Hot in Cleveland Exclusive: Liza Minnelli Cast as......

Hot in Cleveland Exclusive: Liza Minnelli Cast as......

Watch your back, Betty White! You won’t be the only living legend appearing in Season 3 of TV Land’s Hot in Cleveland: The comedy’s just scored Liza freakin’ Minnelli!

The bad news is that the Oscar winner’s just signed on for one episode — at least for now. But the good news is that it sounds like a great part: Judy Garland’s 65-year-old daughter will be playing the agent of down-and-damn-close-to-out actress-of-a-certain-age Victoria Chase (Wendie Malick).

Since Minnelli was such a hoot as Lucille 2 on Arrested Development — not to mention the whole “living legend” thing — this seems like a swell bit of news to start 2012 with, wouldn’t you say?

'Mankind The Story Of All Of Us': History Channel's Ambitious New Miniseries

'Mankind The Story Of All Of Us': History Channel's Ambitious New Miniseries

After its successful series on the history of America in 2010, television's History channel is setting its sights even higher.

The network said Tuesday that a 12-hour miniseries, "Mankind the Story of All of Us," will debut late this year. History, seen in more than 300 million homes worldwide, will offer different versions of the series in different parts of the world, the first time it has ever done that.

"America the Story of Us" hadn't even concluded when History executives, impressed by its ratings, began talking about what to do next, said Nancy Dubuc, the network's president and general manager.

"Rather than take a slice of the America story and do something more in depth on that, we decided to go bigger and broader," she said.

The "America" miniseries was the most-watched special ever on History, with 5.7 million people watching the first episode and nearly 40 million people in total watching some part of it, the Nielsen ratings company said.

The new series starts with the Big Bang and traces the development of humans on a planet where the vast majority of species go extinct, said Jane Root, the project's executive producer.

Root described it as a "real action-adventure" project, one that encompasses astronomy, geology and other sciences along with history. It will make liberal use of computer-generated recreations in its storytelling, she said.

The series traces the development of tools and the construction of the pyramids. Root said the production tries to make viewers aware of what it felt like, for instance, to set sail for distant lands on a ship when the common belief was the world was flat.

Root said she was surprised to discover the amount of connections among cultures in ancient times, like when Vikings visited China and fought with people in what is now Canada, each before the time of Christopher Columbus.

"We all grow up in a place where we learn just our history," she said. "You grow up in America, you learn American history. You grow up in France, you learn French history. To try to bring it all together and yet still make it a real exciting story of how humans made it is a real challenge."

History will offer companion material to schools interested in the project, although Root said it was "very important to us that this wasn't an educational mission. This is something you're going to watch like the best of a Hollywood superhero movie."

About a third of History's audience is in the United States. Worldwide, History is available in 150 countries, with India the biggest market, and in some 35 languages. Dubuc said the project would be localized in several markets with the inclusion of interviews with local historians.

Airdates have not been set for the series, which will stretch over six days, but it will be within the last three months of 2012, the network said.

'Jane By Design': 5 things to know about ABC Family's adorable new show

'Jane By Design': 5 things to know about ABC Family's adorable new show

ABC Family continues its trend of adorable yet addictive family-friendly programming with "Jane By Design," which premieres Tuesday, Jan. 3 on the network. Erica Dasher stars as high-schooler Jane Quimby, who somehow manages to score a part-time gig as an assistant at a fashion design house when she applies for an internship.

Andie MacDowell plays the appropriately three-named designer boss, Gray Chandler Murray, and though she only appears via video chat in the first episode, her playful bitchiness shines through. For a lady who seems like such a down-to-earth person in real life, she sure plays a realistic witch.

Here are five more things you should know about the new series:

1. Yes, it will remind you of "Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead." But is that such a bad thing? Sure, there's no Josh Charles, and Dasher's Jane is more of the adorable, awkward type (as opposed to Christina Applegate's popular, bitchy type). But it's got the same fish-out-of-water charm combined with the fantasy fashion world you only see on TV. We dig it.

