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zondag 21 oktober 2012

Trinny and Susannah for 'I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here'?

Trinny Woodall and Susannah Constantine have reportedly signed up to appear in the forthcoming series of ITV1's I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!.

The pair - who fronted the BBC show What Not To Wear for five years - are said to be travelling to Australia next month to enter the jungle.

"It will be great watching Trinny and Susannah trying to slum it in the jungle," a source told The Sun.

"They are both strong and opinionated women and they're bound to ruffle a lot of feathers."

When asked about the presenters' dedication to style, the source added: "They'll have to wear the same T-shirts and shorts as everyone else."

Woodall and Constantine are thought to have joined this year's lineup because they are keen to relaunch their showbiz careers. After leaving the BBC, they moved to ITV in a deal worth a reported £1.2 million and went on produce two series of Trinny and Susannah Undress.

Following their exit from TV in 2007, Woodall and Constantine have taken on much smaller projects, which have included promoting their own fashion range on shopping channel QVC and launching their own brand of slimming knickers.

"Trinny and Susannah have enough money not to work but they miss the buzz of telly," the source explained. "They want to get back on prime time and back into proper fashion."

A number of London 2012 Olympic stars are rumoured to be joining Woodall and Constantine in the jungle. Producers working on the 12th series of the show are said to have set their sights on swimmer Rebecca Adlington and gold medal-winning cyclist Bradley Wiggins.


Adele 'gives birth to baby boy'

Adele has reportedly given birth to a baby boy.

The 'Rolling in the Deep' star, who announced her pregnancy back in June, welcomed her son with partner Simon Konecki last week, The Mirror reports.

"Adele and Simon are ecstatic at their new arrival," a source said. "She was over the moon that they were expecting their first child together."

Konecki previously teased that the couple's baby is "coming so soon".

It was recently reported that Adele is renovating a home in Hove to live a low-key life with her new family.

"Neither she nor Simon wants to bring up the baby in London. They want to keep a low profile when the baby is born. I think we'll see even less of her then," an insider explained.

"Despite her millions, she is going to give the baby the most important thing of all - love. The baby is very special to have such a special lady as its mother."


Mark Gordon Sells Spinster Comedy to NBC, Procedural to CBS

"Grey's Anatomy" executive producer Mark Gordon has sold a pair of projects to NBC and CBS -- and they're quite the differing projects indeed.

The Mark Gordon Company said Friday that it has landed a half-hour comedy, "Spinsters," with NBC. The project, about spinsters whose lives are transformed when a normal guy moves into their apartment building, will be written by "Cougar Town" duo Chrissy Pietroch and Jessica Goldstein, who will also executive produce with Gordon and Andrea Shay.

The second project, a character procedural titled "Darkness Falls," has landed at CBS. The hourlong show will explore the complex dynamic of an FBI psychologist and a homicide specialist as they journey into small communities around the country to solve the darkest, most twisted single murders.

Erica Messer and Janine Sherman Barrios (both of "Criminal Minds") will write and executive produce with Gordon and Nicholas Pepper. The project will be produced by ABC Studios.


Fox Extends Its Primetime Due to 'X Factor' Snafu

Fox's primetime will go into extra innings next Tuesday, after rain delays during a baseball game played havoc with the network's schedule on Wednesday and caused mass confusion with the broadcast of "The X Factor."

While Fox initially decided to re-air this week's episode of "The X Factor" in full next week, it will now broadcast a special one-hour edition of the singing competition, featuring the conclusion of the "Judges' Homes" round at 9:30, and air its Tuesday comedies "Raising Hope," Ben and Kate" and "New Girl" in their regular timeslots from 8 to 9:30 p.m.

The juggling of the schedule will push Fox's primetime to 10:30, past its usual bedtime of 10 p.m.

It also means that "The X Factor" also won't be directly competing with NBC's rival singing show "The Voice," as it would have under Fox's original rescheduling.

Wednesday's rain delay of the National League Championship created chaos with Fox's schedule. After originally hearing that the delay was likely to continue past primetime, Fox began airing "The X Factor," but when the delay was canceled about an hour later, the network pulled back "The X Factor" feed to switch to the game. However, a delay in the switch caused "The Mindy Show" to briefly air for some viewers.

Meanwhile, another glitch caused "The X Factor"'s east coast feed to air on the west coast, causing some viewers on the west coast to see "The X Factor" prior to its regular 8 p.m. airtime.


'Stand Up To Cancer' fundraiser generates £6m

Channel 4's Stand Up To Cancer fundraiser has generated over £6 million for cancer research charities.

The three-and-a-half hour show, which was screened live last night (October 19), saw celebrities, sportspeople and members of the public who are undergoing treatment for the disease campaigning to raise funds for vital medical research.

Hosted by Davina McCall, Alan Carr and Dr Christian Jessen, the night featured performances by Cheryl Cole - who experienced technical difficulties during her song 'Call My Name' - and Leona Lewis, as well as interviews with The Rolling Stones and appearances by Bradley Cooper, Heidi Klum and Jensen Button.

A special edition of Million Pound Drop, featuring stars including Gok Wan, Tom Felton and Heston Blumenthal, saw celebrities trying to preserve a £2m prize fund, and Derren Brown performed a Russian Roulette-style paint ball stunt with newlyweds Dawn Porter and comedian Chris O'Dowd.

As the broadcast concluded at 2am this morning, the total stood at £6,483,995. Donations to Stand Up To Cancer can still be made via the official website until November 30, with phone lines open until November 19.


'Red Dwarf X' stays above 1m on Dave

Red Dwarf's new critically-acclaimed series has continued to pull in spectacular viewing figures for digital channel Dave.

Red Dwarf X's third episode 'Lemons', in which the gang found themselves marooned in 23 AD, pulled in 1.16m (5.2%) in the 9pm hour - putting itself ahead of Channel 5.

Despite gaining viewers week-on-week, the show could not re-establish its lead over Celebrity Juice, which commanded 1.21m (6.8%) for ITV2 at 10pm and 202k (2.1%) on +1.

Against the odds, the sci-fi sitcom - starring Craig Charles and Chris Barrie - beat Keith Lemon's hugely popular Juice in its first week, and Dwarf's first series in 13 years has reaffirmed its place as UKTV's most-watched show of all time.

Russell Howard's Good News climbed to 862k (3.9%) for BBC Three at 9pm, ranking as the night's third best-rated multichannel broadcast. Some 298k (7.9%) Howard fans caught Good News at 12.30am.

BBC Four's factual programming remained popular in the digital world, with documentaries Horizon (569k/2.6%) and Tails You Win: The Science of Chance (743k/3.3%) airing to decent audiences, the latter making fourth in the multichannel league table.

ITV2 topped the digital channels by some margin with an average primetime share of 2.7%, helped by The X Factor USA's 546k (2.5%) in the 8pm hour.




CBS Reaches Settlement With ComStar Over 'Happy Days,' 'Family Ties' Lawsuit

CBS Television Distribution and ComStar Media have agreed to settle their lawsuit over the airing of several classic series, including "Happy Days," "My Three Sons" and "Family Ties."

