Gilmore Girls #1

[Emma]

And Then There Were Five The WB and UPN are dead. Long live The CW! But what does the new network mean for the TV industry--and you?; Kristen Baldwin; Henry Goldblatt Reporting by Jennifer Armstrong; Adam Howard; Jeff Jensen; Lynette Rice; Dan Snierson
Entertainment Weekly 02-03-2006
Byline: Kristen Baldwin; Henry Goldblatt Reporting by Jennifer Armstrong; Adam Howard; Jeff Jensen; Lynette Rice; Dan Snierson
Publication: Entertainment Weekly
Issue: February 3, 2006 No. 861
Publication Date: 02-03-2006
Page: 10
Section: News + Notes

Scientists have long known that it takes Jupiter about 11 years to circle the sun. Earlier this week, Hollywood made a scientific discovery of its own: That amount of time also happens to be the life span of an upstart TV network. On Jan. 24, 11 years to the month after the birth of The WB and UPN, executives shocked the television industry by announcing the networks' deaths. Come September 2006, they will disappear, to be replaced by a joint entity called The CW. It'll be run by CBS Corp. and Warner Bros. Entertainment (owned by EW parent Time Warner), and will be headed up by current UPN entertainment president Dawn Ostroff. (The WB's top execs, Garth Ancier and David Janollari, will not be part of the new venture.)
Relax, CW doesn't stand for "Country Western" (it's named for CBS and Warner Bros.). In fact, the new network will look remarkably like the two it's replacing. The CW will target the same young audience, and will cherry-pick the best WB and UPN programming for its fall 2006 schedule. So what does this mean for you, humble viewer? Let us help you through four of the five stages of grief.

1 What happens to your favorite shows?

For now, nothing. The networks will continue to air their current schedules and plan to launch their midseason programming (like Rebecca Romijn's WB dramedy Pepper Dennis) as scheduled. The fall slate is a different story. "We haven't made any decisions yet," says Ostroff, adding that she'll announce The CW's schedule in May. Things look good for Beauty and the Geek, Smallville, Gilmore Girls, Supernatural, Veronica Mars, and Everybody Hates Chris, which were all touted in The CW's official birth announcement. And Ostroff has already renewed America's Next Top Model for next season, so it looks like a keeper. Says CBS Corp. CEO Les Moonves: "The [WB's and UPN's] programming is very complementary. The idea of putting Gilmore Girls and Veronica Mars together is really exciting." (We think so too. See sidebar, below.)

2 Why is this happening now?

To be blunt: Nothing else was working. Since 1995, The WB and UPN have competed for the same audience and have little ratings traction to show for it. (This season, UPN is averaging 3.4 million viewers; The WB, 3.3 million--5 million fewer than the next closest network, Fox.) Plus, they both lose money. "Everybody felt that the two were doing well in different respects, but people realized that together, this could be a real powerhouse network for the 18-34 demographic," says Ostroff.

Interestingly, EW has learned the UPN/WB deal may not have been everybody's first choice. According to a source close to The WB, its executives had tried to shop the network to at least one Big Four broadcaster--when that didn't work, it was on to plan B.

3 How do The WB and UPN producers feel about this?

Since none of the talent connected to either network had any advance warning, you can go ahead and pick your adjective: Confused. Excited. Shell-shocked. Numb. "This is the first time in my career that I've had my network canceled," jokes Tom Fontana (Oz), executive producer of The WB's midseason drama The Bedford Diaries. Equally caught off guard was Everwood creator Greg Berlanti, who is now awaiting word on his show's fate. "We're fighting for our life," he says, adding, "I'd love to share a night with Veronica Mars." (Buck up, Greg: Everwood was featured in a clip reel shown to reporters at the press conference. That's gotta be a good sign, right?) Says another exec producer of a top-rated WB show, "Nobody from the network called us--but we sure have a lot of calls in to them.... I think the logo will have a big UPN rock squashing the WB frog." Speaking of big UPN rocks, Veronica Mars exec producer Rob Thomas is cautiously optimistic: "The buzz is that we are one they plan on keeping, so it'll be great to be on the air in 95 percent of the market rather than 75 percent, and great that people will be able to tune us in without a coat hanger attached to their TV for an antenna."

4 Are other networks shaking in their boots--or shaking with laughter?

To some, the Extreme Makeover: Network Edition is too little, too late. "It's not like you add The WB's and UPN's ratings and that's what this network is going to get," says a Fox source. "It doesn't work like that." Another rival exec is even more dismissive: "If they didn't get [The WB and UPN] going in the last 11 years, it's only going to get more difficult in the next 11."

EW Programs The CW

Hey, CW programming team: You're probably swamped with that creating-a-new-network thing, so let us help out by planning your fall '06 schedule. We had a few tough calls to make (sorry, One Tree Hill) and took the liberty of scheduling some shows already in development, like the Aquaman pilot from the Smallville guys and horror drama Cult from Farscape's creator. Of course, we picked up Arrested Development, too. Here's our masterpiece. You're welcome.

[Emma]

The WB: Over The Hill At 11?; Ronald Grover
Business Week 01-30-2006
The WB: Over The Hill At 11?
Byline: Ronald Grover
Section: News: Analysis & Commentary: RATINGS DRAMA
Volume: Issue: 3969


The network sparks solid DVD sales, but an aging audience is worrisome.

