TV news: April 2008 Archives

Josh Radnor (left) speaks to Britney Spears, who portrays receptionist Abby, in a scene from "How I Met Your Mother." which aired on March 24. Spears will reprise her role as bubbly secretary Abby in the May 12 episode. (AP/CBS)

Britney Spears, who proved she’s worth a cool million viewers to ‘‘How I Met Your Mother,’’ is paying another visit to the CBS sitcom.

Spears will reprise her role as bubbly secretary Abby in the May 12 episode, CBS said Monday.

Actress Natassia Malthe as "Scarlet" speaks with director David Nutter on the set for "Scarlet," LG Electronics' marketing campaign for their new flatscreen TV. (AP)

‘‘Scarlet’’ may look like a new TV show and act like a new TV show — but it’s no new TV show.

When it came time to pitch its new series of slimmer-than-slim LCD flatscreen TVs, LG Electronics opted to coyly offer ‘‘Scarlet’’ as ‘‘a new TV series’’ from director David Nutter, whose credits include ‘‘The Sopranos,’’ ‘‘Smallville’’ and ‘‘Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles,’’ instead of pointing out screen size and pixel resolution to potential buyers.

The big-budget advertising campaign, conceived by LG global brand marketing vice president Kwan-Sup Lee and a team of advertising and marketing agencies, stars model-actress Natassia Malthe as the sexed-up, butt-kicking, red-eyed heroine ‘‘Scarlet.’’ There’s no mention of LG — or even a prominent image of the TV itself — in the advertising materials or commercials.

A&E Television Networks has announced a big programming push for this year, planning to spend $650 million across TV and new media in 2008, up $50 million from a year ago and up 30 percent compared with 2006. The network is even rolling out a new logo and branding — ‘‘Real Life. Drama.’’ — that will launch Memorial Day weekend.

A&E also said it will launch a second scripted series in early 2009; the top contenders are ‘‘Danny Fricke,’’ starring Connie Nielsen — and ‘‘The Beast,’’ starring Patrick Swayze.

Canadian-born Shenae Grimes has landed the female lead role on the CW’s ‘‘Beverly Hills, 90210’’ spinoff. Lori Loughlin also has joined the show, which centers on the Mills, a three-generation Beverly Hills family.

"Oh, did I tell you, honey? I got the 'Late Night' gig." Actor Jimmy Fallon in bed with Chewbacca during filming for a promo for the 2005 MTV Movie Awards.

After months of speculation, former "Saturday Night Live" comic Jimmy Fallon has sealed a deal to succeed ‘‘Late Night’’ host Conan O’Brien on NBC in 2009, sources said.

Jennifer Lopez will executive produce and star in a documentary series on cable channel TLC about her life as an actress and singer, new mother of twins (Lopez and husband Marc Anthony became the parents of a boy and girl in February) and entrepreneur launching a fragrance line.

Naomi Campbell is getting ‘‘Ugly.’’

The supermodel will appear in the second season finale of ABC’s ‘‘Ugly Betty,’’ according to actress Becki Newton.

‘‘She’s going to be in our last episode, which is exciting,’’ Newton said at the launch party for the new Sunglass Hut store design. ‘‘I’ve personally requested that I don’t stand next to her because Amanda would not like to be seen with such a tall, pretty person.’’

NBC Universal isn’t painting its Rockefeller Center headquarters green — at least not yet — but the company is pushing all of its networks to deliver environmentally-friendly programming next week.

‘‘Dateline NBC’’ will report on melting snow on mountains in Bolivia, ‘‘Today’’ will have daily segments on renewable energy, Jim Cramer will talk about ‘‘green’’ stocks on CNBC’s ‘‘Mad Money’’ and NBC is encouraging its affiliates to report on environmental issues on local newscasts.

Green is the password in late-night entertainment, too, where ‘‘Last Call with Carson Daly’’ brings on Darryl Hannah to talk about organic skateboards.

When you start talking about "The Hills," you get a different reaction depending on how old your audience is. Younger folk think you're talking about the MTV scripted/unscripted drama of that title. Older TV fans (ahem) think you mean Donna Martin and Brandon Walsh. That is, "Beverly hills, 90210."

And with earlier announcements that the CW is plotting a new "90210" spinoff series, now comes word that one of the original show's residents might be returning to the zip code.

Lifetime is reaching for its funny side with several new comedies, at the same time enlisting mogul and ‘‘Apprentice’’ star Donald Trump to executive produce and narrate a scripted series that’s in development.

It should surprise no one who was robbed of an hour of their lives Tuesday that CBS's "Secret Talents of the Stars" has been (gulp) canceled after just one amazing (for all the wrong reasons) episode.

I watched in morbid delight from the opening monologue, when an uncontrollably shaking John O'Hurley -- they guy who's made a career masquerading as his recurring character J. Peterman from "Seinfeld" -- outlined the show's seemingly can't-miss premise.

CBS was somehow certain it had struck television gold by taking B-, C- and D-list stars, exploiting some passing interest or mild hobby they might have, and then pumping it up as a 'secret talent.' How did this not take?

George Takai -- Sulu of "Star Trek" fame -- took his secret talent from the shower to national television with a rendition (and I use this word loosely) of "On the Road Again."

Country singer Clint Black showed us that there's a difference between charming and funny -- and that one does not equate to the other. He possesses one of these characteristics (hint: it has nothing to do with his purported 'talent').

Figure skating darling Sasha Cohen reminded us why contorsionism has never really caught on in the United States.

And the judges -- Debbie Reynolds, Brian McNight and producer Gavin Polone -- were simply regrettable. Perhaps their finest moment as a group came following Mya's performance.

Though she held her own as a tap dancer (though I can't imagine how we were supposed to believe that this talent was a secret), all the judges could seem to agree upon was that Mya is, indeed, hot. Alas, Mya's performance was not enough to carry the show -- especially since she was VOTED OFF!?!?!?! along with the Takai.

The only tragedy is that the American public will never get to see all the hard work that Roy Jones Jr. put in to learning how to rap. They'll never be titalated by Danny Bonaduce's unicycle riding. And how will any of us ever sleep knowing that there's video footage out there of "Nature Boy" Ric Flair salsa dancing that we'll never see?

It seems in the end that "American Idol" meets "Dancing With the Stars" meets "America's Got Talent" meets "The Surreal Life" doesn't make the delectable reality soup that someone originally thought it would. Better luck next time, CBS. How about a reality show to find your next evening news anchor?

Pamela Anderson is returning to TV. Relax, it's not a "Baywatch" sequel. It's worse: another reality show.

And while the new gig, launching this summer, promises to "offer an unprecedented look inside the life of one of today’s most iconic superstars in the style of a uniquely shot documentary film," there's one thing it will not show: her kids.

The Roman Catholic priest accused of stalking NBC talk-show host Conan O’Brien has pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct.

OK, reset your TiVos: "Project Runway" is switching networks.

"Project Runway" judges Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn pictured at the final "Runway" show during Fashion Week in February in New York. (Peter Kramer/AP)

Melanie Brown and Joey Fatone have a new role to add to their scarily similar resumes: TLC host.
The duo will co-host ‘‘The Singing Office,’’ a tongue-in-cheek singing competition that pits different groups of employees against each other.

A spinoff of "The Office" has been rumored for a while now, but today it became official. But that's about it. Details on the new series are mum.