Winter TV First Impression: J.J. Abrams Once Again Has Island Fever, With Fox's Alcatraz

Winter TV First Impression: J.J. Abrams Once Again Has Island Fever, With Fox's Alcatraz

The broadcast and major cable networks have nearly two dozen brand-new shows (hopefully) heating up primetime this winter. To help you sort through it all, as we did in the fall, is presenting a few First Impressions. Next on our list is.…

THE SHOW | Fox’s Alcatraz (two-hour premiere airs Monday, Jan. 16 at 8/7c, before series settles into its Mondays-at-9 time slot)

THE COMPETITION | CBS’ sitcombo of Two and a Half Men/Mike & Molly, the second hours of NBC’s The Voice and ABC’s The Bachelor, The CW’s Hart of Dixie.

THE CAST | Sarah Jones (Sons of Anarchy), Jorge Garcia (Lost), Sam Neill (Jurassic Park), Parminder Nagra (ER), Robert Forster (Jackie Brown) and others.

THE SET-UP | Jones plays Rebecca Madsen, a San Francisco PD detective who, while investigating the murder of a onetime Alcatraz warden, discovers that the killer had been an inmate at “the Rock” — and that said suspect, Jack Sylvane, reportedly died decades earlier (!) but didn’t, and he hasn’t aged a day since 1963 (!!). Madsen enlists Alcatraz expert Dr. Diego Soto (Garcia) to delve further into the mystery, only to bump up against two federal agents, Emerson Hauser (Neill) and Dr. Lucy Banerjee (Nagra), who eventually disclose that Sylvane’s inexplicable return is likely the first of many Alcatraz “homecomings.”

THE GOOD | Not surprisingly, given executive producer J.J. Abrams’ imprimatur, the premise is innately interesting — that the 300+ inmates supposedly transferred off Alcatraz when it shut down (as well as guards on duty at the time) in fact vanished from the island prison, and now are returning, un-aged, to tend to “unfinished business” as well as execute random crimes ordered by… well, we don’t know who. Neill does enigmatic eyebrow-arching and stern stare-downs like few others, and it’s good to see TV’s erstwhile Hurley play someone so learned. Tweaks made since the original one-hour pilot have fleshed out Jones’ character some and given her a slightly stronger (if clunky) personal tie to the larger mythology. As Sylvane, Jeffrey Pierce (The Nine) is befuddled by his “rebirth” yet also effectively stone-cold, and this is a procedural that could live or die on the casting of its Fugitive of the Week. The flashbacks show a nice attention to detail.

THE… COULD-BE-BETTER | Forster, as Rebecca’s Uncle Ray (a former Alcatraz guard), brings weight to his blink-and-you-missed-’em scenes; hopefully he’ll get pulled deeper into the story. Nagra is similarly underused in the pilot. Jones’ character has big shoes to fill — namely, those of Dana Scully and Olivia Dunham — as a female agent immersed in otherworldly spookery, and at first blush she didn’t blow me away with her skills. And for the life of me, whereas Abrams’ Lost from Day 1 triggered numerous knee-jerk speculations (Hell, Heaven, human Petri dish…), I can’t fathom what could ultimately be revealed as at the heart of the Alcatraz inhabitants’ “disappearing/time-jumping/reappearing” act — and that makes me nervous. In other words, Lost had me compelled to find out more; Alcatraz left me merely curious-ish. If this island’s a cork, I fold.

THE BOTTOM LINE | Compared to Abrams’ other 2011-12 TV season offering, CBS’ Person of Interest (which also happens to star a Lost alum), Alcatraz is obviously trippier and thus should be noisier on the midseason landscape. That said, the decision to slot it behind the aging House and opposite one of TV’s most watched programs — a place where Fox’s Lie to Me and Lone Star, as well as other far-out fare like NBC’s The Event, all failed to seize big numbers — had to be a tricky one. The road here could be Rock-y.

MTV Announces 'Punk'd' Premiere Date, Reveals Celebrity Hosts

MTV Announces 'Punk'd' Premiere Date, Reveals Celebrity Hosts

The series, which originally ran from 2003-07 with host Ashton Kutcher, will now feature a rotation of celebrity guest hosts.

What a way to ring in the new year.

During its New Year's Eve telecast, MTV revealed the premiere date (or more appropriately the return) of hidden-camera prank reality series Punk'd. The new incarnation, the franchise's ninth season, will launch Monday, March 19.

But instead of just one host leading each week's episode, Punk'd will feature a new celebrity host each week. Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, Kellan Lutz, Bam Margera and Dax Shepard, who appeared in the original series, are the first Hollywood talent to guest host an episode. (A sneak peek of Cyrus and Kelly Osbourne "punking" Khloe Kardashian can be seen below.)

"What better way to ring in the New Year than to let our audience know that Ashton and MTV are bringing back Punk'd in a big way," said Van Toffler, president of MTVN Music Group, LOGO and Film. "There's a new generation of unsuspecting suckers just waiting to be Punk'd by their famous friends, and fans will once again have a front row seat to see the shock on the faces of their favorite celebs."

