From Inside the Box

'Doctor Who' teases 'The End of Time'

2009-11-21T00:49:45Z

The end is coming. The day after Christmas, to be exact.

BBC America announced Friday (Nov. 20) that the "Doctor Who" special "The End of Time, Part One" -- the first half of David Tennant's final appearance as the Doctor -- will premiere Saturday, Dec. 26 in the United States, just one day after its U.K. debut. Part two will also air over the holidays, though an airdate hasn't been announced yet.

"The End of Time" will find the tenth Doctor facing the end of his era as the Time Lord and doing battle with the Master ("Life on Mars" star John Simm, reprising his role). Along with the airdate, BBC America has also released about three minutes of footage from the special, in which the Doctor visits the Ood and hears about their disturbing dreams.

The scene is below. More video from "The End of Time" and "The Waters of Mars," which airs on Dec. 19, is at BBCAmerica.com.

Cool, right? Does this feel like an appropriately epic send-off for the tenth Doctor?

Follow Zap2it on Twitter for the latest TV, movie and celebrity news.

Related:

'Doctor Who' star David Tennant is 'Not Your Lawyer'
'Doctor Who' new logo or old logo? Vote!
'Doctor Who': David Tennant talks Rose Tyler

James Franco on 'General Hospital': Mom and daughter agree, he 'looked damn good.'

2009-11-21T00:20:44Z

Ever since a month-long trip to Germany when I was 12 where the only English-speaking TV station played six-month old episodes of "General Hospital" daily, I've been a fan.

Upon my return to the States, I continued to watch on school breaks and sick days until my mother figured it would be a good parenting move to check out the "trash" I was viewing.

From that point on, every day after school we threw a bag of popcorn into the microwave and watched together throughout high school and all my college summer vacations.

While being a grown-up for me has meant that I can no longer watch "GH" ever day, Mom has kept up. I check in every now and then and when I see Nancy Lee Grahh (Alexis) at Starbucks or Natalia Livingston (Emily/Rebecca) at the craft store, I'm sure to mention it.

So, James Franco's first apperance on Friday (Nov. 20) seemed like a good time for a call home to catch up.

And what did my mother who admittedly "doesn't keep up with actors" think of the reclusive artist Franco?

"He looked damn good if that's what you want from a [age removed at parental unit's inheritance-withholding request]-year-old woman," Mom says.

Sure. I'll take that.

When pushed as to whether she thinks Franco's decidedly method acting style was a good fit for the different rhythms of a soap opera, Mom says she hasn't seen enough to know.

Which is true. Most of the first day was spent with Franco skulking around posing as a homeless man, graffiti-tagging walls, rearranging dead bodies, playing cat-and-mouse with Jason Morgan (Steve Burton) and having quite the tonsil hockey session with new cast member Marsha Thomason.

Actually, that sounds like a lot, but it really wasn't.

But Mom is clear on one thing.

"I think he's beautiful and I can't understand why he's out to get Jason."

Got it. And really anything else is just frosting on that cupcake.

What did you think of James Franco's first day?

Follow Zap2it on Twitter for the latest TV, movie and celebrity news updates.

Related:

James Franco 'General Hospital' promo brings death
James Franco: No eye patch, not dead ... yet
After '30 Rock' and 'GH': What shoudl James Franco do next?

'Curb Your Enthusiasm': Preview the 'Seinfeld'-ian finale

2009-11-21T00:08:00Z

"Curb Your Enthusiasm" winds down its season Sunday with an episode that also brings the show's "Seinfeld" reunion arc to a close. HBO has even gone so far as to restyle "Curb's" logo to look like "Seinfeld's."

Actually, the whole promotional push by HBO has been kind of brilliant. A teaser for Sunday's show promises that after 11 years, "Finally ... a funny finale." It both captures the way most people felt about the real "Seinfeld" finale and plays off something that's been going on inside "Curb"-land, where everyone but Larry David acknowledges that the finale was perhaps not up to snuff.

The hour-long season finale airs at 9 p.m. ET Sunday (Nov. 22), and along with the reunion shenanigans Larry and Jerry Seinfeld are also attending a party for Jason Alexander's new book. Take a look:

Whatcha think? Will we get the "Seinfeld" finale we all wanted on Sunday?

