Welcome to CraveOnline's Idiot Box Updates, where we run down all the latest TV news and separate the facts from the rumors and nonsense on and about the small screen.
Here's a list of the top 20 prime-time shows by viewership numbers, compiled by Nielsen Media Research for June 8-14:
1. NBA Finals: L.A. Lakers vs. Orlando, Game 4, ABC, 15.96 million viewers.
2. NBA Finals: L.A. Lakers vs. Orlando, Game 3, ABC, 14.2 million viewers.
3. NBA Finals: L.A. Lakers vs. Orlando, Game 5, ABC, 14.17 million viewers.
4. "NBA Trophy Presentation," ABC, 13.48 million viewers.
5. "The Mentalist" (Tuesday), CBS, 11.62 million viewers.
6. "NCIS," CBS, 11.05 million viewers.
7. "Two and a Half Men," CBS, 9.52 million viewers.
8. "The Mentalist" (Thursday), CBS, 8.94 million viewers.
9. "48 Hours Mystery" (Tuesday), CBS, 8.85 million viewers.
10. "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," CBS, 8.74 million viewers.
11. "So You Think You Can Dance" (Wednesday), Fox, 8.69 million viewers.
12. "So You Think You Can Dance" (Thursday), Fox, 8.65 million viewers.
13. "Wipeout," ABC, 8.49 million viewers.
14. "Criminal Minds," CBS, 8.34 million viewers.
15. "CSI: Miami," CBS, 8.21 million viewers.
16. "CSI: NY," CBS, 8.02 million viewers.
17. NHL Stanley Cup Final: Pittsburgh vs. Detroit, Game 7, NBC, 7.99 million viewers.
18. "The Big Bang Theory," CBS, 7.82 million viewers.
19. "60 Minutes," CBS, 7.64 million viewers.
20. "The Bachelorette," ABC, 7.19 million viewers.
ABC News has come under the gun for an upcoming special on President Barack Obama's health care plan, after rejecting Republican demands for airtime.
The news telecasts on June 24 will originate at the White House, with "Good Morning America" on the South Lawn and Charles Gibson anchoring "World News" from the Blue Room, in addition to a primetime special, "Questions for the President: Prescription for America," moderated by Charles Gibson and Diane Sawyer.
During the special, the president is set to discuss his ambitious health care plan, and answer questions from a cross-section of Americans. The event won't include an official Republican Party response, however, a move that has prompted the Republican National Committee to complain to the network.
"I find it outrageous that ABC would prohibit our party's opposing thoughts and ideas from this national debate, which affects millions of ABC viewers," wrote RNC chief of staff Ken McKay in a letter posted on Drudge Report. "I am concerned this event will become a glorified infomercial to promote the Democrat agenda. If that is the case, this primetime infomercial should be paid for out of the DNC coffers. President Obama does not hold a monopoly on health care reform ideas or on free airtime."
ABC News responded to the complaint, saying that other points of view will be included in the network's coverage.
HBO's Season 2 premiere of their vampire drama "True Blood" pulled a record-setting 3.7 million viewers, making it the most-watched program on the network since "The Sopranos' " finale two years ago (can you believe that was only two years ago? My God, how time flies when you're watching good TV.
According to our sources over at DarkUFO, Season 6 of the massively popular show "Lost" will feature 16 episodes, but include a two-hour premiere and finale. That's all the news on it we could dig up so far, but stay tuned for more as it develops!
A&E confirmed Monday that it cancelled what's likely to be Patrick Swayze's final show, "The Beast," after only one season. A&E president Bob DeBitetto called the police drama a "labor of love" for Swayze, and praised the star's work ethic while battling cancer as they shot the first season. Swazye starred as a rogue FBI agent in the Chicago-set series, whose 13-episode run ended April 23.
Dr. Who fans out there? David Tennant, who's just finished a stretch playing the tenth version of the Time Lord, as well as "Doctor Who" writer/executive producer Russell T. Davies will grace fans in San Diego with their presence for the 40th annual Comic-Con on Sunday, July 26.
Joining them on the 10 a.m. panel will be executive producer Julie Gardner and director Euros Lyn to discuss the upcoming specials airing on BBC America.
Spinoff "Torchwood" will also get its own panel Sunday afternoon beginning at 2:15 p.m., along with the new BBC America show "Being Human". The show is about a vampire, werewolf and ghost, played by Russell Tovey, Lenora Crichlow and Aidan Turner. John Barrowman will also appear to discuss the five-night television event "Torchwood: Children of Earth."
"The Mighty Boosh" will also be featured on Friday, July 24 at 4:45 p.m. and screenings of the "Doctor Who: Planet of the Dead" special and part of "Torchwood: Children of Earth" on Saturday night.*
A judge has shut down a request to force prosecutors to charge TV bounty hunter Duane "Dog" Chapman with felonies for recently claiming that a man fired a gun at him and his crew while they were filming in Colorado.
State District Judge J. Patrick Kelly ruled Monday against public defender William Schoewe, who claimed that Chapman and others falsely accused his client, Hoang Nguyen, of shooting at them in Colorado Springs when they were trying to arrest him on April 21. Schoewe alleged that Chapman was trying to get publicity for the A&E Television reality show "Dog The Bounty Hunter." Charges were dropped against Nguyen because of weak evidence and conflicting statements. In other words, Dog needs to polish up his whole vigilante act a bit.
