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Monday, June 30, 2008

Tributes for Heath Ledger & Conway Wickliffe on "Dark Knight"

Heath Ledger Gets 'Dark Knight' Dedication
Late effects technician Conway Wickliffe also recognized

Heath Ledger and Conway Wickliffe receive special posthumous tributes at the end of the Batman sequel "The Dark Knight"

Entertainment journalists, who began getting their first look at the heavily hyped Warner Bros. release this week, stuck around for the early part of the credits to see a simple card reading "In memory of our friends Heath Ledger & Conway Wickliffe" just before the main credit crawl.

Other than that card, Ledger receives no special notice in the movie. The actor, who died on January 22 of an accidental overdose on prescription drugs, is billed third behind Christian Bale and Michael Caine, though his performance as the Joker is expected to generate Oscar buzz.

Wickliffe, a 41-year-old special effects technician, died last September while working on a stunt for the film in London.

"The Dark Knight" opens on July 18.

BREAKING NEWS: WB Puts up "300" Sequel, which is coming soon!

Source: Zap2it.com
Warner Bros. Arms '300' Sequel
Frank Miller is working on a graphic novel follow-up

We aren't exactly sure how, but Legendary Pictures and Warner Bros. are developing a sequel to the bloody semi-historical epic "300."

[Photo in the right: Gerard Butler as King Leonidas, "300"]

According to Variety, original "300" scribe Frank Miller is writing a new graphic novel that follows up the Spartan saga in some capacity. The trade paper says "300" helmer Zack Snyder will hold off on committing to the project until he's seen Miller's new book, but he has definite interest in sticking with the potential franchise.

The sequel possibility was first raised by the "300" team at last week's Saturn Awards, where several online sources including Collider.com scooped Variety.

The fact that most of the main "300" characters, including topliner Gerard Butler's Leonidas, died at the end of the story complicates sequel possibilities, but it shouldn't preclude either a prequel or a loosely related spinoff.

No matter how hard it might be to make a sequel work, it's no surprise that Warner Bros. would salute the effort. With a relatively tiny budget of $65 million, "300" opened at over $70 million domestically and went on to make more than $450 million worldwide.

Warners and Legendary are also both behind Snyder's spring 2009 adaptation of the comic classic "Watchmen."

"Wanted" Tops International Audience

Source: Zap2it
'Wanted' Is Wanted By International Audiences
James McAvoy and Angelina Jolie thriller holds off 'Kung Fu Panda' overseas

Beaten by a friendly robot domestically, "Wanted" can take solace in dominating the foreign marketplace for the weekend ending Sunday, June 29.

[Photo on the right: James McAvoy, "Wanted"]

According to media reports, the comic book adaptation took in a solid $33 million in its first week in foreign release, opening day-and-date on 1,922 screens in 22 markets.

Given director Timur Bekmambetov's blockbuster pedigree, "Wanted" had its biggest international opening in Russia, where the James McAvoy/ Angelina Jolie vehicle made $11 million. "Wanted" added an additional $8 million in its United Kingdom opening.

In the United States, of course, "Wanted" finished behind the Pixar adventure "Wall-E," but that robot romance only opened in six foreign markets, on 400 screens in Latin America, making $3.1 million foreign. It will continue its international roll-out in weeks to come.

Second place overseas actually went to a different computer animated feature, "Kung Fu Panda," which did $21.5 million, bringing its foreign total to $98.5 million. Disney's "Prince Caspian" was third at $20.1 million for a total of $161.8 million foreign, followed by the $12.1 million for "The Incredible Hulk" and the $11.8 million for "Get Smart."

CBS Owns Sunday with a "Password"

Prime-Time Ratings:
Sunday 6/29/08


-Total Viewers:
CBS: 7.74 million, NBC: 6.49, ABC: 4.84, Fox: 4.15, CW: 907,000

-Adults 18-49:
NBC: 1.9 rating/6 share, ABC: 1.6/ 5, Fox: 1.5/ 5, CBS: 1.4/ 4, CW: 0.3/ 1
______________

Sunday Is Day of Rest for Viewers
CBS grabs biggest audience on quiet night

Fast National ratings for Sunday, June 29, 2008

Sunday's ratings continued the summertime trend of being not all that impressive, with CBS and NBC each scoring a share of the title.

CBS led overall with a 5.2 rating/9 share. NBC took second with a 4.1/7, topping ABC's 3.0/5. FOX, 2.4/4, came in fourth, and The CW registered a negligible 0.6/1.

NBC won the adults 18-49 demographic with a 1.9 rating. ABC's 1.6 was good for second, followed by FOX, 1.5, and CBS, 1.4. The CW was barely there at 0.3.

CBS began the night on top with "60 Minutes," the night's most-watched show at 6.3/13. An "America's Funniest Home Videos" rerun (2.9/6) put ABC in second, just ahead of NBC's coverage of the U.S. Olympic swimming trials. FOX got a 1.9/4 with the movie "The Lost World: Jurassic Park." A "One Tree Hill" rerun aired on The CW.

"Million Dollar Password," 5.6/10, kept CBS on top at 8 p.m. The Olympic trials improved to 3.9/7, moving NBC ahead of ABC and "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," 3.0/5. FOX's movie stayed in fourth, while "Everybody Hates Chris" and "Aliens in America" averaged 0.6/1 for The CW.

At 9 p.m., a repeat of "Cold Case" (4.5/8) narrowly beat "Dateline NBC" (4.3/7) for the lead. "EM: Home Edition" drew a 4.0/7 in its second hour. "The Lost World" concluded with a 2.9/5 for FOX. The CW held steady with "The Game" and "Girlfriends."

"Dateline" rose to 5.3/9 at 10 p.m. to give NBC the top spot. A second "Cold Case" posted a 4.3/8 for CBS, and "Desperate Housewives" came in at 2.1/4 for ABC.

WWE Night of Champions '08 - RESULTS

Sunday, June 29, 2008

Manny Pacquiao wins by KO on Round 8!

Manny Pacquiao wins by KO!

Elyas Isabelo L. Salaga

Sunday, June 29, 2008
02:00 PM

MANDALAY BAY, LAS VEGAS — Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao has made boxing history again by knocking out Mexican-American foe "Dangerous" David Diaz in the 9th round of their match earlier today, June 29, making the Pacman the first Filipino ever to win in four boxing divisions. He now holds the WBC lightweight championship crown, aside from his super bantamweight, junior lightweight, and super featherweight championships.

Manny definitely proved to everyone that he's the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world.

THE FIGHT. What started out as a dream for Pacman is now a reality because of his hard work and determination in beating Diaz. Gaining five pounds for this fight didn't slow down Pacman at all. He moved like lightning around the ring, giving Diaz a series of combinations that made Diaz comment, "Those punches are just too fast."

Manny was relentless in going after the Mexican early in the first round. And it seemed like Manny's gloves were made of magnets and Diaz's face was made of iron, because no matter how hard Diaz defended himself, Manny's punches always made it through.

The next three rounds definitely belonged to Pacquiao as his speed never faltered in giving Diaz more combinations of jabs and hooks. Quite noticeable was how Pacquiao now effectively used his right hand in dishing out punishment on Diaz's face and body. By Round 5 was evident that the beating had taken its toll on Diaz as he involuntarily danced like a drunk.

Round 6 opened with Manny no onger showing as much aggression as in the earlier rounds, but Manny's double hook gave Diaz a nasty cut in the eye. Referee Vic Drakulich called for time to have the cut checked out. It wasn't serious, and the fight continued.

Manny could definitely smell weakness in his opponent and he took advantage by coming in surprisingly fast, giving Diaz combinations of left punches to the body then a right to the face. All that Diaz gave out in this round were just jabs and weak straights.

