Not surprisingly, Cody Linley was eliminated on “Dancing with the Stars” last night. As the episode ended, Linley was too choked up to talk to the press.
“Grey’s Anatomy” creator Shonda Rhimes says the storyline between Izzie and Denny does not mean Izzie has a brain tumor. “I think the love triangle with Denny, Izzie, and Alex is among the most interesting we’ve ever done. Watching the chemistry between Jeffrey and Katherine again has been really touching. I can’t wait for our viewers to see where we’re taking it. But what it won’t involve is Izzie having a brain tumor.”
MacGyver has beaten Buffy the Vampire Slayer and “24’s” Jack Bauer in the Top 10 Toughest TV Action Heroes poll. The role, which Richard Dean Anderson played for seven years from 1985, has topped the new countdown in TV Guide magazine.
— Rounding out the top five are Sidney Bristow, “Alias” and Tom Selleck’s Magnum, P.I. The top 10 also includes Chuck Norris’ character from “Walker, Texas Ranger”, former “90210″ star Jason Priestly’s character Brandon Walsh, Lindsay Wangner (”Bionic Woman”), The Six Million Dollar Man and Xena: Warrior Princess.
I don’t know if this is true, but I don’t care! I find it funny! California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger reportedly wanted to soften up seven Chinese officials who were here to discuss global warming, so he enlisted Rob Lowe to help. Rob took the officials to a taping of “Brothers & Sisters”, then spoke with them about why it’s important to address climate change. Rob also reportedly tried to impress them by recalling some of the Chinese phrases he learned for “Wayne’s World”.
“30 Rock” star Alec Baldwin will appear on Rosie O’Donnell’s upcoming NBC variety special “Rosie Live”, Wednesday, November 26. The special will feature a topical monologue, musical production numbers and hilarious comedy sketches.
— Baldwin joins previously announced guest stars including Liza Minnelli, recording artist’s Ne-Yo and Alanis Morissette, actress and comedienne Kathy Griffin and “30 Rock” star Jane Krakowski.
Elaine Stritch will once again portray the mother of Alec Baldwin’s character Jack on “30 Rock” in the Dec. 11 episode, which is titled “Christmas Special”.
Can you imagine if an oil painting you got as a housewarming gift 40-odd years go turned out to be worth $500,000? That’s the value that “Antiques Roadshow” put on a Clyfford Still painting hanging on a California couple’s wall since the 1960s. The amazing find is featured on the first episode of the show’s 12th season, set to air in Jan.
— The $500,000 price tag makes the painting the most valuable object appraised in the PBS program’s history. And it may sell for much higher. A Clyfford Still recently sold at auction for $21 million, the appraiser Alasdair Nichol tells the woman on the episode, “so, in fact, it may turn out that I’m being rather conservative when I say half a million.”
CMT will rebroadcast the CMA Awards show on Saturday, November 29th.
Patrick Swayze insisted that new A&E drama “The Beast” be filmed in Chicago, or he wouldn’t star in the show. Read about the show and Patrick’s update on his pancreatic cancer here.
“Lipstick Jungle” star Brooke Shields was right; her show hasn’t been cancelled. The drama showed signs of ratings life last Friday and picked up 50 percent more viewers when delayed viewing (from DVRs and other devices) was included in the ratings for the previous week’s episode. Ben Silverman, the co-chairman of NBC Entertainment, said the network will definitely finish the 13 episodes that it originally ordered (it has four more to air) and may order more if the show “grows more.”
What ailment will Brenda (Shannen Doherty) suffer on “90210″? Sources close the series say Brenda has fertility issues and won’t be able to have kids, though the official CW comment is that fans will have to wait until the show returns Jan. 6 to find out.
“South Park” co-creator and exec producer Trey Parker says they’ve been discussing how to end the series. “We talked about maybe someday doing a movie to sort of end it all, and that seems like the best idea,” Parker said. “That’s been a big thought to do the last show as a movie.”
— Parker and co-creator Matt Stone are signed on to continue producing episodes until 2011, and whether that contract will be their last is anyone’s guess.
A new episode of “Bones” is on FOX at 7pm. While en route to China, Booth and Brennan are called upon to solve a murder in midair. A repeat of “House” follows.
A new episode of “Old Christine” is on CBS at 7pm. A new episode of “Gary Unmarried” follows.
“Pushing Daisies” is new on ABC at 7pm. Fred Willard guest stars as a famed magician whose animal assistants are being mysteriously killed off.
CBS has a new “Criminal Minds” at 8pm. Jason Alexander (”Seinfeld”), Ali Landry (”Eve”) and Nicholas Brendon (”Buffy the Vampire Slayer) guest star in this new episode.
Billy Dee Williams (”Brian’s Song”) and Alexis Denisof (”Angel”) guest star in the new episode of “Private Practice” on ABC at 8pm. A new episode of “Dirty Sexy Money” follows.
