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The CW's Fall Schedule: Vampires, Models, and LA Singles

BuzzSugar — Thu, 21 May 2009 07:35:10 PDT

The CW wrapped up network Upfront week this morning by presenting its schedule for Fall 2009. And it's about what was expected, especially after the first photos leaked out yesterday: the three new series in the Fall lineup are Vampire Diaries, the Melrose Place reboot, and The Beautiful Life.

In terms of scheduling, Melrose will air on Tuesdays after 90210 (remake city!), while Beautiful Life gets the post-America's Next Top Model slot on Wednesdays (model city!). On Thursdays, the CW is breaking up its duo of Smallville and Supernatural to make way for Vampire Diaries; Vampire gets Smallville's old slot, while Smallville moves to Fridays.

For midseason, the network ordered the drama now being called Parental Discretion Advised (formerly known as Light Years, among other titles), which was apparently in a fierce battle with the Minka Kelly/Jason Dohring show Body Politic as late as Wednesday. It's a no-go for the Gossip Girl spinoff (update - at least for now, though it may still be a possibility for midseason), a third season of Reaper, a second season of Privileged, and all of the CW's comedies.

I'll have videos to share later today, but for now, to see the full schedule and the network's descriptions of its new shows, just

MONDAY
8 p.m. Gossip Girl
9 p.m. One Tree Hill

TUESDAY
8 p.m. 90210
9 p.m. Melrose Place

WEDNESDAY
8 p.m. America's Next Top Model
9 p.m. The Beautiful Life

THURSDAY
8 p.m. The Vampire Diaries
9 p.m. Supernatural

FRIDAY
8 p.m. Smallville
9 p.m. America's Next Top Model repeats

The New Shows

Melrose Place - In an elegant Spanish-style apartment building in the trendy Melrose neighborhood of Los Angeles, a diverse group of 20-somethings have formed a close-knit surrogate family. Sydney Andrews (Laura Leighton, the original Melrose Place) is the landlady, still beautiful at 40, and a central figure in the lives of all her tenants, especially handsome and rebellious David Breck (Shaun Sipos, Shark). Sydney started an affair with David despite her turbulent history with his estranged father, Dr. Michael Mancini (Thomas Calabro, the original Melrose Place). Both father and son learned through experience that Sydney was not above using blackmail to control people. Another tenant, high-powered publicist Ella Simms (Katie Cassidy, Supernatural), once considered Sydney her mentor, but their friendship was destroyed by betrayal, and Sydney threatened to evict Ella and ruin her career. Sydney also played a pivotal role in the career of Auggie Kirkpatrick (Colin Egglesfield, All My Children). After they met at an AA meeting, she became Auggie's sponsor and encouraged his dream to become a chef. Now a successful sous chef at the trendy restaurant Coal, Auggie has been avoiding Sydney since she began drinking again. The other tenants include Lauren Yung (Stephanie Jacobsen, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles), a medical student in desperate need of money to pay her student loans, and Jonah Miller (Michael Rady, Swingtown), an aspiring filmmaker who has just proposed to his live-in girlfriend Riley Richmond (Jessica Lucas, Cloverfield), a first-grade teacher. The newest tenant, 18-year-old Violet Foster (Ashlee Simpson-Wentz, 7th Heaven), has just arrived in LA with her own secret connection to Sydney. When a bloody body is found floating in the courtyard pool, David is the leading suspect. However, as the police are soon to discover, almost everyone living at Melrose Place had a reason to want the deceased out of the way. An updated version of the popular 1990s series, Melrose Place is from CBS Television Studios with executive producers Todd Slavkin & Darren Swimmer (Smallville). Oscar-winner Davis Guggenheim (An Inconvenient Truth) is the director and executive producer of the pilot.

