TV with MeeVee

They Must Mean "Tila Tequila"

Reuters: Taliban insurgents have ordered residents of a province near the capital Kabul to stop watching television, saying the networks were showing un-Islamic programs.

"Caprica" and "Eureka" Casting Nuggets

It's the time of year when all the casting news starts trickling out of our favorite scifi shows and scifi shows to be. Today, two tidbits from The Scifi Channel:

"Eureka" will be picking up the lovely and talented Frances Fisher. Fisher ("In The Valley Of Elah") will be playing Samantha Thorne, a Global Dynamics "fixer" who will appear for an eight-episode plot arc. No doubt she'll be on hand to sweep up the many, many complicated messes that the residents of Eureka manage to make. I bet she and the sheriff will get along just fine.

"Battlestar Galactica" fans are waiting with bated breath for any news on the upcoming "Caprica" prequel. Will it be awesome? Will it suck? Will it have Eric Stoltz? The last question, at least, can finally be answered. Stoltz will play Daniel Graystone, a filthy rich computer engineer with a terrible tragedy in his history. I'm sure that rosy, happy things will happen to him, and he definitely won't help to build a robot race that will eventually obliterate humanity.

Scifi Channel Nabs Deal To Air Ghost Whisperer

Fans of Jennifer Love Hewitt and ghosts rejoice, the show made just for you will be in reruns on The Scifi Channel. Scifi has inked a big juicy deal with CBS to rerun "Ghost Whisperer" along with some other favorites from the CBS catalogue including; "Star Trek: TNG," "Charmed," "Early Edition," "Highlander," "Mork & Mindy," and "Friday the 13th: The Series." "Ghost Whisperer" will begin airing in four-hour primetime chunks in the Fall of 2009; this year, "TNG" will re-premiere on Monday, June 2nd. No word on when or if any of the other properties will make it to the airwaves.

It may be wrong, but I'm tickled pink about the potential return of "Friday the 13th." "Ghost Whisperer" is fine and dandy, but "Friday the 13th" is the flavor of a youth misspent watching too much scifi and horror. Did anyone else love this series? Maybe "Mork & Mindy" is more your speed, or the cult favorite "Highlander?" What are you hoping Scifi will bring back?

"Smallville": Lex Out, New Villains In

After seven seasons of bald, handsome villainy, Michael Rosenbaum is ready to take a break from playing the Junior Miss edition of one of the most famous supervillains. In a press release Thursday, Michael announced his plans to leave "Smallville" and the character of Lex Luthor behind him, which might be good for his career but leaves the poor boy of steel in a bit of a lurch. Will Superman without Lex be like Sonny without Cher, or will the show soldier gamely on without him? I've never been a religious follower of "Smallville," but it always seemed to be that Luthor was one of the best elements of the show. The producers seem willing to hint that he'll at least be back around for guest spots, however, so at least there's some hope.

Along with the bad news, we get a bit of the good. A few new villains are slated for the possibly final season of the show, including Doomsday who's famous for killing Superman and being really, really silly looking. Also waiting in the wings, a female villain who is described - presumably with a straight face - as "intelligent, brilliantly manipulative and dangerously sinister" whose "attraction with Clark may prove to be as deadly as kryptonite for him."

TV Imitates TV Imitating TV: A Real "MILF Island?"

At this point, there is basically no parody of reality television so broad that we can trust that someone won't think it's a genuinely good idea. Just a few weeks after the brilliant "30 Rock" had a gag show-within-the-show called "MILF Island," TV Land has announced its plan to create well, almost exactly that. The as yet unnamed project will center around a bunch of young men who will try to win the heart of a "sexy and accomplished mature woman." Since there's no mention of her children, I suppose technically she's a cougar and not a MILF, which is way classier. I have no doubt that TV Land will give this topic the sensitive, tasteful treatment that it deserves.

David Blaine Breaks Record; World Rolls Collective Eyes

Don't look now, but David Blaine has performed another pointless stunt of human endurance/freakitude. Today on "Oprah," the Blainester held his breath for just over 17 minutes, breaking the world's record and realizing what only he would call a lifelong dream. Will someone please tell me why he won't just go away? Does anyone remember "David Blaine: Street Magic?" That brief moment when David Blaine's cleverness outweighed the massiveness of his ego seems long, long gone now. Now, all that remains of the card-tricking, levitating weirdo is a bloated self-image and a freaky stare.

