Murphy Brown Back on TV? TV Guide Via TVNewser says Yes

From TV Newser:

TV Guide: CBS Looking To Revive ‘Murphy Brown’

By Alex Weprin on April 30, 2012 12:04 PM

We can’t say we saw this coming. TV Guide‘s William Keck reports that the hit 1990′s comedy “Murphy Brown” may return from the grave. Specifically, creator Diane English says that The Eye may order a handful of “Murphy Brown” specials in advance of the upcoming election.

“I’d love to have the show back on during this election year,” Diane told me at the TV Land Awards, where the series received the Impact Award. “We’re having a little conversation with CBS about a few episodes, and
I think it’s possible. Candice knows about it, and we’re going to talk to her more in July once she wraps her Broadway play ['The Best Man.']“

“Murphy Brown” followed the exploits of an investigative journalist of the same name, played by Candice Bergen, who worked for a fictional CBS News program called “FYI.” The series ran for a decade, from 1988-1998, and was one of the most popular sitcoms of the 1990′s.

Romney to appear on CBS This Morning

TVNewser is reporting that likely Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney will appear on CBS This Morning tomorrow at 7:40 a.m.  The interview will take place live, with the former Massachusetts governor's wife Ann, in the CBS studio.

CBS is taking credit for a "get," but Romney was interviewed by Diane Sawyer on ABC World News just last week and has been a guest on Morning Joe on MSNBC in the past few months.  He has not appeared on Today or Good Morning America lately, preferring to stick with Fox & Friends in the Morning of late.

The Romneys will likely speak with both hosts, Gayle King and Charlie Rose.

Kevin Jonas and His Wife Have New Reality Show

As if we don't already have more than we need of reality shows about the private lives of the "stars," here is another.

This summer, E! will premier a show looking at Kevin and Danielle Jonas. Kevin, a member of the Grammy-nominated and multi-chart topping group the Jonas Brothers, met the then Danielle Deleasa while on a family vacation in the Bahamas. Dani, dubbed by E! as a "sweet, stylish and down-to-earth girl from New Jersey," married Kevin in 2009.

According to the network, the couple quickly entered a whole new world, balancing marriage, worldwide fame and coming of age. Together, they are working to manage the colliding points of view between Dani's outspoken Italian family and the Hollywood life of the Jonas clan, including Kevin's equally successful brothers Joe and Nick. After two years of marriage, Kevin and Dani are finally ready to settle down in their New Jersey home and establish a happy suburban life. However, with the Jonas Brothers heading back to the studio to record new music, finding the right mix of "normal" and superstardom isn't easy. "Married to Jonas" premieres August 19th at 10pm ET/PT only on E!

"Danielle is living a true Cinderella story after marrying into pop royalty, partnering in Kevin's larger-than-life career and becoming a 'Jonas,' a name synonymous with hit music and a worldwide fan base," said Lisa Berger, President, Entertainment Programming for E! "The series presents a unique look at a young couple and their families from two entirely different worlds, one small town and one dealing with international fame, coming together as one and starting a whole new life together."

"I vividly recall believing from the very first time that I met them that the Jonas Brothers would, without a doubt, become a worldwide cultural sensation. Given their tremendous musical talents, kindness, humor and good looks, their eventual stardom wasn't a surprise to anyone. When we learned that Dani married Kevin, our production team became curious about what life would be like for a young bride entering the excitement, and sometimes chaos, of a pop star's life," said Executive Producer Ryan Seacrest. "Looking through the lens of young love, the show will examine the ups and downs of Dani and Kevin's marriage, against the backdrop of their contrasting family cultures, traditions and individual careers."

More from E!:

Family is a huge part of Kevin and Dani's world, and their parents and siblings are constant figures in their life together. For Dani, marrying into music royalty meant officially becoming a Jonas, joining brother-in-laws Joe, Nick, youngest brother Frankie, father Kevin Sr., who manages the band, and mom Denise, the loving matriarch of the Jonas empire. Kevin, on the other hand, married into a loud and loving Italian family led by Danielle's over-protective father Bucky, her soft-spoken mother Angela, her eldest sister and best friend Dina, her teenaged sister Katie, and her brother Mikey, an aspiring singer-songwriter who is working with his megastar brother-in-law to develop his career.

Kevin Jonas' career took flight at the early age of 16 when the Jonas Brothers signed their first record deal in 2005. The actor/musician/director tackles vocals, plus guitar, mandolin and piano for the trio. The Jonas Brothers' have debuted two #1 albums on the Billboard Top 200 charts. Overall, the Jonas Brothers have sold 20 million units around the world and counting. Dani grew up in Parsippany, New Jersey and lived the life of a typical teenager: ice skating, cheerleading and playing softball. In addition to her husband, the loves of her life include two Teacup Yorkies named Riley and Macy.

Ryan Seacrest's New Deal with NBC Makes Him a Today Show regular

NBCUniversal and top television host, broadcaster and Emmy-winning producer Ryan Seacrest have forged a groundbreaking multi-platform agreement that includes on-air, broadcasting and producing duties across the company's NBC and E! networks.

As part of the deal, Seacrest will serve as a special correspondent for NBC News' TODAY. He will also contribute to NBC primetime news and entertainment programming, which will include the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

"Ryan is an extraordinary talent who has been an important part of the Comcast family for a long time," said Steve Burke, CEO of NBCUniversal. "We look forward to his continued role on E! and to having him appear on many new places across NBCUniversal, including the TODAY show and at the Olympics. This is a great example of how NBCUniversal is able to provide the perfect home for some of the best people in the business."

"Joining the Comcast family six years ago was a game changing experience for me. My time at E! has enriched my career - both in-front-of and behind-the-camera - for which I am forever grateful," said Ryan Seacrest. "Today, I am humbled to have the confidence of Steve Burke, Ted Harbert, Bonnie Hammer and many others within the NBCUniversal family, to strategically extend my relationship to encompass NBC programming. I'm especially looking forward to working with all the stellar on-air talents and producing executives involved in NBC's news, entertainment and sports divisions, and I'm eager and excited to take on this broader new role."

