'Jersey Shore' Girls Dish On 'The Unit'

'Jersey Shore' Girls Dish On 'The Unit'

'He's like Mike times 10 ... It's not attractive,' Snooki tells MTV News.

the season five premiere, "Jersey Shore" picks up right where it left off, bringing nothing but drama. But this time, it was brought by someone from outside the house: Jonny "The Unit."

During the premiere episode on Thursday, Mike "The Situation" introduces us to his best friend, who wasted no time stirring up tension among Snooki, her boyfriend Jionni and Mike.

" 'The Unit' is another part of Mike," Deena told MTV News. "He's like Mike's unit, it's kind of unreal. He kind of, like, gives Mike more 'umph' to be, like, a jerk."

Snooki added, "He's like Mike times 10, so it's, like, gross, gross, gross. It's not attractive."

In the season five kickoff, the housemates immediately go from the cobblestone streets of Florence to the boardwalk of Seaside, New Jersey. To celebrate their big return, the crew is given a surprise homecoming party, which brought out everyone's friends and family.

Yet the celebration quickly turned sour when "The Unit" threatened to tell Snooki's boyfriend, Jionni, that he witnessed she and "The Situation" hooking up — a story line that was heavily followed during season four in Florence.

"I think in Italy it was all drama because we missed home and obviously some people were stirring up unnecessary, fake rumors in the house," Snooki told MTV News before the premiere. "So when we get back to Jersey, you're gonna see that pan out more."

It doesn't seem like we've seen the last of "The Unit." After the two had a heated conversation at the welcome-home party, Snooki offered an apology, which he reluctantly accepted — for now.

Cheryl Cole, Simon Cowell planning new TV project?

Cheryl Cole, Simon Cowell planning new TV project?

Cheryl Cole and Simon Cowell are reportedly preparing to launch a new TV show together.

The pair, who apparently fell out when Cole was axed from X Factor USA, are said to have put their differences aside to work on the new project.

The show will be a talent search but will be "very different" to Britain's Got Talent, according to The Mail On Sunday.

Cowell's production company Syco will make the show, which is likely to air in the autumn.

"Cheryl's finally stepped back into the fold. All's well between them again. Despite what happened last year, she's agreed to do something with Simon," a source told the paper.

"Until Simon returns from his break in the Caribbean, he and Cheryl can't fine-tune any plans, but he's set aside time next month to do so. The main thing is he's convinced Cheryl is immensely valuable.

"The audience warms to her, and that's worth money to Simon. Now that Cheryl's stopped ignoring him, he'll bend over backwards when they meet. She'll very much be part of the decision-making process."

Speaking of reports that Cole is planning a Channel 4 talkshow, the source added: "Cheryl doesn't want to be a judge and she doesn't want to delve into people's private lives on a chatshow."

Cole apparently turned down a role on Britain's Got Talent earlier in the year, which Cowell suggested as a peace offering. Alesha Dixon recently joined the show.

'Dancing on Ice' Christine Bleakley: 'Daybreak tough but rewarding'

'Dancing on Ice' Christine Bleakley: 'Daybreak tough but rewarding'

Christine Bleakley has admitted that she is "rather jubilant" to have her life back after her "challenging" Daybreak experience.

The Dancing On Ice host said she has no regrets about her time on the ITV breakfast show with Adrian Chiles, despite the media storm over their axing in November.

"I feel rather jubilant that my life is back," she told The Sun. "As challenging as the whole experience was for me, I'm very pleased I did it.

"It was possibly the toughest thing. It was a challenging time but we all knew it was the time to wrap it up."

Bleakley added that her Daybreak troubles had left her feeling uneasy about her Dancing on Ice debut tomorrow (January 8).

"I'm definitely nervous. It's such a huge set and it can be overwhelming but it's great Phillip Schofield's alongside me and there is a lovely team and crew behind the scenes," she said.

"Yesterday, as nervous as I was, I looked over at the celebs and I thought, 'You know what, you have it tougher than I do!' and they kind of calmed me in a reverse way... This was a new year, new show. It was perfect timing."

Bleakley confessed this week that Dancing on Ice is more "up [her] street" than Daybreak.

Celebrity Big Brother: Jodie Marsh sets bodybuilding task

Celebrity Big Brother: Jodie Marsh sets bodybuilding task

Jodie Marsh has entered the Celebrity Big Brother house for a bodybuilding task.

The housemates chose two team captains, who each picked members to battle it out in a series of challenges. The winners of each challenge will gain a five second time advantage for the final game - the Ultimate Challenge.

The Breakfast of Champions challenge will see one member from each team compete to finish a high protein bodybuilding breakfast, containing six raw eggs.

The Pose Down will involve Marsh coaching the housemates to strike the perfect body building poses before deciding who poses best when they walk down a catwalk.

Two housemates will go head-to-head in The Red Carpet Bleep Test in the large task room, which contains a paparazzi camera at either end. The two housemates must run between the cameras, making sure they are in position in time for the flash. The speed will increase as the task progresses.

The Ultimate Challenge will involve The Fame Ladder, with one member of each team attempting to climb a pair of 60ft high wire ladders suspended in the Garden. Between the rungs of each ladder are letters spelling out the word 'celebrity'.

As they make their way up the ladder they must collect these letters and place them in their satchel. The first housemate to get to the top of the ladder and grab the letter 'C' will win the task and a special reward for their team.

'Dancing On Ice' Corey Feldman to write exposé on Hollywood abuse

'Dancing On Ice' Corey Feldman to write exposé on Hollywood abuse

Corey Feldman has revealed plans to write a book about the abuse he experienced as a child actor.

