The New TV Season: “Revolution” Among the Big Winners, Say Goodbye To “Animal Practice”
Fall is in full swing. Leaves have turned, school has begun, the holidays are rapidly approaching – and all those new TV shows are learning if they will land a full season commitment, or be laid to rest with last summer’s bathing suits and pool toys. Now, our friends over at Deadline Hollywood have given us the latest scoop on which shows will be returning, cancelled, or remain “on the bubble.”
Let’s start by getting the bad news out of the way. CBS’s legal dramedy “Made in Jersey” was the first Fall 2012 series to be put out to pasture; cancelled after only two episodes, it was a dud by any measure – Entertainment Weekly reported that the first episode pulled in 7.7 million viewers, while the second drastically dropped to 5.8 million. EW also tells us that NBC’s “Animal Practice,” starring “Weeds” funnyman Justin Kirk, was put to sleep after five episodes that played to a low of 3.8 million viewers. Proving once again that monkeys will only get you so far in life, the animal hospital comedy will air three more episodes before it’s officially replaced by returning sophomore comedy “Whitney.” Rumor has it that “The Mob Doctor” will soon be off the air as well, which means it basically fared as well as David Duchovny’s “Playing God” and that mob doctors aren’t very compelling entertainment; Deadline lists it as “all but cancelled.” Zap2It speculates that the only reason the show is still airing is that FOX doesn’t have a replacement that will bring in any more viewers than this flailing drama. With a measly 4.6 viewers, not even “Friday Night Lights” alumni Zach Gilford could keep this show afloat.
Moving on to some slightly better news. Many shows are “on the bubble” or still getting a chance to rake in viewers with a few more episodes. ABC has ordered two more scripts for “Last Resort” and “666 Park Avenue,” while “The Neighbors” is receiving three more. The CW is giving “Beauty and the Beast” and “Emily Owens MD” three more episodes each. FOX and NBC are doing things a tad differently; Fox gave non-traditional six episode orders for “Ben and Kate,” while NBC asked for five more of “Guys With Kids.” The verdict is still out on CBS’s “Partners,” but the shows’ fate will likely be revealed after next week’s episode.
Now on to the good stuff. NBC’s post-apocalyptic sci-fi series “Revolution” is proving to be this season’s most popular new show, and has been picked up for a full 22-episode season. Heavy Olympics advertising, “Breaking Bad” Emmy nominated character actor Giancarlo Esposito, and the fact it’s a brainchild of “Lost” creator J.J. Abrams are probably large reasons for the show’s success.
Meanwhile, NBC’s heartwarming Matthew Perry comedy “Go On” and controversial family comedy “The New Normal” have also been picked up for full first seasons. Overcoming some bad reviews out of the gate, CBS’s “Elementary,” starring Johnny Lee Miller and Lucy Liu, is second only to “Revolution” in freshman popularity. The Sherlock Holmes show and CBS’s new casino drama “Vegas” are both receiving 22-episode runs.
Over at Fox, lighthearted “The Mindy Project” has been ordered for a total of 24 new episodes, while the CW’s superhero hit “Arrow” will also get a full first season. The fates of ABC’s musical drama “Nashville” and NBC’s “Chicago Fire,” however, are both still TBD since the shows haven’t had much air time – but so far, things seem to be looking promising.
Be warned: It’s still early in the season, and anything could still happen – at this time last year, “Pan Am” looked like a hit. So, did your favorite new show survive the first round of cuts? What shows deserve more viewers? Let us know in the comments!
Angelina Jolie & Brad Pitt: It’s Time For the Kids to Catch the Acting Bug!
How does that old saying go, “The family that works together, stays together?” Okay, maybe it wasn’t quite that, but the Pitt-Jolie brood seem to be living that credo now, as Angelina is making room in her latest blockbuster production for a couple of her kiddies.
According to the folks over at Deadline Hollywood, Angelina Jolie’s upcoming Disney flick “Maleficent” will feature 3 of her young tots, Vivienne (4 years old), Zahara (7), and Pax (8), all making their movie debuts.