Funnyordie.com has a whole series of videos that lampoon Blaine with painful accuracy - they're screamingly funny. But be warned, they are only safe for work if your work is okay with people screaming obscenities at the tops of their lungs.

"Sports Night" Gets A Little 10th Anniversary Love

Everybody's got a few pet shows that were cancelled too soon. They make us raise our fists to the sky and curse network execs everywhere, but thanks to DVD they live on in our hearts forever. "Sports Night" is one of those shows for me, as well as many other fans of the fast-talking, fast-walking style of Aaron Sorkin. There was a no-frills DVD package put out in 2002, but it's out-of-print and impossible to find. Fortunately for us True Fans, there's a rumor that we'll get a 10th anniversary edition.

The 1998 series only lasted a season and a half, but unlike "Studio 60," Sorkin's other short-lived behind-the-camera series, it was really excellent television that didn't deserve to get chased off the screen. Set in a "Sportscenter"-esque late night sports news show, the show was a little too serious for its half-hour format and a little too funny for a drama. It starred Felicity Huffman before she became a Really Big Deal, along with Robert Guilliame, Joshua Malina (later recycled to "The West Wing"), the adorable Peter Krause ("Six Feet Under" and now "Dirty Sexy Money") and the adorabler Josh Charles (who you remember best from "Dead Poets Society" if you're anything like me), along with many others. If this 10th anniversary rumor becomes a reality, go forth and rent or buy it.

"Mad Men" Will Return In July

AMC scored a surprise critical hit with their first original series, "Mad Men," a lush period piece about Madison Avenue advertising executives in the '60s. Like just about everyone else who saw it, I fell in love with the tense, quiet drama of "Mad Men" and the exquisitely crafted recreation of a place and time full of cigarettes and sexism. Luckily for me, and you, AMC knows which side its bread is buttered on, and they've announced that the show will return sometime in July. AMC hasn't given us a specific date for the premiere, but the season 1 DVD - with its super sweet packaging - will be in stores July first. If you missed the first season, catch it on DVD, "Mad Men" is just swell.

Deadliest Reality TV Scandals

The boat flooded in September, but the roughest seas were from October, and "Deadliest Catch" post-production editors spliced them together to make it look like they'd happened at the same time. Scandal! Sort of. Those crab-fishermen are still out there, there are still waves, and there is still flooding. Only the order and dramatization are in question. Still, people seem outraged that a bastion of honesty in entertainment would have used post-production editing tricks  to punch up the drama, instead of relying on the more conventional "somber narrator and tendentious music" strategies that at least are obvious.

Nobody, however, seems to be surprised that the Pentagon paid analysts to punch up the drama before and during the most recent US invasion in Iraq, and to soften criticisms of American human-rights violations. Those analysts, of course, didn't disclose their conflicts of interest, and even if they had, mere disclosure doesn't stop an influence from being malign. It's totally fine, though, because we know that TV news is entirely made up.

Sean Penn somberly narrates the following explanation of the military PR offensive that lead up to the military shooting offensive.

Moore Develops Show For Fox; Fans Hold Breath

It looks like "Battlestar Galactica's" Ron Moore (right) is jumping on board the FoxWagon. Moore is reportedly developing a series called "Virtuality," and can I be the first to lodge a "that's a stupid name" complaint? It's about a dozen deep space astronauts who are stuck in space for ten years and turn to virtual reality to keep themselves entertained. So basically it's "Star Trek: Holodecks Gone Wild."

They've got a word for scifi shows on Fox that aren't "The X-Files," and it's not a nice one. No fan hears the words scifi and Fox in the same sentence without starting to twitch and mumble about "Firefly" under their breath. It looks like this fall Fox is turning its attention to scifi in a big way, so we can look forward to at least a couple of brilliant shows that we pick up the "complete series box set" for a couple months later. "Lost's" JJ Abrams is working on "Fringe," which at least sounds enough like "The X-Files" to have a fighting chance, and of course Joss Whedon, who apparently is enough of an optimist to try it again despite being the index case for Fox's mishandling of genre shows, is putting together the decidedly creepy and awesome sounding "Dollhouse." I'm going to start a pool to see if any of them survive a first season, who's got a bet?

