Military Wives poised for Xmas No 1

Military Wives poised for Xmas No 1

Gareth Malone's choir of military wives has become the bookies' favourite for the Christmas number one, after edging ahead of the X Factor winner.

Gareth Malone's choir of military wives has become the bookies' favourite for the Christmas number one, after edging ahead of the X Factor winner.

A flurry of bets has pushed the group's single Wherever You Are into prime position, according to new figures issued by William Hill this morning.

They are releasing the track after winning fans during the BBC2 series The Choir: Military Wives.

The ensemble was put together and coached by choral maestro Gareth from the wives of serving military personnel, and went on to perform at this year's Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall.

The choir has been backed by figures such as Radio 2 presenter Chris Evans, who has been urging listeners to support the single. And they will have the extra boost of an appearance on the Sunday results show for the Strictly Come Dancing semi-finals.

Hill's placing it at 8/13 due to the volume of betting, with the eventual winner of the X Factor at 6/5.

Rupert Adams, a spokesman for the bookmaker, said: "This is sensational news as it takes a serious weight of money to move the market this much."

The victor of the ITV1 singing contest has largely dominated the festive charts, although in 2009 a backlash prompted music fans to push Killing In The Name by Rage Against The Machine to the top instead of X Factor winner Joe McElderry.

Gennaro Castaldo, of retailer HMV, said of the choir's single: "Based on the momentum that is building very quickly around it, we're predicting that it will land this year's Christmas number one." He said the track was shaping up to be one of the company's biggest pre-orders.

The CD of the single is being released by Decca Records on December 19.

Murs may not return to Xtra Factor

Murs may not return to Xtra Factor

Olly Murs has confessed he's not sure if he wants to front The Xtra Factor again next year.

Olly Murs has confessed he's not sure if he wants to front The Xtra Factor again next year.

Despite receiving positive feedback for his hosting skills alongside Caroline Flack on The X Factor's ITV2 spin-off show, the singer revealed he may not be returning for a second series.

"It's going to be sad to leave the show at the weekend but we'll see what happens next year. I've not committed to another year, no one's spoken to me yet, so we'll just see what happens," Olly said.

"I might concentrate on the music, or we might do both again, we'll see. Depending on the music, we might not do music next year, we'll just see."

The Please Don't Let Me Go singer, who performed at the re-opening of Nando's Bullring in Birmingham, added: "I'm not sure really. I think it's been brilliant for me, it really has. It's showcased my personality and people I think have really enjoyed me, it's a real positive.

"I don't think that doing a second show will hamper me in any way, but I just want the music to continue to do well and the fact that it has done very well, it's given me a lot of positives. So fingers crossed, we'll see what happens."

And Olly - whose second album topped the charts this week - insisted he doesn't know if co-host Caroline and One Direction singer Harry Styles are dating.

"I don't know the ins and outs of it. Me and Caroline work on a professional level on The X Factor, we just get on really well as mates, I don't know what's going on in her private life."

The former X Factor contestant also said while he enjoyed flirting with his co-presenter, it wouldn't go any further.

"We're just really good mates," he added.

Big Brother's Jay Mckray engaged to Louise Cliffe

Big Brother's Jay Mckray engaged to Louise Cliffe

Big Brother housemates Jay Mckray and Louise Cliffe are engaged.

The pair met in the most recent series of the reality show on Channel 5 earlier this year, and struck up a romance during their stay in the house.

Mckray revealed that he proposed to Cliffe during a ride on the Wheel of Manchester last week, which he described as the "best day of [his] life".

He told New: "It was hard, because we're always together. I snuck off with her mate. There were millions of rings, but as soon as I seen it, I was like, 'That's the one!'

"I rang around trying to get a hot-air balloon but it's seasonal. And a helicopter ride meant going 45 minutes out of Manchester and I knew she'd be on to us. So I booked the VIP box on the Manchester wheel with champagne."

Cliffe explained: "It's all I've ever wanted. I said the next person I want to make love to I want to marry. That's the way I feel now. I just want to settle down. Everyone wants love, don't they, and we've got something really special."

Mckray - who has been engaged before - added: "I can honestly say I've never felt like this about anybody. I'm not saying when I was engaged before I wasn't prepared to get married, but it's totally different."

The Geordie gym instructor finished as runner-up on the series, and swiftly declared his love for Cliffe.

Saunders opens up about depression

Saunders opens up about depression

Jennifer Saunders has opened up about suffering depression following her treatment for breast cancer.

The 53-year-old actress and comedian was diagnosed with breast cancer last year after missing her previous mammogram because she was on tour. The actress, who is resurrecting her alter-ego Edina for three Absolutely Fabulous specials, tells the Christmas Radio Times she was unprepared for how she felt when the treatment - six months of chemotherapy - ended.

Jennifer said: "I found the Tamoxifen (which she will be on for five years) the hardest thing because it changes you.

"It's like suddenly becoming older. You feel fagged out, you lose your motor and it makes you feel depressed.

"You have that 'I want to go to bed and sleep for ever' kind of feeling. Normally I have the energy to get up, get ready and do something, but I wasn't starting my days until maybe 11 or 11.30, even though I was awake."

The Ab Fab star said it was one of her best friends, psychologist Tanya Byron, who made her confront the reality that she was suffering from depression.

"I'd say, 'The whole world is against me. Everyone else is wrong about everything.' And she'd say, 'No, darling, I think that might be depression.'"

Jennifer decided to take the antidepressant Citalopram "and, honestly, it was, like, 'Give me more pills!' It was brilliant," she told the magazine.

The star, who has three daughters with husband comedian Adrian Edmondson, missed her previous mammogram before she was diagnosed.

She said: "I always tell my girls, 'Mammograms and smears - they seem like a big thing, but it's nothing. In and out - just do it.'"

Kay riffs on Royal Variety problems

Kay riffs on Royal Variety problems

Peter Kay managed to smooth over the gaps during the filming of the 99th Royal Variety Performance.

The comedian hosted the event at Salford Quays in Greater Manchester which included star turns from artists including Tony Bennett, Pixie Lott, Cee Lo Green and Britain's Got Talent winner Jai McDowall.

