ABC’s ‘Splash’ to be Hosted by Joey Lawrence and Charissa Thompson
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ABC announces Joey Lawrence (ABC Family’s “Melissa & Joey”) and Charissa Thompson (ESPN’s “SportsNation”) as hosts of the new diving competition series, “Splash,” where ten celebrity contestants will face their fears as they flip, twist and spin into the depths of the pool below, premiering TUESDAY, MARCH 19 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.
“Splash” marks the first time ten celebrities will train and compete in regulation platform and springboard diving at dizzying heights in front of a weekly poolside audience. After training with professional divers and being mentored by the world’s most decorated and medaled diving legend, Greg Louganis, their dives will be critiqued by two judges, London Olympic U.S. Gold medalist David Boudia and Australian Olympic athlete and USA Dive Team director Steve Foley.
Joey Lawrence is one of the most sought after actors in the entertainment business today. With a career spanning over 25 years in film, television and music, Lawrence has been in the public eye since he was six. He rose to pop-culture fame as a teenager on the ’90s hit television series “Blossom,” where his character, Joey Russo, stole the hearts of teenage girls around the globe and helped aid in a flannel-grunge fashion craze. Today Lawrence can be seen starring on the hit ABC Family series “Melissa & Joey,” with Melissa Joan Hart. After successful first and second seasons, which appealed to over 2 million viewers, Season 3 is set to return this May. In addition to starring on the show, Lawrence also holds executive producer credits and directed an episode for Season 2. Aside from acting, Lawrence has also made his mark in on the business side of the industry, producing and directing projects over the years. He owns and runs a full service production company, JL VERITAS, which serves as a development slate for both scripted and non-scripted shows. The company currently produces “Melissa & Joey” for ABC Family. In addition to “Melissa & Joey,” Lawrence recently sold a script to Disney with the producers of “Wedding Crashers” entitled “Mr. Everything,” which he will co-produce and star in, and he recently sold a project to Nickelodeon.
Charissa Thompson is currently the co-host of ESPN2′s “SportsNation,” along with Marcellus Wiley. Thompson joined ESPN in September 2011 as the co-host of ESPN2′s “Numbers Never Lie” and, after frequent guest appearances on “SportsNation,” moved into the permanent co-host role in June 2012. Prior to joining ESPN, Thompson covered the NHL for Versus, from 2010-11, including the 2010 All-Star Game and Stanley Cup Finals. In 2010 she reported on the Vancouver Olympic Winter Games, FIFA World Cup, BCS National Championship Game, Super Bowl and NBA All-Star Game for Yahoo! Sports. She has also appeared on NFL Network and co-hosted programming on the Speed Network. In 2009 Thompson was a sideline reporter for ABC’s “Shaq Vs.” show. She began her career at Fox Sports Network (FSN) Los Angeles in the Human Resources department. She then became a production assistant with FSN Rocky Mountain (Denver), which led to her first on-air role covering the Colorado Rockies for the network’s “Rockies All Access” program. Thompson eventually relocated back to Los Angeles to co-host FSN’s “The Best Damn Sports Show Period.” Her responsibilities expanded to include NFL sideline reporting on Fox, along with the Big Ten Network’s game of the week. She also covered college basketball for the Big Ten Network. A native of Seattle, Thompson graduated from UC-Santa Barbara with a degree in law and society.
“Splash” is from Eyeworks USA and is based on the breakout hit and Dutch format, “Celebrity Splash.” The series is executive-produced by JD Roth, Todd A. Nelson, Brant Pinvidic and Josh Greenberg.
Categories: Television Tags: ABC, Charissa Thompson, Joey Lawrence, Reality Shows, Splash, television
‘The Bachelorette,’ ‘Mistresses’ Premiere Dates Announced
ABC today announced that ‘The Bachelorette,’ now in its ninth season, will premiere on Monday, May 20th at 9:00 pm ET/PT, before moving to its regular time slot of 8:00 pm ET the following week. The identity of the latest Bachelorette will be revealed during ‘The Bachelor: After the Final Rose,’ which airs live on Monday, March 11 at 10:01 pm ET/PT.
In addition, the new drama ‘Mistresses,’ starring Alyssa Milano will premiere on Monday, May 27 at 10:00 pm ET/PT. Based on the hit UK television series of the same name, ‘Mistresses’ is a provocative and thrilling drama about the scandalous lives of a sexy and sassy group of four girlfriends, each on her own path to self-discovery: Savannah (‘Savi’), a successful career woman working toward the next phase in her life, both professionally and personally; Savi’s free-spirited and capricious baby sister, Josslyn; their friends April, a recent widow and mother of a ten-year-old daughter, and Karen, a therapist with her own thriving practice. These four friends find support and guidance with each other as they brave their turbulent journeys and life’s storms of excitement, secrecy and betrayal, all the while bound by the complex relationships they’ve created.
“Mistresses” stars Alyssa Milano as Savannah (‘Savi’) Davis, Yunjin Kim as Karen Kim, Rochelle Aytes as April Malloy, Jes Macallan as Josslyn Carver, Brett Tucker as Harry Davis, Jason George as Dominic Taylor and Erik Stocklin as Sam Grey.
Categories: Television Tags: ABC, Alyssa Milano, Bachelor, Bachelorette, Mistresses, television, The Bachelor, The Bachelorette
‘Dancing with the Stars’ Cast, Pairings Announced; Season Premieres March 18
This season’s dynamic lineup of stars — including a country music legend, a figure skating champion, a boxing dynamo, an Olympic Gold medalist and the youngest contestant to ever compete on the show – will perform for the first time on live national television with their professional partners during the two-hour season premiere of “Dancing with the Stars,” MONDAY, MARCH 18 (8:00-10:01 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.
As announced this morning on ABC’s “Good Morning America” by “Dancing with the Stars” hosts Tom Bergeron and Brooke Burke-Charvet, the 11 celebrities, with their professional partners, heading to the dance floor this season (in alphabetical order) are:
ZENDAYA COLEMAN — Multi-talented actress and singer Zendaya Coleman stars as Raquel “Rocky” Blue, one half of the comedic duo in the hit Disney Channel series “Shake It Up!,” and is currently recording her debut album on Hollywood Records. Born September 1, 1996, in Oakland, California, Coleman grew up as part of the California Shakespeare Theater in Orinda, where her mother works as the House Manager. In addition to training at the theater’s student conservatory program and later performing in numerous stage productions, Coleman helped her mom seat patrons and sell raffle tickets to benefit the theater. While attending the Oakland School for the Arts, she starred as Little Ti Moune in “Once on This Island” at the Berkley Playhouse, and in the breakout role of the male character Joe in “Caroline, or Change” at Palo Alto’s TheaterWorks. She also studied at the CalShakes Conservatory program and at the American Conservatory Theater. Coleman has performed around the world, including at the White House and in the 2011 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and she tours select cities with her Z-Swagg Dancers and Singers. The name Zendaya is derived from the word that means “to give thanks” in Shona (a Bantu language native to the Shona people of Zimbabwe). Coleman has been a fashion model for Macy’s, Mervyns and Old Navy, and was also one of the back-up dancers in a Sears commercial featuring Disney Channel star Selena Gomez. She now resides in Los Angeles, California with her family and dog, a giant Schnauzer named Midnight. ZENDAYA COLEMAN partners with VAL CHMERKOVSKIY.
ANDY DICK — Andy Dick is an American comedian, actor, writer, director, musician and producer. Dick grew up in the Chicago area, where he was involved in numerous stage productions. During his senior year of high school, his love of performing proved decisive, as he was elected homecoming king. His first regular television role was on the short-lived but influential “Ben Stiller Show.” Dick was a mainstay on network television from 1995-2006 on NBC’s “NewsRadio” and ABC’s “Less Than Perfect.” In 2001 he wrote, directed, produced and starred in “The Andy Dick Show” for MTV. He has also starred in a number of feature films, including “In the Army Now,” “Employee of the Month” and “The Hebrew Hammer.” In addition he has made memorable appearances in feature films such as “Zoolander,” “The Cable Guy,” “Inspector Gadget,” “Road Trip,” “Dude, Where’s My Car?,” “Old School” and “Funny People.” Most recently Dick has had guest appearances on NBC’s “Community,” FX’s “Legit,” the Netflix original series “Bad Samaritans” and CBS’ “Two Broke Girls.” He can regularly be seen performing at theaters and comedy clubs across the country. ANDY DICK joins first-time professional partner SHARNA BURGESS.
