Tuesday, March 6, 2012

The Bachelor Finale Spoilers and Previews

Spoiler Alert: If you follow Reality Steve, you know that Bachelor Ben Flajnik chooses Courtney as his so-called one and only on the season finale next Monday, March 12.  As of now, the two remaining women are: Courtney, 28, a model, from Santa Monica, CA and Lindzi C., 27, a business development manager from Seattle.

Here's what ABC has to say about the whole thing, including the final episode and the "After the Final Rose" show that follows it.

IT'S ONE OF THE MOST ROMANTIC AND CONTROVERSIAL NIGHTS EVER ON ABC,
ON THE SEASON FINALE OF "THE BACHELOR," MONDAY, MARCH 12
And Immediately Following the Exciting Season Finale,
Ben Looks Back at the Dramatic Ending to His Journey to Find Love,
on "The Bachelor: After the Final Rose"
Ashley & J.P. Return to Share Their Future Wedding Plans and Discuss
How Their Lives Have Changed Since They've Been Together

Ben and Courtney
"Episode 1610" - In the controversial Season Finale, Ben prepares to make one of the most difficult choices of this life. His search for love is now narrowed down to two very different women - Courtney and Lindzi -- and he is falling in love with both of them. After being rejected by Ashley on last season's "The Bachelorette," will he now find the love he had hoped to find with her? After having his family meet both women in spectacular Zermatt, Switzerland, and under immense pressure, he must make one final heart-wrenching decision that could change his life forever. Whom does a confused Ben, after much soul-searching, see as his future wife? To whom will he give his final rose? And will he leave single or with the love on his life?, on the Season Finale of "The Bachelor," MONDAY, MARCH 12 (8:00-10:01 p.m., ET), on the ABC Television Network.

With his search for his soul mate over, emotions run high, as Ben, who breaks down talking to Chris Harrison about his ultimate choice, takes us back to those final days in Switzerland. Then the woman who received Ben's final rose joins him for the first time in public as a couple. They discuss the high and lows of their relationship and what the future holds for them. It's the emotional ending to Ben's heartfelt journey to finally find true love. In addition, Bachelorette Ashley Hebert and her fiancŽ, J.P., discuss their future wedding plans and how they've found lasting happiness together, on "The Bachelor: After the Final Rose," MONDAY, MARCH 12 (10:01-11:00 p.m., ET).

Ben reunites with his family who will meet the final two women and, hopefully, will be able to help him find clarity about which bachelorette is right for him. When Ben's mother and sister find out that one of the women didn't get along well with the other ladies, it immediately raises a red flag for them, but Ben pleads with them to keep an open mind.

Lindzi arrives first and makes a great first impression. She assures Ben's family that she is in love with him and plans to tell him so. When Ben's sister asks her about Courtney, she admits that there were those women who didn't get along with her, but reassures her that she is nothing like Courtney. Lindzi is a hit and the family believes she would be a great addition to their family.

Ben is extremely nervous when Courtney arrives. Even though Ben emphatically tells his family that he and Courtney have an amazing relationship, his mom and sister worry that she won't fit in with their tight knit family. Courtney does her best to win them over and gain their trust. Both women have impressed Ben's family, but which bachelorette can they see as Ben's future wife?

More confused than ever, Ben hopes that his final dates with the two bachelorettes will make it clear which woman he should choose. He takes Lindzi on an adventurous day of skiing the Swiss Alps. Lindzi has fallen for Ben - literally and figuratively -- but she knows getting her feelings out there will be crucial if Ben is to pick her. Later that night, Lindzi opens her heart to up him, and it just confirms to Ben that he has fallen in love and can definitely see a life with her.

