Keepingitreal

Tyra Banks Ends Daytime Talk Show

Poor Trya Banks. While Oprah Winfrey got all the attention after announcing the end of her talk show (not until 2011), Tyra actually bid goodbye to her. Today was the final ‘Tyra,’ this after five years of interviewing celebrities, dispensing wisdom (”take responsibility for yourself because no one’s going to take responsibility for you”), and tackling hot button issues on the mind of young girls like body image, hair, sexuality, relationships, bigotry, fat, boob jobs, and teen pregnancy. Oh, did we say hair? She did a lot of that, seriously, including one last show earlier this week devoted to “the craziest, funniest and inspiring hair moments.” Larry King called her television’s “fiercest host.”

Episode 2: Finding the Right Spot

Rihanna to Talk About Chris Brown Incident in Upcoming Interview

For the first time since the headline-grabbing domestic violence incident involving her ex-boyfriend Chris Brown -- Rihanna is set to talk about what happened between them last February. ABC News has announced that Rihanna will sit down with Diane Sawyer in an interview that is scheduled to air on "Good Morning America" on Thursday, Nov. 5 and Friday, Nov. 6 at 7 a.m. ET -- and then on Nov. 6 at 10 p.m. ET on "20/20." "This happened to me...it can happen to anyone," Rihanna says, adding of Chris, "He was definitely my first big love." According to ABC News, Rihanna will also talk about her family life, growing up in Barbados and how life has been for her since her split from Brown, who was sentenced to five years of probation, community labor and one year of domestic violence counseling.

[Read full story on The Insider]

Scorned rapper West apologizes again to Taylor Swift

LOS ANGELES — Rapper Kanye West apologized for a second time on Monday after celebrities and fans poured scorn on his hijacking of teen country star Taylor Swift's moment in the spotlight at the MTV Video Music Awards. West was booed loudly when he leaped on stage and grabbed the microphone from Swift, 19, as she was accepting the trophy for best female pop video for "You Belong With Me" at the awards ceremony on Sunday. West declared it should have gone to Beyonce's "Single Ladies" video, which he called "one of the best videos of all time." The outburst on the live telecast was seen by some 27 million viewers -- the largest TV audience since 2002 for the annual MTV Video Music Awards, MTV said on Monday. Video of the incident was seen by some 2 million times on the MTV.com web site alone. "I feel like Ben Stiller in (the movie) 'Meet the Parents' when he messed up everything and Robert De Niro asked him to leave...That was Taylor's moment and I had no right in any way to take it from her. I am truly sorry," West wrote on his blog on Monday. West had earlier written that he was "soooooo sorry", adding "Welcome to the real world!!!! Everybody wanna booooo me but I'm a fan of real pop culture!!!". He will get a chance to speak publicly about the incident in a previously scheduled appearance on comedian Jay Leno's TV show on Monday evening. Swift, the biggest-selling artist of 2008 in the United States with more than 4 million albums, said little on Sunday about the outburst. "I've been getting so many text messages and everybody's been really nice. So I've had a really, really fun night. It's been interesting definitely. It's definitely been an interesting night," she said. Swift is to appear on Tuesday on daytime chat show "The View".

RICK FOX MOVES INTO 'MELROSE PLACE': Former NBA star takes recurring role on CW drama.

 Rick Fox is the newest tenant to nab a spot on "Melrose Place," reports Reuters.The former Los Angeles Lakers star has been cast in a recurring role on the CW series, which is being resurrected from its original run in the 1990s The athlete-turned-actor will play the owner of the restaurant where all the aspiring actors on the show work. Fox's television resume includes "Oz," "One Tree Hill," "The Game" and "Ugly Betty," where he was featured alongside his ex-wife and series star Vanessa Williams.

Whitney Houston's voice cracks during heartwarming Central Park comeback show - and she blames Oprah

It's the comeback that wasn't.

Despite all the good will aimed Whitney's way from a huge and loving Central Park crowd on Tuesday, she blew her big moment.

And, the heartbreaking part is, she knew it.

Her apology, blaming a blabby interview with Oprah taped the day before, came three songs into her four-number set.

At least her "sorry, guys" offered some relief. It allowed her to publicly acknowledge what even the most devoted fans couldn't ignore.

Every song Houston performed had a moment where her voice cracked, and throughout her set she treated the high notes the way the driver of a brand new car would a pothole.

Not that Houston sounded entirely hoarse or winded during the set. She growled with confidence during the funkiest parts of her old hit "My Love Is Your Love," and in the verses of her new single "Million Dollar Bill," she had some of her old, ringing tone.

