day 3.271

they're back

the cw's released the trailer for the latest season of gossip girl. looks like the cast's ready to bring it- from coast to coast. i mean, they've got elizabeth hurley! check out the season 5 shenanigans above.

day 2.24

television scoopage

there's nothing i really want to talk about today so... lets discuss tv! first off, we must say eulogies for two fallen talk shows: the bonnie hunt show and it's on with alexa chung, both ending after their current seasons. bonnie hunt really is a loss. alexa chung? not so much. i never got her; she was a british whasian who talked down to everyone. and definitely was not a replacement for my beloved trl (rest in peace). but bonnie? why, bonnie, why? in the ongoing comedienne-turned-talk show host tradition, bonnie was somewhere in between rosie and ellen, but never found a consistent audience. i'm going to miss her "ask alice" segment with her mom (though that wasn't going to last all that long anyway because of nature) and her constant real housewives of atlanta skits, like the one above. hopefully someone will save bonnie. or at least give her another sitcom. just not another cheaper by the dozen. please. ok, now for the more usual spoiler fare ... it looks like there are going to some relationship issues when grey's anatomy returns in january. little grey and mcsteamy (aka lexie and mark) are probably headed for splitsville, as mark is set to reteam with addison when she makes a cross-over appearance from private practice and lexie will get a wandering eye. should be interesting. the thing i never understand is, when the audience likes a couple together, why do they have to mess with it? just leave it alone. i get ross/rachel type things, but mark and lexie aren't the central couple ... if you watch gossip girl, you'll have to wait until march to figure out what all went down this past monday. the one thing we do (sort of) know is that chuck saw his thought-to-be dead momma standing at his dad's grave. she'll reportedly reveal herself as momma bass when the show returns, but all signs point to impostor ... we all know glee is off the air until april, but details are leaking out now that the show is back in production for the spring premiere. the biggest change when the show returns will be the characters' sports background. instead of football, puck and finn will be playing some bball. i wonder if quinn will start a renegade preggo cheer squad for basketball games? there's also a rumor that there will be a little american idol crossover, with adam lambert stopping by. no word on whether he'll play himself or not ... both the hills and the city have been renewed for yet another season. hello, mtv? 2005 called and it wants you to cancel those shows. both series saw a major decline in ratings (especially the hills, which was pulling in less than half of its former ratings thanks to lauren conrad's replacement by kristin cavallari). i didn't watch either of the shows this season and probably won't watch them when they come back, unless lauren stops by. the biggest surprise here is that audrina will be back, even though production for her own spin-off was supposed to be underway in the new year ... and that's all folks!

day 2.19

a gossip girl goes snl

blake lively got the chance to host saturday night live last night and she was able to bring some funnies. lively's episode was definitely one of the high points this season, but not the funniest episode in the show's history. the opening sequence - which didn't even feature serena from gg - was the part that made me laugh the hardest, a send-up of the white house party crashers.

lively got to help bring back one of my favorite snl characters, virginiaca, the black woman with a white daughter who goes shopping.

musical rihanna got in on the fun, doing none of andy samberg's digital shorts.

and no snl would be complete without a celeb send-up, this time of brittany murphy. abby elliot is turning out to be one of the show's key players, mastering a lot of celeb impressions. too bad they don't use her more often.

lively's breakthrough sketch was a tiger woods send-up, in which she got to play swedish wife elin.

day 283

taylor swift, back-up singer

as far as i know, this is taylor's first official collaboration/duet. country - and pop's - biggest name of the moment, taylor swift, has teamed with up-and-coming boston band boys like girls (you've probably been listening to their song "love drunk" this summer) for the new song "two is better than one" off the band's sophomore effort, love drunk. it's a rock ballad for today's emo generation and, overall, relatively easy of the ears. the thing that annoys me anytime i've heard taylor sing with someone else (usually at an awards show/on youtube) is that her voice is always overpowered for some reason. swift technically duets with kellie pickler on "the best days of your life," but it just sounds like background vocals. that sound mixing is repeated here, but at least t gets a verse all to herself. give the song a listen (above) and see if you like it. while i've liked recent collabs like leighton meester and cobra starship, i'm not sure how i feel about this pop princess - meets - punk trend. it's so bizarre to me; recently selena gomez did a "duet" with forever the sickest kids and it just didn't sit well with me. a 16/17 year old should not be hanging out with people closer to 30. disturbing, much?

fall tv spoilers

okay, they're not really spoilers as much as scoop, but same diff right? from what i've read it looks like 30 rock will be continuing with the "jenna always does some project over summer" thing. this year, jenna (jane krakowski) will be taking the lead in some twilight knock-off film franchise that's filming in iceland...where the sun never sets. therefore, production will have issues with the whole "vampires only come out at night" thing. hilarity is sure to ensue. or at least sufficient awkwardness ... greek comes back to the small screen this monday (get exciteddd) and the cappie/casey sexual tension is going to continue to rise, and rise, and rise. however, cappie is going to resist the attraction. why? just to give the show more suspense. i don't know about you, but i was much more a fan of the casey-max relationship, but that's dunzo because michael rady (the actor who played max) is now full time on the cw's melrose place (which i'm still weary of) ... and gossip girl is finally turning to the whole bisexual storyline explored in the books. except, instead of dan, it's chuck taking a trade to the other team. that should be interesting. or completely disturbing. it also looks like the hopes of a dan/serena reconciliation are off the horizon, as penn badgley (dan) was seen sucking face with guest star hilary duff, an actress who attends nyu to get a taste of normal life.

