April 2010 | American

Friday, April 30, 2010

{alltv} Eva Longoria Parker, John Cusack Tweet Off About Arizona

It's not just Latin singers anymore.

Regardless of ethnic background, more and more celebs are rallying against the recent law passed in Arizona allowing authorities to stop anyone they think may be an illegal immigrant.

Eva Longoria Parker, John Cusack, George Lopez and even Soulja Boy have joined the ranks of Shakira, Ricky Martin and Linda Ronstadt, using Twitter and Facebook to sound off on the issue.

"What is happening? I feel like I am in a time warp," the Desperate Housewives star says, before making sure to point out an aspect of the bill she finds most disturbing. "HB2281 (bill attacking ethnic/raza studies) states that any course, class, instruction, or material may not be primarily designed for pupils of particular ethnic group as determined by the state superintendent of instruction. State aid will be withheld from any school district or charter school that does not comply."

Eva continues with a few comments and responses comparing this treatment to that of Native Americans but brings it all back with three simple words.

"Stop the HATE," she declares.

"Arizona law must be fought by all means," tweets Cusack.

"Went to buy a ARIZONA Iced Tea. They asked me for my documentation. So I Bought HORCHATA instead!" Lopez joked earlier this week. A few days later, he responded, "Hey @drinkarizona I 'profiled you' and I'm sorry it was unconstitutional on my part to assume. I love your product! Thanks."

Of course, he also made a few more serious comments, saying he'd be staying away from the state.

"What's good with this new immigrant law?" wonders the "Crank Dat" rapper.

{alltv} Mackenzie Phillips Thanks Cops for the Cuffs

Let this be a lesson to would-be drug-addled celebrities: A little politeness goes a long way.

How else to explain how all drug charges against Mackenzie Phillips were dropped today after the actress and incest survivor actually thanked police for busting her at Los Angeles International Airport back in 2008? (OK, her successful completion of a drug diversion program probably accounts for some of it, but still.)

"Your Honor, I would just like to take this incredible opportunity to thank you, thank the court, for giving me this chance...I've taken it and I've run with it fast and hard, and although it's been a difficult last year and a half in many aspects, it has in fact been the most rewarding time in my life," she told the judge at a hearing this morning.

"And I'd like to take this opportunity again to thank the Los Angeles Police Department and the Airport Police for arresting me, because it really, it just changed my life...I hope to take these experiences with me and help other people, and I just thank the court."

Though Phillips previously plead guilty to felony cocaine possession, the judge told her back in 2008 that the charge would ultimately be dismissed upon her successful completion of an 18-month course. Stay clean, Mackenzie!

{alltv} N.J. Housewife Wants to See Snooki "Kick the S--t Out" of Danielle

Dina Manzo makes no apologies for anything that goes down on The Real Housewives of New Jersey.

"You want to see the big hair and the tans and the screaming and the table flipping," she explained to me earlier today.

Or more to the point, "We're a bunch of wackos."

And nothing is more wacko than the never-ending drama with the show's resident villainess, Danielle Staub…

"We show the good, the bad and, when it comes to Danielle, the crazy," Manzo says. "You see in a trailer [for the upcoming second season], I called her a f--king nut. I don't call just anybody that."

When I propose that Staub have a charity boxing match with Snooki of The Jersey Shore, Manzo gets almost giddy. "I think Snooki would knock the s--t out of Danielle," she says. "I would love to see that happen."

What's definitely not happening anytime soon is another kid for Dina. A Twitter rumor hit the Web the other day claiming she was pregnant with her second child. She inadvertently fueled the rumor by twittering that she was going to name the baby after Watch What Happens Live's host and Bravo executive Andy Cohen.

"These lunatics started that rumor," Manzo explains. "Within seconds, I had like my 20,000 followers saying, 'Congratulations. We're so happy for you!' "

As for her 14-year-old daughter, Lexi, Manzo says we will not be seeing her as much this time around as we did the first season. "She's going into a new high school," mama Dina explains. "I just want her to be a kid…She looks so different now that no one recognizes her, so it's perfect."

Season two of the Real Housewives of New Jersey premieres on Monday. Will you be watching?

