TV News

Variety reports that US network ABC is close to greenlighting a Charlie's Angels pilot that would reboot the classic '70s serial for modern viewers.

Josh Friedman, who oversaw the recently cancelled sci-fi series Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, is on board to write and executive produce the Charlie's pilot. Leonard Goldberg, who produced the original series with Aaron Spelling, and Drew Barrymore, who starred in the 2000 movie remake, are also involved.

Charlie's Angels, which ran from 1976 to 1981, told the story of three kick-ass women who completed missions for their never-seen boss Charlie (voiced by John Forsythe). The series is best remembered for the iconic hairdo of its leading lady Farrah Fawcett.

Barrymore, Cameron Diaz and Lucy Liu starred in a big-screen adaptation and its 2003 sequel, Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle. The success of the films lead to talks of a TV revival in 2004, but the project never went ahead.

Reboots of classic series are all the rage on US TV: in addition to revamps of Beverly Hills and Melrose Place, an adaption of the '80s sci-fi serial V recently premiered in the States. Gleeful romance?
Thursday, November 19

If you're a fan of Glee, you're no doubt eagerly following the blossoming romance between high-school students Rachel Berry (Lea Michele), the bossy-yet-vulnerable singer, and Finn (Cory Monteith), the dumb football player with a heart of gold.

But rumour has it that Michele and Monteith's onscreen romance has continued offscreen.

For weeks the stars have refused to confirm or deny that they're a couple,both expertly dodging any questions put to them about a behind-the-scenes relationship - though they've each confessed that they're close friends with the other.

So what's really going on?

"No, we're not dating," Monteith told the National Post. "We're like oil and water, complete opposites. I couldn't imagine what our dating life would be like. Pretty intense."

However, Monteith let slip that he and Michele recently attended the stage musical Rock of Love together - a tidbit that will no doubt leave some fans wondering whether they really are a dating or not.

Since a revamped version of the '90s soap premiered in the US in September, it's struggled to find viewers. In an attempt to ward off the threat of cancellation, Melrose's producers will soon reintroduce Locklear's famous vixen Amanda Woodward.

Locklear admits she's feeling the pressure to rescue the series.

"Absolutely, this is on my mind," she told the LA Times. "But hopefully my going there will bring some attention and make people watch because it's not just about watching Amanda, it's about bringing awareness to the show."

Locklear added that part of the reason she signed back on to Melrose was to help lighten the tone of the series and draw in an older audience.

"It's not a teenage show," she said. "It just needs to get the attention of people and for people to get hooked because that's what the original Melrose Place was about."

It's not the first time Locklear has saved Melrose Place. When the soap first premiered in the early '90s, Amanda was introduced at the end of season one to spice up the storylines - and ratings quickly skyrocketed as Melrose became one of the most buzzed-about shows of the '90s. Sesame Street turns 40!
Friday, November 6

On November 10, 2009, Sesame Street will celebrate its 40th anniversary on television - meaning it's possible that folks who are almost 50 years old could have grown up on the show.

The original series of Sesame Street has been broadcast in more than 120 countries and since the 1970s it's spurred more than 30 international spinoffs. Check them out here.

Happy Birthday Sesame Street!

The latest member of the 24 roster to return to the series is actor Gregory Itzin, who'll be back in the upcoming eighth season even though his character, weaselly one-time president Charles Logan, was apparently killed by his unhinged ex-wife Martha (Jean Smart) in season six.

Though Logan was resurrected off-screen in season seven when a character mentioned he had survived the attack, Entertainment Weekly reports that he'll appear in the flesh in multiple episodes of season eight, when President Taylor (Cherry Jones) "reluctantly enlists her disgraced predecessor to assist with an escalating diplomatic crisis".

"The opportunity for these two remarkable actors [Jones and Itzin] to share the stage was simply too compelling to pass up," said 24 executive producer Howard Gordon, explaining the decision to bring Logan back.

In season seven 24 controversially resurrected Tony Almeida (Carlos Bernard), who had seemingly died onscreen two seasons earlier.

The eighth season of 24, which relocates the series from Los Angeles to New York City, will return to the airwaves in 2010. The season kicks off as retired super-agent Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) is drawn back into the action when he discovers a plot to assassinate a Middle-Eastern peacekeeper.

In the instalment, the womanising Chuck Bass (Ed Westwick) ends up locking lips with new character Josh (Neal Bledsoe) as part of a devious plan hatched by his girlfriend Blair Waldorf (Leighton Meester) — she wants to trick the openly gay Josh into letting her deliver an important college speech, and she pimps out Chuck to pull off her scheme.

"You really think I've never kissed a guy before?" Chuck tells a shocked Blair after the smooch.