"Meeting David Wilson" On MSNBC

We don't usually get serious here on TV With MeeVee, but "Meeting David Wilson" looks too awesome to pass up. David Wilson, a young African-American man living in Newark, New Jersey, explores the history of his family and his community, and of the relationships between Black and White Americans.

One crucial stop is a meeting with someone else named David Wilson, an older white man whose ancestors owned Wilson's ancestors. They might even be related.

It's not a comedy. It's not funny. But once you've seen it, you'll be able to watch "Big Brother" without feeling guilty.

Katie Couric Does Hamlet: To Leave Or Not To Leave

Yesterday's news reports of an early 2009 Katie Couric exit from CBS News drew denials from network execs, who swear they're happy with her shitty ratings newscast. But the Times reports this morning that the whole situation has mushroomed to the point that Couric might split before the presidential election. One exit strategy - taking over Larry King's CNN gig. Not sure Larry will be happy about that suggestion. Meanwhile, Time's James Poniewozik explicates Couric's ratings failure as part of a larger trend, the decline of the network evening newscast. Nobody is worth $15 million a year in the anchor chair anymore, he says. Nobody.

I Don't Know What's Going On In This Video

It appears to my untutored eye, and through the poor video quality, that ethnic Tibetans are trashing ethnic Han shops in an effort to get China to pull out of Tibet. Or vice versa. Or maybe the police are punishing the populace for protests. I'm not sure who's hurting whom here. I'm pretty certain that things are out of hand, though, and that something is horribly, horribly wrong.

Anderson Cooper Swears There Were No Fisticuffs With Charlie Rose

Just Jared says that news heartthrob Anderson Cooper has issued a joking denial that a few stitches on his face were the result of a fistfight with fellow newsman Charlie Rose. He says they're from the removal of a possibly cancerous growth.

Rose has recently attracted notice for his badly bruised face, an injury he attributes to a simple fall sustained while carrying a laptop.

Obviously, I'm unable to take these statements at face value. I don't want to leap to domestic violence conclusions, though. It could also be a newshound's drinking session gone horribly wrong. I'd blame Steve-O's influence for this, but Steve-O's been in rehab - maybe they're been hanging with Johnny Knoxville and Bam Margera? Are they investigating an underground boxing club? Or maybe it's a prank, possibly arranged in collaboration with Ashton Kutcher?

I pledge to do whatever it takes to find out, unless it means I have to get out of my chair.

Alleged Friends Of Alleged Call-Girl That Dethroned Eliot Spitzer

Ashley "Kristen" Dupre was an aspiring musician, and her fellow musicians were totally surprised that her day-job wasn't working in a record store or cafe, they told Meredith Viera on the "Today" show. Best part: Meredith calling the ex-governor of New York "Eliot Spritzer." Yeah, that's one way of putting it...

MeeVee: Now With TiVo!

The partnership between two companies with MixedCase names was obvious from the beginning, so it was only a matter of time until TiVo and MeeVee  joined forces.

As of today, TiVo users can record shows from anywhere by clicking "Record On My TiVo DVR" from any episode listing in the MeeVee guide and all the other parts of the site. No need to be near the TV at all!

Hooray for TiVo!

This Is Going To Sound Really Mean

But I thought Dick Clark was already dead. Apparently not- he had a stroke in '04 but has since recovered admirably, and will be co-hosting his New Year's Rockin' Eve thing with Ryan "I'll Host Anything" Seacrest.

It still seems a little weird to see a man his age up that late. My grandmother goes to bed at about seven. And he looks... creepy. He's like a friendly, but equally ghoulish, version of Dick Cheney.

Manny Ramirez Is Sorry You're Missing Your Show

For the next few nights, those of you who share televisions with sports fans will have your shows interrupted by some kind of long-lasting sports event. Do not be afraid. It's called the World Series, and it will be over soon, we promise.

