'High School Musical' a Blockbuster (AP)
April 18, 2006AP - The most he and his colleagues were expecting to do with "High School Musical," a song-and-dance romance that Disney executive Gary Marsh described as "`Grease' meets `Romeo and Juliet,'" was create a hit movie for kids.
Smithsonian-Showtime Deal Draws Fire (AP)
April 18, 2006AP - More than 200 filmmakers, historians and students have signed a letter asking the Smithsonian Institution to reveal details of its television deal with Showtime Networks and reverse a policy of the pact that could limit access to the Smithsonian's archives and experts.
Cruise Not a "Primetime" Star (E! Online)
April 18, 2006
E! Online - The
charged-up, couch-hopping star made headlines, but didn't draw much of a
crowd for a hyped ABC News interview addressing rumors about his then
pending child with fiancee Katie Holmes.
Sen. Kennedy to Appear on Late Night TV (AP)
April 18, 2006AP - Sen. Edward M. Kennedy has pretty much done it all during his four decades in the Senate, but this week he's venturing into yet another new frontier.
Schieffer May Get New Role on Evening News (AP)
April 18, 2006
AP - Bob Schieffer said Tuesday he's leaning toward accepting an offer to give commentary on the "CBS Evening News" after he's replaced as anchor by Katie Couric in September.
ABC's '10 Commandments' Draws Big Ratings (AP)
April 18, 2006AP - A remake of the 1956 classic "The Ten Commandments" may have helped increase Charlton Heston's fan base. ABC's 25th annual showing of the movie, in which Heston portrays Moses, was seen by just under 9 million people Saturday night.
LPGA Major Loses Network Coverage (AP)
April 18, 2006
AP - The PGA Tour's new television contract with CBS Sports and NBC Sports has led to the LPGA Tour moving one of its major championships from network coverage to The Golf Channel.
Video game sales down 8 percent in March: NPD (Reuters)
April 18, 2006
Reuters - U.S. video game sales declined for
the seventh straight month in March, falling 8 percent to $499
million, amid a rocky move to new console technology, market
research firm NPD Group said on Tuesday.
TV Ratings
April 18, 2006
1. "American Idol" (Tuesday), Fox, 29.6 million
2. "CSI," CBS, 24.4 million
3. "American Idol" (Wednesday), Fox, 22.6 million
4. "House," Fox, 21.2 million
5. "Desperate Housewives," ABC, 20 million
Regular Joe: Rummy the Dove
April 18, 2006Joe Scarborough blogs, "So Donald Rumsfeld is catching flack from a few retired generals. Big deal. The Pentagon brass has always bristled at Rummy for his belief that America's armed forces could expand their missions while cutting their budgets."
Aaron Spelling Suits Up (E! Online)
April 18, 2006
E! Online - Apparently, it takes more than a passing sexual-harassment claim
to sully the name of Aaron Spelling.
Star Trek's Mr. Sulu Backs Gay Activists (AP)
April 18, 2006
AP - Mr. Sulu beamed down to lend support to student gay activists who tried to visit a private Christian university.
Spelling Suits Up
April 18, 2006
Apparently, it takes more than a passing sexual-harassment claim to sully the name of Aaron Spelling.
A Los Angeles judge dismissed the defamation portion of a lawsuit the über-producer filed against his former nurse Monday while allowing him and his family to move forward on their claims of breach-of-contract.
Judge: Part of Spelling Case May Continue (AP)
April 18, 2006
AP - A judge has dismissed the defamation portion of a lawsuit filed by Aaron Spelling against his former nurse, but allowed the TV producer to pursue a breach-of-contract accusation.
Japan replaces extreme TV shows with duller fare (Reuters)
April 18, 2006Reuters - Nightly doses of pain, degradation and downright embarrassment that once captivated Japanese TV viewers have been toned down dramatically after widespread concerns about their impact on society.
Actress Walsh brings beauty to "Big Bang" pilot (Reuters)
April 18, 2006Reuters - Canadian actress Amanda Walsh has landed the female lead in the CBS comedy pilot "The Big Bang Theory."
Urban, Merriman, Banks ride with "Comanche" (Reuters)
April 18, 2006Reuters - "Lord of the Rings" veteran Karl Urban has joined the cast of the CBS miniseries "Comanche Moon," a prequel to novelist Larry McMurtry's Western saga "Lonesome Dove."
VH1, Sundance high on "Drug Years" documentary (Reuters)
April 18, 2006Reuters - VH1 and Sundance Channel have teamed to produce an original documentary series titled "The Drug Years," a four-part look at the rise of illicit drug use and its cultural impact in the second half of the 20th century.