And Now, Darren Aronofsky Directs J. Lo In A Commercial For Kohl's

When Darren Aronofsky directed a sumptuous Revlon commercial for mascara last year I called it his "least-daring work to date," but now comes a new project to trump that dubious accomplishment. Behold, the Oscar-nominated Black Swan director's gripping ad for Kohl's department store featuring J. Lo singing and dancing to a Kiki Dee cover song, a video that makes Jessica Biel plumping her lashes look like Requiem for a Dream. Kohl's "Classic. Remixed" from H.K. McCANN on Vimeo. Oh, Darren. Can we go back to those meth PSAs and pretend this never happened? [MediaBistro via Vulture]

Hollywood date with '8'

Bruce Cohen and Dustin Lance Black Matt Bomer, left, has Jeff Zarillo, Paul Katemi and Matthew Morrison roaring with laughter. David Boies and his stage avatar George Clooney at Saturday's event. AFER's Chad Griffin and Bryan Singer Ty Burrell and Christine Lahti Martin Sheen reads Ted Olson's lines onstage. Paris Barclay and Rich Ross George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Martin Sheen, Jane Lynch and Kevin Bacon were among those who staged a reenactment of some of the highlights of California's case to overturn the ban on same-sex marriage via a reading of "8," Dustin Lance Black's play that incorporates actual testimony from the trial with personal recollections from the two couples seeking to wed. The Saturday benefit, which raised about $2 mil at the Wilshire Ebell for the American Foundation for Equal Rights -- the org of political and entertainment industry activists backing the case -- was also streamed on YouTube, generating more than 210,000 views. "The American people are going to see this, and they are going to have the same feelings in their hearts as we all do, and it is going to make a huge difference," said Ted Olson, the lead attorney who is pursuing the case along with David Boies. The crescendo of the play is in the trial's closing arguments, when Sheen, as Olson, cannily uses the words of David Blankenhorn, one of the witnesses for Prop. 8 proponents who inadvertently ended up helping the plaintiffs. He admitted having said that the day that same-sex marriage is permitted, "we will be more American." "I wish I was that good," Olson quipped after watching Sheen. "He can do it in a way that you can't do it in court, but the fact is that it is the words that made the difference." Contact Ted Johnson at ted.johnson@variety.com

Who Won Top Chef?

Top Chef [SPOILER ALERT: The following story reveals the winner of Top Chef Season 9. Read at your own risk.]After trekking through Texas and enduring more all-nighters and meat challenges than you can imagine, Paul Qui and Sarah Grueneberg faced off for the last time for the Top Chef Season 9 title.Top Chef's Lindsay: I didn't take enough risksNo sooner had Lindsay gotten the boot, Tom and Padma reveal the final challenge: create a four-course tasting menu in the restaurant of your dreams. Some of the eliminated chefs from the whole season - including He Who Could Not Butcher, Tyler - along with master chefs Barbara Lynch and Marco Canora, arrive to cook a dish in hopes of being Paul's and Sarah's sous chefs. Each pick four after a blind tasting. Paul chooses Barbara, Ty-lor, "Malibu" Chris and Keith. Sarah chooses Nyesha, Tyler ("I'm not letting you butcher," she tells him), Heather and Grayson.Sarah, obviously, has her hands full with Tyler (who's wearing his trademarked Chef Tyler Stone chef jacket, natch), but Paul is concerned that none of his sous chefs are familiar with his Asian style. He has to nix crab after discovering the meat is funky, but fortunately he has prawns as a backup. The judges and the chefs' families split into groups for dining.Top Chef's Beverly: I definitely felt the fan supportHere's what they served:Paul, Qi RestaurantFirst course: chawanmushi, edamame, pea shoots and spot prawnsSecond course: grilled sea bass with clam dashi, picked radishes and mushroomsThird course: congee with scrambled eggs, uni, kale and smoked albacoreFourth course: coconut ice cream, puffed rice, kumquats, mangosteen, Thai chili foam and jasmin geleeSarah, Monte Verde RestaurantFirst course: squid ink tagliatelle, spot prawns and cocunutSecond course: rye-crusted steelhead trout with fennel sauce, pickled beets and gras pistaThird course: braised veal cheeks with crispy sweetbread and polentaFourth course: hazelnut cake with kumquat and white chocolate ganacheTop Chef's Beverly: I definitely felt the fan supportAfter the first service, Sarah tries to fix her polenta for the second one and averts disaster when her fiancé tells her to check her fish because his had a bone in it. Paul, on the other hand, told Keith to fire off a bunch of chawanmushi and they end up overcooked, but he's forced to serve them.Overall, they both earn high praise - Padma calls Sarah's dessert the best she's ever had on the show - but most of the judges took issue with her sweetbread dish. Paul, expectedly, gets dinged for his second chawanmushi service.Following a long deliberation, Padma crowns... Paul Top Chef! (This is his ninth challenge win of the season, by the way.)Paul, cool as ever, takes it all in stride, while his parents and girlfriend cry and celebrate. Sarah tearfully says she thinks she deserves to be Top Chef, but it wasn't her day. What did you think of the finale? Did the right chef win?