The second half saw the show's biggest performers take the stage, but it didn't go completely smoothly.

Barry Manilow sang a medley of his songs but when he finished, he apologetically approached the audience and asked for a producer, saying, "the whole tune was wrong, I was singing in the wrong place" - before he left the stage as a second take was arranged.

As the stage was reset for Manilow, during the short interlude host Kay reprised a routine he had done moments earlier about popular TV shows, while introducing the singer.

Breaking the awkward silence with gales of laughter from the audience, he strode on stage with the words: "What about Embarrassing Bodies eh?"

A second problem then hit the show after Manilow's performance, with a public address system announcement to the audience: "Ladies and gentlemen, please remain seated, we do have a technical problem."

The stage was left empty for several minutes before Kay re-emerged to ask: "Anyone got a screwdriver?"

After a performance of the Phantom Of The Opera by Nicole Scherzinger, Kay then came back on to joke: "Thanks for buying a ticket. Technically tonight you are my employers and judging by what's gone on I wish I'd thrown a sickie."

The show will be screened on ITV1 on December 14.

HMV announce X Factor winner early

HMV announce X Factor winner early

Amelia Lily is set to win this year’s ‘The X Factor’… according to entertainment retailer HMV anyway, who have prematurely begun selling the winner’s single.

The store posted Amelia Lily’s winning ‘X Factor’ song on their online store today, a full five days before the results show airs on ITV this Sunday.

Similar Winners Singles by finalists Marcus Collins and Little Mix were nowhere to be seen - when searching the site for their names, nothing was available.

The official 'X Factor' Twitter account forwarded an official statement from HMV explaining:

"We have just received this from HMV: "It's just come to light that there was a technical issue uploading details of two of the artists to our site, which meant that only Amelia Lily's details appeared. However, these have been temporarily removed so that all three finalists details will go up simultaneously tomorrow morning. Once up, fans will be able to pre-order the single by their preferred finalist but only orders for the eventual winner's single will be processed and charged for. This was due to an unforeseen technical issue, and nothing further should be construed from it."

It seems this is more than a Little Mix-up as claims that the ‘X Factor’ is a fix have exploded on the social networking site with #fixfactor, #Amelia Lily's and #HMV all instantly becoming trending topics.

Katerina Petrova (@TeenageSelena) tweeted her anger at the apparent foregone conclusion saying "Amelia Lily's winners single is on sale at HMV..... Wait X Factor hasnt even finished yet... #FIXFACTOR."

Daniel Burne (@dburne) also claimed that the show was a fix writing "LOL at HMV releasing Amelia Lily's 'winners single' accidentally online today. Just shows it should be called #fixfactor"

Another 'X Factor' conspiracy theorist, Nathan Sykes (@SivaYouSxyBeast), also weighed in the allegations posting "Oh look, Amelia Lily's 'winner's single' is on the hmv website already. #FixFactor or what?"

In November, ITV's Scottish ITV franchise STV suspiciously posted an announcement revealing Amelia Lily’s return to the show a full hour before voting stopped.

Trouble brews for new Neighbour

Trouble brews for new Neighbour

Neighbours' new girl Vanessa Villante is set to cook up a storm when she arrives in Erinsborough.

Played by Alin Sumarwata, professional chef Vanessa will make her first appearance in Ramsay Street in March 2012, when she is set to turn the life of one male resident upside down.

"I'm very excited about joining Neighbours - this caps off a busy year for us," she told the soap's official website.

The Iranian-born actress, who moved to Melbourne with her husband and their two-month-old daughter for her new role, quipped that her passion for food helped her develop her character.

"The fact she is always eating mirrors my life - I adore food," added Alin.

Soap chiefs have teased that Vanessa is "no wallflower" and viewers will see her embracing life to the fullest as soon as she makes her arrival.

Gemma Pranita has also teased that viewers will be introduced to Jade Mitchell's violent ex-boyfriend in the coming year.

Jade's relationship with housemate Kyle Canning (Christopher Milligan) is currently taking centre stage as Neighbours airs its 2011 season finale week in Australia, and fans Down Under saw her sharing her secret about how she was abused by her ex.

"[Jade opened up] about her past and ex-boyfriend. So there's an ex from her past who's coming back next year," the actress told the Australian Courier-Mail.

Saturday night's alright for … silence?

Saturday night's alright for … silence?

It seems like there is such a thing as having too much fun. The Daily Mail reports that Strictly Come Dancing is facing a "backlash" from viewers because its studio audience are too boisterous. The BBC has received complaints about "cheering" and "screaming" the Strictly studio audience, acting like "dizzy teenagers", according to the Mail. Saturday nights aren't what they used to be.

Don't mock – a Doctor Who movie could be awesome

Don't mock – a Doctor Who movie could be awesome

The series is choking on its own backstory, but with a standalone story and big bucks behind it anything can happen

Doctor Who celebrated its 48th anniversary recently, but news that the august time-travel serial may make the transition to Hollywood was met with dismay, indifference and mockery by followers, the uninterested and aficionados alike. As one Guardian commenter snickered: "Justin Timberlake to do the voice of K9?"

These are all understandable responses. I don't like change or new things either, and I'd hide in a police box if I thought it would help avoid them. But there are several reasons why a Who movie may be the best thing to happen to – warning, terrible word coming up – the franchise, along with an elephantine caveat of why it may not, which I'll come to in due course.

First up, we don't need to worry about canon. David Yates, who is behind the mooted reboot, said a "radical transformation" was needed for the show to work as a movie, and that they'd "start from scratch". This means there'll be none of the soul-searching of trying to fit whatever is made into the show's engagingly odd and complex backstory and mythology. The film starts as a blank canvas – it's a man in a blue box, he can travel anywhere in space and time. Anything could happen. That's exciting – particularly as the series has, of late, got itself tied up in overarching back-plots and cliffhangers. It is, to an extent, choking on its own continuity. A movie could be a standalone story, as is much of Who at its best.