day 279

get your gossip girl gag on

season 3 of the cw's flagship show, gossip girl, doesn't hit your tv screens until september 14th, but to hold yourself over until then (and to fill up space on this blog because nothing is happening right now that's worth discussing) check out the season 2 gag reel above, one of the special features from the recently released dvd. some fun facts we get to learn: ed westwick can easily go in-and-out of his chuck bass/american voice and his natch british accent, leighton meester likes to talk in funny voices ... a lot, and the cast uses their phones just about as much as their on screen counterparts do. hopefully you have 10 minutes to waste on this. if not, i understand.

day 267

promo-madness

continuing on the teen band wagon of yesterday - though, with how long it took me, it seems like it was years ago - here are a couple promos from the cw's returning shows, gossip girl and 90210. yeah, those guys. there's not much to talk about - though i will post some little updates on the blog's official twitter - so i figured i'd give you a minute of viewing pleasure. both shows are keeping up the super sexualized ads that have propelled them to mediocre ratings since their humble beginnings on the ceedub. enjoy.

day 257

tv news

surprised? okay, we all know by now that my fallback blog is about tv casting. let's get to it. gossip girl is about to get fierrrrrce. the cw staple will be getting a dose of america's next top model when one miss tyra banks stops by. the model-turned-actress-turned-tv host will pop up in episode 4 as a costar in olivia's (hilary duff's character) film. the big shocker? tyra won't be playing herself. rather, she'll be playing a diva actress named ursula nyquist who rules the movie set and is being waited on hand-and-foot by...serena van der woodsen? serena get's a job as a publicist intern and is in charge of monitoring the diva star (shouldn't be much of a stretch for tyra, right?) at the premiere of the film. and it sounds like a cat fight might be in the works. this should get interesting. i'm sure gossip girl will be ambushed with antm commercials throughout. and promos for tyra's talk show, which is moving to the cw full time in the fall. they should really just change the channel's name to tbn, the tyra banks network ... it looks like grey's anatomy is finally done with george o'malley. after tr knight decided not to come back for one last episode, the cast was spotted filming a funeral scene (above). katherine heigl took time for a smoke break while dressed as cancer patient izzie while on set. smart. in more grey's/katherine news, it turns out the 17 hour day i talked about yesterday was...dun dun dun...because of katherine! allegedly, the day had to be so long to accommodate the star's busy promotional schedule for her film, the ugly truth. i guess the ugly truth is that katherine likes to burn bridges ... and, finally, in ugly betty news, it looks like the title character will finally be getting a makeover. after 4 years, betty will be upgrading her look to match her new job as an editor at mode. focus groups are reportedly occurring as i type to evaluate sample looks for betty for the new season. apparently, betty's new look will be "classier" but still unpolished and needing work. along with new clothes, betty's eyebrows will be tamed, she'll get new make-up, and new hair. and the biggest change? betty will be losing her trademark braces! finally. the braces part won't be right away (like the other changes), but rather be an underlying story line throughout the season. this should be good. hopefully, the move to fridays won't kill the show that seems like it's still growing.

day 226

lizzie mcguire meets the upper east side

nbc is probably kicking themselves right now. the peacock net passed on hilary duff's pilot, barely legal, after shelling out millions to add the star to their roster and now another net - the cw - has picked up the former disney star. how crappy was legal that nbc was willing to lose that much money on duff? hilary has been added to the gossip girl young hollywood roster as a heavily recurring character who has potential to become a series regular. duff will play olivia burke, a famous teen actress who decides to take a shot at having a normal life by enrolling in college. olivia enrolls at nyu (where most of the gossip characters are headed) and is roomed with jessica szhor's vanessa. placing a famous actress with a budding film maker? sounds like drama is definitely ahead. there's no word as to how many episodes duff will stick around for as of yet, but she'll make her debut in the season's fourth episode, premiering october 5th. if we don't meet roomies until then, and the show premieres early on in september, then i think it's safe to say there's going to be at least 2 episodes focused on summer drama. i think this is a really good nab for the gossip net. the ceedub reportedly offered duff the lead role of annie in the relaunch of 90210, but she passed, not wanting to return to teen tv. it appears her opinions have changed, huh? i bet hilary wished she had taken that role now that she's kind of job-less, minus the guest stint here and there. hopefully she'll get a lot of screen time on the upcoming season. duff will be joined by michelle trachtenberg, who is returning as bitch in hells georgina sparks. trachtenberg's nbc pilot - mercy - was actually picked up by the peacock net, but won't launch until midseason and probably won't take off. it looks like some weird combo between grey's anatomy and showtime's nurse jackie. hopefully that means georgina will be able to come back full time.

