Melissa Gilbert Files For Divorce

FIRST Released: August 25, 2011 8:26 PM EDT La, Calif. -- Melissa Gilbert has declared divorce from her husband of 16 years, fellow actor Bruce Boxleitner. The first kind Little House about the Prairie star filed papers in La Superior Court on August 22, 2011, stating irreconcilable variations as the reason behind the split. Melissa has requested joint legal and physical custody of the children of the boy, Michael Boxleitner, who's almost 16. She listed the date of separation for that couple as The month of january 5, 2011. This news of Melissas marital split comes one next day of news broke that her sister, Sara Gilbert, had split from her longtime partner, Allison Adler, following a decade together. Copyright 2011 by NBC Universal, Corporation. All privileges reserved.These components might not be released, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Will Gluck-Created Comedy The Yard Lands At NBC With Production Commitment

EXCLUSIVE: Following a fierce putting in a bid war between NBC and ABC then a extended settlement, NBC has nabbed The Yard, a mocumentary-style comedy from Alan Schoolcraft and Brent Simons, co-authors of DreamWorks Animations Megamind, The new sony Pictures TV and can Glucks companyThat in May signed a 2-year development and production cope with The new sony for film and TV. The project, which received interest all four major broadcast systems, continues to be given an airplane pilot production commitment. The Yard is definitely the existence training of elementary school as seen with the lens of the Office-like documentary. The similarity in fashion between your Yard and NBC’s Work made NBC an all natural option for the project in the get-go. This is actually the second mega deal for The new sony TV now. The galleries also obtained a script with penalty commitment from Fox for any highly searched for-after eighties comedy from Breaking In co-creator Adam F. Goldberg whilst acquiring the 13-episode second-season pickup from the formerly canceled Breaking In.

VIDEO: Here's One Second of Hunger Games Footage

· It’s come to this: on Sunday, MTV will air a special first look preview of The Hunger Games, and today the network has released a preview of that preview. Want to see Jennifer Lawrence in the highly anticipated release? Don’t blink and click through to watch. Your Thursday Buzz Break is here. Get More: 2011 VMA, Music, ‘The Hunger Games’ Movie Page [via MTV] · Hilary Duff has officially been dropped from The Story of Bonnie and Clyde. If the producers are looking for some suggestions to replace her, Movieline has a few. [THR] · Here’s a possibly spoiler-y picture from the set of The Avengers. Or maybe not. [Superhero Hype] · According to Drive director Nicolas Winding Refn, real hero Ryan Gosling may be working with Terrence Malick on a new film. Dude is everywhere. [Film School Rejects] · The always great SplitSider looks at the lost roles of Paul Rudd. Did you know he almost starred in Funny People? [SplitSider]

Donnie and Mark Wahlberg Plan to Open 'Wahlburger' Burger Joint

Get your tastebuds ready for the ultimate Wahlberg fan culinary experience; famous brothers Mark and Donnie, along with their chef sibling Paul, have secured trademark rights to sell “Wahlburgers” at a new Boston-area burger joint called, what else? Wahlburgers. I’ll take mine with a side of NKOTBBQ sauce and Funky Bunch fries! But wait, there’s more — next year the brothers will open a pizza place as well. Drop your Wahlberg-related pizzeria name suggestions below. [Boston Globe via E! Online]

Letterman Back At Work After Website Death Threat

FIRST PUBLISHED: August 22, 2011 2:05 PM EDTLAST UPDATED: August 22, 2011 2:11 PM EDT NEW YORK, N.Y. -- David Letterman is back at Late Show after a two-week vacation, his first day at work since a threat against his life was posted on a jihadist website. CBS has declined to comment on any special security measures being taken at Lettermans midtown Manhattan theater for the Monday taping. Last week, a frequent contributor to a jihadist website posted a threat to Letterman. He urged Muslim followers to cut the tongue of the late-night host because of a joke the comic had made about al-Qaida leaders on his CBS show. The website is a popular Internet destination for radical Muslims. It was unknown whether Letterman planned to address the threat on the air. Copyright 2011 by Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Antitrust org rules against BSkyB

