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Tag: ABC

  • Australia May Ban Ransomware Payments

    Australia May Ban Ransomware Payments

    Australia is considering a measure to ban companies from making ransomware payments to cybercriminals.

    Ransomware is one of the fastest growing cybersecurity threats, and has taken a toll on public and private organizations alike. Most government and law enforcement agencies discourage victims from paying, but The Record is reporting that Australia is considering taking it a step further.

    Australia has been hit hard by several ransomware attacks and the country is clearly trying to discourage further attacks by making it impossible for victims to pay.

    Clare O’Neil, home affairs and cybersecurity minister, confirmed to ABC that the government was considering the proposal.

  • Court Ruling Spells the End of Locast

    Court Ruling Spells the End of Locast

    Lowcast has informed subscribers it will be ending its service following an unfavorable court ruling.

    Locast takes free, over-the-air local channel broadcasts and streams them over the internet. The solution was popular in many areas, with the company covering 55% of the US population, or more than 179 million people. Streaming service Sling even partnered with Locast to offer subscribers access to local channels, a traditionally weak point for Sling.

    While other companies have been shut down for charging a fee for similar services, Locast was free and operated as a non-profit. The company did solicit donations mid-stream, and that appears to be what caused the problem. ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC sued, alleging the donation solicitation still broke the law. Unfortunately, the court sided with the broadcasters.

    Although Locast originally planned on continuing to offer the service without the donation solicitations, it appears to have altered plans and has suspended service, effective immediately. The company notified customers in an email:

    As a non-profit, Locast was designed from the very beginning to operate in accordance with the strict letter of the law, but in response to the court’s recent rulings, with which we respectfully disagree, we are hereby suspending operations, effective immediately. 

    The court ruling and Locast’s decision is a major blow to cordcutters and is an unfortunate win for an industry that has a long reputation of ruthlessly squashing anything that challenges the status quo — including things that benefit its customers.

  • fuboTV and Disney Strike Deal to Distribute Disney’s Catalog

    fuboTV and Disney Strike Deal to Distribute Disney’s Catalog

    fuboTV, one of the upcoming streaming services, has just struck a deal to include Disney’s catalog of channels.

    As cord cutting gains popularity, streaming services are duking it out, using a combination of channels and features to lure customers. fuboTV offers one of the most well-rounded experiences, with a good channel lineup, generous DVR and modern interface.

    Unfortunately, Disney’s catalog, including ESPN, has been a glaring omission from the streaming service—until now. The two companies have struck a deal that will see ABC, ABC News Live, Disney Channel, Disney Junior, Disney XD, Freeform, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, in-market for SEC Network and ACC Network, FX, FXX and National Geographic added to the base fuboTV plan. Additional channels will be available on upgraded plans, such as out-of-market for SEC Network and ACC Network, ESPNU, ESPNEWS, ESPN Deportes, FXM, Fox Life, Nat Geo Wild, Nat Geo Mundo and BabyTV.

    “With the addition to our lineup of the ESPN suite of channels, we continue to make good on our promise to sports fans to be the undisputed home of professional and college sports,” said fuboTV CEO and Co-Founder David Gandler. “fubo is equally delighted to add the storied Disney, ABC, FX and Nat Geo networks to round out a robust programming portfolio for the whole family to enjoy.”

    This is good news for fuboTV customers will make an already great streaming service even better.

  • Kelly Ripa And Michael Strahan’s Show Gets Approved Through 2020

    TV partners Kelly Ripa and Michael Strahan are due to continue their hosting duties on daytime television. Disney-ABC Home Entertainment and Television Distribution confirmed that Live! with Kelly and Michael has been renewed with hosts Kelly Ripa and Michael Strahan at the helm.

    Live! with Kelly and Michael has been renewed through 2020. Disney/ABC has also set another long-term renewal with the game show, Who Wants to be a Millionaire?

    “We are exceptionally proud of Live’s unparalleled success and are thrilled to extend our highly-valued partnership with the ABC-owned stations for many more years to come,” said Janice Marinelli, president of Disney/ABC Home Entertainment and Television Distribution. “We are also very pleased to extend our relationship with their strong stations on Millionaire, which continues to resonate with viewers across the country.”

