“The Biggest Loser” Launching Nationwide, 13-City Search For New Contestants

NBC’s popular reality series “The Biggest Loser” is launching a 13-city cross-country search to find new contestants for the next edition of the hit show. Individuals who have at least 85 lbs. to lose are encouraged to apply for the new season, which will air in January 2013.

Casting producers are looking for charismatic individuals who have the desire to change their lives forever and vie for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to lose weight and compete for a grand prize of $250,000. Candidates must be at least 18 years of age and legal residents of the United States. For those who are unable to attend a casting call, information on how to apply to the show and submit a videotape is available on http://www.nbc.com/casting and http://www.thebiggestlosercasting.com.

America’s Next Top Model – Recap & Review – Season Finale

photo: cw

ANTM: British Invasion
Season Finale

Original Air Date: May 30, 2012

Anne – Associate Editor
anne@thetwocentscorp.com

It seems like we took forever to get here, but it’s time for the Top Model finale! Who do you want to win? The Yank or the Brit? My choice is no secret. Laura just seems a bit stuck up to me. She’s part of the reason why I had a tough time watching this season. I’m a bit sad, because this is the last episode of ANTM as we know it. Who knows what we have coming to us for Cycle 19?!?

As we open, Sophie is so proud of herself for finally winning best picture. Going into the finale, she has the best walk and Laura has the better pictures. It’s really a toss up at this point.

AMC Announces “The Walking Dead” Season 3 Preview Weekend

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AMC announced today “The Walking Dead” Season 3 Preview Weekend on Saturday, July 7 and Sunday, July 8 beginning at 11:30am each day. Airing just one week before Comic-Con, the two-day programming event will feature a marathon of all 19 episodes from the series’ critically acclaimed first two seasons, culminating with a “Talking Dead” live primetime special on Sunday, July 8 at 9pm. The one-time-only airing of “Talking Dead,” hosted by Chris Hardwick (Nerdist), will be followed by the world television premiere of the black and white version of “The Walking Dead” pilot episode at 10pm. The special version of the series’ first episode was created specifically for fans of The Walking Dead, as it holds true to the original black and white comic book, written by Robert Kirkman.

Throughout “The Walking Dead” Marathon, Hardwick will introduce each episode from the set of season three in Atlanta, giving viewers a glimpse of the new sets. Along with several cast members and producers, he will set up the storyline from each episode, and discuss the classic moments and unique characters featured. In addition, every episode with be wrapped with exclusive character and scene-specific content from the first two seasons, including behind-the-scenes footage and sit-down interviews with the cast.

Showtime Renews “Nurse Jackie” For Season 5 With Former “Dexter” Boss as New Showrunner

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According to TVLine, Showtime has renewed Nurse Jackie for a fifth season and will replace co-creators Linda Wallem and Liz Brixius (who left the show earlier this year) with former Dexter boss Clyde Phillips as new showrunner.

Production on Season 5 will begin in late 2012 and Nurse Jackie‘s fourth season finale airs on June 17.

Design Star – Recap & Review – Episode 1

photo: hgtv

Design Star
Episode 1

Original Air Date: May 29, 2012

Patricia Morris Buckley —Sr. Staff Writer
pmb@thetwocentscorp.com

Can you believe this is Season 7 of Design Star? And it looks as if the producers have found a promising dozen designers to compete. Often you get personality or talent, but this bunch seems to be brimming with both. As David Bromstad, now the host as well as the mentor, says, “Yay!”

But first, let’s meet the designers.

Tim Daly Not Returning For Season 6 of “Private Practice”

photo: abc

According to TVLine.com, ABC’s Private Practice‘s season six will return in the fall without one of its original male lead. Tim Daly tweeted late last night that his option for season six of the Shonda Rhimes show was not picked up: “Wonderful fans of PPP. Shonda informed my agent today that Pete won’t be returning for season 6. It was a great 5 yrs. R.I.P. Pete Wilder.”

In the fifth season finale, Daly’s character Pete Wilder was sent to jail for euthanizing a patient.

TwoCents and Five Questions with Melissa Joan Hart

melly j hart

Melissa Joan Hart, Actor

Whether you know her as Clarissa or Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Melissa Joan Hart has probably been a part of your childhood television viewing. I can still remember conversations she had with Salem the talking black cat…and that was in my twenties! She’s been acting since she was four years old when she did a bath toy commercial. She started Clarissa Explains It All in 1991 and then Sabrina in 1996. She’s also appeared in many movies, including my favorite, “Can’t Hardly Wait”. For the past two years, she has appeared on ABCFamily’s Melissa & Joey, along with Joey Lawrence (Woah!). They are getting ready to come back for their second season, so I had the opportunity to talk to her on a conference call and she had some fun things to say about what to expect.

TheTwoCents: In addition to being the star of the show, your Heartbreak Films also produces Melissa & Joey. Could you tell us about your creative vision for this season?

“Grimm” Begins Season Two Production May 30

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Production for season two of NBC’s fairy tale procedural drama GRIMM commences on Wednesday, May 30 in Portland.

GRIMM stars Russell Hornsby, Silas Weir Mitchell and Bitsie Tulloch will join Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber on May 29 to kick off production and celebrate another season of shooting in the northwest.

Also in attendance will be state legislators, members of the Governor’s Office of Film and Television Board, NBC and Comcast officials as well as Oregon business owners who have benefited from the impact of local production.

Beginning Monday, May 28, NBC will run encore episodes of GRIMM every week at 10:00pm.

Season two of GRIMM will premiere in August.

Jennifer Hudson to Perform On 4th Of July “Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular”

photo: cbs

Academy Award and GRAMMY® Award-winning superstar Jennifer Hudson will perform on the BOSTON POPS FIREWORKS SPECTACULAR, an entertainment special to be broadcast live from the Charles River Esplanade in Boston, Wednesday, July 4 (10:00-11:00 PM, live ET/delayed PT) on the CBS Television Network. For the second consecutive year, Emmy Award-winning actor Michael Chiklis, star of the highly anticipated new CBS drama series VEGAS, will host the special.

Hudson will perform some of her biggest hits with the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra under the direction of conductor Keith Lockhart.

Mad Men – Recap & Review – The Other Woman

photo: amc

Mad Men
The Other Woman

Original Air Date: May 27, 2012

Ryan O – Associate Staff Writer
ryano@thetwocentscorp.com

Joan’s arc from the beginning of the series has consistently broken my heart. She’s a woman of staggering talent. If Joan were alive today, she’d be, at the very least, a must-read blogger who gets a million visits a day (who wouldn’t love to read what Joan had to say about anything and everything from pop culture to politics?) and at the very most, on her way to being a CEO of a very successful company.

But, in 1967, she is none of those things. Instead, the way for her to become a partner in an advertising agency is to become a prostitute.