By Jason Boegh   Mon, Apr 20, 2009

Film and Broadway star Alan Cummning stated it succinctly on the red carpet: "I think tonight you can feel an energy people have for change."

And change was definitely on the minds of the attendees at tonight's 20th Anniversary of the GLAAD Media Awards held at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles. There was a distinct feeling of love, hope and, yes, change in the air . It was further cemented by Broadway star Cheyenne Jackson in his moving performance of Sam Cooke's civil rights anthem "A Change is Gonna Come".

People were talking about same sex marriage, the election of President Obama and the "absurdity" of the passing of Prop 8. (Which was further  addressed  later in the show with the presentation of a special award to "Prop 8 the Musical").  However, all those issues had people excited and fired up. There seemed to be a consensus that the passing of Prop 8 has only mobilized the LGBT community. Referencing recent events in Iowa and Connecticut, Jackson said "Things are rolling, things are happening. We can get married in four states". Original Star Trek star Nichelle Nichols added "And with the devastaing Prop 8, I think that's going to go by the wayside."

The stars were all in agreement that GLAAD has been right at the forefront of this change and applauded them for their work. Rupaul's Drag Race winner Bebe Zahara Benet enthused "It's beautiful. It's just amazing to be part of a community that comes together to support each other and show respect and appreciation". The hilarious star of Party Down,  the upcoming Fox show Glee and every other funny movie you've ever seen, Jane Lynch noted GLAAD is honoring work that "is basically weaving who we are into the fabric of society and that's the best thing." Tuc Watkins, from the GLAAD winning comedy series Desperate Housewives summed it up like this: "I think any organization that takes the time to point out good depictions of the gay community in media should be recognized.... It's important that members of the gay community are shown acurately, not necessarily in a favorable light but in an accurate light, in a fair light".

The GLAAD Media Awards which honor fair, accurate and inclusive representations of LGBT people and events in media presented award  The L Word with a Special Recognition Award as the show finished out it's sixth and final season. They also acknowledged Brothers and Sisters as the Outstanding TV Drama again this year and the Oscar winning Milk as the Outstanding Feature Film.

On the red carpet, Milk producer Dan Jinks spoke of how GLAAD is "the watchdog organization for gay rights in America, and that means a lot." The celebs were very grateful for all the work GLAAD is doing and how they've influenced what's happening with the LGBT civil rights movement right now. Cumming later added "Equal righs for the LGBT community seems more within our grasp". Queer as Folk star Peter Paige said that he always leaves the GLAAD awards "inspired and ready to go back to battle."

A different kind of change was on the mind of comedian and Life on the D List star Kathy Griffin who was honored with the Vanguard Award in recognition of a media professional who, through their work has increased the visibility and understanding of the LGBT community. While she was thrilled for the award, she was also excited about her new bikini body. On the red carpet she told me "I'm here tonight to share my bangin' bikini bod with the gays... and by the way, my bikini bod is so bangin', I may switch a couple.... I am like the Susan Boyle (the British sinigng youtube sensation) of bikini bods... where you didnt know I had it in me, but it's been here the whole time. I dreamed a dream."

It was an exuberant night of laughter, amazing performances and a look back at 20 years of stories and media that has shaped the LGBT community. An exciting array of stars showed up to support and celebrate including the casts of Noah's Arc: Jumping the Broom (a GLAAD winner at the NYC awards), Greek, South of Nowhere, Desperate Housewives and The L Word. Also attending: Oscar winner and screenwriter of Milk Dustin Lance Black, Alec Mapa, Chad Allen, Mary Murphy (So You Think You Can Dance), Bruno Toglioni (Dancing with the Stars), Jullia Louis Dreyfuss, George Takei, Bill Paxton and more.

A List of the GLAAD Media Award winners from tonight's ceremony:

Vanguard Award: Kathy Griffin

Stephen F. Kolzak Award: The Rt. Rev. V. Gene Robinson

Special Recognition: The L Word (Showtime)

Special Recognition: Prop 8: the Musical (funnordie.com)

Outstanding Film Wide Release: Milk (Focus Features)

Outstanding Comedy Series: Desperate Housewives (ABC)

Outstanding Drama Series: Brothers and Sisters (ABC)

Outstanding Individual Episode (in a series without a regular LGBT character): The New Adventures of Old Christine (CBS)

Outstanding Talk Show Episode: "Ellen & Portia's Wedding Day" The Ellen Degeneres Show (syndicated)

Outstanding Los Angeles Theater Production: Secrets of the Trade by Jonathan Tolins

Outstanding Spanish Language TV- Journalism Newsmagazine: "A juzgar por las apariencias" y "En otro cuerpo" Aquí y Ahora (Univision)

~For the complete list of GLAAD Media Award winners, including the New York Ceremony winners, go to

www.glaad.org/mediaawards

The remaing GLAAD Media awards will be given out on May 9th in San Francisco.

