Current TV fires star commentator Olbermann

(Reuters) - Current TV said on Friday it fired star news anchor Keith Olbermann after one year with the progressive public affairs network, accusing him of breaching his contract and trying to sabotage the TV channel.

But Olbermann, in a series of Twitter postings on Friday, fired back at his former bosses saying Current's statements were untrue and vowing to take legal action.

The outspoken liberal, who hosted a one-hour prime time show on Current, clashed with network executives earlier this year over coverage of the 2012 U.S. presidential election campaign.

Former U.S. vice president Al Gore and partner Joel Hyatt, who founded Current in 2005 as an alternative to corporate controlled media outlets, announced Olbermann's departure in an open letter.

"Current was ... founded on the values of respect, openness, collegiality and loyalty to our viewers. Unfortunately these values are no longer reflected in our relationship with Keith Olbermann and we have ended it," they said.

"Current has a fundamental obligation to deliver news programming with a progressive perspective that our viewers can count on being available daily - especially now, during the presidential election campaign," the letter added.

Olbermann joined Current in February 2011 after abruptly quitting his flagship program, also called "Countdown," on MSNBC a month earlier. He was appointed chief news officer, took an equity stake in the fledgling channel and became its biggest draw attracting an average audience of about 177,000.

A source familiar with the situation said Olbermann, who was reported to be earning about $50,000 per program, was terminated because he repeatedly failed to show up for work.

The source said he missed the key political nights of the Iowa caucus, the New Hampshire primary and the evening before Super Tuesday, which is one of the biggest primary election days in the race for the White House.

The TV channel accused him of disparaging Current TV and failing to promote the network.

But Olbermann claimed the network was in the wrong. On Twitter, he apologized to viewers and his staff for "the failure of Current TV" and said he had been trying to resolve his issues with Gore and Hyatt internally for more than a year.

"Instead of abiding by their promises and obligations and investing in a quality news program, (Gore and Hyatt) finally thought it was more economical to try to get out of my contract," Olbermann posted on Twitter.

"It goes almost without saying that the claims against me implied in Current's statement are untrue and will be proved so in the legal actions I will be filing against them presently," he tweeted.

Current said "Countdown" would be replaced by a new program hosted by former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer, starting on Friday called "Viewpoint with Eliot Spitzer".

Spitzer, who resigned as New York's top executive in 2008 in a prostitution scandal, hosted a current affairs show for CNN in 2011 that was canceled after less than a year.

He said in a statement he was "thrilled to have the opportunity to host a show on Current TV that will provide insight into and analysis of the critical issues on the minds of Americans today."

Current expressed confidence that Spitzer would deliver "critical information on a daily basis."

(Reporting By Jill Serjeant; editing by Bob Tourtellotte and Todd Eastham)

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SAG, AFTRA members approve merger by wide margin

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - The members of the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists voted to approve the merger of the two labor unions on Friday.

Eighty-six percent of the AFTRA ballots submitted were in favor of the merger, while 82 percent of SAG ballots endorsed the merger.

"The merger of SAG and AFTRA is approved," SAG President Ken Howard almost yelled.

"In a single day our future has become bright," he added.

The endorsement of a plan to bring the two guilds under one roof ends a two-year process that riled a small but vocal faction of union members.

Opponents of the merger launched protests in front of SAG's offices, took to Facebook and Twitter to vent their displeasure and launched an unsuccessful courtroom challenge to block a vote.

Proponents of the merger claim that by bringing the two unions together, SAG and AFTRA will strengthen their bargaining leverage with studios and other media companies.

Those in the opposition counter that merging the unions will have a dangerous impact on union members' pension and health benefits.

The merger needed the approval of 60 percent of the voters of both unions, something that eluded SAG and AFTRA when they tried to pull off a similar marriage in 2003.

In a devastating setback to opponents of the proposal, federal judge James Otero on Wednesday rejected a lawsuit that would have blocked a vote on the plan to join the unions.

Over 60 SAG members, including such household names as Martin Sheen and Ed Harris, had signed on to the lawsuit, which asked the court to require the union to perform a study on the effects that a merger will have on benefits.

Otero said there was insufficient evidence SAG had violated labor laws and that the planned merger should be decided by the membership.

(Editing By Bob Tourtellotte)

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TV ratings: 'Big Bang' down, Fox wins night with 'Idol'

The nation's two actors unions have merged, nearly a decade after their last attempt, bringing an end to years of conflict that had given Hollywood studios the advantage in labor negotiations.

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Fox renews "Bones" for eighth season

NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) - Fox has picked up the procedural "Bones" for an eighth season that will include its milestone 150th episode, the network announced Thursday.

The drama, created by Hart Hanson and starring Emily Deschanel as forensic anthropologist Dr. Temperance "Bones" Brennan and David Boreanaz as FBI agent Seeley Booth, has been one of Fox's most consistent performers. Hanson correctly predicted at the Television Critics Association winter press tour in January that the show would be back for an eighth season.

He said at the time that the season would focus on Bones and Booth raising their child together now that they are finally a couple after several seasons of will-they-or-won't-they.

"We're all excited about it and have story ideas," Hanson said. "Putting Booth and Brennan together raising a child, as far as we're concerned, reinvigorated our series. I wouldn't want to try to figure out how to do another year of them not being together."

Fox president of entertainment Kevin Reilly said Thursday that the show has "redefined the traditional crime procedural with an irreverent and adventurous sensibility."

"I'm really happy to have this distinctive, fan-favorite on our schedule for another season," he said.

Far less certain was the future of the "Bones" spinoff "The Finder," which debuted this year to unimpressive ratings.

"Bones" returns with a new night and time on Monday, April 2, at 8 p.m., for the first of seven new episodes in a row.

(Editing by Chris Michaud)

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Chris Rock producing late-night talk show on FX

NEW YORK, March 28 (TheWrap.com) - FX has ordered six episodes of an untitled late-night talk show executive produced by Chris Rock and starring comedian W. Kamau Bell, the network announced Wednesday.

The weekly half-hour series, in which Bell will discuss politics, politics, pop culture, race, religion, the media and sex, joins an FX late-night lineup that also includes Russell Brand's "Strangely Uplifting." Brand's show debuts June 28, and Bell's series will premiere at an undetermined date during the summer.

The series also marks a return to late night for Rock, former star of HBO's "The Chris Rock Show."

"I think Kamau is one of the funniest guys out there and I can't wait to work with the good people at FX," said Rock.

The series is produced by FX Productions. Chuck Sklar and Bell are executive producing with Rock.

"Clearly this is a great opportunity. I'm going to do my best to make the most of it," Bell said. "I feel lucky to be working with one of the greatest comedians of all time, Chris Rock, and the most forward-thinking network, FX."

"The presentation pilot that Chris and Kamau shot was terrific," said Nick Grad, executive vice president of original programming for FX. "Kamau is a tremendous young comedian who has a very smart and sharp take on life. Working with Chris will only bring out the best of his talents."

Bell is a founding member of the comedy group Laughter Against the Machine and has been named San Francisco's best comedian by SF Weekly and the SF Bay Guardian. He is best known for his solo show "The W. Kamau Bell Curve: Ending Racism in About an Hour," a Time Out NY critic's pick in the 2010 NY Comedy Festival.

(Editing By Zorianna Kit)

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Miramax signs licensing agreement with UKTV

Fool me once, the saying goes. But 50 times? That's what a convincing art forger did for nearly three decades when he donated his copies of Picassos and other works of art to unsuspecting museums in 20 states.

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Charlie Sheen promises 'awesome' success for new show

NEW YORK, March 29 (TheWrap.com) - Charlie Sheen promised "awesome" success for his upcoming FX show "Anger Management," during a video message to advertisers at the network's upfronts presentation on Thursday.

The former "Two and a Half Men" star also joked that its success would be followed by a "whole lot of credit taking."

FX will debut Charlie Sheen's "Anger Management" in June along with Russell Brand's late night show "Strangely Uplifting."

During the presentation, network president John Landgraf told advertisers that FX plans to order two to three more scripted dramas in the next year. They will join a lineup that includes "Justified," "American Horror Story" and "Sons of Anarchy," as well as the upcoming "The Americans."

FX posted its most successful year in history in 2011 and said every returning series was up from the previous year. Landgraf said the network may also add another comedy, but said he did not know what the new comedy or dramas would be yet.

The network said it topped last year's advertising expectations and gained viewers even as its competitors, including TBS, TNT and USA - the top-rated cable network - slipped.

Landgraf conceded that FX is down in the first quarter of this year - like many cable networks - but said the slide was expected because of lower inventory of new movies.

He said it hadn't hurt the network with advertisers and that revenue was up 10 percent for the fiscal year ending in June.

FX has greenlit several off-speed high profile comedies following the model established with "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia."

That approach calls for giving show creators an unusual degree of freedom in exchange for less money up front.

The network then rewards them if their shows turn into hits.

Landgraf has had less leeway to use the model with dramas because of their high production costs. But he noted that "The Shield," which helped establish FX and set the bar for basic cable dramas, debuted a decade ago this month.

"I really care about trying to uphold the legacy of that show," Landgraf said.

The first of FX's upcoming dramas, "The Americans," stars Keri Russell and follows two KGB spies in 1980s America. It is executive produced by Joe Weisberg and "Justified" creator Graham Yost.

Landgraf also said FX was the sole ad-supported network to offer "critically acclaimed comedies and dramas."

That's true for now, but USA is in the process of branching off into comedy. Turner, meanwhile, airs its dramas on TNT and comedies on TBS.