The Dancing On Ice contestant claimed last year that "the number one problem in Hollywood was, and is, and always will be paedophilia".

He also blamed the death of his late friend and fellow Lost Boys star Corey Haim on the lifelong trauma experienced as a result of the abuse.

"When I was 14 and 15 things were happening to me. These older men were leching around like vultures," Feldman told The Sun. "It was basically me laying there pretending I was asleep and them going about their business.

"I will write a book - I will put all the information forward. There are people who have got away with it for so long they think they are above the law - that's got to stop.

"Corey and I were pegged as the scapegoats. Enough is enough. People need to know the reason Corey and I were swept under the carpet like the beaten dogs that were sent to the pound so no one had to deal with us anymore."

Feldman added that he has been reluctant to speak out in order to protect his 7-year-old son Zen.

The actor competes in Dancing On Ice, which starts tomorrow night (Sunday) at 6.30pm on ITV1.

The Wanted to perform on 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show'

The Wanted to perform on 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show'

The Wanted will perform on The Ellen DeGeneres Show next week, it has been announced.

Band member Max George confirmed on Twitter that they have secured a slot on the popular US talkshow.

"It's official peeps, The Wanted are coming to the US in 2 days to perform on @TheEllenShow Monday, airing Tuesday!! Everyone come see us!!!!" George said.

"You better be ready @TheEllenShow ... @thewantedmusic are coming! Be glad we came!!!" he added.

The Wanted's single 'Glad You Came' was picked up by a number of US radio stations last year and the band revealed they were in talks with US management.

Justin Bieber's manager Scooter Braun tweeted: "The call came in today. @thewantedmusic are coming to the US because they are wanted on @TheEllenShow for Monday airing on Tuesday. nice"

The Wanted have previously supported Bieber on tour in London and South America.

Mark Wright won't date 'Take Me Out' girls

Mark Wright won't date 'Take Me Out' girls

Mark Wright has revealed that he has banned himself from dating Take Me Out contestants.

The former Only Way Is Essex star secured a presenting role on spinoff Take Me Out: The Gossip after finishing second on I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here in December.

The new show will feature backstage news, behind-the-scenes footage and interviews from Club Fernandos, but Wright has insisted that he'll remain strictly professional in his role.

"Take Me Out girls may be looking for Mr Right - but it's not Mark Wright," he told The Sun.

"I'm single but there is no way I am dating anyone from the show. I'm working and I am too professional. It's not happening."

Speaking of co-host Zoe Hardman, he added: "I think this could be Zoe's big break. She's really good, we got on so well - she's great."

Wright also confessed that he is "nervous" about his debut presenting role since the show is brand new and yet to be established.

Wright was spotted kissing a mystery brunette at an Essex nightclub last week, despite reports he'd reunited with ex-girlfriend Lauren Goodger.

Take Me Out returns to ITV1 at 7.30pm tonight (Saturday), followed by Take Me Out: The Gossip on ITV2 at 8.30pm.

Celebrity Big Brother 2012 premieres with 3.5m

Celebrity Big Brother 2012 premieres with 3.5m

Celebrity Big Brother 2012 made a modest start on Thursday night, the latest overnight data indicates.

Only 3.46m (15.8%) watched the likes of Frankie Cocozza, Natalie Cassidy and Kirk Norcross enter the house from 9pm, a significant fall of 1.7m on last summer's series.

However, viewers stuck around for Celebrity Big Brother's Bit on the Side presented by Emma Willis, which won its 11pm timeslot with 1.07m (10.4%).

ITV1's Eternal Law edged BBC One's Public Enemies in the 9pm drama battle with 4.32m (17.3%) against the latter's 4.14m (16.6%). Eternal Law also pulled in 360k (1.9%) on ITV1 +1.

Over on BBC Two, Meet Britain's Chinese Tiger Mums interested 1.06m (4.2%), while Restoration Man logged 2.06m (8.3%) for Channel 4 (+1: 208k/1.1%).

During the 8pm hour, BBC One's nature series Earthflight continued with 4.63m (17.8%), holding up well against ITV's soap double of Emmerdale and Corrie.

Meanwhile, Location, Location, Location took 2.19m (8.5%) for Channel 4 (+1: 264k/1.1%), while 1.07m (4.1%) watched Channel 5's Building the Ice Hotel, and a Top Gear repeat had 1.59m (6.3%) between 7.30pm and 9pm.

George Lamb gameshow The Bank Job slumped to 1.03m (5.5%) at 10pm, adding 128k (1.3%) on Channel 4 +1.

Overall, ITV1 led primetime with 21.9% (+1: 0.9%) against BBC One's 20.4%. Channel 5 soared to third place with 9%, beating Channel 4's 6.5% (+1: 0.8%) and BBC Two's 5.3%.

'X-Men' star James Marsden 'wants more television roles'

'X-Men' star James Marsden 'wants more television roles'

James Marsden has revealed that he is keen to appear more on television.

The X-Men and Superman Returns actor will appear in the new season of 30 Rock as a love interest for Liz Lemon (Tina Fey).

Marsden told the Los Angeles Times: "[Working in TV is] definitely something I'm thinking about more and more these days, frankly, because it feels like there's just as much good work on TV as there is in film, if not more. And there are more great outlets.

"It just depends if I would find the right fit. I've never considered myself someone who would never consider it."

The actor added that he would accept a regular television role if the right project came along.