By Anna Fugazzi   Fri, Apr 10, 2009

By Missy Lee   Fri, Apr 17, 2009

"The greatest treat I've ever had in all the years that I've been in business." – Ebersol on Working With Madden

NBC Sports today conducted a media conference call with Dick Ebersol, Chairman, NBC Sports and Sandy Montag, Senior Corporate Vice President, IMG and John Madden's longtime agent to discuss Madden's retirement from broadcasting.

Madden appeared on his "Daily Madden" radio show this morning on KCBS to discuss his retirement. The entire spot can be heard at KCBS.com. Highlights from both, follow:

MADDEN ON KCBS RADIO

ON RETIRING: "Heck, I can't even say it, but I've decided to retire. It's tough, not because I'm not sure it's the right time, I really feel strongly that this is the right time. I'm just going to miss everything about it because I enjoy it so much. It was one of those things when you get around 70 you have to start thinking at some point it's going to be over, but I was one that always believed you never say you're going to retire before you do, because once you say it then you've already done it in your mind and you've already quit."

ON HOW HE DECIDED TO RETIRE: "We did the Super Bowl and I thought about it the last two months. Sometimes I felt like I'm going to do it (return), and then there'd be days I'm going to retire. Finally, I was up against it. The two months were up, the NFL schedule was coming out and I said, 'this is what I'm going to do' so I called Dick Ebersol about a week ago and then he came out yesterday and we talked about it. We talked about some other possibilities and I said no. I'm ready to do this."

MADDEN ON WHY HE IS RETIRING: "One of the points I made was now my grandkids are old enough that they know when I'm gone and when I'm not. When they were younger they weren't always sure. This year is my 50th wedding anniversary and that comes in December. You just add up everything and it's just the right time."

MADDEN ON SPECULATION THAT SOMETHING IS WRONG: "There's nothing wrong. Everybody's going to say, 'Madden retires, what's wrong?' There's nothing wrong with me. I'm in the middle of a contract; I have three more years on my contract at NBC. It's not that. It's not that I'm tired of traveling in the bus. You just get to a point that you know at some point you have to do this, and I got to that point."

MADDEN ON THE DECISION BEING DIFFICULT: "The thing that made it hard is not that I'm second guessing that it's the right decision, it's that I enjoyed it so damn much. I enjoyed the games and the players and the coaches and the film and the travel and everything. That's why it took me so long. I'm not tired of anything, but I'm going away. That's what makes it hard."

MADDEN ON RETIRING FOR THE SECOND TIME: "It's the second time I've done it. When I coached the Raiders I ended it that way. I didn't say that this would be my last year. I took some time off and I felt that I didn't want to go through it again and then that was it; I still love pro football so I retired. Then I came into television broadcasting and it was the same way. It wouldn't have been me to say the week of Super Bowl this is my last game. That's not me, I don't do that.

MADDEN ON DOING PART OF THE SEASON: "Dick Ebersol and Sandy Montag came out yesterday and we talked all about it. We talked about other possibilities, other things I could do, be it part of the season or something like that or announce I'm retired and then do some more games."

MADDEN ON WHAT'S NEXT: "I'm still going to travel. That's the thing, I'm not going to stay put. I can't do that. I'm still going to have the bus. I'll be going to the Hall of Fame in August. There is always going to be something coming up. It's not that I'm going to stop traveling or stop doing stuff. I'm still going to be doing things, I'm just not going to be doing pro football on television anymore."

MADDEN ON NOT WANTING TO MISS OUT ON HIS GRANDCHILDREN: "I kind of missed a lot of that with my own sons. When they were babies they really didn't know when you were there and when you weren't. Sam was just eight and he's the oldest one. They're eight, seven, six, five, four, and three. Now they know. They know when I'm here and they know when I'm gone."

MADDEN'S FINAL THOUGHTS: "It was a great ride, I enjoyed every part of it, but that part of my life has come to an end now. This would be the first year I haven't had a football season since my freshman year in high school. I've had a season every year because I went from player to coach and from coach to broadcaster. In my life I've never had a season off. I've never had a football season off. This will be the first one."