MTV confirmed plans in December to bring back the show, which originally ran on the network from 2003-07 with former host Ashton Kutcher. Kutcher, who currently toplines CBS' Two and a Half Men, will be back as an executive producer, along with producing partner Jason Goldberg.

When it first ran on MTV, Punk'd featured successful practical jokes made on the likes of Justin Timberlake, Kanye West and Beyonce. Published reports suggest that one episode of the show's second iteration will feature Bieber punking Taylor Swift.

'The Lying Game': Alexandra Chando teases 'Twilight,' hot guys & more mysteries

'The Lying Game': Alexandra Chando teases 'Twilight,' hot guys & more mysteries

When "The Lying Game" returns to ABC Family on Monday, Jan. 2 at 9 p.m., don't expect to know any more about the most secretive city in all of Arizona than you did when the first half of the season ended in October.

Star Alexandra Chando tells Zap2it that although more questions surrounding the show's myriad secrets will be answered, you might not be completely satisfied. "Every question that is answered stems another question," she says. "So there's always a chain of twists and turns."

At the end of the last new episode, Emma was about to reveal the truth -- that she had traded places with her long-lost twin sister, Sutton -- when she thought she spotted Annie, the woman she and her sister believed to be their mother. (That sounds complicated, but believe us -- that's not even half of the crazy web of secrets these people have woven.)

Instead, it's a different Annie -- Char's aunt, who now goes by Rebecca Sewell, played by "Buffy" alum Charisma Carpenter. "She comes into town and mixes things up a little bit," Chando says. "She has some ties, we find out, to Ted and Alec, which can never be good. ... I feel like we know absolutely nothing about her. We're not sure if she's a good guy or a bad guy. I have no idea. I still have no clue."

Although Emma aborts her plan to tell Sutton's family in Phoenix the truth, she still second-guesses her decision. "I think she struggles with it all the time, especially having that long talk with Kristin in episode 10 where she is feeling so much guilt about not being honest with her and having this false relationship. It's starting to wear her down a little bit and she gets frustrated. She's having a really hard time keeping up the charade, especially when she starts to think something awful has happened to Sutton."

Speaking of Sutton, she doesn't turn up right away in the premiere. Considering her car is pulled up from the bottom of a lake, it's safe to say Emma, Thayer and Ethan assume she's dead. But as the saying goes, when you assume...

And speaking of Ethan, we'll learn more about his character in the second half of Season 1. Chando says some of her favorite scenes are from an upcoming episode delving into his origins and meeting his father, whom you might recognize. "[He's] played by Gil Birmingham, who is in a little series called 'Twilight.' I don't know if you've ever heard of it, but he plays Taylor Lautner's father. We're all very excited to have him there."

Other guest stars will skew a little younger, pushing the show well past its hot dude quota for the year. "We have a love interest for Mads coming on, his name is Misha Crosby, and then another gentleman to kind of shake things up with Laurel and Justin," Chando reveals.

Obviously, like everyone else on the show they're completely unattractive. "They're awful-looking," she jokes. "Terrible."

'The Secret Circle' spoilers: 'Darkness' makes Cassie so much cooler

'The Secret Circle' spoilers: 'Darkness' makes Cassie so much cooler

We really loved the mid-season finale of "The Secret Circle," so we've been wringing our hands since November anticipating the new episode. We were left with some major cliffhangers, including the identity of Cassie's secret (circle) sibling and the degree of her dark magic powers. Usually, cliffhangers make hiatus even more unbearable, but in this case, we actually had fun theorizing over the break about Cassie's family ties.

It's a good thing we don't mind the speculation, because Thursday's (Jan. 5) episode, "Darkness," doesn't answer that pesky sibling question. It does, however, give us a glimpse into what Cassie is capable of now that she's beginning to explore her dark side. The CW asked us to keep a whole lot of things about "Darkness" under wraps, but just to whet your appetite, here are five things you can expect from this week's "Secret Circle":

1. More Chris Zylka. We haven't exactly been subtle about the fact that we totally love Jake Armstrong and we think his presence in the show has made it infinitely more entertaining -- so we were a little bummed when he sailed away in the mid-season finale. We figured we'd have to endure some separation anxiety... but luckily, Jake shows up to warn Cassie about impending doom very early in the episode. Sort of.

2. Cassie and Adam continue their song and dance. If you're not loving Cassie/Jake as much as we are, don't fear! Cassie and Adam seem to be getting closer, as he's the only member of the Circle she wants to confide in when it comes to her scary lineage. They even spend a little time lounging around in her bedroom, for those of you who get a kick out of that sort of thing. Unfortunately, the mood is kind of crushed when she accidentally tries to kill him with her brain. Don't you hate when that happens?