LUCKY NINE. The beginning of the 8th round fired up Manny as he gave Diaz precise right-left-right punches that sent Diaz sagging and dazed. Manny's five-punch combinations nearly sent Diaz to paradise but the clock saved him.

Diaz was probably wondering how much more punishment he had to go through when the bell signaled the start of the 9th round. Face bloodied, he tried to go for offense, but Manny was already after him, giving Diaz a three-punch combination to the head.

Diaz looked like he couldn't take any more combinations from Pacman as his left eye began to blacken and close up quickly because of Pacman's solid left. Like a lion circling a wounded zebra, Pacman dished out final jabs, then quickly, a right-left punch that finally sent the ex-champion down face first.

The referee did not even bother to count as he waved the fight off at 2:24 in the 9th. It's over. The Pacman wins by KO!

Saturday, June 28, 2008

Triple H's SD! debut helps SmackDown! Gain Viewers; ABC Friday Horrible!

Prime-Time Ratings
Friday 6/27/08


-Total Viewers:
CBS: 5.82 million, NBC: 5.52, CW: 4.34, ABC: 3.75, Fox: 3.28

-Adults 18-49:
NBC: 1.5 rating/5 share, CW: 1.4/ 5, CBS and Fox: 1.2/ 5 each, ABC: 1.1/ 4

--------------------

Note: Any prior rating results are based on the final nationals. Since the level of DVR penetration has increased from 13 percent at this same point last year to approximately 23 percent at present, the overall results may be negatively impacted.

----------

-Friday’s Winners:
Nothing

-Friday’s Losers (excluding repeats):
Dance Machine (ABC), Movie: XXX – State of the Union, Duel (ABC), 20/20 (ABC)

----------

-Ratings Breakdown:
There was little to say, as usual, on this uneventful summer Friday. CBS was first overall in households and total viewers; NBC was No. 1 among adults 18-49; and the five networks combined totaled a mere 29 share of the audience.

In series-premiere news, ABC reality/competition Dance Machine limped out of the gate with 3.76 million viewers (#4) and a last-place 1.0 rating/4 share among adults 18-49 from 8-9 p.m. Why ABC needed another non-scripted dance themed series is beyond me.

Dance Machine led into the return of flop game show Duel (Viewers: #5, 3.27 million; A18-49: #5: 1.0/ 4) and 20/20 (Viewers: #3, 4.24 million; A18-49: #3, 1.3/ 5) from 9-11 p.m.

In an all encore night, CBS opened with Ghost Whisperer (Viewers: #1, 5.58 million; A18-49: #1t, 1.4/ 6 at 8 p.m.), followed by two repeats of Numb3rs as follows:

Numb3rs R (CBS)
9:00 p.m. Viewers: 5.64 million (#1), A18-49: 1.1/ 4 (#1)
10:00 p.m. Viewers: 6.23 million (#2), A18-49: 1.3/ 5 (#2)

NBC kicked-off with two repeats of Most Outrageous Moments (Viewers: #3, avg. 4.53 million; A18-49: #3, avg. 1.2/ 5 from 8-9 p.m.), followed by a two-hour edition of overused Dateline at 6.02 million viewers (#1) and a 1.6/ 6 among adults 18-49 (#1) from 9-11 p.m.

Soon-to-depart Friday Night Smackdown! on the CW finished third overall in total viewers (4.34 million) and second among adults 18-49 (1.4/ 5). And theatrical XXX – State of the Union capped off the evening for Fox with 3.28 million viewers (#5) and a 1.2/ 5 in the demo (#3t).

To whet your appetite for the fall, here is what you will be seeing on Fridays beginning in September:

ABC
8:00 p.m. Wife Swap (new day and time)
9:00 p.m. Supernanny (new day)
10:00 p.m. 20/20

CBS
8:00 p.m. Ghost Whisperer
9:00 p.m. The Ex List (new)
10:00 p.m. Numb3rs

NBC
8:00 p.m. Crusoe (new)
9:00 p.m. America’s Toughest Jobs (new)
10:00 p.m. Life (new day)

Fox
8:00 p.m. Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? (new day)
9:00 p.m. Don’t Forget the Lyrics (new day)

CW
8:00 p.m. Everybody Hates Chris (new day)
8:30 p.m. The Game (new day and time)
9:00 p.m. America’s Next Top Model (R, new day)

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TV Craze NOTES:
MyNetworkTV (Friday)
8:00 p.m. WWE Friday Night SmackDown!

WWE Friday Night SmackDown! - Official Results (June 27, 2008)


Results:
SmackDown goes gold
By: Andrew Rote
June 27, 2008


HOUSTON – SmackDown hit the stage with a new look – and a new sound – after the 2008 WWE Draft sent the likes of WWE Champion Triple H and Hall of Fame commentator Jim Ross to the blue brand. Still, the night featured a familiar sight: Batista hoisting the World Heavyweight Championship in front of the WWE Universe.

Arguably the Draft pick who made the most waves on Monday’s edition of Raw, Triple H kicked off the evening with a formal introduction. It didn’t take long for World Heavyweight Champion Edge to stir up some trouble, perhaps already playing mind games with The Game. It took even less time for Batista to rush to ringside and spear the title holder after The King of Kings cast him from the squared circle. The Animal grabbed Edge’s gold and raised it alongside SmackDown’s newest Superstar.

That image would be similar after the main event match between Batista and Umaga. The contest wouldn’t reach a conclusion before Edge, Chavo Guerrero, Curt Hawkins and Zack Ryder all joined in to tame the Animal.

Triple H returned Batista’s favor from earlier that night, climbing into the ring and knocking the Samoan Bulldozer from the top of the turnbuckle for an earth-shattering fall. Between The Game and Batista, the squared circle was cleared out in a matter of seconds, leaving the WWE Champion and the hopeful World Heavyweight Champion to celebrate.

Edge’s night wasn’t completely unsuccessful, however. The Ultimate Opportunist took on new ECW Superstar United States Champion Matt Hardy in a non-title Champion vs. Champion bout. Making good on his nickname, Edge seized the opportunity when Hardy was distracted. The United States Champion was left immobile after a devastating spear, allowing Hardy only to wait for the inevitable pin.

Hawkins & Ryder were also involved earlier in the evening. The duo took on the father-son pair of Finlay & Hornswoggle. The Irishmen proved to be too much for the Rated-R enthusiasts, as Hornswoggle capitalized and pinned Hawkins for the win. WWE Tag Team Champions The Miz & John Morrison came to ringside, but it wasn’t to congratulate the pair on their win. The two tag teams will go to battle at Night of Champions, Finlay & Hornswoggle hoping to find gold at the end of the rainbow and Miz & Morrison hoping to protect theirs.

The WWE Universe got another Night of Champions preview when ECW Champion Kane & Big Show faced Mark Henry & Montel Vontavious Porter in tag team action. The three giants involved are all set to fight for the ECW Title in a Triple Threat Match at the pay-per-view, but it’s not hard to tell they are chomping at the bit. At the conclusion of the contest, MVP tried walking back to the locker room after struggling in the ring. Henry wouldn’t have any of it, though, and he took his partner and tossed him back into the squared circle. The Ballin’ Superstar became the victim of a vicious chokeslam and a pin, courtesy of the Big Red Machine.

Six other competitors wanting a title taste fought it out on Friday night, as well. Maryse, Victoria & Natalya shined against Michelle McCool, Kelly Kelly & Cherry. SmackDown General Manager Vickie Guerrero has yet to make a decision about who will take on Natalya in the first ever Diva Championship Match. If Friday served as advantageous for anyone, Maryse offered up a fine performance on her way to pinning Cherry to earn her team the victory.