(Editing By Zorianna Kit)

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Disney Channel knocks Nickelodeon from top ratings perch

NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) - Nickelodeon said last fall that its ratings woes were temporary, but that doesn't look to be the case: This month, kids-TV rival the Disney Channel beat it for the first time in its average number of total daily viewers.

It's a notable milestone that Nick understandably downplays. It has ruled in the ratings category every month since June 1995, when TNT was tops. While other networks focus on primetime, kids networks fight for total-day bragging rights because their young viewers have many more hours of free time to spend in front of a TV set.

The total viewers category counts all those 2 and older. But cable networks -- and especially kids' networks -- carefully parse ratings data to find areas where they won. Accordingly, Nick notes that it beat Disney among 2-to-11 year olds in March, and in total daily viewers in the first quarter of the year.

Nick also points out that its mouse-eared rival lost viewers from March 2011 to this month, which is true. It's just that Nick lost far more.

From last March to this month, Disney fell 5 percent to 1.57 million average daily viewers. But Nick slipped a dramatic 31 percent, to 1.536 million.

Of the top 10 most-watched cable networks in March, only one slipped more than Nick. And therein lies more bad news for Nick, because that network is its evening offshoot: Nick at Night fell 36 percent to 942,000 average daily viewers. (Six of the Top 10 cable networks were down in March, three were up, and one, Adult Swim, was flat.)

Gary Marsh, president and chief creative officer of Disney Channels Worldwide, credited the Disney Channel's "smart programming choices" with helping it overtake Nick in total viewers this month.

"Our ratings are ultimately a reflection of the affinity and engagement our audience has with our content. Becoming No. 1 in kids 6 to 11 last year, and No. 1 in total viewers last month -- is a testament to a how deeply we've engaged our viewers," Marsh told TheWrap.

Parents have long complained that Nick airs too many reruns of popular staples like "SpongeBob SquarePants," as the Disney Channel generates new original programming like "Jessie" and "Good Luck Charlie" to continue the success of hits like the recently departed "Wizards of Waverly Place."

Nick responded to the ratings woes in the fall by announcing plans to air up to 500 hours of new content in the near-term. As a result, new shows like "Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness" are providing reinforcements to Nick's hit "iCarly."

Nick declined to comment Wednesday on Disney beating it in March viewers, except to note the areas in which it beat the Disney Channel -- and to call attention to that slip in Disney's viewership.

In the first quarter of the year, Nick averaged 952,000 total daily viewers in the 2-11 range, compared with 945,000 for the Disney Channel. It also averaged 1.8 million total viewers vs. 1.7 million for the Disney Channel. It was Nickelodeon's 68th consecutive quarter at No. 1. The question now is whether the Disney Channel can continue its March momentum to win the second quarter of the year.

Nickelodeon -- and Philippe Dauman, CEO of its owner, Viacom -- have argued that the Nick ratings slide that began in September was an aberration, possibly resulting from a Nielsen Company error. Nielsen has investigated and denied that was the case. And the slide looks less and less like a short-term error as Nick settles into lower numbers.

But there is some good news for Nick: Analyst David Joyce of Miller Tabak and Co. told TheWrap that Viacom investors appear to have factored in the lower ratings. That would make them less likely to sell off their stock if ratings don't improve.

In November, Joyce downgraded his rating on Viacom from "buy" to "neutral," citing Nick's ratings. But in January, he upgraded it back to a "buy," saying the strength of Paramount Pictures' film slate could help offset Nick's troubles.

Part of Nick's ratings problem is that the Disney Channel is "coming out with some attractive new programming," Joyce said. But he noted that Nick has promised more than 500 hours of new episodes in the near-term.

"They're not taking this lightly," he said. "They are working on the quality of the productions."

Viacom's common stock closed at $52.32 and its Class B stock at $47.17 per share Wednesday. Soon after the ratings problems came to light, the common stock closed as low as $47.82, and the Class B shares at $36.66, on October 3.

(Editing by Chris Michaud)

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Fox wins repeat-heavy night with "American Idol"

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - "American Idol" gave Fox a handy win on a Wednesday night when CBS and ABC aired mostly repeats, while NBC's new comedy "Bent" slid from last week's disappointing premiere, according to preliminary numbers.

Fox, which ran "Idol" throughout the night, took first place in the advertiser-cherished 18-49 demographic and total viewers with an average 5.0 rating/14 share in the demo and 17.2 million total viewers.

Coming in second in ratings and total viewers with an average 2.1/6 in the demo and 8.3 million, CBS mostly ran repeats. The exception was "Survivor" at 8, which was flat in the demo compared to last week with a 2.8/9. It had 9.6 million total viewers.

ABC took third place in ratings and total viewers with an average 1.3/4 and 4.3 million. It aired mostly reruns except for "Happy Endings" at 9:30, which ticked up 6 percent in the demo from last week's season low with a 1.9/5, and 4.2 million total viewers.

NBC ran fourth, with an average 1.0/3 in the demo and 3.1 million total viewers. Facing competition from "Idol" and "Survivor," the "Whitney" finale at 8 and "Are You There," Chelsea" finale at 8:30 suffered slight declines. "Whitney" posted a 1.5/5 in the demo, down 6 percent from last week, with 4.2 million total viewers. "Chelsea" was down 14 percent in the demo with a 1.2/4, and 4.2 million total viewers.

Back-to-back episodes of "Bent" followed, with the 9 p.m. airing dipping 10 percent from last week's premiere with a 0.9/3 in the demo and 2.6 million total viewers. The follow-up episode posted a 0.8/2 in the demo and 2.4 million total viewers. "Rock Center With Brian Williams" at 10, meanwhile, climbed 14 percent climb in the demo to a still-paltry 0.8/2 and 3.3 million total viewers.

(Editing by Chris Michaud)

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'Mad Men' creator Matt Weiner to direct first movie

Adrienne Rich, a fiercely gifted, award-winning poet whose socially conscious verse influenced a generation of feminist, gay rights and anti-war activists, has died. She was 82.

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Barbara Walters wins defamation lawsuit

LOS ANGELES, March 28 (TheWrap.com) - Barbara Walters is off the hook for a lawsuit filed by a woman who once dated her adopted daughter.

Judge George O'Toole of the U.S. District Court in Massachusetts ruled Tuesday that Nancy Shay's defamation lawsuit had insufficient merit, ending a legal drama that began last year, when Shay filed the suit.

Shay, who befriended Jacqueline Gruber, when the pair attended school together in the 1980s, sued Walters following the publication her 2008 memoir, "Audition."

"Jackie started to refuse to come home on weekends," Walters' book reads. "She had a new friend named Nancy, whom the school kicked out midterm for bad behavior."

In another passage, Walters writes, "She and Jackie had been found in a nearby town, high on God-knows-what."

In her suit, Shay claimed not only that Walters' account was inaccurate -- she claimed to have been expelled for a different reason -- but that the claims in the book thrust her into a spiral of depression.

"Took away what little self-esteem I had left, like I was expendable, and because I'm lesbian, I'm almost shunned, put back into the dark ages," Shay said in the suit. " put me back to where I was when I was a teenager."

In Tuesday's ruling, O'Toole said that Shay "fails to allege the fault necessary for such a claim."

"Moreover," the ruling continues, "the alleged defamatory statements could not have caused harm to the plaintiff in a considerable segment of the community because, according to the complaint, the small number of people who would have been able to recognize the book's oblique references to the plaintiff would also likely have been aware that of the circumstances of her expulsion that were the subject matter of the accused statements."

Pamela Chelin contributed to this report.

(Editing By Zorianna Kit)

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Clay Aiken admits to getting work done on his face

Fool me once, the saying goes. But 50 times? That's what a convincing art forger did for nearly three decades when he donated his copies of Picassos and other works of art to unsuspecting museums in 20 states.

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Gordon Ramsay settles with ex-editor over hacked emails

LOS ANGELES, March 29 (TheWrap.com) - Gordon Ramsay has one less person to be angry at.

The famously crabby "Hell's Kitchen" and "Kitchen Nightmares" celebrity chef has settled his lawsuit with publicist and former "News of the World" editor Phil Hall over leaked images and information that he sold to the Daily Mail.

Though the specific amount of the settlement was undisclosed, according to British newspaper the Guardian, Hall will make a donation to a charity of Ramsay's choosing. Ramsay has picked the Scottish Spina Bifida Association as the recipient of the settlement.

Hall -- founder of public-relations firm Phil Hall Associates -- also publicly apologized to Ramsay, admitting that he obtained the information about Ramsay through "illegitimate means."

According to Hall, in late 2010 and early 2011 he was approached by Ramsay's father-in-law, Chris Hutcheson, and asked to pass along the information to the Daily Mail. "In particular, Mr. Hutcheson provided me with private information about the Ramsays, including personal family pictures and medical information," said Hall.

He added that, in light of Ramsay's public falling out with Hutcheson, he should have known that the information was ill-gotten.

"I accept that, given the public breakdown of the relationship between Mr. Hutcheson and Mr. Ramsay, of which I was fully aware at the time, I should have guessed that Mr. Hutcheson was not entitled to this information and in all likelihood may have come by it via illegitimate means," Hall continued.

Among the information that Hall sent to the mail was a picture of Ramsay on a trip during which he seemed to catch a shark. The Mail made hay of the photo in a January report, painting him as a hypocrite because he had recently appeared in a documentary and called shark fishing "cruel," "sick" and "barbaric."

The court was also told that Hall sent information about Ramsay's hair transplant.

During proceedings on another matter, it was discovered that Hutcheson had illegally obtained the information. Hall's lawyers said that their client was not aware that the emails were illegally intercepted.

