckily, we don’t have to wait too long for the new season to start. Prison Break begins on Monday, August 21st.
Read More | Zap2it
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