Wizards of Waverly Place Prepares to Disappear

Wizards of Waverly Place Prepares to Disappear

There's some pretty intense competition going on among the Wizards of Waverly Place cast as they begin shooting the final episode of the hit Disney Channel sitcom. Sure, there's that whole plot point about which Russo child will win the wizard competition and keep his or her powers. Just as fierce, though, is the battle over who gets to keep the comfy lounge chair in the wizards' lair.

"Everyone's fighting over that one," jokes Jake T. Austin, who plays Max, the youngest Russo sibling. Adds Jennifer Stone, who plays Harper, "[We're] in a war over that chair. I may have to kick a couple of people in the shin for it."

Maybe it is a really comfy chair. Or maybe the fight for furniture is just the cast's way of trying to hang on to a show that's become one of the most popular in Disney Channel history during its four seasons on the air. Meanwhile, star Selena Gomez is processing her feelings in a more direct way.

"It's very much affecting me," she sighs. "I've been quiet, keeping to myself, and everyone keeps asking me what's wrong. They keep saying to have fun, end on a high note."

Wizards is doing that. During its run, the series reached more than 182 million viewers in 169 countries in 32 different languages and won a 2009 Emmy for Outstanding Children's Program. And as the show winds down, creator Todd Greenwald has done all he can to keep the results of the wizard competition in tonight's finale a surprise for everyone.

That meant handing the final four script pages to the cast an hour before the last scenes were shot so that "when they were on stage, it was like watching it all unfold for the first time," he explains after production wraps. "It was definitely satisfying and the actors, who were playfully jockeying to see who would win the competition, didn't see [this ending] coming. I think the audience will be happy with how it turns out."

Now if he could only help them figure out who gets the lounge chair...

Wizards of Waverly Place airs Friday at 8/7c on Disney Channel.

Ricky Gervais on Hosting the Globes: "I Do It My Way"

Ricky Gervais on Hosting the Globes: "I Do It My Way"

Ricky Gervais says when he returns as host of the Golden Globes on Jan. 15, he's doing it his way — again.

"I do it my way, I get finality on everything ... and they won't know what I'm going to say until I say it," Gervais told Matt Lauer.

Gervais took a lot of heat for his jokes at last year's ceremony, and although he said he would never host the show again, he later changed his mind. "What tipped the balance was all the people that said I'd never be back," he says.

Who will he offend this year? Ricky Gervais to host Golden Globes again

But the comedian stands by his jokes. "What did I say that was untrue? I said that Robert Downey Jr. spent some time in clinics and he did. I'm not judging him by that; it's a joke," he says. "The controversy is irrelevant to me."

He also says he becomes another person in front of audiences. "The guy on stage is lot brasher, more arrogant, more confident than me. I take a deep breath and go out with swagger."

So is this time hosting really his last? Yes, he says, "for a while, at least."

Shameless Turns Up The Heat in Season 2

Shameless Turns Up The Heat in Season 2

You hear the bickering the second you enter the soundstage.

"Sing it already," he says.

"Oh, quiet," she says.

"No, you."

"No, you!"

If it weren't for William H. Macy's impish grin and the huge laugh Emmy Rossum lets out, you'd think the actors might actually come to blows. But that's how they roll on the set of Shameless, Showtime's energetic dramedy about life inside the downtrodden Gallagher household. The cast acts like the characters they play on TV. With mom out of the picture and papa Frank (Macy) too sauced to watch over six kids, it's every misfit for him- or herself. As Rossum, who plays oldest daughter Fiona, says, "Think of the poorest, most off-kilter family you know, multiply the intensity by 10 and stick them in a claustrophobic house in Chicago. That's the Gallaghers."

Turn up the heat and you get Season 2, which premieres Sunday. After a discontented winter, the Gallaghers are struggling to stay cool in the broil of a Chicago summer. Still, it might as well be snowing on set today in Los Angeles. The entire cast is on hand to make a Christmas music video/promo that's more like an excuse for the actors to fake-fight with one another. At one point in the middle of the song (a parody of every earnest Yuletide carol), Macy's cellphone starts chirping.

