Adam Lambert, Dead Man’s Party and Mariachi Sol de Mexico de Jose Hernandez have been added to the lineup of performers set to entertain at this year’s Orange County Fair. The OC Fair takes place July 13-August 12, 2012 in in Costa Mesa, CA with concerts held in The Hangar and at the Pacific Amphitheatre.
Lambert will take the stage at the Pacific Amphitheatre on July 19th as part of the Toyota Summer Concert Series. Tickets go on sale May 19th at 10 a.m. (ticketmaster.com) starting at $29.50.
The Oingo Boingo Tribute – Dead Man’s Party – is set to perform in The Hangar on August 11th, with Mariachi Sol de Mexico de Jose Hernandez following on August 12th. Tickets for both shows go on sale May 19th.
Forbes Celebrity 100 Issue - 2012 Forbes has just released their annual list of the 100 most influential people in entertainment, and American Idol judge Jennifer Lopez has been named the “World’s Most Powerful Celebrity.” The 2012 list is based on “earnings, press coverage and Internet impact,” with Lopez toppling 2011’s most powerful celebrity, Lady Gaga, from the #1 spot. Lopez moved from #50 last year to #1, achieving her first #1 finish on Forbes’ list.
Among the newbies on this year’s list are Rihanna (No. 4), Adele (No. 24), Dwayne Johnson (No. 70), Sofia Vergara (No. 76), Zooey Deschanel (No. 96), and Melissa McCarthy (No. 99).
Forbes’ Top 10 Most Powerful Celebrities:
NAME – 2012 Rank – 2012 Earnings – 2011 Rank – 2011 Earnings
Jennifer Lopez #1 $52 million #50 $25 million
Oprah Winfrey #2 $165 million #2 $290 million
Justin Bieber #3 $55 million #3 $53 million
Rihanna #4 $53 million New N/A
Lady Gaga #5 $52 million #1 $90 million
Britney Spears #6 $58 million Returnee N/A
Kim Kardashian #7 $18 million New N/A
Katy Perry #8 $45 million #12 $44 million
Tom Cruise #9 $75 million Returnee N/A
Steven Spielberg #10 $ 130 million #22 $107 million
CBS Films has picked up the US distribution rights to Ends of the Earth, an action thriller starring a cast of newcomers. Co-writer/co-directors Derek Lee and Clif Prowse will be making their feature film debuts with the project; Chris Ferguson and Zach Lipovsky are producing.
The Plot:
Ends of the Earth follows two best friends on a whirlwind trip around the world. Things take a turn for the surreal when they encounter an impossible phenomenon that will change one of them forever.
Nina Tassler, President, CBS Entertainment commented on the new shows joining the network’s schedule: “From a new take on Sherlock Holmes to an epic battle for control of 1960s Las Vegas to a working-class point of view in a prestigious law firm, the dramas each have a unique style and sensibility. And, our new comedy Partners fits perfectly with the CBS Monday night tradition of relationship comedies with a lot of heart and humor.”
CBS’ 2012-2013 Primetime Lineup:
(N=New, NT=New Time, all times ET/PT)
MONDAY
8:00-8:30 PM HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER
8:30-9:00 PM PARTNERS (N)
9:00-9:30 PM 2 BROKE GIRLS (NT)
9:30-10:00 PM MIKE & MOLLY
10:00-11:00 PM HAWAII FIVE-0
TUESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM NCIS
9:00-10:00 PM NCIS: LOS ANGELES
10:00-11:00 PM VEGAS (N)
WEDNESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM SURVIVOR
9:00-10:00 PM CRIMINAL MINDS
10:00-11:00 PM CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION
THURSDAY
8:00-8:30 PM THE BIG BANG THEORY
8:30-9:00 PM TWO AND A HALF MEN (NT)
9:00-10:00 PM PERSON OF INTEREST
10:00-11:00 PM ELEMENTARY (N)
FRIDAY
8:00-9:00 PM CSI: NY (NT)
9:00-10:00 PM MADE IN JERSEY (N)
10:00-11:00 PM BLUE BLOODS
SATURDAY
8:00-9:00 PM CRIMETIME SATURDAY
9:00-10:00 PM CRIMETIME SATURDAY
10:00-11:00 PM 48 HOURS MYSTERY
SUNDAY
7:00-8:00 PM 60 MINUTES
8:00-9:00 PM THE AMAZING RACE
9:00-10:00 PM THE GOOD WIFE
10:00-11:00 PM THE MENTALIST (NT)
The New Dramas:
ELEMENTARY
ELEMENTARY stars Jonny Lee Miller as detective Sherlock Holmes and Lucy Liu as Dr. Joan Watson in a modern-day drama about a crime-solving duo that cracks the NYPD’s most impossible cases. Following his fall from grace in London and a stint in rehab, eccentric Sherlock escapes to Manhattan where his wealthy father forces him to live with his worst nightmare – a sober companion, Dr. Watson. A successful surgeon until she lost a patient and her license three years ago, Watson views her current job as another opportunity to help people, as well as paying a penance. However, the restless Sherlock is nothing like her previous clients. He informs her that none of her expertise as an addiction specialist applies to him and he’s devised his own post-rehab regimen – resuming his work as a police consultant in New York City. Watson has no choice but to accompany her irascible new charge on his jobs. But Sherlock finds her medical background helpful, and Watson realizes she has a knack for playing investigator. Sherlock’s police contact, Capt. Tobias “Toby” Gregson (Aidan Quinn), knows from previous experience working with Scotland Yard that Sherlock is brilliant at closing cases, and welcomes him as part of the team. With the mischievous Sherlock Holmes now running free in New York solving crimes, it’s simple deduction that he’s going to need someone to keep him grounded, and it’s elementary that it’s a job for Watson. Rob Doherty, Sarah Timberman, Carl Beverly and Michael Cuesta, who directed the pilot, are executive producers for CBS Television Studios.
