'Glee' exec confirms Rachel's dads story

'Glee' exec confirms Rachel's dads story

Glee's executive producer Ryan Murphy has confirmed that he is casting two actors to play Rachel's dads.

The pair have been mentioned a number of times in the series and last month reports claimed that the fathers will appear before the end of the current season.

Murphy has now told TV Guide that a collection of actors are interested in the roles.

"I'm currently meeting and talking to [actors]," he said. "So many people are interested in playing them.

"I had no idea when I sent out word to a couple of agents that there would be so much interest. But there is."

However, Murphy revealed that Elton John, who has previously been linked to the role of Rachel's dad, will not be able to take part in the show.

"He is, unfortunately, touring," he said, adding that the fathers are expected to be introduced in February or March.

Lea Michele, who plays Rachel, has previously revealed that she thinks Nathan Lane would be a good choice to play one of the dads.

Donald Trump: 'I turned down stars for The Celebrity Apprentice'

Donald Trump: 'I turned down stars for The Celebrity Apprentice'

Donald Trump has claimed that he turned down several stars for the latest season of The Celebrity Apprentice.

The NBC reality series has announced its largest Celebrity Apprentice cast ever at 18 celebrities, including George Takei, Arsenio Hall, Victoria Gotti and Lisa Lampanelli.

Trump touted the star-studded new cast as proof that The Celebrity Apprentice has grown into one of the most popular reality shows on television.

"If you go back to the first Apprentice, a lot of celebrities didn't want to be on it," the mogul said, according to TV Guide. "It was very hard because people didn't want to be fired."

Trump added of the show's growing popularity: "This time around, it's become very easy to cast. We have had to turn down 25 people. Now that they see the success, and they get it."

Radio host Adam Carolla, reality star Teresa Giudice, Twisted Sister's Dee Snider, Danity Kane singer Aubrey O'Day and ten others will compete to be crowned Trump's next Apprentice.

The Celebrity Apprentice returns Sunday, February 12 at 9pm ET/PT on NBC.

Natasha Giggs will be amazing in Big Brother, says Brian Dowling

Natasha Giggs will be amazing in Big Brother, says Brian Dowling

Brian Dowling has tipped Natasha Giggs to be an amazing Celebrity Big Brother contestant.

The model, who had an eight-year affair with Manchester United footballer Ryan Giggs, is one of the stars rumoured to be taking part in the Channel 5 reality series this month.

Speaking about his thoughts on Natasha, Dowling said: "I think that was such a huge story. The alleged affair, the gagging order in court... I think if she is going and she is willing to talk about it, and legally can talk about it, that will be amazing.

"I think it's the greatest real-life soap story. It involves a family, it involves two brothers, it involves an alleged injunction, it involves a footballer, it involves a reality TV star... it's like a Jackie Collins novel. I think people can't get enough of that story."

Natasha's Twitter rival and fellow model Nicola McLean is also rumoured to be taking part in Celebrity Big Brother.

The Only Way Is Essex's Kirk Norcross, Reservoir Dogs actor Michael Madsen, Denise Welch and Natalie Cassidy are rumoured to be entering the famous Elstree compound tonight.

Celebrity Big Brother starts this evening (January 5) at 9pm on Channel 5.

Big Brother Nikki, Aisleyne, Paul Burrell sign for 'Celeb Coach Trip'

Big Brother Nikki, Aisleyne, Paul Burrell sign for 'Celeb Coach Trip'

Big Brother 7 housemates Nikki Grahame and Aisleyne Horgan-Wallace are among the stars taking part in the third series of Celebrity Coach Trip.

Grahame and Horgan-Wallace will be joined on the reality show by ex-Tory MP Edwina Curry and her husband John Jones, comics Tommy Cannon and Bobby Ball, former royal butler Paul Burrell and etiquette expert Jean Broke-Smith.

Former EastEnders duo Derek Martin and John Altman will also be taking part in the show.

Celebrity tour guide Brendan Sheerin will be leading the trip, which starts off in Ljublijana, Slovenia, before touring the Mediterranean.

The Chuckle Brothers and Katie Price's friends Gary Cockerill and Phil Turner won the previous series of the teatime reality show.

Celebrity Coach Trip begins on Monday, January 16 on Channel 4.

'Green Lantern' director Martin Campbell to helm Shawn Ryan ABC pilot?

'Green Lantern' director Martin Campbell to helm Shawn Ryan ABC pilot?

Martin Campbell will reportedly direct a new ABC pilot from The Shield creator Shawn Ryan.

Last Resort will focus on the crew of a US nuclear submarine, who become fugitives when they refuse to fire the craft's missiles.

Green Lantern director Campbell is now in talks to helm the first episode, according to Deadline.

The New Zealand-born filmmaker has previously directed 1998's The Mask of Zorro and James Bond films Goldeneye (1995) and Casino Royale (2006).

Writing on his Twitter, Shawn Ryan confirmed that Last Resort is close to a pick-up but has yet to be formally commissioned.

"Breaking my Twitter silence just to say that A) our ABC project is called Last Resort with no 'The' and B) ABC pickup is not official yet," he said.

In addition to his work on FX's The Shield, Ryan served as showrunner on Lie to Me and created short-lived Fox drama The Chicago Code.

ABC recently made its first drama pilot pick-up for the 2012-13 television season, commissioning Roland Emmerich's untitled fantasy pilot.

Ambitious Ten boss plans a reality check

Ambitious Ten boss plans a reality check

NEW Ten Network chief executive James Warburton says his new employer is over-reliant on reality franchises such as MasterChef and vows "not to live life in the past" after his headline-making 2011 court battle with the Seven Network.

As he entered his new office for the first time yesterday, Mr Warburton said Ten's dependence on the reality programs that take up much of its schedule had to be reduced, The Daily Telegraph reported.

"We've got to do more than that, and have more of a connection with the viewer on multiple fronts throughout the course of a week," he said

Other sources close to Ten indicated Junior MasterChef and The Renovators were set to be two of the first programs to get the chop under the Warburton regime, as Ten sought a greater range of programming to win viewers.

