Gawker: defamer, valerie bertinelli

NBC Wondering If Michael Phelps Wants Ben Silverman's Job

Seth — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 16:35:00 EDT

· NBC commanded an appropriately world-record-breaking ratings win over the other four networks thanks to Michael Phelps and the rest of their Olympics coverage; but CBS's Big Brother managed to hold its own, due in no small part to a competitively themed Drown the Old Guy in Slop episode that tested the outer limits of senior contestant Jerry's will to live. [Variety]
· She lost the weight, she's feeling great, and now she's ready to work: Valerie Bertinelli will return to her sitcom roots with a half-four TBS comedy about a single mom "who struggles to care for two kids and a lumber business." Even more exciting? Bonnie Franklin is in talks to play a stack of two-by-fours! [Variety]
· Fox News Channel is sprucing up its Facebook page with a video clip library, enhanced feedback applications, and anchor status updates alerting you that "Bill O'Reilly is...totally nuts for WALL-E even though he knows he shouldn't be :P!!!" [Variety]
·James McAvoy and Emily Blunt will voice the title gnomes is Gnomio and Juliet, playing starcrossed Travelocity pitchmen from "rival gardens" in a computer-animated Miramax feature. [THR]
·ABC is going forward with Supermanny, a male version of Supernanny, in which bratty problem-children will be dazzled into submission by their new hunky caregiver's rippling abs and dreamy smile. [THR]

[Photo via BWE.tv]

Angry Birds, Crazy Widows, And BFFs

Mark — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 15:39:25 EDT

· Naomi Watts is on board to star in Universal's remake of The Birds, which, thankfully, the studio isn't rushing into production, allowing time for a possible rewrite of the script still in development that could further address the avian-backstory problems they've previously identified in the Hitchcock original. [Variety]
· While Hollywood eagerly awaits the results of the WGA's strike authorization vote, writers and studios won't resume their tug of war over a giant pencil until Monday morning. [THR]

· Universal hires David Benioff to write a biopic based on the Kurt Cobain biography Heavier Than Heaven. While the "nature of the story they are trying to tell" hasn't been revealed, Courtney Love is executive producing, so we wouldn't be too surprised if the project becomes the tale of a totally stable, sane wife who just couldn't save a troubled genius from his demons. [Variety]
· Valerie Bertinelli signs on as "celebrity content buddy" for the Rachael Ray show, with the former Mrs. Van Halen handling various BFF duties for the host, like traveling the country to bring her fun stories from the road, or dropping by the studio to cook and do each other's hair. [THR]
· CBS's The Big Bang Theory and The Unit and ABC's Private Practice get full-season pick-ups—you know, unless that little strike thing winds up happening. [Variety]

Sorry, Ladies

Mark — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 21:18:43 EDT

· Charlie Sheen is off the market again, a development that could have serious economic ramifications for local escorts specializing in pom-pom play.
· We never thought we'd say this, but if Scary Hollywood Lawyer Marty Singer prevents us from having to see Nick Lachey's o-face, he's truly doing the Lord's work.
· TVWeek's TCA blog brings us the Cocaine-Related Valerie Bertinelli Quote of the Day.
· What can a renter do when his eastside neighbor poops too loudly? Curbed L.A. tries to find an answer.