CBS has nuked "Jericho." Producers were told Thursday the show is ending its run on the broadcast network, sources said. CBS will air the season finale next week with a resolution that helps give closure to fans. After the first season concluded with an abrupt cut to black, fans famously inundated CBS with tens of thousands of pounds of peanuts to urge the network to continue the show. For the seven-episode second season, producers shot two endings -- one that leaves viewers in suspense for a third round, another that is more conclusive. The ending chosen by CBS will wrap up the final season's storyline, where the nuclear war survivors of a Kansas town struggled under a violent occupation by a government contractor.

"The March 25th episode of Jericho will be the series finale," CBS said in a statement. "Without question, there are passionate viewers watching this program; we simply wish there were more. We thank an engaged and spirited fan base for keeping the show alive this long, and an outstanding team of producers, cast and crew that went through creative hoops to deliver a compelling, high quality second season. We have no regrets bringing the show back for a second try. We listened to our viewers, gave the series an opportunity to grow, and the producers put a great story on the screen. We're proud of everyone's efforts."

Tuesday's finale doesn't entirely slam the door on the series, but is notably different from the cliffhanger version, sources said. The ending also doesn't entirely preclude the possibility of "Jericho" finding a second life on cable. The high cost of the production, however, will likely prevent a continuation of the show.

Despite the erosion of broadcast ratings in recent years, the massive protest that saved "Jericho" last year has been called the largest fan effort ever to try and halt a network cancellation of a series. The outcry put CBS in a tough position, whether to renew a show that has below-the-line ratings, yet unprecedented fan support. "Jericho" also performed well online on CBS.com and in iTunes downloads.

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Michelle Trachtenberg to be a Gossip Girl

Michelle Trachtenberg, who played Buffy Somers' little sister on Buffy the Vampire Slayer is going to be a Gossip Girl.

And even though probably every other starlet in Hollywood under the age of 30 had to be salivating over the prospect of playing Georgina Sparks, a troublemaker from Serena's past who makes Blair look about as dangerous as Donna Martin, I think the CW's casting department nailed it. (C'mon, Buffy's sis was always one prickly pear!) For that matter, Trachtenberg lucked out, too: Could there be a more entertaining way for a young actress to make her comeback than by playing an adolescent Cruella? Didn't think so.

Michelle should do very well in the role. It looks like she'll be putting her supernatural typecasting days behind her.

Posted on March 19, 2008
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Orlando Bloom Drops Out of An Education

Orlando Bloom has pulled out of the feature film An Education just before it began filming.

Orlando Bloom has pulled out of Lone Scherfig's "An Education" because of scheduling clashes just as the movie began rolling, the producers said Monday. Bloom was replaced by Dominic Cooper ("The History Boys") in the movie penned by oft-adapted British novelist Nick Hornby.

Producers have moved quickly to replace Bloom on the film, which began shooting Monday and will be in front of the cameras until May on location in and around London, Oxford and Paris. Cooper joins a cast already boasting Peter Sarsgaard, Carey Mulligan, Alfred Molina, Rosamund Pike, Olivia Williams, Sally Hawkins and Emma Thompson. Also signing up for director Scherfig's latest is Cara Seymour, whose credits include "The Savages," "Hotel Rwanda" and "Adaptation."

The film is set in early 1960s London and is described as a coming of age story. When a thirtysomething playboy arrives a 17-year-old suburban girl's world is torn apart. The producers claim Bloom had scheduling conflicts, but it's so close to the beginnng of filming that it seems unlikely that's the real reason.

Posted on March 17, 2008
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The Resurgence of 3-D

3-D movies are back, in a big way. 10,000 theaters will be converted to 3-D and more studios are going to release films in the format that worked so well for films as diverse as Beowulf and Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert.

DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc. chief executive Jeffrey Katzenberg promised a "new era" in moviegoing Tuesday, as Hollywood studios prepared a huge slate of 3-D movies for theaters that are increasingly going digital. "It is nothing less than the greatest innovation that has happened for all of us in the movie business since the advent of color 70 years ago," Katzenberg said in an address at ShoWest, a conference in Las Vegas where studios unveil clips and other details about upcoming movie lineups. "Now it's our chance to deliver something that is far superior than anything that can be done in the home," he said.

Katzenberg then showed off a 3-D clip of his studio's March 2009 release "Monsters vs. Aliens," in which the U.S. military unleashes a barrage on an alien space ship as the president fires a few rounds from a handgun, shouting "I'm a brave president!" The presentation came after the announcement of a deal calling for the conversion of 10,000 more theater screens for the digital technology needed to accommodate 3-D.

