COULD A BEDSIDE SHOTGUN RACK HAVE SAVED JENNIFER HUDSON’S FAMILY FROM TRAGIC DEATH?

Tragedy strikes in a Chicago home leaving 3 people dead and an Oscar winner forced to identify the bodies of her family.

Jennifer Hudson’s mother and brother were gunned down in their home Friday. Could an invaluable device have saved their lives? It’s called The BackUp and it is a bedside shotgun rack. ...

Whether it is someone known or a stranger entering the home, too many people in this country are paying with their lives during these home invasions. The Hudson family is just one of far too many Americans gunned down in their own home.

What can be done? Law enforcement and the government aren’t solving the problem. So law-abiding citizens are now forced to take their safety, security, and life into their own hands.

It's true! Now you can handle the "people of interest" in your own life when they come knocking, kidnapping, shooting and/or intending general homicidal mischief in your own home. It's made in America, and it works — just ask company president John Peters, who is ready to receive your questions at (612) 605-3613 or press-info@the-backup.com. We're sure comments are welcome as well; send our coldest regards either way.

• COULD A BEDSIDE SHOTGUN RACK HAVE SAVED JENNIFER HUDSON’S FAMILY? [MMDN]

FremantleMedia North America (FMNA), producers of some of television's most successful brands including "American Idol," "America's Got Talent" and "The Price Is Right," has inked a first-look deal with Wilmer Valderrama and his WV Enterprises (WVE) to develop and launch future series concepts on a global scale. [...]

"We're very pleased to be working with the talented tour de force better known as Wilmer Valderrama," says [FMNA CEO Cecile] Frot-Coutaz. "He and [partner] Danny [Villa] are very gifted producers with a keen sensibility for entertaining content that appeals to their generation. We look forward to creating great projects together."

Admittedly, we don't share Valderrama's impressive professional background of playing fourth-wheel characters on a longrunning Fox sitcom, so we aren't even going to pretend to know what "future series concepts on a global scale" means. Franchising Yo Momma internationally strikes us as a logical place for FezMantle productions to start, however, as its hopeful, universal message of using hyperbolic statements regarding the obesity of the enemy's mother—not guns—could lay the blueprint for world peace.

For those of you who just can't get enough details about this exciting venture, the entire press release is after the jump.

• [FremantleMedia.com]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 1, 2007

FREMANTLEMEDIA NORTH AMERICA SIGNS
FIRST-LOOK DEAL WITH WILMER VALDERRAMA

"American Idol" Producer Teams Up With Valderrama's WV Enterprises
For Future Scripted and Unscripted Projects

BURBANK, CA - FremantleMedia North America (FMNA), producers of some of television's most successful brands including "American Idol," "America's Got Talent" and "The Price Is Right," has inked a first-look deal with Wilmer Valderrama and his WV Enterprises (WVE) to develop and launch future series concepts on a global scale, it was announced today by Cecile Frot-Coutaz, CEO of FMNA. Valderrama, who will serve as executive producer and may star in certain projects, will set up offices in FMNA's corporate headquarters in Burbank, California, along with producing partner Danny Villa, who prior to joining WVE served as director of talent and series development at MTV.

"We're very pleased to be working with the talented tour de force better known as Wilmer Valderrama," says Frot-Coutaz. "He and Danny are very gifted producers with a keen sensibility for entertaining content that appeals to their generation. We look forward to creating great projects together."

"I'm thrilled to partner up with such a groundbreaking company as FremantleMedia, and to share ideas for new and original concepts that promise to be influential for not only youth but for all demographics around the world," says Valderrama.

Best known for his role as 'Fez' on the hit series "That 70's Show," Valderrama most recently starred opposite Ethan Hawke and Patricia Arquette in Fox Searchlight's "Fast Food Nation" directed by Richard Linklater. He is also the creator, producer and host of the hit MTV show, "Yo Momma," now in its third season. Additionally, he is currently starring as the voice of Latino hero 'Manny Garcia' in "Handy Manny," an animated series on The Disney Channel.

Valderrama is attached to star in the feature film version of "CHiPs" for Warner Bros., in which he'll reprise the role of 'Ponch' from the classic television series. His production company, WV Enterprises, is currently developing "PartyBuddys" with Universal Pictures, based on the life stories of James King and Jason Roefaro who founded the New York company of the same name which offers its clients a type of fast-pass to a celebrity lifestyle for a night. Other film credits include the 2006 Warner Bros. holiday feature "Unaccompanied Minors," the Sundance 2006 hit "The Darwin Awards," and the indie film "El Muerto".
(more)

FremantleMedia North America (FMNA) is a division of global media giant FremantleMedia, one of the largest international creators and producers of program brands in the world. Based in Burbank, California, FMNA currently produces some of the most innovative and highest-rated entertainment on television, including the multiple Emmy-nominated musical/reality phenomenon "American Idol" for Fox, "America's Got Talent" and "Thank God You're Here" for NBC, "American Inventor" for ABC, "The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency" for Oxygen, "Property Ladder" for TLC, "Monarch Cove" for Lifetime, the daily syndicated "Family Feud", and the longest-running game show in television history, "The Price Is Right" for CBS.

FremantleMedia is the production arm of the RTL Group, Europe's largest television and radio broadcast company. With interests in 34 television channels and 30 radio stations in 11 countries, RTL Group is a division of leading integrated media and entertainment company, Bertelsmann AG.

Shots Fired Outside 'MIAMI VICE' Filming Location — No cast and crew were hurt
On Monday, October 24, 2005, outside of the Plaza Maria de Toledo hotel in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, where a Universal Pictures production crew was filming scenes for the movie "MIAMI VICE," several gun shots were fired. The cast and crew of the production were filming on the third floor of the hotel when it is believed that an individual fired a weapon outside the property, following an alleged altercation with the production's security. The security returned fire and the individual was shot. At this point in time, the individual's condition is not clear. None of the film's cast and crew was hurt. It is believed that an investigation by Santo Domingo local authorities is under way regarding the incident, and the production is cooperating with this investigation.

Universal has to be devastated. They paid good money to have Colin Farrell bumped off during filming outside of the States, knowing that a tragic death could bring huge opening weekend ticket sales, but knew they were taking a risk trusting the task to foreign, nonunion labor. Maybe they'll have better luck with the upcoming Miami "yacht accident."

• Shots Fired Outside 'MIAMI VICE' Filming Location [PR Newswire]