DOROTHY HAMILL — Dorothy Hamill captured the Gold medal at the 1976 Winter Games in Innsbruck, Austria at the age of 19. Overnight she became one of those rare champions who transcends her sport and captures the country’s imagination. Still, she has said she is most proud of her World Championship title in Gothenburg, Sweden, which followed her Olympic win; at the time, everyone advised her to retire from amateur competition, saying that even a second-place finish would tarnish the lustre of her Olympic Gold. Characteristically, once she had set her mind to it, she would not be dissuaded, and she won. As a professional Hamill has skated with many productions, including the Ice Capades for eight years. Four ABC primetime television specials have been produced in her honor, and she has produced and starred in her own touring productions of “Cinderella – Frozen in Time,” “Hansel, Gretel, the Witch and the Cat” and “Nutcracker on Ice.” She won an Emmy Award for her lead role in “Romeo and Juliet.” Hamill has been inducted into the Olympic Hall of Fame and the Figure Skating Hall of Fame. She was very proud to run the torch at Olympic Stadium in Salt Lake City in 2002 and to skate the closing ceremonies with vocalist Harry Connick Jr. Recently she released her memoir, A Skating Life: My Story, which made the New York Times bestseller list. DOROTHY HAMILL partners with TRISTAN MacMANUS.
D.L. HUGHLEY — D.L Hughley, one of the most popular and highly recognized standup comedians on the road today, has also made quite an impression in the television, film and radio arenas. First and foremost a standup comedian, his fifth standup special, “Reset,” premiered on Showtime in 2012 and is currently available on DVD. Also in the fall of 2012, Hughley penned his first book. He can be seen in the comedic documentary special for Comedy Central entitled “D.L. Hughley: The Endangered List.” Known for being astute and politically savvy, Hughley served as host of the late-night talk show “D.L. Hughley Breaks the News” on CNN. He was both star and producer of his namesake television show that ran on ABC and UPN, “The Hughleys.” One of the standout comedians of the hit comedy docu-film “The Original Kings of Comedy” and a veteran of numerous talk show appearances, Hughley switched the tables in 2005, hosting his own talk show, “Weekends at the DL,” on Comedy Central. In addition he has headlined several comedy specials, including “D.L. Hughley: Going Home,” “D.L. Hughley Live,” “Shocked & Appalled” and the recent “Unapologetic.” D.L. HUGHLEY partners with CHERYL BURKE.
JACOBY JONES — Jacoby Jones is a professional football player for the Baltimore Ravens, the 2013 Super Bowl Champions. He began his professional career after being drafted by the Houston Texans in 2009 and was signed by the Baltimore Ravens in 2012. Career highlights include matching an NFL record with a 108-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. Jones is also the first Raven to post multiple kickoff returns for a touchdown in one season, and is the current record holder for the longest touchdown at the Super Bowl. Career honors include AFC Special Teams Player of the Week, AFC Special Teams Player of the Month, the Associated Press first-team All-Pro and the PFW/PFWA first team All-Pro. Jones was recently featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated. JACOBY JONES partners with KARINA SMIRNOFF.
WYNONNA JUDD — Five-time Grammy winner and New York Times bestselling author Wynonna Judd has always revolved her career around telling stories. Whether performing alongside her mother as one half of the legendary duo The Judds or pushing the boundaries on her own mega-successful solo path, Judd’s ability to reach the heart of the human spirit through her bold and unflinching honesty is the entertainer’s true gift. Respected by the millions of fans who are drawn to her music and to her undeniable talent, Judd’s rich and commanding voice has sold more than 30 million albums worldwide over her epic 29-year career. Charting countless singles, including 20 No. 1 hits and over 60 industry awards, the iconic performer was once dubbed by Rolling Stone “the greatest female country singer since Patsy Cline.” Joined in the studio by her husband, bandleader and producer Michael “Cactus” Moser, Judd’s highly anticipated eighth studio album is scheduled for release this year. This effort, a true labor of love, features her upcoming single “Something You Can’t Live Without,” released by Curb Records. Most recently she published a novel, Restless Heart, and was part of “The Judds” docu-series on OWN. WYNONNA JUDD partners with TONY DOVOLANI.
VICTOR ORTIZ — Victor Ortiz is a living, breathing example of the American dream. From a broken home in a small town in Kansas to the bright lights of the boxing ring, Ortiz has used every obstacle he has encountered along his journey to fuel his strength and attain his dreams. As former Welterweight boxing champion, Ortiz finally found his life’s calling as a world class athlete. The nickname “Vicious” describes Ortiz when he’s in the ring, but his million-dollar smile is a preview to his heart of gold. His ability to connect with people on a human level has kept the spotlight from blinding him. Realizing the importance of hard work, dedication and family at an early age, Ortiz always finds a way to give back. VICTOR ORTIZ partners with newcomer LINDSAY ARNOLD.
KELLIE PICKLER — Kellie Pickler grew up immersed in country music in the small town of Albemarle, North Carolina with the words of Tammy Wynette, Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn and Dolly Parton shaping her musical footing. At the age of 19 she gained fame as a contestant on the fifth season of “American Idol,” and in 2006 signed to 19 Recordings/BNA Records to release her debut, “Small Town Girl,” which went on to sell over 800,000 copies and produce three singles — “Red High Heels,” “I Wonder” and “Things That Never Cross a Man’s Mind.” In 2008 Pickler released her self-titled sophomore record featuring hits “Don’t You Know You’re Beautiful,” “Best Days of Your Life” (co-written with Taylor Swift and her first Top 10) and “Didn’t You Know How Much I Loved You.” Having established herself as not only a powerful vocalist but also a songwriter, Pickler released her third studio album, “100 Proof,” last year with famed producer Frank Liddell and Luke Wooten. The album earned recognition as one of the “Best of 2012″ by Rolling Stone and The Washington Post. She has performed on six USO Tours, including one to Afghanistan in December 2012. Newly signed to Black River Entertainment, Pickler is poised to release a new single and album in 2013. KELLIE PICKLER partners with DEREK HOUGH.
INGO RADEMACHER — Soap Opera star Ingo Rademacher is best known to audiences as the charismatic Jasper “Jax” Jacks on ABC’s “General Hospital.” Rademacher originated the role of “Jax,” having first aired on “General Hospital” in January of 1996. His other television credits include “Hawaii Five-O,” “Titans,” “Veronica’s Closet” and “According to Jim.” As an athlete, Rademacher has amassed an extraordinary list of accomplishments: As a youth, he was a ski champion and a competitive equestrian. As an adult, he has competed at a high level in beach volleyball and triathlons (winner of the Nautica Malibu Triathlon, celebrity division, for three consecutive years). He took the pole position in the 2005 Long Beach Grand Prix and he recently completed the grueling 32 mile Molokai to Oahu “Channel of Bones” stand-up paddle board race — all this when he wasn’t on the track racing dirt bikes or street bikes. Rademacher moved to Hawaii in 2012 to pursue his passion for the sport of stand-up paddle board racing. He and his wife, Ehiku, have two sons, Peanut and Pohaku. INGO RADEMACHER partners with KYM JOHNSON.