The WB television network's recipe for most of its hit shows was always pretty simple: Mix hunks with babes and add a liberal splash of sexual innuendo. And it worked. By the late '90s, the WB was Teen Girl Central. Not anymore. The Gen Yers advertisers covet are tuning out in droves, and speculation is rife that Time Warner Inc.'s 11- year-old network will go the way of its recently canceled show, 7th Heaven.

But the WB is not about to follow its sappy family drama into oblivion. Not yet anyway. And you can thank the zany economics of the TV business for that. Yes, ratings are down for 6 of the 10 shows that returned this season. And it's true that the WB has lost $80 million over the past two years. But Time Warner seems prepared to choke down the losses. That's because the Warner Bros. studio, producer of most of the network's programming, makes a mint selling DVDs and reruns of shows that attract even a modest following. It's a neat trick -- and one that is getting harder to pull off with ratings down 13% from last year. "All the ancillary revenue doesn't mean a thing," says Albie Hecht, a former president at Spike TV, "unless you have something someone wants to see."

The WB is unlike the other networks in one crucial respect. The likes of Fox and UPN can sop up red ink with profits from their TV stations, which make money selling local ads. Warner Bros. owns no stations. And that's where the DVDs and reruns brighten the picture. For example, the studio gets an estimated $850,000 an episode by selling reruns of its Superboy drama Smallville to cable. The WB also sells DVDs, along with Smallville Magazine subscriptions to teens for $37.75 a year. And it gets a cut from the soundtracks of such shows as Gilmore Girls and One Tree Hill.

AGING AUDIENCE
To generate those ancillary revenues, the WB needs big enough ratings to satisfy advertisers, though. They indirectly foot much of the bill for such shows as Supernatural, which costs an estimated $1 million an episode to make. Yet ratings this year fell by 43% for One Tree Hill, now in its third year, and 24% for four-year-old Everwood. Worse, as several shows have aged, so have the viewers. Since 2002, the WB's median age has risen by six years, to almost 37. "That could be deadly for a network that sells young demos," says Brad Adgate, research director of media buying agency Horizon Media Inc.
Advertisers aren't fleeing so far, but the WB isn't taking any chances. It laid off 45 people, about 15% of the staff, in December. Axing 7th Heaven was another cost-cutting move; the show lost the WB $16 million last year, due to highly compensated stars and falling ratings. And while Warner makes most of the 12 shows on the current schedule, the WB has to reach outside for ratings grabbers, such as Fox's Beauty and the Geek.

The WB doesn't have forever to right its ratings, what with corporate raider Carl C. Icahn at Time Warner's gate. A renegotiated deal with Tribune Co., which owns 22.5% of the WB and carries programming on its 19 affiliates, could help. That contract has been held up for months, giving rise to speculation that Tribune could refuse to pay for the WB shows it carries and cripple the network. Tribune also could stop Warner Bros. from distributing on the Web shows that would compete against its stations.

But the new deal, says WB Chairman Garth Ancier, will likely allow his company to sell shows via the iPod. That's another way for the ratings-challenged network to eke out revenues as it battles to reclaim its lost youth.


The WB's Lost Youth
__ MILLIONS OF VIEWERS AGE 12-34__ PERCENTAGE CHANGE*
ABC__ 2.63__ 0
Fox__ 2.53__ -5
CBS__ 2.21__ -4
NBC__ 1.96__ -21
UPN__ 1.54__ +9
WB__ 1.33__ -13

[Heather]

Thanks for the articles, Emma. :)

[Jon]

By DAVID BAUDER, AP Television Writer


BURBANK, Calif. - This season's "Gilmore Girls" story line where the normally tight mother-and-daughter team of Lorelai and Rory feuded and gave each other the silent treatment caused some sharp arguments among the show's rabid fans.

Turns out there were some divisions on the set, too.

"It wasn't my favorite," admitted Lauren Graham, who plays mom Lorelai.

Lorelai and Rory have since made up; tears flowed. Their rapid-fire repartee is back, although usually by phone. Rory is in Yale now, and, in one busy episode this month, became editor of her school paper and moved in with her boyfriend.

The show's creators are clearly trying to push things and avoid the fatigue that usually afflicts television shows in their sixth season.

Long the WB's most critically acclaimed series, "Gilmore Girls" has quietly grown to become its second most popular after "7th Heaven." The show averages just under 5 million viewers a week, up from 4.1 million two seasons ago, according to Nielsen Media Research.

Last month's announcement that the WB and UPN will shut down to form a new network in the fall has left all of their programs in flux. But "Gilmore Girls" would seem to have earned the right to determine its own destiny and make the move to the new CW network.

The growth has come despite the widely objected-to story line.

Part of Graham's problems with the feud were personal; she missed working with co-star Alexis Bledel every day. Primarily she believed it didn't ring true to her character.

"I struggled with the idea that this character, being the parent, would go so far as to stop speaking to her daughter and not make more of an effort," said Graham, taking a break in her trailer on the Warner Bros. lot during a slow day of filming. "We had it in bits and pieces, but it was hard for me to justify — that I wouldn't try harder, that I wouldn't reach out more, that I could stand to be away from her for that long."

She questioned co-creators Amy Sherman-Palladino and Dan Palladino more this year than ever, "and I'm sure they enjoyed it not at all," Graham said.

Some critics took her side. Ted Cox of the Chicago Daily Herald said "it seemed suddenly as if the characters were being manipulated to create drama, rather than allowing the drama to flow naturally out of the characters."

The Palladinos concede that it's tough to come up with new stories for a long-running show without them seeming contrived. But in this case, they said it was important to do something that shakes Rory to her foundation — a typical rite of passage for budding adults, who learn about themselves by how they respond.