Access Integrated Technologies Inc. said it had reached agreements with four studios - Disney, News Corp.'s 20th Century Fox, Viacom Inc.'s Paramount, and Universal Pictures, which is owned by General Electric Co.'s NBC Universal - to finance and equip the screens in the U.S. and Canada during the next three years. The conversion will cost as much as $700 million, said Bud Mayo, chief executive of Access Integrated Technologies, which completed a first tranche of 3,700 digital conversions in October.

Hollywood is anxious to convert as many theaters as possible to the digital format, which provides sharper images while eliminating the need for expensive celluloid film. The digital technology can also be used to show 3-D movies with the addition of software and hardware costing about $25,000 per year for each screen.

We love seeing films in 3-D. It's such an immersive experience. Whether it's a dragon flying right at you or Miley Cyrus belting out her hits while the tweens scream all around you (ok, we could have done without that) it makes for a truly exciting moviegoing experience.

Posted on March 11, 2008
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Semi-Pro Tops the Box Office

In a very slow box office weekend, Will Ferrell's Semi-Pro barely took the top spot, making $15,200,000. In second place was Vantage Point which made $13 million in its second week of release. The action flick has now garnered over $41 million at the box office. In third place was Paramount's The Spiderwick Chronicles which made $8,752,000 in its third week of release, for a cumulative take of over $55 million.

In fourth place was The Other Boleyn Girl starring Natalie Portman, Scarlett Johansson and Eric Bana in a bodice-ripping Henry VIII drama. The film took in a disappointing $8,752,000 in its opening weekend. In fifth place was Jumper, which took in another $7.6 million for a cumulative take of $66,823,000.

Posted on March 3, 2008
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Quarterlife Canceled After One Airing

The web show turned television phenomenon Quarterlife has been canceled after a disastrous premiere. The rest of the episodes may end up on Bravo, but no one knows for sure.

Quarterlife, the first Web-based drama to air on network television, has been canceled by NBC after a dismally rated first episode but will move to sister cable channel Bravo, people close to the show said on Thursday. The highly touted online series about a group of young artists bombed in its NBC debut on Tuesday night, drawing the network's lowest ratings and smallest audience for that time slot in at least 20 years, according to Nielsen Media Research. (Msnbc.com is a joint venture between Microsoft and NBC Universal.) The show ranked a distant third place for the 10 p.m. hour, averaging just 3.1 million viewers and a meager 1.3 rating among advertisers' favorite demographic, adults aged 18 to 49, the precise audience for whom the series was designed.

*****

Quarterlife originally was created for the social-networking site MySpace.com by Marshall Herskovitz and Ed Zwick, Emmy-winning producers of "thirtysomething" and My So-Called Life. Consisting of 36 eight-minute webisodes, the series began running on MySpaceTV.com and quarterlife.com in November, with two new segments appearing online each week.

NBC made headlines when it announced in the midst of the Hollywood writers strike it was picking up the series as a mid-season replacement show, and heavily promoted the drama in the run-up to its prime-time launch.

At the time, quarterlife was touted as a new model for the development of video entertainment, marking the first program to originate independently online before moving to a major broadcast outlet.

We never saw it, but those are some pretty ghastly numbers. We're thinking that everyone who wanted to see it watched it on the Web.

Posted on February 28, 2008
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Saturday Night Live Returns February 23

The writers' strike is finally over and the screenwriters are heading back to work. Saturday Night Live will return on February 23rd on NBC and Tina Fay will be the host. We're guessing that there will be lots of political skits.

The other networks are still finalizing plans. 24 won't return until January, 2009, which is too bad. But CBS announced that it will be airing six new episodes of Ghost Whisperer on April 4 and four new episodes of Moonlight on April 11.

Posted on February 13, 2008
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Hannah Montana Rules the Box Office

Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert ruled the box office this past weekend. The 3-D film of Miley Cyrus' tour as herself and as alter ego Hannah Montana took in $29 million this past weekend, which was the biggest Super Bowl weekend debut ever.

Distributor Disney planned to have the movie out for only a week but now has decided to keep it in theaters until it runs its course. The concert film -- featuring 15-year-old Cyrus both as herself backstage and as her Disney Channel character, pop sensation Hannah -- filled the void for fans unable to catch one of the live shows on the Hannah Montana 54-date tour.

The digital 3-D technology also gave fans the illusion of practically being at a live show, said Mark Zoradi, president of Disney's motion-picture group, who visited several packed theaters where the movie played over the weekend. "The screaming level was unbelievable. It almost plays like a concert. At the end of a song, you have audiences clapping like you do at a concert," Zoradi said. "Parents who weren't able to get concert tickets, now they were able to take their kids and satisfy that demand, and kids were in a way able to be up close and personal, with the best seats in the house."