day 225

casting craze

as a lot of your favorite fall tv series head back into production, some crazy casting news is making its way out. desperate housewives hasn't started back up on production yet, but they are just about ready to roll. to fill the shoes of a now-dead edie (nicolette sheridan), sopranos star drea de matteo has landed the role of a feisty italian who moves to wisteria lane - with husband and kid in toe - to stir up trouble. with at least one of the housewives (either susan or catherine) getting married to mike delfino, producers wanted to add in a young, hot wife. plus, whenever a new cast member comes in, they usually bring a new mystery ... now that chris meloni and mariska hargitay are officially back on board for 11th season of their (and nbc's only) hit show, law and order: svu - they'll both be making about $400,000 an episode, making mariska the highest paid actress on tv - more casting is underway for the new season. the show has turned to a revolving door of sorts for the assistant district attorney spot. stephanie march, who was with the show from 2000-2003, is returning to ada alexandra cabot's suits later in the season, but christine lahti, who is known for chicago hope and was most recently seen in the beyonce thriller obsessed, will appear in at least 4 episodes as a fill in ada. sounds like quite the casting coup ... in more legal show news, lifetime's new original series, drop dead diva, which premieres this weekend and follows the trials (no pun intended) and tribulations of a supermodel who dies and wakes up in the body of a plus-sized lawyer, has nabbed liza minelli and designing women's delta burke to play dueling psychic sisters who take each other to court for opening competing shops across the street from one another. rosie o'donnel will appear in the episode with the actresses in a recurring role as the local judge ... the bitch is back on one tree hill. while she's been absent for the past 2 seasons, and thus about 7 years, daneel harris is returning to tree hill as her character rachel gatina. the show will take another time jump this upcoming season, jumping one year to better help explain the absences of chad michael murray and hilarie burton and the introduction of new characters, like nathan's sports agent played by lipstick jungle star robert buckley (who won the role out over brian austin green) and one of haley's older sisters who returns home. no word on how rachel will stir up some shit, but she is sure to due so. she'll make her first return appearance in the season's 2nd episode and stick around for at least 7 eps ... in more cw show news, 90210 has found their answer to the now fired dustin milligan's ethan. i think it's pretty safe to assume ethan is the kid who annie hit in the first season finale, as dustin was not invited back to the show for a second season and reportedly won't be making any story line wrap up appearances. to fill the golden boy role, the zip code serial has cast former soap star and abercrombie model trevor donovan. google him and you'll probably come to the same conclusion i did - he's just too old. but, oh well. it's tv and it's not like any of the other actors look like high school sophomores anyway. trevor will be a "heavily recurring" jfk jr type who works his way into the world of the characters we've come to know. the cw's biggest series, gossip girl, has cast former privileged (and reba) star joanna garcia to play a new love interest for nate (aka chace crawford). she'll be a southern charmer who has a history in beauty pageants. i guess that means joanna will be going back to her old, blonde look. i hope she is supposed to be an older character. again, she's a little older looking than the rest of the upper east siders ... and, finally, rapper/tv star/designer eve has taken on the role of a rival choir director on fox's new series, glee. the role was reportedly originally offered to whitney houston, but she turned it down to focus on her forthcoming album.

check the twitter for even more tv news.

day 170

a gossip girl rocks out

        

cindy lou who a rocker? yep, little j - aka taylor momsen - and her band, the pretty reckless, made their debut last night at new york city's annex as the veronica's opening act.  taylor has long expressed the desire to form a band and/or launch a singing career and it's not coming true. over the past year, taylor has helped develop, conceive, and assist in picking a style and sound for the pretty reckless with the help of interscope records, with whom the band is signed.  if you want a chance to see the group perform live, just grab some veronicas tickets. taylor and her punk-rock crew will be opening for the australian sisters through the summer.  but if you can't manage that, the band's debut cd is set to drop this fall and features song writing credits by taylor.  click here to hear a leaked demo from the pretty reckless; the song's name is unknown, but i'm quite the fan.  and, remember, little j isn't the only gg star with a singing career. leighton meeser (aka blair) was recently signed to universal and will be in the recording studio this summer to get an album out by the end of the year.  click here to hear her demo of the 80s punk rock hit (and similar sounding voice to taylor momsen) "bette davis eyes." both stars' reps say their singing careers won't affect their gossip girl status or conflict with shooting schedules. no word on whether singing will be incorporated into the show though.  

that's it kiddos. check twitter for some smaller stories. 

day 163

jobros: my life as a covergirl

yep, the jonai are covergirls (haha - i'm so funny) on the june issue of seventeen, out next month.  the picture to the left is an outtake from the cover shoot.  from what i've seen of the story, the article should really be titled "joe and the other two," because kevin and nick don't seem to be involved at all.  inside the issue, joe dishes on quite a few things, including his 5 year plan and past relationships.  in 5 years, little joseph sees himself with a burgeoning acting career, in roles like johnny depp's.  really?  you think that's going to happen?  have you seen yourself act?  sadly, the jonai aren't triple-threats, even if disney (desperately) wants you to think so.  when asked about taylor swift's song "forever & always," which allegedly tracks the duo's short courtship, joe said it was "flattering" and "nice to hear their side of the story."  okay, one, your grammar is horrible.  taylor is a she/her not a they/their. two, flattering?  a song that trashes you is in no way flattering.  maybe joe needs to go back to school and learn definitions?  i don't know. if you didn't already know, the jonas bros' new series, jonas (creative title), premieres next month on disney.  let the trainwreck begin.

a bromance breakup? 

with a burgeoning career in film (he's currently shooting a flick with 50 cent, twelve, and in final negotiations to dance his way to the top in footloose), it looks like chace crawford is ready for some along time.  the gossip girl star currently lives with mr. chuck bass himself, ed westwick, allegedly wants to live the bachelor life.  a mole for the new york post claims chace has asked his team to seek out the perfect loft, no matter the cost.  he wants high security (hello, lindsay lohan knows where his current apartment is) and a fulltime doorman.  i can't blame chace for moving.  reports surfaced earlier this year that chace and ed's current apartment is a pigsty and that people simply don't want to go there.  plus, chace is the only main star of the series not currently in a relationship and i can't imagine it's comfy to see ed constanty hooking up with gg costar jessica szhor.  in gossip girl news, michelle trachtenberg is back through the end of the season as georgina, everyone's favorite upper-east side villian.  can't wait to see what she drums up.  it also looks like bluck (blair and chuck) is going to happen yet again. their this gen's ross and rachel. well a less famous, less popular, but better dressed ross and rachel.  