"If it's a great role, a great script, [and] has a great show runner - absolutely, I would," he said. "There are a lot of upsides to doing it. I'd be open to it."

Marsden - whose recent credits include 2009's The Box and 2011's Straw Dogs remake - admitted that he would love to appear on AMC drama Breaking Bad.

"That would be awesome," he confessed. "I'm game. I want to run all over the place."

The new season of 30 Rock begins on Thursday, January 12 at 8/7c on NBC.

Don Cheadle Goes for Laughs In the "Bold and Dangerous" House of Lies

Don Cheadle Goes for Laughs In the "Bold and Dangerous" House of Lies

Don Cheadle realizes he's best known for dramatic roles in such films as Crash, Hotel Rwanda and Traffic. But he finds it odd that so many viewers aren't expecting to see him flex his comedic muscles from him in his new series House of Lies.

"I do it all the time around my friends," he tells TVGuide.com with a laugh. "It's not a new side of me to me."

The Oscar-nominated actor will show many new sides of himself in the new Showtime comedy, premiering Sunday at 10/9c. In the series, which he also executive-produces, Cheadle plays Marty Kaan, a ruthless, manipulative, selfish management consultant whose team travels around the world analyzing companies and helping them close big business deals. Marty's one of the best in the country. The only one better? Marty's crazy ex-wife Monica (Dawn Olivieri), who is also the mother of the couple's gender boundaries-pushing son who'd rather audition for the role of Sandy than Danny in Grease.

"When you see a project that goes as far as this goes and is as bold and dangerous and funny as this is with this company that we were able to assemble — it was just a no-brainer," Cheadle says of his decision to pursue the project.

Levity may be nothing new for Cheadle, but creator Matthew Carnahan  says the actor's largely dramatic background was one of the reasons he got the part. "Don Cheadle is right for the role on so many levels," Carnahan says. "He's hysterically funny and his comedy is not tired because we don't think of him that way. So it's really a fresh thing to see him in a comedy."

Luckily, Cheadle is surrounded on the show by a group of actors — Kristen Bell, Ben Schwartz and Josh Lawson, the other members of Marty's team — who are more familiar in the comedy world. Since breaking onto the scene as a teenage wunderkind detective on Veronica Mars, Bell has moved towards more comedic material like Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Couples Retreat and a two-episode arc on Party Down. Schwartz, better known to Parks and Recreation fans as Jean-Ralphio (RIP Entertainment 720!), is an Upright Citizens Brigade improv comedy group regular, and Lawson is an alum of the acclaimed improv troupe "160 Characters."

"It was great to have a playground," Cheadle says of the environment his co-stars created. "It was great to have the opportunity to work with company members like this who are well-versed in it and just start throwing the ball around."

Cheadle's fellow company members seem to agree. "It ups your game. Don Cheadle's here and Kristen Bell's here, so I got to be the best version of me that I can when I'm acting," Schwartz says. "But at the same time, when its break time, they play with us and we joke around and become friends. It makes it so that you can't wait to come to work every day."

House of Lies premieres Sunday at 10/9c on Showtime.

NBC Taps Marcia Gay Harden for New Comedy Isabel

NBC Taps Marcia Gay Harden for New Comedy Isabel

Marcia Gay Harden may be returning to NBC in a full-time capacity.

The 52-year-old actress, who occasionally appears on Law & Order: SVU, has landed the leading role in the network's new comedy pilot Isabel, Entertainment Weekly reports. Harden will play Francis, the matriarch of a middle-class family that has to deal with the challenges of raising a daughter, Isabel (Sophia Mitri Schloss), who has magical qualities.

Marcia Gay Harden to guest-star on Bent

Inspired by the French-Canadian series Le Monde De Charlotte, the series will be executive-produced by Howard Busgang and Tom Nursall.

Harden, who was attached to ABC's comedy pilot Smothered, which failed to get a pick-up last season, will next guest-star on NBC's new comedy Bent.

Ron Howard Will Executive Produce TNT Reality Show 'The Great Escape'

Ron Howard Will Executive Produce TNT Reality Show 'The Great Escape'

Ron Howard is venturing into new territory. The award-winning filmmaker will executive producer TNT's first-ever reality competition, "The Great Escape."

The series will follow three teams as they compete for cash in castles, sinking ships, prisons and more action movie-esque locations each week. Howard, Brian Grazer and Bertram van Munster ("The Amazing Race") are among the executive producers of the show, which will be hosted by NFL Network star Rich Eisen.

“This is exactly the kind of fun, smart, unscripted competition show we’ve been looking for to complement TNT’s entertaining lineup of scripted dramas," TNT’s executive vice-president of programming Michael Wright said in a statement.

"The Great Escape" will kick off its 10-episode run on TNT this summer.

