NBC axes 'Bent,' 'Awake,' 'Chelsea,' 'Best Friends Forever'

Four of NBC's freshman shows won't be returning to prime time.

The casualties include three comedies — "Bent," "Are You There, Chelsea?" and "Best Friends Forever." All three shows premiered in midseason and drew mediocre ratings.

The network has also canceled "Awake," which starred Jason Isaacs as a detective caught between two realities.

[Update: 2:44 p.m.: NBC just announced it has also canned "Harry's Law," which is actually one of its most-watched shows.]

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— Greg Braxton

Photo: Laura Prepon, left, and Chelsea Handler in NBC's "Are You There, Chelsea?" It's one of the shows the network has canceled. Credit: NBC.

Late Night: Jennifer Lawrence and bladder chatter on 'Chelsea'

 

This week, "Hunger Games" actress Jennifer Lawrence has been on a whirlwind bicoastal talk-show tour promoting the destined-to-be-a-blockbuster movie. On Tuesday, Lawrence charmed David Letterman by telling him how the red carpet turns her into a nervous, incontinent Chihuahua, and last night on "Chelsea Lately," she more than held her own with the saucy Ms. Handler. 

Given both of Handler's well-documented scatological fixations, it wasn't surprising that the interview included a lot of potty talk. (The faint of heart should probably avoid the above video.) "You pee in your pants when you laugh too hard?" Handler asked. 

Lawrence explained that, yes, she actually has bladder control issues, but only when she's scared. "That’s the biggest difference between you and I," she claimed, suggesting Handler start "exercising [her] vagina" in order to prevent further accidents.

"My publicist is going crazy right now," Lawrence said. Surely, it wouldn't be the first time.

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-- Meredith Blake

twitter.com/MeredithBlake

 

 

Mitt Romney-Rick Santorum debate ratings on CNN beat NBC lineup

The Mitt 'n' Rick Show is so entertaining, maybe they should make a regular series out of it. It already has NBC beat.

At least that was the case Wednesday night, when the GOP presidential debate featuring a showdown between Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum delivered 4.7-million total viewers for CNN, according to Nielsen.

Unfortunately for NBC, that was more than the audience for its entire struggling prime-time lineup between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m.: the sitcoms "Whitney" (4.1 million) and "Are You There, Chelsea?" (3.4 million) and the newsmagazine "Rock Center With Brian Williams" (2.7 million).

Ouch.

The CNN face-off was far from the most-watched debate. A December outing on ABC, when the GOP field had more active candidates (it's now down to four), scored 7.6 million viewers.

Still, the Republican debates have proved to be a ratings draw the past few months. Too bad for TV executives that Wednesday's outing was supposedly the last of 20.

What did you think of the debate?

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-Scott Collins (twitter.com/scottcollinsLAT)

Photo: Rick Santorum, left, and Mitt Romney squared off in Wednesday's GOP presidential debate on CNN. Credit: Jae C. Hong / Associated Press.

 

Jenny McCarthy's not-so-amazing journey: From Oprah to NBC to VH1

Frequent Oprah Winfrey guest and protege Jenny McCarthy made headlines last year when she abruptly abandoned Winfrey's fledgling basic cable channel. McCarthy had been developing a series for OWN, but reportedly became frustrated with the network's creative team and decided to leave, taking her project with her.

Reports then said McCarthy -- who broke through in the 1990s by combining a bouncy personality, sex appeal and a crude, over-the-top comedic style -- was taking her show to NBC.

But less than a year later, McCarthy is winding up back at basic cable. VH1 has announced it is developing "The Jenny McCarthy Show, which a news release says will "celebrate as well as skewer everyone and everything in pop culture, news, fashion TV, movies and the Web." The show, still in the early stages of development, is scheduled to premiere in the summer or fall of this year.

There was no indication why McCarthy, who used to be romantically linked with Jim Carrey, didn't land at NBC. But that network already has a full stable of attractive brash comediennes, including Whitney Cummings and Chelsea Handler as well as Sarah Silverman, who is developing a comedy for NBC.

