Filed under: Late Night, TV Royalty, Programming, Celebrities, Talk Show

Here’s who’s on the late night shows tonight.

• Charlie Rose: Nancy Pelosi and Kishore Mahbubani
• The Daily Show: Brian Williams
• The Colbert Report: Ingrid Newkirk
• The Late Show with David Letterman: Amy Adams, Jamie Oliver, and Liam Finn
• Jay Leno: Bryan Cranston, Wanda Sykes, and Cat Power
• Jimmy Kimmel Live: Martin Lawrence and Judy Greer
• Tavis Smiley: Garry Wills and Raven Symone
• Late Night with Conan O’Brien: Natalie Portman, Robert Schimmel, and James Blunt
• The Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson: Natasha Henstridge, Carl Bernstein, and Steve Mazan
• Last Call with Carson Daly: Miss Dakota, Rob Stewart, and Josh Kelly (repeat)

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Filed under: Web, Celebrities

Yeah, I know, that headline seems like it doesn’t even make any sense. I could have written something in Klingon or just strung other words together and it would make just as much sense: “Fight crayons with Patrick Dempsey on Labor Day,” or something similar.

If you’re wondering what Gary Coleman is up to these days, besides being secretly married or selling his pants on eBay, here’s the scoop: he’s hosting trivia games at NowYouKnowBetter.com, which is from the folks who bring us I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! (which makes me wonder why it’s not called NowYouKnowButter, not Better). The games start today at 4pm Eastern, and there’s a new game every 10 or 15 minutes or so.

I don’t know if the game involves butter and butter substitute trivia or other kinds of trivia, but if you’re not into the game you can also get recipes and coupons at the site.

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Filed under: Other Comedy Shows, Nip/Tuck, Daytime, Web, Celebrities, Talk Show, Ratings, Emmys

Funny ladies Rosie O’Donnell (Nip/Tuck) and Fran Drescher (The Nanny) are working together on creating a new “fun, happy, family comedy” for TV. On Rosie’s website, Fran and Rosie teamed up on camera to talk — primarily about Fran’s “cancer schmancer” campaign for public awareness — but at the end, Rosie and Fran revealed a sitcom they are planning in which they’ll star together.

There’s no question that Fran and Rosie are funny women with loyal fans. The Nanny was a CBS hit for six seasons. Rosie, who more recently has been a source of controversy like her very tumultuous time as a cohost on The View, has also been a success on TV. While she was on The View, the ratings were higher than ever before or since. She also had an Emmy-award winning daytime talk show for six years straight which had a vociferous following.

Continue reading Rosie and Fran teaming up for a sitcom

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Filed under: Other Comedy Shows, Programming, The Office, Celebrities, Dancing With The Stars, Pickups and Renewals

In the flush of all the returning series with fresh episodes comes this tasty morsel of news. ABC will premiere Miss/Guided, a new sitcom starring Judy Greer (Love Monkey) on March 18.

Miss Guided is the story of Becky Freeley, who returns to the same high school she went to as a teenager as a guidance counselor, sorta, kinda like Welcome Back, Kotter. But Becky wasn’t a sweat hog in her high school days — she was an ugly duckling with braces and teenage anxieties. Now, as an adult, she hopes to be able to handle HS with more elan. Becky’s hopes hit a speed bump when she meets the sexy mechanic-turned Spanish teacher, Tim (Kristoffer Polaha), whom she likes…a lot. Then, she learns that the new English teacher is Lisa Germain (Brooke Burns), her former nemesis back in school. And wouldn’t you know it, Lisa likes Tim, too!

Continue reading ABC gives Miss/Guided a go

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Filed under: Comedy, Independent, Romance, Casting

After spending 2006 having the crap scared out of him by Daniel Day Lewis, Paul Dano could probably stand to work on something just a little more light-hearted. The Hollywood Reporter announced that Dano has signed to star in the independent romantic comedy, Gigantic. Dano will star alongside Zooey Deschanel, and plays a mattress salesman who falls in love with a young woman at the store where he works. I can only assume that Deschanel, fresh off of M. Night Shyamalan’s The Happening, will play that young woman.

So far, no other cast has been named other than Frank Harts (Miracle at St. Anna). The relatively tiny cast leads me to believe that the film is going to be a pretty small affair. Although now that Dano still has some of that post-Oscar buzz surrounding him (despite being snubbed for a nomination), it could raise the profile of the film ever so slightly.