    The renewals are for the majority of stations owned by ABC.  Live! with Kelly and Michael is aired on eight ABC O&Os in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Fresno, Raleigh-Durham, and Houston. Who Wants to be a Millionaire”, which is hosted by Chris Harrison, has also been renewed on the ABC-owned stations through the 2016-17 seasons with the exception of WLS-TV Chicago.

    Live! is among the most successful syndicated franchises in the history of television. It started airing in 1988 with Regis Philbin and Kathie Lee Gifford as the hosts. Kelly Ripa succeeded Gifford, who left in 2001, while Strahan replaced Philbin in 2012.

    “Audiences love watching Live! with Kelly and Michael. During the last week of 2015, the show achieved a 1.8 rating with women 25-54, the highest rating in that demo of any talk show this season,” said ABC Owned Television Stations Group president Rebecca Campbell in a statement. “Produced by our owned station WABC-TV, we are extremely proud of Live’s ability to innovate and connect with viewers and look forward to that continuing into the next decade.”

  • Hulu Acquires SVOD Rights To Resurrection, Mistresses, Devious Maids

    Hulu Acquires SVOD Rights To Resurrection, Mistresses, Devious Maids

    Hulu announced a new licensing agreement with the Disney-ABC Television Group that will give it exclusive SVOD rights to all episodes of Resurrection and Mistresses, and prior episodes of Lifetime’s Devious Maids.

    “ABC Studios produces some of the most compelling stories on television today, and its sophomore drama series, Resurrection, is a perfect example,” Hulu said in a blog post. “With compelling mysteries woven into each episode, Resurrection is an addictive show and we are proud to be able to offer all episodes of the series exclusively to our Hulu subscribers.”

    Hulu is also adding over 750 library episodes from ABC Studios and ABC Family including Melissa & Joey, Alias, Army Wives, Body of Proof, Twisted and Make It or Break It–, as well as animated series like Spider-Man, X-Men, and Iron Man: Armored Adventures.

    “This new licensing agreement with Disney-ABC Television Group brings even more great shows to Hulu’s growing library of content and we are proud to add an array of exclusive & hit titles to the platform for our subscribers to enjoy this holiday season,” Hulu said.

    Last week, Hulu announced a deal with Discovery, which see it gain exclusive streaming rights for Deadliest Catch, as well as gain some other shows from Discovery’s network of channels.

    Image via Hulu

  • Cheryl Burke Ditches DWTS For New TV Show

    It has been confirmed that Cheryl Burke will not be joining Dancing with the Stars next season. The news came right after it was revealed that DWTS judge Len Goodman will also be leaving the show after the next season. According to reports, Burke will be leaving the ABC dance competition for a new show at NBC. The still-untitled show is still in its early stages, but sources claim that it will be a competition reality show where Burke will perform. Prior to the announcement of her departure, rumors have circulated that Burke was interested in becoming a judge for the show that she has been part of for 10 years.

    Burke issued a statement explaining the reasons behind her departure from Dancing with the Stars. She said in the statement, “I never thought I’d be able to walk away. But after a decade of something, it’s time for me to move on and try something different, to be challenged, to feel inspired. Dancing with the Stars will always be a part of my life.” She continued, “Dancing is what I’ve done since I was a little girl. But it was very clear the show only wanted me back as a dancer. They weren’t interested in using me for other things and letting me grow.”

    Cheryl also talked about how her contract with Dancing with the Stars restricted her from doing anything else. She said the same thing to TV Guide in an interview back in October. “Contractually, my contract is over and there’s other opportunities that have been out there for me. It’s so hard for me to talk about this, because I owe my life to Dancing with the Stars. They’ve changed my life completely. They’re my family and it’s always hard to say goodbye,” Burke said in the interview.

  • Cheryl Burke Will No Longer Be Dancing With The Stars

    For the past 18 seasons, Cheryl Burke has been one of two consistent professional partners on Dancing with the Stars. With the latest season just wrapping up, Burke is finally moving on to another series.

    People reports that Burke is leaving ABC’s Dancing with the Stars for a new series on NBC in 2015. We don’t know what the series is, but you can at least imagine it will be some kind of competitor to Dancing with the Stars. The current television climate is all about copying what the competition does but making it better. With Burke’s experience on Dancing with the Stars, NBC may be able to craft something that may be able to steal a little thunder from ABC’s series.

