Ricky Gervais confirms Karl Pilkington for 'Idiot Abroad' spinoff

Ricky Gervais confirms Karl Pilkington for 'Idiot Abroad' spinoff

Ricky Gervais has revealed that Karl Pilkington has finally committed to An Idiot Abroad spinoff The Short Way Round.

The comedian said at a screening of new Channel 4 comedy pilot Derek, in which Pilkington makes his acting debut, that he had been able to convince his friend to embark on the cycling adventure with dwarf actor Warwick Davis.

"I can persuade him," Gervais said. "I try lots of things and eventually I can see he's interested with something I've said and I work on that... He's finally signed a contract for The Short Way Round, cycling round the world with a dwarf in his basket.

"When I told him that idea, he didn't say 'That's ridiculous', he said 'So I'm doing all the f**king peddling?' That was his first problem with the idea.

"He was worried about it and he signed the contract this week, so he can't back out now. He's in too deep."

Gervais went on to confirm that he will also be working with Davis again on a new instalment of BBC sitcom Life's Too Short.

Referring to his creative partner Stephen Merchant, he said: "We've just started writing this week a special of Life's Too Short, which is at the moment turning into a spinoff series with Les Dennis, Barry from EastEnders (Shaun Williamson) and Cheggers (Keith Chegwin). I couldn't resist it."

Gervais announced last year that Life's Too Short will return for a second series on BBC Two in spring 2013.

Pilkington has already filmed two series of An Idiot Abroad for Sky1.

AMC Debuts New Unscripted Series, "The Pitch," With Sneak Preview

AMC Debuts New Unscripted Series, "The Pitch," With Sneak Preview

AMC launches its newest unscripted series, "The Pitch," with a sneak preview of the premiere episode, featuring SUBWAY(R) restaurants, on Sunday, April 8 at 11pm ET/PT following the network's award-winning series "Mad Men" and "The Killing." The eight-part unscripted series will then return on Monday, April 30 with a new episode, featuring Waste Management, at 9pm ET/PT followed by an encore showing of the premiere in its regular timeslot at 10pm ET/PT. "The Pitch" SUBWAY(R) restaurants episode will also be available on AMCTV.com, iTunes and YouTube following its sneak peek.

Executive produced by Eli Holzman, Stephen Lambert, Phil Lott, Brien Meagher and Aaron Saidman, from Studio Lambert ("Undercover Boss," "Project Runway"), "The Pitch" chronicles the incredible lengths, intense stakes and tight deadlines top advertising agencies encounter when they take aim at a major new piece of business. The series follows the best creative shops as they prepare campaigns knowing that in the end, it all comes down to the pitch. Real competition, major stakes and an incredible ticking clock are all elements of this docu-style series.Hi

"The Pitch was born out of a desire to look for non-fiction series that present characters and story in a grounded and authentic way, and take us into inherently dramatic worlds that have yet to be explore," said Joel Stillerman, Executive Vice President of Original Programming for AMC. "Advertising is really the idea business, but with incredibly high stakes; and Studio Lambert has captured, in a very feature doc style, just how hard it is to come up with a great idea, only to walk into a room and have it all ride on The Pitch."

"Stephen and I are thrilled to have 'The Pitch' join the roster of exceptional series on AMC," said Holzman. "The competition to win new business in advertising is incredibly intense and our goal is to provide audiences with a behind-the-scenes look at the compelling and dramatic pitch process. With encouragement from AMC, we fielded one of the finest filmmaking teams we have ever assembled to give this series a unique look and style. It is one of our proudest achievements."

Brands featured in "The Pitch" include SUBWAY(R) restaurants, Waste Management, C. Wonder, One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning(R), Benjamin Franklin Plumbing(R), Mister Sparky(R), Frangelico/Campari America, JDRF, Autograph Collection and popchips. Competing for their business are agencies, including The Ad Store, Bandujo, BooneOakley, Bozell, Conversation, DIGO, FKM, Jones Advertising, Kovel/Fuller, McKinney, Muse Communications, SK+G, The Hive, WDCW and WOMENK!ND.

Complementing "The Pitch" will be a host of online activities and extra video scenes at AMCTV.com. Users will also be able to vote in polls related to the show's content, read blog posts including exclusive cast interviews, and check out episode sneak peeks, extra/extended scenes and photo galleries and participate in a series talk forum.

AMC's Joel Stillerman, Executive Vice President of Original Programming, Production and Digital Content, Mary Conlon, Vice President of Non-Scripted Original Programming and Jason Fisher, Vice President of Production and oversee development and production for the series.

Sharon Osbourne: 'X Factor exit was dumb but dignified'

Sharon Osbourne: 'X Factor exit was dumb but dignified'

Sharon Osbourne has admitted that her decision to quit The X Factor was "dumb".

The music manager left the talent competition in 2007 after Dannii Minogue was recruited to the panel for its fourth series.

Explaining her motivation for dropping out, Osbourne confessed that she didn't want to give Simon Cowell the "satisfaction" of firing her for "someone young and perky-t*tted".

"It was a dumb move, but emotionally right," she told The Times. "It was a huge show; it paid so well, so much came from it. But I wasn't happy, so I walked away with dignity.

"Simon always ends up firing everyone. I didn't want to give him that satisfaction. He always wants someone young and perky-t*tted sat next to him."

Osbourne later assisted veteran judge Louis Walsh on the seventh series in 2010, but said that a permanent return was out of the question as Cowell wouldn't allow it to happen

Revealing that ITV bosses had previously called for her to come back, Osbourne continued: "Simon wouldn't let them and I don't give a s**t 'cos I can go, 'F**k you'.

