LOS ANGELES – Conan O'Brien has refused to play along with NBC's plan to move "The Tonight Show" and return Jay Leno to late-night, abruptly derailing the network's effort to resolve its scheduling mess.
O'Brien said in a statement Tuesday that shifting "Tonight" will "seriously damage what I consider to be the greatest franchise in the history of broadcasting," and he expressed disappointment that NBC had given him less than a year to establish himself as host at 11:35 p.m. EST.
O'Brien is in line to make approximately $30 million from NBC if he is replaced on "The Tonight Show" or if the show is canceled, said a source close to the situation who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to speak about it publicly. However, the source said the sum would not apply just for moving O'Brien to a later time slot.
O'Brien said he doesn't have an offer in hand from another network. Fox, which lacks a network late-night show, has expressed its appreciation for him but said this week that no negotiations have been held.
we know that american idol is very popular in whole world. While American Idol is returning to a more familiar format, there will still be several substantial changes when the curtains go up on the show's ninth season -- including the absence of Paula Abdul, the addition of Ellen DeGeneres, and Simon Cowell serving on the judging panel for the final time.
American Idol's ninth season will premiere over the course of two consecutive nights with a two-hour broadcast on Tuesday, January 12 and a 75-minute broadcast on Wednesday, January 13 -- with both beginning at 8PM ET/PT.
It will represent the beginning of the end for Cowell, as Fox confirmed yesterday that he will be leaving American Idol after its 2010 season to focus on launching a U.S. version of his British The X Factor reality competition series for the network in Fall 2011.
Cowell spent a better part of last year stating he was unsure whether he'd remain with American Idol once the five-season extension he signed in 2005 expires after the show's ninth season this year, and he insisted his coy comments when asked about the situation were not a negotiating ploy.
"But when we looked at the practicalities of that, it was impossible," Cowell said Monday.
"In my opinion, it's like having a good player and a good football team. The two have to be OK together. I believe it's not my show, but it's still very close to me. We made sure when we did this, that I would be protected. I'm confident it will continue to be the No. 1 show. Everyone is committed to keeping it that way."
Due to her last-minute surprise departure, last summer's ninth-season auditions featured a series of guest judges in her former judging seat: Victoria Beckham (Denver and Boston), Mary J. Blige (Atlanta), Joe Jonas and Neil Patrick Harris (Dallas), Kristin Chenoweth (Orlando), Shania Twain (Chicago), and Katy Perry and Avril Lavigne (Los Angeles).
"All the guest judges on the Idol auditions gave a different perspective because they've all been performers of all different types, and different types of music and stage and record and everything," judge Randy Jackson told reporters during a conference call last week.
In September, Fox announced that it had tapped DeGeneres to replace Abdul -- and she'll make her American Idol debut during the ninth season's first "Hollywood Round" broadcast on February 9.
"I'm not going to be mean anyway. I hate when Simon is that mean, " said DeGeneres in September. "You can be constructive and you can criticize somebody in a way that's helpful instead of mean spirited."
Almost immediately, DeGeneres had to respond to critics who felt her lack of experience in the music industry would hurt the show.
"I love music, period. I've always loved music," she said at the time, defending herself.
"And I'm a huge fan of the show. I haven't missed one show since Season 1. The people are the ones that choose the 'American Idol.' Ultimately it doesn't come down to some expert in the music industry, it comes down to everybody at home that says, 'That's the person I relate to, that's the person that I'm going to buy music from.'"
Fox reality chief Mike Darnell also called the criticism "silly."
"We already got three judges. We used to only have three who have enormously long musical backgrounds," he said at the time. "She brings something different. She brings her wit and love of music. She has a vision of what she likes and doesn't like. Really, does it matter? It's about America voting. She's going to add a different flavor, that's the whole idea."
Despite the absence of Abdul and addition of DeGeneres, the upcoming installment is returning to a familiar format by abandoning several tweaks that were included during last year's eighth season -- including 36 semifinalists, a bracket-style semifinals format that ignored gender, and the additional second-chance "Wild Card" round that had not been used since Idol's third season in 2004.
Instead, the ninth season will feature 24 semifinalists -- 12 males and 12 females -- and no "Wild Card" semifinals round.
Once Idol's ninth-season semifinals begin, the contestants will be divided into male and female groups and compete separately. Both groups will then gradually be whittled to six finalists via three semifinals performance rounds that will eliminate two male and two female semifinalists each week based on viewer voting.
