Justin Bieber, Enrique Iglesias and LeAnn Rimes to headline NBC’s “Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular”
Singers Justin Bieber, Enrique Iglesias and LeAnn Rimes will celebrate America’s birthday on “Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular” airing Sunday, July 4 at 8 p.m. on NBC.
Also, cast members from “Twilight Saga: Eclipse” will make an appearance from onboard the Norwegian EPIC, according to a news release.
Nick Cannon (“America’s Got Talent”) and Allison Sweeney (“The Biggest Loser”) will be anchoring the show.
The Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks display returns to the Hudson River to light up the sky over New York City featuring more than 40,000 firework shells in the theme of “American Harmony.”
CBS’ “Big Brother” returns July 8
"Big Brother" host Julie Chen - AP Photo
“Big Brother” returns this summer with a multi-platform presence: on-air (CBS Television) online (RealNetworks, a redesigned CBS.com, the CBS Audience Network and Twitter), on the phone (CBS Mobile) and on cable (Showtime).
“Big Brother” is a reality series that follows a group of people living together in a house outfitted with over 52 cameras and microphones, recording their every move 24 hours-a-day. Each week, the house guests will vote someone out of the house. At the end, the last remaining house guest will receive the grand prize of $500,000.
According to a news release, “Big Brother’s” multi-platform initiative includes:
♦♦♦ “Big Brother’s” return Thursday, July 8 at 8 p.m. on CBS.
Following the premiere, “Big Brother” will air three nights weekly, starting Sunday, July 11 at 8 p.m., Wednesday, July 14 at 8 p.m. and the live eviction show, with host Julie Chen, begins Thursday, July 15 at 8 p.m.
Full-length episodes, highlight clips and more from “Big Brother” will be available on CBS Audience Network.
♦♦♦ CBS and RealNetworks Inc. partner again to provide exclusive all access live streaming video from inside the “Big Brother” house. The webcast coverage begins immediately after the July 8 premiere and will be accessible through the official “Big Brother” Web site at CBS.com, www.cbs.com/bigbrother, and through Real’s SuperPass subscription service at www.real.com/bigbrother.
♦♦♦ CBS.com will launch the “Big Brother” Ultimate Fan contest:
Fans will earn points and rewards across a suite of “Big Brother” games and community elements based on their activity. The fan with the most points at the end of the season will win the title of “Ultimate Fan.” The grand prize includes a trip to the finale and a chance to meet the “Big Brother” houseguests. The winner will be randomly selected among the top 25 percent of high scorers. Fans can earn points and badges by playing “Big Brother Fantasy” video trivia, commenting on clips, “fanning” houseguests and having highly-rated message board posts. Registration will launch June 30, with the contest beginning July 8.
♦♦♦ There is also a new weekly Video Trivia game that will include questions and clips from “Big Brother” episodes and will go live shortly after the season debut.
♦♦♦ Twitter followers can go to www.Twitter.com/BigBrotherScoop for daily updates and www.Twitter.com/BigBrotherHoH gives that week’s head of household the opportunity to tweet daily messages directly to viewers and fans.
♦♦♦ “Big Brother” will be simulcast on the CBS Mobile Channel presented on FLO TV’s live mobile TV service.
♦♦♦ CBS and Showtime will join again to air “Big Brother: After Dark,” a live look inside the “Big Brother” house during the late-night hours for a three-hour period, starting July 8 at 8 p.m., seven days a week, on the multiplex channel SHO2.
“Drop Dead Diva” star Brooke Elliott fond of Oklahoma
Brooke Elliott of "Drop Dead Diva" - Lifetime Television Photo
When actress Brooke Elliott, star of Lifetime Television’s “Drop Dead Diva,” thinks of her time in Oklahoma, she thinks about a “jumpin’ little juke joint” in Stillwater.
Elliott took a few minutes out of her filming schedule recently to talk about the show and her Oklahoma ties via a phone interview.
“I love … Eskimo Joe’s. I have tons of Eskimo Joe’s clothes and cups in my house, ’cause I love Eskimo Joe’s,” Elliott said. “It’s a fond memory. I like that store and the whole gig.”