ALEXANDRA RAISMAN — Just 18 years old, Alexandra Raisman captained the U.S. Women’s Gymnastics Team to its first team Gold medal since the 1996 Olympic Games. She added the United States’ first ever Gold medal in the floor exercise and also won a bronze on the balance beam, making her the most decorated American gymnast in London. A respected leader, Raisman backboned the women’s victory in the team event at the 2011 World Championships, where they upset Russia to win Gold for the first time since 2007. In her career Raisman has accumulated 19 international medals and eight U.S. Senior National Championship medals, earning a reputation as one of Team USA’s most consistent performers. The eldest of four kids in her family, she comes from a Jewish background and famously performed her Gold medal-winning floor exercise to the traditional Jewish wedding song, “Hava Nagila,” for which she earned worldwide recognition in the Jewish community. Since returning from London, she has been named Bostonian of the Year by The Boston Globe, was a presenter at the “Video Music Awards,” appeared on “Fashion Police” and most recently won an award at the Cartoon Network Hall of Game Awards. In her free time, Raisman can be found shopping, reading fashion magazines, hanging out with friends and family, or listening to some of her favorite music. ALEXANDRA RAISMAN partners with MARK BALLAS.
LISA VANDERPUMP — Hailing from London, restaurateur, designer, author, philanthropist, producer and television personality Lisa Vanderpump moved to the United States eight years ago. Vanderpump is best known for “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills,” which she joined in 2010. In 2013 Bravo launched her reality television show, “Vanderpump Rules,” exploring the intricacies of owning SUR, a sexy, unique restaurant in West Hollywood. The show follows Vanderpump as she balances her motherly instincts with a shrewd business sense while keeping the passionate and volatile staff at her West Hollywood restaurant in line. After years as a restaurateur, Vanderpump showcased her passion for food, decor and lifestyle in her bestselling book, Simply Divine: A Guide to Easy, Elegant and Affordable Entertaining. Vanderpump serves as a contributor to Beverly Hills Lifestyle magazine. She lives in Beverly Hills with her husband, Ken Todd, and their four dogs. They have two grown children, Pandora and Maxfield. LISA VANDERPUMP partners with newcomer GLEB SAVCHENKO.
“Dancing with the Stars” and “Dancing with the Stars: the Results Show” returns this season with new surprises and all the performance elements viewers have come to know and love. “Macy’s Stars of Dance,” featuring some of the best choreographers and performers from the different styles of dance who offer viewers performances that represent the pinnacle of achievement in their genres, will return.
The show also welcomes the return of the “AT&T Spotlight Performance,” which features and celebrates people whose lives have been changed forever by dance. AT&T is also helping the search to find these performers by allowing fans to nominate potential dancers.
Viewers may cast their votes for their favorite teams via phone on Monday night during and up to 60 minutes after the “Dancing with the Stars” performance shows. AT&T customers may also vote by texting the word “VOTE” and entering the number that corresponds to the team they want to support (message and data rates may apply). Online voting at www.ABC.com is open from the start of each episode on the East Coast and closes at 11:00 a.m., ET / 8:00 a.m., PT on Tuesday mornings. Additionally, fans can again vote on Facebook www.facebook.com/dancingwiththestars. A custom Facebook app sponsored by AT&T will let fans vote, share who they voted for and why, as well as see who friends voted for. They can also access the “Dancing with the Stars” Social Scene page, and the “AT&T Spotlight Performance” and Casting Call from the app.
Categories: Television Tags: ABC, Dancing with the Stars, DWTS, Kellie Pickler, Shake it Up, television, Zendaya, Zendaya Coleman
‘Celebrity Wife Swap’ Returns with Kate Gosselin, Kendra Wilkinson, Mark McGrath and Coolio
Season Two of ‘Celebrity Wife Swap’ kicks off with reality TV mom Kate Gosselin and former Playboy Magazine cover girl Kendra Wilkinson on Tuesday, February 26 at 8:00 pm ET/PT on the ABC Television Network.
In the series, two mothers of celebrity families, each with opposing values, trade households, lifestyles and children (but not bedrooms) in a week-long challenge. In the first part of the exchange, each mom moves into the other’s home and agrees to follow a manual of ‘household rules’ written by the departing mother, including how to parent, manage their social life, do house work, unwind and more. Everything changes in the second half of the week, when ‘new mommy’ takes charge, introduces her own set of rules and runs the ‘nest’ her way. At the end of the week the two couples meet for the first time. In a raw, honest and highly-charged exchange of views, the couples will make frank assessments of each another and discuss their experiences, having had a very real taste of what life would be like in someone else’s family.
In the season premiere episode, ‘Kate Gosselin / Kendra Wilkinson,’ reality TV mom Kate Gosselin is living with her eight children in rural Pennsylvania. As a single mother raising twin girls Cara and Mady (12) and eight-year-old sextuplets Alexis, Hannah, Aaden, Collin, Leah and Joel, Kate lives by a rigid set of home rules. She cooks, cleans and shops, all while working to support her family.
Kendra Wilkinson, perhaps best known as a Playboy Magazine cover girl and Hugh Hefner’s former girlfriend, resides in Los Angeles with former-NFL husband Hank and their four-year-old son, Hank IV, aka ‘Little Hank.’ Kendra and Hank have a very relaxed parenting style in which they allow ‘Little Hank’ the freedom to learn and grow without any harsh guidelines. Hank is a supportive husband who pampers his wife by cooking for her, helping out around the house and planning ‘girls’ nights out’ for Kendra and friends. The family also has a full-time housekeeper/nanny, Rosa, who runs the household so that Kendra can relax during the day and enjoy her free time.
When Kate touches down in Los Angeles, she tries to get used to relaxing — an entirely new concept to this working mom of eight. Meanwhile Kendra struggles, plunging head-first into the chaos of caring for eight kids. It’s a comic turn of events as Kendra tries to put all the kids to bed while Kate is treated to a girls’ night out. As the week progresses, Kendra continues to juggle all of her new responsibilities while Kate relishes her ‘me’ time, far away from household chores and obligations.
On March 5, it’s Coolio’s and Mark McGrath’s turn. Coolio and his girlfriend, Mimi, and her three children — Majaniek (14), Javante (10) and Tariq (5) — live in a suburban community in Las Vegas. When he’s not touring or hanging out with friends, Coolio spends the majority of his time sleeping or relaxing at home, while Mimi works as a bartender and an exotic dancer, in addition to taking care of their home and raising her three children.
Mark McGrath, who is perhaps best known as the front man of the ’90s rock band Sugar Ray, and his wife, Carin, are parents to two-year-old twins Lydon and Hartley.
When self-sufficient Mimi arrives in Los Angeles, CA to swap lives with Carin, she is surprised to see a maid, a nanny and Carin’s parents — who live with them full time. Mimi is flabbergasted when she sees how the twins have complete control over the household. She also zeroes in on Mark’s ‘helicopter parenting’ and thinks that his hovering over everyone’s interaction with the twins is a problem.
It’s a far cry from the standoffish behavior Coolio displays when Carin arrives: Sleeping the day away and hanging out with his friends, he spends little time at home with the kids or helping with the household duties. And when it comes time to implement her own set of house rules, Mimi discovers that Coolio is less than quick to accept her terms.
Categories: Television Tags: ABC, Celebrity Wife Swap, Coolio, Kate Gosselin, Kendra Wilkinson, Mark McGrath, Sugar Ray, Wife Swap
‘Whodunnit?’ Reality Series to Premiere on ABC in Summer
Anthony E. Zuiker, the creator of the ‘CSI’ franchise, begins production on his first primetime reality series ‘Whodunnit?’ Cris Abrego partners with Zuiker for the new nine-episode summer alternative series, which is produced by Zuiker’s Dare to Pass and 51 Minds. The series puts 13 contestants’ investigative skills to the test in a new mystery reality competition this summer on ABC.
Each week, players will use a variety of crime scene investigation techniques to meticulously uncover evidence that will ultimately reveal who among them is the killer. The interactive series will pit 13 amateur sleuths against each other in a quest to solve a series of puzzling murders. Some will form alliances and others will choose to go it alone just to get them closer to the grand prize. The contestants will reside on a glamorous estate where each week they must solve a new crime in order to advance in the game. Failure to solve the crime will lead to each player’s demise until only three are left. In the final episode, one player will unmask the killer and take home the $250,000 prize.
‘I’ve built a career telling crime stories, and if there’s one thing that I’ve learned, especially from “CSI,” it’s that the audience loves to solve the mystery,’ said Zuiker. ‘”Whodunnit?” allows everyday fans to be in the show themselves and get the chance every week to do what they love best, which is ultimately solve the case.’