Although he's head over heels for Lindzi, Ben needs to keep an open mind when he has his final date with Courtney. They soar over the summit of the Matterhorn in a helicopter and picnic high in the snow covered Alps. His elation over his relationship with Courtney comes to an abrupt halt when she goes on the defensive about his family's questioning her as to whether she is a "nice" person. Her insecurities about her past relationships with men come to the surface and she is beginning to fear it might happen again. Now Ben is worried about her anxiety and wonders if they will be able to maintain a stable relationship. Is his love for Courtney worth the risk?

Ben came on this journey to find love and he has found it with two women. Should he trust the slowly developing relationship which turned into a flame with Lindzi or take a risk on a roller coaster ride with Courtney? Which woman does he see as his future wife? Will he complete his search with a proposal? And will the woman say yes?

Calling all Aspiring Sitcom Writers: Fox/NYTVF Hold Contest


Fox and the New York Television Festival (NYTVF) today announced the fifth annual FOX-NYTVF Comedy Script Contest. The contest once again invites aspiring television writers to enter their scripts for original half-hour comedy TV pilots for the opportunity to win $25,000 and a development deal with FOX. Scripts must present an original idea for a potential half-hour comedy series. The opening date for script submissions is Monday, April 16, 2012, and the winner will be announced at the 8th Annual New York Television Festival, being held October 22-27, 2012, in lower Manhattan.

“Five years ago FOX took a chance on the NYTVF when they partnered with us to offer a guaranteed deal to a talented writer in our community,” said NYTVF Founder Terence Gray. “The network’s support and continued commitment have fundamentally changed the way in which we work with the industry and paved the way for artists to access opportunities that would otherwise be out of reach. We are thrilled and honored to continue this partnership with FOX and look forward to the creative response from our community.”

“Comedy is so vibrant and exciting right now, and our annual collaboration with the NYTVF to discover, cultivate and support new comedy writers is as important as ever,” said Suzanna Makkos and Marcus Wiley, Senior Vice Presidents and co-heads of Comedy Development for Fox Broadcasting Company. “We are so grateful to the NYTVF and the artists who have participated in the contest for the last five years. It's incredibly gratifying to help break down traditional barriers so that original voices can be heard.”

The script contest is open to U.S. residents age 18 and over who do not have any contractual commitments preventing them from entering into an exclusive development deal with FOX. Scripts not currently under development at a network, studio or major production company and meeting all other criteria in the Official Rules located at http://nytvf.com/2012_fox_rules.html are eligible for the competition. Scripts must be between 25 and 35 pages in length in a proper screenwriting format to be eligible.

Writers can enter by submitting a copy of their script online to the New York Television Festival. Scripts must be saved in a PDF file format and uploaded to the official contest Web site located at http://nytvf.com/2012_fox_contest.html. The NYTVF will begin accepting uploaded scripts at 12:00 PM ET on April 16, 2012. The deadline for submissions is 12:00 PM ET on April 30, 2012, or when 1,500 submissions are received, whichever comes first.

A screening committee of NYTVF officials will narrow the pool of entrants down to 25 finalists. These finalists will be presented to FOX development executives. One winner will be selected by FOX, and he/she will receive $25,000 and a development deal with the network. Additionally, FOX may elect to enter into development agreements with the remaining finalists. All 25 finalists will be invited to the 2012 New York Television Festival as Official Artists where those not subject to a FOX development agreement will have the exclusive opportunity to participate in NYTVF Connect, the Festival’s comprehensive industry track serving artists and top-tier entertainment executives, with multiple opportunities to pitch, network and collaborate.

In addition to the FOX Comedy Script Contest, in 2012 the NYTVF previously announced development partnerships with IFC, MTV, Syfy and VH1 inside the annual Independent Pilot Competition, as well as with BIO Channel, Hasbro Studios, Logo, SevenOne International, Sundance Channel, and the U.K.’s Channel 4 as NYTVF Pitch Partners. A&E is returning for the second annual A&E Unscripted Development Pipeline, while Comedy Central offered a guaranteed deal through the Comedy Central Short Pilot Competition. Finally, NYTVF London, the organization’s first international event, was hosted last November in partnership with BBC America, BAFTA and PACT. During the event, Fox Television Studios (in conjunction with Apostle) and Warner Bros. International Television Production, announced the first-ever NYTVF development opportunities exclusively for U.K. Producers.

