'Glee's Amber Riley wants to sing 'Circus' for Britney Spears episode

Amber Riley has speculated on what Glee has in store for her character Mercedes on its upcoming Britney Spears episode.

The Fox musical series will air a second tribute episode to Spears during its fourth season airing later this year, though Riley insists she's heard nothing about the potential storyline.

"I don't really keep my ear to the ground for those things," Riley explained to MTV News.

"If it's something they want me to know, they'll let me know. They did all the songs that I really liked in the first one."

Asked if there are any of Spears's songs she might like to take on, Riley answered: "There's so much Britney music. I grew up listening to Britney Spears. She definitely has been a part of my high school years coming up. I would love 'Circus'. 'Circus' is a good one."

Spears made a cameo in her first tribute episode, which aired during Glee's second season.

'True Blood' Joe Manganiello returning to 'How I Met Your Mother'

True Blood star Joe Manganiello will return to How I Met Your Mother, CBS has announced.

The Magic Mike actor will reprise his role as Brad, an old friend of Marshall's (Jason Segel) who previously served as a love interest for Robin (Cobie Smulders).

Joe Manganiello 2012 Los Angeles Film Festival - Closing Night Gala premiere 'Magic Mike' at Regal Cinemas L.A. Live Los Angeles

"#HIMYM CASTING NEWS! @joemanganiello is coming back as Brad in the 7th and 8th episode this year," a tweet from the official CBS account read. "And yes, he will have his shirt off!"

Manganiello has appeared in a total of five episodes of How I Met Your Mother since 2006, the last of which was the season five premiere in 2009.

Recent reports that Segel will not return for a prospective ninth season of the show have now been downplayed by his team.

How I Met Your Mother will premiere its eighth season on Monday, September 24 at 8pm ET on CBS. The seven season finale airs in the UK tonight (August 2) at 8.30pm on E4.

Olympics champion Michael Phelps wanted for TV presenting role?

Sports broadcasters are reportedly lining up to hire Michael Phelps.

The swimmer recently broke a record by becoming the most-decorated Olympian ever, with 19 medals including 15 golds.

A number of networks are now hoping to sign him up for their Olympics 2016 coverage, TMZ claims.

One source at NBC Sports, which has the rights to the Olympics through to 2020, said that the broadcaster "would definitely hire Michael", saying: "The man is smoking hot right now."

Meanwhile, an ABC insider alleged: "If he would, we would gladly scoop him up to work for us."

Phelps has claimed that he is planning to retire after London 2012, meaning that he would be available to broadcasters if he chose to move into the television industry.

He was recently congratulated for his success at the Olympics by President Barack Obama, who told him: "You've made your country proud."

Peter Seymour Named EVP and CFO of Disney/ABC Television

Peter Seymour has been named to the new position of executive vice president and chief financial officer of Disney/ABC Television Group.

The appointment consolidates financial leadership of the Disney/ABC Television Group, which includes ABC Television Network, ABC Studios, ABC Owned Station Group, Disney Channel, Disney XD, Disney Junior, Disney Domestic Television, ABC Family, Radio Disney and Hyperion Publishing.

Seymour will also retain his oversight of strategy development for The Walt Disney Company’s worldwide broadcasting and cable programming businesses, and will supervise research, customer relationship management, media planning and franchise management. He will report to said Anne Sweeney, co-chair of media networks and president of Disney/ABC Television Group.

“The consolidation of these important functions into one role allows us to streamline decision making and align our strategic goals to better serve the evolving needs of our group," Sweeney said. "Peter is a proven executive who has a keen understanding of our business and what is needed to continue our momentum and growth.”

Seymour has been executive vice president of strategy and research for Disney Media Networks since 2008.

He joined the Group as senior vice president in 2005. He was previously in the strategic planning unit of The Walt Disney Company. He joined Disney from The LEK/Alcar Consulting Group.

'Coronation Street' stars 'banned' from 'Strictly Come Dancing'

Coronation Street stars have reportedly been banned from appearing on Strictly Come Dancing.

ITV bosses are said to have told its soap actors not to join the BBC show, but that they can sign up for similar ITV talent shows such as Dancing on Ice.

"It's a no-brainer for us. Why would we allow cast members time off to go to film a show for a rival channel?" a source told The Sun.

Michelle Keegan has been linked with a spot on the Strictly dancefloor - reports later denied by her agent - but the insider added that the deal fell through.

"The BBC's offer never got off the ground - we wouldn't release her from her contract," the source claimed. "That goes for everyone else in the cast - but we are more open when it comes to ITV shows."

Anthony Cotton was the first Coronation Street star to be given time off for a reality series when he starred in I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here, and his co-star Ryan Thomas was recently linked with the show's forthcoming new series.