"I would like to offer Gordon, Tana and their family a full and unreserved apology for my actions and any distress caused, and, at Mr. Ramsay's request, I have made a donation to a charity of his choice," Hall's apology read.

(Editing By Zorianna Kit)

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Katie Couric to guest co-host GMA next week

Fool me once, the saying goes. But 50 times? That's what a convincing art forger did for nearly three decades when he donated his copies of Picassos and other works of art to unsuspecting museums in 20 states.

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Bad boy Sheen on a comeback - starring as himself

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A year after his public meltdown, Charlie Sheen is returning from Hollywood's purgatory with a flourish, appearing in two commercials ahead of a new TV show this summer -- all playing off the bad boy image that got him in trouble in the first place.

Sheen's return to TV after being fired in March 2011 from hit sitcom "Two and A Half Men" is currently playing out in TV ads for satellite company DirecTV and carmaker Fiat in which the 46-year-old star displays his trademark smirk and even extols the virtue of "house arrest" after racing the Fiat 500 Abarth through the halls of a mansion.

"He is who he is, and we're not going to change that," said his long-time manager Mark Burg, who plotted a series of TV appearances last year he now refers to Sheen's "mea culpa tour."

On June 28, Sheen's new show, aptly titled "Anger Management" and loosely based on the 2003 movie of the same name, launches on cable channel FX. In the show, Sheen plays "a stalled minor league baseball prospect whose road to the majors was sidetracked by his own struggle with anger issues," the network said in a press release.

Sheen's character becomes a "non traditional therapist specializing in anger management" after he goes through his own therapy.

The show is a leap of faith that Sheen has overcome his issues with drug and alcohol abuse, FX president John Landgraf acknowledged during a presentation to television critics in January. "We're a network that likes to take risks," he said.

Sheen's role is "the character that Charlie ought to be playing at this point in the sense that he is a character who has a checkered past but is pretty self aware, is struggling in a very honest way with that checkered past and desire to do more positive things in his life," Landgraf said.

'MEA CULPA' TOUR

By the time Sheen pitched FX on the program, manager Burg already was in full image-altering mode. He had hired Larry Solters, a veteran of public relations makeovers and crisis management, to direct the star to appear on talk programs such as "Today" and "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno."

Sheen began apologizing for erratic behavior that included undertaking a short-lived substance abuse rehabilitation effort in his home and often rambling interviews and Web videos in which he criticized "Two and a Half Men" creator Chuck Lorre.

The "mea culpa" tour highlight was an appearance on cable's "Comedy Central Roast" last September, where Mike Tyson, William Shatner and Jon Lovitz were among those who hurled good-natured jabs at the star. With 6.4 million viewers in its first airing, the roast was the show's highest rated installment, the network said in a press release.

The actor also turned up that month on the Emmys, U.S. TV's top honor show, where he wished his old colleagues on "Two and a Half Men" "nothing but the best" for their current season.

Now comes his current wave of promotion meant to re-introduce the actor to fans as a new version of the same man who helped make "Two and a Half Men" the most watched comedy on TV and even turned out last year for his one-man stage show, "My Violent Torpedo of Truth/Defeat is Not an Option."

Sheen is scheduled for an interview on "Today" on Thursday, and he plans to appear the next day on "The Wendy Williams Show," a syndicated talk show.

Burg says he has turned down offers from "health drink companies" and others who simply wanted Sheen to endorse a product. "He is not a TV spokesperson," said his manager.

But other companies started calling with offers for major campaigns that gave a wink and nod to Sheen's bad boy image. Fiat, for instance, had a vision for a car that "is cool, hip and not for the geek," Burg said.

Putting Sheen's new show on FX, the cable TV channel that launched "Nip/Tuck," seemed a natural for the network that Burg called "edgier than some others."

Sheen owns a "significant piece" of "Anger Management," which Burg says is "smarter than 'Two and a Half Men' ever was. You won't see Charlie doing hick jokes, talking about pooh pooh or laying in bed with bimbos."

The actor has 100 reasons to maintain his newly crafted kinder image. FX only ordered 10 episodes. But if his fans return to the star's side and ratings for the show are good, his deal stipulates that the cable network orders 90 more.

One hundred episodes has long been a key goal for shows to begin selling into syndication worldwide, and if Sheen does get that new deal, then he really will have escaped purgatory and landed in Hollywood's heaven, again.

(Reporting By Ronald Grover; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

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OWN viewers up as Oprah's added presence pays off

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Oprah Winfrey's fledgling OWN television channel saw a 21 percent rise in total daily viewers in the first quarter of 2012, as the talk show's queen decision to put more of herself on the network began to pay off.

But the 15-month-old venture is still attracting only 180,000 viewers a day, on average, to its mix of feel-good, lifestyle programming, according to first quarter data released by OWN on Wednesday.

But what viewers like best is Winfrey herself mixing it up with A-list celebrities. Winfrey's March interview with members of Whitney Houston's family shortly after the singer's death drew a record 3.5 million viewers, and her chat last week with pop star Lady Gaga was watched by more than 800,000 people.

Those two shows helped boost primetime ratings for March by 35 percent in total viewers, compared to March 2011, and boosted OWN to 29th place among the 97 ad-supported U.S. cable networks for the month.

"We are pleased with our start for 2012, viewers are responding and connecting with our programming," OWN president Erik Logan said in a statement.

OWN, a joint venture between Winfrey and Discovery Communications, has struggled to find a sizeable audience since its launch in January 2011.

Last week, the network laid off 30 production staffers and canceled comedian Rosie O'Donnell's talk show after just five months due to sagging ratings.

OWN said on Wednesday that its most popular programs were those featuring Winfrey herself, who returned to her chat show roots in January by getting out of the studio and meeting the likes of rocker Steven Tyler and mega-church pastor Joel Osteen.

"Oprah Presents Master Class" featuring actress Jane Fonda and country singer Reba McEntire also did well for the network.

Winfrey quit her daily syndicated U.S. talk show, leaving more than six million regular viewers behind, in May 2011 after 25 years. In July, she took on the role of both chief executive and chief creative officer at OWN, and announced she was working on the new chat show.

(Reporting By Jill Serjeant)

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Chaz Bono flirts with reality TV dating series

LOS ANGELES, March 28 (TheWrap.com) - We've seen him transition from a woman to a man in "Becoming Chaz," propose to his girlfriend in "Being Chaz" and go "Dancing With the Stars." For Chaz Bono's next reality TV project, we may see him looking for a new love.

World of Wonder producers Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato -- the team behind "Becoming Chaz" and "Being Chaz" -- told TheWrap that they are in discussions with Bono to develop a reality dating series.

"He's an extraordinary person living an ordinary life, and I think that's what the show would be about," Bailey said. "People don't know a lot about the (transgender) life, and because of that, sometimes there's fear. (Chaz) has always sought to shed light on that."

The discussions are in the early stages, so Bailey and Barbato say nothing is set in terms of a series title, format or network.

"We shouldn't even be talking about it this much (yet)," Barbato said with a laugh. He said the show would most likely unfold in a documentary style.

He also said viewers shouldn't expect a Bono spin on "The Bachelor."

"There would be a certain gravitas to the show," Barbato said. "Chaz approaches everything with honesty, and that would certainly be true of this (project), too."

Bono, who was eliminated during the sixth week of season 13 competition on "DWTS," presented longtime girlfriend Jennifer Elia with a diamond engagement ring during the "Being Chaz" special that aired on OWN last year, but the couple broke up in December.

A rep for Bono told TheWrap he doesn't comment on projects in development.

(Editing By Zorianna Kit)

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Ken Howard joins ABC pilot 'Counter Culture'

Adrienne Rich, a fiercely gifted, award-winning poet whose socially conscious verse influenced a generation of feminist, gay rights and anti-war activists, has died. She was 82.

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Ken Howard joins ABC pilot "Counter Culture"

They took the Lorax, made of bronze, the thieves they came, and now he's gone.

Sorry, I could not read the content fromt this page.

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"Arrested Development" fans rally for Steve Holt's return

LOS ANGELES, March 27 (TheWrap.com) - "Arrested Development" will be making its return. Whether the relatively minor character Steve Holt will also return is still up in the air. But the famously outspoken and passionate fans of the series are trying to ensure that the illegitimate son of George Oscar Bluth Jr. and student-body president is brought back into the fold for the revival.

According to the couch-potato activists of the Save Steve Holt movement, actor Justin Grant Wade -- who played Holt in 10 episodes of the series -- has not yet been invited to take part in the new incarnations of "Arrested Development." So they've launched a grass-roots movement to put Wade among his former castmates David Cross, Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, et al.

The method behind the campaign? According to a blog post on the movement, the plan is "to basically mention Steve Holt! as often as possible online until someone in power notices."

So far, in addition to the web site SaveSteveHolt.com, fans have set up a blog, a Facebook page and a Twitter account in pursuit of their goal. (For those wishing to join the revolution, the Twitter hashtag is #savesteveholt.)

Naturally, there's also a T-shirt for sale to commemorate your moment of activism -- and no, it doesn't read, "I Tried to Revive Justin Grant Wade's Acting Career, and All I Got Was This Lousy T-Shirt."

As ramshackle as the campaign might seem, it is in keeping with the trajectory of the series, which was canceled by Fox in 2006 after three seasons but experienced a resurgence last year after years of fan anticipation, with Netflix picking up the series for a fourth season that will premiere next year, and plans for a feature-length version of the series reportedly underway.

(Editing By Zorianna Kit)

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New reality show challenges couples to sexathon

LOS ANGELES, March 27 (TheWrap.com) - If you thought "Jersey Shore" leaned a little too heavy on the steamy hook-ups, wait until you see Lifetime's latest offering.

