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 176

one tree hill minus 2

one tree hill fans, listen up.  one of your favorite cw shows is going to a look a whole lot different come fall when its 7th season premiers.  after months of contractual disputes, series star chad michael murray and his on-screen wife hilarie burton (aka lucas and peyton) will not - i repeat, will not - be back for the next go around of oth.  that means next monday's season finale will be the last go around for the newlywed duo.  no word on whether or not the episode set them up for no return or if the missing twosome will be explained verbally in next season's premiere.  while the network has not made an official announcement about the actors leaving, you won't have to wait very long - the network's upfront presentation (where they announce the schedule for next fall and what shows have been picked up - fingers crossed valley girls, the gossip girl spin off, gets a go around) is a week from thursday, the 21st.  according to well placed sources, lucas and peyton's shoes will be filled by either introducing 2 new characters, promoting some recurring characters to regulars, or a combo of the two.  cmm's spot might already be taken; reports point to austin nichols (julian on the show) becoming a series regular next season.  this will be interesting to see take place.  the show already to a big risk by jumping five years and now, without the couple of the show/the star, will oth be able to survive?  will you watch? 

jenny's back on the block 

        

j lo is back in full force. with a new romantic comedy (the back-up plan) to go into production later this year, the selena star was already set up for a post-motherhood comeback.  but now comes this - a new song from the multi-talented lopez called "what is love?"  the song harks back to "love don't cost a thing," with a little bit slower feel.  check it out above.  the song is rumored to be park of jennifer's upcoming greatest hits collection, but might lead into a whole new album for the star.  lopez has not had a single hit the airwaves since 2005 with "get right," but even that didn't do that well.  before that, it was 2002's "jenny from the block." i'm interested to see if j lo's fanbase is still there in full force or if she has taken too much time away from the spotlight.

rihanna gets the gaga treatment

       

i don't have much to say about this one, but i think you should listen to it.  above is "silly boy," a demo of a lady gaga song featuring a duet with rihanna.  i don't know if it would do well on radio, but it's still fun to hear.  

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.