Next up: swallow your cardboard-set pride and think how awesome Doctor Who could be with a big budget. I'm not saying the show in its current incarnation looks cheap or, worse, should be judged solely on the number of explosions – of which there are already plenty. And despite the financial constraints the BBC does a much better job of hiding them than they were able to in the pre-CGI era. Still, Neil Gaiman's brilliant episode The Doctor's Wife had to be reduced in scope, money issues preventing him from fully exploring the Tardis's twisting innards. Imagine a writer like him being given free reign.

And now to the prickly fear of the Doctor being "Americanised". I'll tackle this in two parts. First, choice of actor – I don't care where he or she is from, as long as they're right for the part. Mos Def made an excellent Ford Prefect in the Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy film, though I've no idea how he ever convinced Arthur he was really from Guildford.

Second, many people have a protective attitude towards the show as a whole like it's an avatar of Britishness – or at least Englishness – despite the central character being an alien from Gallifrey. A similar, if less understandable, parochialism was shown over the Cadbury's hoo-hah: how dare our multinational corporate venture be owned by Americans. They wouldn't understand, they'll made us eat Hershey's. Americans understand Who all right – there's two generations hooked on it due to past PBS repeats and current blockbuster status on BBC America.

If anything, I'd be more fearful of the opposite – a kind of sealed-in-aspic version of a Britain that never was. A mawkish, imagined place that no one I know has ever been to, like Richard Curtis's versions of Notting Hill (or 19th century Provence for that matter), or the twee tourist Arcadia as seen in the joyless Harry Potter movies.

Which is where the elephant comes in. Yates directed the last four Potter films.

The idea of him being connected to the project is indeed troubling. But the film is still in the early stages of development hell, and anything could happen. Yates could be kidnapped by the Master, and Terry Gilliam might step in to direct. Gaiman may be free to write. And Timberlake would make a fantastic K9.

Come Date With Me: how long will the romance last?

Come Date With Me: how long will the romance last?

Channel 4's spin-off show marks an interesting point in Come Dine With Me's evolution, but it is a risky gamble

A new show started on Channel 4 this week. It's a kind of culinary gameshow about a single woman who has to go and eat at the homes of single men before choosing one of them to go on a date with. It sounds a bit like another Come Dine With Me rip-off, doesn't it? It sounds like another House Guest or Four In A Bed or Dinner Date or The Devil's Dinner Party or Michael Winner's Dining Stars or Instant Restaurant or Restaurant In My Living Room.

To be fair, that's exactly what Come Date With Me is. But it's also made by the same people who make Come Dine With Me, right down to the Dave Lamb voiceover.

The show itself sticks to the winning Come Dine With Me formula as closely as possible. People still eat at other people's houses over the course of a week, and those people are generally idiots, and Dave Lamb regularly reminds us of this fact at a frequency that maybe only bats can hear. However, Come Date With Me does deviate in a few key ways.

On Monday's show, for instance, we met Tracey, a breezy young woman out looking for love. She was tasked with cooking for five would-be suitors – specifically an awful banker, an awful barman, an awful stand-up comedian, an awful mechanic and a silent, yet presumably awful, salesman. At the end of the night she kicked one out and proceeded to date each of the others a day at a time, starting yesterday with the awful stand-up. At the end of the week she'll pick a winner and they'll go on a big £1,000 date together.

It marks an interesting point in Come Dine With Me's evolution. In the five years since its inception, it's ballooned from a cheap daily daytime gameshow to a primetime staple, taking in countless celebrity specials, spin-off merchandise and constant, ubiquitous multichannel repeats along the way. Its popularity has spawned all kinds of imitators, and Come Date With Me would seem to be Come Dine With Me's attempt to stop them all dead. Come Date With Me seems like a throwing down of the gauntlet, offering viewers the full hit of a dating-based Come Dine With Me rather than the watered down stand-in of say ITV's Dinner Date.

It's a risky gamble. If it fails, it'll weaken an entire CDWM brand that's already showing early signs of fatigue. Fortunately, it's a gamble based on a solid platform. There have been so many episodes of Come Dine With Me that the show knows where its strength lies – getting a load of idiots in a room together and letting Dave Lamb shriek at them. This also forms the crux of Come Date With Me, so fans of the original are unlikely to be disappointed.

It also helps that Come Date With Me is extremely watchable – on the basis of the first week alone, it seems to have mined a new well of genuinely objectionable contestants – so all the signs point to it being a success. Fingers crossed that Come Dine With Me doesn't get cocky and start taking on its other imitators, though. Especially not Michael Winner's Dining Stars. Nobody needs to see that.

TV Tonight 7th of December 2011: Europe, the USA, Canada and Australia.

TV Tonight 7th of December 2011: Europe, the USA, Canada and Australia.

The daily list in alphabetical order, of all the new episodes airing in Europe, the USA, Canada and Australia.

