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Mr. T to Gold: Good Riddance

July 14, 2006

While pitching his new show, "I Pity the Fool," to television critics, Mr. T. explained his recent costume change.

The former "A-Team" star has shed the piles of gold chains that were his signature look after witnessing the destruction from Hurricane Katrina.

“As a spiritual man, I felt it would be a sin against my God for me to wear all that gold again because I spent a lot of time with the less fortunate,” the actor said.

“I saw some, I call it 'sorry celebrities.' They'll go down there and hook up with the people to take a photo-op. I said, 'How disgusting.' If you're not going to go down there with a check and a hammer and a nail to help the people, don't go down there.”

Mr. T, whose real name is Lawrence Tero, stars in “I Pity the Fool” debuting in October on TV Land. He dispenses advice to viewers who are struggling with life's problems.

“Yes, I am qualified to beat people up. But I am pretty intelligent,” he said. “That's what throws people off. If you've been through something, that gives you an authority that you can speak on certain things. That's why people relate to me. I pull no punches.”

NBC to Broadcast "Project Runway"

In the beginning it was a guilty pleasure of fashion designers. Then it became a fave show among anyone fascinated with fashion.

Now Bravo’s “Project Runway” is going mainstream, so to speak.

After it’s record-breaking premiere on the cable network this past Wednesday, NBC announced that it will air the first two episodes July 17 and 24.

Such "collaboration/synergy" is not unheard of ... “Queer Eye” benefited from a one-time play on the Network ... but usually it’s the other way around. First on a network, then an afterlife on cable.

(Full Disclosure: BBCancelled is owned by GE/Universal, which also owns Bravo.)

Season Three’s premiere on Wednesday was the channel's highest-rated this year. And our sister site Bravotv.com was flush with traffic by fans ready to dish on the designers. So perhaps it should come as no surprise that the parent network would want a piece of the action.

BET Breeds New Company

The founder of the Black Entertainment Television and the brothers who started Miramax are teaming up to form a new company to distribute family comedies centered on black characters.

BET is a continually growing franchise that has taken advantage of the continued lack of African-Americans on television. Kudos to them for their perseverance; it will surely lead them to even greater success.

(No word on whether they’re looking at Mr. T’s new show -- see story above.)

The name is not the most original, but we have hope that the final products will be.

Our Stories Films is a co-production between Robert L. Johnson, founder of RLJ and BET and owner of the NBA's Charlotte Bobcats, and Bob and Harvey Weinstein. Johnson will oversee the creation of the entertainment; then the brothers Weinstein's Dimension Films will distribute.

Johnson has lined up $200 million in capital, including up to $175 million in financing from JP Morgan Chase.

''Never before has an African-American had green-light authority at a studio combined with this quality of financing and a distribution partner that has a proven track record in successful urban films,'' Johnson said.

The company expects to open for business within six months.

Britain, Germany to Welcome Nazis

July 13, 2006

Soup Nazis, that is.

New York chef Al Yeganeh, AKA the ''Soup Nazi'' character on ''Seinfeld,'' is taking his recipes to the UK.

Yeganeh and his partners plan to open 50 Original SoupMan franchises during the next year. He said the first franchises would be in central London, Manchester and Birmingham.

The company also hopes to open outlets in Germany, Italy and Japan.

Yeganeh's takeout restaurant, Soup Kitchen International, became a midtown Manhattan tourist attraction after the 1995 ''Seinfeld'' episode in which Jerry, George, Elaine and Kramer have their soup orders abruptly cut off by a gruff man with a thick mustache.

Employees at the international locations will not yell the character's trademark ''No soup for you!'' at customers, but will enforce Yeganeh's strict rules: ''Have your money ready!'' and ''Move to the extreme left after ordering!''

''We think it will be an exciting concept that people in England will embrace,'' said the company’s owner. ''Al's an artist and very particular. His work is clearly soup. His life is his soup.''

And all of that somehow makes it kosher for someone with a nickname “nazi” to open business in the land where real Nazis once roamed?