"Are you kidding me?" Rossum yells. Macy just glares at her. Afterward he says, "As actors, we take our responsibility very seriously to come off as completely family-crazy."

To bond, the cast lived like real Gallaghers at first, with mini-golf outings and forced rehearsals inside the cramped living-room set. "Everybody had to make their own lunch out of the set refrigerator and do their own dishes," says John Wells, the ex-ER exec producer who adapted Shameless from a British series of the same name with original creator Paul Abbott. "It didn't take long for true dysfunction to set in."

It's working. The Shameless finale last spring was the highest-rated season ender for a new Showtime series in 10 years (new drama Homeland recently beat Shameless' finale numbers). Overall last season, the program averaged more than 3.7 million viewers across various platforms (including On Demand and replays), right up there with Showtime's Dexter, Weeds and now Homeland. And Joan Cusack earned an Emmy nomination for her role as kooky shut-in (and Frank's love interest) Sheila Jackson, whose husband Eddie's suicide last season hangs over the new episodes.

"Season 1 established Frank as a guy who'll do anything to stay drunk and not have to work to support his family, even if that means siphoning off Sheila or sleeping with her daughter," says Wells. But when Eddie's body turns up this season in Lake Michigan with a cinder block tied to his ankle, Frank, as Cusack says, "is going to have some 'splaining to do."

The other Gallaghers aren't much better off. Fiona is in major denial about how much she still loves Steve (Justin Chatwin), her cad-tastic boyfriend who ran off to Costa Rica to avoid being arrested for car theft. Now, "Fiona is cocktail waitressing but spends a lot of time thinking about calling Steve and dating guys she shouldn't," says Rossum. Adds Wells, "We'll see Steve again, but it's a little different because he comes back to town married to a Brazilian girl."

Fiona's brother Lip (Jeremy Allen White) and Sheila's daughter Karen (Laura Slade Wiggins) are still hooking up, even though Karen has a boyfriend she met in Sex Addicts Anonymous. For cash, Lip teams with gay brother Ian (Cameron Monaghan) and bartender-neighbor Kev (Steve Howey) to sell stuff out of an ice- cream truck. "A little ice cream, a little pot," says Monaghan, whose character's true ambition is to get into West Point. Then there's rebellious squirt Carl Gallagher (Ethan Cutkosky), who makes money watching people's houses and stealing from them. "Perfect job for a 10-year-old," Wells says.

Frank, meanwhile, gets points for merely standing upright. Not that getting off booze is in the cards. "Some people, when you sober them up, you wish they had a drink again, and I think Frank's one of those guys," Wells says. To stay catatonic, Frank moves in on a butter-faced barfly from local pub The Alibi Room. "The woman's awaiting a heart transplant and Frank, God bless him, is awaiting her demise so he can move in on her pension," says Macy.

Back on set, the Gallaghers are finally in harmony. Well, at least the Christmas song sounds good. Until someone — it's hard to tell who — hits an off note. Macy throws up his hands with exaggerated disgust: "You people can drive a guy to drink!"

Shameless airs Sundays at 9/8c on Showtime.

Melrose Place 3.0? CW Is Buying the Canadian Series L.A. Complex

Melrose Place 3.0? CW Is Buying the Canadian Series L.A. Complex

It looks like the CW is readying a move back to Los Angeles.

The network is nearing a deal to buy the upcoming Canadian soap The L.A. Complex, Deadline reports. The series follows the lives of several twentysomethings who live in the same Los Angeles apartment complex and try to make it in Hollywood.

The CW orders mystery drama pilot Cult

The series, which will premiere on the Canadian music channel MuchMusic next week but will also air on Canadian sibling network CTV, sounds an awful lot like Melrose Place. The drama originally ran from 1992 to 1999 on Fox before the CW remade the series in 2009, but then canceled it after 18 low-rated episodes.

The CW is looking to buy at least the first six episodes of The L.A. Complex, but could pick up as many as 13. The network plans to launch the show this summer, according to Deadline. The L.A. Complex stars Jonathan Patrick Moore (Neighbours), Cassie Steele (Degrassi), Joe Dinicol (Life with Derek) and Chelan Simmons (Kyle XY).

