Michael Jackson tribute helps 'Glee' to season high for Fox

Michael Jackson tribute helps 'Glee' to season high for Fox

A Michael Jackson-themed Glee episode scored highly in the ratings last night, Nielsen overnight data reveals.

The Fox musical comedy hit a season high of 9m (3.6) for the Jackson tribute episode.

Straight after Glee, the latest New Girl pulled in 7.2m (3.5), slightly up on its last instalment a fortnight ago.

After a long eight-week hiatus, Ringer returned to The CW with just 1.4m (0.6), prior to which 1.4m (0.7) watched 90210.

Rather than seeing a boost in viewers, Celebrity Wife Swap's finale mustered 5.6m (1.9), an all-time low for the ABC reality show.

Last Man Standing repeats in the 8pm hour had 5.6m (1.5) and 5.7m (1.7), while 5.4m (1.1) watched an old edition of Body of Proof at 10pm.

For NBC, The Biggest Loser held up with 6.1m (2.1) between 8pm and 10pm, then the audience dropped for a Parenthood rerun, which amused 2.4m (0.7).

Elsewhere, catchups of NCIS (12.9m/2.0), NCIS: Los Angeles (11.1m/1.7) and Unforgettable (7.8m/1.4) helped CBS to a runner-up primetime finish behind Fox.

Nicola McLean: 'Celebrity Big Brother was worst decision of my life'

Nicola McLean: 'Celebrity Big Brother was worst decision of my life'

Nicola McLean has taken a swipe at the editing of Celebrity Big Brother, claiming that taking part was the "worst decision" of her life.

The glamour model described her experience on the reality show as "horrible" and advised This Morning host Holly Willoughby to never take part.

"It was horrible in there, everything was horrible. Honestly, it was probably the worst decision of my life to go in there," she told Willoughby and Eamonn Holmes.

"Holly, please take my advice, not a lot of people take my advice, but go and eat bugs in the jungle [on I'm a Celebrity] - do not go into the Big Brother house!"

She added: "There were good points and I made some really good friends in there, but the editing is very clever which we will talk about after this..."

McLean was evicted in the semi-final of the Channel 5 series."It was horrible in there, everything was horrible. Honestly, it was probably the worst decision of my life to go in there," she told Willoughby and Eamonn Holmes.

"Holly, please take my advice, not a lot of people take my advice, but go and eat bugs in the jungle [on I'm a Celebrity] - do not go into the Big Brother house!"

She added: "There were good points and I made some really good friends in there, but the editing is very clever which we will talk about after this..."

McLean was evicted in the semi-final of the Channel 5 series.

Hot Trailer: HBO’s ‘Game Change’

Hot Trailer: HBO’s ‘Game Change’

HBO has released a full-length trailer for director Jay Roach’s Game Change with Julianne Moore as Sarah Palin, Ed Harris as John McCain and Woody Harrelson as McCain campaign manager Steve Schmidt.

Screenplay by Danny Strong, based on the book by John Heilman and Mark Halperin. It debuts March 10th.

'The Voice's Aguilera, Green, Shelton, Levine to sing Prince medley

'The Voice's Aguilera, Green, Shelton, Levine to sing Prince medley

Christina Aguilera, Adam Levine, Cee Lo Green and Blake Shelton will perform a medley of Prince songs on The Voice.

The Voice coaches are to join forces for a selection of the 'Purple Rain' singer's greatest hits on the second episode of The Voice on Monday, February 6, reports People.

The Voice premieres its second season following the Super Bowl on Sunday, February 5, with Aguilera and her fellow coaches evaluating blind auditions.

Shelton recently discussed The Voice's second season and revealed that the show makes him feel grateful for his success.

The 'Honey Bee' musician said of this year's contestants: "When you work that closely with a bunch of people that are trying desperately to make it in this business, you can't help but see yourself in them a little bit…

"They reminded me how lucky I am that I'm in this position, because that was me not too long ago, and they really recharged me and made me excited about what I do again."

Carson Daly - who hosts The Voice - has promised that the new season will redefine the way music is performed on television.

The Voice returns immediately following the Super Bowl on Sunday, February 5 on NBC and will then air in its regular slots on Monday at 8/7c on NBC.

'Geordie Shore' Ricci blasts 'fake' 'Only Way Is Essex', 'Scousewives'

'Geordie Shore' Ricci blasts 'fake' 'Only Way Is Essex', 'Scousewives'

Geordie Shore newcomer Ricci Guarnaccio has hit out at rival reality shows Desperate Scousewives and The Only Way Is Essex, describing them as "fake".

Guarnaccio made his debut in the MTV reality TV series last night (January 31) and spoke to Digital Spy at the cast screening in Newcastle.

