'The Franchise' goes inside with Miami Marlins' Ozzie Guillen

Showtime is starting to promote its baseball reality series, "The Franchise: A Season with the Miami Marlins," with a preview this weekend that will air just a few days after the return of the team's manager, Ozzie Guillen, who was suspended for five games because of his comments praising Fidel Castro.

The 30-minute preview will air Saturday and include the events surrounding Guillen's suspension.

The controversial manager returned to the team Tuesday after being suspended for telling Time magazine he loves Castro and respects the retired Cuban dictator for staying in power so long.

At a news conference, Guillen maintained that his statement was misinterpreted by the reporter, and that he doesn't admire or love Castro. Still, he apologized and said he'll do what he can to repair relations with Cuban Americans furious with his comments.

Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig called Guillen's statements to the magazine "offensive to an important part of the Cuban community and others throughout the world" and said they "have no place in our game."

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Photo: Miami Marlins Manager Ozzie Guillen during a news conference in which he apologized for remarks praising Fidel Castro. Credit: Lynne Sladky / Associated Press

  

 

'Judge Judy' and her bailiff 'Byrd' are atop the syndication world

Since she first arrived on the daytime scene in 1996 and upended the staid court-TV genre with her suffer-no-fools attitude, "Judge Judy" Sheindlin has been a  hit. The sharp-tongued judge has had one constant by her side: Petri Hawkins Byrd,the solidly built, deep-voiced court bailiff who has one of TV's most interesting occupations: He is the guard dog to the pit bull.

Their palpable chemistry, illustrated by sly asides and knowing glances, is one of the key components of "Judge Judy," which has become the undisputed champ of the syndication world, outdistancing favorites such as "Wheel of Fortune" and "Jeopardy." He has been on the show since day one, and worked with Sheindlin as a bailiff when she was a justice in Manhattan Family Court.

The bailiff known as "Byrd" also has an outsized personality: He's a comedian at heart and has performed at "smooth jazz" concerts. He's acquired his own following, complete with a contingent of fans who ask for autographs and imitate his signature gesture — a two-fingered summons to the litigants to enter the courtroom and plead their case.

For more on Byrd and "Judge Judy," read this feature.

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Photo: "Judge Judy" Sheindlin tries one of her cases as bailiff Petri Hawkins Byrd and an unidentified cameraman look on. Credit: Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times

Charlie Sheen reunites with Denise Richards on 'Anger Management'

Charlie Sheen and Denise Richards: Reunited and it feels so good?

The battling exes are on much happier terms these days — so much so that FX has confirmed reports that Richards is scheduled to appear with Sheen on his upcoming series, "Anger Mangement."

The series, which is scheduled to premiere June 28, features Sheen as a washed-up minor league baseball player who becomes a nontraditional psychotherapist.

Richards, who also appeared on Sheen's former show, "Two and a Half Men," when they were still married, will play Lori, the new business partner of Sheen's onscreen ex, played by Shawnee Smith.

Network executives said they did not know how many episodes Richards would appear in.

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Photo: Denise Richards and Charlie Sheen in 2003. Photo credit: Paul Skipper/Associated Press.

Television Academy Honors salutes 'Harry's Law,' other projects

The fifth annual Television Academy Honors, created to celebrate projects that use the power of television to create positive social change, will salute several projects, including NBC's "Harry's Law" and TNT's canceled "Men of a Certain Age."

The awards, sponsored by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, were announced by Dana Delaney, who will host the awards ceremony May 2 at the Beverly Hills Hotel.

Honorees include the "Head Games" episode of "Harry's Law," which dealt with football-related head injuries to young athletes, and the "Let The Sunshine In" episode of "Men of A Certain Age," which underscored the importance of males of getting annual checkups to address health issues early.

Other shows being honored include HBO's documentary "Hot Coffee," PBS' "Women, War & Peace" and FX's "Rescue Me."

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Photo: Kathy Bates in "Harry's Law." Credit: Jordan Althaus / NBC

Did 'Khloe & Lamar' help kick Lamar Odom out of the game in Dallas?

Is there a Kardashian Kurse?

The question will probably be asked by viewers now that former Los Angeles Lakers star Lamar Odom is also a former Dallas Mavericks player. Odom, husband of Khloe Kardashian, and the world champion Mavericks have announced they are parting ways after Odom's lackluster play and emotional roller coaster this season.