‘”Whodunnit?” takes the best elements from the timelessly entertaining narrative form, the murder mystery, and infuses it with all the contemporary energy of a competition based reality show,’ added Abrego. ‘The mystery fans who suddenly find themselves in the middle of an unfolding murder mystery won’t actually be playing for their lives, of course, but they’ll certainly feel like they are, and it promises to be just as engaging and suspenseful for the viewers at home.’
Categories: Television Tags: ABC, CSI, television, Whodunnit?
ABC Picks Up ‘Bet On Your Baby’ Game Show, ‘Motive’ Crime Drama
ABC, Ben Silverman’s multimedia studio Electus, and Emmy Award-winning 5×5 Media (‘Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution,’ ‘Fashion Star,’ ‘Supernanny’), today announced ‘Bet On Your Baby,’ a new primetime game show in which parents try to predict their child’s next move in an effort to win money for their child’s future education. Hosted by Melissa Peterman (who continues to star in ABC Family’s hit series ‘Baby Daddy’), the series is slated to air on ABC in April 2013.
Every parent thinks they know their baby well, but are they willing to bet on it? ‘Bet On Your Baby’ will reveal the answer to that question each week in an hour-long program featuring five families with toddlers between the ages of two and three and a half years old. Each family will play a self-contained, individual challenge against the house — meaning they’re only competing against themselves, and not against other babies. At the end of the show, the five families return to play the college round for the chance to win $50,000 towards a college education for their child.
ABC has ordered eight episodes of the series, with additional creative and prizing details to be revealed at a later date.
ABC has also picked up ‘Motive,’ a thrilling crime drama from the executive producer of ‘Dexter’ and ‘The Mentalist,’ with a unique twist focusing not on who did the crime, but why the crime was committed in the first place.
When murder is committed, Angie Flynn, a loving, single mother and a damned good detective, along with her partner, Detective Oscar Vega, are on the case, looking for clues that will lead them to the killer. But ‘Motive’ turns the tried-and-true crime drama formula on its head by identifying the killer and victim at the beginning of each episode. These storylines are then further explored via stylized flashbacks which piece together more of the mysterious connection between the two characters and what drove the killer to commit murder.
‘Motive’ stars Kristin Lehman (‘The Killing,’ ‘Judging Amy’) as Detective Angie Flynn, Louis Ferreira (‘SGU Stargate Universe,’ ‘Rookie Blue’) as Detective Oscar Vega, Lauren Holly (‘NCIS,’ ‘Chicago Hope,’ ‘Picket Fences’) as Dr. Betty Rogers, Roger Cross (’24,’ ‘Arrow’) as Staff Sergeant Boyd Bloom, Brendan Penny as Detective Brian Lucas and Cameron Bright (‘The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2′) as Manny Flynn.
The 13-episode drama is scheduled to air in Summer 2013 on the ABC Television Network.
Categories: Television Tags: ABC, Bet On Your Baby, Melissa Peterman, Motive, television
ABC’s ‘Splash’ Celebrity Diving Competition Announces First Round of Celebrities
ABC announces the first round of celebrities to join the cast of ‘Splash’ (formerly titled ‘Celebrity Diving’). From one of the most beautiful women on the planet to a legendary athlete and a larger-than-life comedian, these celebrities will look fear in the face as they leap off the 10-meter high dive, pair off to complete synchronized stunts, and flip, twist and spin into the depths of the pool below. Each week the competition will get stiffer as the dives and challenges increase in difficulty.
‘Splash’ marks the first time 10 celebrities will train and compete in regulation platform and springboard diving at dizzying heights in front of a weekly poolside audience. Leading up to the competition, the world’s most decorated and medaled diving legend, Greg Louganis, will give each celebrity weeks of training. Each dive will be critiqued by the judges, London Olympic U.S. Gold medalist David Boudia and Australian Olympic athlete and USA Dive Team director Steve Foley. The final two celebrities joining the cast will be announced closer to premiere. ‘Splash’ premieres Tuesday, March 19 at 8:00 pm ET/PT on the ABC Television Network.
Eight of the ten celebrities joining the ‘Splash’ cast, in alphabetical order, are:
LOUIE ANDERSON — Emmy Award-winning comedian Louie Anderson is one of the most versatile and successful comedians working in Hollywood today. Sharing the ups and downs of his childhood experiences as one of 11 children in Minnesota, Louie crafted comedy routines that rang true for his early club audiences, while reducing them to helpless fits of laughter. Johnny Carson invited Louie to make his national television debut on the ‘The Tonight Show’ in 1984, and the rest is history. ‘The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,’ ‘The Late Show with David Letterman,’ ‘The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson,’ ‘Comic Relief’ and Showtime and HBO specials followed, making Louie a household name. He has guest-starred in numerous sitcoms and dramas on television, and has had memorable feature film roles in Coming to America, opposite Eddie Murphy, and the classic Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. In 1995 Louie put his creative energies to work on the Saturday morning award winning animated series, ‘Life with Louie.’ The long-running series, based on Louie’s own childhood, won three Humanitas Prizes for writing on a children’s animated series, making him the only three-time recipient of this award. It also earned a Genesis Award for its depiction of the humane treatment of animals and, most significantly, two Emmy Awards. His bestselling books include Dear Dad – Letters from an Adult Child, a collection of alternately touching and outrageous letters from Louie to his late father; and Good-bye Jumbo…Hello Cruel World, self-help for those who struggle with self-esteem issues, as only an award-winning comedian could write it. Louie recently finished writing his newest installment on family, The F Word, How to Survive Your Family, and starred on his own standup special, ‘Big Baby Boomer,’ on CMT.
DRAKE BELL — Since becoming a household name via the hit Nickelodeon series ‘Drake & Josh,’ Drake Bell has evolved into an international music, television and film star. He was most recently seen paying homage to the network that launched his career as star of Nickelodeon’s live-action/CG adaptation of ‘The Fairly Odd Parents,’ ‘A Fairly Odd Movie: Grow Up, Timmy Turner!,’ opposite Daniella Monet, and is currently starring as Peter Parker in Disney XD’s new animated series ‘Ultimate Spider-Man.’ His 10 U.S. and International Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice and Teen Choice Awards have proven Drake a fan favorite over the years in both acting and music. As a musician with two successful albums under his belt — the indie release ‘Telegraph’ and ‘It’s Only Time’ — a chart-topping single, ‘I Know,’ and past tour sell-outs of 3,000-8,000 seat venues, Drake released a new independent EP, ‘A Reminder,’ last June, which became a Top 5 release on iTunes. This last fall he was also able to mix both his love of acting and his love of music in his first ever Broadway endeavor; he performed as the lead in the theatrical workshop production of ‘A Moment in Time,’ the new musical from five-time Tony Award-winning producer Stewart F. Lane. Drake’s other acting credits include playing John Cusack’s son in the HBO film The Jack Bull, as well as his memorable role in Jerry Maguire as the son of a hospitalized hockey player client of Tom Cruise’s sports agent. He then went on to roles in the feature films High Fidelity and Yours, Mine and Ours, as well as on the TV series ‘Seinfeld,’ ‘The Drew Carey Show,’ ‘The Pretender’ and ‘Home Improvement.’ Since 2009, Drake has also supported The Thirst Project, a non-profit organization that exists to raise awareness of and bring solutions to the clean water crisis globally through educational outreach and fundraising initiatives.
CHUY BRAVO — Launched into the limelight five years ago as the personal assistant to TV hostess Chelsea Handler, Chuy Bravo has come far, but his journey to Hollywood stardom was long. As Chelsea’s sidekick on E!’s No. 1-rated show, ‘Chelsea Lately,’ Chuy is the first Latino talk show sidekick ever, and his one-liners have become a favorite staple on the hit show he now calls home. The youngest of seven brothers and sisters, Chuy moved with his family to the U.S. from Mexico at the age of 15. Bitten by the Hollywood bug, he was determined to pursue his dream of big-screen stardom. He landed his first role in ‘Austin Powers 3: Goldmember,’ and can also be seen in ‘The Rundown,’ starring The Rock, and ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End.’ In April 2010, Chuy added another hat to his collection, that of published author. His first book, Little Nuggets of Wisdom, has shown how anyone can live and love the Chuy Bravo way thanks to his bite sized advice covering family, finances, friendship, fashion, travel, food, fitness and more. His next adventures are the launch of his national comedy tour in April, a signature line of chips and salsa in the fall, and a new line of merchandise available soon on chuybravo.com. He also decided this year to take his health seriously, and on a $10k bet with Chelsea, is hoping to shed those extra pounds. He has hired a nutritionist to help with this task. If he is successful, he will donate the money to various charities and hopes to motivate others.