The network will launch a new reality series, "7 Days of Sex," on April 26, the network said Tuesday. The show will challenge couples "to have sex for one week straight with the hope of saving their marriage," the network said, presumably because they'll be too exhausted to file for divorce.

Lifetime Networks president and general manager Nancy Dubuc said that "7 Days of Sex" will cast a light on the challenges of today's modern woman.

"Lifetime is about tapping into the lives of women as they are today…bolder, unapologetic and authentic," Dubuc said. "'7 Days of Sex' is a reflection of the challenges in our relationships -- balancing time, family, work and trying to achieve real intimacy while being honest and true to ourselves," said Nancy Dubuc, President and General Manager, Lifetime Networks.

Surely, the men in the relationships will find themselves facing their own challenges as the show's carnal marathon unspools.

Each episode of the show, which is being produced by Shed Media US ("Basketball Wives," "The Real Housewives of New York City") will feature two couples who "attempt to make radical fixes to their troubled relationships by asking the frank question: can a diet of daily sex help them recharge their marriage?"

The real question is, will the public be able to stomach that diet?

"7 Days of Sex" premieres April 26, at 10 p.m.

(Editing By Zorianna Kit)

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Gordon Ramsay files $2.5 million lawsuit against former partner

LOS ANGELES, March 27 (TheWrap.com) - Gordon Ramsay has found yet another restauranteur to lay into -- and this time it's his former business partner.

The "Hell's Kitchen" hothead has filed a lawsuit seeking more than $2.5 million from Danny Lavy and Lavy's business 9226-7558 Quebec Inc., claiming that Lavy and the company breached their contract with Ramsay and made several false and defamatory comments about him in relation to a Canadian restaurant that they were involved in.

According to the suit, filed in Quebec Superior Court, Ramsay and the defendants entered into a licensing agreement in July 2011, with Ramsay agreeing to license his name and likeness to the restaurant Laurier Gordon Ramsay. However, in February, the agreement was terminated. Ramsay claims that, not only did the defendants terminate the agreement without proper cause, but they smeared his name in the press following the termination, which has Ramsay boiling-mad.

Ramsay's suit claims that Lavy and 9226 killed the agreement because they felt he hadn't provided significant promotional assistance or assistance with the restaurant and staff.

However, according to Ramsay, the agreement called only for the use of his name and likeness, and he bore no responsibility for the operation and management of the restaurant. In fact, according to Ramsay, the defendants specifically asserted that it was their right, not his, to manage the restaurant.

Furthermore, according to Ramsay, he participated in a promotional blitz for the restaurant's opening, and that he "provided advice and assistance above and beyond the scope of the agreement." This included, according to Ramsay, arranging for chef Andi van Willigan "to provide on-site assistance at the restaurant in the weeks running up to its opening" at no charge to the defendants.

When they decided to terminate the agreement, Ramsay claims that his former partners trashed him in the media, claiming, among other things, that he "was too busy to come to the restaurant," "didn't understand our vision," "just didn't get it" and, perhaps most injurious, he never came up with a "'wow' dish," just "a few tweaks on what we already had."

Ramsay is seeking numerous damages, including licensing fees both from the period of their agreement and fees that would have been due had the agreement not been terminated, plus moral damages, punitive damages, costs of promoting the restaurant, and legal costs.

Ramsay and Lavy already have bad blood between them; Lavy also owns a company that sells a brand of Ramsay kitchenware, and is suing the chef in the U.S. claiming a breach of their sub-licensing agreement, among other allegations. In the suit, Ramsay suggests that Lavy has used his pull at 9226 to get the company to cancel its own agreement with Ramsay to further "the wider fallout" between Lavy and Ramsay, "rather than because of any genuine belief that is in breach of the agreement."

Ramsay has seen his share of legal action lately; earlier this month, he sued publicist and former News of the World editor Phil Hall, claiming that Hall had sold private information about Ramsay obtained from hacked emails to British newspaper The Daily Mail.

(Editing By Zorianna Kit)

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"Smash" producers get top award by US gay media group

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The producers of the new TV musical drama series "Smash" were honored by gay and lesbian watchdog group GLAAD at a gala on Saturday that highlighted gay marriage and bullying.

Neil Meron and Craig Zadan, film and television producers known for such movies as the Oscar-winning "Chicago," and "Hairspray" were honored at New York's Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, or GLAAD, Media Awards.

The awards, hosted by Cory Montieth and Naya Rivera from the hit TV musical show "Glee," recognize the best portrayals of gay community members in film, television, radio, music, newspapers and blogs.

GLAAD honored the efforts of Meron and Zadan on "Smash," the program about a Broadway show that features a healthy gay relationship, as well as several of the pair's previous efforts, including the television movie "Serving in Silence."

In accepting the top award named after gay activist Vito Russo, the producers noted they had received death threats for their controversial 2003 miniseries, "The Reagans," which argued that former U.S. President Ronald Reagan failed to recognize the AIDS crisis.

Meron said being gay was "part of who I am, so it impacts the work that we do," while Zadan said the pair had spent years trying to "fight, persuade and manipulate" the entertainment industry to include lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender characters and stories.

Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein presented openly gay high school student Katy Butler a special award in recognition of her anti-bullying efforts, while outstanding TV segment was awarded to "ABC World News with Diane Sawyer" for "Battle Against Bullying."

The 2011 indie film, "Pariah," about a black teenager living in Brooklyn, New York, who embraces her identity as a lesbian, won outstanding film in limited release, and HBO's "Cinema Verite" took home the best TV movie or miniseries award.

TV's "Dancing With The Stars" won outstanding reality TV program for featuring contestant Chaz Bono, the transgender child of singers Cher and Sonny Bono, who completed a female-to-male sex change in 2010.

Pop Star Lady Gaga, who did not attend the awards, won outstanding music artist for her album "Born This Way." Best talk-show episode went to Oprah Winfrey's program for the episode "Coming Out on the Oprah Show: 25 Years of Unforgettable Guests."

Playwright Tony Kushner won the theater award for his play "The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures."

Among other media winners were CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360", Metro Weekly, The New York Times, The Boston Globe and The Advocate.

GLAAD, which promotes positive images of LGBT people in the media, will present additional media awards in Los Angeles on April 21 and San Francisco on June 2.

(Reporting By Christine Kearney and Chris Michaud; Editing by Peter Cooney)

( This story corrects to switch quotes between Zadan and Meron in paragraph 6)

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Four non-essential TV networks: watch out Oprah, Burnett

NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) - If Oprah Winfrey's Network disappeared, would anyone miss it?

Last week the research firm SNL Kagan raised the possibility of OWN's demise, predicting that it could soon be doomed if its ratings don't improve. It projected that OWN could lose $142.9 million this year.

Winfrey's painful struggle with OWN raises an equally painful question: Have we finally reached the point of too many networks?

We live in the age of screen creep, in which news, trivia, and ads - mostly ads - pop up in places they never would have just a decade ago. We're confronted with TV on elevators, in taxicabs, even in public bathrooms.

There are plenty of niche networks -- about military history, golf, fishing -- that may not strike the average viewer as essential. But at least they're valuable to their small audiences. When we think of networks that could easily disappear, we think of four that few people would miss.

Two of them - No. 4 and No. 1 -- were horrible ideas from the start. The other two -- including, we regret to say, OWN -- could be great with some changes. As it stands, they try so hard to please everyone that they please almost no one.

4. McTV

The fast-food giant announced in October that its restaurants would start posting screens that will air programming from overstretched reality vet Mark Burnett, BBC America and others. It will include local news and entertainment stories, spotlights on upcoming music, shows and movies. Can we just eat our fatty food in peace?

The real purpose of McTV, of course, is to take yet another opportunity to brand and advertise McDonald's. But really: Is it necessary to keep selling us your product when we're already sitting in your plastic booth, choking it down? That would be like a Ford that automatically runs a Ford ad every few minutes.

Also, as "Fast Food Nation" so depressingly explained, McDonald's influence has already mechanized almost every aspect of our lives, from the way we check into hotels to what we watch. So much TV already is essentially McTV: small nuggets of fattening, low-protein content we swallow because it's easy and cheap. Don't add insult to injury, McDonald's. You've already won.

3. VH1 When did the home of such witty shows as "Pop Up Video," "Best Week Ever" and "Behind the Music" start looking like an even tackier Bravo? When VH1 decided to de-emphasize music and cutting pop culture commentary, and instead follow seventh-tier celebrities from their pole-dancing classes to that stupid handbag store they're starting.

Yes, there are several hours of videos on "Jump Start" each morning. But then VH1's schedule collapses into a messy collage of reality shows starring relatives of famous people. There are also some movies.

Look, we get the strategy here: VH1 is looking for its own "Jersey Shore." But the network that once seemed like MTV's cool, laid-back older cousin now seems like a trashy, needy cousin trying desperately to seem with it. Long ago, VH1 occasionally gave off an overly reverent, Rock 'N' Roll Hall of Fame vibe. It shook it, only to go way too far in the other direction. Now instead of idolizing legitimate talents, it endlessly documents the stagey dramas of people with zero accomplishments.

All hope isn't lost. The VH1 Hip-Hop Honors could be a great example for the rest of the network: They're fun and celebratory without being exhaustingly reverent. They play music. And we recognize almost everyone on the screen.

2. OWN We hope someday Oprah Winfrey's network will look back on its troubled first years and laugh. Winfrey is an incredibly talented communicator, with a gift for reaching across boundaries of all kinds. If only that came across on her network. As it stands, OWN is mostly a boring conflict-free zone. It doesn't help the network's case that it often scored lower ratings last year than Discovery Health, the network it replaced, while burning through money faster than expected.

