Development Update: The 20th of January

ASSISTANCE (NBC) - Leslye Headland's single-camera comedy - about "an idealistic working girl assistant who is pulled between her colleague and her real life fiance while trying to manage a demanding boss" - is the first of the Peacock's three pilot orders today. Will Ferrell, Adam McKay, Chris Henchy, Jessica Elbaum, Owen Burke also serve as executive producers on the half-hour, from Gary Sanchez Productions and Universal Television. (Deadline.com)

DONOR PARTY (NBC, New!) - Alex Schemmer has booked a pilot order from the Peacock for a new comedy about "an irresponsible man forced to grow up when he discovers he has children resulting from his days as a sperm donor." Lionsgate Television, Media Talent Group and Universal Television are all behind the single-camera project, which tracks the "new family unit that develops when a single mom contacts him and he begins to have a relationship with her and the son he never knew he had." Geyer Kosinski is also an executive producer. (Deadline.com)

DRACULA (NBC) - Jessica de Gouw ("Arrow") has booked the female lead on the upcoming drama, which introduces Dracula (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) as "an American entrepreneur who maintains that he wants to bring modern science to Victorian society. In reality, he hopes to wreak revenge on the people who ruined his life centuries earlier. There's only one circumstance that can potentially thwart his plan: Dracula falls hopelessly in love with a woman who seems to be a reincarnation of his dead wife." She'll play said woman, Mina Murray, "a striking brunette medical student who is engaged to Jonathan Harker." Universal Television, Carnival Films & Television, Flame Ventures and Playground are all behind the 10-episode series. (Deadline.com)

MASTERS OF THE AIR (HBO, New!) - Donald L. Miller's book, subtitled "America's Bomber Boys Who Fought The Air War Against Nazi Germany," has been optioned by Steven Spielberg's Amblin Television and Tom Hanks's Playtone as part of their proposed follow up to "Band of Brothers" and "The Pacific." Said effort, which may be joined by other source material, will follow "a cross section of officers and enlisted men who served in the Eighth Air Force and fought in the air war against Germany." Gary Goetzman also serves as an executive producer alongside said duo. (Deadline.com)

MCCARTHYS, THE (A.K.A. UNTITLED BRIAN GALLIVAN PROJECT) (CBS) - Brian Gallivan's comedy - about "an Irish-Catholic, sports-crazed Boston clan and the gay son whose greatest sin is not his sexuality but his desire to spend less time with his family" - is set to join the Eye's pilot lineup. The single-camera project comes from the Sony Pictures Television-based Olive Bridge Entertainment with the company's Will Gluck and Richie Schwartz serving as executive producer and co-executive producer, respectively. (Deadline.com)

ORDAINED, THE (CBS, New!) - Newcomer Lisa Takeuchi Cullen has scored a pilot order from the Eye for a new drama about "the son of a Kennedy-esque family who leaves the priesthood and becomes a lawyer to prevent his politician sister from being assassinated." Said effort is set up at CBS Television Studios with The Kennedy/Marshall Company's Frank Marshall, The Shuman Company's Larry Shuman and A.B. Fischer executive producing and Cullen and Robert Zotnowski serving as co-executive producers. (Deadline.com)

SUPER CLYDE (A.K.A. UNTITLED GREG GARCIA PROJECT) (CBS) - Greg Garcia's single-camera comedy - about "a meek, unassuming fast food worker who decides to become a super hero" - has scored a pilot commitment from the Eye. Garcia penned said half-hour and is executive producing for CBS Television Studios, home to his overall deal. (Deadline.com)

UNAUTHORIZED GREG GARCIA PROJECT (CBS, New!) - Greg Garcia ("Raising Hope") has likewise received a pilot order from the Eye for a new multi-camera comedy about "a recently divorced man whose life is complicated when his parents decide to move in with him." CBS Television Studios is behind the project, which Garcia wrote and will executive produce. (Deadline.com)

UNTITLED ROBERT PADNICK PROJECT (NBC) - The Robert Padnick-penned comedy - about "the trials and tribulations of dating in your twenties as explored through a group of friends" - has been tapped for a pilot order at the Peacock. Universal Television is behind the single-camera project with 3 Arts Entertainment's Howard Klein and Deedle Dee Productions' Greg Daniels and Tracy Katsky also among the executive producers. (Deadline.com)

FLEMING (BBC America) - Annabelle Wallis ("Pan Am") has scored a role on the four-part drama, which stars Dominic Cooper as Ian Fleming, a charming, sophisticated maverick whose dilettanti, pleasure seeking life was turned around by WWII and led to the creation of the best known spy the world has ever known. She'll play Muriel Wright, "a woman with whom Fleming had a love affair and who some believe to be the original inspiration for the Bond Girl." Mat Whitecross is helming the project off a script by John Brownlow and Don MacPherson for Ecosse Films. (Deadline.com)