    On second thought, she might not be as interested in solely dancing as previously thought. Speaking with the magazine, she sounded a little bitter towards ABC. She claimed the network only wanted her as a dancer, and she obviously wants to start doing more.

    “Dancing with the Stars will always be a part of my life,” Burke said. “Dancing is what I’ve done since I was a little girl. But it was very clear the show only wanted me back as a dancer. They weren’t interested in using me for other things and letting me grow.”

    For NBC, Burke will be performing, but it’s likely she’ll be involved in more than just the performance section of the show. Based upon what she wants, it’s likely she’ll be a producer or maybe even a judge. Another theory is that Burke could be a coach of sorts that helps curate new talent.

    Despite all this, Burke doesn’t regret her experience with the show itself:

    “It’s not so much about winning the trophy,” Burke said. It’s about changing someone’s life, like helping them to lose weight, to gain more confidence, or helping them to believe in themselves. Every person I have danced with had a great experience, and that’s something they will remember forever. I’m so honored to be a part of that.”

    In the meantime, she’s just enjoying life:

  • ‘Selfie’, Recently Canceled, Will Finish Up the Season on Hulu

    ‘Selfie’, Recently Canceled, Will Finish Up the Season on Hulu

    You’re probably not going to get a second season of Selfie, but at least you’ll be able to finish out the current season

    Despite some positive reviews, ABC canceled its freshman comedy earlier this month. According to the network, it was a ratings issue. According to the Hollywood Reporter, “the series opened to a mediocre 5.3 million viewers and a 1.6 rating among adults 18-to-49.” And things just went south from there.

    The series, which stars Karen Gillan and John Cho, aired its last episode on November 11. Now, the answer to the question of where the remaining, already-shot episodes will land is clear – Hulu.

    Here’s confirmation from the showrunner:

    The first of six remaining episodes will hit Hulu and ABC.com on Tuesday, and a new one will be released each week for the next five weeks.

    At least Selfie fans will have some sort of closure.

  • John Stamos’ Comedy-Drama Show Gets Canceled Before It Airs

    It’s been reported that ABC has pulled the plug on the comedy-drama series Members Only. On Saturday, November 21, it was announced to the cast that the network won’t be moving ahead with the series which stars John Stamos, Breaking Bad’s Betsy Brandt, and Natalie Zea. The show was picked up as a “straight-to-series” back in January with acclaimed director David O. Russell and Susannah Grant attached as writers. Just one month after the show was picked up, Russell left the project and Grant was left alone to write the show’s pilot episode.

    Members Only is reportedly set in an exclusive Connecticut country club and the plot revolves in the “upstairs/downstairs” dynamic between the club’s inhabitants and the staff. This earned it comparisons to hit TV show Downton Abbey, albeit with a more modern twist. Aside from Stamos, Zea, and Brandt, the show’s ensemble cast also included Sin City: A Dame to Kill For’s Callie Hernandez, The Mob Doctor’s Jamie Lee Kirchner, Burlesque’s Michael Landes, and Baggage Claim’s Boris Kodjoe. R.J. Cutler was attached to direct. According to reports, Stamos was supposed to play a villainous billionaire who is the husband of Zea’s character.

    The show was noticeably absent from ABC’s midseason roster as well as their future schedule. The shows The Astronaut’s Wives Club, Captain America spinoff Agent Carter, American Crime, The Whispers, and Secret and Lies are rumored to push through. However, only Agent Carter and comedy show Galavant have been scheduled so far.

    Members Only is not the only straight-to-series show to get cancelled. NBC recently pulled the plug on their Wizard Of Oz adaptation called Emerald City, while FOX canceled their ancient Egyptian adventure show Hieroglyph. NBC comedy Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt was dropped by the network, but found life after Netflix picked it up with a two-season order.

  • ‘Selfie’ Has Been Canceled by ABC

    Did you like ABC’s new sitcom with the rather unfortunate title, Selfie? Some people did. I can’t say whether or not I liked it, as I never tuned in.

    Either way, it’s gone.

