January 18, 2005 |
THE NEXT CATS?
Omarosa, dust off your tap shoes: The Apprentice is heading to Broadway. Seriously. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Mark Burnett and Donald Trump are developing The Apprentice: The Musical. Burnett, who is currently writing the book for the musical, describes it simply as "a love story" — presumably between a man and his ego. |
SOAP LEGEND DIES
All My Children star Ruth Warrick, who played the meddlesome Phoebe Tyler Wallingford since the ABC soap's inception in 1970, died Saturday at her home in New York of complications from pneumonia. She was 88. Warrick is also known for her roles as Orson Welles' icy first wife in Citizen Kane and as a mysterious housekeeper on Peyton Place.
For more on the legendary performer, read Soaps News. |
SHOW GOES ON
That '70s Show is groovin' into an eighth season without firm commitments from its two biggest stars. "We have secured the entire cast for next year, with the exception of Ashton and Topher," Fox president Gail Berman announced at the Television Critics Association winter press tour in Los Angeles. "[But] we expect [both of them] will visit That '70s Show for a number of episodes." |
TRU OR FALSE?
It's the answer Tru Calling fans have dreaded. Gail Berman confirmed to me Monday that the Eliza Dushku thriller has been laid to rest, although she noted that "we finished six episodes... and we anticipate putting them on the air at some point." So what the heck happened? Specifically, why would Fox renew Tru only to scrap it before a single episode of the show's second season aired? Blame the new supernatural soap Point Pleasant, which Berman felt was a more compatible Thursday-night companion to The O.C.. Translation: If you wanna get back at Fox for axing Tru, don't watch Point Pleasant. |
ANOTHER TRUE CALLING?
It looks like Anne Heche isn't long for Everwood. The actress has inked a deal with WB to headline the comedy pilot True, per The Hollywood Reporter. She'll play a woman whose boyfriend breaks up with her while she is in labor with their baby, forcing her to move back in with her parents. |
FEAR YE, FEAR YE
Starting in spring 2005, Universal Studios in Orlando and Hollywood will be serving cow testicles and creepy-crawlies along with hot dogs and popcorn. We're only half-kidding, too, unfortunately. The theme parks are opening a Fear Factor Live attraction that will invite guests to reenact stunts from the often revolting reality series. |
BLIMEY!
At next month's "English Oscars" — the British Academy Film Awards — The Aviator looks likely to soar. Martin Scorsese's Howard Hughes biopic won a whopping 14 nominations, trailed closely by Vera Drake and Finding Neverland, which scored 11 nods apiece. Meanwhile, of all the nominated performers, Kate Winslet will be the toughest to beat: She's up not once but twice for Best Actress, for both Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Finding Neverland. |
MOURNED
Legendary screen siren Virginia Mayo, who starred opposite such cinema giants as James Cagney, Bob Hope, Gregory Peck and Ronald Reagan, died Monday of pneumonia and heart failure at a nursing home in Thousand Oaks, Calif. She was 84. Mayo's films included The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, White Heat and The Best Years of Our Lives. |
NOT SO GOLDEN
Airing opposite an original Desperate Housewives, Sunday's Golden Globes fell to their lowest ratings in nearly a decade. The three-hour telecast drew an average 16.9 million viewers — that's down 40 percent compared to last year. On the bright side, Mariska Hargitay's still a winner! |
SURVIVE THIS
Let's see if Richard Hatch can outwit, outplay and outlast the IRS: The first-ever Survivor victor was charged today with failing to report his $1 million winnings to Uncle Sam. According to TheSmokingGun.com, the reality-TV villain is alleged to have filed false tax returns in 2000 and 2001. If found guilty of the felony charges, the frequently naked schemer could face a $250,000 fine and up to a five-year stay in prison, where his minimalist wardrobe would surely make him very popular. |
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