Also, although McCarthy and her wacky, sexy persona has been featured in recurring guest shots on "Two and a Half Men" as one of Charlie Sheen's lovers and on "Just Shoot Me," she has never broken through in a lead role despite several attempts. She had a short-lived sitcom on NBC in the late 1990s. "Dirty Love," the 2005 film which she co-wrote and starred in, scored several Razzie awards, including "Worst Picture" and "Worst Actress" for McCarthy.

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-- Greg Braxton

Photo: Jenny McCarthy at the American Music Awards in November. Credit: Chris Pizzello / Associated Press

 

Late Night: Chelsea Handler, Emmy Rossum swap leg-shaving tales

With most of her male competitors still on vacation, Chelsea Handler had the late-night airwaves almost entirely to herself on Monday night. "Shameless" star Emmy Rossum stopped by for a chat and, appropriately enough, talk turned to a rather girly subject: leg shaving. 

One day, Rossum was prepping for a nude scene in her trailer when 12-year-old co-star Emma Kenney popped by. Thinking nothing of it, Rossum showed the tween how to shave her legs. It wasn't until later, when Rossum told her mother about the interaction, that she realized she might have crossed a line. "You robbed her mother of that experience!" Rossum's mother scolded her. "She's becoming a woman, you're taking it away from her!"

Unlike Rossum, whose first leg-shaving experience is commemorated in a Polariod, Handler's memories are not quite as cheerful. "I shaved my legs by myself without any soap or water for the first time," she explained.

"Just dry?" Rossum asked in horror.

Late Night: Elizabeth Banks makes Chelsea Handler's dreams come true

If you've never confused Chelsea Handler and actress Elizabeth Banks, it's not too late to start. (No matter that funnyman Chris Rock and a bunch of bloggers are apparently way ahead of you.)

"Elizabeth Banks is on tonight's show, so all my dreams have come true; I can now say I've interviewed myself," Handler tweeted before Banks slipped into the chair across from her on E!'s "Chelsea Lately" Monday night.

She wasn't kidding. The two blond sylphs could surely pass for sisters, if not twins. And it's an association each of them has apparently had a little fun with.

Banks shared that, at one point, when she was at the Toronto Film Festival promoting a movie, a fan came up to get her autograph for his girlfriend and it turned out he had her confused with Handler. "I couldn't ruin it for him," she said, so she passed herself off as Handler.

Handler, meanwhile, said she pulled a similar trick at the White House Correspondents Dinner, when Fox News host Bill O'Reilly had her cornered. "I said, 'I think you're confusing me with Elizabeth Banks,' because I wanted to get the ... away from him."

What's more, Handler told Banks, "if I ever get caught with a bad shot or an underwear shot or going to the bathroom in public, I'm just going to blame you."

"It's fine," Banks responded. "I blame Rachel McAdams, so it's all good. We just pass it on."



-- Amy Reiter

About (Late) Last Night: Rosario Dawson reveals her Burning Man plan [Video]

On Tuesday night, Rosario Dawson stopped by "Chelsea Lately" to plug her new movie, "Zookeeper," but truth be told, she was more enthusiastic about another project she has in the works.

This Labor Day, rather than spending a relaxing weekend at the beach, she and 50,000 of her closest friends will be radically expressing themselves in the remote Nevada desert at Burning Man. Dawson, who's attended the weeklong event four previous times, explained its appeal to Chelsea Handler.

"I love that there's no cellphone reception for an entire week, I love that you're in this beautiful desert with all these really fun people with gorgeous art everywhere," Dawson said.

"I would go, but is it like really hot? Because I think I might be going through menopause," Handler quipped.

It is hot, but Dawson has an unconventional plan in the works to beat the heat: A misting tent shaped like a vagina.

"Every year has a theme and this year's theme is rite of passage," she said. "It's the first time I'm inspired to make a tent or do something, so I'm going to  make a big misting vagina, and that will keep you cool."

Though she was intrigued by Dawson's project, Handler provided some constructive criticism. "I've never heard of cold air coming out of a vagina," she said. "If you could build a penis, I might come."