Fortunately, it's on Fox, so it's not going to preempt any shows worth watching, just things like "Back To You" and "Til Death."

The real trouble is that, in contrast to the Super Bowl, the World Series can go on for up to seven nights, and rarely comes with any cool ads to watch during the breaks. Also, if you only watch sports to see chiseled men in tight pants wrestling, you're not going to find much of that here: the pants aren't as tight, and some of the guys are a lot less chiseled.

However, you may find the following information useful if you are forced to discuss it at some sort of party or something:

Morning Linkage: Aniston, Underwood, Montag

Jennifer Aniston is in this month's Harper's Bazaar, and PopSugar has pix.

"Idol" star Carrie Underwood says she's not dating Tony Romo, but that she'd try and keep any new relationships quiet as they got started. (Socialite's Life)

Heidi and Spencer are fighting fires and fleeing for their lives, says People.  Is it uncharitable of me to admit I kind of hoped that at least their careers would catch fire and disappear in a puff of smoke?

Stephen Colbert's Hilarious FEC Violation

Oh, it's all fine and dandy to print up signs and make bold statements and laugh about it, but once you end up on a ballot, there are serious rules to follow. Rules you have to have followed from the beginning. Rules like "you can't get huge amounts of free publicity from Comedy Central."

Turns out that being on the "Colbert Report" as a guest is one thing, but that being the star and host is quite another, and it just might cross a line.

If we start to take this thing seriously, Stephen Colbert might actually become a legitimate politician with his own legitimate scandal!

Stephen Colbert's Official Announcement

Earlier today we mentioned that Stephen Colbert is running for president. Here's his official announcement video:

I can't decide whether to be pleased or appalled that not only is he running a campaign, but that he might actually do better than Fred Thompson.

Ken Burns' "The War" Is Good For You

Tim Goodman says it's great. The Mercury News says it's "unique" and "astonishing." Newsday says it "commands attention." It's Ken Burns' new documentary, "The War," and it's on PBS starting Sunday night. You should see it.

I fear that people under the age of sixty won't want to watch it, because it's the sort of thing you ought to see, and that just doesn't have the immediate appeal of something you want to see.  But seriously, it's gonna be great. There's plenty of emphasis on WWII's plethora of sex, violence, profanity, and ass-kicking. Sure, there's a lot of black-and-white footage, but it's still the greatest story of the 20th Century.

What grabbed me was that they go into the story of the words "snafu" and "fubar." How often do you get to hear Grandpa swear, anyway?

Parents Television Council Says Quit Swearing, Screwing, Etc.

I was going to write something up about the latest report from the Parents' Television Council, which says that prime-time TV has too much sex and violence in it, but I think someone already beat me to it. They're mostly known for being a porn site, but don't let it stop you from clicking through and reading the commentary on the Suicide Girls News blog. It begins "The Parents Television Council may be the worst group in existence. I'm including Nazis, jocks and even people who 'fist bump' as a greeting."

I don't want kids to watch dirty, violent TV any more than the PTC does, but I'm a grownup and I like my dirty, violent TV. I'm capable of distinguishing it from reality and I'm capable of enjoying it without becoming a sexually depraved mass murderer.

Maybe if the PTC thinks TV for grownups shouldn't get beamed into their kids' eyes at nine PM, they should turn it off. Maybe they should read their kids a book and put them to bed. Instead they spend all day looking for objectionable content and trying to browbeat the FCC into browbeating broadcasters into getting rid of Janet Jackson, bleeped-out swears, and the sexual innuendos that every reasonable adult thinks are awesome.

TV That Will Scar You: HBO's "Alive Day Memories"

The most searing, scarring, difficult, rewarding piece of television you are likely to see anytime soon debuts on HBO Sunday night. "Alive Day Memories: Home From Iraq" is a deceptively simple production. On a darkened stage, young, horribly wounded Army and Marine veterans of the Iraq war sit and talk one-to-one about their experiences to "Sopranos" star James Gandolfini. The actor is often silent, sitting nearly with his back to the camera, saying only as many words as needed, in most cases, to keep the vets talking. But the effect is devastating.