EBERSOL AND MONTAG COMMENTS FROM NBC CONFERENCE CALL:

EBERSOL ON FEELINGS FOR MADDEN: "I've never had an association in some 40 years where I really was as friendly with a talent, and yet at the same time as in awe of him, not just because of his talent, just the way he is as a human being. The last three years we had primetime football, I've left New York on Thursday morning and come back on Monday morning, and the reason I did that, aside from the fact that I thought that's where I belonged, the main reason I did it was that I had the opportunity to travel the roads of America with John Madden, and that was the greatest treat I've ever had in all the years that I've been in business."

EBERSOL ON GETTING THE CALL FROM MADDEN: "I got a phone call from John nine days ago. And he said, after some good natured typical Madden teasing about umpteen subjects, 'I'm going to retire.' And I said 'no you're not.' And he said 'I'm going retire.' From that moment forth, I sat myself out on a course to try to persuade him not to. I knew right away there was no way if talking him out of it; I could hear it in his voice that he had really thought about this for at least two months."

MONTAG ON MADDEN'S DECISION-MAKING PROCESS: "When he called Dick last Tuesday, this was something that he had been thinking about for a few months, and he and I talked about it towards the end of the season and he and I said 'ah, let's talk about it after.' So he'd been vacillating for a few months. It's not something that just came up, and it's nothing to do with the current schedule. He wanted to sit down for a few months and see where his mind was at and he came to his final decision last week."

EBERSOL ON AMERICA EMBRACING MADDEN: "It's really about how John embraced them. There was never a period that he wasn't the biggest presence in any room and not because he's a big man, he was larger than life. The thing that made him larger than life was that he was 'everyman.'

"John could as easily be bumped into first by an eight-year old who invariably always said 'Hey Madden, can you sign this?' because as an eight-year old that's how he knew him because 'Madden' is the game. If a guy said 'Hey John,' that usually meant that that guy was probably 40, 50 and had followed John as a broadcaster, and that was Pat Summerall and Al, every night of the football season saying 'Hey John,' so everyone would be saying 'Hey John.' Anybody who ever said 'Hey Coach,' they remembered he was the best coach in the game in his time. But no matter what his stature was, he always related to everybody. It didn't matter whether it was in Nebraska or on a red carpet at Radio City Music Hall in New York. He always had time for everybody."

EBERSOL ON MADDEN'S PLACE IN BROADCAST HISTORY: "John steps away as not just the most honored or respected football announcer ever, but as the absolute best sports broadcaster who ever lived. It so happened that his fame is probably greater than anyone else's because he did it with America's number one sport."

EBERSOL ON MADDEN RETIRING FOR THE SECOND TIME: "Here's John doing it now for the second time. He was the winningest coach, in terms of winning percentage, who ever won at least 100 games in the history of the NFL. His teams were repeatedly in the AFC Championships and the Super Bowl. He stepped away and not after a weak season. He stepped away with such a great team that Tom Flores, who succeeded him, had a team to win two Super Bowls after John left. John Madden is unparalleled. It's the mark of a man and now he's done it twice. I hate it."

EBERSOL ON TRYING TO CONVINCE MADDEN NOT TO RETIRE: "Sandy Montag and I flew out together, and he counseled me from the beginning, it would be impossible to get John to change his mind. But I thought I'd come up with a great solution that would allow him to get the best of both worlds. The proposal I laid out to him was that we have this unbelievable schedule this year, why don't you do the September games? There are so many highlights there. You do Pittsburgh, you do Green Bay, the place you made even more famous, and then go to Dallas where you did all those great games and open up the new building, and on your way home your favorite player maybe of this modern era, Peyton [Manning] is playing in a shootout with Kurt Warner, and then take October off and come back and do the games in November that sound like John Madden games; Dallas at Philadelphia, New England at Indy and Philadelphia at New York to name the first three in November, then take December off.

We're lucky. He said 'You've always had Cris [Collinsworth]. He's the best broadcaster there is out there.' John didn't say 'other than me' but I would, and I said well Cris would be happy to have the world that way. He loves his life. He's got a son who's an All-State football player in Ohio who's about to be in his senior year, and we talked about that for an hour and a half. I could see John was talking but he was doing a lot of thinking. Finally he looked at Sandy and he looked at me and said, 'it's time.' That became what he began to repeat frequently."