{alltv} Newly Shorn Adrian Grenier Gets Shot Down

Adrian Grenier recently cut his famous curls, but is it affecting his luck with the ladies?

The Entourage actor was at the Creative Coalition's Salute to Arts & Entertainment in D.C. last night, and was trying to chat up an attractive brunette using the ultimate Hollywood pickup line.

"You should be on my show," he told the girl, according to an eyewitness, to which the brunette replied...

"What show?" Ouch!

Maybe she didn't recognize Vinnie Chase with his new 'do.

Luckily, Grenier wasn't put off by the snub and enjoyed the rest of the evening, happily posing for pictures with fans and sipping Martini & Rossi Prosecco.

{alltv} Ready for Some "X-Rated" Vampire Diaries Action? Matt Davis Sure Is!

Matt Davis has a bone to pick with the Powers That Be over on Vampire Diaries: Why are Stefan and Elena the only ones gettin' it on?!

"Good ol' Alaric definitely needs to get laid," he tells us of the always brooding, erstwhile widower. Of course, we couldn't agree more—especially if it means more Matt, more shirtless!

There really is some cra-zay stuff ahead on The Vampire Diaries, including what sounds like a guaranteed season two for Alaric in Mystic Falls (which—whoo-hoo!—our sources confirmed earlier this week!)...

Let's get down to the nitty-gritty. As we reported in this week's Spoiler Chat, if you're hoping for more Alaric in TVD's second season, you might want to do a little happy dance starting...now!

"There has been talk and all signs look good," Matt says vaguely. "[But] nothing is 100 percent. The show is like Survivor—you keep delivering and hope they'll still write for you."

That may not sound like a definite yes, but Matt accidentally spilled a whole lotta beans when chatting about his plans to "get ready for next season" this summer. "It's such a grinding schedule—keeps going and going and going and going," he says. "It's really like training for a triathlon, where you just get your focus up and your endurance ready. I look forward to spending my time off getting prepared, physically and mentally." If that's not a big fat yes, we don't know what is.

Oh, and about that "X-rated" stuff, that's all Matt. According to him, Alaric is in the market for a good ol'-fashioned romp in the sack. And while we eagerly volunteered for the role of sack-romperette, Matt's got it handled. "I'm just hoping Kevin Williamson will write a sex scene between me and Sara Canning (Jenna)."

No, seriously. "Tune in to see wild, nasty sex scenes with Alaric and Jenna. X-rated," jokes Matt.

And what happens when his wayward vampy wife, Isobel, returns? It's not pretty. "We decided that the best way to reconcile them is a ménage à trois," Matt jokes...again. (Wow, is it just us or is this guy seriously...never mind.) "No, it's shocking. To see this missing wife of his after so long. Not only is it shocking, but those moments never go the way you expect them to."

"His whole life changed when she vanished," he says, "and he's been searching for her ever since. [To] finally confront the thing he's been looking for? That would turn your life upside down, and it will definitely be a big moment for Alaric."

Long story short, Matt wants there to be more sex on The Vampire Diaries, he wants to be the one sexing people up, and he's got some ladies in mind. The line starts here, missies.

Are you excited to see Isobel's return on The Vampire Diaries? Don't miss the rest of the season, Thursdays at 8 p.m. on the CW.

{alltv} Jodie Sweetin Pregnant and "Fantastic"

Jodie Sweetin can't get her house full enough fast enough.

Barely a week after her marriage to Cody Herpin officially ended, the 28-year-old actress has revealed that she's expecting a baby with her new boyfriend later this year.

"Yes, Jodie is expecting, she is absolutely fantastic, happy and all is well," rep Stella Alex tells E! News.

The father-to-be is Morty Coyle, who Sweetin recently denied being married to via Twitter.

"Hahaha! So guys," she wrote April 13, "it's totally not true. I'm absolutely NOT married. In love & happy, but single. Please RT to squash the rumor! :)"

Sweetin also has a 2-year-old daughter, Zoie, with Herpin.

{alltv} Bret Michaels' Top Doctor Speaks Out on Patient's "Sheer Will to Live"

We're finally going to hear from the people in the white coats.