These soldiers were victims of IEDs and other awful weapons. And they all perhaps would have died on the battlefield but for the miracles of combat medicine. The soldiers all know their "Alive Day," the day they didn't die, as a second birthday. But that does not mean their second lives are easy. Sgt. Bryan Anderson lost both legs above the knee, and his left hand. Cpl. Jonathan Bartlett, 22, bilateral amputation of lower extremities. First Lt. Dawn Halfaker (above), 27, right arm and shoulder amputated. Lance Cpl. Michael Jernigan (pictured after the jump), 28, lost both eyes and much of his skull - his brain is now cradled by titanium mesh. And on and on it goes. The horror of war made flesh. And yet these young people are brave, laughing as often as they weep, far more patriotic than they are cynical. As much as "Alive Day Memories" might turn you against this war, its main effect is to make you question the sanity of all wars.

Gandolfini had already visited the troops when he was asked to join the HBO project. "I went to Iraq because I was playing this tough guy on TV and I guess I wanted to go meet a few real ones or something like that," an uneasy and self-effacing Gandolfini said at a press tour event for the film. "I was angry about the lack of attention that was being paid." 

Senator, Reenacted

I'm not sure how long this will stay up, but if you want to see a deeply weird bit of local TV news, check out this video of a couple of local anchor dudes recreating U.S. Sen. Larry Craig's alleged men's room behavior - on a couple of office chairs in the middle of their newsroom.

News Links: Efron, Bourdain, Doherty

People reports that Zac Efron is busy: he's still promoting "High School Musical 2," while getting ready for "High School Musical 3" and beyond. A big-screen feature is in the works. Meanwhile, Snagwire has been asking questions about the hamsa charm that Efron wears. The hamsa is a traditional good-luck symbol, used throughout the Middle East to ward off the evil eye, bring good luck, and remind the wearer that Someone Up There is watching over them. In the US, it's also popular among Kabballah adherents.

Maybe Zac should give his charm to Pete Doherty, who surely needs some good luck these days. Digital Spy says he hopes to win back estranged lover Kate Moss by appearing on UK quiz show "The Weakest Link."

Despite good ratings and a substantial following in the States, "No Reservations" host Anthony Bourdain says he gets recognized most in Asia. Apparently, all the taxi drivers in Kuala Lumpur know him by sight and want to take him to their favorite restaurants to film his show.

TV Is Good For You!

Well, not necessarily for you personally. But when cable TV arrives in rural Indian villages, says Slate, it brings with it urban attitudes about the place of women in the home. For example, women who have access to TV are less likely to accept beatings, and more likely to have their daughters attend elementary school. Nifty.

Totally Frakked: SciFi Network Kills The Pain(killer Jane)

News has come down the wire from Sci Fi; say bye-bye to Jane and her little squad of boy buddies, the show is no more.  "Painkiller Jane" has aired 16 of its 22 episodes so far, the rest will run as scheduled but then that's all she wrote.

I can't say I'm weeping to see the show go.  I only caught the first few episodes but they were basically unremarkable save a slightly annoying shade of sexism cloaked in grrrl power.  Fans of the show, speak out!  What did you see in it?  Will you be sending motorcycles and trench coats to Scifi in mute protest?

The cancellation announcement comes on the tail of remarkably successful premiere of "Flash Gordon".  The perennial favorite raked in Scifi's best series premiere numbers for the year so far.  Maybe the execs at scifi only allow one mediocre retelling of a well-liked story (Jane was a comic book first) on the air at any given time. Come on, Scifi, where's your next "Battlestar Galactica"?  Heck, I'll take your next "Eureka". 

"The Tomorrow Show" Host Tom Snyder

Yahoo! News reports that Tom Snyder, longtime host of "The Tomorrow Show," has died of leukemia at age 71.

Snyder hosted the smoke-filled late-night talk show starting in 1972, where he played host to notable and notorious guests like John Lennon, Johnny Rotten, and even Charles Manson. His memorable laugh made him an occasional target for parodists like Dan Ackroyd.

From 1995 to 1998, he also hosted the "Late Late Show," which followed Letterman's "Late Show."