VEGAS
Dennis Quaid and Michael Chiklis star in VEGAS, a drama inspired by the true story of former Las Vegas Sheriff Ralph Lamb, a fourth-generation rancher tasked with bringing order to Las Vegas in the 1960s, a gambling and entertainment mecca emerging from the tumbleweeds. Ralph Lamb (Quaid) wants to be left in peace to run his ranch, but Las Vegas is now swelling with outsiders and corruption which are intruding on his simple life. Recalling Lamb’s command as a military police officer during World War II, the Mayor appeals to his sense of duty to look into a murder of a casino worker – and so begins Lamb’s clash with Vincent Savino (Chiklis), a ruthless Chicago gangster who plans to make Vegas his own. Assisting Lamb in keeping law and order are his two deputies: his diplomatic, even-keeled brother Jack (Jason O’Mara) and his charming but impulsive son, Dixon (Taylor Handley). Ambitious Assistant District Attorney Katherine O’Connell (Carrie-Anne Moss), who grew up on the ranch next to the Lambs, also lends a hand in preserving justice. In Vegas, two powerful men – Lamb and Savino – are engaged in a fierce battle for control of the budding oasis, and for both of them, folding is not an option. Nicholas Pileggi, Greg Walker, Cathy Konrad, Arthur Sarkissian and James Mangold, who also directed the pilot, are the executive producers for CBS Television Studios.
MADE IN JERSEY
MADE IN JERSEY is a drama about a young working-class woman who uses her street smarts to compete among her pedigreed Manhattan colleagues at a prestigious New York law firm. Martina Garretti (Janet Montgomery) finds her firm’s cutthroat landscape challenging, but what she lacks in an Ivy League education she more than makes up for with tenacity and blue-collar insight. After just a few weeks, firm founder Donovan Stark (Kyle MacLachlan), takes note of Martina’s ingenuity and resourcefulness, as does her sassy secretary Cyndi Vega (Toni Trucks). With the support of her big Italian family, including her sexy older sister Bonnie (Erin Cummings), Martina is able to stay true to her roots as a bold, passionate lawyer on the rise in a new intimidating environment. Jamie Tarses, Kevin Falls, Julia Franz and Mark Waters, who also directed the pilot, are the executive producers for Sony Pictures Television in association with CBS Television Studios. Pilot was written by creator and co-executive producer Dana Calvo.
The New Comedy:
PARTNERS
PARTNERS is a comedy based on the lives of creators David Kohan and Max Mutchnick, about two life-long best friends and business partners whose “bromance” is tested when one of them is engaged to be married. Joe (David Krumholtz) is an accomplished architect who leads with his head and not his heart, especially in his love life. That’s in stark contrast to his gay co-worker, Louis (Michael Urie), who is spontaneous, emotional and prone to exaggeration. Both have found joy in their love lives: Joe is newly engaged to Ali (Sophia Bush), a beautiful and sophisticated jewelry designer, while Louis is dating Wyatt (Brandon Routh), a vegan nurse who Louis insists is just a promotion away from becoming a doctor. As news of Joe’s engagement settles, time will tell if their business and personal bond can adapt to the addition of two other important relationships. Emmy Award winners David Kohan and Max Mutchnick are executive producers for Warner Bros. Television. Emmy Award winner James Burrows directed the pilot.