TV Tonight 8th of January 2012

TV Tonight 8th of January 2012

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

    60 Minutes (US) S44E16: "Season 44, Episode 16"
    After Lately S02E06: "Heather's Hickey"
    Alaska State Troopers S03E07: "Moose/Man Hunt"
    All-American Muslim S01E08: "Crunch Time"
    America's Funniest Home Videos S22E09: "Season 22, Episode 9"
    American Dad! S07E08: "The Unbrave One"
    Antiques Roadshow S34E15: "Hartland Abbey"
    Austin & Ally S01E04: "Zaliens & Cloud Watchers"
    AX Men S05E01: "Ax Is Back"
    Bakemonogatari S02E01: "Episode 1"
    Baseball Wives S01E05: "Season 1, Episode 5"
    Beelzebub S01E49: "New Year`s Special!
    Cajun Pawn Stars S01E01: "Donkeys and Dollars"
    Californication S05E01: "JFK --> LAX"
    Celebrity Big Brother S09E04: "Series 9, Episode 4"
    Celebrity Mastermind S10E10: "Series 10, Episode 10"
    Chef Roblé & Co S01E06: "Dinner Party Smackdown"
    Country Tracks S03E25: "Episode 101"
    CSI: Miami S10E12: "Friendly Fire"
    Cupcake Wars S04E05: "Final Cup(cakes)"
    Dancing on Ice S07E02: "Series 7, Show 1 (Result)"
    Dancing on Ice S07E01: "Series 7, Show 1"
    Dateline NBC S21E16: "SU2116"
    De Pappenheimers S10E09: "Season 10, Episode 9"
    Deal Or No Deal (UK) S07E127: "Episode 1807"
    Desperate Housewives S08E10: "What's to Discuss, Old Friend?"
    Digimon Xros Wars S03E14
    Drugs, Inc. S02E03: "Ecstasy"
    Family Guy S10E10: "Quagmire and Meg"
    Finding Bigfoot S02E02: "Big Rhodey"
    Gator Boys S01E01: "Mud Gator Attacks"
    Glam Fairy S01E09: "Ghosts & Glamazons"
    Got to Dance S03E11: "Series 3, Episode 11"
    Got to Dance S03E10: "Series 3, Episode 10"
    Great Barrier Reef S01E02: "Reef to Rainforest"
    Heartland (CA) S05E10: "Trust"
    Hell on Wheels S01E09: "Timshel"
    Hoarding: Buried Alive S03E11: "My House Can Kill Me"
    Holmes Inspection S03E20: "Minor Finds, Major Fixes"
    House Hunters S48E24: "Rocket Scientist Launches Home Search"
    House Hunters International S25E27
    House of Lies S01E01: "Gods of Dangerous Financial"
    Hunter X Hunter Remake S01E14: "Episode 14"
    Kidou Senshi Gundam Age S01E13: "Space Fortress Ambat"
    Kourtney and Kim Take New York S02E06: "Cats Away, Mice Play"
    Kourtney and Kim Take New York S02E07: "Kim Takes Dubai"
    Leverage S04E17: "The Radio Job"
    Masterpiece S42E01: "Downton Abbey II: (Episode 1)"
    Million Dollar Contractor S01E08: "The Teacher's Apartment"
    Million Dollar Contractor S01E07: "Sprawling East Side Apt - Part 2"
    Mirai Nikki S01E13: "Restricted Call"
    Mob Wives S02E02: "Hell On Heels"
    Moretsu Uchuu Kaizoku S01E01: "Episode 1"
    My Fair Wedding S05E08: "Motown Bride"
    NFL On FOX S18E92: "NFC Wild Card Game
    Nightmare Next Door S02E01: "Recipe for Murder"
    On The Case With Paula Zahn S05E08: "Last Rites"
    Once Upon a Time S01E08: "Desperate Souls"
    One Piece (JP) S06E14: "The King of Fishman Island, Sea God Neptune!"
    Pan Am S01E10: "Secrets and Lies"
    Penoza S02E01: "Season 2, Episode 1"
    Phi Brain: Kami no Puzzle S01E14: "Episode 14"
    Rachael vs. Guy Celebrity Cook Off S01E02: "Let Them Eat Cake"
    Rinne no Lagrange S01E01: "Episode 1"
    Robot Chicken S05E18: "Casablankman II"
    Shake It Up S02E13: "Apply It Up"
    Shameless (US) S02E01: "Summertime"
    Sherlock S02E02: "The Hounds of Baskerville"
    Ski Sunday S34E01: "Series 34, Episode 1"
    Snapped S08E34: "Dallia Dippolito"
    So Random! S01E20: "Andy Grammer"
    Something For The Weekend S07E01: "Series 7, Show 1"
    Társas játék S01E13: "Season 1, Episode 13"
    That Sunday Night Show S03E01: "Series 3, Episode 1"
    The Cleveland Show S03E08: "Y Tu Junior Tambien"
    The Firm S01E02: "Chapter Two"
    The Firm S01E01: "Pilot"
    The Good Wife S03E12: "Alienation Of Affection"
    The Hotel S02E02: "Series 2, Episode 2"
    The Real Housewives Of Atlanta S04E09: "Unlikely Duos"
    The Simpsons S23E10: "Politically Inept, With Homer Simpson"
    Toriko S01E39: "Episode 39"
    Unique Eats S04E04: "Bar Food"
    Watch What Happens: Live S06E01: "Season 6, Episode 1"
    Wild at Heart S07E01: "Series 7, Episode 1"
    Witse S09E01: "Tattoo Tim"
    Под прикритие S02E08: "Season 2, Episode 8"

Miranda Lambert to Make Acting Debut on Law & Order: SVU

Miranda Lambert to Make Acting Debut on Law & Order: SVU

Country music spitfire Miranda Lambert will make her acting debut on an upcoming episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, TVGuide.com has learned exclusively.

Law & Order: SVU scoop: Harry Connick Jr. to play Benson's new love interest

Lambert, who is married to Blake Shelton, a coach on NBC's hit singing competition The Voice, will play an actress who claims to have been sexually assaulted by a reality show producer. Michael McKean (Laverne &Shirley, This Is Spinal Tap, Smallville) will play the alleged sleazebag in question. Given that Lambert's album and song titles include Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Kerosene and "Gunpowder & Lead," he'd better watch his back!