    Deadline reports that ABC has canceled the show. As you might expect to hear, the ratings just weren’t there, though it did perform better that the other recently canceled ABC show, Manhattan Love Story.

    Selfie will still air a new episode this coming Tuesday, but its status after that is up in the air.

    Selfie stars Karen Gillan and John Cho and follows a 20-something who “enlists the help of a marketing expert to revamp her image in the real world” following a viral video scandal.

    Will you miss Selfie?

  • James Earl Jones Is Back As Darth Vader

    James Earl Jones Is Back As Darth Vader

    The voice of Darth Vader comes back to haunt the rebels when James Earl Jones reprises his iconic voice acting role in the pilot for the animated series Star Wars Rebels. For the ABC broadcast of Star Wars Rebels: Spark Of Rebellion, which happens later this month, producers will add a scene that includes a cameo for Jones as the terrifying Sith lord.

    Jones played the role of Darth Vader (with actor David Prowse in the suit) in the original Star Wars trilogy as well as in Revenge Of The Sith. Since Star Wars Rebels happens between the prequels and the original trilogy, Jones will reprise his role as Darth Vader in a cameo in the pilot as a treat for viewers who will catch it on ABC.

    “We wanted to do something special for the ABC broadcast. We’ve added a scene which gives audiences insight into the Inquisitor and includes a cameo by Darth Vader voiced by the distinguished actor James Earl Jones,” said executive producer Dave Filoni.

    According to a release from Disney, Star Wars Rebels: Mark of Rebellion garnered a viewership of 6.5 million when it aired on Disney Channel last week. The series will premiere on October 13 and has reportedly been picked up for a second season. Meanwhile, the ABC rebroadcast of the pilot in which Jones stars will be shown on October 26.

    Jones has also been busy with his Broadway play You Can’t take It With You, in which he plays the role of Grandpa Vanderhoff, the patriarch of an eccentric New York family. Jones claimed in a CNN interview that the play was his first time to be in a comedy. When asked why it took so long for him to star in one, Jones said, “I guess I thought if you… if you took acting seriously, you had to take acting as serious, you know, and serious stuff.”

  • Alyssa Milano Announces ‘Mistresses’ Departure

    Alyssa Milano won’t be returning to Mistresses.

    Although the ABC network just announced the show’s renewal on Monday Sept. 30, unfortunately, the former Who’s the Boss? star won’t be returning for the upcoming third season.

    The 41-year-old actress posted an official announcement of her departure on her personal website. She revealed a number of important factors that contributed to her decision to leave the show.

    The drama series’ new film location definitely poses a problem for Milano. For those who don’t know, she and her husband CAA agent David Bugliari welcomed their second child, a daughter named Elizabeth, on Sept. 4.

    They also have a three-year-old son named Milo together. So, relocating is a bit of a complication with such small children. Since family comes first, Milano’s career is taking a backseat so she can focus on being a wife and mother.

    “After two wonderful seasons in Los Angeles, the studio has decided to shoot season three of Mistresses in Vancouver, Canada for financial reasons,” she wrote.

    “It’s with a heavy heart that I have decided that I can’t relocate. I have two babies under 4. Being a mother and wife comes first and I just can not uproot my children and separate the family by moving away. I will miss this job desperately and wish everyone the absolute best.”

    Milano held one of the lead roles in the series, Savannah “Savi” Davis. So, her departure could mean big changes for the upcoming new season.

    However, no further details have been released about the future of Milano’s character. So, fans will just have to wait and see whether Savannah will be written off or recast.

    The upcoming third season of Mistresses will air some time next year.

  • Tracee Ellis Ross Is ‘Black-ish’ In New ABC Comedy

    The daughter of Diana Ross is set to star in a new comedy on ABC called black-ish, which premieres on Wednesday, September 24 at 9:30 PM. Tracee Ellis Ross, daughter of the legendary diva and her first husband, music producer Robert Ellis Silberstein, plays the biracial mother of an African-American family coming to terms with its affluence.

    The show’s lead is played by Anthony Anderson, who lends humor to the character of Andre, a hardworking employee of an advertising agency. When Andre is promoted to the position of vice president of “urban” marketing, he wonders if he was given the post just because he was black. Ross’s character of what the Los Angeles Register calls “semi-exasperated wife” tells him to stop worrying, and when she’s told that she doesn’t understand his predicament because she’s half white, she shoots back, “If I’m not, uh, really black, can someone please tell my hair and my ass?”