Chuck's man-on-man kiss is no surprise to those who've read the novels Gossip Girl is based on. In the books Chuck is bisexual, as is Dan Humphries (played in the TV series by Penn Badgley).

Buffy creator Joss Whedon joins Glee
Friday, October 23

This is as close as you'll ever get to seeing Buffy on Glee...

Entertainment Weekly reports that Buffy the Vampire Slayer's mastermind Joss Whedon has signed on to direct an episode of the new musical-comedy series Glee.

Whedon has a prestigious musical pedigree: he directed 'Once More, With Feeling', the critically acclaimed musical episode of Buffy, as well as the Emmy Award-winning internet musical Dr Horrible's Sing-Along Blog.

"Joss directed one of the great musical episodes in the history of television on Buffy, so this is a great, if unexpected, fit," Glee creator Ryan Murphy told EW. "I'm thrilled he'll be loaning us his fantastic groundbreaking talent."

Glee and Whedon's new series Dollhouse both air on the same network in the US. His episode of Glee will premiere in the States in 2010.

Ashlee Simpson evicted from Melrose Place
Friday, October 23

Singer-turned-actress Ashlee Simpson-Wentz has been booted from the cast of the Melrose Place revamp less than two months after the raunchy drama's US debut.

The 25-year-old played Violet Foster, "a seemingly naive young woman who hides a dark side". According to Entertainment Weekly, her departure comes as part of a major shake-up of the series, which has struggled in the ratings since its premiere.

Simpson-Wentz's co-star Colin Egglesfield has also been let go from the series. Their characters will last be seen in episodes set to air in the States in January, shortly before the reintroduction of Heather Locklear's infamous Melrose character Amanda Woodward.

Co-executive producer Todd Slavkin told EW that Melrose's writers always planned to write Simpson-Wentz and Egglesfield out of the series as part of an ongoing murder-mystery plot.

Hey Hey red-faced over black-face skit
Friday, October 9

Hey Hey It's Saturday has copped widespread backlash for a skit that aired on the program's reunion special, resulting in an on-air apology from the show's host Daryl Somers.

The skit, which featured on the popular "talent" segment Red Faces, was performed by Jackson Jive. In the skit the five members had donned black wigs, and four members had painted their faces black, while the Michael Jackson character had his face painted white.

Red Faces judge Harry Connick Jr gave the act a score of zero. Somers later apologised to Connick on air, saying, "I know that to your countrymen, that's an insult to have a black face ... like that on the show, so I do apologise to you."

Connick responded, "I know it was done humorously, but we've spent so much time trying not to make black people look like buffoons that when we see something like that we take it really to heart. I know it was in good fun and the last thing I want to do is to take this show to a down level, because you know how much I love this show and this country."

He added, "If I knew that was going to be part of the show, I probably, I definitely, wouldn't have done it."

The Jackson Jive have since apologised for the offence they caused. Dr Anand Diva, who played Michael Jackson in the act, said, "If we did offend [Connick] we truly didn't mean to", adding, "Two of us come from India and one of us comes from Lebanon so we can't afford to be racist to be honest."

Chris Lilley is an Angry Boy
Friday, October 9

The comic genius behind the hits We Can Be Heroes and Summer Heights High is returning to the small screen.

Chris Lilley is set to star in Angry Boys, a 12-part comedy co-produced by ABC TV, US broadcaster HBO, and Princess Pictures, the company behind Lilley's other TV series.

It's the first time an Australian series has been co-produced with HBO, the pay TV network behind critically and commercially successful TV series including The Sopranos, Sex and the City and True Blood.

"There will be new characters and lots of surprises for the audience," said Lilley in a statement. "I'm really excited about having a longer-running series to work with."

Angry Boys began shooting in early October, and will film in Australia and overseas. The series will premiere on ABC1 in 2010 before airing in the US and the UK.

How I Met Your Mother: has the mother been revealed?
Friday, October 9

If you're a fan of the sitcom How I Met Your Mother, you'll know that one of the ongoing mysteries of the series is the identity of the titular mum - the soulmate of the show's leading man Ted (Josh Radnor),

Actresses Sarah Chalke, Jamie-Lynn Sigler and even Britney Spears have all been contenders to play the mother during the sitcom's five-season run, but now it appears that her identity might finally be revealed.

According to Entertainment Weekly, former O.C. star Rachel Bilson has landed a "pivotal" role in How I Met Your Mother's upcoming 100th episode.

"[Episode 100 will] be the closest Ted's ever come to [discovering who the mother is]," executive producer Craig Thomas told EW. "He's getting a step closer every episode this season, and episode 100 [we] kind of go bananas with it."

Thomas revealed that he spent "a lot of time" searching for the right woman to play the role that eventually went to Bilson, though it's not yet 100 percent confirmed that she'll be the mother.