3. Grey Damon makes his first appearance as Lee LaBeque. "Friday Night Lights" barely used Damon, and we didn't even care, because his lack of significant screen time meant more minutes spent on Tim Riggins and his hair. In his first guest starring appearance on "The Secret Circle," though, Damon has definitely turned our indifference around. LaBeque is a sketchy guy who uses magic for money, running an business out of his garage that caters to naive types who, as he tells Faye and Melissa, "want to set the mean girls who stole your boyfriends on fire." Fortunately, Faye sets him straight and informs him that they are the mean girls, thankyouverymuch. And then sexiness ensues. If the ritual he performs on Faye doesn't get you all hot and bothered, you're probably made of stone.

4. Meet hot Granny. Stefanie Kramer stars as Charles' mother, Kate. Whereas the last elder who came to town, Henry, seemed to be a bit out of his league, Kate totally has Dawn's number and isn't going to let her get away with any funny business. We absolutely love Kramer in this role -- her ability to shift from concerned grandmother to HBIC is effortless. There's a particularly great stand-off between Kate and Dawn, but even that pales in comparison to what happens when she realizes Cassie's potential. We can't wait for you all to see Britt Robertson's performance -- we were blown away by how awesome she is. Dark magic makes Cassie so much cooler.

5. We see a shift in Charles and Dawn's relationship. We were getting a little tired of him following her around like a kicked puppy, so we're glad to see that the dynamic between Charles and Dawn is balancing out a bit. Where he once seemed to have a long-lingering crush on her, he now has a very keen awareness of her cold nature -- and, dare we say it, his objection to her power-lust may just outweigh any feelings he has for her.

Tune in this Thursday at 9 p.m. after a new "Vampire Diaries" episode. Prepare for awesomeness.

Rupert Murdoch Joins Twitter

Rupert Murdoch Joins Twitter

The 80-year-old CEO of News Corp hasn’t yet shared his thoughts on the phone-hacking scandal, but managed to amass more than 21,000 followers within hours of joining the microblogging site.

He has more options than most when it comes to being able to air his views on a public platform. And he's just endured a year that would give most people every reason to retreat beneath the radar. But none of that has stopped the 80-year old chairman and CEO of News Corp, Rupert Murdoch, from joining the democracy of Twitter to share his enthusiastic thoughts and opinions  – as well as very publicly getting to grips with the new technology.

After launching his account on News Year’s Eve with the post “Have just. Read The Rational Optimist. Great book,” @RupertMurdoch was verified as authentic by Twitter founder Jack Dorsey and attracted more than 21,000 followers within 24 hours of his debut.

So far the News Corp CEO has proved an eclectic enthusiast, posting a dozen tweets on a range of personal, business and political topics in his first day. So far he has opted to follow only four fellow tweeters, Dorsey, a fake account for Google co-founder Larry Page, Zynga co-founder Mark Pincus, and famously grumpy British technology entrepreneur and long-time friend, Lord Sugar.

The mogul, whose global empire spans movie production, TV networks, book publishing, new media, satellite TV and newspapers, is clearly struggling with some of the syntactical demands of Twitter. Dubious punctuation has led to the odd cryptic message, such as the two word tweet “Alan-sugar” – a reference, in all probability, to the Sugar he follows on Twitter.

However, in less than a day aboard the social platform Murdoch has offered thoughts on subjects as varied as the New Year’s Eve party he attended (“Huge NY do. Oligarchs and Silicon Valley biggies (like Jack). May. Learn something”), time spent “uboating” in the sea with his young daughters, the new Fox-produced George Clooney movie The Descendants (“Thank God, one to be proud of. Star Geo Clooney deserves Oscar. Maybe film too.”) and his recent holiday (“Vacations great time for thinking. St Barths too many people. Thoughts best kept private around here. Like London!”)

Murdoch also posted in favor of the WSJ op-ed piece on Republican Presidential candidate Ron Paul (“Huge appeal of libertarian message”) and had the following thoughts on the global economy in the year to come: “Happy 2012. May itbe better than all experts predict. Has to be! Must change everything to create jobs for all, especiallyyoung.”

Murdoch’s optimistic tone and enthusiasm will come as a surprise to many, after a year that saw him hauled before a British Parliamentary Inquiry into phone-hacking. The scandal has yet to fully play out, but has dented Murdoch's long-cherished succession plans and forced the resignations of some of his longest serving lieutenants. It also continues to have huge financial implications for News Corp going into 2012.

There was plenty of skepticism from the Twitter community about the move. “Rupert Murdoch has apparently joined Twitter. Meanwhile everyone else changes their passwords,” tweeted @jamiep7, while former British deputy Prime Minister John Prescott welcomed the mogul to Twitter saying, “Hey @rupertmurdoch. I’m surprised you’re only following two people. The police said it was at least 800.”

There’s no doubt that Murdoch's new account could become Twitter’s hottest and most closely-read account. And in a year when one of the world’s most powerful media moguls will likely have to give evidence under oath to a British phone-hacking inquiry – if he keeps up with his early enthusiasm – Twitter newbie @rupertmurdoch promises a degree of insight and context that is not to be missed.