While Bret Michaels' reps have kept fans abreast of his condition since suffering a brain hemorrhage a week ago, his doctors are finally gearing up to offer their take on what's in store for the 47-year-old rock star.

"There is no doubt that Mr. Michaels' condition is serious. We are treating the subarachnoid hemorrhage, which caused his severe cranial pain," Dr. Joseph M. Zabramski, chief of Cerebrovascular Surgery and director of Clinical Neurosurgical Research at Barrow Neurological Institute, said in a statement released Friday by Michaels' camp.

E! News was first to report that Michaels was being treated at Barrow, which is part of St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix. His medical team will hold a press conference at noon on Tuesday.

"Mr. Michaels will continue to undergo testing considering we have hit a few roadblocks including hyponatremia, severe cranial and back pain suffered from blood drainage, an emergency appendectomy performed a week earlier and a lifelong history of type 1 diabetes.

"Bret's sheer will to live and fully recover is undeniable," the surgeon continued. "He has an unbelievable fight in him and told me what kept him alive at the moment of the hemorrhage was that he 'did not want his family to wake up and see him lying unconscious in the middle of the floor.' It was a combination of Bret's fight to stay conscious during the hemorrhage and get to the emergency room, and the immediate medical attention provided by our staff at Barrow that enabled us to stabilize his condition."

Thanks, doc, we hope to be hearing more positive news like that next week.

{alltv} Hank Baskett & Kendra Wilkinson Take a Tropical Getaway

It's not Mother's Day yet but Kendra Wilkinson got an early treat when husband Hank Baskett whisked her away for a romantic Hawaiian holiday.

The couple, who are wrapping up season 2 of Kendra, "decided to be spontaneous," the reality star writes on her blog, so they jetted off to the Big Island for some adventure and R&R.

After playing tennis, golfing and diving around the island, Wilkinson, 24, and Baskett, 27, took a helicopter ride, which the former Playboy Playmate "was definitely a little nervous about" but "still wanted to experience," she says on her Web site.

But perhaps the best part of her tropical vacation? "Hank took me to this really pretty spa and surprised me by being my masseuse!!" says Wilkinson. "It was sooo thoughtful of him."

"Yes, that was a beautiful vacation," she says at the end of the post, "but paradise is being at home with my son and husband together."

{alltv} 'Lost': Daniel Dae Kim says to prepare for 'emotional impact'

The end of "Lost" is fast approaching, with only four episodes (including the two-hour finale) remaining. The cast has already finished filming, and Daniel Dae Kim says the end of shooting brought a wave of emotions for the cast and crew.

"There was celebration, there was pride, there was sadness," Kim, who plays Jin Kwon on the series, tells Zap2it. "And there was a sense of accomplishment, I think, that all of us had taken this ride for six years together and were bringing it to a close together, and on our own terms. I thought that was really moving."

Kim also talked -- a little -- about what to expect for the remainder of the series, his favorite Jin-Sun episode and his new job on CBS' "Hawaii Five-O" remake. More of our conversation follows.

Zap2it: I don't want to lead you too deep into spoiler territory, but what can you say about what the final episodes hold for your character?
Kim: What I'll say about the final episodes is I feel like there's really -- for people who have watched the show from the beginning, I think there's a heavy emotional impact that it leaves. And I think ... hmm. I just want to stop there. The heavy emotional impact it has, and I felt it very strongly after I finished reading it. I've said it before, but it bears repeating: Once I finished the [finale], I actually had to put it down and just stop what I was doing for a few minutes, because it resonated so deeply within me. In many ways it was really satisfying.

Do you have plans to watch the final episode? Do you even like to watch yourself on screen?
Do I like to watch myself? That's a different question [laughs]. My kids are big fans of the show, so my family and I have sat down to watch every episode. I'm not sure where I'm going to be on the 23rd, but if I'm around family or friends, I'll definitely make it a point to sit down and watch with someone I care about.

Do you have a favorite Sun-Jin episode?
I'd have to go back to the first season. I like the one called "... In Translation." It was the second Sun [Yunjin Kim] and Jin episode of Season 1, and it's the one where we all, including myself, discover what Jin's backstory was and why he became the man we saw in the pilot.

