WebProNews

Tag: network TV

  • Megan Hilty Cast in NBC’s ‘Sean Saves the World

    Megan Hilty, the actress best-known for role as the witch Glinda in the Broadway musical Wicked, has been cast in a new NBC comedy Sean Saves the World. Hilty recently performed on the NBC musical drama Smash.

    Sean Saves the World stars Sean Hayes as a divorced father whose 14-year-old daughter, played by Sami Isler, moves in with him. Hayes is best-known for his role as Jack McFarland on the NBC sitcom Will & Grace. He also co-starred with Hilty on three episodes of Smash.

    Hayes’ character struggles to balance his new parenting responsibilities with a demanding job and boss, played by Reno 911‘s Thomas Lennon. Sean’s mother, played by Linda Lavin, also shows up to criticize his parenting abilities. Hilty has been cast as the character of Liz, Sean’s best friend.

    The show is set to air this fall in the coveted 9 pm Thursday night time slot.

    After starring in Wicked and 9 to 5: The Musical, Hilty began her TV career with small roles in shows such as The Closer, Ugly Betty, CSI, Desperate Housewives, and Bones. In addition to her new role in Sean Saves the World, Hilty also voices the character J.D. on the Nickelodeon show Robot and Monster.

    Hilty announced her excitement on landing the new role in a recent post to her Twitter account:

    This past weekend, Hilty appeared on the 67th Annual Tony Awards, singing in a musical number about Broadway performers who have appeared on cancelled TV shows:

  • Levine Caught Saying, ‘I Hate This Country’ on ‘The Voice’

    NBC’s The Voice is the network’s answer to Fox’s ultra-popular network TV karaoke competition American Idol. Just like American Idol, fans of the show get some input on the outcome, voting on who they want to stay or go in any given week. This can be frustrating for judges on The Voice, who also serve as a coach for a team of contestants.

    This week, judge and Maroon 5 singer Adam Levine got frustrated with fans’ choices, and was caught saying, “I hate this country” live on TV. The comment came just after Levine realized that either Judith Hill or Sarah Simmons (or both) would be eliminated from the competition. The comment can be heard at around the 1:14 mark in the video below:

    As it turns out, both Hill and Simmons – early favorites – were eliminated. Levine had been coaching both of the contestants for weeks. Only one contestant that Levine coached, Amber Carrington, moved on to the top 6.

    Levine, through his Twitter account, has indicated that he was merely joking about hating his home country. He posted definitions for the words joke, humorless, lighthearted, and misunderstand:

    (Image courtesy gashleygoh/Wikimedia Commons)

  • Kellie Pickler Wins ‘Dancing With the Stars’

    Months of dancing and training all led up to one final episode of Dancing With the Stars. Now, Kellie Pickler has been crowned the latest champion of ABC’s network TV ballroom dancing competition.

    Pickler won the final round of Dancing With the Stars by out-dancing Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman and actress Zendaya Coleman. Along the way she also survived the competition while stars such as Wynonna Judd, D.L. Hughley, Dorothy Hamill, and Andy Dick. Pickler’s dancing partner on the show was Derek Hough, a four-time winner of the competition and the brother of two-time Dancing With the Stars winner Julianne Hough.

    This is not the first experience Pickler has had with reality TV. The country singer first gained fame in 2006 as a contestant on Fox’s American Idol karaoke competition. Since that time, Pickler has gone on to produce several hit country songs, including “Red High Heels” and “I Wonder.” She has also appeared in the pages of Maxim magazine, stripping down in tribute to U.S. soldiers in the magazine’s “Salute to the Military” special issue in 2012.

    Pickler was elated with her victory, jumping up and screaming at the announcement. The singer has already taken to Twitter to thank her fans for voting:

  • Nicki Minaj Leaving American Idol [RUMOR]

    One week ago, veteran American Idol judge Randy Jackson announced that he will not be returning for the 13th season of the hit network TV show. Jackson was the last remaining of the original three judges on the show, which also included Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell.

    Now, it appears that another current judge will not be returning for another year of American Idol.

    According to an Us Weekly report, pop star Nicki Minaj will not be returning as a judge in the next season of the show. The report cites an unnamed “insider” as saying Minaj will instead be cutting another album, touring, and accepting endorsements. It was also stated that she had only expected to judge on one season of American Idol.

    Minaj’s stint on American Idol has been tinged with scandal. The singer has had a not-so-secret feud with fellow judge Mariah Carey and Minaj last month taunted one of the contestants that had been recently voted off the show via Twitter.

  • Robin Williams CBS Comedy Coming This Fall

    CBS Entertainment today announced its new fall lineup, which includes an emphasis on the network‘s comedy programming.