*****

Lionsgate's "The Eye," a remake of the Japanese horror hit, opened at No. 2 with $13 million. "The Eye" stars Jessica Alba as a blind concert violinist whose vision is restored by a corneal transplant that also results in terrifying visions.

"Desperate Housewives" co-star Eva Longoria Parker delivered a dud with her first top-billed movie, "Over Her Dead Body," which opened with a weak $4.6 million to finish at No. 11. Distributed by New Line, the movie stars Longoria Parker as a dead woman whose ghost tries to break up a romance between her fiance (Paul Rudd) and his new girlfriend.

Playing in just 683 theaters, "Hannah Montana" broke another record: never before has a movie in so few cinemas premiered at the top of the box office chart. The movie averaged a whopping $42,460 a theater, compared to an average of $5,337 in each of 2,436 cinemas for "The Eye" and about $2,327 in each of 1,977 theaters for "Over Her Dead Body."

We saw Beowulf in 3-D at the Imax and it really is amazing technology. We admit that we took alcohol wipes with us to make sure we didn't pick up someone else's eye or ear infection from the 3-D glasses they hand out. Hey, we don't watch Monk for nothing.

Posted on February 4, 2008
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Chris Carter Talks X-Files Movie

Chris Carter talked about the upcoming X-Files movie.

Plot details are more closely guarded than an alien autopsy, but creator Chris Carter does have a few clues to offer those eager X-Files fans who have been waiting for more since the Fox show ended in 2002. "This is really a continuation of the series, imagining how the characters' lives have evolved," explains Carter, who cowrote and is directing the movie. "It's a stand-alone story that owes everything to the series, but not the mythology of the series. What we'll be dealing with is government-based as far as the conspiracy goes, but expect this not to be a revisitation [of the show's convoluted conspiracy]."

FBI agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) will still be at the center of the story, and Studio 60's Amanda Peet and rapper Xzibit have been added to the cast as fellow agents. "This is really a continuation of the series, imagining how the characters' lives have evolved," Carter explains. But are there any clues as to what creepy case they'll all be trying to crack? "I'm hoping to keep this movie like a Christmas present," he says, laughing. "It can't be opened until the day arrives.

The film hits theaters July 25th. It's taken forever to get this to the big screen, so it's about time. But what does Amanda Peet have to do with this? That's a very weird casting choice.

Posted on January 17, 2008
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Oprah Gets Her Own TV Network

Oprah Winfrey now has her own network, to be called OWN.

OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network will bow in the second half of 2009. OWN will take over the Discovery Health Channel distribution platform, which guarantees it a strong subscriber base of 67.7 million cable and satellite homes, according to Nielsen. Winfrey will be chair of the network.

Deal between Winfrey and Discovery was described as a "cashless transaction" for a 50-50 joint venture that will be considered an entity independent of other Discovery channel holdings. Winfrey will have full editorial control of OWN and oversee its programming, branding and creative thrust.

OWN will dive deeper into the lifestyle, self-help, entertainment and spiritual themes Winfrey mines on her daily show, which has been daytime's top syndicated yakker for 20 years, and in her successful monthly magazine O: the Oprah Magazine, a joint venture with Hearst Magazines.

"We'll deal with topics such as money, health and relationships. I want to create a niche, a place where people can go to feel better about their lives," Winfrey said during a conference call with reporters Tuesday. She said it's too early in the process for her to discuss specific shows or programming ideas.

She has her own talk show, her own magazine, her own girls' school in South Africa and she campaigns for Barack Obama. When is she going to find the time to run a television network? She's cloned herself using secret technology. That must be the answer.

Posted on January 15, 2008
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K-Fed Rocks Out

When he's not getting restraining orders against his popstar ex-wife, Britney Spears, Kevin Federline is pursuing an acting career. Here's a clip of him playing a rising rock star on the CW's One Tree Hill. He sounds flat to us. Didn't they give him an earpiece so he can hear the band?? Oh please, don't pretend that you're not going to click on the clip.



Posted on January 10, 2008
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Pilot Season is in Jeopardy

The writers' strike isn't ending anytime soon, and it's looking the traditional tv pilot season may not happen at all.

The disruption of the pilot season, which runs from January through April, would shake up the $9 billion "upfront" market that begins in May when advertisers pay to book commercial time long in advance of a broadcast.

Some experts believe the very time frame of the broadcast season as a whole, which has traditionally run from September to May, may now be relegated to entertainment history. "This strike is certainly going to cause a shift. If it isn't resolved by February 1, it will rule out many pilots," said Jeff Hermanson, assistant executive director of the Writers Guild of America (WGA).