The 100th episode will also include a cameo from Project Runway's Tim Gunn.

Friends to reunite on the big screen?
Friday, October 2

If you believe everything you read, you're probably already getting worked up about the Friends movie that's coming soon to a cinema near you.

UK tabloid the Daily Mail reports that all six stars of the classic sitcom — Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer — have agreed to star in a Friends movie slated to premiere in mid-2011.

Movie executives are supposedly prepared to offer big bucks to lure the actors back to their much-loved roles. Series creators David Crane and Marta Kauffman are also said to be on board to write and direct the film.

But don't rush out to buy tickets just yet: the rumour is yet to be confirmed by any reputable sources, or by any of the main cast members. The only former Friend who's commented publicly on the movie is James Michael Tyler, who had a minor role in the series as coffee shop weirdo Gunther.

"Friends: The Movie is definitely on," Tyler said, according to the Mail. "I still keep in touch with a lot of the cast and they say that they are really keen."

Michelle Obama visits Sesame Street
Friday, October 2

When the First Lady tells you to eat your greens, you better do it.

Sesame Street producers revealed that Ms Obama will teach kids about the importance of eating healthy foods in the show's upcoming 40th season, showing the loveable monsters how to plant tomatoes, cucumbers and lettuces.

"All these seeds need to grow are sun, soil and water. If you eat these healthy foods, you're going to grow up to be big and strong, like me," says Ms Obama in the episode, which will air in the States on November 11.

"I know you're going to like these vegetables," she tells the monsters, "because in addition to being healthy, they really taste great!"

In May, Ms Obama told an assembly at the United Nations that filming her Sesame Street cameo was "probably the best thing I've done so far in the White House".

House: is one of the doctors leaving?
Friday, October 2

Is actress Jennifer Morrison leaving House? Even the medical drama's producers aren't sure.

Morrison has played Dr Allison Cameron in House since the series premiered in 2004. News of her departure from the show was first broken by Entertainment Weekly, which reported that she had not left voluntarily and that producers made "a creative decision" to dump her.

But executive producer Katie Jacobs later told TV Guide that while Morrison will be absent for much of the drama's current sixth season, her exit from House may not be permanent because the writing team is yet to finalise storylines for upcoming episodes.

"If I wanted to make an announcement that Jennifer was leaving the show, I would say that," said Jacobs. "The fact is, we still don't know how the season is going to end for Cameron or for Jennifer."

Jacobs hinted that Cameron's departure has something to do with a visiting African dictator (played by guest star James Earl Jones), whose treatment at Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital causes Cameron to leave.

Morrison shot her final scenes in the series in late September and her last episode will air in the US in November. Her onscreen husband Dr Robert Chase (Jesse Spencer, Morrison's former real-life fiance) will not leave the series.

Glee renewed for full season
Friday, September 25

The critically acclaimed new comedy series Glee has been picked up for a full first season.

Originally slated for 13 episodes, series one has been extended to 22 episodes.

"[Series creator] Ryan Murphy, his team and the talented Glee cast have knocked our socks off with their incredible work," boasted Kevin Reilly, president of Fox, the network that airs Glee in the States.

The fledgling series is earning respectable ratings for Fox, while a cover of Journey's 'Don't Stop Believin' from the first episode has featured in the music charts in both the US and Australia.

Heather Locklear returning to Melrose Place
Friday, September 25

It's official: Heather Locklear will star in the revamped version of Melrose Place, reprising her deliciously devious vixen Amanda Woodward.

US network The CW announced that Locklear will return to Melrose in an episode set to air in the US in November. She'll play the boss of new character Ella Simms (Kate Cassidy), a "high-powered publicist".

"We're ecstatic to have the chance to bring Amanda Woodward back to Melrose Place," said executive producers Todd Slavkin and Darren Swimmer in a statement. "Heather's involvement in the show is something we've been working on for some time as we couldn't imagine creating and producing this show without the iconic character's inclusion."

Will Charlie Sheen quit Two and a Half Men?
Friday, September 25

Leading man Charlie Sheen told Extra that he's been thinking about leaving the popular sitcom that he's starred in for six seasons (a seventh recently premiered in the US).

"This is my last contract year, so maybe it's up to [Two and a Half Men producers] CBS and Warner Bros," he said during an interview at the 2009 Emmy Awards. "It's been a great run [but] there is life outside of show business... I got five kids, I've got amazing wife."

It's likely Two and a Half Men would end without Sheen's involvement. In the sitcom he plays Charlie Harper, a carefree bachelor and jingle writer. In 2008, TV Guide reported that Sheen is the highest paid actor on US television, raking in US$825,000 ($951,317) per episode — a salary of almost US$20 million per year.