Time for all that Summer programming.
ABC NEWS TO BROADCAST A SPECIAL EDITION OF “20/20: THE LIFE AND DEATH OF MICHAEL JACKSON” TONIGHT
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ABC News will air a special report on the unbelievable life and shocking death of music icon Michael Jackson. Anchored by Barbara Walters and Martin Bashir, the special edition of “20/20” will air at 9:00 p.m., ET tonight, THURSDAY, JUNE 25 on the ABC Television Network. Additional reporting will continue on “Nightline,” at 11:35 p.m., ET.
At 10:00 p.m., ET, Barbara Walters reports on the life, love and legacy of actress and iconic beauty Farrah Fawcett, who just lost her battle with cancer. Walters sat down just a few days ago with some of the people closest to Fawcett, including the man she has described as the love of her life, Ryan O’Neal. Walters also speaks to fellow “Charlie’s Angel” Jaclyn Smith, close friend and confidante Alana Stewart, Dr. Lawrence Piro, who has been treating Fawcett for over two years, Jose Eber, the legendary hairstylist who has worked with her for over 30 years, and Leonard Goldberg, co-creator of “Charlie’s Angels.” The exclusive report, which also includes classic and revealing moments from Walters’ past interviews with Fawcett -- who rarely spoke to the media in depth -- airs on a special edition of “20/20.”
Gene Simmons: Family Jewels Returns
As a small child KISS and specifically Gene "the Demon" Simmons scared me to death. For year's I avoided anything that remotely resembled "The Demon." And then in college I sat next to a guy from Brazil who was a huge KISS fan and so I actually bought my first KISS cassette (yes, it was that long ago). I evetually overcame my fear of all things tongue and demon related and years later I even got to meet and interview Gene Simmons at Comi-Con in San Diego, where I realized Gene Simmons is all about the money.
After the Osbournes, which I never watched, made being a rock star family on TV cool, the Simmons' joined the fray. However, unlike the Osbournes, who appeared to be good parents for the most part, the Simmons-Tweed household was very traditional. If by traditional you mean living in a multi-million dollar house, having a world famous father that people dress-up like and a mother who was a Playboy Playmate.
Despite all of that, this family is endearing, close knit and-gasp!- they love each other. While they are not married, Gene and Shannon provide a rock solid home for their kids, Nick and Sophie and we've never seen the Simmons children drunk, high or traipsing around Hollywood without underwear. Yes, it's still ealry, but this family is actually about being a family in spite of the celebrity and wealth, not because of it.
“Gene Simmons Family Jewels,” premiering with a special one-hour episode on Sunday, June 7th at 10:00 PM ET/PT. The 15-episode season kicks off with Sophie’s sweet sixteen party, giving viewers an all access pass to the milestone celebration. When a case of sibling rivalry spirals out of control, Nick pulls on dad's heartstrings and his sense of theatrics to escalate the low key party she wanted into the blowout of the century, all to the dismay of shy Sophie.
In addition to Sophie’s sweet sixteen, the new season will give viewers a behind the scenes look at the entire family’s many adventures. From Gene’s appearance on “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?,” to Gene filming a Japanese monster flick, to Shannon preparing for a role in a roller derby exploitation film, to Nick getting his own apartment, to Sophie fending off ill-intentioned teenaged boys, viewers will follow the Simmons-Tweed clan as they set out to prove, yet again, why they are the most non-traditional, traditional family in America.
Royal Pains?
"Royal Pains," centers on young doctor Hank Lawson (Mark Feuerstein) who seems to have it all ... thriving career, beautiful girlfriend, and swank NYC apartment. With one fateful and principled decision in the ER, Hank loses it all. Months later, single and blacklisted from the medical community, Hank goes for a weekend in the Hamptons with his brother.
Crashing a party at a mega-mansion on the beach, Hank jumps into action when a guest requires medical attention that only he is able to diagnose. The next morning, Hank is summoned to another mansion…and then another. Hank's career is revived, but in a way he’s not exactly happy about, as he becomes a "doctor for hire" to the rich, famous and infamous.