Despite it being a near-perfect Sydney public holiday yesterday, Mr Warburton was hard at work in his new office virtually as soon as a NSW Supreme Court embargo on him working was lifted.

A court battle with his former employers at Seven in May restrained him from starting at Ten until January 1.

He was originally to begin his new role on July 14, leaving his career in limbo for the remainder of 2011.

Taking time out from the first day of his new job, Mr Warburton indicated he wanted to take a stick to Ten's "third channel" mentality, after all-people ratings on the main channel fell from 20 per cent to less than 16 per cent in 2011, well behind Seven and Nine.

"Ratings improvement on the main channel is an absolute priority," he said.

"I want to steel some attitudes. Ten, in my eyes, has taken a bit of a back seat and let the agenda be run by others. I'd like much more of a fiercely competitive internal and external organisation."

He said that the new role was a "fantastic opportunity". He also praised Ten part-owner Lachlan Murdoch's move to step in as acting CEO during his own limbo period at a time when tough decisions had to be made, including cost-cutting - when 180 network jobs were axed in August.

"I always seek challenges, and it's a massive challenge that I was excited to take on," Mr Warburton said.

"What we need to do is get back to the broadcasting fundamentals of ratings and revenue. Lachlan set the vision and made a lot of the painful decisions. For him to step in and effectively fill those months when I've been restrained - I owe him a great debt and, of course, I plan to repay him."

Part of that rebuilding will be developing a broader consistency in programming outside the network's big reality franchises, boosted by a $50 million injection of funds into programming in 2012.

"We now have a number of new franchises such as Young Talent Time, which add a layer of depth and consistency to our schedule," he said.

"We need to have more depth for the viewer and we need to ensure as many viewers as possible have an appointment to view programs consistently throughout the week."

Asked about his feelings on leaving his role as heir apparent at Seven amid the bitter court battle, Mr Warburton said: "I just don't think you can live life in the past.

"I've signed a deed of release so I can't comment on anything in relation to the court case.

"But not a day has gone past since accepting the role that I haven't been itching to get to the helm of Ten."

Seven initially asked the court to restrain Mr Warburton from starting until October this year, 15 months after Ten's original starting date.

The case was highlighted by claim and counter-claim between Mr Warburton and his former boss, David Leckie.

His defection prompted Ten part-owner James Packer to resign from the company's board in March to appease Seven owner Kerry Stokes.

The fierce court battle prompted the judge to say in his summing up that Mr Warburton was "sought after, and even fought over". But the new Ten boss said his enforced gardening leave has not been all bad.

"It's been a great refresher. I'm physically and mentally fitter than I've ever been. I feel like a 20-year-old going for my first day of work," he said.

He would not comment specifically about Ten's mooted interest in imminent talks over NRL and V8 Supercar rights but noted that with several sports contracts up for renewal "we're interested in looking at all of them".

Former Home and Away star Lincoln Lewis back in from the cold and in Neighbours role

Former Home and Away star Lincoln Lewis back in from the cold and in Neighbours role

SOMETIMES life gives you a good swift kick up the bum. Just ask Lincoln Lewis who, in 2009, was at the centre of a sex tape scandal at the height of his fame on Home and Away.

Lewis, 24, who played Geoff Campbell on the Seven soapie, filmed an intimate act with a teenage TV starlet and showed it on his phone.

Seven counselled Lewis, son of rugby league legend Wally Lewis, over the indiscretion.

There are two ways to react to that sort of wake-up call. One is to ignore it and keep repeating the bad behaviour. Think Charlie Sheen.

The other is to take a hard look at yourself, confront your demons, and change ways.

Lewis took the second path.

He quit Home and Away in September 2009 and has put together an incredibly diverse body of acting work.

He starred alongside Caitlin Stasey and Rachel Hurd-Wood in hit Aussie movie Tomorrow When the War Began. After that, he played station co-ordinator Vince Marcello's (Peter Phelps) son, Sam, in Rescue Special Ops.

Lewis last year featured in acclaimed teen drama SLiDE as fireman Dylan Gallagher and Underbelly: Razor as sly grog queen Kate Leigh's young associate, Bruce Higgs.

Lewis is also set to begin a month-long guest stint on Neighbours as charmer Dominic Emmerson and will star in Nine's new family drama Tricky Business.

"A few years ago, I thought I'd never work again," Lewis says. "I wanted to have my name out there (in the media) for acting (but) stupid events put me there for the wrong reasons.

"I've always been raised that if you make a mistake then you admit to it.

"All I wanted to do after that (sex tape scandal) was put my head down and work.

"I've never been more motivated to work hard - to keep showing that the reason I was there (on TV) in the first place was the acting."

All of that hard work is paying off. Lewis brings a wonderful lightness of touch to his Neighbours role.

Dominic comes into Kate Ramsay's (Ashleigh Brewer) life when she escapes from Melbourne to Port Douglas.

Kate loses her mobile phone on the beach, Dominic finds it and a relationship sparks.

At first Kate is suspicious of smooth-talking Dominic but slowly she melts.

It was a reunion-of-sorts for Lewis and Brewer, who briefly had acted together on children's series The Sleepover Club in 2003. The Port Douglas sojourn also is a fillip after an emotionally-torturous year.

Kate had a whirlwind romance with Detective Mark Brennan (Scott McGregor) but it came to a premature end when he was forced to flee Erinsborough for witness protection.

Kate was devastated and had begun to move on with her life when she learned Brennan was dead.

Things got worse when Kate kissed Year 12 student Noah Parking (Orpheus Pledger) and her teaching career hung in the balance.

Brewer, who was nominated for Best New Talent at the 2010 Logie Awards, clearly is a star-on-the-rise, and she has relished the chance to tackle so many meaty scenes.

"Kate has been through a lot of heartache," Brewer says. "Everything gets too much so she needs to have a break, get away, and find herself again."

Some pundits were surprised Lewis would decide to go back to a soapie after leaving Home and Away but he says it was a no-brainer.

"The producers said it (Dominic) was going to be a fun role to play, that it would take a week to shoot, and that it would be in Port Douglas," Lewis, who was born and raised in Brisbane, says.

"I had just finished Underbelly. I got to return to Queensland. That's all (the encouragement) I needed.

