Spike Lee and NBC Strike a Deal
Posted by Wendy Michaels Categories: Drama, Prime Time, HBO, NBC, News,
Not too shabby, NBC – they managed to land Spike Lee to develop a new drama series. Discussion came shortly after Lee directed the pilot for the CBS drama Shark, starring James Woods. Lee is best known for his feature films, including “Do the Right Thing,” “Malcolm X,” and “Summer of Sam,” among others. It has not yet been confirmed if Lee will direct the new series, but he will develop and executive produce the project. His upcoming documentary, set to air on HBO in August, examines the government’s response to Hurricane Katrina. Titled When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts, this four-hour documentary will have its world premiere on August 16 at the New Orleans Arena.
Read More 
| Reuters
Gallery: Spike Lee and NBC Strike a Deal
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The Office Webisodes Now Online
Posted by Wendy Michaels Categories: Comedy, Prime Time, NBC, The Office, Internet,
NBC.com now has the first two of many summer webisodes of The Office: The Accountants available on their web site. The first, titled “The Books Don’t Balance,” sets the mystery in motion as the accounting team discovers that $3,000 is missing. Webisode 2, titled “Phyllis,” follows the accountants as they question Phyllis about the missing money. While the episodes only feature the accountants, it does give these secondary players a chance to take the spotlight. Boss Michael (played by Steve Carell), and Jim and Pam’s blossoming romance are noticeably absent, but the accountants do a great comedic job with the storyline. Overall, this provides some fresh Office episodes while we await the series premiere in the fall. New episodes are posted every Thursday, so check it out and see if you can find the person responsible for the missing funds.
Read More | NBC.com
Gallery: The Office Webisodes Now Online
Diane Lane Makes Hair Donation on Live TV
Posted by Abby Rose Dalto Categories: Talk Shows, NBC, Editorial,
Diane Lane - star of films such as Under the Tuscan Sun, Unfaithful, and Must Love Dogs - recently cut off all of her hair on the Today show. Lane donated the hair to be made into a wig for women who suffered hair loss as a result of cancer treatment. She did this as part of the Pantene Beautiful Lengths campaign, which encourages people to grow long, healthy hair to donate.
Her hair was cut by Today show co-host Ann Curry, who donated her own hair in March to Locks of Love, a charity that makes wigs for children. Lane also appeared on The View to show off her new short ‘do.
For those of you thinking about donating your hair, there are a few guidelines:
Beautiful Lengths requires that donated hair be at least 8 inches long (Locks of Love requires 10 inches). Wavy/curly hair is fine. Hair may be colored or permed, but not bleached or chemically damaged. Please bundle clean hair in a ponytail or braid.
For more information visit the official Pantene Beautiful Lengths or Locks of Love websites.
On a personal note, I would like to encourage anyone out there with long hair to donate. I’ve done it twice already and it’s such an easy way to help someone. The organizations also except monetary donations and volunteer work from those who cannot donate hair.
Read More | Female First
Gallery: Diane Lane Makes Hair Donation on Live TV
British Office Cast Visit Dunder Mifflin
Posted by Wendy Michaels Categories: Comedy, Prime Time, BBC, NBC, The Office,
Hollywood.com reports that the stars of the British version of The Office are planning to appear in cameo roles on the American version. The executive producer of the American version, Ben Silverman, said that employees from the Brit Office could “find themselves sharing an office with Scranton, Pennsylvania company Dunder Mifflin.” Silverman told the New York Post “There’s a lot of love between (the casts and crews) of the two versions of the show. Expect some cameos from the U.K. paper company.” No word yet on who will be appearing or even when, but apparently Ricky Gervais is not scheduled to appear anytime soon – according to Silverman, “We’re going to save the big man for now.” I’m sure any of the phenomenal British ensemble will be a welcome addition to the employees at Dunder Mifflin.