Elliott, 35, who was born in Minnesota, moved around a lot with her family when she was a child, and one of the family’s stops was Enid for about four years.
Now, she’s a star in a prime-time television series that airs at 8 p.m. Sundays. She still comes back to Oklahoma at Christmastime to visit her parents and sister, who live in the state.
“Drop Dead Diva” is about Deb, a model wannabe who dies in a car accident and whose soul ends up in the body of plus-size, recently deceased attorney Jane, played by Elliott. Through a twist of fate and divine intervention, Deb restarts her life as Jane. Surprises and enlightening situations ensue in this comedy-drama.
When asked about the filming of the second season of “Drop Dead Diva” Elliott said, “I think it’s going great. Hopefully the audience is loving what we’re giving them and keeps coming back.”
In hints about upcoming shows, Elliott said, “We’re going to have a little bit of some news with Tony (David Denman) … there’ll be some fun stuff with Kate (Levering, who plays Kim Kaswell) and Parker (Josh Stamberg) that will come up. And Grayson (Jackson Hurst) and Jane will confront some new things between the two of them.”
What does Elliott like most about playing Jane in “Drop Dead Diva”?
“I like that it’s so vast of a role,” she said. “I’m not actually stuck in some type of box. … I get to play from here to there and every emotion in between, and that’s really freeing and challenging as an actor.”
Elliott said it’s really fun to play Deb in Jane’s body, since Jane’s brain influences Deb’s behavior.
“It’s fun to go through the script and try and figure out, ‘OK, what does Deb know? What does Jane add to this? Does she know that word in the law, in the court? Does she not?’ And it’s really fun to figure that out,” Elliott said.
– Melissa Hayer
ABC Family to feature “Harry Potter Weekend”
Daniel Radcliffe in "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" - AP Photo/Warner Bros.
Thursday, July 8 through Sunday, July 11 will be “Harry Potter Weekend” on the ABC Family channel.
“Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” kicks off the event July at 6:30 p.m. and all of the first five movies based on the best-selling books by J.K. Rowling will be shown throughout the weekend, according to a news release.
ABC Family will also air never-before-seen interviews and footage of Harry’s (Daniel Radcliffe) final showdown with Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) from the upcoming two-part film “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.”
Part 1 is scheduled to hit theaters Nov. 19 and Part 2 is scheduled for July 15, 2011.
The network will also present a special telecast of a newly released “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” trailer tonight, June 28.
Warner Bros. Pictures releases the trailer worldwide today, and it will be broadcast on ABC Family tonight during the premiere of the new one-hour series “Huge,” which airs at 8 p.m.
The “Harry Potter Weekend” schedule is as follows:
Thursday, July 8th
6:30 – 9:30 PM “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone”
Friday, July 9th
2:30 – 6:00 PM “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone”
6 – 10 PM PM “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets”
Saturday, July 10th
11:30 AM – 3:30 PM “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets”
3:30 – 6:30 PM “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban”
6:30 – 10 PM “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire”
Sunday, July 11th
12:30 – 3:30 PM “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban”
3:30 – 7 PM “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire”
7 – 10 PM “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix”
FX’s “Rescue Me” returns for sixth season June 29
Denis Leary of "Rescue Me" - FX Photo
I had never seen “Rescue Me” before I was able to preview the first couple of episodes of the upcoming sixth season.
The show is centered around a New York City firehouse and Emmy-nominated Denis Leary is perfect in the lead role of firefighter Tommy Gavin.
Even though Gavin definitely has issues, he seems to have heart – and seems to be trying to overcome some of his bad habits – for most of the first two episodes of Season 6, anyway.
He has complicated relationships with his family and co-workers, but you can tell he absolutely cares about them.
There are multiple characters in this show who keep things interesting, including Tommy’s wife Janet (Andrea Roth) and firefighters Kenny “Lou” Shea (John Scurti) and Franco Rivera (Daniel Sunjata).
Sometimes a series starts and if you don’t catch it from the beginning, you feel like you’ve missed too much to know what’s going on, even when it gets a lot of buzz from critics and TV fans.