Celebrity Big Brother 2012: Full line up

Celebrity Big Brother 2012: Full line up

Natalie Cassidy

It’s not often that you don’t hear rumours about the stars who are joining Celebrity Big Brother, but EastEnders’ Natalie Cassidy clearly kept her gob shut when it came to signing up for the 2012 series.
Natalie is most famous for her as Sonia Jackson in EastEnders, winning a British Soap Award for Best Actress in 2001. Since leaving the soap in 2007, Natalie has presented a number of shows, including Natalie Cassidy Goes Wild in Australia. She also fronted a mini-series called Natalie Cassidy's Diet Secrets after she lost a dramatic amount of weight and dropped to a size 8. The brunette also released a fitness DVD that was the fastest-selling workout DVD ever. Natalie has a 16-month-old baby called Eliza (cue tears in the Diary Room), who she had with boyfriend at the time Adam Cottrell in September 2010. Natalie and Adam split in May last year after he admitted beating her with a slipper after a row turned physical. At the time, Natalie said: “If he thinks there's a chance of us getting back together, he can forget about it. He's history as far as I'm concerned." Despite appearing in a few stage shows like The Vagina Monologues, Bedroom Farce, and The Cherry Orchard, Natalie has probably signed up to CBB to raise her profile, having had a break from the limelight to bring up little Eliza.

Nicola McLean

Glamour model and reality star Nicola McLean is married to Kettering FC player Tom Williams and has two kids. She is an outspoken WAG who has been known to have Twitter spats with girls who sell their stories on footballers. Like Natasha Giggs. Should be interesting, then. Nicola McLean became famous after flashing her amazing figure in bikinis during I’m A Celebrity and has since modelled for Ultimo and other brands. Her rival is Jordan (naturally), although Nicola was smug when she beat Katie Price in a poll for Best Page 3 Girl of All Time. Last year, Nicola admitted to having an eating disorder that she wasn’t trying to sort out. She told OK! magazine in an alarming interview: “'I go for long periods without eating. But then I will eat, I'm not afraid of eating, but I don't eat normally. “I don't make myself sick. I wouldn't eat every day. No way. “I'm starving myself and that could be life-threatening. I know I'm not being healthy. My husband is supportive. He says I need to eat more.” So do we – here’s to hoping she makes the most of the food budget in the house.

Frankie Cocozza

Forget The X Factor, Frankie Cocozza has moved onto bigger and better things (sort of), joining the Celebrity Big Brother house this evening. The 18 year old got through to the live finals on the show based on personality alone, with the public developing a love/hate relationship with his tight jeans and womanising ways. Although Frankie didn’t have much of a singing voice, his massive hair and ridiculous tattoos (he has a list of girls who he slept with while on a lads’ holiday inked onto his bum) was enough to keep him in the newspapers. Although the cheeky chap enjoyed being controversial, it all went wrong for Frankie when he was caught bragging about taking cocaine while on The X Factor. In November last year, Frankie was sensationally kicked off the show and left with nothing to do but a grotty tour of university clubs in the UK. Frankie said he “felt free” after getting axed from The X Factor, although he would say that, wouldn’t he? Since rocketing onto the showbiz scene last year, Frankie’s biggest achievement to date is winning ‘worst celebrity hair’. He tweeted about the accolade: “They should have given worst celebrity hair to a celebrity surely haha.” Just wait until you get out of the CBB house, mate. And despite his naughty ways, there’s no doubting the fact that Frankie has a certain charm that is sure to prove popular with the ladies in the house (and at home).

Natasha Giggs

Controversial character Natasha Giggs managed to look sleek and confident as she entered the Celebrity Big Brother house this evening, despite boos from the crowd. Natasha, who was married to Ryan Giggs’s brother Rhodri, was all over the papers last year after she claimed that she had an eight-year affair with married footballer Ryan. Although it’s unlikely that the 29 year old mother of two will have a shot at winning CBB, the stunning brunette wants people to get to know the real her and is “focusing on the future”. Speaking in December, Natasha claimed that she desperately regrets her alleged with Ryan Giggs, telling a newspaper that she was a “fool” to risk her marriage to Rhodri for the thrill of secret sex. Natasha said their sex sessions had become “seedy” and she was increasingly haunted by guilt over her two-timing, it was reported. She said: “At the beginning it was thrilling to know that someone as famous and admired as Ryan wanted to be in bed with me. “But by the end the whole thing had become so seedy. It stopped being fun.”