Rowling Visits The Today Show

"Harry Potter" author J.K. Rowling visited the Today show to talk to Meredith Veira  about the epilogue to  "Harry Potter And The Sacred Hallows." Don't click through to the full article on MSNBC if you don't want to know about Luna Lovegood's love-life, the final fate of Neville Longbottom's parents, the illustrious future careers of Harry, Ron, and Hermione, and just who gets caught snogging whom on the train to Hogwarts.

Want more? There's also an interview with Veria in which she talks about meeting Rowling and what that meant to her.

More Opinion and Buzz on BET's New Shows

"Hot Ghetto Mess" and the other new shows from BET are racking up attention on the Yahoo! Buzz Log, and have earned themselves an in-depth critical view from Slate as well. The short take: it's BET's often uncomfortable, sometimes funny, and occasionally disgraceful look at race, class, and sex.

David Duchovny Drops An "X-Files" Bomb. Well, sorta.

David Duchovny just made what amounts to big news by the current standards of the press tour. In response to a question, he said the much-delayed second "X-Files" movie is finally a go. "I expect to get a script next week," he said. It's being written by show creator Chris Carter and "X" veteran Frank Spotnitz. Duchovny: "Chris will direct, Gillian's on board, I'm on board and that's all I can tell you." In case you've forgotten, Gillian is Gillian Anderson, his co-star on the 1993-2002 Fox series.

This came near the end of the press session for Duchovny's new Showtime series, "Californication," which was all but forgotten as news-starved reporters swarmed him after the session - at least those of us who weren't rushing back to our rooms to blog the news. In the elevator on the way up here, though, there was a voice of "X-Files" reason. One member of the press corps was adamant: "Who cares? Who cares? The first movie sucked! And the show sucked for the last five years it was on the air!" Maybe when we all calm down we'll feel the same way. (More about "Californication" - which doesn't suck - later. It bows Aug. 13.)

"Drive" To Your Nearest Internets

The last two episodes of Fox's "Drive" will finally turn up, but only online, at myspace.com/fox and on your local Fox station's site. The TV Addict has details here, and he's pissed.

Totally Frakked: Does "Battlestar" Casting Detail Reveal Final Cylon?

For "Battlestar Galactica" fans, there's no mystery more important than the identity of the 12th and final Cylon, and the speculation, guesses and rumors are flying fast and furious.  With the final season on its way, we know that the last rat is sure to be sniffed out, but when?  Where? Who?  And perhaps more importantly: what are their orders?

Syfy Portal is reporting a juicy casting detail that could indicate a possible identity for the final Cylon, but just in case you prefer to keep yourself spoiler- and wild speculation-free, we'll hide it after the jump.

"Private" Needs More "Practice" Casting

Give Me My Remote mourns the departure of Merrin Dungey from the cast of "Private Practice," the "Grey's Anatomy" spinoff, in favor of "ER" and Broadway vet Audra McDonald. We also have to wonder if the "Grey's" brain trust really wants to replace one black actress with another - kinda makes it look as if Isaiah Washington was right and they do consider skin color in these matters, eh?

Wilmaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! Call Comcast!

TV Squad clues us in to something we'd desperately like to see - a 166-episode July 4 Flintstones marathon on the Boomerang cable channel. But no, we don't have it either.

Another Touching Attempt To Build Bridges Of Hope In The Middle East

From the AP: "A Mickey Mouse lookalike who preached Islamic domination on a Hamas-affiliated children's TV show in the Gaza Strip was beaten to death in the show's final episode Friday, by an actor posing as an Israeli official."

Read the full story.

Hollywood Status Anxiety Has A New Focus - iPhone

Status-obsessed Hollywood is abuzz with studio and agency employees who want to get the hot new iPhone out today. But Variety reports that when it comes to the iPhone, you can't always get what you want. Security concerns, contract limitations and the difficulty of thumb-typing deal memos on the iPhone's keypad mean that most H'wood shops won't be replacing employees' Blackberrys with iPhones anytime soon. Variety: "In fact, companies including HBO and Warner Bros. sent memos to all employees telling them to stop bugging the IT department - they're not getting one." Which of course makes it a more status-y item.