2. There are cute boys. Duh. This is ABC Family, after all. But is it weird that we find Jane's former high school hot-shot older brother Ben (David Clayton Rogers), who is raising his kid sister after their dad died, way cuter than Jane's BFF Billy (Nicholas Roux)? Maybe it's because Billy's strange mullet-mohawk hybrid freaks us out. Does that mean we're getting older?

3. There are trying-on-clothes montages set to Pink songs. Also duh. This is an ABC Family show about fashion -- did you think we could escape without any?

4. Did we mention Dasher is ultra-charming? Because she is. Her take on wide-eyed teen is perfection, and although occasionally Jane seems more sophisticated than she should be, she pulls it off. The one thing we don't believe: That a girl as daring in the clothes department as Jane would lack enough self-esteem to talk to her crush. Come on, girlfriend talked her way into a grown-up job, she could at least hold her own in a conversation with a cute boy from school. Plus, Dasher is gorgeous -- there's no way boys wouldn't be lining up to talk to her.

5. There is an icky older-dude flirtation. "JBD" takes the now-common student-teacher relationship trope and twists it a little so that an older, senior fashion designer at Donovan Decker, where Jane lucks into her assistant job, flirts with the girl he does not realize is underage. And she flirts back.

Netflix Locks Release Date for Mobster Series 'Lilyhammer'

Netflix Locks Release Date for Mobster Series 'Lilyhammer'

Netflix is no longer hunting down a release date for "Lilyhammer," its new original series starring Steven Van Zandt as a mobster in witness protection. The first eight episodes of the comedy-drama's first season will be available for online streaming in the U.S., Canada and Latin America starting Feb. 6.

Netflix had said it was planning a first-quarter rollout for the show, in which the E Street Band guitarist plays a mobster reminiscent of his "Sopranos" character, Silvio Dante.

The one-hour show -- which is set in Lillehammer, Norway, where New York transplant Frank "The Fixer" Tagliano tries to make a new life for himself -- was developed by and is a production of Norway's Rubicon TV AS. "Lilyhammer" will also air on Norwegian TV, Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos recently told TheWrap.

"It's a very quirky, funny, serious show that I think people are really going to love," he said. "It's a really fun thing to watch, because it is a really familiar character in a totally unfamiliar place. It's [like] 'Northern Exposure' meets 'Sopranos.' "

"I am very careful with my choices and this project was so exciting to me because of the wonderful writing, the rich characters and the fascinating culture of Norway," Van Zandt, who is also executive producing the show, said in a statement. "Netflix is the perfect home for such a unique show."

Among the other original series Netflix has planned is David Fincher's "House of Cards," due in the fourth quarter or early 2013. The company is also planning to relaunch "Arrested Development" next year.

"Lilyhammer" was created by Anne Bjornstad and Eilif Skodvin and developed by Rubicon TV AS. It was written by Bjornstad, Skodvin and Van Zandt. Trond Berg Nilsen and Agnete Thuland are producing, while Lasse Hallberg and Van Zandt are executive producing.

Official Big Brother UK releases new photos of the CELEBRITY 2012 HOUSE!

Official Big Brother UK releases new photos of the CELEBRITY 2012 HOUSE!

Here are the first pictures taken of the new CBBUK 2012 house, looks amazing and I think with the line up of celebs this year will be a great and amazing edition.