Chris Evans, Fern Britton, Ronnie O'Sullivan and Michael Vaughn are among the stars rumoured to be part of this year's Strictly Come Dancing.

Dannii Minogue recently denied a report stating that she was close to signing a deal for the BBC One series.

Bob Odenkirk: 'Breaking Bad final season ups the stakes'

Bob Odenkirk has suggested that Breaking Bad's fifth season ups the stakes for each lead character.

The actor - who plays lawyer Saul Goodman - told Collider that it was important for the final episodes to increase the drama.

"The stakes escalate [this season]," Odenkirk said, adding humorously: "Somebody asked me what happens this year and I [joked,] 'Walt quits and goes back to teaching high school'."

He continued: "The stakes have to go up and they do by bringing in an international market. There have been moments in the show where you think Walt could quit and go back and do whatever - but he doesn't.

"So it's all a question of who Walt is inside and what choice he's going to make."

Bryan Cranston previously called the Walter White character a "role of [a] lifetime".

"I doubt that I will tackle a character this complex and profound ever again. I'll miss the family that we've created," Cranston said of the final season.

Breaking Bad airs Sundays at 10/9c on AMC.

Ed Sheeran to perform with Pink Floyd at Olympics closing ceremony

Ed Sheeran has confirmed that he will perform at the London 2012 Olympic Games closing ceremony.

The singer will take to the stage with Pink Floyd, after previously being rumoured to be collaborating with The Who.

"I'm playing the closing ceremony - which I think is kinda cool right?" Sheeran told Australian radio station Nova.

"A lot of people think that I'm doing a song with The Who but I'm not - I'm doing a song with Pink Floyd. I'm doing 'Wish You Were Here'."

Sheeran added that the performance will not include all remaining members of the band but confirmed that drummer Nick Mason would be involved.

One Direction, Jessie J and Sir Elton John have all been linked to the closing ceremony, which will celebrate the best of British music.

CBS Chief Les Moonves Wary of Making a Deal With Apple TV

CBS chief Les Moonves isn't entirely sold on Apple TV.

While CBS has inked pacts to stream its content on such new media players as Netflix and Amazon, the network head said that the company needs to be certain that any deal is mutually beneficial before signing on the dotted line.

"The devil is in the details," Moonves said on a conference call with analysts Thursday shortly after CBS released its second quarter financial results.

"It depends what the terms are," he added.

Moonves said that before agreeing to show CBS' programs, he had to be reassured that a deal with Apple TV would not interfere with what he called the "three main buckets" of his business -- advertising, syndication and retransmission fees.

His remarks come during the same week that Hulu Plus announced it would be offered on Apple's set-top box. In addition to the streaming service, Apple TV allows users to stream movies from their  iTunes library.

This isn't the first time that Moonves has expressed skepticism about a deal with Apple TV. In a speech at the UCLA Entertainment Symposium in March, he revealed that Steve Jobs had approached him about joining the service, but he had turned down the late Apple founder.

"I told Steve, 'You know more than me about 99 percent of things but I know more about the television business,' " Moonves said.

Shares of CBS were down .04 percent to $33.03 in after hours trading. During its most recent quarter, CBS reported that net income climbed over 8 percent to $427 million from a year earlier. The revenue picture was not as robust, however, falling to $3.5 billion from $3.6 billion in the same period last year.

Channel 4 to allow viewers to take over 4seven

Channel 4 has announced plans to allow viewers to take over a night on its new catch-up TV channel 4seven.

The broadcaster is running the initiative to celebrate the fact that 5 million people have now registered with the viewer engagement strategy launched by chief executive David Abraham last year.

Marking the goal, Channel 4 intends to offer registered users the "unique opportunity" to take over 4seven, which launched on July 4 as Channel 4's first new network since More4 in 2005.

4seven offers viewers another chance to catch up on the Channel 4 programmes that have attracted the most online and social buzz over the past seven days.

People who registered with the broadcaster will be allocated a dedicated night on 4seven, in which they can pick their favourite Channel 4 programmes to be aired.

The idea behind Channel 4's viewer engagement strategy is that the more the broadcaster knows about its audience, the better placed it is to offer them what they want to watch.

The initiative also brings Channel 4 a wealth of valuable data on its viewers, which Abraham has previously described as the "new oil" of broadcasting.

Big Brother: Sara exits White Room challenge

Sara McLean exited the Big Brother White Room last night (August 1), giving up on a chance of winning a free pass to the final.

Big Brother had locked Sara, Conor McIntyre and Luke Scrase inside a White Room with only white clothes and white food in a battle of endurance, but Sara was the first to throw in the towel yesterday.