What was it like this season to revisit at least a version of the character from early in the series?
I actually found it refreshing. It was an illustration of how far Jin had come from the character he was in the pilot to the man he became in Season 5 and Season 6. Whereas I was a little bit concerned about his character in the pilot, I was able to play that character again in Season 6 and think, "Wow, he was like this." And I could celebrate it because he'd progressed so far.

There's been some confusion over whether Jin or Sun is the "Kwon" on Jacob's list of candidates. Can we assume that gets resolved?
Absolutely. It will become clear.

You've managed to land your next acting job in Hawaii too. How did filming on the "Hawaii Five-O" pilot go?
It went really well. As much as I missed the "Lost" cast and crew, it was also nice to be on the same island, where I have such strange memories, but with an entirely different group of people and with a whole new character. It was in some ways a refreshing change. It's nice to be able to play two different characters. ... I was really happy for the opportunity.

It also sounds like it has a good chance to make the schedule.
Anything can happen in pilot season, but so far the things I've been hearing have been good.

I think that's all the time I have -- unless you just want to tell me how the show ends.
[Laughs] I think we're out of time.

{alltv} 'General Hospital's' Chad Duell is Team Chad Ochocinco

"Dancing with the Stars" contestant Chad Ochocinco can count on at least one member of ABC Daytime having his back: "General Hospital's" newest star, Chad Duell.

"I want Chad Ochocinco to take it all," Duell tells Zap2it. "I'm a huge football fan, so whenever a football player is on the show, I always root for them."

"When he's playing football, he usually does a dance [when he scores]," he continues. "So football fans already knew he could move [based on] the funny dance moves he makes when he scores a touchdown. He always does goofy stuff in the end zone, so I'm hoping he makes it to the finals."

Duell also hopes he can show off his own skills on the reality series on a future season.

"I would kill it," he says. "I would love to [be on the show]. I would love to be able to pick up on that stuff. It would be fantastic, I would do it in a heartbeat. I like dancing, I do. I'm more of an improvisational dancer, like [I] do a little pop-lock, that kind of dancing. But I have a natural rhythm, not to brag."

Perhaps he could get some tips from "General Hospital" costar Kelly Monaco, who won the Season One competition?

"She won ['Dancing with the Stars']?" Duell asked. "I didn't know that!"

Um, maybe don't tell her that.

Think Duell has what it takes to be a contestant on "Dancing with the Stars"?

{alltv} Dukes of Hazzard Star Catherine Bach's Husband Dies

Peter Lopez, the husband of Dukes of Hazzard star Catherine Bach, has died, TMZ reports.

"The Lopez family has suffered a tragic personal loss," Bach's rep told TVGuide.com in a statement. "Catherine and the girls ask for your prayers."

Lopez, who was one of the music attorneys for the late Michael Jackson, was found dead of an apparent suicide Friday in Encino, Calif., according to TMZ. Police refused to identify the victim because it appeared to be a suicide.

Lopez and Bach, who donned Daisy Duke's short shorts for seven seasons on The Dukes of Hazzard, married in 1990. They have two children together.

Lopez's firm, Kleinberg, Lopez, Lange, Cuddy & Klein LLP, declined to comment.

{alltv} NHL's 1st-round TV audience up 24 percent in US

NEW YORK (AP)—U.S. viewership of the NHL playoffs increased 24 percent from 2009, the league's highest average first-round audience in 10 years.

The NHL said Friday that NBC and Versus combined to average 742,000 viewers per telecast. That's the most since ABC/ESPN/ESPN2 had 750,000 in 2000.

Versus averaged 595,000 viewers, a 35 percent increase from 2009 and the league's best showing on cable since ESPN/ESPN2 in 2001 (608,000). Versus averaged a .7 rating, up 75 percent from 2009.

NBC averaged 430,000 viewers for its four broadcasts, an 18 percent increase over 2009. Its 1.1 average rating was the best since 2006 and up 10 percent from last year.

The rating is the percentage of all homes with TVs, whether or not they are in use.

{alltv} Phillips' drug case dismissed

A felony drug charge against Mackenzie Phillips has been dropped after the embattled actress successfully completed a drug rehabilitation program.