What's wrong with OWN? Winfrey has admirably set out to avoid the kinds of stereotypes and cheap feuds that fuel so much reality TV. But it's gone too far by also eschewing legitimate drama.

As Winfrey's daytime talk show proved, there's a difference between ginned up controversy and honestly confronting serious issues. At her best, Winfrey is the nation's Confronter-in-Chief. She has a gift for addressing subjects, no matter how painful, in an ultimately uplifting way. But you seldom see that on OWN.

Her campaigns for self-improvement are most effective when they begin with honest self-confrontation that provokes positive change. They're at their worst when they fall into vague, feel-good mantras. Take the matter of healthy eating, one of Winfrey's favorite topics: You can't eat healthier while constantly affirming that the way you're doing things now is great, too. You need to start by confronting what's wrong and working from there.

OWN recently scored its best numbers since its January 2010 debut when Winfrey interviewed Whitney Houston's daughter, Bobbi Kristina. Why? Because the interview was vintage Oprah. She addressed the very raw tragedy of Houston's death by making a connection with her guest, and still asking the questions her viewers wanted answered. Within the first minutes, Bobbi Kristina confessed that she believed her mother's spirit visited her and even turned lights off on and on. It was painful and hard to watch, but harder not to watch. A lesser interviewer never would have drawn out such personal detail.

OWN needs similar confrontation - good confrontation - and fewer platitudes. Until then it will be irrelevant.

1. Gas Station TV

Most cars in our thrilling modern age are equipped with radios, if not satellite radios. Some even have televisions. Is there really any need to barrage us with yet more programming in the five minutes it takes to fill up our tanks?

Gas Station TV, which boasts that it is the "largest national away-from-home television network delivering a one-to-one consumer viewing experience" - lot of competition there - says it has 30 million monthly viewers, almost all of whom should instead be paying attention to the weird guy offering to wipe their windshields.

We're not sure we should even call GS TV a network, given that it takes programming from other networks, like HLN and Bloomberg. But it fills us with sadness to think we've already reached a "Blade Runner" reality where people can't bear more than a few seconds without the comfort of a warm ad.

We feel worst of all for New York taxicab drivers. Already forced to listen all day long to the same loop of McTV-like features playing in the back seats of their cabs, they're now forced to endure yet more screen creep when they gas up. We're guessing they don't watch a lot of TV at home.

(Editing by Chris Michaud)

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"Don't Trust the B in Apt. 23" to get Hulu premiere

They took the Lorax, made of bronze, the thieves they came, and now he's gone.

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Ken Howard joins ABC pilot "Counter Culture"

They took the Lorax, made of bronze, the thieves they came, and now he's gone.

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Michelle Obama to honor Taylor Swift at Kids' Choice Awards

They took the Lorax, made of bronze, the thieves they came, and now he's gone.

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"Dancing With the Stars" gives Navratilova the boot

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Tennis star Martina Navratilova became the first casualty on "Dancing With the Stars" 14th season on Tuesday, as judges and the TV show's fans gave her jive to "Tell Her About It" the thumbs down.

Navratilova, dancing with partner Tony Dovolani, was booted from the popular television ballroom contest show after their jive dance on Monday received the lowest scores from the judges in the second week of competition.

Navratilova, 55, one of the greatest women's tennis players in history, was philosophical, saying "it was a great experience," although she said she wished she could have stayed longer.

"But I blew it yesterday, and it cost me," she admitted.

Two other bottom finishers based on the judges' ratings, Melissa Gilbert and Gladys Knight, were both declared safe from elimination early in the live episode. Viewer votes combined with judges' ratings decide which star is eliminated each week.

But one of the judges' top-rated competitors, Roshon Fegen, was among the dancers facing possible elimination when fans apparently failed to vote in line with the judges' raves about his quickstep on Monday night's performance episode.

The other bottom finisher with Fegen was musician Gavin DeGraw, who will live to dance another week.

The top scorers based on the judges' ratings after two weeks were classical singer Katherine Jenkins, Disney Channel star Fegen and telenovela actor William Levy.

Highlights of the Tuesday's elimination round included Matt Nathanson's performance of "Run" along with Sugarland, who also performed their hit "The Incredible Machine."

Audience members included Katie Couric, and last year's controversial contestant Chaz Bono, the transgender son of superstar Cher whose casting brought protests from some corners and an outpouring of support from others, including from his mother who attended several of his performances.

"Dancing With the Stars" annually is among the top-rated U.S. TV shows with a formula that pairs B-list celebrities, sports stars and singers with professional dancers performing sambas, waltzes and other dances across a ballroom floor.

(Editing by Chris Michaud)

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Netflix walks away from "Terra Nova" deal

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - "Terra Nova" dinosaurs will not be roaring again at Netflix.

Netflix negotiations to revive the troubled Steven Spielberg-produced drama -- canceled after one season by Fox earlier this month -- have broken down. 20th Century Fox Television, which produces the show, will continue to try and find a new home for the dino-drama, an individual familiar with the situation told TheWrap.

The series weathered numerous problems, including a ballooning budget to premiere in September. Earning respectable if not stellar ratings with its maiden episode, the series dropped off to a 2.2 rating/6 share with its December season finale. 20th Century Fox Television decided to shop the series to other networks following the cancellation at Fox.

Netflix has been beefing up its original programming lately, reviving the former Fox series "Arrested Development," as well as picking up the Steven Van Zandt series "Lilyhammer" and announcing plans to launch the Eli Roth horror series "Hemlock Grove," among other projects.

(Editing by Chris Michaud)

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Mayan documentary to warn humans of impending catastrophe

LOS ANGELES, March 27 (TheWrap.com) - Mayan writings do not predict the end of the world when the calendar cycle ends in December - but according to the producer of an upcoming documentary about the Central American civilization, they do make the sobering prediction that three-quarters of the earth's population will be wiped out in the ensuing 15 to 20 years.

And those who live, insisted producer Raul Julia-Levy, will need to quickly colonize outer space, just as he said the Mayans did.

"This is the most critical time in human history, and mankind is going to have to face the music," said Julia-Levy, the son of the late actor Raul Julia and producer of "Revelations of the Mayans 2012 and Beyond."

In an exclusive interview with TheWrap, Julia-Levy claimed that his privately-financed documentary, which begins production this week in Mexico, will drop a series of bombshells that look to the future and draw connections between the Mayans and extra-terrestrials.

The revelations, he said, will be "every archaeologist's nightmare."

Julia-Levy said that with the cooperation of the Mexican government, the film will reveal for the first time a chamber inside the Mayan pyramid at Calakmul - which, he added, Mexico has named "the Temple of the Mayan Extra-Terrestrial Inscriptions."

He also said that the National Mayan Council of Elders of Guatemala will bring together all 650 of its members for a scene in which they will expose their 3,750-year-old sacred books for the first time.

Inside those books, he said, is information about "the beginning of the collapse of the human race," which will take place during the next two decades.

Obviously, claims of prophecies and extra-terrestrials will be greeted with some disdain by many in the archaeological community. "Anybody that is a phony and cannot be taken seriously," said Dr. Richard D. Hansen, the director of the Mirador Basin Project in Guatemala and the Senior Scientist at the Institute for Mesoamerican Research in the Department of Anthropology at Idaho State University, when contacted by TheWrap.

"I understand people are skeptical, but I got news for you," insisted Julia-Levy. "This is not going to be a movie for UFO aficionados. We're introducing evidence, facts and the truth.

"And according to the Mayan Council, archaeologists have been lying to the world and covering things up. They don't know how to read the Mayan codices, and they don't know what the Mayan Council knows."

What the council knows, he said, is based on books that date back nearly 4,000 years.

"I spoke to the president of the Mayan Council, Apolinario Chile Pixtun, who said that these may not be the best things to reveal, because some of them are very negative.

But he said that humans need to understand what's going to happen in order to make changes, starting with our own environment. We're sitting on a time bomb."

One big change that the Mayan books suggest, he said, is space travel. "This planet is not designed for seven billion people," he said. "These sacred books will encourage humans to explore and colonize other planets, just like the Mayans did."

Julia-Levy will produce and also narrate the film; he compares the approach to the one Werner Herzog used in "Cave of Forgotten Dreams."

He also claimed to have enlisted the participation of astronomers from the Vatican to be interviewed for the film. (The Vatican has not made any official comment on extra-terrestrial life, but in 2008 the director of the Vatican Observatory wrote that aliens could exist without contradicting the Catholic faith.)

The film, which begins production on Friday and starts principal photography on April 5, was financed and will be executive produced by Elisabeth Thieriot, with Ed Elbert and Sheila McCarthy producing. Juan Diego Rodriguez and Eduardo Vertiz are executive producers in Guatemala and Mexico, respectively.

Shooting will take place for a month, and Julia-Levy promised to have a teaser within about six weeks and to release the film well before the December date on which the Mayan calendar cycle ends.

"We have to hurry up to be out way before December," he said. "People think that'll be the end of the world, so we have to release it so that people know the world won't be ending on December 21.

"It won't be the end of the world, but the real (deal) is going to happen in the next 15 to 20 years," he said. "And I'm not interested in anything but the truth."

(Editing By Zorianna Kit)

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Al-Jazeera refuses to air video of French shootings

NEW YORK, March 27 (TheWrap.com) - Al Jazeera has declined to air a haunting video of three separate shooting attacks that occurred in southern France earlier this month.