Recommended reading

Never let it be said that the New York Times isn't meta. Today they're watching Army wives watching "Army Wives." A good read. ... They're also watching Paris Hilton talk to Larry King. This story has the best lede of the day, namechecking the prison where Nelson Mandela was held for decades: "Paris Hilton read aloud her prison writings as if she had spent a lifetime on Robben Island..."

"Lights" Out?

TV Week reports that NBC has dumped its Sunday reruns of "Friday Night Lights" after just three weeks. Some wonder if this means the network is less supportive of the series under new boss Ben Silverman, who took over from "Lights" booster Kevin Reilly just recently. NBC sez it's looking for a better timeslot for the reruns later in the summer. Meanwhile it will be replaced with - You can guess, can't you? - "Law & Order" reruns.

The Army Wives Of Victory, The Creature Comforts Of Defeat

Buzzsugar reports that Lifetime has found great success with Army Wives, and ran a marathon last night to help new viewers catch up. Meanwhile, CBS has cut its losses on "Creature Comforts" and will replace it with reruns of "The New Adventures Of Old Christine."
I'm going to guess that a raging success for Lifetime is still bringing in fewer watchers than a disastrous failure for CBS.

Totally Frakked: Tim Kring Speaks On "Heroes" Season 2

There's been plenty of wild speculation flying around (and who doesn't love a little wild speculation) about what's up next for Season 2 of "Heroes," but at least Tim Kring is willing to give us a bit of dish.  In a Q&A session at the big "Heroes" press blitz, Kring laid out some of the plans in store for our Emo superhumans.
Season 2 will pick up four months later for everyone except Hiro, who will pick up at exactly the same time he left off. 

Jimmy Kimmel: That Pain In His Side Wasn't Just Sarah Silverman

Word is Jimmy Kimmel had an emergency appendectomy Wednesday night in Los Angeles, and further tapings of "Jimmy Kimmel Live" have been suspended until he's, well, fully live again.

"Hell's Kitchen" Chef Gordon Ramsay Sued

I know we'd all be shocked if it turned out that reality TV shows sometimes, mmm, fudge things. Now AP reports that "Hell's Kitchen" TV Chef Gordon Ramsay is being sued for allegedly making things up during the production of a new show, "Kitchen Nightmares." People sue all the time, of course, and we can't put any credence in it till someone's under oath. But I have to say I was struck by the wimpiness of Ramsay's flack's denial: "It is a reality show and as far as I know it's not something they do."

Wayne Brady To Host "Don't Forget The Lyrics"

Wayne Brady is a nice guy, a funny guy, a talented guy. But Wayne, buddy, you've got to get out of the cheese business. Variety reports he's just been tapped as the host of a summer game show seemingly based on an "American Idol" judges' complaint. "Don't Forget The Lyrics" will put people who are not the most talented singers in front of a band and studio audience and then see if they can remember the lyrics to the song when the Teleprompter stops. There's $1 million at the end of the rainbow, but...yeesh.

"Harry Potter And The Big First Kiss"

OK, maybe they were working and didn't hear about the big naked sex scene actor Daniel Radcliffe performed night after night on stage in "Equus." But apparently film crew members all wanted to watch as Radcliffe filmed his first onscreen kiss for the forthcoming "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix." World Entertainment News Network reports Radcliffe's desire to film in private was thwarted by crew members who've watched him grow up and "got quite emotional" about it. Wonder how many of them went along to watch him wave his wand in the West End, then, wot?
Via Starpulse News.

Fox And CBS Reject Condom Ads: Too Much Information

Planned Parenthood is angry because Fox and CBS has refused to air a condom ad that featured pigs trying to meet women in a bar and failing, then buying condoms and turning into attractive, "evolved" men who get the attention of women. According to the New York Times, CBS rejected the ad because it mixed sex and alcohol - apparently you can use sex to sell booze, but you can't use booze to sell sex. Fox rejected the ad because it suggests that condoms can be used to prevent pregnancy, not just disease. At least, that's the excuse they used. But I think they have a totally different reason. It's called "strengthening the base." If heavy Fox viewers find out about rubbers, who will be left to watch Cops, much less be on Cops?