Follow Zap2it on Twitter for the latest TV, movie and celebrity news.

Related:

'Curb Your Enthusiasm' gets syndicated

'American Idol': Allison Iraheta's 'Friday I'll Be Over U' music video

2009-11-20T22:31:23Z

Watch "American Idol" finalist Allison Iraheta's fabulous video for "Friday I'll Be Over U."

What a great video. It's like a cross between A-Ha's "Take On Me" and something out of the Dire Straits oeuvre. We love the irony that the born-in-1992 Idol has a video straight out of 1983. Fantastic.

In all the hoopla surrounding Kris Allen and Adam Lambert's first albums, we'd forgotten how catchy Allison's debut single is. We think with the right songs she could become the next Idol female pop star. They really haven't had one since Kelly Clarkson. (Carrie Underwood's too country to be considered pop.) Here's hoping, Allison!

What do you guys think? Yay or nay on the video?

Follow Zap2it on Twitter for all your movies, TV and celebrity news

Related Links
Jordin Sparks hospitalized for appendicitis
Kris Allen's 'Live Like We're Dying' video
Adam Lambert's 'Time for Miracles' video

'New Moon' sets a midnight box-office record

2009-11-20T19:39:39Z

Edward Cullen > Harry Potter, at least where midnight screenings of a new movie are concerned.

"Twilight: New Moon" smashed a box-office record Thursday night, hauling in more than $26 million from midnight showings of the movie. Summit Entertainment says the second film in the "Twilight" series earned an estimated $26.27 million in 3,514 theaters.

The previous record for a midnight opening came just four months ago, when "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" took in $22.2 million on July 15. The movie, which opened on a Wednesday, has taken in better than $300 million at the domestic box office and another $600 million-plus worldwide.

"New Moon's" huge midnight numbers sets up a massive opening weekend for the film. "Twilight" made $69.6 million on its first weekend in theaters last year; the midnight screenings alone have already put "New Moon" more than a third of the way toward surpassing that total.

Follow Zap2it on Twitter for the latest TV, movie and celebrity news.

Related:

'New Moon': What the critics say ('Boo,' mostly)
How to fake your way through talking about 'Twilight'
Team Edward or Team Jacob? Stars take sides
More 'Twilight' from Zap2it
Full 'New Moon' movie coverage

'Survivor: Samoa's' Laura Morett: 'Well played by Russell'

2009-11-20T18:59:03Z

Laura Morett was the 11th person to leave "Survivor: Samoa." She tells us regarding John's flip, "the fact that he even voted for Natalie the first time" surprised her.

What were you up to before Survivor?
Before I left, I was working down at our state capital [Ed's note: Oregon] for our legislative session. I run the office our lobbyists work out of so every other year for six months I work down there. And I was a mom.

Are you back doing that? Did "Survivor" change your plans at all?
Well, legislative session ended in June, but yeah I'm back to being mom and grandma and I'm a student, I go to Liberty University. I do the courses online. Back to being the taxi driver, the baker, and the wife. I have a great granddaughter, Layla, she's two-and-a-half years old.

So tell us about last night's episode. Were you surprised by the initial tie?
Yes and no. I was surprise because I really didn't think that John would've even stayed loyal the first round so the fact that he even voted for Natalie the first time really surprised me. Then the minute that they read my name twice, I knew that Monica and Brett and Dave's plan to use John as the decoy didn't work and when they read Natalie's name 5 times, I was surprised that John stayed true for the first vote.

So you knew John was the person who flipped, even before last night?
Yeah. I knew John was coming after me, even back when Russell Swan was in the game. What people don't know is that Brett and I have a really tight alliance. I knew his family from my church, so Brett and I are tight. So the Galu foursome we're talking about [Ed's note: The four men], Brett would tell me what was going on, so I knew that John was really threatened by me and Monica's alliance, he wanted me out. It was win-win in John's eyes because he's finally getting me out but he's not spearheading the "Let's get Laura out" movement.