"The Mavericks and I have mutually agreed that it's in the best interest of both parties for me to step away from the team," Odom said in a statement to ESPN.com. "I'm sorry that things didn't work out better for both of us, but I wish the Mavs' organization, my teammates and Dallas fans nothing but continued success in the defense of their championship."

Could E! Entertainment's "Khloe & Lamar," the reality show, be blamed for Odom's decline?

Speculation is already circling. Sports radio talk Dan Patrick said the series is at least partially to blame for distracting Odom. And reports circulated last month in gossip magazines that Odom was upset with the show, which was in production during his trade, the couple's fertility issues and their move to Dallas.

"Khloe & Lamar" escalated the star profile of Odom last season, and he excelled on the team while winning the NBA's Sixth Man award. Though the show was clearly not a distraction last season, it may come under a spotlight as one of the main causes for Odom's misfortunes this season.

Athletes who have become involved with the Kardashians have hit bumpy roads. Kris Humphries of the New Jersey Nets is often booed by crowds following his short-lived marriage to Kim Kardashian. And football star Reggie Bush's career has somewhat stalled following his breakup with Kim following a long romance that was also the focus of a reality show, "Keeping Up With the Kardashians"

What do  you think? Is the Kardashian Kurse Kontinuing?

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PHOTO: Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom after he won the Sixth Man Award in 2011

Credit: Rick Loomis/Los Angeles Times

 

 

 

 

Dick Wolf and Mark Burnett team up for new NBC reality series

Two of TV's elite producers — Dick Wolf and Mark Burnett — are joining forces for a new NBC reality show revolving around military veterans and active-duty servicemen and servicewomen training celebrities.

Wolf ("Law & Order," "Law & Order: SVU") and Burnett ("Survivor," "The Voice"), will be executive producers of the show, which has the working title "Stars Earn Stripes."

In the series, nine celebrities will gather at a top-notch, secret training facility. Each will be paired with a trainer assigned to prepare his or her celebrity for the weekly challenge. Those challenges will be adapted from real exercises drawn from all five branches of the armed services, as well as joint ops and Special Forces.

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Photo: Dick Wolf. Credit: Richard Hartog / Los Angeles Times

Whitney Houston's daughter Bobbi Kristina cast in Tyler Perry TBS sitcom

Bobbi Kristina Brown, the 19-year-old daughter of recently deceased singer Whitney Houston, has been cast in a recurring role on Tyler Perry's TBS sitcom, "For Better or Worse."

A representative for Perry confirmed the casting but provided no other details about the role or when Bobbi Kristina, whose father is singer Bobby Brown, would appear on the series, which revolves around a married couple played by Michael Jai White and Tasha Smith. The comedy, which debuted last year, is based on characters introduced in Perry's film "Why Did I Get Married?"

Bobbi Kristina, who apparently has no professional acting experience, was interviewed last month by Oprah Winfrey on OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network.

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Photo: Bobbi Kristina, left, daughter of Whitney Houston, is interviewed by Oprah Winfrey on "Oprah's Next Chapter." Credit: Harpo Inc. / Associated Press

 

Chris Rock returns to late night with new FX comedy series

Chris Rock, who used to have a late-night series on HBO, steps back into that arena with a new FX series that will feature comedian W. Kamau Bell.

Rock is to be executive producer for the "Untitled Chris Rock/W. Kamau Bell Late Night Show," which is scheduled to premiere this summer on the cable network with six installments. Plans call for the weekly half-hour series to feature Bell dissecting pop culture, race, politics, religion, the media and sex.

Bell is a founding member of the comedy group Laughter Against the Machine and has a popular comedy album, "Face Full of Flour."

FX executive vice president of original programming Nick Grad called Kamau "a tremendous young comedian who has a very smart and sharp take on life. Working with Chris will only bring out the best of his talents."

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Photo: Chris Rock at the Paris premiere of "Two Days in New York." Credit: Pascal Le Segretain / Getty Images

OWN gets record ratings with Whitney Houston family interview

OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network has not had much to brag about in its first year of programming, with a stream of management upheavals and lackluster ratings.

But the network scored a major victory Sunday, attracting its highest-rated telecast ever with Winfrey's interview of the late Whitney Houston's daughter Bobbi Kristina and her family on "Oprah's Next Chapter."

The episode was watched by 3.5 million total viewers. The previous high for the network was the Jan. 8 installment of "Oprah's Next Chapter" that featured an interview with pastor Joel Osteen.