2 stories today. that's it. check in with twitter for more. 

day 155

grace heads back to tv sans will

with the buzz surrounding this show, i can only assume it's really really good. or at least promising.  debra messing is set to star in a new single-camera comedy for nbc.  abc allegedly lost out on the series after an intense bidding war amongst the two networks.  this will be debra's third series for nbc/universal, starting with will and grace and the short-lived usa mini-series/series the starter wife.  the new show, which is without a title and by the same team as wife, will follow deb as a recently laid off ceo who has never quite gotten the hand of being a wife and mother.  we'll get to see her struggles as her husband becomes the main breadwinner for the family and she takes over the stay-at-home parenting duties.  sounds good to me, though the whole one-camera thing scares me.  i hope this isn't another office/parks and recreation...nbc needs to find a new schtick. the peacock net seems committed to pick up the show before the pilot is even shot as they have script commitment and an episode guarantee from messing.  that bodes even better for the series.  expect to see the show as the new cornerstone for one of nbc's nights - probably tuesday or wednesday.  the network will have to spread its shows around more now that they're adopting the fox schedule of only 2 prime time hours; remember that the 10/9c hour will be occupied by jay leno's new-old show.  

the tiz is back

ashley tisdale has said bye-bye to her disney days (minus her lucrative production deal with the network) and is taking a second shot at the music world.  tisdale's second album on hollywood records (another disney entity) is a little more grown up and a little more edgy.  i mean, obviously...she has brown hair now.  nothing means serious pop-rocker more than brown hair.  the song's called "it's alright, it's ok" and the video is mtv-worthy.  too bad mtv doesn't have a show to feature music videos anymore.  sadly, ash released the vid exclusively to myspace.com. yes, people still use myspace.  the song is a good start for the tiz, but i don't know if she'll get radio play outside of radio disney.  the video features 90210 star(ish) adam gregory and is all about ashley being an independent woman.  yeah. 

tv newseses

yes, i made up the word (?) newseses, but i wasn't very creative. here's a bunch of scooplets over some of your favorite shows. first up, the gossip girl spin-off/backdoor pilot has an air date (and a name). the episode will air may 11 and will be called valley girls - a much better name than the previously reported lily. the promo poster is to the left ... is paula abdul done with idol? after a recent larry king interview, that looks to be the truth. paula's contract is up after this season and the "straight up" singer addressed kara dio guardi's presence at the judging table as a way for the show to move on, not replace paula. hmm ... don't expect michelle trachtenberg back on gossip girl after her 4 episode arc this season. that is, of course, if her show doesn't get canceled. the 17 again actress is set to star in mercy for nbc, about a group of young nurses. sounds like nbc's attempt to fill er's shoes to me. i wonder how the peacock net is going to fit in all these new shows. i'll be interested to see which they lose and which they keep come may when they announce next fall's lineup ... and, finally, some news for pushing daisies fans. the gone before its time series will live on as a dc comic book series that will wrap up all lose ends and possible lead to a big screen adaption. yay!

day 110

day o' updates 

there really aren't any new stories today, so i'll just do a couple blurbs about some stories i've covered and some i haven't....it looks like two of hollywood's heartthrobs might be shacking up together. yes, two guys. dating. matt dallas, of the recently canceled kyle xy, and jonathan bennett, who played aaron samuels in mean girls, are said to be an item.  bennett is openly gay whereas matt dallas has continually avoided commenting on his personal life ... as of today, dakota fanning is officially a part of the twilight family.  the young actress finalized talks to star as vampire jane in the second installment of the franchise, which summit entertainment is now highly publicizing on their website.  new moon begins shooting this month ... lindsay lohan is still working on that third album.  the singer/actress is reportedly hoping to cover britney spears' "oops...i did it again" as part of her new project, along with "womanizer.  how about she just makes it a britney cover album, right? ... the cw's gossip girl spinoff, lily, has finalized its cast.  joining brittany snow and krysten ritter as sisters lily and carol are lost's cynthia watros of lost is set to come on board as rhodes family matriarch cece while pretty in pink and lipstick jungle's andrew mccarthy will be playing rick, the girls' father.  ryan hansen of veronica mars and jericho's shiloh fernandez are also set to hop on the 80s bandwagon.  look out for the backdoor pilot sometime in may, which will feature no doubt in a recreation of one of their "pre-fame" concerts ... and, sadly, jimmy kimmel and sarah silverman have decided to call it quits once again, after 5 months back together.  funny how i opened and closed this with relationship news. 

that's all i got for today kiddos. 

day 102

drew to eclipse third twilight?

drew barrymore is in talks to direct the third movie in the twilight film franchise, eclipse.  the first film was directed by catherine hardwicke and the second - which goes into production in just a few short weeks - is being helmed by chris weitz.  drew has long been interested in directing, with her production company, flower films, becoming a powerhouse in hollywood after the charlie's angels flicks.  drew recently wrapped production on her directorial debut, whip it!, a comedy set in the fast paced world of roller derbies and starring juno's ellen page.  so why 3 directors for 3 films?  hardwicke pulled out of the second installment when summit entertainment, the studio behind the movies, wanted a tighter production schedule that hardwicke believed would hurt the quality of the film.  and weitz won't be returning to the third because he'll still be working on post-production on the second film. yes, the third film will be coming out in spring 2010, meaning filming needs to take place this fall, even before the second film will be released in theaters.  summit knows that twilight is a bankable series but they don't know how long the interest in the vampire themed epic will last.  it will be interesting to see the production value of the newest movie as compared to the first and so on.  and as for drew? i would want to at least see whip it! before i made the decision.  the only good thing is that she is a hollywood veteran and knows how the make and publicize big blockbusters.  she'll probably be a fun addition to the creative forces behind the series, too.  no official word has been released from either camps but, if drew is selected, the announcement will probably be made this summer. 

more gossip about gossip

the news just keeps piling up for the cw's gossip girl.  it has now been confirmed by fellow cast member krysten ritter that brittany snow will be going back to blonde to take on the role of lily van der woodsen (nee rhodes) in the tentatively titled lily (though that's sure to change - it screams felicity or other drama-in-a-can).  producers made the official decision last night right before krysten walked the carpet to promote her current show, breaking bad.  the show will focus on britanny and krysten's characters (lily and carol), two sisters living in la la land during the punk-infused era of the 80s.  and as for the show that birthed lily? gwen stefani and the group that launched her career, no doubt, will be taking to the upper east side in one of this season's last episodes right before their spring/summer tour launches in may.  that's sure to draw ratings to the show, right?  this should all be very interesting.  the cw is really putting all their creative juices into keeping gossip girl as their flagship show, which is a rarity for a network when a show doesn't really pull in big numbers.  it also looks like 90210 will be back in the fall to help usher in the melrose place relaunch, alongside dramas smallville and supernatural.  

