H'wood Guilds Host Michelle Obama Event 
TiVo CEO Tom Rogers Says Ad Zapping Is … 
R.I.P. James Arness 
CBS Starts To Make Upfront Deals At 14%-15% … 
Wayne Kramer To Next Direct 'Ecstasia' For … 
No 'Idolmaker' For Ryan Gosling 
Did Philippe Dauman Say He Plans Job Cuts At … 
Mary Harron Signs To Direct 'Wicked Lovely' … 
'Freaky Deaky' Gets Cast And Start Date 
New Line Sets Don Scardino To Direct Steve … 
Chris Columbus And 1492 Acquire 'The Cypress … 
Lorenzo Di Bonaventura Launches Television … 
Walden Media Set To Co-Finance Louis … 
Craig Brewer Makes 'Tarzan' Deal, Writing … 
Paramount Acquires DC Comics' 'The Mighty' 
UPDATE: Elliott Claims Only "Single Digit" … 
Martin Scorsese Eyes Film About Elizabeth … 
Lionsgate Shrewdly Factored Four 'Hunger … 
Josh Lucas To Star In NBC's 'The Firm' 
How Agencies Did At This Year's Upfronts 
NBC's 'The Event' May Continue As Miniseries … EMMYS: Jimmy Kimmel Channels Melissa Leo In His Campaign Too
It seems that comedy minds think alike. Like Pee-wee Herman, Jimmy Kimmel too is parodying Melissa Leo's glam Oscar ads in the Emmy campaign for his ABC show Jimmy Kimmel Live. Luckily, a red carpet disaster is averted as the two funny men went for different gowns. And while Pee-wee opted for some good ol' photoshopping in the Emmy ad for his HBO special, Kimmel went all out, recreating the look by modeling a low-cut black dress that closely resembles Leo's. In February, Leo famously paid out of her pocket for the two glammed-up shots that she ran as trade ads supporting her Oscar bid for The Fighter, an award she ultimately won (along with all other major movie prizes this past awards season). If Kimmel or Pee-wee win, they better thank her in their acceptance speeches.
Disney Injunction Request Vs. Dish Denied
Disney lost its bid for a preliminary injunction against Dish Network today, with a New York District Court judge denying a motion that would have stopped the satellite company from offering a promotion for free access to Starz movie channels that include Disney films. Disney filed the request last month, saying the giveaway -- to celebrate Dish's 30th anniversary -- limits the value of its movies and is copyright infringement. Starz also has filed suit against Dish in the matter.
H'wood Guilds Host Michelle Obama Event
Michelle Obama is taking her "Joining Forces" military family initiative to Hollywood, finalizing plans to meet with AFTRA, the DGA, the PGA, SAG and the WGA on June 13 at the Writers Guild Theatre in Los Angeles, the White House said today. The organizations have formed a Joining Forces Inter-Guild Task Force to provide support for the program. The meeting is designed to discuss the stories and issues surrounding military families so their experiences can be integrated into film, TV and digital media.
ADVISORY: Nikki's Private Email Is Down
Fuck AOL. (I know, I know... But habits die hard.) Please make sure you send all email to me at Nikki@deadline.com until further notice.
Katie Couric Deal With ABC Coming Monday?
It's been pretty much a done deal that Katie Couric is headed to ABC to start her own syndicated talk show, but an official announcement can't be made before the matching window expires at her former employer CBS. Well, that window expires this weekend, and CBS pulled its offer in early May. The Wall Street Journal is reporting that an announcement from ABC could be made as early as Monday. While almost a foregone conclusion, word is that the ABC is not completely done yet. When it's all set and done, it is expected to include the talk show, which would give Couric the ownership and potential financial windfall she had been seeking, as well as a role for her at ABC News, including possibly pieces on primetime newsmagazine 20/20.
TiVo CEO Tom Rogers Says Ad Zapping Is 'Huge,' But Sidesteps Questions About The Company's Prospects
A word of warning to advertisers who are lining up in the upfront market to buy time on TV networks: Interrupting TV shows is “not something most people will tolerate,” says TiVo CEO Tom Rogers. In the 40% of all households that have a DVR, “the amount of commercial avoidance is huge.” That's good news for TiVo, which helps people to zap ads -- and also wants to help advertisers find "new forms of inventory," as Rogers put it, to sell stuff to people who'd rather be left alone.