In the interview, Bobbi Kristina told Oprah that she's still dealing with the grief while living at her mother's home near Atlanta, Georgia. "Sometimes, it's so surreal. I still walk into the house like, 'Mom?'" she said. "But I've accepted it.'"

The teenager also revealed that she slept over with her mother the night before she died. "I slept in her arms all day, all night long," Brown said.

In addition to Brown, Oprah also interviewed Houston family members Pat, the singer's sister-in-law and manager and Gary Houston, the singer's brother.

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Photo: Oprah Winfrey, left, talks with Bobbi Kristina, the daughter of late singer Whitney Houston, on "Oprah's Next Chapter." Credit: Harpo Inc. / Associated Press

'Justified' renewed by FX for fourth season

The man with the hat will be back.

"Justified," the FX drama starring Timothy Olyphant as Deputy U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens, a smooth-talking lawman who wears a white hat, has been renewed for a fourth season. The cable network ordered 13 episdoes of the series that features Givens, a character based on an Elmore Leonard short story.

" 'Justified' is one of television's best series, and this season has reinforced that excellence," said Nick Grad, FX's executive vice president of original programming. "[Executive producer] Graham Yost and his writing team continue to deliver compelling material and richly drawn characters brought to life by the brilliance of Timothy Olyphant and our terrific ensemble cast."

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Photo: Timothy Olyphant in "Justified." Credit: Prashant Gupta / FX.

KFI apologizes but promises little in letter about John and Ken furor

Executives at KFI-AM (640) have responded apologetically to a coalition of black leaders angered over derogatory comments made by controversial afternoon hosts John Kobylt and Ken Chiampou about the late singer Whitney Houston but fell short of agreeing to the groups' pleas for more diversity on-air and in the station's newsroom.

In a two-page "memoradum to the Los Angeles community," program director Robin Bertolucci and fellow executives said, "We've heard your voice" and appreciate the comments and criticisms regarding the outspoken views of the afternoon team and other hosts. "We have already improved our policies" and are making additional changes "that will be long lasting and fruitful for the entire community," the memo said.

The memo pointed out that John and Ken have previously apologized for their "insensitive comments" on Feb. 16 about Houston, including referring to the singer as a "crack 'ho." The station suspended the team for seven days. They returned to the air Monday and apologized again.

The memo said that John and Ken would participate in "cultural sensitivity training furthering their awareness of the cultural melting pot of Los Angeles."

Although representatives of the Los Angeles Urban League and other activists had asked KFI in a meeting at the station on Monday to increase diversity, executives made no specific commitments. Measures offered in the memo included expanding KFI's internship program to target minority students and finding "a platform for auditioning a diverse group of local hosts and guests."

L.C. "Chris" Strudwick-Turner of the Los Angeles Urban League, who attended the meeting, said KFI's memo marked "an initial step" but ultimately had "no teeth and no accountability." Strudwick-Turner, who is the organization's vice president of marketing and communications, said the Urban League would be establishing a "watchdog group to find out how to make this have some teeth."

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Photo: KFI's Ken Chiampou, left, and John Kobylt during a live show in Fullerton in October. Credit: Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times.

 

 

Bristol Palin joins Lifetime for new docuseries about her life

Bristol Palin is following in her mother's footsteps, starring in her own reality show.

The daughter of former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin will be the focus of "Bristol Palin: Life's a Tripp," a Lifetime docuseries that the network says will offer "an exclusive, rare glimpse into Bristol Palin's real life as a young single mother forging her own way into the world while living under the constant spotlight as a member of one of America's most high-profile families."

A Lifetime release said that the show will feature "never-before-granted access to Bristol's real-life experiences growing into womanhood," and will show her adjusting to life in Alaska, as she raises her toddler Tripp and deals with her family. "Steadfastly moving forward both personally and professionally, Bristol will be confronted by the many difficult life decisions people must make regarding parenthood, family, relationships and career."

Ten half-hour episodes have been ordered. No air date has yet been announced.

The Lifetime series will be the second reality show involving Palin. A previous Bio Channel series, in which she moved to Los Angeles with her son to live with fellow "Dancing With the Stars" contestant Kyle Massey, never aired. The series was to have shown Palin working at a small charity.

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Photo: Bristol Palin with her former boyfriend Levi Johnston at 2008 GOP convention. Credit: Shawn Thew / European Pressphoto Agency