Keely's Korner

FIRST LOOK
http://www.eonline.com/news

ON TELEVISION (MONDAY 12/3/12)
TRAVEL: Hotel Impossible (Premiere) at 10pm
DISCOVERY: American Chopper (Series Finale) at 9pm
NBC: Blake Shelton’s Not So Family Christmas (Premiere) at 10pm
STYLE: Made In Chelsea (Finale) at 12am

NBC will place a drama in its Thursday at 10p time slot when it premieres new series Do No Harm on January 31.  Newsmagazine show Rock Center with Brian Williams which has been airing in this time period this fall will move to Fridays at 10p beginning February 8 where it will run following Dateline.  The drama Grimm will also return to Fridays at 9p starting March 8.  NBC also will air the season finale of 30 Rock with a one-hour episode on January 31 at 8p.
(Source: Cynopsis)

On New Year’s night TLC is set to premiere its new series The Sisterhood at 9p offering a candid look into the lives of preacher wives from Atlanta.  These preacher wives (aka First Ladies) work hard to ensure their families and churches run smoothly though at the same time are held to high standards.  The Sisterhood is produced for TLC by True Entertainment.
(Source: Cynopsis)

Writer and actress Diane Farr has sold a semi-autobiographical comedy to NBC based on her memoir Kissing Outside the Lines, reports THR.  The book explores Farr’s marriage to a Korean-American with the pitch involving an Italian girl and a Korean guy who fall in love in California despite hurdles such as their parents who will do anything to stop their relationship.  The single-camera comedy will be set inside a Venice Beach bar.  Farr will write and serve as EP on the NBC Universal project along with Warren Hutcherson.
(Source: Cynopsis)

Also for NBC, former Sing-Off host Nick Lachey has booked his next gig as host of the network’s upcoming singing competition series, The Winner Is.  The hybrid singing game show will watch as singers of all ages and configurations battle it out in front of a studio audience.  The show is from Talpa Media USA and creator John de Mol who will also serve as EP; Stijn Bakkers (The Voice) and Craig Plestis (Deal or No Deal) will additionally serve as EPs.
(Source: Cynopsis)

Lifetime’s long-running drama Army Wives has tapped The Vampire Diaries’ Torrey DeVitto, pop singer Ashanti and newcomer Elle McLemore as series regulars for the seventh season.  DeVitto will play Maggie Hall, a former soldier who gave up the Army to be a mom.  Ashanti will play Latasha Durant, an attractive mother of three who runs her family and marriage with a firm hand while McLemore will play naive Holly Gordon, a sweet farm girl who recently married a soldier.
(Source: Cynopsis)

Character actor Pat Renella died on November 9 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles at the age of 83.  Mr. Renella may be best known for playing the mobster who shot and killed Steve McQueen in the 1968 film Bullitt.   However, Mr. Renella also appeared in numerous television shows including a starring turn in The New Phil Silvers Show in the early 1960s, five episodes of Mannix in the 1970s and a 26-week stint as Dr. Nelson on General Hospital in 1980 among many other TV roles.  Mr. Renella is survived by a niece, Judy Portone and her husband; a sister Florence; and another nephew, Steven.
(Source: Cynopsis)

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 – $17.4 million
Skyfall – $17 million
Lincoln – $13.5 million
Rise Of The Guardians – $13.5 million
Life Of Pi – $12 million
(Source: Box Office Mojo)

CASTING CALL
mtvU, MTV’s 24-hour college network is teaming with Seth MacFarlane, host of the next Oscar’s telecast and also a guest professor on the network’s Stand In series, on The Oscar Experience College Search presented by The Academy and mtvU.  A national search is underway looking for college students interested in pursuing careers in film – writing, directing, producing, acting and more to appear live onstage to deliver Oscar statuettes to telecast presenters.  In addition to appearing on the Academy Awards show, winning college students will be flown to Los Angeles and be provided hotel accommodations.  The Oscar Experience College Search will be featured on The Academy’s Facebook page and will run through January 19, 2013.  Interested college students need to demonstrate they are destined for the Oscars by completing the Academy’s entry form and uploading a video answering the question: How will you contribute to the future of movies?  The producers of this year’s Oscars show will pick a minimum of six winners who will be flown to L.A. to participate in the 85th Academy Awards on February 24, 2013.  More information can be found at www.mtvU.com.
(Source: Cynopsis)

SUBMISSIONS CALL
USA Network is giving fans of its Psych series a chance to create and submit a new tagline for the show’s marketing campaign surrounding its seventh season premiere on February 27 at 10p.  From now through December 23, “Psych-Os” can visit the Psych Tag It app via USANetwork.com or the show’s Facebook page to submit, review and rank taglines.  The fan favorite tagline will be announced in January.
(Source: Cynopsis)