LONDON -- BSkyB's treatments for pay TV movie privileges in Blighty is restricting competition, resulting in greater prices and reduced choice and innovation, the U.K. Competition Commission has provisionally ruled.The regulator stated BSkyB's contracts using the six major Hollywood galleries present a substantial barrier to admission to potential rivals, including telco BT and cabler Virgin Media.The commission stated the satcaster ought to be restricted from signing exclusivity handles Hollywood for movie privileges within the "first subscription pay-television window."These deals ought to be modified so rivals can purchase other privileges including video when needed.Competition Commission chairman Laura Carstensen stated: "Sky has already established charge of recent movie content on pay TV for several years. In the centre of the issue is Sky's strong position within the pay TV market, with two times as numerous customers to pay for TV as other traditional pay TV merchants come up with. This gives Sky having a advantage if this involves putting in a bid for movie privileges, which no rival bidder has yet had the opportunity to beat -- and, if things stay because they are, we have seen no likely prospect of change."Sky Movies director Ian Lewis stated: "We do not believe there's any requirement for intervention. Customers are very offered by an increasing number of companies and Sky Movies is among the numerous ways they are able to decide to watch movies online in your own home. Celebrate no sense to consider that Sky Movies is in some way protected against the forces of competition. Sky has multiple rivals who offer an array of movies either before or simultaneously as us. Customers haven't achieved positive results from so many choices and innovation.We uphold our history in creating choice and innovation, whether offering movies in HD and three dimensional, or on-demand for your TV, PC or laptop. Ultimately, we all know that customers can pick whether or not to subscribe, and galleries can freely choose whether to cope with us or another person, so we must remain centered on delivering choice, value and innovation."Virgin Media's Boss Neil Berkett stated he wished the findings "will result in a dramatic transformation from the market and permit new compelling services to flourish that provide customers much greater selection of innovative film services."Your final decision arrives inside a year's time. Contact the range newsroom at news@variety.com

Henson, Bunim/Murray develop 'History'

Regan Bunim/Murray Prods. and Henson Alternative have partnered with former "Daily Show with Jon Stewart" author Chris Regan to build up "Good Reputation For,Inch a scripted project featuring the Henson puppets. Regan assists as professional producer and showrunner from the project, that will irreverently reenact popular culture occasions as well as feature celebrity cameos."We have set our sights on growing our scripted productions, particularly individuals that achieve exactly the same core 18-49 demo our reality series do," Bunim/Murray chairman Jonathan Murray stated. "Dealing with Henson Alternative on 'History Of' will let us bring legendary popular culture moments to existence within an completely and refreshingly humorous way -- with puppets."Stated Lisa Henson, Boss from the Jim Henson Co.: "This project includes a unique perspective and popular culture sensibility that's ideal for Henson Alternative. Joining up with Bunim/Murray, we'll bring tv stations a thrilling and hysterical undertake popular culture unlike every other series on television.InchRegan was Stewart's first author hire about the "Daily Show" and labored there from 1999-2006, with five Emmys and 2 Peabody Honours to his title. His other credits include "Talkshow with Spike Feresten," "Saturday Evening Live" and "Lopez Tonight."Henson, Murray and Gil Goldschein will even professional produce. Contact Jon Weisman at jon.weisman@variety.com

Melrose Place Alums Heather Locklear, Jack Wagner Engaged

Heather Locklear and Jack Wagner Heather Locklear is engaged to Jack Wagner, People reports. Locklear, 49, and Wagner, 51, began dating in 2007. The pair played love interests on the original Melrose Place. Check out the rest of today's news The actress was previously married to Tommy Lee and Richie Sambora, while Wagner was once married to his General Hospital co-star Kristina Wagner.

TV Ratings: 'Big Brother' Tops 'America's Got Talent'

CBS"Big Brother" CBS' Big Brother continued its summer dominance, but it was Fox that won Wednesday in the key demo. Big Brother (7.2 million total viewers, 2.7 rating in adults 18-49 demographic) rose 8 percent in its latest installment, which saw Jeff winning the veto and Kalia replacing him on the eviction block with "mega floater" Lawon. The summer favorite easily topped the night in viewers and the demo. Though CBS aired repeats following the top-rated Big Brother, the network placed second behind Fox in the demo, averaging a 1.8. Big Brother may have been the night's top broadcast program, but in primetime, Fox was the top network in the demo, averaging a 1.9. The two-hour final So You Think You Can Dance (5.7 million, 1.9) performance show -- featuring Katie Holmes as a guest judge -- posted gains from last week. The finale airs Thursday night, when the winner will be announced. NBC's lineup of wasn't a match for Fox or CBS, even if Minute to Win It (4.8 million, 1.2) and Love in the Wild (4.6 million, 1.5) rose. At 9 p.m., America's Got Talent (9.3 million, 2.4) won its time period even though it dipped slightly. Fox -- 1.9 · So You Think You Can Dance: 1.9, 5.7 million CBS -- 1.8 · Big Brother: 2.7, 7.2 million · Criminal Minds (R): 1.3, 5.6 million · CSI (R): 1.3, 7.2 million NBC -- 1.7 · Minute to Win It: 1.2, 4.8 million · America's Got Talent: 2.4, 9.3 million · Love In The Wild 1.5, 4.6 million ABC -- 1.2 · The Middle (R): 0.9, 4.2 million · Modern Family (R): 1.3, 4.5 million · Modern Family (R): 1.6, 4.8 million · Happy Endings (R) 1.0, 3 million · Primetime Nightline 1.3, 4.2 million CW -- 0.4 · America's Next Top Model (R): 0.4, 1.2 million · Love in the Wild (R): 0.4, 1 million TV Ratings