"To really rock Rory's world, we had to go to what the core of the show was and to really have them have a rift and explore what the show would be," Sherman-Palladino said. "I know there are two camps. Personally, for me, I've loved the psychological implications of this year more than any other year because we've really gotten to do some real mother-daughter stories."

Think deeply about the characters, and the silence rings true, she said. Lorelai has spent her life trying to do everything differently from her own mother. And if it was Lorelai taking time off from Yale, her mother would have personally dragged her back to school.

While things are better now between Lorelai and Rory, it's not so for Lorelai and Luke, her diner-owner beau.

They're engaged after an agonizingly long courtship. But the sudden emergence of Luke's daughter from a previous relationship has thrown their marriage plans in doubt.

It's never simple, is it? Driving wedges between seemingly well-suited characters is another risk to an audience's patience. The Palladinos like the idea of exploring the difficulties in bringing together two strong personalities very set in their ways.

"It's very different if you get married at 29, than at 38," Sherman-Palladino said. "It's a very different world, and that's what we're trying to tap into."

The future of "Gilmore Girls" is a convoluted plot itself. The Palladinos say they're genuinely undecided about whether they will continue with the series after this season — alarming news for fans of a series that, more than most, reflects the strong sensibilities of their creators.

One factor that may have driven them away — a pilot for a new series, a romantic comedy, that would have been filmed in New York — is no longer in the picture. It was scrapped with the WB's dissolution.

The Palladinos are making plans for a cliffhanger ending to this season (wedding? no wedding?) and for the show to run without them in the fall, just in case.

Graham said the signs point to one more season after this one; the production company is making sure to add another year for people who had six-year contracts. Graham said that's when she'd like to move on, citing the show's workload.

"Getting the language perfect requires a number of takes that you might not have on another show," she explained. "It's just a lot of work — 13, 14 hours door to door. I've missed weddings, I've missed babies being born. I'm not complaining, because of what it has brought me, but I would be ready for a different balance."

She has a hard time imagining the Palladinos not involved, particularly if the series is coming to an end.

Television economics may also play a part in the decision. The WB is canceling "7th Heaven" because, after a decade on the air, the network's most popular show was losing money because it was so expensive to make.

"They've come to us before and asked point-blank how long we think the show can go," Sherman-Palladino said, "and we say it's a family show, it can go on forever. If `7th Heaven' could have gone on for 10 years, why couldn't this show go for 10 years? There's no reason. They're going to be hard-pressed to assemble a cast this good on television again."

[XCannCX]

if you guys wanna watch some great interviews.. go to...

cosmic-dance-of-shiva.net

they have a lot on Lauren Graham. and Alexis Bledel! and some on Scott Patterson, Kelly Bishop, Melissa McCarthy, Yanic Trusdale, Liza Wiel, Keiko Angena, EVERYONE!!

[Emma]

New networks drive shakeups at local TV affiliates

By Richard Slawsky
Business First of Louisville
Updated: 7:00 p.m. ET March 12, 2006
The merger of two television networks and the formation of another could mean your favorite shows might no longer be where they used to be.

WBKI-TV signed an affiliation agreement last week with The CW, a new network that was created from the merger of the WB network and UPN. The agreement was the first of several deals The CW plans to sign with independent television stations in the next several weeks.

WBKI, a WB affiliate that broadcasts locally on UHF Channel 34 and on Insight Communications Channel 7, is owned by Louisville-based Cascade Broadcasting Group LLC. The company also owns WB affiliate KWBA-TV in Tucson, Ariz.

"The fact we won this in a competitive landscape speaks well for the regard the two networks have for WBKI," said Cascade CEO Carol LaFever. "By combining the best of the programming, increasing the ratings and having the kind of support those two networks are able to give their stations, it is a huge win for us."

LaFever declined to disclose terms of the affiliate agreement.

The plans for the new network were announced in January. The CW network is a 50-50 joint venture between Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc., which owns the WB Network, and CBS Corp., which owns UPN.

The CW will draw programming from the current WB and UPN lineups. The network derives the C in its name from CBS and the W from Warner.

Both the WB network and UPN will cease independent operations when The CW debuts in September.

WFTE to carry My Network TV
Because Louisville, like most markets, has both WB and UPN affiliates, the merger and subsequent deal with WBKI left the local UPN affiliate, WFTE-TV facing a loss of programming.

WFTE, which is owned by Toledo, Ohio-based Block Communications Inc., signed an affiliation agreement last week with Fox Entertainment Group to carry programming from Fox's newly formed My Network TV when UPN ceases to exist. That network also is scheduled to debut in September.

WFTE can be seen locally on UHF Channel 58 and Insight Communications Channel 10.

Block Communications also owns Fox Entertainment Group affiliate WDRB-TV. According to Bill Lamb, general manager of both WFTE and WDRB, the station made a pitch for The CW although it never considered itself a serious contender.

The terms The CW was seeking wouldn't have made the deal worthwhile for WFTE, and WFTE's counteroffer was declined, he said.

Merger meant to foster profitability
Both the WB and UPN networks have struggled since they were launched in 1995. Network officials hope that combining the strengths of both networks will enable The CW to compete as a fifth major network alongside ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox.

The programming for the new network will include several current WB and UPN shows, as well as some newly launched programs.

Some shows that are expected to be broadcast on the new network include The WB's "Gilmore Girls," "Smallville," "Supernatural" and "Reba," as well as UPN's "Everybody Hates Chris," "America's Next Top Model," "Veronica Mars" and WWE wrestling.