    One of the more interesting new comedies announced is The Crazy Ones, a new show featuring comedian Robin Williams and Sarah Michelle Gellar of Buffy the Vampire Slayer fame. The show will premiere this fall in the 9:00 EST slot, just after The Big Bang Theory and The Millers, a new comedy starring Arrested Development‘s Will Arnett. It is being produced by David E. Kelley, the Emmy Award-winning creator of shows such as Ally McBeal, Boston Legal, The Practice, and Chicago Hope.

    The Crazy Ones will be a single-camera comedy about the head of an advertising agency named Simon Roberts (Williams), whose eccentric behavior is matched only by his skill in advertising. Gellar will play Sydney Roberts, Simon’s daughter and business partner, whose ambition and work ethic put her at odds with her father. The pair are joined by a varied cast of employees played by James Wolk, Hamish Linklater, and Amanda Setton.

    Last month, Williams teased fans by tweeting out several photos from the set of The Crazy Ones:

  • Steve Carell Returning For ‘The Office’ Finale After All?

    As the finale of The Office approaches, speculation is growing on where the show’s characters will end up and what the ending will be for what was once the most popular comedy on network TV.

    As a major part of the show’s success before leaving in 2011, it seemed like a given that Steve Carell would return to reprise his role as ineffectual manager Michael Scott. However, last week The Office Executive Producer Greg Daniels stated that Carell will not be a part of the show, saying that Carell felt it wouldn’t fit the character.

    Now, however, the rumor of Carell’s return is back, despite the denial. TVLine is reporting that Daniels’ statement was a ruse, and that Michael Scott will, in fact, be making a cameo in the final episode of The Office. The publication’s unnamed sources have stated that his appearance in the episode will be very brief.

    It seems only fitting that Carell should be seen in the series’ finale. His character was one of the most important on the show, a linchpin that held The Office together. Despite Will Ferrell coming on as the big-name replacement for Carell in the show’s seventh season, ratings for The Office have fallen since the departure of Michael Scott.

  • No Steve Carell For The Office Finale

    No Steve Carell For The Office Finale

    The popular U.S. version of TV comedy The Office is finally ending its eight-year run.

    The Office, which is the American spin-off of the British Ricky Gervais/Stephen Merchant comedy of the same name, caught on with American viewers largely due to Carell’s Michael Scott character. Carell left the show in 2011, and ratings have been falling ever since.

    So, when it comes to the big finale, the question on everyone’s mind is whether Carell will be making a guest appearance as Scott. Unfortunately for long-time fans, it doesn’t appear that Carell will even be making a cameo in the final episode.

    A Reuters report on a conference call with The Office Executive Producer Greg Daniels states definitively that Carell will not be a part of the finale. Daniels stated that Carell felt his final episode on the show was a good end for his character.

    The final episode of The Office will air on May 16 and will be an hour long. Daniels revealed that the finale will be patterned after the the finale of the British series, in which the characters meet again after becoming famous.

  • Glee: School Shooting Episode Gets Mixed Reviews

    [Author’s Note: Spoilers ahead]

    Network TV viewers who are still following the Fox show Glee got quite a treat Thursday evening. The only problem is, the consensus is still out on whether it was salty or sweet.

    This week’s Glee featured a ‘school shooting’ of sorts. Though no one is injured, two shots ring out through McKinley High. In the aftermath of the shooting, a flashback reveals the shooter’s identity, and shows why a well-loved teacher takes the blame for the incident.

    Fans of the episode are calling it a bold step for a network TV show, while critics are trashing the episode as exploitative and insensitive toward families who just months ago lost children in the Newtown elementary school shooting. The comments being left on Twitter show the mixed reaction of fans:

  • Kevin Bacon: Apology Issued For Spoiler Post

    [Author’s Note: This post contains the same spoilers Bacon has apologized for]

    Along with the instant, worldwide capabilities of the web has come the dreaded accidental spoiler. In the past, fans of a TV series would have to actively search for spoilers, but now every Tweet or blog post brings with it the risk of having the latest twists ruined.

    This week, actor Kevin Bacon demonstrated this new reality perfectly, while also demonstrating why localized, staggered release schedules for content will only become more problematic as more of the world becomes connected.

    Bacon currently stars in the Fox network TV show The Following, a drama that follows an ex-FBI agent named Ryan Hardy as he helps his colleagues catch serial killers. In the latest episode, which aired in the U.S. on April 8, it is revealed that Hardy himself may be a killer.

    The twist surprised fans, and Bacon retweeted one fan’s surprise to his Twitter page:

    Unfortunately, fans of the show in some countries that aren’t the U.S. haven’t gotten the chance to watch that episode yet. They immediately let Bacon know he had screwed up, in the polite way that angry people on the internet normally do.

