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Paris and Nicole
Oh what are we going to do about those two? Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie - the spoiled stars of The Simple Life - are at it again. Or rather… they’re at it still. The Simple Life is being renewed for a fifth season, despite the fact that Hilton and Richie are not on speaking terms.

The former best friends both starred in the show’s fourth season - which is currently airing on E! – but did not appear in any scenes together. 

The fifth season may have the reality-show going back to its original format, forcing the girls to reconcile or to learn how to act well enough that they can pretend they’ve reconciled. Hilton claims she can act (although anyone who saw House of Wax might argue otherwise). She recently admitted that her Simple Life persona is nothing like the real her.

She hasn’t been shy about how the “real her” feels about Richie. She has described her costar as jealous and attention-seeking, claiming that Richie has “let the fame go to her head”. However, many attribute the rift in their friendship to rumors that Richie hosted a viewing of Hilton’s sex tape One Night in Paris; Hilton has been quoted as saying, “Nicole knows what she did”.

Hilton recently hinted that she would be willing to end the feud if Richie would apologize for “being mean”. Richie states that they are no longer friends because they “grew apart”.

Read More | Dose

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Colin Farrell Not too long ago I wrote about the risks of remaking a film into a TV show, such as Blade. Making the transition from hit series to big budget movie can be just as risky.

Michael Mann’s Miami Vice, starring Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx, has already suffered quite a bit of problems even before its release.

Apparently executives at Universal Studios were furious over the movie’s ever-growing budget and frequent delays, such as Farrell’s stint in rehab for exhaustion and dependency on prescription drugs. They also lost over 120 members of the crew for various reasons, although many cite Mann’s obsessively demanding nature as the main cause.

In addition to the numerous hurricanes that threatened production, there was also a shooting incident! Several gunshots were fired outside the hotel in which they were filming (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic). Luckily no cast or crew were harmed, but Foxx insisted on returning to the U.S. after the incident, forcing the ending – which was to be filmed in Paraguay – to be rewritten.

The movie is based on the hit 80’s series starring Don Johnson and Phillip Michael Thomas as duo Crockett and Tubbs. Another “buddy” cop series, Starsky and Hutch, was turned into a goofball comedy starring Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson. Drew Barrymore’s take on Charlie’s Angels was a huge hit and even inspired a sequel, but The Mod Squad was less successful. Other TV shows that became movies include The Fugitive, The Addams Family, Dukes of Hazzard, and the unfortunate Bewitched.

One might wonder if Farrell is ready to fill the shoes (sockless of course) of Don Johnson’s character. I don’t quite remember Sonny Crockett being so… “greasy”, but I suppose Mann has taken some creative licenses here and there, including Farrell’s hair choices. This isn’t Farrell’s first remake though; he also starred in S.W.A.T. based on the 1975 series.

Read More | Defamer

Entourage Thanks to an ad for HBO’s hit show Entourage that ran in the June 16 issue of Daily Variety, some people are starting to think that James Cameron really did direct a big screen version of Aquaman

Last season on the show, Cameron cameoed as the director of Aquaman, a big budget vehicle for the show’s fictional budding movie star, Vince Chase.  In an episode this season, the fictional movie fictionally Read More | Variety

South Park Good news!  Comedy Central has finally declared that it’s okay to make fun of Tom Cruise!

Variety has reported that the cable network will re-air the controversial South Park episode “Trapped in the Closet” on July 19.  The Emmy-nominated episode, which skewers Tom Cruise and Scientology, originally aired in November 2005, but was pulled from the network’s repeat rotation back in May. 

Apparently, creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker have been very unhappy with the network, and the choice to re-air the episode may help to alleviate the situation.  Stone stated, “If they hadn’t put this episode back on the air, we’d have had serious issues, and we wouldn’t be doing anything else with them.”  I’m sure the network didn’t want to alienate the creators of one of their most popular shows, especially after the debacle with Dave Chappelle.

Now, if only the show could convince Isaac Hayes not to be so offended by the episode, we’d be all set.

Read More | Coming Soon

RomeOn Wednesday, HBO announced that the upcoming second season of its original series Rome will be the last. The show, which is currently filming in Italy, will come back on Jan. 7, 2007.

The show had okay ratings, but is very expensive to produce, with the first season costing something like $100 million dollars.  I’m sure that price tag figured into HBO’s decision, even though it’s a co-production with the BBC, which helps foot the bill. The second season will pick up after the death of Julius Caesar, which occurred in last season’s finale.