“CSI: NY” celebrates its 100th episode on CBS tonight at 9pm. Two murder victims within two weeks are both named ‘Mac Taylor.’ Now, Det. Mac Taylor, and 15 others with the same name, must determine the killer’s motive before they strike again. “American Idol’s” Chris Daughtry, Nelly, NFL Legend Marshall Faulk, Julia Ormond, Rumer Willis and Scott Wolf all guest star.
NBC has a new “Law & Order” at 9pm. The detectives discover much bigger secrets when investigating the death of a 17-year-old boy. New episodes of “Knight Rider” and “Life” air before.
“Top Chef” is on Bravo at 9pm. The chefs cook and serve lunch at Tom’s flagship restaurant, Craft.
Barack Obama’s appearance on Sunday’s “60 Minutes”, also featuring Michelle Obama, scored a commanding 24.5 million viewers. CBS said the audience was the shows biggest since January 1999. The show dominated every major demographic group, even kids 12-17.
Paula Abdul’s publicist says rumors of her leaving “American Idol” are false. “It’s absolutely untrue,” said her publicist.
Simon Cowell reportedly wants to buy “Dancing with the Stars”. “Dancing” judge Bruno Tonioli says Cowell is interested in buying the rights to “Strictly Come Dancing” from the BBC, a purchase that would apparently include the rights to the American version of the show. Tonioli, who became pals with Cowell because “Dancing” and “American Idol” are filmed on the same lot, says Cowell wants to make “Dancing” an even bigger global brand.
— A BBC spokesman said, “We’re very flattered by Simon Cowell’s interest but the show is not for sale.” And Simon Cowell’s spokesman said: “He was just having a bit of a laugh.”
It’s confirmed: Miley Cyrus will perform on “Dancing with the Stars’” season finale. Cyrus will sing “Fly on the Wall,” the second single from her album Breakout. The live, two-hour finale of the seventh season airs Tuesday, Nov. 25.
“Dancing” alum Cloris Leachman fell ill late last week and sought treatment from doctors but is now home. Leachman’s spokeswoman says the actress, on Thursday last week, “had a slight cough and wasn’t feeling totally herself, so she went and sought medical attention from her doctor. She is currently at her home, and is expected to tape something for ‘Dancing with the Stars’ later this week.”
Simon Cowell appeared alongside his ex-girlfriend for their first TV interview since splitting up earlier this month. During the interview with “Extra”, Simon said, “Terri decided to dump me… You sent me a text.” Seymour insisted that the pair were still “best of friends” and said, “We had a great six years.” Simon also revealed that they both still rely on each other for support and regularly speak to each other. Simon also firmly refuted claims he had given his ex a $9 million ‘parting gift’, adding: “That is actually not a true story. If anything I should be getting the money.”
Another actress is leaving “Grey’s Anatomy”. Janina Gavankar, who joined the cast in September as one of several new interns, has left the show after just two episodes. Per one insider, the role turned out to be smaller than Gavankar had hoped. And without a guarantee that her part would grow, the actress chose to move on.
Joan Rivers may have ruined the end of the latest edition of “Celebrity Apprentice” before the first episode even airs. Rivers and daughter Melissa are among the celebs appearing this season. Rivers said in a radio interview that Melissa makes it “right to the end,” before catching herself. “Ugh! I’m not supposed to say that,” Rivers said. “Celebrity Apprentice” is to debut in January. The live finale takes place next spring.
Rosie O’Donnell says Liza Minnelli will appear on NBC her variety show. “Liza Minnelli will be on the show,” O’Donnell says. “It’s showbiz royalty. I couldn’t do it without her.” Rosie and Liza will reportedly sing a duet. “Rosie Live” will air Nov. 26.
NBC’s “Medium” has received the go-ahead for six more episodes. The order will bring the series’ total to 19 for its upcoming fifth season. “Medium” will most likely debut in Jan.
— On Nov 7, production on “Medium” was temporarily shut down when an extra kept interrupting a tense courtroom scene involving star Patricia Arquette. Security stepped in and forcibly removed the troublemaker from the jury box, and it’s only then that folks discovered that the unruly actor was actually Sacha Baron Cohen in disguise as his latest Borat-like creation, flamboyant fashion reporter Bruno.
“Lipstick Jungle” stars Kim Raver and Brooke Shields have suggested that the word cancelled has been thrown around prematurely about the fate of the show. “We’re still working,” says Shields. “We still have more to do, so it’s erroneously presented that we’ve been cancelled.” Adds Raver, “I know the executives are really pushing it and believe in it.”
— Sources say “Lipstick Jungle” is still in production on the 13th and final episode of its original Season 2 order. Beyond that, “Lipstick” has yet to receive an order for additional episodes, and it’s unclear when or if any unaired episodes will see the light of day. The only new episode currently on the schedule is this Fridays.