Rounding out the night, Vladimir Kozlov continued his dominating career, making an example of Domino in one-on-one action.

Make sure to catch Sunday’s action to find out if Batista will soon hold the World Heavyweight Champion. Watch Night of Champions, Sunday at 8/7 CT, only on pay-per-view.

Friday, June 27, 2008

WWE Night of Champions Card - UPDATED

Mega Manila TV Ratings: June 24-26, 2008 (Tuesday - Thursday)

Tuesday, June 24:

SiS (GMA) 10.9% vs. Boy & Kris (ABS-CBN) 7.7%;
Marimar 17.2% vs. Game Ka Na Ba? 14.5%;
Eat Bulaga! 21.8% vs. Wowowee 15.1%;
Daisy Siete 23.6% vs. Ligaw na Bulaklak 13%;
Magdusa Ka 19.8% vs. El Cuerpo del Deseo 15.7%;
Gaano Kadalas ang Minsan 17.6% vs. Naruto 9.1%;
Gobingo 12% vs. Wheel of Fortune 13.8%;
24 Oras 30.7% vs. TV Patrol World 22.9%;
Joaquin Bordado 37.1% vs. The Singing Bee 24.4%;
Dyesebel 43% vs. Lobo 22.9%;
Babangon Ako't Dudurugin Kita 32.1% vs. My Girl 22.7%;
Dalja's Spring 19.6% vs. Pinoy Dream Academy 20.5%;
Pinoy Idol Extra 13.4% vs. Lovers 15%;
Kung Ako Ikaw 11.4% vs. Bandila 11.3%.

Wednesday, June 25:

SiS 10.3% vs. Boy & Kris 7.5%;
Marimar 16.2% vs. Game Ka Na Ba? 14.5%;
Eat Bulaga! 21.5% vs. Wowowee 15.7%;
Daisy Siete 22% & Magdusa Ka 23.2% vs. Ligaw na Bulaklak 15.4%;
Gaano Kadalas ang Minsan 21.4% vs. El Cuerpo del Deseo 18%;
Gobingo 11.2% vs. Wheel of Fortune 11.6%;
24 Oras 28.2% vs. TV Patrol World 21.3%;
Joaquin Bordado 34.8% vs. The Singing Bee 23.9%;
Dyesebel 40.3% vs. Lobo 23.1%;
Babangon Ako't Dudurugin Kita 34% vs. My Girl 23.1%;
Dalja's Spring 21.1% vs. Pinoy Dream Academy 21.9%;
Pinoy Idol Extra 13.6% vs. Lovers 15.5%;
Kung Ako Ikaw 11.2% vs. Bandila 11.8%.

Thursday, June 26:

SiS 11.5% vs. Boy & Kris 5.6%;
Marimar 15.4% vs. Game Ka Na Ba? 12.3%;
Eat Bulaga! 24.5% vs. Wowowee 15.3%;
Daisy Siete 22.4% vs. Ligaw na Bulaklak 12.8%;
Magdusa Ka 21.1% & Gaano Kadalas ang Minsan 20.7% vs. El Cuerpo del Deseo 16.4%;
Gobingo 11.2% vs. Wheel of Fortune 13.6%;
24 Oras 30.4% vs. TV Patrol World 21.7%;
Joaquin Bordado 39.2% vs. The Singing Bee 22.4%;
Dyesebel 43.6% vs. Lobo 20.2%;
Babangon Ako't Dudurugin Kita 36.3% vs. My Girl 21.4%;
Dalja's Spring 21.8% vs. Pinoy Dream Academy 21.7%;
Pinoy Idol Extra 13.2% vs. Lovers 15.6%;
Nuts Entertainment 11.7% vs. Bandila 11.9%.

WWE Friday Night SmackDown! - Official Preview (June 27, 2008)


Preview:
Game on!
June 26, 2008

The 2008 WWE Draft changed the entire landscape of WWE.

WWE Champion Triple H, Jeff Hardy, Umaga, Mr. Kennedy and Hall of Famer Jim Ross are coming to SmackDown, and Friday nights will never be the same.

WWE.com has learned that 12-time World Champion Triple H will kick off SmackDown. What will The King of Kings have to say about his new home just days before he defends his title against John Cena at Night of Champions?

Last week, SmackDown General Manager Vickie Guerrero stacked the deck when she named her fiancé Edge the guest referee in the match between Chavo Guerrero and Batista. What might Guerrero do this week, just days before The Ultimate Opportunist defends his World Heavyweight Championship against The Animal at Night of Champions?

Although SmackDown gained new Superstars in the 2008 WWE Draft, it also lost some, including Rey Mysterio, who will make his last appearance on SmackDown this week. What will the Master of the 619 have to say to our fans as he heads to Raw?

Up until Tuesday night, Big Show thought he would be facing Kane one-on-one for the ECW Championship at Night of Champions. However, now that Mark Henry has been added, making it a Triple Threat Match, how does that change Big Show’s plan for victory?

Tune in to Friday Night SmackDown at 8/7 CT only on The CW Network as final strategies are made for Night of Champions this Sunday.

FOX Snags Thursday with "Fifth Grader" and "Dance"

Prime-Time Ratings:
Thursday 6/26/08

-Total Viewers:
Fox: 7.74 million, CBS: 6.55, NBC: 5.00, ABC: 4.22, CW: 1.58

-Adults 18-49:
Fox: 2.4 rating/8 share, NBC: 1.9/ 6, CBS: 1.7/ 6, ABC: 1.1/ 4, CW: 0.5/ 2
_________________

FOX Games Its Way to Thursday Win
'Fifth Grader,' 'So You Think' score victories

Fast National ratings for Thursday, June 26, 2008

FOX topped another fairly quiet Thursday in the ratings, riding its unscripted competitions to the top of the heap.

For the night, FOX averaged a 4.8 rating/8 share, beating CBS, 4.5/8, for the top spot. NBC came in third with a 3.3/6. ABC, 3.0/5, finished fourth, and The CW trailed with a 1.0/2.

FOX was the only network to break 2.0 in the adults 18-49 demographic, finishing with a 2.4 rating. NBC took second with a 1.9, followed by CBS at 1.7. ABC averaged 1.1 and The CW 0.5.

CBS' "Million Dollar Password" (4.6/9) led in households at 8 p.m. but "Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?" (4.3/8) brought more total viewers to FOX. "Last Comic Standing" drew a 3.2/6 for NBC to finish third. An "Ugly Betty" rerun on ABC was fourth. "Smallville" earned a 1.1/2 for The CW.

"So You Think You Can Dance" scored the night's best rating, 5.2/9, for FOX at 9 p.m. A "CSI" rerun on CBS delivered a 4.9/8. "Last Comic Standing" ticked up to 3.6/6 on NBC, while a "Grey's Anatomy" repeat on ABC managed only a 2.5/4. The CW held steady with "Supernatural."

The premiere of "Hopkins," 4.1/7, gave ABC the lead at 10 p.m. CBS' "Swingtown" was close behind at 3.9/7, and "Fear Itself" scored a 3.0/5 for NBC.

Sony loses $3.3 Billion on PS3

Sony has lost over $3 billion on the PS3
Mario and Master Chief seen hi-fiving.

By Ben Silverman

Think you paid too much for your Playstation 3? Don't expect any sympathy from Sony.

In the company's fiscal 2008 annual report, Sony revealed that they've now lost roughly $3.3 billion (that's billion with a B) on the Playstation 3 since its launch. That breaks down to $2.16 billion in 2007, followed by a notably smaller but equally daunting $1.16 billion loss in 2008.