HOSTAGES (CBS) - Toni Collette ("United States of Tara") has been tapped for the lead role on the drama pilot, about "a family caught in the middle of a grand political conspiracy that will change their lives forever." She'll play Ellen, "a successful surgeon living in Washington, D.C. who is selected to operate on the President of the United States. She is thrust into the middle of a political conspiracy when her family is taken hostage, and it is up to her to save the lives of her husband and children." Warner Bros. Television-based Jerry Bruckheimer Television is behind the hour, which has a pilot commitment. Jeffrey Nachmanoff will write, direct and executive produce alongside Bruckheimer, Jonathan Littman, Omri Givon, Rotem Shamir and Chayim Sharir with Alon Aranya and KristieAnne Reed serving as co-executive producers. (Deadline.com)

UNTITLED MICHAEL J. FOX PROJECT (NBC) - Betsy Brandt ("Breaking Bad") has joined the cast of the Michael J. Fox-led comedy, about a husband and father of three in New York City juggling the challenges of family and career while dealing with Parkinson's disease. She'll play his tough and loyal wife who works at their daughter's high school. Wendell Pierce, Katie Finneran, Conor Romero and Jack Gore also star in the Sony Pictures Television-based half-hour, the pilot of which will be directed by Will Gluck from a script he co-wrote with Sam Laybourne. (Deadline.com)

Mark Salling Sued by Ex-Girlfriend for Sexual Battery

Mark Salling is being sued by his ex-girlfriend for sexual battery, TMZ reports. Roxanne Gorzela claims that she began dating the Glee star in Sept. 2010, but in March 2011 Gorzela asserts that she consented to have sex with Salling, but only if he wore a condom.

According to the suit, filed by Gorzela's lawyer Philip J. Layfield, Salling ignored the request and went on to "insert his penis into [her] vagina without a condom." The actor reportedly pulled out after Gorzela protested, but then continued to have unprotected sex with her.

Gorzela says she suffered emotional distress and worried about "health concerns" following the incident, but when she went to confront Salling, she found him in bed with another woman. She immediately demanded that Salling prove that he didn't have any STDs, after which Salling allegedly pushed her to the ground. That same day, Gorzela filed a police report against him.

Salling's publicist Janice Lee told the website, "There is no truth to this. It's the textbook case of a disgruntled girl looking to cash in on a TV star's success."

Salling added on Twitter, "I always have and always will appreciate your support. Terror and intimidation are things ill never subscribe to. Love y'all so much."

CBS Orders Pilots From Greg Garcia, Will Gluck and Frank Marshall

The network on Friday handed out four pilot orders, including two to the "Raising Hope" showrunner under his new overall deal at CBS Television Studios.

CBS is betting big on Greg Garcia, ordering two comedy pilots from the Raising Hope showrunner as well as a comedy executive produced by Easy A's Will Gluck and a drama about a Kennedy-esque family from Frank Marshall.

'Raising Hope's' Greg Garcia Inks 4-Year Deal With CBS Television Studios
For Garcia, the two comedies come eight months after the former My Name Is Earl Emmy winner jumped ship from 20th Television and inked a rich four-year overall deal with CBS Television Studios.

Garcia's first project, Super Clyde, revolves around a meek, unassuming fast-food worker who decides to become a super hero. Garcia will write and executive produce.
The second comedy, being dubbed the "unauthorized Greg Garcia project," revolves around a recently divorced man whose life is complicated when his parents decide to move in with him. Garcia will write and executive produce the multicamera effort.

In announcing Garcia's overall deal in May, CBS Television Studios president David Stapf sang his praise and called him one of the "elite comedy showrunners." "He is a rare creative talent who has created successful shows in both the multi- and single-camera form across a variety of networks. It's exciting to add a star producer of his caliber to our roster."

Garcia's comedy Raising Hope is in its third season on Fox. His credits include Yes, Dear and Family Guy. He's repped by CAA and Ziffren Brittenham.

Meanwhile, Gluck will executive produce The McCarthys, a single-camera family comedy about a loud, sports-crazed Boston clan. Brian Gallivan, a writer on NBC's short-lived Are You There, Chelsea? comedy, will pen the pilot and serve as a co-exec producer on the project from Sony Pictures Television and Gluck's Olive Bridge banner. McCarthys is Gluck's latest project to move forward this season. NBC previously gave a straight-to-series order for a semi-autobiographical comedy based on Michael J. Fox's life. Gallivan is repped by CAA and manager Susie Fox.

For its part, The Ordained centers on the son of a Kennedy-esque family, who leaves the priesthood and becomes a lawyer to prevent his politician sister from being assassinated. The CBS Television Studios drama hails from Lisa Takeuchi
Cullen, who will write and co-executive produce. Marshall, whose Kennedy-Marshall inked a two-year overall deal with the studio in May, and the Shuman Co.'s Larry Shuman and A.B. Fischer are on board as executive producers. Former CBS Entertainment-turned-Kennedy-Marshall exec Robert Zotnowski will serve as a co-EP on the hourlong effort.

Cullen is best known for her work as a journalist, with stints at both Time and Money magazine, among other outlets, as well as for her 2007 book Remember Me: A Lively Tour of the New American Way of Death, about her year spent crashing funerals. She's set to debut her first novel, Pastors’ Wives, this year. Cullen is repped by UTA.

