Kirstie Alley Join Dancing with the Stars

Get ready to rumba!

Actress Kirstie Alley, reality star Kendra Wilkson and talk show host Wendy Williams will square off against former boxing champ Sugar Ray Leonard, actor Ralph Macchio and Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward on season 12 of Dancing with the Stars, it was announced live Monday night.

The cast – 11 stars in all – was revealed during The Bachelor telecast. Model Petra Nemcova, actress Chelsea Kane, radio personality Mike Catherwood, singer and actor Romeo, and WWE star Chris Jericho are also competing.

The celebrities, whose respective professional dancer pairings will be revealed on Wednesday, have just three weeks to prepare for the March 21st season premiere on ABC.

The nerves are already kicking in for Kane, who starred on Disney Channel’s Jonas L.A.

"I don't know how I'm going to react to the judges when there's a camera on my face and I'm trying to smile through it," Kane, 22, says. "Hopefully, I won't ruin my makeup."

The Oscar Nominees are...

British monarchy drama The King's Speech is the film to beat at the 2011 Academy Awards after scooping an astounding 12 Oscar nominations.

The film has landed top nods, including Best Picture and acting honors for Colin Firth, Helena Bonham Carter and Geoffrey Rush, as well as a Best Director mention for Tom Hooper.

Also nominated for Best Picture are Black Swan, The Fighter, Inception, The Kids Are All Right, 127 Hours, The Social Network, Toy Story 3, True Grit and Winter's Bone.

Joining Hooper with Best Director mentions are Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan), David O. Russell (The Fighter), David Fincher (The Social Network) and Joel and Ethan Coen (True Grit).

Meanwhile, Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network), James Franco (127 Hours), Javier Barden (Biutiful) and Jeff Bridges (True Grit) will compete against The King's Speech star Firth in the Best Actor in a Leading Role category.

Nominees for Best Actress in a Leading Role include Annette Bening (The Kids Are All Right), Nicole Kidman (Rabbit Hole), Jennifer Lawrence (Winter's Bone), Natalie Portman (Black Swan) and Michelle Williams (Blue Valentine), while Amy Adams (The Fighter), Melissa Leo (The Fighter), Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit) and Jackie Weaver (Animal Kingdom) join Bonham Carter in the Best Actress in a Supporting Role category.

Competing against Rush for the title of Best Actor in a Supporting Role are Christian Bale (The Fighter), John Hawkes (Winter's Bone), Jeremy Renner (The Town) and Mark Ruffalo (The Kids Are All Right).

The award nominations were announced at a press conference in Los Angeles on Tuesday by last year's Best Supporting Actress winner Mo'Nique and Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences President Tom Sherak.

The 83rd annual Academy Awards ceremony will take place on February 27th at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, and will be hosted by Anne Hathaway and Oscar-nominee James Franco. It will be televised on ABC.

The complete list of nominees is as follows:

Best Picture: Black Swan - The Fighter - Inception - The Kids Are All Right - The King's Speech - 127 Hours - The Social Network - Toy Story 3 - True Grit - Winter's Bone

Best Supporting Actor: Christian Bale, The Fighter - John Hawkes, Winter's Bone - Jeremy Renner, The Town - Mark Ruffalo, The Kids Are All Right - Geoffrey Rush, The King's Speech

Best Supporting Actress: Amy Adams, The Fighter - Helena Bonham Carter, The King's Speech - Melissa Leo, The Fighter - Hailee Steinfeld, True Grit - Jacki Weaver, Animal Kingdom

Best Actor: Javier Bardem, Biutiful - Jeff Bridges, True Grit - Jesse Eisenberg, The Social Network - Colin Firth, The King's Speech - James Franco, 127 Hours

Best Actress: Annette Bening, The Kids Are All Right - Nicole Kidman, Rabbit Hole - Jennifer Lawrence, Winter's Bone - Natalie Portman, Black Swan - Michelle Williams, Blue Valentine

Best Director: Darren Aronofsky, Black Swan - David O. Russell, The Fighter - Tom Hooper, The King's Speech - David Fincher, The Social Network - Joel Coen/Ethan Coen, True Grit

Best Screenplay - Adapted: Danny Boyle/Simon Beaufoy, 127 Hours - Aaron Sorkin, The Social Network - Michael Arndt, Toy Story 3 - Joel Coen/Ethan Coen, True Grit - Debra Granik/Anne Rosellini, Winter's Bone

