'Hot in Cleveland' Gets Third Season Renewal

TV Land is bringing back its breakout comedy Hot in Cleveland for a third round. The show stars Valerie Bertinelli, Wendi Malick, Jane Leeves, and of course, Betty White!

The network picked up another 22 episodes of the series, which will begin shooting this summer. Cleveland has averaged a robust 3.2 million viewers for TV Land during its second season.

“The chemistry that this cast has with each other is undeniable so we are excited to bring Hot in Cleveland back for another season,” said Larry W. Jones, president of TV Land. “Our viewers will be thrilled with all that is in store for next season – amazing storylines, smart and hilarious writing and even more beloved guest stars.”

Happy Birthday Betty White!

Veteran actress Betty White celebrates the beginning of her last year as an octogenarian as the beloved funnywoman turns 89 today.

The Emmy award-winning star rose to fame hosting her own radio shows before moving into TV with hit programmes including The Mary Tyler Moore Show and The Golden Girls.

Recently she's enjoyed a career revival, appearing in The Proposal alongside Sandra Bullock in 2009 and hosting comedy favourite Saturday Night Live last year after a Facebook.com campaign by fans.

To celebrate White's birthday and as a toast to her return to success, here are 10 fascinating facts about the star who keeps on shining:

- White moved to Los Angeles when she was two years old during America's Great Depression.

- She attended the Horace Mann School - the same high school as Angelina Jolie, Nicolas Cage, Lenny Kravitz and David Schwimmer.

- The actress is of German and Greek ancestry.

- In 1955 White was made the honorary mayor of Hollywood.

- When Rue McCLanahan died last summer, she became the last surviving member of the four The Golden Girls.

- The veteran star admitted to having cosmetic surgery before starring in 1985's The Golden Girls, despite the show being about growing old.

- She is an avid animal welfare activist and works with a number of organisations.

- In November, the Usda Forest Service, along with Smokey Bear, made her an honorary forest ranger - one of her lifelong ambitions.

- White received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1988 - placed next to the star bearing the name of her late husband, Allen Ludden.

- She has guest starred on shows including Ally McBeal, That '70s Show, Joey, My Name Is Earl and Malcolm in the Middle.

Barbara Walters Reveals Her 2010 Picks for 'Most Fascinating People'

From the queen of Hollywood to a princess in waiting, Barbara Walters has revealed eight of the 10 names on her 2010 Most Fascinating People list.

Sandra Bullock and Kate Middleton are joined on the list by Justin Bieber, Betty White, LeBron James, Sarah Palin, new American Idol judge Jennifer Lopez and the cast of Jersey Shore.

As usual, Walters won't divulge the final names – or the overall Most Fascinating Person – until the special airs December 9th at 10:00 pm (ET).

Middleton was a prescient choice, having reportedly been selected for the list before word of her engagement to Prince William broke this month.

Palin, meanwhile, makes a return appearance, having been featured on Walters's 2009 list as well.

Walters has chosen a woman as her overall Most Interesting Person in each of the past five years: Michelle Obama (2009), Tina Fey (2008), J.K. Rowling (2007), Nancy Pelosi (2006) and Camilla Parker Bowles (2005).

Will Lady Gaga make the cut? Or will she go with the cast of Glee? Who is your top guess for 2010?

Betty White: Gay Marriage Should Be Legal

Betty White is speaking out in favor of gay marriage.

The 88-year-old actress, who gained newfound cult icon status in the aftermath of her Super Bowl commercial and Emmy-winning "Saturday Night Live" hosting stint, said she believes everyone should have the right to say "I do."

"I don't care who anybody sleeps with," she told Parade magazine. "If a couple has been together all that time - and there are gay relationships that are more solid than some heterosexual ones - I think it's fine if they want to get married. I don't know how people can get so anti-something. Mind your own business, take care of your affairs, and don't worry about other people so much."