"This series is going to blow you away, it's just so real. We're boxing it off. You are going to be in for a shock," said Ricci.

"Did you see TOWIE the other night? You thought it was boring? You hit the nail on the head. I really liked the first series with Mark Wright and all the big characters, but it just feels really forced now. It's just people doing this scene, the next scene and being placed everywhere.

"Geordie Shore is just us, having a great time and it's what really happens.

"I mean, Joey Essex is starting to be something he's not [in TOWIE], hanging around clubs trying to be really cool."

Mocking Channel 4's scripted reality series Desperate Scousewives, he added: "Everyone knows it's boring. Everyone who watched it agreed that it was rubbish."

Geordie Shore airs on Tuesday nights at 10pm on MTV.

Can TLC's 'Sorority Girls' Spread the Greek Life to Great Britain?

Can TLC's 'Sorority Girls' Spread the Greek Life to Great Britain?

The cast of the network's new reality series premiering Tuesday at 9 p.m. finds that pickings may be slim for its UK pledge class.

TLC’s new reality series, Sorority Girls, attempts to spread the American collegiate tradition of Greek life to the UK by establishing its first-ever sorority – Sigma Gamma.

Cameras document the social experiment 24/7 as American sisters search to find a British pledge class that represents the values and character traits they’re looking for in its sorority’s five open spots.

“First and foremost, I really want well-rounded girls,” the sorority’s president, Amelia, says. “Someone who takes their studies seriously…”

Come on, we all know what you’re really looking for. Amelia later adds, “Overall, someone who’s really fun and wants to have a good time.” Bingo!

Watch The Hollywood Reporter’s sneak peek at the series premiere below as the candidates literally dance around the interview process.

Sorority Girls premieres Tuesday at 9 p.m. on TLC.

One EP Describes the Complicated Casting of TLC's 'Undercover Princes'

One EP Describes the Complicated Casting of TLC's 'Undercover Princes'

The quest for three single royals willing to move across the globe to tape a reality show requires a surprising amount of handwritten correspondence.

In 2009, Undercover Princes made its U.K. debut on BBC Three, chronicling the fish-out-of-water antics of three very different royals as they dated and worked blue collar jobs in Brighton, England.

Now, three years later, it's been given an American edit and narrator for a stateside run on TLC. And one of the many reasons why the original footage of Princes Manvendra (India), Africa Zulu (Zululand, South Africa) and Remigius (Jaffna, Sri Lanka) wasn't scrapped for new royals hiding out in New Jersey is that casting a show like this isn't exactly easy.

"The pool wasn't very deep," EP Nick Parnes tells The Hollywood Reporter. "Not only were we looking for a prince, we were looking for someone who wanted to find love and also wanted to come to the U.K. to find that person."

Obviously, there are a limited number of monarchies and royal lines left in the world, so the team behind the series (Kalel/Objective Productions) started by approaching embassies, diplomats and even travel agents about vehicles for communicating with royal families.

"It would take at least 10 phone calls to get to almost the right person," says Parnes. "You have to go through several levels of royal protocol, and each royal family has its own different way... Sometimes you have to write a letter that has to be sent by royal mail rather than by courier."

Other times, it proved much easier. Some press secretaries handed out the digits to the royal cell phone and others had direct contacts on websites intended to court publicity. "Each one is so very different," Parnes adds.

Something quite different about Undercover Princes is that one of its three cast members is openly gay. Crown Prince Manvendra, a member of one of India's wealthiest royal clans, came out of the closet in 2006.

Parnes admits that it wasn't originally the series intention to go that route, but when they found Manvendra, they knew they wanted him.

"It happened organically in the casting process," he says. "However, when we organically found that person we instantly knew that he would be top of the list. We're pleased that was the case. It was perfect in the end."

But with all dating-based reality series, love and partnership isn't often the final outcome. And with so much distance between TLC's premiere and the original run of Undercover Princes, Parnes admits that a British bride (or groom) wasn't in the cards for most.

"One of the princesses is in very close contact with someone they met on the show," he says of spin-off Undercover Princesses (premiering on TLC next month), "so it worked for one of them."

Producers instead measure the success for the participants in other ways.

"For them, it was a new lease on life," says Parnes. "They've compared [royal life] to living in cages, with all of their airs and graces. They can't have normal jobs or meet normal people. They're always held in check. They absolutely loved it."

Simon Cowell I'm Not Finished With Paula Abdul

Simon Cowell I'm Not Finished With Paula Abdul

Simon Cowell says he's still close with Paula Abdul -- even though he just fired her ass -- and plans to work with her again in the very near future.

Cowell just released a statement about the bloodbath at "X Factor" ... saying, "I want to say a massive thank you to Paula, Nicole and Steve for being part of the 'X Factor' last year."