Best Screenplay - Original: Mike Leigh, Another Year - Scott Silver/Paul Tamasy/Eric Johnson, The Fighter - Christopher Nolan, Inception - Lisa Cholodenko/Stuart Blumberg, The Kids Are All Right - David Seidler, The King's Speech

Best Foreign Language Film: Biutiful (Mexico) - Dogtooth (Greece) - In a Better World (Denmark) -
Incendies (Canada) - Outside the Law (Algeria)

Best Animated Feature: How To Train Your Dragon - The Illusionist - Toy Story 3

Best Documentary (Feature): Exit Through the Gift Shop - Gasland - Inside Job - Restrepo - Waste Land

Best Art Direction: Alice In Wonderland - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 - Inception - The King's Speech - True Grit

Best Cinematography: Black Swan - Inception - The King's Speech - The Social Network - True Grit

Best Sound Mixing: Inception - The King's Speech - Salt - The Social Network - True Grit

Best Sound Editing: Inception - Toy Story 3 - Tron: Legacy - True Grit - Unstoppable

Best Original Score: How To Train Your Dragon, John Powell - Inception, Hans Zimmer - The King's Speech, Alexandre Desplat - 127 Hours, A.R. Rahman - The Social Network, Trent Reznor/Atticus Ross

Best Original Song: Coming Home from Country Strong, Tom Douglas/Troy Verges/Hillary Lindsey - I See The Light from Tangled, Alan Menken/Glenn Slater - If I Rise from 127 Hours, A.R. Rahman/Dido/Rollo Armstrong - We Belong Together from Toy Story 3, Randy Newman

Best Costume: Alice in Wonderland - I Am Love - The King's Speech - The Tempest - True Grit

Best Documentary (Short Subject): Killing in the Name - Poster Girl - Strangers No More - Sun Come Up - The Warriors of Qiugang

Best Film Editing: Black Swan - The Fighter - The King's Speech - 127 Hours - The Social Network

Best Make-up: Barney's Version - The Way Back - The Wolfman

Best Animated Short Film: Day and Night - The Gruffalo - Let's Pollute - The Lost Thing - Madagascar, Carnet de Voyage (Madagascar, a Journey Diary)

Best Live Action Short Film: The Confession - The Crush - God of Love - Na Wewe - Wish 143

Best Visual Effects: Alice In Wonderland - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 - Hereafter - Inception - Iron Man 2

Charlie's Angels Pilot Greenlit by ABC!

It’s on: Charlie’s Angels just got officially greenlit as a pilot at ABC.

This move has been long expected, but now the project is firmly moving forward, along with Smallville writer-producers Miles Millar and Al Gough. The new modern-day version of the show will be set in Miami.

The producers (Leonard Goldberg, Drew Barrymore, Nancy Juvonen), Sony Pictures TV and Flower Films will now dive into casting to figure out the tricky task of finding TV’s new Angels. We hear there’s an offer out to Mark Piznarski (Gossip Girl) to direct.

Remakes have traditionally struggled to find viewers on broadcast, though CBS’ showed with Hawaii Five-0 that you can pull off a primetime hit with a classic title. And Angels is certainly on-brand for a network that has a strong female following with shows like Grey’s Anatomy and Desperate Housewives.

If Charlie's Angels is on ABC’s schedule next fall, will you watch? I definitely will!

ABC Plots a Return to Oz

When Michael Ausiello from TVLine tells you that Salma Hayek is bringing a wicked new project to ABC, he means that quite literally.

Sources confirm that the actress-producer is teaming with ABC to develop an eight-hour miniseries adaptation of" Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West," the Gregory Maguire bestseller that spawned the Broadway phenom.

The insider stresses that it would be based on the novel and not the musical. As a result, this Wicked would be less of a prequel and more of a parallel story to The Wizard of Oz. (Universal, as you may know, is currently developing a Wicked film, and that would be based on the musical.)

ABC Studios will produce along with Hayek and Jose Tamez through the duo’s Ventanarosa Productions. The ex-Ugly Betty producer may also play a supporting role in the project, which is being penned by Erik Jendresen (Band of Brothers).

Oh, and some juicy background: Two years ago, ABC — under then-president Steve McPherson — passed on a Wicked mini. But his successor, former ABC Family boss Paul Lee, resurrected it soon after taking the reins last summer.