Additionally, Seacrest continues his ongoing role with E! as Managing Editor of E! News, providing strategic direction for the news organization, as well as occasionally contributing and producing editorial content and high-profile celebrity interviews. He will continue to host and produce E!'s Live from the Red Carpet signature events, which recently delivered its most-watched awards season in the network's history.

The E! network is also a founding sponsor of the Ryan Seacrest Foundation, which is a non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for seriously ill and injured children through unique programs that utilize multimedia and interactive platforms to enlighten, entertain and educate.

Seacrest holds positions in broadcast television, nationally syndicated radio, local radio and cable as an on-air host, broadcaster and producer. He is host of  "American Idol," for which he has been nominated for an Emmy(r) award in the "Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program." He also serves as an executive producer and a host of "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest." On radio, Seacrest is host and producer of "On Air with Ryan Seacrest," his market-topping #1 nationally syndicated LA morning drive-time radio show for Clear Channel's 102.7 KIIS-FM, as well as a nationally-syndicated Top 40 radio show.

Seacrest's entertainment production company, Ryan Seacrest Productions (RSP), produces the hit series "Keeping Up with the Kardashians," the highest-rated show on the E! network and the spin-offs "Khloe and Lamar," "Kourtney and Kim Take New York," and "Kourtney and Khloe Take Miami." RSP also produced the Emmy Award-winning reality series "Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution." RSP recently produced the new reality series "Shah's of Sunset" for Bravo.

ELI MANNING TO HOST SNL

SNL has announced the first two of three shows finishing out their 37th season.

Eli Manning will make his SNL hosting debut on May 5th. The New York Giants quarterback led his team to victory in Super Bowl XLVI, in which Manning won Most Valuable Player honors and also set a new Super Bowl record with nine consecutive completions to start the game.

Rihanna will return to the SNL stage for her third appearance as musical guest. The six-time Grammy-award winner’s latest album, “Talk That Talk” was released in November, and she can next be seen in the feature film, “Battleship.”

On May 12, former SNL cast member Will Ferrell returns to studio 8H for his third time as host. Ferrell was last seen in the telenova comedy, “Casa de Mi Padre” and can next be seen in “The Campaign,” due out August 10 with Zach Galifianakis.

Usher makes his third musical guest appearance alongside Ferrell. The seven-time Grammy-award winner’s seventh studio album, “Looking for Myself,” is due out June 12th and is already enjoying massive reaction to its number one lead single “Climax” and his just released "Scream."

Daytime Ratings for Week of April 16, 2012

Nielsen ratings for the week of April 16 show that The Chew had 2.12 million viewers, up slightly from the previous week's 1.99 million and on par with the two weeks before that.  It seems The Chew has topped out and will not get better.  Others have reported that The Chew will never best (in both quality and quantity) the ratings of its time slot predecessor All My Children.  That seems certain to me as well.

The Revolution, now cancelled, of course, aired reruns during that week and drew 1.16 million viewers, fewer than the 1.19 million of the previous week.

ABC should consider itself lucky that its morning programs are doing well.  Without them and the lead-in audience they provide, the afternoon programs would probably be seen by even fewer people.  The View, for example, , the afternoon would The View on ABC stood well above the quartet, as always, with 3.3 million viewers.

The Talk, over on CBS, is growing an audience ever so slowly and is clearly gaining by the lack of interest in ABC's shows.  It had 2.15 million viewers during the week in question, a five percent gain over last year at this time.

Here are the soap ratings for the week of April 16th.

Total Viewers
1. Young and Restless - 4,304,000 (--5,000 from previous week)
2. Bold and Beautiful - 2,982,000 (+4,000)
3. Days of Our Lives - 2,376,000 (-7,000)
4. General Hospital - 2,228,000 (+11,000)

Elise Testone Eliminated from American Idol; It's Down to Five

After a season-high 58 million votes cast Wednesday night, American Idol viewers cast the fewest for Elise Testone, who was eliminated on last night's show. 

The program also featured Katy Perry who performed “Part of Me,” and an appearance by Idol Season 10 finalist Stefano Langone who sang his new single, “I’m On A Roll,” featuring Ben J of New Boyz. In addition, the official touring Queen tribute, The Queen Extravaganza, performed Queen’s classic smash hit “Somebody To Love,” with original Queen members Brian May and Roger Taylor.

Only four performance shows are left in the season.  Next week, Wednesday, May 2 the top five – Hollie Cavanagh, Skylar Laine, Joshua Ledet, Phillip Phillips and Jessica Sanchez – will compete in a British music-themed  show.

The next night Grammy Award-winning Carrie Underwood, one of Idol’s most successful winners, will perform.  Underwood has sold more than 12 million records worldwide. Another Grammy Award-winning, chart-topping act, the world-famous alternative rock band Coldplay, will will perform, their first time on the show.

The Top Five finalists are:

Hollie Cavanagh Hometown: McKinney, TX Age: 18 Keep up with Hollie at: www.twitter.com/CavanaghAI11 www.facebook.com/CavanaghAI11

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Skylar Laine Hometown: Brandon, MS Age: 18 Keep up with Skylar at: www.twitter.com/SLaineAI11 www.facebook.com/SLaineAI11

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Joshua Ledet Hometown: Westlake, LA Age: 20 Keep up with Joshua at: www.twitter.com/JLedetAI11 www.facebook.com/JLedetAI11

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Phillip Phillips Hometown: Leesburg, GA Age: 21 Keep up with Phillip at: www.twitter.com/PPhillipsAI11 www.facebook.com/PPhillipsAI11

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Jessica Sanchez Hometown: San Diego, CA Age: 16 Keep up with Jessica at: www.twitter.com/JSanchezAI11 www.facebook.com/JSanchezAI11

Jason Sedeikis and Fred Armisen on Political Satire with NBC's David Gregory

David Gregory of NBC's Meet the Press interviewed Saturday Night Live's Jason Sudeikis and Fred Armisen for his latest "Press Pass" feature. They impersonate Mitt Romney and President Obama on SNL and talked politics as fodder for comedy and what it takes to impersonate politicians.

