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Drama

FOX’s “House” will end after this season

This afternoon, FOX released an announcement from House executive producers David Shore, Katie Jacobs and Hugh Laurie, as well as a statement from Kevin Reilly, President of Entertainment at Fox Broadcasting, regarding the decision to end House this season, its eighth. Here are those statements: ANNOUNCEMENT FROM “HOUSE” EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS DAVID SHORE, KATIE JACOBS & HUGH LAURIE After much deliberation, the producers of House M.D. have decided that this season of the show, the 8th, should be the last. By April this year they will have completed 177 episodes, which is about 175 more than anyone expected back in 2004. […]

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Awards Shows

Humane Society of the United States announces nominees for 26th Genesis Awards

The Humane Society of the United States, the nation’s largest animal protection organization, has announced the nominees for its 26th Genesis Awards, given out to news and entertainment media for outstanding reporting and creative portrayal of animal protection issues in 19 categories. The awards will be presented at a ceremony hosted by Carrie Ann Inaba on March 24, which will also air as a one-hour special on Animal Planet May 5 at 4pm ET. Following are nominees in selected TV, movie and news program categories. A complete list of nominees can be found here. FEATURE FILM Dolphin Tale Rio Rise […]

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Documentary

PBS’ “Nature” visits “Raccoon Nation”

In tonight’s fascinating episode of the PBS series Nature called “Raccoon Nation,” filmmakers and scientists use night-vision cameras and radio collars to study the generally nocturnal world of those omnivorous title critters who have become remarkably adaptable to living in urban environments — as anyone who has ever woken up to a spilled-over trash can or other evidence of their handiwork can attest to. With their busy little hands, these animals can do what other city-dwelling creatures can’t, like open doors, get into attics and, of course, raid garbage containers. But would you expect any less from an animal whose […]

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Documentary

NGC airs first U.S. documentary detailing Costa Concordia disaster

National Geographic Channel (NGC) has announced that this Sunday it will be premiering the first U.S. documentary to detail, moment-by-moment, the disaster that took place on Jan. 13 aboard the Italian cruise ship Costa Concordia when the vessel detoured off course, hit some rocks and began to sink. Italian Cruise Ship Disaster: The Untold Stories is told primarily through the eyes of those who experienced it. The documentary weaves together in-depth stories from passengers and staff on board as well as Coast Guard rescuers with stunning home video, some never before seen on U.S. television, and CGI to reconstruct the […]

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Drama

VOD Spotlight: Exploring the mystery of Shakespeare in “Anonymous”

Better known for destroying worlds with films such as Independence Day and 2012, director Roland Emmerich creates a historic one in the dramatic thriller Anonymous. The film supports the theory that someone else wrote Shakespeare’s plays — a debate among scholars of the Bard for years. Here, it’s postulated to be Edward De Vere, Earl of Oxford, (Rhys Ifans, pictured). A poet and playwright, he is among the most popular candidates to have authored Shakespeare’s works. In a seven-minute trailer for the film, Emmerich lays out 10 reasons why he believes that Shakespeare was a fraud. These are certainly compelling. But […]

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TV News & Program Updates

Zooey D sings, but fans control the action, in interactive “New Girl” music video

If you liked those old Choose Your Own Adventure books, and you’re a fan of FOX’s hit comedy series New Girl, you’re in for a double treat. Fox.com debuted today an interactive music video for “Hey Girl,” a song performed by series star Zooey Deschanel and featuring the entire cast of the show. The setting of the video is the gang’s loft, where party crashers suddenly intrude. Fans get to direct how the action of the party — and the video — unfolds, with over 950 variations available. Will the group go-go dance or have a pillow fight? Will they […]

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TV News & Program Updates

Maria Menounos pays off her Super Bowl bikini bet on “Extra” (video)

I admire a woman who honors her bet. Especially when the woman has a killer body like Maria Menounos, and the bet was that she would co-host an episode of Extra wearing only a bikini should her beloved New England Patriots lose to the New York Giants in the Super Bowl. Here’s footage, courtesy of Extra, of Maria facing the music in a Giants-colored bikini on a particularly chilly NYC day. The full episode of Extra airs tonight: video platformvideo managementvideo solutionsvideo player

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TV News & Program Updates

Super Bowl Sunday also offers programming “bowls” of other sorts

If you haven’t been living on the moon, you know that this Sunday the Super Bowl will be played (and if you didn’t know, you can find the details of the monstrous amount of coverage here). It’s become a national holiday of sorts, and also a day on which other TV networks have historically given up trying to counter-program anything new against what is traditionally one of the highest-rated programs of the year — and sometimes, of all time. But in the last decade or so, some networks have caught on to the notion that by presenting “bowls” of their […]

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Drama

First songs from NBC’s “Smash” now available on iTunes

NBC’s Smash — a great new drama about various Broadway types trying to bring a musical about the life of Marilyn Monroe to the stage — premieres this Monday, Feb. 6 at 10pm ET. Each week, select songs (which are mostly original songs written for the series) from each episode will be made available for purchase at the iTunes store. Additionally, episode recaps, photos, video and musical performance highlights (and there are some outstandingly choreographed and performed numbers here), as well as games, songs and fan challenges from new Smash episodes, will be available at nbc.com/smash. Timed with the series’ […]

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Comedy

VOD Spotlight: John Cho, Kal Penn and “NPH” make for “A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas”

Put the kiddies to bed and sit down to a movie that skewers one of our most cherished holidays in every way possible. A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas is set six years after the title pair’s escape from Guantanamo Bay. The buds have gone their separate ways —  Harold (John Cho) has moved on to marriage and success in a Wall Street firm while Kumar (Kal Penn) is nearly friendless and just getting by in their old apartment. When a package arrives for Harold at his old address, Kumar decides to deliver it in person, setting the stage for […]