White's status as a gay icon dates back to her role as Rose on "The Golden Girls," the magazine noted. When asked about the phenomenon, she explained, "Gays love old ladies."

The actress also discussed her jam-packed schedule (she gets up at 6 every morning and goes to bed at 1:30 a.m.), whether or not she still drives ("Of course!" she said) and her taste in men.

"I've always liked older men," she told the magazine. "They're just more attractive to me. Of course, at my age there aren't that many left!"

Betty White, Neil Patrick Harris & "Old Spice" Claim Early Emmys

She won for being naughty on the subject of muffins, and he won – twice – for singing and dancing.

Betty White's Facebook-generated Saturday Night Live hosting gig and Neil Patrick Harris's turns as Tonys host and special guest star on Glee landed both veteran TV stars in the winners' circle at Saturday night's Creative Arts Emmy Awards in Los Angeles.

Though White, 88, was not at the Nokia Theater to collect her prize (her Snickers ad was also up for TV's highest honor), presenters John Lithgow and Clyde Phillips accepted on her behalf.

Meanwhile, Harris, 37, was present and accounted for – and he gave a special shout-out to Los Angeles Times forums moderator Chris "Boomer" Beachum, the newspaper reports. It was Boomer who revealed that the actor was missing from the list of nominees in the category of best special class, as host of the 63rd annual Tony Awards.

Accepting his gold statuette, Harris said, "I just want to thank Boomer from The Envelope, or I wouldn't have gotten this."

Harris, who also thanked his partner and (co-parent-to-be) David Burtka, is up for a best supporting actor in a series, for How I Met Your Mother, at next Sunday's Primetime Emmy Awards.

Saturday's other winners also included Jaime Oliver's Food Revolution (best reality series), previous Emmy-winning Survivor host Jeff Probst (best reality-show host) and Ann-Margret, for her guest -starring role on Law and Order: SVU.

The ad firm Weiden + Kennedy also received a Creative Arts Emmy for its Old Spice commercial, whose star, Isaiah Mustafa, told the Hollywood Reporter before the ceremony, "This is my first awards show, and I get to be nominated alongside Betty White!"

Hot in Cleveland Attracks Record Ratings for TV Land

The debut of Hot in Cleveland posted record gains for TV Land on last Wednesday, attracting 4.75 million viewers and posting triple-digit gains on the night across all key demographics. It was the most-watched telecast ever in the network’s history.

The comedy starring Valerie Bertinelli, Jane Leeves, Wendie Malick and Betty White earned a 1.9 rating and averaged 2.0 million viewers among the network’s target adults 25-54 audience and also averaged 1.3 million among Women 25-54.

Hot in Cleveland is filmed in front of a live studio audience and revolves around three best friends who arrive in Cleveland on a fluke and end up making it their home.

Betty White: Rue McClanahan's Death 'Hurts More Than I Ever Thought'

She's now the last living Golden Girl. For Betty White the loss of her costar Rue McClanahan struck hard.

"Rue was a close and dear friend. I treasure our relationship," White, 88, said in a statement. "It hurts more than I ever thought it would, if that's even possible."

McClanahan died early Thursday at age 76 after suffering a stroke, following the deaths of costars Bea Arthur last year at age 86 and Estelle Getty in 2008 at age 84 .

Golden Girls producer and writer Marc Cherry also expressed sadness over McClanahan's death. "When I worked on The Golden Girls, my favorite character to write for was Blanche Devereaux," he said Friday. "In the hands of lesser actresses Blanche's vanity and sexual appetite would have been off-putting. But in Rue's brilliant hands, that character became one of the most beloved in the history of T.V. Rue's kindness, generosity and enormous talent will be sorely missed."

Betty White's Next Gig: Hosting the Oscars?

Is Betty White the new Neil Patrick Harris?

Not content with her stellar performance on last weekend's Saturday Night Live, fans have launched a new Facebook campaign to place White at the podium come next year's Oscar night.

