News

Ballen Studios, the global content company behind mystery and true crime master storyteller, MrBallen, announced today the acquisition of the highly-anticipated podcast series Run, Fool! starring award-winning writer, producer, and comic book creator Rodney Barnes. The series, in partnership with At Will Media and Campside Media, is set to premiere across all major podcast platforms on November 14 and will feature a weekly compendium of grisly and harrowing tales guaranteed to make you scream.

“It’s difficult to convey how excited I am to be working with MrBallen and our entire producing team,” said Barnes. “I’ve loved horror my entire life, and I’m thrilled to share a new terrifying story with the world each week.”

Barnes, whose vibrant and emphatic creative voice has established him as a Hollywood mainstay, is best known as the writer and executive producer for tentpole television series Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty,...

Paxton Whitehead, the distinguished English actor and theater mainstay known for playing stuffy types in films and TV shows including Back to School, Mad About You and Friends, has died. He was 85.

Whitehead died Friday at a hospital in Arlington, Virginia, his son, Charles Whitehead, told The Hollywood Reporter.

Whitehead earned a Tony nomination for his turn as Pellinore in a 1980 revival of Lerner & Loewe’s Camelot opposite Richard Burton and appeared 16 other times on Broadway from 1962-2018.

Notably, he starred as Sherlock Holmes in 1978-79’s The Crucifer of Blood, which ran for 236 performances at the Helen Hayes Theatre, co-starred Glenn Close and was nominated for four Tonys, winning one.

He also was in Broadway productions of My Fair Lady with Richard Chamberlain, Lettice and Lovage, Noises Off and The Importance of Being Earnest.

After years on the stage, Whitehead made his movie debut in Back to School (1986), in which he portrayed Dr.

Lindsey Graham may think that President Joe Biden is “the Rodney Dangerfield of world leaders,” but Tucker Carlson inadvertently defended the president Wednesday night after pinning the South Carolina senator as a peddler of “anti-American stupidity.” And it all goes back to Russia.

The takedown began Tuesday when Graham, speaking on “Hannity,” shared how he thinks the United States, specifically President Joe Biden, should respond after a Russian jet reportedly collided with a U.S. drone and sent it crashing down into the Black Sea.

“We should hold them accountable, and say that if you ever get near another U.S. jet flying in international waters, your airplane will be shot down,” Graham said. “What would Ronald Reagan do right now? He would start shooting Russian planes down if they were threatening our assets. American foreign policy is in free fall.”

Also Read:

Lindsey Graham Goes Ballistic on Biden’s...

Academy Award-winner Spike Lee and his 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks have formed a multi-year creative partnership with Netflix, following successful collaborations on “Da 5 Bloods” and the “She’s Gotta Have It” series.

News of the deal comes after Lee and Netflix collaborated on four projects, with Lee writing and directing “Da 5 Bloods” and “She’s Gotta Have It,” directing “Rodney King” and producing “See You Yesterday.” In previous interviews with Variety, the filmmaker has praised the streamer for taking the proverbial risk on projects like “Da 5 Bloods” and “She’s Gotta Have It” when other studios have turned them down.

“There is no better way for me and my company 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks to begin the new year than renew our partnership with Ted, Scott And Tendo — da fearless leaders of Netflix,” Lee wrote in a statement announcing the deal. “Besides my joints, we together will focus on the new diverse storytellers,...

There’s a ridiculous amount of TV content out there waiting to be streamed during your downtime — and a lot of it won’t cost you one shiny penny.

TVLine already offers a premium streaming guide, which delivers a rundown of subscription rates, original series and select library content offered by established, new and forthcoming streamers. We also publish a monthly list of TV shows and movies coming and going on Netflix.

More from TVLineThe Blacklist Creator Explains the Midseason Premiere's Glaring Absence, Teases a Major Secret for [Spoiler]American Idol Video: Will Margie Mays and Jonny West Survive the New 'Duets' Round in Hollywood Week?...

Jordan Fisher knows he owes a lot to his parents.

“My life could have been very different,” Fisher tells People of being adopted by his maternal grandmother and stepgrandfather, whom he calls mom and dad. “It’s because of their unrelenting, unconditional support and love I’m able to have the life that I have now and do everything I love to do and that starts with the selflessness and love of my mom and dad.”

The former Hamilton and Grease Live! star, 23, revealed his family history on Dancing with the Stars Monday as part of the ABC reality dance...

It's week four of Dancing With the Stars, and fans are in for an emotionally charged night!

As the 11 remaining contestants and their pro partners take the stage on Monday, they'll be dancing to routines that symbolize their most significant life moments and memories.