The reason? Pricing the console below its production cost. That's right - that hefty $599 you paid for the PS3 back when it first launched was significantly cheaper than the cost of producing it in the first place, and while the retail price has come down some, the losses keep piling up.

Investors have reason to sweat. In a statement, Sony claimed "the large-scale investment required during the development and introductory period of a new gaming platform may not be fully recovered." They went on to note that they've invested a great deal of money into R&D for the console, a sum they might not be able to recoup if the PS3 "fails to achieve such favorable market penetration."

Sony fanboys should take heart, however. Losing money on hardware is relatively common in the video game biz, as companies routinely lower prices to sell more units and thus stimulate software sales. Sony's game division saw a 26% sales spike last quarter, a trend they expect will continue on the strength of strong exclusives like the recently released Metal Gear Solid 4 and the upcoming sequel Resistance 2.

But will it be enough?

Asparagus Can Grow on Mars?

Source: Yahoo!

Martian soil good enough for asparagus: NASA

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Martian dirt is apparently good enough for asparagus to grow in, NASA scientists said Thursday, as they announced the results of a soil analysis collected by the US Phoenix Mars lander.

"There is nothing about the soil that would preclude life. In fact it seems very friendly," said Samuel Kounaves, the project's lead chemist at the University of Arizona in a telephone press conference.

"The soil you have there is the type of soil you have in your backyard," said Kounaves. "You may be able to grow asparagus very well."

The analysis is based on a cubic centimeter of soil scooped up by the lander's robotic arm and introduced into one of its eight ovens, where it was gradually heated up to 1,000 degrees Celsius.

Kounaves said his team was "flabbergasted" at the results that came back.

"We basically have found what appears to be the requirements of the nutrients to support life, past, present or future," said Kounaves.

Scientists found elements in the soil that included magnesium, potassium and sodium. "There are probably other mineral species, we are still working on data," he said.

Kounaves said the analysis results are "one more piece of evidence that there were liquid water action at some point in the history of Mars."

"It's very similar to the soil analysis results we got from some dried places on Earth -- this is the very exciting part," Kounaves said.

The sample is from the surface soil that scientists say covers a layer of ice.

On June 20 NASA scientists announced that the Phoenix Mars lander confirmed a long-held belief that ice is hiding under the surface in the Red Planet's northern region.

The lander's robotic arm started digging trenches into Martian soil after touching down near the planet's north pole on May 25, revealing a white substance that scientists had said was ice.

Thursday, June 26, 2008

"Won't Go Home Without You" - Maroon 5

Maroon 5 - "Won't Go Home Without You" - Official Music Video

"Goodnight Goodnight" - Maroon 5


"Goodnight Goodnight" - Maroon 5 (as used in The CW Fall 2008 Promo)

Let's have some Music! - "Pocketful of Sunshine" - Natasha Bedingfield

Natasha Bedingfield - "Pocketful of Sunshine" (Lyrics)

The CW Fall 2008 Promo - Featuring "Goodnight Goodnight" by Maroon 5


The CW Fall 2008 Promo

WWE Night of Champions Card - UPDATED

WWE's Night Of Champions will be held at 8 p.m. ET on Sunday at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. Here is the final card for this Sunday's WWE Night Of Champions pay-per-view:

WWE Championship Match
Triple H (c) vs. John Cena

World Heavyweight Championship Match
Edge (c) vs. Batista

ECW Championship Match
Kane (c) vs. Big Show vs. Mark Henry

WWE World Tag Team Championship Match
Cody Rhodes & Hardcore Holly (c) vs. Ted DiBiase & Mystery Partner

WWE Tag Team Championship Match
John Morrison & The Miz (c) vs. Finlay & Hornswoggle

United States Championship Match
Matt Hardy (c) vs. Chavo Guerrero

WWE Women's Championship Match
Mickie James (c) vs. Katie Lea Burchill

Mega Manila TV Ratings: June 20-23, 2008 (Friday - Monday)

Friday, June 20, 2008:

SiS 8.4% vs. Boy and Kris 8.7%;
The Big Show 11% vs. Game Ka Na Ba? 14.5%;
Eat Bulaga 21.3% vs. Wowowee 15.6%;
Daisy Siete 21.4% vs. Ligaw na Bulaklak 14%;
Magdusa Ka 21.9% vs. El Cuerpo del Deseo 16.3%;
Gobingo 12.8% vs. Wheel of Fortune 11.5%;
24 Oras 29.3% vs. TV Patrol World 19.2%;
Joaquin Bordado 35.7% vs. The Singing Bee 23.5%;
Dyesebel 41.9% vs. Lobo 21.7%;
Babangon Ako’t Dudurugin Kita 37.4% vs. My Girl 22.4%;
Dalja’s Spring 22% vs. Pinoy Dream Academy 22.8%;
Pinoy Idol Extra 13.3% & Bubble Gang 13.1% vs. Maalaala Mo Kaya 15.3%.

Saturday, June 21, 2008:

Jungle TV 18.4% vs. Game Ka Na Ba? 11.5%;
Eat Bulaga 23.5% vs. Wowowee 16.7%;
Startalk 16% vs. Entertainment Live! 10.7%;
Wish Ko Lang 25.1% vs. Cinema FPJ 15.4%;
Pinoy Records 21.2% vs. That’s My Doc 14.9%;
Pinoy Idol 24.7% vs. Komiks 22.1%;
Bitoy’s Funniest Video 31% vs. Pinoy Dream Academy 25.3%;
Kapuso Mo Jessica Soho 29.2% vs. TV Patrol Sabado 20.8%;
Imbestigador 20% vs. XXX 16.8%;
Songbird 8.6% vs. Sports Unlimited 5.8% & Games Uplated 0.9%.

Sunday, June 22, 2008:

Jungle TV 9.8% vs. Gaby’s Extraordinary Files 9.3%;
SOP 13.6% vs. ASAP '08 11.8%;
GMA Flash Report 16.8% vs. Extra 14.1%;
Tasya Fantasya 13.9% vs. Your Song 14.3%;
Showbiz Central 17.6% vs. The Buzz 17.3%;
Kap’s Amazing Stories 26.7% vs. Rated 'K' 23.2%;
Pinoy Idol 26.9% vs. Goin’ Bulilit 22%;
Mel and Joey 27% vs. Pinoy Dream Academy 21.6%;
All Star K 26.1% vs. Sharon 13.8%;
Kapusolympics 16.4% vs. TV Patrol 16.1% & Sunday’s Best 11.1%.

Monday, June 23, 2008:

SiS 9.9% vs. Boy and Kris 6.5%;
Marimar 15.6% vs. Game Ka Na Ba? 13.1%;
Eat Bulaga 23.3% vs. Wowowee 15.9%;
Daisy Siete 22.9% vs. Ligaw na Bulaklak 13.5%;
Magdusa Ka 22.7% vs. El Cuerpo del Deseo 14.7%;
Gaano Kadalas ang Minsan 19.8% vs. Naruto 10.6%;
Gobingo 12.6% vs. Wheel of Fortune 11.4%;
24 Oras 33.6% vs. TV Patrol World 20.2%;
Joaquin Bordado 37.7% vs. The Singing Bee 22.9%;
Dyesebel 40.5% vs. Lobo 22.7%;
Babangon Ako’t Dudurugin Kita 31.6% vs. My Girl 22%;
Dalja’s Spring 18.3% vs. Pinoy Dream Academy 19.4%;
Pinoy Idol Extra 12.4% vs. Lovers 13.9%;
Kung Ako Ikaw 10% vs. Bandila (n/a).