FIRST LOOK
http://www.eonline.com/news

ON TELEVISION (TUESDAY 8/7/12)
A&E: Shipping Wars (Premiere) at 9pm & 9:30pm
DIY: Extra Yardage (Premiere) at 9:30pm
HBO: Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Miami Dolphins at 10pm
WEATHER: Pyros (Finale) at 9pm
SYFY: Haunted Highway (Finale) at 10pm

NBC will apparently lose Sharon Osbourne as judge on America’s Got Talent. Osbourne is reportedly not returning to the show next season because of how NBC treated her son, Jack who was in talks with the network for a starring role on the new reality series, Stars Earn Stripes following his disclosure that he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Osbourne said Jack was apparently let go by the network via email two days before he was to report to work though no signed contract existed between Jack Osbourne and the network.
(Source: Cynopsis)

A new fourth season of Say yes to the Dress: Atlanta returns to TLC’s schedule beginning August 24 at 9p. The new season opens with a special episode highlighting country singer Miranda Lambert as she helps her band mate Angaleena from The Pistol Annies find a wedding gown. Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta is produced for TLC by North South Productions.
(Source: Cynopsis)

FX finalized a script development agreement with writer Sidney Quashie and music industry entrepreneur Dr. Dre. The one-hour drama pilot project in development focuses on present-day Los Angeles through the perspective of the music industry and the crime business. Quashie is the Creator/Executive Producer on the project and Dre serves as an EP. Daniel Schnider will be Co-EP for Dre’s company Crucial TV and Brad Bertner is also a Co-EP.
(Source: Cynopsis)

A new reality series, Abby’s Ultimate Dance Competition was picked up by Lifetime. The new series will feature Dance Moms’ Abby Lee Miller and will showcase 12 girl and boy dancers aged six through 13 as they compete for a $100,000 cash prize and a scholarship to the Young Dancer Program at the Joffrey Ballet School in New York. Pussycat Dolls founder Robin Antin will join Miller as a judge along with dancer and celebrity choreographer Richard Jackson. Kevin Manno from MTV’s The Seven will host the series. Lifetime ordered 10 episodes of the series and slated it to launch this fall. Collins Avenue is producing.
(Source: Cynopsis)

When TBS’ comedy Men at Work returns in 2013, Peri Gilpin (Frasier) will join the second season in a recurring role, reports TVLine. Gilpin will play Alex, the new boss at Full Steam magazine where the main characters played by Danny Masterson, Adam Busch, James Lesure and Michael Cassidy work.
(Source: Cynopsis)

MEGA MILLIONS
Today’s Jackpot is $21 million

Participating States: New York, New Jersey, California, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Ohio, Texas, Virginia and Washington.

www.NYLottery.org

CASTING CALL
VPE Talent is casting for Nat Geo WILD’s upcoming new series Spoiled Rotten Pets hosted by Beth Stern. The show is searching for people who have unusual pets that are treated better than the owner’s human friends and family. This new series from Picture This Television features pets that are completely spoiled by their owners. Casting is ending soon, so send in information about you and your spoiled rotten furry family members to: www.thepetcasting.com.
(Source: Cynopsis)

Weingrad Casting, LLC and World of Wonder Productions, behind Bravo’s Million Dollar Listing are now casting for a docu-series following the life and career of a group of competitive on-air weather stars. The series produced by World of Wonder Productions wants to know what happens on and off the air and what it takes to be the best in your market? If you are a weatherman in your city or town and would like to be considered for this show, send an email to: WEINGRADCASTING@GMAIL.COM and include your contact info, your reel and photos.
(Source: Cynopsis)

Grand Prix Productions is casting for a weekly series and looking for families with adult children who have moved home after college. For more info on the project, please email with specifics on your situation along with where you are located to: poloblsd@aol.com.
(Source: Cynopsis)

SUBMISSIONS CALL
AMC is launching a new online video contest called Hey DISH, Where’s My AMC? at www.WheresMyAMC.com. This contest is in response to DISH’s recent blackout of AMC network and its sister networks IFC, WE tv and Sundance Channel last month. The contest is accepting submissions through August 29, 2012 and invites fans of AMC to create a 30- to 90-second video about how DISH customers feel about not getting AMC’s shows including The Walking Dead, Mad Men and Hell on Wheels among others. Cash and other prizes will be awarded to the Grand Prize winner. To enter, visit www.WheresMyAMC.com.
(Source: Cynopsis)

FIRST LOOK
www.eonline.com

ON TELEVISION (THURSDAY 1/26/12)
COMEDY CENTRAL: Russell Simmons Presents The Ruckus (Premiere) at 10pm & 10:30pm
FOOD: Fat Chef (Premiere) at 10pm