NICOLE EGGERT — Born in Southern California, Nicole Eggert was Miss Universe in the petite division at age 5, which landed her in a Johnson’s & Johnson’s television commercial, one of many to come. In 1980 Nicole, only eight at the time, landed a role in the movie ‘Rich and Famous,’ opposite Jacqueline Bisset and Candice Bergen, playing a young Meg Ryan, directed by George Cukor. She also co-starred with Darryl Hannah in ‘Clan of the Cave Bear,’ directed by Michael Chapman. After re-occurring roles in both hit TV shows ‘TJ Hooker’ and ‘Who’s The Boss,’ she appeared as a regular on the hit television show ‘Charles in Charge’ as Jamie Powell, when it was syndicated for five years between 1987 to 1992. After the show ended, Nicole went on to star as Lifeguard Summer Quinn on Seasons 1 and 2 on ‘Baywatch,’ at the height of its popularity between 1992 and 1994. She has appeared in numerous films for television and the big screen, including the Lifetime TV hit ‘Holiday Switch’ and ‘National Lampoon’s Cattle Call.’ She has also guest starred on such series as ‘Gilmore Girls,’ ‘The Outer Limits’ and ‘Boy Meets World.’ Today Nicole is enjoying raising her two daughters, and has recently been in the media for her struggle with weight loss, for which she created a ‘Funny or Die’ spoof that received millions of hits and was voted as one of the funniest ‘Funny or Die’ videos ever, making her a great role model for the ‘real’ women in the world.
KESHIA KNIGHT PULLIAM — Keshia Knight Pulliam began her career at the age of nine months in a national print ad for Johnson’s & Johnson’s baby products. By the age of four, Keshia appeared in several national commercials, was a regular on ‘Sesame Street’ and had the feature film the ‘Last Dragon’ on her resume. It was at the age of four that she landed the role of Rudy Huxtable, the youngest daughter of Clair and Cliff Huxtable, on the iconic television series ‘The Cosby Show.’ For her work on ‘The Cosby Show,’ Keshia received several NAACP Image Awards, Young Artist Awards, a People’s Choice Award, a Nickelodeon Kids Choice Award and a host of other honors. To date, she is the youngest actress ever nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Emmy Award. During the run of ‘The Cosby Show,’ Keshia also starred in a host of TV movies, including the period holiday drama ‘The Little Match Girl,’ the Mark Twain update ‘A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court,’ Debbie Allen’s musical version of Pollyanna, ‘Polly,’ and the sequel, ‘Polly: Comin’ Home!’ After ‘The Cosby Show’ wrapped, Keshia took several years away from acting to concentrate on school. In 2001 she graduated with honors from Spelman College with a B.A. in sociology and a concentration in film. Since graduating, she has resumed her acting career in both television and film. She co-starred alongside Queen Latifah in ‘Beauty Shop,’ with Boris Kodjoe and Idris Elba in ‘The Gospel,’ and most recently starred with Tyler Perry and Derek Luke as the female lead Candace in ‘Madea Goes to Jail.’ Currently, Keshia stars as Miranda on the TBS sitcom ‘The House of Payne,’ which is entering its 5th year of production. For her work on ‘The House of Payne’ she has won three NAACP Image Awards for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. Additionally she has an Atlanta-based production company, Kizzy Productions, and the non-profit organization Kamp Kizzy. Keshia divides her time between her suburban Atlanta home and her LA residence.
NDAMUKONG SUH — Ndamukong Suh was born on January 6th, 1987 to a Jamaican mother, Bernadette, and a Cameroonian father, Michael. In the Ngema tribe in Cameroon, Ndamukong means ‘House of Spears.’ At Grant High School in Portland, Suh was a two-way star on the football team, earning Parade Magazine All-American honors and Portland Interscholastic League Defensive Player of the Year. Considered among the nation’s best defensive tackle prospects, he chose to attend the University of Nebraska to study Engineering. During his junior year at Nebraska, he was the first Nebraska defensive lineman to lead the team in tackles since 1973. In 2009, his senior year, he registered 82 tackles, 12 sacks and helped lead the Cornhuskers to the top ranking scoring defense in the nation – yielding only 10.4 points per game. Upon his graduation, Suh donated $2.6 million to the University of Nebraska, including $600K towards an endowed engineering scholarship. In the 2010 NFL draft, he was selected second overall by the Detroit Lions. His rare combination of strength, agility and speed made him an instant force in the NFL. He was selected Rookie of the Year and named to the NFL’s All-Pro team. Suh was also voted a Pro-Bowl starter, which was the first time for a rookie defensive player in NFL history. In 2011 he helped lead the Detroit Lions to their first playoff appearance since 1999. After the 2012 season, he was named to the NFL’s All-Pro team, and will represent the NFC in the Pro Bowl for his second time in three seasons. In addition to making an to making an impact on the field, Suh has made his presence felt in the local community, including partnering with the Detroit Medical Center and adopting a school in Cameroon, Africa, through his foundation, The Suh Family Foundation.
KATHERINE WEBB — Katherine Webb was born in Montgomery, Alabama and recently graduated from Auburn University with a degree in business management and administration. In 2007 Katherine ranked in the Top 15 for the title of Miss Georgia USA. She was crowned Miss Alabama USA in 2012, and then went on to finish in the Top 10 of the Miss USA 2012 competition. She recently gained national attention during the 2013 BCS National Championship Game telecast in which she was supporting boyfriend and University of Alabama quarterback A.J. McCarron. Since captivating the spotlight, Katherine has signed on to multiple projects, including shooting for Sports Illustrated’s Swimsuit Edition, as well as covering 2013′s Super Bowl XLVII for the entertainment news program ‘Inside Edition.’ She is also heavily involved in Rebuilding Together New Orleans, which helps to restore that city in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
KENDRA WILKINSON — Television personality and glamour girl Kendra Wilkinson is best known from her self-titled E! hit reality series, ‘Kendra,’ previously from E!’s ‘The Girls Next Door,’ and currently from her series on WE TV, ‘Kendra on Top.’ The new series follows Kendra, NFL player husband Hank Baskett and son Hank IV through their crazy lives as they balance celebrity life with everyday parenting. Kendra got her start on one of E! Entertainment’s highest rated television shows, ‘The Girls Next Door.’ She co-starred on the reality hit for five seasons, until 2009, when she closed that chapter in her life and opened a new one: that year she got married, welcomed the birth of her son, Hank IV, and of course debuted her show, ‘Kendra.’ Originally from San Diego, Kendra knew little about the world of Playboy before her move to Los Angeles, but she quickly found herself attracted to the carefree, frolicking lifestyle that it offers. She first met Hef while being body painted for his 78th birthday party at the Playboy Mansion. Hef asked Kendra to move in and live as one of his girlfriends. Since the debut of ‘The Girls Next Door,’ Kendra has appeared on the cover of numerous magazines and has enjoyed everything from television to movie appearances. Most recently she was part of the cast of the popular ABC show ‘Dancing with the Stars’ with professional dance partner Louis Van Amstel. Her first book, Sliding in to Home, debuted at No 4 on the New York Times Bestseller list when released in 2010, and her follow-up, Being Kendra, was released in September 2011, also becoming a bestseller.
‘Splash’ is from Eyeworks USA and is based on the breakout hit and Dutch format, ‘Celebrity Splash.’ The series is executive-produced by JD Roth, Todd A. Nelson, Brant Pinvidic and Josh Greenberg.
