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MTV tightens grip on 'Shore' stars' departures: report

July 12, 2011 , ι By ANTHONY SULLA-HEFFINGER

If any of the “Jersey Shore” stars want to pack their bags and head home, MTV has a message for them: Fuhgeddaboutit!Following the recent departure (and return) of cast members Vinny Guadagnino and... Read on

If any of the “Jersey Shore” stars want to pack their bags and head home, MTV has a message for them: Fuhgeddaboutit!
	 
Following the recent departure (and return) of cast members Vinny Guadagnino and Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino, MTV has reportedly told the cast if they leave they will not be welcomed back and will get axed from the hit show.
	 
Sources close to production
	 told TMZ.com there will be no exceptions -- if a cast members decides to walk, they will be fired and their contract terminated.
	 
The same sources say the move is just a way for MTV to reassert its dominance over the show's guidos and guidettes.
	 
The development comes on the heels of Guadagnino’s week-long departure from the show following a dispute with one of the cast members. It was also reported the Staten Island native was feeling homesick when he decided to ditch the cast’s digs in Seaside Heights, NJ. Guadagnino returned to the house this week.
	 
Sorrentino joined Guadagnino by walking off the set last week, but he returned shortly after.
	 
The cast of MTV’s ratings juggernaut is currently filming the show’s fifth season.

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US 'Top Gear' moves into second

July 08, 2011 , ι Maxine Shen

History's "Top Gear" is coming back for a second season this month, beginning July 24. To start the season off right, they've created a brilliant promo that manages to combine the kind of classic car... Read on

History's "Top Gear" is coming back for a second season this month, beginning July 24. To start the season off right, they've created a brilliant promo that manages to combine the kind of classic car droolery you'd expect from a car show with an homage to '70s flicks and a spot-on sendup of the hosts' various on-screen personas.
	 
According to Krista Liney, VP of on-air marketing at History, the network wanted "to pay homage to the action films of the 70's, which paired a bigger than life character with a car with an equally big personality (like "Smokey and the Bandit")...These films often blended humor with amazing car stunts the same way that 'Top Gear' does."
	 
As an added bonus, "the guys loved being filmed like action heroes with their own 'specialty,' " she says.
	 
With that in mind, Liney says, that race car driver Tanner Foust got a "Sean Connery, James Bond type of flair, the kind of guy who takes driving seriously and is always in control." Meanwhile, expert Rutledge Wood was "a mix between John Travolta in 'Grease' and 'The Dukes of Hazzard.' " As for comic (and accidental car wrecker) Adam Ferrara, well, "there is no better comparison for Adam than Burt Reynolds...in every Burt Reynolds movie," she says.
	 
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Time Warner Cable drops new iPad app

July 07, 2011 , ι Maxine Shen

If you've got an iPad and Time Warner Cable, there's good news! TWC has announced the release of a brand new version of its iPad app called...wait for it...TWCable TV 2.0. This time around... Read on

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'Law & Order: UK' starts new season Aug. 17

July 06, 2011 , ι Maxine Shen

BBC America's announced that Season 3 of "Law & Order: UK" - possibly the only successful UK adaptation of an American show in recent history - will premiere on Aug. 17 at 9 p.m. As has... Read on

BBC America's announced that Season 3 of "
	 Law & Order: UK" - possibly the only successful UK adaptation of an American show in recent history - will premiere on Aug. 17 at 9 p.m.
	 
As has happened often on the American series and its spin-offs, this season of "L&O:UK" sees a cast change up, with original characters Senior Crown Prosecutor James Steele (Ben Daniels, far right) and Director of the Crown Prosecution Service George Castle (Bill Paterson) being replaced by incoming Senior CP Jake Thorne (Dominic Rowan) and Director of the CPS Henry Sharpe (Peter Davison of "Doctor Who" fame).
	 
Thorne, they say, is a "gifted and uncompromising criminal prosecutor," while Sharpe is "a down to earth pragmatist and a great boss" who just so happens to have worked with Thorne before.
	 
Rest easy, all the other "L&O: UK" characters that you know and love - Detective Sergeants Ronnie Brooks (Bradley Walsh) and Matt Devlin (Jamie Bamber), Junior CP Alesha Phillips (Freema Agyeman) and Detective Inspector Natalie Chandler (Harriet Walter) - will be back.
	 
This season you'll get cases involving a missing toddler and the murder of a sleeping couple in their home, a hospital with an usual number of untimely deaths, a rampaging gunman and an innocent woman gunned down in her own home.
	 