FOX Blocks CBS to Take Top Spot Wednesday; "Farmer" Finale Great #s for The CW!

Prime-Time Ratings:
Wednesday 6/25/08

-Total Viewers:
Fox: 8.11 million, CBS: 7.17, NBC: 6.69, ABC: 5.14, CW: 1.78

-Adults 18-49:
Fox: 3.0 rating/10 share, NBC: 2.1/ 7, ABC: 1.7/ 5, CBS: 1.5/ 5, CW: 0.7/ 2
______________________

FOX Holds Off CBS to Win Wednesday
'So You Think' stays on top, NBC gets slight 'Baby' bump

Fast National ratings for Wednesday, June 25, 2008

FOX and CBS waged a fairly close battle for ratings supremacy Wednesday, with FOX dancing its way into the winners circle.

For the night, FOX averaged a 5.0 rating/9 share, edging CBS' 4.9/9. (The margin in total viewers was somewhat wider, with FOX drawing 8.1 million to CBS' 7.17 million). NBC came in third with a 4.2/7. ABC's 3.6/6 was good for fourth, and The CW trailed with a 1.2/2.

FOX also led among adults 18-49 with a 3.0 rating. NBC finished second in the key ad demographic with a 2.1, followed by ABC at 1.7. CBS averaged 1.5 and The CW 0.7.

"So You Think You Can Dance" put FOX on top at 8 p.m. with a 4.8/8. "Deal or No Deal" earned a 4.4/8 for NBC. "The Price Is Right," 4.1/8, finished third for CBS, beating "Wife Swap," 3.2/6, on ABC. The CW aired an "America's Next Top Model" rerun.

"So You Think You Can Dance" improved to 5.3/9 at 9 p.m., tying CBS' "Criminal Minds" rerun in households and keeping the lead in total viewers. The premiere of "The Baby Borrowers" on NBC scored a respectable 4.9/8. "Supernanny" kept ABC in fourth. The finale of "Farmer Wants a Wife" drew a 1.6/3 for The CW.

CBS moved to the front at 10 p.m. with "CSI: NY," 5.2/9. "Primetime: Crime" posted a 4.7/8 for ABC, topping "Celebrity Circus," 3.5/6, on NBC.

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

The Force is with the Wii

Source: Yahoo! Games

Star Wars lightsaber game confirmed for the Wii
Lightsaber Duels headed home for the holidays.
By
Ben Silverman

It took a few years, but it looks like LucasArts is finally going to deliver Star Wars fans the lightsaber simulator they're been looking for.

In a press release, the company formally announced the long-awaited (not to mention long-winded) Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Lightsaber Duels for the Nintendo Wii. Based on the upcoming Clone Wars animated feature film, the game turns players into amateur Jedi by transforming the Wii remote into the legendary Jedi sword, letting them virtually slice and dice through destructible Clone Wars environments.

Fans should take heed, however -- since the game is based on the Clone Wars film, it will not feature popular characters from the original trilogy, such as Luke Skywalker.

Scheduled for release sometime in holiday 2008, Lightsaber Duels will be the third Star Wars game to hit the Wii, following the smash hit Lego Star Wars and the upcoming action game, The Force Unleashed.

SCREENSHOTS:



WWE Supplemental Draft (on WWE.com)

The 2008 WWE Supplemental Draft is now completed and 17 WWE Superstars and Divas were drafted to new brands. Here's the complete list:

1) Mark Henry drafted to ECW

2) Jamie Noble drafted to Raw

3) Trevor Murdoch drafted to SmackDown

4) Big Daddy V drafted to SmackDown

5) Deuce drafted to Raw

6) "The Canadian Bulldog" D.H. Smith drafted to SmackDown

7) Hornswoggle drafted to ECW

8) Super Crazy drafted to ECW

9) Chuck Palumbo drafted to Raw

10) Brian Kendrick drafted to SmackDown

11) Matt Striker drafted to RAW

12) Maria drafted to SmackDown

13) Shelton Benjamin drafted to SmackDown

14) Finlay drafted to ECW

15) Carlito drated to SmackDown

16) Layla drafted to RAW

17) Kofi Kingston drafted to RAW

Triple H very 'OK' on being drafted to SmackDown!

Source: f4wonline.com

One reason Triple H was moved to SmackDown is due to a scheduling matter. The schedule on Smackdown is actually a lot more convenient for him, especially considering that wife Stephanie McMahon-Levesque is due to give birth in about a month and will be taking the babies on the road upon her return to work.

The regular Raw show schedule runs from Friday to Monday, so he is always on his own on the road because Stephanie doesn't attend house shows. However, Stephanie always attends the weekly Tuesday SmackDown tapings, whereas Triple H is at home or on a plane going home. When he was on Raw, they pretty much only saw each other on Monday, the latter part of Wednesday, entire Thursdays, and the early part of Friday. Now that he's on SmackDown, he can see Stephanie and the kids Monday through at least Friday.

The weekly SmackDown schedule doesn't start until Saturday night, so that gives them part of another day to be together some weeks. Instead of seeing his family for parts of three or four days a week, he should usually be able to see them as many as six days a week.

The scheduling issue wasn't the only reason for the move because the SmackDown brand was in dire need of a huge new star to say the least. Also, Triple H's move to SmackDown should give the show a ratings boost when it moves to MyNetworkTV this fall.

CBS Orders More "Password"

Source: Zap2it
CBS Wants More 'Million Dollar Password'
Regis Philbin-hosted game show has averaged nearly 9.5 million viewers

Already an early summer success, "Million Dollar Password" has received a vote of confidence from CBS.

The network announced on Tuesday (June 24) that it's ordering six additional episodes of the Regis Philbin-hosted update on the game show classic.

In its first four broadcasts, three on Sundays and a Thursday special, the FremantleMedia North America production has averaged 9.46 million viewers and a 2.6 rating among adults 25-54, winning its each of its time periods in both viewers and that key demographic.

The original "Password" was hosted by Allen Ludden and aired on CBS in both daytime and primetime from 1961 to 1967. "Password" evolved into "Password Plus" and "Super Password" and aired from 1971-1989.

Celebrities on the new CBS "Password" have included Neil Patrick Harris and Rachael Ray.

Anne Archer on The CW; "Filthy Rich" Changes Name to "Privileged"; CW puts a Top Star for "Easy Money"

Source: Zap2it

Anne Archer 'Privileged' to Be on The CW
Network also taps Laurie Metcalf for 'Easy Money'

The CW show formerly known as "Surviving the Filthy Rich" is undergoing a couple of changes.

For starters, it's not called "Surviving the Filthy Rich" anymore. The series, about a young woman (Joanna Garcia) who's hired as a private tutor for two wealthy Palm Beach teenagers, has changed its name to the more succinct "Privileged."

The show has also tapped Anne Archer to star as the girls' grandmother, who's raising them after the death of their parents. She takes over the role from Marsha Mason, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Also at The CW, Emmy winner Laurie Metcalf ("Roseanne") will star in "Easy Money," one of the Sunday-night shows the network is receiving from producer Media Rights Capital.

"Privileged" comes from writer/executive producer Rina Mimoun ("Everwood") and Alloy Entertainment, which also produces "Gossip Girl." Leslie Morgenstein and Bob Levy are also exec producers.

Archer has had a recurring role on CBS' "Ghost Whisperer" the past few seasons and has also appeared on FX's "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia." Her film credits include "Fatal Attraction" (for which she earned an Oscar nomination), "Short Cuts" and "Clear and Present Danger."

On "Easy Money," Metcalf will play a woman who runs a loan-sharking operation with her family. The show centers on the business and her relationship with one of her sons.