Ratings: The The American Idol Show Show On Top ABC Selection Hits Lows

Brett Butler Brett Butler has grew to become part of the cast of Charlie Sheen's Foreign exchange series Anger Management, Deadline reviews. Brett Butler on addiction, Charlie Sheen and with Chuck LorreLoosely using the eponymous film, Anger Management stars Sheen as Charlie, a classic baseball player, and Selma Blair as his counselor. Butler will recur since the bartenders at Charlie's local hangout.Ironically, Butler and Sheen are usually alums of Chuck Lorre series that have been influenced by their unique star's issue with substance abuse. Sheen was infamously ousted from two and a half Males, while Butler starred on Sophistication Under Fire, which was abruptly canceled by ABC because of Butler's personal struggles.Foreign exchange sets premiere dates for Charlie Sheen's Anger Management, Russell Brand's talk show"Brett is a good comedy voice and Charlie which i figured she'd be strong because role," Anger Management showrunner Bruce Helford mentioned. "Besides the apparent irony of her in among Chuck's show's too.What can you consider Butler's casting?

Scott Foley To Star In Goodwin Games, Forces Boothe Joins Nashville

Felicity alum Scott Foley has became a member of Becki Newton among the three leads in Goodwin Games, Fox’s single-camera comedy in the The Way I Met Your Mother trio of Carter Bays, Craig Thomas and Chris Harris. The Twentieth TV-created project involves three brothers and sisters — a couple of them Newton and Foley — who reunite following the dying of the father as he leaves them his fortune — but only when they accept his terms. The project reunites Foley with 20th TV after starring within the studio’s CBS military drama The System. The actor, repped by ICM and Brillstein Entertainment, most lately recurred on ABC’s Gray’s Anatomy. Deadwood alum Forces Boothe continues to be cast in Basic steps musically driven drama pilot Nashville compiled by Callie Khouri and directed by RJ Cutler. The ABC Galleries-created pilot is focused on the Nashville music scene and it is rising and diminishing stars. Boothe, repped by Paradigm and Brillstein Entertainment, will have the patriarchal, effective and controlling Lamar Hampton, who disapproves of his daughter Rayna’s stellar career like a country singer. He lately wrapped feature Straight A’s and also the History small Hatfields And McCoys.

Start Searching: ESPN's Kornheiser and Wilbon, Wipeout's Henson on Kick Buttowski

Felicity alum Scott Speedman will star opposite Andre Braugher in ABC's drama pilot from Shawn Ryan. In Final Option, a renegade crew from the nuclear submarine, lead by Males from the Certain Age's Braugher, go on the go after repel an order to fire place nuclear missiles. They find sanctuary inside a NATO base where they declare the earth's smallest nuclear nation. Speedman may have... Discover More > Other Links From TVGuide.com Dead Like MeFelicityThe ShieldAndre BraugherScott SpeedmanAutumn ReeserShawn RyanMen from the Certain AgeDaisy Betts

Kurland, Cecchetto and Puck team for Governor's Ball

Jeffrey Kurland assists as chair, Cheryl Cecchetto will produce and Wolfgang Puck will design recption menus for your Governors Ball, the celebration that will stay with the 84th Academy awards on Oscar Sunday, Feb. 26. Cecchetto takes the reins for your 23rd consecutive year, Puck joins for your 18th year back to back as well as function as third for Kurland, who's an Academy of motion Picture Arts and Sciences governor representing the Art Company company directors Branch. "This Year's Governors Ball re-envisions the celebration. We'll give a radical departure within the traditional sit-lower affair, reinforcing the Academy's persistence for originality and excellence," Kurland mentioned. Cecchetto created an empty format that will enable the event's 1,500 site visitors circulation among numerous seating designs while experiencing cuisine from Puck. Site visitors includes Academy Award individuals who win and nominees, show presenters together with other telecast participants. "This Year's design can be a chic and simple canvas for intimate conversations and freedom of movement,In . Cecchetto mentioned. "Site visitors are going through Wolfgang Puck's tasting menu as well as the evening's musical entertainment getting a backdrop of relaxed glamour." Furthermore to controlling the dcor, menu and entertainment planning the ball, Kurland will design the apparel being worn with the evening's staff. He received an Oscar nomination for Costume Design for "Bullets Over Broadway." The Governors Ball will occur inside the Grand Ballroom on the top amount of the Hollywood & Highland Center right after the telecast. Contact Christy Grosz at christy.grosz@variety.com