Thoughts? Excited to see ABC getting back in the miniseries business? Got casting suggestions for Elphaba and Galinda? Michael Ausiello is for Glee‘s go-to airhead, Heather Morris, as the Good Witch and Raising Hope‘s Shannon Woodward as the green one. I would go with Glee's Lea Michele as Elphaba and maybe Christina Aguilera as GA-Linda!

Teri Hatcher Fuming Over 'Untrue' Desperate Housewives Quit Claims

Teri Hatcher has blasted "ridiculously untrue" reports she's quit Desperate Housewives, insisting she will stay on the show until "it's cancelled".

The actress, who has played Susan Mayer in all seven series of the drama since it began in 2004, was said to have told executives at ABC the next season will be her last.

Britain's Sunday Express reported she was leaving the show so she could work on a new series - but Hatcher is fuming over the story, branding it a "reckless fabrication".

She's taken to her Facebook.com page to reassure fans she's continuing with her role, which she describes as "one of the highlights of my career", and is demanding a "retraction and apology" over the report.

In a series of posts, she writes, "There are not enough adjectives to describe how stupid, off base, and ridiculously untrue this is... What disturbs me the most is that one fan would consider for one second that I would 'quit' what has been... one of the highlights of my career for which I am grateful on a daily basis.

"I have never said nor inferred otherwise... I am awaiting a retraction and apology at the least... I will say it again, I love Dh, the cast and crew are like family and I am with it till it's cancelled."

Hatcher has also praised the makers of Desperate Housewives for their "new energy" on the current season, which has seen Vanessa Williams land a role.

She adds, "Vanessa Williams and the writers have brought a new energy to the show this year and I expect and hope it can continue on for a long time. I meet many people who still find so much joy in watching it and I want everyone to know I'm joyful to be involved to this day and that's not going to change."

2010 American Music Awards: Tonight on ABC!

ABC will be presenting the 38th annual American Music Awards tonight with preformances by Rihanna, Christina Aguilera, Ke$ha, Katy Perry, Justin Bieber, Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus, Ne-Yo, Usher, Bon Jovi, Sean Comb's Diddy-Dirty Money, the pairing of Carlos Santana and Gavin Rossdale, and for the first time, Backstreet Boys and New Kids on the Block will perform together.

Eminem and Lady Antebellum lead the way with five nominations each, while Justin Bieber followed with four and B.o.B, Katy Perry, Ke$ha and Usher each took three.

Here is a list of the nominees. Our predicted winners are preceded by an asterisk (*):

Favorite Male Artist, Pop or Rock
* Justin Bieber
Eminem
Usher

Favorite Female Artist, Pop or Rock
Ke$ha
* Lady Gaga
Katy Perry

Favorite Band, Duo or Group, Pop or Rock
* The Black Eyed Peas
Lady Antebellum
Train

Favorite Album, Pop or Rock
Justin Bieber - My World 2.0
Eminem - Recovery
* Katy Perry - Teenage Dream

Favorite Male Artist, Country
Jason Aldean
Luke Bryan
* Brad Paisley

Favorite Female Artist, Country
Miranda Lambert
Taylor Swift
* Carrie Underwood

Favorite Band, Duo or Group, Country
Zac Brown Band
* Lady Antebellum
Rascal Flatts

Favorite Album, Country
Jason Aldean - Wide Open
Lady Antebellum - Need You Now
* Carrie Underwood - Play On

Favorite Male Artist, Rap/Hip-Hop
* B.o.B.
Drake
Eminem

Favorite Album, Rap/Hip-Hop
* B.o.B. - B.o.B. Presents
Drake - Thank Me Later
Eminem - Recovery

Favorite Male Artist - Soul/R&B
Chris Brown
Trey Songz
* Usher

Favorite Female Artist - Soul/R&B
Alicia Keys
* Rihanna
Sade

Favorite Album, Soul/R&B
* Alicia Keys - The Element of Freedom
Sade - Soldier of Love
Usher - Raymond v. Raymond

Favorite Album, Soundtracks
AC/DC - Iron Man 2
* Glee: The Music, Volume 3 Showstoppers
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse

Favorite Artist, Alternative Rock Music
* Muse
Phoenix
Vampire Weekend

Favorite Artist, Adult Contemporary Music
* Michael Bublé
Lady Antebellum
Train

Favorite Artist, Latin Music
Daddy Yankee
* Enrique Iglesias
Shakira

Favorite Artist, Contemporary Inspirational
Casting Crowns
MercyMe
TobyMac

Artist of the Year
Justin Bieber
Eminem
Ke$ha
* Lady Gaga
Katy Perry

T-Mobile Breakthrough Artist Nominations
B.o.B
Justin Bieber
Taio Cruz
Jason Derülo
* Ke$ha
Lady Antebellum
Travie McCoy
Mike Posner

Watch ABC tonight at 8:00 pm (ET) for the results!