That's right, it's Most Memorable Year week and Et's breaking down everything we can expect to see in the ballroom!

Who's on top of the leaderboard?

1. Lindsey Stirling & Mark Ballas: 27/30

2. Jordan Fisher & Lindsay Arnold: 25/30

3. Vanessa Lachey & Maksim Chmerkovskiy: 23/30

More: Maksim Chmerkovskiy Apologizes to Vanessa Lachey For 'DWTS' Absence: 'I Take Full Responsibility'

Who's in danger of elimination?

Sasha Pieterse & Gleb Savchenko received the lowest score from the judges last week, 19/30. They were followed closely behind with a five-way tie between Frankie Muniz & Witney Carson, Derek Fisher & Sharna Burgess, Terrell Owens & Cheryl Burke, Nick Lachey & Peta Murgatroyd and Nikki Bella & Artem Chigvintsev, who all received 21 points.

What are the...

Will Chase (Nashville), Jackson Hurst (NCIS: Los Angeles, Drop Dead Diva) and Rodney and Party of Five alumna Jennifer Aspen are set for recurring roles opposite Amy Adams in HBO's eight-episode drama series Sharp Objects, from Entertainment One and Blumhouse Television. Written by Marti Noxon based on the book by Gillian Flynn and directed by Jean Marc Vallée, Sharp Objects centers on crime reporter Camille Preaker (Adams), who, fresh from a brief stay at a psychiatric…...

Chicago – Amy Pietz is a Midwesterner made good in her primary role as a working actor. And what better performer to appear at the kick-off of the 2017 Midwest Independent Film Festival, as Pietz’s new film takes place in her native Wisconsin.

“Halfway” tells the story of a hulking African American ex-convict (Quinton Aaron of “The Blind Side”) as he tries to rebuild his life on a dairy farm, managed with difficulty by a widowed mother named Beth (Pietz). The new year of the Midwest Independent Film Festival starts Tuesday, Feb. 7th, at the Landmark Century Centre Cinema in Chicago.

Amy Pietz was born in Wisconsin, from modest circumstances, and was determined at an early age to be a performer. After a background in dance, she graduated from DePaul University in Chicago with a Bfa in Acting. She headed to Los Angeles shortly thereafter, and landed roles in TV shows like “Star Trek,...

This concludes my coverage of "Survivor: Worlds Apart." The 30th "Survivor" installment -- "The Dirty 30" as the castaways were apparently calling it -- wrapped up last Wednesday with a decisive victory for Texas oil driller Mike Holloway, who earned six votes from the Jury, beating Will and Carolyn, who took one symbolic vote apiece. It was a hard-earned win for Mike, who started off in a position of power with a strong Blue Collar alliance only to have his former chums turn on him. Backed into a corner, Mike made a new alliance with vestiges of both White and No Collar tribes, ties that paid few dividends during the season, but formed the spine of his Jury triumph. After perceived challenge powerhouse Joe was taken out, Mike became the target every single week and nearly every single week he won Individual Immunity, tying a quartet of "Survivor" legends -- Colby,...

Pre-credit sequence. It's Night 35 and the Top 5 castaways return to camp. Carolyn is giddy. Mike is incredulous. Rodney is offended that Carolyn didn't tell him about the Idol, which is funny since Carolyn's offended that Rodney voted for her. They agree that without Idols or advantages remaining, everybody wants Mike out, which is especially funny since Mike was the only person to support Carolyn at the previous Tribal. But loyalty doesn't go very far when you're this deep into "Survivor." Mother-Lover. Tonight's Reward is an individual challenge and it's really only worthwhile if Rodney loses. No Rewards for Rodney! It's a complicated challenge involving tiles, a number puzzle, shuffle board and other stuff. Wanna know what they're playing for? Love! Carolyn's husband comes out and she cries. It's a fairy tale marriage. Everybody cries. Mike's mom comes out and he cries. It's a fairy tale mother-son relationship.

Stephen Fishbach was the runner-up on Survivor: Tocantins and has been blogging about Survivor strategy for People since 2009. Follow him on Twitter @stephenfishbach.

"When I start working hard on something, my whole body and soul just goes into it, with every ounce of me. … And that's what winners do. Winners keep fighting. Champions keep persevering." –Bobby Jon Drinkard, Survivor: Palau

I'm filing this dispatch to People mere moments before I learn if I'm about to be cast on Survivor: Second Chances. Whether or not I end up being selected – I want to thank all of you who have...