Tuesday’s State of the Union address delivered by President Obama was carried live from 9p to approximately 1015p on 14 networks. The average audience total for those 14 networks was 37.65 million viewers and a combined HH rating of 24.0. The networks that carried the address were ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, CNBC, CNN, FBN, FOXNC, GALA, MSNBC, MUN2 and on tape delay via Telemundo, TeleFutura and Univision.
(Source: Cynopsis)

A joint 10-year agreement between CBS, the Academy of Country Music (ACM) and dick clark productions was forged involving the annual Academy of Country Music Awards broadcast on CBS through 2021. There has been a broadcast partnership between CBS and the ACM since 1998.
(Source: Cynopsis)

Based on its ratings success, VH1 is adding a half-hour post-show to its series Mob Wives beginning this Sunday. Titled Mob Wives: The Sit Down, the show will air at 9p directly following the one-hour reality series Mob Wives. The post-show is hosted by VH1’s Carrie Keagan and will feature two or three of the wives each week in addition to a celebrity guest to discuss the episode immediately after it airs. The post-show will also include some exclusive behind-the-scenes information. VH1 has initially ordered 7 episodes of the post-show which is produced by TWC, Electus, Left/Right and JustJenn Productions, the companies behind Mob Wives the future series Mob Wives: Chicago.
(Source: Cynopsis)

Executive producer Simon Cowell, behind The X Factor, American Idol and America’s Got Talent among others is developing another reality competition series, this time an untitled project searching for the world’s best DJ. Cowell’s company, SYCO Entertainment is working with Jada Pinkett-Smith and Will Smith’s Overbrook Entertainment and Sony Pictures Television to premiere the format which will be shopped internationally and in the US.
(Source: Cynopsis)

Actor James Farentino died on Tuesday at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles at the age of 73. Mr. Farentino had recurring roles on such television series as Dynasty, Melrose Place, The Bold Ones: The Lawyers and ER. In the latter series, he played the estranged father to George Clooney’s character. In 1978, Mr. Farentino was nominated for an Emmy Award for his role of Saint Peter in the TV miniseries, Jesus of Nazareth. Mr. Farentino also starred or appeared in numerous feature films and in 1967 won a “Most Promising Newcomer” Golden Globe Award for his performance in the comedy The Pad and How to Use It.
(Source: Cynopsis)

CASTING CALL
Iconic Casting seeks elite travelers who are interested in the opportunity to participate in a new reality television show titled Below Deck. Selected participants will book a vacation aboard a luxury super yacht at a discounted rate. These charters can cost more than $100,000 a week though selected participants will receive a significant discount. If selected you and up to five guests will be wined, dined and treated like royalty while yachting in and around the Caribbean. Each episode will shoot for approximately three days at sea, documenting all the while. Producers are looking for all types of guests: families, friends, co-workers, lovers or maybe the eccentric millionaire. For more details, please visit: www.belowdeckcasting.com.
(Source: Cynopsis)

Jamie Oliver’s production company, Fresh One and Barbara Barna Casting are seeking professional chefs and skilled amateur cooks for a culinary competition program. The show asks interested participants if they can beat their rivals in the toughest culinary challenges as well as can you cook to survive? Selected participants must be available in May and June 2012, be over 18 (and legal to work in the US), male or female (any ethnicity). Submit your photo, resume and contact info as soon as possible to: cooksadventurecasting@gmail.com.
(Source: Cynopsis)

SUBMISSIONS CALL
GMC, featuring uplifting music and family entertainment programming, is teaming with the American Black Film Festival (ABFF) on the second annual GMC Faith and Family Screenplay Competition. The competition promotes faith-friendly family entertainment screenplays with a focus on the American Black cultural experience. Submissions for the GMC Faith and Family Screenplay Competition are being solicited now through March 15 by the ABFF via the organization’s website at: http://abff.com/festival/ and newsletter. All eligible screenplays received will be sent to GMC for review by a panel that will choose three finalists. The three finalists will have portions of their screenplays performed by actors in attendance at the festival and in front of a live audience of festival attendees and industry leaders. One Grand Prize winner will receive $5,000. Entries should be formatted for a two-hour television movie and be centered on faith-friendly, family-friendly topics that focus on the American Black cultural experience with a broad appeal relating inspiring stories such as romantic comedies, comedies, dramas and family adventures. All submissions should be a non-period piece and submitted in printed form only; no electronic entries. Submissions should be mailed to: GMC Faith and Family Screenplay Competition 2012, c/o Film Life, Inc., 116 West 23rd Street, 5th Floor, New York, NY.
(Source: Cynopsis)