LeAnn Rimes: Love Drove Me to Cheat, Which Is 'Not Who I Am'

LeAnn Rimes has found a measure of peace when it comes to her affair with Eddie Cibrian – saying it wasn't like her to cheat on her husband, but that she did it for love and therefore has no regrets.

"That's just not me. What happened is not who I am, period," the country star, 28, told ABC's Robin Roberts of the affair with her Northern Lights costar in a special titled All Access Nashville, which aired last night.

But Rimes isn't dwelling on the past. "I do know how much I love him," she says. "So, I've always said I don't live my life with regret. I can't."

Rimes and Cibrian, 37, were both married when they began their affair, and Rimes says now that their situation wasn't that unusual. "It happens every day to so many people," she says. "You had two couples whose marriages didn't work who really stumbled upon each other and fell in love."

The singer has been called everything from a homewrecker to a stalker, and says she's resigned to the idea that some people will never get over her infidelity. "Nothing I'm going to say is going to change it," she says. "I do know that, and I have accepted that."

Cibrian echoes Rimes's sentiments. "The truth is that we're human beings," he says. "We make mistakes and we learn from them, but we're human. We fell in love."

Away from the spotlight, though, Rimes says her love with Cibrian has blossomed. "We're really happy in what we feel privately," she says.

Hulk Heading to TV

Mean, green superhero the Hulk is heading back to the small screen in a new TV series.

The comic book creation was first brought to life in 1970s series The Incredible Hulk with Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno, which was followed by a string of spin-off TV movies.

Dr. Bruce Banner and his monstrous alter-ego later transferred to the big screen with portrayals by Eric Bana and Edward Norton, while Mark Ruffalo is set to revive the character once again for upcoming movie The Avengers.

It has now been revealed that the Hulk is set for another outing in a new TV show, which is currently in development with bosses at Marvel and ABC, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

The series will be one of a number of superhero reboots, which will see Wonder Woman and The Punisher heading back to TV.

ABC Schedules 'Skating with the Stars' and 'V'

Good news for fans of the lizard people: ABC announced today that V will return January 4th at 9:00 pm (ET), behind a new timeslot for No Ordinary Family on Tuesdays. The network promises that season two of the high-concept show will feature more character and lizard reveals, along with more details about the V’s mythology.

In the meantime, ABC has decided to replace Dancing With the Stars when its current season ends with a program that features even more celebrities making awkward dance moves in front of a live audience! But this time, they’ll do it on ice: Beginning Monday, November 22nd, ABC will kick off a six-episode run of Skating With the Stars. The new series from BBC Worldwide Prods. will pair celebrities with “world class ice skaters” who’ll compete in front of a live audience. The skating pairs will be critiqued by a panel of expert judges and will receive a set of scores based on artistry and technique and by viewers at home, with one couple being eliminated each week.

The Skating With the Stars cast will be revealed November 2nd, during the live Dancing With the Stars Results show.

Brad Womack Returning to The Bachelor

Few Bachelor fans will ever forget the night Brad Womack broke not one, but two hearts, on the Season 11 finale in 2007.

But now Womack is back to take another shot at finding love, it was announced Monday.

“At first I was skeptical,” Bachelor host Chris Harrison said to People magazine, “But the more I thought about it, the more I fell in love with the idea of him coming back, getting another shot.”

The Austin bar owner, 37, famously rejected his final two bachelorettes, DeAnna Pappas and Jenni Croft. He chose to be alone, a bold choice that no other Bachelor or Bachelorette has ever made in the show’s history. The fan and media backlash he suffered following his decision nearly caused him to go into hiding.

Womack resurfaced over the summer, making amends on ABC’s 20/20 with Pappas, who’s engaged to marry schoolteacher Stephen Stagliano next spring.

“I don’t think Brad deserved as much of the anger and resentment from the fans,” Harrison says of the way people responded to the finale’s unhappy ending. “He’s come out a better man and I think he’s ready to do this.”