For CBS, Friday's pilot orders join previously announced comedies including Chuck Lorre's Anna Faris effort Mom, Kal Penn starrer Ex-Men and the untitled Jim Gaffigan comedy from Rescue Me's Peter Tolan. On the drama side, the network is plotting an NCIS: L.A. spinoff and has Jerry Bruckheimer's Toni Collette entry Hostages in the works.

Britain's Got Talent 2013 auditions hit London today!

The Britain’s Got Talent 2013 auditions hit London today, as they take centre stage at the city’s London Palladium.

It’s the first time that the show has visited the venue, having been staged at the Hammersmith Apollo last year.

David Walliams, Simon Cowell, Alesha Dixon and Amanda Holden are all back on the series thsis year having kicked off auditions last week in Cardiff.

And TellyMix will be on the red carpet getting all the gossip from them, as well as hosts Ant and Dec and Stephen Mulhern, so if you’ve got any questions for the judges add them in the comments below!

Speaking about the new series of Britain’s Got Talent last month, Simon said he was glad the panel would be staying the same.

“I loved doing the show last year, the new panel worked really well and I’m very happy they have all agreed to come back,” he said.

The music mogul added: “Last year was a special year for talent and I hope that in 2013, off the back of an amazing year for Britain, we find another global star.”

First Batmobile Fetches $4.6 Million at Auction

The "Batman" car's price ties the 2010 record set by the Aston Martin DB5 driven by Sean Connery in "Goldfinger."

The first of six Batmobiles produced for the 1960s ABC Batman TV series has sold at auction for $4.6 million. The crowd at the Barrett-Jackson house in Scottsdale, Ariz. whooped and cheered, and the auctioneer hummed the theme to the classic show.

The car, designed by legendary Hollywood car customizer George Barris, sold for the upper end of its early estimates.
Barris constructed the Batmobile in just 15 days in 1966. It was built for $15,000 over a 1955 Ford Futura concept model (purchased for $1). It’s been in Barris’ personal collection ever since, and contains Batman gadgets such as a
Batphone and an oil squirter fashioned from lawn sprinklers. As an added bonus, it's road legal, should its new owner care to take it for a spin.
The winning bidder was Rick Champagne, a businessman and car collector from the Phoenix area who has been attending Barrett-Jackson auctions for 15 years.

Champagne said he grew up watching the TV show and came to the auction determined to walk away with the car. Asked where he planned to store the car, the new owner joked, "in the living room. I'm going to tear down a wall and put in my living room."

The Batmobile ties the record for the highest price fetched for a movie car at auction. In 2010, the Aston Martin DB5 driven by Sean Connery in Goldfinger set the record when it went 4.6 million. In 2011, the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang car auctioned for $805,000, shy of the $1 million it was expected to fetch.

HBO Plans New WWII Miniseries From Spielberg, Hanks - This Time About Air Force

Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg are developing a third World War II miniseries for HBO, this time focusing on the air war.

While "Band of Brothers" covered the war on land and "The Pacific" the sea, the untitled new project will look at the officers and enlisted men who served in the Eighth Air Force against Germany. Based in England, the men of the "Mighty Eighth" faced harsh physical, psychological and moral challenges.

The story will be based in part on Donald L. Miller's “Masters of the Air: America’s Bomber Boys Who Fought the Air War Against Nazi Germany," though other books may provide source material as well, HBO said.

Hanks and Spielberg will executive produce, along with Gary Goetzman. The production companies are Playtone and Amblin Television.

"Band of Brothers" won six Emmys, including Outstanding Miniseries, in 2002. "The Pacific" win eight Emmys, including, again, Outstanding Miniseries, in 2010.

Doctor Who: David Morrissey "would jump at the chance" to return

Now a fan favourite in The Walking Dead, David Morrissey reminisces about the six months he spent as The Next Doctor...

During a chat about his fantastic new role as the Governor in The Walking Dead's third season, David Morrissey kindly answered a question or two about his time on Doctor Who.

The guest star of the teasingly-titled 2008 Christmas Special The Next Doctor, which aired just weeks after David Tennant announced he was stepping down from the role, Morrissey found himself at the epicentre of Who rumours (an experience not dissimilar to being in the TARDIS when it exploded, we'd wager).

Spinning the gossip? Russell T. Davies, who asked Morrissey to play along and deny nothing as cover for the real story...

When you were playing along with those 'Is David Morrissey The Next Doctor?' rumours, was there a part of you that would have loved them to be true?

Yeah, there was a bit. It’s a great show, and I was slightly thrown by all that. David (Tennant) announced he was going and this rumour mill began, and I couldn’t say what I knew, but it was a very fun place to inhabit for six months. When people thought it was going to be me, that was great. And also I think that Russell is just a wonderful person, so it was great to even be associated with that, but I think it’s in good hands now.

Were you a fan of Doctor Who growing up?

No, not at all. No, I was really not, it was not my bag. I was also slightly suspicious of people who were. I had one great friend who could quote passages from the books, you’d go into his house and he had all the books and he wore a Tom Baker scarf, and I loved him dearly but I was also slightly… Apart from Liverpool Football Club, I’ve never been in love with anything in that way. I was in love with acting and drama and film and theatre but never one specific genre in that way and Doctor Who, I thought it was alright, but it never got in my bones in that way.