So did you know Brett before "Survivor?"
[Ed's note: Laura was not allowed to answer this question]

Before you saw last night's episode, did you know Russell found the Idol a third time?
We didn't actually witness him finding it, but we pretty much knew. You saw the whole cat-and-mouse chase through the jungle. I would say that lasted about an hour and the next thing we saw was him in the hammock, just hanging out. He practically had the mouse's tale hanging out of his mouth.

Who do you think is playing the best game?
I think Brett was playing a good game, I think that Russell was playing a strong game. He was playing a very, very aggressive game. I didn't necessarily like that, that's not how I played, but I knew he was playing an aggressive game. Brett is very likable, he's a great guy, so I knew that he had potential and I was rooting for Brett.

At the time, you were pretty mad about Russell and the Idol being played to get Kelly out, but is it fun to watch on TV now that you're home or are you still mad?
It's fun to watch it on TV. It sucks that I lost, but I'm not a bitter person. I'm a competitor. I'm big enough to stick my hand out and say "well played" and it was well played by Russell.

It sucked, I loved Kelly and to have that happen to her... so unfair. To turn around and slap somebody, and to have it be Kelly, it really hurt to have that happen. So in that aspect it was not fun at all, but it's fun watching the show. Like I said, I'm not a poor sport, I'm not a sore loser and that was good play.

Did you ever repair things with Shambo?
I did apologize to her when the show was over and we were done filming. I said, "Shambo, if there was something I did that made you feel like I was being mean to you or isolating you, I never did it intentionally. I'm sorry if I did something that made you feel that way." Whether she accepted, I don't know, but I went to her and told her I was sorry. I can't change how someone feels about me.

Do you have any final thoughts you'd like to share?
I think that any time you go onto a reality show you put it in the editor's hands how you're being portrayed. And the one thing I'd like to say is that I'm not a mean person, I'm not evil-spirited and I would challenge anyone to tell me one thing I did that was mean to Shambo, that was evil-spirited. I never did anything to her because if I did CBS would've showed it.

Just because Shambo said it doesn't make it true. It's hard to watch that. My friends and family know and the people on the island know that she isolated herself, played this victim role and then pointed her finger at me. It hurts my heart to think that somebody would think I did that to them. Hopefully the viewers will see that I didn't pick on her, I wasn't mean to her. I'm sorry if there was something I did that made her feel that way but it wasn't ever intentional.

Follow Zap2It on Twitter for all your movies, TV and celebrity news

Related Links
'Survivor' recaps
Kelly's exit interview
Erik's exit interview

Oprah's cable network goes live in January 2011

2009-11-20T18:37:47Z

The start of the new Oprah Era on television and the end of the old one will overlap by a few months.

On the day that Oprah Winfrey formally announced the end of her daytime talk show, the cable network she's launching announced its own start date. OWN -- the Oprah Winfrey Network -- will debut in January 2011, eight months before Winfrey signs off from her talk show.

"Oprah has been nourishing people through her television show for nearly 25 years, a legacy that has touched millions the world over," says Christina Norman, OWN's CEO. "She is the life force behind OWN and will be guiding the effort for this completely new 24-hour television experience premiering in January 2011."

At the end of her show Friday, Winfrey told her audience that she would in fact make the 2010-11 season of "The Oprah Winfrey Show" its last. "These years with you, our viewers, have enriched my life beyond all measure, and you all have graciously invited me into your living rooms, into your kitchens and into your lives," she said. Here's more of what she had to say:

View more news videos at: http://www.nbcchicago.com/video.

Follow Zap2it on Twitter for the latest TV, movie and celebrity news.

Related:

Oprah ending her talk show in 2011

'American Idol' winner Jordin Sparks hospitalized for appendicitis

2009-11-20T18:33:57Z

Jordin Sparks, winner of season six of "American Idol," has been hospitalized for appendicitis.

Through the power of Twitter, we have found out Jordin Sparks is recovering from having her appendix removed Wednesday night. She tweeted Thursday, "Was struck w/ acute appendicitis...took out that appendix last night. Recovering today & the next week or so."

Jordin is diligently keeping us abreast of her hospital TV-watching, which includes "Law & Order," "Bones" and a Lakers/Bulls game, but is dismayed that she is "the only one not seeing 'New Moon' right now." She also posted a TwitPic of herself in her hospital bed, holding some teddy bears.

