Currently available on demand -- as if risen from the grave around which its own plot revolves -- find a Sundance hit that took almost 14 years to make its appearance to a paying public. And a studio whatsit that may take even longer than that to untangle.
Reality TV rules the night on this fine Thursday, bringing us a towering conclusion to season seven of So You Think You Can Dance, a stressful task on Project Runway, and another slice of Ronnie's dark side on Jersey Shore.
Now that Jennifer Lopez's reported gig as the newest American Idol judge may be in jeopardy, TMZ reports that onetime Idol mentor Shania Twain is the producers' choice for her backup. Is the former Eilleen Edwards, whose chances for winning a job on Idol were recently declared slim, really an ideal panelist?
Do you remember how just yesterday, People reported that American Idol had dumped Jennifer Lopez from its judging panel after her "demands got out of hand"? Well, Nick Cannon -- the Ryan Seacrest of the Simon Cowell-produced America's Got Talent -- would like to nominate someone very close to him for the Idol arbitration table that reportedly now includes just Randy Jackson and Steven Tyler.
Last night, CBS served up a special treat for loyal Big Brother fans: a return visit from last season's favorite couple, Jordan and Jeff. The pair hosted the Power of Veto challenge, poked fun at each other in good humor, and acted as a foil to this season's repulsive couple, Brendon and Rachel (nicknamed the "gruesome twosome" by their castmates). Let's go to the repulsion index!
"Thrusty!" It's a word I say starting today. Anyway: Final performance show! Three dancers... nay, three qualified dancers remain. Will the title of "America's Favorite Survivor of Underwhelming Bollywood Routines" go to Kent, Lauren, or Robert? Let's analyze the big three and see if we can predict tonight's cha-cha champion.
Why let your freak flag fly when you can buy an official Glee T-shirt or hoodie (priced from $19.99-$34.99) at Macy's with your friends? The partnership between the retail giant and Fox launches this weekend in over 600 stores with Glee-themed window displays. Even though the cast of the Emmy-nominated hit was banned from the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade last year, cast members Kevin McHale, Heather Morris and Jenna Ushkowitz will be on hand Aug. 21 at the Beverly Center location to sign your new apparel. Matthew Morrison's relatively low-paying contract probably does not stipulate shopping-mall appearances. [NYT]
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World Week continued last night with stars Jason Schwartzman and Michael Cera out in force. The former outlined his plan to embarrass the child he and his wife are expecting while the latter played charades with Jimmy Fallon. Elsewhere, Laura Linney dignified Jon Stewart's career and Pee-Wee Herman accosted scary bikers for Jay Leno.
Also in this morning's TV Bites: Friday Night Lights gets a return date... an Oscar winner hits SVU... Pushing Daisies creator Bryan Fuller finds new work... and more ahead.
True Blood has been teasing Sunday's gay vampire love scene for weeks, but Philadelphia Eagles offensive lineman Todd Herremans was not a fan of the buildup. "Caught up on Trueblood," he tweeted yesterday, adding, "Not a fan of how they get u hooked w/ 2 seasons then bring on barrage of homosexuality." Needless to say, before Lafayette could roll his eyes and snap, "Hooker, please," Herremans quickly apologized: "After speaking with Eagles management, I realize that my tweet earlier was insensitive and tasteless, and for this, I deeply apologize." [Deadspin]
We're nearing the end of So You Think You Can Dance's magical (and slightly tragic, with all the injuries) seventh season. Prepare to say goodbye to Cat Deeley, Nigel Lythgoe, and Mia Michaels's "disapproval voice."
You think that your paycheck is unfair? Imagine being an Emmy-winning actress who's being out-earned by a 16-year-old. Or even worse, put yourself in the shoes of an accomplished Broadway and television star who pulls in just as much as a spray-tanned Jersey Shore personality who's best known for eating pickles drunk. TV Guide has put out a new list of TV's highest (and lowest) paid stars, and with that in mind, here are some of the worst paycheck injustices littering the airwaves.
How far will Modern Family's producers go for an Emmy? They've already run an ad promising that Sofia Vergara will run naked down Sunset if the show wins the Emmy for Outstanding Comedy (still a less salacious ad than the one for Yogi Bear), and now they've upped the ante.
"I think people are sick of me, I really do," Glee executive producer Ryan Murphy told Vulture last week. "I think people are like, 'Shut the f**k up!' Even I feel sick of me...I talked to Fox and we talked to the kids and we said, 'Let's just go underground for three months. Let's stop talking about [the show].' It's been a concerted effort of mine to give it a breather." Amen. But have you heard about the Glee plans for Britney Spears, Justin Bieber, Prince, The Beatles and Michael Jackson? Because a still-chatty Murphy is happy to tell you.
Though it had been widely assumed that American Idol's revamped judging panel would feature Randy Jackson and new judges Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler, People is reporting that Lopez's "demands got out of hand," and now she's out of the mix. Might this actually be a good thing? After all, while Lopez and Tyler represented a casting coup for the on-the-ropes series, there's ample reason to believe that those big names may have actually worked against them -- though if producers are dead-set on picking an A-lister, I have just the icon in mind.
FILM NEWS 