The New Midseason Series:
GOLDEN BOY
GOLDEN BOY is a drama about the meteoric rise of an ambitious cop who becomes the youngest police commissioner in the history of New York City, and the high personal and professional cost he pays to achieve it. As he’s interviewed for a story about his career, Walter William Clark, Jr. (Theo James) flashes back on his hard-fought journey from street kid to the most powerful man in law enforcement. After only three years as a beat cop, Clark’s heroics on the job make him bold enough to ask for and receive the unheard – of promotion to Homicide Detective, angering the members of his new department who are eager to see him fail. Clark’s disappointed to be partnered with veteran Detective Don Owen (Chi McBride), a gruff lifer just two years shy of retirement. He would rather team with First Grade Detective Christian Arroyo (Kevin Alejandro), the alpha dog in the squad who’s just as ambitious as Clark, but without a moral center. Arroyo’s partner is Detective Deborah McKenzie (Bonnie Somerville), a tough third-generation cop and the only female detective in the unit. Also on the team is Detective Joe Diaco (Holt McCallany), well-connected with tremendous resources which Clark might find useful. Though laser-focused on moving up the ladder, Clark’s soft spot is serving as the sole caregiver and supporter of his sister, Agnes (Stella Maeve), a teenager demonstrating increasingly dangerous behavior. Keenly observant and politically savvy, the Golden Boy bases his career decisions solely on his need to succeed as quickly as possible, and he’ll find that his epic journey will be filled with consequences. Greg Berlanti, Emmy Award winner Nicholas Wootton and Richard Shepard, who directed the pilot, are executive producers for Warner Bros. Television.
FRIEND ME
FRIEND ME is a comedy about two 20-something best friends who just moved from Indiana to Los Angeles to start cool new jobs, but can’t agree on how to socially engage in their new city. Rob (Nicholas Braun) is eager to embrace the L.A. scene and meet new people who aren’t looking down at their smart phones or laptops. Evan (Christopher Mintz-Plasse), however, prefers to socialize online at home in his underwear, web-chatting and playing poker with his Hoosier buddies Mike (Parveesh Cheena), Sully (Tim Robinson) and Farhad (Dan Ahdoot) just a keystroke away. Meanwhile, Rob’s had enough of iChatting, and naively posts a flyer seeking new friends on the coffee house bulletin board, despite Evan’s warning that no good can come from meeting strangers in person. Soon the calls start rolling in, some with potential, some just disturbing, and Rob and a reluctant Evan embark on what will be a series of the most epic adventures – and disasters – of their lives. Alan Kirschenbaum and Ajay Sahgal, Eric and Kim Tannenbaum, are executive producers for CBS Television Studios, in association with The Tannenbaum Company. The pilot was directed by Pamela Fryman.
THE JOB
From reality show masters Michael Davies (“Who Wants To Be A Millionaire,” “Watch What Happens Live”) and Mark Burnett (“Survivor,” “The Voice”) comes a new reality series, THE JOB, where every week talented candidates are chosen from across the country for a chance to win their dream job at one of America’s most prestigious companies. Host Lisa Ling guides participants through several rounds of the most intense interviews of their lives, including challenges ranging from an on-the-spot quiz to assess their knowledge of the company to deadline-driven tasks while spending a day on the job. But the candidates aren’t the only ones in the hot seat. Adding to the pressure, a rival company is also present and waiting for an opportunity to swoop in and steal any of the contenders by making a competing offer. The participant must then decide immediately whether they will take the rival’s offer or stay in the competition in the hope that they are the last one standing for this once-in-a-lifetime job opportunity. Produced by Sony Pictures Television and Embassy Row.
Counting Crows recently wrapped up a sold-out tour in support of their latest album, Underwater Sunshine (Or What We Did On Our Summer Vacation), and now they’re preparing to hit the road again for a summer tour kicking off in Asbury Park, New Jersey.