When “Supernatural” returns in January, Brock Kelly will guest star as a teenaged Dean. On Jan. 29, the show will offer a peek at the brothers’ high-school days. Colin Ford will portray young Sam.
Brian Dennehy is set to star in TNT’s “Bunker Hill” as a mob boss-turned-flower shop owner. Dennehy joins Donnie Wahlberg and Bridget Moynahan in the series, which revolves around a police officer working to protect his Boston hometown from crime and corruption.
According to OK! Magazine, Paula Abdul wants to leave “American Idol”. A source for the mag says Abdul is looking to part ways with the show so that she can work on other TV projects. I find this very hard to believe. “Idol” brought Paula’s career back from the dead.
Julianna Margulies has declined to reprise her role as Carol Hathaway “ER’s” final season. “I feel like I left Carol Hathaway in the best scenario possible,” Margulies said. “I can’t imagine making it any better than that.”
— It’s still unclear if George Clooney will make a surprise return before the show wraps up for good in February. Producers and Anthony Edwards have been trying to coax him back for months.
According to an AOL TV poll, the year-long delayed new season of “24″ is the most anticipated show returning early next year. “24″ just beat the 8th installment of “American Idol” in January.
— “CSI” tops the must-see fall TV shows for Americans, but more than a third of viewers said they would no longer watch after the departure of star William Petersen. Another 41 percent said it depended how good Petersen’s replacement Laurence Fishburne proved to be.
— The heavily-hyped remakes “90210″ and “Knight Rider” got the biggest thumbs down as the most disappointing new shows on TV, while the five-year jump ahead on “Desperate Housewives” was a hit with only 12 percent of viewers.
Jeffrey Dean Morgan will be back on “Grey’s Anatomy” as Denny for at least five episodes.
The producers of “American Idol” and “So You Think You Can Dance?” are bringing “Superstar Dancers of the World” to NBC, a new show that will pit experts in various dance styles from eight countries against each other. Riverdance’s Michael Flatley will host.
— Dancers from the United States, India, Ireland, Australia, Argentina, Russia, China and South Africa have signed up to take part in the show, which will air early next year.
Check out this Alec Baldwin toilet paper to promote “30 Rock” in The Netherlands, where it airs on Comedy Central.
Last week, “Pushing Daisies” wrapped production on the 13th and final ordered episode of its second season. But series creator Bryan Fuller is holding out hope that ABC will keep the show. “Our ABC exec was on the set last night saying they are still swinging in the fight to keep Daisies on the air,” Fuller says. “Spirits are high and hopeful and everyone here is very proud of our work and this show.”
“Gary Unmarried” has been awarded a full-season pick-up by CBS.
Maya Rudolph will guest-star on an upcoming episode of “Kath & Kim”, alongside fellow SNL alum Molly Shannon.
USA has picked up “Monk” for an eighth and final season that will air next summer. 16 episodes have been ordered, and the finale will reportedly clue Monk in on who killed his dearly departed wife, Trudy.
President-elect Barack Obama has agreed to give his first post-election interview to Steve Kroft. The interview includes First Lady-elect Michelle Obama and will take place tomorrow in Chicago. It is scheduled to be broadcast on “60 Minutes” Sunday on CBS.
It was a crazy day for Paula Abdul on Wednesday, after an obsessed fan was found dead outside her Los Angeles home, but in true “American Idol” fashion the show must go on. Hollywood Week has kicked off and more 150 singing hopefuls descended upon the Kodak Theater Wednesday evening and met with the four judges (including Abdul plus host Ryan Seacrest).
— Paula has apparently been holding up well considering the devastating circumstances and close friends and family have been rallying around. “Paula is a very sensitive person and something like this really, deeply impacts her,” said a close pal.
Ellen DeGeneres has a big variety show coming Nov. 29 on TBS called “Ellen’s Even Bigger Really Big Show.” But what about the Oscars? Don’t expect her to host again. “It’s a really tough job, and I did it, and I thought I did well,” she says. “It’s just a lot of work, and it’s a lot of pressure, and there is so much going on in my life now that I probably wouldn’t do it again.”
— DeGeneres said she other projects in the works, including producing for TV and doing a movie. And what guest would she most like to have on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show”? Bono, George Clooney and Keith Olbermann.
Is Warren Sapp a big “Dancing with the Stars” diva? “I have to be honest about the diva thing. I am a little eccentric at times,” Sapp says. “I like cold water and in California they like it room temperature. And as a 300-pound man I needed a little cold water. So they gave me a big cooler and they put “Warren’s Water,” so I guess that’s where they get that from. If a big fella needing cold water is being a diva, then diva I am.”
“Desperate Housewives” creator Mark Cherry says he sees an end to the series in sight. He’s beginning to conjure up ideas for the sixth season and hopes the seventh season will be the last. “I know what the last scene of the show is,” teased Cherry. “I already have that in my head. I would like to end the series after seven seasons.” Cherry revealed that the final scene would feature just one of the housewives.
