Friday, March 9, 2012

VH1 and TVGuide.com To Host Live Web Speak With Mob Wives' Renee Graziano

The Trammps (Jimmy Ellis, bottom right) Jimmy Ellis, charge singer in the Trammps, the music activity group that prominent the seventies anthem "Disco Inferno," has died. He was 74. Ellis died in the Rock Hill, S.C. seniors proper care of complications from Alzheimer's disease, his daughter told The NY Occasions. See other stars we lost this year Born in Sc, Ellis produced The Trammps at the begining of seventies. The band's first recording, a remake of "Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart," showed up at No. 17 round the R&B charts. Their finest hit showed up 1977 when their single "Disco Inferno" was applied inside the film Saturday Evening Fever. The song showed up at No. 11 round the Billboard pop chart as well as the movie's soundtrack rose to No. 1. The album later won the Grammy for album of year in 1979. Have a look at really current day news Ellis is managed to get by his wife, two children, three brothers and sisters, one sister, eight grandchildren and a pair of great-grandchildren.

Monday, March 5, 2012

TV pilot casting eyes finish line

PanettiereLiuHirschKrumholtzSpiroPerryDriverStilesSiglerWith the end finally starting to come into view for broadcast TV pilot casting, Minnie Driver, Judd Hirsch, David Krumholtz, Lucy Liu, Hayden Panettiere, Matthew Perry, Jamie Lynn Sigler, Jordana Spiro and Julia Stiles are among the latest names to board projects.Here's a network-by-network rundown of recent castings:ABCPanettiere ("Heroes") and Robert Wisdom ("The Wire") will journey to "Nashville," from Callie Khouri and R.J. Cutler.F. Murray Abraham ventured into ABC's "Beauty and the Beast," with previously announced Chris Egan and also featuring Darius Campbell, Ruth Bradley ("Primeval") and Meegan Warner. Martin Landau, Linus Roache, Laila Robins and Monique Curnen ("Lie to Me") will be in the untitled good vs. evil project from Roland Emmerich and Harold Kloser.Emilie De Ravin ("Lost"), Ashley Greene, Annabeth Gish and Tiffany Hines ("Nikita") broadened the ensemble for fashion design drama "Americana," with Anthony LaPaglia. Karinne Vanasse, of ABC's fading drama "Pan Am," joined "Scruples," an adaptation of the 1978 book from Bob Brush and Mel Harris with Natalie Portman also among the exec producers. Noot Seear also was cast.Rachael Taylor ("Charlie's Angels") joined supernatural drama "666 Park Avenue" with Terry O'Quinn and Dave Annable, while period drama "Gilded Lilys" recruited Matt Lauria ("The Chicago Code"), Matt Long ("Mad Men"), Brigid Brannagh ("Army Wives") and Maury Sterling ("Homeland")."Devious Maids" added Edy Ganem, "Penoza" added Luke Goss, "Zero Hour" added Addison Timlin ("Californication") and "Gotham" added Barry Sloane.On the comedy side for ABC, Doris Roberts ("Everybody Loves Raymond") joined diner-set "Counter Culture" with Margo Martindale, pending the fate of Martindale's CBS drama "A Gifted Man." Leah Remini, along with Jonny Pemberton and Edi Gathegi, drove into "White Man Van" starring Kyle Bornheimer.Elizabeth Perkins, along with Rachel Eggleston, moved into "How To Live with Your Parents for the Rest of Your Life" starring Sarah Chalke, while Sara Rue took up residence in "Malibu Country" with Reba McEntire and Lily Tomlin.Christopher Lloyd and B.J. Bales will ride into "Only Fools and Horses" with John Leguizamo, and Cary Elwes signed up for "Prarie Dogs," as did Dan Fogler ("Man Up"), Charlotte Newhouse and Dayo Okeniyi. David Arquette booked a part in Portia de Rossi starrer "The Smart One," and Majandra Delfino is the latest add to ABC's untitled Mandy Moore project.Judy Greer starrer "American Judy" picked up Elaine Hendrix, Jadon Sand and Madison Lintz, while relationship laffer "Dusty Goes to Awesometown" from Adam Sztykiel picked up James Earl III and Amanda Crew.CBSFormer "Numbers" stars Hirsch and Krumholtz each inked deals for CBS pilots.Krumholz will share male lead