Day 66: WGA's Strike; People's Choice Awards Winners

Wednesday, January 09, 2008

Day 66: WGA's Strike; People's Choice Awards Winners

We are in day 66 of the strike. A couple of items of scheduling due to the strike were announced. NBC will broadcast the last two original pre-strike episodes of Chuck on Thursday, January 24, at 8 p.m. ET and again at 10 p.m. ET -- sandwiched around an original episode of The Celebrity Apprentice. This means the return of Scrubs will not be on this date. It'll probably be Jan. 31 now. Last new pre-strike episodes of My Name is Earl and 30 Rock air this week and ER has two more episodes left (Jan. 10 and 17). Meanwhile, NBC has announced for this Sunday they will have a two-hour Dateline special called "Going for the Gold" interviewing some of the stars...this will lead-in to the one-hour special announcing the viewers from 9-10pm. It is unclear so far what NBC will air at 10pm.
Dubbed television's smartest reality show, ABC is bringing back The Mole, featuring new "whodunit" game elements, interactivity and a new host. Producers are launching a nationwide search to replace Cooper. In addition to a new host, new features, new games, new locations and online and mobile interactivity are planned for the series. Casting for players begins immediately. Casting information can be found at www.molecasting.com. The series could likely begin this spring before the season ends or as an early summer player. Forgot how the series was played? It follows a group of players as they try to figure out who among them is The Mole, a saboteur trying to keep them from winning money. Players must decide who they think The Mole is and then learn as much about him or her as they can, because, at the end of each one-hour episode, the player who knows the least about The Mole is immediately eliminated from the game. In the final dramatic episode, The Mole is revealed and one of two final players wins a substantial cash prize.

The People's Choice Awards were on last night in a new format because of the strike. Ratings started off OK but went down considerably as each half-hour progressed. Looks like fans didn't like it much. Here are the winners, in case you missed it:

• Favorite TV Drama: House, Fox
• Favorite TV Comedy: Two and a Half Men, CBS
• Favorite Animated TV Comedy: The Simpsons, Fox
• Favorite TV Sci-Fi Show: Stargate Atlantis, Sci-Fi
• Favorite TV Competition/Reality Show: Dancing with the Stars, ABC
• Favorite TV Game Show: Deal or No Deal, NBC
• Favorite Female TV Star: Katherine Heigl, Grey's Anatomy, ABC
• Favorite Male TV Star: Patrick Dempsey, Grey's Anatomy, ABC
• Favorite Scene-Stealing TV Star: Chandra Wilson, Grey's Anatomy, ABC
• Favorite TV Talk-Show Host: Ellen DeGeneres, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, syndicated
• Favorite New TV Comedy: Samantha Who?, ABC
• Favorite New TV Drama: Moonlight, CBS
You can discuss the winners and the format of last night's show HERE!

More news to come, if any...so try and come back.

Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Thursday, May 22

Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - "Diet Crap" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Tensions rise when Georgie intrudes on Mandy’s new sales gig. Meanwhile, Audrey’s conflicted when Jim makes it a point not to coddle Connor.

Ghosts - "Sad Farnsby" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
When Sam accidentally creates a rift between Sam and Jay’s neighbors, the Farnsbys, Henry Farnsby moves into Woodstone B&B. Also, Isaac and Nigel battle over a belated wedding present.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of May 19)

Thursday, May 22

Miley Cyrus (Hannah Montana) - Catch Miley on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Chloe Fineman (Big Mouth/Search Party) - Chloe appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Ronny Chieng (Young Rock/Ronny Chieng: International Student) - Ronny hosts Comedy Central's The Daily Show at 11pm. Featured host Vlad Duthiers sits down with Ronny on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am.
Elizabeth Banks (30 Rock/Scrubs) and Amanda Peet (Brockmire/Togetherness/Bent) - Elizabeth and Amanda are guests on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 10:15pm on Bravo.
Cynthia Nixon (And Just Like That.../Sex and the City) - Cynthia talks about ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am and on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
Hugh Jackman (Human Resources) - Hugh chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
Bill Bellamy (Mr. Box Office/Men, Women & Dogs/Cousin Skeeter) - Bill brings the laughs to the third annual cookout on Tamron Hall, so check your local listings.
Finola Hughes (Blossom) - Finola dishes on General Hospital on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
Jason Schwartzman (Blunt Talk/Mozart in the Jungle/Bored to Death) - Jason talks about Mountainhead on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
Sterling K. Brown (Starved) - Sterling is telling Drew all about playing a secret service agent in the thrilling new show Paradise on a repaet of The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
Midori Francis (The Sex Lives of College Girls) - Midori is a guest on New York Living on WPIX in New York at 10:05am.