EBERSOL ON CRIS COLLINSWORTH: "Before we take any questions, I just want to get one thing out of the way and then explain why I'm not going to address it again until next week or the following week. John's successor will be Cris Collinsworth. Cris has always given us the luxury of having the two best broadcasters. He will step into the role with Al immediately. I'll sit down with the folks here, and we'll redesign 'Football Night in America.' But for now, what I want to do is declare this next week 'Celebrate John Madden week' and I'll do that, but with a lump in my throat."

MONTAG ON RELATIONSHIP WITH MADDEN: "I have been with John for my entire professional career. I started in 1985 as his gopher/assistant on Amtrak, and he's taught me everything from, besides football, life, women, you name it. We've talked about everything over the years, and it's been a great ride."

MONTAG ON MADDEN'S DECISION TO RETIRE: "It is a sad day, but it's a happy day because, for those of you who know John, he's going out his way."

MONTAG ON MADDEN'S FUTURE: "We're announcing his retirement from television broadcasting. I have no idea what else he's going to do, but he will stay active. He's too young in mind and body to go away, so he will be around. Yes we will continue with the video game. Yes he will still travel by bus; he will not start flying. Yes, all of his endorsement deals will continue. So, just to reiterate, there's no one thing here, there's no problem. He is healthy, he is happy, he's content, but as Dick said, it's time, it's time to spend time with your family, get on with the rest of your life."


EBERSOL ON MADDEN'S EVERYMAN PERSONALITY AND TEASING:
"One of the greatest things about John was in being that 'everyman' he also spoke so succinctly, so completely to the point, you never got any sense of artifice, and if he smelled any, he was not that keen on hanging out with you. He was great about life's lessons. They were always tied in with the most unbelievable amount of teasing, and that brings up the fact that when he first told me a week ago Tuesday night that he was retiring, I took a pause inside for a good 15 seconds, wondering if he was pulling my leg. So for the first 10 seconds of that conversation the other night, I thought we might be there, but I realized very quickly as the conversation went on that he was totally serious and had poured a lot of thought into it."

***

John Madden, Hall of Fame coach and the most honored NFL broadcaster of all time, has served as the game analyst for "NBC Sunday Night Football" since 2006. Madden, who has won an unprecedented 16 Emmy Awards for Outstanding Sports Analyst/Personality, is renowned by football fans nationwide for his ability to analyze the details of the game with wit, candor and an inimitable style. Madden has been an NFL broadcaster for 30 years. On February 1, Madden earned rave reviews and critical acclaim in his final game, the 11th Super Bowl he called – Super Bowl XLIII on NBC.

The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences has honored Madden with 16 Outstanding Sports Analyst/Personality Emmy Awards, the most recent from this past season. In all, Madden has been nominated for 18 Emmy Awards. In addition, the American Sportscasters Association named him Sports Personality of the Year in 1985 and 1992. In 1982, Madden became the first NFL analyst to receive the Touchdown Club of America's prestigious Golden Mike Award. Sports Illustrated has called Madden "an American fixture" and said that he "brings an unequaled big-game buzz to the broadcast booth."

Prior to joining the broadcasting ranks, Madden had an outstanding career as head coach of the NFL's Oakland Raiders. He guided the Raiders to an overall record of 103-32-7, leading the team to seven AFC Western Division titles and a victory over the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl XI. Madden's .750 winning percentage is the best of any head coach in NFL history. In 2006, Madden was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a Head Coach.

A linebacker coach when he began his NFL coaching career with Oakland in 1967, Madden became the head coach in 1969 at age 33, the youngest head coach in the American Football League. Madden retired in 1979 and started his broadcasting career at CBS later that same year. Madden was the lead NFL analyst for FOX from 1994-2002 and the analyst for ABC's "Monday Night Football" for four years before he came to NBC Sports in 2006. He is the only person to work as the lead analyst for all four broadcast networks.

Madden's EA Sports video game "Madden NFL Football" is the No. 1 selling sports video game of all-time with more than 65 million copies sold since its release 20 years ago. Madden is also one of the leading spokesmen in the advertising world, with endorsement relationships including Ace Hardware, Outback Steakhouse, Schering Plough (Tinactin), Verizon Wireless and Sirius Satellite Radio.

Before coaching in Oakland, Madden was the defensive coordinator at San Diego State from 1964-66 where the Aztecs were ranked first among small colleges with a 26-4 record. From 1960-64 Madden coached at Hancock Junior College in Santa Maria, Calif.