    Ross apparently relates well to her character of Rainbow Johnson. “Although I am not a mother and a wife, I am a mixed woman and I do understand these feelings she’s going through. The show’s not about being fresh. It’s about telling the truth. And I think that comes across in the lines,” she said.

    The 41-year-old actress had previously worked with black-ish creator Kenya Barris on Girlfriends, and he reportedly wrote her parts with the knowledge of Ross’s speech rhythms in mind. Executive producer Larry Wilmore believes that a good cast is what will make the show successful. “Anthony is very gifted and he has known Tracee for years. She is so natural and lovable. When she read [for the part], we all said, ‘Why should we even look at anybody else?’” Wilmore said.

    Ross claims that her penchant for comedy came from her father, and not her singing mother. “I got it from my father because he’s a Jew from Jersey,” she said.

  • Lolo Jones Is First Person Dropped From New Season Of Dancing With The Stars

    On September 16, the first results show of the new season of hit reality TV series Dancing With The Stars saw its first elimination. Olympic athlete Lolo Jones and partner Keo Motsepe were dropped because of what the judges deemed a stiff performance of the cha cha.

    Jones and Motsepe were one out of two dancing couples threatened with elimination from the show, with designer Betsey Johnson and professional partner Tony Dovolani sharing the stage due to a wardrobe malfunction with a feather boa. However, the way Jones quickly defended herself after her performance might have tipped the scales, since she interrupted the judges and came off as a little rude. Jones and Motsepe ended up being the first pair to be sent home.

    Watch Lolo Jones’ performance on DWTS

    She made a guest appearance on Good Morning America the following morning and explained what happened in her performance. Jones claimed that she missed certain cues, which affected her entire dance routine. “I was waiting for three text message cues, and [Motsepe] was trying to train me saying, ‘Things could happen; you may not have the cue,’ but I felt so rushed. You already have so much anxiety, and it killed me,” she said.

    Interview with Lolo Jones and dance partner Keo Motsepe on GMA

    Jones added that she tried to learn from the experience, even if it was short-lived. “Whenever I go do something tough, I try to take away something. Three Olympics—you have to take away something if you’re not taking away a medal. A lot of people didn’t understand my frustration, but I feel like I let Keo down. He came all the way from South Africa, and I killed our dance,” she said.

    She further explained her ordeal on the show in a Facebook status she posted after the elimination, saying she had flashbacks of “the three Olympics that people constantly tease [her] about.” Jones revealed that she had joined Dancing With the Stars because she wanted to perform well so that haters would stop teasing her, but realized that she didn’t need to work so hard for public validation after she was eliminated.

  • Connie Britton Talks Nashville’s New Season

    Nashville will return to ABC for its third season on September 24th, and cast member Connie Britton says that she is excited for it to air. She opened up about the show and talked about what it’s like to work and live in Nashville.

    “All of us on the cast and crew have been here for over two years. After that amount of time, you really start to feel like home in a place,” the actress, who plays country queen Rayna Jaymes on the show, told Billboard. “Nashville makes it so easy, because this town is so incredibly welcoming and warm. Our show has been so appreciated by everyone here and in the music business in general. People we meet have been so supportive and appreciative of the show, so that helps a lot, too. Everyone in the cast has loved immersing ourselves in this town.”

    “All of the feedback that we get, and the encouragement and support we get helps us to go to work every day and tell these stories so enthusiastically, and in such an inspired way,” she added. “It’s a real joy. If we were shooting this thing anywhere else but Nashville, we would not have that — and we would not get the same enjoyment from it.”

    Britton went on to say that she is more involved in the show than what most people realize and sometimes she evens get to sit down and talk with the writers to help them come up with new ideas.

    “I try to have conversations with the writers, and I try to collaborate with them,” she said. “In the summertime, we try to sit down and have conversations about how the season is going to be. Even so, I will get a script where I go, ‘Oh my gosh, I can’t believe that’s what’s happening!’ Its always fun to see what is really going to happen.”

    Britton said that she had a lot of fun working on the new season and she knows fans will enjoy watching it too.