The CW network signed 10-year affiliation agreements in January with 16 major-market stations owned by the Chicago-based Tribune Co. and 12 stations owned by CBS Corp. The outlets include Tribune-owned stations in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Dallas, Miami and Boston and CBS stations in Atlanta, Philadelphia and Seattle.

The deal with WBKI was part of the first set of affiliation agreements The CW signed with independent television stations. The announcement also included agreements with stations in Cleveland; Orlando, Fla.; Charlotte, N.C.; and South Bend, Ind.

Officials from The CW expect to sign additional affiliate agreements in the upcoming months. When the network makes its debut, it is expected to be carried in about 95 percent of the country.

Fox fires back
Fox Entertainment Group, a division of New York-based News Corp., announced the formation of My Network TV in February. Fox stations in cities such as New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas and Washington, D.C., will serve as anchor affiliates for the new network, the company announced.

The network will carry 12 hours of original content each week, including two hourlong series in a "telenovella" format. The dramas "Desire" and "Secrets" will consist of 65 episodes aired over 13 weeks.

Other planned shows include a Fox News investigative series "On Scene" and the reality show "Celebrity Love Island," which is modeled after a British series in which six single celebrities and six fans are placed together in a fantasy island setting.

Once The CW made the announcement that WBKI had signed the affiliate agreement with The CW, Lamb began discussions with My Network TV. An agreement was signed March 6, he said.

"It's fortunate for WBKI that they got The CW, but we're going to be fine," Lamb said. "I'm happy for them, I'm happy for The CW, and I'm very happy for us because I think this is going to be more profitable."

Source: MSNBC

[Emma]

No luv lost:
ABC's 'Sons & Daughters'

New sitcom tumbles 40 percent from premiere

By Diego Vasquez
Mar 15, 2006


ABC has had a lot of success with its new dramas and reality shows over the past year and a half, but it has struggled to introduce a successful comedy. Now it looks like it has another stinker, albeit a well-reviewed one.

The network’s new comedy “Sons & Daughters” averaged a 1.9 overnight rating among viewers 18-49 during the 9 p.m. hour last night, down 41 percent from its 3.2 average in the same hour last week during its premiere.

Of course, some of that has to do with Fox’s “American Idol,” which averaged a 14.7 rating among 18-49s and an astonishing 34.8 million total viewers in the 9 p.m. slot last night. “Idol” aired at 8 p.m. only last week.

But another new show proved it’s not impossible to perform well against “Idol,” indicating that “Sons’” ratings may reflect viewers’ disinterest in the show as well as their interest in “Idol.”

CBS’s new drama “The Unit” averaged a 4.9 rating among 18-49s last night during that same 9 p.m. hour, only a 4 percent dropoff versus the 5.1 its premiere earned last week. “Unit” averaged 17.8 million total viewers last night, just a 2 percent slip from 18.2 million last week.

“Sons & Daughters,” meanwhile, averaged 5.4 million total viewers last night, down 32 percent from 7.9 million last week. ABC finished fifth in the timeslot last night among 18-49s, behind Fox, CBS, NBC and Univision.

So far this season, new ABC sitcoms “Hot Properties” and “Crumbs” have been yanked from the schedule, and buyers consider “Freddie” doubtful to return next season.

On the strength of “Idol,” Fox easily took the night among 18-49s with a 13.5 average rating and a 35 share. CBS was second at 4.4/11, NBC third at 2.8/7, ABC fourth at 2.3/6, Univision fifth at 1.8/4, UPN sixth at 0.9/2 and WB seventh at 0.8/2.

At 8 p.m. Fox led easily with a 12.4 for the first hour of “Idol,” the first night of the finals. CBS was second that hour with a 4.4 for “NCIS,” ABC third with a 2.0 for an hour of “According to Jim” and Univision fourth with a 1.9 for “Contra Viento y Marea.” NBC finished fifth at 8 p.m. with a 1.8 for an “Outrageous TV Moments” repeat, WB sixth with a 1.0 for a repeat of “Gilmore Girls” and UPN seventh with a 0.7 for a repeat of “America’s Next Top Model.”

Fox led again at 9 p.m. as “Idol” increased to a 14.7 among 18-49s. CBS was second with its 4.9 for “Unit,” NBC third with a 2.7 for an hour of “Scrubs” and Univision fourth with a 2.0 for “Alborada.” ABC was fifth with its 1.9 for “Sons & Daughters,” UPN sixth with a 1.1 for another hour of “Top Model” and WB seventh with a 0.6 for a repeat of “Supernatural.”

At 10 p.m., NBC took the lead with a 4.1 for a repeat “Law & Order: SVU.” CBS was second with a 4.0 for “The Amazing Race,” ABC third with a 3.0 for “Boston Legal” and Univision fourth with a 1.4 for “Ver para Creer.”

Among households, Fox led the night with an 18.4 average rating and a 27 share. CBS was second at 9.4/14, NBC third at 5.0/8, ABC fourth at 4.8/7, Univision fifth at 2.1/3, UPN sixth at 1.5/2 and WB seventh at 1.4/2.

[Emma]

The New -- and Old -- Kids on the Block

Suits from the new CW broadcast network, which will rise from the ashes of the WB and UPN this fall, have unveiled development for their first season.

First, what you want to know: No official pickups of UPN or WB series were announced.

But the "Prime Development '06-'07" packet handed out during the presentation to advertisers in Burbank this week included pages on the WB's "Everwood," "Gilmore Girls," "One Tree Hill," "Supernatural," "Smallville," "Reba" and "Beauty & the Geek."