Madden started on both the offensive and defensive lines as a player for California Polytechnic College at San Luis Obispo in 1957 and 1958 and was voted to the All-Conference team. He was also a catcher on the school's baseball team. Madden earned a Bachelor of Science degree in 1959 and a Master of Arts degree in 1961, both from Cal Poly. The Philadelphia Eagles selected him in the 21st round of the 1958 NFL draft, but a knee injury in his rookie season prematurely ended his career.

Madden is the author of several New York Times best-selling books: Hey, Wait a Minute! (I Wrote a Book!); One Knee Equals Two Feet (and Everything Else You Need To Know About Football); One Size Doesn't Fit All; and All Madden, each written with New York Times sports columnist Dave Anderson. He has also written a cookbook titled John Madden's Ultimate Tailgating.

Born April 10, 1936 in Austin, Minn., Madden was raised in Daly City, Calif. He now resides in Pleasanton, Calif., with his wife, Virginia. The couple has two sons and five grandchildren.

By Missy Lee   Mon, Apr 20, 2009

"Saturday Night Live" concludes one of its best seasons in years with back-to-back shows in May featuring Justin Timberlake and musical guest Ciara on May 9, and "SNL" alum Will Ferrell and musical guest Green Day on May 16.

After many unforgettable appearances on the show as a guest, Justin Timberlake returns to studio 8H as host. Timberlake's appearances on "SNL" have produced several viral video sensations, such as the Emmy Award-winning song "D**k In A Box," and a recent cameo in November alongside Beyonce in a "Single Ladies" video parody. Timberlake is a six time Grammy award-winner, who came to fame as a member of the multi-platinum group, 'N Sync.

In 2002, he released his debut solo album, "Justified," followed by his second solo album, "FutureSex/LoveSounds," with chart-toppers "SexyBack", "My Love", "LoveStoned," and "What Goes Around.../...Comes Around." The two solo albums have sold over 18 million copies worldwide. Aside from his music career, Timberlake has starred in numerous feature films including, "Alpha Dog," "Shrek The Third," and "Black Snake Moan."

Grammy winner Ciara will be the musical guest and Justin Timberlake will join her to perform her newest single, "Love Sex Magic." Already breaking into the Top Ten on Billboard's Hot 100 List, "Love Sex Magic" is the second single off Ciara's third album, "Fantasy Ride." Gaining notice in 2004 with her triple platinum debut album, "Goodies," the album included number one hits such as "Goodies" and "1,2 Step." She followed with her platinum sophomore album in 2006, "Ciara: The Evolution," which contained chart-toppers such as "Promise" and "Like A Boy."

In addition to receiving the prestigious "Entertainer of the Year Award" at the Soul Train Awards in 2005, Ciara has earned four Grammy nominations (including Best New Artist), five ASCAP Awards for Songwriting, three Teen Choice Awards, two BET Awards, and two MTV Video Music Awards.

Will Ferrell, an "SNL" cast member for seven seasons, returns to studio 8H as a second-time host of the show for the season finale on May 16. Ferrell will star in the film "Land of the Lost," due out June 5. After his years at "SNL," Ferrell went on to star in the hit feature films "Old School," "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy," "Elf," "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby" and "Step Brothers." Ferrell recently made his Broadway debut in his solo show, "You're Welcome America. A Final Night with George W. Bush" where it enjoyed a six-week sold-out run.

Green Day will make their third appearance as "SNL" musical guest for the season finale. The band's eighth studio album, "21st Century Breakdown," due out Friday, May 15th on Reprise Records, has been heralded by Rolling Stone as "urgent, soaring and powerful." Green Day's trio, Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt and Tré Cool, solidified their arrival on the music scene in 1994, with their debut album, "Dookie." The album was a dynamic blast of exuberant three-chord punk rock that sold over 15 million copies worldwide and earned Green Day their first Grammy award.

Nearly a decade later, Green Day launched into the stratosphere with their landmark album, "American Idiot," debuting at the top of the Billboard charts and selling more than 12 million copies worldwide. The album also spawned five hit singles and earned seven Grammy nominations, and two Grammy wins, including Best Rock Album.