Michael Madsen

The Celebrity Big Brother gets a bit Hollywood, with the arrival of film star Michael Madsen. Michael has been an actor for 25 years and has starred in 170 films (although we bet Natasha Giggs wont have a clue who he is)… which makes us wonder why he wants to go into the Celebrity Big Brother house, but then we’re not paid to think. Michael’s most famous film role to date was Mr Blonde in Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs, although he has also been in Die Another Day, Sin City and Kill Bill. But most importantly, Michael was in Free Willy (he wasn’t the whale). One of Michael’s close friends is Vinnie Jones, who has also been on Celebrity Big Brother, so perhaps that’s why he was talked into doing the show. Speaking about his career in the past, Michael said: “I like to diversify. And I am all about longevity. I want to be doing this for as long as I can.” Well, CBB is certainly a little different (although we’re not sure about longevity).

Kristina and Karissa Shannon

Well, well, well, this is going to heat things up somewhat - Playboy twins Kristina and Karissa Shannon have just entered the Celebrity Big Brother house. The girls, who are unsurprisingly glamour models, became incredibly famous in the States after they moved into the Playboy Mansion in 2008 and twins became two of Hugh Hefner’s three new girlfriends. Kristina and Karissa Shannon featured heavily in E! series The Girls Next Door and created a huge fan base for themselves. The first episode of The Girls Next Door that the blonde twins appeared in attracted 2.4 million viewers – the most-watched episode in the successful show’s history. After they stopped sharing boyfriend Hugh Hefner and moved out of the Playboy mansion in 2010, although they continued appearing on the TV show and posing with their boobies out as bunnies.
Kristina and Karissa Shannon attempted to break into film when they had small roles in Somewhere, an award winning film by Sofia Coppola. Yes, actually. They’ve made some other movies as well, but we wont go into that. We wonder which CBB womaniser is going to be able to get the blondes in the hot tub first…

Kirk Norcross

Kirk Norcross confirmed rumours that he has left TOWIE tonight, as he took his Essex swagger into the Celebrity Big Brother house. He is best known as womanising rich boy in The Only Way Is Essex, although insists he isn’t as blunt with the ladies as he comes across on the ITV2 show. We can imagine that the 23 year old is using Celebrity Big Brother to “show people the real me”. Oh, and to become well famous.
Kirk is single at the moment and is sure to be a big fan of the glamour models in this year’s series, given that his exes include Amy Childs and Lauren Pope. Kirk’s dad Mick is the owner of notoriously cheesy club Sugar Hut and the pair are thought to be expanding their empire with a TOWIE-themed hotel and spa. 
Although he has come across as pretty stubborn and spoiled, Kirk has a cute and charming side that is probably going to prove popular with the girls and home (and hopefully in the house – we want to see some action in that hot tub).

Georgia Salpa

The undoubtedly hot Georgia Salpa is a glamour model from Ireland who was recently in the headlines for dating Calum Best. The 26-year-old Greek born brunette describes herself as a career woman and is rarely seen out of a bikini, with a body to die for. Georgia’s job as a glamour model started when she became the only Irish finalist in the first “High Street Honeys” competition run by FHM magazine and she has been the face of fake tan, clothing lines and even wrestling ever since. It’s safe to say that Georgia looks a hell of a lot like American reality star Kim Kardashian, with the glamour model joking that she wouldn’t mind getting bum implants to be even more like her. Georgia and Calum dated for three months after meeting on Celebrity Salon and went on holiday together pretty much every weekend. They split last September shortly after he was pictured leaving a club with Byker Grove star Donna Air. Georgia told The Sun afterwards: “Yes, it's all over. I am upset over it as we were a proper couple. “He says nothing happened and wants to stay together but I can't trust him and that's definitely it. I saw the pictures with her and I would like to believe him that nothing happened but I don't want to be one of those girls who takes people back no matter what they do.”
Given that it doesn’t sound like Georgia is one to bite her tongue, this is going to be fun…