But Rogers punted on the sharpest questions about TiVo's future that were put to him today at the Sanford C. Bernstein Strategic Decisions Conference. Rogers sidestepped an opportunity to say when TiVo might see a meaningful increase in its subscribers -- at about 2 million, it’s less than half of what it was in early 2007. And although he said that he will “think seriously about a (stock) buyback," he wouldn’t say what he plans to do with TiVo’s cash following the recent $600 million settlement of TiVo’s patent infringement suit against Dish Network. Rogers repeated his hope that cable and satellite companies will offer TiVo DVRs in place of traditional set-top boxes. The growth of Netflix shows that “there are a massive number of cable subscribers looking for additional choice” from a service like TiVo that integrates broadband video with traditional TV channels, Rogers says. “Cable used to stand for choice,” he added. “Now there’s more choice outside” on the Internet. But he doesn’t expect big technology companies to swoop in to become important competitors. Read More »
HBO Greenlights World War I Mini Starring Benedict Cumberbatch And Rebecca Hall
HBO and BBC have given the green light to Parade's End, a five-part miniseries set during World War I, written by Oscar winner Tom Stoppard (Shakespeare In Love) and starring British actors Benedict Cumberbatch and Rebecca Hall. The mini will be directed by Susanna White, Emmy nominee for her work on another HBO mini set during a war, Generation Kill. Parade's End is based on the series of four books by British novelist Ford Madox Ford, which were published between 1924-28. Set against the backdrop of World War I, it tells 
the story of a complex and destructive love triangle among a conservative English aristocrat (Cumberbatch), his beautiful but cruel socialite wife (Hall), and a vibrant young suffragette. The mini, executive produced by Michele Buck and Damien Timmer, is slated to begin production in the fall. Selwyn Roberts and David Parfit will serve as producers. Cumberbatch, who plays Sherlock Holmes on the BBC series Sherlock, has several movies in the pipeline: The Whistleblower, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, War Horse and The Hobbit. Hall next stars in another WWI project, horror thriller feature The Awakening. She is currently filming Stephen Frears' Lay the Favorite.
'Saturday Night Live JPN' Set For Debut
Saturday Night Live JPN, the third local adaptation of NBC's venerable late-night sketch comedy show (Italy and Spain have the others), is set to premiere tomorrow on Fuji, Japan's top network. Broadway Video Enterprises and Japanese indie producer Yoshimoto Kogyo collaborated on the series, on which Fuju producer Isao Kagari serves in the Lorne Michaels role, pulling cast members from his late-night show Pikaru No Teiri to join a weekly host and musical guest -- the same as the American verison. "Saturday Night Live is known for cultivating premier comedic talent in the U.S., and we plan to carry on the tradition by bringing the newest, best comedians to Saturday Night Live JPN to accompany top name celebrities and musical acts," says Yoshimoto Entertainment USA CEO Aki Yorihiro. It would be interesting to see how topical sketch comedy manifests itself in other cultures. The U.S. version saw a ratings surge thanks to the 2008 presidential campaign, with the cast and writers not afraid to send up Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, John McCain and especially Sarah Palin (thanks to Tina Fey). I wonder whether politics plays as funny in Japan?
Ben Bailey Set As Host Of NBC Game Show
Comedian Ben Bailey, host of Discovery Channel's Cash Cab, has been tapped as host of NBC's upcoming game series Who’s Still Standing? Based on the Israeli series Still Standing, it offers a contestant the chance to win a cash prize of up to $1,000,000 by taking down each of their opponents in fast-paced trivia battles. Craig Plestis and Tim Puntillo are executive producing for UMS.
R.I.P. James Arness
James Arness, the television icon and the star of the Western series Gunsmoke, one of the medium's longest-running shows, has died. He was 88. The weekly drama wrapped its run in 1975, and then Arness reprised the role in five made-for-TV movies from 1987 to 1994. A World War II veteran from Minnesota who received the Purple Heart, Arness began his acting career in the 1947 film The Farmer's Daughter opposite Loretta Young and appeared in such John Wayne movies as Hondo and Big Jim McLain. He also was the creature in the 1955 sci-fi horror film The Thing From Another World. Gunsmoke began its TV run in 1955 and featured Arness as Marshal Matt Dillion, who watched over the town of Dodge City and kept it clear of bad guys. Arness later made several TV appearances, including in the late 1970s TV miniseries How The West Was Won. According to his website, Arness is survived by his wife, Janet; two sons; and six grandchildren.
RATINGS RAT RACE: NBA Finals Dominate, 'Love Bites' Premiere Barely Registers
The Dallas Mavericks-Miami Heat thriller scored a 10.5 overnight rating and is poised to easily win the night in 18-49 and total viewers. Game 2 of the NBA Finals, which the Mavericks rallied to win by two points, was down 4% from last year's second game between the L.A. Lakers and Boston Celtics but did better than the six previous Game 2s, including the one in 2006 between the Heat (without LeBron) and the Mavericks.