He added, "You do develop friendships with the people you work with and Paula, in particular, is a very close friend and I expect to be working with her on another project in the near future."

Joe Manganiello: 'True Blood helps people through tough times'

Joe Manganiello: 'True Blood helps people through tough times'

Joe Manganiello has suggested that True Blood brings comfort to its viewers in these tough economic times.

The actor - who plays the werewolf Alcide Herveaux on True Blood - said that the HBO series allows its viewers to get lost in a world of fantasy and intrigue for an hour each week.

"Honestly [our success] might be the fact that we're in a global economic recession, and people need this kind of fantasy to get far away from where they're at," Manganiello told Flaunt.

He added: "When finances are down werewolves embody people's fears that the masses are going to turn animalistic - a fear that the have-nots will attack the haves."

Manganiello also revealed that he had a troubled childhood because his vivid dreams of monsters coming out his closet often caused him to be ostracised from other kids.

"I'd always yell at my mum to close the door at night because I wanted monsters to come out of the closet and from under the bed," he recalled. "I really felt like if they existed, they would at least be my friends."

The actor went on to say: "I really didn't feel like I fit in until I got True Blood. I've never been more fulfilled in my entire life, from the time I wake up until the time I go to sleep at night. I always felt like something was missing, and I don't anymore."

Manganiello recently promised that Alcide won't be "taking anyone's shit" in True Blood's new season.

The fifth season of True Blood premieres on HBO this summer.

Natalie Portman developing ABC drama pilot 'Scruples'

Natalie Portman developing ABC drama pilot 'Scruples'

Natalie Portman is to executive produce a new drama pilot for ABC.

Scruples is based on the 1978 novel by Judith Krantz and charts the life of Wilhelmina 'Billy' Hunnewell Winthrop.

After deciding to reinvent herself, Billy loses weight and survives her rich first husband, eventually opening Beverly Hills clothing boutique 'Scruples'.

Portman will produce the pilot alongside Tony Krantz, son of author Judith, while Mel Harris and The Wonder Years writer Bob Brush will script the pilot, according to Entertainment Weekly.

Scruples was previously adapted as a television mini-series for CBS in 1980.

The project starred Bionic Woman actress Lindsay Wagner as Wilhelmina and also featured Oscar-nominated actress Gene Tierney in her final screen role.

The new adaptation will mark Natalie Portman's first production credit for television.

The Thor actress has previously served as an executive producer on her own film projects, including 2011's No Strings Attached and 2010's Joseph Gordon-Levitt vehicle Hesher.

Other projects currently in the works at ABC include family soap Americana, a remake of UK sitcom Only Fools and Horses and a modern-day Beauty and the Beast update.

'X Factor' winner Melanie Amaro's Super Bowl ad to feature Elton John

'X Factor' winner Melanie Amaro's Super Bowl ad to feature Elton John

X Factor USA winner Melanie Amaro's Pepsi Super Bowl commercial will feature Sir Elton John.

Amaro won the chance to appear in the soft drinks giant's commercial when she triumphed on the first season finale of The X Factor in December.

The teenager, who was mentored by Simon Cowell, also took home a $5 million recording contract, later signing to Epic Records.

Speaking to Entertainment Weekly about the commercial, she said: "I'm a singing princess warrior [and] I have to try to get the entire kingdom some of the sacred treasure, and the sacred treasure is, of course, Pepsi.

"I have to go through the talent part of the being in front of the king at his court [to get the treasure], and my talent was, of course, to sing. So I sing, I blow his mind, and I get everybody to have some of the Pepsi."

John will play the king in the commercial.

He told Good Morning America this week: "I always think it's hard being a talent show winner. It's too much fame at once. There will be a constant barrage of interviews, press photographs, publicity photographs.

"I used to love that but I also had the experience to back it up with and that's vital. I think to be thrust into the limelight on television you then have to learn your trade on stage. We did it the other way around."

Amaro previously said that she was excited to be following in the footsteps of previous Pepsi Super Bowl commercial stars, saying: "So many big people like Mariah and Britney did it, Beyoncé did it... and then after them will be 'Melanie Amaro did it'.

"I feel blessed and so grateful to be in a commercial, especially for Pepsi, and I feel that I'm following in the footsteps of those great divas."

Fellow X Factor contestant Stacy Francis recently tweeted to followers that she had seen Amaro's commercial and promised fans that they wouldn't be disappointed.

In a message to Amaro, she said: "Saw your commericial!! HOT HOT HOT!! CONGRATS!!!... the world is going to gag... can't wait for the world to see u! xox (sic)"

Amanda Holden 'thrilled' to be home with new baby

Amanda Holden 'thrilled' to be home with new baby

Amanda Holden has returned home with her new daughter Hollie after a week in hospital, her spokesperson has confirmed.