    Bacon has now issued an apology, which in includes a short Vine video in which the actor issues a repeated mea culpa:

    (Image courtesy Genevieve/Wikimedia Commons)

  • Kendra Wilkinson Quits ‘Splash’ Over Fear of Heights

    Kendra Wilkinson may be skilled at modeling, but it turns out that high-diving isn’t her thing. This week, the former Playboy model was failed to make her dive on the new ABC reality show Splash, which features celebrities learning how to dive.

    Wilkinson successfully made a dive on the show’s previous episode, but got cold feet on this week’s high-dive attempt. She stood on the top of the platform and began to cry as her co-diver, Rory Bushfield (a professional skier by trade), attempted to encourage her to dive. Eventually, Wilkinson decided that she could not get over her fear of heights and would not be diving. The host informed her that she would be eliminated from the show as she repeatedly said, “I’m sorry” to the live audience.

    After the show, Wilkinson took to Twitter to explain her anxiety and apologize to her fans. She also fended off the heavy criticism that was tweeted her way. She explained that signing up for the show was a “big mistake” and that she had thought about quitting during last week’s episode.

  • Matt Lauer: ABC Rumored to Have Courted Him For Daytime Show With Katie Couric

    Ever since Ann Curry was forced out of her position at the Today Show last year, the show has been losing viewers and Matt Lauer’s reputation has been taking a nose dive. Whether or not Lauer was responsible for Curry’s firing isn’t clear, but her replacement with the younger Savannah Guthrie rubbed fans the wrong way.

    This week, yet another wrinkle in the tale of the Today Show anchor drama has been revealed.

    New York Magazine this week published an expose on Lauer and the Today Show that details the anchor’s flirtation with jumping ship from NBC to ABC. According to the report, Lauer was speaking with ABC to develop a daytime TV show hosted by Katie Couric and himself, just like the old days. This was around the time rumors of Lauer being replaced by Ryan Seacrest were making the rounds. Lauer was to be a host on the daytime show and an on-air news personality for ABC, which the network hoped would help Good Morning America beat the Today Show.

    The talks evidently broke down because Lauer ended them. He had been offered a substantial contract to stay on at the Today Show, where Curry would soon be out.

  • Pauley Perrette Ex-Husband Faces Jail Time For Restraining Order Violation

    Network TV star Pauley Perrette was officially divorced from her first husband in 2006, but her marital troubles have only seemed to continue.

    TMZ is reporting that Perrette’s ex-husband, Coyote Shivers, has violated his restraining order. The musician has been charged with violating a court order and violating his probation, which he was placed on for sending “harassing” emails to Perrette’s lawyer.

    The violations stem from an altercation between Shivers and Perrette at a sushi restaurant in L.A. last month. The two argued, though Shivers has stated the run-in was an accident. Shivers could face up to 18 months in jail if convicted.

    Perrette has landed roles in numerous TV shows and movies, such as The Ring and Almost Famous, throughout the 90s and 00s. She currently stars in the hit CBS Show NCIS, on which she plays Abby Sciuto, a forensic scientist.

    Shivers is a musician who has played with bands such as Sharkskin and The Dave Rave Conspiracy. He is also an actor, and is best known for his roles in the movies Empire Records and Jonny Mnemonic.

    (Image Courtesy Angela George/Wikimedia Commons)

  • Ted Danson’s Daughter To Appear On ‘CSI’

    Ted Danson’s Daughter To Appear On ‘CSI’

    Last week, CBS Entertainment announced that actor Ted Danson has signed on for two more years on the network TV show CSI. His character, D.B. Russel, will continue to be on the crime mystery show during season 14, along with co-stars Elisabeth Shue, George Eads, and others. This week, an actress Danson is very close to personally revealed that she will also be guest-starring on CSI this season.

    Speaking with WENN, Kate Danson, daughter of Ted Danson, stated that she will be guest-starring in an upcoming episode of CSI. The 33-year-old actress said that shooting the appearance was “fun” and that it was the first time the father-daughter couple had worked together professionally.

    In her appearance on CSI, Kate Danson will play a lawyer who challenges the CSI team over legal issues. The episode is scheduled to air in April.

    (Image courtesy BankingBurn/Wikimedia Commons)

  • Ted Danson to Return to CSI in Season 14

    CBS Entertainment today announced that CSI: Crime Scene Investigation has been renewed for its 14th season, which will air in 2013 and 2014. The hit show has been airing on CBS since 2000.

    The studio also announced that star Ted Danson will be returning to the show. The Cheers actor has signed on for two more years with the network show. Actress Elisabeth Shue will also return for the show’s 14th season.

    “CSI is synonymous with CBS, and we are so proud of the series’ creative and commercial legacy and its continued success on our Network,” said Nina Tassler, president of CBS Entertainment. “The writers and producers have done an amazing job evolving CSI, reinventing the show around an incredible leading man in Ted Danson, the acclaimed Elisabeth Shue and our beloved and talented core of original cast members.”