The video, delivered to Al Jazeera's Paris bureau on a USB stick, portrays the three attacks, executed by Mohammed Merah in Toulouse and Montauban, in chronological order.

Merah said the shootings, which resulted in the deaths of three soldiers, three Jewish children and a rabbi, were inspired by Al Qaeda. He titled the video "Al Qaeda attaque la France," meaning Al Qaeda attacks France.

Merah, who has admitted culpability, is not seen, but gunshots, the victims and Merah's voice are all audible.

"In accordance with Al Jazeera's Code of Ethics, given the video does not add any information that is not already in the public domain, its news channels will not be broadcasting any of its contents," the network said in a statement.

Al Jazeera also posted an article on its website explaining the decision. French president Nicolas Sarkozy implored television networks not to air the video, and family members of the victims reiterated that request.

Zied Tarrouche, Al Jazeera's Paris bureau chief, said the video was of high technical quality but the camera was shaky. It was doctored after the shootings, as evidenced by religious songs and recitations clearly added in after the fact. The note appended to the video was written in poor French.

The shootings have caused great alarm in France, the country with the largest Jewish community in Europe. Sarkozy has labeled it a "national tragedy."

(Editing By Zorianna Kit)

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"Smash" producers get top award by gay media group

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The producers of the new TV musical drama series "Smash" were honored by gay and lesbian watchdog group GLAAD at a gala on Saturday that highlighted gay marriage and bullying.

Neil Meron and Craig Zadan, film and television producers known for such movies as the Oscar-winning "Chicago," and "Hairspray" were honored at New York's Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, or GLAAD, Media Awards.

The awards, hosted by Cory Montieth and Naya Rivera from the hit TV musical show "Glee," recognize the best portrayals of gay community members in film, television, radio, music, newspapers and blogs.

GLAAD honored the efforts of Meron and Zadan on "Smash," the program about a Broadway show that features a healthy gay relationship, as well as several of the pair's previous efforts, including the television movie "Serving in Silence."

In accepting the top award named after gay activist Vito Russo, the producers noted they had received death threats for their controversial 2003 miniseries, "The Reagans," which argued that former U.S. President Ronald Reagan failed to recognize the AIDS crisis.

Meron said being gay was "part of who I am, so it impacts the work that we do," while Zadan said the pair had spent years trying to "fight, persuade and manipulate" the entertainment industry to include lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender characters and stories.

Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein presented openly gay high school student Katy Butler a special award in recognition of her anti-bullying efforts, while outstanding TV segment was awarded to "ABC World News with Diane Sawyer" for "Battle Against Bullying."

The 2011 indie film, "Pariah," about a black teenager living in Brooklyn, New York, who embraces her identity as a lesbian, won outstanding film in limited release, and HBO's "Cinema Verite" took home the best TV movie or miniseries award.

TV's "Dancing With The Stars" won outstanding reality TV program for featuring contestant Chaz Bono, the transgender child of singers Cher and Sonny Bono, who completed a female-to-male sex change in 2010.

Pop Star Lady Gaga, who did not attend the awards, won outstanding music artist for her album "Born This Way." Best talk-show episode went to Oprah Winfrey's program for the episode "Coming Out on the Oprah Show: 25 Years of Unforgettable Guests."

Playwright Tony Kushner won the theater award for his play "The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures."

Among other media winners were CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360", Metro Weekly, The New York Times, The Boston Globe and The Advocate.

GLAAD, which promotes positive images of LGBT people in the media, will present additional media awards in Los Angeles on April 21 and San Francisco on June 2.

(This story corrects to switch quotes between Zadan and Meron, par 6)

(Reporting By Christine Kearney and Chris Michaud; Editing by Peter Cooney)

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TV host Jimmy Kimmel to host Emmy Awards

Jennifer Lopez is in Brazil this week for her show "Q'Viva," but she's never performed in the country. That will soon change when she headlines a music festival there this summer.

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Tiger Woods has CBS looking forward to the Masters

Hollywood director James Cameron dove to the Earth's deepest point in a specially designed submarine, the National Geographic Society said, making him the first man to travel alone on the near 7-mile journey to the depths of the Mariana Trench.

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Don Draper in "a different place" as "Mad Men" returns

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The creator of stylish Emmy-winning drama "Mad Men" is full of anticipation. And also a teeny bit worried.

The 1960s advertising series returns to U.S. television screens on Sunday after a 17 month-absence stemming from a contract dispute between Weiner and cable channel AMC.

"That's a lifetime in an era of the 24-hour news cycle, and no-one is more aware of it than its creator Matthew Weiner, who told Reuters he decided to do a two-hour premiere because "I have been worried about it (the long gap) the whole time."

"I want people to see it already and I am excited that they seem to be excited," Weiner said in an interview, explaining the longer premiere "was a calculated desire to give the audience a bigger, better, super-sized dose of the show and get them into it right away. And also to say, 'I value you'."

But Weiner, who in 2010 left TV audiences with brilliant but mysterious ad executive Don Draper (Jon Hamm) suddenly proposing to his beautiful young secretary Megan Calvet (Jessica Pare), isn't prepared to say much about the upcoming Season 5. Not even what year it is set in.

All Weiner will reveal is that the new season will be very different, and that after the personal struggles that befell Draper when we last saw him, the enigmatic creative director is "in the next part of his life, good or bad."

"As it relates to the business and his personal life, Don is in a different place. That is the story I want to tell. You have to be prepared that this season is going to be about something different," he said.

Teasers, trailers and previews are not favored by Weiner, partly because he savors surprising fans of the show, but also because much of the fascination of "Mad Men" lies in the sub-text and in the slow-burning development of the show's myriad characters.

"The show has a lot of tension, and some of it is based on not knowing," Weiner said. "This is a commercial property whose success is tied to its mystery and there is very little entertainment out there that provides this surprise.

"Also I don't have giant nuclear bombs, and plane hijackings and bloodbaths. I have a story on a human level so that things that seem inconsequential like, 'When is it taking place?' and 'What is the state of Don's personal life?' - that is a lot of story."

Season 4 of "Mad Men" - which like its three previous seasons won the Emmy Award for best TV drama series - ended with Draper's out of the blue engagement, a promotion and a pregnancy for Joan Harris (Christina Hendricks), the loss of the ad agency's biggest account, and a drastic staff downsizing.

INVIGORATED AFTER LONG BREAK

Weiner predicted that after the second episode of Season 5, the audience "will be 'What happened?! Where is everything from last year?!'. And then by the third episode, they will start to see that this is a new story and they will hopefully get into it."

Far from being depressed by the protracted negotiations with AMC in 2010 that briefly threatened the survival of the show, Weiner said that he, the cast and crew went back to work invigorated, and with the assurance of three more seasons.

The return of "Mad Men" has been accompanied by a huge advertising campaign and promotions, ranging from a line of 1960s inspired clothing for retail chain Banana Republic to a retro edition of Newsweek magazine featuring ads with a 1960s look.

Despite drawing a regular U.S. audience of under four million viewers, the series has also sparked new interest in 1960s design and architecture since it first appeared in 2007.

It has also inspired a slew of 1960s TV shows, including the short-lived and controversial 2011 drama series "The Playboy Club", and "Pan Am", which is set around the dawn of the commercial jet age.

"I love this period and it was forgotten by America and I feel happy that I got to be part of something that reminded people of it," Weiner concluded about the renewed love affair with all things 60s.

But apart from its meticulous attention to detail, "Mad Men" is more than eye candy for nostalgia seekers.

"I was a little surprised at what people thought 'Mad Men' was, when I saw these other shows. They thought it was just a collection of clothing and style and that you could put it in any genre. That is not really what is unique about this show.

"Maybe 1963 has become a big part of our culture and our clothing and our interest right now," Weiner said. "But 'Mad Men' is moving on."

(Reporting By Jill Serjeant, Editing By Christine Kearney)

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CNN cuts documentary jobs in shift toward acquisitions

Britain's Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, arrived in Copenhagen on Saturday on the third and final leg of their Scandinavia tour, with plans to visit churches, the film set of a popular Danish TV show and sustainable energy projects.

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IFC orders Marc Maron series, more 'Portlandia'

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - IFC has ordered a scripted series based on the life of "WTF" podcast host Marc Maron, as well as a third season of "Portlandia," a second season of "Whisker Wars," the new animated series "Out There," and a third installment of R. Kelly's hip-hop opera "Trapped in the Closet."

The network also announced the June 8 premiere of two summer originals: "Comedy Bang! Bang!" a unique talk show from "Between Two Ferns" co-creator and "Mr. Show" writer-performer Scott Aukerman, and the game show "Bunk," in which comedians will compete for surreal prizes.

TheWrap moderated a panel about the Maron series last year and saw the pilot presentation. It found Maron, playing a fictionalized version of himself, dealing with his dad (Ed Asner), younger girlfriend, podcast guest Ken Jeong, and his full of cats. The series will follow the former drugging-and-drinking comedian as he maintains his sobriety and reaps podcast success after more than 25 years as a working comic. Comedy stars like Jeong turn up as podcast guests.

The tentatively titled "Maron," from Fox Television Studios and Denis Leary and Jim Serpico's Apostle, is directed by Oscar winner Luke Matheny ("God of Love") and executive produced by Maron, Leary, Serpico, Olivia Wingate, and Duncan Birmingham, the show's co-writer (pictured with Maron). It will premiere in the third quarter of 2013.

"Out There," a comic-of-age series about three boys in a small town, is written, directed and executive produced by Emmy winning "South Park" animation director Ryan Quincy. It is produced IFC by 20th Century Fox Television and will premiere next January.