David Archuleta and Ryan Seacrest both tweeted her get-well-soon messages. We'll add ours here: Get well soon, Jordin.

Follow Zap2it on Twitter for all your movies, TV and celebrity news

Related Links
Jennifer Hudson cast as Winnie Mandela in biopic
Michael Sarver inks record deal
Adam Lambert's Out interview

'Grey's Anatomy' webisodes belly up to the bar

2009-11-20T17:33:23Z

"Grey's Anatomy" may be taking a break from television for the rest of 2009, but if you need a fix -- like, really badly -- you can turn to the web.

The show debuted a spinoff web series, "Seattle Grace: On Call," after Thursday's episode. The six-episode series is set mostly at Joe's and features a documentary crew filming a project about the lives of residents.

Joe the bartender (Steven Bailey) is the only long-time "Grey's" face who'll be a regular in "On Call." The rest of the webisodes focus on the Seattle Grace interns (Mark Saul, Molly Kidder, Joseph Williamson, Gloria Garayua and Brandon Scott) and two of the new docs from Mercy West (Nora Zehetner and Robert Baker).

As these characters have so far ranged from underdeveloped to barely present on "Grey's Anatomy," "On Call's" first episode didn't hold a ton of interest for me. (Though I like Joe a lot; more Joe would be good.) But if you can't live without "Grey's" in some form for the next few weeks, this could be a way to tide you over till new episodes resume in January.

The first episode of "Seattle Grace: On Call" is here; new episodes will debut Dec. 3, 10 and 17 and Jan. 14 and 21.

Follow Zap2it on Twitter for the latest TV, movie and celebrity news.

Related:

'Grey's Anatomy' recaps
'Grey's,' 'Private Practice' cross over again

TV ratings: 'Mentalist,' 'CSI' lead CBS Thursday sweep

2009-11-20T16:50:58Z

Fast National ratings for Thursday, Nov. 19, 2009

A slightly down night for ABC Thursday resulted in an across-the-board ratings win for CBS, which led primetime in both in viewers and demographic ratings.

CBS was off a touch from the last couple weeks as well, but it still snagged the top spot with 14.35 million viewers and an 8.8 rating/14 share in households. ABC (10.3 million, 6.8/11) finished second. FOX (7.9 million, 5.0/8) came in third, a good distance ahead of fourth-place NBC (5.4 million, 3.5/6). The CW averaged 3.2 million viewers and a 2.1/3 -- though that may change some since its Miami affiliate aired an NFL game instead of the regular lineup.

In the adults 18-49 demo, CBS' 3.7 rating topped ABC's 3.5 for the lead. FOX and NBC tied for third at 2.3, and The CW came in at 1.5.

Thursday hour by hour:

8 p.m.

CBS: "Survivor: Samoa" (12.3 million viewers, 7.3/11 households)
FOX: "Bones" (9.8 million, 6.2/10)
ABC: "FlashForward" (8 million, 5.2/8)
NBC: "Community" (5.1 million, 3.3/5)/"Parks and Recreation" (4.6 million, 3.1/5)
The CW: "The Vampire Diaries" (3.7 million, 2.4/4)

18-49 leader: "Survivor: Samoa" (3.8)

9 p.m.

CBS: "CSI" (15 million, 9.3/14)
ABC: "Grey's Anatomy" (14 million, 9.1/14)
NBC: "The Office" (7.4 million, 4.5/7)/"30 Rock" (5.9 million, 3.7/6)
FOX: "Fringe" (5.9 million, 3.7/6)
The CW: "Supernatural" (2.7 million, 1.7/3)

18-49 leader: "Grey's Anatomy" (5.0)

10 p.m.

CBS: "The Mentalist" (15.8 million, 10.0/17)
ABC: "Private Practice" (9 million, 6.1/10)
NBC: "The Jay Leno Show" (4.8 million, 3.2/5)

18-49 leader: "The Mentalist" (3.7)

Ratings information includes live and same-day DVR viewing. All numbers are preliminary and subject to change.