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Industry sources said the networks have only a few scripted programs in development and even fewer pilots shot. Some fear the 2008-2009 TV season may be scuttled altogether if the strike lasts into February or that the upfronts -- during which networks sell roughly 85 percent of their annual commercial inventory -- will be pushed to June or July.

We think that if the strike isn't settled soon (and the AMPTP refuses to even come back to the bargaining table) the entire television industry will change. That could eventually be a good thing, but it's going to make for some truly awful television programming for the next year or so.

Posted on December 21, 2007
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Lost Has a New Timeslot, The 4400 and The Dead Zone Canceled

Lost is moving to Thursdays at 9:00 p.m. Eastern time. The move is part of ABC's shuffling of its schedule in response to the ongoing writers' strike.

For those of you who will be looking for Lost next year, you won't find it in the usual spot. Staring down the dimly lit hatch of a spring with no new episodes of Grey's Anatomy, Ugly Betty, Brothers & Sisters or Desperate Housewives, ABC has opted to move the Emmy-winning Lost to Thursdays at 9 p.m., the time slot that in prestrike days would have played host to the weekly Grey's-CSI battle.

But the scribes are at a standstill, and it's Lost that will be getting the primo prime-time real estate as part of ABC's attempt to make its strike-impacted schedule look as attractive as possible in the absence of the rest of its scripted heavy hitters. Not that Lost's reemergence won't bring along its own set of issues-the castaway drama is still one of myriad series that has only half of its preordered episodes in the can thanks to the writers' strike.

Fox, for instance, opted to postpone the seventh season of 24 indefinitely until it could air an uninterrupted "full day." But apparently ABC has figured that some Lost-eight consecutive new episodes instead of 16-is better than none at all, considering how none too pleased audiences were when the series' third season was interrupted by a three-month hiatus. So, Lost's fourth season will premiere Jan. 31 at 9 p.m., where it will serve as lead-in to the new drama Eli Stone.

In other tv news, USA Network has abruptly canceled The 4400 and The Dead Zone and the word is that there will be no series finale aired. We are not happy about this at all.

Posted on December 20, 2007
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End of the Journey for Journeyman?

The time travel series Journeyman may be coming to an end soon.

Kevin Falls, creator of NBC's time-traveling series Journeyman, told the Premium Hollywood Web site that it's possible the freshman show will end with Episode 12, the last one produced, given the show's low ratings and the ongoing writers' strike. "Episode 12 is the end of our order," Falls told the site. "And let's not kid ourselves. It's a long shot that we would get a back nine, given the strike and our questionable numbers." Falls referred to the additional nine episodes NBC would have to order to constitute a full season.

Falls added that Episode 12 is written in such a way that it could constitute an end to the series should it be canceled. "It wouldn't answer every question, but it would give you a lot to chew on," he said. "We would give you some answers, and we'd withhold others." Given the uncertainty about a second season, he said, "we didn't want to turn over every card. But I think people will find it satisfying, and it's really good."

In the upcoming 12th episode, Dan (Kevin McKidd) encounters another time traveler. "And you'll get some of the answers to what goes on," Falls said.

We've been watching the show all season. We really like Kevin McKidd, but the show has trouble with its mythology. We have no idea why he travels or how, nor does he. He doesn't have a guide -- his ex-fiancee is a traveler but she seems to know as little as he does. And we absolutely despise the character of Dan's brother, the annoyingly stupid busybody cop. He needs to be dropped down a black hole, pronto.

Journeyman airs Mondays at 10 p.m. ET on NBC.

Posted on November 30, 2007
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Enchanted Tops the Box Office

Disney's new film Enchanted laid a spell on moviegoers over the holiday weekend. It topped the box office for the three day weekend, making $35,332,000. The film made $50,048,000 over the five day weekend. In second place was This Christmas which made $18,600,000. In third place was Beowulf, which made $16,240,000. That brings its take so far to $56,361,000.

In fourth place was Fox's Hitman which shook off its terrible reviews to make $13,035,000. In fifth place was Bee Movie, which made another $12,010,000. That brings its total take to date to $112,069,000. Clearly, moviegoers are in a family-friendly frame of mind when it comes to filmgoing.

Posted on November 25, 2007
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Angels & Demons Pushed to 2009

The film version of Dan Brown's Angels & Demons has been put on hold because of the writers' strike. Here's the official word from Sony via Nikki Finke.