— ABC says there’s no truth to the rumor that Mark Cherry wants to have Sarah Palin on the show. Cherry is “very hot to trot to have her appear on the season-five finale,” according to one PR person not involved with the show. “Marc is highly enamored of Sarah and sees her as the ultimate guest star (playing) a similar version of herself.” Cherry’s rep had no comment.
Kathy Griffin and Jane Krakowski are set to appear on Rosie O’Donnell’s upcoming NBC variety special “Rosie Live”, on Nov. 26. They join previously announced Ne-Yo and Alanis Morissette.
Rumors are swirling that John Mayer will host a weekly variety show on CBS. Word is the network would like to get it on the air by early next year. It will be a music, variety and sketch show in the ’60s mold, or in the mold of the show that Rosie O’Donnell is doing for NBC.
John Stamos says it was George Clooney who convinced him to star in “ER”. Stamos says, “I haven’t told many people this. I was at lunch. I wasn’t at lunch with him, but we were sitting and he said, ‘You should go and do ER.’ He was the one who told me to go on ER.” Stamos says that his experiences on the long-running NBC show have proved invaluable. “I think I’ve learned more on this show than I have in my 25 years of being in the business,” he explained.
Tippi Hedren and Robert Guillaume (”Benson”) will guest star on the Dec. 4 episode of “CSI”.
Sean Combs (Diddy) will guest-star as a federal prosecutor on two episodes of “CSI: Miami” this season. The episode will air sometime early next year.
Pamela Anderson will make a cameo appearance as herself on an upcoming episode of NBC’s “Kath & Kim”.
Joshua Molina (”The West Wing”) will be reunited with Mary McCormack as a recurring character on the upcoming second season of USA’s “In Plain Sight”.
The end could be near for FOX’s “Prison Break”. The actors have been notified that the filming schedule might be extended to accommodate production of two additional episodes that may serve as a conclusion to the four-year series.
The November 26th episode of Bravo’s “Top Chef” will be titled “Foo Fighters’ Thanksgiving” and the contestants will be cooking for the band. Singer Dave Grohl is an amateur chef.
“The Bachelorette” DeAnna Pappas will be co-hosting Lifetime’s “Get Married”, a show that covers everything about weddings. The second season premieres Jan. 5.
Billy Ray Cyrus is backtracking on saying an invitation was extended to the Obama girls to be on “Hannah Montana”. “Oh, to tell you the truth now, this thing got a lot bigger, a lot quicker than I ever planned,” he said. “I just mentioned about them being on the show, and it snowballed.”
— Now Cyrus isn’t sure it’s a good idea for the girls to be on TV, anyway. “As a daddy, I’ll say to him what I say to any daddy, you may not want your daughter to get into show business,” he warned. “But if the girls want to be on the show, and him and his wife think it’s a good idea, I always say, everything in life, what’s meant to be will happen.”
This is super scary! A woman who authorities said once tried out for “American Idol” and drew life-sized portraits of Paula Abdul was found dead outside Abdul’s home in a case police are investigating as a possible suicide. Abdul, who was not home when the woman was found, released a statement saying she was “deeply shocked and saddened.”
— Goodspeed’s car was reportedly seen near Abdul’s home many times over the past few weeks. A picture of Abdul also hung from the rearview mirror. On Goodspeed’s Myspace page, she referred to Abdul as her “secret crush.” Prior to her death, Goodspeed sent Abdul several threatening letters and left her packages. Goodspeed also repeatedly tried to contact Abdul, albeit unsuccessfully.
— Sources say Goodspeed had been obsessed with Abdul for the past 17 years. Her fixation led her to twice auditioning to appear on “Idol”. Goodspeed’s death Tuesday night was not her first house call to Abdul’s home. Two or three months ago, Goodspeed tried to commit suicide by overdosing on pills outside the residence.
Jennifer Aniston will be on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” today. Oprah asked Jennifer about the Vogue interview she just did, where she called Angelina Jolie “uncool” for talking publicly about how she and Brad Pitt fell in love while Brad and Jennifer were still married. Jennifer told Oprah, “They asked me a question and I basically just answered it as honestly as I could.”
Could Miley Cyrus be coming to “Dancing with the Stars”? Maybe, but not as a competitor. “I think she’s performing on the final show,” Miley’s “Hannah Montana” co-star and current contestant Cody Linley says. “I’m not sure.”
Will Smith, Tina Fey, Tom Cruise, Miley Cyrus, Frank Langella, radio’s Rush Limbaugh and Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps made the cut for this year’s “Barbara Walters Presents: The 10 Most Fascinating People” special to be broadcast Dec. 4 . No. 1 will be revealed during the show.