Phillips was arrested for cocaine and marijuana possession on August 27, 2008, after Los Angeles police caught the former One Day At a Time star with the drugs.

Before that, the actress had been clean for 10 years after turning her back on drugs when she was 32.

Phillips pleaded guilty to one felony count of cocaine possession, and was sentenced to a drug rehabilitation program.

She appeared in court on Friday, demonstrating her commitment to remain sober, and the charge was dismissed.

Phillips called her recovery "the most rewarding time in my life," and she thanked the police for putting her behind bars in the first place, adding, "It really just changed my life."

{alltv} Bravo stars taking over The Kentucky Derby with live special

Some Bravolebrities will be giving their own take on The Kentucky Derby with 'Ladies First: Bravo At The Kentucky Derby' live Friday, April 30 at 5 p.m.

The one-hour special, produced by NBC Sports and hosted by Bravo's Andy Cohen, will give you the network's spin on The Derby: food, fashion and the "celebrity experience."

Live from Churchill Downs, here are a few things you can expect on the special:

"The Real Housewives of New Jersey's" Dina Manzo and "Flipping Out's" Jeff Lewis and Jenni Pulos join Cohen to celebrate a day covering the fashion and festivities of the big race.

"The Fashion Show's" Isaac Mizrahi dresses "Today" show correspondent Natalie Morales for the festivities.

"Top Chef" stars Michael Voltaggio, Jennifer Carroll and Eli Kirshtein will be cooking live from the Infield Club.

Sounds like our type of Kentucky Derby!

Will you be saddling up with the Bravo stars?

{alltv} Southland's Creator Talks Season 3

No one is happier about Southland returning for a third season than the cop show's number one fan, creator Ann Biderman. We asked her about what to expect when the drama returns for ten episodes in January 2011.

Congratulations on Southland's renewal. When did you find out?
I had heard things were moving in a very positive direction, then late Friday night my agent called. And I felt OK, this is really happening. I knew that they were negotiating and that it was looking really good. I heard officially when everybody else did on Monday. I'm just so, so happy and grateful to TNT. The fan support, too, has been so moving, with their tweeting and the petition. I feel that we're like the little engine that could.

Why do you think you were picked up?
Michael Wright (programming chief for TNT, TBS and TCM) was very clear in his statement that it's a show that he feels is worthwhile. I got a call from [Warner Bros. TV president] Peter Roth and he just said, "Sometimes quality trumps everything". But it must be doing well enough. The numbers on DVR were excellent.

Has TNT asked for changes in the show, or for a cut in budget?
They haven't asked for anything yet. We knew going in that their budget is less than a network. It's the rules of the game. If need be, we'll get in a room and figure out.

Are you getting the cast that you want back?
Oh sure. I think people were happily under contract. Those who aren't would be thrilled to come back as well. There were actors who wouldn't even read things for second position. They were like, "I'm not putting the whammy on this. This is the character I love playing. I'm not entertaining offers until I know for certain." It was really moving. We're quite a little family.

It's a big family, but will it be smaller in Season 3 to keep the budget low?
There are hard decisions we're going to have to make, the three executive producers. But it's kind of a run and gun show. We don't have make-up trailers; there's not a lot of indulgent excess. We're used to being lean and mean. We were the first shows to shoot on the red camera, a digital camera that's a lot less expensive and gives us a gritty real look. We're not worried.

Were you optimistic enough to start working out stories?
Yes. I've had an ongoing dialogue with Cheo Hodari Coker, one of our writers.

Can you spill?
Not yet. (Laughs) John Wells and Chris Chulak and I haven't gotten together yet.

Well, what worked best for you last season?
People loved the relationship between John (Michael Cudlitz) and Ben (Benjamin McKenzie). The fan support has been enormous. You listen to the fans and you listen to your heart. Lydia (Regina King) is an incredible character in her professional and personal quests. Those are certainly primary to what we're doing. Shawn Hatosy, who plays Sammy, hit it out of the park and Arija Barelkis, Chickie, stepped up. Gang stories are definitely going to continue to be a big part of the show. We have to have conversations about for instance, how much serialization we can do.