The Emmy Awards are being postponed by a week to avoid running into a scheduling conflict with MTV's Video Music Awards on September 13.
CBS and the Television Academy said Wednesday that the 61st Primetime Emmys would be presented Sept. 20 instead, a first for the long-running awards show and a telling sign of the times for pop culture television.
Jack Sussman of CBS said Wednesday that "it's best for the industry and the audience that these events not compete against each other."
Sussman said the network learned of MTV's awards-show plans after it announced its own, and CBS "had the flexibility to move; they didn't."
Nominations for the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards will be announced July 16.
EW.com is reporting that T.R. Knight's "Grey's Anatomy" contract was terminated Wednesday after a reportedly lengthy campaign by the actor himself to be released from his contract.
His desire to leave the show, along with that of co-star Katherine Heigl, whose fate is still undecided, has been TV's worst-kept secret for months, and the season finale of "Grey's" had his character's life hanging in the balance after being hit by a bus. Looks like we know how all that's going to turn out, ey?
While Knight is on his way out the door, though, EW also reports that "Grey's" has bumped Jessica Capshaw up to full-time status for next season, which means that Arizona Robbins and Callie Torres (Sara Ramirez) will get to pursue their budding relationship a little more.
Have you seen the latest installment of "I'm a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!" ? Anyone missing this is probably doing themselves a favor, because I've never seen such a vapid, self-serving batch of hopelessly star-desperate fools in my life as I have on this show. Daniel Baldwin was voted off earlier this week, and talked to reporters this morning about "supermodel" Janice Dickinson's "sociopath" behavior, Heidi Pratt's utterly retarded anti-Christian ways (while claiming to be serving only God) and possibly faked illness and the rumor that maybe we haven't seen the last of her and her creepy, flesh-colored beard-having weirdo husband Spencer Pratt.
"There were some very bizarre, bizarre things that happened," Daniel said, before going off on Janice: "Her urinating in camp in the middle of night because she couldn't take...I'm talking, 25 more steps to go to the bathroom with lanterns lighting the way. It was totally safe. And then she would look Lou Diamond Phillips right in the eye and say, 'God I can't believe someone would do that, Lou.' "
Millions of viewers saw Janice do exactly that on camera. We also saw her steal a granola bar, sneak off to eat it and then discard the plastic wrapper on the ground like an idiot, only to later lie to everyone's face that she had no idea where the fourth granola bar went.
"It was also a sociopath's behavior, totally disconnected to the truth and way beyond anything she could be trying to do for the show. She did some things that were way beyond entertainment; they were sick. She really needs some help, and I hope she gets it. Forget about voting her off, this is someone who should be committed."
Daniel coined the nickname "C4" for Janice because "the majority of it is plastic, and it's very explosive." He also called her "undereducated and overmedicated."
CBS has ordered up three new editions of its surprisingly popular hidden-camera special "I Get That a Lot," in which celebrities work low-wage jobs while in character and fool unsuspecting customers.
The show premiered on April Fools Day and featured stars such as Heidi Klum, Jeff Probst and Jessica Simpson. The special drew in a surprising 10 million viewers.
For the first time in anyone's memory, Fox will launch a fall lineup in mid- to late September alongside most of its rivals. Not many Fox programs will debut during the official start-of-season "premiere week" beginning September 21, most of the network's primetime programs will begin within a few days of the traditional launch period.
This fall, Fox's weeknight programing begins September 16 with "So You Think You Can Dance" and "Glee." Several factors go into deciding a premiere schedule, but one reason for the switch is that Fox expects fewer baseball pre-emptions next season in October. The network has typically debuted shows in late August or early September to give programs a longer running head start before Major League Baseball coverage interrupted its lineup.
FOX'S FALL PREMIERE DATES:
Saturday, September 12
8-8:30 p.m. "Cops" (Season premiere)
8:30-9 p.m. "Cops" (All-new episode)
9-10 p.m. "America's Most Wanted" (Season premiere)
Wednesday, September 16
8-9 p.m. "So You Think You Can Dance" (Season premiere)
9-10 p.m. "Glee" (Series premiere)
Thursday, September 17
8-9 p.m. "Bones" (Season premiere)
9-10 p.m. "Fringe" (Season premiere)
Friday, September 18
8-8:30 p.m. "Brothers" (Series premiere)
8:30-9 p.m. " 'Til Death" (Season premiere)
9-10 p.m. "Dollhouse" (Season premiere)
Monday, September 21
8-10 p.m. "House" (2-hour deason premiere)
Sunday, September 27
8-8:30 p.m. "The Simpsons" (Season premiere)
8:30-9 p.m. "The Cleveland Show" (Series premiere)
9-9:30 p.m. "Family Guy" (Season premiere)
9:30-10 p.m. "American Dad" (Season premiere)
Monday, September 28
8-9 p.m. "House" (All-new episode)
9-10 p.m. "Lie to Me" (Season premiere)
Tuesday, September 29
8-9 p.m. "Hell's Kitchen" (All-new episode)
9-10 p.m. "So You Think You Can Dance" (Time period premiere)
Tuesday, October 27
8-10 p.m. "So You Think You Can Dance" (Time period premiere)
Saturday, November 7
11 p.m.-midnight "The Wanda Sykes Show" (Series premiere)