The film, which stars Jolie as the title villain of Sleeping Beauty yore, is due out in March of 2014. While there’s no word yet on what roles Pax and Zahara will play, the news is already out that Vivienne will play a young version of Princess Aurora, who will be portrayed by Elle Fanning in the film. The directing debut of visual effects wiz Robert Stromberg (“Avatar”), the film also stars Juno Temple, Sam Riley, Imelda Staunton and “District 9” breakout Sharlto Copley.
The news of Brangelina’s kids be cast is not particularly shocking, as the notoriously close family prefers to remain as a unit and can often be found globetrotting to wherever their filmmaking ventures take them. Just last year, many adventures were to be had in Europe while Brad Pitt worked on the zombie flick “World War Z.” Over the years, the tykes have often been spotted visiting their ‘rents on set, so it seemed like only a matter of time before someone would put them in front of the cameras for a change.
While the constant traveling could catch up to them in the long run, Pitt and Jolie have both claimed on numerous occasions that the projects they take on are becoming fewer and farther between, as family is always their number-one concern.
Regardless of whether they’ll be slowing down (which is hard to believe with Pitt starring in four movies in 2013!), they seem to have found a new happy middle ground by having their kids join in on the fun. It remains to be seen whether the brood will get bitten by the acting bug like their famous parents, but it’s hard to imagine some of that immense talent not rubbing off on them a little bit!
“Iron Man 3” Trailer Brings Our Favorite Avenger Back to the Big Screen
Fellow Marvel Maniacs, let us rejoice: the theatrical trailer for Marvel Studios’ “Iron Man 3” has finally been released!
Reviewing what we do know, Robert Downey Jr. returns as Tony Stark (self-described as a billionaire, playboy philanthropist) alongside Gwyneth Paltrow as the lovely Pepper Potts and Don Cheadle as best friend James Rhodes. This time, instead of Jon Favreau, the franchise has been handed over to “Last Boy Scout” writer Shane Black.
But what’s the actual movie about?
According to the movie synposis, courtesy of moviefone.com:
“Marvel Studios’ ‘Iron Man 3’ pits brash-but-brilliant industrialist Tony Stark/Iron Man against an enemy whose reach knows no bounds. When Stark finds his personal world destroyed at his enemy’s hands, he embarks on a harrowing quest to find those responsible. This journey, at every turn, will test his mettle. With his back against the wall, Stark is left to survive by his own devices, relying on his ingenuity and instincts to protect those closest to him. As he fights his way back, Stark discovers the answer to the question that has secretly haunted him: Does the man make the suit, or does the suit make the man?”
Vague isn’t it? Almost as vague as the trailer, which is a total tease. Among other things, the clip shows a shiny Iron Man suit, crumbling Stark mansion, a very distressed Pepper Potts, and a guy with a pony tail (which fans can only assume is Mandarin, played by Ben Kingsley,who is also known for his roles in “Gandhi” and “Shutter Island”).
The video may raise a lot of questions but for fans like me, this was a little slice of cool with a side of awesome-sauce and just makes the anticipation for May 2013 even greater.
What did you think of the trailer? Opinions or statements, put them in the comment section!
Controversial Natalie Portman Ad Gets Banned, But What’s the Big Deal?
In the grand scheme of controversial figures who might get themselves banned from various countries, the name Natalie Portman doesn’t come immediately to mind. In fact, in her now famous digital short that she rapped for “Saturday Night Live,” the Oscar winner played off her perceived nice-girl persona by dropping f-bombs and going gangsta.
Now, Portman is at the center of a real controversy. The actress, who has done extensive modeling over the years, appears in advertisements for Dior’s Diorshow New Look lash-multiplying mascara. According to reports, those ads have been banned in the United Kingdom by the Advertising Standards Authority.
Too sexy? Too risqué? Not quite – as it turns out, England’s independent regulator for advertising across all media banned the new ad campaign due to “misleadingly exaggerating the effects of the product.”
But wait, it gets more interesting – apparently, in the eyes of Dior, one of the most beautiful women in the world needed a retouch, and that’s what got the ad banned. Parfums Christian Dior said that when Portman originally shot the ad it was for lipstick. Eventually, however, they decided that they should emphasize Portman’s eyes and use the shots to sell mascara instead.