Pre-credit sequence. When we left things, Rodney had just been blindsided by Joaquin's eviction. This won't go well. Escameca returns and Rodney is simmering. "It's the game," Joe says, philosophically and still in the game. Tyler is the first to express his disappointment and to praise the Blue Collar tribe for its Rodney-excluding unity. It falls to Mike to attempt to coddle Rodney. "Hopefully he doesn't take it too personal," Mike tells us, suggesting he's never actually met Rodney. Mike takes a walk with Rodney and explains that their perception was that Joaquin was reeling him in. "I was working on a fugazi fake alliance," Rodney protests, adding that he thought he was Michael Jordan and now he's feeling like Luc Longley. "I'm acting, bro. I'm putting on my De Niro," Rodney insists. [He may have referred to his "dinero," but we all know who or what he meant.] "Now, all of a suddenly, I've gotta be Mike's bitch till we get to the Merge,...

I feel the need to climb to the top of a mountain and shout at the top of my lungs to watch Legit on Fxx before it falls victim as another show worth your time that couldn’t find its audience in time. It’s smart, edgy, and sweet and comedies like this are few and far between.

Legit isn’t your typical comedy. Standup comedian, Jim Jefferies is trying to do something different, and bring his own sensibilities to the TV comedy realm. “When you’re with your friends,” he explains. “You laugh a little bit, you laugh a little bit, and then something big happens. I think a lot of network sitcoms it’s just laughs per minute. I don’t think they even care how big the laughs are. As long as they can pack so many into that timeline. We have episodes where there’s maybe five,...

"Legit" might not be Fxx's most popular comedy, but it should be one of them. After a critically acclaimed first season, the Jim Jefferies-starring series is only sharper, funnier and more brutally heartwarming in Season 2.

Though Wednesday's (Feb. 26) premiere episode isn't as jarring or as uplifting as Season 1's, "Legit" finds its groove much easier in Season 2 than it did last year. The characters of Jim, Billy (DJ Qualls) and Steve (Dan Bakkedahl) feel lived in here, and the episodes feel like one part of a larger story instead of just funny jokes conceived as episodes, which is more akin to "Louie."

In fact, it's hard to compare "Legit" to much of anything on television right now, and that's part of what is so exciting about it. After viewing the first four episodes, it's clear that Jefferies and co-creator Peter O'Fallon aren't afraid to push the bounds of what is politically correct on television.

"Legit" didn't leave main characters Jim (Jim Jefferies) and Steve (Dan Bakkedahl) in the best places at the end of Season 1, and life doesn't get much better for them in Season 2. Still, according to the cast, watching their downward spirals is going to be so much fun for viewers.

Zap2it visited the Venice, Calif., set of "Legit" in November when Jefferies, DJ Qualls, Bakkedahl and creator Peter O'Fallon were shooting one of the final episodes of Season 2. As they later teased at their 2014 TCA Winter Press Tour panel, this season will deal with Jim suffering from sex addiction and Dan being an alcoholic. It's not going to be a pretty sight.

"The career's going downhill this season," Jefferies tells Zap2it and select other outlets on the set visit. "I might be a bit more famous next season if we get a third season. All of our lives are...

Justified Season 5 Episode 2: The Kids Aren’t All Right

Every new season of Justified is like getting a block of sandstone you chip away at, knowing you’ll unearth a treasure, a precious fossil or gem perhaps. But it requires patience to get that treasure out and hours of work. The season premieres are usually front-loaded with information; they are usually followed by some stand alone episodes containing more of that stone being chipped away – a little here, and a little there. Episode 502 continues that annual trend as our attention is diverted slightly from what transpired in “A Murder of Crowes” to follow up on one of our favorite recurring characters: Loretta McCready (played by Kaitlyn Dever, who never fails to impress).

You might remember her as the young girl Mags Bennett took in during season two, after her sons killed Loretta’s father. We also got to see...

News

Syfy’s upcoming drama Helix (from Battlestar Galatica producer Ronald D. Moore) has picked Billy Campbell for a leading role, according to Deadline. Campbell will play a divorced doctor who is part of a team investigating the outbreak of a deadly disease.

I’m keeping my fingers crossed this means Billy Campbell will finally be on good show.

Pan Am fave Karine Vanasse will appear in a multi-episode arc on Revenge as a woman from Daniel‘s past. If they can find an excuse to get Vanasse to sing “Deutschland Uber Alles” again, I’ll be happy.

The Hollywood Reporter digs into the behind-the-scenes drama at Community and series creator Dan Harmon. It’s an interesting peek, at the very least.

Abby Huntsman, daughter of Republican presidential candidate Jon Huntsman, is joining the panel of MSNBC’s The Cycle, replacing S.E. Cupp. I’d like to think this means...