Of course, nowadays, some people just wait for seasons of their favorite shows to be released on DVD and watch them all at once anyway.
If you like edgy drama with dark humor, you’re probably already a fan of “Rescue Me,” and if you haven’t seen it yet, check out the previous seasons and catch up.
Season 6 of “Rescue Me” will premiere Tuesday, June 29 at 9 p.m. on FX.
– Melissa Hayer
Turner Classic Movies to feature teen films in July
Matthew Broderick in "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" - AP Photo/Paramount Pictures
When do teens usually have the most fun?
Summertime – when they have the most free time, of course!
In honor of teens and summer, Turner Classic Movies will be celebrating teen movies every Thursday night in July, according to a news release.
Each week’s lineup will focus on a different theme, from juvenile delinquents to beach fun to teen romance to 1980s hit films.
“Rebel Without a Cause,” “Rock Around the Clock,” “Gidget,” “Sixteen Candles” and “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” are just a few of the memorable movies included on the roster.
Here is the “TCM Spotlight: Teen Movies” schedule:
Thursday, July 1 – Juvenile Delinquents
7 p.m. Rebel Without a Cause (1955)
9 p.m. Blackboard Jungle (1955)
11 p.m. The Delinquents (1957)
12:30 a.m. Crime in the Streets (1956)
2:15 a.m. Hot Rods to Hell (1967)
4 a.m. The Wild One (1953)
Thursday, July 8 – At the Beach
7 p.m. Gidget (1959)
9 p.m. Beach Blanket Bingo (1965)
11 p.m. Bikini Beach (1964)
1 a.m. Where the Boys Are (1960)
3 a.m. Girl Happy (1965)
Thursday, July 15 – ‘80s Night
7 p.m. Better Off Dead (1985)
9 p.m. Sixteen Candles (1984)
11 p.m. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)
1 a.m. Risky Business (1983)
2:45 a.m. Fame (1980)
Thursday, July 22 – Teens in Love
7 p.m. The Courtship of Andy Hardy (1942)
9 p.m. Tammy and the Bachelor (1957)
10:45 p.m. Gregory’s Girl (1981)
12:30 a.m. Lord Love a Duck (1966)
2:30 a.m. The Affairs of Dobie Gillis (1953)
4 a.m. Palm Springs Weekend (1963)
Thursday, July 29 – Rock Movies
7 p.m. Rock, Rock, Rock! (1956)
8:30 p.m. Rock Around the Clock (1956)
10 p.m. Bye Bye Birdie (1963)
Midnight Jailhouse Rock (1957)
1:45 a.m. Go, Johnny, Go! (1959)
3:15 a.m. Don’t Knock the Twist (1962)
SYTYCD: No more Cristina
The salsa/belly dancer Cristina Santana was eliminated Thursday night on “So You Think You Can Dance.” Judge and executive producer Nigel Lythgoe said the vote was NOT unanimous and that he voted to keep Cristina. He voted to give tap dancer Melinda Sullivan the boot, but he said her fellow judges, Adam Shankman and Mia Michaels disagreed. This is surprising on two counts:
- He is a tap dancer and in the past has had a real affinity for tappers
- He’s the executive producer! Doesn’t he get VETO power? Guess not.
In the bottom three were Melinda and Cristina, of course, but also contemporary dancer Robert Roldan. BIG surprise, because of Billy Bell’s widely criticzed hip-hop performance. Billy’s got the fans, that’s for sure.
So, we’re down to 9 dancers, and it’s showing. Three All-Stars didn’t get to dance this week.
ABC Family “Live Huge” campaign promoting its health initiative and new series “Huge” to have bus tour stops in Oklahoma
"Live Huge" bus tour - Photo Provided
A “Live Huge” campaign has been launched by ABC Family in support of its health initiative focusing on body image and self-estem and its upcoming one-hour scripted series “Huge.”
The multi-platform initiative involves on-air, online and off-air promotion, which began with a national bus tour that started in Michigan June 18, according to a news release.
The “Live Huge” bus tour will stop at festivals and fairs across the country throughout June and July 2010, including the Route 66 Festival in Clinton on June 26 and the Oklahoma City RedHawks vs. Omaha Royals baseball games at AT&T Bricktown Ballpark on June 27 and 28.