  • Diane Sawyer Says Goodbye To World News

    Diane Sawyer Says Goodbye To World News

    Last week, Diane Sawyer signed off from World News for the last time.

    Sawyer, who has spent five years on the news show, ended the broadcast with her saying what a privilege it was for her to sit in the World News chair.

    “Now it is time to say goodnight. I want you to know what a deep privilege it has been to sit in the World News chair,” Sawyer said.

    Although Sawyer will not be appearing on the show anymore, she will still be working for the network, conducting interviews and creating specials.

    “I’m not going far. Down the hall and up the stairs,” Sawyer continued. “I am not slowing down. I am gearing up in a new way — already at work on the stories that take you into the real lives around us, the ones we barely get to see.”

    Sawyer started working on World News in 2009. Before her, Charles Gibson hosted, and before him was Elizabeth Vargas and Bob Woodruff, who were co-anchors. Peter Jennings held the position for 20 years until he left in 2005.

    Sawyer will be replaced by David Muir, who she praised in her final goodbye. “You have seen David Muir at this desk, in this chair so many times. You know his command and commitment to bringing you the news,” Sawyer said of her replacement. “I cannot wait to see you in high gear.”

    “So one last time, it is good to know you are watching tonight,” she said, finishing her final segment. “To Mike and the four grandchildren and their perfect parents, I look forward to being home early for some dinners again. And with gratitude for these years, I thank you and I’ll see you right back here on ABC News very soon. Good night.”

  • Elizabeth Vargas And Marc Cohn Divorcing?

    Elizabeth Vargas And Marc Cohn Divorcing?

    Elizabeth Vargas opened up about her struggle with alcohol dependency back in November, and admitted that she had sought treatment in a facility.

    Now, less than a year later, Vargas has announced that she is returning to a rehab facility to undergo treatment once again.

    “While on vacation this weekend, I decided to return to a recovery center,” Vargas said in a statement. “As so many other recovering alcoholics know, overcoming the disease can be a long and incredibly difficult process. I feel I have let myself, my co-workers and most importantly my family down, and for that I am ashamed and sorry.”

    “I am committed to battling and addressing this debilitating disease and want to thank everyone who has offered their unwavering support during this trying time,” she added.

    Vargas has admitted that her struggle with alcohol has taken its toll on her family, including her husband Marc Cohn and her two children Zachary, 11, and Samuel, 8. So far they have stuck beside her, but now it seems that Cohn has decided to call it quits.

    According to a source, the couple, who wed in 2002, have decided to file for divorce. “Marc and Elizabeth are in divorce proceedings,” the source said. “The kids are with him in New York while she seeks treatment.”

    While Cohn may be moving on from his estranged wife, he said he does want her to get better. “On behalf of Elizabeth’s family we are in total support of her recovery and want her to be well,” Cohn told People.

  • Small Appliances Crucial For Dorm Room Success

    It’s early August and in many areas of the country college campuses are clogged with moving vans and smaller vehicles, professors are returning from their summer off, and the fall semester at many Universities and colleges is just beginning.

    Amidst all the talk about academics and college athletics is a decision that faces many new and returning students this semester—how to maximize the amount of space in dorm rooms that Universities and colleges offer.

    In the Bay Area of San Francisco, California, 7 On Your Side (a team associated with an ABC affiliate) teamed up with Consumer Reports to list three crucial small appliance additions to your dorm room. The items selected were based not only on utility but also on how well they maximized space. Dorm rooms are small. No full-sized double-decker refrigerators here.

    Here are the top three small appliances crucial for dorm room success.

    1. The Compact Refrigerator. Known colloquially as the “mini-fridge,” these compact refrigerators serve the importance of storing food—healthy or otherwise—for convenience when the dining halls are closed. Think 2 a.m. snacks or meals after a night out on the town. Many are not energy efficient and only three out of the 26 tested by Consumer Reports made the cut. They’re all from the company Frigidaire and prices start at $200. The good news is they keep food fresh while conserving the much-needed space in a dorm room.

