Brooke Burke Dancing With The Stars Champion

(Associated Press)

Brooke Burke waltzed away with the mirror ball trophy on the "Dancing with the Stars" finale.

The 37-year-old TV personality and mother of four dominated the seventh season of the popular ABC dancing competition and bested former NFL player Warren Sapp and former 'NSync member Lance Bass during the Tuesday night finale, in which she reprised an emotional Viennese waltz routine that earned her a perfect score from the show's panel of judges.

"Unbelievable," was all Burke could muster after winning amid a flurry a confetti.

From the outset, the slinky former host of E!'s "Wild On" and CBS' "Rock Star" commanded the ballroom this season, coming in first place eight out of 10 times and receiving a 10 — the judges' top score — 16 times. Burke was crowned the latest "Dancing with the Stars" champion after the judges' scores — 88 out of 90 — were combined with viewers' votes.

"I actually can't believe it," said Derek Hough, Burke's professional partner, who's never won the competition. "I really can't. I honestly can't. The journey's been so long. It's been tough. It's been wonderful. It's been everything I could ever hope for. Wow. I can't believe we actually did it, girl."

Burke maintained an eight point lead over Sapp, the charismatic 35-year-old fan favorite whose technique was consistently criticized by the judges. Sapp still managed to hustle his way into second place with professional partner Kym Johnson, despite receiving one point less from the judges than the third place finisher, 29-year-old singer Bass.

"From the moment you start, you make me smile," head judge Len Goodman told Sapp.

Bass and his professional partner, Lacey Schwimmer, were upbeat about their loss. The pair danced away after their dismissal. And he's not hanging up his dancing shoes just yet. The former boybander will join professional dancers and other former contestants for the 38-city "Dancing with the Stars" tour, which is set to kick off Dec. 17 in San Diego.

"You never took the safe road once," judge Carrie Ann Inaba told Bass during the finale.

Previously dismissed celebrities — actor Cody Linley; sprinter Maurice Greene; actresses Susan Lucci and Cloris Leachman; chef Rocco DiSpirito; reality TV star Kim Kardashian; actor Ted McGinley; and comedian Jeffrey Ross — also returned for a last dance. Injured volleyball player Misty May-Treanor and singer Toni Braxton remained off their feet.

ABC Cancels Pushing Daisies, Eli Stone, Dirty Sexy Money

From Entertainment Weekly Online:

Quality television took a serious hit this evening with news that ABC has opted not to order additional episodes of Pushing Daisies, Eli Stone and Dirty Sexy Money for this season. The network isn't commenting, but multiple sources confirm that all three shows have "effectively been canceled."

The one bright spot: The ratings-challenged trio will complete production on their 13-episode orders (Daisies already has, while Eli and DSM have an episode or two to go). Of course, completing the episodes and actually airing them are two totally different things.

"It's all true," Daisies creator Bryan Fuller tells me. "I'm so very proud of this show and grateful for everyone's hard work in bringing it to life."

Meanwhile, an ABC insider is confirming several long-rumored midseason scheduling tweaks. Among them:

* Private Practice will move to Thursdays at 10 p.m./ET following Grey's beginning Dec. 11.

* Life on Mars, which just got picked up for four additional episodes (bringing its Season 1 total to 17), will shift to Wednesdays at 10 p.m./ET following Lost beginning Jan. 28.

* Scrubs will join the net's Tuesday lineup on Jan. 6 at 9 p.m./ET.

Happy about Life on Mars and Scrubs. Totally bummed (but not surprised) about everything else.


EW.com

NBC Cancels Lipstick Jungle, Enemy

NBC is pulling the plug on "My Own Worst Enemy" and "Lipstick Jungle," two of its more high-profile young series, according to two network executives who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to speak publicly about the decision.

The network will not order new episodes of either series when their current orders — nine in the case of "My Own Worst Enemy" and 13 for "Lipstick Jungle" — run out, the executives said.

"My Own Worst Enemy" was given a big promotional pitch by NBC. The psychological thriller starred Slater as a man who had two separate identities and lives, and was slowly coming to learn about the situation.

But it was just another new series that viewers shrugged their shoulders at in the lackluster new TV season. The series ranked No. 61 in the Nielsen Media Research season standings, averaging just under 5 million viewers each week.

Shields was one of three hard-driving Manhattan career women in "Lipstick Jungle," one of two series that premiered last season with clear bloodlines to HBO's "Sex and the City." It was averaging just 4.2 million viewers for each new episode this season, according to Nielsen.

If it's any consolation to NBC and Shields, "Lipstick Jungle" at least lasted longer than "Cashmere Mafia," the ABC version of the New York career women story.

The executives said it was still not clear whether all the episodes that have been shot for each series will be used.

NBC isn't the only network to say bye bye to some shows. CBS and ABC have cancelled shows after a few airings, The Ex-List and Opportunity Knocks, respectively.

Knight Rider's KITT Gets A Tune UP

KITT is getting a tune-up.