News of Lambert's casting comes a day after the NBC procedural announced that singer-actor Harry Connick Jr. will play a love interest for Mariska Hargitay's Detective Benson in a four-episode arc. Connick will also appear in Lambert's episode.

Get more scoop on your favorite shows in our Winter TV preview

Lambert, 28, won a Grammy in 2011 and has received numerous other awards from the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music. She first rose to fame on USA's Nashville Star, a reality singing competition on which she placed third. Her most recent album, Four the Record, was released in November 2011.

Law & Order: SVU airs Wednesdays at 10/9c on NBC. Lambert's episode has not yet been scheduled.

Parks and Recreation Exclusive: Amy Poehler to Direct May Sweeps Episode About

Parks and Recreation Exclusive: Amy Poehler to Direct May Sweeps Episode About

Leslie Knope’s race for city council on Parks and Recreation just got a major — some might say unfair — boost: An upcoming episode that finds Leslie facing off against her opponent in a debate was written and will be directed by the underdog candidate herself, Amy Poehler!

“It’s f—ing great,” declares executive producer Mike Schur of the episode, this season’s 20th. “It’s an awesome, funny script.”

Although Poehler has penned episodes of Parks and Rec before, this will be her first time stepping behind the cameras.

Schur isn’t revealing much else about the episode, save for the fact that the debate will be moderated by Pawnee talking head Perd Hapley.

'Sherlock's' Benedict Cumberbatch up for season 3

'Sherlock's' Benedict Cumberbatch up for season 3

The big news for British star Benedict Cumberbatch is that he's been tapped by J.J. Abrams to star as an as-yet-unnamed character in the "Star Trek" sequel. But for a certain portion of the population -- call us the Baker Street Irregulars -- the "Trek" news is eclipsed by the fact that Cumberbatch isn't just back for a second season of "Sherlock," but will be on hand for a third, too.

Squee.

"You might see it's quite hard for me to make it back by the end of the last episode," said Cumberbatch at a Wednesday (Jan. 5) interview at the Television Critics Association winter press tour.

Still, a moment later executive producer Rebecca Eaton confirmed that Cumberbatch would in fact return for a third outing as the updated Sir Arthur Conan Doyle sleuth.

Cumberbatch also talked about a new dynamic entering the scene in season 2 -- which will air on PBS in the spring: Holmes' distaff nemesis/love interest Irene Adler, played by Laura Pulver.

"This isn't going to be a love, guys, where we get boring and mushy," said Cumberbatch.

Though it may get, umm, naked. Apparently one minute out of the 90-minute first episode features a nude Pulver.

"She's a dominatrix," said Pulver. "Nudity is nothing to her ... but it was no mean feat for me to shoot it being naked for eight hours in just a pair of Louboutin shoes."

Producer Eaton is quick to dispel any impression that Holmes is R-rated viewing.

"This is sex on public television," she said. "He touches her hand."

So, we know what to expect from "Sherlock": a dominatrix and a third season with Cumberbatch in the title role.

'Glee' cast, George Clooney going 'Inside the Actors Studio'

'Glee' cast, George Clooney going 'Inside the Actors Studio'

If you've watched "Glee" and pondered long and hard about how, say, Cory Monteith and Lea Michele finds the center of their characters, you're in luck: The show's cast and creative team will chat with James Lipton on "Inside the Actors Studio" in 2012.

There's no date yet for the episode, nor has Bravo said which cast members will take part. Creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan will also likely be on hand.

The "Glee" interview is one of two "Actors Studio" installments on tap for 2012. George Clooney will also sit down with Lipton in a show scheduled to air Jan. 31.

Clooney is currently a Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Award nominee for best actor for his role in "The Descendants," and he's considered an Oscar contender too (nominations will be announced Jan. 24). He's also up for best director and best screenplay honors at the Globes for "The Ides of March."

Why 'The Voice' Isn't 'X Factor' or 'American Idol'

Why 'The Voice' Isn't 'X Factor' or 'American Idol'

"We all told them we're not signing up for this show if it's about ridiculing someone or mocking talent," says Christina Aguilera.

The executive producer and stars (or coaches) of NBC’s The Voice had no problem distinguishing their show from the glut of singing competition shows dotting the television landscape.

The show usually makes a big deal about its blind auditions, the item that makes them the most obviously different from other competitions and Friday's TCA session was no different. But, they also touched on something that makes them especially different: The fact that they don't even air the bad auditions.

"The idea of finding people who couldn’t sing and making a mockery of someone" isn't the show's style, executive producer Mark Burnett says and the show's stars firmly back him up on that.

“We all told them we’re not signing up for this show if it’s about ridiculing someone or mocking talent,” said Christina Aguilera, in a thinly veiled swipe at Fox’s American Idol and X Factor.

“Essentially this show is about artist development,” added Cee Lo Green.

And Adam Levine explains that the talent level definitely makes the critiques different, as well. "There's a difference between being critical and just willfully mean," he says. "The talent level, especially this year, is pretty high so that you can be honest and say, 'This isn’t your best' rather than they suck."

At the same time, Burnett knows that fans have been trained by its competition to expect the conflict that bad talent and mean judges' comments bring to a show such as this one. He says that's replaced on The Voice with the idea of superstar judges begging unknowns to join their teams and competing against each other throughout the competition.

The Voice has become a bright spot for basement-dwelling NBC. And the network will bow the second season of the show Feb. 5 after NBC’s telecast of the Super Bowl, giving The Voice a monster lead-in that will expose the show to millions of potential new fans and likely juice the show’s season tune-in average for the entire season.

