TVSquad

Melora Hardin, who plays Jan on NBC's The Office, recently opened up to TV Guide about her character, office romances, "Miley-gate," and The Office finale. Here's a few tidbits from the interview:

• About Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus, Hardin says that she's acting like a normal fifteen-year-old and "I think it's more a question of her handlers protecting her image."
• Melora Hardin also talks about her new movie (which her husband wrote and she directed) called You. It's a coming of age story about a father and daughter. Hardin, her husband, her parents, and her children are in it.
• Hardin admits that she herself has had an office relationship. Her husband! She met him at a wrap party, "So I guess you could consider that an office romance, being that wrap parties are part of my office setting."
  

Hugh Hefner, founder of Playboy Enterprises, has given his consent for Miley Cyrus to pose for the magazine that is the cornerstone of his empire. This is only once she's of legal age of course.

Miley Cyrus is the 15 year old daughter of Billy Ray Cyrus and star of the Disney Channel show Hannah Montana. She is already well on her way to becoming a billionaire and I don't think she needs the publicity.

Time's annual list of the 100 Most Influential People in the World is out, and for the third year in the row I just missed making the list (last year I was 103, this year I'm at 102, so I'm getting better!). The list is broken down into five different categories: Leaders & Revolutionaries, Heroes & Pioneers, Scientists & Thinkers, Artists & Entertainers, and Builders & Titans. This year, Miley Cyrus, Hannah Montana herself, is #59. And the weird thing is, it's under the Scientists & Thinkers category.

OK, that's not true (she's under Artists & Entertainers), but it got me thinking that there must really be a shortage of influential people in the world today.

Controversy continues to swirl around the Disney Channel's once-squeaky-clean Hannah Montana series. Now Kathy Griffin is telling Entertainment Weekly she was fired from the series for comments she made at last year's Creative Arts Emmys.

I dunno. Does "Suck it, Jesus! This award is my god now!" seem all that bad? That's probably one of the classier things the D-List comedian has ever said.

But Griffin didn't go quietly into the night, opting instead to fire off a few shots at the show's star, Miley Cyrus, whose racy Vanity Fair photos are making the water cooler rounds this week. "[She] has been flashing her green bra and posing topless," said Griffin. "I was basically told, 'Disney doesn't want you anywhere near the building.'"

(S04E19) "No more soda pop!" - Judge Clark Brown

Remember last week, when Alan and Denny made the joke about moving to Wednesdays? Remember how much I loved it? Well, I feel exactly the opposite about this week's version. Last week, the joke was so quick , it could have easily been missed. This week it was about as subtle as Denny Crane himself, Plus, it had the added bonus of already being done.

I don't know what was more underwhelming, the guest appearance of Christine Ebersole or her lame cloned meat case. For a show that has had awesome guest actresses like Missi Pyle, Gail O' Grady and Betty White, the star of Rachel Gunn RN is not an impressive get.

"Penis Theft Panic Update": An update on the ever-popular story about the Congolese penis theft scare. You may not have asked for it, but you know you totally wanted it. The update, I mean, not the weird penis-stealing sorcery. Was the light really supposed to go completely out for Jon's spell-chanting? I think that was the part that made the metal drop in the next segment. Jon's really more powerful than he lets on, for the best black sorcerers are always the tiny Jewish ones.

Miley Cyrus is doing mea culpas all over the news about the racy photo shoot in Vanity Fair, basically saying she's embarrassed, but blaming Annie Leibovitz for the pictures. Umm, Miley, you were there. You could have said, "Oh, no, I won't do photos like that cause I'm a Disney girl and Hannah Montana can't do that, get it?" Whatever. Her story is getting press, but it's another Disney Channel star, Brenda Song, who's filed a lawsuit. She really has a reason to gripe.

Brenda Song, who co-stars on The Suite Life of Zack & Cody as London Tipton -- sort of a Blair Warner for today's teens (and if you don't know Blair Warner, you never watched The Facts of Life), has filed a lawsuit with a company that used her image in an escort service print ad that appeared in L.A. Weekly.

In the pictures, taken by Annie Leibovitz, 15 year old Miley appears to be topless, covered by a blanket. Now hackles are raised in all corners. Vanity Fair insists that Miley's parents were on set and approved of the photos. Other sources say her parents left before those shots were taken. Disney weighs in saying Miley was manipulated in order to sell magazines. And the voice of reason, oddly enough me in this case, would like to add, "Who the hell takes topless, or implied topless, pictures of a 15 year old girl in the first place?" Right? Shouldn't the whole thing have been avoided with basic common sense?