NBC's freshman drama "Knight Rider" is undergoing a major retooling, bringing it closer to the original 1980s series. Among the changes, the options of three regulars on the show -- Sydney Tamiia Poitier, Yancey Arias and Bruce Davison -- were not picked up beyond the initial 13-episode order.

"It's a reboot," "Knight" executive producer/showrunner Gary Scott Thompson said. "We're moving away from the terrorist-of-the-week formula and closer to the original, making it a show about a man and his car going out and helping more regular people, everymen."

Such a change would make "Knight" a better fit into NBC's newly rebranded crime drama Wednesday lineup alongside "Life" and "Law & Order."

The revamped "Knight" will kick off with the two-part Episodes 10-11. NBC is planning a major push, including possibly airing Episode 10 on Sunday after an NFL football game in January, with the conclusion airing the following Wednesday.

Such a move would bring "Knight" back to Sunday night, where the two-hour movie/backdoor pilot drew big ratings in February.

The series it spawned has been struggling in the Wednesday 8 p.m. slot, dropping last week to a season-low 5.1 million viewers and a 1.6 rating/4 share in adults 18-49.

The retooling had been put in motion long before the full-season order for "Knight" three weeks ago. The UMS/Dutch Oven series is now filming Episode 15.

There are no immediate plans to add new regulars to the show, which will focus on the five remaining characters: Mike (Justin Bruening), Sarah (Deanna Russo), Billy (Paul Campbell), Zoe (Smith Cho) and KITT. The producers also are looking to do stunt guest castings.

Thompson, who called Poitier, Arias and Davison "three of the most professional actors I've ever worked with," stressed that the decision to let the cast members go was a difficult one tied to the show's change in direction and had nothing to do with the actors.

Lost Returning To ABC in 2009

Salute to Stargate and Firefly

Stargate SG1 - Stargate Atlantis Convetion
Event Sponsor: Creation Entertainment
Date(s): Nov 21, 2008 through Nov 23, 2008
Event Venue:
Burbank Airport Marriott Hotel
Area: California (CA) - So., Hollywood

Event Description:

Stargate SG1 - Stargate Atlantis Convetion
Fri., Sat. and Sun. November 21-23, 2008
Burbank Airport Marriott Hotel
2500 Hollywood Way
BURBANK CA


This is gonna be one wild weekend for fans as we return to the Los Angeles area with a big salute to the amazing Stargate television franchise! The weekend will be filled with celebrities, events, contests, parties, and fellow fans from around the globe. And, the unique best part: we have other cool conventions going on the same time, one for FIREFLY fans. More fun, and attendees at one can get autographs and photo ops at any of the rest, and our Gold Patrons can visit as general admission attendees at any of the other conventions --space permitting--.
Event Title: SALUTE TO FIREFLY and SERENITY
Event Sponsor: Creation Entertainment
Date(s): Nov 22, 2008 through Nov 23, 2008
Event Venue:
Burbank Airport Marriott Hotel
Area: California (CA) - So., Hollywood

Event Description:

SALUTE TO FIREFLY and SERENITY


A Celebration for Fans
Sat. and Sun. November 22-23, 2008
The Weekend Before Thanksgiving
Burbank Airport Marriott Hotel
2500 Hollywood Way
BURBANK CA

http://www.creationent.com/

George Clooney, Eric LaSalle Return To ER

ER alum Noah Wyle tells TV Guide to expect appearances by former castmates before the end of the series. NBC is pulling the plug on incredibly long-lived medical drama ER. The show, once a blockbusting hit, has seen ratings and interest dwindle in recent years, and its currently-airing 15th season will be its last. But a warhorse like ER deserves a hero's farewell, and it looks like it's going to get just that in the form of visits from stars past.

Noah Wyle, who played Dr. John Carter in the show's first through 11th seasons, is returning for a four-episode arc and has confirmed to TV Guide that Eriq La Salle will also return as Dr. Peter Benton. Of even more interest to ER devotees and fans of silver-fox movie stars, Wyle teased the return of George Clooney as the original "McDreamy," Dr. Doug Ross.

"From what I heard, George said, 'absolutely,' schedule permitting," Wyle stated.

Clooney's publicist has refused to comment on Wyle's declarations, but we've become familiar with the true meaning of a publicist's "no comment" and will be looking forward to Clooney's return.

Anthony Edwards, another former ER star, will reprise his role of Dr. Mark Greene in this Thursday's episode.

Source: TV.Com

Moving Back To Melrose Place???

Cast of "Melrose Place", that aired on Fox. Heather Locklear, Rob Etes, Josie Bisset, Kelly Rutherford,Daphne Zuniga, Jack Wagner, and Thomas Calabro.
(Photo)

Having done well with a remake of "Beverly Hills 90210" this season, the CW network is considering a remake of that show's spinoff, "Melrose Place."

The CW and the studio CBS Paramount Network Television are exploring whether to put the remake in development for the 2009-10 TV season, network spokesman Paul Hewitt.

Josh Whelon's Dollhouse Trailer

Here is a preview of the new show set to air on FOX in January.