PTC Attacks "Good Christian Bitches"

As part of their ongoing fund-raising efforts, the Parents Television Council has moved on from MTV's "Skins" to a fresh target and this time around it's an ABC pilot which hasn't even been filmed let alone picked up to series or scheduled to air.

The pilot, which the Disney-owned ABC TV network may pick up to series later this spring, is based upon a deliciously campy novel by author and Dallas native Kim Gatlin about a gang of evil backstabbing self-righteous socialite women.

The show is described as a nightime soap dramedy - the genre ABC has had great success with in recent years - and comes from the "Melrose Place" and "Sex and the City" creator and producer Darren Star.




The project landed at ABC after a bidding war and the pilot script was written by Robert Harling whose previous credits include "Steel Magnolias" and "First Wives Club."

Star's last cooperation with ABC, the Lucy Liu fronted dramedy "Cashmere Mafia" failed to gain a significant following in the winter of 2008 (during the writer's strike) and was canceled after only 7 episodes.

Leslie Bibb (pictured at the top of the post), Annie Potts, Jennifer Aspen and Miriam Shor have so far been cast in the pilot.

Whether or not the pilot makes it to series and gets an airdate on ABC next TV season, the PTC has certainly helped raise the awareness of the project in a see of pilots being developed this spring by the five free-to-air broadcast networks in the US.

PTC Shocked by "90210" Oral Sex on the CW

Uh-oh. There they go again. Foaming at their mouth. Calling for advertisers' boycott. Trying to find their remote controls which went missing back in the 70s. The Parents Television Council are disgusted by a 10-second alleged fellatio scene in the new "90210" spin-off.

Several minutes into the broadcast of last week's pilot, the boy played by Dustin Milligan appeared to be enjoying a morning session of oral sex with a girlfriend in his truck on the parking lot of West Beverly High before the classes began.

PTV statement reads: "They shocked viewers during the family hour by depicting high school children engaged in oral sex in their car. It's such a sucker punch to viewers and a lot of families. No one tuned in to 90210 thinking, 'Hey, maybe I will get to see (oral sex).'"

PTC are of course still upset that The CW showed them the middle finger earlier this summer when they used their critique of "Gossip Girl" which called the series "mind-blowingly inappropriate" to actually promote the show as part of a brilliant marketing campaign.

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Miley Cyrus Vanity Fair Pictures Scandal

How utterly absurd are conservatives in America? Faux News' top clown Bill O'Reilly, who called Vanity Fair readers a bunch of old liberals, said on his ludicrous talker last night the entire Cyrus family should go on Oprah and apologize for Hanna Montana star's Vanity Fair photoshoot that sent his fellow wingnuts into frenzy.

Obviously I understand why a desperate Disney ordered Miley Cyrus to issue her lame public apology, given the fact that their billion dollar Hannah Montana brand caters to a very conservative market.

I also understand why Disney made their ridiculous statement that "a situation was created to deliberately manipulate a 15-year-old in order to sell magazines" given the fact that Miley's parents were present on the set, saw the digitally generated images on computer screens and agreed they were very natural and beautiful pictures of Miley.

I will however never understand how such artistically crafted images of a beautiful 15-year old from the renowned celebrity photographer Annie Leibowitz may be deemed inappropriate. This meaningless scandal merits sheer ridicule.

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Parents Television Council Wants CBS to Kill "Dexter"

Parents Television Council, the conservative organization that deems ABC's "Ugly Betty" inappropriate for minors thus giving the award-winning comedy "red light," while encouraging family audiences to watch mind-numbing fare like "Deal Or No Deal," now wants the CBS network to ditch plans to air the butchered version of "Dexter," a drama about a serial killer that airs on its cable sibling Showtime.

Although the critically-acclaimed series would end up being heavily edited in order to conform to stricter standards of free-to-air broadcast networks, the PTC believes "the biggest problem with the series is something that no amount of editing can get around: the series compels viewers to empathize with a serial killer, to root for him to prevail, to hope he doesn’t get discovered."

I find the greatest disgrace in all of this putting this daring show on air in the edited form (reportedly mainly in the language department, although some gruesome scenes will also end up on the cutting room floor), not exposing it to broader audiences. Should the network go along with the request (I seriously doubt that), PTC might actually be doing "Dexter" a favor. How deliciously ironic.

"Dexter" is scheduled to premiere on CBS on Sunday, February 17.

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"Swingtown" Creator's New Bisexual Drama

"Swingtown" creator Mike Kelley has just signed a new deal with CBS/Paramount to develop a new one-hour drama for Showtime titled "BiCoastal," about a man who lives with a wife and children in L.A. and falls in love with a man in New York. What will happen to "Swingtown," though?