"At the start, Dominic comes across as annoying but as time goes by you see it is just a cheeky persistence.

"He has a live-for-the-moment attitude. Nothing is too much drama for him."

From danger zones to the newsdesk - a big year on TV for journalist Hamish Macdonald

From danger zones to the newsdesk - a big year on TV for journalist Hamish Macdonald

ON the road for Channel 10 in 2011, Hamish Macdonald emerged as one of the brightest stars on the news landscape: surviving a few war zones, the Japanese tsunami and the axing of the George Negus news experiment.

Returning home to front the network's nightly national news bulletin brings with it new challenges over summer.

What a big year in news (2011) ...

Probably the biggest I will ever experience. It's hard to imagine another year like it in terms of action. I lost count of the trips I did. I remember getting to early March and thinking, "Wow this has been such a ridiculous start to the year", and then I was sitting in the studio presenting one night and the Japan tsunami happened. I've done Egypt three times, Libya twice, Japan twice, Malaysia, London twice, Afghanistan, Tunisia, New Zealand, Israel and there are probably some that I'm forgetting.

Was there one particular story that stays with you?

Purely from a sense of being overwhelmed, Japan was incredibly confronting. We started up north near Sendei, then went to places like San Nami San Ricu - it was the town that was completely wiped out. It was so intense. It was a disaster that kept unfolding because of the nuclear situation as well as the human toll.

Did you feel the added pressure of that nuclear threat?

Not really, because you're too busy to think about it. You're not sitting there watching 24-hour news channels so you're not focused on it. People back here were more worried than we were. That's not to say it doesn't have an impact. As you can imagine, turning up to a town and finding no survivors affects you and I hope I never see anything like that again. We did have the opportunity to go back there a few months later and follow up with the people that we met the first time and that was pretty moving.

How do you de-stress from the confronting stuff you see on the road? I hear you don't mind an early-morning jog in the war zones of Afghanistan.

I've done less jogging than I would like. I always take my running gear but in places like Egypt and Libya it was impossible. It was so dangerous you couldn't contemplate it, but the physical outlet is important for me. The most recent trip I did to Afghanistan, the hotel where we stayed had invested in a treadmill, but I broke that on the second day. It seemed to overheat.

Given the intensity of this year, does it make the demise of the Negus program you were part of more difficult?

I don't think there was ever any question about the quality of what we were doing. I'm obviously pretty passionate about what I do but I feel it's the responsibility of people like me, journalists, to keep making news interesting for people to watch. The world is changing so much, particularly this year. There are major seismic shifts: America and China, east and west, democracy or autocracy, all of these things are in play at the moment.

What about your role for 2012 - more work on The Project, on the road, or at the newsdesk?

Good question; "I don't know" is the answer. I am pretty optimistic at the moment about where things are going, but there's nothing to say just yet. I can say I do like the people at Ten a lot and am keen to continue that relationship. I have a lot of enthusiasm for finding new ways of telling stories.

Jon Stewart on CNN Caucus Coverage: Dildo People?!

Jon Stewart on CNN Caucus Coverage: Dildo People?!

On "The Daily Show" Wednesday night, Jon Stewart expressed how impressed he was with the old school manner in which the Iowa caucus process unfolds, but not so much with the way CNN depicted the process.

Ballots collected in "repurposed Christmas gift boxes" and other "low-tech expression(s) of civic democracy" feel like a historic re-enactment, Stewart said. It helps foster a "deeper understanding of our connection to our representative democracy" … so how, he asked, would CNN mess with that?

With a video graphic that used "cybernetic, multi-colored featureless dildo people" to represent the actual people in Iowa.

"Whyyyyy? Why? Why?!" Stewart ranted. "There are rooms in 99 counties that are filled with real people demonstrating the thing that you are trying to explain!"

Check out video of Stewart's dildo people outrage, followed by quips on Rick Perry's inexplicably enthusiastic response to "a fifth place ass kicking" and Michelle Bachmann's husband's completely heterosexual enthusiasm for doggie sunglasses.

'The Big Bang Theory' star compares show to 'Sex and the City'...sort of

'The Big Bang Theory' star compares show to 'Sex and the City'...sort of

You might think that the nerd comedy "The Big Bang Theory" and the high fashion series "Sex and the City" have as much in common as pi and Prada. But that's not the case according to Melissa Rauch, who plays Bernadette on the "TBBT."

During an interview on "The Talk" on Jan. 3, she says that her character's relationship with Penny (Kaley Cuoco) and Amy (Mayim Bialik), while a bit out of the ordinary, still offers similarities to Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte and Amanda.

"I kind of call it the busted 'Sex and the City,'" Rauch says. She adds, "The three of us, we're so different. We would have never hung out in high school together...Now that they're at an age where people don't judge you for who you hang out with, they can be friends together. "

Rauch joined the series as a guest star in Oct. 2009 and has had an increasing role ever since. Of course her involvement is likely to grow given that her character is now engaged to Howard (Simon Helberg).

The additions of Rauch and Bialik, who first joined the series in May 2010, has worked out well according to Jim Parsons. In an interview with Zap2it in late 2011, the two-time Emmy winner who plays Sheldon says, "It's been a really smart evolution in how the Bernadette and Amy characters have grown into the cast. There's nothing odd about this addition of people. It's feels like it's extended what's already there as opposed to sticking on something."

Gloomy Greeks forget woes with lavish Turk TV dramas

Gloomy Greeks forget woes with lavish Turk TV dramas

When an Athens taxi driver learned his passenger was the boss of an Istanbul-based company that brings Turkish TV dramas to Greece he reached for his phone, called his wife and put her through to the man sitting in the back seat.

"She had to know what happens next," Global Agency chief executive Izzet Pinto said with a laugh. "I was expecting success but not like this."

It all began when crisis-stricken Greek TV channels realized that buying the glitzy tales of forbidden love, adultery, clan loyalties and betrayal from long-standing regional rival Turkey, was cheaper than filming their own.

The action-packed dramas quickly came to dominate the ratings despite the fact that they are broadcast in Turkish with only subtitles in Greek and have gained a devoted following among a Greek populace disheartened by the country's biggest financial crisis in decades.

