TVSquad

Here Come the Newlyweds, a new reality series in which freshly married couples compete for a cash prize, has been picked up by ABC for six episodes.

The series, created by Jay Blumenfield and Tony Marsh, is being pitched as a nicer reality series, one that focuses more on the humorous aspects of (newly) married life and not so much on exploiting human drama and misery. The couples facing off on the series include an arranged marriage, high school sweethearts and divorcees each on their fourth marriage.

HBO has just announced that they are going to take Richard Ford's acclaimed trilogy of books, The Sportswriter, Independence Day, and Lay of the Land, and turn them into a six hour miniseries titled The Sportswriter.

The books focus on sportswriter Frank Bascombe and the problems he has in his life. The books cover everything from Vietnam to 9/11 and so will the miniseries. It will be directed by James Mangold (Men In Trees, Identity, Walk The Line) and written by Mark Bomback, who also wrote the upcoming third Die Hard movie with Bruce Willis and Justin Long.

This should be an interesting miniseries, especially if they get someone good to play Bascombe and stick close to the books. I've only read The Sportswriter. It's quite good.

[via TV Tattle]

I'm torn: is a reality show about divorcees helping their ex-spouses find a new love really uplifting or really creepy and disturbing?

I guess it doesn't matter what I think, because Bravo has given the "go ahead" to Take My Ex, a new reality series pilot in which divorced couples help their former spouses find love again. After all, who better to find you the man or woman of your dreams than the person you divorced because they themselves couldn't meet your emotional needs?

(S11E04)

Lucky: I'm not sayin' stumpin' isn't risky. When you're out there with nothing but chains, beer and a winch you could rip your arm off and there ain't no one out there to sue.

Hank wasn't featured much in this episode, and that's rare. It seems that even when the plot doesn't revolve around Hank, he still serves as the lone voice of reason that helps maintain some semblance of sanity and common sense among his friends and family. Ultimately, he's the one that helps guide the story to its conclusion. This episode, however, focused on Luanne and Lucky, two people who pretty much live by their own code, which doesn't leave much room for Hank or anyone else. It also left us viewers with a nice little story about the compromises and sacrifices one has to make when they decide to spend their lives with someone.

(S18E15) Seriously, what is it with Grandpa Simpson falling for Marge's family members? In season five he almost marries her mother, and last night he puts the moves on Selma. Talk about a lot of weird Thanksgivings.

This episode had some good laughs, but overall I wasn't too impressed. The secondary story involving Bart and Lisa building a gigantic castle out of cardboard boxes from ASS --which stood for "American Shipping Services," and is not, as one truck indicates, affiliated with the human ass-- and fighting an apocalyptic battle with the men in brown was more entertaining than the main story, in my opinion.

• Joe Mantegna, on starter wives: "I've been on the same starter wife for 32 years."
• Joe Mantegna: on hearing writer and executive producer Josann McGibbon say that she'd been bitten by a leech in Australia, but that it wouldn't have happened in Los Angeles: "Did you just say there's no leeches in L.A.?!"

If ever a subject of this PBS documentary showcase series lived up to the title "Independent Lens," it's eighteen year old Shadya Zoabi. Shadya is a Muslim Arab living in Israel, a beautiful, athletic and headstrong girl who loves karate and who has very little interest in following the typical Muslim path of becoming a servant and housekeeper. Throughout the film, Shadya's feminist views clash with those of her older brothers, the eldest of which insists Shadya must give up karate and behave in a manner more fitting to Muslim customs and laws. Shadya, meanwhile, flaunts her independence at every turn. She even gives up praying because she says she hasn't got the time.

Yup, the two have been dating since 2004.

The reality show king and the former star of Touched By An Angel have gotten engaged, officially. I knew that Burnett was divorced, but I didn't know that Downey has been married twice before, once to actor Leland Orser (currently Dr. Dubenko on ER) and once to director David Anspaugh (Rudy, Hoosiers, Miami Vice, Hill Street Blues, E-Ring, The Bedford Diaries).

I wonder if Burnett will turn this into another show. There's no wedding date yet, but I'm sure the couple will honeymoon on some beautiful desert island, where they will be immediately separated into two different tribes and forced to compete against each other in races, puzzle-making, and the eating of monkey testicles.

[via TV Tattle]