Holden gave birth to her second child Hollie on January 22, but the Britain's Got Talent judge was placed in intensive care and was reportedly "fighting for her life" after the loss of several pints of blood.

The TV star was eventually reunited with her child three days after the birth and Holden has now arrived at her family home with Hollie, her husband Chris Hughes and her first daughter, 6-year-old Alexa.

A rep for the star said: "We are delighted to say that Amanda is now home. She and Chris would like to thank everyone who was involved in her care for their amazing skill and dedication, and also to thank everyone who sent such kind thoughts and wishes during this time.

"She is of course thrilled to be home with her family - Hollie is absolutely beautiful and Amanda and Chris are completely besotted with their two girls."

Holden previously suffered a stillbirth seven months into her pregnancy in 2011.

'Game of Thrones': New season will be epic, says Alfie Allen

'Game of Thrones': New season will be epic, says Alfie Allen

Alfie Allen has teased that the new season of Game of Thrones is "epic".

The actor, who plays Theon Greyjoy, refused to reveal too much information about what is coming up in future episodes.

However, Allen dropped some hints about what fans can expect when the show returns in April.

"I can tell you it's got a lot of dragons in it," he told E! Online. "It's got a lot of love and a lot of hate. But it's going to be epic."

Allen also hinted: "There's a scene in episode ten which I'm very excited to see."

New cast member Nonso Anozie has previously described the new season as "bigger", while another new star - Tom Wlaschiha - has revealed details of his character on the show.

Simon Cowell hires 'Made In Chelsea' producer for 'Got Talent'

Simon Cowell hires 'Made In Chelsea' producer for 'Got Talent'

Simon Cowell has hired a Made In Chelsea producer to help make changes to this year's Britain's Got Talent.

Cowell and ITV1 have signed Sharon Mills to help shake up the production of the hit talent contest.

According to the Daily Star, Mills will be in charge of catching the "bitching, bickering and flirting" backstage and making sure all the "fireworks and tantrums and romance" is caught on camera.

"Britain's Got Talent has the most variety, from animals to circus acts and fire-eaters," a source told the newspaper.

"Simon wants to give viewers a bigger insight into what happens backstage with them all. With Sharon's track record in reality TV on E4, she's perfect for the job."

Judges Cowell, David Walliams and Alesha Dixon were at auditions in Cardiff over the weekend and will be filming in London from Monday, February 6.

Britain's Got Talent will return to ITV1 in the spring.

'Jersey Shore' to head to Las Vegas, Australia?

'Jersey Shore' to head to Las Vegas, Australia?

Ronnie Ortiz-Magro has claimed that the cast of Jersey Shore may soon be headed to a new location.

The 26-year old confirmed reports that show producers were looking to shoot in Australia and said that Las Vegas is another city that is high on their list.

"I believe that they were looking at Vegas and Australia, two places I would love to go," Ortiz-Magro told The Huffington Post about Jersey Shore's future plans.

"I don't know if we would make it back from Vegas, but I'm pretty sure we would love to go to Vegas."

Ortiz-Magro went on to reveal that he has no plans to leave the show anytime soon and would love to continue for as long as Jersey Shore remains popular with viewers.

"I want to do this as long as the fans keep watching. I will do it in Depends and [using] a walker," he quipped.

On the topic of castmate Vinny Guadagnino's decision to leave Jersey Shore due to anxiety and exhaustion, Ortiz-Magro said: "We went straight from Italy to Jersey and we have never done seasons back-to-back.

"It was really stressful for a lot of us. But Vinny still lives at home - he's very family oriented - so him being away from his family that long was just killing him. He's been dealing with it since the first season. He almost left the first season [but] decided to stay and deal with it."

Lana Del Rey on 'SNL' Fiasco: 'I Actually Felt Good About It'

Lana Del Rey on 'SNL' Fiasco: 'I Actually Felt Good About It'

Lana Del Rey is definitely one of a kind. At least when it comes to her opinion about her recent performance on "Saturday Night Live."

Del Rey -- who was ripped to shreds by the Twitterverse, actress Juliette Lewis and NBC anchor Brian Williams, among others, for her somnambulistic performance of her single "Video Games" earlier this month, sat down with Rolling Stone to discuss the fiasco.

The singer's verdict?

"I actually felt good about it," Del Rey opined to the magazine. "I thought I looked beautiful and sang fine."

Moreover, she revealed, "The cast and crew said they loved it."

While Del Rey does acknowledge that "I'm not a natural performer or exhibitionist," she also figures she would have caught heat regardless of how the performance turned out.

"There's backlash about everything I do. It's nothing new. When I walk outside, people have something to say about it," Del Rey offered. "It wouldn't have mattered if I was absolutely excellent."