Fall TV Premieres: Thursday, September 23rd

Well, we're now on day four of the 2010/2011 Fall TV premiere week and tonight we have the new episodes on returning favorites like Grey's Anatomy, The Big Bang Theory, and The Mentalist. Plus, we have some new shows joining the Thursday line-up including My Generation.

Today's Spotlight: My Generation

What a difference ten years can make. In 2000, a documentary crew followed a disparate group of high schoolers from Greenbelt High School in Austin, Texas as they prepared for graduation. They were then revisited ten years later as they return home to rediscover that just because they're not where they planned does not mean they sre not right where they need to be.

My Generation stars Michael Stahl-David as Steven, Kelli Garner as Dawn, Jaime King as Jacqueline, Keir O'Donnell as Kenneth, Sebastian Sozzi as the Falcon, Mechad Brooks as Rolly, Anne Son as Caroline, Daniella Alonso as Brenda and Julian Morris as Anders.

Tonight's premiere schedule:

8:00 pm
ABC - My Generation (new)
CBS - The Big Bang Theory
FOX - Bones
NBC - Community

8:30 pm
CBS - S#*! My Dad Says (new)
NBC - 30 Rock

9:00 pm
ABC - Grey;s Anatomy
CBS - CSI
FOX - Fringe
NBC - The Office

9:30 pm
NBC - Outsourced (new)

10:00 pm
ABC - Private Practice
CBS - The Mentalist

Times based on Eastern Time zone.

(new) = New Series Premiere

Fall TV Premieres: Wednesday, September 22nd

This "hump day" we have the pleasure to welcome the third day of the new 2010/2011 Fall TV season premiere week with the return the Emmy award winning "Modern Family" to ABC and the new NBC series "Undercovers".

Today's Spotlight: Modern Family

In the second-season premiere, Phil relunctantly agrees to get rid of the Dunphy station wagon, which prompts a wave of nostalgia for the old car. Meanwhile, Cameron enlights Jay's help when Mitchell tries to build a princess castle for Lily,and Manny asks a girl over to study.

Here's the schedule for tonight's premieres:

8:00 pm

ABC - The Middle

FOX - Hell's Kitchen

NBC - Undercovers (new)

8:30 pm

ABC - Better with You (new)

9:00 pm

ABC - Modern Family

CBS - Criminal Minds

NBC - Law & Order: SVU

9:30 pm

ABC - Cougar Town

10:00 pm

ABC - The Whole Truth (new)

CBS - The Defenders (new)

All times are shown based on Eastern Time zone.

(new) = New series premiere

Spoiler Alert! New Love, Work and Marriage Coming to Grey’s Anatomy

The sixth season of Grey’s Anatomy ended with a bang, as a crazed widower terrorized Seattle Grace-Mercy West Hospital, eventually shooting Derek, whom he blamed for the death of his wife. When the ABC drama begins its seventh season next month, things will have calmed down a bit, though there’ll be plenty of new dramas developing — personal and professional — even in the very first episode. Keep reading for some of the juiciest tidbits.

Warning: Spoilers ahead!

• Feeling responsible for the loss of staffers during the shootout, Derek (Patrick Dempsey) will step down as chief, returning the reins to Dr. Webber. Derek is also still unaware of Meredith’s pregnancy and miscarriage. “I think he’ll be devastated,” Dempsey tells TV Guide. “Seeing how quick life can be, I think they’ll want to have a child even more. Why not create a life before you lose your own?”

• Teddy (Kim Raver) finds a new love interest in trauma counselor Dr. Andrew Perkins (James Tupper). “I make out with him in episode 1,” says Raver. “It was just like it was with Kiefer [Sutherland] on 24, where we met and had to kiss.”

• An unnamed couple will get engaged and married during the season premiere. TV Guide says it’s one of three possible couples — Callie and Arizona, Alex and Lexie or Owen and Cristina.

• Speaking of Owen and Cristina, “They definitely take it to the next level,” Kevin McKidd says, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re the ones tying the knot. “They’ve been through a huge amount in two seasons,” he continues, “and I think Cristina felt burned by her last wedding [to Burke].

The new season of Grey’s Anatomy begins September 23rd at 9:00 pm (ET) on ABC.

ABC Releases Their 2010/2011 Fall Season Line-Up

ABC introduced a prime-time TV schedule for next season that will feature 10 new shows, overhauling a lineup that has suffered ratings declines and will soon be without the hit supernatural thriller "Lost."