Lots of talent will be present for NBC’s annual “Christmas in Rockefeller Center”. Hosted by Al Roker, the 76th formal tree lighting ceremony will feature Beyonce, Tony Bennett, the Jonas Brothers, Harry Connick Jr., David Cook and Rosie O’Donnell.
— Other scheduled performers include Faith Hill, Rascal Flatts, “America’s Got Talent” winner Neal E. Boyd and singer-songwriter Solange Knowles, as well as the Broadway Kids, students in a performing arts program founded by O’Donnell. The live, hour-long special airs Dec. 3.
Sources confirm that NBC has canceled “Lipstick Jungle” and “My Own Worst Enemy”. NBC isn’t commenting, but insiders say the network informed producers that they would not be ordering additional episodes. It remains unclear whether both shows will be pulled from the schedule immediately.
“The Office” actor-writer B.J. Novak is taking a leave of absence from the show to appear in Quentin Tarantino’s latest film, Inglourious Basterds. NBC declined to comment, but an insider says Novak asked producers for the time off and they obliged.
— According to one insider, Novak will be MIA for “several episodes” but will return later this season. Another source, however, says Novak may be done with the show for good, at least as a performer.
Why won’t Jason Priestly appear on “90210″? “There really wasn’t anything interesting for me to do as Brandon on that show.” He added, “As a director who directed the most episodes of the original show, I felt that I just had more to offer as a director over there and apparently, so did they.”
Matthew Lillard (”Scream”) will guest-star on “Gary Unmarried” as Allison’s brother. Lillard will appear in the 13th episode as Gary’s former brother-in-law, who has a knack for rubbing his well-to-do status in people’s faces.
When FX’s “Damages” returns Jan. 7, there will be some new faces in the cast. The show picks up in the second season with Patty Hewes (Glenn Close), who after her unprecedented victory over billionaire Arthur Frobisher (Ted Danson) is pondering her next move.
— William Hurt joins the cast as Daniel Purcell, a man from Patty’s mysterious past who will launch her into a new legal challenge. Ellen (Rose Byrne) is acting as an informant for the FBI to bring Patty down. Academy Award winner Marcia Gay Harden and Timothy Olyphant also join the cast this season.
“Nip/Tuck” will return to FX Jan. 6 for an eight-episode run, the completion of the strike-interrupted fifth season. A final, 19-episode sixth season will wrap up the series in early 2011.
FOX has confirmed that “MadTV” will end its run after this current 14th season.
GHOST WHISPERER SPOILER: Jim’s not going into the light without a fight. This Friday, his ghost refuses to cross over to the other side, causing Melinda untold problems. By episode’s end, he pulls a morally questionable move on a dead guy in an effort to join the living again.
Maurice Greene was the next celeb to get the boot last night on “Dancing with the Stars”. Brooke Burke, Warren Sapp, Lance Bass and Cody Linley will dance in next week’s semi-finals. Pro Julianne Hough will return, after dancing well last night.
In an interview in the December issue of Vogue, Jennifer Aniston says Angelina Jolie has a lot to learn about being discreet. “There was stuff printed there that was definitely from a time when I was unaware that it was happening,” Aniston says of comments Jolie had made to the magazine last year. “I felt those details were a little inappropriate to discuss. … That stuff about how she couldn’t wait to get to work every day? That was really uncool.”
Jason Priestley says not to expect him to follow in “90210″ co-star Jennie Garth’s footsteps onto “Dancing with the Stars”. “No,” he said firmly. “People wouldn’t want me to do Dancing with the Stars, let me put it that way. Anyone who’s ever seen me dance is very thankful I would never do Dancing with the Stars, trust me.”
“ER” star Anthony Edwards was asked on the “Today Show” whether George Clooney and Julianna Margulies will turn up on the show’s final season. “I’m sure they will,” Edwards said.
— Meanwhile, former “ER” star Sherry Stringfield (who will NOT be appearing on the final season of “ER”) will guest star on the Nov. 19 episode of “Law & Order”.
ABC has some intriguing scheduling experiments planned for early next year. Sources say “Private Practice” will get a chance to shine Thursdays behind “Grey’s Anatomy”. And “Life on Mars” will get a trial behind “Lost” on Wednesdays. No word when this will be confirmed or whether the scheduling will be a temporary trial or their new regular time periods.
Kevin McKidd has been made a series regular on “Grey’s Anatomy”.
“Desperate Housewives’” Jesse Metcalfe is recuperating in a London hospital after surviving a 40-foot fall while partying in Monaco. Metcalfe was at an after party for the World Music Awards Sunday night when he lost his balance and tumbled from a hotel balcony down several flights of stairs and was knocked unconscious.
— An MRI came up negative for any brain problems, allowing him to fly to England, where he remains hospitalized for tests and observation. “He is a very, very lucky man. The accident could have been fatal,” a rep for Metcalfe says. “…He is bearing up OK. He has not broken anything but can barely walk as he hasn’t got much movement in his legs.”