"With the strike nearing its third week, Columbia Pictures has postponed production of Angels & Demons. While the filmmakers and the studio feel the screenplay is very strong, we do not believe it is the fully-realized production draft required of this ambitious project. At this time, there is no new start date for Angels & Demons, but we are setting a release date of May 15, 2009 and are hopeful to deliver the movie worldwide to theaters on that date. We do not expect any other film on our 2008 slate to be affected."

This is just the beginning. It's looking like the worst year in movie history is about to land in 2008. Guess we'll all be spending more time outside next summer. Or reading a lot more. Or surfing the Net. Or gaming. Or catching up on any rentals we've missed.

Posted on November 16, 2007
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Patrick Dempsey and Ellen Pompeo Support the Writers' Strike

Patrick Dempsey and Ellen Pompeo of Gray's Anatomy talk about the writers' strike and why they fully support it in this short video. You can find breaking news, updates, links and explanations of what the strike is all about at our sister site Writerswrite.com's special Writers' Strike section.



Posted on November 8, 2007
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American Gangster Rules the Box Office

Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe delivered a knockout punch to Jerry Seinfeld and his bees this past weekend; American Gangster topped the box office making $43,565,115 with an excellent per theater showing of $14,264. Bee Movie came in second making $38,021,044, with a per theater take of $9,679.

In third place was Saw IV, which made another $10,348,646. In fourth place was Dan in Real Life which made $7,870,196. In fifth place was The Game Plan, which made another $3,931,491, bringing the family-friendly comedy's gross to a whopping $82,035,100. John Cusack had a disastrous opening with Martian Child,which made only $3,376,669.

Posted on November 6, 2007
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Writers Strike Will Cripple Hollywood

The Writers Guild goes on strike this Monday, November 5th at 12:01 a.m. Hollywood will be crippled by the strike. All writing for television and film projects will stop. The talk shows will go into reruns. The soap operas, and scripted dramas and comedies will stop after producers air the finished episodes that they have. Generally, it means we'll have good tv until December, then it's going to be a virtual wasteland.

Reality shows will be unaffected, as will news. Film projects without a completed script will grind to a halt. One bright spot in February will be Lost. The producers have been shooting until June, and they already have 14 episodes in the can. So that's one bright spot. But some of our favorite shows -- Ugly Betty, Chuck, 24, Grey's Anatomy, Eureka, Psych -- will all stop production.

Unless there's a last minute deal this weekend, the strike is on. You can find out more about the strike and what it all means on Writers Write's Writers' Strike resource.

Posted on November 2, 2007
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Murder Comes to Friday Night Lights

Fans of the hit show Friday Night Lights are hopping mad at the screenwriters for the show. In fact, they're so mad that rumors are going around that the show could be ruined for good. What's everyone so mad about? Well, in the season opener, funny, nerdy sidekick teen Landry Clarke killed a man who was threatening Tyra Collette, who Landry has a crush on. After the deed was done, the duo dumped the body. Viewers were horrified at the macabre turn of events that didn't exactly fit in with the show's themes.

"I hated, hated, hated the murder scene," wrote a poster named Tom on the website of Alan Sepinwall, the critic for the Newark (N.J.) Star-Ledger. " 'FNL' has always struck me as a production that shows the drama in a real town. . . . The murder scene felt, well, desperate." Some television critics who have championed the NBC show were equally upset. "Absurdly melodramatic and unbelievable," wrote the New Yorker's Nancy Franklin. "The plot thread could easily overwhelm the show and kill it." "Friday Night Lights," which is set in a small Texas town and shot in a documentary style, has earned a cult following and need-to-improve ratings. Most fans were drawn less by the football scenes than by the realistic nature of the multifaceted characters: the Panthers' coach, his high school counselor wife, their daughter, the paralyzed quarterback, his two-timing girlfriend, the new quarterback, and so on. Although viewers might relate to characters who cheated, drank too much or fought, they didn't know any 16-year-olds who had killed someone.

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But fans not only complained that murder was out of character for Landry -- a comic relief sidekick to star football player Matt Saracen last season -- they also picked nits over the details: Why did Tyra's once-failed rapist become a stalker would-be rapist? Why after Landry fended him off, did he walk away saying, "I'll get back to you later"? Why did Landry deal the fatal blow after that? Why did he use a lead pipe? How would this affect his defense?

Further clouding the issue was that the rough cut version of the episode released on the Internet showed a different scene of the murder in which Landry was clearly defending himself and killed the attacker with a bottle. "We reshot the scene with a pipe," Plemons said. "They wanted no question whether it was possible to kill someone with a bottle. And it makes more sense why they would cover it up with him walking away."

We think what happened was this: showrunner Jason Katims has been pulling double duty lately; he is also the showrunner for The Bionic Woman. Clearly, when the showrunner is away, the screenwriters will play. But Jason is leaving The Bionic Woman and coming back to focus full-time on Friday Night Lights.