Metcalf won three Emmys for her work on "Roseanne" and has been nominated several other times, including last year for a guest role on "Desperate Housewives." She recently co-starred in "Stop Loss" and "Georgia Rule."

"Wipeout" helps ABC to the A18-49 Demo!

Prime-Time Ratings:
Tuesday 6/24/08


-Total Viewers:
NBC: 10.59 million, ABC: 8.17, CBS: 7.27, Fox: 5.48, CW: 1.44

-Adults 18-49:
ABC: 3.1 rating/9 share, NBC: 2.8/ 8, Fox: 2.4/ 7, CBS: 1.4/ 4, CW: 0.6/ 2
_______________

No Tuesday Ratings 'Wipeout' for ABC
'America's Got Talent' helps NBC win the overall ratings crown, while ABC claims the demo

Fast National ratings for Tuesday, June 24, 2008.

NBC's "America's Got Talent" had more eyeballs, but the premieres of two ABC extreme reality shows drew in younger viewers on Tuesday.

Overall, NBC averaged a 6.6 rating/11 share, comfortably ahead of the 5.0/9 for CBS and the 4.8/8 for ABC. FOX's 3.5/6 was good for fourth, while The CW's 1.0/2 brought up the rear.

Among adults 18-49, though, ABC's averaged a 3.1 rating, beating NBC's 2.8 rating to win the key demographic. FOX moved up to third with a 2.4 rating. CBS' 1.4 rating and the 0.6 rating for The CW trailed.

In the 8 p.m. hour, NBC's "Celebrity Family Feud" had a 5.8/10, edging the 5.7/10 for ABC's "Wipeout," though the splashy ABC series averaged more viewers and dominated the young adult demos. CBS' "NCIS" was third with a 5.2/9, while FOX's "Hell's Kitchen" encore and The CW's "Beauty and the Geek" drew minimal attention.

NBC grabbed a commanding lead at 9 p.m. with the 6.8/11 for "America's Got Talent." CBS' "48 Hours Mystery" took second, beating the 4.8/8 for FOX's new "Hell's Kitchen." ABC's "I Survived a Japanese Game Show" lost much of its lead-in, falling to a 4.4/7, but still finished second in the demo. The CW's "Reaper" had a 1.2/2.

"America's Got Talent" closed strong for NBC with a 7.2/12 in the 10 p.m. hour. CBS' "Without a Trace" had a 4.6/8, edging ABC's Amish-centric "Primetime" special.

Monday, June 23, 2008

WWE Draft '08 - Results - 2 Champs (WHC Title and WWE Title) on SmackDown!

Here is the complete list of trades made during the 2008 WWE Draft:

1. Rey Mysterio to RAW
2. Jeff Hardy to SmackDown!
3. CM Punk to RAW
4. Matt Hardy to ECW
5. Jim Ross to SmackDown!
6. Michael Cole to RAW
7. Batista to RAW
8. Umaga to SmackDown!
9. Kane to RAW
10. Mr. Kennedy to SmackDown!
11. Triple H to SmackDown!

WWE Draft '08 - Official Preview

Preview:
The 2008 WWE Draft
June 23, 2008


In the midst of the build-up to Night of Champions, there’s one thing on every Superstar’s mind: the 2008 WWE Draft. For the second year in a row, the Draft will take place on a special three-hour Raw, where all Superstars, all Divas and all announcers from all three brands are eligible. How will the entire landscape of sports-entertainment change in the wake of this year’s Draft?

Even with the Draft dominating Raw next week, Mr. McMahon has announced that there’s nothing keeping him from giving away another $1 million of his money as part of Mr. McMahon’s Million Dollar Mania. For your chance to get a share of the Chairman’s cash, all you have to do is register to win.

Temperatures continue to rise between WWE Champion Triple H and his Night of Champions challenger John Cena. Last week, Mr. McMahon was forced to send in a referee to keep The Game and Cena from taking each other apart at the very start of Raw, and we still have more than a week to go until Night of Champions, when they’ll finally be turned loose on one another. When two competitors this powerful and confident want to compete, is there anything capable of keeping them apart?

After being kept away from Cena, Triple H participated in a match against Intercontinental Champion Chris Jericho as retaliation for Y2J’s cruel treatment of Shawn Michaels the week before. Jericho has stated that he’s tired of being booed for doing the right thing only to see HBK cheered for his dishonest behavior, and to back his claim, he was willing to throw down with not only the WWE Champion but also Ric Flair, in the Hall of Famer’s first appearance since his retirement. After having his head smashed into the Jeri-Tron 6000, Michaels is currently receiving medical care, but how long will it be before he returns to Raw looking for payback?

Though they have had their share of difficulties in prior weeks, the World Tag Team Champions Hardcore Holly & Cody Rhodes managed to defeat Cryme Tyme in a non-title match on Raw. Watching them compete was Ted DiBiase, who along with a partner of his choosing will be challenging Holly & Rhodes at Night of Champions in the third-generation Superstar’s first in-ring performance. Who is this mystery competitor, and will the World Tag Team Champions be able to stand up to their assault?

Tune in to witness sports-entertainment history on a three-hour Monday Night Raw at the special time of 8/7 CT only on the USA Network.

3-Hour "WWE Draft" - Tonight, Special Start time at 8/7 CT on USA Network!


RAW, SmackDown!, and ECW in one night of television!

2008 WWE Draft, June 23rd (Monday), special time start at 8/7 CT on USA Network.

Batista Pledges his Allegiance to the SmackDown! Brand

Source: SEScoops.com/wwe

Batista was interviewed this week by SLAM! Wrestling. Here are some highlights:

Life After Wrestling: "I hope to always have a job within WWE. I'm thinking about hanging up my boots in the next couple of years. I'm almost 40; turn 39 this year, so I hipe there's going to be a spot for me within the company. I'd really love to be in the developmental program working with some of the younger kids. It really makes me sad. I think a lot of the art form of wrestling has been lost. Nowadays it's about these guys that want to do these fancy spots. Ric Flair always said to me our business is selling, what we do is sell and we tell stories. And that's what I feel is the art form of wrestling and I really feel that's been lost."

Switching Brands: "Personally, I would love to stay on Smackdown. I feel like I've worked really hard with other guys to really build Smackdown. I'm very proud of what we've achieved the past two years. Smackdown's my home and it's where I going to stay."

Boycotting the Internet: "I started boycotting the internet a long time ago when I realized how much negativity there was. And I take a lot of stuff personally, especially early back in my career. So I just avoid it. I realize I'm probably giving up the good stuff too but I just feel that there's more negativity on the internet than there is positive."

He also talks about his happiness with his storyline with Shawn Michaels, wanting to meet Bret Hart, his reputation for womenizing, Ric Flair and more. You can check out the entire interview
here.

Is the WWE Draft a Curse?

Source: SEScoops.com/wwe

Looking at last year's WWE Draft, it would appear that a lot more bad than good came about for a number of the draftees -- especially on the Raw side. After last year's brand changes, here is what followed over the next twelve months: eight drug suspensions involving six wrestlers, one career-ending injury, five wrestlers quitting, one double-murder suicide, and two firings -- both related to drug issues.

Now here is a look at how each and every 2007 draftee fared after their brand switch:

RAW:

-- Bobby Lashley: Went down with an injury in the summer, quit the company in January due to "circumstances beyond his control," likely due to personal problems with Michael Hayes.

-- Booker T: Wellness suspension resulting in a 60-day suspension, later quit after feeling that the company had turned their back on him.

-- Daivari: Chose not to renew his WWE contract after going to the creative team and finding out that they didn't really have anything in mind for him on Raw.