Former “Friends” star Lisa Kudrow is in Poland to work on her new documentary show for NBC, “Who Do You Think You Are?” The show, which traces and illustrates the ancestry of celebrities, is based on a popular British show. Kudrow is the executive producer of the US version of the show and it’s not clear if she will appear on camera.
Bernadette Peters will guest star on “Ugly Betty” in at least one episode (possibly more) as a magazine mogul. The episode is tentatively set to air in January.
“The Hills’” Heidi Spencer and Spencer Pratt will appear in a January episode of “How I Met Your Mother”. The pair will play versions of themselves. Word is that Kim Kardashian will also appear in the episode.
Queen Latifah will host the 35th Annual People’s Choice Awards, airing on CBS on Jan. 7.
President-elect Barack Obama’s two young daughters have now been formally asked to appear on “Hannah Montana”. Billy Ray Cyrus said Monday that Malia and Sasha “probably will” appear on an episode in April. “The invitation is there,” he said. But the Obama camp said, “Folks within Obama-land know of no such request”.
— So yesterday, the Disney Channel issued a statement yesterday, saying, “We’re pleased that Malia and Sasha are fans and, as long as their parents say it’s OK, they are invited to the set of ‘Hannah Montana’ and all Disney Channel shows, for a guest role or a visit, anytime.”
ABC Family’s “The Secret Life of the American Teenager” will return on a new day, Monday, Jan. 5, while the third season of “Kyle XY” will premiere Jan. 12.
“Leave it to Beaver” star Tony Dow will have one of his abstract sculptures on display at the Louvre. Dow’s work was one of several chosen to be a part of the Societe Nationale des Beaux-Arts exhibition.
— Dow has been painting and sculpting since he was a teenager and has worked as a director and visual effects producer on several TV shows. His sculpture, titled “Unnamed Warrior,” is a bronze figure of a woman holding a shield.
Another week, another “Dancing with the Stars” injury: pro dancer Kym Johnson suffered an injury to her shoulder over the weekend that may eventually require surgery. Luckily, the injury doesn’t seem as serious as Misty May-Treanor’s season-ending Achilles rupture or Julianne Hough’s operation-requiring endometriosis. Kym was able to perform last night.
— Meanwhile, still-recovering Julianne Hough was supposed to perform her new single, My Hallelujah Song, Tuesday but she has been moved to the Nov. 18 elimination show. Brad Paisley is expected to sing tonight.
Sarah Palin hasn’t ruled out hosting a talk show. When asked if she would consider it, Palin said, “I don’t have any idea of what the next chapter of life is going to open up into, and I look forward to just the surprises that life offers.”
Former “Grey’s Anatomy” star Isaiah Washington, who was axed from the show in 2007 after spewing a homophobic slur at T.R. Knight, is slamming the show for firing Brooke Smith, and he blames ABC, not show creator Shonda Rimes. “I looked at a brilliant actress, whom I have adored since I first saw her in Silence of the Lambs,” he says. “For her to be treated this way, I find very interesting.”
— He says Rhimes is getting the raw deal. “Now that I see what they’re doing to a show that I love and I care about, I think it’s disgusting,” Washington continues. “The fact that Shonda has been put in this position is extremely unfair. It’s unfortunate because it was probably, at the time, the most progressive show on television,” he says. “Now I see it [being] systematically torn apart.”
NBC’s “Medium” will return in January, with a special guest star. Michael J. Fox’s wife, Tracy Pollan, has been tapped to appear in a three-episode arc during the show’s upcoming fifth season.
A fire erupted last Friday afternoon at a studio where staffers were preparing to film a scene for FOX’s “Bones”. A propane tank exploded as a result of an electrical fire. Luckily, no injuries were reported; only a handful of crew members were at the studio.
Michael Trucco (”Battlestar Galactica”) has been cast in the Dec. 9th episode of “Law & Order: SVU”. Ryan Dunn (”Jackass”) and Kelly Hu (”X-Men 2″) will appear in the same episode.
Rena Sofer will guest star in the Nov. 26 episode of “Dirty Sexy Money”. Also appearing in the episode are Donna Mills (as a society dame) and Samaire Armstrong.
Charles Westmoreland will make an appearance in the Dec. 15 episode of “Prison Break”, again portrayed by Muse Watson. Westmoreland turns up as Michael continues his quest to unravel the Scylla mystery.
— For the annual midseason finale (airing Dec. 22), Kathleen Quinlan (”Apollo 13″) joins the show in the recurring in the role of a high-ranking player within the Company. After presenting its midseason finale, “Break” will return in 2009 to finish up its fourth cycle.
“The Office” creator Ricky Gervais says HBO has approached him about doing his own talk show, but he was too busy to accept. “I quite like the idea, when I’m not so busy,” he says. However, Gervais says he’d like to do a talk show that’s “more like a comedy version of Inside the Actors Studio than Conan O’Brien.”
