Archive for the ‘TV’ Category

CBS announced today the 11 new teams competing in the next installment of THE AMAZING RACE, which premieres with a special 90-minute debut on Sunday, Sept. 26 (8:30-10:00 PM, ET/PT).  Phil Keoghan is the host.

This season’s cast of Racers will travel over 32,000 miles, covering four continents and 30 cities, with first-time visits to Bangladesh, Ghana and the Arctic Circle.  Additionally, for the first time in the history of the Race, the Team to finish in first place during the premiere episode will be awarded a surprise, game-changing advantage.

The new season features Racers from all walks of life, including a Team of Home Shopping hosts, newly dating couples, an Internet entertainer, Ivy League a cappella singers and a birth mother/daughter Team who were recently reunited after the mother gave her newborn daughter up for adoption over 20 years ago.

Following are the 11 teams, listed in no particular order:

Brook Roberts

Age: 27

Hometown: San Diego, Calif.

Occupation: Home Shopping Host

Claire Champlin

Age: 30

Hometown: Reno, Nev.

Occupation: Home Shopping Host

Relationship: Home Shopping Hosts

Nick DeCarlo

Age: 26

Hometown: Henderson, Nev.

Occupation: Bartender

Vicki Casciola

Age: 26

Hometown: Henderson, Nev.

Occupation: Hair Stylist

Relationship: Dating

Ron Kellum

Age: 45

Hometown: Los Angeles, Calif.

Occupation: Director/Choreographer

Tony Stovall

Age: 42

Hometown: Tucson, Ariz.

Occupation: Doctoral Student (University of

Arizona)

Relationship: Best Friends

Michael Wu

Age:  58

Hometown: Sugar Land, Texas

Occupation: Software Consultant and Content Creator

Kevin Wu

Age: 20

Hometown: Sugar Land, Texas

Occupation: Student/Internet Entertainer

Relationship: Father/Son

Chad Waltrip

Age: 26

Hometown: Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.

Occupation: Operations Manager

Stephanie Smith

Age: 23

Hometown: Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.

Occupation: Hair Stylist

Relationship: Newly Dating

Nat Strand

Age: 31

Hometown: Scottsdale, Ariz.

Occupation: Doctor

Kat Chang

Age: 35

Hometown: Santa Monica, Calif.

Occupation: Doctor

Relationship: Doctors/Friends

Gary Ervin

Age: 53

Hometown: Morganfield, Ky.

Occupation: Entrepreneur

Mallory Ervin

Age: 24

Hometown: Lexington, Ky.

Occupation: Miss Kentucky 2009

Relationship: Father/Daughter

Connor Diemand-Yauman

Age:  22

Hometown: Chesterland, Ohio

Occupation: Student (Princeton)

Jonathan Schwartz

Age: 22

Hometown: Cranford, N.J.

Occupation: Student (Princeton)

Relationship: Ivy League A Cappella Singers

Jill Haney

Age: 27

Hometown: Marina Del Ray, Calif.

Occupation: Hair Stylist

Thomas Wolfard

Age: 30

Hometown: Marina Del Ray, Calif.

Occupation: Ad Sales Director

Relationship: Dating

Andie DeKroon

Age:  43

Hometown: Atlanta, Ga.

Occupation: Stay-at-Home Mom

Jenna Sykes

Age: 21

Hometown: Athens, Ga.

Occupation: Student (University of Georgia)

Relationship: Birth Mother/Daughter

Katie Seamon

Age: 23

Hometown: Rahway, N.J.

Occupation: Beach Volleyball Player

Rachel Johnston

Age: 24

Hometown: Moorestown, N.J

Occupation: Beach Volleyball Player

Relationship: Beach Volleyball Partners

THE AMAZING RACE sends 11 teams on a trek around the world.  Each Team is comprised of two people who have a pre-existing relationship with one another.  At every destination, each Team competes in a series of challenges — some mental and some physical — and when the tasks have been completed, they learn their next destination.  Teams who are farthest behind will gradually be eliminated as the contest progresses, with the first team to arrive at the final destination winning $1 million.