Sure, Lana; and people also tend to forget that, despite everything else, the buffet on the Titanic was delicious.

TV Tonight 1st of February 2012

TV Tonight 1st of February 2012

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

    112 - på liv och död S05E09: "Del 9 av 36"
    Amazing Eats S01E05: "TBA"
    American Idol S11E06: "Auditions #6"
    American Restoration S02E08: "Cold Cuts"
    American Restoration S02E07: "Bumper Balls"
    Anno 1790 S01E05: "The Wages of Sin Is Death"
    Are You There, Chelsea? S01E04: "Strays"
    Bomb Girls S01E05: "Armstice"
    Chihayafuru S01E17: "Episode 17"
    Coach Trip S09E03: "Series 9, Day 3"
    Come Dine With Me S18E15: "Series 18, Episode 13"
    Conan S02E43: "Ringo Starr, "Dr. Bugs" Mark Moffett"
    Dark Minds S01E02: "The Eastbound Strangler"
    Days of our Lives S47E59: "Ep. #11769"
    Deal Or No Deal (UK) S07E148: "Episode 1828"
    Dickinson's Real Deal S08E42: "Series 8, Episode 42"
    Doctors S13E189: "Where The Heart Is"
    Dog the Bounty Hunter S08E10: "Tag, You're It"
    Dog the Bounty Hunter S08E09: "Picture This"
    Dragons' Den (CA) S06E15: "Season 6, Episode 15"
    Drinking Made Easy S02E18: "Charleston, SC"
    Dumbest Stuff on Wheels S02E02: "Bashes, Splashes & Chumps"
    Efterlyst S44E04: "1/2-12"
    Emmerdale S41E27: "February 1, 2012"
    Escape To The Country S12E22: "Somerset"
    Face Off S02E04: "Night Terrors"
    Film 2012 with Claudia Winkleman S01E04: "Episode 4"
    Full Throttle Saloon S03E10: "TBA"
    General Hospital (US) S49E212: "#12486"
    Ghost Hunters S08E04: "Dead & Breakfast"
    Got to Dance S03E34: "Series 3, Episode 34"
    Great British Railway Journeys S03E23: "Dundalk to Portadown"
    Greatest Tank Battles S02E04: "Tunisia"
    Halv åtta hos mig S08E07: "Skövde - Sophie"
    Hollyoaks S18E23: "February 1, 2012"
    Home and Away (AU) S25E08: "Episode 5443"
    Hot In Cleveland S03E10: "Life With Lucci"
    Hotel cæsar S28E144: "Season 28, Episode 144"
    House of Anubis S02E36: "House of Keepers"
    House of Anubis S02E35: "House of Fronts"
    How to Cook Like Heston S01E05: "Episode 5"
    Inside the NFL S35E22: "22 11-12"
    Jeopardy! S28E98: "Show #6303"
    Jimmy Kimmel Live S09E198: "John Krasinski, Eloise Mumford, Gotye"
    Johnny Test S05E36: "Johnny's World Record"
    Jonathan Meades on France S01E03
    Kiekens S01E10: "Season 1, Episode 10"
    Last Call with Carson Daly S10E06
    Late Night with Jimmy Fallon S02E212
    Late Show with David Letterman S19E17
    LEGO NinjaGo: Masters of Spinjitzu S02E04: "Never Trust a Snake"
    Lilyhammer S01E02: "The Flamingo"
    Live with Regis and Kelly S29E112
    Masterchef (UK) S16E07: "Series 16, Episode 7"
    Midsomer Murders S15E01: "The Dark Rider"
    Mobbed S01E05: "Episode 1232"
    Natural World S32E02: "Tiger Dynasty"
    Neighbours S28E18: "Episode 6328"
    NOVA S39E13: "Ice Age Death Trap"
    One Born Every Minute S03E05: "Series 3, Episode 5"
    One Tree Hill S09E04: "Don't You Want to Share the Guilt?"
    Only in America with Larry the Cable Guy S02E04: "TBA"
    Papa no Iukoto o Kikinasai! S01E04: "Episode 4"
    Pointless S05E107: "Series 5, Episode 107"
    Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is S05E23: "Series 5, Episode 23"
    Re-Modeled (2012) S01E03: "The Gummy Bear"
    Recorder to Randoseru S01E05: "Episode 5"
    Republic of Doyle S03E04: "Rusted Steele"
    Royal Pains S03E13: "My Back To The Future"
    Sun, Sex and Suspicious Parents S02E02: "Malia"
    Sveriges mästerkock S02E07: "Första lagtävlingen"
    The Biggest Loser (AU) S07E07: "Season 7, Episode 7"
    The Bold and the Beautiful S25E222: "Ep. #6251"
    The Chase (2009) S05E22: "Series 5, Episode 22"
    The Colbert Report S08E18: "Ameena Matthews"
    The Crusades S01E03: "Victory in the East"
    The Daily Show S17E54: "Brad Pitt"
    The Ellen DeGeneres Show S09E91
    The Exes S01E10: "The Ex Always Rings Twice"
    The Fabulous Baker Brothers S01E05: "Series 1, Episode 5"
    The Jeremy Kyle Show S07E98: "February 1, 2012"
    The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson S08E18: "William Shatner"
    The Only Way Is Essex S04E02: "Series 4, Episode 2"
    The Real World/Road Rules Challenge S22E03: "TBA"
    The Revolution (2012) S01E13: "Season 1, Episode 13"
    The Rosie Show S01E62: "Kristin Chenoweth"
    The Soup S09E05: "February 1, 2012"
    The Tonight Show with Jay Leno S19E233
    The View S15E96: "Julianne Moore, Kellie Pickler"
    The Young and the Restless S39E219: "Ep. #9834"
    Thuis S17E113: "Season 17, Episode 113"
    Top Chef S09E13: "Bike, Borrow & Steal"
    Tunnelbanan S01E02: "Del 2"
    Wanted Down Under S06E23: "Series 6, Episode 23"
    Watch What Happens: Live S06E19: "Tom Collichio"
    Wereld draait door, De S07E104: "Season 7, Episode 104"
    Whitney S01E14: "Mind Games"