While Rome does have its flaws, I have always enjoyed it, and am sad it will only be getting one more season. That being said, however, I am pleased that they are announcing the cancellation before shooting wraps in October, so that the show’s creators will have the chance to wrap things up properly. This is more consideration than the network gave to David Milch and Deadwood, after all.  Also, though I understand this move in terms of the network’s bottom line, it leads me to continue to question HBO’s seemingly wavering commitment to producing artistic, groundbreaking television.

Read More | Zap2it

Paula MeronekPaula Ann Meronek, a cast member on MTV’s The Real World: Key West, was arrested for taking a bite out of her boyfriend early Sunday morning. Meronek, 25, allegedly bit her boyfriend, John Alyward, several times after he refused her admittance to their shared home in Cromwell, NY.

She was arraigned Monday on a misdemeanor assault charge by the Cromwell police department. Alyward was charged with disorderly conduct.

A spokesman for The Real World‘s producers said that the arrest will not affect the show, as filming is complete and the season is already airing weekly on MTV. Meronek has been described by MTV producers as “damaged” and was known on the show for her erratic behavior when intoxicated.

Meronek faces a potential year in prison and is due back in court on August 11.

Read More | The Show Buzz

Deal Or No Deal
Deal or No Deal will begin its nationwide search for “America’s next hopeful millionaire” this week.

The NBC show, hosted by Howie Mandel, puts contestants in a game a chance as they are faced with 26 sealed briefcases containing cash prizes. The catch is that they must select a briefcase without knowing the contents - which can be as much as one million dollars or as little as mere pocket change.

Now the show is looking for new contestants on the show.  Candidates needn’t have any skills other than energy, charisma, and an outgoing nature. They must also be 18 years of age and a legal US resident.

Casting calls will be held in the following locations:

July 15: Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Oklahoma

July 22: Alabama, Kentucky, Virginia

July 29: Alaska, Arkansas, Louisiana, Tennessee

For more information on open casting: NBC.com

Read More | Reality TV Magazine

David GivensThe FCC is cracking down on profanity on the air, especially at live sporting events. The commission has requested that broadcasters turn over tapes, in an attempt to find foul language coming from spectators, coaches, and players.

The commission instated tougher rules for live broadcast TV in 2004, shortly after Janet Jackson’s infamous “wardrobe malfunction” bared her breast for a few seconds at the Super Bowl halftime show. Some of these new rules included stricter restrictions on “profane and indecent” expletives, which may cause a problem for live sports broadcasts, which are often equipped with on-field microphones.

Live programming has always been difficult to control, so many fear that this mean the end of live broadcast TV. Now under a new law, broadcasters may face fines of as high as $325,000 per violation.

Read More | MSNBC

Alyssa MilanoAlyssa Milano, famous for her roles in Who’s The Boss? and Charmed, is launching her own clothing line. Don’t expect high couture though. Her new women’s line, “TOUCH—by Alyssa Milano,” will feature baseball clothing. Yes, baseball clothing.

Milano has partnered with G-III Apparel Group and Major League Baseball to create a line of flattering outfits for female baseball fans. Tired of the limited choice of baseball “fan gear,” the actress wants to give women the chance to show support for their favorite teams ames and still look stylish.

Milano is no stranger to Major League Baseball. She is currently dating L.A. Dodgers pitcher, Brad Penny. In the past she has also been linked to Oakland Athletics pitcher, Barry Zito, and New York Yankees pitcher, Carl Pavano.

The collection will debut in late August and will hit stores Spring 2007, just in time for the Major League Baseball’s opening day.

Read More | Hollywood Tuna

Kevin FederlineOh please don’t let it be true! More bad news for those of us with ears…

Although no official deals have been made, Kevin Federline is likely to use his wife’s connections to force his way into the music business. The infamous “Mr. Britney Spears”, who starred with Spears in the short-lived reality series Britney and Kevin: Chaotic, is allegedly working on getting a recording contract. The talentless freeloader and aspiring “rapper” has been meeting with Spears’s label, Jive Records.

His hip-hop “career” was jumpstarted with the single, “PopoZão,” which was released online to mixed reviews. By “mixed reviews” of course, I mean that some people hated it and some people simply made fun of it. “K-Fed” later claimed that the single was just a joke and that when people hear his real release they would be blown away. Okaaaay.

He plans to release his first album, Playing With Fire, in August. God help us all.

Read More | Dose

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