Through its 13 episode first season, Legit has been something of an oddball comedy, showcasing the wildly inappropriate, while always trying to hint at a sweeter side to the characters and raunchy situations taking place.

"Fatherhood" not only effectively encapsulated that particular tone, but found a wonderful way to include characters and topics brought up throughout the season to help cap it all off.

The whole focus of the finale centered on Wendy, the prostitute that Billy lost his virginity to in the pilot, and her current pregnancy.

The show got to the jokes right away with Jim thinking he was the father and exclaiming that he had a good run, but it had to end some time. Yet the twist was that the child was allegedly Billy's, as he and Wendy had more than just a blow job back in the Vegas brothel.

Now, I had a feeling that the...

I think what really makes Legit a clever show is not only having three main funny characters, but involving the trio in sort of everyday topics or situations turned upside down.

On some level, "Hoarders" continued the trend of focusing on the extreme pack-rat nature of Janice, Billy and Steve's mom.

The core trio each had their own specific part to play in the eventual intervention and dissection of the lunacy that Janice had created, while inadvertently revealing a bit of unknown backstory on the family.

I'm still having a hard time getting on board with Janice as a character, mostly because she seems so pissed off all the time to the point of feeling like her outbursts and antics are more cartoon than exaggerated reality.

Yet, her reaction to every item being thrown away was hilarious, even to the point of her grabbing bags herself and pulling them out of the trash.

Last week, we took a look at the relative dearth of leading men in Hollywood: why Tom Cruise, Will Smith, et al. remain at the top of the tree and why so few serious competitors have emerged since. But one of the most exciting things about our job is getting to watch the new names that emerge, breakouts who have the potential to join the A-listers, or at the very least, deliver a host of hugely exciting performances for decades to come.

So we've decided to kick off our On The Rise selection for 2012 by looking at some of the actors who we're tipping for big things in the next few years. Last time we made these kinds of picks and predictions we did pretty well, listing the likes of Joel Edgerton, Edgar Ramirez, Jason Sudeikis, Adam Scott, Jake Johnson and David Oyelowo who have all gone on to become much-sought-after names,...

Spoiler Alert! In this week’s episode of Justified, “Measures,” written by Benjamin Cavell and directed by John Dahl, Dickie’s search for Mags’ money resumed. Errol (Demetrius Grosse) told Dickie (Jeremy Davies) he’d tell him where Limehouse (Mykelti Williamson) hides the money for a share of it — but said they’ll have to get Boyd (Walton Goggins) involved to fetch it. That’ll be fun!

Meanwhile, the target on the back of Quarles (Neal McDonough) grew. Theo Tonin (Alan Arkin) sent hit men to Kentucky to off him, but Raylan (Timothy Olyphant) and Art (Nick Searcy) stopped them...

ABC pilot Good Christian Bitches was picked up last week but renamed Good Christian Belles. Now the network has decided to change the name of its newest primetime soap again--this time to G.C.B.

Here's how ABC described the show last week at the upfronts:

The soap returns to Dallas in this wicked new drama that shows that you can go home again... but only if you’re ready to face the sins of your past.

Amanda Vaughn (Leslie Bibb), once the ultimate high school "mean girl," is forced to return home in disgrace after her marriage ends in scandal. Amanda is nothing like the girl she was 20 years ago, but as her old classmates reacquaint themselves with the new Amanda, will her home town welcome her with open arms or seek revenge? No one in this town is a saint, but that doesn’t mean they can’t have a heart.

ABC has released a first look at four of its upcoming fall dramas, including Good Christian Belles, Missing, Pan Am, and Revenge. Check them out below.

Good Christian Belles

Click to watch Good Christian Belles!

The soap returns to Dallas in this wicked new drama that shows that you can go home again... but only if you're ready to face the sins of your past. Amanda Vaughn (Leslie Bibb), once the ultimate high school "mean girl," is forced to return home in disgrace after her marriage ends in scandal. Amanda is nothing like the girl she was 20 years ago, but as her old classmates reacquaint themselves with the new Amanda, will her home town welcome her with open arms or seek revenge? No one in this town is a saint, but that doesn't mean they can't have a heart. As Amanda and her teenage kids try to adjust to their new lives,...

ABC has a slew of new shows coming, many of which need a lot of luck if they're going to last more than a handful of episodes. The schedule has been released, so let's take a lot at what's coming.

Oddly enough, as part of the new announcement, ABC has solidified the return of several more shows, including Happy Endings, despite the fact that two other networks have shows on their slate with cast members from the show. That should be interesting. Of course, it works for me, because I'm a fan.