This world is whack.

Falling Idol Sex Tape

A former ''American Idol'' contestant accused of videotaping sexual encounters with two teenage girls has been indicted on child pornography charges.

Oh, it’s so easy these days to write about reality show participants behaving badly. But it still feels right. Maybe because these people were average before they went on television, and they are average after they’ve been on television. It’s we that elevate them while they fill the small screen.

The story is: Daniel James ''DJ'' Boyd, 27, pleaded not guilty Tuesday in U.S. District Court to charges of production of child pornography and possession of child pornography. A trial date was set for Sept. 18. Boyd faces up to 40 years in prison if convicted.

Boyd, a contestant on the popular TV talent competition two years ago, was arrested last month in West Valley City after a 14-year-old girl contacted police. He has remained in the Salt Lake County Jail since his arrest.

The Salt Lake County district attorney's office has also charged Boyd with unlawful sexual activity with a minor and unlawful supply of alcohol to minors. He is scheduled to appear in district court July 25 for a preliminary hearing on those charges.

Foo(l) Fighters

Does anyone believe that Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie are really not friends?

Plain and simple: They are colleagues, business partners and co-stars of ''The Simple Life.” If you don’t believe it, then why have they just signed up for a fifth season of their reality-style series

The show moved to E! after Fox declined to air a fourth season. A new format allows the feuding friends to have nothing to do with each other.

Yeah, and BBCancelled News has a bridge in Hoboken we'd like to sell you.

''The Simple Life -- 'til Death Do Us Part,'' has Hilton and Richie -- in separate scenes, of course -- playing a ''wife'' and running a household.

In one episode, Hilton characterized the two as ''complete opposites.''

''I'm the nice one, she's the evil one,'' she said.

Puhlease! After watching Barbara Walters last month admit to planning Star Jones exit from “The View” in a dishonest way ... is there any reason to believe anything we see on TV?

Epilepsy Shocker for "Y&R" Veteran

July 12, 2006

What do you do with a character after 26 seasons? You make him go crazy. That way he gets to become a totally different character and mix things up … a lot.

That’s what “The Young and The Restless” is doing with Eric Braeden’s character.

On Monday, the CBS show revealed that Victor Newman (Braeden) was affected by temporal lobe epilepsy from a head injury sustained in a carjacking several months ago. Thus his recent kindness, loving attention to his grandkids, and all that time he spent with his wife are explained away.

Braeden, and the fans, are lovin’ the ill trouble.

''I absolutely love it because it's uncharted territory,'' Braeden said. ''It's so interesting to play someone that is childlike and naive and not as calculated and hostile and angry as he usually is.''

And because this is the age of being nice — at least for the sake of not offending anyone and thus hurting your business — Braeden recorded a public-service announcement in cooperation with the Epilepsy Foundation that will air Monday and Tuesday.

''People with epilepsy can live very successful and seizure-free lives,'' he said.

In coming weeks, viewers will see how Victor deals with his diagnosis and how his family and business associates react, too.

More Siblings For Sally

Sally Field is signing on for a weekly TV series.

Gidget is joining ''Brothers & Sisters,'' a drama set to air this fall on ABC.

The drama, something Field excels at, follows a close-knit family socially and financially intertwined by love, business ... and secrets. Field will play the mother of five adult siblings.

The series also stars Calista Flockhart, Rachel Griffiths, Ron Rifkin, Balthazar Getty and Patricia Wettig.

Field, 59, won Oscars for her roles in 1984's Places in the Heart and 1979's Norma Rae. She won two Emmys: for ''Sybil'' in 1977 and for a guest role on NBC's ''ER'' in 2001.

Jay-S Back On Telly

Jessica Simpson's is co-hosting the Teen Choice awards on Fox, August 20. But they can't find a co-host.

Does that mean that a) no one wants to work with her? Or b) that she won’t agree to share the stage with any of their choices?

At ''Teen Choice 2006,'' Simpson is a nominee, too. She’s nominated for breakout performance for her role as Daisy Duke in ''The Dukes of Hazzard,'' choice red carpet fashion icon and choice hottie.

For those not quite teen-y enough: that’s three nominations. Winners take home awards in the shape of surfboards

Voters can cast their ballots until Aug. 11 on teenpeople.com, MySpace, Ign.com and Fox.com.

In other Jay-S news: Simpson, 26, stars in the comedy ''Employee of the Month,'' which opens Sept. 15. Her new album, ''A Public Affair,'' debuts Aug. 29.

The Real World Bites

A cast member on MTV's ''The Real World'' upcoming Key West season was arraigned on a misdemeanor assault charge after police said she bit her boyfriend during a domestic dispute.

Paula Ann Meronek, 25, allegedly bit her boyfriend several times when he refused to let her into their home early Sunday morning, police said.

''I think it was an argument that led to one thing then another,'' said Cromwell Police Chief Anthony Salvatore. ''He attempted to keep her from the house. It got physical and we were contacted.''

Share the keys, kids. Talk it out! Don’t be hittin’.

Meronek, who was arraigned Monday, was charged with third-degree assault, which carries a potential penalty of a year in prison. She is due back in court Aug. 11. No lawyer was listed in court documents. Her boyfriend, John Alyward, was charged with disorderly conduct.

Well, at least they are both busted. It does take two to tango — and to get into a really nasty fight.

A spokesman for the show's producers said filming is complete and the arrest will not affect the new season.

Thanks heavens!

Felicity Back For 30 Seconds

July 11, 2006

Keri Russell may have been a tomboy growing up, and TV audiences know her as a college coed on the TV series ''Felicity.'' But now she's gone glam as a CoverGirl.

Hey, at least it keeps her on television.

The 30-year-old actress joins Christie Brinkley and Queen Latifah as a spokesmodel for the venerable beauty brand. The new TV ad for Outlast Double Lipshine debuts this month, and the print ad will be in August magazines.
Being a makeup model isn't what Russell expected in her career. This is only the second commercial she has starred in, other than promotions for her various movie and television roles.

''When I first started, I did do a commercial for a deodorant or something. I don't even think it aired. This is the first thing I've done like this. It's a lot less stressful than doing a film. This take two days, not a few months or the whole year of a television show,'' she said. But the CoverGirl shoot wasn't just about looking pretty. Russell describes the TV ad more as a mini action movie, in which she fights a group of ninjas. Looking pretty, of course.

Thanks to her role in ''Mission: Impossible III,'' Russell says, she probably knew more about the stunts than applying makeup.

Now, BBCancelled News will be very, very happy if any reader can find us the Keri Russell deodorant advertisement. Come on! It has to be on YouTube … somewhere. No?

Peter MacNicol to become '24' regular

And this has nothing to do with MacNicol becoming “regular” 24 hours a day. We’re sure he already is. How else could he work hard enough to score recurring roles on two hit shows?

MacNicol, one of the stars of CBS' ''Numb3rs,'' is joining the cast of Fox's real-time drama, ''24,'' as a series regular, the network announced.

The 52-year-old actor will portray a high-ranking government official in the sixth season of ''24,'' beginning in January. MacNicol won an Emmy Award in 2001 for his role as eccentric lawyer John Cage on Fox's ''Ally McBeal.''
MacNicol plays physicist Dr. Larry Fleinhardt on ''Numb3rs,'' which also stars Rob Morrow and David Krumholtz.

“24” has been nominated for a leading 12 Emmys, including outstanding drama series and outstanding lead actor in a drama series for Sutherland.

Koppel and Rather Go Niche(ly) Into The Night

The announcements are coming fast and furiously. Old timers, er, titans of television journalism are starting new lives on little cable and satellite networks.

Dan Rather’s deal with HDNet is sealed. He’ll be making documentaries that can be watched by thousands (instead of millions) of people. But he’s happy because he gets do to what he wants — as opposed to not allegedly not getting to at CBS.

Rather’s show starts next week … not like we’ve had time to miss him. He’s been on Anderson Cooper’s 360, Chris Matthews and Larry King Live recently

Ted Koppel ruled late night news for eons with serious, hard-hitting reports. He’s taking that same ethos into his new production, one-hour specials each focusing on a Nobel-prize winner. The interview format should suit Koppel, who always excelled at looking carefree no matter who he was talking to.

Koppel’s program premieres on the Discovery Times Channel on July 17.

Fourth Place on "Idol" is Good Enough

Chris Daughtry lost American Idol. Now Chris Daughtry has won a major recording contract.

Daughtry, who was voted off the Fox talent contest in an elimination round, has signed with music mogul Clive Davis in conjunction with 19 Recordings Unlimited, the label managed by ''Idol'' creator Simon Fuller, RCA Records announced.

The 26-year-old North Carolina native will form a band ''and has already begun to work with A-list collaborators'' to write and record material for an album expected to be released later this year.

Daughtry turned down an offer to be lead singer for the band Fuel last month. His raspy vocals can be heard on the ''American Idol: Season Five Encores'' compilation CD, which features his popular cover of Bon Jovi's ''Wanted Dead or Alive.''

At least this will keep him away from making advertisement for Ford trucks. The clips with Idol’s “winner” are unbearable. No?

Pirates Move from Silver to Small Screen

July 10, 2006

You probably saw Pirates of the Caribbean this weekend, the box office numbers were crazy-high. This Wednesday, stay home and learn about some real pirates on the History Channel.

''True Caribbean Pirates'' tells dead man's tales about Blackbeard, Black Bart and other pillagers and plunderers.

Johnny Depp is nowhere to be found. But the show is filled with sparkling tidbits of ‘lore.

According to the two-hour program, piracy had its roots in the practice of ''privateering,'' in which nations lusting for New World riches used freelance private sailors instead of navies to counter dominant Spain in the Caribbean. The lure of wealth tempted some to cross the line into piracy, but it was peace that really swelled the pirate ranks. With thousands of privateers and sailors out of work, the age of outlaw pirates was under way; even women -- Anne Bonny and Mary Read, among them -- joined in. So what do we learn? The featured-ness of Keira Knightly in the blockbuster flick isn't a Hollywood ploy to rope young men into the theaters.

Brokaw Joins Gore's Fight

As much as our “president” doesn’t want to admit the planet is burning up, another rather smart fellow is jumping on the It-Really-Is-Heating-Up global warming bandwagon.

Tom Brokaw will host ''Global Warming: What You Need to Know,'' an explainer and call to action for average Americans—much like Al Gore’s hit documentary, An Inconvenient Truth.

It premieres Sunday at 9 p.m. on the Discovery Channel.

Brokaw said he has seen and was impressed by An Inconvenient Truth, Gore's documentary on the subject.

''It's the same science that we are drawing upon and it's irrefutable,'' he said. ''I thought there was too much of Gore, but that's not my call. I thought it was very effectively done. To give credit to him, he's been on this issue for a long period of time.''

Discovery, which has a partnership with NBC News, asked Brokaw last year if there were any projects he would like to work on. He said he was interested in the environment, and Discovery mentioned its global-warming project, which it was making in partnership with the BBC in England.

George Bush gets some blame in the doc, but Brokaw is painfully diplomatic.

During the discussion, a picture is flashed of a demonstrator holding a picture of President Bush emblazoned with ''toxic Texan.'' Brokaw says political blame should be distributed more broadly.

“You Asked for It” Host Dies at 92

Jack Smith -- the television host, singer and recording artist -- died of leukemia July 3 at his home.

Smith began a singing career in the early 1930s and worked many years in radio, but is perhaps most remembered as host of the ABC series “You’ve Got Talent," er ... actually “You Asked for It."

The show invited viewers to send in suggestions for unusual things that they wanted to see on the air, like people with uncommon talent or seeing the inside vaults of Fort Knox.

Smith returned as host of a syndicated version of ''You Asked for It'' in the 1971-72 season, and the show was produced sporadically until 1977.