She also had energy on her side. The bright-looking singer bounded on to the stage at Rumsey Playfield yesterday just after noon, opening with the new single. But if she delivered the song's verses with some verve, she left it to the audience, and her backup singers, to tackle the choruses.

The biggest problems showed in the title song to her new CD, "I Look To You." It's just the kind of high drama ballad Houston would have soared to the sky with in her prime. But this time, she cut off notes early, and merely spoke parts of the verses.

Even Houston's new studio recording shows some damage to her instrument. She has a huskier sound than before. But the fact is, she can do better than she did yesterday.

Houston's three-song performance for an industry crowd at Clive Davis' Grammy party back in February found her in far more sturdy form. Houston also has a small bit of encouraging news on the sales front. Early reports peg the new CD as an almost-sure No. 1 on Billboard's album chart, out next week.

But for her comeback to have the wow we want, she'll have to not just sell well, but soar when she sings.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/music/2009/09/01/2009-09-01_whitney_houstons_voice_cracks_during_heartwarming_central_park_comeback_show__an.html#ixzz0Pxsw7tJl

TYRA TO OPEN NEW SEASON WITHOUT WEAVE: Talk show host will return Sept. 8 with 'no fake hair at all!!'

Stop the presses. The season premiere of "The Tyra Banks Show" will feature its host without her trusty weave. “Guess What! I’m rockin’ my REAL hair on my talk show September 8th,” the former supermodel posted on her Twitter feed. “No fake hair at all! Will be the hair coming out of my scalp! 4 all 2 C!” She continued, “no ponytails, no ballet bun head. hair will be out and free!”       sp; The day after Tyra's weave free talk show episode airs, her prime time gig, "America's Next Top Model," begins its 13th cycle on the CW with 14 new hopefuls – each standing 5'7" or shorter.

Sprite Step Off Intro Video!

Tom DeLay, Macy Gray, Aaron Carter, Donny Osmond, Michael Irvin, Kathy Ireland on DWTS

Dancing with the Stars 9’s cast of 16 quasi-stars was announced this morning, and the largest cast ever includes singer Macy Gray, indicted former Republican majority leader Tom DeLay, actor Donny Osmond, former Dallas Cowboy Michael Irvin, model Kathy Ireland, and The Osbournes star Kelly Osbourne. Paula Abdul, however, is not part of the cast, nor is LaToya Jackson, who said last week she was offered a spot but turned it down.

The other participants include actor, singer, and dancer Mya; Entourage’s Debi Mazar; Sabrina the Teenage Witch Melissa Joan Hart; and train wreck Aaron Carter.

There’s also comedian George Hamilton’s offspring and one-time Shannen Doherty husband Ashley Hamilton; model and ABC’s Superstars cast member Joanna Krupa; Olympic swimmer Natalie Coughlin; mixed martial artist Chuck Liddell; snowboarder Louie Vito. And perhaps the least-known name belongs to someone you probably know: Mark Dacascos, the actor who plays Iron Chef America’s chairman.

DeLay, who’s under indictment for money laundering and campaigned to support Sara Evans during season three because she “represents good American values,” told USA TODAY, “I really am a big fan of the show. I couldn’t believe they asked me to do this. It didn’t take me five minutes to agree. I’ve been working out like crazy.” Executive producer Conrad Green told the paper, “I was astonished when he said yes. There no agents or lawyers. He’s in it to have some fun.” SOURCE:REALITY BLURRED

The Insider on TV: Tonight

Watch "The Insider" on TV tonight to see Tito Jackson on the record about his brother Michael's alleged drug problem. Hear about their last conversation -- and why he wishes he could have said goodbye differently. Plus, Tito speaks out about Michael's alleged love child. See the interview that will have everyone talking -- watch "The Insider" on TV tonight! [Read full story on The Insider]

Exclusive: Inside Obama’s White House

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Game Over. The Rise and Fall of Black Shows on Television