Saying that, the relaunch did. I watched it because my kids watched it, so I suddenly got into it in a different way, but no, I was never really into it as a child. It was always on at the wrong time for me, I was always out playing football.

The Doctor’s former companions often find themselves back in the TARDIS for an episode or two, is that something you’d be open to?

Ah, I’d love that. I would absolutely love to do it again. I had such a ball doing it. Mark Gatiss says, you know, there’s nothing more blissful for him to write than “Interior TARDIS: Day” or whatever on the top of one of his scripts, it’s living the dream. And for me, when I went down and worked on it, I thought ‘This is great’, it’s a really well-run show, people take it very seriously but you have fun on it. And l loved that character, I really loved Jackson Lake, I thought he was a really interesting man, he was in some sort of trauma himself and the Doctor liberates him from that…

He was another troubled parent, like the Governor…

[Laughs] Another man going down the toilet, I wonder why! But also at the end he’s full of joy. I’d really jump at the chance to do that.

Duly noted, Morrissey. Anyone around to have a word in Mr Moffat's ear?

Fallout TV series rumoured

Bethesda may be bringing the post-apocalyptic Fallout series to TV according to a recent trademark filing…

The Fallout series, right from the beginning, has had a highly detailed world and complex lore. It’s had a myriad of memorable characters and each game has been responsible for eating hours and hours of people’s spare time. In fact, there probably enough subject matter in there to make not only a film or two, but perhaps, and entire TV series.

Well, it looks as though Bethesda also thinks along these lines, and through a recent discovery by a Bethesda community forum member, it’s been revealed that the publisher has placed a trademark filing (filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office) for the Fallout name which relates to "an ongoing television programme set in a post-nuclear apocalyptic world."

This is interesting enough, and the thought of a Fallout TV series will no doubt cause fans to go all wobbly at the knees. However, what’s even more interesting, and lends even more credence to the rumour, is that the patent was filed on January 8. The very next day Eric Todd Dellums, the man behind the DC Wasteland DJ, ThreeDog, tweeted that people could expect to hear more from his character.

So, does this mean that the TV series is, indeed true, and if so, will it be based on Fallout 3, and set in the DC Wasteland? Or, is there still a chance that Fallout 4 is on the cards?

Well, let’s take a step back. Of course Fallout 4 will happen. How could it not? Both Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas were huge sellers, and Bethesda would be foolish to even consider not making another in the series. The question here is when it’ll happen. Now that the TV series rumour has kicked up, it may not happen as soon as expected, unless a new game arrives in tandem with the TV series as a cross promotion.

A Fallout TV series, on the other hand, would be a little more touch and go. For one, American TV has shown that it’s not exactly fond of Sci-Fi shows in the last couple of years, with some potentially great ideas being canned left, right and centre, and the cost to produce a show based on Fallout would be higher than your usual TV budget. Well, it would be if it was done any justice.

If it does happen, will Fallout 3’s DC Wasteland be the setting? It would certainly make sense. Fallout 3 was the more successful of the two recent releases (the older games were based in California and the west coast) and a show depicting the capital city in a post apocalyptic setting may well garner more interest.

Its early days, and a simple patent filing doesn’t really mean all that much on its own. Plenty of filings have been made in the past based on pure possibility, but nothing has ever manifested, so we’ll have to wait and see.

What is certain is that a TV series based on the Fallout license would be a very ambitious endeavour, and if done right, could be very interesting. We’ll bring you more news as it comes. Oh, and if you’ve missed/don’t play the games and you’re sat there wondering what Fallout actually is, have a look at the Fallout 3 trailers below and find out.

Ryan Murphy talks American Horror Story season 3

AHS co-creator Ryan Murphy spills the beans on some of what's in store for season three...

Week in, week out, we’ve praised Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk’s American Horror Story for its cast, innovation and stylistic experimentation. Never content to rest on its laurels, the anthology series has showed no sign of running out of ideas thus far, and according to Murphy, season three is not about to buck that trend.

Speaking at a screening of the season two finale, Murphy let the assembled press in on his plans for the next run of American Horror Story. Here are the choice morsels of what he had to say:

On Jessica Lange’s role in season three:

The thing that I really wanted to do next season was something that’s funnier. I love this season and I think it was successful, but I really miss that Jessica Lange as Constance stuff, and I know she missed it, too. The only thing I’ll say about [season three] is that it’s a mixture of several cities, and it’s really about female power. I got Jessica to do it because I did everything she asked, which was the location, and I also told her that she would have complete hair and make-up and the best designer gowns, ever. She said, “Please don’t put me in a wimple again, ever!.” So, she’s going to play a real glamour cat lady, in season three.

[...] I come up with the story and, obviously, it’s always now crafted around Jessica, for the most part. Before I talk to anybody, I go to her and tell her what the story is and what the character is, and then she has input. This year, she said, “I would like to work with X, Y and Z.  Will you please meet with these people?”  So, I’m doing that.  I will say that, for season three, we’re going to have some actors from season one, who will return.