Lady Gaga to Ashton Kutcher: Hollywood Tweets Its New Year's Resolutions

Lady Gaga to Ashton Kutcher: Hollywood Tweets Its New Year's Resolutions

Albert Brooks jokes he's going to stop tweeting; Kurt Sutter doesn't want "flawed men" to distract him; Rachel Maddow wants to learn to "de-beard mussels."

With 2011 in the rear-view mirror, the entertainment industry took to their Twitter accounts New Year's Day to share their resolutions for 2012.

Here are some of Hollywood's best tweets.

"My new years resolution: Never be afraid to be kicked in the teeth. Let the blood and the bruises define your legacy," said Lady Gaga hours after performing and counting down the ball drop in Times Square.

Ashton Kutcher took a break from his self-imposed Twitter ban and wrote, "In 2012 let's agree to a resolution to feel one another's pain & joy, & create the peace we desire through proactive generosity. XO ak."

"Happy New Year! My resolution: To give everyone the benefit of the doubt. Imagine the world if we did that instead of rushing to judgment..." said James Van Der Beek.

Comedian Horatio Sanz wrote, "My New Years resolution is to stop setting cars on fire. #LAisLoco."

Tony Bennett tweeted, "My New Years resolution is to study piano and sculpting. Wishing you all the best in 2012!"

"I have no resolutions!! Can I make them tomorrow? Should my resolution be to not procrastinate making resolutions?" Rita Wilson lamented.

Donnie Wahlberg retweeted user @chocolateduck's "A New Year's resolution is something that goes in one year and out the other."

"My New Year's resolution is to figure out how to balance motherhood with taking care of myself," said Alyssa Milano.

Colin Quinn joked, "My New Years resolution is to stop smoking cursing and drinking. Darn I left my GD cigs in the bar. #oneoutofthreeaintbad #lol"

How I Met your Mother creator Carter Bays said, "If you're thinking of tweeting the ten second countdown to midnight, I have a resolution for you: maybe a little less twitter this year."

Footballer Marshall Faulk tweeted, "My New Years resolution..... I will not talk about the #Cowboys anymore this season."

"My New Year's resolution was to stop tweeting," joked Albert Brooks.

"new years resolution #1 next NYE don't say "10 minutes til midnight" when its really 10 seconds. oops," said Pete Wentz.

Terra Nova star Jason O'Mara reflected, "6 years ago today, a little show called 'In Justice' premiered on ABC. 3 months later it was cancelled. My resolution? No more 13 and outs."

"My New Years Resolution: Reserve the word "amazing" for things that are actually *amazing*. Like: This bagel is really good, *not* amazing," said Olivia Munn.

Hart Hanson revealed, "This morning I broke my New Year's resolution to be more patient by yelling "shut up!" at a mocking bird - it was imitating a leaf blower."

"My resolution is to not settle for less in 2012...& clear all the clutter out of life," said Bravo's resident matchmaker Patti Stanger.

Sons of Anarchy producer Kurt Sutter wrote, "A NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION: FOCUS ON THE DIVINITY OF PROCESS AND DO NOT GET DISTRACTED BY MY HUMAN RESULTS OR THE OPINIONS OF OTHER FLAWED MEN."

"Kim Jong-un's New Year's resolution: 'To find out what this big pulsating red button is for.' #HappyNewYear" wrote comedian Andy Borowitz.

"NY Resolution: Seek therapy for my addiction to that yelp sound a puppy makes when you step on it's foot accidentally," Dave Navarro tweeted.

Race car driver Danica Patrick said, "Resolution(s)- more green tea and cardio before breakfast. Why are these thoughts running through my head right now?"

"Ok new year resolution broken...damm this cucumber martini is good!," joked Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Lisa Vanderpump.

Singer/songwriter Michelle Branch tweeted, "I forgot another resolution: in 2012 I hope to tour outside the USA. I especially want to visit Asia and Europe."

Judah Friedlander had many, one being, "New Years Resolution #10: Stop driving while texting. Driving while texting causes typos. #WorldChampResolutions2012"

"My New Year's resolution? To be less laz," joked comedian/actor Jim Gaffigan.

MSNBC's Rachel Maddow said, "2011 new year's resolution to learn to de-beard mussels? check! with five hours to spare."

"Wishing everyone a Healthy, Happy, and Prosperous New Year! Make your resolution list short and your list of fun things to do tall :-)," said Gossip Girl actress Kelly Rutherford.

'Kourtney & Kim Take New York': Kris Humphries Points His Gaydar Where It Doesn't Belong

'Kourtney & Kim Take New York': Kris Humphries Points His Gaydar Where It Doesn't Belong

The basketball player makes Jonathan Cheban's sexuality his business and it was downhill from there.

So, how does one know if someone is gay? E!’s Kourtney and Kim Take New York never really explains how Kris Humphries had come to believe that his gaydar is so fine-tuned that he can declare that wife Kim Kardashian’s friend, publicist Jonathan Cheban, is in fact homosexual. But, he firmly thinks that it’s true and really goes the distance to get Jonathan to come out on Sunday’s episode.