Local commentators even talk of a Turkish invasion, pointing to the history of enmity between the two countries who have been on brink of war on several occasions, most recently in 1996.

Relations have warmed and natural disasters in both countries have brought them closer. But Greeks know little about the daily lives of urban Turks and usually view Turkish society with a critical eye.

"What Turks didn't achieve with 400 years of military occupation they will achieve with TV occupation," one blogger wrote in reference to the rule of the former Turkish Ottoman Empire, which included modern-day Greece and collapsed at the start of the 20th century.

Panoramic views of Istanbul neighborhoods which were once home to large and vibrant Greek communities have also awakened a sense of nostalgia in Greeks for a place they refer to as "The City" or Constantinople.

"They remind me of a different era, of Greece in the 1960s when people dominated in life, not material things," said 65-year-old Eleni Katsika, a dentist. "I watch them so I don't get depressed."

So fascinated are Greeks with the shows, that groups have started organizing trips to the island of Buyukada off the coast of Istanbul just to gawk at the set of one of the hit dramas, "Kismet."

"JUST LIKE US"

Between stamping passports in a packed Athens police station, a young officer keeps an eye fixed on a tiny portable TV on the edge of her desk showing repeats of the latest prime-time hit, "Ask ve Ceza" (Love and Punishment).

TV ratings for the shows in the small country of 11 million reached 40 percent in the summer, knocked off the top spot only by the occasional Champions League soccer match. Major channels ANT1 and Mega competed by showing a drama each at 9 p.m. and re-runs in the late afternoon.

"I realized hatred is manufactured by the guys at the top," said Angeliki Papathanasiou, a 21-year-old law student. "You don't see the bad enemy, you see the real Turk who falls in love, who gets hurt, who is like us," she said of the shows.

As a result, dozens of Greek fan pages on Facebook are peppered with Turkish words like "harika" (wonderful) and "guzel" (beautiful). Some Greek magazines have started giving away CDs for intensive Turkish lessons.

Some Turks find the Greek success of the shows difficult to fathom despite the proximity of the two countries, which in some areas are separated by just a few miles.

"It comes as a shock to me," said Asli Tunc, a media professor at Istanbul's Bilgi University. "Greeks need a new kind of entertainment to forget about their problems and these serials seem to meet that demand for now."

They are also a trip down memory lane to days when the economy was better, traditions were cherished, shoe polishers worked every corner and the local grocery store was a point of reference.

"'Ezel' and the other series portray a lost dimension of Greek society that has been buried in recent years," novelist Nikos Heiladakis wrote in a local newspaper article about the success of one crime drama. "It awakens in today's Greek a lost identity," he wrote.

BREAKING DOWN WALLS?

In a way, the dramas are exporting Turkish culture, Global Agency's Pinto said, even to a doubtful market like Greece.

"Greeks feel closer to Turks than they did," he told Reuters. "Sometimes soft power is more important than political power."

Not everyone shares his sentiments, however.

Dozens of pages with names like "Death to Turkish series on Greek TV" or "Rehabilitation centre from Turkish series" have sprung up on Facebook by those who want one series off the air because parts of it were filmed in Turkish northern Cyprus.

"Have (the TV channels) forgotten what Greeks went through? Some things cannot be forgotten, they cannot be erased from Greek history," one post on the site read.

But for the moment their grip on the audience remains strong and Pinto, whose company distributes three of the dramas to Greek TV and more than 30 other countries, expects to export about five or six dramas to Greece a year.

Next year will see the TV release of the controversial hit-series "Muhtesem Yuzyil" (Magnificent Century), based on 16th century sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, which so far has only been released as a DVD. Magazines selling DVDs of the episodes sell out within hours.

"I've not missed a single copy," said Yiannis Panagoulis, a 40-year-old handyman. "At this rate I'm going to be speaking Turkish very soon. Who would've thought?"

"Ninja Turtles" co-creator auctioning off art studio

"Ninja Turtles" co-creator auctioning off art studio

How much money will be shelled out for the personal art studio belonging to "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" co-creator Kevin Eastman?

The answer will be known Wednesday night, which marks the end of the 10-day eBay auction for the studio -- drawing table, rare artwork, personal effects, toys and all.

"My wife was threatening to call that TV show 'Hoarders,' " Eastman told TheWrap about his studio, which had been situated in his Los Angeles home. "Some of the stuff I've pulled out of storage, I haven't seen in 15 years. There are old comics, doodles, scraps of paper, reference books, movies ..."

Eastman will give 20 percent of the proceeds from the auction to The Hero Initiative, a nonprofit that financially supports comic book creators in need.

As for the rest of the money, "I'll put it in the bank for my kids schools or buy some new supplies," Eastman said.

Twenty-nine bids have been received so far; the highest is $8,300.

The art studio has been on display at Los Angeles' Meltdown Comics, where Eastman has been making regular visits. The exhibition -- which includes some unpublished artwork -- is part of "35 Days of Kevin Eastman," which is celebrating the 35th anniversary of the "Heavy Metal" magazine he published.

On Wednesday night, Meltdown will celebrate the end of the auction with a party, during which live footage of the eBay auction page will be projected onto a big screen.

Regardless of the amount for which the studio sells, Eastman will certainly be surrounded by fans at the shindig -- as he has been during his visits to Meltdown.

"I was in the gallery the other day and this guy came in from Italy," Eastman said. "He grew up on the Turtles -- and his name was Raphael. He was walking down Melrose and randomly discovered the exhibit. When he left the store with a signed copy of one of the comics, he had a grin so big.

Former X Factor star Kerry McGregor dies of cancer

Former X Factor star Kerry McGregor dies of cancer

Former X Factor contestant Kerry McGregor has died after a battle with bladder cancer. The 37-year-old from West Lothian appeared on the third series of the show in 2006.

A spokesman said: "It is with deep sadness we announce that Kerry passed away at home, earlier today, following a battle with cancer."

During The X Factor she was mentored by Sharon Osborne in the series that was won by Leona Lewis.

Kerry went out in the third week of the live finals.