day 101

giselle bundchen's a married woman

that's right.  the only victoria secret model to be fired, giselle, and her football playing beau, tom brady, went and got hitched tonight, according to us weekly.  the duo were wed at sunset in a traditional catholic ceremony in los angeles with just a few close family and friends in attendance.  even tom's son with ex bridget moynahan, john edward thomas moynahan (yes, she gave the kid her last name), was there.  the couple, who recently denied engagement reports, have been dating for about 2 years.  tom left bridget for giselle while she was pregnant with their son (hence the name).  it will be interesting to see how this relationship plays out.  it seems almost stereotypical to have a model and football player together, doesn't it? is giselle pregnant? that would explain the "quickee"nuptials.  then tom would have 2 kids by 2 different women.  that sounds like the beginning of a maury show now that i think about it.

gossip girl to get some snow

there's big news for fans of gossip girl.  up first is the return of uber bitch georgina sparks, played my michelle trachtenberg.  the devious diva returns to the upper east side when the show returns form hiatus in a couple weeks in a not so typical way.  it looks like chuck will be the first to encounter to the troubled socialite when she approaches him in a park...as part of a cult.  it'll seem like georgina has been brainwashed and is trying to "save" people.  that's when her arch nemesis blair gets involved to, surprisingly, help her out. once she's been de-culted, georgina will stir up more trouble between serena and dan.  when will they make this character a regular? she should totally go off to school with at least one of our constance billiard seniors.  as for the snow gg is getting, that comes in the form of brittany snow.  hollywood's newest scream queen and former star of nbc's american dreams will be throwing her hat into another show set in a different time period when she takes on the role of a young lily van der woodsen in the spin off.  brittany will make her first appearance in the role sometime in may when the ceedub airs the backdoor pilot for the 80s themed show as part of a regular gossip episode.  this seems like brilliant casting to me; so much so that the new spin off might even overshadow its predecessor.  filming on the pilot should take place sometime next month.  it should be fun to see all the 80s clothing, music, and places the creators use to make the series as authentic as possible.

that's all i got for today, but check out the new e! news now widget.  it'll give you your fix for gossip even when i'm not around. 

day 81

show me the money

like each year, forbes has done some pretty critical r

esearch as to who in hollywood is raking in the best money for each hollywood studio (a list of the biggest losers is also compiled, but i don't think that's been released yet).  so, who were 2008's biggest forces at the box office? the answers may surprise you.  for "best performance by a male," the award goes to robert downey, jr.  the rehabed star made paramount's year with his turn in the superhero flick, iron man.  the film brought in $580 million for the studio (hence the much hyped sequel slated for next year), with paramount making $52.60 for every dollar rdj was payed.  because downey is on a bit of a comeback tour (after his trips to rehab and being shunned in hollywood), he took just $5 million for the part (that figure is sure to go up for the sequel, especially now that "oscar nominated

" can precede his name due to his role in tropic thunder), whereas some of the bigger action names (like will smith and brad pitt) would have commissioned upwards of $10 mil for the picture.  looks like the studio got a bargain.   and as for female power at the box office? meryl streep's leading role in the summer's record breaking musical mamma mia brought in the biggest bucks.  streep earned close to $50 million for the movie, with nbc/universal raking in $12 for ever $1 paid to the acting legend.  because streep earned more for her role, the studio made less per dollar paid, but still took in $575 million. streep is always in high demand and now downey probably will be, too.  how i can't wait to see who was a big loser - i'm betting on nicole kidman and hugh jackman, both for australia.  

kids get racy

today's kids choice awards aren't what they used to be.  with the onslaught of material that is always "should kids watch/listen to/admire this or shouldn't they?" the nominations for this year's nickelodeon run show push the envelope.  in the category for "best movie" are two superhero flicks much more geared to the 13 and over set, with the dark knight and iron man each getting a chance to take home an orange blimp.  when i was a kid, sure i was allowed to watch stuff like that, but it wasn't exactly the "main stream."  apparently parents aren't such sticklers about the mpaa ratings system as they used to be?  will smith even nabbed a nod for his role in hancock, whose original cut received an "r" rating.  the "favorite song" category is probably the most shocking to parents, with katy perry's lesbian themed tune "i kissed a girl," beyonce's anthem "single ladies," and chris brown's "kiss kiss" all getting recognized.  maybe kids are just hearing this stuff on the radio and not really listening to the lyrics?  with the debate going on over whether or not britney's "if u seek amy" should get radio play, it seems like there shouldn't be any discussion - if kids are already listening to this stuff, what's the difference?  other more adult nominations are: the simpsons for favorite cartoon show, jason lee for "favorite tv actor" in my name is earl, and america's next top model in the reality show category.  i think my favorite nomination, however, is michael phelps for "favorite male athlete," because of his recent herbal endeavors.  maybe he'll show up the show a little stoned? he has to drown his sorrows somehow - kellog's just dropped him and subway is about to end his sponsorship campaign.