When the attractive administrator of the local hospital asks him to treat the town's less fortunate, he finds himself walking the line between doing well for himself and doing good for others. The show also stars Jill Flint and Reshma Shetty . The pilot features guest appearances by Campbell Scott and Christine Ebersole.
What remains to be seen about this modern Dr. Kildare, is how right does the show "get it" with regards to the Hampton's? That place that only the very rich or very famous are asked to play? Is the show authentic in it's portrayal of the elite and their medical needs, their parties and money can buy anything attitudes? And more importantly, do we care?
Biggest Loser Launches Contestant Search
NBC's popular reality series "The Biggest Loser" is launching a 15-city cross-country search to find new contestants for the next edition of the hit show. Family teams of two – including parent/child, siblings, husbands-and-wives, couples, cousins and in-laws – are encouraged to apply for the new season, which will air in early 2010. Season eight of "The Biggest Loser" will premiere in September 2009.
Casting producers are looking for outgoing and charismatic family teams of two, especially those who have the personality, desire and competitive edge to vie for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to lose weight, change their lives forever and compete for a grand prize of $250,000. Individuals who don't have a partner can audition on their own. Candidates must be at least 18 years of age and legal residents of the United States.
While they will try to see everyone, "The Biggest Loser" casting teams will do their best to see the first 500 people in line. People will not be allowed to line up prior to three hours before the start of the open call. Candidates should bring a non-returnable photo of them and their partner.
JUNE 27
CHICAGO
NBC TOWER
454 N. COLUMBUS DRIVE
CHICAGO, IL 60611
10 AM – 6 PM
DETROIT
GARDNER WHITE FURNITURE
45300 HAYES RD.
MACOMB, MI 48044
10 AM – 6 PM
SAN JOSE
24 HOUR FITNESS
1610 CRANE CT
SAN JOSE, CA 95112
10 AM – 6 PM
TAMPA
TAMPA BAY PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
1010 N. W.C. MACINNES PLACE
TAMPA, FL 33602
10 AM – 6 PM
JULY 11
ATLANTA
DAVE & BUSTER'S
4000 VENTURE DR
DULUTH, GA 30096
10 AM – 6 PM
MOBILE
VEETS BAR AND GRILL
66 SOUTH ROYAL STREET
MOBILE, AL 36602
10 AM – 6 PM
NEW YORK CITY
NBC EXPERIENCE STORE
30 ROCKEFELLER PLAZA
NEW YORK CITY, NY 10112
10 AM – 6 PM
SAN ANTONIO
Nix Downtown
414 Navarro
San Antonio, TX 78205
10 am – 6 pm
JULY 18
DALLAS
DAVE & BUSTER'S STEMMONS
10727 COMPOSITE DRIVE
DALLAS, TX 75220
10 AM – 6 PM
KANSAS CITY
NEBRASKA FURNITURE MART
1601 VILLAGE WEST PARKWAY
KANSAS CITY, KANSAS 66111
10 AM – 6 PM
PHILADELPHIA
NBC 10
10 MONUMENT RD.
BALA CYNWYD, PA 19004
10 AM – 6 PM
PHOENIX
RADISSON FORT MCDOWELL RESORT & CASINO
10438 N FORT MCDOWELL RD
FORT MCDOWELL, AZ 85264
10 AM – 6 PM
JULY 25
OKLAHOMA CITY
TBA
DES MOINES
VALLEY WEST MALL
1551 VALLEY WEST DRIVE
WEST DES MOINES, IA 50266
10 AM – 6 PM
AUGUST 1
LOS ANGELES
CITADEL OUTLETS
100 CITADEL DR.
LOS ANGELES, CA 90040
9 AM – 2 PM
For those who are unable to attend a casting call, information on how to apply to the show is available on www.nbc.com/casting and www.thebiggestlosercasting.com.
It's Hammer Time!