As of Wednesday morning, more than 9,200 members have jumped on the "Betty White to Host the Oscars" bandwagon. (Nearly 12,000 members, if one counts all the Betty White Oscar Host Facebook pages so far.)

White, 88, landed the SNL hosting gig after a fervent Facebook campaign by her legion of fans. Given her popularity and good reviews for last Saturday's performance – not to mention the fact she helped deliver the 35-year-old NBC show's best ratings in 18 months – this new crusade might attract even larger numbers.

Should the Motion Picture Academy not bite, a secondary, somewhat less vocal (for now) Facebook campaign is also underway, for White to host the primetime TV Emmys.

Either way, White has not yet indicated whether she'd be game to host the Oscars, though she did joke in advance promos for her SNL appearance that her fans should start blogging.

The 2011 Academy Awards are slated to be held February 27th, one week earlier than this year's ceremony, which was co-hosted by youngsters Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin.

Carol Burnett for SNL?

Meanwhile, another Facebook campaign is blossoming for still another favorite from TV's golden past – Carol Burnett. Fans are pressing SNL producer Lorne Michaels to let the popular redhead, 77, host the show. As of Wednesday morning, that army was more than 50,000-strong.

"Icing on the cake would be a cameo appearance by TIM CONWAY!" posts one admirer.

But as the killjoy New York Times points out, Burnett should be in no rush. This coming weekend will bring the SNL season finale, to be hosted by Baldwin.

'Dancing With the Stars' Wants Betty White

Even at 88, Betty White has the ambition of a 20-something! She brought down the house on 'Saturday Night Live' after her rabid fans on Facebook got her on the show, and now she's being recruited by yet another massively popular show: 'Dancing With the Stars.' Oh, Betty, you're in such high demand! But can she hang with the grueling workouts and routines?

"'Dancing With The Stars' would love to have Betty White grace the dance floor next season," a show insider a stated. "Not only would she guarantee great ratings, she would also make it easier for a lot of big celebrities -- who up to now have been sitting on the fence -- to sign on. There is no one bigger or more respected than Betty White."

If she agreed to be part of the next season, who knows who else the show would get!

Sources say Betty hasn't agreed to anything yet and is worried about how she would keep up with some of the younger contestants. However, she does have a great Cha Cha Cha!

Is there anything this national treasure can't do? Now we'll just have to see if she can deliver a kick line with the same precision she does a punchline.

Betty White's a Hit on Saturday Night Live

Betty White fans have another reason to appreciate Facebook. Not only did it provide the platform to petition for the TV icon to host Saturday Night Live, it became a hilarious punch line in her opening monologue.

"When I first heard about the campaign to get me to host Saturday Night Live, I didn't know what Facebook was," White said. "And now that I do know what it is, I have to say it sounds like a huge waste of time."

The jokes continued – "When I was young we didn't have Facebook, we had phone book," she said, "but you wouldn't waste an afternoon with it" – but White's Facebook fans can rest assured their online effort wasn't a waste. In fact, the actress, who appeared in every skit, is getting rave reviews.

"All it took to reinvigorate a 35-year-old comedy show was the presence of an 88-year-old woman," writes Dave Itzoff of the New York Times. "The only real disappointment of the night was when the clock struck 1 a.m. and Ms. White and the cast had to step on stage to wave their goodbyes."

Whether singing her muffins' praises on NPR or donning a black ski mask for a hardcore version of The Golden Girls theme song, White shined on a night when SNL welcomed back many of its female heavy hitters, including Molly Shannon, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, Rachel Dratch and Ana Gasteyer.

"Her comic delivery is still formidable," says the Chicago Tribune's Maureen Ryan. "The show would be smart to extend an open invitation to White to return as host any time, but given how in demand she is, who knows if she'd be able to make it back?"

And even musical guest Jay-Z seemed in awe of White. After his second song, "Young Forever," he dedicated the performance to "the most incredible Betty White."