Still, executive producer Mark Burnett declined to speculate on the show’s sophomore season ratings predictions. “I’ve had shows that have done phenomenally well and shows that haven’t done well. I’m not that good at predictions.”

Asked if he learned anything from Simon Cowell’s overblown ratings forecast for the premiere of The X Factor, Burnett bluntly replied: “I’m hoping the lesson learned there is say less about your big predictions.”

Joan Rivers' 'Fashion Police' Will Expand to One-Hour Format in March

Joan Rivers' 'Fashion Police' Will Expand to One-Hour Format in March

With an extra half hour each week, the series will add a "street style" segment and "guess me by my style" game.

E!'s Fashion Police is getting super-sized.

Just as the network had done with E! News a year earlier, the fashion show, hosted by Joan Rivers, will move from a half-hour to an hour beginning March 9.

Rivers, along with her opinionated panel of Kelly Osbourne, Giuliana Rancic and George Kotsiopoulos, will incorporate more guest stars and new segments, including "street style" and a "guess me by my style" game.

In addition, the extra thirty minutes will allow the the comedian to spend more time outside of the studio, visiting designers in their showrooms, hanging backstage at fashion shows and doling out brutally honest fashion advice to wanting -- and unwanting -- celebrities.

“Comedic commentary is a signature part of the E! brand that resonates with our audience and we will continue to look for opportunities like this to further invest in the genre and bring more clever humor to the network,” said E!'s president of entertainment programming Lisa Berger in a statement.

The news comes as the cable network is looking to evolve into a "smarter" and more "aspirational" destination under the leadership of new entertainment chief Suzanne Kolb and her boss, NBC Cable Entertainment chairwoman Bonnie Hammer.

Since Fashion Police launched in September 2010, the weekly series produced by Comcast Entertainment Studios has been a solid performer for the female-centric network. It regularly lures nearly 1 million viewers, and has grown each quarter.

5 Things to Know About Jeff Lewis' New Bravo Series, 'Interior Therapy'

5 Things to Know About Jeff Lewis' New Bravo Series, 'Interior Therapy'

Part remodeling, part relationship counseling, the outspoken home designer branches out to his second reality show for the network.

Bravo has found the perfect vehicle for Flipping Out star, Jeff Lewis, with his new home remodeling series, Interior Therapy, which combines both his talent for remodeling with his tendency to pick out what’s wrong with people.

Lewis and longtime assistant, Jenni Pulos, appeared Saturday at Bravo’s TCA presentation in Pasadena and here’s five things they revealed about the new series.

1. It’s both home design and therapy show rolled into one. “It’s conflict by design,” executive producer Andrew Hoegl describes the series, which places Jeff and Jenni in clients' homes for both a remodel and a hard look at their relationships. “We were looking for people who have a problem that’s centered around their space.”

2. The client isn’t totally out of the loop. Unlike other remodeling shows, it sounds like these clients won’t be going away for several days to a big reveal at the end of the episode without having some say. “I try to keep them as involved as possible without ruining the surprise. I prefer a client to be very involved,” says Lewis.

3. Housekeeper Zoila stars also. “Does she want to be there? No. Does she eat all day long at Craft service? Yes,” Lewis jokes. He says the housekeeper helps in the beginning of the process to pack up, organize and clean before the remodeling happens. She also comes in to clean and set up before the clients return to see their homes at the end of the process.

4. There’s some investment in these clients’ lives. “We got really emotionally involved,” Pulos says of the clients they work with. At the same time, Jeff is clear that doesn’t mean he ends up liking everyone they work with. “We spend so much time with these people. It’s not always about the paycheck -- which is why I did this,” he says. He then adds, “I sometimes hated them, wanted them dead, and wanted to go to the neighbors and see what I could do there.”

5. Things don’t always go as planned. “We don’t always finish,” Lewis says. He says we’ll definitely see the real side of home remodeling shows in that they don’t always finish the job in the time allotted.

Kristy McNichol, 'Family' and 'Empty Nest' Actress, Comes Out as Lesbian

Kristy McNichol, 'Family' and 'Empty Nest' Actress, Comes Out as Lesbian

The former sitcom star made the announcement in hopes of helping others who are victims of bullying.

Kristy McNichol, best known for her roles on Family and Empty Nest, has been out of the spotlight for quite some time, but decided to walk back into the public eye, announcing that she is a lesbian, and revealing that she has been happily living with her partner for that past two decades.

The actress, who no longer works in the business, told People that she made the decision to come out as a lesbian because she is "approaching 50" and wants to "be open about who I am."

Her publicist told People that McNichol is upset about young people being bullied. "She hopes that coming out can help kids who need support. She would like to help others who feel different,” said the rep.

McNichol, 49, also provided a photo to people, showing her and her partner Martie Allen, also 49, smiling at a dinner.

McNichol played Buddy Lawrence on the show Family in the 70s, and won an Emmy for her work on the show. She also starred as Barbara Weston on Empty Nest. She also had several roles in films, including in 1980’s Little Darlings.

She has not worked in the industry in years, focusing on her personal life and health. She was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 1992. Currently living in Los Angeles, she spends her free time traveling, playing tennis and doing yoga.

TV broadcasters enjoy spoils of political wars

TV broadcasters enjoy spoils of political wars

One winner in 2012's political races already has been decided: local television stations.

Spending on TV advertising likely will mount to historic levels as candidates again blanket airwaves with commercials pitching their virtues or bashing their opponents. The hard-fought, and expensive, battles will provide a welcome windfall for TV stations, particularly in the most tightly contested states that will decide if President Barack Obama wins re-election or loses to his yet-to-be-decided Republican opponent.