Looking for more on the new characters? Lead writer Emilia di Girolamo says in a statement: "Jake is unashamedly a prosecutor, never afraid to go for the jugular in the courtroom. With his working class roots, he had to fight hard to get where he is, but he’s fiercely intelligent and brilliant at his job. Jake’s a bit of a player and if a gorgeous female barrister crosses his path you can bet they’ve got history! Brilliantly played by Dominic Rowan, Jake’s a dark horse who keeps his private life very much to himself and keeps Alesha guessing, but they make a great team.
	 
"Henry Sharpe, (Peter Davison) rules his team with a firm but fair hand. Henry has a very clear understanding of the psychology of offending behavior and the foundations, pressures and lifestyle choices that lead to a life of crime. He takes a very broad view when looking at a case but ultimately he always acts in the public interest, a voice for the victim, and does what’s best for the public, not the offender. I think Henry brings real warmth to the show and his history with Jake - as his mentor - makes him a bit of a father figure."
	 
As for the series itself, here's a primer on everything you need to know...courtesy of the familiar voice from the original, now departed, "Law & Order."
	 
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Three shows you should be watching now

July 06, 2011 , ι Maxine Shen

Now that networks have largely ditched the concept of running reruns over the summer, it's easy to get overwhelmed by all the series flooding the airwaves during what used to be sleepy summer months.... Read on

Now that networks have largely ditched the concept of running reruns over the summer, it's easy to get overwhelmed by all the series flooding the airwaves during what used to be sleepy summer months. If you're not down with the endless game shows or reality show offerings, here's some quality scripted programming worth checking out.

1.
	 "Come Fly With Me"
	 (BBC America)

Although the comedy series from "Little Britain's" Matt Lucas and David Walliams is halfway over, there's still plenty of time to catch up with this highly entertaining, mostly politically incorrect half hour show about life at a UK airport. (As usual, Walliams and Lucas play all the characters, frequently donning drag or heavy makeup to do so.) Come for guest stars like "Friend's" David Schwimmer and "Harry Potter's" Rupert Grint, stay for low-cost Irish airline Our Lady Air steward Fearghal, coffee kiosk worker Precious Little and Moses, the Great British Air passenger liaison who wishes everyone "happy flighting" before departure. BBC America runs repeats of episodes all the time and there are still three more fresh episodes to come.
	 Saturdays at 11:30 p.m.

2. "Rookie Blue" (ABC)

The Canadian drama series about rookie cops (or "coppers" as they refer to themselves) and their training officers weathered unfair comparisons to ABC's hospital drama "Grey's Anatomy" when it premiered last summer, mostly because it's a character-driven series that focuses on a diverse group of (attractive!) people in a strange environment. While there's definitely romantic angst in the series, the characters here are much more endearing and far less wishy-washy than those on "Grey's," not to mention significantly more action-prone...what with their toting guns, breaking down doors, going undercover and busting bad guys and all. They also don't incorporate an endless stream of annoying catchphrases into their speech. Plus, it's always nice to see "Everwood's" Gregory Smith on the small screen again. Season 1 is on DVD now, with Season 2 episodes on demand on
	 ABC.com.
	 Thursday at 10 p.m.

This one's a bit of a cheat, since Season 2 doesn't premiere until July 15, but it's definitely worth checking out. Loosely based on Stephen King's "The Colorado Kid" novella, the Syfy series is a wonderful show about the bizarre goings-on in a sleepy (where else?) Maine town populated by "troubled" people - folks who have supernatural abilities that surface at inopportune times and often in gruesome, disgusting or just plain weird ways. While there are serial elements to it (like the mystery of who Audrey Parker really is), "Haven" also works quite nicely as an episodic series, with the characters investigating a different crime/occurrence every week. "90210" fan alert - Jason Priestly's been tapped for a four-episode guest star stint later this season. Catch up with Season 1 on DVD or on
	 Syfy.com.
	 Fridays at 10 p.m.

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'Man vs. Wild' sneak peek with Jake Gyllenhaal

July 06, 2011 , ι Maxine Shen

Discovery Discovery See Jake Gyllenhaal walk through snow, see Jake Gyllenhaal fall through a hole! Discovery has released two teaser clips of Monday night's season premiere of "Man vs. Wild,"... Read on

Discovery

See Jake Gyllenhaal walk through snow, see Jake Gyllenhaal fall through a hole! Discovery has released two teaser clips of Monday night's season premiere of "
	 Man vs. Wild," in which Bear Grylls takes Hollywood actor Jake Gyllenhaal on a snowy adventure.
	 
In the first clip, called "A Dodgy Situtation," Gyllenhaal takes the lead while walking through a blizzard, crossing treacherous territory riddled with snow-covered holes of uncertain depth.
	 