She performed in a wheelchair as a result of an accident when she was 13. 

On Twitter Sharon Osbourne paid her tribute to Kerry McGregor. She said: "So sad about Kerry McGregor's passing. Much love and respect to her and her family."

Simon Cowell added: "I just heard the sad news about Kerry McGregor. "I really admired Kerry and my thoughts now go out to all of her family & friends."

She had worked with several charities including Leonard Cheshire Disability and Action for Bladder Cancer.

Colin Bunce, Chair of Action for Bladder Cancer, said: "She was a truly inspirational person and we were delighted when, before Christmas, she accepted our invitation to become an Ambassador for Action on Bladder Cancer."

Kerry's spokesman said the singer was rehearsing and recording until as recently as last month and was due to perform a duet with Susan Boyle this year.

TV Tonight 5th of January 2012

TV Tonight 5th of January 2012

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

    24/7 S15E04: "Flyers/Rangers: Road to the NHL Winter Classic (4)"
    Alaska: The Last Frontier S01E02: "Fueling the Fire"
    Argumental S04E09: "Highlights Special"
    Bargain Hunt S31E04: "Series 31, Episode 4"
    Beyond Scared Straight S02E10: "Queen Anne's County, MD"
    Big Shrimpin' S01E08: "The Fleet's Fortune"
    Braxton Family Values S02E08: "TBA"
    Celebrity Big Brother S09E01: "Series 9, Episode 1"
    Celebrity Mastermind S10E08: "Series 10, Episode 8"
    Chelsea Lately S05E200
    Conan S02E28: "Chris Paul, Tom Papa"
    Coronation Street S53E03: "Thur Jan 5, 2012"
    Days of our Lives S47E40: "Ep. #11750"
    Deal Or No Deal (UK) S07E125: "Episode 1805"
    Dickinson's Real Deal S08E23: "Series 8, Episode 23"
    Doctors S13E170: "Singing in the Dark"
    Earthflight S01E02: "Africa"
    EastEnders S28E04: "January 5, 2012"
    El Barco S02E14: "El Espíritu de la Navidad"
    Emmerdale S41E05: "January 5, 2012 [Episode 2]"
    Emmerdale S41E04: "January 5, 2012"
    Escape To The Country S12E03: "Oxfordshire"
    Eternal Law S01E01: "Episode 1"
    General Hospital (US) S49E193: "#12467"
    Got to Dance S03E07: "Series 3, Episode 7"
    Great British Railway Journeys S03E04: "Epping to Hackney"
    Grey's Anatomy S08E10: "Suddenly"
    Hollyoaks S18E04: "January 5, 2012"
    Hotel cæsar S28E128: "Season 28, Episode 128"
    Hotel cæsar S28E129: "Season 28, Episode 129"
    I Almost Got Away with It S04E14: "Got to Escape Underground"
    Impact Wrestling S08E66: "Season 8, Episode 66"
    Impractical Jokers S01E05: "Season 1, Episode 5"
    Jeopardy! S28E79: "Show #6284"
    Jersey Shore S05E01: "Hurricane Situation"
    Jimmy Kimmel Live S09E180: "Tracy Morgan, Chris Paul, tUnE-yArDs"
    Late Night with Jimmy Fallon S02E198
    Late Show with David Letterman S18E186: "Tina Fey, Barr Brothers"
    Location Location Location S14E01: "Series 14, Episode 1"
    Man, Woman, Wild S02E10: "Newts and Roots"
    Naruto: Shippuuden S11E01: "Landing! Paradise Island?"
    NY Ink S02E02: "Big Money, Big Dreams"
    One Life to Live S44E120: "Ep. #11099"
    Pointless S05E88: "Series 5, Episode 88"
    Private Practice S05E10: "Are You My Mother?"
    Project Runway All-Stars S01E01: "Return to the Runway"
    Public Enemies S01E03: "Episode 3"
    Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is S05E04: "Series 5, Episode 4"
    Rang 1 S01E11: "Season 1, Episode 11"
    Saints and Scroungers S03E04: "Series 3, Episode 4"
    Sket Dance S01E39: "One Broken, Special... New Year`s"
    Tegen de Sterren op S02E07: "Season 2, Episode 7"
    The Bold and the Beautiful S25E203: "Ep. #6232"
    The Chase (2009) S05E03: "Series 5, Episode 3"
    The Colbert Report S08E03: "Steve Case"
    The Daily Show S17E39: "Craig Shirley"
    The Dr. Phil Show S10E76: "B-Wars"
    The Ellen DeGeneres Show S09E72
    The Family (2011) S01E07: "DIY Dad"
    The First 48 S12E03: "Ultimate Price"
    The Jeremy Kyle Show S07E79: "January 5, 2012"
    The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson S08E04: "Tom Selleck, Daniela Ruah"
    The Restoration Man S02E01: "Series 2, Episode 1"
    The Secret Circle S01E10: "Darkness"
    The Tonight Show with Jay Leno S19E219
    The Vampire Diaries S03E10: "The New Deal"
    The Young and the Restless S39E200: "Ep. #9815"
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VH1 Checks Out of 'Celebrity Rehab' for Now

VH1 Checks Out of 'Celebrity Rehab' for Now

VH1 has decided to drop "Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew" like a bad habit. At least for the time being.

While the cable network hasn't outright canceled the series, which has run for five seasons since its 2008 debut, it has no plans for new episodes of the reality offering for the foreseeable future.

A representative for VH1 told TheWrap that "Celebrity Rehab" -- which stars Dr. Drew Pinsky and a rotating cast of famous faces struggling to recover from substance abuse -- "is not on the schedule currently." Which doesn't automatically spell doom, but it certainly doesn't bode well.

While popular, the series has generated controversy, with some questioning whether the show fosters effective treatment. Last year, two former cast members died, with "Grease" star Jeff Conaway succumbing to complications from prescription drug use and former Alice in Chains bassist Mike Starr expiring at the age of 44, weeks after being arrested while in possession of unauthorized prescription drugs. Meanwhile, "Real Housewives" alum Michaele Salahi was removed from the Season 5 cast, reportedly because she had no actual addiction (other than to fame, of course) to treat.