    America's Next Top Model S17E13: "All-Star Finale"
    American Horror Story S01E10: "Smoldering Children"
    Anderson S01E61: "Teacher Abuse Caught on Tape; Stars of Hot in Cleveland"
    Arga snickaren S06E10: "Katarina och Adde"
    Baseball Wives S01E02: "Season 1, Episode 2"
    Best Dish - The Chefs S01E28: "Episode 28"
    Bitchin’ Kitchen S02E06: "Feast of the Seven Dishes"
    Black Gold S04E02: "Season 4, Episode 2"
    Brad Meltzer's Decoded S02E08: "2012: Has It Begun"
    Chelsea Lately S05E184: "Jaime Pressly, Bobby Lee, Jen Kirkman, Dov Davidoff"
    Chihayafuru S01E10: "Episode 10"
    Come Date with Me S01E03: "Episode 3"
    Come Dine With Me S17E87: "Series 17, Episode 73"
    Conan S02E15: "Michael Moore, Sean Patton"
    Countdown with Keith Olbermann S09E123: "Season 9, Episode 123"
    Criminal Minds S07E09: "Self-Fulfilling Prophecy"
    CSI: Crime Scene Investigation S12E09: "Zippered"
    Days of our Lives S47E20: "Ep. #11730"
    Deal Or No Deal (UK) S07E87: "Episode 1767"
    Devil You Know S02E01: "Devil in Disguise"
    Dickinson's Real Deal S08E13: "Series 8, Episode 13"
    Doctors S13E160: "Hitting the Wall"
    Dragons' Den (CA) S06E10: "Season 6, Episode 10"
    Drinking Made Easy S02E10: "Baltimore"
    Drop Down Menu S01E23: "Episode 23"
    Emergency Bikers S03E00: "Ultimate Emergency Bikers (4)"
    Emmerdale S40E286: "December 7, 2011"
    Fais pas ci, fais pas ça S04E08: "Ainsi font font font"
    Fais pas ci, fais pas ça S04E07: "Noces de porcelaine"
    Frozen Planet S01E07: "On Thin Ice"
    Full Throttle Saloon S03E02: "Season 3, Episode 2"
    General Hospital (US) S49E174: "#12448"
    Ghost Hunters S07E25: "Christmas Spirit"
    Goede Tijden, Slechte Tijden S22E68: "Season 22, Episode 68"
    Happy Endings S02E09: "Grinches Be Crazy"
    Harry's Law S02E10: "Purple Hearts"
    Hollyoaks S17E243: "December 7, 2011"
    Hot In Cleveland S03E02: "Beards"
    Hot Like Us S01E06: "Episode 6"
    Hotel cæsar S28E120: "Season 28, Episode 120"
    I Hate My Teenage Daughter S01E02: "Teenage Family Night"
    I'm In The Band S02E21: "Trippnotized"
    Inside the NFL S35E14: "14 11-12"
    Jeopardy! S28E58: "Show #6263"
    Jimmy Kimmel Live S09E172
    Kiekens S01E02: "Season 1, Episode 2"
    Kirstie's Handmade Britain S01E08: "Episode 8"
    Kommissar Rex S14E01: "Ombra"
    Lady Hoggers S01E07: "Fresh Blood"
    Lady Hoggers S01E06: "Wild Florida"
    Last Call with Carson Daly S08E305
    Late Night with Jimmy Fallon S02E188
    Late Show with David Letterman S18E171
    Law & Order: Special Victims Unit S13E10: "Spiraling Down"
    Lingo (NL) S23E27: "Season 23, Episode 27"
    Live From Abbey Road S05E03: "Feist, Foster the People"
    Maken-ki S01E10: "Episode 10"
    Mashiro-iro Symphony: The Color of Lovers S01E10: "Episode 10"
    Masterchef - The Professionals S04E19: "Series 4, Episode 19"
    Modern Family S03E10: "Express Christmas"
    Moonshiners S01E02: "Point of No Return"
    Neighbours S27E238: "Episode 6308"
    NFL Turning Point S01E13: "Season 1, Episode 13"
    Nissene over skog og hei S01E07: "Episode 7"
    One Life to Live S44E101: "Ep. #11080"
    Pauw & Witteman S06E63: "Season 6, Episode 63"
    Pointless S05E73: "Series 5, Episode 73"
    Prosto w serce S02E68: "Season 2, Episode 186"
    Psych S06E08: "The Tao of Gus"
    Restaurant: Impossible S02E16: "Wildcat Café"
    Revenge S01E10: "Loyalty"
    Rocket City Rednecks S01E20: "Talladega Tailgate"
    Rocket City Rednecks S01E19: "Radar-Proof Pickup"
    RTL Boulevard S12E68: "Season 12, Episode 68"
    Sons of Guns S03E02: "Will's Floating Fortress"
    SpangaS S05E68: "Season 5, Episode 68"
    Strictly Come Dancing - It Takes Two S08E48: "Series 8, Episode 48"
    Suburgatory S01E09: "The Nutcracker"
    Superfans S01E05: "Season 1, Episode 5"
    Survivor S23E13: "Ticking Time Bomb"
    The Bold and the Beautiful S25E182: "Ep. #6211"
    The Café S01E04: "A Note to Follow"
    The Colbert Report S07E155: "David Hallberg"
    The Daily Show S16E155: "Ralph Fiennes"
    The Dr. Phil Show S10E62: "Generation Lazy?"
    The Ellen DeGeneres Show S09E62: "Katherine Heigl, Lenny Kravitz"
    The Exes S01E02: "A Little Romance"
    The Impressions Show with Culshaw and Stephenson S03E05: "Series 3, Episode 5"
    The Jeremy Kyle Show S07E64: "December 7, 2011"
    The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson S07E208: "Trace Adkins, Michael Palascak"
    The Middle S03E11: "A Christmas Gift"
    The Million Pound Drop Live S07E03: "Series 7, Episode 3"
    The Real World S26E11: "San Diego: Tick, Tick, Cabo-oom!"
    The Real World S26E10: "San Diego: Camp Out, Drag Out, Sing Out"
    The Rosie Show S01E33
    The Soup S08E48: "December 7, 2011"
    The Tonight Show with Jay Leno S19E204
    The View S15E66: "Bill Clinton, Cheryl Hines"
    The Voice of Holland S02E19: "Real life 7"
    The X Factor (US) S01E21: "LIVE Performance Show #6 - Top 5 Perform"
    The Young and the Restless S39E179: "Ep. #9794"
    Thuis S17E73: "Season 17, Episode 73"
    Toddlers and Tiaras S04E15: "Southern Celebrity Glitzmas"
    Too Fat For 15: Fighting Back S02E17: "The Weight Is Over"
    Top Chef S09E06: "Higher Steaks"
    UEFA Champions League S09E15: "Extra Time - Group Matches"
    UEFA Champions League S09E14: "Live Group Match"
    Up All Night (2011) S01E11: "First Christmas"
    Wereld draait door, De S07E78: "Season 7, Episode 78"
    Winx Club S05E17: "Tecna's Sacrifice"
    Work of Art: The Next Great Artist S02E08: "Sell Out"

Survivor announces that its’ 24th season will debut on Wednesday, 15 February 2012.

Survivor announces that its’ 24th season will debut on Wednesday, 15 February 2012.