Coriolanus UK Trailer: Ralph Fiennes Will Have His Revenge (and an Oscar, If You Don't Mind)

The word around Movieline HQ has Ralph Fiennes’s directorial debut Coriolanus making a splash — but not too big a splash — in a congested awards season to come. A lot of that depends on how The Weinstein Company positions the Shakespeare updating/adaptation, even among its own robust 2011 Oscar crop that also (for now) includes W.E., The Iron Lady, My Week With Marilyn and The Bully Project. It couldn’t hurt to emulate this trailer from UK distributor Lionsgate, which adroitly knits the war, revenge and family angles into a tapestry of highly regarded actors including Vanessa Redgrave, Brian Cox and Jessica Chastain. Let’s get a look. Gerard Butler and his Scottish brogue also make an appearance as the title character’s sworn enemy. It’s not bad overall, though I generally don’t take my Bard with nu metal. Your move, Harvey! [via Vulture]

'Avatar' Sequels Likely Set To 'Go' Next Year, Zoe Saldana Says

Anytime the entertainment news cycle shifts to focus on new information released about highly-anticipated movie sequels and threequels, (i.e. the buzzworthy new photos from "The Dark Knight Rises"), it gets us thinking about all the other exciting upcoming second, third or fourth chapters of film franchises. Take James Cameron's second and third "Avatar," films for example. When are they going to start production already? I tried to find out from lovely leading lady Zoe Saldana at the Teen Choice Awards yesterday. Specifically, I asked her if she's heard anything from Cameron yet. "No. I heard that we might go next year so I'm really psyched," Saldana revealed about a potential 2012 start. "I'm keeping my bags packed," she admitted. "I would do anything for that man and for that project, so I'm waiting." Us too. What we know about the next two "Avatar" films is not much. Cameron has said he plans to shoot the films back-to-back and that he is writing two stand-alone scripts for each film, which are tentatively titled "Avatar 2" and "Avatar 3." "Im writing two scripts, not one, which will complete a [three]-film story arc not really a trilogy, but just an overall character arc so Im pretty excited about that," he told Fox News in June. We also know a decent portion of the film's action will take place underwater, which, last time we checked, was proving to be quite the challenge for Cameron and his motion-capture experts. "'Avatar' does have some underwater stuff, but it will mostly involve characters that are the Na'vi and the Avatars," Cameron told MTV News earlier this year. "So we have to figure out how to do performance capture underwater, which has never been done. That's a whole other problem." What would you like to see in the "Avatar" sequels? Tell us in the comments or on Twitter!

Desperate Average women Creator: Cast Not Shocked By Decision To Finish Show

By Jolie LashLOS ANGELES, Calif. -- Desperate Average women creator Marc Cherry states his cast people were saddened, but certainly not hit when he spoke to most of them during the last couple of days to interrupt this news the show would finish its run in the finish from the 2011-2012 television season. Ive spoken to in excess of 1 / 2 of them. It had been really type of bittersweet and lovely, since the women understood it would be a possibility, however they didnt know [without a doubt], so there is a little shock, although not completely, Marc told reporters in the ABC part of the tv Experts Association Summer time Session in Beverly Hillsides on Sunday. On Sunday, ABC confirmed the gossips the show would finish after eight seasons about the air and Marc stated that because he spoke towards the cast, they believed happy with the job theyve done to date because they mind into what's going to certainly be their final residency on Wisteria Lane. With everybody I spoke into it only agreed to be like, Wow, look what weve done together, he recounted. People stated some very lovely items to me about how exactly I transformed their lives or careers and that i stated it back for them because what they've accomplished for me, as someone, was amazing and that i truly, truly love every single among the people I had been speaking to Friday. Marc stated Doug Savant, who plays Felicity Huffmans on the watch's screen husband, Tom Scavo, was a lot more than grateful. Doug Savant, he stated, Marc, so what can I actually do for everything youve accomplished for me? Im like, Just keep in contact for the following couple of decades. Hes been great. Lots of options are individuals who fill me track of a lot emotion inside, Marc ongoing. I really like my cast. Marc accepted he even considered a spin-off because hes become so near to Avoi Longoria, who plays Gabrielle Solis. During my phone conversation with Avoi [I joked], Im just gonna place you in a van and also have you solve mysteries, he chuckled. She's this type of pleasure and that we were both chuckled and also got just a little teary about the phone together. For the ultimate season, Marc stated it'll return to the mystery that opened up Season 1 the dying of Mary Alice Youthful (the voice of DH, Brenda Strong). Were returning towards the roots of Mary Alice, he stated. This feels suitable for the mystery which will take us out this season. The creator stated he also really wants to pay homage towards the stars that made an appearance on the program, that they needs includes the Edie Britt character, that was performed by Nicollette Sheridan. I have no idea generate an income would do this, Marc stated in reaction to some question from the reporter concerning the character returning or having to pay tribute to her. However I come with an idea going back episode, by which I wish to pay homage to everybody whos had the experience. Marc stated the choice to finish the show was collaboration between themself and also the ABC Entertainment Leader, Paul Lee. I believe the only real factor harder than developing a hit show, is understanding when you should finish it, particularly when you have, I believe probably the most amazing casts within the good reputation for television who still deliver amazing performances every week, Marc stated. Its something thats considered on my small mind for a long time now but because I've been employed in television for 23 years. Im extremely conscious of people overstaying their welcome implies that continue too lengthy the ones just ignore them, they drift away into nothing, after which theyre unceremoniously kicked off and I simply didnt want that to Desperate Average women, I took it out as the network still saw us like a viable show, in the end remained as succeeding within the rankings and that we remained as a pressure to become contended with, he ongoing. I took it in the classiest possible way. Copyright 2011 by NBC Universal, Corporation. All privileges reserved.These components might not be released, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Discovery Communications Second-Quarter Profit, Revenue Rise