MeeVee Interview: Talking With "The Closer" Creator, James Duff

Kyra Sedgwick vehicle and TNT ratings juggernaut "The Closer" is set to begin its third season tonight. (Read our review.) Creator and executive producer James Duff sat down on a conference call with the press to discuss what's coming down the pipe for Brenda and the rest of the team as well as the themes and inspiration for the show.

• First up: Brenda's parents are coming to visit and their appearance will definitely not go according to the charming deputy chief's plans.  Not to mention the fact that boyfriend Fritz has to deal with an overprotective daddy.  "Fritz is very worried about how the father is gonna take to him and, not without reason I would say," Duff tells us. Mr. Johnson will be played by excellent "Hey It's That Guy," Barry Corbin.

Kelly Clarkson Cancels Summer Tour Due To Lack Of Interest

America's sweetheart has had a rough year so far. Kelly Clarkson, who has been having a very public feud with her record label, has now canceled her summer tour. Ticket sales have simply not been up to snuff for the American Idol sensation, and the Clarkson posse must now re-tool the tour for a smaller audience. Of course, Kelly has released a very sweet apology to her fans via her website.

Read the full story at The Hollywood Gossip

Talking with "Battlestar Galactica's" Katee Sackhoff

Marjorie Kase hit the "Battlestar Galactica" fan event in Los Angeles last week and chatted with the stars, including Katee Sackhoff.

In addition to Battlestar you're also playing a new role in The Bionic Woman. What was the first thing that came to your mind when you realized you'd be shooting two shows at once?
Holy shit, I'm going to be tired.

How is the actual shooting going to work? Are the sets close by?
Yeah, they're shooting on the same lot, so I'll be doing a lot of running. [Laughing] They're talking about getting me a golf cart.

Your character on The Bionic Woman is EVIL, do you get a sense that there's any good in her?
I don't there is any good in that woman. Sarah Corvis is a nightmare and she is the quintessential nemesis. She's perfect.

Can you tell us how many episodes you'll be in?
More than one, less than 15. We've only been picked up for 13.

Olsen Twins Turn 21, Remind Us All Of Our Own Mortality

Well, it's official. We're all getting very old. Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen (who it seems just yesterday were infants on the cheesy sitcom "Full House") turned 21 yesterday. Of course, growing up in the entertainment industry has aged these two quicker than most kids. They've already had their fair share of drug allegations and eating disorder controversies. Maybe adulthood will be nice and uneventful for these very, very rich twins.

Find out how they celebrated over at Hollyscoop

Quick Tip For "Big Love" Fans

At Buzz Sugar, read about the never-aired "Big Love" clips they found online, including one of Bill and Nicki and Margene when Margene was supposedly just the babysitter. Hmmm.

Low-Rated Summer Dramas Update: "Traveler," "Hidden Palms"

Okay, enough already! is TV Squad's response to the news that someone at the studio is trying to gin up a campaign to save "Traveler," following those for "Jericho" (successful) and "Veronica Mars" (not). Thoughts that come to mind here concerning "Traveler" are It's not happening, people! and a Shatner-esque Get a life! I mean, jeez, it wasn't really that good, was it? ... Meanwhile, no one seems to be starting a petition or mailing any foodstuffs on behalf of "Hidden Palms," which is taking an early exit. Buzz Sugar says "Hidden Palms" will wrap up early, on July 4. "At least all eight episodes are still scheduled to air sometime."

Totally Frakked: Jericho, The Watcher, And Your TeeVee Rights

If there's one thing the "Jericho" cancellation scuffle - and subsequent reprieve from CBS - has highlighted, it's the changing relationship between the fans (I like to call them the Rebel Alliance) and the networks (the Empire, natch).  As fans realize that they have the right to stand up and have their nuts counted, the networks scrabble to maintain what they doubtless see as their legitimate authority over the industry.

But is it legit?  Where is the line drawn?  What can the networks reasonably ask and expect from their fan base?  When CBS head honcho Nina Tassler (in this analogy, Darth Vader), announced that "Jericho" would be coming back for seven more episodes, she adopted a tone which one might describe as "snippy." Of course, I might be snippy too if I'd just received my lifetime supply of peanuts.