Neil Patrick Harris would return for more 'How I Met Your Mother'

Neil Patrick Harris would return for more 'How I Met Your Mother'

Neil Patrick Harris has said that he would like to continue starring in How I Met Your Mother.

The actor was interviewed on Access Hollywood Live on Monday (January 30) and revealed that he's open to renewing his How I Met Your Mother contract once it expires after next season.

"We're signed up for one more. We were signed up for eight years, so this is our seventh. We'll do one more, [which] is eight, and then we'll see," Harris revealed. "I would love to do more. This is a great job."

Harris also said that it is unlikely that the How I Met Your Mother cast will band together to ask for significant raises in order to keep the show going.

"We all kind of do our things… I would assume that people like Jason Segel make like a gazillion dollars because he's a big movie star," the actor explained.

He added: "We're just super happy. How I Met Your Mother is as strong as it's ever been. We're loving the show and we all get along very well.

"I think we're going to look back on this chapter, whenever it's done, and just be like, 'It was never as good as that'."

Harris recently denied press reports that he is in negotiations to replace Regis Philbin on daytime chatshow Live with Kelly.

How I Met Your Mother airs Mondays at 8/7c on CBS.

'Jersey Shore' Spinoff Banned From Filming in Hoboken

'Jersey Shore' Spinoff Banned From Filming in Hoboken

Sorry, Snooki; you might be a hit with MTV viewers, but the city of Hoboken ain't having you.

Hoboken, N.J., mayor Dawn Zimmer announced on the city's web site Tuesday that the Hoboken Film Commission had unanimously denied a request by 495 Productions to film a "Jersey Shore" spinoff in the city, for a variety of reasons.

During a meeting to determine if allowing the production "would be in the interest of the health, safety and welfare of the community," the city determined that the spin-off -- which would have required a 24-hour filming permit -- would violate the city's rule against filming past 11 p.m. in a residential area.

Moreover, Hoboken's chief of police, Anthony Falco, determined that there would be numerous "public safety problems" involved -- and no, they have nothing to do with citizens slipping in errant piles of hair gel. Falco opined that the "unstructured" production style of "Jersey Shore" would provide "little or no ... site control."

Zimmer also raised concern that, were fans to find out where Snooki and the gang were filming at any given moment, it would make crowd and traffic control impossible.

Finally, Zimmer noted, given Hoboken's active nightlife, "the constant presence of such a production would be an attractive nuisance causing crowds to assemble at every hour of the day and night." (Note: "Attractive nuisance" might be a relative term in this case.)

The mayor also strongly cautioned 495 Productions not to film without the proper permits, which it had admitted to doing for previous productions during a Jan. 24 meeting about the permit application.

"There will be zero tolerance for this kind of approach in the City of Hoboken," Zimmer warned. "Any attempts to film in a manner that is not permitted without a permit will be dealt with immediately and aggressively by the City of Hoboken."

The "Jersey Shore" gang in the slammer? Now that's a reality TV concept worth considering.

495 Productions still has the option of appealing the decision to the City Council.

MTV has not yet responded to TheWrap's request for comment on the matter.

HBO’s ‘Luck’ Renewed For Second Season

HBO’s ‘Luck’ Renewed For Second Season

On the heels of Luck‘s official premiere on Sunday, HBO has renewed the horse racing drama from Michael Mann and David Milch for a 10-episode second season.