-- Jillian Hall: Found a niche with her singing gimmick, but hasn't come close to being a viable contender for the WWE Women's Title, which was likely her original goal when moving to Raw.

-- Mr. Kennedy: After crowing & cawing about how his job in WWE "was worth more than an extra ten pounds of muscle mass" and that the WWE wrestlers of today don't use drugs unlike the ones from previous generations, Kennedy got caught in his lies when it was revealed that he had purchased a number of illegal drugs through a shady online drug firm. He was suspended for 30 days and missed out on the push of his life from the McMahon "illegitimate child" storyline as a result. His career then sputtered around for a few months after his return from suspension.

-- Paul London and Brian Kendrick: Had a nearly year-long tag team title reign on SmackDown, but haven't been close to that level of success since the move. They were largely kept on Heat, which has since been canceled. Have competed in a total of one pay-per-view match since the brand switch.

-- Sandman: Got a small push initially, but requested his release from the company in mid-September following a flare-up with road agent Ricky Steamboat during a tour overseas.

-- Snitsky: Was getting a big push in ECW, but after the move to Raw, was largely kept on Heat. He also served a 30-day Wellness suspension in September.

-- William Regal: Became the General Manager of Raw, but was suspended due to a Wellness Policy violation shortly thereafter. Won the 2008 King of the Ring Tournament, but was suspended once again for a second violation of WWE's drug testing policy just a few weeks later.

SmackDown!

-- Brett & Brian Major: Sputtered around for a few months, but the duo eventually hooked up with Edge. Are prominently featured on television due to their partnership with him.

-- Chris Masters: Violated the Wellness policy on two occasions. After the second drug violation, WWE let him go altogether.

-- Eugene: Didn't win a single television match on SmackDown and lost his job to due to a Wellness policy violation in September. Dinsmore tested positive for painkillers which he didn't have a valid prescription for. He was then told that he was being fired and was unceremoniously ejected from the arena by security officers.

-- Hardcore Holly: Never competed on SmackDown due to an arm injury. Was then sent to Raw without explanation.

-- Kenny Dykstra: His career went into a tailspin after his move to SmackDown. Lost the majority of his matches, went down with a knee injury in January, and has yet to be brought back on the road even though he's been healthy since WrestleMania.

-- Ric Flair: Quit the company in September due to his unhappiness on SmackDown, but was eventually lured back with the retirement angle. Barely appeared on SmackDown afterwards.

-- The Great Khali: The stars were aligned right and he managed to win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship a little more than a month after the move because Edge had to vacate it due to an injury. Khali held the belt for nearly three months.

-- Torrie Wilson: Did very little of note during her second go-round on the blue brand and was soon forced to retire due to an ailing back injury.

-- Victoria: Benefited from the move as it got her on television nearly every week.

ECW

-- Big Daddy V: Got a big push right out the gate with his repackaged character. However, he's been forced to sit on the sidelines since March due to weight issues.

-- Boogeyman: Was getting a bit of a push during the summer, but went down with a calf injury in September. The injury has likely since healed, but the writers appear to have no interest in using him.

-- Chris Benoit: Double murder and suicide.

-- John Morrison: Was forced to relinquish the ECW Championship when the Signature Pharmacy scandal broke out. Managed to capture the WWE Tag Team Championship with The Miz, but hasn't been a viable contender for the ECW title since the suspension.

-- The Miz: Captured the WWE Tag Team Championship with John Morrison in mid-November and still reigns as champion to this day.

Sunday, June 22, 2008

"Camp Rock" premiere on Disney Channel, a Success!

Audiences Roll to Disney's 'Camp Rock'
Nearly 9 million viewers watch the Disney Channel premiere, more than 'High School Musical,' but fewer than 'HSM2'

It may not have been another "High School Musical 2," but the Disney Channel's "Camp Rock" still found a huge audience on Friday (June 20) night.

According to Fast National ratings, the musical telefilm averaged 8.9 million viewers, making it cable's most watched entertainment telecast of 2007/08 and cable's most watched overall program among viewers 9-14.

"Camp Rock," which featured the already-successful Jonas Brothers and is expected to kickstart Demi Lovato's fame, actually topped the 7.8 million viewers who watched the original "High School Musical" when it set Disney Channel records in January 2006. It didn't come close, though, to equaling the 17.2 million viewers who watched "HSM2" when it premiered last August.

In addition to ruling the cable landscape, "Camp Rock" beat Friday's network numbers handily, trouncing the 5.8 million viewers averaged by CBS' programming.

The cross-platform rollout for "Camp Rock" continued on Saturday night with a Wonderful World of Disney premiere on ABC, while ABC Family will get to air the movie on Sunday night.

4 Networks Tie for the A18-49; Daytime Emmy Awards a Disaster for ABC

Prime-Time Ratings
Friday 6/20/08

-Total Viewers:
CBS: 6.07 million, NBC: 4.95, ABC: 4.41, CW: 3.86, Fox: 3.51

-Adults 18-49:
CBS, NBC, Fox and the CW: 1.3 rating/5 share each, ABC: 1.0/ 4

--------------------

Note: Any prior rating results are based on the final nationals. Since the level of DVR penetration has increased from 13 percent at this same point last year to approximately 23 percent at present, the overall results may be negatively impacted.

----------

-Friday’s Winners:
Nothing

-Friday’s Losers (excluding repeats):
The 35th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards (ABC), MVP: He Shoots, She Scores (ABC)

----------

-Ratings Breakdown:
Despite airing a night of all originals, ABC tanked on Friday, finishing third in total viewers and dead-last among key adults 18-49. First in overall viewership was CBS, with just slightly over 6-million, while there was a four-way tie for low-rated leadership among adults 18-49.

The 35th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards got very little mileage on ABC, with just 5.39 million viewers and a 1.2 rating/ 4 share among adults 18-49 from 8-10 p.m. Take a look at the half-hour breakdown:

The 35th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards (ABC)
8:00 p.m. Viewers: 5.45 million (#1), A18-49: 1.2/ 5 (#2t)
8:30 p.m. Viewers: 5.27 million (#2), A18-49: 1.1/ 4 (#4)
9:00 p.m. Viewers: 5.21 million (#2), A18-49: 1.1/ 4 (#3t)
9:30 p.m. Viewers: 5.62 million (#2), A18-49: 1.2/ 4 (#4t)

Comparably, this was a decrease of a hefty 3.03 million viewers and 40 percent among adults 18-49 from the year-ago Daytime Emmy Awards telecast on CBS on Friday, June 15, 2006. For a listing of Friday’s winners, see TV Tidbits below.

The 35th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards led into a scripted hour (translation: busted pilot) called MVP: He Shoots, She Scores at just 2.47 million viewers (#3) and a 0.6/ 2 among adults 18-49 (#5) at 10 p.m.