Betty White Draws the Line at Nudity

Important Mother's Day Reminder: Betty White will finally make her long-awaited Saturday Night Live debut this coming weekend, along with musical guest Jay-Z.

"Isn't that something?" White, speaking on Monday's Today show, said of the guest-star pairing, also predicting – modestly – that the rapper will be the one to help boost Saturday's ratings. "He's tremendous."

And while there will be singing, dancing and comedy come Saturday night, White has put her foot down: No nudity. Well, "Very little nudity," she promised Today's Meredith Vieira. "Here and there" some nudity, she teased. "Mostly here."

Golden Girls favorite White, 88, landed the hosting gig after a fervent Facebook campaign by fans.

Pressed to explain her sudden career resurgence, a perplexed White answered, "I didn't know I'd ever been away … It's phenomenal. And I love working."

As for her Oscar-winning costar in last year's summer comedy hit The Proposal, Sandra Bullock, White gushed, "She is so wonderful, one of the most delightful human beings. I love her."

When asked about Bullock's personal turmoil of late, as well as the happy baby news, White responded: "I think her business is her business, and I try never to comment on it. All I can do is love her and wish her well."

Saturday's special Mother's Day episode of the NBC comedy show is also expected to reunite six former female SNL cast members, most of whom happen to be moms: Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Molly Shannon, Maya Rudolph, Ana Gasteyer and Rachel Dratch. No word yet on whether they draw the line at nudity, too.

Betty White Brings 'Cougar' Charm to SNL Promo

Betty White's SNL Promo
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With her hosting gig less than two weeks away, Betty White is using her first Saturday Night Live promo to answer a question she thinks is on people's minds: Is the Golden Girl also a cougar?

White, 88, landed the hosting job after a fervent fan campaign on the internet. But the web is also full of idle gossip, she says – so she's putting to rest rumors about her love life.

When White hosts the show May 8th, it will be her first time in Studio 8H. "I can't think of a better way to spend Mother's Day weekend than with Betty White," executive producer Lorne Michaels wrote on the SNL blog.

Betty White Confirms She Will Appear on Saturday Night Live

Betty White fans, your prayers have been answered. The former Golden Girl will appear on Saturday Night Live in the near future, she confirmed at Elton John's annual Oscars viewing party on Sunday night.

Fans have been clamoring for White, 88, to do SNL – an idea she called "ridiculous" just a few weeks ago – ever since her comic turn in a Snickers ad during the Super Bowl. One Facebook page devoted to the cause has attracted half a million fans.

When asked, "Are you doing Saturday Night Live," she answered, "Yes," even if she remains perplexed by the groundswell of support.

"I don't know why or how," she says, "but it's been wonderful."

White didn't offer any details about the SNL gig, and it remains unclear when she will appear – or what it will entail.

Entertainment Weekly said she might appear on a special "Women of Comedy" episode with former SNL cast members Molly Shannon, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler – but executive producer Lorne Michaels reportedly denied that.

White's career resurgence hasn't come completely out of the blue. She did star with Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds in the romantic comedy The Proposal, and was recognized with a lifetime achievement award at the Screen Actors Guild.

Sandra Bullock Jokes: I Find Betty White Annoying

It was supposed to be a sweet tribute – but Sandra Bullock couldn't help but zing her Proposal costar Betty White a little before presenting her with the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award trophy on Saturday.

"Yes, I know that a lot of people really find Betty White inspiring," said Bullock. "I mean, she's been working in an industry for more than six decades in a business that doesn't exactly value getting older.

"Me, I find Betty White annoying," she deadpanned. "I'm sorry, it's true," she said, detailing highlights from White's illustrious, Emmy-winning career from her earliest work in the '50s to her present day roles. "Betty, you make me feel bad about myself. You make me feel like the slacker."

In good humor as usual, White was more than happy to dish it back as she took the stage to a standing ovation.

"She is such a wonderful one," she said, looking at Bullock. "Isn't it heartening to see how far a girl as plain as she is can go?"