On the setting and tone of season three:

The season that we’re just about to do is another thing, like the asylum, that I was always really interested in, as a kid. [It’s] more historical in nature.

I’m also interested in getting into a horror romance. That’s certainly something that’s going to be in the water for season three. I think you’ll see a very different tone in season three, but that’s the joy of the show. As a person, right now, I do feel lighter and maybe want to embrace something a little bit more fun.

[…] There will be time periods, and there will also be different cities. I love that. The great heroes of this show are our brilliant production designer, our brilliant costumer, and our DP, who are all coming back. They’re just great, and I know they really enjoy the research.

Will Sarah Paulson and Evan Peters be returning?

Yeah. […] I’m talking to a lot of people. A lot of people like to do this show because they like to jump in the waters. It’s a four-month commitment. It’s not nine months. Some people are doing movies. Some people have committed to doing plays. So, we’re going to have some new people come in, and some old people will come back.

On season three’s promised romance:

There is going to be a definite return to a youth element, which I certainly liked from season one, but I like the star-crossed lovers from different tracks thing. This season had a couple of strong romances, but the romances were more like friendships.

Robert F. Chew, Proposition Joe on 'The Wire,' Dies

Robert F. Chew, who played the shrewdly calculating Propositon Joe on "The Wire," has died. He was 52.

Chew died of apparent heart failure in his sleep at his home in Northeast Baltimore, his sister, Clarice Chew, told The Baltimore Sun. The actor, who also appeared in "The Wire" creator David Simon's series "Homicide" and miniseries "The Corner," also taught child and adult actors with Baltimore’s Arena Players.

Among his students were the young actors who played students and corner boys in the devastating fourth season of "The Wire."

"To the beloved Robert Chew, a man who was real Bawlmore, and created the iconic character of 'Prop Joe,' may you RIP. "A teacher & friend," tweeted Chew's "The Wire" co-star, Wendell Pierce.

Another co-star, MIchael K. Williams, expressed his condolences and retweeted a link to a scene of himself and Chew.

Chew was best known for playing the wise, low-key Proposition Joe, a pivotal figure in the Baltimore drug trade. He could make men kill with a sidelong glance and a few well-chosen words, but avoided dirty work himself.

"Robert was not only an exceptional actor, he was an essential part of the film and theater community in Baltimore," Simon said in an email to The Sun. "He could have gone to New York or Los Angeles and commanded a lot more work, but he loved the city as his home and chose to remain here working. He understood so much about his craft that it was no surprise at all that we would go to him to coach our young actors in season four. He was the conduit through which they internalized their remarkable performances."

Chew's passing comes a month after the death of another "The Wire" veteran, Donnie Andrews. Andrews inspired Williams' character, Omar Little, and played one of his protectors on the show.

Stephen Colbert's Sister Seeks Same Congressional Seat as Mark Sanford

Elizabeth Colbert-Busch, the sister of Stephen Colbert, is expected to run for the same South Carolina congressional seat as disgraced former Gov. Mark Sanford.

South Carolina Democratic Party executive director Amanda Loveday confirmed to TheWrap Friday that Colbert-Busch is expected to file Tuesday to run as a Democrat in a special election.
While her brother's fame may help her, his SuperPAC probably won't: The comedian announced last month that it would donate its $773,704.83 to charities supporting Hurricane Sandy relief, wounded veterans, and clean-government groups. Colbert has previously mounted two mock runs for president.

Among Colbert-Busch's opponents is Sanford, who famously disappeared for a week in 2009. Reporters were told that he was hiking the Appalachian Trail, but it soon emerged that he was actually carrying on an affair.

Colbert-Busch is running in a challenging district for Democrats: Republican Tim Scott won it by 62 percent in November, but was named to take Jim DeMint's U.S. Senate seat last month after DeMint announced he would step down.

The director of business development for Clemson University's Restoration Institute, Colbert-Busch has had a life marked by tragedy. Her father and two of their brothers were killed in a plane crash in 1974.

Nineteen at the time, she dropped out of school at the University of South Carolina to live with her mother and the then-10-year-old Stephen, according to a profile in The Post and Courier newspaper. She began dating and eventually married a man who later ended up on "America's Most Wanted" in connection to a securities fraud case. She has since remarried.

The newspaper said she was also sitting in a building across from the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, as hijacked planes slammed into the twin towers.

Inauguration Day: Who's Going, Who's Not

Steven Spielberg, Oprah Winfrey and Sony CEO Michael Lynton won't be on hand to watch Barack Obama's second swearing in. Neither will Spike Lee, Dustin Hoffman, Denzel Washington, Ben Affleck or Samuel L. Jackson.

Those notable names in entertainment were among the 1.8 million people who swarmed the National Mall in 2009 to watch the first African-American president take the oath of office. But with that history already made, turnout at the second inauguration is expected to be much lighter. Even though high-profile supporters including Beyoncé, will.i.am and Harvey Weinstein are expected to attend, many won't make the trek from Hollywood to the nation's capital.

It doesn't help that Monday's ceremony coincides with the Sundance Film Festival, or that the industry's mood may be more somber this time around because of the Newtown, Conn., shootings a month ago.

