Moraes on TV - Television columnist Lisa de Moraes. - January 30, 2011

Lauren Conrad -- too high-brow for MTV

Cable networks are holding their so-called "upfronts" in New York these days - that's when they unveil their plans for the future in hopes advertisers will buy time in the new and returning programs, up-front. As in, before they start. So far, the biggest news coming out of these confabs...

By Lisa de Moraes | February 4, 2011; 7:09 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: TV News
Save & Share:

'American Idol': Season 10, episode 6 (Los Angeles auditions)

The judges see the contestants in Los Angeles. (Fox) One night after the depressingly, nearly talent-free Austin auditions, it's a relief "American Idol" is making a stop in Los Angeles. As show host Ryan Seacrest notes encouragingly, it is, after all, the entertainment capital of the world. On the...

By Lisa de Moraes | February 3, 2011; 11:45 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: "American Idol"
Save & Share:

'American Idol': Season 10, episode 5 (Austin auditions) UPDATED

"American Idol" judges see the contestants in Austin. (Fox) "American Idol's" two-hour audition episodes are behind us, and Wednesday night's audition episode will be a streamlined hour, focusing on the very best Austin, Texas has to offer. And yet, the show has time to open with a card that...

By Lisa de Moraes | February 3, 2011; 10:00 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: "American Idol"
Save & Share:

TLC brings back 'Cupcakes,' Animal Planet renews 'Animal Hoarding' and 'Pit Bull' series

Look out Georgetown residents: Discovery's TLC network announced it's bringing back "DC Cupcakes" on Feb. 25. The first season of this show seemed to correspond with a notable lengthening of the customer line out the door of this Georgetown cupcake shop, which slowed down traffic on 33rd St. Sisters Sophie...

By Lisa de Moraes | February 3, 2011; 8:47 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Local TV
Save & Share:

CBS renews 'NCIS' for a ninth season

Cote de Pablo and Sean Murray on "NCIS." (CBS) The day after seven-and-a-half-season-old "NCIS" clocked its biggest audience ever -- 22.85 million viewers -- CBS announced it had ordered another round of the drama series for next season. Remember when this Mark Harmon-starring procedural crime drama about officers of...

By Lisa de Moraes | February 2, 2011; 7:18 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: TV News
Save & Share:

Reality TV execs: It's all about the casting

With reality TV becoming increasingly competitive, if you're lucky enough to cast Snooki on one of your shows you need to be prepared to cough up some serious change to get her locked in for more seasons, former MTV programming president Tony DiSanto acknowledged during a reality-TV conference in Washington,...

By Lisa de Moraes | February 2, 2011; 6:01 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: TV News
Save & Share:

ABC orders 'Georgetown' pilot from 'OC' creator Josh Schwartz

Add "OC" creator Josh Schwartz to the list of Hollywood producers looking for a way to do a scripted drama that taps into the Washington political scene. "The O.C." creator Josh Schwartz's next project will be set in Washington. (Fox) ABC has ordered from Schwartz a pilot episode to be...

By Lisa de Moraes | February 2, 2011; 4:08 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Local TV
Save & Share:

Mayor Vincent Gray pitches Washington docu at reality-TV confab

Mayor Vincent Gray (The Washington Post) "I'm sorry the mayor left -- I was going to give him a lesson in the development process," History channel President Nancy Dubuc said Tuesday morning at a TV confab in Washington, as she followed Mayor Vincent Gray on stage. And, what she...

By Lisa de Moraes | February 1, 2011; 6:59 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Local TV
Save & Share:

Half of U.S. can see controversial Kennedy miniseries

By Lisa de Moraes | February 1, 2011; 6:27 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: TV News
Save & Share:

Network News

Moraes on TV: January 30, 2011 - February 5, 2011