The trio were offered the chance to vote one of themselves out of the contest and the model volunteered to leave.

"I don't want to stay, I want to get to the final 110%, it'd be a dream come true but I can't stay in here. If I leave it's meant to be," said Sara.

"Honestly guys, I know how much you want it, it's fine, I'll leave."

When she returned to the house, Sara informed Ashleigh Hughes that her boyfriend Luke S was "really missing" her while stuck in the White Room.

Whitney Port: 'I had to massage an actress's gnarly feet'

Whitney Port has said that she once had to massage an actress's "gnarly" feet when she was an intern.

The Britain and Ireland's Next Top Model judge told Company that she had "a few" horror stories from her time as an intern.

"When I was working at Teen Vogue, we were doing a photoshoot with an actress, who shall remain nameless, and I had to moisturise her," she said.

"Then I had to massage her feet and they were gnarly! It was at the beginning of my career so I did it without saying a word. It's just what you do, but it was gross."

Asked what the Next Top Model judges were looking for in their next winner and Company covergirl, Port said: "We're looking for someone with a unique look. I hate to say this, but we're not looking for an everyday kind of girl.

"We want someone with a spark and energy who'll work really hard in any scenario, but also has a bold look of their own."

Of her own style icons, she said: "I've always loved Princess Diana. I think she was chic, classic and willing to take risks considering the life she was living.

"I love Diane Kruger, Alexa Chung and Rosie Hungtington-Whiteley. Rihanna is hot too. Oh and Gwyneth Paltrow."

The full interview appears in the September issue of Company magazine, on sale August 7.

Britain & Ireland's Next Top Model continues on Mondays at 9pm on Sky Living.

CBS Q2 Earnings: Cable, Broadcast Nets Push Profit Up

CBS Corp's quarterly profit beat forecasts as affiliate and subscription revenue at its TV networks rose, while advertising sales fell.

Net income for the second quarter rose to $427 million, an 8 8 percent gain from a year earlier, the company said Thursday. Earnings per share rose 12 percent to 65 cents.

On average, analysts had expected earnings of 59 cents per share, according to Thomson Reuters.

Overall revenue fell slightly to $3.5 billion from $3.6 billion in the same quarter a year ago. Advertising revenue decreased to $2.1 billion from $2.2 billion a year earlier.

"We're confident 2012 will be a record year, and we will produce exceptional results in 2013 and beyond as well," CBS chief executive Les Moonves said in statement.

OWN Gives LaToya Jackson a Reality Show

The network, which has struggled with a lineup that features mainly inspirational programming, is borrowing a page from other cable networks that have turned to following the day-to-day exploits of the famous and those famous for being related to the famous.

"Life With LaToya" is one of three new series OWN announced Thursday. The others are "The Customer Is Always Right," in which customers get to be the boss, and "Neighborvention," which is exactly what it sounds like.

The network also unveiled the rest of its fall lineup, including another season of "Oprah's Next Chapter." Her upcoming guests include Jennifer Hudson, Kelsey Grammer, Stephen Colbert and Bette Midler.

Despite having a less notable musical output than her famous siblings, LaToya Jackson has remained in the public eye for a series of exploits, from posing with a snake for Playboy to being the sole member of her family to say brother Michael was a child molester. (She made the allegation in 1993.)

She spent much of the '90s split off from her family, and said she was in an abusive relationship at the time. Her and the other Jacksons reconciled, and when Michael Jackson was charged with child molestation in 2003, she defended him and recanted her early allegations.

Despite her past issues with her family, she has managed to stay out of the current Jackson family feud.

"Life With LaToya" is not her first reality show: She has previously appeared on "Armed and Famous" and the British version of "Celebrity Big Brother."

Here's the fall lineup, and details on upcoming shows, provided by OWN:

OWN FALL LINEUP (all times ET/PT)

SATURDAY

9:00 p.m.       “Welcome to Sweetie Pie’s” (returns Sept. 15)

10:00 p.m.     “Iyanla, Fix My Life” (premieres Sept. 15)



SUNDAY

11:00 a.m.     “Super Soul Sunday”

9:00 p.m.       “Oprah’s Next Chapter”

9:00 p.m.       “Oprah’s Lifeclass” (special episodes on Sept. 2 & Sept. 23)

10:00 p.m.     “Lovetown, USA” (premieres Aug. 19)

TUESDAY

10:00 p.m.     “TV Guide Magazine’s Top 25 Best Oprah Show Moments” (premieres Aug. 28 with a 2-hour special from 9-11 p.m.)

10:00 p.m.     “Oprah: Where Are They Now” (premieres Oct. 2 with a two-hour special from 9-11 p.m.)