CBS' adult drama which got off to a great start on Thursday nights in June, but ended up losing quite a bit of ratings muscle the following month, is about to end its 13-episode run tomorrow night.



CBS has yet to make a decision whether they will renew the series for a second season (it could again air in the summer when ratings expectations are more modest) or switch to sister network Showtime, known for its daring programming, which many thought would have been a more appropriate home for "Swingtown" in the first place.



The light erotic drama about 1970s partner-swapping couples in suburban Chicago caused outrage among conservative watchdogs, who demanded that CBS take the series off air and then salivated with glee over its dwindling ratings.

The CBS management is however said to really like and support the drama, and should a decision be made that it ends its run on CBS, a deal may be worked out to take the series to a cable network.



As for "BiCoastal," Kelley promised to give the series a "harder edge" and a "heightened sense of drama," or in other words - the producers will not be required to conform to uptight broadcast network standards, as they have on "Swingtown."

Should "Swingtown" migrate to Showtime, it will be great to finally see the full potential of the series as it continues to explore sexuality of its characters, cable TV style.

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Isaiah Washington Calls Katherine Heigl Emmy Controversy "Unfortunate"

What does he want now? Former (or should I say shamed?) "Grey's Anatomy" star Isaiah Washington did exactly what Katherine Heigl said he shouldn't be allowed to do - speak in public. The "Bionic Woman" actor responded to a question concerning former cast member's Emmy controversy and said it was 'unfortunate'.

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Washington, who was fired for repeatedly spewing homophobic profanities, also presented himself as class act explaining to Entertainment Tonight he immediately called his friend, "Grey's Anatomy" creator and head writer Shonda Rhimes, to offer his support.

Heigl announced last week that she was withdrawing her name from Emmy contention because she felt the material written for her character was not strong enough to warrant a nomination, causing her critics to immediately accuse her of slapping "Grey's" writers in the face.

Heigl who simply voiced the opinion of many people who agreed her storylines went downhill this year, was immediately branded ungrateful and egocentric by certain members of the viewing public as well as shocked set insiders.

Some however found a lot of humor in the situation. Late night comedian Jay Leno joked on his show last week the writers are now going to kill Heigl's character off.

The medical drama goes back into production on Wednesday, June 25. Season 5 will premiere in late September.

Has Controversy Hurt "Swingtown" Ratings?

The image above shows just how far the orgies go on CBS' light adult drama "Swingtown." That didn't prevent those losers from the PTC (who still don't understand how to use their clickers) from playing the parent card again and start more brouhaha against the show. But has their noise actually hurt the ratings?

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"Swingtown" did lose some groove shedding over one million pairs of eyeballs in its second outing last Thursday (7.25 million). But so far it's hard to say whether the PTC campaign has had any impact since most new dramas drop in week #2. So far, the show is doing as well as any new summer show airing at 10pm would be doing.

Will the show fade away as "Cane" did last fall or will it level off with NBA finals out of the way? I'll certainly be keeping my fingers crossed for the latter, as the period drama's fashion, music and vintage product placement (not to mention the wicked cast including a shirtless Grant Show) has kept me hooked.

VIDEO: Bill O'Reilly Flips Out - Dance Remix (!)

Oh, dear. I'm actually going to do this. Soil my lovely blog with that butt-ugly face. But, this is even funnier that the original. I swear to Sarah Jessica Parker, that Faux News clown could have a hit in the charts with this one. Play us out, Billo!

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VIDEO: New CBS' "Swingtown" Trailer

A review in today's New York Post calls CBS' 1970s-based drama "Swingtown" about wife-swapping couples living in the suburbs of Chicago possibly "the sleaziest hour of television ever produced." Coming from such a hideous publication, I'd find that comment a compliment.

Although I would feel much more comfortable if this highly entertaining series was airing on ABC or NBC, I still hope CBS will give "Swingtown" the necessary marketing support and help it build its audience despite all protest that I'm sure will follow once conservative watchdogs take a look at the pilot.




But since CBS is essentially a network that doesn't really know how to cater to younger audiences (look at the embarrassingly long time they're taking to renew "How I Met Your Mother"), I wouldn't hold my breath.

I will however enjoy "Swingtown" while it lasts. With a new season of FOX's "So You Think You Can Dance" and the return of AMC's award-winning "Mad Men," this may be a fun hot TV summer after all.