Like American Idol's most recent pre-2009 editions, the format will result in each finalist having given three semifinals performances and a gender-balanced finalist field.
American Idol's Top 12 ninth-season finalists will take the stage for the first time on Tuesday, March 16, with one finalist's journey coming to an end when home viewer votes are revealed on Wednesday, March 17.
While Fox decided against hosting a third-annual American Idol Gives Back charity fund-raising special last spring, the fund-raising special will be back this year and air during the Top 7 results show broadcast on April 21.
"In today's tough economic times, it's more important than ever -- but more difficult than ever -- to raise money to help those in need," said Darnell when the special was announced in October.
"With this year's American Idol Gives Back, we're focused on raising awareness about the challenges that so many children and families currently face and demonstrating how even small donations can make a difference and help save lives. Every little bit counts."
Mr. Bean is a popular British comedy television series of 14 half-hour episodes starring Rowan Atkinson as the title character. Different episodes were written by Rowan Atkinson, Robin Driscoll, Richard Curtis and one by Ben Elton. The first episode was broadcast on ITV on 1 January 1990, with the final episode, Hair by Mr. Bean of London, on 15 November 1995.
The character of Mr. Bean was developed while Atkinson was studying for his MSc at Oxford University. A sketch featuring the character was being performed at the Edinburgh Fringe in the early 1980s.
the series followed the exploits of Mr. Bean, described by Atkinson as "a child in a grown man's body", in solving various problems presented by everyday tasks and often causing disruption in the process.
During its five year run the series gained large UK audience figures, including 18.74 million for the 1992 episode "The Trouble With Mr. Bean".The series has been the recipient of a number of international awards, The first episode won the Golden Rose, as well as two other major prizes at the 1991 Rose d'Or Light Entertainment Festival in Montreux.
In the UK, the episode "The Curse of Mr. Bean" was nominated for a number of BAFTA awards; "Best Light Entertainment Programme" in 1991, "Best Comedy" (Programme or Series) in 1992, and Atkinson was nominated three times for "Best Light Entertainment Performance" in 1991, 1992 and 1994."Mr. Bean" won the Norwegian comedy award "Tidleg Sædavgang".
(PEOPLE.com) -- Casey Johnson, The 30-year-old was pronounced dead Monday morning after being discovered by Los Angeles, California, police officers.
"The Johnson family wishes to thank everyone who has expressed condolences and support during this trying time," said family spokesman Jesse Derris. "Your thoughts and prayers are deeply appreciated.
The socialite's family has arranged for her body to be "flown back east to her final resting place," Derris said. No other details were announced.
"The family asks for a measure of privacy over the next several days as they mourn their loss," Derris said.
Johnson, who made tabloid headlines recently by getting engaged to reality star Tila Tequila, was found dead Monday in her Los Angeles, California, home. Johnson had suffered from diabetes since she was a child and had battled drug problems in the past, though no cause of death has been determined and police found no obvious signs that she had taken illegal drugs.
Her family said people can make donations in her memory to the Casey Johnson Memorial at the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. "Casey struggled throughout her life fighting this disease, and she would want to see all of us continue that fight on her behalf," said the family spokesman.
"In bed crying, looking at baby pictures of Casey, Nicky and I. I feel so upset. I feel like I've lost a sister. My heart is broken. Miss her," Paris Hilton posted to Twitter.
Nicky Hilton concurred, posting, "Rest in pace Casey Johnson. I love and miss you so much. You are my best friend, my sister...I am broken without you."
Johnson is survived by her daughter Ava-Monroe. She adopted the girl from Kazakhstan in 2007. Ava has been living with Casey's mother, Sale, for the past several months, according to a family spokesman.
The year before adopting Ava, Johnson told an interviewer she had recently come back from a trip to poverty-stricken Cambodia with a new outlook on life.
She allowed the reporter, from Vanity Fair, to visit her two-story Spanish-style mansion in Los Angeles. That included a room-sized closet with dozens of pairs of designer shoes, but she admitted that amid all the luxury she felt like she had so much more than she would ever need. Still, she said, growing up rich "has its good side."
More recently, after ending a tumultuous relationship with a boyfriend, Johnson began dating women and was recently romantically linked to the flamboyant bisexual reality TV star Tila Tequila.
Tequila's publicist said the two were engaged. On her Twitter page, Tequila wrote late Monday, "Everyone please pray 4 my Wifey Casey Johnson. She has passed away. Thank u for all ur love and support but I will be offline to be w family."