Counting Crows ‘The Outlaw Roadshow’ Tour Dates:
Leg #1 also features: Good Old War, Foreign Fields, and Filligar
June 9 Asbury Park, NJ – Stone Pony Summerstage
June 12 Danbury, CT – Ives Concert Park
June 13 Utica, NY – Saranac Brewery
June 15 Toronto, ON – Echo Beach
June 16 Sylvania (Toledo) OH – Centennial Terrace
June 18 Cleveland, OH – Cain Park
June 20 Vienna, VA – The Filene Center at Wolftrap
June 22 Rochester Hills, MI – Meadow Brook
June 23 Columbus, OH – LC Pavilion
June 25 Louisville, KY – Iroquois Amphitheater
June 26 Simpsonville, SC – Charter Amphitheater
June 28 Tuscaloosa, AL – Tuscaloosa Amphitheater
June 29 Snowden Grove, MS – Snowden Grove Amphitheater
July 1 Indianapolis, IN – The Lawn at White River State Park
Leg #2 also features: We Are Augustines, Kasey Anderson and The Honkies, and Field Report
July 17 Brooklyn, NY – Williamsburg Waterfront Park
July 19 Hyannis, MA – Cape Cod Melody Tent
July 20 Cohasset, MA – South Shore Music Circus
July 22 Camden, NJ – WXPN Fest at the Susquehanna Bank Center
July 23 Pittsburgh, PA – Stage AE
July 26 Cedar Rapids, IA – Ragbrai 40th Anniversary
Guillermo del Toro and David Eick are working with Marvel and ABC on developing The Hulk series, and Lee expressed hope that it could fit into the 2013-2014 lineup.
“Hulk is in development. It wasn’t going to be ready this season but we hope it’s going to be ready for next season,” stated Lee during the conference call as reported by flickeringmyth.com. “We’re immensely proud to be a company with The Avengers. We’re going to continue to develop aggressively. We’re very happy to make shows not just for our own network but for other networks too. Where the shows are more appropriate to our brand, they’ll go with us. Where they’re more appropriate to brands like Fox or NBC, CBS, happy to do that too.”
Billboard announced singer Whitney Houston will be honored posthumously at the 2012 Billboard Music Awards taking place on May 20th in Las Vegas. Houston will be awarded the Billboard Millennium Award (an award won by Beyonce in 2011) during a tribute in which her Sparkle co-star Jordin Sparks joins with John Legend to celebrate her legacy.
According to Billboard, Whitney’s posthumous award will be accepted by her daughter, Bobbi Kristina, and her sister-in-law, Pat Houston.
Houston collected 16 Billboard Music Awards over the years, and Billboard says she’s the “first artist ever to have seven consecutive No. 1s on the Billboard Hot 100.”
This year’s awards show will be hosted by Julie Bowen and Ty Burrell from Modern Family. The 2012 Billboard Music Awards air at 8pm on May 20th on ABC.
The second season of HBO’s Game of Thrones has lived up to expectations, delivering thrills and chills while somehow managing to spend quality time with each of the intriguing main characters. Some we hate, some we love, and, yes, some we really want to spend more time focusing on, but writers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss have, overall, done an excellent job (better than could have been expected) of squeezing in each of the central characters’ journeys. Now, with season two winding down to a close, HBO’s supplied the basic storyline for this season’s finale. And while it is very, very basic, if you want to remain completely in the dark about what to expect, do not read any further.
Game of Thrones – June 2012 Episode:
Episode #20: “Valar Morghulis” (season finale)
Debut: SUNDAY, JUNE 3 (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET/PT)
Other HBO playdates: June 3 (11:10 p.m.), 5 (11:00 p.m.), 6 (10:00 p.m.) and 9 (10:45 p.m.)
HBO2 playdates: June 4 (9:00 p.m.), 7 (8:00 p.m.), 8 (11:00 p.m.) and 10 (4:20 p.m.)
As Theon (Alfie Allen) stirs his men to action, Luwin (Donald Sumpter) offers some final advice. Brienne (Gwendolyn Christie) silences Jaime; Arya (Maisie Williams) receives a gift from Jaqen (Tom Wlaschiha); Dany (Emilia Clarke) goes to a strange place; and Jon (Kit Harington) proves himself to Qhorin (Simon Armstrong).
Written by David Benioff & D.B. Weiss; directed by Alan Taylor.
The executive producers of GAME OF THRONES are David Benioff, D.B. Weiss, Carolyn Strauss, Frank Doelger; co-executive producers, George R.R. Martin, VanessaTaylor, Alan Taylor, Guymon Casady, Vince Gerardis; produced by Bernadette Caulfield.
Jenny Lee, CALL THE MIDWIFE. Credit: Laurence Cendrowicz/(C) Neal Street Productions 2011
PBS announced they’ll be kicking off the 2012 fall season with Call the Midwife, the British dramatic series set in the 1950s. The fall schedule also includes the second season of Upstairs Downstairs, Frontline’s The Choice, and Antiques Roadshow, as well as extensive election coverage.
“PBS’ fall schedule, one of our strongest in years, builds on the knowledge that our programming approach is working, bringing in new viewers throughout the week,” stated Paula Kerger, PBS president and CEO. “Our incredible Sunday night schedule sets the stage for enhanced weeknight viewing, too. Mondays are poised to bring in a diversity of new voices and perspectives with independent films; popular Wednesday nature and science programs will continue to build with a revamped NOVA scienceNOW; and our nightly politics and election coverage will grow as we move toward Election Day and give viewers new perspectives on the issues they care about.”