When the company’s retouching team went to work on Portman’s face, Dior says they set out to “separate/increase the length and curve of a number of her lashes and to replace/fill a number of missing or damaged lashes, for a more stylized, uniform and tidy effect.”
In doing so, however, the ASA says that the company built up unrealistic expectations of the product. The ads promise “an unrivalled lash creator effect” and a “spectacular volume-multiplying effect,” even though neither was the case with Portman and retouching had to create that effect. In essence, the ASA has said that as long as that image is being used with those claims, the ads will remain banned from the UK.
In some ways, all this might seem silly. But it’s important to remember that these ads would have no such problem in the US. That said, should we have a similar system to promote truth in advertising?
After Failed Intervention, Will Lindsay Lohan’s Dad Get a Conservatorship?
Lindsay Lohan is facing a whole new type of courtroom drama, but this time it’s not because she’s been accused of theft or crashing her Porsche while questionably under the influence. Instead, TMZ tells us the starlet’s father, Michael Lohan, is reportedly asking a judge to appoint a Britney-Spears-style conservatorship over Lindsay.
Lohan’s dad doesn’t believe the troubled actress is capable of managing her own funds or making her own decisions. Michael Lohan also thinks Lindsay is surrounded by bad influences, including her mother Dina. Although his motives might seem suspect, Perez Hilton reports that Michael swears he’s not just looking to make some money off his daughter. In fact, he’s asking for the judge to appoint conservatorship rather than seek the position himself. Michael’s aggressive measures are coming on the heels of his recently failed intervention.
Last week, Michael attempted to ambush Lindsay at her Beverly Hills home with an intervention. New reports have surfaced stating that Michael wasn’t alone in thinking the star needed some help. TMZ claims that Michael Lohan was e-mailing with Lindsay’s entertainment lawyer, Dave Feldman, manager Evan Haney and criminal defense lawyer Shawn Holley for a month prior to the planned intervention, planning the whole thing out.
In an e-mail to Haney and Holley, Michael referred to his daughter’s upcoming Liz Taylor biopic and pleaded “She is AGAIN, taking pills to keep her up and to sleep (adderall)!! I even know that she is and was drinking during work as far back as ‘Liz and Dick!’ I am asking you to PLEASE PLEASE find a way to get her to LA toward the end of the first week of October or the beginning of the second so we can do an intervention and FINALLY end this madness!”
Ultimately, Lindsay’s handlers agreed to help with staging the intervention and even had intervention specialist Earl Hightower on board. Michael Lohan decided he wanted to talk to Lindsay one-on-one before bringing in his support group. Despite his best efforts to explain his actions, Lindsay wasn’t interested in hearing what her father had to say, and she called in the police before his backup had time to arrive.
Perez Hilton also reported that Lindsay was so incensed over her father’s meddling plans that she and her mother are currently in NYC trying to sort out a restraining order. As if that isn’t enough drama, ABC News released a statement from a rep that has Lindsay claiming her management team was not involved in the so-called intervention, and that her father is just using the publicity to gain fame for himself. Meanwhile, Lindsay’s mom Dina also seems to share that opinion.
Overall, it’s difficult to take Lindsay’s father seriously after some of the unsavory legal trouble he’s been involved in. Michael Lohan’s murky past includes indiscretions like fathering a child with a massage therapist in Montana while still married to Dina and being jailed for abusing his now ex-girlfriend, Kate Major. However, if her manager and lawyers really were on board with the intervention, it definitely raises some red flags. Her team knows her better than most, and if they think she needs some help then maybe this really has reached an escalated point. It will be interesting to watch this story unfold, and find out what her manager and lawyers really think about the star’s so-called problems.
Adele Has a New Baby – and a Great New 007 Song!
She’s already a top-selling artist considered to have one of the greatest voices in all the world – and now, Adele is also a mom!
This past Friday, Adele gave birth to a healthy baby boy, according to various reports. It is the first child for the 24-year-old singer and the second for her boyfriend, Simon Konecki, 38, who has a 5-year-old daughter with ex-wife Clary Fisher.
Adele first announced her pregnancy in June. At the time, she broke the news by writing on her blog: ‘I’m delighted to announce that Simon and I are expecting our first child together. I wanted you to hear the news direct from me, obviously we’re over the moon and very excited.”