CBS sued ComStar -- owned by GodTube founder Chris Wyatt and "Hour of Power" minister Robert Schuller -- for $1.5 million in April, claiming that the company had stopped paying its licensing fees for the programs.

The suit actually stems from an agreement that CBS had struck with FamilyNet, which was acquired by ComStar and was also named in the complaint. According to CBS, FamilyNet entered an agreement in December 2008 to license the above series. According to the complaint, ComStar stopped making payments soon after acquiring FamilyNet.

ComStar had maintained that it wasn't obligated to pay the licensing fees, as it didn't acquire FamilyNet's liabilities when they purchased it.

The terms of the settlement agreement were not disclosed.

“The matter has been amicably resolved, and the financial terms are confidential,” a spokesperson for CBS Television Distribution told in a statement.






'Private Practice' to End After Current Season

"Private Practice" is shuttering its doors.

The ABC medical drama will end its run after its current sixth season, a spokeswoman for the network told TheWrap.

The decision to end the "Grey's Anatomy" spinoff perhaps isn't surprising, given the earlier decision of series star Kate Walsh to leave the series.

The show had been renewed for a shortened 13-episode sixth season, leading to speculation that the series was nearing an end. Another ominous sign emerged in May, when series star Tim Daly, who played Dr. Pete Wilder, was let go from the series.

"Private Practice" creator Shonda Rhimes announced the end of the series on her blog Friday, saying that it was "heartbreaking" to see the show go but noting that the final season marks a "creative Renaissance" for the series.

"I'm sad to say that Private Practice's run will end after episode 613 this season. There was a lot of discussion and debate but, in the end, the guys at the network and the studio and I all decided that Private Practice was reaching its finish line. Creatively, we are all extremely proud of the show and especially proud of this season -- which you will all soon discover is a creative renaissance. I can't wait for you to see it," Rhimes wrote.

"It's heartbreaking to end. Truly. I feel so lucky to write for these characters and tell these stories and I truly feel this show has taught me so much as a writer. And there's a family here, of crew and cast, people who have bonded over these past five and a half seasons. It's rare for a show to go for more than 100 episodes and we are incredibly proud to have been such a show. And we're grateful to all of you for spending time with us for an hour every week for the last 6 years. It's meant the world," Rhimes added.

The series has floundered in ratings for its final season, which premiered Sept. 25 to a 1.6/4 in the advertiser-coveted 18-49 demographic -- down 32 percent from the previous season's premiere. For the past three episodes, it has posted a 1.6/4 in the demo.






Tulisa, Gary Barlow tell acts to 'stay away from Rylan'?

X Factor judges Gary Barlow and Tulisa Contostavlos have allegedly told their remaining acts to stay away from Rylan Clark.

The mentors are said to have held meetings with their respective categories - the over 28s and the girls - and warned them not to get too close to the controversial contestant.

Clark, 23, has been branded a bad influence by the two judges after he was spotted returning to the contestants' hotel drunk arm-in-arm with Tulisa's act Lucy Spraggan. The pair were later seen being kicked out of the building and are currently staying in a separate venue nearby.

An X Factor insider told The Mirror that Tulisa heavily criticised Spraggan for "not taking [the competition] seriously and throwing away her opportunity".

"Tulisa was disappointed with Lucy," the source continued. "She had her down as a serious musician and a real competitor for this year's title but now she thinks she's just here for a laugh.

"They really embarrassed themselves. Photos of them rolling around drunk in the street appeared and it really brings the show into disrepute."

Spraggan later apologised on Twitter. "Me and Rylan Clark are partaking in a small vacation from the hotel for a few days," she posted, adding: "Our most sincere apologies for our #beerfear behaviour."

Barlow reportedly told his acts that Rylan has a "bad attitude" and shouldn't still be in the competition. "You'll ruin your chances if you're not careful," he said.

"Gary has made his feelings about Rylan quite clear," the source added. "But he's had another word with his own acts and warned them that there is no place for his messing around on the show."

The X Factor continues tonight at 8pm on ITV1. Contestants are due to perform songs that fit the theme 'Club Classics'.


Roger Ailes Signs 4-Year Deal to Run Fox News, Stations

Roger Ailes has signed a new, four-year deal to run Fox News Channel, Fox Business Channel, Fox stations and 20th Television, News Corp. announced Friday.

Ailes is the chairman and CEO of Fox News Channel and chairman of Fox Television Stations Group.

News Corp. representatives did not immediately respond to a request from TheWrap for comment.

Ailes signed a similar five-year contract with News Corporation in 2008. He has been with News Corporation since 1996, the year he launched FOX News Channel.

The announcement comes in the same week that another media mogul, Les Moonves, chairman and CEO of CBS Corp., also re-upped his contract.

The new contract was first reported by Howard Kurtz, media columnist for The Daily Beast and host of CNN's "Reliable Sources."


'Switch's Lacey Turner to star in BBC army drama 'Our Girl'

Lacey Turner is to star in a new BBC One drama, it has been reported.

The Switch actress will play young army recruit Molly in a one-off 90-minute drama titled Our Girl, reports The Sun.

Molly joins the Royal Army Medical Corps after throwing up in the doorway of a recruitment office while out celebrating her 18th birthday. Our Girl follows her through training and into active service in Afghanistan.

Former EastEnders star Turner described Molly as "an interesting character who shows such strength and determination".

A BBC spokesperson added: "Molly is as colourful, unique and powerful as Stacey Slater was when she first arrived on the channel eight years ago."


HGTV Announces Renewals of "Home Strange Home," "Extreme Homes," and "You Live in What"

Wacky, unusual and unique homes have captured the attention of millions of viewers with HGTV's new series Home Strange Home, Extreme Homes and You Live in What?.

Originally launched as one-hour specials, Home Strange Home and You Live in What? will continue production with eight, one-hour episodes of a second season while Extreme Homes will continue with eight, one-hour episodes of a third. Both You Live in What? and Extreme Homes, which originally premiered in early 2012, ranked among the Top 5 rated prime specials on HGTV among P25-54. More than 3.9 million viewers tuned in to watch Home Strange Home when it debuted in November 2011.

"Our new genre featuring spectacular and quirky homes is pulling a big audience," said HGTV's General Manager Kathleen Finch. "From real estate to renovation and luxury living to home improvement, HGTV offers programming across the spectrum of 'home,' so it makes perfect sense to develop and green light series and season renewals that offer viewers a voyeuristic look at extreme and extraordinary living."

Home Strange Home, which makes its series debut on Friday, Oct. 19 at 9 p.m. ET/PT, introduces viewers to unconventional houses and their owners. Hosted by comedian Chuck Nice, the eccentric and bizarre residences include a modern-day Peter Pan's Neverland, a million dollar Earth ship, a Las Vegas museum, a Tulsa cave, and houses made out of animal bones, beers cans and more. In its second season, HGTV goes inside a real life witches home pulled straight out of the Hansel and Gretel fairytale, the original Village People's YMCA and other one-of-a-kind creations.