Watch the video here.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

CONAN to Do Week of Shows From Chicago June 11-14

TBS's Emmy®-nominated late-night series CONAN will head back out on the road this summer, this time for a week of shows in Chicago to kick off the 2012 edition of the TBS JUST FOR LAUGHS CHICAGO Comedy Festival. The shows will originate from The Chicago Theatre.

To attend a show in person, fans can head to www.teamcoco.com/Chicago and enter an online lottery for seats to one of the four shows.

Produced by Conaco LLC, CONANairs Monday-Thursday at 11 p.m. (ET/PT) on TBS. Jeff Ross serves as executive producer of CONAN. The show's permanent home Stage 15 at Warner Bros. Studios in Los Angeles.

For the past three summers, the TBS JUST FOR LAUGHS CHICAGO comedy festival has been a landmark event for Chicago, which is home to a rich comedy heritage, from improv and sketch troupes to some of the most familiar names in the business.

JULIE BOWEN AND TY BURRELL TO HOST THE 2012 BILLBOARD MUSIC AWARDS

Emmy Award Winners Julie Bowen and Ty Burrell, Claire and Phil Dunphy on ABC's "Modern Family," have been announced as hosts of "The 2012 Billboard Music Awards," airing live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on SUNDAY, MAY 20 (8:00-11:00 p.m., ET) on, yes, ABC.

"We are thrilled to have television's favorite Emmy Award winning couple as our hosts for this year's Billboard Music Awards," said Richard D. Beckman, CEO Prometheus Global Media. "Ty and Julie have captured the hearts of America with their on-screen chemistry and humor - and we look forward to having them bring that magic to the Billboard Music Awards."

Finalists for the Billboard awards are based on key fan interactions with music, including album, single and digital sales, airplay, touring, streaming and social interactions on MySpace, Facebook and many of the other most popular online destinations for music. The awards will be based on the reporting period of February 28, 2011 through March 1, 2012.

Live! with Kelly Co-Hosts for May7-11

For those following the race to see who will replace Regis Philbin as Kelly Ripa's co-host on Live!, here's a little news.

NFL broadcaster Michael Strahan has been invited back to host three programs during the week of May 7th.  He'll be on May 7, 8 and 9th.

Thursday and Friday of that week will feature Nick Lachey beside Ripa.

Prominent guests for the week are: Cameron Diaz, Stephen Colbert (his first Live! appearance), Felicity Huffman and Ginnifer Goodwin.

Other potential permanent co-hosts are Ripa's husband, Mark Consuelos, Pat Kiernan of New York 1 News in New York and Carson Kressley.  Neil Patrick Harris is also said to be in the running, and would probably be a dream candidate, but it seems his star may be bigger than this show.

The 9 Most Acclaimed Animal Film Stars of All Time

Our friends at BestOnlineColleges.com asked us to share this link with our readers.  It's a pretty good list:

9 Most Acclaimed Animal Film Stars of All Time

Ryan Seacrest Re-Signs with American Idol

Emmy® Award-nominated Ryan Seacrest will continue as host of AMERICAN IDOL, broadcast television’s No. 1 show. Seacrest has served as host of AMERICAN IDOL since its debut on June 11, 2002.

Seacrest has introduced every guest performer, played referee with the judges and has congratulated each of the winners.

“For the last 11 seasons, I've had the privilege to be a part of one of television's most iconic shows. It's been a wild ride, and I'm excited for my journey with AMERICAN IDOL to continue,” Seacrest said. “The legions of fans, amazingly talented contestants, judges, and producers, along with the hard working IDOL crew, impress me every time we go on air and make hosting the show a dream job.”

“Ryan is one of a kind,” added Mike Darnell, President of Alternative Entertainment, Fox Broadcasting Company. “His ability to engage the viewers, keep the contestants at ease during intense moments and adapt to any situation, especially during the live shows, solidifies him as the absolute best in the business. He is an integral part of why AMERICAN IDOL is a true phenomenon, and we can't imagine doing this show without him.”

“I am thrilled that Ryan will continue to be the face of AMERICAN IDOL. He runs the show with such expertise, warmth and charm that he makes one of the hardest jobs in television look easy,” noted Cecile Frot-Coutaz, CEO, FremantleMedia North America. “He is one of the best in the business and we are lucky to have him.”

“Ryan has been with AMERICAN IDOL from the very first day. I can’t imagine the show without him,” stated creator and executive producer Simon Fuller. “He is the consummate host and an exemplary professional. Having Ryan continue to be a part of the AMERICAN IDOL family is great news for everyone.”

ABOUT RYAN SEACREST
With his thriving broadcasting career and multiple ventures, Ryan Seacrest is at the forefront of the media and entertainment industry. While hosting and producing multiple television and radio programs, building his Ryan Seacrest Productions banner (RSP) into a leading entertainment production company, and managing a myriad of media investments and brand ventures, Seacrest is redefining what it means to be a successful Hollywood entrepreneur.

Seacrest holds preeminent positions in broadcast television, nationally syndicated radio, local radio and cable as both a producer and on-air host. He is celebrated internationally as host of the top-rated primetime talent showcase AMERICAN IDOL, and hosts and produces “E! News” and its red carpet awards show coverage. He also serves as an executive producer and co-host of “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest.”

He has been nominated for an Emmy Award in the “Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program” category for his work on AMERICAN IDOL, and has also hosted the live network broadcast of the Emmy Awards show.