The Beautiful Life - The life of a high-fashion model appears glamorous and sexy, but as every new model quickly learns, behind the beautiful faade is a world of insecurity and cutthroat competition. Two teenage models who are about to discover this world for themselves are Raina Collins (Sara Paxton, Last House on the Left), a stunning beauty with a secret past, and Chris Andrews (Benjamin Hollingsworth, The Line), a strikingly handsome Iowa farm boy. When Raina makes an unforgettable impression at a show introducing the new line from designer Zac Posen (appearing in a cameo role), she steals the spotlight from her friend Sonja (Mischa Barton, The O.C.). Sonja has been out of the country for mysterious reasons and is now desperate to reclaim her standing as the reigning supermodel. While Raina and Sonja live at the top of the fashion food chain, Chris is starting at the bottom, having just been discovered by agent Simon Lockridge (newcomer Dusan Dukic) of the Covet Modeling Agency, which is owned by former supermodel Claudia Foster (Elle Macpherson). At his first photo shoot, Chris's inexperience almost derails his career until Raina comes to his rescue, showing him how to relax and work the camera. That afternoon, Raina brings Chris to the "models' residence" where she lives along with other young hopefuls, including Marissa Delfina (Ashley Madekwe, Secret Diary of a Call Girl), Egan (Jordan Woolley, As The World Turns), Issac (Corbin Bleu, High School Musical 2) and the current alpha-male-model known as Kai (Nico Tortorella, Twelve). At an exclusive industry party that night, Chris is again impressed by Raina's generosity when she steps aside to make sure Sonja lands a job that will resurrect her career. However, after an ugly scene with Simon, Chris is left to question whether he can survive in this world of dangerous excess and fleeting fame. The Beautiful Life is from Katalyst Films in association with CBS Television Studios and Warner Bros. Television with executive producers Ashton Kutcher & Jason Goldberg (True Beauty, Punk'd), Karey Burke (True Beauty), Mike Kelley (Swingtown, Jericho) and Carol Barbee (Swingtown, Jericho). Christian Duguay (Coco Chanel) directed the pilot.

Vampire Diaries - Four months after the tragic car accident that killed their parents, 17-year-old Elena Gilbert (Nina Dobrev, DeGrassi: The Next Generation) and her 15-year-old brother, Jeremy (Steven R. McQueen, Everwood) are still trying to cope with their grief and move on with their lives. Elena has always been the star student, beautiful, popular and involved with school and friends, but now she finds herself struggling to hide her sadness from the world. As the school year begins, Elena and her friends are fascinated by a handsome and mysterious new student, Stefan Salvatore (Paul Wesley, Army Wives). Stefan and Elena are immediately drawn to one another, and Elena has no way of knowing that Stefan is a centuries-old vampire, struggling to live peacefully among humans, while his brother Damon (Ian Somerhalder, Lost) is the embodiment of vampire violence and brutality. Now these two vampire brothers - one good, one evil - are at war for Elena's soul and for the souls of her friends, family and all the residents of the small town of Mystic Falls, Virginia. Based on the series of books by L. J. Smith, The Vampire Diaries is from Alloy Entertainment and Bonanza Productions Inc in association with Warner Bros. Television and CBS Television Studios with executive producers Kevin Williamson (Dawson's Creek, I Know What You Did Last Summer), Julie Plec (Kyle XY, Wasteland), Leslie Morgenstein (Gossip Girl, Privileged) and Bob Levy (Gossip Girl, Privileged). Marcos Siega (Dexter) directed the pilot.

Parental Discretion Advised - After spending all of her 15 years bouncing from one foster family to another in Portland, Oregon, Lux (Britt Robertson, Swingtown) has decided it's time to take control of her life and become an emancipated minor. Her journey through the legal maze leads Lux to her biological father, 30-something Nate "Baze" Bazile (Kristoffer Polaha, Mad Men), who owns a bar, lives like an aging frat-boy with two slacker roommates, and is astonished to learn that he has a teenage daughter. Lux is equally astonished when Baze reveals that her mother is Cate Cassidy (Shiri Appleby, ER), a star on the local Morning Madness radio show, along with her on-air partner and real-life boyfriend, Ryan Thomas (Kerr Smith, Eli Stone). Lux has been listening to Cate's voice on the radio as long as she can remember, so she feels an instant connection with the mom she's never met. Baze takes Lux to meet Cate, who is shocked and saddened to learn that Lux has grown up in foster care, but thrilled to finally meet her beautiful daughter. When a judge decides that Lux isn't ready for emancipation and unexpectedly grants temporary joint custody to Baze and Cate, they agree to try to get past the awkwardness and make a belated attempt to give Lux the family she deserves. Parental Discretion Advised is produced by Mojo Films in association with CBS Television Studios and Warner Bros. Television with executive producers Liz Tigelaar (Brothers and Sisters, What About Brian) and Gary Fleder (October Road). Gary Fleder directed the pilot.