“Sequels rarely have the luster of the originals,” Mike Cornfield, a political science professor at George Washington University, told TheWrap. "Add to that the downbeat mood in the aftermath of the Newtown massacre -- an event that the entertainment industry is being indirectly blamed for -- and it's no wonder that the Hollywood presence will be smaller and quieter than in 2009."

Not that Hollywood is abandoning the Commander in Chief: Among those who will be there for Obama, Part 2 are Presidential Inaugural Committee co-chairwoman Eva Longoria, Oscar-winning actress Viola Davis, "Bold and the Beautiful" producer Colleen Bell and BET CEO Debra Lee

So will "The Wire" veteran Wendell Pierce, Jessica Alba, Malin Akerman, "White Collar" actor Matt Bomer and political-consultant-to-the stars Donna Bojarsky.

One of the night's hottest tickets is the Creative Coalition’s Inaugural Ball. The nonprofit advocacy organization for arts and entertainment has held its biggest fundraiser on Inauguration Day for the last 15 years. Guests expected this year include Tim Daly, Johnny Galecki, Paula Abdul, Melissa Leo, John Leguizamo, Marlon Wayans, David Arquette, Taraji P. Henson, Alan Cumming and Evan Handler. The Goo Goo Dolls will perform.

They can expect more elbow room in Washington than people had in 2009. The Associated Press reports that attendance is expected to drop by at least a million, with city officials predicting between 600,000 and 800,000 spectators at Monday's spectacle. (Because Inauguration Day falls on a Sunday, Obama will be privately sworn in then, before taking the oath publicly on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.)

Even Obama seems to understand that people might not find him so novel anymore.

Ricky Gervais: 'Twitter helped me write Derek'

Ricky Gervais has revealed that he finds using Twitter useful when he's writing and that it helped him finish his new Channel 4 comedy series Derek.

The Office creator claimed that he used the social networking site as an editing tool and that it had aided him getting to the "essence of scenes".

"These Derek episodes were coming in at 40 minutes and I was getting depressed thinking I couldn't get them down to 26 minutes," said Gervais.

"The compression on Twitter made me start thinking about the words I don't need."

Gervais has nearly 4 million followers on Twitter and said that he enjoyed having debates with people on the site, claiming that his only irritation was "witlessness".

Talking about arguments he has on the site, he said: "I want to do two things on Twitter: explain what freedom of speech really means and what the burden of proof is.

"I do like getting into fights with people who think the earth is 5,000 years old. I will never get bored of people like that.

"Sometimes a retweet is funnier than a reply. My favourite one was 'everyone's entitled to their opinion, so shut up about your atheism'. I just retweeted that. Brilliant."

Alicia Keys to Sing National Anthem at Super Bowl

Oh, say, can you see, Alicia Keys singing the National Anthem?

Sure, you can -- on Feb. 3 at the Super Bowl.

"Girl on Fire" singer Keys will take her turn at belting out "The Star Spangled Banner" on football's biggest night, the NFL said Friday.

Keys follows in the footsteps of "American Idol" favorite Kelly Clarkson, who belted out the song at last year's game. Other talents to handle National Anthem duties include Whitney Houston, Diana Ross, Mariah Carey and Christina Aguilera, the latter of whom botched the lyrics at the 2011 Super Bowl.

"Single Ladies" chanteuse Beyonce Knowles will perform at this year's halftime ceremony.

NBC Orders Pilots from Greg Daniels, Will Ferrell and Adam McKay

NBC ordered three comedy pilots Friday, including one from "The Office" executive producer Greg Daniels, one from Will Ferrell and Adam McKay, and one about a sperm donor's extended family from "Weeds" actor Alex Schemmer.

The untitled comedy from executive producer Daniels and writer/executive producer Robert Padnick focuses on a group of friends struggling with dating in their twenties. The project from Deedle Dee Productions, 3 Arts Entertainment, and Universal Television is also executive produced by Tracy Katsky, Howard Klein.

"Assistance," written and executive produced by "Bachelorette" writer Leslye Headland, is executive produced by Ferrell and McKay (pictured), Chris Henchy, and Owen Burke. It is a single-camera pilot focused on an idealistic assistant who is pulled between her "work husband" colleague and real fiance as she manages a crazy boss. It comes from Universal Television and Ferrell and McKay's Gary Sanchez Productions.

"Donor Party," meanwhile, written and executive produced by Schemmer, is executive produced by Geyer Kosinski. It is an ensemble comedy about a man forced to grow up when he learns he has children from his days as a sperm donor. A new family unit develops when a  single mom contacts him and he begins to have a relationship with her and his son. It comes from Lionsgate, Media Talent Group and Universal Television.

'Take Me Out' contestant slams 'bullying' producers

A contestant on Take Me Out has claimed that producers of the ITV1 show pressured her into pairing up for a date.

Naomi Hewston, who was selected by student Troy for a date in Isle of Fernandos, Tenerife last week, will appear on the Paddy McGuinness-presented show this evening.

However, she told The Sun that she only kept her light on because she felt she would be axed by show bosses otherwise.