The series starring Dustin Hoffman had already been working on scripts for Season 2, and production will begin at the end of February.

The network had started prep work early because of the small window it has to film at the Santa Anita racetrack where a significant portion of the show is shot.

Luck‘s second season will premiere in January 2013.

“We couldn’t be more thrilled with the critical response to this beautiful piece of work, and we are very excited about where David and Michael plan to take these incredible characters,” said HBO Programming president Michael Lombardo.

Luck‘s first episode, originally previewed after the Boardwalk Empire season finale in December to 1.1 million viewers, drew another 1.1 million in its regular premiere at 9 PM on Sunday. If that were a true series debut, it would be in line with the launches of such softly rated HBO series as Treme (1.125 million) and the now-defunct Bored To Death (1.034 million). Luck was rebroadcast again at 10 PM (711,000) and 11 PM (420,000) for a total of 3.3 million sampling the pilot in the December preview and on Sunday.

Luck is a behind-the-track look at the world of horse racing and gambling’s denizens – owners, trainers, jockeys and gamblers.

Dustin Hoffman and Nick Nolte lead the cast, which also includes Dennis Farina, John Ortiz, Richard Kind, Kevin Dunn, Ian Hart, Ritchie Coster, Jason Gedrick, Kerry Condon, Gary Stevens, Tom Payne, and Jill Hennessy. Milch and Mann executive produce the current first season with Carolyn Strauss.

ABC Picks Up Judy Greer Comedy Pilot

ABC Picks Up Judy Greer Comedy Pilot

ABC has started giving pilot orders to its starring comedy vehicles. First off is single-camera comedy American Judy toplined by Judy Greer and written by Deborah Kaplan & Harry Elfont.

It centers on a cosmopolitan woman (Greer) who gets married and becomes a fish out of water in the suburbs having to juggle step-kids, her mother-in-law, and the ex-wife of her husband who also happens to be the town sheriff.

The project is inspired by Greer’s life, where she moved from Los Angeles for the man she loves and found herself raising stepchildren and making new friends in a small suburban town. ABC Studios is producing, with Greer producing and and Principato-Young’s David Gardner, Peter Principato and Paul Young executive producing alongside Kaplan and Elfont.

ABC has a slew of other half-hour projects with stars attached that are awaiting word, including Kevin Abbott’s Reba McEntire comedy, Diane English’s Jim Belushi sitcom and the Bob Fisher/Shawn Levy comedy starring Mandy Moore, which have big commitments, and projects starring Ashley Tisdale, Jeff Garlin, Jim Breuer, Romeo Santos, Marlon Wayans and Craig Kilborn.

Greer has been recurring on Two And A Half Men and co-stars in The Descendants.

Paula Abdul, Fox And Simon Cowell React To ‘X Factor’ Shakeup

Paula Abdul, Fox And Simon Cowell React To ‘X Factor’ Shakeup

Paula Abdul, Simon Cowell and Fox all released separate statements this morning about yesterday’s big shakeup on the network’s singing competition show The X Factor. The housecleaning after a lackluster first season included the departures of Abdul, fellow judge Nicole Sherzinger and host Steve Jones, and none of them left on their own accord. Here’s the statement from Cowell, who pulled the trigger on the changes, including on close friend Abdul, whom he shared the judges table with for years on American Idol:

“I want to say a massive thank you to Paula, Nicole and Steve for being part of The X Factor last year.  We had a lot of fun making the show together and importantly, we found some real talent and stars. You do develop friendships with the people you work with and Paula, in particular, is a very close friend and I expect to be working with her on another project in the near future. I’m sure all three are going to have massive success in what they do next , but now is the time to thank them all for everything they did last year.”

Like Cowell, Fox alternative president Mike Darnell also stressed in his statement the desire to work with Abdul again:

“We love Paula.  She is a remarkable talent and we appreciate all of her contributions. We’re lucky that she is a part of the FOX family, and we look forward to working with her again soon.”

Earlier this morning, Abdul broke her silence on her departure:

“Yes, it’s true; I won’t be returning to The X Factor next season.  I’ve learned through my longevity in this industry that business decisions often times override personal considerations.  Simon and I, along with Fox and Fremantle, have been communicating about this for a while now, and I have absolute understanding of the situation.  Simon is, and will remain a dear friend of mine and I’ve treasured my experience working this past season with my extended family at Fox and Fremantle. I want nothing more than for The X Factor to exceed ALL of their wildest dreams.  This truly has been a blessing and I am most grateful.”

ABC Picks Up 4 Drama Pilots From Marc Cherry, Melissa Rosenberg, Michael Green & Paul Scheuring

ABC Picks Up 4 Drama Pilots From Marc Cherry, Melissa Rosenberg, Michael Green & Paul Scheuring

ABC has handed 4 more hourlong pilot orders to Marc Cherry’s soap Devious Maids, Michael Green’s magical cop drama Gotham, Paul Scheuring’s Zero Hour and Melissa Rosenberg’s Penoza. Those are likely ABC’s last drama pilot orders this season.