Luckily for fans of Pinksy, there'll be no shortage of him on the airwaves. In addition to "Dr. Drew" on HLN, there's also his CW daytime show, "Lifechangers," which launched in September.

Comcast Customer Accuses Company of Bugging Out on Him

Comcast Customer Accuses Company of Bugging Out on Him

Another bugging scandal has plagued the media -- but this one has nothing to do with News Corp. hacking into celebrities' phone lines.

Antonio Munoz, a resident of Chicago suburb Aurora, Ill., is fuming mad -- and probably considering fumigation -- after the provider allegedly installed a cable box infested with roaches in his home.

Munoz tells the Beacon News that, shortly after an installer hooked up the cable, cockroaches began emerging from the box in his parents' room. According to Munoz, the equipment Comcast installed was used -- and obviously of suspect origins.

"You don’t know where this equipment came from,” Munoz told the paper.

Munoz claims that Comcast gave him the runaround when he tried to get the infested unit replaced, and that his residence "never had a roach problem" prior to the installation of the allegedly tainted cable box.

The irritated Munoz has taken to carrying around a bag filled with dead roaches as evidence of his plight -- though, aside from being pretty icky, is probably unnecessary. In November, nearly a dozen former and current Comcast employees filed a lawsuit against the company in U.S. District court, claiming that they were forced to work in a rat- and roach-infested facility in Chicago's South Side, and made to install bug-infested equipment in homes in that area.

A representative for Comcast tells the newspaper that Munoz has since received a new box -- and an apology -- from the company. No word on whether they plan to knock a few bucks off of Munoz's bill to cover a service call from Orkin.

NBCU Reveals New West Coast HQ Plans After Scuttling Earlier Project

NBCU Reveals New West Coast HQ Plans After Scuttling Earlier Project

Two weeks after abandoning plans an expansive new facility, NBCUniversal has unveiled plans for a state-of-the-art headquarters for its West Coast television operations.

The 150,000 square-foot facility, formerly occupied by Technicolor, will sit on Universal's Studios lot and house the L.A. bureaus of NBC News and Telemundo, along with local broadcast stations KNBC and KVEA. According to NBCUniversal, the new headquarters will be an "all high-definition facility, incorporating the latest technology to create a world-class home of journalism and digital content production."

Construction on the project is slated for completion late next year.

In mid-December, NBCU terminated an agreement with Thomas Properties Group, Inc. to build a new facility, tentatively called MetroStudios@Lankershim, that would have been built above a subway station in Universal City. In an SEC filing issued by Thomas Properties on Tuesday, the company alluded to changing requirements for the project.

"In light of NBCU's changing requirements for office and post-production space, the planned MetroStudios@Lankershim project was not considered economically viable at this time," it said.

NBCU agreed to pay Thomas Properties a $9 million "breakup fee" for terminating work on the facility.

The CW Orders 'Cult' Pilot From 'Gossip Girl' Producers

The CW Orders 'Cult' Pilot From 'Gossip Girl' Producers

The CW is hoping to have a "Cult" hit on its hands soon.

The network has ordered a pilot for a new drama called "Cult," from "Gossip Girl" executive producers Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, and "Hart of Dixie" executive producer Len Goldstein. Schwartz, Savage and Goldstein will executive-produce, as will "V" writer Rockne O'Bannon, who will pen the pilot.

The pilot will center on a female production assistant on a television series titled "Cult." She teams with a journalist to investigate fans of the series, whom she suspects of committing copycat crimes that they've seen on the show.

"Cult" comes via Warner Bros. TV, as well as Fake Empire, Schwartz and Savage's production company.

'Martha Stewart Show' Ending After This Season

'Martha Stewart Show' Ending After This Season

"The Martha Stewart" show will not return to The Hallmark Channel after this season, but the network hopes to continue to work with Stewart on other programming, TheWrap has confirmed.

Stewart's show will stop taping live episodes in the spring, and will air reruns in the summer. Then it will end, and Stewart and the network will look to work together in other ways, a person familiar with the situation told TheWrap.

Also read: Martha Stewart to Rejoin Martha Stewart Living Board

The official word of the show's ending was as gracious and gentle as, well, a Hallmark card:

"The daytime block on Hallmark Channel demonstrated year over year ratings growth and earned 'The Martha Stewart Show' two Daytime Emmy Awards in its first season on Hallmark," Hallmark and Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia said in a statement. "That show will continue to air through the end of summer 2012. MSLO and Hallmark Channel are in discussions about potential new show formats and concepts for daytime."

The key language is that the show will "continue to air through the end of summer 2012." After that, the person familiar with the situation confirmed to TheWrap, the show will end.

The show, which was syndicated before it joined Hallmark, has aired for seven seasons and is folding due to falling ratings. But it represented a major comeback for Stewart after she served five months in prison after she was convicted of lying to investigators about a 2001 sale of Imclone shares.

She rejoined the board of MSLO last May, after a five-year-period in which she was barred from being a director or officer in a public company under the terms of a settlement of the charges with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The New York Post first reported the show was ending in a story Wednesday morning. The Post also reported that Home Depot will no longer sell Martha Stewart Living-branded paints but will allow customers to mix her color palette into Glidden-branded paints.

MSLO president Lisa Gersh took issue with the story in an internal company email obtained by TheWrap. It uses some of the same language as the official statement on the show's end, and is printed below in its entirety.

Hi everyone:

Today's New York Post business section had an inaccurate and negative portrayal of some of MSLO's businesses, including its television production relationship with Hallmark and its paint business with The Home Depot. Unfortunately, the reporter, whose story cited unnamed 'sources,' stopped far short of including all the facts that MSLO presented to her and leaves readers with several incorrect impressions. 

In fact, MSLO has never had a more vibrant, more diversified umbrella of strong, popular brands and loyal, enthusiastic audiences across TV, digital, print and radio, as well as across numerous product lines available through top retail partners.