In other news, Desperate Housewives will not die. Are you kidding me with this show still being on?

New Series - “Apartment 23,” “Charlie’s Angels,” “Good Christian Belles,” “Last Man Standing,” “Man Up,” “Missing,” “Once Upon a Time,” “Pan Am,” “Revenge,” “The River,” “Scandal,” “Suburgatory” and “Work It” Join the Lineup

Returning shows - “America’s Funniest Home Videos,...

New series for the 2011-12 season are Apartment 23, Charlie's Angels, Good Christian Belles, Last Man Standing, Man Up, Missing, Once Upon a Time, Pan Am, Revenge, The River, Scandal, Suburgatory and Work It.

America's Funniest Home Videos, The Bachelor, Body of Proof, Dancing with the Stars, Desperate Housewives, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Happy Endings, Secret Millionaire, Shark Tank and 20/20 join previously announced returning series Castle, Cougar Town, Grey's Anatomy, The Middle, Modern Family and Private Practice, Saturday Night College Football also returns.

"We're thrilled to be launching a really diverse and ambitious schedule that balances the strength and stability of our returning hits with a slew of bold new shows," said Lee.

For the 2010-11 TV season, ABC Television Network claims five of the Top 20 highest-rated TV series in Adults 18-49 with Dancing with the Stars, Modern Family, Grey's Anatomy, Dancing with the Stars the Results Show and Desperate Housewives,...

ABC released its fall schedule on Tuesday which includes five total soaps - Desperate Housewives, Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice, Pan Am, and Once Upon A Time.

Come midseason, hot new soap Good Christian Belles will premiere along with The River and Scandal. ABC may be canceling its daytime soaps but the genre is alive and well at night.

Here's the lineup for fall:

Monday

8:00 p.m. Dancing With The Stars

10:00 p.m. Castle

Tuesday

8:00 p.m. Last Man Standing (new)

8:30 p.m. Man Up (new)

9:00 p.m. Dancing With The Stars Results Show

10:00 p.m. Body Of Proof

Wednesday

8:00 p.m. The Middle

8:30 p.m. Suburgatory (new)

9:00 p.m. Modern Family

9:30 p.m. Happy Endings

10:00 p.m. Revenge (new)

Thursday

8:00 p.m. Charlie's Angels (new)

9:00 p.m. Grey's Anatomy

10:00 p.m. Private Practice

Friday

8:00 p.

NBC and Fox have both unleashed their Fall 2011-2012 TV schedule, now ABC has released theirs. I’m excited to see Castle, Modern Family, and The Middle back in the mix. Most of the new shows they have line-up don’t really interest me, but there are a few that have caught my eye. PanAm is another 1960’s based TV show that will go against AMC’s Mad Men and NBC’s The Playboy Club. There’s a show called Revenge that sounds really interesting, but the new series I’m most excited about is is the fantasy series Once Upon A Time, a show where fairy tales collide with the modern day.

Here is ABC’s full schedule along with a description of all of their shows. Go through them below and let us know what TV series you’re most excited about seeing.

Day Time Series

Monday:

8:00 p.

ABC hopes 13 is its lucky number. The network has picked up a baker’s dozen new shows to populate its fall and midseason schedule, which includes opening a new comedy block.

Mondays will stay the same with Dancing With the Stars and Castle. Tuesdays will open with a comedy hour that includes Tim Allen’s new sitcom, Last Man Standing, paired with another new comedy, Man Up. Wednesdays adds new comedy Suburgatory, plus soap thriller, Revenge, at 10 p.m., with Cougar Town shifting to midseason and Happy Endings getting the Modern Family lead-in. Charlie’s Angels will go into Thursdays at 8 p.

The first season of Justified was really about how terrific Timothy Olyphant was as Deputy Marshal Raylan Givens. Conversely, this second season really has been about how great everyone around Olyphant has been.

Whether it was Margo Martindale's Mags, Walton Goggins' Boyd, or even Nick Searcy's Art in that one episode, the supporting cast has been fantastic this year.

In "Full Commitment" it was Jeremy Davies turn to shine, as his Dickie Bennett truly did fully commit to his goal of being in charge in Harlan County, and Davies himself fully committed to the role of an absolute sociopath.

Dickie really is his mother's son, in that he possesses that same ability to turn from extremely nice to extremely evil with a snap of the finger. Whether it was cheering up his new henchman Bass when he missed the target every time in shooting practice, or hobnobbing...