More ratings at Zap2it: Daily, weekly and cable

Casting Call: Uma Thurman joins Robert Pattinson's 'Bel Ami,' Sam Worthington commits 'American Crime'

2009-11-20T13:50:53Z

Uma Thurman is ready for an interview with the vampire, while the Terminator is heading to a new sci-fi flick.

Thurman has agreed to co-star alongside "Twilight: New Moon's" Robert Pattinson in "Bel Ami."

Guy de Maupassant's 1885 novel follows amoral journalist Georges Duroy, who uses his harem of mistresses to move up the social and professional ladders. Pattinson will play Duroy, while Thurman has signed on as a friend and mentor who later becomes Duroy's wife.

Filming begins in Paris in 2010.

-- "Avatar's" Sam Worthington, meanwhile, is continuing his string of sci-fi actioners. The actor, who also starred in "Terminator Salvation," will lead "The Last Days of American Crime."

The movie is based on an upcoming comic book in which the government uses radio signals to dissuade citizens from committing crimes.

Follow Zap2it on Twitter for the latest TV, movie and celebrity news updates.

Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart & Taylor Lautner on 'Kimmel'

2009-11-20T13:49:28Z

Any box office projections for "Twilight" this weekend?

Daytime:
"Today": Taylor Lautner, Kellan Lutz, Nikki Reed
"The Early Show": The cast of "Dreamgirls"
"Live with Regis and Kelly": Penelope Cruz, Taylor Lautner
"The View": Joseph Califano, Emily Osment
"That Morning Show": Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders
"The Bonnie Hunt Show": Larry the Cable Guy, Nigel Lythgoe, Paul McKenna
"The Ellen DeGeneres Show": Robert Pattinson, 13-year-old violinist Justus Rivera
"Rachael Ray Show": Stephen Ward, "Twilight" surprise
"The Oprah Show": Ray Romano, Gabourey Sidibe
"The Tyra Banks Show": Meghan McCain

Late Night:
"The Jay Leno Show": Kellan Lutz, Ed Begley Jr.
"Late Show with David Letterman": Viggo Mortensen, Paula Poundstone, Lyle Lovett
"The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien": Eva Mendes, Jon Bon Jovi, Bon Jovi
"Jimmy Kimmel Live": Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, Taylor Lautner, Death Cab for Cutie "Chelsea Lately": Katie Price, Guy Branum, Bill Santiago, Whitney Cummings (repeat)
"The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson": Neil Patrick Harris, David Gray
"Late Night with Jimmy Fallon": Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Elvis Costello
"Last Call with Carson Daly": Morena Baccarin, Lisa Hannigan
"Tavis Smiley": 50 Cent

James Franco learns 'General Hospital' about more than hospitals

2009-11-20T13:35:06Z

James Franco of "Pineapple Express," "Spider-Man," "Milk" and "Freaks & Geeks" fame hits the soap world this week.

The film actor's stint on long-running daytime series "General Hospital" begins Friday (Nov. 20) and though ABC is not saying much about the role he's playing, we do know that his character's name is "Franco" and that he will make major trouble for Jason Morgan (Steve Burton) who is mixed up with the mob.

So, why is James Franco, a Golden Globe winner who has no shortage of work in the movie world, doing a soap opera?

Rumor has it, he'd heard the rigorous shooting pace of soaps is hard and he simply wanted to try it and see if he could hang. He apparently devoted three very long days of work to "GH" and shot as much as he possibly could in that time period.

He's set to appear in several episodes over the next two months.

In the exclusive clip below, Franco talks about what he's learned so far about "General Hospital" and the unexpectedness of soap story lines, which he seems genuinely amused by.

See for yourself...

So, thoughts?

Will be interesting to see what kind of ratings "General Hospital" will pull for Franco's debut.

We at Zap2it will certainly be watching...

Follow Korbi on Twitter and follow Zap2It's main feed for all your movies, TV and celebrity news.

'Trauma' still has a pulse; NBC orders more episodes

2009-11-20T08:23:26Z

Reports of the death of NBC's "Trauma" are, if not greatly exaggerated, at least a little premature.

The network has reversed its earlier position on the show -- an NBC rep said late last month that the show would be done after its initial 13-episode order -- and decided to keep the paramedic drama on the air a little longer. The network has asked for three more episodes of the show, according to The Hollywood Reporter and others.

