Most Dangerous Idol
April 28, 2006
On the "American Idol" stage, finalist Taylor Hicks is full of tics. Online, his screensavers are full of bugs.
So says a new survey conducted by a Web-patrolling consumer software company, which found 46 percent of popular downloaded Hicks-themed screensavers contained spyware or led to outbreaks of pop-up ads and spam email.
"At some level, he's the most dangerous American Idol," said Shane Keats, market strategist for SiteAdvisor.com.
NBC renews 'Medium, 'Jordan, 'Vegas' (Reuters)
April 28, 2006Reuters - NBC will return "Medium," "Crossing Jordan" and "Las Vegas" to its primetime schedule in 2006-07, the network said Friday.
Randy Reups for "Idol" (E! Online)
April 28, 2006
E! Online - Looks like Randy Jackson will be dawgin' it for a few more years.
NBC Renews Three Dramas for Next Season (AP)
April 28, 2006AP - Three NBC dramas, "Medium," "Crossing Jordan" and "Las Vegas," will be back next season, the network said Friday.
Daytime Emmys Throwing Nighttime Party (AP)
April 28, 2006
AP - The young and the restless of daytime television planned to toss their biggest party of the year Friday night — in new West Coast digs and with an extra hour of prime time.
First, they need to learn to act standing up... (Reuters)
April 28, 2006Reuters - A new television reality show invites porn stars to test their serious acting abilities in London's theater district, raising the question: Debbie can do Dallas, but can she take on Chekhov's "The Cherry Orchard?"
Randy Reups for "Idol"
April 28, 2006
Looks like Randy Jackson will be dawgin' it for a few more years.
The arm-pumping, "dawg"-dispensing "American Idol" judge has extended his contract with the smash reality show, according to Variety, ensuring that all three judges--along with host Ryan Seacrest--will remain on the series for at least three more seasons.
Jackson was the final principal to re-sign with the show: Paula Abdul, despite tabloid speculation over her increasingly loopy appearances, signed a similar three-year extension last month, while dream-killer Simon Cowell locked up a five-season deal at the end of last year.
NBC Retries "Law & Order" Trio (E! Online)
April 28, 2006
E! Online - Law & Order will remain as ubiquitous as ever next
season.
Rosie Outlook for "The View" (E! Online)
April 28, 2006
E! Online - Rosie O'Donnell is the latest aftershock in the Katie Couric
earthquake.
Marlee Matlin Joining 'The L Word' (AP)
April 28, 2006
AP - Marlee Matlin is joining the cast of "The L Word," Showtime's drama about a circle of gay friends and lovers who move in the trendiest of L.A. circles.
Rosie Outlook for "View"
April 28, 2006
Rosie O'Donnell is the latest aftershock in the Katie Couric earthquake.
With Couric leaving NBC's "Today" to anchor CBS' "Evening News" and Meredith Vieira leaving ABC's "The View" to replace Couric on "Today," O'Donnell will leave her house to replace Vieira on "The View."
O'Donnell will start her new job in September, the same month Couric and Vieira are to start their new jobs.
Harry Shearer Mines for CD, DVD (AP)
April 28, 2006AP - Harry Shearer is Mr. Burns, Ned Flanders, Principal Skinner and more on "The Simpsons." He's also, at will, Dan Rather, Tom Brokaw and Mike Wallace.
Jackson stops calling ABC Sports (Reuters)
April 28, 2006Reuters - ABC Sports play-by-play announcer Keith Jackson is calling it quits after 40 years.
Selleck in welcome return to Jesse Stone franchise (Reuters)
April 28, 2006
Reuters - It must be sweep time
because here we have what has come to be the rarest of the
rare: an installment in an honest-to-goodness, original,
made-for-TV movie franchise.
Rosie O'Donnell gets new daytime "View" (Reuters)
April 28, 2006
Reuters - Rosie O'Donnell is
expected to be named co-host of ABC's daytime talk show "The
View," replacing "Today"-bound Meredith Vieira, sources said.
Disney Channel picks up "Zack and Cody" spinoff (Reuters)
April 28, 2006Reuters - Disney Channel has picked up two live-action pilots from some of the creatives behind its two top-rated series, "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody" and "Hannah Montana."
NBC Retries "Law & Order" (E! Online)
April 28, 2006
E! Online - Law & Order will remain as ubiquitous as ever next season.
Fox kicks off an early fall: picks up pair (Reuters)
April 28, 2006Reuters - Fox Broadcasting Co. got an early start on the fall season Thursday, making series pickups on the new Brad Garreyy comedy "'Til Death" and the drama "Vanished."
NBC Retries "Law & Order"
April 28, 2006
"Law & Order" will remain as ubiquitous as ever next season.
NBC announced Thursday that it has re-upped the three main cop-and-lawyer warhorses in its Dick Wolf-manned arsenal--"Law & Order," "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," and "Law & Order: Criminal Intent"--for the 2006-07 season.
The Emmy-winning original has been serving up justice in a neatly partitioned hour for 16 seasons now, although in the past couple years it's slipped to second in popularity behind the sex crimes-solving spin-off, "SVU," which is now in its seventh season and attracting about 13.9 million viewers a week to plain-ol' "Law & Order's" 11.1 million.