Gareth Thomas

Rugby hunk Gareth Thomas is a retired professional rugby player who came out as gay in December 2009.
The Welshman has used his influence to help many others, supporting Childline, winning Stonewall’s Hero of the Year award and being voted top of the Pink List 2010 of the 101 most influential gay people in the UK.
Gareth’s rugby career started at Bridgend, with the 37 year old making his debut for Wales in 1995. During his long sporting career, Gareth created sporting history when he became the first Welshman to win 100 international caps in Rugby Union in the 2007 Rugby World Cup. As well as his sporting achievements, Gareth is also famous for slapping his head when he celebrates scoring tries (this doesn’t mean much to us, but we’ll sure rugby fans will understand). Gareth, who is also known as ‘Alfie’, has spoken openly about his decision to come out and what his life was like keeping it a secret from his family, friends and former wife Jemma. He told the BBC in 2010: “I became the master of playing the straight bat: I would go to bars with the boys, I would always be the one to start a fight, to be outrageous and drink the most. “I even went to the extreme of marrying the perfect woman for me. “I remember I used to go to the church we were due to get married in and I would sit there in the graveyard and look up to the steeple... clench my hands and close my eyes as tight as I could and pray to be straight.” With Gareth keeping away from the showbiz circuit until now, it’s hard to predict how he’ll get on with his fellow housemates. Watch this space…

Denise Welch

Denise Welch, 53, is famous for her partying ways and being extremely outspoken on TV show Loose Women, although she first made her name as an actress in the early ‘90s. Starting out in the role of Marsha Stubbs in the drama series, Soldier Soldier, Denise went on to appear in pretty much every telly show going. She has starred in Where the Heart Is, Holby City, The Bill, Doctors, Down to Earth, Born and Bred, Hollyoaks, Auf Wiedersehen Pet and Byker Grove – with her most famous roles being in Coronation Street and Waterloo Road. Denise appeared on Dancing On Ice in 2010, so it’s no surprise that she’s joined Celebrity Big Brother – it’s pretty much the only TV show in the country that she was yet to feature on. Denise is married to actor Tim Healy and they have two children. In April 2010, Denise released a shocking autobiography, called Pulling Myself Together, which revealed that she battled with a cocaine addiction during her stint on Coronation Street. The actress also wrote about an affair that she’d had with a younger man, with her marriage to Tim coming to a head in 2004, but the pair decided to give it another go and have been “stronger” ever since. We’re a bit excited about the fact that Denise is going into the CBB house, because she’s not going to hold back if someone gets on her nerves and she’s a very funny lady. Not only that, but she’s been on the showbiz circuit for over twenty years, so she’s bound to have some good gossip.

Romeo Dunn

So Solid Crew member (not that we know if they’re still together) Romeo Dunn hasn’t been seen for a while, but he’s sure to get on with the ladies in the new Celebrity Big Brother series. It’s thought the rapper/singer was on standby to join the show and entered after Lee Ryan pulled out after a row about his fee. Romeo Dunn rose to fame in the early noughties after garage group released 21 Seconds in 2001 (we still do it in our head too). After his time in the urban musical collective, Romeo had a solo career with top ten hits "Romeo Dunn" and a collaboration with US artist Christina Milian "It's All Gravy". Soon after, he was chosen to represent the UK on the Murder Inc tour alongside Ja Rule and Ashanti. In the last few years, Romeo hasn’t done much (well he might have done, but we haven’t heard about it), so it’s likely that he’s hoping to boost his profile and get back into the limelight on CBB.