The latest "Trapped in the Closet" will premiere in the fourth quarter of this year, as will the second season of "Whisker Wars." The third season of "Portlandia" will air next January, but the show will air specials in the summer and around the winter holidays.

(Editing by Chris Michaud)

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'I Hate My Teenage Daughter' pulled from Fox schedule

LOS ANGELES, March 21 (TheWrap.com) - "I Hate My Teenage Daughter" isn't getting a lot of love from Fox.

The network has pulled the comedy from its schedule two weeks earlier than expected after it posted disappointing ratings. Fox said the show would air its six remaining episodes in the summer, including the two that were to air March 27 and April 3.

The series, which stars Jaime Presssly and Katie Finneran as a pair of lifelong friends and single moms who fear that their daughters are growing up to be just like the girls who picked on them in school, ran Tuesdays at 8:30 p.m. and was expected to go into hiatus following its April 3 episode to make room for the return of "Glee" on April 10.

"Raising Hope" repeats will fill the slot March 27 and April 3, and "Glee" will return from 8 to 9 the following week, as previously planned.

"Daughter" premiered on November 30, posting a so-so 2.8/7 in the 18-49 demo. This week, it fell 14 percent from its previous airing to a disheartening 1.2 rating/4 share in the advertiser-coveted 18-49 demographic.

(Editing By Zorianna Kit)

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Netflix, Eli Roth team up for gothic horror series

Britain's Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, arrived in Copenhagen on Saturday on the third and final leg of their Scandinavia tour, with plans to visit churches, the film set of a popular Danish TV show and sustainable energy projects.

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Alyssa Milano cast in ABC drama 'Mistresses'

Britain's Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, arrived in Copenhagen on Saturday on the third and final leg of their Scandinavia tour, with plans to visit churches, the film set of a popular Danish TV show and sustainable energy projects.

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Kim Kardashian laughs off flour-bomb attack

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Reality television star Kim Kardashian laughed off being pelted with a flour-bomb while stepping out to promote her new fragrance.

The star of "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" was on the red carpet in West Hollywood on Thursday when an unidentified woman ran up behind her and emptied a bag of white flour over her head, shouting what appeared to be "fur hag".

The woman was briefly detained and Kardashian, 31, left the event, but returned 10 minutes later in an identical outfit with no trace of flour.

"That probably is the craziest, unexpected, weird thing that ever happened to me...I said to my makeup artist, I wanted more powder and that's a whole lot of translucent powder right there," Kardashian joked in an interview with E! Online.

She did not press charges against the flour-bomber, who was released without charge, police said.

Kardashian's sisters Khloe and Kourtney, who were not at the event, were less forgiving as they took to Twitter to voice their outrage at the incident.

"I wish I was with my sister tonight. I bet you that woman wouldn't have dared tried a thing," Khloe posted, while Kourtney added "classy to flour bomb my sister at her charity event helping women."

Kim Kardashian, one of the highest-paid reality stars on U.S. television, has been heavily criticized recently by animal rights groups for wearing fur clothing.

(Reporting By Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Jill Serjeant)

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The Situation admits prescription pill problem

Britain's Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, arrived in Copenhagen on Saturday on the third and final leg of their Scandinavia tour, with plans to visit churches, the film set of a popular Danish TV show and sustainable energy projects.

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Jennifer Beals lands role in 'Widow Detective' pilot

Britain's Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, arrived in Copenhagen on Saturday on the third and final leg of their Scandinavia tour, with plans to visit churches, the film set of a popular Danish TV show and sustainable energy projects.

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"Smash" producers get top award by gay media group

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The producers of the new TV musical drama series "Smash" were honored by gay and lesbian watchdog group GLAAD at a gala on Saturday that highlighted gay marriage and bullying.

Neil Meron and Craig Zadan, film and television producers known for such movies as the Oscar-winning "Chicago," and "Hairspray" were honored at New York's Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, or GLAAD, Media Awards.

The awards, hosted by Cory Montieth and Naya Rivera from the hit TV musical show "Glee," recognize the best portrayals of gay community members in film, television, radio, music, newspapers and blogs.

GLAAD honored the efforts of Meron and Zadan on "Smash," the program about a Broadway show that features a healthy gay relationship, as well as several of the pair's previous efforts, including the television movie "Serving in Silence."

In accepting the top award named after gay activist Vito Russo, the producers noted they had received death threats for their controversial 2003 miniseries, "The Reagans," which argued that former U.S. President Ronald Reagan failed to recognize the AIDS crisis.

Zadan said being gay was "part of who I am, so it impacts the work that we do," while Meron said the pair had spent years trying to "fight, persuade and manipulate" the entertainment industry to include lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender characters and stories.

Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein presented openly gay high school student Katy Butler a special award in recognition of her anti-bullying efforts, while outstanding TV segment was awarded to "ABC World News with Diane Sawyer" for "Battle Against Bullying."

The 2011 indie film, "Pariah," about a black teenager living in Brooklyn, New York, who embraces her identity as a lesbian, won outstanding film in limited release, and HBO's "Cinema Verite" took home the best TV movie or miniseries award.

TV's "Dancing With The Stars" won outstanding reality TV program for featuring contestant Chaz Bono, the transgender child of singers Cher and Sonny Bono, who completed a female-to-male sex change in 2010.

Pop Star Lady Gaga, who did not attend the awards, won outstanding music artist for her album "Born This Way." Best talk-show episode went to Oprah Winfrey's program for the episode "Coming Out on the Oprah Show: 25 Years of Unforgettable Guests."

Playwright Tony Kushner won the theater award for his play "The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures."

Among other media winners were CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360", Metro Weekly, The New York Times, The Boston Globe and The Advocate.

GLAAD, which promotes positive images of LGBT people in the media, will present additional media awards in Los Angeles on April 21 and San Francisco on June 2.

(Reporting By Christine Kearney and Chris Michaud; Editing by Peter Cooney)

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Can Katie Couric claim Oprah's old daytime crown?

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Ten months after Oprah Winfrey signed off her long-running syndicated daytime talk show, the TV industry is still trying to fill the vacuum.

There is no shortage of contenders - or shows - trying to reclaim the daytime talk show crown from Winfrey, who has her hands full running her OWN network. But it's not easy to dominate daytime programming in this day of splintered media outlets, any more than it is to launch a new network.

Just ask Winfrey: On Monday, she laid off 30 staffers after cancelling Rosie O'Donnell's talk show on Friday.

All eyes are now on Katie Couric, who launches "Katie" in the fall, to see if she will have more luck than CNN star anchor Anderson Cooper in the daytime talk show arena. She is one of several contenders to launch next season, including "Survivor" host Jeff Probst, "Family Feud" host Steve Harvey and talk-show vet Ricki Lake.

"Katie Couric will probably do better -- I think she's a little more versatile, and she's well-known," Brad Adgate, Senior VP Research at Horizon Media, told TheWrap.

He also suggests that Couric might have an additional initial edge as the 2012 election season kicks into high gear, given her six-year run as "CBS Evening News" anchor and "The Today Show" before that.

Although, he noted, Couric's fellow former "Today Show" host Jane Pauley didn't last long with "The Jane Pauley Show," her bid for daytime talk glory.

As the ghosts of talk show hosts past can attest, it's not easy to succeed - regardless of the time of day. Programmers are increasingly gravitating towards daytime talk shows because they're cheaper to produce than soap operas or other scripted fare. The right host, or mix of hosts, can cut through the media noise.

"It's not an expensive proposition -- it's relatively inexpensive to produce, and I don't think that's going to go away," Adgate said.

Even so, with the pie being split so many ways, it's going to be tough for any one particular talk show to dominate the way "Oprah" did in her 25 year run -- or even come close to that.

Women 25-54, a key demo for daytime talk, continue to work outside the home. And those women who do stay home are likely to be of the "helicopter parents" variety, who "are more interested in monitoring what their children are watching" than developing their own viewing loyalties, Adgate said.

ABC replaced two soap operas with talk shows the past year: Culinary-oriented talker "The Chew" bowed in September as a replacement for the axed "All My Children." "The Revolution," featuring "Project Runway" guru Tim Gunn, "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" dream-fulfiller Ty Pennington and celebrity trainer Harley Pasternak, replaced axed soap "One Life to Live" in January.

Already, there are signs of oversaturation.

Cooper's syndicated daytime show "Anderson" debuted in September and has never really gotten any traction. His show averaged a little under 2 million viewers for the week of February 20 - 26, the most recent ratings available. His co-executive producer Jim Murphy departed in late January, apparently to return to the news side.

A fall 2012 launch for a syndicated series starring "Real Housewives" Bethenny Frankel was kiboshed after it became apparent that Frankel would be entering a very competitive field. (The show will now receive a six-week trial run this summer on Fox TV stations.) And in December, Sony Pictures Television and Harpo Studios decided to put "The Nate Berkus Show" out of its misery after its second season of ho-hum numbers.

O'Donnell, a successful daytime host in the 1990s, couldn't make a go of it during her short stint on OWN. It may not have helped that she was on in the early evening rather than in daytime, but in this fractured media universe, all bets are off.

New daytime talk shows must also vie with standbys "The View," "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" and the newly christened "Live! With Kelly" and CBS's relatively recent entry "The Talk."

The upcoming slew of new talk-show hosts are, relatively speaking, safe bets, consisting of faces and names who've already connected with television audiences.

"These people are all well-known; these are all personalities that viewers know," Adgate said.

Couric has promised "smart conversation" in "Katie," which debuts September 10. She said stories will run the gamut from serious to "fun, popular culture stories."

The show will be executive produced by former NBCUniversal president Jeff Zucker, a fellow "Today Show" alum.