First, can we acknowledge that the line between what happens on reality shows and what makes headlines has become blurred. Reports surfaced months ago that Jonathan was suing Kris for using a gay slur against him during the shooting of the series. If Sunday’s episode is the one in question, then that either never happened or it was edited out. I’m leaning toward never happened, because I can’t imagine that E! would leave something as sensational as Kris using a homophobic slur against Kim’s best friend on the cutting room floor.

Second, how is it possible that Kim could call John her best friend and yet not know what his sexuality is? Kim could probably learn to show some interest in others’ lives. Just a hunch.

Now, back to Kris’s gaydar. Here’s what I was able to gather from the episode. If one doesn’t talk about women, openly parade their dates with women around their friends, likes a scented candle now and again, and exhibits a less in your face version of masculinity, then one is gay in Kris’s book. In the end, Jonathan told Kris that he was straight and he should have left it alone. Even if Jonathan is gay, Kris should have respected his right to choose his own timeframe in which to come out.

It wasn’t until Jonathan’s business partner, Simon Huck, told Kris and Kim about being horribly outted by a teacher before he was ready that Kris decided he should close his investigation down and apologize. The two man-hugged it out and it was squashed – so I thought.

What I found interesting was that everything seemed resolved by the end of the episode, but it’s clear that Jonathan is still holding some anger. He tweeted several times about the gay standoff and I’m assuming he’s referring to Kris when he tweeted “BULLY!” and “IGNORANT!” Judging from Kris’s actions in Sunday’s episode, I can’t say I disagree. For the record, I don’t believe that Kris is homophobic. Judgmental and self-righteous, yes, but I wouldn’t say he’s homophobic.

RTL Retains German Ratings Crown In 2011 As Public Channels Weaken

RTL Retains German Ratings Crown In 2011 As Public Channels Weaken

The network ends the year with a record 18.4 % share of the 14-49 demo.

RTL Television strengthened its position as Germany's number one channel in 2011, thanks to a reality onslaught that included local versions of Brit formats I'm a Celebrity - Get Me Out of Here!, Farmer Wants A Wife and Pop Idol. Under the leadership of managing director Anke Schaferkordt, RTL beat its record performance last year, taking a 18.4 per cent share of the key 14-49 demo and 14.1 per cent of the total German audience.

The Cologne-based network left the competition far behind. In the 14-49 demo, Pro7 was a distant second-place, with a 11.7 per cent share, up 0.1 per cent on the strength of its U.S. sitcoms, among them Two and a Half Men, How I Met Your Mother and, starting in January, Zooey Deschanel-starrer New Girl.

Germany's public channels had a rough year, with both ARD and ZDF losing ground. ARD 's share of the total German audience dropped 0.8 per cent to 12.4 per cent while ZDF lost 0.6 per cent to 12.1 per cent. Things were equally bleak in the 14-49 demo, with ARD scoring a mere 6.6 per cent scare – down 0.7 per cent – and ZDF off half a per cent at 6.2 per cent. Those numbers should improve in 2012 as ARD and ZDF will be broadcasting both the London Olympics and the European Soccer Championships.

Oprah Winfrey's 'The Next Chapter' preview: Steven Tyler talks monogamy and more

Oprah Winfrey's 'The Next Chapter' preview: Steven Tyler talks monogamy and more

Oprah Winfrey is debuting a new show on her OWN channel. "Oprah's Next Chapter" is a show in which Oprah steps outside the studio for in-depth interviews with newsmakers, celebrities, leaders and real-life families.

"American Idol" judge and rocker Steven Tyler is the first interview of the series. His rumored fiance Erin Brady also joins them, where they speak very honestly about how hard it is to be monogamous in Tyler's kind of lifestyle.

The show debuts Sunday, Jan. 1, with a two-hour event from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. ET/PT on OWN. The series continues in its regular time slot starting Sunday, Jan. 8 (9 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET/PT) on OWN.

Carnie Wilson Talks Weight Gain, Fears Daughter Will Follow In Her Footsteps

Carnie Wilson Talks Weight Gain, Fears Daughter Will Follow In Her Footsteps

Though 2011's "Bridesmaids" brought Wilson Phillips back into the spotlight thanks to their cameo performance, Carnie Wilson still has a lot to look forward to in 2012. With her episode of "Celebrity Wife Swap" airing on Jan. 3, a new reality show set to air in April and upcoming tour dates with Wilson Phillips, the singer has big things planned for the year ahead.

However, in a new interview with Fox News, Wilson admits that yes, she's gained back some of the weight she famously lost in 1999 and worries that her daughter, Lola, will follow in her food-loving footsteps.

"I've had so much stress in the last year so it's really [a] struggle," she told Fox about trying to keep a healthy lifestlye, adding, "I'm definitely up in weight. I'm looking forward to getting an exercise routine again. It's like a daily decision. Am I going to eat healthy today or am I going to make some sh**ty decisions?"

Wilson continued to reveal that her sobriety hasn't helped curb her obsessive and addictive personality.