The location for the 24th season of "Survivor" will be officially announced live at the end of the 23rd season’s reunion show on Sunday night, 18 December 2011. One early rumor for season 24 is that it will be shot once again in Samoa. Recently 14 of the cast members for season 24 was secretly uncovered and revealed over the Internet. Another rumor concerning the 25th season is that it will be another “all-star cast” but this time the entire cast will be selected from votes made by the viewers of the show.

'Glee' Planning Michael Jackson Tribute Episode

'Glee' Planning Michael Jackson Tribute Episode

After taking on Michael Jackson's hits 'Thriller' and 'Pretty Young Thing,' 'Glee' will do an entire episode dedicated to the late singer.

According to TV Guide Magazine, the special Michael Jackson tribute show will air in January and have 10-12 songs. The cast is reportedly flooding series co-creator Ryan Murphy with song requests.

New Directions is singing a Jackson family medley in 'Hold on to Sixteen,' the Dec. 6 episode. The glee club is singing Janet Jackson's 'Control,' the Jackson 5's 'ABC' and Michael Jackson's 'Man in the Mirror' during their Sectionals performance.

"It was fun, man," Harry Shum Jr. told AOL TV about the Jackson family performance. "It was so much fun. It's always scary to do Michael, but I think we kind of interpreted it in our own way."

This isn't the first time 'Glee' has tackled a single artist. Madonna got the 'Glee' treatment in the Season 1 episode 'The Power of Madonna.'

'Jersey Shore' Season 5 Trailer: Keeping Security Guards Employed Since 2009

'Jersey Shore' Season 5 Trailer: Keeping Security Guards Employed Since 2009

The MTV stars bring the fist pumps back to Seaside Heights on the upcoming season premiering Jan. 5.

Is it Seaside Heights or “Seaside Fights”? After watching the brand new trailer for MTV’s fifth season of Jersey Shore, it’s clear the city’s security guards, police, and paramedics should thank the network for job security.

The cast went straight from Italy into shooting the upcoming season, so expect to see some unresolved issues pop up. Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino is still taunting Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi over his claim that they hooked up while she was dating Jionni. Robbery! And the crew makes up for lost time by hitting the shore clubs hard.

Also, every season someone has to leave the show and come back. This time, it’s a fed up Vinny Guadagnino. And while there are no scenes of Ronnie Magro and Sammi “Sweetheart” Giancola breaking up, I’m sure they do at least once during the season.

Chairs are thrown, a full melee breaks out at a club, and Mike achieves another head injury since the concussion in Italy on the trailer below (courtesy of ryanseacrest.com).

Jersey Shore Season 5 premieres Jan. 5 on MTV.

TNT's revised NBA schedule: lots of Lakers, Celtics

TNT's revised NBA schedule: lots of Lakers, Celtics

The new NBA labor deal may favor the small-market teams, but the national TV schedule will still be loaded with the league's big fish.

TNT unveiled its plans for its coverage of the lockout-shortened 2011-2012 season Tuesday, and it looks like 45 games of big-market teams beating on one another.

The Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics -- historically the league's two most successful teams -- earned the most games with 10 apiece.

The Miami Heat, the defending Eastern Conference champions (and everyone's favorite team to hate) drew nine games. The defending NBA champion Dallas Mavericks and New York Knicks will each appear eight times.

The season kicks off on Christmas Day with TNT's pre-game show and then a match-up between the Celtics and Knicks. Games later that day will air on ABC and ESPN.

Within the first week, the Celtics and Lakers will each appear on TNT twice.

The network's studio crew, beloved by many thanks to the trio of Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Ernie Johnson, has added NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal to the roster.

That means it's T minus 19 days until the Big Aristotle is commenting on his old partner in crime -- Kobe Bryant.

Carrie Fisher Books Modern Day 'Christmas Carol' and More Casting News

Carrie Fisher Books Modern Day 'Christmas Carol' and More Casting News

Carrie Fisher, Carson Kressley and Emmanuelle Vaugier will star in Hallmark Channel's 'Caroling,' a new take on the Charles Dickens classic, 'A Christmas Carol.'

According to the Hollywood Reporter, the movie will air during the holiday season of 2012. The movie follows Vaugier's character, Carol Huffman, a successful Chicago book publisher.

In the flick, the ruthless businesswoman's colleague, played by Kressley, organizes a secret revolt against her. Fisher will play the deceased founder of the publishing house who takes Carol on a journey through the past, present and future.

Olivia Cheng and Tygh Runyan also star.

In other casting news ...

'Psych' actor Sage Brocklebank will play Gaston on 'Once Upon a Time.' 'Lost' actress Emilie De Ravin will play Belle. [E! Online]

Luke Perry is reprising his 'Goodnight For Justice' role. 'Goodnight for Justice: The Measure of a Man' will debut Jan. 28 at 8PM ET on Hallmark Channel. [Hallmark]

Ice Cube could be heading to FX. The rapper/actor is set to star in and executive producer 'Eye For An Eye' a new revenge-fueled drama series about a former paramedic who snaps. [Deadline]

Kathy Griffin will guest star on 'Whitney.' Griffin will play Lindsay, a co-worker of Whitney's friend, Roxanne, in an early 2012 episode. [TV Guide]

'Smash' Heading to Broadway?

'Smash' Heading to Broadway?

Could NBC's 'Smash,' a new series about the creation of a Marilyn Monroe musical, make the transition to a real Broadway show?

"It could," Marc Shaiman, composer and co-lyricist, told Broadway.com. "It would need reshaping, because what we're writing for the TV show is very specific to each episode; it's always shadowing or mirroring what's happening to the characters."

'Smash' features original songs and covers throughout each episode -- the first episode has Katharine McPhee belting out a rendition of Christina Aguilera's 'Beautiful' -- as the characters develop a Broadway musical based on the life of film icon Marilyn Monroe. Debra Messing, Anjelica Huston and Megan Hilty also star in the midseason drama.

Shaiman said the show finds ways to incorporate pieces of Marilyn Monroe's story into what is going on with the main characters at work on the musical. "Marilyn is the conduit for these people to sing about their lives and their dreams," Scott Wittman, Shaiman's writing partner, told Broadway.com

Like the 'Glee' concert tours, a real-life Marilyn Monroe Broadway show could be a draw for fans, but it's a little too early to start lining up for tickets. The TV series hasn't even premiered yet. 'Smash' comes to NBC on Mon., Feb. 6 at 10PM ET following 'The Voice.'