Dust off those baggy, pajama like pants of dizzyingly psychedelic colors, break out your 1980's stash of cassettes and boom boxes and get ready to party with MC Hammer and family.
A&E declares it’s “Hammertime” on Sunday, June 14 at 10 PM with the original unscripted series premiere featuring two back-to-back half-hour episodes following iconic rapper and dancer MC Hammer, his wife of more than 23 years and their family of six: A’Keiba, 21; Jamaris, 18; Sarah, 15; Stanley Jr., 13; Jeremiah, 11; Samuel, 4.
The ten-episode series takes a peek inside the life of Stanley Burrell who rapped and danced his way into the hearts of America in the 1990s as MC Hammer. Known for his thrilling stage shows, powerful dance moves, catchy pop hits and his community commitment, Hammer sold more than 50 million albums worldwide and is a three-time Grammy award winner, but he faced some very public financial woes and now lives a more economically balanced life in Oakland, California with his family .
A new-age dad, Hammer contributes equally to the child rearing responsibilities and daily household chores while performing at concerts, juggling speaking engagements, and balancing his social media empire – including his online dance community DanceJam.com, the Hammertime iPhone application and his social media optimized label “FullBlast.”
In the series premiere, the Hammer family does some much needed Spring cleaning, uncovering lost memorabilia and wardrobe from Hammer’s closet. Hammer accompanies son Jeremiah to “Take Your Dad To School Day” and talks to his teacher about some disappointing report card grades. Hammer also dances with his crew and cousin Marv who desperately wants to be one of the dancers but needs to prove himself first.
In the second episode “Moving Forward,” viewers learn the touching story of why nephew Jamaris lives with Hammer and the two go on a tour of Stanford University where Hammer speaks on a social media panel. Hammer goes in studio with his two daughters and the elder A’Keiba challenges her shy younger sister Sarah to sing at an open mic night.
Digital plans for “Hammertime” include an interactive media site (www.aetv.com/hammertime) with short form video, games and plans to integrate Hammer’s very popular twitter account, as well as mobile and facebook applications.
Sports TV,
OTL: 6 Segment Series "Coping with the Economy"
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A special Sunday OTL (9 a.m. ESPN, noon ESPNEWS) will examine the recession’s impact on local sports in Beloit and Janesville, Wis. Beloit is home to baseball’s Class A Snappers as well as many youth leagues. Nearby Janesville is the site of a shuttered General Motors plant, the closure of which resulted in the loss of at least 4,000 union jobs throughout the region. Mark Fainaru-Wada reports. Series Schedule (Details on Sunday’s piece above) ‘Filling the Seats’ (Monday, June 22 SC, OTL) – economy's effect on ticket prices and attendance Through May, MLB attendance was down more than 5 percent compared to the same period last season. To avert a similar decline, 27 NBA teams will maintain ticket prices the same or lower than next season, while three quarters of the NFL and two thirds of the NHL teams will not raise prices next season. The 2009 Kentucky Derby saw wagering ($104 million) $10 million less than last year. ‘Player Salaries’ (Tuesday SC, OTL) – economy’s impact on player contracts “The NFL is bucking the trend (of the other major pro sports leagues), increasing its salary cap more than 10 percent for 2009, to $128 million per team. The league benefits from its enormous television contracts, all of which were signed long before the Dow dipped below the economic Mendoza line.” – Jeremy Schaap ‘Downsizing’ (Tuesday OTL, Wednesday SC) -- economy's effect on leagues and teams The NFL (more than 10 percent) and NBA (roughly 9 percent) have seen layoffs in the league and team offices, and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell cut his own salary by a fifth. Half of the 30 NBA teams are losing money, and 12 have accepted loans from the league. ‘Campus Cutbacks’ (Thursday SC, Friday, OTL) -- economy’s impact on college sports One way schools are trying to save is with less flying and more driving. Michigan State’s basketball and football teams have saved the school more than $200,000 recently, traveling by bus rather than chartering flights. The Miami Hurricanes will do the same for two 2009 intrastate games, saving $140,000. Also, about 130 college teams, or 1 percent, have been eliminated nationwide. ‘Innovative Approaches’ (Friday SC, OTL) -- teams/leagues creating new revenue streams Several NASCAR tracks are making it possible to buy tickets on no-interest layaway plans, while the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies based some ticket prices on where they finished in the draft lottery. Meanwhile, several NFL teams are partnering with state lotteries, and in Pittsburgh, the Bucs (as the MLB Pirates are known) have introduced “Buck Night” when fans can purchase hot dogs, popcorn, soda and even tickets for $1. |
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The First 48 Returns
THE FIRST 48, the most watched non-fiction investigative series on cable, comes back for another strong season of taking viewers behind the scenes of real-life investigations with unprecedented access to crime scenes, forensic processing and interrogations. The series, which follows homicide detectives in real time during the critical first 48 hours of murder investigations, follows the nation's top police departments, including Miami, Minneapolis, Louisville and Birmingham.