    2. Microwave. College students are not known for their thick pocketbooks and microwaves provide the option of heating up frozen foods that are both tasty and cost-effective. Hot Pockets. Lean Cuisines. Lentils and Teriyaki sauce. Whatever your preference is, having something to warm up your food is nearly as crucial as the compact refrigerator. 7 On Your Side lists a $150 model Kenmore as a great buy and Consumer Reports rated a GE model at $210 a best buy as well.

    3. Coffee-maker. These splendid devices take up scant space and offer the possibilities of an endless stream of caffeine, necessary for a late night studying, or a perk up in the morning, or for an afternoon jump. They are also less costly than Starbucks and other local coffee shops, which sometimes run up to $2 for a cup of unflavored coffee. 7 On Your Side lists Mr. Coffee’s drip coffeemakers, which start around $40, as a strong purchase because, among other reasons, they consistently heat up to the perfect temperature.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Katherine Heigl: Why She Left Grey’s Anatomy

    In 2007, Katherine Heigl married the love of her life in a wedding fit for a princess in the mountains of Utah.

    “It was Narnia, a winter wonderland. It was magic,” Heigl told the September issue of Good Housekeeping of the day she married her husband Josh Kelley.

    Not long after, in 2009, Heigl and Kelley adopted their first child Naleigh. In that same year, Katherine Heigl was one of the most-wanted actresses in Hollywood. She could have worked on basically any project she wanted, but all she really wanted to do was stay at home with her young daughter.

    “I would come home angry and frustrated that I’d missed everything with my kid that day,” Heigl said. “I didn’t get to wake her up from her nap, or do bath time or bedtime. I’d have to sneak into her room and kiss her when she was sleeping, hoping not to wake her up.”

    Her role as Izzy on Grey’s Anatomy was controlling most of her life and taking up the majority of her time. It was then that Katherine knew she had to make a change in her life. “I felt like my priorities were messed up,” she added. “I was putting so much time and energy into just my work, but I was raised [to believe] that family comes first.”

    Heigl first took a few months off from Grey’s Anatomy, but later decided to end her time on the show completely because she was enjoying spending her time with her family. Heigl and Kelley wanted to adopt another child and live a quieter life, and she knew she couldn’t do that while working on ABC’s hit show.

    “We had big dreams of expanding our family, moving to the mountains and having a quieter life,” Heigl said. That is exactly what they did. In 2012, Heigl and Kelley adopted their second child, a daughter Adalaide. “Naleigh would go off to her ballet classes and other stuff, and I would sit with the baby at home. I would read, and she would lie on my chest, and we’d lie on the couch with, like, four dogs, and watch ‘Friday Night Lights,’” she said. “I found it so peaceful.”

    Now, five years later, Heigl has returned to television with a role on State of Affairs; her first big television appearance since Grey’s Anatomy.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Meagan Good Won’t Replace Kerry Washington on Scandal: It Was Just a Hoax

    Relax Scandal fans: Meagan Good won’t be replacing Kerry Washington on the hit ABC political drama after all.

    The website Cream BMP Daily caused a stir recently when it reported that Good (Anchorman 2, Think Like a Man) would replace Washington after the Scandal star refused to accept a pay decrease set forth to offset rising production costs.

    The website, whose About page says it’s “comprised of satire and parody of current news and urban culture,” included a fictitious quote from Scandal showrunner Shonda Rhimes:

    “Let’s be honest $300,000 per episode is not like we were putting her in the poor house.”

    Supposedly Rhimes said of Good: “Where Meagan lacks in acting she makes up in sex-appeal so we believe she’ll bring a larger male demographic to an already female driven show.”

    Scandal fans turned to social media to declare their outrage before learning the article was just a hoax.

    The series, which debuted in April 2012, boasts a strong following. Fans are currently awaiting the September 25 premiere of season four.

    Rhimes recently revealed that she knows when the series will end:

    “I’ve already decided when Scandal is ending. I think there’s only so much Scandal you can tell satisfactorily,” she said. “The Fitz-Liv thing can only be told so long and in such a way. It’s not a 10-season or eight-season show. I’ve already decided how long that is and what that’s going to be.”

    Rhimes, whose impressive resume includes Grey’s Anatomy and Private Practice, has said fans will see even more of Washington in season four now that the show’s leading lady has given birth and they aren’t working around her pregnancy.