-- Meredith Blake

twitter.com/MeredithBlake

About (Late) Last Night: Johnny Knoxville might never say 'ma'am' again

"Jackass 3D" made $50 million in its opening weekend and somehow Johnny Knoxville still can't catch a break. After years of risking bodily harm for laughs -- hear of his ill-fated motorcycle back-flip in the clip above -- Knoxville experienced one of the greatest dangers of all last night: the wrath of Chelsea Handler.

Handler called the antics of Knoxville and crew "so dumb and ridiculous," but congratulated the wily ringleader on his great success, as well as his recent marriage and a new baby. Oh, the joys of fatherhood. "You have a 14-year-old daughter, is that right?" Handler asked.

"Yes ma'am," said Knoxville. The next split second felt like an eternity.

"Please don't call me ma'am," Handler snapped, looking legitimately bothered and darting a look at the camera. "I'm from the South!" Knoxville exclaimed. "I know, I know, but I'm not," said Handler curtly.

"OK, all right," was all he could muster. Tough guy that he is, Knoxville's tail was between his legs.

Gathering himself, Knoxville went on to speak with pride of his teenage daughter, and while he insisted stunts were off-limits for his little girl, he bragged about her ability to pull pranks on grown men, just like her old man.

Hopefully, moving forward, he'll also teach her that along with manners come some caveats, like never calling Chelsea Handler "ma'am." Because though Knoxville bravely listed his recent injuries -- concussion, whiplash, dislocated shoulder, stitches, missing teeth -- hell hath no fury like a late-night host scorned.

-- Joe Coscarelli

Chelsea Handler is hosting the MTV Video Music Awards. Help us dream up the possibilities.

As the TV industry waits with bated breath to see whether the 62nd annual Emmy Awards will be yet another case of déjà vu with "Mad Men" and "30 Rock" up for best drama and comedy, respectively, the music industry has a more pressing matter on its hands: Will Chuy Bravo be making an appearance at the MTV Video Music Awards? Even more pressing: What will he wear? 

After all, the TV sidekick is the only logical escort for his boss, Chelsea Handler, who announced Wednesday on her E! talk show, "Chelsea Lately," that she will be hosting the VMAs. 

“Everyone knows that when you think of rap music and hip-hop, you think of 'Chelsea Lately,' " Handler deadpanned. "And that's why I will be hosting."

She’s already proven that she’s well-versed with MTV’s programming, having “Jersey Shore’s” the Situation, Snooki and Pauly D as guests on her show earlier this year. And she also has welcomed music stars who run the gamut from Justin Bieber and Mary J. Blige to Ludacris. But will Handler’s crude humor turn into ratings gold for the network? 

It’s the first time the L.A.-based comedian will host the awards show, airing live from Los Angeles on Sept. 12. Last year’s ceremony, which was hosted by Russell Brand and featured an unexpected (and highly awkward) rant by Kanye West, averaged just less than 9 million viewers on the network — the largest since 2004 but still not quite the ratings juggernaut it once was for the network. But with West and Handler’s boy toy Bieber in attendance, Handler is likely to have a few tricks up her comedic sleeve throughout the night. 

Which has us thinking: Which "Chelsea Lately" bits — if any — might she incorporate into the event?

Chelsea Handler withholds talk about sex tape

Chelsea Handler didn't appear to have a headache.

But for some reason, the host of E's "Chelsea Lately" did not follow through on her promise to talk about her "sex tape" during her weekend concert at the Gibson Amphitheatre at Universal City.

Handler's concert before an adoring, predominantly female audience was her first public appearence since last week's revelation of a sex tape made a decade ago when she was a fledgling comedian.

Handler said during her show last week that the tape was a joke intended for an audition. During her Gibson show, she joked about her sidekick Chuy making a pornographic movie and referenced her own "sex tape," saying, "I'll get to that in a bit."

But Handler never mentioned her tape again, focusing on humorous -- and frequently raunchy -- tales about her family and personal life while taking some vicious jabs at Angelina Jolie, Jennifer Lopez and her former boyfriend Ted Harbert, president and chief executive of the Comcast Entertainment Group, which oversees the E cable network. She also squeezed in several plugs for her current bestseller, "Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang."

— Greg Braxton