On radio, Seacrest is host of “On Air with Ryan Seacrest,” his market-topping No. 1 nationally syndicated Los Angeles morning drive-time radio show for Clear Channel’s 102.7 KIIS-FM, as well as a nationally-syndicated Top 40 radio show. In 2006, Seacrest launched Ryan Seacrest Productions (RSP), which has since become a television production powerhouse.

RSP produces the hit series “Keeping Up with the Kardashians,” one of cable’s highest-rated shows, and the spin-offs “Khloe and Lamar,” “Kourtney and Kim Take New York” and “Kourtney and Khloe Take Miami.” RSP also produced the Emmy Award-winning reality series “Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution.” RSP recently produced two new reality series: “Melissa and Tye” and “Shahs of Sunset.”

In January 2012, Clear Channel acquired a minority stake in RSP. In early 2012, Seacrest entered into a joint venture through a holding company, Ryan Seacrest Media, along with HDNet, AEG, and Creative Artists Agency (CAA) to rebrand HDNet/HDNet Canada and launch AXS TV (pronounced: access).

AXS TV will debut this summer, providing viewers with exclusive behind-the-scenes access to live concerts and music festivals, red carpet premieres, award shows, parties, pop culture events, and in-depth interviews with the people and artists who make live entertainment so uniquely fascinating.

Seacrest also has extensive deals with brand heavyweights Proctor & Gamble, Coca-Cola and Microsoft, and recently announced a strategic marketing and technology alliance with Eventful, Inc.

Seacrest, along with his family, is also committed to the Ryan Seacrest Foundation (RSF), a non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for seriously ill and injured children through unique programs that utilize multimedia and interactive platforms. RSF is building broadcast media centers within hospitals for children to explore the creative realms of radio, television and new media.  RSF has launched two centers: Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

Originally from Atlanta, GA, Seacrest’s professional career in broadcasting began at the age of 16 when he applied for an internship at one of Atlanta’s top radio stations, WSTR-STAR 94. While working at STAR 94 he finished high school and went on to attend the University of Georgia where he majored in journalism. Seacrest currently resides in Los Angeles, CA.

NBC ANNOUNCES NEW TIME FOR LIVE SEASON FINALE OF ‘THE VOICE’

NBC announced today that the live two-hour season finale of “The Voice” will now air at a new time on Tuesday, May 8 from 9-11 p.m. (ET). It was previously scheduled for broadcast from 8-10 p.m. (ET) that same night. “

Fashion Star” will now move to 8-9 p.m. (ET) on May 8, it was previously scheduled to air at 10-11 p.m. (ET).

"The Voice" is a vocal competition show featuring celebrity musician coaches Christina Aguilera, CeeLo Green, Adam Levine and Blake Shelton.

Carson Daly hosts and serves as producer, and Christina Milian serves as social media correspondent.

The show’s format features three stages of competition: the first begins with the blind audition, and then the competition enters into a battle phase, and finally, the live performance shows. In the end, each coach will have one star artist left ready to compete against the other teams’ finalists to be named “The Voice” – the winner will receive the grand prize of a recording contract.

Veep Has Potential, but Doesn't Live Up to It, Yet

If you’ve seen any of the hundreds of interviews Julia Louis-Dreyfus has done in the past couple of weeks, you know she’s starring in “Veep” on HBO.  It’s a comedy about a vice president of the United States, who’s a woman, who’s also the ultimate politician.

Vice President Selina Meyer is shallow, scheming and mildly abusive to her staff.  She has the mouth of a truck driver.

I thought this show was going to be great. 

It has all the elements: one of the best comedic actresses of our time, a Washington setting and the undercurrent of the whole show – the old adage about the vice presidency being nothing more than a warm bucket of spit (V.P John Nance Garner, 1932).  Dreyfus diligently works to disprove that premise, to no avail.

Meyer is constantly asking, “Has the president called?”  The answer is always no.  She perks up when there’s a report that the president is having chest pains.  She visits the office of a prominent Senator, the great Kate Burton, and can’t divert the woman’s attention from her computer screen.  

Everyone but her staff ignores her.  They, a bunch of sycophants, are extremely amusing in the way they kiss up and grimace at the same time, but they’re not funny enough to make the whole show.

The characters are Gary Walsh as the vice president’s “body man” (Tony Hale), Amy Bruckheimer, her frustrated chief of staff (Anna Chlumsky), Dan Egan, the scheming deputy assistant (Reid Scott) and Mike McLintock, the cowardly press secretary (Matt Walsh).

Veep, which is a 30-minute presentation leading up to Girls on Sunday nights at 10 is okay, but it’s not hilarious.  There’s room for it to grow, though.  Let’s hope it does before Vice President Meyer loses the chance to be on the president’s next ticket.

CNBC Airs Documentary on Costco

Update:  I highly recommend this documentary, having now seen it.  It has great information for shoppers on how Costco does business, the most important of which is that no item is marked up more than 15%, well below mark-ups at most retailers.  CNBC has been repeating it, so catch up with it, if you can.

If you're one of Costco's 65 million members, and even if you're not, you may be interested in this documentary.  "THE COSTCO CRAZE: INSIDE THE WAREHOUSE GIANT" will air on CNBC, Thursday, April 26th at 9 pm.

According to CNBC, the doc will explore the huge and hugely popular chain famous for turning the experience of shopping in a warehouse into an adventure. The nation’s third largest retailer has thrived by turning convention on its head: Costco never advertises, charges its 65 million members to shop there, and doesn’t mark up any product more than 15 percent. It seems like a business model that shouldn’t work, except that it does, generating billions in profits along with intense customer loyalty.

CNBC’s Carl Quintanilla shows how Costco has grown to 600 stores and $93 billion in annual sales, attracting some of the most loyal and affluent customers in the business. They return repeatedly for the treasure-hunt thrill of Costco’s constantly changing inventory, including diamond rings, steaks, wedding dresses and caskets.

The piece also looks at the possibility of a “Costco Effect” and explores whether buying those 28-packs of pretzels and oversized bottles of salad dressing saves money, and whether it leads customers to consume more.

