Us has a picture of the The Bachelor producer contestant Rozlyn Papa engaged in an "inappropriate relationship" with, and let's just say -- we get it, Roz. We totally get it. It would take a stronger woman than us to resist pulling the ribbon on that shiny, blue package. [Us]
HBO's three-hour slot at the TCAs in Pasadena will shed light on a smattering of new projects, and Movieline will dutifully report what soundbites it can gather amid the hordes of inquiring reporters. HBO first showcased its original biopic Temple Grandin, which chronicles the life of the titular bestselling author and consultant to the livestock industry who also has high-functioning autism. The pantheon of cinema that explores autism is filled with lauded projects (Rain Man, the recent Asperger's Syndrome romance, Adam). Following the press conference that featured the actual Temple Grandin, star Claire Danes, whose performance in the film as Grandin is sharply rendered, explained to Movieline that the project adds new dimensions to a familiar cinematic streak.
It's been a tragic week for the planet, what with the earthquake in Haiti, ConanGate, and the first American Idol episodes without Paula. Sometimes you just need comfort, and after putting its late night line-up through the wringer this week, the network has done one thing right by scheduling two new episodes of 30 Rock. So snuggle up to your pillow emblazoned with the comic character of your choosing, fix yourself a plate of that homemade beef jerky, and enjoy 30 Rock tonight.
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With the ink not yet dry on Jay Leno's most recent Tonight Show contract, NBC is already announcing their new 10 P.M. schedule, which looks pretty much like their old 10 P.M. schedule with a few minor adjustments.
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Over a decade before Glenn Close's character stewed a pet rabbit in Fatal Attraction, Jessica Walter won a Golden Globe nomination for her role as a psychotic stalker fan in Play Misty For Me, the first feature film directed by Clint Eastwood. Thirty years later, Walter won the hearts of an entirely different demographic with her Emmy-nominated role on Arrested Development as the Bluth family's sinfully overbearing matriarch. While Arrested fans may not see the feature film for a couple years still (Mitch Hurwitz is rumored to still be writing the script), they can at least catch Walter in FX's new animated spy series Archer, which premieres tonight.
Movieline caught up with the lovely actress earlier this week to chat about how her Archer role was designed with her in mind, what she thought about her stint voicing Fran Sinclair on Dinosaurs, and her excitement for that Arrested Development script.
The writing has been on the wall for Conan O'Brien this week, but that won't make this news any sweeter for him to hear: TMZ is reporting that NBC and Jay Leno just signed a deal to give Leno back The Tonight Show. For a full hour.
Does anyone actually like the audition weeks? They're delivered with such ham-handed lunacy that you'd think Idol was hurting for ratings, banking its survival on jerry-built viral sensations. Just in: That's not the case, even if last night's numbers slipped a little. But as proven by last night's Atlanta auditions, which were mercifully trimmed to 90 minutes and featured our first so-so rendition of "The Climb," sometimes engaging talent emerges and we feel inspired to pick up our banjo and valiantly patrol the dirt roads behind our favorite Cracker Barrel. Our three favorite moments after the break.
Buzzy shows like Party Down and Spartacus are helping Starz come into its own as a pay-cable destination, but the network's TV adaptation of Crash may be about to get the ax. The second-season show never really caught fire, and with star Dennis Hopper ailing, THR reports that Starz might simply call it a day. Somewhere, Ennis del Mar is excitedly passing this news on to Jack Twist's shirt. [THR]
The NBC fallout continued last night in a bizarre sequence of events. Jay Leno fired a few shots at Conan O'Brien, the very person he should be supporting if he wants to maintain any of the golden demo that Conan has brought The Tonight Show in the past seven months. Meanwhile, Coco sat back and let Ricky Gervais drive three acts of the Tonight Show into the ground with a flurry of curse words and insults directed at him and the network. And then, Jimmy Fallon hopped on air to offer up his sincerest thanks to both of his feuding lead-ins without actually mentioning the feud. After the jump, Movieline has compiled the top five moments from last night's after hours programming, including one host's thoughts on that Avatar sex scene.
At yesterday's TCAs, Sam Neill was one of the more established actors shuffling between the Langley Hotel ballroom, lobby, and green room. The 62-year-old actor's resume is padded with gems like Jurassic Park and The Piano, but he's the latest to take trek to television the upcoming series Happy Town, ABC's midseason replacement about the strange goings-on in a small town. Sound a little like, oh, Twin Peaks? Neill argued at the conference that the show was more a mix of "Thornton Wilder and Hitchcock." Movieline caught up with the actor to discuss his jump to the small screen.
· Ben Stiller welcomes two new actors to his merry band of CIA operatives: Carla Gallo (Undeclared, Californication) and Jose Zuniga (Twilight, CSI). The pair will co-star in The Station, Stiller's comedy pilot for Fox, which already stars Justin Bartha as a covert CIA op who travels with his workmates to Central America on a mission to install a new dictator. Gallo will play a loopy director of operatives who has feelings for Bartha's character. Zuniga will take the role of a trained field officer who is desperate to work inside the station. John Goodman and Rob Huebel round out the cast. [THR]
The porn industry welcomes Conan O'Brien, The Bachelor suffers more disappointment, and more TV Bites after the jump.
I'm calling it now. At some point in the near future, Ricky Gervais will be in discussions with a major U.S. network for a talk show. Stay with me...Gervais has proven that he is a charming conversationalist, completely comfortable poking fun at celebrities and himself. His show would be a boon for any network since it could easily be exported to the U.K. And to top it all off, this weekend's Golden Globe host boasts a hardscrabble upbringing and razor sharp sense of humor that skews to that coveted 18 to 49 demographic. If the rumors are true, and Jay Leno is finally fleeing NBC, or the Peacock wants to save face by naming a fresh face Tonight Show host, then Gervais would be their safest bet.
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The bloodiest of battles result in casualties and this week's NBC disaster was no different. We've already honored Conan O'Brien for his awe-inspiring stand against NBC but what about the real Unsung Hero in this mess: Carson Daly. The Last Call host separated himself from the late night pack this week, not by delivering a clever monologue or diplomatic public statements about the turmoil, but by remaining respectfully quiet about the Leno-Conan standoff. Sure, Daly had few chances to say much since his show aired repeats this week, but he could have at least tweeted a hurt response to the late night peers who've been railing him mercilessly. After the jump, Movieline honors Carson Daly for his silent courage under NBC fire and investigates his mode of meditation.
[Note: Jimmy Fallon was also briefly considered for Movieline's Unsung Hero status until he disqualified himself by singing karaoke to "Living On a Prayer" on his show last Friday.]
American Idol's ninth-season premiere, as expected, saw Boston turn out its most attention-needy and/or belly-shirted amateurs. Zig-a-zig-ow, says guest-judge Victoria Beckham. Altogether, two contestants seemed like Top 36 candidates (that's the Jordin Sparks-resembling Ashley Rodriguez, and "At Last" crooner Katie Stephens), and at least 70,000 others seemed like hyperkinetic wastes of time. Luckily, the two-hour festivity had three big perks, and if Movieline can do one thing well, it is ranking things we like.
So much for that plan to boycott American Idol now that Paula Abdul is gone. The show's ninth season premiered to 30 million viewers last night and an 11.8 preliminary rating among the 18-49 age group, meaning that Idol's audience actually increased by 1 percent from last year. Fox chief Mike Darnell celebrated by popping some bubbly into a giant, plastic Coca-Cola mug and commending guest judge Victoria Beckham for performing the "yeoman's job" beautifully. Traitors! [THR]
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