The intensely-private pop sensation has remained largely under-the-radar during her pregnancy. But now that the baby is here, she’s very excited to be a mother. “She wants to be a wife and mom,” a source told US Weekly, adding to rumors that the singer and Simon will soon wed.
The source also says that “The pregnancy has had a big impact on her songwriting,” and sure enough, Adele is back in the recording studio and earning raves for what some are saying may be the best Bond song of all time. She recorded the song “Skyfall,” for the upcoming Daniel Craig 007 film of the same name, right before having her baby. It’s more than most expectant moms can do…especially right before popping out their kid!
But now that the baby is here, the Grammy winner is focusing on being a mom – and working on her new album. Will maternity mean a lighter tone than her last album? Now that she’s a mother, what kind of music do you expect to hear from Adele – and are you looking forward to following her new direction?
Congrats to Adele from all of us at Nicerazzi – when the baby starts crying, we can only imagine it has amazing vocal range!
Leonardo DiCaprio – And His Whale and Penguin Pals – Need Your Help
We all know that Leonardo DiCaprio is one helluva actor, but over the last decade, he has also been developing a stellar reputation as an environmentalist. Now, in his latest global effort, he’s calling on fans to help him save endangered dwellers of the sea.
Leo is reaching out to the public with a new petition through a website called AVAAZ.org. The “Departed” star writes: “Within days, governments could begin turning wide stretches of the Antarctic ocean into the world’s largest marine sanctuary, saving the habitat of whales, penguins, and thousands of other polar species from industrial fishing fleets. But they won’t act unless we speak out now.”
DiCaprio hopes to gather a million signatures, pressuring Russia, South Korea and a few other nations into siding with the others who have agreed to protect over 6 million square miles of the Antarctic ocean. “This week, a small group of negotiators will meet behind closed doors to make a decision,” the 3-time-Oscar-nominee explained. “A massive people-powered surge could break open the talks, isolate those attempting to block the sanctuary, and secure a deal.”
As of Monday morning, DiCaprio’s efforts were well on their way, with some 771, 460 signatures secured. “The whales and penguins can’t speak for themselves, so it’s up to us to defend them,” he says. “Let’s change negotiators’ minds with a massive wave of public pressure — Avaaz will surround the meeting with hard-hitting ads, and together we’ll deliver our message to delegates via a deafening cry on social networks. Sign and share this urgent petition.”
DiCaprio is very busy these days, with Quentin Tarantino’s “Django Unchained” and Baz Luhrman’s “The Great Gatsby” due to hit theaters in the next several months, and filming currently underway on the Martin Scorsese drama “The Wolf of Wall Street.” Nevertheless, the 37-year-old superstar is still making time for his underwater friends – if you want more information and would like to add your name to the rapidly-growing petition, head on over to AVAAZ.org.
Heidi Montag Regrets Plastic Surgery, Wasting a Million Dollars
Today, two years after Heidi Montag made headlines by undergoing a shocking 10 plastic surgery procedures in one day to keep up appearances on her hit reality show “The Hills,” the star admits that she went overboard. In a recent interview with “Access Hollywood,” Montag insisted: “I would never do it again, and I never recommend it for anyone.”
“I kind of wanted a few enhancements, and then it kind of got out of hand,” she explained. “I wasn’t told really the repercussions and what would happen, emotionally and psychically, and the pain I would be in. I was kind of in shock.”
It’s amazing to think that after all she’s been through, and how much she’s altered her appearance, Montag is only 26 years old. Since Heidi and husband Spencer Pratt left “The Hills,” they have been living a more humble life – especially since the pair spent much of the money they earned while on the reality show.
According to The Hollywood Gossip, reports that the couple are broke may not be true, but the Pratts are trying to save money by living in Spencer’s parents’ house rent-free while he studies political science at USC.
Married back in 2009, the couple have been focusing on their spirituality and trying to get their pre-reality-star life back by laying low, and have turned down personal appearance offers in an effort to regain a normal life. But then again, Heidi recently landed a $25,000 paycheck to host the third anniversary party at Crazy Horse III strip club in Las Vegas, so the duo’s appearance plans seem to have some flexibility.