"I should be presenting an award to you for the privilege of working in this wonderful business," White said. "And you still can't get rid of me. I was only 88 last Sunday, I got lots more stuff to do."

Sandra Bullock to Deliver Screen Actor's Guild Tribute to Betty White

Here's a proposal Golden Girls star Betty White can't refuse: accepting her Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award from Sandra Bullock.

The hand-off will take place at the16th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards, to be simulcast live on TNT and TBS on Saturday, January 23rd, from Los Angeles's Shrine Exposition Center. (Check local listings for time, including that of the encore presentation.)

The two starred together in 2009's box-office hit, the romantic comedy The Proposal. White played the spiritual Alaskan grandmother of Bullock's love interest (and coerced fiancé), Ryan Reynolds.

White, 87, can practically boast of a lifetime on TV. Her six decades' worth of work – which have resulted in 18 Emmy nominations and six actual awards, so far – include her riotous turn as happy homemaker Sue Ann Nivens on The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1973-77) and as the often-vague Rose Nylund on The Golden Girls (1985-92). She also rode the early I Love Lucy domestic-sitcom bandwagon as the star of 1953's Life with Elizabeth.

Her next role will be in the Disney feature You Again, with Kristen Bell, Jamie Lee Curtis, Sigourney Weaver and Kristin Chenowith. Offscreen, White is a passionate animal-rights activist, affiliated with such groups as Actors and Others for Animals and the Morris Animal Foundation.

Bullock, 45, is also up for a SAG Award – named The Actor – for her leading role as the real-life Leigh Anne Tuohy in another box-office hit from last year, The Blind Side.

Past recipients of SAG's Life Achievement Award include James Earl Jones, Julie Andrews, Clint Eastwood, Sidney Poitier, Elizabeth Taylor, Angela Lansbury and Robert Redford.

Watch the SAG Awards on January 23rd, live on TNT and TBS.

Fellow Golden Girls Pay Tribute To Bea Arthur

Veteran actresses Betty White and Rue McClanahan have paid tribute to their Golden Girls co-star Bea Arthur, who died on Saturday.

The actress passed away peacefully in her sleep at her Los Angeles home after losing her battle with cancer aged 86, according to personal assistant Dan Watt.

Arthur, who starred in the hit show from 1985 until 1992, won an Emmy Award for her role as Dorothy Zbornak in the sitcom, which chronicled the lives of three retirees in Miami.

And co-stars White and McClanahan fondly recall the seven happy years they spent with Arthur on the series.

McClanahan tells Entertainment Tonight. "(Thirty-seven) years ago she showed me how to be very brave in playing comedy. I'll miss that courage. And I'll miss that voice."

White adds, "I knew it would hurt, I just didn't know it would hurt this much. I'm so happy that she received her Lifetime Achievement Award while she was still with us, so she could appreciate that.

"Bea was such an important part of a very happy time in my life and I have dearly loved her for a very long time. How lucky I was to know her."

Born in 1922, Arthur grew up in New York and earned a degree as a medical laboratory technician, before enrolling in a drama course at the New School of Social Research in the city.

She shot to fame in her twenties with numerous stage roles and won critical acclaim for her performance in a 1964 production of Fiddler on the Roof on Broadway.

Arthur also landed a Tony Award for her turn as Vera Charles in 1966 musical Mame - and composer Jerry Herman was taken aback by her natural acting ability and comic timing.

He says, "There was no one else like Bea. She would make us laugh during Mame rehearsals with a look or with a word. She didn't need dialogue. I don't know if I can say that about any other person I ever worked with."

The actress moved on to television in her fifties and won the starring role in 1970s show Maude, for which she also won a coveted Emmy Award, before landing her part in The Golden Girls.

Arthur married twice - first to producer and director Robert Alan Aurthur and then to director Gene Saks from 1950 to 1978. The couple adopted two sons.

She is survived by a sister, her children Matthew and Daniel and two granddaughters.