"I felt very bullied. They encourage you to make a complete idiot of yourself. It was very manipulative and I feel like they've taken advantage of me. I think it's very fixed," Hewston said.

"The producers kept asking if you were going to turn it off and you just felt pressured to please them.

"I was worried about being taken off the show if I didn't play by their rules. Nobody wants to be kicked off the show, as you'd worked so hard to get on there."

The 25-year-old, who sings in a band with her twin sister, continued: "Troy was nice but we had nothing in common. We filmed it in December and I've not spoken to him since."

Hewston also slammed the filming of Take Me Out: The Gossip for ITV2, saying that she was "utterly humiliated".

"They edited things in, it is very scripted. They took my date away and told me to pretend I was upset," she claimed.

"They told him to talk to other girls and filmed me looking dejected. Because I'd had so many free drinks I went along with it but I've seen what they've done with the editing and they've made me look an idiot."

A spokeswoman for Thames, which produces Take Me Out, told the newspaper: "We strongly refute claims that we tell contestants how to act or respond. We don't encourage them to drink alcohol and turning a light off is up to individual choice."

The show was mired in controversy last year when contestant Aaron Withers was revealed as a former male escort with a conviction for assault. His date Wen-Jing Mo also admitted to being a £200-an-hour prostitute.

Despite this, the show was renewed for another two series in August.

Pamela Anderson for Dutch 'Dancing on Ice'

Pamela Anderson will star in the Dutch version of Dancing on Ice.

The actress was voted off the British celebrity skating show in the first week of the competition earlier this month. She later blamed a wardrobe malfunction for distracting her.

The Mirror reports that Anderson has now flown to the Netherlands to prepare for the start of the European ice contest.

"I'm happy to show the real routine and show the UK what it was supposed to look like. I have spent months in training," Anderson said.

Earlier this month, the former Baywatch star and Playboy model vowed never to return to reality TV during an interview on This Morning.

Anderson's professional partner Matt Evers - who she is rumoured to be dating - will also appear on the Dutch show.

Celebrity Big Brother housemates split by gun debate

The Celebrity Big Brother house saw a clear UK/US divide in a debate about American gun laws last night (January 18).

Following Gillian's eviction last night, Big Brother provided housemates with a game in which topics were picked and random and debated amongst the house.

After chatting about the ups and downs of fame, Spencer and Heidi randomly picked 'America is the greatest country on Earth' as their topic, leading the couple to cheer.

Heidi told the housemates: "God bless America. America is the land of the free. The American dream can happen. You can come from nothing, as I have, and become what I've become has been a blessing. The greatest place on Earth; and you have so many rights, and freedoms and protection."

After Neil jokingly interrupted, Spencer nodded as Heidi continued: "I would say that it's a land of opportunity, a land that believes in rights to bear arms, absolutely, protect yourself because that it's one of the proudest things as an American woman where there's so much crime, I can protect myself and feel safe when I'm home alone without Spencer.

"If I had children or a family that I could protect them on my own, I think that's one of the greatest rights of our country that we have fought for and very proud to have."

Neil then rebutted Heidi's argument, raising a chorus of cheers by saying: "I love America and American people, that is why they are the second best country in the world!"

He continued: "We are the best country in the world. I agree with protecting your own property, but there are too many people in America with guns without permits and too many innocent people being killed in America. That's why that is just slightly behind us."

Heidi defended her support for guns, saying: "I get death threats all the time, from psychos, so if I didn't have them I wouldn't feel comfortable."

Claire replied: "I personally wouldn't feel comfortable having a gun in my house with children around… something that powerful, I would feel scared!"

While the non-American housemates laughed, Heidi and Spencer sat in silence as the debate moved on to the next topic.

CBS and 'NCIS' Creator Settle Lawsuit Over 'NCIS: L.A.'

CBS Television Studios and "NCIS" and "JAG" creator Don Bellisario have settled a lawsuit over the "NCIS" offshoot "NCIS: Los Angeles," the network and Bellisario said Friday.

Terms of the settlement were not disclosed, though Bellisario said in a statement that the suit had been resolved "amicably." CBS Television Studios president David Stapf praised Bellisario in a statement announcing the settlement.

While admitting a difference of opinion between the two parties, CBS Television Studios president David Stapf praised Bellisario as "one of the best creative talents of his time and a valued member of the CBS family.”

Bellisario sued CBS Television Studios in April 2011, claiming that he had been fired in 2007, but was given first opportunity rights to "participate creatively and economically in the development" of any shows spawned from those he created. Bellisario contended that those series would include "NCIS: Los Angeles," which was launched in 2009.

"['NCIS: Los Angeles'] scrupulously replicates that which has made NCIS so popular and it does so with near clone-like fidelity to Bellisario's recipe, thereby capturing the distinctive 'look and feel' of 'NCIS,'" Bellisario's complaint read.

CBS disagreed.

"Don Bellisario has no rights to what he is claiming in this suit," CBS told TheWrap after the suit was filed. "The contract is clear, the facts are undeniable and the courts won't need Naval intelligence to conclude that the case has no merit. We continue to honor all of our obligations to Mr. Bellisario under the actual agreement."