"I always think I am one of the the millions and millions of people that struggles with an addiction to food," she said. "I don't know how to relax, that's my problem. I can't smoke a joint, I can't have a glass of wine, because I want 10 joints and 10 glasses of wine."

This isn't the first time in recent years that Wilson has commented on her own weight.

"I'm fat as fuck, what can I say?" she told "Naughty But Nice With Rob" host Rob Shuter last year. "You know, after all these years, it's just like we are who we are and it's a struggle for me and sometimes I'm heavier and sometimes I'm thinner."

But it's not just her own weight that Wilson worries about these days. She keeps an eye on her six-year-old daughter, Lola.

"I see Lola loving sugar like all the other children but I also see her pay a little more attention like when there's a birthday party, I see her being the first in line to get the cake. I see me in her," Wilson told Fox, adding, "I think she's going to be alright as long as we're in control of this."

'The Killing's' Jamie Anne Allman Previews Season 2: 'I Hope the Viewers Hang in There'

'The Killing's' Jamie Anne Allman Previews Season 2: 'I Hope the Viewers Hang in There'

Returning as a series regular for the AMC drama's sophomore year, the actress speaks from the set in Vancouver.

When AMC’s The Killing star Jamie Anne Allman – who plays Mitch’s (Michelle Forbes) party girl sister, Terry – saw the fan uproar over Season 1’s finale, she wasn’t surprised.

“I knew that [the first season’s finale] would probably frustrate some fans,” Allman tells from Vancouver where she’s currently shooting the drama’s sophomore season.

The first season ended with Linden (Mireille Enos) boarding a plane to California to join her fiancé before learning that her partner, Holder (Joel Kinnaman), fabricated evidence involving their prime suspect in the case, Councilman Richmond (Billy Campbell). So, many fans were shocked when their screens went to black and Rosie’s killer wasn’t revealed.

“I’m excited, because the second season is really digging into the characters even more,” the actress says. “And they’re definitely going to find out who the killer is. So, I hope the viewers hang in there, so they can find out what’s going on with this journey and adventure.”

Allman describes where we’ll find her character when the second season picks up next spring, what she knows at a given time about the show’s story line, and explains how she maintains some levity on-set while shooting the dark series.

Where do we find Terry when Season 2 begins?

Allman: She’s just trying to hold the family together. And she has a lot of guilt and she’s just trying to do the best she can. I think she’s ridden with a lot of guilt over the participation that she had with Rosie and the online escort service. For the second season, there’s more explanation on the story line with Michael Ames [played by Barclay Hope, he’s Rosie's ex-boyfriend Jasper's wealthy, jet-setting father and a major player on Mercer Island]. He’s that guy that we kind of have an awkward moment at the funeral – he comes up at the funeral and he’s looking at me, and it’s like I’m excited to see him and he’s really cold and doesn’t really acknowledge me. And then Terry gets really upset and goes and smokes a joint, has some wine and cries by herself. Well, it gets more into what’s going on there.

How much of your story line do you know in advance? For example, do you know who killed Rosie?

Allman: They’ve given me a little bit of direction as to the scenes I’m going to be doing for Season 2, but in general I don’t know much. No one knows who the killer is -- information is pretty much released script to script, you know? I know as much as anyone else who’s watching it, pretty much as the plot is going along.

Have you been developing your own theories as to who the killer is?

Allman: Because of all the red herrings and the way a scene is written, I would think, ‘Oh it’s this person.’ Yeah, I would think what everybody else was thinking. But, I still don’t know. I have my speculations still. Honestly, I hope that I’m the killer. I know that’s bad to say when you’re thinking if this really did happen and that this really does happen to people, but just from an acting standpoint that could be really fun.

Last season, the setting was very much defined by the rain. In many scenes, it’s like another character. What was it like to shoot in that kind of downpour?

Allman: Yeah, a lot of that was fake. If you watch it, there’s no way that the raindrops can be real, because they need to have a lot of it to show up on camera. And it’s like the rain is pouring down like drenching you in those shots where it’s raining a lot. So, yeah it hasn’t really rained that hard here I don’t think.

With such a dark premise to the show, what’s the general mood behind the scenes?

Allman: Oh, my gosh. Because it was so dramatic and it’s so heavy, I worked a lot with Michelle Forbes and I think she’s an amazing actress and we just laughed a lot. And I got to mess around with the boys and I cut up and goof around as much as I possibly can without getting in trouble. But during the funeral scene last year when we’re getting ready to go into the church, me and her and the boys were in the car making up musicals and stuff like that, singing and cutting up and acting silly, it was fun. So, yeah, we try to add some happy moments in between when we can.

The Killing is set to return in the spring to AMC. Allman can also be seen in the film The Last Rites of Joe May starring Dennis Farina and later this year in Any Day Now co-starring Alan Cumming.

Ginnifer Goodwin As Harry Potter: Daniel Radcliffe Spitting Image At Wizarding World In Orlando

Ginnifer Goodwin As Harry Potter: Daniel Radcliffe Spitting Image At Wizarding World In Orlando

If JK Rowling and Warner Bros. ever decide to launch a new "Harry Potter" series, tracking the children and further lineage of Harry and his original Hogwarts co-adventurers, we've just saved them a lot of time in the casting department.