Devious Maids is loosely based on the Mexican telenovela The Disorderly Maids Of The Neighborhood and centers on four Latina women who are maids in Beverly Hills. The original revolves around five housekeepers who work in a quiet residential condominium where nothing ever happens until a tenant mysteriously disappears, a suitcase full of money appears, along with a dead body, and the maids find themselves in the middle of it all. Paradigm-repped Desperate Housewives creator Cherry wrote the script and is exec producing the pilot with his Cherry/Wind Prods partner Sabrina Wind as well as John Mass, Larry Shuman and David Lonner. ABC Studios is the studio.

Michael Green’s Gotham, from 20th Century Fox TV, centers on a female cop who, after pursuing a seemingly unsolvable case, discovers a magical world that exists within New York City. Kings creator and The River showrunner Green, repped by WME, is executive producing with his manager, 3 Arts’ Erwin Stoff. This is the second pilot with magical elements ordered by ABC this season following the success of fairytale drama series Once Upon A Time. Earlier this month, the network picked up a Beauty and The Beast reboot.

Scheuring’s Zero Hour, through ABC Studios, centers on a man who, in a bizarre twist of fate, is pulled into one of the most compelling conspiracies in human history after spending 20 years as the editor of a skeptics magazine. Lorenzo DiBonaventura and Dan McDermott are executive producing with Prison Break creator Scheuring.

Rosenberg’s Penoza, also from ABC Studios, is based on the Dutch format. It centers on the widow of an assassinated criminal who is forced to adopt her husband’s role in a crime syndicate in order to protect her family. Endemol Studios, Alon Aranya and Howard Klein are attached to executive produce with UTA-repped Rosenberg, writer on the blockbuster Twilight movie franchise .Penoza was originally created by Pieter Bart Korthuis for Endemol’s NL Film & TV and producer Alain de Levita. The series is now in its second season on KRO in the Netherlands.

CW's Green Arrow Pilot Taps Stephen Amell for Lead

CW's Green Arrow Pilot Taps Stephen Amell for Lead

The CW has found its Green Arrow, in the form of Stephen Amell.

Amell will star in the network's upcoming pilot "Arrow," Based on the Green Arrow comic books. The actor's credits include a recurring role as Jason in the HBO gigolo show "Hung," and he has also appeared on ABC's "Private Practice."

Also read: The CW Orders Pilots for Green Arrow Project, "Sex and the City" Prequel, "Beauty and the Beast" Revamp

The 30-year-old, Toronto-born actor may be familiar to CW viewers from his guest stints on "The Vampire Diaries" and "90210" last year.

Written and executive-produced by Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim and Andrew Kreisberg, "Arrow" will offer a "modern retelling" of the Green Arrow story. The pilot comes via Berlanti Productions via Warner Bros. Television.

CW Picks Up J.J. Abrams Drama, Two Other Pilots

CW Picks Up J.J. Abrams Drama, Two Other Pilots

The CW picked up three new pilots Tuesday, including a drama from "Lost" and "Alcatraz" producers J.J. Abrams and Bryan Burk.

"Shelter," executive-produced by Abrams and Burk, is set in a "historic New England summer resort where the new and returning staff attend to the practical, emotional and often comical needs of the guests while navigating friendships, rivalries and romances of their own," according to the CW.

"One Tree Hill" executive producer Mark Schwahn is writing as well as executive-producing. The project comes via Bad Robot Productions, Mastermind Laboratories in association with Warner Bros. Television.

"The Selection," meanwhile, is based on an upcoming book series by Kiera Cass. An "epic romance set 300 years in the future," the one-hour drama revolves around "a poor young woman who is chosen by lottery to participate in a competition to become the next queen of a war-torn nation at a crossroads." Elizabeth Craft and Sarah Fain, who have both served as consulting producers on the CW's "The Vampire Diaries" and executive-produced the pilot of the network's recently launched "The Secret Circle," will executive-produce and write the Warner Bros. Television project.

Finally, there's "Joey Dakota," a "romantic-time-travel-musical" based on the Israeli series "Danny Hollywood." Also an hour-long project, the pilot will track a documentary filmmaker who travels back to the 1990s and falls in love with the rock-star subject of her film. After unexpectedly traveling back to the present day, she must find a way to travel back and prevent his untimely death. Mark Harmon, Kim Tannenbaum, Eric Tannenbaum and Martha Haight are producing, with Bert Royal ("Easy A") wrote the project, which is from CBS Television Studios in association with Harmon/Tannenbaum.