Continuing Series

“Oprah’s Next Chapter” (Sundays, 9 p.m. ET/PT)

The primetime series features Oprah Winfrey as she steps outside of the studio for riveting, enlightening and in-depth conversations with newsmakers, celebrities, thought leaders and real-life families.  The series has given OWN some of its highest ratings ever hitting #1 in its time period among Women 25-54 and Women 18-49.  The series is produced by Harpo Studios.  Follow on Twitter @Oprah and @OWNTV and join the conversation using #NextChapter.

“Oprah’s Lifeclass” (Special episodes Sunday, Sept. 2 & 23, 9 p.m. ET/PT)

Oprah Winfrey takes the stage as teacher in one of the world’s biggest classrooms to share advice and engage in inspiring conversations with fans worldwide about principles thatguide our lives.

 ThroughOprah.com, Facebook, Twitter and Skype, Winfrey takes questions from Lifeclassers around the world.  The series is produced by Harpo Studios and recently won an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Talk Series. Follow @OprahsLifeclass on Twitter and join the conversation using #OprahsLifeclass.

“Super Soul Sunday” (Sundays, 11 a.m. ET/PT)

The Emmy® Award-winning series “Super Soul Sunday" delivers a thought-provoking, eye-opening and inspiring block of programming designed to help viewers awaken to their best selves and discover a deeper connection to the world around them.  With all-new conversations between Oprah Winfrey and top thinkers, authors, and spiritual leaders, “Super Soul Sunday" features exclusive interviews in studio and on locations as diverse as a serene oak grove at Winfrey’s California home, to a palace in India, and a garden terrace in Maui.  Also featured is short-form content from SoulPancake, the production company co-founded by “The Office’s" Rainn Wilson.  Exploring themes and issues including happiness, personal fulfillment, wellness, spirituality and conscious living, "Super Soul Sunday" presents an array of perspectives on what it means to be alive in today’s world.

“Welcome to Sweetie Pie’s” (Returns Saturday, Sept. 15, 9 p.m. ET/PT)

After former Ikette Robbie Montgomery found out she could no longer sing, she took her mother’s soul food recipes passed down through the generations and created the empire known as "Sweetie Pie's," St. Louis’ iconic and wildly popular soul food restaurant run by Miss Robbie and her dynamic family.  Now with two thriving locations, a third location recently underway, a wedding to plan for her son Tim and his fiancé Jenae, and two grandsons to tend to, Miss Robbie is struggling to keep up with the demandsbetween business and family.  Meanwhile, her son Tim has his hands full juggling his new role as sole restaurant manager, aspiring rapper and life as a new dad.  "Welcome to Sweetie Pie's" follows the loud, loving and still very musical Montgomery family as they struggle with expanding their family-owned business and creating a legacy to pass on to future generations, one soulful dish at a time.  Produced by Pilgrim Studios, executive producers are Craig Piligian, Jenn Duncan, Jeff Keane, Tim Brietbach and Steve Luebbert.

New fall series

“Iyanla, Fix My Life” (Premieres Saturday, Sept. 15, 10 p.m. ET/PT) 

Iyanla Vanzant is an accomplished author, inspirational speaker, talk show host, and living testament to the value in life's valleys and the power of acting on faith.  Iyanla has had a unique life filled with many personal struggles that she has overcome and used to become stronger.  Now Iyanla is back, fixing lives and using her past to help others’ futures.  Secrets will be revealed, truths will be uncovered and emotions will come out as Iyanla teaches us how to pull back the curtain on what is broken in our lives.  Produced by Harpo Studios.  Executive producers are Jonathan Sinclair, Jill VanLokeren and Terry Goulder.

“Oprah: Where Are They Now?” (Premieres Tuesday, Oct. 2, 9-11 p.m. ET/PT, new episodes Tuesdays at 10 p.m.)

“Oprah: Where Are They Now?” unlocks “The Oprah Winfrey Show” vault and takes a look back at what happened to some of the biggest headline makers on the show.

 Updates include never-seen-before footage of Rodney King’s last interview and Mary Jo Buttafuoco twenty years after being shot by “the Long Island Lolita.”  “Oprah: Where Are They Now?” is produced by Harpo Studios and executive producers are Jill Van Lokeren, Jonathan Sinclair and HeatherAldridge.

“TV Guide Magazine’s Top 25 Best Oprah Show Moments” (Premieres Tuesday, Aug. 28, 9-11 p.m., new episodes Tuesdays at 10 p.m.)