Categories: Television Tags: ABC, Celebrity Diving, Celebrity Splash, Drake Bell, Splash, television
LIVE’s ‘Girls Night Out’ 2013 Contest to Include Trip to Oscars
‘LIVE with Kelly and Michael’ steps up its annual ‘Girls Night Out’ contest this year to include a bi-coastal event, including a five night trip to Los Angeles during the 85th Academy Awards, where the winner and up to four of her friends will receive bleacher tickets for the red carpet arrivals, a night out with Kelly Ripa, VIP tickets to the LIVE after-Oscars show as well as $2500 in spending money.
To enter to be considered for the ‘Girls Night Out: Oscar Edition,’ eligible contestants must send ‘LIVE’ a short letter describing their (up to 4) women friends and why they and their friends should be selected for this trip. The entrant must also include a recent photo (non-returnable) of themselves and their friends. In addition, individuals may (but are not required to) also submit a short video (2 minutes or less) offering further explanation of their written entry.
Entrants must also be available for travel to Los Angeles from February 20, 2013 through February 25. Additionally, the chosen winners may be asked to appear on the show during the month of February.
For more information on the contest as well as details for how to enter, visit the official contest announcement page.
Categories: Contests, Television Tags: ABC, ABC Daytime, Contests, Girls Night Out, Giveaways, GNO, Kelly Ripa, LIVE with Kelly and Michael, Live!, Michael Strahan, Sweepstakes, television
Women Named for Sean Lowe’s ‘The Bachelor;’ Mystery Woman to be Revealed on Premiere
What do an aspiring wedding dress designer, a former cheerleader with some over the top acrobatics, a sexy, fun-loving woman who is obsessed with a red hot bestseller about bondage and a beautiful blonde who, although she was born with one-arm, has more than enough heart and self confidence to win Sean’s heart, all have in common? They all have their sights set on moving to Dallas with the Bachelor, Sean Lowe, when the 17th edition of ABC’s popular romance reality series, “The Bachelor,” premieres Monday, January 7 at 8:00 pm ET on the ABC Television Network.
Sean, 28, the handsome business entrepreneur from Dallas, meets 26 potential soul mates as he begins his exciting search for true love. In the premiere, “Episode 1701,” Sean prepares for the night of his life as the 26 beautiful bachelorettes, all clamoring to meet him, begin to arrive.
Jackie, a beautiful makeup artist, makes sure Sean will remember her, kissing him emphatically on the cheek. Robyn, an oil field account manager and former cheerleader, falls for the Bachelor right from the start, back flipping out of the limo — but tumbles right on her rear. Kelly, the attractive cruise ship singer, looks to her possible future with Sean and croons an original love song to him. Sexy Ashley P. stuns the Bachelor with her in depth knowledge of the bestselling novel, Fifty Shades of Grey, while pulling a tie out of her cleavage. Lindsay is all ready to walk down the aisle, dressed in a bridal gown, and steals the first real kiss of the night.
Sean shakes up the night when he decides to hand out early roses to women with whom he has an immediate connection. But not all the women are that lucky and wonder how to impress him to get a coveted rose. Sarah reaches out with honesty and sincerity, not afraid to show her vulnerability. But Lindsay decides the best way to handle the situation is to come on strong.
Finally, after Sean’s first rose ceremony, 19 women will remain to compete for his affection and, in the end, his heart.
The 25 women who can be revealed are:
Amanda, 26, fit model, Newport Beach, CA
AshLee F., 32, personal organizer, Houston, TX
Ashley H., 25, fashion model, Denver, CO
Ashley P., 28, hair stylist, Macomb, MI
Brooke, 25, community organizer, Pittsburgh, PA
Catherine, 26, graphic designer, Seattle, WA
Daniella, 24, commercial casting associate, San Francisco, CA
Desiree, 26, bridal stylist, Los Angeles, CA
Diana, 31, salon owner, Salt Lake City, UT
Jackie, 25, cosmetics consultant, Boynton Beach, FL
Katie, 27, yoga instructor, Charlotte, NC
Kelly, 28, cruise ship entertainer, Nashville, TN
Keriann, 29, entrepreneur, Boca Raton, FL
Kristy, 25, model, Darien, WI
Lacey, 24, graduate student, Valencia, CA
Lauren, 27, journalist, Cranston, RI
Lesley M., 25, political consultant, Washington, D.C.
Leslie H., 29, poker dealer, Los Angeles, CA
Lindsay, 24, substitute teacher, Fort Leonard Wood, MO
Paige, 25, jumbotron operator, New York City, NY
Robyn, 24, oil field account manager, Houston, TX
Sarah, 26, advertising executive, Los Angeles, CA
Selma, 29, real estate developer, San Diego, CA
Taryn, 30, heath club manager, Troutdale, OR
Tierra, 24, leasing consultant, Denver, CO
Hosted by Chris Harrison, “The Bachelor” is a production of Next Entertainment in association with Warner Horizon Television. Mike Fleiss and Martin Hilton are the executive producers. “The Bachelor” is broadcast in 720 Progressive (720P), ABC’s selected HDTV format, with stereo sound.
Categories: Television Tags: ABC, Sean Lowe, television, The Bachelor
ABC Announces Mid-Season Premiere Dates for New Series, ‘Dancing with the Stars’
ABC announced midseason premiere dates for new dramas “Red Widow” and “Zero Hour” today, along with new comedies “How to Live with Your Parents (for the Rest of Your Life)” and “Family TTools,” and new alternative series “The Taste” and “Celebrity Diving.” Returning series “Dancing with the Stars” and “Body of Proof” will rejoin the schedule will all-new seasons in the new year, and “Suburgatory” will move to Wednesday nights at 8:30 p.m., beginning April 3, 2013.
“Red Widow,” from “Twilight Saga” films writer Melissa Rosenberg and starring Radha Mitchell, is a riveting new drama about one woman’s journey into the world of organized crime, and how far she will go to keep her family safe. “Red Widow” will debut with a two-hour premiere on Sunday, March 3 from 9:00-11:00 p.m., ET, and premiere in its regular timeslot, Sunday nights at 10:00 p.m., ET, on Sunday, March 10.
New thriller “Zero Hour” stars Anthony Edwards (“ER”) in his return to series television. Edwards’ character, Hank Galliston, has spent his life debunking myths, only to be drawn into one of the most compelling mysteries in human history after his wife’s shocking disappearance. “Zero Hour” will premiere on Thursday, February 14 at 8:00 p.m., ET.
New comedy “How to Live with Your Parents (for the Rest of Your Life)” features Sarah Chalke (“Scrubs”) as a recently divorced single mom who moves back in with her eccentric parents, played by the multitalented and critically acclaimed Elizabeth Perkins and Brad Garrett. The series premieres on Wednesday, April 3 at 9:30 p.m., ET.
“Family Tools” debuts on Wednesday, May 1 at 8:30 p.m., ET and stars Kyle Bornheimer, J.K. Simmons and Leah Remini in a new family comedy that proves mixing family with business is never easy. “Family Tools” will take over for “Suburgatory” in this new timeslot following its season finale.
New innovative cooking competition show “The Taste” will feature celebrity chefs Anthony Bourdain, Nigella Lawson, Ludo Lefebvre and Brian Malarkey, will debut with a special two-hour premiere on Tuesday, January 22 from 8:00-10:00 p.m., ET, and will premiere in its regular time period, 8:00-9:00 p.m., ET on Tuesday, January 29.
“Celebrity Diving,” based on the international hit reality series “Celebrity Splash,” will premiere on Tuesday, March 19 at 8:00 p.m., ET and will feature as judges legendary Olympic diver and four-time gold medalist Greg Louganis, along with David Boudia, who brought home the gold for diving at the 2012 London Olympics.
“Dancing with the Stars” will return for a 16th season on Monday, March 18 at 8:00 p.m., ET. “Dancing with the Stars the Results Show” will debut the following week on Tuesday, March 26 at 9:00 p.m., ET.
“Body of Proof,” starring the Emmy(r)-winning Dana Delany, will return to the schedule on Tuesday, February 5 at 10:00 p.m., ET, and will feature new cast member Mark Valley as Det. Tommy Sullivan, a former NYPD detective (and a bit of a lady killer) who has transferred back to Philadelphia to rekindle his relationship with Megan Hunt (Delany).