america's got no host, but actors got work

nbc summer juggernaut america's got talent is currently host-less.  after losing regis philbin after only one season, talk show host jerry springer took over post his dancing with the stars stint that reinvigorated interest in the whitetrash brawl mediator.  springer isn't leaving the show because of creative differences, but rather because of scheduling conflicts (supposedly).  springer's syndicated "talk show" and a role in a stage production apparently would take too much time away from his duties at the peacock net (or so he says - i didn't even realize his show was still being made...).  the show will be returning to tv this summer for its fourth season, with judges sharon osbourne (who replaced brandy after season 1), david hasselhoff, and piers morgan all returning.  but who will be taking springer's spot? that is yet to be announced.  but it seems the show likes talk show personalities who've gone grey.  in other casting news, the gossip girl spin off about young lily van der woodsen has its first cast mate.  lily's older stister, carol (the black sheep of the family), will be played by confessions of a shopaholic costar krysten ritter, who's known for her stints on shows like gilmore girls, veronica mars, and til death.  krysten will make her first appearance as carol on the "backdoor pilot" episode of the spin off, airing as part of gossip girl, in march.  jennifer anison and jason bateman have also landed roles in the new film the baster, about a single woman who decides to be artificially inseminated to fulfill her dream of being a mother.  problem is jason's character, jennifer's character's best friends) switches the donor sperm with his own and hijinks ensue. and disney darling selena gomez will be making her big screen debut in beezus and ramona, a live action adaptation of the beverly cleary classic.  she'll be taking the role of big sister beezus to child actor joey king's ramona.  

speaking of aniston

jennifer made an appearance on today's ellen degeneres show to promote her new movie he's just not that into you and ellen surprised the newly 40 star with a birthday celebration.  now that ellen is running her show from the warner brother's lot, she has access to a lot of old tv sets, including that of jennifer's star-launching show friends.  check here to see a video of the duo's visit to aniston's old stomping grounds.  ellen even surprised the star with a birthday cake complete with 40 candles.  in the interview, jen said she was open to a friends reunion, but don't expect a movie.  she'd like 

to a tv special along the lines of the holiday episodes the sitcom was known for.  aniston also talked about her relationship with singer john mayer for one of the first times when ellen displayed a pic of john in a green borat thong (see above), to which jen responded "the man's got balls. what can i say? i think he's funny."  mayer makes an appearance on ellen's monday show, divulging that "yeah, there are sleepovers" at aniston's la pad.  i still think they're quite the odd couple.  

day 78

lutfi lashes back

osama "sam" lutfi, britney's former "manager" and cohort, has decided to file suit against britney's parental units for defamation.  the creepy mycreeperson claims that the spears clan went on a campaign of slander, physically and emotionally intimidating lutfi to drive him out of their daughter's life.  brit's parents aren't alone in suit either; lutfi is suing britney, herself, for unpaid management fees.  he also claims that lynne spears, not lutfi and his pill-pushing management, drove britney to her most recent meltdown and that they are unfit parents.  he blames the twosome for causing britney to feel threatened by him and that he was the reason for her comeback, not them.  now, if sam were to really look at the situation, he would see that he was around when britney's life was in shambles and her parents were around when her life was (and is) running smoothly.  it might just be coincidence, but i would say that he is the common thread between all the bad times in brit's life.  and, as for his allegations that lynne spears's book, through the storm, is libel, i would just say that anytime someone writes a memoir, someone is probably not going to be happy - but there's no reason to sue them.  lutfi is seeking 15% of brit's money for each of her earnings during his "management," and inordinate sum that he probably won't receive.  

hilary duff and faye dunaway: catfight

it looks like new hollywood and old hollywood are about to start a battle royale.  with news breaking that hilary duff will be taking the role that made faye famous, bonnie of bonnie and clyde, in an all new biopic, faye did not seem all that happy.  the oscar winning (yet hollywood shunned) actress posed the question "couldn't they have cast a real actress?"  last week after news broke, which didn't sit well with the former disney darling.  now hilary is lashing back, telling e! news that "i think that my fans that are going to see the movie don't even know who she [faye] is, so you know...i think it was a little unnecessary but i might be mad if i looked like that now too."  well, the truth hurts - on both accounts.  the film is not a remake of faye's iconic film and, therefore, the whole fight is really stupid.  plenty of actresses play the same roles and no one gets angry.  but a good fight is always fun to hear about.  and faye really shouldn't be too angry - hilary paid homage to work in bonnie and clyde last summer in allure.   

cw show news

paparazzi are never the friend on tv sets, where plots should be kept under wraps.  two cw shows recently fell victim to the lens of the constant snappers, revealing some upcoming twists to the show.  first up is gossip girl.  the monday night teen drama was filming on location in nyc when the paps snapped two costars stealing a kiss on camera.  it looks like blair (leighton meester) and nate (chace crawford) will be getting back together, ending the relationships between blair and chuck and nate and vanessa.  but, it could also just be a flashback.  either way, we'll get to see in the next couple of weeks.  and tori spelling made her first appearance on the 90210 set, sharing a scene with former cast mate jennie garth and her character's half sister (and tori's character's sister-in-law), played by jessica stroup.  it looks like tori was channeling the 70s (maybe paying tribute to her father's charlie's angels?) with her hair while the threesome filmed a car scene on the streets of la.  after a lot of issues (tori had quite a few demands), donna martin finally will be appearing on the relaunch of the show that made her famous somewhere around episode 16 and will probably be a recurring star, trying to launch a hip boutique for the kids of west bev.  

day 58

gossip girl finally coughs up spin-off

the would they-or-wouldn't they idea of doing a prequel spin off to gossip girl is a definite would they.  head honcho stephanie savage said that she and boss josh schwartz didn't want to upset the original chemistry of the cw's flagship show and, therefore, they've decided to go ahead with a spin off about lily van der woodsen (nee rhodes) in her younger years. the show will start with lily's move to california to live with her black sheep sister and go to (shocker) public school.  the show, which will take place in the 80s, will also introduce us to young rufus humphrey who will, at some point, impregnate young lily.  this will, of course, lead into the present day storyline of the former (and possibly current) love birds seeking out their birth son.  the show will also be a chance for younger viewers to explore a decade that most of them have never experienced, the 80s - the show will work heavily with the era's music, fashion, and culture.  so, are you finally ready for this? i am.  a may episode will introduce us to the young lily, but won't be a backdoor pilot (a la private practice) - it will just familiarize us with the new  old world of lily rhodes.  the show will most likely premiere post gossip girl next season and has yet to be titled.  