PBS’ Fall 2012 Highlights:
BROADWAY OR BUST
Sundays, September 9-23, 2012, 8:00-9:00 p.m. ET
PBS is bound for Broadway with a new three-part documentary series that tracks the real-life stories of America’s top high school musical performers, vying in the ultimate competition to find the nation’s best young theater stars. Part competition, part performance and part non-fiction drama, the series starts in regional theatrical programs, then moves to New York City, where the “best of the best” compete in the National High School Musical Theatre Awards (a.k.a. The Jimmy Awards).
CALL THE MIDWIFE
Sundays, September 30 to November 4, 2012, 8:00-9:00 p.m. ET
Based on a best-selling trilogy by the late Jennifer Worth, CALL THE MIDWIFE is a fascinating portrayal of birth, life and death in a world drastically different from ours. This six-part series offers an unconventional twist to Sunday-night British dramas and brings mid-20th-century London to life, focusing on the joys and hardships of a group of midwives working in London’s East End.
MASTERPIECE CLASSIC “Upstairs Downstairs,” Season 2
Sundays, October 7 to November 11, 2012, 9:00-10:00 p.m. ET
The saga continues at 165 Eaton Place, with new characters upstairs and down, in a six-part sequel to the much-loved MASTERPIECE series from the 1970s. Set in 1936, the lives of masters and servants have never been so captivating, as two new arrivals make their mark and Lady Agnes reveals a dark secret. Alex Kingston (“ER,” “Doctor Who”) joins the cast. The six-part series follows MIDWIFE, starting October 7. Viewers can catch up on the first season with a three-hour marathon September 30.
FRONTLINE “The Choice”
Tuesday, October 9, 2012, 9:00-11:00 p.m. ET
The quadrennial election special maintains its reputation for clear, unbiased reporting as it covers the 2012 presidential candidates. “The Choice” provides viewers an in-depth look at President Barack Obama and challenger Mitt Romney, exploring the forces behind their campaigns, voter views on the issues and the projected changes the eventual winner will bring to the White House.
THE DUST BOWL
Sunday, November 18 and Monday, November 19, 2012, 8:00-10:00 p.m. ET
Ken Burns’s new two-part, four-hour documentary THE DUST BOWL chronicles the environmental catastrophe that destroyed the farmlands of the Great Plains, turned prairies into deserts and unleashed a pattern of massive, deadly dust storms in 1930s America. Personal survival stories and rare archival footage tell the story of the country’s worst manmade ecological disaster. In conjunction with the broadcast, PBS celebrates the centennial of Woody Guthrie’s birth with a repeat of his acclaimed AMERICAN MASTERS profile on Friday, November 16, 2012 at 9:00 p.m. ET.
Dax Shepard wrote, co-directed and stars in the action comedy Hit and Run coming to theaters this August. And with the film just a couple of months from opening, Open Road has just debuted the first trailer for the comedy which also features Kristen Bell, Bradley Cooper, Tom Arnold, Kristin Chenoweth, David Koechner, Michael Rosenbaum, and Beau Bridges.
The Plot:
From the producer of Wedding Crashers – written and directed by and starring comic talent Dax Shepard, Hit and Run is the story of Charlie Bronson (Shepard), a nice guy with a questionable past who risks everything when he busts out of the witness protection program to deliver his fiancé (Kristen Bell) to Los Angeles to seize a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Their road trip grows awkwardly complicated, when they are chased by the feds (led by Tom Arnold) … and increasingly dangerous, when Charlie’s former pals, a band of gangsters (led by Bradley Cooper), enter the fray.
CBS Films has picked up the US distribution rights to Ends of the Earth, an action thriller starring a cast of newcomers. Co-writer/co-directors Derek Lee and Clif Prowse will be making their feature film debuts with the project; Chris Ferguson and Zach Lipovsky are producing.
Counting Crows recently wrapped up a sold-out tour in support of their latest album, Underwater Sunshine (Or What We Did On Our Summer Vacation), and now they’re preparing to hit the road again for a summer tour kicking off in Asbury Park, New Jersey.
Billboard announced singer Whitney Houston will be honored posthumously at the 2012 Billboard Music Awards taking place on May 20th in Las Vegas. Houston will be awarded the Billboard Millennium Award (an award won by Beyonce in 2011) during a tribute in which her Sparkle co-star Jordin Sparks joins with John Legend to celebrate her legacy.
