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Reality TV

A few minutes with Kathy Griffin

By Jeff Pfeiffer Oh, to be as deliciously open and uncensored as Kathy Griffin, star of Bravo’s My Life on the D-List (which airs its season finale this Monday). At an outdoor shindig thrown by NBC/Universal during the Television Critics Association (TCA) tour, Griffin gabbed with a small scrum of reporters and let her thoughts fly on various topics of the day, never missing a wry, often tongue-in-cheek beat even as she managed to throw in ironically glamorous poses for passing photographers during the conversation: On Paula Abdul Leaving American Idol Griffin: This is a very tough time for me […]

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Drama

Paul Wesley talks “The Vampire Diaries”

By Jeff Pfeiffer When he was in his late teens, young heartthrob Paul Wesley played his first supernatural being — werewolf Luke Cates in the short-lived 2001 series Wolf Lake, which remains a cult favorite among some. It was a role that seems fitting now, to Wesley, for the age he was then. “I always associate werewolves … with this kind of instinctive anger,” he says, ” … More like animals with rabies. When I was playing the werewolf, I was like 18 years old, and I think I was just like this teen who was running rampant. And I […]

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Game Shows

Wayne Brady hosts new “Let’s Make a Deal”

By Jeff Pfeiffer Like his fellow Who’s Line Is It Anyway? alumnus Drew Carey, who took over the hosting gig for The Price Is Right, comedian Wayne Brady will be hosting the reincarnation of a legendary game show. Brady takes the reins of a new one-hour revamp of the classic Let’s Make a Deal, which will air in daytime on CBS beginning Oct. 5 (filling in the space for the departing drama Guiding Light.) Looking at clips from a rough pilot, it appears all the familiar elements are there — guessing what’s behind curtains, audience members dressed in costumes, the […]

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Comedy

“Glee” launches Hot Topic store tour

The cast of FOX’s new fall series Glee are hitting the road this summer in search of “Gleeks.” Cast members Cory Monteith, Lea Michele, Amber Riley, Chris Colfer, Jenna Ushkowitz, Kevin McHale, Dianna Agron and Mark Salling will make appearances at Hot Topic stores in select cities to sign autographs, hold Q&A sessions and give fans a sneak peek at the new show (which already had a sneak preview of the pilot episode in May and is still riding a wave of massive buzz). The series premieres Sept. 9, with an extended director’s cut of the pilot airing Sept. 2, […]

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Comedy

FOX releases new “Glee” video

FOX has made available at Hulu this new performance video from its highly anticipated new fall series Glee. In this scene, Mercedes (Amber Riley) belts out a version of Jazmine Sullivan’s “Bust Your Windows.” Glee, a musical comedy from Ryan Murphy (nip/tuck), premieres Sept. 9 on FOX.

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TV News & Program Updates

AMC launches “Mad Men” avatar creator

AMC is not content that you are aware of the upcoming Season 3 premiere of its hit series Mad Men on Aug. 16. First, it took over Banana Republic stores with ’60s fashion chic. Now, the network has partnered with illustrator Dyna Moe to launch the Mad Men Yourself avatar creator. This application allows fans to create and customize ’60s-style digital avatars that reflect the look of Mad Men‘s characters (and listen to some light ’60s lounge pop while doing so), from smooth-talking Don Draper to sassy office manager Joan Holloway. Like the popular Simpsons movie and Japanese anime avatar […]

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Reality TV

Second season of Kendra Wilkinson series picked up by E!

Production will begin early next year on Season 2 of E!’s Kendra, a reality series following the life of former Playmate and Hugh Hefner squeeze Kendra Wilkinson as she leaves the comfort of the Playboy Mansion to make a life of her own. Big changes will be in store for Kendra and new husband Hank Baskett, a wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles. The couple is expecting their first child in December, and Kendra is moving in to Hank’s New Jersey home so they can be together year-round. “We saw a marriage in Season 1,” says Lisa Berger, executive vice […]

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Documentary

Discovery Channel remembers Walter Cronkite

By Jeff Pfeiffer “It is fair to say there would be no Discovery Channel without Walter Cronkite,” says John S. Hendricks, founder and chairman of Discovery Communications, about the legendary newsman, who passed away Friday at the age of 92. “When we struggled for funding and viability in the early 1980s, Walter was one of the first to see the possibility of a 24-hour channel dedicated to high-quality storytelling about the world around us. His guidance, support and commitment were instrumental in securing the resources and distribution to first launch Discovery Channel in 1985.”

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TV News & Program Updates

TV Commemorates 40th Anniversary Of Moon Landing

This Monday, July 20, marks the 40th anniversary of one of humanity’s greatest achievements — reaching and walking on the moon. Because of this, you’ll notice the occurrence of moon-themed TV programming waxing this weekend: Direct From the Moon (repeat) — National Geographic Channel (HD), July 19 at 7pm ET. Stunning footage of the eerie silence of the moon comes from Japan’s Kaguya lunar orbiter in this cool special. Living on the Moon (premiere) — National Geographic Channel (HD), July 19 at 9pm ET. It’s been a while since we’ve visited the moon, but might we one day live on it? […]

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Reality TV

Antonio Sabato Jr. Needs A Date

VH1 is keeping a firm grip on “celebreality” with the addition of a new dating show to its schedule. My Antonio (try not to get it confused with the classic Willa Cather novel My Ántonia), premiering Aug. 16 on the former music channel, expects us to believe that another rich, sexy guy needs help finding the woman of his dreams. In this case, it’s Antonio Sabato Jr., star of General Hospital: Night Shift and one-time Calvin Klein underwear model. Of course, the premise that he can’t find a date without the help of a TV show is probably easier to […]