By Jonah Tarleton   Thu, Apr 16, 2009

 Oxygen Media executives unveiled the network's programming initiatives for 2009-2010 anchored by plans to expand the Tori & Dean franchise with a fourth season of their hit series; the piloting of a couples makeover show; and the development of a made-for-television movie. Additionally, the network announced the addition of "The Naughty Kitchen with Chef Blythe Beck" to its schedule later this year, and the development of two new series: "Keshia and Kaseem," starring Keshia Knight Pulliam ("Rudy" from the "The Cosby Show") and her live-in-boyfriend, Kaseem Penn and "Celeb-U-Moms" which follows the personal and professional lives of a group of Hollywood Moms juggling life, love, family and friendship. The announcements were made today by Amy Introcaso-Davis, Oxygen's Senior Vice President, Original Programming and Development.

Introcaso-Davis noted: "All of our programming initiatives and our decision to move forward with another night of originals underscore Oxygen's long term strategy to appeal to a very valuable audience. We delivered that coveted demo this past quarter and are 'living out loud' with new projects featuring boisterous, saucy, charismatic and over-the-top personalities whose distinctive voice has set our network apart from the pack."

Kick-starting the second quarter, the premiere of the much talked-about competition reality series "Pretty Wicked" was a clear standout becoming Oxygen's youngest and most watched series premiere among total viewers, A18-49 and the network's key demo of W18-34. In addition, the network recently announced a fourth season pick-up of "Bad Girls Club," the Bunim/Murray-produced reality skein which became the first Oxygen series to average more than one million viewers per episode. "Bad Girls Club" also ranks as the network's most successful series among its target demo, W18-34 and boasted the youngest season on Oxygen with a median age of 26. Plus, the network greenlit a new season of "Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood," which returns to the schedule on May 26 at 10PM ET/PT. This popular series explores the world of Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott as they try to balance their burgeoning family life with the pressures of living in Tinseltown.

NEW SERIES AND SPECIALS

"Dance Your Ass Off"
Premieres: This summer
Oxygen brings dance, diet and divas together with the new dance/weight-loss competition series "Dance Your Ass Off." TONY Award®-winning actress Marissa Jaret Winokur, well known for her role as plus-sized Tracy Turnblad in the hit Broadway musical "Hairspray," will serve as host. In this unique show, talented, full-figured contestants who struggle with their weight will dance to unleash their inner thin. Each contestant will be paired with a professional dance partner who will train them for their weekly stage performances – ranging from Hip Hop, to Ballroom and even Pole Dancing! Then they'll shake and rattle their rolls in front of a live studio audience and a panel of expert judges: choreographer Danny Teeson, dancer/choreographer Mayte Garcia, and dancer/actress Lisa Ann Walter. "Dance Your Ass Off" is scheduled to premiere on Oxygen this summer. Executive Produced by SallyAnn Salsano of 495 Productions and Lisa Ann Walter and Kate Rigg.

"Addicted to Beauty"
Premieres: Later this year
Oxygen pulls back the curtain on the tantalizing world of medi-spas with a new office docu-comedy, "Addicted to Beauty." As seen through the eyes of the larger than life staff at one of the country's hottest beauty enhancement facilities in California, the eight one -hour episodes examine the young, highly dysfunctional team who provide Restylane® injections and hits of Botox® to the rich and pampered - and sample the goods themselves during their coffee breaks. Executive Produced by Mike Duffy, Greg Goldman, and Chris Coelen of RDF USA ("Secret Millionaire," Wife Swap") as well as Mechelle Collins and Kevin Dill of Intuitive Entertainment ("The Millionaire Matchmaker," "Sunset Tan").

"The Naughty Kitchen with Chef Blythe Beck"
Premieres: Later this year
Take one fiery young chef on a quest for total world culinary domination, mix her with distinctive and sexy American cuisine, add a cutting edge Dallas restaurant with a loud cast of characters…and you've got the recipe for "The Naughty Kitchen with Chef Blythe Beck." Blythe, a 29-year old Texas native, who is plus-sized in stature and personality, is the naughty head chef at Central 214 – a top-rated Dallas restaurant. Oxygen will follow Beck's life running the kitchen and the colorful crew at Central 214, as they interact with the elite of Dallas and the local private university students in and out of the restaurant. From Authentic Entertainment ("Flipping Out," "Ace of Cakes"), "The Naughty Kitchen with Blythe Beck" is executive produced by Lauren Lexton, Tom Rogan, Brandy Menefee, Brad Hall and Code Entertainment.