Gigantic will be directed by first-timer Matt Aselton, who also helped to write the script alongside Adam Nagata (also making his feature debut). Production is set to begin this March in New York, but a date has yet to be confirmed. After Dano finishes up work on Gigantic, he’s off to work on another indie film, The Good Heart. Heart will reunite Dano with Brian Cox (the two worked together on L.I.E. back in 2001) in a story about an older man who befriends a young homeless man and makes him is protégé. Well, so much for Dano making more happy-go-lucky flicks. Gigantic is expected to be released later this year.

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Filed under: Late Night, TV Royalty, Programming, Celebrities, Talk Show

Here’s who’s on the late night shows tonight.

• Charlie Rose: Keith Olbermann
• The Daily Show: Allen Guelzo
• The Colbert Report: Tony Snow
• The Late Show with David Letterman: Natalie Portman and Kenna
• Jay Leno: Miley and Billy Ray Cyrus and Brooke Shields
• Jimmy Kimmel Live: Heidi Klum, Jim Cramer, and Bullet For My Valentine
• Tavis Smiley: Ajamu Baraka and Senator Sherrod Brown
• Late Night with Conan O’Brien: Tom Arnold and Georgie James
• The Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson: Eric Bana, Patricia Clarkson, and Barry Manilow
• Last Call with Carson Daly: Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova and Rob and Big (repeat)

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Filed under: Late Night, Industry, Programming, Celebrities, Talk Show

Bill Carter over at The New York Times is reporting that ABC and FOX (as well as Sony Pictures Television) have indeed started their campaign to lure Jay Leno over to their networks once Conan O’Brien takes over for Leno at NBC’s Tonight Show next year.

Now, the two networks can’t “legally” try to get Leno right now, but senior executives at the companies have been getting word to Leno through other sources that they are interested in doing business with him in some way. NBC wants to keep Leno at their network as well, perhaps as host of another show, prime time specials, or maybe as host of a late night infomercial about non-stick pans. Leno’s contract runs though the end of 2009, though he probably won’t actually be on the air the last half.

Continue reading Yup, ABC and FOX are interested in Leno

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Filed under: Celebrities, Obituaries

A roundup of TV people from in front of the camera and behind the scenes who have passed away.

• William F. Buckley, Jr.: He was conservative commentator and host of the long-running political show Firing Line, which started on WOR-TV and then went to public television, lasting 33 years. He was also the editor of National Review, the author of several books, and even ran for mayor of New York City once. Buckley was found dead in his home in Stamford, CT. He was 82.

Continue reading TV Obits: Buckley, Tilley, Smith, Levin

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Filed under: TV on the Bigscreen, The Office, Celebrities, Emmys

Last week, The Office’s Steve Carell attended WonderCon 2008, talking about his new movie Get Smart. The picture, which is based on the 1965 NBC (and later CBS) TV series of the same name, will be appearing in theaters around the country on June 20, 2008. While saying that he tried not to channel Don Adams’s performance so he could bring something different to the role, in an IESB.net interview with Carell, he said that before he got the part of Maxwell Smart, Agent 86, of CONTROL, both Jim Carrey and Will Ferrell were considered. The film had actually been in development for nearly a decade. Steve recalled going to Warner Brothers for a reading about three years ago. “It was the most surreal moment, because I went in thinking I was just going to audition for a role. I didn’t expect them to offer me the part of Maxwell Smart.”

Continue reading Get Steve - Carell talks about the new Get Smart movie

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Filed under: Comedy, Casting

Maybe someone should tell newcomer Paul Rust that Hayden Panettiere is into older men — the power-sucking sort that are 12 years her teen senior. But, well, geekboys can dream. However, in the upcoming comedy I Love You, Beth Cooper, the dude does a little more than just dreaming. Also, mimicking reality, Hayden plays a gal with an older guy.

Erik blogged about the movie last month when Chris Columbus was in talks to direct, and the whale saver was looking into starring. With their deals now set, Variety reports that they’ve cast Rust as the guy who gets to long for Beth Cooper. He’ll play Denis Cooverman, the geeky valedictorian who decides that it will be a good idea to profess his love for Beth during his speech. Oh yes, there’s nothing more romantic than the smart geek professing his love in front of the whole graduating senior class, their parents, the girl, and her parents. He might be book smart, but it seems like he’s missing some rational smarts. Still, Erik said some great things about it, so maybe this could be fun.

That is, if they don’t make HP be too love-gushy at any point. Man, I hated her romantic scenes with West in Heroes. Ick. Anyway, according to his blog, Rust heads for Vancouver next Monday to shoot the film through the end of May.

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