“TV Guide Magazine’s Top 25 Best Oprah Show Moments” counts down the most famous and memorable moments on “The Oprah Winfrey Show.”  Featuring new commentary by Oprah Winfrey and an interview with TV Guide editor in chief Debra Birnbaum, the series revisits the most unforgettable interviews, guests, performances and occurrences of the history-making show.  “TV Guide Magazine’s Top 25 Best Oprah Show Moments” is produced by Harpo Studios.  Executive Producers are Jonathan Sinclair, Jill Van Lokeren and Heather Aldridge.

New Series for 2013

“The Customer is Always Right” (Premieres 2013)

On the new OWN series, “The Customer is Always Right,” some of America’s most recognizable companies turn to their customers for feedback and new ideas on improving their bottom lines.  In an unprecedented experiment, two loyal customers are tapped by a company CEO to spend a week with the organization and to implement real improvements to its business model.  Each one-hour episode follows theonce-in-a-lifetime challenge as both customers work alongside the company’s top executives to address the company’s biggest issues. In the end, the participants’ efforts are judged by a final focus group.  If the group likes the changes that were made, the two will walk away with $10,000 and boasting rights that the customer is indeed always right. TLC will also air the program in a second run window.  “The Customer is Always Right” is produced by Katalyst and executive produced by Jason Goldberg and Jenelle Lindsay.

“Life with La Toya” (Premieres 2013)

"Life With La Toya" gets up close and personal with La Toya Jackson as she juggles the many demands of her famous family, her life long friends, and her growing entertainment business empire.  Known as the outspoken one, La Toya is so much more: the fun-loving aunt, devoted daughter, peacemakingsister and a woman looking for love, and maybe even a family of her own.  "Life With La Toya" is produced by World of Wonder Productions and executive produced by Fenton Bailey, Randy Barbato, Tom Campbell and Jeremy Simmons with Ja-Tail Television and executive producers, La Toya Jackson, Jeffré Phillips and Charles Cook.

“Neighborvention” (Premieres 2013)

"Neighborvention" is the new OWN series that makes you realize that the most amazing people might be living right next door.  Each week, one desperate family in crisis opens their doors and reaches out to their neighbors for a helping hand.  Viewers watch as communities unite to help families transform – tackling issues ranging from strained relationships to out of control teens to insurmountable financial woes.  "Neighborvention" proves that it really does take a village.  The series is produced for OWN by Studio Lambert and executive produced by Stephen Lambert, Eli Holzman and Domini Hofmann.

Aaron Sorkin Denies 'Newsroom' Firings, Sexism

Aaron Sorkin denied during a panel for "The Newsroom" that he has fired the show's writing staff, and denied that the women on his show are less intellectually formidable than the men.

Also, he says, he does not have an ex-girlfriend among his writers.

Sorkin faced a roomful of TV critics at the Television Critics Association summer press tour, many of whom have criticized his new HBO series. He quickly found himself responding to complaints that the women on the show, especially Emily Mortimer's Mackenzie MacHale, come off as ditzy compared to the men.

Sorkin said all of his characters are flawed, including the women. MacHale, for example, is portrayed as extremely qualified, and to be the key person in sparking improvements to the newsroom. But she also makes silly mistakes, like sending a very personal email to the entire staff.

Once he's established a character's fundamental intelligence, Sorkin says, "You can have them slip on as many banana peels as you want. That's just comedy."

Sorkin then said he wanted to shoot down an "unsourced and untrue story on the Internet" -- it was first reported by The Daily and picked up by TheWrap and other outlets -- that he was firing much of his writing staff. The Daily reported that the only returning writer would be Corinne Kingsbury, who the online newspaper identified as his ex-girlfriend.

No, no, no, said Sorkin.

"The writing staff is not fired. And just seeing that in print is scaring the hell out of the writing staff. They're acting very strange. They're coming to work early, they're being polite to me. ... I love the writing staff."

He said only a "couple of staff changes were made," including promoting two writers' assistants, Dana Ledoux Miller and Michael Gund, to story editors.

He also said Kingsbury was not his ex-girlfriend.

"I think she's at the beginning of a very exciting career and I would hate for this rumor or implication that she somehow got where she was for any reason other than merit to have to follow her around for the rest of her life," he said.

Sorkin said the show was making another change: adding paid consultants to its staff. But he said he wouldn't identify them until their deals are complete.

'Case Sensitive' axed by ITV1 after two series

ITV1 has reportedly cancelled crime drama Case Sensitive after two series.

The show - based on the novels of Sophie Hannah - followed cops DS Charlie Zailer (Olivia Williams) and DC Simon Waterhouse (Darren Boyd).

Boyd broke the news of the show's axe on Twitter, writing: "Those of you who enjoyed Case Sensitive, I'm sorry to report that ITV have decided not to make any more. Shame, but them's the breaks."