'Grimm': 'Lost' alum Titus Welliver to guest star

'Grimm': 'Lost' alum Titus Welliver to guest star

The famed "Man in Black" from "Lost" is back. Titus Welliver, who played the mysterious character, is set to join NBC's paranormal cop show "Grimm" during an upcoming episode.

According to TV Line, Welliver will play a character named Farley Holt, a character who can transform into a steinadler, a golden eagle. This seems to fit in well with the reported storyline where Farely must explain the power a collection of gold coins has over those who possess them.

Actors from "Lost" seem to be migrating to "Grimm." In addition to Welliver, the show has already set Daniel Roebuck to join the show for a stint.

CBS: 'Two and a Half Men' Ratings Surge Validates Decision to Bring Show Back

CBS: 'Two and a Half Men' Ratings Surge Validates Decision to Bring Show Back

Ten months after "Two and a Half Men" looked destined for cancellation, TV's top rated sitcom is the biggest ratings gainer of the new fall season -- and anchors a CBS Monday night that looks unstoppable.

Charlie Sheen's firing on March 7 could easily have been the end of the series. Warner Bros. TV, which produces the show, was ominously silent about its future. Suggestions about possible Sheen replacements -- Rob Lowe? John Stamos? -- quickly fizzled out.

Things couldn't be more different now. An analysis by TheWrap of this fall's network ratings (see chart) finds that "Men" has climbed 39.1 percent in the prized 18-49 demo -- far more than any other show. (We looked at the start of the season through the week of Nov. 13, compared to the same period last year.)

"I don't think there's any question it validates the move to bring it back," said Kelly Kahl, CBS's senior executive vice president of primetime.

"When we were sitting around in May talking about what we would be happy with, we all agreed: If we were anywhere close to where we were a year ago, we'd be thrilled."

The show has far exceeded such expectations -- and also those of Sheen. Soon after Ashton Kutcher was named as his replacement, Sheen predicted in May that the show would average a mere 2.0 rating among 18-to-49-year-olds.

"Enjoy the show, America," he told TMZ. "Enjoy seeing a 2.0 in the demo every Monday, WB."

Try three times that. The show is averaging a 6.4 rating, far better than the 4.6 it earned last year with Sheen in the lead. It has averaged 17.8 million total viewers.

It anchors a bulletproof Monday comedy block for CBS, which also includes another Chuck Lorre comedy, "Mike & Molly," as well as "How I Met Your Mother" and the new "2 Broke Girls," the season's highest-rated new series.

To seize on the tremendous curiousity around the revamped "Men," CBS followed its Sept. 19 premiere with the debut of "Girls," which had the network's best-testing pilot ever.

"Men" returned to an explosive 10.3 rating and 27.7 million total viewers. "Girls" arrived to a 7 rating and 19.1 million.

Both shows have since slipped from those numbers -- "Girls" to a 5.5 demo rating and 13.8 million. But they remain among the most formidable shows on the air.

How formidable?

Last week, CBS won Monday night airing reruns -- yes, reruns -- even as its competitors offered mostly new shows. (ABC aired a mix of holiday specials, a "Castle" rerun, and the tanking new game show "You Deserve It.)"

Tyler Perry and WGA Reach Agreement on 'House of Payne'

Tyler Perry and WGA Reach Agreement on 'House of Payne'

Some three years after a labor dispute resulted in picket lines outside Tyler Perry Studios, the Writers Guild of America, East announced that it has reached a collective bargaining agreement covering the company's TBS television show, "House of Payne."

The show employs seven staff writers, who under the new pact will see their weekly minimum salaries rise 15 percent.

The minimum payments writers receive for scripts will go up 20 percent, as will residual payments, the guild said.

“Members, living and working in the important cultural hub of Atlanta, write some of the funniest work on television,” WGAE executive director Lowell Peterson, who was the union’s chief negotiator, said in a statement. “We are pleased that their contributions are being recognized, and we look forward to a continued productive relationship with Tyler Perry Studios.”

Perry publicly sparred with the labor union in 2008. The production company got into hot water with the labor community after it fired four writers for "House of Payne" who were seeking union representation.

After the guild staged demonstrations outside the actor's Atlanta office, the company relented and allowed its writers to unionize.

Alec Baldwin Kicked Off Plane for Playing Games

Alec Baldwin Kicked Off Plane for Playing Games

Add Alec Baldwin to the Celebrity No-Fly List. At least, if the chatter on Twitter is to be believed.

Tweet Nation was abuzz Tuesday afternoon with news that the "30 Rock" actor was removed from an American Airlines flight, causing a delay for the other passengers.

The scuttlebutt began with a Tweet from Michael J. Wolf, who noted, "On an AA flight at LAX. Alec Baldwin removed from the plane We had to go back to the gate. Terrible that everyone had to wait."

Before long the Twitter community was practically vibrating with speculation. What could the beloved, if opinionated, funny man have done to earn the bum's rush?

It seems that Baldwin might have been a rude, thoughtless little passenger -- or at least couldn't stop playing a certain Zynga app, despite being implored to turn off all electronic devices.

"Flight attendant on American reamed me out 4 playing WORDS W FRIENDS while we sat at the gate, not moving," Baldwin tweeted shortly after the alleged incident.

The actor ended the missive with a dig at the airline's financial woes, adding the hashtag, "#nowonderamericaairisbankrupt"

A subsequent tweet offered a plug to a rival airline, noting, "#theresalwaysunited."

And, finally, "But, oddly, 30 Rock plays inflight on American."

Baldwin's spokesperson confirmed the incident to TheWrap, noting in a statement -- and blatant plug for the game -- that Baldwin managed to become airborne despite the incident.

"Alec was asked to leave a flight for playing 'Words with Friends’ while parked at the gate," the statement reads. "He loves WWF so much that he was willing to leave a plane for it, but he has already boarded another AA flight."