Meet your new Potter: Ginnifer Goodwin.

Already the star of a supernatural series in "Once Upon A Time," Goodwin showed off her magical chops at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter on Friday. Wrapped in a Gryffindor scarf and holding a wand, she was a (prettier) dead ringer for Daniel Radcliffe, something with which she was clearly quite happy.

Time Warner, MSG at odds over sports network rates

Time Warner, MSG at odds over sports network rates

Time Warner Cable and Madison Square Garden Company (MSG) failed to reach an agreement over new pricing to show MSG's sports network, leaving Time Warner subscribers without access to the games in the new year.

"We had a deal within reach earlier this year," Mike Angus, senior vice president for content acquisition at Time Warner Cable said in a statement on Sunday, adding that MSG had removed sports channels from Time Warner lineups.

"Despite agreeing to the asked for 6.5 percent price increase on rates that MSG themselves deemed as fair market rates just last year, MSG reneged on the deal and instead, demanded a whopping 53 percent increase and refused to negotiate further," Angus said.

MSG expressed disappointment in a statement late on Saturday and said that "all we have asked is for Time Warner Cable to value our programming in the same way as other TV providers....Unfortunately, they rejected every offer we made to them for almost two years".

The company said that Time Warner had not been interested in serious negotiations but still hoped it would return to the negotiating table.

MSG and MSG Plus shows games of the New York Rangers, New York Islanders and New Jersey Devils as well as NBA's New York Knicks and the NHL's Buffalo Sabres.

Grandmas and Girl Crushes: 7 Reasons to Watch The Bachelor Premiere

Grandmas and Girl Crushes: 7 Reasons to Watch The Bachelor Premiere

The Bachelor has never been ashamed of being the show that is chock-full of tears, crazy catfights, steamy hot tub scenes and cheesy one-liners. But in its 16th season (premiering Monday at 8/7c), the ABC reality his is about to take the shameless drama up a notch. (Have you seen this preview?) Still not convinced? Here are our seven more reasons to tune in to this season's "journey of love."

1. Bachelor Ben plays piano: It's definitely sexy watching winemaker Ben make some music, even if it is David Gray's cheese-tastic "This Year's Love."

2. Amazing entrances: Some of the women stop at nothing to set themselves apart in their first meeting with Ben. Among our favorites is Lindzi's arrival on a horse (watch the clip below). One lady walks in without saying a word, while another makes her first impression by sanitizing our Bachelor. Whatever works!

3. Girl-on-girl action: One of the contestants develops a big crush on the first night — and it's not on Ben.

4. A bathroom breakdown: Yes, we've seen it before, but never has one of the ladies actually cried so hard on the first night that she practically misses the whole thing. (Though it's not probably not as bad as passing out like this guy did.)

5. T.M.I alert! Nebraskan contestant Amber T. could have just told Ben she is a tomboy. She didn't have to, for example, share that she likes to eat cow testicles with her dad.

6. It's a family affair: How can Ben send someone home after meeting her grandma? That's no doubt why Brittney brought along her Grandma Sheryl. A+ for original strategy.

7. Rapping: As you can see in this clip, Emily shows Ben her rapping skills and even manages to squeeze in a lyric about get her profession, epidemiology. The only thing funnier than Emily's tune is Ben's awkward seal-clap response.

Doug Sellars, Fox Sports Media Group EVP, Dies at 50

Doug Sellars, Fox Sports Media Group EVP, Dies at 50

Doug Sellars, executive vice president, production and executive producer of Fox Sports Media Group, died on Friday after recently suffering a heart attack, Fox announced Sunday. He was 50.

Toronto native Sellars, who joined Fox Sports in 2000, was instrumental in the formation of Fox's Speed (previously the Speed Channel). Since August, when he was promoted to his most recent position, Sellars had overseen studio and event production for Fox Sports Media Group's numerous channels and entities, including Fox Sports, Speed, Fox Deportes, Fuel TV and FoxSports.com. He also served as an adviser to the Big Ten Network.

Prior to joining Fox Sports, Sellars had been with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation for 12 years, during which time he became a senior executive producer for the CBC.

In an on-air tribute Sunday, Fox Sports Media Group chairman David Hill remembered Sellars as "one of the kindest people you will ever know," adding, "[h]e brought a leadership style of teamwork, balance and fluidity with his easygoing personality, self-deprecating sense of humor and firm hand. A leader known for direct approach and honesty, Doug was calm yet assertive."

Sellars is survived by his wife Barb and two children, Tyler and Kelsey.

TV Tonight 2nd of January 2012

TV Tonight 2nd of January 2012

The daily list in alphabetical order, of all the new episodes airing.

