By Rachel Bennett
Television Editor & Columnist
Every Friday, Rachel recaps the week’s major TV-related news, announcements and gossip!
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TOP STORIES
• Although Netflix’s new season of Arrested Development will feature every member of the Bluth family, you won’t actually get to see all of them at the same time. “You don’t see them all together until you see the movie,” says creator Mitch Hurwitz. We thought we couldn’t wait for the movie, which has yet to be confirmed, any more than we did, but we’ve been proven wrong — very wrong.
• Unless Fox’s American Idol judges Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj are great actors in addition to being talented singers/rappers, it seems they really are feuding.
• Anna Faris is going from real motherhood to reel motherhood. The actress is joining the CBS pilot Mom, executive produced by Chuck Lorre (CBS’s Two and a Half Men), and will star as a recently sober single mom living in California’s wine-filled Napa Valley.
• ABC’s canceled soaps One Life to Live and All My Children are getting second chances. The shows will come back online as a part of the new the Online Network (TOLN).
• NBC’s Saturday Night Live has booked its next two hosts: Following Jennifer Lawrence, Maroon 5 and The Voice’s (NBC) Adam Levine will host for the first time Jan. 26, while Justin Bieber will host and perform Feb. 9.
SHOW BIZ
• Will ABC’s Happy Endings get a happy ending? “We haven’t made any decisions yet, but I can tell you that these are shows that we love,” ABC Entertainment President Paul Lee says about a renewal for the comedy as well as the network’s Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23. We’ve heard that one before…
• Oprah Winfrey’s channel, OWN, will be adding six new original series to its schedule. Two programs, the drama The Have and the Have Nots and the comedy Love Thy Neighbor, are being produced by Tyler Perry.
• Did we mention that Arrested Development comes back with new episodes in May? Woohoo!
• In its first week on TBS, Cougar Town (formerly on ABC) performed decently in the ratings. The comedy drew 2.2 million viewers and 1.3 million audience members in the 18-49 demo. In comparison, the network’s original comedy Men at Work drew 2.6 million viewers upon its premiere.
• The results are in! After its first night airing at 11:35 p.m., ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live bested CBS’s Late Show with David Letterman with 3.1 million viewers (Late Show attracted 2.9 million). However, Kimmel couldn’t top the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, which delivered 3.3 million viewers.
COMINGS AND GOINGS
• Following the cancellation of The CW’s Ringer, Sarah Michelle Gellar is possibly plotting her TV comeback. The actress is considering an untitled comedy that “chronicles the hijinks parents get into while their kids are at home.”
• Seth Rogen will guest star on the Feb. 19 episode of Fox’s The Mindy Project. He’ll play Mindy’s (Mindy Kaling) childhood crush, whom she met at Jewish summer camp.
• Dylan Walsh is heading to ABC’s Castle. He’ll play an FBI investigator who works with Castle (Nathan Fillion) and Beckett (Stana Katic) for two episodes, set to air in February.
• NBC just loves its political cameos. After multiple appearances by policy makers on Parks and Recreation, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi will make an appearance in the series finale of 30 Rock. Speaking of, Salma Hayek will return to the comedy for the finale.
• A lot of guest stars are coming to CBS’s How I Met Your Mother: Alex Trebek, Alan Thicke, James Van Der Beek, Paul Shaffer, Jason Priestley and K. D. Lang are just some of the people who will appear in the series’ upcoming Robin Sparkles episode.
• Animal Planet’s annual Puppy Bowl, which airs the day of the Super Bowl, will feature “hedgehog cheerleaders” this year. Too. much. cuteness.
RUMOR MILL
• Amid rumors that she was being canned, judge Britney Spears has reportedly quit Fox’s The X Factor.
• “It’s our job to keep things moving and also try to get the movie stars more liquored-up so that hopefully someone’s boob will fall out of a dress,” says Golden Globes co-host Tina Fey. “That’s our main role.” OK then.
• Reality star Bethenny Frankel told Ellen DeGeneres on The Ellen DeGeneres Show that she feels “like a failure” following her separation and impending divorce from husband Jason Hoppy.
SNEAK PEEK
• Now that we know this year’s Oscar nominees, here’s the first ceremony promo featuring host Seth MacFarlane.
• Here’s your first look at HBO’s Liberace biopic, Behind the Candelabra. The film is directed by acclaimed filmmaker Steven Soderbergh (Magic Mike) and stars Michael Douglas and Matt Damon.
• Despite all of the drama over six seasons, it looks as though everyone will be happy in Private Practice’s (ABC) Jan. 22 series finale.
• It’s “an eye for an eye” in the new poster for AMC’s The Walking Dead.
• Rebekah’s (Claire Holt) back in the Jan. 17 episode of The CW’s The Vampire Diaries.
FRIDAY FUN
• Michelle Williams was on TBS’s Cougar Town this week. I repeat: Michelle Williams was on Cougar Town this week.