Ask Matt: Smash, Revenge, Awake, Southland, Betty Mania and More

Katharine McPhee Send questions and comments to askmatt@tvguidemagazine.com and follow me on Twitter!Question: I watched the first episode of Smash this week and I enjoyed it. I like the cast, the music and the dancing, and the overall "Broadway" feel of the show. I just can't find myself going along with what is apparently the central idea of the show, which is that Katharine McPhee would make a better Marilyn than Megan Hilty. Really? Don't get me wrong, I love Katharine McPhee's voice, but nothing else about her is right for the Marilyn role! Whereas Hilty is, as she is apparently told in a future episode, "born" to play Marilyn in every way. Maybe part of my problem is that NBC (as usual) went overboard in promoting the show, with most of the ads prominently featuring McPhee, with the rest of the stellar cast in the background. Matt, you've seen more than the just the first episode, what do you think? - CatherineMatt Roush: Stay tuned, because the Marilyn issue is resolved, at least initially, fairly quickly - although the development of the musical, and both ingénues' place within the show within the show, continues to evolve. (If you've been keeping up with coverage, you probably know that Uma Thurman has an arc later in the season as a star being wooed to step into the show; we haven't screened that far ahead, though.) I heard a fair amount of grumbling during the very long promotional build-up to the premiere that Megan Hilty was being slighted in favor of McPhee-ver, but that's understandable given the stakes involved here, that you'd lead with the stars people already know - Debra Messing and Anjelica Huston got plenty of attention as well - in hopes of making new stars out of players like Broadway baby Hilty and the sensational Jack Davenport (the director), who's still waiting for his big U.S. breakthrough.Want more TV news and reviews? Subscribe to TV Guide Magazine now!Question: I've been reading you for years, far long enough to know that you might want to hit me for lamenting the future end of a series that hasn't even completed its first season. BUT. I am a person who likes my television series tied up with a big red ribbon when they take their final bow. Every question doesn't have to be answered (I loved the Lost finale), but I don't want the lead character - no matter how tragic a figure - to die or be killed (see: Prison Break). So this is my question to you: Do you see any way that Revenge could wrap up as a series (hopefully several years in the future) without a tragic, possibly fatal ending for Emily Thorne? I've been fairly captivated by the show, and I sort of root for Emily to avenge her father's wrongful conviction and death. However, if she achieves all of her goals and destroys everyone who had anything to do with it, 1) I don't know how she'll be able to live with herself, and 2) I don't know how Jack would be able to live with her, either. This conundrum seems to put the possibility of my very important big red ribbon in serious question. Do you care to weigh in on whether Emily might be able to somehow redeem herself eventually, or whether she's destined for doom? And does it matter to you in the long run, or are you, as you often put it, simply enjoying being along for the ride? - KatherineMatt Roush: This would be a more legitimate concern if (as another question I received this week wondered) Revenge were a one-season show - or, as they used to call such things, miniseries - and this story arc of Emily-vs-the Graysons was the ultimate end game. But it became clear pretty early on that there wouldn't be much of a show if it was only about Emily knocking off her enemies one by one. I'm curious to see where Revenge goes once we catch up to the shooting on the beach this week (taking us back to the pilot episode), because the real challenge will be to break new stories and introduce new complications and characters to broaden the theme of revenge into a full-blown prime-time soap. Your questions deal with important story points that need to be played out -especially what will happen if/when Jack discovers her true identity - but through it all, there's always the subtext of the toll this vendetta is taking on Emily/Amanda's soul. The fun for now is watching her be both hero and monster, but ultimately, if she can achieve justice for her father that will put her more in the redemption column. Just don't expect a happy ending anytime soon, because what fun would that be?Question: As a frequent reader of and writer to your column, I wanted to thank you for your always insightful responses to my questions and other peoples' questions. You're the voice of reason in a sea of fan irrationality, and I each week learn something new and interesting when reading your column. So again, thank you for what you do, and please keep doing it and making my Mondays a little bit brighter with Ask Matt! I'm thrilled to finally see Awake on NBC's schedule, but I also can't help but be immediately worried. It's airing on NBC, it's a high-concept show, and possibly most troubling, it's airing on Thursdays at 10/9c, where Prime Suspect and The Firm have already failed this season. I know that networks are never purposely "setting up a show to fail," and I'm sure NBC is really hoping it will do well, but it seems to have quite a few things working against it. I know that the critics gave it generally favorable reviews, so I was wondering what you thought about it, and its potential chances of success. - AlexMatt Roush: Thanks for those nice words. As I've often said, doing this column is always a highlight of any given week. I learn quite a bit myself about what truly matters to the dedicated TV enthusiast. Your question is a good one, because of all the risky shows this midseason (including Smash and The River), Awake could be the hardest sell. It's certainly facing an uphill climb in that Thursday time period - and just think how NBC used to own it with shows from Hill Street Blues through ER. I've seen the most recent cut of the Awake pilot - my review will be in this week's issue, and will be posted online closer to the March 1 premiere - and I think it's a knockout. But first, you have to accept a premise that on paper seems like a downer: a man