The actor later tweeted at author Hannah: "A real shame we won't get to explore Charlie & Simon anymore. Was a pleasure and a joy working with you."

The first series of Case Sensitive attracted an average of 5.64m viewers in 2011, while the two-part second run averaged 4.35m.

Last month, Boyd told that there was "huge scope" for future series of Case Sensitive.

"We've got cases and storylines coming out of our ears, thanks to Sophie, we've got a wealth of material there," he said.

"If things go well and people like [series two] as much as the first one - and I see no reason why they shouldn't - we could be doing this for a while and I would be very happy if we did that."

'Misfits': New cast members, powers revealed

Channel 4 has released new details about the fourth series of Misfits.

Joseph Gilgun (Rudy), Nathan Stewart-Jarrett (Curtis) and Matthew McNulty (Seth) will be joined by new cast members Karla Crome (Jess) and Nathan McMullen (Finn) in the episodes.

Matt Stokoe (Black Mirror) has also joined the cast as Alex, it has been confirmed. The new regular was previously described as "good-looking" but "standoffish".

Jess and Finn's powers on the E4 drama have also been revealed - the former will have X-ray vision, while the latter will be "telekinetic, but not in an A-list kind of way".

The new Misfits team will face threats including "a six-foot killer rabbit" and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse in eight 60-minute episodes.

Series four of Misfits - written by creator Howard Overman and Jon Brown (Fresh Meat) - will air on Channel 4 in late 2012.

Tippi Hedren on Hitchcock: 'Genius and Evil and Deviant, Almost to the Point of Dangerous'

Tippi Hedren spoke Wednesday about rampant sexual harassment by Alfred Hitchcock nearly half a century ago, during the making of "The Birds" and "Marnie."

"I think he was an extremely sad character," she said during a panel discussion of HBO's upcoming "The Girl," which recounts her troubled relationship with the director. "We are dealing with a brain here that was an unusual genius, and evil, and deviant, almost to the point of dangerous, because of the effect that he could have on people that were totally unsuspecting."

She was one of those people, she said.

Hedren, now a glowing 82, was a model in her early 30s when Hitchcock hired her for "The Birds." Although there were times of "delight and joy" as Hitchcock personally coached her on her acting, there were other times when he treated her horribly.

Those events form the spine of director Julian Jarrold's "The Girl," which will air in October and stars Sienna Miller as Hedren and Toby Jones as the master of suspense. Jarrold and his stars spoke at the Television Critics Association summer press tour.

"The Girl" shows Hitchcock aggressively forcing a kiss on Hedren in the back seat of a car during the filming of "The Birds," and later demanding that she "make yourself available to me sexually." The film also suggests that Hitchcock punished her for rejecting his advances. In one scene, he sends a prop bird crashing through phone booth glass without warning her. Another sequence shows her forcing her to work with live birds for five days for the film's attic scene. Hedren suffered multiple cuts, including to her face, in both cases, according to the film.

Hedren couldn't escape Hitchcock's control because she was under contract, and the director refused to let her work for others once she refused to work with him again after "Marnie." There were no laws in place to protect women from such harassement.

Still, Hedren said Wednesday, she "lived through it beautifully."

"He ruined my career but he didn't ruin my life," she said. "If this had happened today i would be a very rich woman."

The film offers a rare look into the mind of one of Hitchcock's cool blondes. Hedren said her daughter, Melanie Griffith, was unaware of what she went through.

After she saw the film, Hedren said, Griffith "jumped up and said, 'Now i have to go back into therapy.'" (The young Griffith is briefly portrayed in the film.)

Miller said she has never suffered the kind of abuse from a director that Hedren described from Hitchcock.

"I think it's a very different world for women in film today than it was for women then," Miller said.

The film is based on the book "Spellbound by Beauty," by Donald Spoto. Screenwriter Gwyneth Hughes interviewed several people familiar with the Hitchcock-Hedren dynamic, including costume supervisor Rita Riggs, "Marnie" actress Diane Baker, and Hitchcock's first assistant director Jim Brown, who is prominently portrayed in "The Girl."

 All helped shape her image of a cruel and despicable but also rather pathetic Hitchcock. In one scene, he drunkenly confesses his insecurities to Brown about his looks and weight.

Jarrold said Hitchcock's survivors, including his daughter, have not objected to the film -- but also haven't seen it.

Hedren, now an animal activist who maintains the Shambala Preserve wildlife sanctuary, believes she is one of many actresses harassed by the cinematic legend.

After "Psycho," she said, actress Vera Miles refused to ever work with the director again. Hedren also said Suzanne Pleshette told her during "The Birds" filming, "It isn't always like this."

Hedren says she knows "Vertigo" star Kim Novak, but the actress has "never said a word about anything wrong."