President Obama to Appear on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon

President Barack Obama will make his first appearance on NBC’s “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” on Tuesday, April 24 (12:35 a.m. ET). The broadcast will be taped from the campus of The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill on Tuesday to air that same night.

Dave Matthews is set to perform as the April 24th musical guest. Fallon will also bring along his acclaimed house band The Roots.

"Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" is produced by Universal Television and Broadway Video. Lorne Michaels is the executive producer. Michael Shoemaker produces. Gavin Purcell is the supervising producer.

The Chew on ABC: Ratings Dip AGAIN

How long can the smiles among The Chew
cast members last?

The ratings news worse and worse each week for The Chew on ABC.

During the week of April 9th, Nielsen reports that the All My Children "replacement"  had 1.99 million viewers, a lot less than the previous week's 2.11 million viewers and the previous week's 2.21 million.  Does anyone see a trend here.  AMC was drawing 2.34 million people overall at this time last year.

Of course, the show that follows The Chew, The Revolution, has now been cancelled by ABC and its ratings were down to 1.19 million, a low for that program and more than 50% fewer viewers than the show it replaced, One Life to Live (2.5 million audience members).

The Talk on CBS seems to be picking up some of the slack.  It now has 2.16 million viewers and its numbers are up over last year. 

ABC executives can't be happy about these trends.  It's one thing to have bad ratings, but it's quite another when the upstart program on another network, that wasn't close to being a threat last year, is now gaining on its programs.

The Talk, however, is no competition for The View, which had a whopping (comparatively) 3.53 million viewers during the week in question.

Finally, here are the soap ratings for the week of April 9th.  As with the past few weeks, you'll notice that General Hospital is hurting from its lead-ins and the other networks are benefiting from the lack of competition on ABC.  Clearly, soap fans are migrating to new stories.

Total Viewers
1. Young and Restless - 4,309,000 (+349,000 from previous week)
2. Bold and Beautiful - 2,978,000 (+167,000)
3. Days of Our Lives - 2,383,000 (+221,000)
4. General Hospital - 2,217,000 (-27,000)

Colton Dixon out on "Idol": It's Down to Six

Colton Dixon was eliminated last night on AMERICAN IDOL after he received the fewest of the 53 million votes cast for the finalists. Also on the results show, LMFAO performed their hit, “Sorry For Party Rocking,” and AMERICAN IDOL Season Eight winner Kris Allen performed his new single, “The Vision Of Love.”

Next week, on Wednesday, April 25 (8:00-10:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed), the Top Six – Hollie Cavanagh, Skylar Laine, Joshua Ledet, Phillip Phillips, Jessica Sanchez and Elise Testone – will perform in a Queen-themed show. The finalists also will get to perform a group medley with Brian May and Roger Taylor, original members of the legendary rock group Queen.

On the following night, Thursday, April 26 (8:00-9:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed), Katy Perry will perform her newest single, “Part of Me”; the official touring Queen tribute, The Queen Extravaganza, will perform their classic smash hit “Somebody To Love”; and AMERICAN IDOL Season 10 finalist Stefano Langone will present his new single, “I’m On A Roll.”

The Top Six finalists are:

Hollie Cavanagh Hometown: McKinney, TX Age: 18 Keep up with Hollie at: www.twitter.com/CavanaghAI11 www.facebook.com/CavanaghAI11

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Skylar Laine Hometown: Brandon, MS Age: 18 Keep up with Skylar at: www.twitter.com/SLaineAI11 www.facebook.com/SLaineAI11

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Joshua Ledet Hometown: Westlake, LA Age: 19 Keep up with Joshua at: www.twitter.com/JLedetAI11 www.facebook.com/JLedetAI11

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Phillip Phillips Hometown: Leesburg, GA Age: 21 Keep up with Phillip at: www.twitter.com/PPhillipsAI11 www.facebook.com/PPhillipsAI11

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Jessica Sanchez Hometown: San Diego, CA Age: 16 Keep up with Jessica at: www.twitter.com/JSanchezAI11 www.facebook.com/JSanchezAI11

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Elise Testone  Hometown: Charleston, SC Age: 28 Keep up with Elise at: www.twitter.com/ETestoneAI11 www.facebook.com/ETestoneAI11

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MSNBC 's Morning Joe Live from Boston Friday

“Morning Joe” on MSNBC will broadcast live from Fenway Park in Boston on Friday, April 20.

Joe Scarborough, Mika Brzezinski and Willie Geist will help celebrate the 100th anniversary of one of the nation’s most historic stadiums and take a closer look at the high profile Senate race between Sen. Scott Brown and Elizabeth Warren, who will both be on hand.

The special Boston edition of “Morning Joe” will also look at Mitt Romney’s time as Massachusetts governor. Guests will include MSNBC contributor and Boston’s own Mike Barnicle, Sen. John Kerry, Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig, renowned baseball analyst and inductee in the Baseball Hall of Fame Peter Gammons, and historian Doris Kearns Goodwin.

“Way Too Early with Willie Geist,” on at 5:30 a.m, just before Morning Joe, will also originate from Beantown.

USA Network's Summer Line-up: A Good One

USA will provide five nights of original programming this summer, which may be a first for network television.

In addition to six returning audience and critic’s favorites and a series premiere, the network will introduce a miniseries called POLITICAL ANIMALS starring Sigourney Weaver.

The first of the summer offerings will be Common Law, a new cop show set in LA on May 11th.  Then, the network will go with its most-watched series ROYAL PAINS and last year’s rookie hit NECESSARY ROUGHNESS on Wednesday, June 6 at 9/8c and 10/9c. The next week, it will present BURN NOTICE and the SUITS on Thursday, June 14 at 9/8c and 10/9c followed by all-new seasons of WHITE COLLAR and COVERT AFFAIRS on Tuesday, July 10 at 9/8c and 10/9c.