We have two suggestions for the writers to dig themselves out of this fan-infuriating pit: 1) Just pretend it never happened, and never mention it again or 2) pull a Dallas and have the entire plotline be only a dream. Hey, they've got to do something. People are not happy.

Posted on October 25, 2007
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Adios to Viva Laughlin

After only two episodes, Hugh Jackman's musical drama, Viva Laughlin has been cancelled

Viva Laughlin, the musical-drama hybrid that starred Hugh Jackman as a casino owner and was lambasted by critics, has been canceled by CBS after only two episodes. The Amazing Race will replace Viva Laughlin in the Sunday at 8 p.m. time slot beginning Nov. 4. (A CSI repeat will be broadcast this Sunday.) The Hollywood Reporter calls Viva Laughlin the first major casualty of the 2007-08 season.

When Viva Laughlin debuted on Oct. 18 in a special time slot after CSI ­ the program shed more than half of its valuable lead-in and averaged 8.8 million viewers. It then moved to its normal time slot on Sunday, following 60 Minutes, but its second episode, on Oct. 21, drew an average of 6.8 million viewers, placing CBS in fourth place for the hour.

Viva Laughlin featured a character named Lloyd Owen, a man who dreams about having a casino of his own in Laughlin, Nevada. Hugh Jackman and Melanie Griffith starred. The reviews were unbelievably bad, with one reviewer calling it the worst show on television. It was a remake of a very popular British show. We never saw it, but still --- pulling a show that had almost 7 million viewers after only two episodes? That's harsh.

Posted on October 23, 2007
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Gossip Girl Gets Full Season Pickup

The first full season pickup goes to the CW's Gossip Girl.

A network spokesperson confirms that the increasingly addictive Josh Schwartz confection has been greenlit for a full, 22-episode season.

Although its ratings have been only so-so, GG has seen substantial gains once DVR usage is factored in. And buoyed by strong word-of-mouth, the show's two most recent episodes rank among the top 5 downloaded shows on iTunes. Oh, look - a quote from CW head Dawn Ostroff!

"People everywhere are talking about Gossip Girl and we believe this show will continue to build audience as it builds buzz. Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage have created an incredibly heightened-reality world that viewers are locking into while advertisers, affiliates and press have also embraced the show. The series has earned its early pick-up and we look forward to a long run on The CW."

Clearly the CW is seeing some happy trends in the viewership numbers for the show. But if the pending writers' strike happens, Gossip Girl -- and every other scripted show on television -- will be put on hold until the strike is over. The date is November 1st and the negotiations aren't going well at all.

Posted on October 12, 2007
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Producers of Desperate Housewives Apologize to Phillipines

The producers of Desperate Housewives got an earful from the Phillipines government over a perceived slur against Phillipino medical personnel that aired during the show last Sunday night. It caused such an uproar, the producers have issued an apology. During a scene in which Susan visits the ob/gyn he gives her a shocking diagnosis that she thinks is wrong. She then asks to see his medical degree to make sure it's not from the Phillipines.

The apology was sent to Philippine broadcaster ABS-CBN's bureau in the United States and aired in the Philippines on Thursday following protests by the Manila government. "The producers of 'Desperate Housewives' and ABC Studios offer our sincere apologies for any offense caused by the brief reference in the season premiere," cable news channel ANC quoted the statement as saying. "There was no intent to disparage the integrity of any aspect of the medical community in the Philippines," it said.

The episode showed actress Teri Hatcher, who plays Susan Mayer, asking during a medical consultation to check "those diplomas because I want to make sure that they're not from some med school in the Philippines." The apology was made a day after chief aide to Philippine President Gloria Arroyo said the line of dialogue appeared to be a "racial slur."

Philippine Senators said the apology was not enough, and urged their Foreign Affairs Department to lodge a formal protest with the US government. "I am mortally offended by the statement because it betrayed the racial prejudice and denigrates the excellent performance of world-class Filipino doctors in the US," said Senator Miriam Santiago, whose sister is a doctor working in Los Angeles.

It was a funny episode overall -- we especially like the addition of Nathan Fillion to the cast. And Dana Delaney is doing a great job so far as an old friend with a big secret to hide. We're guessing that her daughter isn't really her daughter since she doesn't seem to remember Julie or any of her supposed childhood on Wisteria Lane.

Posted on October 4, 2007
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Robert Redford to Direct Film Based on Richard Clarke's Memoir

The Hollywood Reporter reports that Robert Redford will be directing a film based on Richard A. Clarke's bestseller Against All Enemies.