The majority of ABC's new programs are dramas, ranging from gritty police show "Detroit 1-8-7" to "My Generation," which centers on a group of fictitious high-school students from Austin, Texas, who reunite a decade after graduation.

In all, ABC, a division of Walt Disney Co will premiere six new dramas in 2010-11. ABC Entertainment President Stephen McPherson is formally presenting the schedule to advertisers and affiliates at a planned upfront event at Lincoln Center on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, ABC's sister network, ESPN, also owned by Disney, announced at its upfront presentation that it plans to roll out its 3D network on June 11. The launch will feature the first of 25 World Cup matches ESPN 3D aims to broadcast, including games involving favorites Brazil, Germany, Italy and Spain.

It is the second year in a row that ABC will make major changes to its schedule, after rolling out 11 new shows during last year's upfronts -- the period each May when U.S. broadcast networks introduce their lineups, then start negotiating with advertisers over billions of dollars in commercial time.

While last year's crop of programing resulted in some strong ABC comedies -- including the breakout hit "Modern Family" -- many of the dramas failed to find an audience and will not return, including "Flash Forward" and "Eastwick."

The result is that ABC, even with the success of "Modern Family" and "Dancing with the Stars," is battling with NBC for last place among the major networks in the ratings race. Adding to its headaches, "Lost" will soon run its final episode.

Hoping to retain some of the "Lost" audience, ABC will introduce a new supernatural show on Tuesdays this fall called "No Ordinary Family." It tells the story of a family that survives a plane crash, and, upon returning home, finds they possess special powers.

ABC will also roll out two more crime dramas. The first, "Detroit 1-8-7," the Detroit cop show starring Michael Imperioli of "The Sopranos," will appear on Tuesday nights. "Body of Proof" is planned for Fridays and features Dana Delany, previously of "Desperate Housewives," as a crime-solving medical examiner.

"The Whole Truth," a legal drama that examines cases from two angles -- the prosecution's side and the defense's side -- will also appear on ABC's autumn lineup. At midseason, "Off the Map," a medical drama set in an isolated rain forest, will debut.

ABC will try to bolster its Wednesday comedy schedule with "Better Together," a romantic comedy about three different couples sorting through relationships.

Two other comedies are due to arrive midseason. "Happy Endings" is about a group of friends, two of whom break up just as they are about to get married, while "Mr. Sunshine" stars Matthew Perry of "Friends" as the manager of a second-rate sports arena who is facing a mid-life crisis.

Fox and NBC have already unveiled their 2010-11 schedules. CBS will announce its programing plans on Wednesday.

Brothers & Sisters' Kevin and Scotty are Going to Have a Baby!

As last night’s episode of Brothers & Sisters drew to a close, Kevin and Scotty were laying on their bed looking at books of baby names. They even kissed!

What is the world coming to? Reality, I'd say!

Brothers and Sisters creators and writers have allowed the relationship and now marriage of Kevin (Matthew Rhys) and Scotty (Luke Macfarlane) to grow over four seasons into the happiest and most solid of all of the Walker siblings.

The happy couple has been trying to have a baby via surrogate and on Sunday’s episode, found out that they are going to become daddies!

This is a beautiful thing and such a contrast to how poorly ABC daytime handled the relationship between Oliver (Scott Evans) and Kyle (Brett Claywell) by writing them off One Life to Live just as they welcomed Oliver’s baby daughter into their lives. The show blamed the gay storyline for a rating plummet but now ratings are even lower.

It’s just so nice to have things being handled differently in ABC primetime.

Nicollette Sheridan Bracing for Character Smear

Nicollette Sheridan won't be surprised if the legal response against her is, well, desperate.

After filing a lawsuit Monday alleging she was assaulted and then was wrongly fired from ABC's Desperate Housewives, her lawyer alleges show creator Marc Cherry was abusive on the set – and the attorney anticipates more of the same now.

"We expect the case to be hard fought, and it will not be a surprise if ABC and Mr. Cherry try to depict Nicollette to be something other than a team player and long-standing industry professional," says attorney Mark Baute.

Sheridan, 46, is suing for $20 million, alleging assault and battery, gender violence and wrongful termination. She says that Cherry hit her in the face when she questioned a script and that she was then killed off the show last year when she complained.

"Nicollette worked very hard on the show and was a model employee," Baute says. "Mr. Cherry's behavior towards Nicollette was and is nothing short of abusive and appalling. The lawsuit is not something Nicollette wanted to do, it's something she felt compelled to do."