The cancellation of CW’s The Game, represents the final nail in the coffin for African American shows on network TV. Over the past decade, there were a handful of black shows, sitcoms to be particular, that saw the light of day. Once upon a time, there was a minor league network called The WB that gained it’s primary audience by airing these programs - “The Jamie Foxx Show,” “The Wayan’s Brother’s”, “The Parent ‘Hood”, “The Steve Harvey Show” and “Sister, Sister” (after being dropped from ABC) being prime examples.Meanwhile there existed another network that appeared to remain loyal to their African American base: The now defunct UPN, which showcased “One on One,” “Half and Half”, and “All of Us” and “Eve,” to name a few. In January 2006, CBS and WB announced that they would collapse both The UPN and The WB and launch a brand new network called The CW. From that point, decisions were made as to which programs from each network would be migrated over to The CW, and which ones would be terminated. By 2006, African American programs had been completely eliminated from The WB and it was crystal clear which UPN shows would get the boot as a result of the merger. “7th Heaven”, “Beauty and the Geek”, “Gilmore Girls”, “One Tree Hill”, “Reba”, “Smallville”, and “Supernatural” found a new home at The CW, leaving “Girlfriends”, and “All of Us”, “The Game”, and “Everybody Hates Chris” as the last Black network TV shows standing.The downward trend continued with the sudden cancellation of Will and Jada Pinkett-Smith’s “All of Us,” and was accentuated by the cancellation of the CW’s long running hit show “Girlfriends” two years later, in 2008. After 8 seasons, and millions in ad revenues, they weren’t even given so much as a series finale. When interviewed once, Mara Brock Akil stated that she was “ in talks with the studio and network on putting together a retrospective show which will honor and celebrate this landmark series, so please stay tuned.” Sounds hopeful, but that claim was made well over a year ago. So much for closure. SOURCE:CLUTCHMAGAZINE.COM

Shocker: Kris Allen takes 'American Idol' title

EXCERPT FROM SFGATE.COM ~ Kris Allen beamed with disbelief, shook his head as if to reject that this was really happening and doubled over in shock. The fact that he'd just beaten rollicking vocal powerhouse Adam Lambert for the "American Idol" title wasn't going to sink in quickly for the unassuming underdog from Arkansas. The only downside to this stunning victory: He was going to have to sing "No Boundaries" one more time. "I'm sorry, I don't even know what to feel right now. This is crazy," said the 23-year-old from Conway, Ark., as he leaned on host Ryan Seacrest to keep from staggering.Allen's smooth vocals and boy-next-door image gave him the edge after nearly 100 million viewer votes were cast, turning the theatrical Lambert into the most unlikely of also-rans. When the season started, Allen seemed unsure he had a right to take center stage, let alone stand there and snatch victory from such a formidable rival. During his "Idol" audition last summer, Allen, hands in his pockets and a newsboy cap pulled down around his eyes, was asked by the judges if he was the best singer around. "You know, there's probably people who are better than me," was Allen's response, offered in the quiet, low-key spirit he retained despite his growing profile. Conversely, Lambert's commanding vocal range and stage presence — and the judges' lavish adoration — at times turned "Idol" into "The Adam Lambert Show," with the other contestants mere guests. But it turned out that "Idol" viewers could embrace a gifted performer like Lambert, one who sported black nail polish and bold self-assurance, only to a point. Cowell tipped his hat to both contestants Wednesday night, who shared a moment of musical camaraderie when they joined with Queen on the rock anthem "We Are the Champions." "To both of you, and I don't normally mean this, I thought you were both brilliant ... the future's all yours," the judge said. "Adam did win. So did Kris. Nobody lost tonight. These are two champions," said Kiss guitarist Paul Stanley from backstage. The comments from Cowell and Stanley aren't necessarily empty platitudes. Past contestants can testify that losing the title doesn't mean you're a loser, nor does winning mean you're a shoo-in for superstardom. CONTINUE READING...

LATIFAH, PEAS, RICHIE TO GRACE 'IDOL' STAGE: Also, Jamie Foxx says Adam will win, but Kris 'swooned me.'

American Idol" has announced that Queen Latifah, Black Eyed Peas, Lionel Richie and Carlos Santana are among the performers lined up for Wednesday's season finale showdown between Kris Allen and Adam Lambert. The stars will join fellow booked acts Cyndi Lauper.  Previous "Idol" winners David Cook and Underwood will perform on Tuesday's episode, which will feature Lambert, a 27-year-old theater actor from San Diego, and Allen, a 23-year-old college student from Conway, Ark., battling for a record contract and the title of "American Idol."Meanwhile, Jamie Foxx, who mentored the "Idol" contestants during Rat Pack week, weighs in on the final two contestants during an appearance on today's episode of "The Ellen DeGeneres Show." The actor-singer said Adam has the potential to "go stratosphere," but Allen's a sleeper. "Watch out for him," he tells DeGeneres of the guitar-playing singer. "Kris really sort of swooned me. You know, I'm a macho man, but he was singing and I was like, oh my goodness. I was like, 'Dude, you had me floating for a minute.' So I told him I would really, really love to do a record with him because he's sort of understated." [Watch below.]