caught between two realities after a car accident, one in which his wife died and the other in which he lost his son. And yet somehow Awake finds uplift in this poignant existential dilemma, though as one of his shrinks wonders, how this situation can be sustained over the long haul is anyone's guess. Which is why it's so smart for the show to include an intriguing procedural element - thus, making it possibly more commercial than you'd think - because the hero (Jason Isaacs, who's incredibly compelling) is a detective, and the cases in each reality begin to bleed into each other (how very Fringe!) and help him solve the cases. It's a truly original series, which always gives me cause to worry, but it is exactly the sort of show NBC should be trying, even if it doesn't work. I doubt anyone is predicting an easy ride for Awake, but my hope is that the viewer isn't asleep at the wheel for this one.Question: I am in awe of Southland this season! As you know, it's so rare to be genuinely surprised by a TV show, let alone so consistently as Southland does. I'm just worried that even though creatively it is the best it has ever been, it might not be going well enough to be picked up for a fifth season. Any thoughts? - LizMatt Roush: Southland is a good example of a show that only got better when it moved from a network (NBC, which in an earlier regime was afraid of its grit) to cable (TNT). It's an even better example of a show that has only sharpened its game in the wake of economic cutbacks. The cast has been trimmed severely, but the focus is tighter and I like nearly everything they've done this season: pairing Ben Sherman and Sammy Bryant, bringing on a very impressive Lucy Liu as the new partner of John Cooper (Michael Cudlitz, still the aching backbone of this series). It's never going to be a breakout hit, so I fear it will live perpetually "on the bubble." But with only 10 episodes per season, I'm hoping this is one of those cases where corporate synergy (within the Warner Bros. empire) rules and allows the show to just keep doing its thing for as long as they can. This certainly doesn't feel like a show that's creatively out of gas.Question: I was just curious what you thought of House of Lies and Californication. I've watched House but don't understand what's supposed to be entertaining about it. Are we supposed to be shocked that this is how business is conducted? I like the actors, but just find the show irrelevant and NOT funny. It certainly crosses the "line" and is raunchy. I think I'll just turn it off. Are you enjoying it? Californication is really uneven this season. One week it's just gross, the next less gross but endearing, the next gross, the next sweet. Why? Am I missing something? What are we supposed to be learning about Hank this year? That he loves his girls? We know that already. That he wants to be a part of the family again? We know that. But Charlie continues to drag Hank down (hate the character), so we're just treading water. Am I missing something? - EllenMatt Roush: I do enjoy House of Lies as a very broad and outrageous satire of the debauched state of American business and am especially loving Don Cheadle's electrifying performance, but it's clearly not for all tastes (or maybe for anyone with taste). But I came to your conclusion about Californication and bailed more than a season ago, feeling it was spinning its wheels, and its overall unpleasantness (especially anything involving Charlie) outweighed any possible entertainment value. Still, I'm sure there are those who enjoy it as much as I do House of Lies, and that's fine. Especially when it comes to pay cable, nobody's forcing anyone to watch.Question: What information can you share about why CBS continues to shuffle Rules of Engagement on and off the air. It is now being usurped by the new series Rob. I liked it as a companion show to The Big Bang Theory and am sorry that it isn't continuing there. - CarynMatt Roush: To explain the peculiar predicament of Rules of Engagement, which is one of the most abused "utility players" in recent TV memory, I can't improve on this story by our Michael Schneider. I'm not the biggest fan of Rules, though I do get a kick out of the core relationship of Patrick Warburton and Megyn Price, but I certainly prefer it to Rob, which somehow manages to hold on to enough of Big Bang's gigantic audience that Rules is destined to once again remain in limbo until CBS decides it will come in handy again. It boils down to CBS being so top-heavy with hits on a schedule that doesn't have enough shelf space for all of its comedies. If the network decides (as some have speculated) to expand the Thursday comedy block to two hours next season, that could very well open the door for Rules to return on a full-time basis. But for now, don't hold your breath.Question: I really love Pan Am. It's my favorite new show this year, and I am wondering if it is going to get a second season? I would hate to think that it would not get the opportunity to grow its audience and really dig into these great characters. - Matthew R.Matt Roush: With the finale airing this Sunday after only 14 episodes, you'd have to conclude Pan Am's chances of returning are about as remote as the rebirth of Pan Am itself. I loved the pilot episode but felt the stories afterward never really lived up to its breezy escapist potential, and while it's still a pleasurable show to watch (as in look at: it's gorgeous, and so's the cast), overall there's no way to see it as anything but a disappointment. Still, ABC won't officially make the call until May upfronts.Question: I love Betty White. For as long as I can remember, she has been a staple in my entertainment even as a child. Though I have to say I am growing tired of award shows, etc. honoring her with awards I frankly don't feel are justified. I mean I can't believe they gave her the SAG award recently over Edie Falco in Nurse Jackie or the other contenders. It is to the point where it seems the voters are giving her awards just for being Betty White. I am just thinking it's taking away from others who deserve a win. For example, I adore Alec Baldwin, but don't necessarily think he deserves EVERY TV award he has received in the past few years. We get it, you're great, now let someone else have a chance at