    “… now that we have the ability to use Kerry the way we need to use her, it means we get to bring everything back to our core in a way that we had in season two and one,” Rhimes said. “… we’re very excited to get back to Olivia-centric storytelling.”

    In more reliable and less satirical news, one cast member won’t be returning for season four.

    In April Columbus Short, who plays Harrison Wright on the show, announced his exit from the show:

    “At this time I must confirm my exit from a show I’ve called home for three years, with what is the most talented ensemble on television today. I would like to first thank Shonda Rhimes for the opportunity to work with such an amazing cast … Thank you … to ABC and Shondaland for allowing me to play such a pivotal role in the Scandal series. I have enjoyed every single minute of it. Everything must come to an end and unfortunately the time has come for Harrison Wright to exit the canvas. I wish nothing but the best for Shonda, Kerry and the rest of the cast …”

    According to Rhimes, Short’s “absence will be explained definitively. What you think happened to his character happened to his character.”

    And while Meagan Good won’t be joining the cast, we know of at least one person who will. Ellen Degeneres posted a tweet earlier today alluding to the fact that her wife Portia de Rossi (Arrested Development, Ally McBeal, Nip/Tuck) will guest star in the upcoming season:

    Image via YouTube

  • Katherine Heigl Doesn’t See Herself as Being “Difficult”

    Katherine Heigl took the opportunity to address accusations that she’s a difficult actress to work with during her appearance at NBC’s Television Critics Association summer press tour on Sunday.

    “I certainly don’t see myself as being difficult. I would never intend to be difficult,” Heigl said when asked to address rumors that have circulated for a few years now.

    “I think it’s important to everybody to conduct themselves professionally and respectfully and kindly, so if I’ve ever disappointed somebody, it was never intentional.”

    In September 2013 The Hollywood Reporter published an article in which several sources were quoted as saying that both Heigl and her mother Nancy were extremely difficult to work with.

    “She can cost you time every single day of shooting,” an insider said. “Wardrobe issues, not getting out of the trailer, questioning the script every single day.”

    The source went on to criticize Heigl’s mother:

    “I have never experienced anything like Nancy Heigl … It’s about the mouth. ‘F— you. You are a f—ing liar.’ … Whatever you’d say, you were an idiot.”

    Back in 2008 Heigl said that her mother managed “everything – finances, agents, lawyers, publicists, contacts with studios, producers, all of it.”

    Heigl had nothing but praise for her mother:

    “She didn’t care if she made any friends in this town. Her job was to protect me and to be very fierce in defending me. I always have one person saying, ‘If you don’t want to do it, you don’t have to do it.’ … My mother was the only one who thought what I wanted was important.

    She is really smart and really savvy, and she refuses to make choices based on fear. This is a fear-dominated industry; it’s about rise and fall, and my mother refuses to be intimidated by that. This is all a game of chicken, and my mother is really good at chicken.”

    Not everyone agrees that Heigl is such a difficult actress to work with, including Greg Berlanti (Arrow, Brothers & Sisters) who directed her in Life as We Know It:

    “I would work with her again in a heartbeat. She’s an amazing actress, and her in a TV show that’s a great idea and well executed would be something I would watch and would feel lucky to work on myself.”

    Anthony Burns, who directed Heigl in the upcoming low-budget comedy North of Hell, defended both the actress and her mother:

    “I’m from Texas. I like honesty and to be cool and have a beer and laugh, and they are most definitely like that.”

    Burns described Heigl as “a good old girl who likes to speak her mind.”

    Many believe that Heigl will attempt to restore her professional image with her recent return to the small screen.

    “She’s really determined to put everything behind her,” said an unnamed studio executive. “The only way to do that is to go to work in film or television with good people and for those people to have good things to report back. And it’s not an overnight thing.”

    The small screen venture is NBC’s CIA drama titled State of Affairs. Heigl stars as an agent who is brought in from the field to be the president’s (played by Alfre Woodard) daily briefer.

    And mother and daughter continue to work together: Heigl and Nancy are two of the executive producers of the series, which is set to air November 17.

    State of Affairs marks Heigl’s first television role since she starred as Dr. Izzie Stevens in Grey’s Anatomy from 2005 to 2010. Her work on the long-running ABC series made her a household name and earned her an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons