Midnight

He died in a New York City hospital of complications after minor surgery, according to a CBS statement released on Saturday. Rooney was 92. In a 2010 interview with USA TODAY, he was asked about retiring and shot back his own question: "Retire? From what? Life?" He allowed that "I suppose the time may come." It did on Oct. 2, when he delivered his 1,097th and final essay, telling his viewers, "I've done a lot of complaining here, but of all the things I've complained about, I can't complain about my life." 60 Minutes didn't replace him with another essayist — perhaps the ultimate compliment. A former war correspondent, he wrote 16 books — from Air Gunner (1944), an account of the air war against Germany, to Andy Rooney: 60 Year of Wisdom and Wit (2009). And until last year, he wrote a syndicated newspaper column. "Television made Andy instantly recognizable, often to his own chagrin. But he thought of himself first and foremost as a writer and he was a very good one,"said Peter Osnos, editor-at-large and founder of PublicAffairs Books, which published Rooney's last six books. Osnos stopped there, adding, "Andy would appreciate the brevity." Jeff Fager, chairman of CBS News and the executive producer of 60 Minutes, wouldn't discuss why Rooney wasn't replaced, but said, "It's a sad day at 60 Minutes and for everybody here at CBS News. It's hard to imagine not having Andy around. He loved his life and he lived it on his own terms." In the 2010 interview, Rooney was asked if he did retire, who might replace him? With a straight face, he suggested another CBS legend, Charles Kuralt, who died in 1997. Rooney liked to think of himself not as a TV personality but as a writer who merely appeared on television. With his whiny, sing-song oratory style and rumpled demeanor, his observation was a bit more than wry self-deprecation. He could be grouchy, rude, funny, mischievous and occasionally out-of-touch and controversial. As he put it, "There's an awful lot of nonsense in this world. I'm not shy about expressing a dislike when I feel it." In his first 60 Minutes essay, on July 2, 1978, he contended the Fourth of July weekend was "one of the safest of the year to be going someplace," and that since "fewer people are watching television over the Fourth, I suppose fewer die of boredom." Few topics were off-limits. He debunked celebrities, consumer products, companies, hair styles, holiday traditions and human behavior with wit and a sly arch of his trademark bushy eyebrows. One of his Emmy Awards was for an essay pondering if there was a real Mrs. Smith behind Mrs. Smith's Pies. "Andy Rooney occupied a special place in the hearts of Americans," said Sean McManus, former president of CBS News. "He made them think. He made them laugh. But most of all he made them nod in agreement because of the gift he had to know and speak what was on their minds." Rooney's TV career began in 1949 as a writer for Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts, but took off in the late '60s as a writer/producer for correspondent Harry Reasoner. In an interview with Morley Safer that accompanied his final essay for 60 Minutes, Rooney said the late Reasoner was a good writer but lazy. No one ever said that about Rooney. "The single luckiest thing that ever happened to me," he said, was as an Army private in 1942 landing a job as a reporter for the Armed Forces' newspaper, Stars and Stripes. In 1943, he was one of six correspondents who flew on the first American bombing raid over Germany. Near war's end, he was one of the first American journalists to report atrocities from recently liberated concentration camps. During the war, he met Walter Cronkite, who would become his closest friend at CBS, and Don Hewitt, who would start 60 Minutes and have the idea in 1978 of closing each Sunday night's edition of 60 Minutes with a Rooney essay. "I never had a great desire to have my face on TV," Rooney told USA TODAY. "I don't mind it. It means more money. … I like that part of it." Before 60 Minutes, he wrote and appeared in several prime-time specials, including In Praise of New York City (1974), Mr. Rooney Goes to Washington (1975), Mr. Rooney Goes to Dinner (1978), and Mr. Rooney Goes to Work (1977). He didn't always get along with his bosses. In 1970, in the midst of the Vietnam War, he quit CBS — returning two years later — when the network refused to air his morally questioning "An Essay on War." It aired on PBS instead. In 1990, he was suspended for three months after making remarks seen as homophobic to a gay newspaper. He was rehired four weeks later after 60 Minutes ratings had fallen 20%. In 1992, he angered Native Indians when he wrote in a column that it was silly for them to complain about team nicknames such as the Redskins: "The real problem is, we took the country away from the Indians, they want it back and we're not going to give it to them. We feel guilty and we'll do what we can for them within reason, but they can't have their country back. Next question." In 1994, he complained that Kurt Cobain's suicide at 27 got more attention that Richard Nixon's death. He said he had never heard of Cobain or his band Nirvana and that "a lot of people would like to have the years left that he threw away." A week later, he apologized on air, saying he should have taken Cobain's depression into account, and read critical comments from viewers. The same year, he blasted the French for not supporting the war with Iraq: "You can't beat the French when it comes to food, fashion, wine or perfume, but they lost their license to have an opinion on world affairs years ago," he said. "The French lost World War II to the Germans in about 20 minutes." But he also said, "I am proud to say that no CBS executive has ever stopped me from saying anything, no matter how dumb it was." CBS released a statement Saturday that praised Rooney's contribution to journalism. "His wry wit, his unique ability to capture the essence of any issue, and his larger-than-life personality made him an icon, not only within the industry but among readers and viewers around the globe," said Leslie Moonves, president and CEO of CBS Corporation. Rooney also won admiration from colleagues at CBS. "Underneath that gruff exterior, was a prickly interior … and deeper down was a sweet and gentle man, a patriot with a love of all things American, like good bourbon and a delicious hatred for prejudice and hypocrisy," Morley Safer said. In Rooney's cluttered office at CBS, one of his treasured possessions was a framed, handwritten note that said simply, "WOW," from the acclaimed essayist and children's author E.B. White, about Rooney's 1957 TV adaptation of White's famous essay, "Here is New York." "He was the best there was," Rooney said. When White died in 1985, Rooney noted, "Seems terribly wrong, but I'm probably better known than he was. As the phrase goes in the newspaper business, I couldn't carry his typewriter." Rooney was often viewed as an American "everyman," but he acknowledged that when he encountered fans who "want to be your best friend, I'm rude. I don't like that in myself, but I can't stop it." He once wrote, "I'm average in so many ways that it eliminates any chance I ever had of being considered a brooding, introspective intellectual." In fact, Rooney was a bit of an elitist who drove expensive cars, dined at fine French restaurants in Manhattan, was a member of several private clubs and a regular on the New York black-tie media circuit. Rooney is survived by one son, Brian, a former ABC correspondent, and three daughters: Emily, who hosts a public-TV talk show in Boston; Martha, who works at the National Library of Medicine in Bethesda, Md.; and Ellen, a photographer in London. In an introduction to the 2009 collection of his father's writings, Brian Rooney wrote: "As a father, he was the product of his time. He never said, 'I love you,' and never asked about my feelings." But, he added, "His gruffness hides sentimentality. … When my mother (Marguerite) died (in 2004, after 62 years of marriage), he curled up on the bed like a child, crying her name. He loves life and wishes it would never end." Source: http://www.usatoday....oney/51082094/1

Revenge and Suburgatory both passed the ratings test last night with ample performances. Suburgatory drew 8.75 million viewers and a 3.0 rating in the adult demo, just a tick down from last week. Revenge did the unthinkable and grew to a 2.7 rating from last week's 2.4. I bet ABC execs couldn't wait to push the "pickup" button when they saw that number. Just a quick note about Suburgatory: It's surprisingly good. Do check it out. As for Revenge, I find it to be a riveting drama with several familiar faces and suspenseful twists at every turn. It's worth a quick view!

Ferrigno became a star for his work as Bruce Banner's angry, green alter-ego on the TV series "The Incredible Hulk". The popular show ran from 1977-82 and totaled 82 episodes. He earned the title of Mr. Universe twice in the 70's during the bodybuilding craze. Since then, he has continued to act, as well as continuing with his bodybuilding career. He's guest starred on various tv shows such as "Chuck", "Reno 911!", "The King of Queens", "Celebrity Apprentice", and several others. As far as his bodybuilding career, he has his own line of fitness equipment and books and apparel. So again, let's all wish Mr. Ferrigno a very Happy Birthday and hope that he has many more to come. Happy Birthday Lou !!!!!

You can find it here!!!!

Elisabeth played assistant Sarah Jane Smith opposite Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker and reprised her role as the gutsy investigative journalist several times over the years, including the 2006 episode School Reunion. She went on to star in spin-off children’s series The Sarah Jane Adventures, which saw guest appearances from David Tennant and current Doctor Matt Smith. The show proved a hit with a new generation of youngsters and was one of the BBC’s highest ever rated children’s programmes. In 2007, Elisabeth appeared at the annual SF Ball cult TV convention in Bournemouth, where she told the Daily Echo that she loved her time in the Tardis, describing her co-stars as “a joy to work with”. B Jones, SF Ball spokesperson and Doctor Who fan, remembered the actress as being “great fun”. She said: “When she came to our convention she told us she was dressed by her daughter because she was representing Sarah Jane and thought she looked mumsy. “She was open and welcoming and keen to talk about the resurgence of the character. She was so interested in the fans and what they had to say.” The Sarah Jane character was so popular with fans because she was “one of the first females who didn’t scream every time something went wrong,” added B. Elisabeth twice came to Dorset during her time with Doctor Who, filming part of Death to the Daleks at ARC Sandpit in Gallows Hill with Jon Pertwee in 1973, and scenes for The Seeds of Doom with Tom Baker at Athelhampton House in 1975. The fifth series of the Sarah Jane Adventures was due to be broadcast some time this year.

It just felt a lot longer than those 190 minutes. A few hours ago yours truly wrote a post about Oscar hosts James Franco and Anne Hathaway were very winning in the show's opening moments. Consider that opinion revised. Hathaway remained a lively presence throughout the show and had a funny musical number about a third of the way into the broadcast, but aside from a couple of moments after the opening, the choice of Franco as her co-host didn't play nearly as well as the academy probably was hoping. Franco is a very talented actor and has been fantastic in comedic roles on film. On live TV, though, his detached, isn't-this-ironic vibe came off more disinterested than hip. His walk-on in "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes"-esque drag and a crack about the supposedly naughty titles of some of the nominated movies got us laughing, but other than that he rarely matched Hathaway's energy. The hosts can only do so much in an awards show, though, and these Oscars weren't really helped by the fact that there almost no surprises. Just about everyone who was expected to win -- Natalie Portman, Colin Firth, Melissa Leo, Christian Bale, Aaron Sorkin, "The King's Speech" -- did win, just as most of them have done at several awards leading up to the Oscars. As a result, there was a same old-same old feel to much of the show, give or take an accidental F-bomb from best supporting actress winner Leo. Having a pair of younger hosts that aren't pulled from the ranks of comedians is a good idea in theory, and Hathaway showed flashes that it could work. But the combination of her and Franco didn't really pull it off on Sunday.

For her re-ascent to the top of the pop-culture consciousness, the 88-year-old White has been named Entertainer of the Year by the Associated Press. The wire service collected 102 ballots from member organizations, and White received 20 first-place votes. She beat the cast of "Glee" for the honor by two votes. "It's ridiculous," White tells the AP. "They haven't caught on to me, and I hope they never do." White started her year by receiving SAG's lifetime achievement award in January, and she's ending it as a SAG nominee for her individual performance in TV Land's comedy "Hot in Cleveland" (the show's ensemble is also nominated for best cast of a comedy series). In between she won an Emmy for her May turn as host of "Saturday Night Live," which followed a Facebook campaign to get her on the show and gave "SNL" its biggest audience in some time. White says all the accolades and fan response have been "phenomenal" -- she just doesn't want people to call it a comeback. "Everybody keeps congratulating me on my resurgence and my big comeback," she tells the AP. "I haven't been away, guys. I've been working steadily for the last 63 years. ... I've had my own following all that time. If they want me to go away, if they get tired of me, just stop asking me because I keep saying yes." Source: http://blog.zap2it.c...f-the-year.html

Listen, I really value our relationship. I travel all over the country chasing down the cast and creators of your favorite show to get you the scoop you're fiending for, and in return, you guys keep me endlessly entertained with your comments and tweets and occasional profanity-ridden battles over who is going to end up with who. It's all very mutually beneficial. But something's been bugging me, and I just can't bite my tongue any longer. Recently, there's been some negative energy toward my favorite character, the adorably clueless Matt Donovan (Zach Roerig). Matty made #1 on a certain list of the worst things about "The Vampire Diaries," and a reviewer who has been mixing haterade with his morning coffee compared the kid to "a pile of mashed potatoes." And okay, maybe the mashed potatoes thing was sort of hilarious, but that doesn't make it any less wrong. So now, with a little help from my friend Zach, who I caught up with on set in Atlanta, I'm going to educate you on all of the reasons Matt is awesome. You may want to take some notes, kids. This stuff will be on your final exam. Secrets, secrets are no fun... without someone to keep them from. "I must say that I am honored to hold down the human fort in Mystic Falls," Zach jokes. In a town where you can't sneeze without spraying a vampire, a witch, or a werewolf, Matt remains one of only two regular characters who isn't in on the supernatural drama. But being out of the loop doesn't make Matt boring -- it makes him the wild card. (Sexy, right?) We were all shocked when Katherine compelled him to provoke Tyler into triggering the werewolf curse because the twist came out of nowhere, and you can bet that there are more Matt-related game-changers to come. Since his friends haven't bothered to fill him in on the various monsters using his workplace as their favorite pre-kill watering hole, we can't predict how he may act in any given situation. "Matt's strength and weakness are the same," Zach says. "He doesn't know about the vampires. So he could think he's like superman, and then get his neck broken." Luke Ward, your services are no longer needed. In the pilot episode, we were first introduced to Matt as Elena's cute jock ex-boyfriend with a bit of a staring problem, a tendency to mouth off to (terrible) teachers, and an unfortunately lingering thing for our heroine. More than a decade of watching television led us to the inevitable conclusion: Matt was going to be A Problem. He'd be the jealous ex who got in the way of True Love with his bad attitude and inability to leave the past in the past. He'd probably make a bunch of macho attempts to steal Elena back. He'd probably drive an obnoxiously expensive car to make up for certain shortcomings. He'd probably threaten Stefan with a rumble or, at the very least, a "Welcome to Mystic Falls, bitch!" So imagine our surprise when Matt saw Stefan making eyes at Elena and walked up to him to say, "Hey, I'm Matt. Nice to meet you." Swoon! Maturity, in a high school football player? A good-looking blond ex who doesn't treat a girl like a prize to be won? As a character, Matt defies all stereotypes, and in a TV landscape where plots are recycled more often than Vitamin Water bottles on "Gossip Girl," that's a good thing. He's hot. Consider this your obligatory his-eyes-are-so-blue mention. It's true. They are soblue. Everyone loves a triangle. Stefan, Elena, and Damon are going to dance around each other until Paul Wesley, Nina Dobrev, and Ian Somerhalder bid adieu to Mystic Falls and become huge movie stars who have to allocate trophy rooms in their houses for all of their various awards. We love to watch their cat-and-mouse games, which is a good thing, because we probably won't find out who gets the girl until the series finale. (That is, assuming she doesn't pull a Kelly Taylor, forcing the 'shippers to storm Warner Bros with tar, feathers, pitchforks, and picket signs.) In the meantime, we can take an occasional break from getting the word "Stelena" or "Delena" tattooed on our foreheads and enjoy the more immediate satisfaction of the tension brewing between Matt, Caroline, and Tyler. In the upcoming January 27 spring premiere episode, "The Descent," both Matt and Tyler kiss Caroline (her life is soooo hard) - which is further complicated by the fact that Matt and Tyler, despite being perfect opposites, are total BFFs. But like we said -- Matt is a mature guy. He won't be pulling any Pacey-Dawson "sailboat race for her love!" douche moves any time soon. Instead, he's going to start investigating the situation. "He's probably going to discover some weird habits of Caroline and Tyler," Zach admits. Reality doesn't bite. In Mystic Falls, it seems like every kid has a magical piece of jewelry of some kind. Enchanted rings are the new Silly Bandz. Everyone and their brother can outrun a speeding bullet or survive being staked in the heart or make autumn leaves dance Swan Lake in the school parking lot just by thinking about it. But Matt Donovan doesn't need any sparkly jewelry to stay significant. Matt is the grounding force of the show. He's a real kid, dealing with real kid problems - like keeping gas in his truck and regretting things he did after dipping into a liquor cabinet. Presumably, he even goes to school once in a while. With Matt around, the show remains relatable to those of us watching from our apartments while drinking $8 wine and deciding whether to pay our car insurance or our cable bill first. He's a Twitter goldmine. Okay, I know there are a million role-play Twitters and Livejournals and Facebooks out there, and I don't mean to play favorites, but... I have a favorite. If you know what's good for you, you'll follow @Matt_Donovan1on Twitter. His tweets are so delightfully tragic. We don't know who is behind the Twitter -- it's definitely not any of the "Vampire Diaries" writers, or Zach himself, and despite speculation, it's not yours truly. It is, however, the highlight of my day when "Matt" tweets about the various repairs needed for his truck. The hits just keep on coming. How can you call someone boring when he's lost two girlfriends, a sister, and potentially a best friend to supernatural forces he's unaware of? Not to mention, he blames himself for the death of a friend (okay, an acquaintance) that unbeknownst to him triggered Tyler's lycanthropy. "I think that Matt is probably still completely guilt-ridden," Zach says. After all, it doesn't exactly fall into the gray area when it comes to Matt's tried and true moral compass. "Getting over fighting with his friend is one thing, but having the death of another person on his shoulders, that's not the kind of thing Matt can just brush off." There's only so much a guy can take. "Everyone knows Matt's going to snap," Zach says. "If Matt was let in on the fact that there are vampires, and all the other craziness that's going on, that's a lot - to find out his sister was killed, and it was covered up by his friends. His original girlfriend that he loved was involved, his second girlfriend was involved and now she's messing with a werewolf - that's a lot to process." It's all about potential. Just because Matt isn't secretly a mind-reading fairy doesn't mean that he doesn't have some incredible stories waiting to bite him in the neck. How quickly we forget, while we're raving about Caroline as a vampire or Tyler's transformation scene, that last season, she was just a vulnerable Type A and he was just a typical two-dimensional bully. If there's anything we've learned from the secondary characters currently embroiled in suspenseful, unpredictable character arcs, it's that the powers that be behind "The Vampire Diaries" never let a character go to waste. Matt's time will come. Patience, grasshoppers. Have a little faith. Basically, if you think Matt Donovan is boring, you're not thinking enough. Source: http://blog.zap2it.c...al-jewelry.html

The Showtime thriller is switching out Season 5's showrunner with Scott Buck going into the sixth season. Buck's not exactly new to "Dexter," having been a co-executive producer since Season 2, but now they're ready to hand him the power. He's written the last three season finales. He used to write and produce for "Six Feet Under," which also starred Michael C. Hall. [Deadline] CBS has friended Rita Wilson and F. Murray Abraham. The two will visit "The Good Wife" for a February episode that's inspired by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and "The Social Network." [EW] "Eden" has been populated. USA's pilot has cast "Heroes" Nick D'Agosto as John Sparks, a concierge for an elite New York hotel. He calls on Eddie, "Dollhouse's" Enver Gjokaj,for help. Eddie's an escaped con though, so therein lie the shenanigans. [TV Guide] The late Blake Edwards will get a movie marathon on Turner Classic Movies in his honor. "Breakfast at Tiffany's," "Days of Wine and Roses," "The Pink Panther," "Victor/Victoria" and "Operation Petticoat" will air beginning 8 p.m. ET on Monday, Dec. 27, going into the wee hours. [THR] The hit man returns. Jack Huston, who plays the disfigured Richard Harrow hired as a hit man and bodyguard, has been upped to a series regular in the second season of"Boardwalk Empire." [Deadline] Follow Zap2it on Twitter and Zap2it on Facebook for the latest news and buzz Photo/Video credit: Showtime Source: http://blog.zap2it.c...uest-stars.html

In the category of fastest rumor-squashing, Simon Cowell has knocked down speculation that George Michael will be a judge on "The X Factor" on FOX next fall. Reports of Michael's supposed involvement started making the rounds Thursday morning (Dec. 14); within a few hours, Cowell had issued a statement saying Michael won't be a judge on the show. ["Extra"] It's a bad time to be a spinoff at Syfy. The cable channel has decided not to renew "Stargate Universe" for a third season; the 10 episodes scheduled to air in the spring will be the show's last. [Deadline] A pair of "Smallville" episodes ("Shield" and "Abandoned") are among the TV nominees for the American Society of Cinematographers 25th annual Outstanding Achievement Awards. The other series nominees are "Dark Blue" (episode "Shell Game"), "Boardwalk Empire" ("Home" and "Family Limitation"), "Mad Men" ("Blowing Smoke") and "Nikita" ("Pilot"); the TV movie/miniseries nominees are "Jesse Stone: No Remorse," "Part 2" of Syfy's "Alice" and the "Okinawa" episode of "The Pacific." [ASC] First The Hoff, now The Donald. Comedy Central says its next celebrity roast target will be Donald Trump; the special will tape on March 9 in New York and air sometime in the spring. [Comedy Central] Ex-Beatle Paul McCartney can still bring viewers to television. Last weekend's "Saturday Night Live", featuring host Paul Rudd and McCartney as musical guest, drew the show's biggest audience (7.6 million) and adults 18-49 rating (2.7) of the season. [NBC] NKOTBSB -- that'd be New Kids on the Block and the Backstreet Boys -- will be part of ABC's "New Year's Rockin' Eve" telecast. The no-longer-boy bands, who are touring together, join Taio Cruz and Ke$ha in the lineup of performers in New York's Times Square. [ABC] NBC's genealogy series "Who Do You Think You Are?" has announced its lineup of celebrities for Season 2, which premieres Feb. 4. The stars tracing their heritage areGwyneth Paltrow, Vanessa Williams, Rosie O'Donnell, Steve Buscemi, Tim McGraw, Kim Cattrall, Lionel Richie and Ashley Judd. [NBC] Source: http://blog.zap2it.c...nald-trump.html

Late Tuesday, Dec. 14, Julia Stiles finally chimed in on her Golden Globe nod, hours after the nominations were announced and all the other stars had already given their statements of varying amounts of glee. The actress, who nabbed the nomination for her guest starring turn in "Dexter," was apparently at some "undisclosed location out of the country," according to a Showtime publicist. "It's bizarre receiving the news in such a remote place where internet access is difficult and phones are impossible, but I'm glad I checked my email," Stiles says in a statement. "I'm beyond thrilled! It was an honor to be part of the show, and to have my work recognized by the HFPA. I am so grateful!" On "Dexter's" fifth season, Stiles plays Lumen, a woman who has been raped and tortured by a group of men. Helping her seek revenge is part of Dexter's (Michael C. Hall) coming to terms with his wife's murder in the Season 4 finale. "Dexter" also received nominations for Hall and the show itself in the drama category. Overall, we're thrilled with Stiles' inclusion. She joined Jonny Lee Miller, Shawn Hatosy and Peter Weller in making a brisk and enjoyable season. We are struck, however, by the mysterious nature of Stiles' current location. Why is it "undisclosed"? Is she working on a super-secret film or TV project already? Perhaps this is part of her work with Habitat for Humanity International. That's okay, you can keep your secrets. Now that you're safe from Jordan Chase (Miller), we don't need to keep tabs on you. The show aired its Season 5 finale Sunday night (Dec. 12) and was watched by 2.9 million viewers, setting a ratings record for the most-watched season of the show. Follow Zap2it on Twitter and Zap2it on Facebook for the latest news and buzz Photo/Video credit: Getty Images, Showtime Source: http://blog.zap2it.c...-from-afar.html

We were pretty shocked that The Hollywood Foreign Press had no love for "True Blood's" Season 3 in the Golden Globes 2011 nominations. The Zap2it obsession was neither nominated in the best drama category nor did any of the actors get a nomination. The series was previously nominated for both Season 1 and 2. And Anna Paquin has been nominated twice, and took home a trophy. So, what's up with the Season 3 snub? Season 3 focused on some pretty heavy relationship stories between Sookie, Bill (Stephen Moyer) and Eric (Alexander Skarsgard) and literally broke down the Vampire hierarchy in a brutal season-long battle. Plus, we're always shocked that Nelsan Ellis' complete transformation into the bawdy Lafayette gets so little awards appreciation. Not to mention, there were some great guest stars who acted their fang-ies off: James Frain as the love-starved stalker Franklin Mott? Denis O'Hare as the vampire king who loses it when his kingdom falls apart and his life partner is murdered by Eric? Season 4 was continually spellbinding and let's not forget why we tune in to TV in the first place: "True Blood" always entertains. So, on behalf of HBO's "True Blood," we say to The Hollywood Foreign Press: Bite us! Read the rest of Zap2it's 2011 Golden Globes nominations snubs and surprises. Follow Zap2it on Twitter and Zap2it on Facebook for the latest news and buzz Photo/Video credit: HBO

The fifth season, which concluded with "The Big One" Sunday night (Dec. 12), averaged more than 5 million viewers per week, making it the series' highest-rated season to date. The finale itself nabbed 2.9 million viewers from the 9 p.m. (2.5 million) and 11 p.m. (401,000) airings combined. This is on par with the series' stellar Season 4 finale and a good 40 percent up from the premiere's 1.77 million viewers. When all is said and done and watched On Demand/Live+7, the Season 5 finale could boast as many as 6 million viewers. In "The Big One," Dexter (Michael C. Hall) concludes his search for Lumen (Julia Stiles) , who's been kidnapped by Jordan, the leader of a group of men who raped, tortured and killed women, known to the Miami Metro as the Barrel Girls. Source: http://blog.zap2it.c...ngs-record.html

"America's Next Top Model", which will begin Cycle 16 on February 23, will now be followed by the new weight-loss reality show, "Shedding for the Wedding," hosted by Sara Rue. "Life Unexpected," which is unlikely to return for a third season, will take a bow on January 18 with a special 2-hour finale event after reaching a ratings high last week. Find the full detailed schedule below. Tuesday, January 18 8:00-10:00 p.m. Life Unexpected (Season Finale) Monday, January 24 8:00-9:00 p.m. 90210 (Original Episodes Return) 9:00-10:00 p.m. Gossip Girl (Original Episodes Return) Tuesday, January 25 8:00-9:00 p.m. One Tree Hill (Original Episodes Return) 9:00-10:00 p.m. Hellcats (New Night) Thursday, January 27 8:00-9:00 p.m. The Vampire Diaries (Original Episodes Return) 9:00-10:00 p.m. Nikita (Original Episodes Return) Friday, January 28 8:00-9:00 p.m. Smallville (Original Episodes Return) 9:00-10:00 p.m. Supernatural (Original Episodes Return) Wednesday, February 23 8:00-9:00 p.m. America's Next Top Model (Season Premiere) 9:00-10:00 p.m. Shedding for the Wedding (Series Premiere) Source: http://blog.zap2it.c...ur-sendoff.html

Former "ER" star Mekhi Phifer, late of FOX's "Lie to Me," has been cast in a lead role opposite John Barrowman and Eve Myles, Deadline reports. He's playing a CIA agent named Rex Matheson, who "become embroiled in the Torchwood legend and investigate what Torchwood is or was," as creator Russell T. Davies put it last summer. Rex is described as a character who's rising in the agency's ranks and has a very sharp sense of humor. In casting Phifer, Starz and the BBC (which are co-producing the new season) have gone in a different direction than what was reported earlier in the fall, when "Dollhouse's" Enver Gjokaj and former "One Tree Hill" star Chad Michael Murray were rumored to be in contention for the role. In addition to bringing a little diversity to the cast, Phifer is also a little older than either Gjokaj or Murray and -- to our minds, at least -- projects more of a no-nonsense attitude on screen. Phifer left "Lie to Me" earlier this year after the show decided to have The Lightman Group cut its ties with the FBI. His credits also include "8 Mile," "Soul Food" and a few episodes of "Curb Your Enthusiasm." He also stars in a Lifetime movie called "Close Quarters" that's set to air next year. "Torchwood" debuts on Starz in the summer. Thoughts on the casting? Source: http://blog.zap2it.c...s-the-team.html

Spoilers ahoy for those who haven't watched yet. The last episode of 2010 brought back the season's original bad guy, introduced an even badder guy in Wo Fat and -- most important -- started to mine some of the back story for both McGarrett and Chin Ho. "Five-0" isn't suddenly going to turn into "Lost," but after 10 post-pilot episodes of crime-investigation-local color-banter-case closed, some hint of an ongoing story line is very much welcome. The episode, "Hana 'a'a Makehewa," re-introduced Victor Hesse (James Marsters), who somehow survived being shot by McGarrett and falling into the water at the end of the pilot. He manages to cold-cock Chin Ho and place an explosive collar around his neck, demanding $10 million and safe passage off the island from McGarrett or else boom. Except he doesn't really care about the money, tossing the cash McGarrett hands him on a fire before trying to take both him and Chin Ho down. The good guy wins, of course (we all know that's not going to change), and Hesse ends up in jail. It's there that we get our first glimpse of Wo Fat ("Iron Chef America" chairman/"Dancing With the Stars" contestant Mark Dacascos), who's apparently been keeping tabs on the McGarrett family for a while. He's concerned that Steve may be getting a little too close to figuring out the clues in his dad's toolbox. Wo Fat was McGarrett's arch-nemesis in the original "Five-0," so it was pretty much a given that the new show would find a way to bring the character into the picture. It feels like there's a lot of potential in having him be involved with Steve's dad's investigation -- yet it's also something that doesn't have to take over the story every week. CBS doesn't really want the show to get heavily serialized, but the best procedurals of late have been ones where there's more than just the case of the week to engage viewers. That the show also found a way to involve Chin Ho's past in the McGarrett story is all the better. He was drummed out of the Honolulu PD for allegedly being dirty, so there's no way that $10 million going missing from a secret evidence locker won't come back to bite Five-0 in the butt somewhere down the road. The show has also made a few nods to Chin Ho's connection to McGarrett's dad in the past, so having their ongoing stories dovetail seems like the right play. "Five-0" returns Jan. 3, and based on CBS' description of the episode, McGarrett's past will still be in the foreground. We'll be watching. What did you think of Monday's episode? Source: http://blog.zap2it.c...ep-forward.html