“I only miss the money,” she said of her reality show regrets. “If we would have saved our money, it would have been better.”
Heidi also admitted that she and Spencer have blown through more money in the time since their “Hills” heyday than many people earn in their entire lives.
“I’ve never really counted, so I’m not sure [how much we’ve lost],” she said. “Over a million or so.”
Montag blames a large portion of the loss on celebrity lifestyle maintenance, an umbrella under which she places clothes, hair and makeup, publicists, managers, agents, and lawyers. She also said that while she doesn’t miss reality TV, she does regret giving up the lifestyle it provided for her and her husband.
WTF: Rihanna’s Daddy Wants Her To Get Back With Chris Brown?
When it comes to Rihanna’s love life, does daddy really know best?
The singer’s father, Ronald Fenty, has made headlines by expressing his happiness over the possibility that his daughter might be reconciling with her former boyfriend Chris Brown. In fact, he says, he would like them to get married.
As Fenty told the UK Sun: “I hope one day she will get married. Everyone adores Chris. He is a good person.”
Here at Nicerazzi, we like to keep things on the positive tip. But we can say with some certainty that Chris Brown is one of the hardest celebs to say nice things about – and calling anyone “a good person” after they do this to someone – nevermind your daughter – feel like the words of someone in dire need of self-reflection.
Nevertheless, Rhi-Rhi’s dad seems to have made peace with the fact that the R&B singer infamously beat up his daughter 3 years ago. So why is he okay with Brown? “The family loved Chris Brown before they even met him,” Fenty explained. “I always thought he was extremely talented. He always gave me great respect.”
When Rihanna and Chris began dating in 2008 it seemed like a perfect match of two musical titans – but after the assault a year later, it was over. Now, rumor has it that things may be heating up between them again. Chris recently broke up with girlfriend Karrueche Tran, and according to some sources he did it because he’s still carrying the torch for the woman he once nearly beat to death.
“I have no problem with Chris getting back together with [Rihanna],” he says. “I think everyone makes mistakes and they shouldn’t be held onto forever. Everyone should be forgiven once. I know they love each other. They always have. She’s happiest when she’s around him and as long as she’s happy, I’m happy.”
Rihanna’s own relationship with her father is a strained one. When she was growing up, he battled drug addiction, and he’s had a host of personal problems over the years. So, what do you think? Should Rihanna listen to her daddy’s advice and get back with Chris, or does she need to realize that there are plenty of (non-violent) fish in the sea?
Get Ready to Bawl: Katy Perry Duets With Autistic Girl in “Most Important Moment of What I Do”
It’s easy for some to dismiss Katy Perry as a mere pop princess. It’s easy for them to call her the latest in a long line of flavor-of-the-months selling a highly-processed product hidden behind sexy short-shorts and brightly-colored wigs. But recently, Perry put on a touching display that showed not only is she embracing her moment as the reigning queen of pop, but she’s actually using her powers for good.
Recently, the 27year-old Perry performed at the taping of the Comedy Central’s annual “Night of Too Many Stars” gala, and in the show’s most touching moment, she teamed up with a young autistic girl to belt our her hit “Firework.”
According to E!, the girl – whose name is Jodi DiPiazza, sang and played piano during a performance that choked up even the typically-sarcastic-rather-than-sincere host of the evening, Jon Stewart.
“We’ve told you why people with autism shouldn’t be written off,” Stewart said while introducing DiPiazza. “Why they deserve, like everyone, the chance to reach their potential. That’s why we’re here tonight; that’s why we’re doing this. So let’s take a look at what happens when someone actually gets that chance.”
Check out the performance here, but you might want to make sure you have a box of Kleenex nearby:
After it all went down, DiPiazza received a big hug from Perry and was the subject of a tweet. The singer wrote on her official Twitter page: “I will never forget last night. It was the most important moment thus far of what I do.”
If you’d like to help Katy Perry and millions of others in the battle against autism, you can begin by tuning into the “Night of Too Many Stars” benefit when it airs on Sunday at 8pm on Comedy Central. In the meantime, it seems, this is one pop princess who has shown that she has as much substance as she does style.