Jerry Bruckheimer, Bertram van Munster, Jonathan Littman and Elise Doganieri are the executive producers for Jerry Bruckheimer Television and Earthview Inc. in association with ABC Studios and Amazing Race Productions.  THE AMAZING RACE was created by Bertram van Munster and Elise Doganieri.

For more information on THE AMAZING RACE and the 11 new Teams, log on to www.cbs.com.

About a week after FANTASIA’S August 9th hospitalization following her suicide attempt, she was back onstage, and looking and sounding pretty good.

–She performed at a birthday party for TYRUS THOMAS, of the NBA’s Charlotte Bobcats.

–VH1 had cameras there, to capture the moment for either tonight’s “Behind the Music” special or Fantasia’s reality show, “Fantasia For Real”. (–Or both.)

Call me a Hater, but I’m so over this broad already.

“True Blood” stars ANNA PAQUIN and STEPHEN MOYER made The Big Mistake Saturday night, in a sunset ceremony at a beachside villa in Malibu.

–Celebrity guests included “True Blood” creator Alan Ball and co-stars Ryan Kwanten, Sam Trammell, Rutina Wesley and Carrie Preston . . . plus Carrie’s husband Michael Emerson . . . who played Ben on “Lost”.

–”Lord of the Rings” star ELIJAH WOOD was there, too.

–Anna and Stephen met on the set of “True Blood”, and got engaged last August. He’s 40 and one of the LUCKIEST MEN ALIVE . . . because she’s 28 and DELICIOUSLY BISEXUAL.

A new ADA isn’t the only casting shakeup for ‘Law & Order: SVU’ this season. Get ready to say goodbye to a very familiar character … the squad room.

Yep, according to TV Guide at the end of the fourth episode, which also sees the return of Gloria Reuben as U.S. Attorney Christine Danielson, the squad room will be no more. The reason? Well, according to the report, “all hell breaks loose.”

Last season on ‘SVU,’ Benson and Stabler investigated cases involving “anchor babies,” a pedophilia organization, social networking, casual encounters and illegal adoption. Benson herself was even investigated for ties to a murder in Central Park. And they had to contend with fiery ADA Jo Marlowe (Sharon Stone).

In season 12, the ‘SVU’ detectives welcome a new ADA, played by Paula Patton, in the fifth episode, plus break in the new squad room. New sets had to be built after the series moved production from New Jersey to New York City due to losing tax breaks. The season kicks off with a special two-hour premiere “that will take Benson and Stabler through the twists and turns everyone loves,” said executive producer Neil Baer in an official release.

So, what causes Reuben’s character to return? Child slavery. “We’re bringing back characters we love this season,” ‘SVU’ executive producer Neal Baer told TV Guide. The character deputizes Benson and Stabler as marshals so they can leave Manhattan.

Among other familiar faces returning to ‘SVU’ is Marcia Gay Harden. The Oscar winner is reprising her role as Dana Lewis in the eighth episode of this season. Other guest stars early this season include ‘Lost’ star Henry Ian Cusick, Joan Cusack and Maria Bello.

Jennifer Love Hewitt will appear in episode 2 as a multiple-rape victim afraid to leave her home. “One of the reasons we wanted to do this episode is because it addresses Mariska Hargitay’s passion for rape kits, which can help gather evidence to convict the rapists,” Baer told TV Guide Magazine. “But for some reason these kits have been sitting around unopened in cities all over the country.”

In addition to the guest stars, Hargitay herself will make an appearance on the newest ‘L&O’ franchise, ‘Law & Order: Los Angeles.’ According to Fancast, an episode early this season will see Benson travel to Los Angeles for a case. There she’ll meet Detective Rex Winters (Skeet Ulrich).

‘SVU’ premieres Sept. 22 at 9PM ET.