it. I think in cases like Betty White they should just name an award after her and be done with it. There are plenty of actors and actresses overlooked at the SAGs such as Claire Danes for Homeland in the drama category. It is too bad these award shows don't have limits on how many times actors can win. It's almost like Betty White is Dowager Countess Violet Crawley in the annual flower show on Downton Abbey who wins out of voters' guilt even though the voters agree the other actresses are the Mr. Molesley whose flowers are more deserving. I am glad we have actresses like Betty White who are still working in such an unforgiving industry, and I am sure I will be hated on for saying something against Betty White, but I am getting over it. Am I the only one? - MayaMatt Roush: Don't blame Betty White for the lameness of this year's SAG Awards (in the TV categories, anyway). But I did enjoy your Downton analogy and agree that her win in that category was something of a tired joke. But awards come and go, and Betty White is forever. She is beyond question a beloved living legend, and the celebration of her 90th birthday this year just reinforced that. Even so, when she appeared in a bathrobe at the end of that sensational action-parody Super Bowl promo for The Voice, I'm sure there were as many groans as cheers for going back to that same punch line again. I'm tempted to say she should learn when to say no, but then again, why should she?Question: Just curious: What do you think is the likelihood of an eventual Chuck reunion film sometime in the mid-to-distant future? - RondaMatt Roush: Distant, I'd think. They wrapped things up pretty nicely in the series finale, and I think everyone should be satisfied with that, be glad they got to make the show for as long as they did (against the odds) and move on.Question: I am completely hooked on Downton Abbey but was wondering why the seasons are so short. Seems like it just began and they are already talking about the season ender. I think they only run 7 or 8 episodes. Is that a PBS norm? I have to say I am really enjoying The Finder on Fox. Funny with great cast chemistry but would expect nothing less from the creators of Bones. I am also really looking forward to Touch. The sneak peek episode was fast-paced and really kept my interest, and I loved how all the dots connected at the end. I read that Glee is going on a little two-month vacation, and that usually spells trouble for a show. I have been impressed with its improvement over the last few weeks. Sue is still mean, although rarely seen, but not over-the-top insane, and they are back to centering on the music and have had some fantastic performances. Do you see it too or do you think they are doomed? - SharonMatt Roush: Taking this subject by subject: The run of Downton (which concludes this Sunday with the two-hour "Christmas" finale), at roughly 10 hours over eight weeks, is actually fairly long by British-TV standards. Think of each year's installment as a miniseries - the Emmys do - and be glad not only that it leaves you wanting more, but that in a year we'll get more. I found The Finder to be a perfectly pleasant show, but it lacks the oomph to be a self-starter like Bones, and I'd be surprised if it has any more luck scoring a renewal than The Chicago Code did a year ago. That will especially be the case if Touch does as well on its return as it did in its sneak peek. Glee's break isn't that unusual - instead of airing repeats in March, it's sitting out to make way for some midseason comedy tryouts and will be back to finish the season in April. This is not a sign the show is in any trouble. I agree it has improved lately, especially when it focuses on the students about to graduate - although it's still wildly uneven, and last week's Ricky Martin episode was so random it might have been dropped in from last season. But doomed? Hardly.Question: I guess in life almost everything is reductive; but currently it is seen so evidently in television. Once Upon a Time begets a fairy tale-esque pilot from the CW, CBS, NBC. Essentially, success breeds the wish of more success. What always seems to fail TV executives is that genre shows only work because they are new, different, or just damned compelling. Mad Men is epic because it was groundbreaking and compelling; Pan Am didn't become one because a) it was compared to Mad Men, and b) it wasn't new or interesting enough. In truth, a show like The Good Wife would almost always work because of its cast dynamic. They could be doctors, cops, or Muppets and still with good writing I'd argue it would be a hit. Yet millions will be spent for a new fairy-tale genre to compete with Once, instead of finding the next type of show. So Matt, what is the next new hit genre? The future? The 1920s, akin to Boardwalk Empire? Ancient times akin to Spartacus? I get how broadcast-to-cable shows are now hampered by pay cable shows in their ability to have no boundaries, but they also have longer show runs, at least broadcast networks do. It's like HBO/Showtime/Starz followed the British format, if not their budget. Still, what, in your opinion, is the next genre that hits big?And is it just me, or is A-Mahz-ing (Where is Merriam-Websters on this?) Penny's hookup with V-Neck Dave inevitable on Happy Endings? - TrentonMatt Roush: Thankfully, it isn't my job to predict the next big trend or genre. Although it looks like everyone is trying to find a new twist on the classic Western for next season, so we'll see how many of those projects come to light and if any of them stick. As you rightly note, every bandwagon comes with the inherent danger of falling off the rails because of lack of originality. As always, it comes down to vision and execution. So just as The Good Wife is so much more than just-another-legal-drama, I wouldn't even dismiss the next '60s period piece or fairy-tale-derived project or vintage-TV remake out of hand, because you just never know. As for Penny and Dave possibly hooking up on Happy Endings, they've certainly teased the possibility enough to be a Watercooler topic a while back. Stranger things have happened.That's all for now. Keep sending your comments and questions to askmatt@tvguidemagazine.com, and in the meantime, follow me on Twitter!Subscribe to TV Guide Magazine now!