IN DEVELOPMENT

"Keshia and Kaseem" (WT)
Former Cosby kid Keshia Knight Pulliam ("Rudy") and her entrepreneur boyfriend and business partner, Kaseem Penn, learn first-hand how the trivial turns epic when newly cohabitating. Together for almost two years, Keshia has recently forsaken her Atlanta home, spending most of her time at Kaseem's place in the exclusive Cascades community of Atlanta. Between Keshia's exploding television and movie career, and Kaseem's many business endeavors, the relationship questions loom... Is it possible to have a successful union without the ceremony? This docu-series follows the ups and downs of being young, rich, single... AND living together. Executive produced by Tracey E. Edmonds of Edmonds Entertainment ("College Hill," "Soul Food"); Keshia Knight Pulliam and Kaseem Penn of Pullpen Productions.

Celeb-U-Moms
Celeb-U-Moms is a docu-series that follows the action-packed, personal and professional lives of a group of Hollywood moms juggling life, love, family and friendship along with their glamorous careers. These women live the polished life of designer dresses and beautiful people, hitting the hottest premieres with access to the hippest clubs and coolest people - but when they get home, they've got diapers to change and screaming toddlers to soothe. Oxygen will see how quickly a celebrity mom goes from glitz and glamour to ragged and regular. Executive produced by Randy Barbato, Fenton Bailey and Tom Campbell of World of Wonder ("Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood," "Million Dollar Listing").

"Mr. & Mrs. Makeover" (WT)
In this pilot for series, developed by and starring Tori Spelling and her husband Dean McDermott, couples will experience the ultimate in makeover magic: both in how they live and how they look. Part marriage counseling, part makeover, each couple will spend time with Tori and Dean who uncover what makes each partner tick; what works and what doesn't work about their relationship; and create a forum for opening the door to a stronger and more honest partnership. Tori and Dean use physical change both personally and in their surroundings to create a foundation to jumpstart their relationships. Executive produced by Randy Barbato, Fenton Bailey of World of Wonder ("Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood," "Million Dollar Listing"), Tori Spelling & Dean McDermott.

Tori and Dean Telepic (WT)
Oxygen is in the early development stages of developing an original made for television movie. The romantic comedy will both star and be executive produced by Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott.

By Jonah Tarleton   Mon, Apr 13, 2009

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

BROADCAST YEAR:          2008 (FX)

The Shield: Season Seven has a run time of approximately 619 minutes and is not rated.

By Anna Fugazzi   Mon, Apr 20, 2009

MTV takes you inside the glamorous and drama-filled life of teenage pro skateboarder Ryan Sheckler in Life of Ryan: The Complete Series, Seasons 1-3 on DVD April 21st.  Balancing family, his budding social life, and the demands of his unconventional line of work is no easy task for this teen heartthrob, in the hit series The New York Times calls “a reality television milestone."  This 3-disc DVD set comes loaded with all 29 episodes, featuring some never-before-seen anywhere!

Synopsis:

For pro skater Ryan Sheckler, life is all about balance.  It's a skill he needs to dominate the competitive world of skateboarding.  Ryan's flips, grinds, grabs and signature "Shecklair" trick all depend on it -- and it's what makes him one of the hottest young skaters in the business.  But while being king of the skate park comes naturally to Ryan, finding a way to balance his family, friends and career is challenging to say the least.  Like the art of skateboarding, life is a balancing act -- you've got to stay focused while having fun.  Welcome to the Life of Ryan.

“LIFE OF RYAN” – THE COMPLETE SERIES, SEASONS 1-3 has a suggested retail price of $29.99.

DVD SPECIAL FEATURES:

·                     Features Never-Before-Seen episodes

·                     Kamikazes (Skate Video)

·                     Peace With Nothing (Skate Video)

·                     Call It Off (Skate Video)

DVD Release Date:  4/21/09

Rated: N/A (PG Canada)

Running Time: 642 minutes

Format: Widescreen

Catalog: 853404

Price: $29.99

By Missy Lee   Mon, Apr 13, 2009

USA Network announced today that original show cast member Bitty Schram will guest-star in an episode of the eighth and final season of the critically acclaimed original series MONK. The last season of the hit show, which stars Emmy, Golden Globe and SAG winner Tony Shalhoub, started production this week in Los Angeles and will debut this summer.

Schram ("A League of their Own") co-starred on the show from its inception as Monk's beloved nurse and "Girl Friday" sidekick, Sharona Fleming. During season three, her character moved back to New Jersey with her son to re-marry her ex-husband.