— As for hosting the Emmys, Gervais says, “I think I’d quite like to host the Emmys—if I could do it with Steve Carell. Or maybe a bunch of us like Carell and Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert.”
Billy Ray Cyrus says “Hannah Montana” might get a visit from new First Daughters, Malia and Sasha Obama. “They probably will. The invitation is there,” Billy Ray says. “The Hannah Montana film comes out in April. Maybe something might happen around then. Maybe not. I don’t know… I have got to keep a secret.”
— If an invitation has been extended, Miley doesn’t know about it, but says. “I think that would be really cool and if anything, have them visit the set.” She and the girls could chat about life with a famous dad, says Miley: “They are kind of like me before I started my own career.”
NBC’s “Knight Rider” is undergoing a major overhaul. The show will dump three regulars (Sydney Tamiia Poitier, Yancey Arias and Bruce Davison) after the initial 13 episodes and will revamp the show to draw more parallels to its ’80s original. Exec producer Gary Scott Thompson says, “We’re moving away from the terrorist-of-the-week formula and closer to the original, making it a show about a man and his car going out and helping more regular people, everymen.”
— The “new” “Rider” will kick off as a two-parter in January behind an NFL Sunday night football game in an effort to boost its ratings. The second part will air the following Wednesday. There are no plans to add new regulars. Instead, the show will focus on the remaining characters — Mike (Justin Bruening), Sarah (Deanna Russo), Billy (Paul Campbell), Zoe (Smith Cho) and KITT — and will look into stunt guest casting.
Despite rumors over the weekend, Oprah has not decided to end “The Oprah Winfrey Show” in 2011. Her production company says, “While…Oprah’s current contract to produce The Oprah Winfrey Show will expire in 2011, she has not made a final decision as to whether she will continue her show in syndication beyond that”.
— Oprah will be launching her own cable channel sometime next year. OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network will replace the Discovery Health Channel, which is available in over 70 million homes. A CEO from Discovery made the annoucement that Oprah would leave network syndication to focus on her OWN channel.
— Meanwhile, a rep for Oprah’s talk show says they “have extended an invitation” Sarah Palin to appear on the show.
Oprah Winfrey and Brad Pitt never met up on election night in Chicago, but he did stop by to tape an interview to air Nov. 18. While reports say the interview was friendly, it also seemed “awkward” at times and sources say Brad was “fidgety” during commercial breaks.
Terri Seymour says there will always be a special place in her heart for Simon Cowell. “You know, I’ll always love Simon,” Seymour says. “When you’ve been with someone that long, you can’t help it. I’ll always have a special place in my heart for him, but it was time to move on.”
— The couple spent six years together and revealed the split Nov 1. Since then Cowell has sworn he has kicked the female habit. “Don’t worry about me,” he said four days later. “I don’t need a lonely hearts ad. I’m off women now.”
ABC has finally set a premiere date for of “Lost”! The fifth season will debut Wednesday, Jan. 21. “Lost’s” regular time slot will be Wed. at 8pm, though the new season will kick off with a three-hour event; a clip show followed by the first two episodes.
— Reiko Aylesworth (”24″) is in negotiations for a major recurring role on ABC’s “Lost”.
Sen. John McCain has decided to grant his first post-election sit-down to Jay Leno. McCain will appear on “The Tonight Show” Tuesday in honor of Veterans Day.
Tim McGraw is set to host “Saturday Night Live” on Nov. 22.
The 10th Annual A Home for the Holidays With Faith Hill special will air Dec. 23 on CBS. The show seeks to raise awareness of foster care adoption.
Original “Terminator” star Michael Biehn will guest star on “Criminal Minds” in February. Cybill Shepherd will guest star in the same episode. Biehn will play a local detective who helps the BAU out with their case, while Shepherd has been cast as the estranged mother of a serial killer.
Ricky Gervais, creator of the original, British version of “The Office”, says he’d like to appear in NBC’s Americanized version.
Amy Price-Francis (”The Cleaner”) has landed a recurring role on “24″ as a ruthless attorney working for Jonas Hodges (Jon Voight).
NBC’s “Life” has been picked up for a full season.
Tori Spelling will return to the CW’s “Smallville” as the Daily Planet’s gossip columnist Linda Lake in early ‘09. The character, first introduced in a Jan. ‘07 episode, is unique in one very significant way: she knows Clark’s secret.
— Meanwhile, Spelling is once again engaged in “preliminary talks” to reprise her role as Donna Martin on “90210″. If the deal goes through, and that’s still a big if, Spelling would likely show up in the spring.
Dylan McDermott (”The Practice”) has landed the lead in TNT’s new drama “The Line”. The series focuses on a squad of undercover LAPD officers who do their job while battling the allure of easy, dirty money.