Saying that Sheridan "put her heart and soul" into the role of sexy Realtor Edie Britt, Baute claims the actress went to court only because ABC rebuffed her requests for protection.

"Sometimes the only way that a safe and normal work environment can be created is when a hard-working person like Nicollette stands up for herself and her rights," he says, "and in doing so help protect others who have had to work in a hostile environment."

ABC Studios said in a statement Monday: "While we have yet to see the actual complaint, we investigated similar claims made by Ms. Sheridan last year and found them to be without merit."

Ugly Betty: Series Finale Airing on April 14th

The series finale of Ugly Betty is just 11 days away!

Here’s the synopsis for the final episode titled: “Hello Goodbye”.

It’s the end of an era, but the beginning, Betty hopes, of something wonderful. In the award-winning series’ finale, which also features appearances by familiar faces from the past, Betty finds it hard to tell Daniel important news about her future. When she does, his reaction surprises her, but not Claire. Justin and Bobby enthusiastically consider taking advantage of a softening real estate market by apartment-hunting in Manhattan, but Hilda’s resisting even the most amazing places. Amanda grapples with the death of her dog, Halston, and Marc wonders if he’ll ever have a successful relationship.

The series finale of Ugly Betty airs on Wednesday, April 14th at 10:00 pm (ET) on ABC. There will be many sad faces (including mine) when the last episode airs.

"Desperate Housewives" Alumni Get New TV Roles

One of the most volatile TV couples is back in separate projects.

Former "Desperate Housewives" star Nicollette Sheridan is set as the lead in a CBS comedy pilot headlined by Ant Hines, a longtime collaborator of Sacha Baron Cohen.

Meanwhile, Neal McDonough, who played Sheridan's psycho husband who ultimately led to her character's demise in a freaky car accident, will star opposite Virginia Madsen on ABC's dramedy series "Scoundrels."

Hines' semi-scripted presentation, directed by Larry Charles ("Borat"), stars English actor Paul Kaye as a British lowlife moving to L.A. to reconnect with his daughter, a precocious teen superstar.

Returning to her Blighty roots, British born-and-raised Sheridan will play the girl's outrageous stage mother and the deadbeat dad's long-lost love.

Based on the New Zealand series "Outrageous Fortune," the comedic drama "Scoundrels" centers on the matriarch (Madsen) of a family of criminals who decides it's time for her brood to go straight after her scam artist/forger/petty thief husband (McDonough) is sentenced to a long prison term.

For four seasons, Sheridan played Wisteria Lane man-eater Edie, who finally found her match in Dave Williams (McDonough), her villainous third husband in Season 5.

Barbara Walters Kisses Oscar Specials Goodbye

One of the longest lasting relationships in Hollywood is over.

Barbara Walters said on The View on Monday her Academy Awards specials will be a thing of the past after this year.

"ABC has asked me to keep doing these specials as they have been so successful – and I’m thrilled we have such great stars and have such a wonderful show," Walters said. "But to be honest, I feel like I’ve ‘been there, done that.’"

Walters will exit with fanfare. This year, she’ll sit down with best actress frontrunner Sandra Bullock and best supporting actress nominee Mo’Nique, according to ABC News.

"This special has been a labor of love for 29 years. I will always remember when Hugh Jackman gave me a private lap dance or sitting down with the legendary Bette Davis or being taught to tango by Al Pacino," she said.

"It's those priceless moments that have made this special the Oscar tradition that it has become, but I truly feel enough is enough."

ABC Orders More Gay Dads

GLAAD Media Award-winner ABC is ordering up more gay dads!

On Monday, executives green lit a new comedy show by Grey's Anatomy producer Mark Gordon that includes a gay dad.

ABC has agreed to pick up the pilot for It Takes a Village, a single-camera comedy written by Casey Johnson and David Windsor (Greek) from ABC Studios, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

Village is about the lives of a former couple struggling to raise their teenage son after divorcing. Both parents have moved on to new relationships, the father into an openly gay coupling.

The show comes on the heels of the success of Modern Family, an ABC comedy that includes a gay couple who are raising their adopted daughter.

And viewers of ABC's Sunday night drama Brothers & Sisters are eagerly awaiting to see whether gay couple Kevin & Scotty become dads. If that happens, the network could be playing host to three gay couples raising kids by next season.