Photos courtesy of The CW

Buzz News Roundup, 1/12

BuzzSugar — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 13:30:48 PST

Hilary Duff is set to star as a young lawyer in the NBC sitcom Barely Legal. - The Hollywood Reporter
French actor, director, and producer Claude Berri has died at age 74. - AP
Kristin Scott Thomas has signed on to play John Lennon's aunt, Mimi Smith, in the movie Nowhere Boy. - Zap2It
Flight of the Conchords fans will now be able to purchase music from each episode the day after it airs. - The Hollywood Reporter
Brendan Fraser will join Harrison Ford in the drama Crowley. - ComingSoon
The Art Directors Guild has announced the nominations for its 2008 Excellence in Production Design Awards, including everything from Changeling and Iron Man to 30 Rock and Weeds. - Variety
Shiri Appleby will play a mom on the CW's hourlong pilot Light Years. - Zap2It

Source

Hysteria Director Tanya Wexler Talks Vibrators, Faking It, and Duck Sex

Tara Block — Fri, 25 May 2012 04:00:15 PDT

Don't be shy . . . It's time to talk sex toys! And Hysteria director Tanya Wexler is writing us a prescription for pleasure. Tanya's film - what she calls "the vibrator movie you can bring your mom to" - is in limited release and stars Hugh Dancy, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Rupert Everett. When working on a romantic comedy that centers around the invention of the vibrator, you end up with some entertaining and embarrassing situations along the way, and lucky for us, Tanya spilled all the hilariously dirty details. From teaming up with the film's partner Jimmyjane for a drive-by vibrator drop-off to a certain female Oscar-winner to trying unsuccessfully to get ducks to shag on command, Tanya was bursting with great stories from working on this very unconventional film. And while Tanya isn't ashamed to discuss the sexy subject matter of her latest film with us, the mother of four and her partner of 21 years did have a tricky challenge telling her preteen kids what her movie was about. (She eventually gave them the script and let them figure it out themselves!) Check out our interview with the fun-loving director now, and we dare you not to have a girl crush on her by the end!

TrèsSugar: What were some of the challenges to getting a movie made about vibrators?
Tanya Wexler: Getting the script right was tricky because if you just make a movie about the invention of the vibrator, it's actually a really short movie: you go "bzz" and it's done. And we had a kind of light romantic comedy. I say I made the vibrator movie you can bring your mom to. But some people wanted it to be raunchy or some people wanted it to be more serious and about feminism. People project a lot onto this movie of what they want, because there isn't a lot out there about vibrators and women's pleasure, and we still don't really deal with that topic very well, or we're overly antsy around it. And as a result, people have a lot of ideas of what the movie could and should be, and you can't please everyone. [laughs]

TS: Ha, good one.
TW: It's nonstop!

TS: Do you find sex toys inherently funny or something to be seriously celebrated?
TW: Yes!

TS: Both?
TW: Yes! Yes. I think they make me laugh, and I think that the inner kind of Beavis and Butt-head in all of us goes "[laugh]." You know, that inner 13-year-old, like, "Hahaha vibrator . . . " and yet they're awesome and fun.

TS: What shocked you the most when researching the movie?
TW: That ducks are the rapists of the bird world, and you'll see when you see the movie, because there's a little bit of questionable duck behavior - or awesome duck behavior - in the movie. It's totally a sidebar, but you cannot make ducks shag on command. I'm just saying.

TS: What about the whole history of hysteria being a medical condition?
TW: When I first heard the idea, I was like, "What do you mean it was invented in Victorian times?" I knew about hysteria, but the idea that the treatment was manual [British accent] massage deparaxism - which is what they called it - and, of course, the denial. The most shocking thing is the denial, that they didn't think it was sexual.