The Martha Stewart brand has been a successful TV presence for nearly two decades and we expect that to continue.  The daytime block on Hallmark demonstrated year-over-year ratings growth and 'The Martha Stewart Show' earned two Emmys in its first season.  The show will continue on Hallmark through the end of this season and we are currently exploring programming concepts for Martha Stewart and other MSLO brands beyond this fall.  In addition, MSLO continues its thriving partnership with The Home Depot (THD), which spans a number of home and décor categories, including our very popular paint palette, and they continue to perform well. 

As just a reminder of the power of our audiences and brands, a recent study conducted in August last year by Public Strategies indicated that Martha Stewart remains a strong brand with incredible awareness.  Unaided, meaning without being prompted, 53% of women name Martha Stewart as the first person who comes to mind for providing lifestyle ideas and information on the home.  The next-closest competitor is mentioned by only 6% of women, and that's Rachael Ray.

Regards,

Lisa

Roland Emmerich Script Gets Pilot Order From ABC

Roland Emmerich Script Gets Pilot Order From ABC

Add Roland Emmerich to the growing list of big-screen names undertaking small-screen projects.

"2012" director-producer Emmerich has received a pilot order from ABC for an as-yet-untitled project, the network confirms to TheWrap.

The pilot, which was co-written by Emmerich and Harald Kloser -- who paired with Emmerich on the shelved theatrical project "Singularity -- will revolve around an astrophysics student in New York who finds himself veering between heaven and hell as the 2012 presidential election looms.

Emmerich and Kloser will also executive-produce, along with the Mark Gordon Company's Mark Gordon and Nicolas Pepper.

Emmerich's other upcoming projects include the documentary "Last Will & Testament," which explores the ongoing debate over the authorship of Shakespeare's works.

Will Jillian Michaels Return to 'Biggest Loser' After 'Doctors' Exit? 'Never Say Never'

Will Jillian Michaels Return to 'Biggest Loser' After 'Doctors' Exit? 'Never Say Never'

With health and fitness guru Jillian Michaels leaving her gig on "The Doctors," might she return to "The Biggest Loser" for a third run?

Don't rule it out.

"We never say never," Michaels' representative, Ashley Sandberg, told TheWrap on Wednesday.

And the show might benefit from Michaels' star power: It returned Tuesday night to ratings that were down 30 percent from last January's season 11 premiere. That season was the last to feature Michaels.

A rep for "The Biggest Loser" declined to comment.

Michaels said in a statement Wednesday that she was leaving the syndicated health show "The Doctors" this month and that it "wasn't the fit both the show and I hoped for."

"I have enjoyed my time on the show and the opportunity it provided me in my mission to help others improve their lives. ... It was a great experience and I wish the show nothing but success."

A rep for "The Doctors" issued this statement to TheWrap: "Jillian has contributed greatly to our show this season, and we value her talent and insight as she has inspired countless people to improve their lives. Although it wasn’t the fit we both hoped for, our original four doctors will continue to provide our audience with the gold standard medical content we've delivered since our show’s inception. Jillian will always be a part of 'The Doctors' family."

Michaels' "Doctors" departure was first reported by the New York Post.

The Post reports Michaels could return to "The Doctors" for occasional guest appearances.  Michaels' rep says she is "focusing on all of the exciting projects she has lined up for 2012 and beyond."

Michaels is releasing a kickboxing-themed DVD, "Kickbox Fastfix," in March, and will continue to make appearances as a fitness expert on "Dr. Phil."

The deal also brings Disney Jr. to Xfinity subscribers for the first time.

Disney-Comcast Make 10-Year Xfinity Multi-Platform Deal

Comcast and the Walt Disney Company announced a 10-year, multiplatform distribution deal Wednesday that will allow Xfinity customers to watch Disney content -- including ESPN, ABC and Disney shows live or on demand -- on television, online, and on tablets or other handheld devices.

The deal between Disney and the company's largest cable provider affects all 22.4 million Xfinity customers in markets around the country.

It sets a new 10-year-term for all of the companies' agreements, including those that were not yet set to expire, saving the companies from negoatiating each deal piecemeal over the next several years.

Terms were not disclosed. The deal expands Comcast's ties to ABC almost a year after the cable provider took ownership of NBCUniversal, home to ABC rival NBC.

Besides offering vast new access to Disney content, it will allow customers to watch it in more ways. They will be able to view live ESPN games, for example, on a tablet as well as personal computer or TV. The two companies have also agreed to collaborate on new technology to make Disney shows more accessible on a range of devices.

The deal also brings Disney Jr. to Xfinity subscribers for the first time.

"We are very pleased to have reached this unprecedented and innovative, long-term agreement with Disney which embraces the future of entertainment and allows Comcast to continue to bring our vision of TV Everywhere to Xfinity customers whether at home or on the go," said Neil Smit, president and CEO of Comcast Cable.

"This landmark deal is a great example of what can be achieved when programmers and distributors collaborate and innovate together to meet the ever-evolving needs of consumers and enhance the viewing experience," said Anne Sweeney, co-chairman of Disney Media Networks and the president of Disney/ABC Television Group.

Networks and stations included in the deal include ABC, ABC Family, Disney Channel, Disney XD, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN Deportes, ESPNEWS, ESPN Classic, ESPN Goal Line, ESPN Buzzer Beater, ESPN 3D, ESPN GamePlan, ESPN FullCourt and ESPN3. It includes retransmission consent for ABC-owned WABC in New York, WLS in Chicago, WPVI in Philadelphia, KGO in San Francisco, KTRK in Houston, KTVD in Raleigh-Durham, and KFSN in  Fresno, Calif. It also covers more than 10 high-definition networks.

The deal will give viewers more access to ABC, ABC Family, and Disney shows, enabling to watch them on demand -- with fast-forwarding disabled.

New 'Celebrity Apprentice' Cast: Clay Aiken, George Takei, Teresa Giudice, Arsenio Hall

New 'Celebrity Apprentice' Cast: Clay Aiken, George Takei, Teresa Giudice, Arsenio Hall

Donald Trump's new competitors on "Celebrity Apprentice," include "American Idol" alum Clay Aiken, "Star Trek" veteran George Takei, bodybuilding champion/"Incredible Hulk" actor Lou Ferrigno, "Real Housewives of New Jersey" star Teresa Giudice and former talk show host Arsenio Hall.