Reacting to the growing story, American reached out across the Twitterverse to Baldwin to let him know they are on the case, and that they would appreciate his assistance in resolving the matter.

"@AlecBaldwin Mr. Baldwin, we are looking into this. Please DM us contact information," the airline tweeted.

Never one to let the last word get past him, Baldwin tweeted a pictorial expression of his feelings on the matter -- a screen of the Words With Friends interface bearing the message, "Let Alec Play."

Baldwin joins a growing list of celebrities who've been removed from flights for a variety of reasons, including Billie Joe Armstrong, Josh Duhamel, Kevin Smith and, most recently Big & Rich singer John Rich.

Fox accuses the Muppets of brainwashing kids

Fox accuses the Muppets of brainwashing kids

If I didn't know better I'd say that Disney slipped someone over at Fox Business Channel something to go on a rant against its hit movie, "The Muppets."

Naaaaah.

On Fox Business Channel, anchor Eric Bolling showed a clip of the new Disney movie and suggested -- well, no, he said outright -- that the story was aimed at planting the seeds of class warfare among our precious children.

That's because the Muppet-villain is an oil baron called Tex Richman.

"What's actually going on there? Is liberal Hollywood using class warfare to brainwash our kids?" he asked, quite reasonably.

Well, of course it is.

"They've been doing it for decades," rejoined Fox guest Dan Gainor. "Hollywood -- they hate the oil industry, they hate corporate America."

The rest of America must love the oil industry, and has a warm and fuzzy feeling for corporate America. That must be why that Occupy Wall Street thing hasn't gone anywhere.

Steve Jones asks "X Factor" fans to chill out the hate

Steve Jones asks "X Factor" fans to chill out the hate

"X Factor" host Steve Jones on Tuesday pleaded with angry fans to "chill out" after hateful online comments against judges who threw a 14-year-old singer off the TV talent show.

The British host also hit back at his own critics of his performance on the TV talent contest, defending himself against charges of rudeness and saying he hoped to be back for a second season next year.

"Hopefully I will be back for season 2. If I'm back, I'll be overjoyed. If I'm not. I'll do something else. It's as simple as that ... It's a dream job. I'd be back in a heartbeat for a second season," Jones, 34, told reporters on a conference call.

As the U.S. version of "The X Factor" approaches its climax later this month, eliminations got heated last week when 14-year-old singer Drew Ryniewicz -- a protege of British creator and judge Simon Cowell -- was thrown out of the running for the $5 million prize and recording contract in a split decision by the four judges.

Drew's exit left Cowell furious and speechless on last week's live TV show, and led to a diatribe of vicious comments on social media, particularly against judges Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger.

One online posting said Abdul and Scherzinger should "burn in hell" for sending the tearful Drew home.

"I know there is a lot of money and a lot of fame at stake. But still, everybody just chill out please. It's a TV show," Jones told reporters on a conference call.

Fox said it had no comment on the remarks by fans, which some media outlets have characterized as death threats.

Five contestants -- Melanie Amaro, Marcus Canty, Rachel Crowe, Chris Rene and Josh Krajcik -- remain in the contest, whose winner will be decided on December 22.

Jones, a former model who is a new face on U.S. television, has also been the subject of speculation about his future after some critics and fans called him wooden, awkward and rude.

The host acknowledged on Tuesday that he was finding it a challenge to manage all the elements of the live show, and keep the TV broadcast within its time limit.

"It has kind of surprised me a little bit how hard the process is," he said. "It is hard to come across as a fun person and as polite when you are steering such a beast, and with limited time.

"I am there to ask certain questions and move the show along ... It can be harsh with people calling me rude and not very nice, because I am not rude and I am nice.

"Critique my hosting skills, say I am not funny. I get that. But it's been a bit harsh, the rudeness thing," Jones said.

Former MSNBC host Cenk Uygur on his new Current TV show

Former MSNBC host Cenk Uygur on his new Current TV show

Cenk Uygur promises a stepped-up version of "The Young Turks" when it debuts on Current TV Monday.

The former MSNBC host discussed with TheWrap his plans for the show, which candidate he'll vote for 2012 and the future of the Occupy movement in his interview with TheWrap.

How will this show differ from "The Young Turks" people see online?

First of all, we've got a production that will be really stepped up -- the graphics, the intros -- even being able to talk to everyone on the set. I am also looking forward to the panel conversation at the bottom of the hour -- bringing in the smartest progressives from across the country, and sometimes non-progressives to have a great conversation and an honest conversation. Bringing in guests was hard, technically, on the online show.

Yet you've dubbed "The Young Turks" the most largest online news program in the world. How does the Current platform compare to that?

Every platform brings a new and different audience as well. It's fantastic to have those two platforms working in tandem. We are knee-deep in figuring out synergies and how we can work together. We might do an online poll that we introduce to the TV audience. We might use comments from either format. I aim to have genuine interaction with the audience and use both platforms to drive that audience.

Are the cable news networks your competition? And, if so, how do you make Current distinct?

I don't think anybody will be confused as to whether we're different from the rest of cable news. That's easy. Look, unfortunately for the rest of cable news there are a lot of plastic robot anchors out there who regurgitate what producers put in the prompter. I don't even have a prompter; the show is unscripted. We'll be much more irreverent, in your face and genuine.

Right now you've got the GOP primary and Occupy Wall Street. What are you most excited to talk about?

The GOP primary race is a lot of fun because there are a bunch of goofballs over there and they provide a ton of entertainment, but I'm probably more excited by the progressive policy points we're looking at.

People often talk about OWS but don't give it the right context. It drives me crazy when Fox and other cable outlets play along - "No one knows what they are doing out there. Why don't they get a job?" They know exactly what they're asking for. They are tired of institutional corruption.

As winter sets in and various protesters are shut down, do you see the movement dying out or do you think it will come back stronger in the spring as the protesters are claiming?

The occupy movement is not about a couple of tents in L.A. or Zuccotti Park. It's about the majority of the country that are sick of their politicians not representing them, giving every unfair advantage to the richest people in country. As great a job as they have done to bring the issue to the forefront of the conversation, it's not just about guys in a park but who they represent. They represent the majority of Americans that say, "Enough is enough, how do we get democracy back?"