Capitol Films is financing the feature, picking up the project from Columbia, which had put it into turnaround.

"Enemies" chronicled how the Bush administration handled the al-Qaida threat before and after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Clarke, a former U.S. terrorism czar, offered the ultimate insider's account into the nation's security apparatus, featuring a cast of power brokers including President Bush, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Clarke.

The book was published in March 2004 by Free Press and hit No. 1 on the New York Times best-seller list, fueling intense criticism over the administration's security failures and its decision to go to war with Iraq.

The Hollywood Reporter says Paul Haggis was originally expected to direct the film but he turned his attention to In the Valley of Elah. Robert Redford directed and stars in the Lions for Lambs thriller which will be in theaters November 9th. Richard A. Clarke has turned to fiction following his bestselling memoir.

Posted on September 27, 2007
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Burn Notice Renewed For a Second Season

Jennifer Godwin at E! Online talked to Burn Notice creator Matt Nix about the amazing finale and the upcoming season ahead. Matt confirmed that the four main characters are coming back next season, which is a relief. We were going to be so angry if they killed off Sam. Don't you just love Bruce Campbell?

This season Michael had to create a new life for himself in Miami. Is he going to develop that life or reject it in season two?

Michael's stuck in Miami...he may get off the leash occasionally, but he's not going anywhere.

Where's the truck going?! (Just kidding.)

Wouldn't you like to know!

Does the appearance of the truck imply that Michael is going away to parts unknown for a while?

He's going off to learn a thing or two. We'll see where he lands.

What's in store for mama and bro Weston? More spy family action?

Michael's family will be causing more problems for him in season two.

Ok, we've had enough of Michael's mother and brother to last a lifetime, but we'll put up with them so long as Sam sticks around. Sharon Gless is so annoying -- whine, whine, whine, inhale cigarettes and whine some more. But she's less annoying than the brother, who adds absolutely nothing to the storyline. Michael and Sam are a buddy team -- a real brother muddies the writing waters.

But other than those minor quibbles, we loved the finale. The writing was especially good in the second half of the two hour finale. Sam really got to shine in a realistic torture scene -- Bruce Campbell is just amazing. The conspiracy about who burned Michael and why is really heating up -- that part of the storyline is absolutely rocking. And Fiona is just great.

Oh, and those armed sit ups Michael does? We do those too.

Posted on September 21, 2007
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Crowe Has a Hit With 3:10 to Yuma

Russell Crowe and Christian Bale won the box office this past weekend with their excellently-reviewed Western remake 3:10 to Yuma. The film made $14,100,000 in 2,652 theaters, for a very nice $5,316 per theater average. Crowe needs a hit, after the disappointing numbers for Cinderella Man. This is it. Despite rumors of on-set strife between Crowe and Lionsgate over the handling of the film's marketing and release, Crowe turns in an Oscar-caliber performance. In second place was Halloween, which made another $10,034,000, for a total box office to date of $44,230,000. In third place was Balls of Fury, which made another estimated $5,693,000, which puts its gross to date at $24,281,000. Add in DVD sales, and the resulting number says that unfortunately we'll probably see another movie of this ilk next year.

Debuting at a disappointing sixth place was the Clive Owen action thriller, Shoot Em Up, which made $5,450,000. As the title implies, it's all-violence, all the time. But it's Clive Owen, people. That makes it worth seeing, even for the violence-averse -- which certainly isn't us. We love a good action flick around here.

Posted on September 10, 2007
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Travolta to Star in Comedic Remake of Dallas

Here's a news item that horrified us. Variety is reporting that John Travolta is set to play J.R. Ewing in a Dallas movie that's a comedy. Yes, that's right -- a comedy.

Regency and 20th Century Fox are overhauling the bigscreen adaptation of TV series "Dallas," about the oil-rich Ewing clan, and this time they're drilling for laughs. Betty Thomas, the director who mined two spoof movie hits from "The Brady Bunch," is in discussions to direct. Pam Brady, who most recently scripted "Hot Rod," is penning the script. John Travolta remains attached to play slimy oil tycoon J.R. Ewing.

When the movie was derailed late last year, Gurinder Chadha ("Bend It Like Beckham") was directing. Luke Wilson was attached to play Bobby Ewing with Shirley MacLaine to play Miss Ellie, while producers were talking with Meg Ryan to play Sue Ellen after Jennifer Lopez dropped out.

What a stupid project. Have the studio heads lost their minds? Here's an idea: buy an original script from someone! We're sick to death of remakes. And Dallas was not a comedy -- at least not intentionally. It's was a nighttime soap that had a huge following. It sounds anything but funny to us.