The word "extreme" means different things to different people, and to the homeowners featured in Extreme Homes, it means pushing the envelope as far as possible. Throughout this year, more than 11 million viewers tuned in to the series to get an up-close look at some of the world's most spectacular houses ever built - including a modern a castle, a seaside house made of refrigerator panels and floating ferry boat, and sun-revolving spherical abode. Recently bowing its second season on Oct. 4, viewers can see more extraordinary homes, including a pyramid in rural Ohio, a glass box in Switzerland and rolling-dice and mailbox shaped edifices every Thursday at 9 p.m. ET/PT. More unique options will also be captured in the third season, premiering in first quarter.

Not everyone lives in a cozy 3-bedroom, 2-bath house in the suburbs. In the series You Live in What? HGTV offers a sneak-peek into the imaginative homes of people who live in some really outrageous places. Watched by more than 14 million viewers this year, the first season highlighted a couple who live on an old rail-road bridge and the infamous historic Manhattan bank turned dream home. In early 2013, the second season of You Live in What? brings viewers eight new episodes of unusual spaces converted into masterful residences.


TV Tonight 21th of October 2012

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

    60 Minutes (US) S45E04: "Season 45, Episode 4"
    666 Park Avenue S01E04: "Hero Complex"
    Alaska State Troopers S04E04: "Shotgun Showdown"
    America's Funniest Home Videos S23E03: "Season 23, Episode 3"
    American Dad! S08E03: "Can I Be Frank With You?"
    American Pickers S04E28: "Guitars, Guns, and Gears"
    Andrew Marr's History Of The World S01E05: "Age of Plunder"
    Antiques Roadshow S35E03: "Port Sunlight (2)"
    Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes S02E24: "Operation Galactic Storm"
    Being: Liverpool S01E05: "Walk On"
    Big Brother (AU) S09E61: "Live Eviction"
    Big Rich Texas S03E03: "Pierced by Revenge"
    Bitchin’ Kitchen S03E00: "Nadia G's Bitchin' Halloween Special"
    Boardwalk Empire S03E06: "Ging Gang Goolie"
    Bob's Burgers S03E03: "Bob Fires the Kids"
    Breaking Amish S01E07: "Final Days"
    Bridezillas S09E20: "TBA"
    Call Me Fitz S03E06: "Semen-Gate"
    Cardfight!! Vanguard S02E29: "Gathering of Winners"
    Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew S06E07: "Things Get Worse Before They Get Better"
    Code: Breaker S01E03: "Episode 3"
    Comic Book Men S02E02: "TBA"
    Copper S01E10: "A Vast and Fiendish Plot"
    Cupcake Wars S07E03: "Cody Simpson"
    Curiosity S02E03: "I Was Mummified"
    Czas honoru S05E08: "Kanał"
    Deal Or No Deal (UK) S08E60: "Episode 2053"
    Destination Fear S01E05: "Pigman Road"
    Dexter S07E04: "Run"
    Downton Abbey S03E06: "Series 3, Episode 6"
    Dragons' Den (UK) S10E07: "Series 10, Episode 7"
    Drugs, Inc. S03E01: "High Stakes Vegas"
    Family Guy S11E03: "The Old Man and the Big 'C'"
    Farmen S08E06: "Season 8, Episode 6"
    Football Night in America S07E07: "Week 7"
    Forbrydelsen S03E05: "Day 5"
    Friday Night Dinner S02E03: "The Loft"
    Glam Fairy S02E03: "Even Fairies Get Fired"
    Halloween Wars S02E03: "Science Gone Wrong"
    Hellstrøm Rydder Opp - Hjemme S02E07: "Season 2, Episode 7"
    Homeland S02E04: "New Car Smell"
    House Husbands S01E08: "Episode 8"
    Hunter X Hunter Remake S02E03: "Assault x And x Impact"
    I Kveld Med Ylvis S02E12: "Season 2, Episode 12"
    I Survived S06E41: "Gilles, Angela and Richard, Jeffrey"
    Jack Irish S01E02: "Black Tide"
    Killing Time S02E03: "Season 2, Episode 3"
    Long Island Medium S03E12: "Never Before Seen"
    Long Island Medium S03E11: "FAQ"
    Magi S01E03: "Wizard of Creation"
    Making Monsters S02E08: "All Creatures Great and Scary!"
    Making Monsters S02E07: "Demon Dogs & Hell Hounds"
    Married to Jonas S01E09: "Italy with the In-Laws - Part Two"
    MasterChef S01E08: "Season 1, Episode 8"
    Masterpiece S42E26: "Upstairs Downstairs, II: (3) A Perfect Specimen of Womanhood"
    Mega Dens S03E11: "Maine Goes Mega"
    Million Dollar Contractor S02E08: "Plus One"
    Muv-Luv Alternative: Total Eclipse S01E16: "Episode 16"
    MythBusters S11E03: "Hail Hijinx"
    Nothing Trivial S02E09: "Season 2, Episode 9"
    Once Upon a Time S02E04: "The Crocodile"
    One Piece (JP) S06E53: "Episode 569"
    Oprah's Next Chapter S01E37: "Fergie"
    Points Of View S40E06: "October 21, 2012"
    Revenge S02E04: "Intuition"
    Robot Chicken S06E06: "Disemboweled by an Orphan"
    Rove LA S02E04: "Aisha Tyler, Matthew Fox and Emmy Rossum"
    Running Man (런닝맨) S01E116: "Season 1, Episode 116"
    See Dad Run S01E03: "See Dad Play Coach"
    Sins & Secrets S03E08: "Iaeger"
    Snapped S09E23: "Kara Lounsbury"
    So You Think You Can Dance (NL/BE) S05E08: "Season 5, Episode 8; Liveshow 1"
    Solsidan S03E03: "TBA"
    SpongeBob SquarePants S08E36: "Move It or Lose It"
    Strictly Come Dancing S10E07: "Series 10, Week 3 (Results)"
    Strike Back: Vengeance S03E08: "Vengeance, Episode 8"
    Sunday Night Football S07E10: "Pittsburgh Steelers at Cincinnati Bengals"
    Talking Dead S02E02: "TBA"
    Tatort S43E26: "Tote Erde"
    The Amazing Race S21E04: "Funky Monkey: Leg 4 - Dhaka, Bangladesh → TBA"
    The Cleveland Show S04E02: "Menace II: Secret Society"
    The Good Wife S04E04: "Don’t Haze Me, Bro"
    The Mentalist S05E04: "Blood Feud"
    The Only Way Is Essex S07E07: "Series 7, Episode 7"
    The Project S04E251: "Season 4, Episode 251"
    The Simpsons S24E03: "Adventures in Baby-Getting"
    The Soup S09E00: "The Goodest Moments of Redneck Shows"
    The Walking Dead S03E02: "Sick"
    The X Factor (UK) S09E17: "Series 9 - Elimination - 3 (Result)"
    The Xtra Factor S09E17: "Series 9, Live Show Extra 3 (Result)"
    Toriko S02E28: "Episode 28"
    Treme S03E05: "I Thought I Heard Buddy Bolden Say"
    Uchuu Kyoudai S01E29: "Night Before Launch"
    Unique Eats S05E11: "Kids' Treats"
    Unusual Suspects S04E07: "A Bike Ride to Murder"
    Watch What Happens: Live S08E31: "Yvette Nicole Brown"
    Winx Club S05E08: "Secret of the Ruby Reef"
    X Factor Romania S02E05: "Season 2, Episode 5"


Misfits series 4 air date confirmed

Series four of E4's Misfits, featuring three new regular characters, starts at the end of this month...