    2 Broke Girls S01E13: "And The Secret Ingredient"
    Alaska Wing Men S02E01: "Suicide Sled Race"
    Allein gegen die Zeit S02E09: "16:00"
    Allein gegen die Zeit S02E08: "15:00"
    American Pickers S04E06: "What Happens in Sturgis..."
    Anderson S01E69: "Anderson's Resolution Solutions"
    Antiques Roadshow (US) S16E01: "Tulsa (Hour One)"
    Bargain Hunt S31E01: "Series 31, Episode 1"
    Cake Boss: Next Great Baker S02E06
    Candy Queen S01E06: "Halloween Zombie & Football Baby Shower"
    Celebrity Mastermind S10E05: "Series 10, Episode 5"
    Chelsea Lately S05E197
    Coronation Street S53E01: "Mon Jan 2, 2012 [Episode 1]"
    Coronation Street S53E02: "Mon Jan 2, 2012 [Episode 2]"
    Deal Or No Deal (UK) S07E122: "Episode 1802"
    Desperate Scousewives S01E06: "Series 1, Episode 6"
    Disappeared S04E10: "Innocence Lost"
    EastEnders S28E02: "January 2, 2012"
    EastEnders S28E00: "Farewell Pat"
    Emmerdale S41E01: "January 2, 2012"
    Endeavour S01E01: "Episode 1"
    Extreme Clutter S02E03: "Beyond Addiction"
    Fear Factor (US) S07E04: "Snake Bite"
    Got to Dance S03E03: "Series 3, Episode 3"
    Great British Railway Journeys S03E01: "Great Yarmouth to Beccles"
    Hacktion S01E12: "Múltidézés"
    Hawaii Five-0 (2010) S02E13: "Ka Ho'oponopono (The Fix)"
    HGTV Dream Home S07E01: "HGTV Dream Home 2012"
    Hoarders S05E01: "Norman / Linda"
    Hollyoaks S18E01: "January 2, 2012"
    How I Met Your Mother S07E13: "Tailgate"
    Intervention S12E01: "Christina"
    Jeopardy! S28E76: "Show #6281"
    Love & Hip Hop S02E07: "These Are The Breaks"
    Love Games: Bad Girls Need Love Too S03E05: "Ex's and Oh's"
    Love That Girl! S02E27: "Right or Right Now"
    Match of The Day S47E26: "Season 47, Show 26"
    Mike & Molly S02E12: "Carl Has Issues"
    Mixed Up S01E08: "Episode 8"
    Mrs Brown's Boys S02E02: "Mammy Pulls it Off"
    Only Connect S05E21
    Pasila S04E09: "Eestinlaiva"
    Pawn Star$ S04E64: "Help Wanted"
    Pawn Star$ S04E63: "Corey's Big Play"
    Pretty Little Liars S02E14: "Through Many Dangers, Toils and Snares"
    Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is S05E01: "Series 5, Episode 1"
    RAW comedy club S05E05: "Ava Vidal och Måns Möller"
    Red Sonja (BE) S01E05: "Aflevering 5"
    Saints and Scroungers S03E01: "Series 3, Episode 1"
    Scouted S01E06: "Lindsay & Amber R."
    Stolen Voices, Buried Secrets S02E05: "Missing Mother's Day"
    The Bachelor S16E01: "Week 1 (S16)"
    The Bold and the Beautiful S25E200: "Ep. #6229"
    The Dr. Phil Show S10E74: "TBA"
    The Layover S01E07: "Amsterdam"
    The Lying Game S01E11: "O Twin, Where Art Thou?"
    The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills S02E17: "Leis and Lies in Lanai"
    The Royal Bodyguard S01E02: "The Siege of Blenheim Square"
    The Young and the Restless S39E197: "Ep. #9812"
    Thuis S17E91: "Season 17, Episode 91"
    TI & Tiny: The Family Hustle S01E05
    Two and a Half Men S09E13: "Slowly and in a Circular Fashion"
    University Challenge (1994) S18E34
    Wanted Down Under S06E01: "Series 6, Episode 1"
    Who's Still Standing S01E06: "Look Out Below"
    Wife Swap S07E01: "Tracey Gold / Carnie Wilson"
    WWE Raw S20E01: "Episode #971"

'So You Think You Can Dance' Revamp Planned After Fox Cancels Results Show

'So You Think You Can Dance' Revamp Planned After Fox Cancels Results Show

"So You Think You Can Dance" judge and executive producer Nigel Lythgoe is planning to revamp the reality competition after Fox cut it from two nights a week to one for its next season.

"FOX have cancelled the results show so I will have to change the format of #SYTYCD," Lyhgoe announced on Twitter. "At least we have another season at the end of MAY."

He added: I'm certainly not mad at FOX they have supported #SYTYCD FOR 9 seasons. With the help of [Fox president of alternative entertainment] Mike Darnell I think we have some great new ideas."

The show slipped in the ratings in its most recent season, its eighth, as NBC's "America's Got Talent," another reality competition, cut into its audience.

The show has weathered overhauls before: It started its seventh season by cutting its number of finalists from 20 to 10. The show also began pairing dancers with stars from past seasons and having dancers switch partners each week.