Andrew Stone

Prepare to have a love/hate relationship with Andrew Stone after he entered the Celebrity Big Brother house tonight. The blonde singer/dancer/actor describes himself as a ‘triple threat’ (because of his mad skills) and made his name alongside Louis Spence on Sky 1 reality show Pineapple Studio. Andrew used to be an instructor at the dance school, but has been chasing fame since the show started back in February 2010. The blonde calls himself the lead singer and songwriter for his own group, Starman, although they’re yet to make an impression on the charts (or anything else, for that matter). Andrew started dancing at the age of eight and reckons he’s more talented than Justin Timberlake, having trained at the Central School of Ballet and has featured in five West End musicals. On performing with the stars, Andrew said in the past: “I’ve sung with Tina Turner, I’ve danced with Britney Spears, my CV speaks volumes so I’m not a wannabe.” Of course not, a wannabe would never enter Big Brother. Being a fierce fame hunter, it’s unlikely that Andrew will be in the house to make friends. He said in the past: “I’m not fame hungry and I’m not a wannabe. I can cut it! I’m in it to win it and I will not give up.”

This will be a interesting edition of CBBUK 2012.

TV Tonight 6th of January 2012

TV Tonight 6th of January 2012

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

    20/20 S34E18: "Season 34, Episode 18"
    A Gifted Man S01E10: "In Case of a Bolt from the Blue"
    A League of Their Own (UK) S04E09: "Series 4, Unseen Bits"
    Amagami SS S02E01: "Episode 1"
    America's Most Wanted S25E06: "Season 25, Episode 6"
    Bargain Hunt S31E05: "Series 31, Episode 5"
    Blue Bloods S02E10: "Whistle Blower"
    Celebrity Big Brother S09E02: "Series 9, Episode 2"
    Celebrity Mastermind S10E09: "Series 10, Episode 9"
    Chuck S05E09: "Chuck Versus the Kept Man"
    Come Dine With Me S17E106: "Series 17, Episode 106"
    Confessions: Animal Hoarding S03E09: "99 Pets"
    Coronation Street S53E05: "Fri Jan 6, 2012 [Episode 2]"
    Coronation Street S53E04: "Fri Jan 6, 2012 [Episode 1]"
    CSI: NY S08E10: "Clean Sweep"
    Dateline NBC S21E15: "FR2115"
    Days of our Lives S47E41: "Ep. #11751"
    Deadly Women S05E17: "Lover's Revenge"
    Deal Or No Deal (UK) S07E126: "Episode 1806"
    Dickinson's Real Deal S08E24: "Series 8, Episode 24"
    Doctors S13E171: "War of the Worlds"
    EastEnders S28E05: "January 6, 2012"
    Emmerdale S41E06: "January 6, 2012"
    Escape To The Country S12E04: "Hampshire"
    Extreme Makeover: Home Edition S09E12: "Gibbs Family"
    Fish Hooks S02E06: "Milo On the Lam"
    Fish Hooks S02E07: "Break Up Shake Down"
    Flikken Maastricht S06E01: "Season 6, Episode 1"
    Flying Wild Alaska S02E11: "Prop, Drop & Ball"
    Four Weddings (2010) S03E22: "...and the Reverse Worm"
    General Hospital (US) S49E194: "#12468"
    Generator Rex S03E07: "Guy vs. Guy"
    Gold Rush: Alaska S02E09: "Dead in the Water"
    Got to Dance S03E09: "Series 3, Episode 9"
    Got to Dance S03E08: "Series 3, Episode 8"
    Great British Railway Journeys S03E05: "Fenchurch to Embankment"
    High School DxD S01E01: "Episode 1"
    Hollyoaks S18E05: "January 6, 2012"
    Jeopardy! S28E80: "Show #6285"
    Jessie (2011) S01E09: "Star Wars"
    Jimmy Kimmel Live S09E181: "Don Cheadle, David Cross, Boyz II Men"
    Late Night with Jimmy Fallon S02E199
    Late Show with David Letterman S19E04
    Law & Order: UK S06E01: "Survivor’s Guilt (2)"
    Mastermind (UK) S40E09: "Series 40, Show 9"
    Mastermind (UK) S40E08: "Series 40, Show 8"
    Nikita S02E11: "Pale Fire"
    One Life to Live S44E121: "Ep. #11100"
    Persona 4 The Animation S01E13: "A Stormy Summer Vacation 1/2"
    Pointless S05E89: "Series 5, Episode 89"
    Portlandia S02E01: "Mixology"
    Public Enemies S01E03: "Episode 3"
    Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is S05E05: "Series 5, Episode 5"
    Rude Tube S04E10: "New Year with Rude Tube 2012"
    Saints and Scroungers S03E05: "Series 3, Episode 5"
    Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta S03E01: "Dancing Queen"
    Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta S03E02: "Daddy's Girls"
    Senhime Zesshou Symphogear S01E01: "Episode 1"
    Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) S04E13: "Escape from Kadavo"
    Stella (UK) S01E01: "Episode 1"
    Supernatural S07E11: "Adventures in Babysitting"
    The Bold and the Beautiful S25E204: "Ep. #6233"
    The Chase (2009) S05E04: "Series 5, Episode 4"
    The Dr. Phil Show S10E77: "Weight Wars"
    The Ellen DeGeneres Show S09E73: "Kirstie Alley, Jordyn Wieber"
    The Graham Norton Show S10E10
    The Increasingly Poor Decisions Of Todd Margaret S02E01
    The Jeremy Kyle Show S07E80: "January 6, 2012"
    The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson S08E05
    The Life and Times of Tim S03E04
    The Tonight Show with Jay Leno S19E220
    The Voice of Holland S02E28: "Kwart Finale"
    The Voice of Holland S02E29: "Kwart Finale: The Results"
    The Young and the Restless S39E201: "Ep. #9816"
    Thuis S17E95: "Season 17, Episode 95"
    Tyler Perry's House of Payne S07E38: "Do The Hustle"
    Tyler Perry's House of Payne S07E37: "Paynefully Fit"
    Wanted Down Under S06E05: "Series 6, Episode 5"
    Wizards of Waverly Place S04E27: "Who Will Be The Family Wizard"
    WWE Friday Night SmackDown! S12E67: "Season 12, Episode 67"
    X-Men (2011) S01E12: "Destiny"