The official E4 Misfits Twitter account sent out the following missive this morning, containing some news many of us have been waiting to hear:

"Oi, wanna hear something good? #misfits Series 4 starts on Sunday 28th October at 10pm"

Series four is the first not to feature Lauren Socha, Antonia Thomas or Iwan Rheon, but will be welcoming back Joseph Gilgun (Rudy) Nathan Stewart-Jarrett (Curtis), and Matthew McNulty (Seth), alongside newcomers Karla Crome (Jess), Nathan McMullen (Finn), and Matt Stokoe (Alex).


Why do Star Trek fans hate Voyager?

Liam ponders whether Star Trek: Voyager deserves the derision it receives at the hands of some Star Trek fans...

At what point is it safe to call oneself a Star Trek fan? I’ve seen a good chunk of TOS, and almost all of The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, and Voyager. I’ve a favourite episode and have selected my preferred position on the bridge (Security and Tactical), but I wouldn’t touch a pair of pointy ears with a ten-foot bat’leth, and perhaps most egregiously in the world of Trek fandom, I don’t hate Voyager.

So thoroughgoing is some Star Trek fans’ hatred of Berman, Piller and Taylor’s iteration of the franchise, it’s manifested in YouTube channels dedicated to Voyager’s idiocy and a canonically and legally accurate series of features called ‘The Court Martial of Captain Kathryn Janeway’.

Star Trek: Voyager is regarded with the same feelings of betrayal fanboys have shown for The Phantom Menace and the Mass Effect 3 ending. Even appreciating that Voyager is no masterpiece, its status as an object of derision baffles when you consider the tongue-in-cheek admiration a show like Farscape (which operates on a similar plain of stupidity) is held in by fans. The Fifth Element is as shallow as sci-fi gets, yet is popularly considered a cult classic.

No, with Star Trek: Voyager, the hatred is mostly about those first two words in the title. After all, what is Star Trek? For many it’s not just the most prominent science fiction franchise, it’s also the peak of the genre (yes, Doctor Who came first, but before the reboot, Whovians were comparatively niche and Trek had a much greater international presence thanks to the films), the ultimate marriage of hard science fiction with entertainment.

Star Trek presented a socialist utopia in which humanity had evolved beyond differences of gender, race and even species to work for the advancement of the whole. Then it used that utopia to facilitate battles to the death, tense dilemmas and Viagra viruses (The Naked Now in case you were wondering). And it did all this with sets, costumes and creatures so distinct that fans continue to imitate them to this day.

A lot changed between that and Voyager of course. The Next Generation eventually stopped trying to live up to Rodenberry’s utopia and allowed whole other worlds of conflict. Deep Space Nine would make its name actively challenging the concept in landmark episodes such as Homefront and In the Pale Moonlight. So when Voyager got flung into the Delta Quadrant it was now in a wild unknown where it was free to disregard the more restrictive elements of Rodenberry’s vision. Voyager was given every gift that the Star Trek universe had to offer and it mishandled every one of them.

Stranding the crew in the Delta Quadrant? Brilliant. Doing it by having the Captain protect a species with a lifespan shorter than my dog (oh the Ocampa)? Less so. Integrating Maquis freedom fighters into a Starfleet crew? Brilliant. Making them completely identical to the rest of the crew? Rubbish. Worse still, the show held the principles of the Federation - and by extension Rodenberry - as some kind of religious dogma, unwavering and immutable. The captain always had to be right, the prime directive could not be breached for any reason.

All this reached a horrible event horizon with Alliances when, to ensure Voyager’s survival, Janeway attempted to negotiate with an enemy race. It would be the beginning of a new Federation of sorts, and like so much about Voyager it was a potentially great idea, but what happened? All non-Starfleet races were once again demonised as existential ‘others’ to maintain the status quo. From then on it was clear that, unlike its predecessors, Voyager had no intention of experimenting with new ideas. It was the show that was trying the hardest to live up to the legacy of The Original Series and it never could.

Despite all this, I have never been able to bring myself to condemn Voyager. To this day I still watch the show and find pleasure in more than the prospect of being assimilated by Seven of Nine. Part of the reason was personal circumstance; I happened to stumble upon it on a good episode - season five’s Warhead, a tight ticking-clock dilemma featuring a standout performance from Robert Picardo. Even Voyager’s harshest critics have admitted that Picardo’s role as the ship’s Emergency Medical Hologram, known as The Doctor is one of its saving graces. The man’s comedic flair can carry a scene even in an empty room.

On that note, let’s talk characters. Those on Trek have always represented the best of the best, symbols of how highly evolved twenty-fourth century humans were. Captain Picard and Mr Spock may as well have been gods on Olympus in terms of accessibility to me as a then-twelve-year-old viewer. Just by looking, you could tell they had never had to work at Argos or clean the bathroom like mere mortals. We were told the doors on the Enterprise were automatic but in truth they were just smart enough to get out of Kirk’s way.

The Voyager crew on the other hand, were a mismatched collection of incompetents. It doesn’t take much imagination to interpret Janeway as an inept captain, Neelix as a meddlesome nuisance, and Chief Engineer Torres as a university drop-out with anger issues. But in a strange kind of way characters who were rougher round the edges were a lot easier to get on board with. For people who make mistakes, a certain kinship is felt when watching TV characters do the same.

None of this makes for a great endorsement of the show, though if that’s what you’re looking for I’d strongly recommend seasons three through six when the Doctor began to take a much more prominent role, Seven of Nine was introduced and the Borg became a more common threat. For every clunker like The Q and the Grey and Spirit Folk, there was always a Dark Frontier, Life Line or The Thaw to enjoy. And without its diverse characters, schlocky action and comic tone I may never have watched any show that bore the Star Trek banner. Think of it as a gateway drug, if The Original Series was heroin; the ultimate high but a crippling way of life, then Voyager is cannabis; pleasant enough, easily accessible, but capable of permanent brain damage (Threshold anyone?).

There’s food for thought in that. Just how many other fans, like me, started watching The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine and The Original Series because they enjoyed Voyager? And the thought of having missed out on great episodes like Tapestry, In the Pale Moonlight and Balance of Terror makes me rush right back to my original statement. I can't say Voyager was a great show, but hate it? Never.