Critically acclaimed Wednesday comedy “Suburgatory” will move to at 8:30 p.m., ET as of Wednesday, April 3, one week after the season finale of “The Neighbors.” “The Neighbors” returns with original episodes on Wednesday, January 9, and runs for 12 straight weeks.
ABC’s Midseason premiere dates are as follows (all times listed are ET):
Tuesday, January 22
8:00-10:00 p.m. “The Taste” (Two-hour Series Premiere)
Tuesday, January 29
8:00-9:00 p.m. “The Taste” (Regular Time Period Premiere)
Tuesday, February 5
10:00-11:00 p.m. “Body of Proof”
Thursday, February 14
8:00-9:00 p.m. “Zero Hour”
Sunday, March 3
9:00-11:00 p.m. “Red Widow” (Two-hour Series Premiere)
Sunday, March 10
10:00-11:00 p.m. “Red Widow” (Regular Time Period Premiere)
Monday, March 18
8:00-10:00 p.m. “Dancing with the Stars”
Tuesday, March 19
8:00-9:00 p.m. “Celebrity Diving”
Tuesday, March 26
9:00-10:00 p.m. “Dancing with the Stars the Results Show”
Wednesday, April 3
8:30-9:00 p.m. “Suburgatory” (New Time Period Premiere)
9:30-10:00 p.m. “How to Live with Your Parents (for the Rest of Your Life)”
Wednesday, May 1
8:30-9:00 p.m. “Family Tools”
Midseason show descriptions are as follows:
NEW DRAMAS:
“RED WIDOW”
Marta Walraven seems to have an idyllic life. A stay-at-home mom in tony Marin County, just north of San Francisco, she is devoted to her three children and her husband. Behind this perfect faade, however, is a more complicated story: Evan, Marta’s husband, supports the family by exporting marijuana. Marta is familiar with the world of organized crime: her father, Andrei Petrov, and his loyal bodyguard, Luther, are Bratva – Russian gangsters – in San Francisco. It’s a world from which she and her sister Kat always wanted to escape, though they never quite did.
But when Evan is brutally murdered in their driveway, everything changes. Marta’s first concern is to protect her children – and yet when FBI Agent James Ramos promises Marta justice in exchange for her cooperation, she cannot go against the Bratva code. She refuses his help.
Slowly, the truth about her husband’s murder begins to emerge: Evan’s business partners – Marta’s scheming brother, Irwin Petrov, and their best friend, the hapless Mike Tomlin – were involved in the theft of millions of dollars of cocaine from the formidable international crime boss, Nicholae Schiller. Evan paid with his life, but as far as Schiller is concerned, his debt is not clear. It falls to Marta, as Evan’s widow, to navigate the criminal underworld in order to repay this debt – in whatever way Schiller sees fit.
Hounded by the FBI on the one hand and by Schiller on the other, while also trying to raise three grieving kids on her own, Marta discovers a tenacity she never knew she had. As she hunts for the truth about her husband’s death and struggles to keep her children safe, she’ll rely on her resourcefulness, determination and her Bratva DNA like never before. But just how far is Marta willing to go in order to beat her adversaries at their own deadly game?
“Red Widow” stars Radha Mitchell (“High Art,” “Pitch Black,” “Man on Fire”) as Marta Walraven, Sterling Beaumon (“Clue,”"Lost”) as Gabriel Walraven, Clifton Collins Jr. (“Traffic,” “Thief”) as FBI Agent James Ramos, Luke Goss (“Blade II,” “Hellboy II: The Golden Army”) as Luther, Suleka Mathew (“Hawthorne”) as Dina Tomlin, Erin Moriarty (“One Life to Live”) as Natalie Walraven, Jaime Ray Newman (“Drop Dead Diva”) as Kat Petrova, Jakob Salvati (“Crescendo,” “Little Boy”) as Boris Walraven, Lee Tergesen (“Army Wives”) as Mike Tomlin, Wil Traval (“Rescue Special Ops”) as Irwin Petrov, with Rade Serbedzija (“24″) as Andrei Petrov and Goran Visnjic (“ER”) as Nicholae Schiller.
Based on the Dutch series “Penoza,” “Red Widow” is executive-produced and written by Melissa Rosenberg (“Dexter,” “Twilight Saga” films) and executive-produced by Howard Klein (“The Office,” “Parks & Recreation”) and Alon Aranya. The series is produced by ABC Studios in association with Endemol Studios.
“ZERO HOUR”
As the publisher of a paranormal enthusiast magazine, Modern Skeptic, Hank Galliston has spent his career following clues, debunking myths and solving conspiracies. A confessed paranormal junkie, his motto is “logic is the compass.” But when his beautiful wife, Laila (Jacinda Barrett), is abducted from her antique clock shop, Hank gets pulled into one of the most compelling mysteries in human history, stretching around the world and back centuries.
Contained in one of his wife’s clocks is a treasure map, and what it leads to could be cataclysmic. Now it’s up to Hank to decipher the symbols and unlock the secrets of the map, while ensuring the answers don’t fall into the wrong hands – a man they call White Vincent (Michael Nyqvist). With his two young associates, Rachel (Addison Timlin) and Arron (Scott Michael Foster), in tow, along with Becca Riley, a sexy FBI agent (Carmen Ejogo), Hank will lead them on a breathless race against the clock to find his wife and save humanity.
“Zero Hour” stars Anthony Edwards (“Big Sur,” “Flipped,” “ER”) as Hank, Carmen Ejogo (“Sparkle,” “Chaos,” “Away We Go”) as Beck, Scott Michael Foster (“Californication,” “The River”) as Aaron, Addison Timlin (“Californication”) as Rachel, Jacinda Barrett (“Matching Jack,” “Middle Men,” “New York, I Love You”) as Laila and Michael Nyqvist (“Mission: Impossible – Ghost Patrol”) as White Vincent.
“Zero Hour” was written by Paul T. Scheuring (“Prison Break”) who is also an executive producer along with Zack Estrin, Pierre Morel, Lorenzo DiBonaventura (“The Transformers,” “GI: Joe” franchise, “Salt,” “Red”) and Dan McDermott (“Human Target”). The pilot for “Zero Hour” was directed by Pierre Morel. The series is produced by ABC Studios.
NEW COMEDIES:
“HOW TO LIVE WITH YOUR PARENTS (FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE)”
Polly (Sarah Chalke) is a single mom who has recently divorced. The transition hasn’t been easy for her, especially in this economy. So, like a lot of young people living in this new reality, she and her daughter, Natalie (Rachel Eggleston), have moved back home with her eccentric parents, Elaine (two-time Golden Globe(r) and Emmy(r) nominee Elizabeth Perkins) and Max (three-time Emmy(r) winner Brad Garrett). But Polly and her parents look at life through different generational lenses. Polly (in contrast to how she was raised) aspires to be organized and together, while Max and Elaine live a more free-flowing, improvisational life-style. Polly wants to take it slow with new relationships, while her parents encourage her to be more sexually adventurous.
Polly and her parents’ views on parenting itself also conflict: Polly wants to be an involved modern parent, but Max and Elaine are laid back, hands-off parents from the 1970s. Polly believes children need to be sheltered and have structure and guidance, while Max and Elaine feel that children need the freedom to fall and pick themselves back up. After all, Polly turned out okay, so what’s the big deal?
They say it takes a village to raise a child, but in Polly’s case, this village is on fire, and although her ex-husband Julian’s (Jon Dore) intentions are good, he doesn’t exactly help extinguish the flames. But through figuring out how to live with her dysfunctional family, Polly realizes she might even be able to learn a few helpful things about herself.
“How to Live with Your Parents (for the Rest of Your Life)” stars Sarah Chalke as Polly, Elizabeth Perkins as Elaine, Jon Dore as Julian, Rachel Eggleston as Natalie, Stephanie Hunt as Jenn and Brad Garrett as Max.