'Big Bang' sets viewer record

CBS' "The Big Bang Theory" continued its assault of "American Idol" Thursday, defeating Fox's reality giant for the third straight week in the 18-49 demo and second consecutive week in total viewers.According to early estimates from Nielsen, "Big Bang" was seen by a series-record 16.3 million viewers (assuming the number doesn't decrease when final numbers are received Friday afternoon). In the demo, the laffer earned a 5.4 rating/16 share at 8 o'clock.For the half-hour, "American Idol" drew 15.8 million viewers and a 5.0/15.Fox won an all-originals Thursday night as over the hourlong telecast "Idol" averaged a 5.4/15 and 17.1m, down slightly from a week ago. "Idol" lead-out "The Finder" (2.4/6) took a bigger hit from last week, off 14%.Following "Big Bang," "Rob" (3.4/9, 11.2m) was down a notch from a week ago and was best in the 8:30 timeslot after "Idol." From 9-11 p.m., CBS offered its procedural doubleheader of "Person of Interest" (3.3/9, 14.9m) and "The Mentalist" (2.8/8, 13.5m).In the 9 p.m. post-"Wipeout" (1.8/5, 5.9m) timeslot for ABC, "Grey's Anatomy" was best for the night for the Alphabet. Longtime Shonda Rhimes drama drew a 3.5/9, 5.9m, an improvement over its most recent original episode, and was tops against all competition. "Private Practice" (2.3/6, 6.6m) was slightly below "The Mentalist" at 10 o'clock.After being off the schedule last week, "The Office" returned to the Peacock's lineup and drew a 2.7/7, 5.2m. That was the high-water mark for the net, where "30 Rock" (1.3/4, 3.2m) started the night down and "Park and Recreation" (1.8/5, 3.6m) slightly up. Airing at 9:30, "Up All Night" (1.8/5, 3.7m) has been a consistent freshman comedy performer this season and could likely be back next season.The same can't be said for "The Firm (0.8/2, 2.9m), which continues to flounder at 10 p.m. Despite lower production costs because of having Canadian-based E1 as an outside producer, the series has been a major disappointment.Both "The Vampire Diaries" (1.2/3, 2.7m) and "The Secret Circle" (0.7/2, 1.7m) were up for the CW from their last original airings. Net, however, can't be happy with the million-viewer drop-off from one show to the next.Preliminary 18-49 averages for the night: Fox, 3.9/11; CBS, 3.5/9; ABC, 2.5/7; Univision, 1.5/4; NBC, 1.5/4; CW, 0.9/2.In total viewers: CBS, 14 million; Fox, 12 million; ABC, 7.4 million; Univision, 3.6 million; NBC, 3.6 million; CW, 2.2 million. Contact Stuart Levine at stuart.levine@variety.com