Sunday, March 4, 2012

TV Guide's Review of Lindsay Lohan on Saturday Night LIve

In case you missed it, TV Guide has a good review of last night's Saturday Night LIve with Lindsay Lohan.  Clips included.

TV Guide: Lindsay Lohan on SNL

Saturday, March 3, 2012

Leonard Nimoy to Guest on Big Bang

In what would seem to be the thrill of a lifetime for the super-nerd characters of The Big Bang Theory, Leonard Nimoy (Star Trek's Mr. Spock) will make a guest appearance on the show on Thursday, March 29th.  It appears, however, from a CBS news release that only Nimoy's voice as Spock will be heard by the character of Sheldon played by Jim Parsons.

In a rather weird statement, Big Bang Executive Producer Bill Prady said, “Leonard Nimoy's first appearance on BIG BANG was as DNA on a napkin.  For this episode, we are delighted to hear his voice. We look forward to introducing Mr. Nimoy, body part by body part, over the course of many seasons to come."

Currently in its fifth season, The Big Bang Theory  airs Thursdays at 8.

Official CBS Website: http://www.cbs.com/primetime/big_bang_theory/

Friday, March 2, 2012

Top 13 American Idol Finalists

They're already down to the final 13 on American Idol.  The list was revealed on last night's program.  They are: DeAndre Brackensick, Hollie Cavanagh, Colton Dixon, Heejun Han, Jermaine Jones, Skylar Laine, Joshua Ledet, Shannon Magrane, Phillip Phillips, Jeremy Rosado, Jessica Sanchez, Elise Testone and Erika Van Pelt.  

Viewers voted for the Top 10 and then there was a wild card round during which the judges, Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler, chose Brackensick, Rosado and Van Pelt to continue in the competition.

Next Wednesday, March 7th, American Idol celebrates its 400th episode when the Top 13 will be mentored by Mary J. Blige.  The men will perform the music of Stevie Wonder.   The women will pay tribute to Whitney Houston.

Thursday will be the results show and Mary J. Blige will perform as will Season 10 runner-up Lauren Alaina who will perform her hit, “Georgia Peach.”

Here are the Season 11 Top 13 finalists: 

DeAndre Brackensick             
Hometown: San Jose, CA
Age: 17

Keep up with Deandre at:

Fun Facts about DeAndre:
  1.  I love Hawaiian culture.
  2.  My two closest friends have the exact
       same hair as me.
  3.  I make Polynesian costumes for a living.



Hollie Cavanagh
Hometown: McKinney, TX
Age: 18

Keep up with Hollie at:

Fun Facts about Hollie:
  1. I love old couples.
  2. I play soccer.
  3. I have a shoe obsession.



Colton Dixon
Hometown: Murfreesboro, TN
Age: 20

Keep up with Colton at:

Fun Facts about Colton:
  1. I love to skimboard at the beach.
  2. I was an extra in the “Hannah Montana”
      movie.
  3. I have a Bobblehead collection.



Heejun Han
Hometown: Flushing, NY
Age: 22

Keep up with Heejun at:

Fun Facts about Heejun:
1.    I can do an impression of “Smeagol” from
“The Lord of the Rings” movies.
2.    I can eat a whole cup of noodles in less
than 10 seconds.
3.    I can predict a specific incident by
dreaming about it a couple of days before.


Jermaine Jones
Hometown: Pine Hill, NJ
Age: 25

Keep up with Jermaine at:

Fun Facts about Jermaine:
  1.  I have a great sense of humor.
  2.  I like to shop.
  3.  I like to dance.



