Late Night Show Rick Ludwin had planned on making the official announcement in May, but because bits of this news was beginning to leak, he went ahead and confirmed the speculation.  He says that Jimmy Fallon was at the top of their list of possible hosts, and he believes that Jimmy will do a great job.

Conan O’Brien will be replacing Jay Leno on the Tonight Show, though sources state that he will be taking 6 months off before doing so.  NBC execs say that Jimmy Fallon will begin hosting Late Night in February of 2009. 

ShareThis

The idea behind this show came when NBC staff members found several film reels in a warehouse in New Jersey.  The film had been well preserved and is being carefully put together into an hour long event.  NBC officials say if the show does well in the ratings, there is a chance that this could become a regular event.  They also say that the best part of this was that they already owned the rights to these film reels and only had to get them put together.

This show is going to bring sports of the past to a whole new generation.  Many of the names we knew as kids, will now be passed down to ours.  They may have heard us talk about some of the legends of sports, but now they’ll have a chance to see it for themselves.

ShareThis

Among the six inductees are the late Merv Griffin. Mr. Griffin was synonymous for 1970’s game shows and had his own talk show during that time as well. Another member being inducted into the hall of fame is Bea Arthur. In the 70’s, she was known simply as Maude. In the 80’s she was the defiant Golden Girl, Dorothy. What most people don’t realize is that she had quite the movie career in her earlier years.

Also finding his way into the hall of fame is producer Sherwood Schwartz. Sherwood is most famous for being the man who brought the Brady Bunch and Gilligan’s Island to the world. He also helped to co-write the theme songs for both shows.

The other three inductees into the hall of fame are former heads of ABC, Daniel B. Burke and Thomas Murphy, and writer Larry Gelbert. Larry Gelbert helped write the first four season of M*A*S*H*. Congratulations go out to all these inductees from all of us here at The Television Blog.

ShareThis

HBO has announced that they will be running documentaries every Monday night through the end of August.  These documentaries will range from the life story of film producer Roman Polanski, to one featuring those who died during the Iraq and Afganistan wars, and are buried at Arlington National Cemetary. 

Though the writers strike may have devistated the entertainment industry, it seems that it may turn out to be a good thing for viewers.  Networks are trying to come up with new ideas that will bring the viewers back.  It doesn’t seem that the reality shows will be dying out any time soon, but at least a few new ideas are beginning to surface.

ShareThis

They say that turning 40 is a big deal, but I think that has changed in the past few years.  It seems that turning 40 is now something to be proud of, and I for one, am.  I think it’s kind of cool that someone out there is seeing this event as something to celebrate, rather than something to mourn.  I’m proud of the fact that I’m almost 40.

So join me and see how those of us who are getting ready to hit a milestone birthday, celebrate the big day.  The Big 4-0 will air on Wednesdays beginning April 16th.  Check local listings for specific times.  I always knew turning 40 was going to be fun, now I’ll be able to prove it.

ShareThis

Included in the new summer line up, are two new reality shows. One is called “Greatest American Dog”, and will be a competition set around pets and their owners, each vying for the title of Top Dog. The second new reality show is called “Jingles” and will be a competition where contestants will write ad jingles for commercials. A panel of judges, and the American public, will decide who moves from one challenge to the next.

A new game show will also be making the CBS line up this summer. Regis Philbin will be hosting a show titled “Million Dollar Password”. It will be much like the original, with contestants teaming up with celebrities to win the big money. It will premiere on June 1^st.

CBS has also announced that they will be airing some special events this summer, including 2 martial arts competitions called the EliteXC Saturday Night Fights. The first airing will be on May 31^st, and the second will air on July 26. Plus, on June 15^th, they will be televising the 62^nd annual Tony Awards.

It’s going to be a big summer with CBS. Along side all the new shows, they will also be showing the season premiere of “Big Brother”, as well as moving “Without A Trace” and “Cold Case” to new time slots.

ShareThis

CBS has announced that Tuesday night’s world premiere would also be it’s grand finale.  With only one show under it’s belt, Secret Talents of the Stars has been cancelled.  According to the ratings, the show only brought in a little over 4 million viewers.  In it’s time slot, CBS is going to air two weeks of 48 Hours Mysteries.  That will be replaced on April 29th, with the lawyer drama, Shark, starring James Woods.

This isn’t the only show to get a quick axe so far this season.  The NBC show, Quarterlife, was cancelled in February, but was then picked up by Bravo.  CBS has also cancelled a musical drama called Viva Laughlin after only two episodes.  However, Secrets Talents of the Stars is now the quickest cancellation of the season.  There’s something to remember for that next version of Trivial Pursuit.

ShareThis

For the first time ever, the average person can go online and vote for who they think should hold the title of Miss Photogenic. The winner of this part of the competition will be announced during the actual event on live television.

Who will be your favorite this year, and who will be crowned Miss USA 2008? Tune in on April 11^th, on NBC to find out. I’m sure this will be a year to remember.

ShareThis

Project Runway producers announced on Monday, that they were making the move, to the chagrin of Bravo execs. The Bravo network has reportedly filed a lawsuit against The Weinstein Company, which is the shows production company. Bravo sites that they had first rights to match any offer made to the show, but the Weinstein brothers still made the choice to make the move.

Though the fifth season of the show will still air on Bravo this summer, they will now have to rely on shows such as Top Chef and Make Me A Supermodel to keep them moving. The only problem is that these shows don’t have the momentum that Project Runway has.

So, in the coming months, we’ll have to keep an eye on this story. There could be a catfight on the Project Runway.

ShareThis

E! Television has announced that they are producing an unscripted series in the life of Pamela Anderson, set to debut this summer. According to insiders, this will be a totally unrehearsed show. Miss Anderson has insisted that there will be no set ups in this show. It will all be her in her natural state.

This half-hour show will simply be titled, Pamela, and will have the glam gal sitting in as an executive producer. It’s a safe bet that the number of men tuning into this show, will make it an instant success. With all the millions of fans out there, I’m sure Miss Anderson will have no problem coming back to television.

ShareThis