<iframe width="425" height="272" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/fGl0GR2H5yY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
	 
Next, you've got "Don't Look Down," in which Gyllenhaal drags himself - using only the mighty strength of his arms! - across a rope that's suspended over a very, very deep ravine.
	 
<iframe width="425" height="272" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Snaibcz1-mo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
	 
If you want to see how this crazy adventure turns out, tune in Monday (July 11) at 9 p.m.

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Pia Toscano signs record deal

July 06, 2011 , ι Christina Amoroso

"American Idol" alum Pia Toscano has officially signed a contract with Interscope Records, according to reports.The season 10 contestant -- who was voted out in ninth place -- is slated to release... Read on

"American Idol" alum Pia Toscano has officially signed a contract with Interscope Records, according to reports.
	 
The season 10 contestant -- who was voted out in ninth place -- is slated to release her album later this year,
	 according to The Hollywood Reporter.
	 
Her debut single, titled "This Time," will be released on July 12. Toscano will also perform the song as part of the "American Idol Live!" tour, which kicks off July 6.
	 
Producer Rodney Jerkins told THR that it'll be a "big, diva-sounding record," while Toscano told People magazine earlier this year, "It's definitely going to be big ballads, but there's also going to be those fun up-tempo songs, those dancing songs."
	 
The popular songstress -- whose ouster drew the ire from "Idol" fans -- said in a statement, “I am thrilled to be joining the Interscope and 19 Recordings family. [Interscope Geffen A&M Chairman] Jimmy Iovine was an amazing mentor during my time on Idol and I’m looking forward to working with him and everyone at Interscope Records and 19 Recordings. This is a dream come true.”
	 
"American Idol" alum Pia Toscano has officially signed a contract with Interscope Records.

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BBC America spills beans on actor's 'secretly British' identity

June 27, 2011 , ι Maxine Shen

If you aren't a BBC America devotee (the way some of us are), chances are that you completely missed this ad - a shame since it's a fantastic example of a network cleverly promoting its programming... Read on

If you aren't a BBC America devotee (the way some of us are), chances are that you completely missed this ad - a shame since it's a fantastic example of a network cleverly promoting its programming in an unexpectedly funny way.
	 
The ad, which centers around the fact that actor Jamie Bamber is "secretly British," first made its appearance when BBC America acquired and began showing reruns of Syfy's much-heralded "
	 Battlestar Galactica" remake.
	 
Bamber, of course, became a sci-fi household name for starring in "BSG" - with an American accent - before going on to play a copper in the immensely entertaining "
	 Law & Order: UK" (another BBC America series)...using an almost mockney accent that is quite different from his natural, mildly posh English accent.
	 
Blimey.
	 
<iframe width="425" height="272" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/xCjCclTsuAE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

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Spotlight on 'Glee Project' hopeful Cameron

June 17, 2011 , ι Maxine Shen

Chances are you were one of the many people who missed the premiere of Oxygen's new reality competition show, "The Glee Project." (After all, only 455,000 people tuned in last week.) It's a mystery... Read on

Chances are you were one of the many people who missed the premiere of Oxygen's new reality competition show, "
	 The Glee Project." (After all, only 455,000 people tuned in last week.) It's a mystery why more "
	 Glee" fans didn't automatically tune in to watch the series, considering the fact that the winner gets a 7 episode guest starring role during the upcoming season.
	 
Having seen the premiere episode myself, I can say that it's actually quite entertaining. This is especially true if you happen to be the type of Gleek who watches the show purely for the music numbers that they do. "The Glee Project" kids are all characters - without resorting to the cliche seen on most reality shows (since they're all kind of theater/musical nerds at heart) - and the knowledge that one of them will nab a role on the series adds an extra bit of curiosity. Plus, you get insight into how and why "Glee" casts actors the way they do.
	 
Here's an exclusive clip from this Sunday's episode (airing at
	 9 p.m. on Oxygen) featuring 20-year-old Cameron from Dallas. Of all the contestants on the show, Cameron seems to have a particularly high chance of winning the competition. He's cute, he spent his high school years chilling with the nerds, he dresses like an old man hipster and he's got the kind of vocal skills that blend right in with the established cast. The only real impediment to his winning is likely to be the fact that he looks a lot like Lady Lips - excuse me, Chord Overstreet - and you know "Glee" loves it some diversity.
	 