Ratings for the pricy show -- which is heavy on location shooting and big set pieces -- have been nothing to crow about. The show draws a shade under 6.5 million viewers a week (DVR viewing included) and a 2.1 rating in the 18-49 demographic. (The numbers have, at least, been pretty consistent.)

"Trauma" will have aired 10 episodes by the end of 2009, which will leave six (three from the original order and the three new ones) for later in the season. There's a pretty good chance the show will stay on Monday nights, but it likely wouldn't return until spring since "Chuck" and "Heroes" are booked for that night starting in January.

"Heroes," however, will likely finish its season before the Winter Olympics in mid-February. The alien-invasion drama "Day One" was slated to fill that spot starting in March, but since NBC cut its order to just four hours, the network will have some space to fill come March.

Follow Zap2it on Twitter for the latest TV, movie and celebrity news.

Related:

'Chuck' gets a January premiere date
No more 'Trauma' for NBC
NBC scales back 'Day One'

'New Moon': What the critics say ('Boo,' mostly)

2009-11-20T05:09:54Z

The reviews for "New Moon" have rolled in, and for the most part they are not kind to the second movie in the "Twilight" saga.

What critics have to say about the film will have next to no effect on its commercial prospects -- we doubt that a single Twihard will be swayed by "New Moon's" paltry 28% score on Rotten Tomatoes. But bad reviews can make for good reading, so here's a selection of what reviewers, both negative and positive, are saying about the movie.

"Constrained by the plot of the novel, the film keeps the two lovers apart for quite a spell, robbing the project of the crazy-in-love energy that made 'Twilight,' the first entry in the series, such a guilty pleasure." -- Kenneth Turan, LA Times

"The characters in this movie should be arrested for loitering with intent to moan. Never have teenagers been in greater need of a jump-start. Granted some of them are more than 100 years old, but still: their charisma is by Madame Tussaud." -- Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

"Most of us here at MTV News make no secret of the fact that we're fans of the franchise, and if you're reading this story, we know you'll see this latest 'Twilight' installment -- which is why we wanted to write something that doesn't so much say, 'See this movie,' as it says, 'Don't worry; this movie is all you're hoping for.'" -- Larry Carroll, MTV.com

"How much difference could switching directors make? Although it's hard to answer that question definitively, 'New Moon' offers few of the juicy, go-for-broke romantic pleasures of its predecessor, and the movie is so badly shaped that it's hard not to blame [Chris] Weitz as a director." -- Stephanie Zacharek, Salon

"The worst thing about 'New Moon' the book is the best thing about 'New Moon' the movie. ... If you had not read the series, in which Edward is infinitely more appealing and dimensional, you'd wonder what Bella was doing staring off into space in deep mope over this guy for weeks on end. Especially when Jacob Black arrives on the scene to distract her from her melancholy. Where [Robert] Pattinson's Edward is cold, bloodless and trapped in his head, Taylor Lautner's Jacob is warm, tawny, genial and able to get Kristen Stewart's shrink-wrapped Bella to stretch out and relax a little onscreen." -- Nancy Gibbs, Time

"Expect this film to satisfy its fans. Everybody else, get ready for a bizarre soap opera/pageant, consisting of a succession of static scenes with characters loping into the frame to announce exactly what they're thinking. Then they spell out their personalities for us." -- Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

"Considering Lautner's acting improved so much sans shirt, I wonder if there might have been Oscar buzz had he taken off his pants. Stewart herself can't seem to take her eyes off his chest throughout their scenes together." -- Garth Franklin, Dark Horizons

"Wisely 'New Moon' brings back screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg, who continues to prove she has a much better way with English than the author of the books, Stephenie Meyer. The director this time is Chris Weitz, who handles this tosh with the commitment it requires." -- Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune

Follow Zap2it on Twitter for the latest TV, movie and celebrity news.

Related:

How to fake your way through talking about 'Twilight'
Robert Pattinson on 'Regis & Kelly': 'Just the biting'
'The Simpsons,' Daniel Radcliffe take on 'Twilight'
More 'Twilight' from Zap2it
Full 'New Moon' movie coverage