Here's a complete rundown:

ROYAL PAINS: In the exciting fourth season premiere of USA’s highest rated series, Hank Lawson (Mark Feuerstein) embarks on a fresh start with his medical practice and separates from his brother Evan (Paulo Costanzo), who also starts his own venture. As Divya (Reshma Shetty) attempts to reconcile the brothers, HankMed teams up once more in the face of a Hampton’s emergency. Wednesdays at 9/8c, premiering June 6.

NECESSARY ROUGHNESS: Starring Golden Globe®-nominee Callie Thorne as a Long Island therapist Dr. Dani Santino, the sophomore season picks up with the aftermath of football superstar TK’s (Mehcad Brooks) shooting by a crazed fan. Also tackling football during the off-season, viewers will get a peek at the “backstage” drama that comes with training camp, scouting and drafting. Wednesdays at 10/9c, premiering June 6.

BURN NOTICE: Season six of this summer favorite picks up after Fiona (Gabrielle Anwar) turned herself in on charges of terrorism to save Michael (Jeffrey Donovan) from an extreme case of blackmail. With Fiona in federal custody, Michael and his crew must band together to rescue their friend from a lifetime prison sentence. Thursdays at 9/8c, premiering June 14.

COMMON LAW:  This new show is about two cops with a problem – each other. Despite their differences, they are incredible detectives. When things come to a head during their "seven-year itch" as partners, their captain forces them into couples' therapy to save their "work marriage." Despite being an odd couple, Travis Marks (Michael Ealy) and Wes Mitchell (Warren Kole) are incredible at what they love most – enforcing the law – and have a seven-year track record as the LAPD's best detectives in the Robbery-Homicide Division.

SUITS: The sophomore season of the critically acclaimed drama jumps back into the fast-paced, high-stakes world of Manhattan corporate law. The future of brilliant, but not-technically-legal, associate Mike Ross (SAG Award nominee Patrick J. Adams) hangs in the balance when a friend threatens to expose him. Legendary law partner Harvey Specter (Gabriel Macht) attempts to guard his secret from the firm’s top suit Jessica Pearson (Gina Torres) while she faces even bigger problems when the other half of Pearson Hardman reemerges on the scene. Thursdays at 10/9c, premiering June 14.

WHITE COLLAR: The unique partnership between slick con man Neal Caffrey (Matt Bomer) and FBI agent Peter Burke (Tim DeKay) was upended in the highly buzzed about season three finale when Neal fled the country with Mozzie (Willie Garson). The critically acclaimed series returns for a dramatic fourth season exploring Burke's fate with the FBI, the whereabouts of Caffrey and whether or not their relationship will ever be the same again. Tuesdays at 9/8c, premiering July 10.

COVERT AFFAIRS: The hit international spy drama returns for its third season after Annie’s (Golden Globe® nominated Piper Perabo) mission in Stockholm turned deadly and she returns to the one person who has always been there for her – Auggie (Christopher Gorham). However, his mind is elsewhere as he sets out to follow his new girlfriend to Eritrea and leaves Annie wondering if her feelings run deeper than she thought. Tuesdays at 10/9c, premiering July 10.

POLITICAL ANIMALS: From renowned storytellers Greg Berlanti and Lawrence Mark comes a provocative six-hour event series about a high-profile political dynasty seduced by influence and crippled by the lust for power. Starring multi-award winner Sigourney Weaver in her television series debut, Carla Gugino, Ciaran Hinds, James Wolk, Sebastian Stan and Brittany Ishibashi, the fictional look at a former first family exposes what the public doesn't see behind the polished facade of public life. Coming Sundays in July.

GMA Tops Today; First Time in 16 Years

It looks like Good Morning America is the victor in the ratings race - for a week at least.


This past Friday, GMA had 330,000 more viewers than NBC's Today show, which means for the whole week, they were up by a hair - 13,000 viewers.  Some 5.147 million people watched GMA while 5.134 million tuned in to Today.

That's the first time ABC has beat NBC in the morning since December 1995 when the ABC hosts were Joan Lunden and Charlie Gibson and NBC had Katie Couric and Bryant Gumbel.  A long time ago, indeed.

There are a number of factors contributing to the upset.  For one, NBC's prime-time line-up is suffering while ABC's is doing well (though it's trailing CBS).  That means people tuning in at night, keep their TV's on ABC and wake up to GMA.

Also, last week was ABC host Robin Roberts' return from vacation.


Finally, Ann Curry has not been a favorite since she took over for Meredith Vieira on the Today show.  Vieira was a favorite and Curry is not.  It's even been rumored that Curry is not popular among her co-workers, which could spill over onto the set.

Having seen a bit of Good Morning America today I was pleasantly surprised.  An interview George Stephanopoulos conducted with Julie Louis-Dreyfus about her new HBO show, Veep, was quite entertaining.  (More about Veep in a coming post.)

Martha Stewart to Guest on 2 Broke Girls

Now this should be funny. The 2 Broke Girls season finale on CBS will feature a guest appearance by none other than domestic diva Martha Stewart.

In case you don't watch the show, it revolves around two women, Kat Dennings (Max Black) and Beth Behrs (Caroline Channing).  Max has always been poor; Caroline  is now poor because her rich father took a lot of people's money and went to jail.  Together, they've launched a cupcake business as they slog as diner waitresses in Brooklyn.

In “And Martha Stewart Have A Ball (Parts One and Two)” – Max and Caroline plan to attend a big fashion gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art where Stewart is scheduled to be a guest, in an attempt to have her taste their cupcakes and get her seal of approval.

The episode will air at a special time, Monday, May 7 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) .

Stewart, of course, is the Emmy Award-winning TV host, author and founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia.  Also guest starring will be Steven Weber (“Wings”) as Caroline’s father, Martin Channing.