Atomic Kitten, 5ive, B*Witched, 911, more to reunite for ITV2 show

Atomic Kitten are among several '90s pop acts who will reunite for an ITV2 documentary series.

The girl group will reform along with 5ive, Liberty X and 911 for The Big Reunion, according to The Sun.

The show will follow the reunited bands as they rehearse for two weeks ahead of a comeback performance.

"We are thrilled to bring the stories of these pop groups up to date," said ITV's head of digital channels Angela Jain.

"A lot has happened in the time these bands have been apart - marriages, divorces and changes in careers - and who knows quite what will happen when they reunite!"

Other acts tipped to come back together for The Big Reunion include B*Witched and the Honeyz.


Anna Nicole Smith Lawyer Howard Stern Back on the Hook for Conspiracy Charges

Howard K. Stern, the former lawyer and domestic partner of deceased actress/heiress/Playboy Playmate Anna Nicole Smith, suffered a blow Thursday in the ongoing legal saga over Smith's death, when a California court of appeal reversed his acquittal on two conspiracy charges.

In October, a judge reversed Stern's earlier conviction on two felony conspiracy charges related to obtaining drugs for Smith under false names, saying there was insufficient evidence.

The appeals court, reversed that decision Thursday, and also reversed the dismissal of charges against Dr. Khristine Elaine Eroshevich, who prescribed drugs for Smith in the period leading up to her death.

"As to defendant, Howard Kevin Stern, the new trial and dismissal orders are reversed," Thursday's ruling reads. "The verdicts as to counts 1 and 3 are ordered reinstated."

It's unclear what the next step is for Stern; according to the ruling, the trial court that ruled in October can dismiss on grounds other than insufficient evidence or impose sentence, but cannot retry Stern due to the rule of double jeopardy.



Fall TV: Forget Trying to Please All, Narrowcasting Thrives

You may be watching the slow death of broadcasting.

Not of broadcast networks – they'll be fine. But the notion that shows can broadly cast out and try to appeal to all might be as dated as the image of an old-time farmer casting seeds. This season, some of the most narrowly targeted shows are proving to be the most successful.

Few could have predicted that three weeks into the season, NBC would be the top-rated network so far. Or that the biggest premiere – aside from football -- would be a cable show about zombies. Or that the top new network show would be essentially a sci-fi Western. (See chart, left.)

While NBC is up, ABC, CBS, and Fox are down (see chart, below) – largely because their attempts to appeal to the masses haven't worked like they used to. Not all of NBC's have, either. The network pledged this season to go for broader comedies, but Thursday canceled one of its highest hopes, "Animal Practice," a veterinary sitcom with a monkey as one of the leads.

You can't get much broader than that, except with singing shows and football. Football is thriving. But singing competitions are down. Fox's "X Factor" has slipped in part because of much tougher competition than it faced last fall. NBC's "The Voice" didn't air then. But the show has fallen hard from midseason, when it got a huge boost from a Super Bowl lead-in.

You can't get much more potentially off-putting, meanwhile, than AMC's "The Walking Dead," which nonetheless scored TV's highest scripted-show ratings in a year with Sunday's third-season premiere. The episode featured a discussion of what would happen if a baby turned into a zombie in the womb, which might turn off lots of viewers. But 10.9 million people were at least willing to give Sunday's premiere a shot. The show has grown dramatically since its debut, while getting gorier and gorier.

Narrowcasting at its best means locking in on one audience with not trying to please everyone. No show does it better than "The Walking Dead." Not including football, its 5.8 rating in the key 18-49 demographic Sunday was the best since the "American Idol" finale in May, and the best for a scripted show since a "Modern Family" episode last October. "Modern Family" ended last season the top scripted series on TV.

The success of a few decidedly different shows doesn't mean it's time to carve up television into small niche networks – though that's certainly what's happening in cable and online, as more and more channels devote themselves to cooking, cars, and a given sport.

Despite the triumphs of narrowcasting, when mass-appeal programming works, it really works.

The top-rated show on television is NBC's "Sunday Night Football," which is down very slightly this season to a still-excellent 8 rating in the demo. But as much as they might like to, networks can't air football around the clock.

The lesson of this season may be that you can't please all the people all the time, but that you don't need to please everyone to score some very respectable ratings.

Take "Sons of Anarchy." The FX biker drama isn't for most. (This week's episode featured a man being beaten to death with a snow globe.) But FX's highest-rated show has repeatedly bested its Tuesdays-at-10 competition this season. Its network rivals -- NBC's "Parenthood," CBS's "Vegas" and ABC's "Private Practice" -- are all decidedly middle of the road.

CBS is the broadest of the broadcast networks, and has the numbers to prove it. Though NBC leads in the key demo this season, CBS has easily the largest overall audience. It can thank its safe, comfortable mix of procedurals and sitcoms.

But even that approach isn't working as predictably as it used to. CBS's most successful new show is also its weirdest. The Sherlock Holmes update "Elementary," in which Holmes is a woman, is second only to NBC's even weirder "Revolution," which imagines life after all power sources go out. (The latest episode of "Revolution" features a fun update on a classic Western train robbery – something we haven't seen since, um, AMC's "Breaking Bad," did it over the summer. But "Breaking Bad" is a famously, wonderfully insane show.)

Many of CBS's most conventional series are down. Last season, all of its Monday comedies scored a huge boost from curiosity about how Ashton Kutcher would score on the new season of "Two and a Half Men." This season, against competition from "The Voice," the Monday comedies have slipped.

Now "Men" has moved to Thursdays with the broadly appealing "Big Bang Theory," where they make life much harder for rivals "X Factor" on Fox and NBC's smart but little-watched Thursday comedies. NBC has made no bones about its plan to go for broader comedies this time out.

But only one of those comedies – the most daring – is scoring big. The Matthew Perry comedy "Go On" tries to mine comedy from a group of people dealing with grief. Viewers seem to appreciate it: "Go On" is the top-rated new comedy of the season.

"Animal Practice," a show more likely to look for laughs by putting a cute monkey in a costume, is gone, along with the CBS underdog procedural "Made in Jersey," the first show to be cut this season. NBC's "Guys With Kids" is also struggling for viewers.

But NBC climbed to No. 3 in the ratings last season after years in fourth through another form of narrowcasting: Choosing easier fights. Rather than unveiling big shows against serious competition in the fall, it debuted "The Voice," its biggest show besides football, in April 2011.

It then aired it in midseason, instead of the following fall, where it nearly tied "Idol" as the No. 2 show on television after "SNF." Then NBC used its strength this fall to launch "Revolution," which airs Mondays after "The Voice."

It's not surprising that "Revolution" debuted to strong numbers. The surprise is that it's held on to a solid audience, at least so far.

The J.J. Abrams-produced "Revolution" is similar to many shows that have come since his ABC hit "Lost": One huge event changes everything and mysteries pile up. But as the mysteries get more confusing, or don't seem to move toward solutions, viewers tend to fall off, as they did for "The Event" on NBC, "FlashForward" on ABC, and Abrams' "Alcatraz" on Fox.