Frances Fisher has joined ABC drama pilot Partners. The project, from Ed Bernero,  is a cop drama centered on two female police detectives, Mattie (Scottie Thompson) and Jess (Annie Wersching), who are fiercely loyal to one another since they're also secretly half-sisters. Fisher, repped by Michael Greene & Assoc. and Sanders Armstrong Caserta, will play Mattie and Jess's mother, who is currently serving a long prison sentence for killing her abusive husband. Jennifer Aspen has become the first actress cast in ABC's dramedy pilot Good Christian Bitches, from producer Darren Star. Based on Kim Gatlin's book, it centers on a recently divorced mother of two who moves back to the affluent Dallas neighborhood where she grew up to find herself in the whirling midst of gossip, Botox and fraud. Aspen, who co-starred on the ABC comedy Rodney and did an arc on Glee, will play one of the GCBs, beautiful but full-figured,...

Amy Pietz, best known for her supporting roles on shows such as Caroline in the City, Aliens in America, and Rodney, has been recruited by the exciting Hr department over at The Office.

Okay, fine, it's actually the casting department, but we prefer to think of Toby hiring Pietz.  The lovely comedy veteran will be joining The Office cast for several episodes.

While we have no word on Pietz's actual character yet, we can tell you her first episode will air in April and we're just going to declare her a potential love interest for Michael. 

Why not?  This guy always seems to land women out of his league.  More on her actual role as it develops.

Kudos to the HR folks over at The Office on their latest blockbuster hire: Sources confirm to me exclusively that the sublime and criminally underrated Amy Pietz is joining the cast for multiple episodes. Pietz — best known from her supporting stints on Caroline in the City, Aliens in America, and Rodney — will first air in April and... um... er... that's pretty much all I can tell you at this point. Suffice it to say her character description is laced with more than a few spoilers. Of course, don't let that stop you from speculating in the comments. Also, feel free...

SXFantastic! SXSW 2010 presents Fantastic Fest at Midnight!

Austin, Texas - February 4, 2010 – The South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Conference and Festival has announced the complete features lineup for this year’s Festival, March 12 – 20, 2010 in Austin, Texas.

Over the course of nine days, 119 features will screen at the festival, with 55 of those having their world premieres at SXSW 2010.

For the second year in a row, Fantastic Fest has selected a slate of midnight features as part of the official SXSW Lineup. You can see these films and more with a SXSW film badge. SXSW film badges are on sale at www.sxsw.com/attend.

Mind-bending international Midnighters, hand-selected by Fantastic Fest.

Films screening in Sx Fantastic are:

Higanjima (Japan/Korea)

(International Festival Premiere)

Director: Tae-Kyun Kim.

Screenwriter: Tetsuya Ôishi

Two years after losing contact, Akira discovers that his long-lost brother may be found on

Higanjima Island. He may also find an army of blood-sucking vampires.

David Frankel, director of the summer hit The Devil Wears Prada and the pilot of HBO's Entourage, has signed with Endeavor. Frankel comes to Endeavor from ICM on the heels of former ICM co-president Nancy Josephson's move to Endeavor as a partner (HR 8/9). Other former ICM clients making the move along with Josephson include writer-producers Adam Chase (Friends), Adam Glass (All About the Andersons), Mark Gross (Rodney), Christopher Keyser (Party of Five), Claudia Lonow (The War at Home), Steve O'Donnell (Jimmy Kimmel Live), Richard Sakai (The Simpsons), Tom Straw (Grace Under Fire), author Adriana Trigiani and Steve Young (Late Show With David Letterman).

House came back in a big way for Fox on Tuesday while CBS' opened the night with 17 million-plus fans flocking to NCIS. And NBC pulled it out in the stretch with Law & Order: SVU to tie Fox for the nightly bragging rights in the adults 18-49 demographic, according to preliminary estimates from Nielsen Media Research. CBS won the first hour of primetime with drama NCIS packing in 17.1 million viewers and 4.0 rating/11 share in adults 18-49. Fox took over at 9 p.m. with House (14.7 million, 5.7/14) hitting its highest demo marks since its sophomore season premiere in September. CBS' had ho-hum turnout from 9-11 p.m. for its telecast of the 32nd annual Peoples Choice Awards (9.8 million, 3.4/9). ABC had a slow start to the night with According to Jim (7.6 million, 2.5/7) and Rodney (7.3 million, 2.67) leading into 9 p.m.'s Commander in Chief (11.3 million, 2.8/7) and 10 p.m.'s Boston Legal (11.3 million, 3.3/9).