“Dog Whisperer” star Cesar Millan has a few suggestions for the First Dog. “You could look for a rottweiler that is a medium level energy dog or a poodle that is a medium level energy dog,” he said, stressing not to judge based on looks or breed, but to choose a dog whose energy level matches the household.
— More importantly, however, Millan cautions President-elect Barack Obama that his dog won’t be impressed. “The dog won’t know he’s Barack Obama and won the presidency,” Millan says. “Dogs don’t know if they live in Beverly Hills or the White House. They don’t know what you do for a living.” But Millan believes that Obama’s skills as a politician will make him a great pet owner. “Animal leadership and human leadership go together,” he says.
Despite adamant denials that he would NOT be reprising his role as “ER’s” Dr. Doug Ross, George Clooney’s former co-star is telling a different tale. “From what I heard, George said, ‘absolutely,’ schedule permitting,” Noah Wyle tells TV Guide. Clooney’s publicist says Clooney is aware of Wyle’s remarks but does not have any new comment. NBC echoed the sentiments. “This story is not confirmed,” a rep told E! News.
— There’s no word on what Clooney’s storyline would be or whether he would be joined by Julianna Margulies, another alum who has remained mum on a return.”I would love to see a little view into their life in Seattle,” Wyle says. A more definite guest star is Eriq La Salle, who, Wyle says, will absolutely be reprising his role as Dr. Peter Benton, in a subplot coinciding with Wyle’s. La Salle will be directing an episode in Feb.
“American Idol” will premiere its 8th season with a 2 night, 4-hour event on Jan. 13 and 14. Kara DioGuardi joins judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson for auditions in San Francisco; Louisville, Ky.; Phoenix; Salt Lake City; Kansas City; Jacksonville; East Rutherford, N.J.; and San Juan, Puerto Rico.
— After one week of supersized episodes, “Idol” will take its normal hour-slots at 7pm, followed by “Fringe” on Tuesdays and new show “Lie to Me” on Wednesdays (series premiere on Jan. 21). “House” will move to Mondays, leading into “24″. Joss Whedon’s “Dollhouse” will be shifted to Friday nights where, starting Friday, Feb. 13, it will be paired with “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles”.
— “Bones” will move to 7pm Thursdays, where it will be joined by a new season of “Hell’s Kitchen” starting on Jan. 29. “Hole in the Wall” will move to Sunday nights. FOX promises that “Prison Break” and “‘Til Death” will return to the schedule at a later date.
“Dancing with the Stars: The Tour” will kick off in San Diego on Dec. 17. Tickets go on sale Monday. Lance Bass, Toni Braxton and Maurice Greene from Season 7, as well as Marlee Matlin from Season 6 will be dancing.
— Joining the celebs will be pros Maxim Chmerkovskiy, Mark Ballas, Derek Hough, Kym Johnson, Lacey Schwimmer, Edyta Sliwinska, Karina Smirnoff and Fabian Sanchez.
“Grey’s Anatomy” and its spin-off, “Private Practice”, will be embarking on a multi-episode crossover story come February sweeps. Though at this early stage the number of episodes and the actors involved has yet to be nailed down, it can at least be confirmed that Kate Walsh’s Dr. Addison Montgomery will again show up at Seattle Grace, as she did for one episode last spring.
A “Sex and the City” sequel in the works. A rep for Warner Brothers says, “They’re in negotiations.”
Emilio Estevez will guest star on an upcoming episode of brother Charlie Sheen’s “Two and a Half Men”. Estevez will not play a relation to Sheen but instead will appear as a former drinking and partying buddy. The episodes airdate is TBA.
Sara Rue (”Less than Perfect”) has been tapped for a multi-episode run on CBS’ “The Big Bang Theory”. Her first episode is set for Nov. 17.
Jamey Sheridan (”Law & Order: Criminal Intent”) will guest star on “Eli Stone”.
The second season of FX’s “Damages” will premiere Wednesday, January 7th.
The third season of Discovery Channel’s “Survivorman” (premiering tonight) will be the last. Star Les Stroud says he is filming his final adventure in the wild in Papua New Guinea this month. “It takes a lot out of me as I really do what I do for real, with no camera crew, no nights in hotels like others do, and it takes a toll on my body,” he says. “I’m pleased with what I have done, I’ve been copied around the world, but 25 times I’ve not eaten anything for a week while sleeping on rocks. I need to move on.”
Joan Allen and Jeremy Irons are set to costar in a Lifetime biopic on the late Georgia O’Keefe, which will chronicle her turbulent 20-year affair with photographer Alfred Steiglitz.
CMT’s “Gone Country” is coming back for a third season in January. Celebs competing include musicians George Clinton and Sheila E., former Miss USA Tara Conner, singer Taylor Dayne, Monkees lead vocalist/drummer Micky Dolenz, actor Richard Grieco and “American Idol” first-season runner-up Justin Guarini. John Rich will return as host.