ELLEN BURSTYN TO STAR IN USA NETWORK’S "POLITICAL ANIMALS," OPPOSITE SIGOURNEY WEAVER, CARLA GUGINO, CIARÁN HINDS, JAMES WOLK, SEBASTIAN STAN AND BRITTANY ISHIBASHI

Ellen Burstyn

Oscar®, Emmy®, Golden Globe® and BAFTA Award winner Ellen Burstyn ("Big Love," "Requiem for a Dream")will join the cast of USA Network’s newest original series, POLITICAL ANIMALS, from Warner Horizon Television. 

Also starring Sigourney Weaver ("Avatar"), Ciarán Hinds ("Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy"), Carla Gugino ("Entourage"), James Wolk ("Shameless"), Sebastian Stan ("Gossip Girl") and Brittany Ishibashi ("The Mentalist"), the six-hour event drama from TV and film producers Greg Berlanti ("Brothers & Sisters") and Laurence Mark ("Dreamgirls") is slated for the network’s summer lineup.

Burstyn will star as Margaret Barrish, mother to current Secretary of State Elaine Barrish Hammond (Weaver). A tough Chicago broad and one-time Vegas showgirl, Margaret’s biting tongue and sharp wit haven’t softened despite her daughter’s position and she’s the first one to whip open a bottle of booze to help her through a political evening. 

Pulling back the curtain on persuasive public speeches and stirring campaign ads, the fictional look at a former first family exposes a dynasty fighting political adversaries while struggling with their own powerful demons. Sigourney Weaver stars as former first lady and current Secretary of State Elaine Barrish Hammond who – in the wake of a divorce from her philandering ex-husband (Hinds) — attempts to keep her family together while simultaneously dealing with crises of the State Department and the hungry DC journalist (Gugino) who is bent on destroying her career.

CBS ANNOUNCES NEW REALITY SERIES “DOGS IN THE CITY,” STARRING JUSTIN SILVER

With pets becoming a near-obsession with Americans, I'm going to bet that this show will take off.   CBS has announced a new reality series DOGS IN THE CITY, starring so-called New York City dog guru Justin Silver. He is billed as a master at resolving issues between dogs and their owners – no matter who's at fault. The series will premiere Wednesday, May 30 at 8 pm.

According to CBS, Silver has a reputation in Manhattan as the “go-to guy” for all things dog-related.

A news release said, "He has a creative and instinctive ability to connect with his canine customers while solving dilemmas for their two-legged masters. In each episode, he meets with clients who present a range of relationship problems, lifestyle changes or domestic issues – from a couple looking to move in together, but she’s terrified of his golden retriever, to a recently divorced couple whose dog is having a rough time adjusting to joint custody. Justin gets as imaginative as necessary to reach a satisfying resolution, often finding that the owners can be a special breed themselves."

“Dogs are at the center of the story here, but this is a show that reveals as much about human nature as man’s best friend,” said Executive Producer Carol Mendelsohn. “Dogs are often a lightning rod for their owners’ emotions and dysfunction at home. Justin has an amazing gift to break down these complex issues with incredible heart, humor and, sometimes, much-needed candor.”

Justin Silver has been taking care of dogs and their owners for more than a decade. A dog trainer, behaviorist and owner of a pet care company, Silver is also a comedian and founder of Funny for Fido, a nonprofit that raises money for homeless animals by producing a yearly stand-up comedy event. Silver firmly believes that every dog can be trained to be a wonderful companion by working on issues calmly and confidently with both his four- and two-legged clients.

The Chew Doing Worse and the Cancelled Revolution is a Complete Misfire

While ratings for the now-cancelled The Revolution on ABC continued to fail, its lead-in, The Chew is alright, but not great.  The Chew had 2.11 million viewers during the week of April 2nd, fewer than the previous week's 2.21 million viewers.  The ratings represent 9% fewer people than the show's predecessor, All My Children, but 33% more among women 18-34.  Older women, are not on board.  The Chew was off by 25% among women 18-49.

The Revolution had 1.3 million viewers, 51% fewer than One Life to Live a year ago, and 64% with women 18-49.

The Talk on CBS was watched by 2.04 million viewers for the week and ABC's The View averaged 3.42 million.

And here are the ratings (total viewers) for the soaps:

1 - Young and Restless - 3,960,000 (-164,000)
2 - Bold and Beautiful - 2,811,000 (-174,000)
3 - General Hospital - 2,244,000 (-11,000)
4 - Days of Our Lives -  2,162,000 (-137,000)

These numbers represent new lows for The Young and the Restless and for Days of Our Lives.

HELL'S KITCHEN RENEWED FOR TWO MORE SEASONS

FOX has ordered an 11^th and 12^th season of the Gordon Ramsay culinary competition series, HELL’S KITCHEN. 

In the heavy-hitting, no holds barred cooking series, which seems to draw the most class-less aspiring restaurateurs, contestants compete in teams to serve the best meals.   

Players are eliminated each week until the finale when the grand prize is given to the last person standing, traditionally a head chef position at one of Ramsay's restaurants paying $250,000.

If you've seen this show you know that's a paltry sum considering what you have to do to get it and how humiliating it must be to work for Ramsay.  He browbeats these people as if they're dirt.  Then again, the competitors are usually pretty rough and tumble themselves, as stated.

This season's (season 10) premiere is Tuesday, May 29 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT).  Beginning Monday, June 4th, the show expands will air per week with all-new episodes.

Bill Cosby with David Gregory on Trayvon Martin Case

In this week’s “Meet the Press” mid-week “PRESS Pass” conversation, David Gregory sat down with American entertainment icon Bill Cosby and George Washington University African American History expert Dr. Bernard Demczuk.

Cosby believes guns are the main issue in the Trayvon Martin shooting case – not race. He said: "When you have a gun, you may not realize it, but you put it on your person and you mean to pull this," motioning with his trigger finger, "and kill somebody. That's what you mean to do."
VIDEO: http://on.msnbc.com/IyNQpJ

Cosby also defended President Obama, saying his critics act like he is the cause of the country’s economic problems. “[There are] people who are very quietly acting like they have no idea what [President Obama] inherited -- it’s as if he had the surplus when he moved into office and this is sad. … Because they know that they have misbehaved they know that they have taken America and slowed down the progress.”