It also included pages on UPN's "America's Next Top Model," "Everybody Hates Chris," "All of Us," "Girlfriends," "Veronica Mars" and World Wrestling Entertainment's "Smackdown!"

And, although the WB announced in January it was cutting bait on "7th Heaven" because the long-running drama series will lose about $16 million this season, it might come back after all because, besides being costly, it's still the most watched series on either UPN or the WB, averaging about 5.3 million viewers this season. Which is not a bad thing to have around when you're trying to launch a network.

The second most watched series between the two soon-to-be-has-been nets is "America's Next Top Model," which averaged about 5 million viewers in the fall, followed by "Smallville" and "Gilmore Girls," with an average audience of 4.8 million.

Some projects in development were officially unveiled during the CW presentation. They include "Aquaman," which was first announced by the WB months ago, based on the DC Comics superhero.

It will have nothing to do with that episode of "Smallville" that featured Aquaman, though the new series is from some of the people behind "Smallville." It also will have nothing to do with the flick called "Aquaman" that was part of the storyline on HBO's "Entourage," though HBO and the WB are both Time Warner properties.

Kevin Williamson ("Dawson's Creek") has in development for the CW a drama called "Palm Springs," about a 15-year-old whose dad committed suicide and who now finds himself living with his mom and her new husband in this town where -- I know you smell this coming -- "secrets . . . lie just beneath the surface."

Then there's "Runaways," from Darren Star ("Sex and the City," "Melrose Place," "Beverly Hills, 90210"), about an Iowa family on the lam because Pop has been unjustly convicted of a terrible crime.

And "Split Decision," from Aaron Spelling, about a 15-year-old girl whose life somehow splits in two and she spends half her time as a "sensitive misfit who hangs out with a small group of outsiders" -- aka "brunette" -- and the other half as a "popular cheerleader whose friends rule the school" -- aka "blonde."

Which brings us around nicely to the CW's comedy development. It includes "The Game," which sounds suspiciously like BBC's "Footballers' Wives," only the American show is about wives of football players, while "Footballers' Wives" is about the wives of soccer players. Still with me?

Then there's "She Said/He Said," and because you are clearly a serious student of television or you wouldn't be reading a TV column, we won't insult you by explaining this one to you, because it's sooooo obvious.

Here's some sad news: The suits behind the new network are not reconsidering the name CW because they did a poll and 48 percent of people sampled between the ages of 18 and 34 already were aware of the CW network and the "likability factor of the CW is high, as well," CBS CEO Leslie Moonves said, according to a report in trade paper Variety. CBS owns UPN and will be a partner in the CW with Time Warner's Warner Bros.

They are, however, going to dump the bland, boxy, one-color, conservative, devoid-of-imagination, dashed-off logo that your typical 10-year-old could have done in Adobe Photoshop in under 15 minutes, and that's including mini-breaks while said 10-year-old text-messaged six friends about "Gilmore Girls."

Source: The Washington Post

[Emma]

Milo Ventimiglia Fans, Rejoice!

The new and controversial The Bedford Diaries. A Gilmore Girls return. A possible gig as a superhero. Rocky Balboa's son. And he even gets slain in a new slasher film. If you're a Milo Ventimiglia fan, this is your time to bask in his... Ventimiglianess. On the occasion of The Bedford Diaries' debut (tonight at 9 pm/ET on WB), TVGuide.com spoke with the popular actor about his very busy schedule.

TVGuide.com: Dude, have you ever had so much to talk about? I don't know where to start.
Milo Ventimiglia: Dude, start somewhere, dive in. Whatever you want to start with.

TVGuide.com: In Bedford Diaries, you're playing a bit of a snake in grass.
Ventimiglia: Yes. Yes, I am, yet again. Richard Thorne III, kid who comes from money, formerly of a drinking and drug problem... has since cleaned up and now nobody likes him.

TVGuide.com: And he has some sort of a past with one of the lead girls?
Ventimiglia: His past is with Corri English's character, Natalie, a girl who tried to kill herself. We don't really know the reason she tried to kill herself, but it had something to do with whatever was going on in her relationship with Richard.

TVGuide.com: Based on the pilot, this show seems to want to push the envelope a bit, doesn't it? The language is a little salty.
Ventimiglia: It does want to push the envelope, and it's kind of come under criticism for it. [Last week, WB decided to air a sanitized, more FCC-friendly version of the pilot.] Like at the TCA press tour for Bedford, we had a bunch of people grilling [executive producers] Tom Fontana and Julie Martin....

TVGuide.com: About what? Like, the [oral sex] reference?
Ventimiglia: Stuff like that, for the WB, is so racy. Finally, a couple of us piped in to say, "Look, we're not showing rape, we're not showing murder, we're not showing homicide or any form of killing like you see on CSI or any of those shows. What we're talking about is the reason why every single person in this room is alive — through sex."

TVGuide.com: Intentionally or not.
Ventimiglia: Exactly, man, intentionally or not.

TVGuide.com: I dunno, this may be the show that shuts down WB once and for all.
Ventimiglia: [Laughs] It's going to be a nice closing bell.

TVGuide.com: You're also attached to the fall NBC pilot Heroes, which sounds fun and interesting.
Ventimiglia: That's a second position. I got attracted to that by David Semel, who was an executive producer on American Dreams. They were having a hard time casting this role of Ethan....