Marcus Patrick on CSI Miami

Fox sticking with schedule instead of Obama

Fox became the first broadcast network to turn down a request by President Barack Obama for time, opting to show its drama "Lie to Me" on Wednesday instead of the president's prime-time news conference.Fox will direct viewers interested in the news conference to Fox News Channel and the Fox Business Network, which will both carry it. ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, MSNBC and CNBC are all carrying the 8 p.m. EDT event, on Obama's 100th day in office.This will be Obama's third prime-time news conference as president, a schedule that has caused some private grumbling among network executives. Carrying a news conference costs the four broadcast networks an estimated $10 million-plus in lost advertising revenue.Yet with an economy in distress, two wars and now a swine flu outbreak, the pressure on networks to agree to Obama's request as a public service is enormous.Executives at Fox, owned by News Corp., would not comment on the decision Monday. It's not without precedent for the network; Fox didn't carry a prime-time speech by President George W. Bush in November 2001 despite a request from the White House."I can't imagine it was politically motivated," said Shelly Palmer, industry analyst and host of "MediaBytes," a daily show about technology and the media. "I'm assuming it was financially motivated."The news conference comes at the start of a ratings "sweeps" months, where viewership is watched closely to set local advertising rates. Not only will Fox keep its advertising for the hour, it will offer the only broadcast entertainment program, potentially giving a boost to the new series "Lie to Me," about a crime-fighting expert who can spot liars. "American Idol" follows "Lie to Me" on the schedule.The Fox broadcast network was the most likely to have made this decision. Unlike ABC, CBS and NBC, Fox does not have its own news division to analyze the event. Even though the broadcast network is in more homes, cable's Fox News Channel traditionally gets more viewers for its coverage of these events than the Fox network. CONTINUE READING...

Michael Vick seeks reality-show deal

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – Michael Vick is hoping to play the reality game. The incarcerated NFL star has talked to producers about launching an unscripted program. The proposed documentary series would follow Vick beginning July 20, the day of his scheduled release from federal custody, and show him trying to "make amends for his past." Sources said eager producers even visited the suspended Atlanta Falcons quarterback in prison in the hope of signing him. As a result, a few parties claim to have obtained rights to a Vick project. Vick is serving a 23-month sentence for dogfighting conspiracy. His attorneys did not return a call for comment, but they told a judge this month at a bankruptcy hearing that Vick has agreed to a "television documentary deal" that will pay him $600,000. That number represents only a small portion of what Vick is asking for, however. The athlete, who reportedly owes millions to creditors, is seeking a high-dollar figure for participation in the show. Among the questions surrounding such a deal is the matter of which network would be interested in a Vick reality show. Insiders place bets on A&E and Spike TV as likely first stops. "It sure won't be Animal Planet," more than one source quipped. SOURCE:YAHOO.COM

Wanda Sykes gets late-night gig

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – Actress-comedian Wanda Sykes and the Fox network are finalizing a deal for a Saturday late-night show. The hourlong show, slated to premiere in the fall, will succeed the recently canceled sketch comedy show "MadTV." It will be topical, featuring a panel of recurring guests sparring over issues concerning politics as well as pop culture. Sykes will appear in field segments as well. Known for her outspoken comedic perspective, Sykes will host the 2009 White House Correspondents' Association dinner. The actress, who co-stars on CBS' "The New Adventures of Old Christine," previously headlined the sitcom "Wanda at Large" on Fox. Sykes's deal brings a rare female presence to late-night television, which is dominated by white male hosts. It follows TBS' announcement of a new late-night talk show hosted by Mexican-American actor/comedian George Lopez. The fate of Fox's other Saturday late-night show, "Talk Show With Spike Feresten," which airs at midnight, remains up in the air.

Obama on Jay Leno

NY models will get second chance

America's Next top Model host Tyra Banks has told wannabes caught up in chaotic scenes at a New York casting that they will get another chance.

On the show's blog, Banks has written that producers are "doing everything we can" to "make sure that everyone gets a fair chance to pursue their dream".Thousands of modelling hopefuls were queuing outside a hotel when bedlam broke out, injuring six people.Police said the crowd panicked when a broken down car nearby began smoking. Several arrests As the crowd surged, the street outside the hotel became littered with shoes and clothing owned by people who had camped out the night before the audition.Three people were arrested for resisting arrest after a security barrier was toppled, police said. New York Police Department spokesman Paul Browne told the Associated Press that organisers should have notified police before the gathering for help with crowd control. He said there have been no similar problems with other open castings.In the latest series of the hit reality show competition, the show's producers are looking for models below the usual height of 5ft 7ins. They have yet to reveal when another audition will take place, but Banks said: "I encourage each girl to come out ready to rock the runway and show off their fiercest pose. "I'm rooting for all of you!"