Part of the problem is serialization. "Lost" was not an easy show to start watching five episodes in.

But "Revolution," interestingly, is. Your humble correspondent watched the premiere, left the show for a while, and came back to this week's episode, No. 5.  It was surprisingly easy to follow, and just eccentric enough. It added mysteries while solving some from the first episode. It actually worked.

It also gained in ratings over the episode a week before.

"Walking Dead" is also growing instead of shrinking. It has repeatedly broken cable records, and has a shot this season of becoming the highest-rated scripted show on TV. It would be the first cable show to do so.

The zombies aren't in the same league as football yet. But give them time.


Development Update: The 21st of October

BRIDGE, THE (FOX) - Taylor Elmore's drama, an "Upstairs Downstairs" look at life on a Navy aircraft carrier, is being redeveloped by the network by executive producers "Justified" Graham Yost and Michael Dinner. Said duo will help with the rewrite while Dinner is attached to direct. Sony Pictures Television-based Gran Via Productions is still behind the hour, with Mark Johnson executive producing alongside Elmore, Yost and Dinner. (Deadline.com)

GEORGE CLOONEY MANIFESTO, THE (FOX, New!) - Playwright Annie Hendy ("The Catholic Girl's Guide to Losing Your Virginity") has sold a new comedy to the network about "a single woman who, sick of the shoulds and should nots of society's double standards about dating, decides from this point on she is going to act like George Clooney and live life to the fullest." Mark Waters ("Made In Jersey") is on board to direct and executive produce alongside Watermark Pictures' Jessica Tuchinsky for 20th Century Fox Television. Hendy will write and serve as a co-executive producer while Waters is also set to helm Lifetime's "Witches of East End" pilot. (Deadline.com)

LAST STOP SAVANNAH (CBS, New!) - Feature writer Randy Brown ("Trouble with the Curve") has booked a new drama at the Eye about "a high-profile Chicago attorney who suffers a fall from grace and loses his Illinois license, returns to his hometown of Savannah for a job at his old college roommate's firm - where his daughter works as a newly minted partner" Said hour, which Brown will write and co-executive produce, is set up at the Warner Bros. Television-based Gerber Pictures. The company's Bill Gerber will executive produce. (Deadline.com)

LIFE AS I BLOW IT (NBC) - Sarah Colonna's book - which follows her life in the Midwest surrounded by eccentric friends and family whose opinions and actions know no boundaries - is being redeveloped at the Peacock. Denise Moss ("Rita Rocks") has been tapped to co-write the half-hour alongside Colonna, taking over for Danielle Sanchez-Witzel. Sony Pictures Television-based Happy Madison Productions is still behind the project with Doug Robinson as well as New Wave Entertainment's Abbey MacDonald, Brian Volk Weiss and Michael Pelmont also serving as executive producers. It's not clear if Universal Television is still attached. (Deadline.com)

MANCHILD (FOX, New!) - Matt Wolpert and Ben Nedivi ("Entourage") has set up at new comedy at the network about "a thirtysomething Rite-Aid pharmacist, single for the first time since high school, who wants to experience the fun he thinks he missed out on in his 20s by befriending the young cashiers and stockboys in the front of the store." Said effort is set up at Lionsgate Television with Ash Atalla (U.K.'s "The IT Crowd") executive producing alongside Wolpert and Nedivi. (Deadline.com)

RE-TOGETHER (ABC, New!) - Andrea Savage ("Dog Bites Man") is set to write and star in a potential single-camera comedy at the Alphabet about "a couple with two small kids who get divorced and live their lives with other people for 30 years [only to] get back together in their 60s, when their grown children are tasked with being a nuclear family for the first time." Sony Pictures Television is behind the half-hour with FanFare Productions' Jamie Tarses executive producing alongside Savage. (THR.com)

SEE YOU NEXT TUESDAY! (ABC, New!) - Lizzie and Wendy Molyneux ("Bob's Burgers") has sold a potential comedy to the Alphabet about "a group of people who bond while working for the world's worst boss." 20th Century Fox Television is behind the project with Kaplan/Perrone Entertainment's Aaron Kaplan and Sean Perrone executive producing alongside the duo. (Deadline.com)

UNTITLED BOB MARTIN PROJECT (ABC, New!) - Bob Martin ("Slings and Arrows") is developing a new comedy at the Alphabet about "a cartoonist who struggles to reconcile the idealized married life depicted in his comic strip with his own life - one that is populated by ex-spouses, children from three different marriages, and a wife who earns far more money than he does." Canada's Shaw Media is behind the half-hour with Noreen Halpern executive producing alongside Martin. (Deadline.com)

UNTITLED KAREN CRONER PROJECT (ABC, New!) - Karen Croner ("One True Thing") has scored a script order from the Alphabet for a new drama about "a woman returning with her teenage son to live with her rock-n-roll family in Laurel Canyon." The Warner Bros. Television-based Fake Empire is behind the hour, which is based on Croner's experience of growing up in the Hollywood Hills. Josh Schwartz, Stephanie Savage and Len Goldstein will executive produce alongside Croner. (Deadline.com)

UNTITLED PAUL ZBYSZEWSKI PROJECT (FOX, New!) - Paul Zbyszewski ("Hawaii Five-0") has landed a potential drama at the network about Deputy U.S. Marshal Dan Shaker "who, when members of the Federal Witness Security Program begin getting killed, leads the hunt for the person who stole the file with the secret identities of every member of the program." Ruben Fleischer ("Gangster Squad") is also on board to executive produce - and potentially direct - the hour for 20th Century Fox Television. (Deadline.com)

UNTITLED RACHEL ZOE PROJECT (NBC, New!) - Writer Aseem Batra ("Animal Practice") and director Todd Holland ("Go On") are set to team for a single-camera comedy at the Peacock centering on a fictional version of designer/stylist Rachel Zoe, whose reality series "The Rachel Zoe Project" airs on sibling network Bravo. BermanBraun's Gail Berman, Lloyd Braun and Gene Stein as well as Dark Toy Entertainment's Karey Burke will executive produce alongside Batra, Holland, Zoe and her husband Rodger Berman for Universal Television. (Deadline.com)

BENEATH (ABC, New!)
- Dan Dworkin and Jay Beattie ("Revenge") have booked a potential new drama at the Alphabet "described as a supernatural drama about the unusual changes that befall a town after an energy company comes drilling for natural gas and unleashes something far more powerful." Peter Traugott and Rachel Kaplan are also on board to executive produce the hour, which is set up at their Universal Television-based TBD Productions. (Deadline.com)

CITIZEN HOULIHAN (FOX, New!) - "Prodigy/Bully" executive producers Mike O'Malley and John Wells are set to re-team for a new comedy about "a man who decides it's his civic duty to improve the coarseness of the modern world, to the dismay of his family and friends." The latter's Warner Bros. Television-based John Wells Productions is behind the half-hour with the company's Andrew Stearn executive producing alongside Wells and O'Malley. (Variety.com)