Forecasters are calling for spending on political advertisements to increase up to 30 percent this year compared with 2008, setting a new record and reflecting, in part, a response to the landmark "Citizens United" 2010 Supreme Court ruling, which ended most restrictions on donations by corporations and unions. This is the first presidential election since the ruling.

The decision fostered the creation of Super PACs, fundraising committees that can spend money to support a candidate but cannot officially coordinate with campaigns. Republican Mitt Romney's Super PAC, Restore Our Future, has raised at least $12.2 million, while Obama's Super PAC, Priorities USA Action, has raised at least $3.2 million, according to OpenSecrets.org, a website associated with the nonpartisan group Center for Responsive Politics.

Around 85 percent of the money that is raised and spent on advertising historically goes toward local broadcast TV. In 2012, that could total between $2.5 billion to $3.0 billion, said Ken Goldstein, president of Kantar Media's Campaign Media Analysis Group.

"Television advertising remains a message weapon of choice to most campaigns," Goldstein said. "Every year is a record."

Spending in 2012 should easily beat the mark of $2.4 billion in the 2010 mid-term elections, the first to include Super Pac money and a cycle that featured no presidential race on the ballot but saw gubernatorial and Senate contests in big, expensive states such as California, Texas and New York. By comparison, about $2.1 billion was spent on local broadcast TV commercials in 2008 -- before the creation of the new rules governing Super Pacs.

That will undoubtedly boost the fortunes of companies that operate and own local TV stations. Those dozen or so companies with stations in the battleground states of the Midwest should benefit most as political money floods in, but among that group the biggest winners are difficult to predict since much will depend on how the campaign unfolds district-by-district.

Among the potential beneficiaries is CBS Corp, which owns stations in Colorado, Florida, Pennsylvania and Michigan. News Corp's Fox controls stations in Michigan, Florida and Pennsylvania, while Gannett Co Inc. has them in Colorado, Florida, Michigan.

But because they are smaller -- without, say, movie studios and book divisions such as News Corp -- the impact of the 2012 election cycle will be felt even more bluntly on a handful of smaller media companies that own ABC, NBC, CBS or Fox affiliated stations in key election states.

It's a prospect that has not been lost on investors, who, anticipating strong political spending and a better advertising market in general, scooped up shares of E.W. Scripps, Belo Corp., Sinclair Broadcast Group, Media General throughout the fall.

Sinclair, for instance, is up 53 percent in the last three months, Belo, Scripps and Media General are all at least 25 percent stronger over the same period. All have outperformed the broader market, and the consensus among analysts is that they have more upside.

"It looks like it could be an incredibly strong spending year, if the Republicans can settle on a candidate fairly soon and get the head-to-head race going," Scripps CEO Rich Boehne said at a recent conference, telling investors the company sold $48 million in political ads in 2010 and $42 million in 2008.

"Any way it goes, it is going to be a strong year, and we have got sensational geography for political," he said.

Indeed, which stations cash in the most will depend partly on how quickly the Republican party settles on a nominee. A long, tightly-contested Republican Primary, for instance, could mean stations in the March 6 "Super Tuesday" states such as Massachusetts, Ohio, Tennessee and Virginia could see heavy activity from Republican spenders.

Even California would get an unexpected shot of campaign spending right before its June 5th vote if the Republican race is still up in the air.

Should Romney keep his momentum coming out of Iowa and clinch the Republican spot early, then the money will be concentrated on the swing states of the general election.

"The ad dollars are still going to get spent. They're just going to get spent on the presidential campaign," said Carl Salas, senior analyst for Moody's Investors Service. "You would see the Democrats needing to step up even sooner in those swing states."

Salas pointed to Gray Television and LIN TV Corp as companies likely to benefit the most from political ads in 2012. The three were among the broadcasters with the highest percentages of political advertising in the 2010 election season, he said.

Gray in particular owns stations in many state capitals and college towns that are politically active markets, Salas said. Key states for Gray in the presidential race include Florida, Indiana and North Carolina.

And while it's stock is up 15 percent in the last three months, the gains are not as dramatic as some of its competitors, which could make it one of the hot media companies of 2012.

Spanish-language broadcasters including Entravision Communications and Univision also stand to reap a growing share of political ads. "The candidates know they need to win a good portion of the Spanish-language vote to win the election. What used to not be a target for the campaigners will now be something they are going to focus on," Salas said.

Whatever the market, local TV advertising will still get the lion's share of spending, experts agree, even with the growing popularity of creating buzz through social networks and newer media.

"TV still seems to be the one place that gets the big audiences, and it's so immediate," said Maribeth Papuga, who oversees local TV and radio purchases as director of Local Video Investment and Activation at media agency MediaVest.

Besides, she said, campaign managers and politicians "are simply creatures of habit."

Joe Scarborough: Obama the Favorite in 2012

Joe Scarborough: Obama the Favorite in 2012

MSNBC "Morning Joe" host Joe Scarborough predicts Mitt Romney will emerge as the Republican presidential nominee, but that he'll be so weakened by the nominating process that President Obama will be hard to beat.

"I think actually if you look at the numbers ... unemployment's going down. If those trends continue I think it's going to be hard for Mitt Romney to win," Scarborough, a former Republican congressman, told TheWrap. "And I do think these debates have really damaged the Republican brand. And these weak candidates that have come out that are a product of new media ... really damaged the Republican brand."