"We couldn't think of a better way to help wrap up the series than with the return of Bitty's character," said Shalhoub. "Bringing some closure to Sharona is long overdue."

By Jonah Tarleton   Sun, Apr 19, 2009

Joshua Malina ("The West Wing," "Numb3ers") as a new key character in the hit original series and #1 new show of the summer, IN PLAIN SIGHT. Malina joins newly announced recurring cast member Holly Maples ("The Office," "Curb Your Enthusiasm"). The show is currently in production on its second season with all 16 episodes being shot entirely on location in and around Albuquerque, New Mexico. The series is created and written by David Maples ("Home Improvement," "Huff"), who serves as executive producer alongside Paul Stupin ("Dawson's Creek," "Beautiful People").

Malina will play Peter, an alcoholic in recovery whom Brandi meets at an AA meeting and Maples will play Eleanor, the new administrative assistant. Season two guest stars, thus far, include Cynthia Watros ("Lost," "The Drew Carey Show") as Maureen, a single mother with three kids who becomes one of Mary's witnesses and Ali Marsh ("Law & Order," "As the World Turns") as Shelley, the department psychologist sent to perform Mary's psychological evaluation.

IN PLAIN SIGHT stars Mary McCormack ("The West Wing," "Private Parts") as Mary Shannon, a U.S. Marshal working in the highly secretive branch of the witness protection program (WITSEC). Mary's charge is to relocate federal witnesses, both career criminals and innocent bystanders, with one common problem -- someone wants them dead. Mary's job is to make sure that doesn't happen, while simultaneously juggling her own dysfunctional family.

IN PLAIN SIGHT also stars Frederick Weller ("The Shape of Things," "Law & Order: Criminal Intent"), Lesley Ann Warren ("Desperate Housewives," "Will & Grace"), Nichole Hiltz ("The Riches," "Strong Medicine") and Paul Ben-Victor ("The Wire," "Entourage"). Returning this season as series regulars are Cristián de la Fuente ("Dancing with the Stars," "Ugly Betty") and Todd Williams ("Tilt," "Third Watch").

By Anna Fugazzi   Sun, Apr 19, 2009

Academy Award and Emmy nominee Jeff Goldblum (“Adam Resurrected,” “Jurassic Park”) has joined the cast for season eight and will be playing Zach Nichols, a detective who was born and bred in New York City, particularly the Upper West Side.

With a distinctive style and quirkiness, Goldblum has made a name for himself in both movies and television. In 1995, he was nominated for an Academy Award for his live action short film called “Little Surprises,” which he shared with Tikki Goldberg. In 2005, he received an Emmy nomination for his guest appearance as Frank/Scott on the hit series “Will & Grace.”

His film credits include “Man of the Year” with Robin Williams, Wes Anderson’s “The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou” Steven Spielberg’s “Jurassic Park” and “The Lost World,” “Independence Day” with Will Smith, “Nine Months” with Hugh Grant and Julianne Moore, David Cronenberg’s “The Fly” and “The Big Chill” with Glenn Close and Kevin Kline.

By Anna Fugazzi   Mon, Apr 20, 2009

In state treasuries across America, billons of dollars in unclaimed property sits, waiting to be returned to millions of people. Yet many state officials don't have the resources to find everyone.

Last August, "Dateline NBC" helped states crack some of their toughest, unsolved cases with the result of nearly $2 million dollars being returned to average Americans. Now NBC News' Tiki Barber and his team, including NBC News' Peter Alexander and MSNBC's Tamron Hall, are back at again, finding ordinary people who are unaware they have money coming to them in "You Might Be Rich!"

Barber and his team travel from coast to coast and overseas to help return close to $5 million dollars to over a dozen individuals. Especially timely considering today's economy, "Dateline" was able to bring great news to some individuals in financial trouble.

In one case, the NBC News team traveled to Germany to give a former Pennsylvania resident the news he was entitled to over a half million dollars from an inheritance.

The story becomes even more extraordinary when our team discovered the recipient was homeless. In another case, "Dateline" spent a year tracking down the rightful owner of more than a million dollars that was sitting in the Illinois state treasury waiting to be claimed. The two, hour-long specials are airing on Sunday, April 26 (7:00 PM/ET) and Sunday, May 3 (7:00 PM/ET).

For the May 3rd program, "You Might Be Rich!" will be live from outside Rockefeller Center and will surprise one unsuspecting family with the incredible news they have unclaimed money coming to them.