NEW YORK - Discovery Communications on Thursday reported better-than-expected second-quarter earnings and revenue as it once again posted higher advertising and affiliate fee revenue. It also unveiled a $1 billion increase to its stock buyback program as media and entertainment companies continue to use cash to reward shareholders. During an earnings conference call, management said advertising trends remain strong early in the third quarter and highlighted that the company has not seen a deterioration amid renewed economic concerns that has left Wall Street wondering if the ad market could take a hit. Discovery president and CEO David Zaslav once again expressed confidence in the outlook for OWN, the joint venture network with Oprah Winfrey who recently took over as CEO and chief creative officer of the channel, which struggled in the ratings out of the gate after its January launch. And he said that Discovery is looking at possible content deals with digital distributors, such as Netflix and Amazon.com. "Her team is already working on creating compelling content for the network," Zaslav said about Winfrey and highlighted a "more robust" fall and spring programming lineup, including shows with Rosie O'Donnell and Winfrey. "All in, we are optimistic about the brand strength, content pipeline and ratings potential of the network." He was later asked what Winfrey's move into the CEO role means for Discovery Communications COO Peter Liguori who has served as interim CEO of OWN. Zaslav said Liguori has been freed up to re-focus on his broader Discovery responsibilities. Discussing The Hub, the kids joint venture network with toy giant Hasbro, he highlighted that June was its highest-rated month since December. Asked about potential deals with digital distributors, Zaslav said "we are talking to all of them," but the company is "working on getting the right value." Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes a day earlier had described his team's approach in similar ways. Discovery Communications, the parent company of the Discovery Channel, TLC and other networks, recorded a quarterly profit of $254 million, up 20 percent when excluding one-time items in the year-ago period. When including those year-ago items, earnings rose more than 70 percent. Discovery made an early debt payment that affected year-ago results. Revenue for the company rose 11 percent to 1.07 billion driven by a 20 percent gain at the firm's international networks and 6 percent growth at its U.S. channels. The financials exceeded Wall Street expectations. On the back of a U.S. ratings gain of 6 percent, U.S. advertising revenue grew 10 percent, with Discovery citing "increased pricing and higher sellouts." Zaslav lauded Discovery, buoyed by Deadliest Catch and news-related documentaries, such as one on the death of Osama bin Laden, and TLC as key ad contributors. International ad revenue jumped 25 percent. Discovery slightly raised its full-year revenue guidance range from $4.025 billion-$4.125 billion to $4.075 billion-$4.175 billion. It still targets 2011 earnings of $1 billion-$1.075 billion. "Discovery continues to deliver strong financial results, particularly across our unique international platform, as the depth and breadth of our content assets have enabled the company to capitalize on the sustained ad market strength worldwide as well as take advantage of the evolution of pay-tv across the globe," said Zaslav. "Our growth this past quarter was achieved despite continued strategic investments to further our competitive advantage both domestically and internationally." On Thursday's earnings call, Discovery management once again lauded its strong international growth and outlook, including the planned launch of several channel in India. Among its various networks and the cable industry overall, ID continues to be the fastest riser, Zaslav also told analysts. Primetime ratings were up so much in the second quarter that the network is now the 18th-ranked network for women 25-54, compared to its 26th rank previously. He predicted ad rate, affiliate fee and viewer upside for the network in the coming years. Zaslav also once again said there is upside for Discovery Channel under Eileen O'Neill, group president for the network and TLC. "Right now, Discovery is good," he said, adding that it could and should be better though. With a focus on storytelling and characters, he predicted the network could start exceeding market growth again. Email: Georg.Szalai@thr.com Twitter: @georgszalai Related Topics Discovery Communications