Premiere episode:
The First 48: Last Wish (#131). In Miami, after a celebrating his 46th birthday with family, a man is found dead on a residential sidewalk. The investigation, supervised by Sgt. Johnny Herrera, uncovers a tangled plot of false leads and secret lives--the victim's past proves as puzzling as his death. After initial leads become futile, the homicide team makes a public plea and gets a shocking lead, sending them on a hunt to catch a potential killer on the run to New York.
Live from Bonnaroo
Pull up a lawn chair & lighter to take in 3 hours of live music from the biggest festival on the planet.... it's "Fuse: Live from Bonnaroo" with all the biggest performances by the biggest bands taking over the 2008 festival in Manchester, TN. Host Steven brings viewers inside the never-before-broadcast festival for a once in a lifetime rockx-perience.
TV on DVD,
The Shield: The Final Season on DVD
Los Angeles’ most controversial and corrupt cops are back one last time on June 9 when Sony Pictures Home Entertainment debuts The Shield: Season Seven on DVD. The final season of this gritty, hard-hitting police drama is loaded with exclusive bonus features, including commentary on every episode, plus 51 deleted scenes with optional commentary by creator Shawn Ryan and two all-new featurettes: one, a look at shooting the final season; the other, at being on set for the last episode. The Shield: Season Seven will be released as a four-disc collection containing all 13 episodes for $59.95 SRP.
The Shield -- a basic cable trailblazer and an all-time classic cop drama -- is centered around a tough crime-infested L.A. police precinct and its elite team of cops who are undeniably effective when it comes to cracking tough cases yet undeniably ‘dirty’ too. The San Francisco Chronicle’s Tim Goodman notes, “With its fearless writing and the ferocious intensity of Chiklis leading the way, ‘The Shield’ reinvented the cop genre. What remains compelling about ‘The Shield’ as it heads into its last hurrah are the gray areas and ethical gradations of the characters that have defined it. Creator Shawn Ryan found in the Vic Mackey character a likable monster. Much in the way that Tony Soprano’s actions conflicted viewers, Mackey’s poisonous mix of God-complex-meets-sanctimonious-criminality is hard to turn away from.”
Created and by Shawn Ryan (TV’s “The Unit”) and executive produced by Ryan, Kurt Sutter, Charles Eglee, Adam Fierro and Kevin Cremin, the show stars Emmy® and Golden Globe® winner Michael Chiklis (Fantastic Four) as rogue cop Detective Vic Mackey who administers his own brand of justice as he tries to keep balance in the criminal ecosystem of L.A.’s seedy Farmington Division. Mackey and his team -- which includes Emmy® nominee CCH Pounder (TV’s “ER”), David Marciano (Lethal Weapon 2), Benito Martinez (Million Dollar Baby); Walton Goggins (The Bourne Identity), Jay Karnes (The Next Best Thing), Catherine Dent (Someone Like You) and Michael Jace (Forrest Gump) -- write the rules as they go along.