TV Tonight 3rd of August 2012

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

    7 Days (NZ) S04E21: "Season 4, Episode 21"
    Accel World S01E17: "Fragmentation"
    America's Most Wanted S25E33: "Season 25, Episode 33"
    BBC Olympic Games 2012 S01E88: "Olympic Games - 88"
    BBC Olympic Games 2012 S01E92: "Olympic Games - 92"
    BBC Olympic Games 2012 S01E96: "Olympic Games - 96"
    BBC Olympic Games 2012 S01E87: "Olympic Games - 87"
    BBC Olympic Games 2012 S01E91: "Olympic Games - 91"
    BBC Olympic Games 2012 S01E95: "Olympic Games - 95"
    BBC Olympic Games 2012 S01E86: "Olympic Games - 86"
    BBC Olympic Games 2012 S01E90: "Olympic Games - 90"
    BBC Olympic Games 2012 S01E94: "Olympic Games - 94"
    BBC Olympic Games 2012 S01E98: "Olympic Sportsday"
    BBC Olympic Games 2012 S01E85: "Olympic Games - 85"
    BBC Olympic Games 2012 S01E89: "Olympic Games - 89"
    BBC Olympic Games 2012 S01E93: "Olympic Games - 93"
    BBC Olympic Games 2012 S01E97: "Olympics Tonight"
    Better Homes and Gardens S14E27: "Season 14, Episode 27"
    Big Brother (UK) S14E64: "BB 13, Episode 64"
    Big Brother (UK) S14E65: "BB 13, Episode 65"
    Big Brother After Dark S07E23: "Season 7, Episode 23"
    Big Brother's Bit on the Side S04E60: "Series 4, Show 60"
    Bunk S01E09: "Matt Oberg, Michael Che and Alison Rich"
    Chasing UFOs S01E06: "Game of Drones"
    Come Dine With Me S19E43: "Series 19, Episode 35"
    Comedy Bang! Bang! S01E09: "Adam Scott Wears a Red Oxford Shirt & Jeans"
    Common Law (2012) S01E11: "Hot For Teacher"
    Coronation Street S53E155: "Fri Aug 3, 2012 [Episode 2]"
    Coronation Street S53E154: "Fri Aug 3, 2012 [Episode 1]"
    Dakara Boku wa, H ga Dekinai S01E05: "Invisible Dictionary"
    Daybreak S02E234: "August 3, 2012"
    Deal Or No Deal (UK) S07E306: "Episode 1986"
    Dora the Explorer S07E05: "Dora's Fantastic Gymnastics Adventure"
    Emmerdale S41E182: "August 3, 2012"
    Fashion Police S07E30: "Season 7, Episode 30"
    Femme Fatales S02E11: "Hell Hath No Furies"
    For Better or Worse (2011) S02E08: "The New Employee"
    For Better or Worse (2011) S02E07: "The Grand Opening"
    Fred: The Show S01E24: "Freddy and The Figglettes, Part 2"
    Fred: The Show S01E23: "Freddy and The Figglettes, Part 1"
    Gardeners' World S45E17: "August 3, 2012"
    General Hospital (US) S50E88: "#12616"
    Hollyoaks S18E155: "August 3, 2012"
    Hollywood Heights S01E35: "The House Party"
    Home and Away (AU) S25E140: "Episode 5575"
    Homeland: Immigration in America S01E03: "Refugees"
    House Hunters S50E30
    House Hunters International S34E26
    House Hunters on Vacation S02E09
    Jeopardy! S28E230: "Show #6435"
    John Oliver's New York Stand-up Show S03E03
    Live with Kelly S29E243
    Monkey Life S05E05: "Series 5, Episode 5"
    Moyasimon S02E05: "Episode 5"
    My Yard Goes Disney S02E10
    Neighbours S28E150: "Episode 6460"
    Omar S01E15: "Season 1, Episode 15"
    Parents S01E06: "Episode 6"
    Phil Spencer: Secret Agent S03E03: "Series 3, Episode 3"
    Say Yes To The Dress S08E15: "Red She Said"
    Say Yes To The Dress S08E14: "NFL Brides"
    Scooby-Doo - Mystery, Inc. S02E05: "The Hodag of Horror"
    Swamp Wars S02E09: "Snake-bitten Kids"
    Swamp Wars S02E08: "Rattlesnake in my Car"
    The 2012 Summer Olympics S01E08: "Season 1, Episode 8"
    The Angelos Neil Epithemiou Show S01E04
    The Bachelor (UK) S02E06: "Series 2, Episode 6"
    The Bold and the Beautiful S26E95: "Ep. #6379"
    The Chase (2009) S05E89: "Series 5, Episode 89"
    The Great British Story: A People's History S01E07
    The Jeremy Kyle Show S07E223: "August 3, 2012"
    The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson S08E123
    The Million Pound Drop Live S10E15: "Series 10, Episode 15"
    The Project S04E184: "Season 4, Episode 184"
    The View S15E218: "Edward Norton, Dr. Doris Day"
    The Young and the Restless S40E94: "Ep. #9963"
    Tyler Perry's House of Payne S07E80: "Trial and Tribulation"
    Tyler Perry's House of Payne S07E79: "Payneful Realization"
    WWE Friday Night SmackDown! S12E97: "Season 12, Episode 97"