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AFA Loonies Attack Nuke, Procter & Gamble

I was wondering when those despicable homophobes from the American Family Association would attack CBS Daytime, the producers of "As the World Turns" and the show's sponsor Procter & Gamble over their portrayal of the love story between two gay teens. Sure enough, the moment Luke and Noah locked lips on April 23, the abominable hatemongers, who make a living out of sticking their noses into other people's business, reared their bigot heads again.


This time, the wingnuts are asking their supporters to contact P&G and ask that the loving couple be removed from the show entirely.

As always, instead of simply adhering to the doctrines of their faith in their own lives, these organized bigots feel the need to make choices for other people.



AFA have a history of organizing product boycotts to pressure companies to pull their advertising money out of shows that "promote the homosexual agenda."

Last year, the bigots targeted Ford for giving their gay employees domestic partnership benefits asking their followers to stop buying Ford cars and then kept salivating over every piece of news about Ford's financial setbacks.

Unfortunately for AFA, Ford's troubles were tied to overall problems in the US economy, not the ridiculous campaign. Furthermore, in early 2008 Ford finally made profit due to strong international sales.



Now for those Luke and Noah fans who wish to express their support for the storyline they may do so by calling the P&G hotline at 1-800-331-3774.

Press 2 to get to the As the World Turns survey. Then press 1 to ask P&G to continue the Luke and Noah storyline.

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Parents Television Council Attacks "Gossip Girl" OMFG Campaign

Those pathetic losers from the Parents Television Council who don't seem to know how to use their remote controls are on the warpath again, this time taking issue with "sexually suggestive photo showing a teenage boy kissing a girl’s cleavage" as part of CW's "Gossip Girl" current print campaign. OMFG! How shocking.

The wingnuts have recently filed "indecency" complaints over a partially blurred image of a nude model on "America's Top Model," a scene of a man groping woman's breasts on "My Mame Is Earl" and Pfizer's Viagra ads.

In a statement regarding "Gossip Girl," the PTC says: "The Parents Television Council deplores the CW’s deliberate use of profanity and sexual imagery to exploit and further corrupt young viewers, and has warned its members about the show and the new ad campaign."

"Gossip Girl" returned last Monday with second-best ever ratings in target demos. I certainly hope PTC's wretched efforts will add even more eyeballs to the show as many right wing campaigns of this kind are known to spark controversy with boomerang results.

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NBC's Today on David Archuleta's Stage Dad

NBC has picked up on the story circulating for weeks about baby-faced early "American Idol" front runner David Archuleta's recent underwhelming performances being attributed to pressure from his "stage dad from hell," Jeff Archuleta, a producer and music consultant with "Idol" connections.


Archuleta, whose son David was also a contestant on CBS' revival of "Star Search" in 2002, offers consulting services to up and coming artists and boasts his background in the music industry, including "excellent contacts with record labels." Archuleta charges his clients on hourly basis.

Recent reports by TMZ.com and other sources, which FOX declined to comment, suggested Archuleta interferes with his son's song choice and puts a lot of pressure on him during rehearsals, even bringing him to tears. Will he ultimately hurt his son's shot at fame?



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Is America Too Homophobic For Gay "Idol"?

This CNN report suggests the recent axing of "American Idol" contestants Danny Noriega and David Hernandez may have had more to do with their perceived sexual orientation rather than poor singing.

Noriega, who recently rapped about being gay in a YouTube video, and Hernandez, who worked as a stripper in a Glendale gay bar, generated quite a bit of buzz in the past couple of weeks, and yet they both ended up on the chopping block.

Although the singers recently received some harsh criticism from judge Simon Cowell, did both of them really deserve to get booted off the show?

According to TMZ.com, judge Randy Jackson reacted to axing of Noriega, who certainly knew how to make his appearances fun to watch, by saying "We should have kept him." Given some of the talent left on the show, no surprise there.

Hernandez, on the other hand, was rumored to be - along with front runner David Archuletta - the focus of record companies executives. His recent rendition of "Papa Was a Rolling Stone" generated a lot of praise from all 3 judges.

Unlike some of the contestants whose spouses/boyfriends/girlfriends are mentioned on the show, neither one of the two singers made any references to their personal lives. Coincidence? Or fear of losing votes?



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VIDEO: Luke and Noah Kiss Controversy

It began with an article in The Boston Globe, and now it's all over the media, including AP, CNN and more. The Luke and Noah kiss controversy is picking up momentum. Meanwhile, "As the World Turns" stars Austin Peck and Terri Colombino, who have shared many steamy straight scenes, confirm fan suspicions.