TV Tonight 3rd of January 2012

TV Tonight 3rd of January 2012

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

    Allein gegen die Zeit S02E11: "18:00"
    Allein gegen die Zeit S02E10: "17:00"
    Bargain Hunt S31E02: "Series 31, Episode 2"
    Body Of Proof S02E11: "Falling for You"
    Campus PD S04E01: "An assault on a bar bouncer is investigated"
    Celebrity Mastermind S10E06: "Series 10, Episode 6"
    Chelsea Lately S05E198: "Robin Wright, Jo Koy, Loni Love, Ross Mathews"
    Chopped S10E02: "Chop on Through"
    Conan S02E26: "Gary Oldman, Mindy Kaling, Everlast"
    Cowboy Builders S06E01: "Wolverhampton"
    Days of our Lives S47E38: "Ep. #11748"
    Deal Or No Deal (UK) S07E123: "Episode 1803"
    Dickinson's Real Deal S08E21: "Series 8, Episode 21"
    Dirty Jobs S08E04: "Water Softener Technician"
    Doctors S13E168: "Mr Fitch Comes Home"
    EastEnders S28E03: "January 3, 2012"
    Emmerdale S41E02: "January 3, 2012"
    Escape To The Country S12E01: "South Cumbria"
    Extreme Couponing S03E04: "All-Stars: Antoinette vs. Judy"
    Extreme Couponing S03E03: "All-Stars: Jen vs. Joni"
    Flip Men S01E12: "Mike Fights Doug"
    Flip Men S01E11: "Death Trap"
    General Hospital (US) S49E191: "#12465"
    Got to Dance S03E05: "Series 3, Episode 5"
    Got to Dance S03E04: "Series 3, Episode 4"
    Great British Railway Journeys S03E02: "Darsham to Felixstowe"
    Hardcore Pawn S05E07: "TBA"
    Hidden City S01E05: "New York City: Son of Sam, Sid and Nancy, Nicky Barnes"
    Holby City S14E12: "When the Hangover Strikes"
    Hollyoaks S18E02: "January 3, 2012"
    Jane By Design S01E01: "Pilot"
    Jeopardy! S28E77: "Show #6282"
    Last Man Standing S01E12: "Moon Over Kenya"
    Late Night with Jimmy Fallon S02E196: "William H. Macy, Sean Avery, Black Star"
    Late Show with David Letterman S18E184
    My First Place S20E16: "Bachelor's Commitment Issues"
    Natsume Yūjin-Chō S04E01: "Episode 1"
    NCIS S09E12: "Housekeeping"
    NCIS: Los Angeles S03E12: "The Watchers"
    Nederland van boven S01E05: "Wilde natuur"
    NFL Films Presents S45E18: "It's Not Gonna Be Pretty"
    One Born Every Minute (US) S02E06: "Graduating to Parenthood"
    One Life to Live S44E118: "Ep. #11097"
    Parenthood (2010) S03E12: "Road Trip"
    Pointless S05E86: "Series 5, Episode 86"
    Public Enemies S01E01: "Episode 1"
    Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is S05E02: "Series 5, Episode 2"
    Ruben vs Sophie S02E04: "Season 2, Episode 4"
    Saints and Scroungers S03E02: "Series 3, Episode 2"
    Storage Hunters S01E15: "TBA"
    Storage Wars S02E26: "Hooray for Holly-Weird"
    Storage Wars S02E25: "Brandi's First Time"
    Swamp Loggers S04E12: "Blame Game"
    Switched at Birth S01E11: "Starry Night"
    Taboo S08E01: "Secret Lives"
    Teen Mom 2 S02E06: "Home for Christmas"
    Texas Multi Mamas S01E03: "TBA"
    Texas Multi Mamas S01E04: "TBA"
    The Biggest Loser S13E01: "Season 13, Episode 1"
    The Biggest Loser (2009) S03E01: "Series 3, Episode 1"
    The Bold and the Beautiful S25E201: "Ep. #6230"
    The Chase (2009) S05E01: "Series 5, Episode 1"
    The Colbert Report S08E01: "Sen. Bernie Sanders"
    The Daily Show S17E01: "TBA"
    The Ellen DeGeneres Show S09E70: "Howie Mandel, Elle Fanning"
    The Jeremy Kyle Show S07E77: "January 3, 2012"
    The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson S08E02
    The Tonight Show with Jay Leno S19E217
    The Young and the Restless S39E198: "Ep. #9813"
    Thuis S17E92: "Season 17, Episode 92"
    Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood S06E05: "Coming Clean"
    Unforgettable S01E12: "Butterfly Effect"
    Wanted Down Under S06E02: "Series 6, Episode 2"
    What Not To Wear (US) S09E15: "Beryl"
    Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (UK) S29E07: "New Year Special"
    Wife Swap S07E02: "Gary Busey / Ted Haggard"
    Work It S01E01: "Pilot"

Indian TV Features Edgy Shows Without The Edge

Indian TV Features Edgy Shows Without The Edge

Would the sex, drugs and rock-n-roll fueled TV show "Californication" be worth watching without the sex, drugs and rock-n- roll? What about serial killer series "Dexter" without the gore?