GAVIN & STACEY (FOX) - David J. Rosen ("I Just Want My Pants Back") is looking to import James Corden and Ruth Jones's U.K. comedy, about "the long-distance relationship between a man from England (Matthew Horne) and a woman from Wales (Joanna Page) who start off talking on the phone." Said effort was previously in the works at ABC in 2009 from writers Stacy Traub and Hayes Jackson. BBC Worldwide Productions, Sony Pictures Television and Baby Cow Productions are behind the FOX take, which "focuses on the key life moments of the title characters who try to maintain their relationship while combining their polarizing families' lives." Jane Tranter, Julie Gardner and Henry Normal also serve as executive producers alongside Corden, Jones and Rosen. (Deadline.com)

HIGH MAINTENANCE (ABC, New!) - Broken Lizard's Kevin Heffernan and Steve Lemme are set to write and star in a new comedy at the network about the staff at an upscale Manhattan apartment building. Said half-hour, which has a script commitment, is based on Lemme's college job experience as an elevator man in a luxury New York City highrise. Universal Television and 3 Arts Entertainment are co-producing. (Deadline.com)

INFERNO, THE (NBC, New!) - "Memphis Beat" creators Liz W. Garcia and Joshua Harto have sold a potential drama to the Peacock "described as a dark, operatic drama about two fledgling New York restaurateurs who, on the eve of bankruptcy, decide to hire a magnetic, fiery, larger-than-life mysterious Italian chef." One Potato Two Potato's Gordon Ramsay and Adeline Ramage Rooney ("Kitchen Nightmares"); Bluegrass Television's Scott Stuber and Quan Phung ("Whitney"); and director Michael Mayer ("Smash") are also on board to executive produce for Universal Television. (Deadline.com)

KING & MAXWELL (TNT) - Ryan Hurst ("Sons of Anarchy") has been cast in the Jon Tenney-led drama pilot, about former secret service agents whose unique skill set (not to mention their razor-sharp chemistry) often gives them a leg up on suspects and conventional law enforcement. He'll play Edgar, "a high-functioning autistic savant with an extraordinary ability to see patterns and numerical sequences [who] forms a special relationship with King (Tenney) that leads to a breakthrough in their case." Writer Shane Brennan and director Michael Katleman are behind the CBS Television Studios-based hour, which is adapted from characters created by bestselling author David Baldacci. (Deadline.com)

LAST SHIP, THE (TNT) - Rhona Mitra ("Strike Back") is the latest addition to the drama pilot, about a global catastrophe that nearly obliterates the earth's population, forcing the crew of a naval destroyer to confront the reality of their new existence in a world where they are among the only survivors. She'll play Rachel Scott, "a direct, strong-willed, intelligent, and fearless paleomicrobiologist." Director Jonathan Mostow, producer Michael Bay and co-writers Hank Steinberg and Steve Kane are all behind the hour, which is based on William Brinkley's novel of the same name. Charles Parnell, Christina Elmore, Eric Dane, Michaela McManus, Sam Spruell, Titus Welliver and Travis Van Winkle also star. (Deadline.com)

LILY DALE (CBS, New!) - Kip Koenig ("Grey's Anatomy") has sold a new drama to the Eye about "a newly-blended family that runs a bed and breakfast in Lily Dale," based on "the real-life secluded hamlet in Western New York that is home to mediums and adherents of Spiritualism, the religion rooted in the belief that it is possible to communicate with the dead." Said effort is set up at Warner Bros. Television-based John Wells Productions with Wells and Andrew Stearn also serving as executive producers. (Variety.com)

METROPOLIS (The CW, New!) - Rob Thomas ("90210") is taking a new stab at importing the U.K. drama of the same name, about "a group of friends who are struggling with their adult lives not living up to the expectations they had when they were idealistic college friends." Adam Kaufman, Jenni Baird, John Prosky, Keith Carradine, Klea Scott, Matthew Rauch, Michael Ealy and Sarah Paulson starred in his previous take at ABC in 2001, which was set in San Francisco and directed by Michael M. Robin. The original ITV incarnation in 2000, penned by Peter Morgan, featured James Fox, Louise Lombard, James Purefoy and Matthew Rhys. Warner Bros. Television is behind the revised take with The Littlefield Co.'s Warren Littlefield and ITV Studios America's Paul Buccieri also executive producing alongside Thomas and his self-titled banner. (Deadline.com)

UNTITLED DAVEY HOLMES PROJECT (FOX, New!) - Davey Holmes ("Awake") is in talks to land a new drama at the network about "a family who serve as assassins for the federal government." He'll write and executive produce for the Warner Bros. Television-based John Wells Productions with Wells and Andrew Stearn also serving as executive producers. (Variety.com)

WITCHES OF EAST END (Lifetime) - Tom Lenk ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer") has scored a role on the drama pilot, about a mother (Julia Ormond) and her two adult daughters (Rachel Boston, Jenna Dewan) - both of whom unknowingly are their family's next generation of witches - who lead seemingly quiet, uneventful modern day lives in Long Island's secluded seaside town of North Hampton. He'll recur as Hudson Rafferty, "Ingrid's (Boston) fellow librarian and gay best friend who helps her cast a fertility spell on one of their pals." Glenne Headly, Killian Gardiner, Madchen Amick, Nicholas Gonzalez and Patrick Heusinger also star in the Fox 21-based hour. (Deadline.com)

DEATH PACT, THE (Showtime, New!) - Tad Safran ("Doogal") and Rob Long ("Sullivan & Son") have booked a potential comedy at the pay channel about "a group of friends who, approaching middle age, find themselves living unfulfilled lives until an old acquaintance re-enters their lives with unexpected consequences." Eric and Kim Tannenbaum are also on board to executive produce the half-hour via their Tannenbaum Co. banner. (Deadline.com)

FRANKENSTEIN (TNT, New!) - Dean Koontz's "Frankenstein" novels are once again heading to the small screen, this time at TNT. Feature writer James V. Hart ("August Rush") and his son Jake Hart are co-writing the hour, "set in present-day New Orleans and follows Victor Helios (Frankenstein) and his creation 200 years after they thought they killed each other in a battle in the Arctic." Writer John Shiban, director Marcus Nispel and executive producer Martin Scorsese were behind the previous take at USA, which aired as a backdoor pilot movie in 2004 starring Adam Goldberg, Ivana Milicevic, Parker Posey, Thomas Kretschmann and Vincent Perez. Lionsgate Television and 1019 Entertainment are behind TNT's take with Terry Botwick and Ralph Winter executive producing alongside Koontz and the Harts. (Deadline.com)

GRIEVANCES (ABC, New!)
- Feature writers Nichole Millard and Kathryn Price ("The Game Plan") has booked a potential drama at the network "described as an unvarnished look at a complicated, co-dependent, no-regard-for-boundaries female friendship between a single woman and happily married mother of three, who start their own law firm when they're screwed over by their male bosses." Sony Pictures Television is behind the hour with Original Film's Neal Moritz and Vivian Cannon also serving as executive producers. (Deadline.com)