TVGuide.com: Is he the junkie-superhero whose ability is to paint images from the future?
Ventimiglia: No, that's Isaac. Ethan's the guy who thinks that he can fly but he actually has a bit of clairvoyance and can tell other people what their powers are, while it seems like he has none of his own.

TVGuide.com: He thinks he can fly and has clairvoyance — so, he can foresee himself crashing into buildings.
Ventimiglia: [Laughs] There you go.

TVGuide.com: Explain to people the "second position" thing.
Ventimiglia: If Bedford Diaries gets picked up, I go back to New York and back to Bedford, and someone else plays Ethan.

TVGuide.com: We get Scott Baio or something.
Ventimiglia: Exactly. Or, if Bedford doesn't go any further and Heroes gets picked up, then I jump on Heroes.

TVGuide.com: And Milo keeps up with his mortgage payments. Now somewhere in here you found time to do the new Rocky Balboa film.
Ventimiglia: Yeah, I finished that [in early February], when everybody was on hiatus.

TVGuide.com: You're playing Rocky Jr. Is he a lover or a fighter?
Ventimiglia: Neither, man. He's a Philadelphia corporate businessman in really dumpy suits that have pleated pants.

TVGuide.com: That's what he's become? In Rocky V he was this punk with a bad earring.
Ventimiglia: Yeah, the earring that hung down to, like, his shoulder. No, now he's trying to find his way in corporate America and not wanting anything to do with the world he grew up in. Then his dad starts talking about wanting to fight again.

TVGuide.com: Is Rocky Sr. going to die in this one?
Ventimiglia: Uh... I don't know.

TVGuide.com: You're also in Stay Alive [which hit theaters March 24]. I assume it's not based on the board game with the marbles?
Ventimiglia: It is not, no. I think they are releasing a video game with it, though.

TVGuide.com: The cast looks like the fourth- and fifth-network all-star team.Ventimiglia: Let's see, we have two reps of Fox with Frankie Muniz (Malcolm in the Middle) and Samaire Armstrong (The O.C.), you've got myself and Sophia Bush (One Tree Hill) from the WB.... I get killed, though. But it's a pretty good death.

TVGuide.com: Lastly, you squeezed in a Gilmore Girls return, airing April 11. What compelled you to do that?
Ventimiglia: It fit with my schedule. They asked if I wanted to come back, and I said sure. It's always fun to go back and see the crowd.

TVGuide.com: What plot point is Jess serving?
Ventimiglia: Does Jess ever really serve plot points? [Chuckles] I think he did a little the last time, in getting Rory thinking about her ex-boyfriend. [This time] I pop in, I have a nice scene with Scott Patterson, and I have a good scene with Rory, Alexis Bledel.

TVGuide.com: Does it go without saying that your dance card is too full to ever go back to Gilmore full-time?
Ventimiglia: I wouldn't do it. It's not that bad to go back and forth once or twice a year, but I couldn't go back to regular.

[B]TVGuide.com: So leave us with this: Who is the better match for Rory, Logan or Jess?
Ventimiglia: I really used to like Logan, but he's been kind of an a--hole. [Snickers] I think it has to be Jess or somebody else.




Source: http://www.tvguide.com/News/Insider/?cmsGuid=%7B1B35DF2C-1A3F-4E34-97B9-879A78516EF6%7D

[Emma]

Ventimiglia Grows Up for 'Bedford Diaries,' 'Rocky'

At the ripe old age of 28, Milo Ventimiglia -- who first came to prominence playing a teen on The WB Network's "Gilmore Girls" -- is happy to have graduated to playing a college student in the new WB drama "The Bedford Diaries," premiering Wednesday, March 29.

"Thank God," he says, over a pasta lunch (he's a lifelong vegetarian) in a Santa Monica, Calif., restaurant. "In 'Rocky,' I'm playing 28, so that's unbelievable."

In "Bedford Diaries," created by Tom Fontana ("Oz," "Homicide: Life on the Street"), Ventimiglia plays Richard Thorne III, a former bad boy who edits his New York college newspaper and attends a human behavior and sexuality seminar taught by professor Jake Macklin (Matthew Modine). Playing his classmates are Tiffany Dupont, Penn Badgely, Corri English, Ernest Waddell and Victoria Cartagena.

In the 2007 feature film "Rocky Balboa," the sixth "Rocky" movie, again written and directed by its star, Sylvester Stallone, Ventimiglia plays Rocky Balboa Jr., son of the legendary Philadelphia boxer.

Ventimiglia has also signed on for an NBC pilot called "Heroes," about people who discover they have superpowers.

It may seem odd to do a pilot when one already has a series, except that The WB recently announced it was merging with UPN this fall to create a new network called (for the moment) The CW.

"I called Tom," Ventimiglia says, "and I'm like, 'So?' He's like, 'I've never been on a network that's been canceled.' We started laughing about it. Who knows? I mean, it could work out. Ten years into the business for me, I'm like, 'Cool,' if it doesn't, what are you going to do about it?"

Although Ventimiglia and Badgley play classmates in "Bedford," there's about a decade's difference in their ages, which worked out to the relief of Fontana.

"I was very concerned about Penn," Fontana said in a January interview. "If I was 18, if I had money from a TV show and looked like Penn Badgley, and I was in New York, I would go wild. I got very parental, which is not very much like me.

"But it was Milo who took him under his wing. ... Milo was like the great older brother."

"Penn's a bright guy," Ventimiglia says. "He didn't need me or anybody. There is that concern because he's 18 going on 19, but if you know Penn, he's not capable of putting himself in a position where he's going to get hurt, arrested or in trouble.