In an effort to attract younger viewers without offending the older ones, Indian TV is now showing some of America's edgiest shows — but cutting out the edge.

As India urbanizes and its middle class grows, a delicate dilemma has hit a media culture long dominated by local TV shows aimed at rural audiences, such as the soap opera "Baalika Vadhu" or "Child Bride," about a girl married off at age 10. While the young and hip audiences that attract advertising dollars want foreign imports, no broadcaster wants to upset conservative viewers or attract government ire.

"This is a very sensitive time for the media in India," said TV critic Shailaja Bajpai. "Many stations are afraid of government banning orders," but at the same time, output needs refreshing to bring in audiences."

So TV channels resort to inconsistent and clumsy self-censorship, snipping scenes that are central to a show's plot with abandon. While they bleep out profanities, they will also cut a reference to the drug "crack" from one part of a show, while letting it slide a few minutes later.

Even more absurd are the imports that have English subtitles to assist those with a shaky grasp of the language. Censors often let the spoken word slide through, but change it or strike it completely from the subtitles. So while a character on "The Big Bang Theory" is allowed to say the word "intimate," the subtitles only showed "int ------."

One incident turned an episode of "Friends" into a legend of unwatchable TV. The show hinged on the gag that two pages in a cookbook got stuck together and the character Rachel mistakenly made a fruit pastry with beef. The station bleeped out the word "beef," a show of sensitivity for Hindus' reverence for cows, leaving viewers to guess why her diners were so disgusted.

It's just as perplexing for the suddenly chaste vampires of HBO's lusty "True Blood" and for the serial killer star of "Dexter," who is constantly changing blood-splattered clothes for no apparent reason on Indian TV. Or for David Duchovny's "Californication" lech Hank Moody, who disappears into a bedroom with a beautiful women and then suddenly appears in a disjointed scene from later in the episode.

Nevertheless, young Indians, who have embraced Levis, McDonalds and MTV, are hungering for Western television.

"I no longer want to watch the stupid shows I watched with my family growing up, I want entertainment and there is very little on Hindi-language television," said Abhinav Mohan, a 22-year-old mass-communication student, who watches the disjointed imports instead. "Though heavily censored, I can still follow them."

Broadcasting the shows, while editing them into confusion, underscores the fine line entertainment companies like the NewsCorp-owned Star and FX are trying to walk to attract urban youth while not angering their more traditional parents.

Bollywood actors only began kissing onscreen in the last decade. As recently as 2007, an arrest warrant was briefly issued for Hollywood star Richard Gere after he kissed the cheek of Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty at an AIDS awareness rally.

"Indian produced movies and TV are very formulaic, you always know what you are going to get," said Rahul Gupta, a media company owner in New Delhi. "Today's youth are more likely to get what they want from Hollywood than Bollywood and TV companies are starting to realize it and hope to cash in."

In an effort to head off government interference, the industry created its own regulatory body in June to deal with complaints. Now, in addition to the odd censoring, viewers must also suffer a banner that repeatedly scrolls across the screen, advising viewers how to complain to the Broadcasting Content Complaints Council. More than 3,000 have.

The complaints range from "scantily and vulgarly dressed women" on MTV's "Grind" to a scene "misguiding children to kill," on the southern Indian family melodrama "Muddu Bidda," or "Cute Girl."

So far, only six channels have been called in for a hearing. Their apologies have been enough to satisfy the council and prevent it from referring the cases to the government, which has the power to ban shows.