TS: Do you think they were really in denial?
TW: No, I don't think that some people were. My college roommate was with her high school boyfriend for two years and she had never had an orgasm. I think there's all kinds of denial, especially with women's sexuality. So the fact that there are young women today who haven't had an orgasm, whether self-induced - which is insane - or with a partner, then why wouldn't we think back then that women wouldn't know what orgasms were?

They would get a massage, and the doctor's saying, "Without a penis, this isn't sex, because sex is about procreation," so what is this? The best physical therapy you've ever had. So once you don't think of it as something other than what the doctor's supposed to do to cure your uncontrollable crying or uncontrollable laughter or whatever, then it's just an awesome muscle spasm. If you don't think women have their own inherent sexuality, then you're not thinking about it like that.

Keep reading for Tanya's thoughts on Fifty Shades and more!

Model Liya Kebede Talks Minimal Makeup in Cannes

Allie Merriam — Thu, 24 May 2012 13:25:43 PDT

For model Liya Kebede, Cannes feels like magic. "It gets into you the minute you arrive here," she said this morning. "It's very glamorous, and I like that it's very international as well. You see all these different people from all over the world coming with their films, which is great." It's been a big year for Liya, who was named a L'Oréal Paris brand ambassador last June and is making forays into the film world. She's currently working on The Best Offer from Cinema Paradiso director Giuseppe Tornatore.

There's more to Liya than her stunning looks, though. She won a BellaSugar beauty award thanks to her philanthropic efforts. Her eponymous foundation is dedicated to improving maternal health, and she's created a clothing line, Lemlem, which helps support craftswomen in her native Ethiopia. Today, the supermodel talked about her various work endeavors and shared her best tips on beauty, the inside scoop on her own makeup routine, and more.

BellaSugar: It's pretty surreal here. Have you ever had an incredible Cannes moment?
Liya Kebede: I think you get it every time you get here. Last time, I ran into Woody Allen in the lobby. You can't believe it - it's just insane. There's so many of these great people and stars. At some point, you don't even react anymore. You get overstimulated. Every corner is some incredible person, or you go to a party and it's full of everybody. It's amazing. You just go, "I'm in Cannes!"

BellaSugar: And part of Cannes, is of course, getting made up and looking great, which you're quite familiar with, I'm sure. What's the best tip you've learned from the pros?
Liya Kebede: Less is more. If you're going do an eye thing, then don't do a lip thing. Try to find a balance about what you do. Also, nothing is necessarily specific - using a lip thing on your eye or cheeks is fine, and it works, and it's light. Play around! Nothing is so fixed.

For the rest of our chat with Liya, just read more

Exclusive Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Novogratzes' New Family Collection For CB2

Rebecca M Gruber — Wed, 23 May 2012 11:11:48 PDT

They've been called "the coolest family in the world," but for Bob and Cortney Novogratz, just being family is enough. The stars of HGTV's Home by Novogratz and mom and dad to seven kids ranging from 3 to 15 have made family their mantra and are now putting it on their designs. The founders of Sixx Design have partnered up with CB2 for a line of products, aptly named FAMILY, that reflect their signature style. According to Bob, "We came up with the idea of FAMILY a long time ago. Maybe six, seven years ago we got some light boxes and made the letters ourselves. We have a big family, so we thought we should really create a family brand, because we didn't feel like there was anything out there like that."

The first piece, a colorful rug emblazoned with the word FAMILY that appeared on the show last season, will be available at CB2 stores and online in July (starting at $399). We were invited to the Novogratzes' home along NYC's Hudson River as the family posed with the rug for CB2's Summer catalog. With Justin Bieber and Fun blasting on the stereo, Cortney negotiated her teenagers' wardrobe issues, separated bickering twins, and goaded all seven kids into smiling for the camera (and yes, plenty of jellybeans and promises to play with her iPhone were used). Between shots, Bob discussed the collaboration with CB2 and decorating with kids.

Cauliflower Gratin

OnSugar Blog — Mon, 21 May 2012 11:30:00 PDT

Looking for an elegant yet simple way to serve cauliflower? Look no further than Fresh Tart's gluten-free version of cauliflower gratin.