House came back in a big way for Fox on Tuesday while CBS opened the night with 17 million-plus fans flocking to NCIS. And NBC pulled it out in the stretch with Law & Order: SVU to tie Fox for the nightly bragging rights in the adults 18-49 demographic, according to preliminary estimates from Nielsen Media Research. CBS won the first hour of primetime with drama NCIS packing in 17.1 million viewers and 4.0 rating/11 share in adults 18-49. Fox took over at 9 p.m. with House (14.7 million, 5.7/14) hitting its highest demo marks since its sophomore season premiere in September. CBS had ho-hum turnout from 9-11 p.m. for its telecast of the 32nd annual Peoples Choice Awards (9.8 million, 3.4/9). ABC had a slow start to the night with According to Jim (7.6 million, 2.5/7) and Rodney (7.3 million, 2.67) leading into 9 p.m.s Commander in Chief (11.3 million, 2.8/7) and 10 p.m.?s Boston Legal (11.3 million, 3.3/9).

Primetime was deadsville Tuesday as repeats and specials dominated the landscape. CBS won the night in total viewers (11.2 million) with its 8-11 p.m. telecast of the Kennedy Center Honors ceremony paying tribute to Tony Bennett, ballerina Suzanne Farrell, Julie Harris, Robert Redford and Tina Turner. NBC took the bragging rights in adults 18-49 (3.2 rating/9 share) thanks to an original 8 p.m. Fear Factor (5.3 million, 2.1/6), the 9 p.m. repeat of My Name Is Earl (8.5 million, 3.5/10) and 10 p.m. encore of Law & Order: SVU (9.8 million, 3.6/10). Fox had a pulse at 9 p.m. with the repeat of House (8.5 million, 3.3/9). ABC topped out in the opening hour of primetime with the repeats of According to Jim (7.3 million, 2.5/7) and Rodney (6.6 million, 2.3/7). UPN and WB Network were both under the 3 million-viewer mark for the night. UPN offered up a telecast of the theatrical All About the Benjamins (2.8 million, 1.1/3); WB had repeats of Gilmore Girls (2.9 million, 1.3/4) and Supernatural (2.6 million, 1.1/3).

Deal or No Deal picked up steam for NBC on Tuesday, the second night of the Howie Mandel-hosted game show's five-night run this week. Deal brought in 12.6 million viewers and a 4.6 rating/13 share in the adults 18-49 demographic in the 8 p.m. hour, according to data from Nielsen Media Research. Airing against repeat competition -- with the exception of ABC's 8:30 p.m. comedy Rodney (7.5 million, 2.8/8) -- Deal had no trouble taking its time slot. The game show, which challenges contestants to win a $1 million prize by guessing which of 26 sealed briefcases contains the largest cash cache, posted a notable spike in its second half-hour, climbing by more than 2 million viewers and nearly a full adults 18-49 rating point (from a 4.2/13 to a 5.0/14). NBC's 9 p.m. comedy My Name Is Earl (10.2 million, 4.6/12) held on to much of its lead-in, even with a repeat episode.

ABC has elected a full season for the new drama Commander in Chief, ordering nine more episodes. Chief is the most-watched new series of the fall season, averaging 16.5 million total viewers to lead its 9 p.m. Tuesday slot. While second in the hour in 18-49, Chief is still up 10% in that demo from last year's 9-10 p.m. combination of According to Jim and Rodney.

NEW YORK -- Not so many people wanted to be fired and few seemed to want to be a Hilton in Tuesday night's primetime. CBS's Fire Me ... Please and NBC's I Want to Be a Hilton finished behind a repeat of Fox's House (7.7 million, 2.8 rating/8 share in the adults 18-49 demographic) in the 9 p.m. hour, according to preliminary ratings data released Wednesday by Nielsen Media Research. A strong second half pushed Fire Me to second place in the hour (6.6 million, 2.6/7) in both categories, although between 9 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. the show had been beaten in total viewers and the demographic by ABC's According to Jim repeat (6.3 million, 2.4/7). Yet Fire Me was able to overtake a repeat of Rodney, which sank to 5.4 million viewers and a 2.0/6 in the demo. Hilton on the other hand, struggled throughout the hour, finishing with a 4.8 million total viewers and a 1.9/6 in the demo.