"He's not a friend, but I don't not get on with him. We lead very separate lives: I'm family orientated, he's a mover and shaker."

Osbourne reignited her feud with Minogue last June, claiming that the Australian singer was "f**king thrown" off the show earlier in 2011.

FOX Bumps "Q'Viva! The Chosen" to Late Night

FOX Bumps "Q'Viva! The Chosen" to Late Night

FOX has bumped its struggling talent competition "Q'Viva! The Chosen" to Saturdays at 11:00/10:00c, the network confirmed this afternoon.

The series, which will be condensed from two hours to 90 minutes, had been airing at 8:00/7:00c.

A new "Cops" will lead off this Saturday, March 31 at 8:00/7:00c followed by repeats of "Cops" at 8:30/7:30c and "Bones" at 9:00/8:00c.

The news doesn't come as much of a surprise: FOX has finished last among the broadcast networks on Saturday nights in each of "Q'Viva! The Chosen's" four airings to date. The finale of "Q'Viva!" airs April 7.

Lindsay Lohan to Guest Star on 'Glee'

Lindsay Lohan to Guest Star on 'Glee'

Lindsay Lohan's acting career appears to be on the rebound.

The "Mean Girls" actress, who's generated more headlines for her personal life than her professional life lately, has landed a guest-starring role in an upcoming episode of "Glee," her spokesman told TheWrap.

Details on her appearance are scarce, but the casting suggests that her career is on an upward trajectory. Lohan, 25, has also signed on to play screen icon Elizabeth Taylor in an upcoming biopic to air on Lifetime.

The actress has had a contentious relationship with Fox's show -- Lohan was said to be none too thrilled in late 2010, when a "Glee" episode guest-starring Gwyneth Paltrow made light of her troubles and rehab stints.

Lohan is due to appear in court on a probation hearing later this week. According to TMZ, the Los Angeles Country District Attorney's Office will not object to Judge Stephanie Sautner terminating the actress' formal probation, after she successfully completed the terms of her probation. This would be the first time that the troubled actress would be off formal probation in more than four years, the site notes.

South Park' Goes to a Republican Debate

South Park' Goes to a Republican Debate

Cartman and his gang at a Republican debate? That can't be good for Newt Gingrich and his fellow debaters, as a preview clip of Wednesday's new "South Park" episode suggests.

The third episode of the Comedy Central series' 16th season is called "Faith Hilling." The clip finds Cartman, Butters and Kyle plotting while the Republican candidates debate.

Comedy Central's official description of the episode: "Mankind’s evolution begins to accelerate at a rapid and disturbing pace. Concurrently, another species on the planet is exhibiting the same drastic development. Eventually the two species will battle to the death and 'Faith Hilling' may be humanity’s only hope."

Gordon Ramsay Cooks Up $2M+ Lawsuit Against Former Partner

Gordon Ramsay Cooks Up $2M+ Lawsuit Against Former Partner

Gordon Ramsay has found yet another restaurateur to lay into -- and this time it's his former business partner.

The "Hell's Kitchen" hothead has files a lawsuit seeking more than $2.5 million from Danny Lavy and Lavy's business 9226-7558 Quebec Inc., claiming that Lavy and the company breached their contract with Ramsay and made several false and defamatory comments about him in relation to a Canadian restaurant that they were involved in.

According to the suit, filed in Quebec Superior Court, Ramsay and the defendants entered into a licensing agreement in July 2011, with Ramsay agreeing to license his name and likeness to the restaurant Laurier Gordon Ramsay. However, in February, the agreement was terminated. Ramsay claims that, not only did the defendants terminate the agreement without proper cause, but they smeared his name in the press following the termination, which has Ramsay boiling-mad.

Ramsay's suit claims that Lavy and 9226 killed the agreement because they felt he hadn't provided significant promotional assistance or assistance with the restaurant and staff.

However, according to Ramsay, the agreement called only for the use of his name and likeness, and he bore no responsibility for the operation and management of the restaurant. In fact, according to Ramsay, the defendants specifically asserted that it was their right, not his, to manage the restaurant.

Furthermore, according to Ramsay, he participated in a promotional blitz for the restaurant's opening, and that he "provided advice and assistance above and beyond the scope of the agreement." This included, according to Ramsay, arranging for chef Andi van Willigan "to provide on-site assistance at the restaurant in the weeks running up to its opening" at no charge to the defendants.

When they decided to terminate the agreement, Ramsay claims that his former partners trashed him in the media, claiming, among other things, that he "was too busy to come to the restaurant," "didn't understand our vision," "just didn't get it" and, perhaps most injurious, he never came up with a "'wow' dish," just "a few tweaks on what we already had."

Ramsay is seeking numerous damages, including licensing fees both from the period of their agreement and fees that would have been due had the agreement not been terminated, plus moral damages, punitive damages, costs of promoting the restaurant, and legal costs.

Ramsay and Lavy already have bad blood between them; Lavy also owns a company that sells a brand of Ramsay kitchenware, and is suing the chef in the U.S. claiming a breach of their sub-licensing agreement, among other allegations. In the suit, Ramsay suggests that Lavy has used his pull at 9226 to get the company to cancel its own agreement with Ramsay to further "the wider fallout" between Lavy and Ramsay, "rather than because of any genuine belief that [Ramsay] is in breach of the agreement."

Ramsay has seen his share of legal action lately; earlier this month, he sued publicist and former News of the World editor Phil Hall, claiming that Hall had sold private information about Ramsay obtained from hacked emails to British newspaper The Daily Mail.