20th Television, which is producing Lake's offering, is banking on her familiarity with audiences. Paul Franklin, executive vice president and general sales manager, broadcast of 20th Television told TheWrap that she's "already presold to the marketplace."

"Ricki is the women's girlfriend, if you will," he said. "They've got their girlfriend back."

Franklin contends that daytime is basically up for grabs. "Oprah is gone, Regis is retired," he said. "Daytime is going through a metamorphosis."

"I think it helps, too, that the soap operas are going away," Franklin added. "The soap operas have been on for 40, 50 years and people are saying, 'What are we going to watch now?'"

He's not harboring any illusions that Lake is poised to take over Winfrey's former massive audience.

"It's hard to say there will ever be another Oprah," Franklin said.

Adgate doesn't think anyone can capture Winfrey's former ratings at this point.

"I don't think that's a reasonable expectation. I think that these shows are going to face a lot of stiff competition," Adgate said. "If you can get three million viewers, that's a hit."

John Nogawski, president of CBS Television Distribution, argues that all the changes in daytime have cleared the way for Probst's new show, which his company is distributing.

"There were a number of changes in the marketplace from Oprah's departure to some lower-rated shows which we anticipated would be canceled, so we knew stations would have holes to fill in their schedules," Nogawski told TheWrap. "That makes it a good time to strike."

He points out that, "whether it's primetime, cable or daytime, there's always competition, so when the right idea and personality present themselves like they did with Jeff, then we seize the opportunity."

He argues that "The Survivor" host will bring a different perspective to the daytime audience than current hosts. Nor does he accept that the audience for daytime talk is in danger of dwindling.

"We certainly don't think so or else we wouldn't be launching a new show," he told TheWrap. "If it's the right show with the right host, the audience will come."

And if not? Perhaps a moment of silence will be in order.

(Editing by Chris Michaud)

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Mistrial declared in "Desperate Housewives" trial

(Reuters) - A judge on Monday declared a mistrial in actress Nicollette Sheridan's wrongful termination lawsuit against the producers of TV show "Desperate Housewives" after jurors said they were "hopelessly deadlocked."

The jury panel, which consisted of nine women and three men, said they could not get beyond an 8 to 4 vote in favor of Sheridan and, as a result, were unable to render a verdict that would have required nine of them to agree on an outcome.

Attorneys for both sides told reporters outside the courtroom they were prepared to try the case again.

"You'd think we'd be disappointed, but ... we're not," said Sheridan's attorney, Mark Baute. "We got the story out. We told the truth. Twelve of our fellow citizens made a judgment. We came up one short. We'll do the dance again."

Adam Levin, attorney for Touchstone Television Productions which produces the hit show for the ABC network, said, "we're anxious to move forward with that trial, and we're confident that we will prevail."

The mistrial brings an end to the current chapter of the drama-filled case, which has shed some public light on the sort of behind-the-scenes Hollywood dispute that is often resolved in private.

Sheridan, 48, who played Edie Britt on the show from 2004 to 2009, accused its creator Marc Cherry of smacking her on the head during a 2008 rehearsal, and she contended she was fired and her character killed off after she complained.

Cherry has said he only tapped Sheridan to instruct her about a scene and the death of her character was planned four months before the incident.

Last week, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Elizabeth White dismissed Sheridan's battery complaint against Cherry, dealing the actress a setback. But the judge allowed the wrongful termination allegation to proceed to the jury leading to Monday's mistrial declaration.

"Desperate Housewives," currently in its eighth and final season, concludes in May.

(Reporting By Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

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Mistrial declared in 'Desperate Housewives' trial

(Reuters) - A judge on Monday declared a mistrial in actress Nicollette Sheridan's wrongful termination lawsuit against the producers of TV show "Desperate Housewives" after jurors said they were "hopelessly deadlocked."

The jury panel, which consisted of nine women and three men, said they could not get beyond an 8 to 4 vote in favor of Sheridan and, as a result, were unable to render a verdict that would have required nine of them to agree on an outcome.

Attorneys for both sides told reporters outside the courtroom they were prepared to try the case again.

"You'd think we'd be disappointed, but ... we're not," said Sheridan's attorney, Mark Baute. "We got the story out. We told the truth. Twelve of our fellow citizens made a judgment. We came up one short. We'll do the dance again."

Adam Levin, attorney for Touchstone Television Productions which produces the hit show for the ABC network, said, "we're anxious to move forward with that trial, and we're confident that we will prevail."

The mistrial brings an end to the current chapter of the drama-filled case, which has shed some public light on the sort of behind-the-scenes Hollywood dispute that is often resolved in private.

Sheridan, 48, who played Edie Britt on the show from 2004 to 2009, accused its creator Marc Cherry of smacking her on the head during a 2008 rehearsal, and she contended she was fired and her character killed off after she complained.

Cherry has said he only tapped Sheridan to instruct her about a scene and the death of her character was planned four months before the incident.

Last week, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Elizabeth White dismissed Sheridan's battery complaint against Cherry, dealing the actress a setback. But the judge allowed the wrongful termination allegation to proceed to the jury leading to Monday's mistrial declaration.

"Desperate Housewives," currently in its eighth and final season, concludes in May.

(Reporting By Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

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Hollywood's big appetite for "Hunger Games"

(Reuters) - Seek shelter Hollywood vampires and wizards, there's a new movie in town looking to raise the stakes on what it means to be a film franchise in an era when "Harry Potter," "Twilight" and superhero films dominate box offices.

"The Hunger Games," based on the first novel in a best-selling trilogy by author Suzanne Collins, sees 24 children known as 'tributes' fight to the death in an annual televised event across the nation of Panem, built on the ruins of America.

The novels follow the story of one tribute, Katniss Everdeen, portrayed in the film that opens on Friday by Jennifer Lawrence, who becomes a beacon of hope for freedom against Panem's totalitarian government.

"She is a warrior for her people, a Joan of Arc, she's a fighter," Lawrence told Reuters about her character. "I wanted to bring out more of her vulnerability when she was in the Games. I didn't want anybody to forget that she could die at any minute. I never wanted that to slip from the movie."

"The Hunger Games" trilogy is the latest series of novels to become a Hollywood movie franchise, following on the heels of the $2.8 billion box office success of the four "Twilight" films, based on Stephanie Meyer's vampire romance novels. The final film, "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2" is due in theaters later this year.

Warner Bros. Studios' big screen adaptations of J. K. Rowling's juggernaut collection of "Harry Potter" novels took in an estimated $7.7 billion with eight films across the worldwide box office, the largest-grossing franchise in history. The film series ended last year.

"The Hunger Games" has already built a fan base among a wide group of readers, although young women make up the core fans. The books boast more than 2 million friends on Facebook and almost 300,000 followers on Twitter, all discussing the film ahead of its release.

And all eyes in Hollywood are on Lionsgate, the studio distributing the films, to see if it can turn in the next big franchise on the order of the "Potter" and "Twilight movies."

STAYING TRUE TO "GAMES"

Lawrence is joined in the film by a veteran cast including Woody Harrelson, Donald Sutherland and Elizabeth Banks. Rocker Lenny Kravitz has taken a rare movie role, and rising stars Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth also are on board.

All those involved said they felt a deep responsibility to "Hunger Games" fans in bringing their beloved characters to the big screen, but they also admitted to struggling with real-life issues that the books present.

"There's a bit of pressure, but at the same time, I think it fueled me to do better," said Hutcherson, who plays Peeta Mellark, Katniss' fellow tribute from her hometown, District 12.

Dealing with the TV battles and deaths of children was a delicate issue for director Gary Ross, known for films such as "Big" and "Seabiscuit." His biggest challenge, he said, was the death of young tribute Rue, played by 13-year-old Amandla Stenberg, which is a key event in the story of Katniss' journey.

"I felt that stuff was, 'I better get this right,'" Ross said. "Getting out of the car that morning (of the scene's shoot) was a different experience. You know there's a lot on your shoulders."

The books and movie also send a strong message that the impact of reality TV contests is bad for society when taken to the extreme, as it is in "Hunger Games" where the people of Panem are forced to watch and celebrate the tributes killing each other.

"This is a huge message against reality television," said Lawrence, who admitted she was part of "that generation that's obsessed with reality TV."

Veteran actor Sutherland, who plays the controlling, manipulative Panem leader, President Snow, said the "Hunger Games" story had the potential to "motivate a generation of young people who have, by and large, been dormant."

"They could ... see the genius of Katniss Everdeen and the possibility that within themselves, they could find such a leader and provoke change ... something that would make the government do what the government is supposed to do, and not profit from it," said Sutherland.

Whether "Hunger Games" rises to those lofty heights of a film that causes cultural change, or if it even becomes a fan-pleasing blockbuster on the order of "Potter," "Twilight," "X-Men" or "Spider-Man" movies, awaits Friday's premiere and the months and weeks that follow.

But ahead of the debut, Ross and the cast can breathe a little easier knowing critics like it. As of Monday, the film had earned a 100 percent positive rating based on 16 critics at RottenTomatoes.com, which rates movies based on reviews.

The Hollywood Reporter's Todd McCarthy called the film "an amply faithful adaptation" of Collins' novel and praised Lawrence's "impressive gravity and presence."

Justin Chang at Variety said it was "relentlessly paced, unflagging in its sense of peril and blessed with a spunky protagonist," and he praised the younger echelon of actors starring opposite Lawrence in the Games.

Olly Richards at Empire Magazine called the film "thrilled and smart as it is terrifying," while Xan Brooks at The Guardian wrote it is the "rarest of beasts: a Hollywood action blockbuster that is smart, taut and knotty."

(Reporting By Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

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