other cw news

television's youngest network may have a schedule shake-up come the 2009/2010 season.  many of the net's popular shows are in limbo, with contract negotiations and storylines becoming a problem in their continuation.  one of the shows is one tree hill.  the show's current season is the last the cast has under contract and, with the network not offering a deal to the entire cast.  that means it's up to the cast to say they want another season - which they seemingly do - and they have to go into the studio together.  while fans are sure to back the next season, there are financial (should they get more money? is the show too expensive?) and creative issues (where's the show going? how much longer will it last?) to work out before the decision is made.  however, mark schwann (the creative force behind tree hill) has dropped out of the melrose place spin off for the net, so he has plenty of time to devote to the show.  a wb/cw staple, smallville, may also be ending its run.  currently in its 8th season, the show has suffered some creative woes - an entirely new set of writers were brought in and series regular kristin kreuk headed into the sunset.  however, the net wants to keep the shows that draw its male audience, and smallville is one of two shows that do that.  the other show is supernatural.  while the ratings are on the rise for this thriller, its not the net's top gainer.  but, with the recent creative surge, the cee dub is apparently actively campaigning for it to stick around for at least one more season.  

jackie chan, the next karate kid

with the remake of the karate kid hitting theaters sometime in the near future (with will smith's son jaden in the lead - can you say stunt casting?), the "mr miagi" is said to be jackie chan.  the martial artist/actor has taken the role of the karate teaching mentor.  filming begins this summer in beijing.  to me, this movie is completely unnecessary.  the karate kid is an 80s movie and not exactly "remake-able." why not make a straight-to-dvd sequel or a movie similar in idea? it seems like too much, too soon to me.  and does anyone really want to see this? jaden will barely be 11 when he starts production on the film.  ralph macchio, the original "karate kid," was 22 when he started work on the series.  it just seems like jaden is too young.  this just seems to be a "pet project," being used to make him into a movie star/name...how about send him to disney? they know how to make kids stars.  and, with the launch of their "boy-themed" network disney: xd in february, they could definitely make him into a household name amongst the audience he's trying to reach.  

day 56

all about the globes

last night kicked off the first of many real award shows of the new year, the 2009 golden globes.  after last year's canceled ceremony (because of the writer's strike), it seems like hollywood was ready to jump right back in the saddle - especially rumer willis, who got to be "miss golden globe" after she lost the chance last season.  there were upsets, unsurprises, and welcome winners to the show.  one of the biggest upsets of the night was mickey rourke's taking home the best actor trophy.  rourke, who has been a trainwreck since the 80s and hasn't worked in all that many noteworthy roles, took the trophy for his work in the wrestler, a semi-autobiographical tale of his time spent in the pro wrestling circuit, against nominees like leonardo dicaprio, sean penn, and brad pitt. while rourke is sure to get some film offers, i don't think he's all that bankable as a star or will have another big role in his career.  another "upset" was kate winslet's double win; the titanic star was expected to win the best supporting actress (drama) trophy for her work in the reader (funny story - winslet was originally cast in the winning role, had to drop out because of conflicts with revolutionary road's filming, and the role went to nicole kidman, who had to drop out because of her pregnancy, and, with the time delay, winslet was able to take the role once more), but the revolutionary road winning best actress (drama) win was a surprise.  anne hathaway was expected to take home the win for her work in rachel getting married, especially after her critic's choice awards win and the glitch on the award show's website this past week.  one of the biggest, welcome wins of the night was slumdog millionaire's best motion picture (drama) award.  the film, which features a completely unknown (at least to american audiences) cast took home the big trophy, along with 5 others (including best director). the young cast is sure to be welcomed into the world of hollywood and given opportunities they couldn't even dream of.  it was also good to see some of hollywood's shy faces, including colin farrel and sandra bullock, both of whom were looking good; colin even took home the trophy for his work in the "comedy" in bruges.  and multi winner tina fey even got to call out a few of her message board haters, telling the likes of dianefan and babsonlacrosse to "suck it."  dianefan took to the boards today to say she's happy for the fame and that she's still not supportive of the "smug smiling" star.  now it's just onto the oscars. most likely, the same people who took home the globes will not be the exact same - mickey rourke, in my opinion, is probably the least likely to take home the little gold man, let alone nab a nomination.  

new moon's new star?

with news that taylor lautner will be taking the role of jacob black once again in the twilight sequel breaking recently (lautner will have put on 30+ lbs for the role and is excited for the chance to not have to wear the ridiculous wig he sported in the first movie), eyes are turning to who will be filling the shoes of other characters in the second film.  one of those spots, that of werewolf leah clearwater, may have been cast in the form of high school musical star vanessa hudgens.  the actress who plays alice cullen in the series, ashley greene, told mtv news at the golden globes that the actress auditioned for the role and will make a great addition to the cast.  it will be interesting to see if vanessa will be able to take on the "dramatic" material, but that ability will be tested when hudgen's dramady bandslam (formerly will) hits theaters in july.  will she be able to pull of something without boytoy zac efron? we'll just have to wait and see. 

hilary duff makes a barely legal deal

former disney star hilary duff, who has been faltering in films since her lizzie days ended in 2004, has decided to return to the medium that made her a household name - television. after she made her lucrative nbc-universal development deal last year, speculation has floated as to what kind of project would she attach herself to? it looks like the star will star in barely legal,  a half-hour comedy/drama about california's youngest lawyer, 18 year old kathleen holtz. no word on whether or not the project will simply just take the idea of kathleen or actually use her name and life. the people behind brittany murphy's little black book are penning the project is slated for next fall. the show sounds like a winner, but will it take off? nbc hasn't exactly been a winner in the ratings since it lost its number one show friends in 2004, consequently the same year hilary left the tv game.  is hilary a big enough name to pull in an audience? it seems like the people who grew up with lizzie mcguire are now the right age for this show so it has a very good chance of taking off.  duff was last reportedly offered the lead in 90210, which went to shenae grimes.  barely legal definitely seems like a better fit.  

