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Signs of the Apocalypse Roundup – July 2009 – Week 2

Rehab guru ‘Jacked’ for CMT
John Irwin producing series hosted by C. Thomas Howell
Slated to premiere at 8:30 p.m. Aug. 22, “All Jacked Up” features host C. Thomas Howell traveling the country in search of outlandish, funny and extreme stunts, sports, events, people and inventions. Each of the eight half-hour episodes, from Irwin Entertainment, contains four segments featuring subjects ranging from eating contests and ostrich racing to demolition derbies, jet-powered outhouses and chainsaw jugglers.

NBC News schedules ‘Wanted’
Terrorist-focused investigative program debuts July 20
NBC News has scheduled its controversial To-Catch-a-Terrorist investigative program, where an elite team hunts war criminals. “The Wanted” will premiere Monday, July 20, at 10 p.m. with specialists in counterterrorism, foreign intelligence, war crimes and investigative journalism profiling suspected international terrorists.

ABC orders ‘Funniest’ thing
Reality series pits comedians against one another
ABC has ordered a new reality competition show from two “Last Comic Standing” producers in which comedians have to be funny on the fly. In “The Fast & the Funniest,” a group of stand-ups travel cross-country competing in challenges and performances. The first three to reach the final destination will perform for a cash prize.

MSNBC takes ‘Lockup’ overseas
Cable show goes on ‘World Tour’
News cabler has picked up the spinoff “Lockup: World Tour,” which will include visits to prisons in Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Company plans to shoot inside maximum security prisons in are located in Serbia, Poland, the Czech Republic, South Korea, Thailand, Taiwan, Israel, Jordan and Turkey.

SoapNet banking on reality
Cable network to adapt BBC series ‘Mom’
SoapNet will adapt BBC nonscripted series “Bank of Mom and Dad” for a September launch on the Disney-owned cabler. “Bank of Mom and Dad” invites the parents of women in their 20s and 30s to move into the kids’ homes for a week and exert influence over their finances — and, with some amount of conflict, their lives. Demo-friendly money consultant Farnoosh Torabi (“Real Simple. Real Life.”) will provide guidance each week.

Business of the Business

Marketing matters for quirky movies
Some companies eyeing a sophisticated audience
Even as Hollywood studios increasingly aim at the broadest possible audience, a few companies are experimenting with the opposite approach in these summer months and beyond: They’re making smart, quirky movies for a sophisticated young audience.

Canal Plus closes Xbox deal
Users to access 3,000 films, 3,000 other titles
Microsoft and French paybox Canal Plus have inked a deal that gives users of the Xbox 360 games console in Gaul access to a significant slice of the channel’s content. The French deal includes video-on-demand service Canalplay, which will make 3,000 films and 3,000 other titles available to Xbox Live subscribers.

Warner Bros. game for Midway pickup
Studio nabs assets in bankruptcy court
Warner Bros. has picked up most of Midway Games’ assets in bankruptcy court for the fire-sale price of $33 million, giving the studio rights to “Mortal Kombat,” “Spy Hunter,” “Joust” and several other game franchises. Warner Bros. has been bolstering its vidgame and interactive biz. It bought Snowblind Studios in February, “Lego” games producer TT Games in 2007 and Monolith Prods. in 2006. The studio also owns a 30% stake in Eidos (behind the “Tomb Raider” games franchise). It took over control of the “Lord of the Rings” franchise from Electronic Arts earlier this year.

Fired Fox News writer files suit
Roger Friedman to sue for $5 million
Former Fox News entertainment writer Roger Friedman is suing his old bosses for more than $5 million after he was fired for reviewing a leaked copy of Fox’s “X-Men Origins: Wolverine.” In the filing, Friedman claims he contacted an in-house attorney at Fox to get the column cleared but that she never responded. He said none of his editors raised objections. Friedman said he contacted his editor after the review was removed from the site April 3 and was told Murdoch had ordered the story taken down but that he shouldn’t worry about his job.

ABC hops on Hulu
Network debuts on site with ‘Grey’s Anatomy’
ABC programs debuted on Hulu Monday now that the Walt Disney Co. has completed its deal to become an equity partner in the Internet vid service. “Grey’s Anatomy” was the first show to bow and will be followed by other shows from ABC, ABC Family, SoapNet and Disney Channel over the next two weeks. ABC skeins set to pop up on Hulu shortly include “Desperate Housewives,” “Scrubs,” “Ugly Betty,” “I Survived a Japanese Game Show” and “Superstars.”

Planet of the Odd

Are You Being Served? star Mollie Sugden dies
Her agent, Joan Reddin, said: “I represented her for more than 30 years and I was a very close friend as well. She had had a long illness and various problems but it was very quick in the end. Her twin boys were with her and she faded away. She was a lovely, lovely person and I never had any trouble with her. She was a great professional.”

Oscar winner Karl Malden dies at 97
Won best supporting actor for ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’
Karl Malden, who vaulted to movie prominence by winning an Academy Award for best supporting actor in “A Streetcar Named Desire” but who is perhaps best known for his lead role on 1970s TV series “The Streets of San Francisco,” died Wednesday of natural causes at home in Brentwood. He was 97.

Angelina Jolie, Jennifer Aniston top Forbes list
Top H’wood males earn $200 mil more than top females
Forbes just issued its list of Hollywood’s biggest female moneymakers in the past year. Angelina Jolie tops the list, having earned $27 million from June 2008 through last month, and Jennifer Aniston is next at $25 million.

Harve Pressnell dies at 75
Broadway veteran also acted onscreen in ‘Fargo’
Harve Presnell, whose booming baritone graced such Broadway musicals as “The Unsinkable Molly Brown” and “Annie,” died June 30 in Santa Monica, Calif. He was 75. Although he was best known for his roles in musical theater, Presnell also is remembered as William H. Macy’s father-in-law in the Coen brothers’ 1996 film “Fargo.” He also played the ominous Mr. Parker in the TV series The Pretender.

Harry Potter stars honor murdered Half-Blood Prince co-star
The cast and crew of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince will wear white ribbons on their wrists at the film’s world premiere in Leicester Square Tuesday as a mark of respect to murdered actor Rob Knox. Knox, 18, who portrays Marcus Belby in the film, was stabbed in southeast London last May while defending his brother from an attack.

The Fine Print

This is by no means meant to be a comprehensive roundup of the entire weeks’ news. All stories are chosen by me for no other reason than that they got my attention and might capture yours. If something you think is more important chime in on the feedback; we’d love to hear comments and have a conversation about it.

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About The Author

Scott From LA

Scott is an art director, writer and comics creator living in Los Angeles. He has been a pop culture maven from a very young age. His very first job was as a manager of a comic book store. He spent several years working in a video store, and yes, we are talking VHS tapes. A student of literature and Writing, he brings his obsessive love of comic book trivia, movie history and science fiction/fantasy writing to bear on the work he does for CoolShite.

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