I LOVE YOU LIKE A BROTHER (CBS, New!) - Kevin Connolly ("Entourage") is set to star in a multi-camera family comedy at the Eye about "the youngest of three brothers who realizes that his non-communicative family isn't normal or healthy, and tries to force his brothers and parents to become closer." Tad Safran ("Doogal") is penning the project, which comes from the CBS Television Studios-based Tannenbaum Co. The company's Eric and Kim Tannenbaum then will executive produce alongside Rob Long ("Sullivan & Son") with Safran and Connolly serving as a co-executive producer and producer, respectively. (Deadline.com)

MADDOX (NBC, New!) - Moira McMahon ("Private Practice") has booked a potential drama at the Peacock about "a family that moves into an idyllic community where medicine and technology are the closest thing we have to utopia, that is, until they begin to suspect that something darker might be afoot." Universal Television is behind the hour with Lisa Zwerling; Peter Traugott and Rachel Kaplan of TBD Productions; and Aaron Kaplan of Kapital Entertainment also serving as executive producers. (Deadline.com)

MAN AND BOY (ABC, New!) - Danny Wallace ("Awkward Situations for Men") has set up a potential comedy at the Alphabet about "an eccentric man who returns to his small town and becomes an important part of his young nephew's life, imparting wisdom and a zest for life." The single-camera comes from ABC Studios and 3 Arts Entertainment with director Julie Anne Robinson also attached as an executive producer. (Deadline.com)

SEA OF FIRE (ABC, New!) - Steven Maeda ("Pan Am") is back in business with the Alphabet for a new drama about how a pornographic film featuring three teenage girls "tears their families apart and leads to a disappearance, a murder and host of other secrets boiling under the surface in their small town." Said effort, from Sony Pictures Television, is based on a Dutch format with Scripted World's Rob Golenberg and Alon Aranya ("Red Widow") executive producing alongside Maeda. (Deadline.com)

TRUE STORY (ABC, New!) - Screenwriters Jennifer Crittenden and Gabrielle Allan ("What's Your Number?") has sold a new single-camera comedy to the Alphabet based on their experiences as girls growing up with single moms in the 1970s. ABC Studios is behind the half-hour, which is described as "a look at what happens when a freshly divorced and boundary-less mother moves herself and two daughters in with her party girl best friend in Laguna Beach in the late 1970s." (Deadline.com)

UNTITLED JULIE BEAN PROJECT (CBS, New!) - Julie Bean ("Mike & Molly") is developing a new multi-camera comedy at the Eye, inspired by the life of consultant Adrienne Brodeur, about "a young couple that decides to end their marriage and part ways but opt to stay in each other's lives as stepbrother and stepsister after her father and his mother elope and tie the knot." Said effort comes from Warner Bros. Television with Alloy Entertainment's Leslie Morgenstein and Gina Girolamo executive producing alongside Bean. Brodeur will serve as an executive consultant (THR.com)

UNTITLED PATRICIA RESNICK PROJECT (NBC, New!) - Patricia Resnick ("Olivia") has sold a new semi-autobiographical drama to the Peacock about "the professional and private lives of the harried staff of a formerly famous novelist suffering from decades-long writer's block." Scott Stuber, Quan Phung and Jonathan Baruch are also on board to executive produce via the former's Bluegrass Television for Universal Television. (Deadline.com)

WARRIORS (ABC, New!) - Writer Steven Baigelman ("Brother's Keeper") and director Christopher Chulack ("Southland") are set to team for a new drama at the Alphabet about "the best and brightest of active-duty military doctors and nurses as they practice trailblazing medicine on critically wounded warriors returning home from Afghanistan; on military families and veterans; as well as administering to Washington's government elite such as the president, senators, Supreme Court justices - all while juggling their complicated personal lives and trying to maintain their sense of perspective, humor, and sanity." David Hoberman, Todd Lieberman and Maria Crenna of Mandeville Television will also executive produce. No studio was indicated. (Deadline.com)


Rebecca Ferguson: 'X Factor needs entertainment acts'

Rebecca Ferguson has said that The X Factor needs entertainment acts.

The singer - who came second in the 2010 series of the show - insisted that the programme would become "too serious" if there weren't any fun performers in the live finals.

"I remember at the time I was on the show, people gave Wagner a really hard time," Ferguson told Digital Spy. "I just loved him - he didn't bother me at all.

"People were like, 'It's about the music', and I was just like, 'He's having a ball!' He's up there dancing away and has all kinds of gorgeous girls around him and I was just like, 'He's having fun'.

"At the time when I was on the show, it didn't bother me at all," she added. "When you're watching The X Factor it's nice to have that entertainment factor.

"It's a Saturday night entertainment programme and it could get too serious if we didn't have bits of fun in it."

Ferguson also revealed that Jahmene Douglas, Lucy Spraggan and Ella Henderson are her early favourites, adding that Spraggan's original song 'Tea and Toast' made her cry.

Ferguson's repackaged edition of her debut album Heaven is out now and features her new single 'Backtrack'.








Greggs documentary series for Sky1

Sky1 has announced a new documentary series which goes behind the scenes at Greggs.

Baking for Britain offers an access-all-areas look at the popular high street bakery, from the kitchens to the boardrooms.

The fly-on-the wall show, produced by Mentorn Media, will feature some of the 20,000 staff who made the company a success.

Mentorn Media's Executive Producer Neil Grant, said: "What a fantastic opportunity and privilege to make a fun access series behind the scenes with the nation's high street icon - this will be popular television at its very best!"

Siobhan Mulholland, Sky's Commissioning Editor for Factual programming, added: "This is going to be a warm-hearted and fascinating insight into a much-loved British institution.

"The access is impressive; the cameras will be in the shops, following the delivery trucks, following characters, even in the usually confidential tasting labs. It will be a television treat for Sky customers."





James Corden, Ruth Jones 'could earn £5m from US Gavin & Stacey'

James Corden and Ruth Jones will reportedly be in line for a huge pay day if the US version of Gavin & Stacey takes off.

The pair, who created and starred in the UK comedy, could apparently earn up to £5 million each if the show becomes a success for Fox.

Editor's Special Winner James Corden at the GQ Men Of The Year Awards at the Royal Opera House, London

It was announced earlier this week that a US version is in the works, with Corden and Jones serving as executive producers on the project, alongside I Just Want My Pants Back writer David Rosen, who will work on the script.

They will be paid £20,000 each for the pilot episode and a further £175,000 each if Fox commissions a series, The Sun reports. A second series would result in large cash sums.

A source said: "If it takes off as everyone hopes, they can sit back and watch the money coming in."

BBC Worldwide Productions and Sony Pictures TV are producing the show with the company behind the UK series, Baby Cow Productions. Henry Normal, executive producer of the UK version, will fulfil the same role on the US remake.

ABC previously attempted to adapt the series in 2009 with Stacy Traub and Hayes Jackson as writers.