As our own Jonathan Toomey has reported, Miley Cyrus, age 15, has signed a book deal with The Disney Book Group.

The book is said to be focused on Cyrus's relationship with her mother, and to emphasize how important Cyrus's family is to her. This is surely gripping material that can fill an entire book. Why, with the exception of some books by a little-known author named Laura Ingalls Wilder, I don't think we have any books about teenage girls and how important their families are to them.

Some have questioned what a 15-year-old girl could possibly fill a memoir with at such a tender age. Let's take a look at some possible book chapters:

Well, this is just poor timing. Today is Earth Day and now comes word that Miley Cyrus (aka Hannah Montana) plans to kill thousands of trees by writing a memoir.

Is this really necessary? Talk about a waste of paper. Typically, I expect someone to be a seasoned individual with years of experience behind them before they tackle writing a book like this. Isn't that what usually dictates the necessity of a memoir? Years and years of endless stories coupled with expert and unique wisdom? Miley Cyrus hasn't even turned 16 yet!

According to the AP, the memoir will focus on the solid relationship that Cyrus shares with her mother, Leticia. I'm sure it's really great. Between her TV gig, the concert tours, and now this book deal, I bet Miley has oodles of time to spend with her mother fostering a relationship that all young girls can look up to. No word on whether or not the book will address how Cyrus' father, Billy Ray, has expertly branded his daughter into a household name that fits right in with Coca-Cola, Kleenex, and Microsoft.

[via AOL TV]

Edward Wyatt's New York TImes piece questioned whether NBC crossed the line by broadcasting racy material in the "family hour." On both 30 Rock and The Office, the writers let loose, basically presenting what you might call adult rated moments in what NBC asserts is family time. All I have to say to that is, "What? There's a family hour? Since when?" Apparently, I wasn't the only one caught off guard by the raunchiness of the family hour. The Parents Television Council just today rescinded their praise for NBC's claim that programs in the 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. time period would target families. PTC is calling NBC's pledge "hypocritical."

Here are the weekly cable ratings, by number of viewers.

I just realized that I don't watch any of the shows in this week's top ten cable ratings. I mean, yeah, I've seen episodes of Law and Order: SVU and SpongeBob SquarePants in the past but they aren't shows I watch regularly. As for Monday Night RAW, Hannah Montana, iCarly, and Ella Enchanted...well, they're not really made for me I guess.

I think the last time something was in the top ten here that I watch regularly was Burn Notice.

1. Monday Night RAW (USA)
2. Monday Night RAW (USA)

May I please have the attention of all of those parents who have taken out a second mortgage from purchasing anything and everything related to the Disney supermega-hit Hannah Montana. Are you all reading this? Good. I am letting you know beforehand that you will probably need to take a third mortgage out because the supermega-hot Jonas Brothers are coming to the Disney Channel in a regular series.

Uh, could we get some cold towels and smelling salts out there for the parents, please? Thank you.

As the Academy Award presentation approaches, that can only mean one thing -- time for a new Barbara Walters special. Yes, yes, what matters most before the big show isn't the red carpet and the fashions, it's who will Barbara be interviewing for her annual Oscar edition? Ms. Walters has four biggies lined up for the Sunday, February 24th (7:00-8:00 p.m. ET) broadcast. Oscar nominee Ellen Page, star of Juno; Indiana Jones, himself, Harrison Ford; Ugly Betty diva, Vanessa Williams; and Hannah Montana/teen queen Miley Cyrus. It's an eclectic group, to say the least, but then, that's Baba Wawa's formula for success, is it not? After all, this is her 27th straight year doing a pre-Oscar special.

I guess that question is for all of the 9 year old girls reading this (believe it or not, girls 12 and under are our biggest demo) and not any of the 40 year old men who are reading this. Though after the various things that dads (and moms) have done recently to get tickets for their daughters, maybe it's a question for them too.

Disney is teaming up with Wal-Mart to unleash 140 different Hannah Montana items that they will sell in specially-designed "mini-stores" at 750 Wal-Mart locations. The items include wigs, clothing, glasses, and even cupcakes. Yes, cupcakes.