"The reason that Penn and I even discussed living together was saving money. When Tom got wind of it, he was like, 'Thank you so much for doing this.' The funny thing was, Tom was like, 'Julie [Martin, an executive producer] was so worried.' I'm like, 'Julie wasn't worried. You were worried.' He really deeply cares about everybody and the process."

Ventimiglia is equally impressed with Stallone after shooting "Rocky Balboa" with him in Los Angeles and Philadelphia.

"The first time I met him," he recalls, "he had a big smile on his face. He's physically twice me, just big. His hands are huge, and he's got that deep, booming voice that just engulfs you. It's very intimidating. But he's also just quiet at times and soft, just a normal guy.

"Of course, I respect the guy because he's done a lot of work; he's a talented writer."

The two even share a crooked lower lip, in both cases the result of nerve damage at birth.

"[During the first meeting] I started laughing," Ventimiglia recalls, "and he looks at me, then he leans over to the casting director and says, 'His lip even hooks down like mine does.' I'm like, 'That's way too close!'"

Everyone knows the iconic visual image of Rocky dancing on the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and that can overshadow the fact that Stallone wrote not only the "Rocky" movies, but several of his other films, and directed four of the "Rocky" movies.

"He's my director, and he's playing my father," Ventimiglia says. "There are so many odd lines of approaching the work. In that sense, Rocky's a little slow, and my character's a pretty bright kid, so he talks to him like an 8-year-old.

"When I saw him turn Rocky on ... Sylvester talks, very animated, really bright. Then when he gets into the character of Rocky, he goes" -- Ventimiglia lets his expression go slack -- "and then he starts looking around. He has this simple smile on his face, and he gets very slow. He does this before every take."

And it's not just Stallone's acting that impressed his young co-star. "When I read the script, I was impressed by it. I said, 'This is a really good story, even if it wasn't a 'Rocky' film. It's written well; it's funny; it's heartfelt.

"Then being on set with him, seeing how hard he works to get the shots cinematically. It's a beautiful, beautiful film. He did such a good job with it."

Ventimiglia also has ambitions behind the camera with his own production company. "We're going out with three TV projects this year," he says. "It's so much work. We just got this option on a book. It's one of those things where my partner and I were like, 'If we don't get it, don't have to work so hard.' Now we're like, 'Great.' Oh, my God, I'm going to go gray and bald in the next year, just working on this story as well as three other films and three other TV shows we have."

While Ventimiglia might appear in some of these projects, don't expect to see his girlfriend, "Gilmore" star Alexis Bledel.

"Separate church and state," Ventimiglia says. "It's just best to keep all that separate."

-----------------
Source: http://www.zap2it.com/tv/news/zap-ventimiglia,0,5267005.story?coll=zap-tv-headlines

[Emma]

'Gilmore Girls' spins success for Rory's guys

Her past love interests get new lives on other shows

W hat a talented web young Rory weaves on the girl-powered WB show "Gilmore Girls."

Glance at a TV Guide or imdb.com and notice that many of the actors who have played Rory's beaus over the years have gone on to realize moderate television success on the same network -- Jared Padalecki ("Supernatural") and Milo Ventimiglia ("Bedford Diaries") among them.

Some guys simply befriended Rory (Alexis Bledel). Adam Brody can now be seen on Fox's "The O.C.," and then there's Chad Michael Murray of "One Tree Hill" fame.

A thousand TV clicks ago, a cute little vampire slayer named Buffy played a similar role, launching heartthrobs' careers. Recall a young David Boreanaz, who realized a mildly successful spinoff "Angel" on The WB and is now starring in the Fox show "Bones." And don't forget Jason Behr, who went on to star in The WB's now defunct "Roswell."

"These kinds of shows are good vehicles for future leading men and women," says Robert Thompson, a pop culture and television professor at Syracuse University.

Ratings and time will tell if Gilmore's young bucks actually realize bigger and better things than lovelorn Rory and The WB. When the network becomes a part of the CW in the fall, some, if not most, of these dudes could vanish from the TV landscape -- at least as far as starring roles go.

No matter their fates and future successes, they will always be Gilmore guys for the 5 million faithful women -- and men secure in their masculinity -- who have watched every week for six years.

Jared Padalecki, 23

Gilmore character: Dean, Rory's first boyfriend.

What now: He co-stars on The WB's ethereally spooky "Supernatural" as a guy named Sam with an older brother named Dean.

What's next: Perhaps a horror flick or two are in his future. Padalecki starred in "Cry Wolf" and "House of Wax," both in 2005.

Milo Ventimiglia , 28

Gilmore character: Jess, Rory's second boyfriend and the reason she dumped Dean.

What now: Ventimiglia stars in The WB show "The Bedford Diaries," a risque drama about sexual maturation in college that may or may not return in the fall. Earlier this week, he made an appearance on "GG" and can be seen dying violently in the scary flick "Stay Alive," now in theaters.

What's next: He'll play Sylvester Stallone's son in "Rocky VI," aka "Rocky Balboa," and he shot an NBC pilot called "Heroes." On the latter, he plays a clairvoyant who can't fly like the other superheroes.

Adam Brody , 26

Gilmore character: Dave Rygalski, Lane's first boyfriend. Lane is Rory's best friend.

What now: He plays Seth on "The O.C.," and he had a bit part in "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" last year.

What's next: Look for Brody later this year in the romantic comedy "In the Land of Women."

Chad Michael Murray , 24

Gilmore character: Tristan, Rory's high-school-nemesis-turned-admirer.