The Shield: Season Seven episodes:
Coefficient of Drag
Snitch
Money Shot
Genocide
Game Face
Animal Control
Bitches Brew
Parricide
Party Line
Petty Cash
Possible Kill Screen
Family Meeting
Major plot lines for The Shield: Season Seven
Shane (Goggins) resorts to kidnapping in his dangerous dance with the Armenian mob. Dutch (Karnes) risks everything by becoming personally involved in a homicide investigation. Pressured to take down Pezuela (F.J. Rio), Vic negotiates an immunity deal with ICE to vanquish Beltran (Francesco Quinn) at last, and the skeletons come tumbling out of the closet.
DVD Special Features:
· Widescreen Presentation
· Audio English 5.1 (Dolby Digital)
· Cast and Crew Commentary on Each Episode
· 51 Deleted Scenes with optional commentary by creator Shawn Ryan
· Featurette: Nobody Expects to Lose, Nobody Expects to Die: The Shield’s Final Season
· Featurette: Last Call: The Final Episode
· Closed Captioned
Adult Swim Presents Summer at Santos Series
Crafted specifically for Adult Swim fans, the ADULT SWIM PRESENTS SUMMER AT SANTOS SERIES includes six live shows featuring a different musical and comedy performance each time. To host and create these shows, Adult Swim tapped into the best resource they know – their talent. Talent comprised of show creators and stars of Adult Swim series like Delocated, Metalocalypse, Aqua Teen Hunger Force and Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! were called on to curate their own slices of comedy and music heaven that will feature an array of unique talent chosen by each of them. June 25 – Jon Glaser (Delocated!) July 9 – Brendon Small (Metalocalypse) July 30 – Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim (Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! ) August 20 – Christy Karacas (Superjail!) Adult Swim first teamed up with the acclaimed Santos Party House earlier this year and treated fans to a live show hosted by Delocated! star and creator Jon Glaser, with music from Andrew W.K. and Cheeseburger. The response was huge, so Adult Swim and Santos Party House are working together again to give fans more of what they want all summer long. Up-to-date information on the ADULT SWIM PRESENTS SUMMER AT SANTOS SERIES can be found at www.adultswimpresents.com.
All six shows of ADULT SWIM PRESENTS SUMMER AT SANTOS SERIES will occur every other Thursday night, beginning on June 11, at the Santos Party House located at 96 LaFayette St. in New York City. Doors open at 7 p.m.; the show starts at 7:30 p.m. All shows are free and open to the public, ages 18 and up.
Current line-up for Adult Swim Presents Summer at Santos Series*:
June 11 – Andrew W.K.
Opening sets by: Cherie Lily, Aleister X, Bad Brilliance & Natalie Portman’s Shaved Head
With The Woggles, Cheeseburger, A.C. Newman and masked burlesque dancers, The Pontani Sisters
With Paul Green’s School of Rock
With DJ Douggpound, Gildon Works, The Party Animals and Beat Jams
August 6 – Dave Willis (Aqua Teen Hunger Force and Squidbillies)
With special guests
Featuring a night of local New York bands
*Line-up subject to change
Law & Order: SVU Finale
Two-time Emmy Award-winning actress Carol Kane will guest-star in the season finale of NBC'S "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," executive producer Neal Baer announced today. Kane reprises her role as Gwen Munch, the ex-wife of Detective John Munch (Richard Belzer), who last appeared with him in an episode of NBC's "Homicide: Life on the Street" in 1997. "Zebras," SVU's season finale, will be telecast on NBC Tuesday, June 2 (10-11 p.m. ET/PT).
In "Zebras," a young woman is killed in Central Park, and when a clerical error ruins the case, the police rush to find more evidence before the killer takes revenge on the squad.
"We're thrilled to have Gwen Munch return to her true love, Detective John Munch, to help lead him to a deranged killer (Nick Stahl) who is after a member of the SVU family," said Baer.
In addition, Nick Stahl guest-stars as Peter Harrison, a once promising young artist who is now lost in the paranoia of mental illness. Fearing SVU Detectives are persecuting him, he turns on them after he may have murdered an innocent young mother.