Posted on August 24, 2007
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Cate Blanchett Plays Bob Dylan

Here is some footage of Cate Blanchett playing Bob Dylan in an upcoming biopic. Yes, that's right -- she's playing a man in the film. Several other actors will also play Dylan as he ages. That's David Cross as Allen Ginsberg. It's pretty freaky. Does Cate playing a man effectively equal Oscar nomination?



Posted on August 22, 2007
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Tom Cruise vs. Germany: It's a Tie Game

For those of you keeping score, Germany appears to be ahead in the ongoing match between the former Weimar Republic and Scientologist Tom Cruise. Cruise wants to film his World War II epic, Valkyrie in Berlin, in various official government buildings. The grandson of the man whom Cruise will portray in the film is furious that Cruise is desecrating the memory of his father, a hero who tried his best to assassinate Hitler. Germany first banned Cruise from making the film at all because he's part of Scientology, because it is a banned cult. But now, he can make the film in Germany, but won't be allowed to film in any official buildings. Got all that?

After considerable confusion about whether or not the pic would be granted the necessary permits, and the role Cruise's high-profile association with the Church of Scientology was playing in the decision, the Finance Ministry has declined producers of the film permission to shoot at a Defense Ministry building where German officer Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg, played by Cruise in the film, was executed for attempting to assassinate Adolf Hitler.

The site, known as the Bendlerblock building, is now a memorial to Stauffenberg and other conspirators of the failed plot, which was codenamed "Operation Valkyrie." Singer's pic continues to enjoy plenty of support from the local community, however. Writing in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, the director of "The Lives of Others," said Cruise's star power would make the neglected story of Stauffenberg's heroism known to the entire world. Cruise, in the role of Stauffenberg, "would do more to promote Germany's image than 10 World Cup soccer championships could ever do."

Execs at Studio Babelsberg, which is partnering with United Artists on the production, have also said the project would be a great benefit to Germany. German officials, however, appear to be sticking by their decision. A Finance Ministry spokesman said the memorial, a "place of remembrance and mourning, would lose dignity if we were to exploit it as a film set." Another request to shoot at a Berlin police station was rejected after "intensive review," according to a spokesman for the Berlin police department. "The adverse impact to the facility would be so grave that the request had to be denied."

Singer's film has suffered a storm of criticism and indignation here due to Cruise's involvement in Scientology -- an organization the German government views as a dangerous, profit-based cult with totalitarian aims. Stauffenberg's son, Berthold von Stauffenberg, has also blasted the project, saying Cruise "should keep his hands off my father."

Cruise is soldiering on with the project. No doubt they will just recreate the Bendlerblock building with CGI. Or they could shoot the exteriors in Berlin and the interiors on a sound stage. Or, the German Finance Ministry spokesman might suddenly convert to Scientology and approvals to film anywhere Tom wants will mysteriously appear. It could happen.

Posted on July 3, 2007
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Jennifer Aniston to Produce Goree Girls

Jennifer Aniston has signed to produce and possibly star in a film set in the 1940s about one of the country's first female country recording acts, the Goree Girls, for DreamWorks Pictures.

The actress is on board to produce and likely star in the 1940s song-laden comedy about one of the nation's first all-female country acts, a group whose members were also guests of the Texas penal system. Aniston will be joined by seven other singin' and pickin' actresses cast as part of the Goree All Girl String Band, which is remembered as the Dixie Chicks of its day for the radio performances it put on from a Texas music hall.

Aniston and her producing partner, Kristin Hahn, hired Margaret Nagle (HBO's "Warm Springs") to adapt the screenplay from a Texas Monthly article. DreamWorks, Aniston and Hahn have sent the script out in search of a director with no scheduled production start to date. The group of eight female Texas prisoners performed live every Wednesday evening in the early 1940s to an estimated 7 million Americans tuned into radio station WBAP-AM in Fort Worth.

The women - some of whom were in prison for cattle rustling, robbery and murder - joined together with the hope of "singing their way out" of Goree State Farm, a few miles south of Huntsville, according to Skip Hollandsworth, who wrote the 8,000-word profile "O, Sister Where Art Thou?" for Texas Monthly in May 2003.

The women were allowed to change out of their prison uniforms (starched white linen dresses) and into light tan shirts, brown western-style skirts, white cowboy boots and, tied around their necks, brown bandannas each week for their public appearances, thanks to the Texas prison system's bid for a little favorable publicity following reports of escapes, beatings and gunfights in their facilities.

So, it's kind of like The Dixie Chicks meet Oh, Brother, Where Art Thou?. Right? We can work with that.

Posted on June 13, 2007
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