What now: Murray is Lucas on "One Tree Hill." He gained media attention when he married and later divorced his co-star Sophia Bush, who plays Brooke. Now he's engaged to a new beauty, an 18-year-old (Kenzie Dalton) who had a small part on the show.

What's next: He's filming "Home of the Brave," an action flick also starring Samuel L. Jackson and 50 Cent. It hits theaters in 2007.

Matt Czuchry , 28

Gilmore character: Logan, Rory's blond college beau at Yale University. At least for now, he's her man.

What now: He's Rory's snobby and accident-prone love interest. He was the voice of Brainiac 5 in an episode of Cartoon Network's "Justice League Unlimited."

What's next: He has the lead in a comedy short called "Hooked," which has a limited run in Los Angeles.


Source: http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060415/ENT02/604150323/1032/ENT

[YouRockMySocks]

According to the Ausiello report on TV Guide, Amy and Dan will not be back next season. I just thought that this is a really big event for Gilmore Girls, and wanted to make a thead so people can share their opinions. Some people are happy, some are sad, some don't know what to think. Any thoughts?

[im BOSSY]

whos amy and dan

[Kirsten]

whos amy and dan
Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino, the creators of Gilmore Girls. You see AS-P's name at the end of the episode when the screen fades to black.

[Fraz]

The CW Partners with American Eagle for Tuesday Night Promotion

The CW announced today a major promotional partnership with American Eagle Outfitters to promote The CW Tuesday Nights this fall. In addition to the national broadcast elements, 818 American Eagle stores across the country will feature in-store signage and exclusive footage from GILMORE GIRLS and VERONICA MARS on their video screens, shopping bag stuffers and email blasts to their customer base.

This is a tremendous opportunity to lazer target our demo with a promotional message. American Eagle is one of the leading retailers in this demo and climbing fast so we are especially pleased to partner with them in support of our shows.

Please join us in our excitement about this announcement.

[Zevushlvr]

thanks for the news fraz!
and what does it mean by 818 american eagle stores around the country?
cause thats my area code, but yeah...

[Fraz]

thanks for the news fraz!
and what does it mean by 818 american eagle stores around the country?
cause thats my area code, but yeah...

There are Eight Hundred and Eighteen American Eagles stores nation wide in the United States.




AMERICAN EAGLE OUTFITTERS AND THE CW TELEVISION NETWORK ANNOUNCE GROUNDBREAKING PARTNERSHIP FOR TUESDAY NIGHTS
“aerie Tuesdays on The CW” to Feature Real-life aerie Customers in Unscripted Chat Sessions Appearing During Gilmore Girls and Veronica Mars

NEW YORK – September 14, 2006 – American Eagle Outfitters (NASDAQ: AEOS) and The CW Television Network today announced that aerie by American Eagle will break into Tuesday night primetime on The CW during Gilmore Girls and Veronica Mars. aerie by American Eagle is a new line of intimates and dormwear designed for girls 15 to 25 years of age.

In the first partnership of its kind, American Eagle Outfitters will produce a series of 30-second interstitial episodes in which six real-life aerie customers take inspiration from the shows’ themes, and discuss how they relate to and impact their own lives. Additionally, the segments will chronicle the actual experiences, dreams and emotions of these six girls throughout the season. The aerie girls will also discuss Veronica Mars and Gilmore Girls plot lines and character development each week. Customers will be able to visit www.aerie.com for “aerie Tuesdays on The CW” exclusive content and activities, including weekly trivia contests in which winners receive AE shopping sprees, or even the chance to make a cameo appearance on one of the shows.

“American Eagle selected Gilmore Girls and Veronica Mars because we believe they are among the most intriguing, well-written shows on television, as well as being provocative and inspirational for aerie girls everywhere,” said Kathy Savitt, chief marketing officer of American Eagle Outfitters. “We’re delighted to partner with The CW to develop this fresh and innovative way to introduce the aerie brand to Veronica Mars and Gilmore Girls fans.”

“aerie Tuesdays on The CW” will air between 8 and 10 p.m. beginning on Tuesday October 3rd and continuing through Tuesday December 5th. Concurrently, Gilmore Girls and Veronica Mars will be promoted in American Eagles 818 stores across the country with in-store signage and exclusive footage from the two shows appearing on in-store video screens. Cast members of Veronica Mars and Gilmore Girls will make surprise visits to AE stores to conduct impromptu autograph signing sessions. The shows will also be featured in AE and aerie shopping bag stuffers and customer e-mail campaigns.

"aerie Tuesdays on The CW is a TV first," said Rick Haskins, executive vice president, marketing and brand strategy, The CW. "This landmark partnership will introduce the CW’s new Tuesday-night line-up to millions of new viewers, as well as strengthen the connection with existing viewers in a highly targeted way.”

[chexmix]

I think this writer hit the spot with this article. With the merger of the WB and UPN into The CW, Gilmore Girls and Veronica Mars have been scheduled back to back, forming a veritable powerhouse of a Tuesday night for the new network. This is going to make the ratings for that night bump to the top.

read more at:
http://www.buddytv.com/articles/gilmore_girls/gilmore_girls_veronica_mars_di_1.aspx

[Kenora H. Saul]

i love gg, never been a fan of vm, but who knows, may change.

[*Lauren*]

gg is awesome adn same with vm. Girl Power!

[luckiness03]

Is there any way at all to know in advance when the autograph signings will happen?

[Kenora H. Saul]

no, but maybe if you go to a major gg fansite, it would tell you.