This week, "NCIS" and "NCIS: Los Angeles" hit season highs in viewership, amassing 20.9 million and 17.8 million total viewers, respectively.

'Primeval' star Niall Matter on Colin Ferguson reunion: "It was lovely"

Niall Matter has spoken about reuniting with his Eureka co-star Colin Ferguson on Primeval: New World.

Matter plays Evan Cross on the sci-fi drama, with Ferguson appearing as the genius Howard Kanan in the episode 'Breakthrough' - airing this Thursday (January 24) on Canada's SPACE.

"Working with [Colin] again in a different capacity was lovely," Matter told Digital Spy.

The New World star called Ferguson "one of my best friends" and highlighted his old co-star's "massive sci-fi following".

"His character now on Primeval: New World is a genius and he's my nemesis - on Eureka, we had a very different dynamic," he explained.

TV Tonight 20th of January 2013

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

A to Z of TV Gardening S01E03: "C"
America's Funniest Home Videos S23E12: "Season 23, Episode 12"
Amish Mafia S01E07: "The Book of Merlin"
Austin & Ally S02E08: "Chapters & Choices"
AX Men S06E07: "Rock Slide"
Bamazon S01E07: "Dead in the Water"
BBQ Pitmasters S04E06: "Bluegrass, Bourbon & BBQ"
Big Brother's Bit on the Side S06E18
Blandings S01E02: "The Go-Getter"
Californication S06E02: "Quitters"
Call The Midwife S02E01: "Series 2, Episode 1"
Celebrity Big Brother S11E21: "Series 11 - Day 17 Highlights"
Chasing The Saturdays S01E01: "UnitedSatsOfAmerica (Pilot)"
Come Dine With Me S20E90: "Series 20, Come Dine With Me"
Container Wars S01E02: "Season 1, Episode 2"
Curiosity S02E13: "TBA"
Dancing on Ice S08E06: "Series 8, Show 3 (Result)"
Dancing on Ice S08E05: "Series 8, Show 3"
Deal Or No Deal (UK) S08E138: "Episode 2131"
Dragons' Den (CA) S07E13: "Season 7, Episode 13"
Enlightened S02E02: "Revenge Play"
Finding Bigfoot S03E11: "Colorado"
Gator Boys S02E03: "Attack of the Zombie Gator"
Girls S02E02: "I Get Ideas"
Good Luck Charlie S03E22: "All Fall Down"
Got to Dance S04E16: "Series 4, Episode 16"
Got to Dance S04E17: "Series 4, Episode 17"
Hakkenden: Touhou Hakken Ibun S01E03: "Season 1, Episode 3"
Hawaii Five-0 (2010) S03E13
Heartland (CA) S06E12: "Playing with Fire"
House of Lies S02E02: "When Dinosaurs Ruled The Planet"
Ich bin ein Star - Holt mich hier raus! S07E10: "Tag 10"
Iron Chef America S10E33: "Forgione vs. Kittichai"
Kontoret S02E01: "TBA"
Kourtney & Kim Take Miami S01E02: "Secrets Sneak Peek"
Kourtney & Kim Take Miami S01E01: "Welcome Back to Miami"
Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness S02E16
Lost Girl S03E03: "ConFaegion"
Love Live! S01E03: "First Live"
Magi S01E15: "Cassim's Answer"
Making Mr. Right S01E03: "Written in the Stars"
Masterpiece S43E03: "Downton Abbey III: (Episode 3)"
Million Dollar Contractor S02E13: "Madison Avenue Kitchen"
Mob Wives S03E03: "Threats and Thongs"
Mr. Selfridge S01E03: "Episode 3"
Mudcats S02E02: "TBA"
On The Case With Paula Zahn S07E06: "Snapshot to Murder"
Once Upon a Time S02E12: "In The Name of the Brother"
Oprah's Next Chapter S02E19: "Drew Barrymore"
Penoza S02E10: "Season 2, Episode 10"
Rachael vs. Guy Celebrity Cook Off S02E03
Republic of Doyle S04E03: "Identity Crisis"
Revenge S02E12: "Collusion"
Ripper Street S01E04: "The Good of This City"
Robot Chicken S06E16: "Eaten by Cats"
Saint Seiya Omega S01E41
Salamander S01E04: "Aflevering 4"
Senran Kagura S01E03: "Invader Under The Moon"
Shahs of Sunset S02E08: "TBA"
Shameless (US) S03E02: "The American Dream"
Ski Sunday S35E02: "Series 35, Episode 2"
Storage Hunters S02E17: "TBA"
Sugar Dome S01E09: "Daredevil Stunts"
The Hotel S03E04: "Series 3, Episode 4"
The Real Housewives Of Atlanta S05E13: "TBA"
Time Team S20E03: "Henham's Lost Mansions"
Uchuu Kyoudai S01E41: "Eighty Minutes to Live"
Unique Sweets S03E10: "Global Sweets"
United States of Bacon S01E05: "The Porker"
Van Bihar tot Bangalore S01E08: "Season 1, Episode 7"
Watch What Happens: Live S09E11: "Mike Shouhed"
Wicked Tuna S02E02: "Go Fish!"