Your fans don't seem to be too wild about the character Tammi (Emily Bergl).
It's funny; Tammi is a character you love to hate. They'd miss her if she's gone. It's kind of like C. Thomas Howell, you've got to have someone you love to hate. We have some very interesting ideas for her that we were getting to when we were shut down.

January 2011 seems a long time to wait.
I know some fans are unhappy, but it will be worth the wait. It gives us time to get out in the field, and make sure that each episode will be better than the last. It's going to work out beautifully.

{alltv} Oliver Stone Lands TV Deal

Filmmaker Oliver Stone and writer Bruce Wagner have inked a television development deal with Epix for a one-hour scripted drama, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Still Holding, based on the Wagner novel of the same name, will follow the lives of three very different people in Los Angeles, as well as the consequences of love and betrayal.

Stone and Wagner, who previously worked together the sci-fi mini-series Wild Palms in 1993, will serve as executive producers.

Stone, a three-time Academy Award winner, is best known for directing Wall Street, JFK, Nixon and Platoon. A documentary series titled Oliver Stone's Secret History of America premieres on Showtime this summer.

{alltv} Max Weinberg Not Out of Running for Conan's TBS Show

Conan O'Brien's rep says not so fast to a report that Max Weinberg will not return as O'Brien's bandleader for his new TBS show.

According to the rep, nothing with the TBS show has been set because they're too busy with O'Brien's tour at the moment.

Early in the week, Al Kooper, a veteran musician who once played with Weinberg, told City Pages that Weinberg and O'Brien would part ways. "They let him go," Kooper said. "This is a big transition, and they're all signing new contracts and everything, so they replaced him, as far as I know."

Weinberg served as O'Brien's Late Night and Tonight Show bandleader, but opted to sit out O'Brien's stand-up tour. A month before O'Brien's departure from the Tonight Show, Weinberg premiered The Max Weinberg Big Band, and his official website says more tour dates will be announced.

Weinberg's reps declined to comment.

Do you hope Weinberg and O'Brien stick together?

{alltv} Cleveland Show Creator: Writing Raps for Kanye Was Like Painting for Picasso

Could the writers of The Cleveland Show have a future creating rhymes for Kanye West?

"It's like your painting something to show Picasso," Cleveland Show co-creator and executive producer Mike Henry tells TVGuide.com of writing a rap for West, who voices a character in Sunday's episode. "He read it, and he was laughing. We had a room of five or six guys that wrote the rap, and Kanye joked we should write on his next album."

West, the Grammy-winning rapper who is almost as well known for his antics as his music, voices Kenny West, a small-time rapper and the coolest kid in Stoolbend. When Cleveland Jr. falls for Kenny's girlfriend (voiced by Taraji P. Henson), they stage a rap-off to win the girl's heart.

Henry says getting West on board was a snap. "I was actually in the recording booth one day about to start recording Cleveland, and Kanye came in out of nowhere and pushed me aside and said he had his own character," Henry jokes, referencing West's gaffe with Taylor Swift at the MTV Video Music Awards last year.

Instead, Henry says working with West, who took great interest in how the show's animation came together, was a pleasure. His character will even appear again in Season 2 next fall.

"You see him out there doing these crazy things from time to time, but he could not have been a cooler, nicer guy," Henry says. "Kanye is definitely up for making fun of his high jinks — not necessarily this [episode], but certainly in the fall."

West's episode kicks off The Cleveland Show's sweeps episodes, which feature an ill-timed Black History Month episode, Cleveland losing lots of money on a riverboat casino and the return of Cleveland's parents, Cookie and Freight Train, who want to remarry.

The finale features a quick cameo from Family Guy's Peter and Quagmire, but Henry says he has tried to avoid crossing over between the shows too much. Rather, he feels his show is just finding its stride and its own voice.

"When we set out with this new show, we wanted it to be different from Family Guy," Henry says. "We didn't want it to be in your face — there are no rape jokes, no abortion jokes. It's more of a family-oriented show. It's really found its legs, and .... it's almost something you can watch with your kids."

The Kanye West episode of The Cleveland Show airs Sunday at 8:30/7:30c on Fox.

Friday, April 30, 2010

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