Read More | Hollywood.com
Gallery: British Office Cast Visit Dunder Mifflin
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
Gallery: Deal Or No Deal Casting Calls
The Best (and Worst) Shows of 2005-06
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Comedy, Drama, Reality, ABC, Cable, CBS, FX, FOX, HBO, NBC, 24, Amazing Race, The, American Idol, Apprentice, The - Donald, Degrassi, Lost, My Name Is Earl, Prison Break, Scrubs, The Office, The Sopranos,
In a recent edition of Broadcasting & Cable, the trade magazine presented a list of the Best Shows on TV for the 2005-06 season. The 2nd annual poll, based on the views of 111 critics, didn’t reveal many shocking choices overall…but does give much love to some underappreciated gems. Let’s see how your choices compare:
BEST SHOW
BEST DRAMA:
Gold: Lost (ABC)—Really not much of a surprise on any of these choices. It’s only shocking to remember that Lost is the only one of these three to be shut out of the Best Drama category for the upcoming Emmys.
Silver: 24 (FOX)
Bronze: The Sopranos (HBO)
BEST COMEDY:
Gold: The Office (NBC)
Silver: My Name is Earl (NBC)
Bronze: Scrubs (NBC)—Woo hoo! Even if NBC doesn’t respect the comedic gem enough to give it a regular time slot (and a fall start), it’s reassuring to know that the show is still being noticed.
BEST REALITY:
Gold: American Idol (FOX)
Silver: The Amazing Race (CBS)—Race may not be able to compete against Idol in the ratings department, but it still wins in my heart. No popularity contests here. The prize goes to those who simply stick it out.
Bronze: Project Runway (Bravo)—Heidi Klum has it all. Good looks, two cute kids, a sexy husband—and now a highly respected show. I hate her. I may enjoy watching her show..but I still hate her.
BEST NEW SHOW:
Gold: My Name is Earl (NBC)
Silver: Prison Break (FOX)
Bronze: Big Love (HBO)—Although I’m personally obsessed with polygamy-based stories, I feared the subject might be too taboo for the average audience. Regardless of the subject matter, this show has been a hoot to watch..and it doesn’t hurt that Bill Paxton is still quite easy on the eyes. No wonder three women want to bear his children.
WORST SHOW:
Gold: Unan1mous (FOX)
Silver: The War at Home (FOX)
Bronze: The Apprentice (NBC)—While I will have to admit that my interest in this show has waned over the past year or so, I don’t think it’s one of the worst shows out there. But if Donald continues to make creepy remarks about the attractive females on his show, I may have to call the FCC myself.
CABLE NETWORK MORE PEOPLE SHOULD WATCH:
Gold: BBC America
Silver: FX
Bronze: The N—- Degrassi, Degrassi, Degrassi. I’ve said it before and I will say it again. The N is home to the best drama for teens…ever.
MOST MEMORABLE TV MOMENT:
Gold: Coverage of Hurricane Katrina
Silver: Uncle Junior shoots Tony on The Sopranos (HBO)
Bronze: Michael shoots Ana-Lucia and Libby on Lost (ABC)—I admit, I don’t watch The Sopranos so I may be a bit biased here. But Michael shot two people. That should definitely earn him a higher medal than Uncle Junior. I dare say Michael even deserves the gold, but he can’t compete with Nature.
Read More | Broadcasting & Cable
Gallery: The Best (and Worst) Shows of 2005-06
Tom Brokaw Hosts Global Warming Special
Posted by Abby Rose Dalto Categories: Specials, BBC, NBC, News,
Tom Brokaw, the former NBC anchorman, hosted Global Warming: What You Need to Know tonight on the Discovery Channel.
Brokaw, 66, says he was inspired to get involved after seeing the Al Gore documentary An Inconvenient Truth on global warming. Brokaw is no stranger to environmental issues ; his wife, Meredith, is VP of Conservation International.
The program - which was made by Discovery and the BBC - suggests that humankind is contributing to a rapid warming of the Earth’s atmopshere with potentially disastrous results, including rising sea levels, hurricanes, and drought.
The show encourages people to take means to slow the rate of global warming, such as conserving energy both on a small scale (unplugging electric appliances when out of use) and large scale (promoting energy-efficient mass transportation).