The Montecito Picture Co. is ramping up its development slate by pre-emptively picking up two projects, one a spec script, the other a pitch. Spec Disturbia is written by Christopher Landon and is described as a teen thriller homage to Rear Window. Grand Theft Otto, picked up by Montecito as a pitch, is being written by Greg Schaffer and Steve Joe. Alec Berg and Jeff Schaffer, who made Eurotrip with Montecito, also are producing. Otto is a buddy action comedy that has child rapper-actor Bobb'e J. Thompson attached to star. Thompson appeared on The Tracy Morgan Show, which is where he first met Schaffer and Joe. Thompson also did voice work for Shark Tale and That's So Raven The company's Jackie Marcus brought in the projects and will produce along with Montecito principals Ivan Reitman, Tom Pollock and Joe Medjuck. The company has a first-look deal with DreamWorks. Landon co-wrote Another Day in Paradise with Melanie Griffith and James Woods. He also was a writer on Blood and Chocolate. Landon is repped by UTA and manager Kevin Donahue. Schaffer and Joe wrote features Victory and Loco for Warner Bros. and Reverend Pimp Daddy for Sony. Their television credits include Rodney and Veronica's Closet. Schaffer, Joe and Thompson are repped by UTA. Thompson is additionally repped by Lauren Lloyd.

ABC appears poised to make some major scheduling moves next season now that network brass have picked up a slew of new comedy and drama series. The network also has renewed a handful of shows that were thought to be on the fence, including comedies Jake in Progress, Less Than Perfect and Rodney and unscripted hours Wife Swap and Supernanny, sources said. The WB Network, which like ABC is set to reveal its 2005-06 season lineup to advertisers Tuesday in New York, was said to have firmed up most of its pickups during the weekend, as did Fox, which presents Thursday. For the WB, however, sources said that negotiations between the network and 20th Century Fox TV for the renewal of 20th-produced Reba, the WB's top-rated comedy, hit a rough patch late Friday that in turn complicated the WB's pickup discussions for the high-profile, 20th-produced pilots Pepper Dennis, starring Rebecca Romijn, and Misconception, starring Jane Leeves.

ABC appears poised to make some major scheduling moves next season now that network brass have picked up a slew of new comedy and drama series. The network also has renewed a handful of shows that were thought to be on the fence, including comedies Jake in Progress, Less Than Perfect and Rodney and unscripted hours Wife Swap and Supernanny, sources said. The WB Network, which like ABC is set to reveal its 2005-06 season lineup to advertisers Tuesday in New York, was said to have firmed up most of its pickups during the weekend, as did Fox, which presents Thursday. For the WB, however, sources said that negotiations between the network and 20th Century Fox TV for the renewal of 20th-produced Reba, the WB's top-rated comedy, hit a rough patch late Friday that in turn complicated the WB's pickup discussions for the high-profile, 20th-produced pilots Pepper Dennis, starring Rebecca Romijn, and Misconception, starring Jane Leeves.

American Idol beat everything in its path again on Tuesday, topping the combined ratings of its broadcast competition in the 8 p.m. hour. Fox's Idol brought in a whopping 26.9 million viewers and 11.5 rating/30 share in the adults 18-49 demographic, according to preliminary estimates from Nielsen Media Research. That was lofty enough to beat the combined demo averages of CBS' NCIS (13.4 million, 2.9/7), ABC's combo of My Wife & Kids (6.5 million, 2.1/6) and George Lopez (6.4 million, 2.2/5), NBC's Law & Order: Criminal Intent repeat (4.3 million, 1.4/4), WB's Gilmore Girls (5.3 million, 2.2/6) and UPN's All of Us (2.2 million, 0.9/2) and Eve (2.2 million, 0.9/2). At 9 p.m., Fox's numbers came back down to earth with drama House, MD (14.4 million, 5.7/14) losing nearly half of its lead-in audience. Still, the drama did a slightly better job of holding its audience throughout the hour than it did last week. CBS was No. 2 in the hour in viewers with its Dr. Phil: Romance Rescued special (11 million, 3.5/8) while ABC nosed past CBS in adults 18-49 with According to Jim (9.7 million, 3.8/9) and Rodney (8.9 million, 3.5/8).

ABC has given the green light to a full season of its Wednesday reality series Wife Swap. ABC and other broadcast networks also took a half-step toward picking up a clutch of fledgling freshman series by handing out a number of additional script orders during the past week. But in general, the broadcast nets seem to be treading more cautiously this year than in the recent past when it comes to giving full-season pickups to new series performing in the fair-to-middling range. Additional scripts help network and studio brass evaluate the long-term prospects for shows on the Nielsen fence without having to fully commit to new episodic production. ABC has ordered nine more scripts of its Tuesday 9:30 p.m. sitcom Rodney, which has done respectable, if not impressive, business behind 9 p.m. anchor According to Jim. ABC also asked for six more scripts of Friday newcomer Complete Savages, which has so far been fairly weak behind 8 Simple Rules in the 8 p.m. hour.