In the interview, Cosby and Bernard Demczuk shared more of their thoughts on the Trayvon Martin shooting as well as the re-opening of the historic Howard Theater in Washington, DC.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

General Hospital In; The Revolution Out

The Revolution is out.

ABC has decided to cancel The Revolution, its three-month-old talk show, which has suffered badly in the ratings.

It has renewed General Hospital and will keep it on for at least a year.   Reports are that GH will remain in its 3 o'clock time slot and Katie, the new Katie Couric talk show, will air at 2 pm.

Since Katie starts in September and The Revolution will end in July, an afternoon version of Good Morning America (Good Afternoon America?) will be broadcast during the interim.

The Revolution started out bad and got worse, with record low ratings in the past couple of weeks. During the week of March 26, ratings tied the previous series low at 1.32 million viewers, almost half as many as One Life to Live at this time last year, which was 2.57 million.  The Revolution replaced the long-running soap in January.  Some OLTL characters are now on General Hospital.

Top Chef Goes on Tour

Bravo hits the road again with the annual "Top Chef: The Tour” kicking off in Charlotte, North Carolina on Thursday, May 17. The 15-city tour brings the Emmy and James Beard Award-winning, No. 1 food show on cable to fans and foodies nationwide. Back by popular demand, the tour features a show-down between two former chef’testants in each market who compete in a live, interactive cook-off in front of “Top Chef” fans with a panel of local judges, and audience members.

"’The Top Chef Tour allows our passionate and engaged Bravo fans the chance to be up close and personal with one of their favorite shows,” said Ellen Stone, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Bravo. "We provide a hands-on experience that takes them one step closer to being part of the show.”

To date, "Top Chef: The Tour" has visited 82 cities, interacted with more than 44,000 "Top Chef" fans nationwide along the way and last year, the tour’s online ticketing for all cities sold out within hours.

The free event provides fans with a chance to meet and greet the Chef’testants they’ve come to know and root for, hear "Top Chef" show "secrets," and, for the first time ever, step into the judges shoes and rate their favorite Chef’testants’ food. Guests will have the opportunity to participate in a variety of on-site activities, including “Top Chef”-themed Cornhole Toss, Tip the Scale – where fans will be tasked with putting items in order of weight, and “Top Chef” Horseshoe Toss. Additionally, attendees can purchase Bravo and "Top Chef" merchandise on-site.

"Top Chef: The Tour" will be pulling up to a farmer's market, mall or food festival in the following cities:

Charlotte, N.C. May 17

Staten Island May 19

Manhattan, N.Y. May 20

Boston, Mass. May 22 & 23

Long Island, N.Y. May 26 & 27

Philadelphia, Pa. May 30

Troy, Mich. June 2

Phoenix, Ariz. June 8

Seattle, Wash. June 13

San Francisco, Calif. June 16 & 17

Orange County, Calif. June 19

Los Angeles, Calif. June 20 & 21

Long Beach, Calif. June 24

San Diego, Calif. June 25

St. Louis, Mo. June 30

"For the past four years, The Top Chef Tour has proven to be a key event that helps drive revenue for our distribution partners, giving their customers the opportunity to directly connect with Bravo's highly engaged fans," added Brian Hunt, Senior Vice President, Marketing and Sales Strategy, TV Networks Distribution, NBCUniversal.

E! News Says Brittany Spears Will Be X Factor Judge

E! News released the following today:

Britney Spears and Simon Cowell are about to become TV's next power couple. The pop princess is thisclose to signing a big-bucks deal to become a judge on X Factor, multiple sources have exclusively confirmed to E! News.

After weeks of heavy negotiating, Britney's team has finally agreed to a $15 million fee for the role. "Both camps were back and forth on the money but now they have finally come to agreement on the fee," says one insider with intimate knowledge of the pending deal. "That was the big sticking point and now, thankfully, it's been sorted. All they need to do now is work out the smaller points. The fact the money is now set, means that there is nothing stopping this from becoming a reality."
And this will be a package deal: coming along for the ride with Britney is fiancé Jason Trawick.

A second source reveals that her soon-to-be husband (who is also petitioning to become coconservator of her estate), will become a producer on the show. "Jason is expected to be there every day Britney is on set. He is her rock and will help guide her through the process. He is the person she trusts the most," the second source tells us.

The deal will make Spears the highest paid judge on reality television, eclipsing Jennifer Lopez's $12 million deal for American Idol. Barring any last-minute snafus, Spears will fill one of two X Factor judging vacancies after Cowell fired Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger at the close of the show's first season.

A rep for the X Factor would neither confirm nor deny whether Spears was even being considered. However a production insider tells E! News that "this is an exciting time for [Britney]. It'll be a fun project and she is welcoming the chance to mentor up-and-coming artists. She loves the idea of helping emerging talent get the recognition they deserve and is really looking forward to being on the show."

"She gets on very well with Simon. He has worked hard at persuading her to start this new chapter in her career. She is an icon, and the perfect example of what having the X Factor means.

"She's really looking forward to the project and being able to connect with her fans."
Britney is expected to start her new role in the middle of May but there's no word yet on who will fill the final spot, according to the show source.

"The decision of who will join Simon, Britney and L.A. is yet to be made. Simon really wanted Britney confirmed first. Once that is done, he can make the final preparations."

In a conference call, which took place before Spears' deal was imminent, Cowell waxed lyrical about his new judge, "The fact that she's one of the most talked about—not just pop stars, but people—in the world today means that you've got this star power. She's still hot, she's still having hit records, and she's still controversial. There's a reason for that."

In addition to two new judges, Simon is also hiring a new pair of hosts. X Factor is slated to return to Fox in September.

Read more: http://www.eonline.com/news/britney_spears_will_get_record_15/307137