On Gear Live: Samsung S95C: The OLED TV You Can’t Afford (to Ignore!)

Shrek the HallsA new animated special from DreamWorks Animation SKG, titled Shrek the Halls, will be coming to ABC next December. The half-hour show will likely join the ranks of Rudolph for future Christmases to come. Stephen McPherson, president, ABC Entertainment and Jeffrey Katzenberg, CEO of DreamWorks Animation SKG made the announcement, saying “Family classics are a cornerstone of our brand, and Shrek The Halls will provide warm memories year-after-year, and be a great addition to our library of holiday favorites such as Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town and A Charlie Brown Christmas. Shrek 2 will make its “world television premiere” on ABC November 24th at 8:00 p.m. The special, Shrek the Halls, will air sometime in December 2007. The best part—the original cast returns for this look at Christmas in the swamp. Check out Mike Myers (Shrek), Cameron Diaz (Fiona), Eddie Murphy (Donkey) and Antonio Banderas.

Read More | ComingSoon.net

Advertisement

Beverly Hills, 90210Wow, good times. Beverly Hills, 90210 was a 1990s institution. And now the gang is back together again—only this time, not at the Peach Pit, and only for one night… and without Brenda and Dylan. But hey, you can’t have it all! I’m speaking of the recent cast reunion for the DVD release of the first season of Beverly Hills, 90210. “We always worked hard to stay together as a cast,” Jason Priestley (Brandon Walsh), told USA Today. Preggers Tori Spelling (Donna), Jennie Garth (Kelly), Brian Austin Green (David), Gabrielle Carteris (Andrea) and Ian Ziering (Steve) were all on hand for the release. No-shows Shannon Doherty and Luke Perry were speculated to be absent because the cast can in no way profit from the DVD sales. Strangely enough, no one considered the technology of releasing series on video/DVD and so it was not included in their contracts.

Read More | People

Happy Hour Two sitcoms on the “critical” list, nearing cancellation, have officially been given the axe. Fox’s Happy Hour has been removed from the schedule due to low ratings. The comedy has ranked fifth for viewers 18-to-49 during its timeslot on Thursdays. The ailing ‘Til Death is still on the roster.

NBC’s Twenty Good Years has also been moved off of the schedule—you may recall a couple of weeks back when NBC announced their new Thursday night line up with nary a mention of the fate of Twenty Good Years. The sitcom aired on Wednesdays along with 30 Rock—with 30 Rock making an upcoming move to Thursday nights on November 16th. Twenty Good Years has been yanked and a two-hour episode of The Biggest Loser will air in its place on November 8th (from 8 - 10 p.m.).

Read More | AOL

The OfficeThis week, fans of The Office will get an extra treat online—a “producer’s cut” of the episode airing on November 9th. This is the first time that this type of special feature has been available online. With additional scenes and footage that won’t air on the Thursday broadcast, viewers can get a little somethin’ somethin’ that is usually reserved only for DVD extra features. The “web-exclusive event” will be available to viewers following the 8:30 airing of The Office, so log on to NBC.com at 9:00 p.m. Executive vice president NBC digital entertainment and new media, Vivi Zigler, said of the event: “This is a first-of-its-kind and a real bonus for fans of The Office. It’s also a natural for this show which has continually pushed the envelope in the digital landscape. We’re seeing an incredible audience reaction to the evolving digital extensions of our programming and anticipate this being one of their favorites.”

If you haven’t seen promos for this week’s show—Jan (Melora Hardin) informs Michael (Steve Carell) that his branch of Dunder Mifflin (the Scranton office) will be shutting down. You can bet that Michael will do his best to keep staff morale going, which always leads to the best Michael moments

Read More | Comingsoon.net

John CorbettIf you loved John Corbett in Northern Exposure and Sex and the City and love to see him light up the big screen as well, you’ll be happy to hear that Corbett has joined the cast of Manchild. Based on a BBC series, the Showtime pilot is a comedy about four friends who are suffering through their midlife crises. Seems like a perfect vehicle for Corbett, who seems to bring humility to every role he plays. He is the essence of a nice guy, with that friendly smile… boy, do I miss Northern Exposure! On Manchild, Corbett is a former Deadhead who can’t seem to get his worklife or social life off of the ground. He replaces Paul Hipp, who was originally cast. Corbett will grace the big screen again in the film, The Messenger and goes the Lifetime original movie route with Nora Roberts’ Montana Sky.