Trump unveiled the names on NBC's "Today" Wednesday, the morning after the Iowa caucuses for the Republican presidential nomination. His decision not to seek it didn't keep him using the casting announcement to try to grab some of the spotlight from Iowa winners Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum and Ron Paul. Trump says he is still considering a run as an independent.

Rounding out the cast for the new season, which premieres on NBC on Feb. 12: radio and TV host Adam Carolla, magician Penn Jillette, Twisted Sister rocker Dee Snider, car racing legend Michael Andretti, "American Chopper" star Paul Teutul Sr., supermodel Cheryl Tiegs, pop singer Debbie Gibson, actress Tia Carrere, mob daughter Victoria Gotti, comedienne Lisa Lampanelli, former Miss Universe Dayana Mendoza, actress Aubrey O’Day and model Patricia Velásquez.

Check out an interview with several of the newbie contestants below, as well as Trump, who calls the new cast the show's best ever.

A&E to Launch in Australia In February

A&E to Launch in Australia In February

The home of "Storage Wars," "Dog The Bounty Hunter" and "Pawn Stars" will launch alongside fX and Fox Footy as new channels for paynet Foxtel in 2012.

Foxtel will launch young male-skewing channel A&E on Feb. 16, one of three new high profile channels to join the largest Australian pay TV platform in 2012.

Under a partnership with with A&E’s U.S. parent, A&E Networks, the channel will be programmed and managed here as part of the Foxtel Channels Group's factual channels that also include Bio, History and Crime and Investigation. A&E Australia will launch with premiere seasons of unscripted franchises including Storage Wars, Storage Wars Texas, Dog The Bounty Hunter, Billy The Exterminator,  Pawn Stars and American Pickers.

A&E has also commissioned Cordell Jigsaw, creators of Bondi Rescue, to produce a one-hour special, MegaTruckers, for the launch, which will then be developed as a series to premiere later in 2012. MegaTruckers follows blue-collar hero Jon Kelly, the founder of Heavy Haulage Australia, and his “hard as nails” drivers hauling some of the world’s largest and heaviest loads across treacherous Australian terrain.

“A&E will be the one-stop destination for heart-stopping unscripted, authentic and real entertainment series’ combined to create an intense, immediate and inspiring environment that is relevant to its audience. This channel further strengthens our relationship with global media company, A+E Networks, producer and distributor of some of the world's leading television channels and content,” Foxtel executive director of television Brian Walsh said.

The launch of A&E comes at a pivotal time for the paynet, with new CEO Richard Freudenstein taking the reins in December as Foxtel seeks to boost stagnant subscription numbers. Pay TV penetration here sits at 33%, in the face of increased competition from digital multichannels launched by the free to air networks in the last 18 months.

Also set to be launched in early 2012 are Fox International Channels’ fX and the new Fox Footy channel – a channel dedicated to coverage of the Australia’s most popular sports competition, the Australian Football League. Foxtel, in partnership with free to air broadcaster the Seven Network, paid a record $1.235 billion for a five-year broadcast deal with the AFL last year under which it will broadcast every game in every round in HD, including five live games a week. Foxtel is hoping that will provide a fillip to boost subscriber numbers. 

At the same time Foxtel and its rural counterpart, Austar United Communications, majority owned by Liberty Global Inc. are awaiting approval from the local anti trust regulator for their planned $2.5 billion merger.

'Project Runway All Stars': Who are you rooting for?

'Project Runway All Stars': Who are you rooting for?

Lifetime is bringing back some of the most memorable "Project Runway" contestants of all time for "Project Runway All Stars," which premieres Thursday, Jan. 5 on the network. Of course, it's also bringing back a few of the less-memorable as well, but the mix of contestants for the new series is quite interesting.

A couple of familiar faces you won't be seeing are host Heidi Klum, mentor Tim Gunn or judges Nina Garcia and Michael Kors. Instead, they'll be replaced by an interim "All Star" cast comprised of host Angela Lindvall (supermodel), mentor Joanna Coles (Marie Claire editor-in-chief), and fashion designer judges Isaac Mizrahi and Georgina Chapman.

The main attractions are "Project Runway" favorites like Austin Scarlett (Season 1, 4th place), Kara Janx (Season 2, 4th place), Rami Kashou (Season 4, runner-up) and Mondo Guerra (Season 8, runner-up). Then there are the less-admired contestants like Gordana Gehlhausen (Season 6, 4th place) and Kenley Collins (Season 5, second runner-up).

They're joined by Elisa Jimenez (Season 4, 10th place), Sweet P/Kathleen Vaughn (Season 4, 5th place), Jerell Scott (Season 5, 4th place), Anthony Williams (Season 7, 5th place), Mila Hermanovski (Season 7, second runner-up), April Johnston (Season 8, 5th place) and Michael Costello (Season 8, 4th place).

Personally, we feel like the "All Stars" title would've been better-served by some of the bigger "PR" names -- say Daniel Vosovic, Chris March, Santino Rice, etc. -- but we're not going to lie, we are very excited to some of these folks competing again. The rest of 'em, well, they're just obstacles in the way of getting to the point in the competition where we actually remember everyones' names.

Since we've already seen what these folks can do, we can make more educated guesses than usual as to who will have the best luck in the competition this season. So, what do you think? Who among the "All Stars" are you rooting for this year?

'Glee' goes 'Grease' with 'Summer Nights' cover

'Glee' goes 'Grease' with 'Summer Nights' cover

Now that Sam has returned to McKinley High and "Glee" is addressing his summer romance with Mercedes, it seems pretty fitting that the former couple would cover the most famous showtune about seasonal loves -- "Grease's" "Summer Nights."

The "Glee" version, which just leaked online, is pretty faithful to the original, with the respective New Directions members spilling all to their groups of friends. Speaking of, the seldom-heard Rory and Sugar both get cute solos as inquisitive pals.

Also, Sam sounds very Travolta-like during certain points of the song, yes/no?

New Directions will also cover Rihanna, Maroon 5 and the Rolling Stones during "Yes/No."

Check out the tune before it's pulled from YouTube and let us know how excited you are for "Glee" to go "Grease" on Tuesday, Jan. 17.