Perhaps it's cliche that I read MFK Fisher's The Gastronomical Me and wanted to immerse myself in the world of food, but that's OK. Who wouldn't want to do exactly that after reading that sexy, scrumptious book? My goodness that woman could write, my mouth waters (and my heart swoons) just thinking about it.

There's one passage in particular that has had me making simple cauliflower gratins for years. I purposely don't look back at the specifics, I just count on how incredible she made cauliflower roasted with cream and Gruyere sound, swiped through with crusty bread and enjoyed with cold wine.

Lord.

So here's my version, so simple, so completely gluten-free, so much better than the pasta dish I served to Nathan and John tonight (in my opinion). I threw in some arugula leaves this evening because I had them, but you wouldn't need to include them.

Keep reading for an elemental cauliflower gratin recipe.

Glee-ful Highlights From Episodes "Props" and "Nationals"

Becky Kirsch — Wed, 16 May 2012 08:00:18 PDT

It's a Glee double whammy this week as the New Directions prep for, and then head to Nationals! As we've seen at the end of each season, emotions are running high, as the kids get ready to take on Vocal Adrenaline. The stakes are even higher this year since a lot of the seniors are graduating, and there's one gleek in particular who's feeling a little left out.

Season three has not been my favorite, but both of this week's episodes won me over in a big way. The first hour is both funny and poignant, while the second is very sweet and sentimental, as we get ready to say goodbye to some of the core cast members. The night definitely brings back memories from the first season when the show took the world by storm, and reminded me why I fell in love with it in the first place. Let's break down the highlights when you

I'm glad Tina finally gets a little time to shine, though it's a bit awkward that the opening voice-over is all about how the show has essentially ignored her for the first three seasons. Still, it's a nice break, and the sweet moments between Rachel and Tina feel authentic and are fun to watch, particularly when Tina offers to take Rachel on a road trip to see Carmen Thibedeau. And though it's not my favorite number of the night, I love that Rachel gives Tina her wish to duet on "What a Feeling."
Just because it needs to be mentioned: Kurt and Blaine's Halloween costumes as Snooki and the Situation. Amazing.
OK, the switcheroo moment was everything I hoped it would be and more. Though the sneak peek pictures gave away who would become who during Tina's dream, it's still amazing to see the kids all mixed up: particularly Artie as Santana. Genius. My head continued exploding throughout the entire sequence, especially seeing the reaction shots to Tina's rendition of "Because You Loved Me" (Mr. Schue's impression of Sue is spot-on). Speaking of which, Tina totally kills the song: are we getting a preview of what Glee might be like next season?
Coach Beiste has had to do some emotional heavy lifting lately, but this is one of the few times we see Puck truly vulnerable. His feelings of inadequacy about his future come to a head when one of the bullies at school challenges him to a fight in the schoolyard. After Beiste breaks it up, Puck breaks down in tears about feeling like garbage, and he and Beiste comfort each other in a truly touching moment. What's even better is that Beiste proceeds to dump Cooter, and she and Puck sing a sweet duet of Taylor Swift's "Mean." (Honestly I'm surprised it's taken Glee this long to get that song).
I love all the throwbacks to the first season in this episode; there's talk of Tina's first audition, some reminiscing about Puck's days tossing kids in dumpsters, and even an utterance of the Glee-patented insult "lima loser." Those were the days.
How is it possible that the New Directions are, yet again, about to perform at Nationals and they're still trying to slap together the routine just hours beforehand? It's no wonder they're all on edge, but at least they aren't trying to write their own songs this time around.
I can't even talk about how much I loved every one of the New Directions' performances at Nationals; this is by far and away my favorite performance episode. I had chills during "The Edge of Glory," which turned into goose bumps for "It's All Coming Back to Me Now." But the real kicker is "Paradise By the Dashboard Light" - the number is mesmerizing, and I felt proud of how far they've come. I can't remember the last time I was so caught up the performances of this show. They absolutely nailed it.
As for Vocal Adrenaline, well, they certainly bring the theatrics. I'm a fan of Unique's, but something about their numbers lacked energy. But maybe that's because the dudes were so tired from picking up the girls repeatedly and pushing those heavy-looking pinball machines around?
Giving Unique the suddenly existent MVP award is a nice consolation when the New Directions win the grand prize. I do kind of wish they'd give up the celebrity judges' shtick though. No offense to Lindsay Lohan, but getting a peek inside the self-involved judges' room used to be funny but now it just feels stale.
The scene where we get to watch the New Directions celebrating their victory feels like three years coming, and it actually could have been a very fitting end to the series as a whole. The kids are about to graduate and move away, and now they've finally got the biggest trophy in all the land. Hell, they even let Will and Emma finally do it (though did that really need to be shoehorned in with the confetti?). The icing on the cake, of course, is Mr. Schuester's Teacher of the Year award and the performance of "We Are the Champions." A perfect end to a great episode.