'Les Miserables' plucks Eponine from stage

Following a lengthy search for the best femme to experience Eponine in the "L'ensemble des Miserables" adaptation, Universal has drawn on Samantha Barks, who had formerly performed the role inside a 2010 London stage manufacture of the Victor Hugo classic. Pic already stars Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Hathaway As Catwoman and Amanda Seyfried. "The King's Speech" helmer Tom Hooper will direct. Hooper and Universal had released a large look for their Eponine, at some point thinking about Taylor Quick and Jum Michelle. However they chosen Barks, who performed the song-belting street urchin within the 2010 London manufacture of "L'ensemble des Miz," and reprised the role this past year within the show's 25th anniversary concert in the O2 Arena. William Nicholson Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schoenberg modified the Hugo novel for that bigscreen, where it bows 12 ,. 7. Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner will produce for Working Title alongside Cameron Mackintosh and Debra Hayward. Barks is repped by U . s . Agents within the U.K. Contact Justin Kroll at justin.kroll@variety.com

Alcatraz Exclusive: Start Looking at Doc's Tour from the Rock

Jorge Garcia, Alcatraz He may have his hands full searching for crooks in the past, but Doc Soto (Jorge Garcia) continues to be finding time for you to explore his true passion: Alcatraz Island. Appearing as Soto, Garcia gives his voice to a different online audio-tour made to share historic information concerning the Rock with curious audiences. Browse the first part below as Doc describes the value of the ferry ride towards the prison and shares his favorite locations round the island. Alcatraz airs Mondays at 9/8c on Fox. Sign up for TV Guide Magazine now!

Paul Giamatti Joins Romeo & Juliet

As Friar Lawrence Since shooting is positioned to begin shortly in Italia, director Carlo Carlei is finishing the comfort in the cast for his new adaptation of Romeo And Juliet. As well as the latest actor to step aboard? Paul Giamatti. The Barney's Version actor look as Friar Lawrence, an important consultant to both Romeo and Juliet inside the play, who likely regrets helping them get together given their tragic finish. Kids in people days, right?Douglas Booth, most recently noticed in the Beeb's Great Anticipation, is on as Romeo, while True Grit's Hailee Steinfeld will probably be Juliet. Erection dysfunction Westwick and Kodi Smit-McPhee have signed onto play Tybalt and Benvolio.Getting a script by Downton Abbey supremo Julian Fellowes (adapting work initially created by some bloke referred to as Will, as well as by Rhys Ifans if Roland Emmerich was right all along - kidding!), Carlei is positioned to film in Mantua, which same with really the city Romeo is banned to inside the play. You will see several set work done at Rome's famous Cinecitta Art galleries.Giamatti, meanwhile, was last noticed in The Ides Of March. He's Rock Old range and Cosmopolis set to achieve this year and has existed Sundance marketing Don Coscarelli's new horror comedy John Dies Within The Finish.

Thank you for going to La: Pilot Season

Industry Affiliates Prep for Pilot Season The initial hugely crunch involves getting your headshots ready, may well entail getting completely new ones taken, acquiring the initial copies retouched, or ordering new prints.Useful strategies for the Casting Process, From First Read to Meeting the Network Professionals Pilot season typically runs from late The month of the month of january to early March, and it is really when the Dvds look for the most effective-available puzzle pieces.Why Auditions for just about any New TV Series differ from Others Over time, I've spoken to teachers, stars, and casting company company directors about who audition for aircraft aircraft pilots, which are a breed unto themselves. I've cherry-selected most likely probably the most useful pointers to suit your needs.Working With Representation to get the best Career Strategy Pilot season brings options. Much might be accomplished throughout this time around around that could benefit your work journey with the relaxation of year.Brett Benner Suggests as well as sturdy . Headshot and Rsum Current They have cast such hit TV series as "Cougar Town," "One Tree Hill," "Scrubs," "Psych," and "The Came Carey Show." Back Stage recently looked for his advice for stars planning for L.A.'s pilot season.Compact disk Donna Rosenstein on In in the start of the TV Series Rosenstein has seen the birth of several television series. Recent ones include "Castle," "Grimm," "Necessary Roughness," "Ghost Whisperer," and "October Road."An Archive for Effective Auditions Are you currently venturing out this pilot season? Is not it time? Take advantage of the record to make sure you are.

Came Carey Calls Off Four-Year Engagement

Came Carey and Nicole Jaracz There won't be wedding sensors for Came Carey and longtime fiancée Nicole Jaracz. The happy couple have cancelled their engagement after greater than four years, People reviews. Have a look at photos of Came Carey "He and Nicole have lots of love and affection for one another," Carey's repetition told playboy in the statement. "He will still be very connected using their son's existence." The Price is suitable host sprang the question to Jaracz, a chef, in October 2007. She's a six-year-old boy, Connor, in the previous relationship.