Scarborough and his co-host, Mika Brzezinski, spoke at the Television Critics Association winter press tour about "Morning Joe." In a brief interview after their panel, Brzezinski predicted outright an Obama win, but Scarborough stopped short of that.

"No. There's stil a lot of drama," he said.

Brzezinksi asked Scarborough: "Can you say the party has not produced a strong field that can really take this opportunity [to beat Obama]? An opportunity that is wide open?"

"No doubt about it," Scarborough said. "I think he's got to be the favorite."

Scarborough, Brzezinski, and "Morning Host" cohort Willie Geist appeared on the panel with MSNBC president Phil Griffin, who declined to discuss Keith Olbermann's recent spat with Current TV. Olbermann abruptly quit MSNBC just short of a year ago, and joined Current months later.

Griffin feigned unfamiliarity with Olbermann's current situation during the panel, and later told TheWrap, "I don't discuss it."

The "Morning Joe" team talked about how their relaxed, conversational approach to politics and issues of the day has helped theirs become the second-highest cable news show in the morning, behind Fox's "Fox and Friends." Griffin said MSNBC planned a New York Times advertisement for Sunday that will say, essentially, that "Morning Joe" has been often imitated but never equaled.

Scarborough and Brzezinski, who recently extended their contracts with MSNBC, confirmed CBS had talked with them about joining the network. But they ultimately opted not to, in part because a network news show wouldn't allow them to have the kind of 30-minute interviews that are a hallmark of the show, Scarborough said.

He said the show discovered the importance of long interviews in part because of a talk with Walter Isaacson about his Albert Einstein biography.

The author declined to come into the studio for an early morning interview, Scarborough said, so the host suggested they talk by phone. Scarborough's executive producer thought a phone interview about Einstein and 100-year-old theories in physics would be deathly dull television, but Scarborough insisted on pressing on and doing a second segment.

"And so we go on for another 15 minutes -- 30 minutes with Walter Isaacson, talking on a phone, it's obvious that he just rolled over in bed, talking about Albert Einstein," Scarborough said.

"The next day we get the ratings back. It was our highest rated 30 minutes."

Bravo Gives Kathy Griffin Primetime Talk Show

Bravo Gives Kathy Griffin Primetime Talk Show

Bravo announced that Kathy Griffin will host a one-hour weekly talk show beginning this spring, as well as renewals for "The Millionaire Matchmaker," "Pregnant in Heels," and "Million Dollar Listing LA."

The network also announced that culinary experts Curtis Stone and Cat Cora will host the previously announced international cooking competition "Around the World in 80 Plates."

"Kathy" will be "the destination to get Griffin's thoughts on everything pop culture as she rants on the week's biggest headlines and tabloid gossip," Bravo said in a news release. It will also feature standup, celebrity interviews and prerecorded segments.

Griffin will also appear in two new one-hour comedy specials this year, adding to her 13 previous Bravo specials since 2005.

"The Millionaire Matchmaker" will will return for a sixth season, "Pregnant in Heels" for a second, and and "Million Dollar Listing LA" for a fifth.

Bravo boasted its sixth consecutive best year ever, and ranked eleventh among all cable networks in the 18-49 demographic. It will increase its original programming by 25 percent in 2012.

"Around the World in 80 Plates," which Bravo announced in August, follows 12 chefs as they compete in 10 countries in 44 days.

Ex-Urkel Jaleel White: I Would Love to Be on 'Breaking Bad'

Ex-Urkel Jaleel White: I Would Love to Be on 'Breaking Bad'

"I would love to be on 'Breaking Bad,'" says Jaleel White, best known for playing teen nerd Steve Urkel on nine seasons of the sitcom "Family Matters." He repeats for emphasis: "I would love to be on "Breaking Bad."

Hahaha, you may say. "Breaking Bad"? The incredibly gritty and intense AMC drama about a chemisty teacher turned methamphetamine kingpin? Steve Urkel, he of the high-waisted pants and nasal catchphrase, on "Breaking Bad"? That, you laugh, would be like the dad on "Malcolm in the Middle" starring on "Breaking Bad."

Except that Malcolm's dad -- Bryan Cranston -- does star on "Breaking Bad." And has won three consective Emmys for it.

Cranston's success in breaking his "Malcolm" typecasting has been one model for White as he continues to establish himself outside the role that made him famous. Now a writer as well as an actor, the 35-year-old has worked steadily since "Family Matters" wrapped in 1997, logging recent turns "Psych," "House," and "NCIS."

We talked with him at the Television Critics Association winter press tour, where he is promoting his upcoming SyFy series, "Total Blackout," in which contestants have to undergo a series of frightening challenges in total darkness. (They may have to reach into a tank, for example, with no idea what's inside. In the dark, an eel and a teddy bear can be equally frightening.) White hosts the show.

Now a sharp-dressed, deep-voiced man who bears no resemblance to Urkel, he talked with us about his own fears, why he sympathizes with Bristol Palin, and his respect for both Cranston and  Giancarlo Esposito, who played "Breaking Bad" villain Gustavo "Chicken Man" Fring.

"Total Blackout" is all about facing the things that scare you. What scares you, whether it's a big-picture fear or something like hating snakes?
I probably used to have a fear of failure, personally. But I think I've definitely overcome that. I'm a father now so I have a two-year-old daughter. The second you get that child in this world to help you realize it's not about you. But other than that, I don't like possums.

Why a fear of failure? You were a huge success right out of the gate.
That's the reason why. Because you know how it happened. You know that there's a lot of happenstance, a lot of moon, stars and dust that add up to create success. And you can't control all of that.