    Danson has played the character D.B. Russel on the crime mystery show for the past two seasons. Other returning cast members include George Eads, Jorja Fox, Eric Szmanda, Paul Guilfoyle, Robert David Hall, Wallace Langham, Elisabeth Harnois, David Berman and Jon Wellner.

    (Image courtesy BankingBurn/Wikimedia Commons)

  • Eddie Murphy Gets Beverly Hills Cop TV Show Cameo

    It’s been known since last fall that Eddie Murphy is trying to resurrect Beverly Hills Cop as a network TV show. The comedian/actor is producing the show, which will star character Axel Foley’s son.

    At the time it was announced, Murphy speculated that Axel Foley would be the chief of police in Detroit and would “show up here and there” in the pilot episode. Now, it has been confirmed that Murphy and his Beverly Hills Cop co-star Judge Reinhold will both make cameos in the TV show’s pilot episode.

    Reuters is reporting that Murphy will reprise his role as Axel Foley and Reinhold will again be playing Billy Rosewood, who “has scored a big promotion from his old job.” Brandon T. Jackson, who played Alpa Chino in the 2008 movie Tropic Thunder, will be playing Foley’s son. The pilot is being filmed for CBS.

  • Stern to Replace Fallon? Late Night Rumors Heat Up

    With NBC’s primetime lineup tanking and Jay Leno set to retire from The Tonight Show in 2014, NBC execs must be scrambling to find someone popular to put on TV. Jimmy Fallon is the odds-on favorite to take the Tonight Show reins, but the latest late night NBC programming rumors about who could take Fallon’s place might surprise some.

    The New York Post is now reporting that “shock jock” Howard Stern could be taking Fallon’s Place on Late Night. The Post cites an unnamed source “who knows [Stern] well” as saying NBC executives have warmed up to Stern, who is currently a judge on the NBC show America’s Got Talent.

    Also, Stern’s wife, Beth Ostrosky Stern, told the newspaper that she would support a move by her husband to late night TV.

    Since the retirement of Johnny Carson in 1992, the politics surrounding late night hosting duties at NBC has been fraught with scandal. David Letterman, the host of Late Night with David Letterman at the time, was passed over in favor of Jay Leno. When Jay Leno gave up The Tonight Show in 2009, Conan O’Brien briefly hosted the show before being ousted in favor of Leno taking back control of the show.

    (Image via Howard Stern’s Twitter page)

  • Gillian Anderson Pilot Ordered by NBC

    TV Guide this week reported that Gillian Anderson, best known for her role as Dana Scully in X-Files, has been cast in a TV pilot for NBC.

    Cast alongside Anderson is Rachael Taylor, known for her work on Grey’s Anatomy, Charlie’s Angels, and 666 Park Avenue. According to TV Guide, Anderson and Taylor will play sisters in the new show, with Taylor starring as an FBI agent and Anderson starring as the CEO of a major company.

    The show, which doesn’t have a title yet, will involve Washington D.C. blackmail, conspiracy, and law enforcement agencies such as the FBI and Secret Service. It’s a conceit that sounds vaguely similar to Showtime’s hit show Homeland. The show is being headed by Rand Ravich, known as the writer/director of The Astronaut’s Wife and the executive producer of the NBC series Life.

    NBC had better hope that their Ravich project or other pilots, such as Hatfields & McCoys, turn out well, because the network’s peacock feathers are beginning to fade. Just last week NBC was projected to come in fifth in the ratings sweeps that took place between January 31 and February 19. Though shows such as The Biggest Loser and The Office received modest ratings, failures such as Do No Harm and 1600 Penn pulled the network below the ratings for Spanish-language network Univision.

  • NBC Falls to Fifth Place After Poor Sweeps Showing

    Deadline this week is reporting that NBC is projected to fall to fifth place among adults ages 18 to 49 after a dismal sweeps showing.

    While CBS raked in ratings for established shows such as The Big Bang Theory and Two and a Half Men, as well as the its coverage of this year’s Super Bowl. Fox continued to ride the success of American Idol, but NBC averaged only a 1.2 rating in the key adult demographic from January 31 to February 19. As Deadline points out, that’s lower than the ratings Spanish-lauguage station Univision has seen over the same period.

    New NBC shows such as Do No Harm and 1600 Penn have been ratings failures. The only shows NBC seems to have that garner even moderate ratings are The Biggest Loser and The Office.

    Networks have the money and exposure to provide free TV entertainment to millions of Americans, but as the country becomes more connected those same networks are becoming less relevant. The NBC Facebook page, for example, has only around 400,000 “Likes,” while Netflix has over 3.7 million. Now that Netflix has demonstrated through House of Cards that it can provide popular premium TV programming without getting it from other content producers, networks should be scrambling to make themselves more relevant – and available – online.