'Smash': Katharine McPhee 'grateful' for how post-'American Idol' career has gone

'Smash': Katharine McPhee 'grateful' for how post-'American Idol' career has gone

Katharine McPhee is finding her Broadway dreams satisfied by her new television series ... at least for now.

The fifth-season "American Idol" runner-up plays a novice actress competing for the stage role of Marilyn Monroe on "Smash," NBC's new musical-drama series premiering Monday, Feb. 6. She says she's being asked often if making the show is fueling her own hopes of starring on the Great White Way.

"I studied musical theater in college for three semesters," McPhee tells Zap2it. "That was my major, so I love theater, but my goal has always been television and/or film. At this point, especially, this is like the best of both worlds. I'm on a TV show that's about Broadway, so I feel like I'm getting my fill.

"When -- I'm not going to say 'if,' because I know I will be on the stage one day -- when there comes a project that I feel is something really special and just interesting to me, I'll do it. I don't see it anytime soon, but maybe for some special event around the show."

McPhee admits spending a New York winter on location for "Smash" is a sizable adjustment for her. "There is no other place to be shooting this show," she allows. "It would make no sense to be anywhere else. I'm having a lot of fun, but the cold weather is definitely a challenge for me. I was born and raised in Los Angeles, so I'm really, really spoiled.

"One of my dreams years ago, before I had a single credit on my resume, was to shoot in New York. I never would have thought, 'Oh, honey. Don't you worry. You'll be there 24/7.' Last night, I was in 14-degree weather ... but yes, I am enjoying shooting there."

Now a spokesperson for Malaria No More, with a trip to Africa planned for spring, McPhee says she hasn't had much time to keep up with "American Idol." Being immersed in "Smash" will give her even less when the FOX contest launches its 11th round Wednesday, Jan. 18.

"It was a great launching pad," she reflects, "and I've been focusing on my own endeavors. A few 'Idols' have had instant success, and I've had very steady success. I haven't won Oscars or Grammys, but I've been very fortunate. It's like anybody else's career; sometimes, things take time, and you keep plugging away.

"The media loves to pinpoint success or failure in a show like 'Idol' because, coming off the first season, there was such an instant success in Kelly Clarkson. But that's not the norm. Not everyone's career happens like that, and I'm really grateful for the way mine has gone. It's given me so much more drive, and it makes the 'ups' even sweeter, because you've had to work for them that much harder."