Skylar Laine
Hometown: Brandon, MS
Age: 18

Keep up with Skylar at:

Fun Facts about Skylar:
  1. I drive a big truck.
  2. My favorite college team is the Ole Miss
      Rebels.
  3. I have a small collection of knives.


Joshua Ledet
Hometown: Westlake, LA
Age: 19

Keep up with Joshua at:

Fun Facts about Joshua:
  1. I’m addicted to spicy foods.
  2. My favorite color is blue.
  3. I’m scared of any horror movie with
      zombies in it.



Shannon Magrane
Hometown: Tampa, FL
Age: 16

Keep up with Shannon at:

Fun Facts about Shannon:
1.    I sing all the time – in school hallways, in
the shower, everywhere.
  2. I can cross my eyes.
  3. I love to rollerblade.



Phillip Phillips
Hometown: Leesburg, GA
Age: 21

Keep up with Phillip at:

Fun Facts about Phillip:
  1. I am double-jointed in my thumbs.
  2. I love watching movies.
  3. I can do an impression of “Mr. Herbert” on
      FAMILY GUY.


Jeremy Rosado
Hometown: Valrico, FL
Age: 19

Keep up with Jeremy at:

Fun Facts about Jeremy:
  1. I love airplanes.
  2. I love Chinese food.
  3. I’m huggable.


Jessica Sanchez
Hometown: San Diego, CA
Age: 16

Keep up with Jessica at:

Fun Facts about Jessica:
  1.  I can rap.
  2. I love video games.
  3. I have more than 30 pairs of shoes.




Elise Testone
Hometown: Charleston, SC
Age: 28

Keep up with Elise at:

Fun Facts about Elise:
  1. I skateboard with my dog.
  2. I can move my ears.
  3. I can juggle.


Erika Van Pelt
Hometown: South Kingstown, RI
Age: 26

Keep up with Erika at:

Fun Facts about Erika:
  1. I love all things “Star Wars.”
  2. I secretly want to be a pirate.
  3. When I’m stressed, I like to go to the       
      arcade.

ABC's The Chew, The Revolution Ratings for Week of February 20th



The Chew is now almost tied with All My Children year-to-year.  It drew 2.437 million viewers last week, compared to 2.30 million last week.  That was a five-week high. The Chew now has 3% fewer viewers than its predecessor, which was drawing lower 2.505 million people at this time in 2011.

The Revolution improved as well, albeit slightly.  It had 1.541 million viewers last week and 1.53 million the previous week.

I know a lot of our readers and others disappointed by the loss of their soaps are boycotting ABC daytime and primetime, but these replacement shows are holding their own.

But, let’s take a real look.  The numbers are not good when you compare them to the other networks.  ABC daytime is way below #1 CBS and, the CBS soaps are doing better and better.  And NBC, which has no significant daytime programming beyond Days of Our Lives, is virtually tied with ABC.  Obviously ABC viewers have defected to CBS.

Here are the soap ratings:
Program
Network
Viewers
Young and the Restless
CBS
4.58 million
Bold and the Beautiful
CBS
3.08 million
General Hospital
ABC
2.35 million


Here are the daytime rankings:

Network
Viewers
Rank
Young and the Restless
3.598 million
#1
Bold and the Beautiful
2.545 million
#2
General Hospital
2.489 million
#3
Days of Our Lives
TK
#4












Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Anger Management with Charlie Sheen to debut on June 28

The Associated Press is reporting that June 28th is D-Day for Charlie Sheen's new program, Anger Management.

It will premiere on FX.  The program is loosely based on the 2003 movie of the same name, which starred Jack Nicholson and Adam Sandler.  Sandler plays a businessman wrongly sentenced to anger management classes where he meets up with Nicholson as the instructor.

In the sitcom, Sheen will play a former minor-league baseball player who becomes a "nontraditional" therapist.

On June 28th  at 9 pm, FX will air the first two of 10 episodes of this program.  It will also premier a new show with Russell Brand called Strangely Uplifting which will feature Branch rifting in front of a live audience.