Next up for Brokaw are documentaries on illegal immigration and the black underclass.
Read More | MSNBC
Gallery: Tom Brokaw Hosts Global Warming Special
A Match Made in Reality TV Heaven?
Posted by Wendy Michaels Categories: Reality, NBC, Apprentice, The - Donald, News,
Oh those wacky reality TV people… the latest love connection, although they did not appear on the same show, pairs Extreme Makeover dentist Dr. Bill Dorfman with Apprentice contestant Jennifer (“Zenthura” – if you saw season 4, you’ll get the joke) Murphy. The couple were married Friday evening, according to People magazine. The site of the wedding? The Trump National Golf Club in Rancho Palos Verdes, California. The Donald was even there as a guest, as well as other former Apprentice contestants.
The two (Dorfman, 47, and Murphy, 27) met during the 2004 Miss USA pageant. Murphy was Miss Oregon and Dorfman was in the audience. According to People, they didn’t connect until a year later, when she appeared in an ad for teeth whitening by Dorfman’s company, Discus Dental.
Read More | People
Gallery: A Match Made in Reality TV Heaven?
Apprentice Involved In Another Lawsuit
Posted by Abby Rose Dalto Categories: Reality, NBC, Apprentice, The - Donald,
Nicholas Christakis, who was rejected from The Apprentice, is suing for being kept off the show. Christakis claims that producer Mark Burnett is guilty of unfair business practices, defamation of character, slander, and libel, during the final casting of the show’s first season.
The lawsuit seeks $250 million in damages and names both Burnett and real estate mogul Donald Trump as defendants. This is not the first trip to court for Christakis. His family sued the Billerica, Massachusetts Board of Health in 2002 for shutting down their restaurant.
This is not the first trip to court for The Apprentice either. Mark Bethea brought a lawsuit against NBC, Trump, and Burnett in 2004, alleging that The Apprentice was actually his idea and that Burnett stole it. Having registered the concept for the show (titled CEO) with the Writers Guild of America in 2000, Bethea claims he pitched the show to Burnett in 2001. The lawsuit was finally settled this May, but the terms were not disclosed.
James W. Schottel, Jr., a quadriplegic lawyer, sued the show in 2005 for discrimination. He stipulated that the audition rules that demand “excellent physical health” was in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. He later dropped the suit after the wording of the application was altered.
Mark Burnett Productions also filed a lawsuit related to The Apprentice in 2005, against Madison Road Entertainment. Burnett and his company alleged that they misrepresented themselves as being the sole company involved in Apprentice product placement deals. He claims they overcharged companies for participating in the show but only gave Burnett company a portion of the fees earned. Madison Road Entertainment countersued and accussed Burnett of simply trying to eliminate competition, citing the fact that no companies who bought sponsorship complained about being overcharged.
Meanwhile, Trump is set to open a new production company in Los Angeles. The company, which will be run by a former Apprentice contestant, Andy Litinsky, will likely introduce a TV version of the board game Monopoly as its first project.
Read More | Reality TV World
Gallery: Apprentice Involved In Another Lawsuit
Emmy Nominations Announced
Posted by Wendy Michaels Categories: Award Shows, Comedy, Drama, NBC, Arrested Development, Commander In Chief, Desperate Housewives, Entourage, Grey’s Anatomy, House, Lost, My Name Is Earl, Scrubs, The Office, News,
Bright and early this morning, the Emmy nominations were announced from Hollywood. There’s certainly an interesting mix this time around with the change in nomination procedures – you’ll notice no mention of Lost in the major categories and none of the leading ladies of Desperate Housewives. Here are the major categories:
Best Drama
Grey’s Anatomy
House
The Sopranos
24
The West Wing
Best Comedy
Arrested Development
Scrubs
Two and a Half Men
Curb Your Enthusiasm
The Office
Click to continue reading Emmy Nominations Announced
Read More | CNN
Gallery: Emmy Nominations Announced
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