The “Live Huge” bus is wrapped in white to serve as a blank canvas that will let people share how they “live huge” by writing messages directly on the bus that tell how they live their lives to the fullest.
Photo of people signing the bus will be uploaded to abcfamily.com at each stop for use on the site’s digital mosaic “The Live Huge Wall.”
ABC Family will also be giving out recipe booklets containing healthy recipes from two cookbooks by Jamie Oliver.
“Huge” stars Nikki Blonsky (“Hairspray”) and is a drama featuring seven teens from different backgrounds attending a weight loss camp, with each beginning an individual journey of self discovery.
The show will follow the campers as they deal with issues including self-esteem, friendship, rivalry, romance and body image.
“Huge” will premiere Monday, June 28 at 8 p.m on ABC Family.
The upcoming “Live Huge” bus tour stops include:
June 26 – Route 66 Festival (Clinton, OK)
June 27-28 – Oklahoma City RedHawks vs. Omaha Royals Game (Oklahoma City, OK)
July 3 – Independence Day Celebration (Selma, CA)
July 4 – 4th of July Street Fair (Ventura, CA)
July 7 – Bakersfield Blaze vs. Modesto Nuts (Bakersfield, CA)
July 11 – Colorado Springs Sky Sox vs. Reno Aces (Colorado Springs, CO)
July 14 – Cedar County Fair (Tipton, IA)
July 15 – Kane County Fair (St. Charles, IL)
July 17 – Sparta Town & Country Days (Sparta, MI)
Schedule subject to change.
For additional details on the bus tour and the series, go to abcfamily.go.com/shows/huge/index.
Cynthia Nixon joins cast of Showtime’s “The Big C”
Cynthia Nixon - Photo by Steven Sebring/Provided by Showtime
Cynthia Nixon (“Sex and the City”) has signed on to be a guest star in four episodes of the new Showtime dark comedy series “The Big C,” starring Laura Linney (“John Adams”).
Nixon will play Rebecca, a flaky, long-lost college roommate of Linney’s character, who re-enters her life and shakes things up, according to a Showtime news release.
In “The Big C,” Linney portrays Cathy, a repressed suburban teacher, wife and mother who reclaims her life after a terminal cancer diagnosis.
Oliver Platt (“2012″) co-stars as her husband and Gabourey Sidibe (“Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”) plays one of her students.
Brian Cox (“Deadwood”) is also set to play her father in an episode.
“The Big C” will premiere August 16 at 9:30 p.m. on Showtime.
Hallmark Channel and Pedigree Food for Dogs form partnership to raise awareness for homeless pets
Natasha Henstridge in the Hallmark Channel movie "You Lucky Dog." - Crown Media Photo
Hallmark Channel has teamed up with Pedigree Food for Dogs to help raise awareness of the plight of homeless pets in connection with “You Lucky Dog,” which premieres Saturday, June 26 at 8 p.m. on Hallmark Channel.
The movie, starring Natasha Henstridge, Harry Hamilin and a border collie named Lucky, features a message about rescuing pets and making them members of the family.
Pedigree began an annual pet adoption drive in 2005 and has raised funds for dogs in shelters and breed rescue organizations.
“The Pedigree Brand is committed to the cause of dog adoption and we’ve made it our mission to lend a helping hand to the four million dogs that end up homeless each year,” John Anton, marketing director for Pedigree Food for Dogs said in a news release. “The opportunity to partner with Hallmark on this film was one we didn’t want to pass up, as it gives us an additional – and high-profile – platform to help raise awareness for our four-legged friends in need and encourage dog lovers everywhere to adopt, volunteer or donate.”
On-air public service announcements and advertising along with program tie-ins involving the
“You Lucky Dog” celebrities will be included in the pet adoption campaign.
An important note to make is that pet adoption is a big responsibility and is not a decision to be taken lightly.
At the same time, a pet can truly enrich a person’s life.
For more information about the pet adoption process, daily care guidelines, or finding a shelter near you, go to www.pedigree.com.