Elsewhere, Fox's reality series So You Think You Can Dance (2.8/9), which aired from 8-9 PM, was down 15% from its two-hour season premiere last Thursday. (Compared to the 8-9 hour, it was down 3%). A Glee rerun (1.4/4) followed. NBC was the only other English-language broadcast network to offer fresh programming last night, showing the premiere of burnoff anthology dramedy Love Bites (1.0/3 in 18-49, 2.5 million viewers) at 10 PM. It finished dead last in the hour.
CBS Starts To Make Upfront Deals At 14%-15% CPM Increases
With Fox done with its upfront selling, attention shifted to CBS, which finished No. 1 to Fox in the 18-49 demo and No. 1 in viewers last season. The network had been the most aggressive this upfront season, going into the process with a request for a 18% CPM increase, doubling the increase it got last year. As suspected, there was some gamesmanship involved in the high starting asking price, but it may have helped CBS start writing business at impressive 14%-15% CPM rises. Yesterday, CBS Corp. CEO Leslie Moonves stressed that the network won't sell at 9% or 10% CPM bumps. (Fox's CPM increases are in the 10%-11% range.) Industry sources stress that CBS is still early in the selling process with only handful of deals made, but word is they involve a couple of big clients. With ad agencies breaking rank, others may follow. If not, I hear CBS is not going to bring the prices down and plans to wait the buyers out or, if there are not enough takers now, to hold more inventory for the scatter market. Last season, the prices went up from 8%-9% at the upfront to 40% on the scatter market.
Wayne Kramer To Next Direct 'Ecstasia' For Relativity Media
EXCLUSIVE: Relativity Media has optioned Ecstasia, a futuristic drama that was written and will be directed by The Cooler helmer Wayne Kramer. Kramer became available after he exited the Sylvester Stallone-starrer Headshot, and he expects this to be his next film. It came to Relativity through its relationship with Richard Branson’s film label, Virgin Produced. Set in an “alternate universe,” the drama occurs at a time when love no longer exists, except when it is artificially simulated through a costly procedure called “commitment.” Ecstasia is accomplished through computer chips implanted in each couple. They are incredibly expensive to maintain, comparable to managing a mortgage. Those who cannot meet the cost are forced into "dissolution," which ends the emotional link. Kramer’s film revolves around a man and woman who are 10 days away from losing their "commitment," trying desperately to refinance their love. The film will be produced by Jason Felts, Rene Rigal, Ryan Kavanaugh, Tucker Tooley, Matt Rhodes and Renee Tab. Kramer’s repped by WME and Sentient Entertainment.
Rogers & Cowan Acquires Lantern PR
EXCLUSIVE: Rogers & Cowan has acquired New York-based firm Lantern Entertainment. Founder Lindsay Galin becomes vice president of R&C's entertainment division in New York. She will bring with her clients that include The Twilight Saga's Ashley Greene, Yvonne Strahovski (Chuck), Alexandra Daddario (Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief) and Allison Williams (Girls). Gailin will report to R&C co-chairman Paul Bloch.
Gersh Signs Chris Noth
EXCLUSIVE: Chris Noth has signed with Gersh. He had been repped by CAA. Noth, a fixture of TV and stage in New York, has been acting in the Broadway revival of That Championship Season, and he continues in a non-exclusive role as the scandal-scarred husband in The Good Wife. Noth continues to be managed by Sanders Armstrong Caserta.
Anne Heche, James Tupper To Star In Lifetime Movie
EXCLUSIVE: Real-life couple Anne Heche and James Tupper are set to star in the Lifetime original movie Girl Fight, their first on-screen pairing since the ABC dramedy series Men In Trees on which they met. Inspired by the true story of Florida cheerleader Victoria Lindsay, Girl Fight recounts the harrowing story of Tori Lindsay, a 16-year-old, stellar high school student whose life spirals downward when her "friends" brutally beat her up and then upload a video of the attack onto the Internet. Heche and Tupper will play the girl's parents. David Craig (Flight 93), Linda Berman (Buffalo Dreams) and Rocky Lang (White Squall) are executive producing the movie, which was written by Benita Garvin and Teena Booth.
Sony Pics TV Unit Hires Lucia Cottone As SVP Development & Current Programming
Lucia Cottone, who most recently worked at Lifetime developing such series as Army Wives, has joined Sony Pictures Television as SVP development and current programming, networks. In the newly created role, she will oversee global development for SPT’s growing channel portfolio worldwide as well as current programming, managing a slate of hundreds of original hours.
Hot Trailer: 'Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes'
20th Century Fox's resuscitation of the Planet of the Apes franchise has brought another trailer that better reveals the story behind Rise of the Planet of the Apes. The Rupert Wyatt-directed film stars James Franco and opens Aug. 5. There will be high expectations, considering that the 1968 Charlton Heston original was so unforgettable for moviegoers old enough to remember it. And the Tim Burton-directed remake in 2001 was so disappointing.
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