In an interview with Out magazine, Peck and Colombino said the producers did get "scared off" about telling the romantic story between the two young men. Furthermore, Colombino goes on to say her character won't suffer the same fate as Luke and Noah because "[she] has a vagina."

Monday night on CNN's Showbiz Today, a gay PR specialist and a conservative radio wingnut squared off on the issue of censorship of the relationship between Luke and Noah with tedious expressions like "lifestyle" and "agenda" being heavily thrown around.



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CBS' "Swingtown" to Premiere in Summer

Now here's a show that's bound to cause the incredibly annoying Parents Television Council to throw another fit. CBS is expected to confirm scheduling of its long-awaited drama about the swinging couples of the 1970s in a summer run, Hollywood press reports.



"Swingtown" starring Jack Davenport ("Pirates of the Carribean"), Molly Parker ("Deadwood") and Grant Show ("Melrose Place") depicts the sexual and social revolution that introduced open marriages and women's liberation.

CBS ordered the provocative series last spring as part of its efforts to lure more of the advertiser-coveted 18-49 crowd to its predominantly old skewing procedurals-filled schedule.



But some of the shows ordered as part of that initiative, namely "Viva Laughlin" and "Kid Nation" bombed in the ratings.

Furthermore, the recent FCC ruling about a 5-year old episode of ABC's "NYPD Blue" depicting a naked woman and protests organized by the PTC against CBS for airing reruns of Showtime drama "Dexter" may have made CBS skittish about "Swingtown."



Although the studio was able to produce only 3 episodes of the series prior to the strike, CBS approved the production of the remaining 10 episodes after the strike was settled.

But the show which was originally supposed to air as a midseason replacement, will end up in a postseason run. Will the network give this critically-acclaimed show the marketing push it deserves?

Scheduling the show in July is certainly not a step in the right direction.

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American Idol's David Hernandez: Gay Stripper

Mainstream media has finally picked up on the story circulating around the web for days - one of the 8 remaining male contestants on "American Idol" was a gay stripper. Will that endanger David's chances on FOX's (supposedly) squeaky clean show?

FOX never mentioned the fact that Hernandez worked as a stripper for 3 years, appearing fully nude and doing lap dances for male clientèle. The manager of "Dick's Cabaret" however confirmed on Monday David was employed at the Glendale club until September 30 (after he was cast on "American Idol.")

Obviously, there is nothing wrong with being a gay stripper. Unfortunately, a certain segment of the reality show's target audience may disagree and Hernandez may lose some votes despite his recent strong performance of The Temptations' "Papa Was a Rolling Stone."

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VIDEO: Jane Fonda's "Today" Faux Pas

NBC News was forced to apologize this morning after 70-year old actress Jane Fonda used an expletive talking about the play "The Vagina Monologues." About 10 minutes later, co-host Meredith Vieira told viewers that "Today" and Fonda apologized for the remark. What was the vulgarity in question? Check out the "Today" clip, after the jump.

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FOX Censors Sally Field's Anti-War Rant

SEPTEMBER 17, 2007: Rupert Murdoch-owned FOX network which carried the "live" Emmy telecast last night censored Emmy-Award winner Sally Field's anti-war rant at the end of her acceptance speech bleeping out the words "god-damned wars in the first place."

Did those trigger-happy censors mistake the words "god damn" for profanity or was there some kind of special agenda at work? In any event, big thumbs down to FOX for the embarrassing handling of the matter and thumbs up to a defiant Sally who said backstage: "I would have liked to have said more bleeped-out words."

Finally, I couldn't be happier for Sally, whose performance as Nora Walker, the loving but fear-stricken mother of a soldier, rightfully deserves the award. Congratulations, Sally. I really, really like you.

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Kathy Griffin Is My God Now

SEPTEMBER 11, 2007: One of the most hateful people in the world I had the misfortune of intoxicating my airwaves, Bill Donohue of the Catholic League, launched an attack on the glorious comedian Kathy Griffin for her Emmy acceptance speech on Saturday night, causing the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences to edit the taped event for airplay this Saturday on the E! Network.

The cable network may of course have also been eager to comply with the call for censorship as they had fired Griffin from her red carpet hosting duties following a joke about child actress Dakota Fanning in 2005.


On Saturday as she accepted her award for Best Reality Program for her Bravo series "My Life on the D-List" Griffin said: "A lot of people come up here and thank Jesus for this award. I want you to know that no one had less to do with this award than Jesus. Can you believe this shit? Hell has frozen over. Suck it, Jesus, this award is my god now!"

Well, Kathy, you are my god now and congratulations on the long-deserved win!

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