“How to Live with Your Parents (for the Rest of Your Life)” is executive-produced by Brian Grazer, Francie Calfo and Claudia Lonow. The series is produced by Imagine Television in association with Twentieth Century Fox Television.
“FAMILY TOOLS”
Mixing family with business is never easy, and Jack Shea (Kyle Bornheimer) is about to learn that lesson the hard way. When Jack’s father, Tony (J.K. Simmons), has a heart attack and is forced to hand over the keys to his beloved handyman business, Jack is eager to finally step up and make his father proud. Unfortunately Jack’s past career efforts have been less than stellar, so everyone seems to be waiting for him to fail. His new job isn’t made any easier by Tony’s rebellious, troublemaking assistant, Darren (Edi Gathegi), and Darren’s flirtatious sister, Liz (Danielle Nicolet), who works at the local hardware store. But with the support of his Aunt Terry (Leah Remini) and his oddball yet endearing cousin Mason (Johnny Pemberton), Jack Shea may just find his true calling right at home.
“Family Tools” stars Kyle Bornheimer (“Bachelorette,” “Romantically Challenged,” “Perfect Couples”) as Jack Shea, J.K. Simmons (“Ultimate Spiderman,” “Generator Rex,” “The Closer”) as Tony Shea, Edi Gathegi (“X Men: First Class”) as Darren Poynton, Johnny Pemberton (“21 Jump Street,” “Aim High”) as Mason Baumgardner, Danielle Nicolet (“X Men TV Series”) as Lisa “Stitch” Poynton and Leah Remini (“In the Motherhood,” “King of Queens”) as Terry Baumgardner.
Based on the UK series “White Van Man,” the “Family Tools” teleplay is by Bobby Bowman. “Family Tools” is executive-produced by Joshua Sternin (“That ’70s Show”), J.R. Ventimilia (“That ’70s Show”), Mark Gordon (“Grey’s Anatomy,” “Criminal Minds”), Andrea Shay (“It Takes a Village,” “Virtual Virgin”) and Paul Buccieri (“Prime Suspect”). The pilot for “Family Tools” was directed by Michael Fresco (“Suburgatory,” “Raising Hope,” “Better Off Ted,” “My Name Is Earl,” “Northern Exposure,” “St. Elsewhere”). The series is from ABC Studios.
NEW ALTERNATIVE SERIES:
“THE TASTE”
One blind spoonful could change everything… on ABC’s “The Taste.” The exhilarating new cooking competition show “The Taste” puts 16 culinary competitors — pro chefs to home cooks — to the fire when four of the world’s most notable masters of the food world judge their creations based on a blind taste test. In this pressure-packed contest, the taste in a single spoonful can catapult a contender to the top or send him packing. “The Taste” features no-holds barred chef Anthony Bourdain, British food star Nigella Lawson, expert chef/author Ludo Lefebvre and restaurateur Brian Malarkey. Each of the four culinary superstars and “Taste” mentors – Bourdain, Lawson, Lefebvre and Malarkey – will coach a team of four competing pro and amateur cooks chosen from a nationwide casting call as they vie to create the best tasting dish. In each episode, the groups will face team and individual challenges with a variety of culinary themes through several elimination rounds. At the end of each episode, the mentors will have to judge the competitors’ dishes blind, with no knowledge of whose creation they’re sampling, what they’re eating, how it was prepared or whom they could be eliminating.
“The Taste” is from Kinetic Content and is executive-produced by Chris Coelen, Matilda Zoltowski, Emma Conway, Anthony Bourdain and Nigella Lawson. Brian Smith is the director.
“CELEBRITY DIVING”
“Celebrity Diving,” based on the hit international format “Celebrity Splash,” features celebrities competing in an exciting, family-friendly and often thrilling diving competition in front of a packed audience. Stars will perform dives from dizzying heights that will increase in difficulty each week, including backflips, somersaults and other gymnastic feats, to impress the judges, viewers at home and, most importantly, to win! Leading up to the competition, a professional diving instructor will give each celebrity weeks of training. Dives are not for the faint of heart, as they can be from as high as from 10-meter boards, with ever-increasing complexity, leading up to the much-anticipated finale.
“Celebrity Diving” is from award-winning production company Eyeworks USA (formerly 3 Ball Productions). The series is executive-produced by JD Roth, Todd A. Nelson and Brant Pinvidic. Judges include legendary diver and four-time Olympic gold medalist Greg Louganis, and David Boudia, who brought home the gold for diving at the 2012 London Olympic Games.
RETURNING SERIES:
“DANCING WITH THE STARS”
Season 16 of “Dancing with the Stars” will feature a star-studded cast filled with celebrities across a variety of genres, who will be paired with some of the world’s most decorated professional ballroom dancers to compete each week in a live ballroom competition. The couple with the lowest combined judges’ scores and public votes for their performance is sent home live every week, on “Dancing with the Stars the Results Show.”
Hosted by Emmy(r) Award winner Tom Bergeron (“America’s Funniest Home Videos”) and Brooke Burke-Charvet (“Dancing with the Stars” Season Seven Champion), the celebrities perform choreographed dance routines which will be judged by renowned Ballroom judge Len Goodman and dancer/choreographers Bruno Tonioli and Carrie Ann Inaba. The series is produced by BBC Worldwide Productions. Conrad Green serves as executive producer.
“BODY OF PROOF”
Brilliant and driven neurosurgeon Dr. Megan Hunt (Dana Delany) has found a new life as a Medical Examiner after a car accident left her with a condition called paresthesia and unable to operate. Although she’s no longer in the business of fixing what’s wrong with living patients, she’s still instinctively drawn to finding out what killed her dead patients and uncovering who was responsible and why. As she pursues the answers, the bodies of the dead provide the clues. The body is, in effect, the proof. As she, alongside her incredible team, investigate what happened to her patients, she finds their lives and the lessons they hold are in a way a bequest to her, to learn from them what she can and to apply to her own personal journey of redemption and forgiveness. In return, Megan is determined to get them justice.
“Body of Proof” stars Dana Delany as Dr. Megan Hunt, Jeri Ryan as Dr. Kate Murphey, Mark Valley as Detective Tommy Sullivan, Geoffrey Arend as Dr. Ethan Gross, Windell D. Middlebrooks as Dr. Curtis Brumfield, Elyes Gabel as Detective Adam Schaeffer, and Mary Mouser as Lacey Fleming.
The series is created by Christopher Murphey and executive-produced by Murphey, Matthew Gross, and Evan Katz. “Body of Proof” is produced by Gross Entertainment and ABC Studios.
“SUBURGATORY”
Tessa and George (Jeremy Sisto) have been on their own ever since Tessa’s mom pulled a “Kramer vs. Kramer” before Tessa (Jane Levy) was even potty trained. So far George has done a pretty good job of raising Tessa without a maternal figure in their lives, but suddenly he’s feeling a little out of his league. So it’s goodbye New York City and hello suburbs. At first Tessa is horrified by the big-haired, fake-boobed mothers and their sugar-free, Red Bull-chugging kids. But little by little, she and her dad begin finding a way to survive on the clean streets of the ‘burbs. Sure, the neighbors might smother you with love while their kids stare daggers at your back, but underneath all that plastic and caffeine, they’re really not half bad. And they do make a tasty pot roast.
“Suburgatory” stars Jeremy Sisto (“Law & Order”) as George Altman, Jane Levy (“Shameless”) as Tessa Altman, Carly Chaikin (“The Last Song”) as Dalia Royce, Rex Lee (“Entourage”) as Mr. Wolfe, Allie Grant (“Weeds”) as Lisa Shay, Alan Tudyk (“V”) as Noah Werner, Cheryl Hines (“Curb Your Enthusiasm”) as Dallas Royce, Ana Gasteyer (“Saturday Night Live”) as Sheila Shay and Chris Parnell (“30 Rock”) as Fred Shay.
Emily Kapnek (“Hung”) writes and executive-produces this bitingly ironic single-camera comedy, which is produced by Warner Bros. Television.
Categories: Television Tags: ABC, Celebrity Diving, Dancing with the Stars, DWTS, Family Tools, Red Window, television, The Taste, Zero Hour
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