Read More | Yahoo! News

Neil Patrick HarrisSeems another actor has felt the pressure to reveal their sexual preference—and guess who has the “exclusive”? That’s right, folks, People magazine is always the go-to magazine to reveal your personal biz. Neil Patrick Harris told the mag that he was gay in an effort to establish his sexuality before the rumor mill took hold of it. Harris, 33, and the star of How I Met Your Mother, told People, “(I) am quite proud to say that I am a very content gay man living my life to the fullest.” He also said that the announcement came because of “speculation and interest in my private life and relationships.” It still seems a shame that actors don’t have any private life these days, but such is the way of a celebrity, I suppose. Harris, of course, got his big break playing Doogie Howser, M.D.

Read More | People Magazine

Maya RudolphI guess it’s a slow entertainment news day when you have to report on bedbugs. But those critters can really wreak havoc, apparently. Saturday Night Live cast member Maya Rudolph, partner Paul Anderson (director of Boogie Nights) and their baby had to evacuate their SoHo loft when they were infested with the bugs. As a result they are now suing the property owners for $450,000. According to court papers, “The plaintiffs were bitten over portions of their bodies by bedbugs. Apparently unbeknown to plaintiffs, the premises were infested with bedbugs.” The family were told that the apartment was “perfect” and in a “first-class luxury” building, court papers say. For the $13,500-a-month rent, you would think the place would be bug-free. An exterminator came to take care of the bugs, and told Rudolph and family that they should leave for a few weeks to protect their year-old baby.

Read More | The Showbuzz

Kirstie AlleyI love Kirstie Alley—with the exception of Veronica’s Closet, I’ve been a big fan for a long time. And when she gained weight, she took it in stride, even poking fun in the series Fat Actress. Determined to lose the weight, she became a Jenny Craig spokeswoman and participant—showing us her progress every step of the way. And now, she’s making good on a promise she made to Oprah to appear in a bikini on the Oprah Winfrey Show. Last November, Alley told Winfrey she was inspired by a guest who lost 70 pounds and became Miss Bikini America. Alley decided to challenge herself to lose more weight by promising to pose in a bikini for the show. “I’d like to prove to myself and maybe other women my age that there can still be good years ahead of us,” Alley said in June’s People magazine. “Maybe even the best.” The show will air on Monday.

Read More | People

Rob Lowe As if ABC’s hit drama Brothers & Sisters couldn’t get any better—now Rob Lowe will be joining the cast. Okay, so it’s only for six episodes, but he will be a fantastic addition to the show. Having grown up on a steady diet of Rob Lowe, I’ve followed his career for awhile. And, is it just me, or does he never seem to age? It’s remarkable, really.

Anyway, back to Brothers & Sisters... Lowe has signed on to play a Republican U.S. senator who is going through a divorce while running for re-election in California. Of course, he and Kitty (Calista Flockhart) will meet up on her political TV show. Ba-da-bing, let the romantic sparks fly! Executive producer Jon Robin Baitz, wrote the role specifically for Lowe (and also wrote an episode of The West Wing). “He brings a maturity to the role on a show that’s about people who are no longer kids.” Baitz said.

Read More | Comingsoon.net

Barry WatsonABC already seemed to take a chance by bringing back What About Brian for a second season, following less-than-stellar viewership for the mid-season entry last year. The network seems smitten with Brian, ordering four additional scripts—although there has been no commitment by ABC to film any more episodes. ABC has also ordered additional scripts for The Nine, Help Me Help You and Men in Trees; the other networks have also made similar arrangements with Friday Night Lights, Justice, The Class and Studio 60.

What About Brian has made a promising start to its second season, following Brian (Barry Watson), as the only single guy in his group of friends. Ratings are up from 6.3 million last season to 6.9 million this fall. Brian also retains about 85 percent of the show before it, The Bachelor. I’m hoping What About Brian goes the distance this season, since I’ve followed it since last year and am looking forward to seeing where they take the storylines.

Read More | Zap2it

Advertisement