'Dark Knight Rises' Shooting Suspect Called MTV Star Before Massacre, Star Claims

James Holmes, the man suspected of killing 12 and wounding dozens of others during a shooting spree at a screening of "The Dark Knight Rises" in Aurora, Colo., last month, reached out to "Pimp My Ride" star "Diggity" Dave Aragon in the weeks leading up to the massacre, the MTV personality told CBS's Los Angeles radio station KNX 1070.

According to Aragon, Holmes reached out to him about the trailer for Aragon's upcoming film "The Suffocator of Sins," described by Aragon as a "very sick and dark twist on the Batman movies."

Aragon told KNX 1070's Charles Feldman that a man identifying himself as "James Holmes" called him the month before the shootings, and peppered him with questions about the trailer and the upcoming film.

Holmes showed a particular interest in the violent aspects of the film -- which depicts Batman as a vengeance-prone vigilante who guns down bad guys, in stark contrast to the "Dark Knight" version of the superhero, who declines to pack heat.

“He would tell me what he really liked about the trailer. He kept pressing if I could give him more information on the story. He wanted to know how many people Batman kills,” Aragon told Feldman. “He wanted to know if it was selective killing. Does he make a list of people he wants to kill, or is it a mass body count?”

Holmes -- who said he watched the trailer more than 100 times, according to Aragon -- also expressed his disappointment with the fact that the Batman of "The Suffocator of Sins" did not use bigger guns.

Aragon added that Holmes "talked about the Joker" -- the Batman villain that Holmes reportedly identified himself as when he was apprehended by police following the shootings.

Earlier this week, Holmes was charged with 24 counts of murder and 116 counts of attempted murder in connection to the "Dark Knight" shootings. Police say that he began stockpiling the weapons and body armor that he allegedly used in the shootings in May and June.

Aragon wrote, directed and stars in "Suffocator of Sins."

'Rev' to return to BBC Two for third series in 2014

BBC Two has picked up Rev for a third series.

It was reported back in April that the channel was in negotiations with Big Talk Productions to recommission the series.

Rev stars Tom Hollander as Adam Smallbone, a vicar who relocates from a rural parish in Suffolk to an inner-city London church.

Development on series three will commence this autumn, with a 2014 air date planned, Variety reports.

"We're absolutely delighted to have Rev back on the channel," said BBC Two Controller Janice Hadlow. "It's one of the real comedy jewels in BBC Two's crown."

Big Talk's Kenton Allen added: "Such is the brilliance of the Rev cast that getting everyone back together for further adventures is always challenging.

"But I'm delighted that we've managed to get Adam and his congregation back into church for what I hope will be an extraordinary third season of a show that is extremely special for all those involved."

Rev concluded its second series in December last year.

'Doctor Who' Tom Baker pays tribute to late co-star Mary Tamm

Doctor Who star Tom Baker has paid tribute to former co-star Mary Tamm.

Tamm - who played Romana opposite Baker's Fourth Doctor in 1978 and 1979 - recently passed away following an 18-month battle with cancer.

"The dreadful news of Mary Tamm's death amazed me," Baker wrote on his official website. "I had no idea she was ill. We got on terribly well and I admired her wit and style and warmth.

"We used to meet at different Who conventions and sometimes had time for a little chat. I remember meeting her at Heathrow in the first class section: her section, of course. She was flicking through a magazine and sipping a beer: the epitome of cool style."

78-year-old Baker also reflected sadly on the passing of fellow Doctor Who companions Elisabeth Sladen (Sarah Jane Smith) and Caroline John (Liz Shaw).

"Fate is capricious and quite indifferent to our fears," he wrote. "Lovely girls: Elisabeth Sladen, Caroline John and now Mary Tamm: all dead. And here am I closing in on 80 and all I've had was whooping cough! It's not fair, is it?"

He concluded: "I never met Mary's daughter and hardly ever met Marcus, her husband. But I send them from the bottom of my old heart sincere condolences. To have known her consoles me a little: poor darling Mary, poor us."