honors with Michael Urie in "Partners," from David Kohan and Max Mutchnick, while Hirsch will co-star in the untitled comedy from Ben Falcone and Larry Dorf (that also stars Falcone and Rachael Harris).Liu, recently recurring on "Southland," will play Joan Watson to Jonny Lee Miller's Sherlock Holmes in drama "Elementary."Bryan Greenberg ("How To Make It in America") won the starring role in the untitled comedy from Greg Malins and Greg Berlanti. Ryan Gaul will co-star with previously announced JoAnna Garcia Swisher and Greg Grunberg.Dan Byrd ("Cougar Town") will be in the untitled comedy from Louis C.K. and Spike Feresten, while another potential "Gifted Man" graduate, Rachelle Lefevre, will thesp away alongside Marlow Peyton and James Hiroyuki Liao in "Applebaum," based on exec producer Ayelet Waldman's "Mommy Track Mysteries."Janet Montgomery ("Entourage") lined up "Baby Big Shot," from writer Dana Calvo, Jamie Tarses, Julia Franz and Kevin Falls, and Elyes Gabel ("Game of Thrones") and Conor Leslie joined "Widow Detective" from David Hubbard, Carol Mendelsohn, Julie Weitz and Davis Guggenheim.CW"Smallville" thesp Justin Hartley and Aja Naomi King checked into hospital drama "First Cut," from Jennie Snyder Urman and Dan Jinks, while Rob Knepper ("Prison Break") joined "Cult," from Rockne O'Bannon, Josh Schwartz, Stephanie Savage and Len Goldstein.Amber Stevens ("Greek") and Leah Renee ("The Playboy Club") earned roles in "Joey Dakota," an adaptation of time-traveling Israeli format "Danny Hollywood" by "Easy A" writer Bert Royal, with Mark Marmon, Kim Tannenbaum, Eric Tannenbaum and Martha Height exec producing.Nicole Gale Anderson ("Make It or Break It") and Nina Lisandrello joined the supporting cast for the CW's version of "Beauty and the Beast," starring Kristin Kreuk, while Ethan Peck ("Ten Things I Hate About You") and Sean Patrick Thomas ("The District") did the same for Aimee Teegarden starrer "The Selection," from "The Vampire Diaries" vets Elizabeth Craft and Sarah Fain.FoxSpiro ("My Boys") will take up the lead role in the untitled drama from Josh Berman and Robert Wright about a surgeon indebted to the Mob. Jamie Lee Kirchner ("Mercy") has also joined the cast.Natalie Zea ("Justified") is set for the untitled Kevin Williamson ensemble piece that features Kevin Bacon, while Saxon Sharbino signed up for the untitled Karyn Usher drama (with Brett Ratner directing) about the orphaned daughter of a CIA operative.Eva Amurri Martino ("Californication") joined Cuba Gooding Jr. starrer "Guilty," from Marc Guggenheim, who exec produces with Greg Berlanti, McG and Peter Johnson. Julian Morris ("Pretty Little Liars") will co-star.In comedy, Abby Elliott ("Saturday Night Live") is officially on board "Ned Fox Is My Manny" (written by Dana Fox with Peter Chernin and Katherine Pope also exec producing), along with Oscar-winning "The Descendants" scribe Nat Faxon and previously announced Lucy Punch. And speaking of the Oscars, Missi Pyle of best picture "The Artist" signed on for "Prodigy Bully," starring Mike O'Malley with youthful new additions Hayley Holmes, Cody Sullivan and Ysa Penarejo.NBCThe Peacock confirmed Perry as a sportscaster seeking therapy in Scott Silvieri's "Go On," co-starring Julie White, and Driver as one of the leads in Kari Lizer's untitled comedy with Andrea Anders about two lifelong friends whose relationship is affected by one getting married.NBC also has Stiles for Alaska commune-set mystery drama "Midnight Sun," co-starring Titus Welliver and Emma Bell ("The Walking Dead"), and Jesse Spencer ("House") for "Chicago Fire."Comedian Dane Cook booked DJ comedy "Next Caller Please," while "Sopranos" daughter Sigler has moved into the untitled pilot from Charlie Grandy (with Jimmy Fallon among the exec producers) centered on three immature thirtysomething dads.Amy Huberman joined Justin Kirk starrer "Animal Kingdom," and Sarah Wright the untitled project from Hilary Winston. Contact Jon Weisman at jon.weisman@variety.com