'Newsies' sets cast

Dossett A slew of "Newsies" vets have signed on to reprise their roles in the upcoming Broadway incarnation, with John Dossett onboard to play the show's villainous newspaperman.Dossett was among the thesps to star in the musical's world preem earlier this season at New Jersey's Paper Mill Playhouse. Lead Jeremy Jordan, freed up from his commitment to this season's "Bonnie and Clyde" when that show closed, had already been locked in to return as the leader of a newsboy strike in yesteryear Gotham.Kara Lindsay is back as the tuner's spunky girl reporter, with Ben Fankhauser and Andrew Keenan-Bolger tapped to play fellow ragamuffins caught up in the labor unrest. All three were among the cast of the Paper Mill staging, the world preem of a show based on Disney's 1992 movie musical.Two moppet actors who weren't in the New Jersey incarnation, Lewis Grosso ("Mary Poppins") and Matthew Schechter ("Elf"), have been set to alternate as the younger brother of one of the newsies.A number of other thesps will reprise parts in the ensemble, alongside some new additions. One more role, the part of newsboy supporter Medda, remains to be cast."Newsies" is set to kick off previews March 15 ahead of a March 29 opening at the Nederlander Theater. Broadway stint is currently set for 101 perfs, but extensions seems likely if reception and sales warrant. Contact Gordon Cox at gordon.cox@variety.com

'Relatively Speaking' to close

'Relatively Speaking'"Relatively Speaking," the trio of Broadway one-acts by big-name scribes Woody Allen, Ethan Coen and Elaine May, will close at the end of the month.Show becomes the second to cut bait in the wake of the holiday B.O. boom (and ahead of the early-winter chill), following the recent announcement that struggling tuner "Lysistrata Jones" will close Sunday."Relatively Speaking" initially pulled in healthy sales for a play, which don't often log the razzle-dazzle numbers of crowdpleasing tuners. Show's debut week topped $700,000, and for the next several seshes weekly tallies hovered between $650,000 and $750,000 per frame.With a cast that includes Steve Guttenberg, Julie Kavner, Mark Linn-Baker and Marlo Thomas, the show had no single toplining star, but the writers were seemingly high-profile enough to serve as a draw. Since late November, however, box office has declined.Last week, during the high-traffic frame between Christmas and New Year's, the play pulled in about $450,000. So far the production has grossed $8.7 million since it began previews Sept. 20.Julian Schlossberg and Letty Aronson produce "Relatively Speaking" with co-producers Edward Walson, Leroy Schecter, Tom Sherak, Daveed D. Frazier and Roy Furman. Show shutters Jan. 29 at the Brooks Atkinson Theater. Contact Gordon Cox at gordon.cox@variety.com

ABC rules New Year's Eve rankings

Basic steps 'Dick Clarks New Years Rockin Eve With Ryan Seacrest' beat the combined shipping of NBC, CBS and Fox. 40 years on, Dick Clark and ABC continue to be packing in television audiences on New Year's Eve -- accumulating their third straight year of viewership gains. The Alphabet devoted all primetime to New Year's festivities, together with a two-hour clips show of past musical performances, which momentum only increased the net's rankings fortunes because the ball dropped in NY at night time. ABC beat the combined rankings shipping of their Large Four rivals around the evening. Based on preliminary Nielsen estimations, ABC's two-hour spec "New Year's Rockin' Eve: The 40th Anniversary Party" averaged a couple.4 rating/9 be part of grown ups 18-49 and 8.3 million audiences overall -- easily beating the combined output for repeat programming on ABC, CBS and NBC. Show constructed with each half-hour, peaking at 9:30 p.m. having a 3.3/12 within the demo and 10.5 million total audiences. And so the usual 10-11 p.m. part of ABC's 12 ,. 31 festivities, "Dick Clark's Primetime New Year's Rockin' Eve With Ryan Seacrest," averaged a large 4.1/15 in 18-49 and 12.9 million audiences overall -Up by 46% within the demo by 3.7 million total audiences versus. this past year for that special's greatest amounts because it opened in 2000. For the reason that 10 p.m. hour, ABC came a lot more than four occasions the rating for NBC's competing 10 p.m. program, "New Year's Eve With Carson Daly" (prelim .9/3 in 18-49, 3. million). Overall, ABC loved its greatest-ranked primetime Saturday in additional than 2 yrs -- since college football's Large 12 Championship game in December 2009. From 11:30 p.m. to at least one:15 a.m., "Dick Clark's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest" averaged an enormous 7.4 rating in grown ups 18-49 22.six million audiences -- ABC's top scores for just about any entertainment telecast because the Oscars last winter. Detailed info wasn't readily available for ABC's competition, but NBC's "New Year's Eve with Carson Daly" averaged a 4.3 household rating/10 be part of the metered-market overnights from 11:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m., and Fox's new entry, "American Country New Year's Eve," did a couple.Or4 from 11 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. -- both well behind ABC's special, which did a ten.7/26. Contact Ron Kissell at ron.kissell@variety.com