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'The Real Housewives of New Jersey' recap

June 14, 2011 , ι Nicole Homewood

This week's episode is all about living your dreams and believing in unicorns and whatnot. You can do whatever you want, provided you have enough money and enough notoriety that comes from acting... Read on

This week's episode is all about living your dreams and believing in unicorns and whatnot. You can do whatever you want, provided you have enough money and enough notoriety that comes from acting like a first-rate a-hole on cable teevee! Let's review what's new with our favorite hopey-changey New Jerseyites:
	 
Melissa Lives Her Dreams, Challenges Our Ears
	 
It's morning or something like it at the Very Sexual Gorgas' Marble Emporium. And hark! What is that sound? It's Melissa Gorga, singing a creative derivative of the soulful hymn, "Amazing Grace," from deep within the somber recesses of her room-sized walk-in closet. "Amazing grace/how sweet the sound/that saved a wench like me…" Yes, thank you Jesus, this wench has been saved from a life filled with secondhand clothing storage units!
	 
Melissa's husband, Joey Donut Holes, tells her how amazing her voice is. It's been Melissa's dream her whole life to be a singer, and her father always supported her. Now that he's gone, Joey Donut Holes says, "I want to be her father." Uh-oh. He tells her to go for it, whatever that entails. Melissa is floored by this show of generosity, explaining that Joey Donut Holes likes her pregnant and in the kitchen. "Not many Italian men would do this," she says by way of explanation.
	 
Melissa has some kid write up a little ditty for her to warble, and she loves it. It's all about being on display…every day…and feeling all of these…feelings. Truly inspired. The kid tells her she definitely "has what it takes," especially since she already has a glittery pink track suit.
	 
Al Gives Caroline Something to Do
	 
Caroline and Al hit the golf course to smack some balls around. After Caroline complains about how golf is the dumbest game ever, Al realizes he doesn't want his wife around all the time, so he suggests she take her current parenting advice blog "to the next level," wherever that may be, so long as it's not within 15 miles of the golf course. She interviews at radio station 101.5 and admits that she has zero radio experience but insists she can think on her feet and could be good for a radio show.
	 
Ungrateful Gets a Car for No Good Reason
	 
Chris and his stepdaughter Ashley, the Ungrateful One, return from a car dealership and announce to Jacqueline that he will be purchasing a new car for Ungrateful. Normally these things are discussed between parents, but Jacqueline should have learned long ago that this does not apply to car purchases. The catch is that Ungrateful has to make payments on it after a few months of tooling around in it for free. Oh, and Jacqueline needs to co-sign.
	 
Jacqueline voices the concerns of America when she asks what Ungrateful has done, exactly, to be worthy of a new car. Ungrateful makes her case, insisting that she (1) has a part-time job now and (2) isn't in rehab. This is enough for Chris. Luckily, Ungrateful proves herself unworthy once again when she tells her parents that they are not getting a key to the car they just purchased. Jacqueline rightly notes that Ungrateful has absolutely no use for her now.
	 
Kathy Has Relatively Normal, Decent Children that Do Not Incite Gagging
	 
Kathy and Rich sit their two relatively normal kids down and tell them that it's time for them to draft and execute their annual contracts in which they pledge to abstain from drugs and alcohol. They comply, and young Joe's even contains legalese. He even includes a loophole where he says not that he will that he will "stand by what he believes," which he admits may include that he believes he's not a loser and will probably have a drink on a Saturday night when he's a senior in high school. Rich appreciates his honesty and invites him to have a couple pops with dad if he's curious about it. And their daughter Victoria had a brain tumor when she was 10, so now she's participating in a club to raise brain awareness. These children are enjoyable to watch, unlike Ungrateful or that screamer Milania Guidice. Kathy hopes that her kids always remain good friends, unlike the Very Sexual Teresa and Joey Donut Holes Gorga.
	 
Joe Gorga Sucks It Up and Lets 'Em Down
	 
Joey Donut Holes swallows his pride, along with a Four Loko and a jug of Muscle Milk, and leaves a voicemail for Teresa says he'd like to attend his niece Gia's upcoming gymnastics meet and could talk about her letter as well. Teresa and Gia call him back like everything is hunky-dory and tell him to show up at 1:00.
	 
Of course, Uncle Joey Donut Holes shows up after Gia has finished all of her events, but he gets to see her accept her not-first-place awards. Everyone blames Uncle Joey Donut Holes and his tardiness for Gia's stumble on the path to Mary Lou Rigatoni-style greatness. They hold off on the Teresa-Joey summit over The Letter for another week, but in the meantime, Joey Donut Holes promises his wife Melissa that he will try to fix the fact that she's never been fully accepted by the Very Sexual Gorgas. She probably just needs to be more sexual after all.