With only one more episode to go, it all culminates with next week's graduation episode. Were you touched by this episode like I was? What'd you think of the New Directions' showing at Nationals?

Photo courtesy of Fox

Make a Japanese-Inspired Salad, Live Longer in the Process

Michele Foley — Wed, 16 May 2012 01:32:16 PDT

Japanese woman live to be almost 90 years old, which is a record high the world over. And while a lot of factors contribute to a long life, diet is certainly one of them. A bowl of udon or a plate of sushi might not appeal to you every night, but there are a few simple ways to tweak your salad using elements of this heart-healthy cuisine.

Soba noodles
In Japan, soba noodles are served either hot or cold, on their own or in light broth. Not just for soups, they're also a tasty addition to any salad - and a healthy one too. Made from buckwheat flour, soba noodles are full of fiber, protein, iron, and amino acids. And those living with celiac disease should know that 100 percent buckwheat soba noodles are gluten-free. I'm a fan of adding soba noodles to a salad of mixed greens, mango, edamame, red pepper, and cucumber. Toss lightly with a miso or sesame dressing for a satisfying lunch!

Seafood
When it comes to a protein staple, fish rules the day in Japan. What you won't find on a day-to-day basis is an overabundance of beef or dairy. The diet is rich in variety, from common varieties like salmon and tuna to the more exotic uni. Seafood is an easy way to give salad the protein boost that is often missing; it also adds omega-3s, iron, and calcium. Try some seared tuna on your next salad creation.

See more ways to make your salad Japanese after the break!

Bachelorette Breakdown: First Impressions From the Premiere

Maggie Pehanick — Tue, 15 May 2012 10:09:48 PDT

Welcome to a new season of The Bachelorette, everyone! First of all, is anyone else as excited as I am to see Emily Maynard take the reigns, or roses, as it were? She is sweet as apple pie and I don't know anyone that doesn't love a Southern belle, least of all the gentlemen vying for her affections. I use the term "gentlemen" lightly, as several of them displayed relatively ungentlemanly behavior on this week's premiere.

As per Bachelorette tradition, the premiere included a basic primer to who Emily is, the limo intros with the guys, some time for Emily to mingle at her party and eventually give out the coveted First Impression rose, followed by the first rose ceremony. Let's have a quick rundown of the episode's highlights, shall we?

Find out our take when you read more.

MagicBath Baby Hot Tub: Kid-Friendly or Are You Kidding?

Lisa Horten — Tue, 15 May 2012 08:03:26 PDT

We all want to give our little ones the very best that money can buy, right? Sometimes, though, there's a fine (or not so fine) line between what's within reason and what's absolutely ridiculous.

Enter the MagicBath Baby Hot Tub from BluBleu, an Italian company that specializes in high-end whirlpools and stylish tubs. Ten air jets spew out bubbles, while underwater LED lights emit "chromatherapy" light rays. The tub is designed for newborns to 6-month-olds in a reclining position and for 6- to 12-month-olds in a sitting position.

Wondering what the MagicBath will set you back? A whopping $2,186. While the absurdly high price tag probably takes the tub out of range for most of us, we wonder if any of this year's new celeb moms will treat their little ones to the at-home spa (Maxwell Drew and Blue Ivy, we're talking to you!)