mid season shakeups

here's what's going on this half of the season on some of tv's hottest shows.  first up grey's anatomy.  while tr knight's departure is still in limbo, it seems like the show may be losing another cast member. melissa george, who plays intern sadie, won't be returning after this season.  the brit actress was originally signed up for 4 episodes, which was expanded to 8 after critical and fan reception was good.  however, abc wasn't willing to show george the money (which is interesting due to her history with the network - she was a regular in one season of alias) and she's decided to move on ... dan and serena are headed for some love woes on gossip girl. the twosome, who share a half brother somewhere out there, will have to deal with the idea of being "related." then they'll deal with not being related when news breaks of their half brother's death. but, what happens when the dead brother is still alive? that'll be resolved, most likely, at the start of season 3 ... another departure is headed to the ugly betty set. along with christina's (ashley jensen) depature, it looks like daniel's new object of affection (molly) will bite the dust before the end of the season.  how will it happen? my bet is on her ex-fiance accidentally killing her while trying to kill daniel over the split.  

day 54

the last girl next door moves out

bridget marquardt, one third of hugh hefner's former girlfriends (holly madison and kendra wilkinson make up the other 2), has moved out of the mansion.  bridget was the last of the three girls to move out - holly has relocated to vegas to be with new "illusionist" (that's just a fancy word for magician) boyfriend chris angel and kendra is currently shacking up with her football playing fiance hank baskett.  bridg is off to travel the world for her new travel channel series bridget's beaches, in which she'll be visiting some of the world's most luxurious and travel friendly beaches.  however, bridget may be returning to the mansion sooner than we know it.  when production on the first season of her show ends in april, bridget may be headed back to her old stomping grounds.  she has an open invitation from the man who has made a career out of glamour modeling (that's what they call showing your goodies over seas) to return whenever she likes.  bridget said she and hef still have a "special relationship" and she'll be happy to come back.  the thing about all this girls next door reshuffling that confuses me is that the show is still in production, with the original cast.  how is this possible? i guess we'll be seeing in the next couple of months?

jenny humprey, pop star?

the youngest (and only "teen") castmember of dvr cw hit gossip girl, taylor momsen, is looking at launching a music career. the slender star says she's working with "her band" is working on  an album, which will include some momsen originals.  click here to listen to what appears to be a relatively old recording of the star.  if you remember, momsen sang in her role of cindy lou who in dr seuss's how the grinch stole christmas opposite jim carrey.  her singing voice sounds a little nasaly, but that could just be how young she was when the recording was made.  it just seems that when an young actress decides to sing, her career starts to take a down turn: lindsay lohan, jamie lynn sigler, jennifer love hewitt...the list goes on and on of failed actress-singers who took a career nosedive when they decided to do music.  hopefully this does well (or never happens), or else little j can kiss success goodbye.  when actresses sing, they seems to spread themselves to thin and aren't focused; the only ones who seem to be able to do it are the disney starlets because they're part of the superstar-making-machine of the mouse house.

kidman admits defeat. will hollywood listen?

as the actress who continuously lands on the top of the "most overpaid actresses" list in hollywoood, you would think someone would stop casting kidman in films. while some polls indicate that she's a star that women want to see at the movies, those women never really show up.  kidman's latest bomb, australia, has lead the actress to comment on her abilities.  she said that she "can't look at [that] movie and be proud of what [she's] done."  kidman also notes that she basically fled her home in the continent that lends its name to the film's title in fear of being shamed by her fellow country people.  it seems like she's just doing this to cover her ass, as she promoted the film quite heavily and was seen everywhere before its release.  if she really wasn't pround, she would have skipped out on publicity.  with this new development, maybe hollywood will perk up and give other deserving actresses the roles and films kidman just can't seem to carry.  australia comes in as number 6 on a long line of box office failures, including bewitched and the golden compass.  while she may not be the entire reason for lack of interest in these films, she does seem to be the common thread. 

anne hathaway - headed for a pay raise

anne hathaway took home the lead actress critic's choice award for her work in the film rachel getting married.  hathaway tied with her the devil wears prada costar meryl streep, who won for her role in doubt.  click here to check out her acceptance speech.  anne seems genuinely happy and shocked to have own the trophy.  the critic's choice awards are usually pretty good precursors to who is going to take home the "big trophies" of the golden globes and oscars.  and, since anne most likely already won the golden globe after the little technical glitch on the award shows website (though we'll find out for sure tomorrow night), she is sure to be nominated for an academy award. once anne takes home that little gold man, she'll be able to get any part in any movie she wants.  hopefully, though, she won't completely move away from the comedies that made her famous and continue to make her viable at the box office.  her portrayal of emma in bride wars is really the only thing that makes the film watchable (other than kristin johnston's too small part of emma's annoying coworker) and she's meant to be a comedic actress.  actresses like renee zellweger, who win the award for dramatic work, then glom onto being a dramatic actress and basically torpedo their career.  zellweger is making her way back, though, to the types of movie that gave her a career with this year's romcom new in town.  

clarkson clip

click here to check out a sample of kelly clarkson's new song "my life would suck without you."  clarkson seems to be everywhere now that her song is being released in a little over a week.  the song is definitely pop-py and a return to her breakaway roots.  only time will tell if the song (and album) will be a success.  

yes, there's a new look and some new features.  comments are now open to everyone, so have at it.