Like the Occupy protesters, you've been very critical of Barack Obama. Would you vote for another candidate in 2012?

Well if by someone else you mean a Republican the answer to that is a, "Hell, no." They are all cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs. Would there be an independent I'd consider? I guess. I think a third party run is generally a very bad idea. It gives the other side an advantage, but I'm open to anything because of the incredible frustration that the Democrats never do anything progressive.

Now you used to be a moderate Republican, no? How do you explain that shift?

It's not a drastic shift at all. I was a liberal Republican from New Jersey. No such beast exists anymore. It wasn't that I changed. I changed almost none of my positions. The Republican party has changed where they went from liberal Republicans to despising them. What does it mean to be a liberal Republican? To be liberal on social issues, which I am, and fiscally conservative, which I am. The Republican party isn't. They haven't been fiscally conservative since Dwight Eisenhower.

Even Ronald Reagan would be a huge liberal right now. He would be kicked out of the Democratic party for being too liberal. He negotiated with Iran and sold weapons to terrorists. Obama would be scared out of his mind to have any position remotely as progressive as Ronald Reagan. The Democratic party is far to right of Ronald Reagan.

If the Republican party has shifted so far to the right, and the Democrats have shifted to adjust, doesn't that mean the populace has as well?

Those changes are not at all reflective of what the population believes. In nearly every single poll, the country is massively progressive. Cut social security under any circumstances? Eighty-four percent say no. Cost of living? The public option tested in the 70s. In some polls the majority of Republicans were in favor. Should we tax the rich, the top one percent more? Should we get out of the wars? A huge majority is in favor.

If the country is massively progressive, why is this not showing up in the political results?

We've lost our democracy. Votes don't matter any more. Ninety-seven percent of people who had more money in elections won. Politicians work for the guys who sign their checks. The fact that the rest of media doesn't cover it as an absolute fact makes a mockery of rest of the media. It's basically the only issue that matters. It's why we've had this dramatic shift to the right of Washington.

Glee's Sebastian: TV's Most-Hated New Character?

Glee's Sebastian: TV's Most-Hated New Character?

It's any young musical theater actor's dream: A plum role on Glee. But stardom isn't all it's cracked up to be for Grant Gustin, who plays the villainous Sebastian on the show: a new Warbler dead-set on breaking up Blaine and Kurt. Sebastian is everything Kurt is not: conventionally handsome, manipulative, slutty, and audaciously meanspirited. In his debut, in the excellent episode "The First Time," he blatantly made a play for Blaine on a dance floor as Kurt sat at a bar and watched. Gleeks are apparently enraged that Sebastian would try to destroy the heaven-sent gift that is Klaine's eternal love. They absolutely hate, hate, HATE Sebastian. Sadly, some of them have trouble separating fiction from reality, so they also hate Gustin.

The show's writers are showing no signs of toning Sebastian down. In tonight's episode, "Hold On to Sixteen," Sebastian returns and is more aggressive than ever. He has a showdown with Kurt that is one for the ages:

Okay, how great was that? "Smirky little meerkat face." "One of us has a hard-luck case of the gayface, and it ain't me." "You smell like Craigslist." So many catty, great lines! Of course, it's only going to make Sebastian's H8Rs H8 him all the more. Luckily, however, someone has his back.

The Grant Gustin FTW Project is something I accidentally stumbled up on YouTube. It's kind of like an It Gets Better video for Grant to deal with the groundswell of hatred currently being directed his way by Klaine lovers. From their description:

"The Grant Gustin FTW Project was created by Grant Gustin's Runaways in response to the negativity that Grant has received due to his new character on Glee (airing 11/8/11!) We wanted him to know that he has fans that support him in his career, despite those who may not."

The video consists of footage of Grant singing and even a morning-show appearance with the cast of West Side Story (he was in the national tour), interspersed with Runaways members holding up various snippets of lyrics. Don't worry—none of them are actually carved into their arms with razor blades.

TNT Greenlights David E. Kelley/Sanjay Gupta Pilot 'Chelsea General'

TNT Greenlights David E. Kelley/Sanjay Gupta Pilot 'Chelsea General'

TNT has given the go-ahead to a pilot by "Boston Legal" creator David E. Kelley and CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta.

The drama, tentatively titled "Chelsea General," will be based on Gupta's upcoming novel "Monday Mornings." Both Kelley and Gupta are executive-producing, with Kelley writing.

Slated for release in March 2012, Gupta's book tracks five surgeons as they push their medical skills to the limit while confronting their personal and professional shortcomings, attempting to come to grips with and learn from their mistakes.

Michael Wright, executive VP and head of programming for TNT, TBS and Turner Classic Movies said that the upcoming pilot "promises to be a smart, witty and extremely powerful medical drama, the kind of series David E. Kelley is renowned for making."

Kelley, who's also the creator of NBC's current drama "Harry's Law," most recently endeavored to bring "Wonder Woman" back to the small screen for the same network, though the pilot wasn't picked up.

'X Factor' Host Steve Jones Goes Shirtless on 'Ellen'

'X Factor' Host Steve Jones Goes Shirtless on 'Ellen'

Why is Steve Jones not as polished as "American Idol" vet Ryan Seacrest in his first season as "X Factor" host? Jones says an earpiece -- with screaming producers on the other end -- is the culprit.

"The producers screaming in my ear … I’m wearing an earpiece and there’s about five people screaming, 'Shut Paula up. Shut her up now. Move on!'" Jones tells Ellen DeGeneres on her daytime talk show Tuesday. "I’m going to have hearing damage in this ear by the end of (the) series.

"I feel terrible, because I feel on occasions I’m coming across as rude and abrupt, and that’s really not me. I cherish every word that comes out of Paula … but, you know, it’s a two-hour long show, we’re in limited time, and we need a conclusion, otherwise it will just kind of end and nothing will have happened."

Check out a video clip of Jones' "Ellen" appearance below, in which he also talks about being a model and goes shirtless when the host gives him a new, Simon Cowell-friendly shirt