CBS opened the evening with a repeat of Ghost Whisperer (Viewers: #1, 5.38 million; A18-49: #1, 1.4/ 5 at 8 p.m.), followed by two encore telecasts of Numb3rs as follows:

Numb3rs R (CBS)
9:00 p.m. Viewers: 6.13 million (#1); A18-49: 1.2/ 4 (#3t)
10:00 p.m. Viewers: 6.69 million (#1), A18-49: 1.4/ 5 (#3)

NBC also had little to note with its combination of two repeat episodes of Most Outrageous Moments (Viewers: #3, avg. 3.77 million; A18-49: #5, avg. 0.9/ 3), followed by a two-hour edition of Dateline at 5.54 million viewers and a 1.5/ 5 among adults 18-49 from 9-11 p.m. Here is the half-hour breakdown:

Dateline (NBC)
8:00 p.m. Viewers: 4.44 million (#3), A18-49: 1.1/ 4 (#3t)
8:30 p.m. Viewers: 4.76 million (#3), A18-49: 1.3/ 4 (#3)
9:00 p.m. Viewers: 6.04 million (#2), A18-49: 1.6/ 5 (#1)
9:30 p.m. Viewers: 6.93 million (#1), A18-49: 1.9/ 7 (#1)

The CW aired another installment of its soon-to-depart Friday Night Smackdown! (Viewers: #4, 3.86 million; A18-49: #1t, 1.3/ 5 from 8-10 p.m.). And Fox capped off the evening with a repeat of theatrical remake Planet of the Apes at 3.51 million viewers (#5) and a 1.3/ 5 among adults 18-49 (#1t) from 8-10:30 p.m. Needless to say, there was very little of note on Friday.

Saturday, June 21, 2008

189 Spy Satellites Revealed by a Photographer!

More photos on Wired.com

Artist Trevor Paglen's time-exposure photographs show the streaks of light left by classified satellites.
Photo: Trevor Paglen


BERKELEY, California -- For most people, photographing something that isn't there might be tough. Not so for Trevor Paglen.

His shots of 189 secret spy satellites are the subject of a new exhibit -- despite the fact that, officially speaking, the satellites don't exist. The Other Night Sky, on display at the University of California at Berkeley Art Museum through September 14, is only a small selection from the 1,500 astrophotographs Paglen has taken thus far.

In taking these photos, Paglen is trying to draw a metaphorical connection between modern government secrecy and the doctrine of the Catholic Church in Galileo's time.

"What would it mean to find these secret moons in orbit around the earth in the same way that Galileo found these moons that shouldn't exist in orbit around Jupiter?" Paglen says.

Satellites are just the latest in Paglen's photography of supposedly nonexistent subjects. To date, he's snapped haunting images of various military sites in the Nevada deserts, "torture taxis" (private planes that whisk people off to secret prisons without judicial oversight) and uniform patches from various top-secret military programs.

While all of Paglen's projects are the result of meticulous research, he's also the first to admit that his photos aren't necessarily revelatory. That's by design. Like the blurry abstractions of his super-telephoto images showing secret military installations in Nevada, the tiny blips of satellites streaking across the night sky in his new series of photos are meant more as reminders rather than as documentation.

"I think that some of the earliest ideas in the modern period were actually from astronomy," Paglen explains. "You look at Galileo: He goes up and points his telescope up at Jupiter and finds out, hey, Jupiter has these moons."

More significant than the discovery itself, Paglen says, was the idea that anyone with a telescope could verify it and see the same exact thing that Galileo saw -- an idea Paglen is trying to re-create in his own photographs.

"It really was analogous to a certain kind of promise of democracy," says Paglen, who sees a similar anti-authoritarian premise running through his own work.

Paglen says his most recent project is the culmination of close to two years of trial-and-error experimentation with astrophotography, untold hours of fieldwork and analysis, an ongoing collaboration with amateur astronomers, and many nights in his Berkeley backyard and at California's Mono Lake.

To capture his images, the researcher and "experimental geographer" employs a motorized mount with various combinations of telescopes and digital and large-format film cameras. Paglen uses spy-satellite data compiled by Ted Molczan -- a renowned amateur astronomer profiled by Wired magazine in 2006 -- to predict where a given "black satellite" will be in the sky. Then he decides how he wants to compose the image.

"I'll find where a star will be in the compositional plane," he says. "Then I'll use one telescope, which is attached to a webcam, to focus on that star."

With the help of a computer program that controls the mount of the telescope and keeps it focused on the heavenly body, Paglen says he can get the telescope to swivel with the Earth's rotation.

He then uses another telescope attached to a high-end digital camera for his deep-sky shots, similar to the rig he used for his desert shots.

"I'll see the satellite in the sky, kind of know where it's going to be in the frame, then I'll open the shutter and take a long exposure of the satellite passing through."

Paglen's initial interest in the government's so-called "black projects" took shape while combing through U.S. Geological Survey archives of satellite prison photos in 2002. He noticed that many of the photo frames of prison sites were missing or, in some cases, heavily edited.

"I thought: What the hell is this? We still have blank spots on maps? We've mapped the whole structure of the cosmos and the human genome, so what's this all about?" Paglen said.

Eventually, those blank spots led Paglen to other covert subjects and turned a hobby into a full-time job -- one with a decidedly political stance.

"For a time, people were getting arrested for photographing the Brooklyn Bridge," Paglen notes. "So to me, what it meant to do photography also changed. There was a new kind of politics to it -- something that was very aggressive and dangerous -- and a presumption that it would reveal some kind of truth or evidence."

Ultimately, the satellite photos are an attempt to critique that attitude. While the budget for black military operations has more than doubled in the last 10 years and the government continues to espouse the virtues of secrecy, it can't prevent interested amateur astronomers from calculating the orbital paths of spy satellites.

"The National Reconnaissance Office cannot classify Kepler's laws of planetary motion," Paglen says. "They just work ... and they're unbelievably accurate."

WWE Draft '08 News

WWE DRAFT News: Possible *Spoilers*, Format

The WWE Draft takes place on Monday night June 23rd on a special 3-hour edition of WWE RAW. WWE has promised to shake things up - here's the latest Draft news:

-- Much like previous years, WWE is keeping the draft very secretive, to the point that most all of the talent will find out if they're changing brands as soon as the audience does during the live show.

-- There has been some talk of moving the Womens Title to either ECW or Smackdown but no official decision has been made just yet. Vince feels that both of those brands need something to distinguish them from what Raw offers and the Womens Title just may be the answer to that.

-- Umaga is expected to be traded to SmackDown!

-- As stated on WWE RAW this week, The Undertaker will not be a part of the Draft

-- Back in 2002, WWE did a live draft for television and a secondary draft with the results posted on the company website. A number of mid-level and lower-level wrestlers had to log on to the WWE site late at night after the draft to find out about their futures. It's expected that WWE will do something similar this year by announcing some of the trades on WWE.com after RAW as well as on ECW and SmackDown! later in the week.

WWE Friday Night SmackDown! - Official Results (June 20, 2008)

Source: WWE.com


Results:
Spear of influence
By: Mitch Passero
June 20, 2008


San Jose, Calif. – In the night’s main event featuring
Batista against Chavo Guerrero, SmackDown General Manager Vickie Guerrero swayed the odds heavily against The Animal by naming World Heavyweight Champion Edge as the special guest referee. The scheduled referee, Charles Robinson, had been conveniently taken out of commission earlier in the night in a match the GM ordered between Robinson and The Great Khali.

And, in typical Guerrero fashion, Batista’s match included a stipulation: If he laid a hand on Edge during the bout, he would lose his chance to face the Rated-R Superstar for the
World Heavyweight Championship at Night of Champions.

Although Batista held his own against Chavo, “The Family’s” influence proved to be too much to overcome. After being counted out of the match by guest referee Edge’s fast count, Batista suffered a 5-on-1 attack from “The Family,” capped off with a brutal spear from the Ultimate Opportunist. (
WATCH)

If Vickie can continue to use her power to orchestrate things on SmackDown, how might she affect things at Night of Champions and even at The Granddaddy of Them All, WrestleMania XXV? And with three days until the WWE Draft, is Guerrero’s job going to be someone else’s after Monday Night?

Disenfranchised playa
It seems as though no one is immune from the vindictive ways of SmackDown General Manager Vickie Guerrero.
Montel Vontavious Porter felt her wrath as she ordered him to face ECW Champion Kane. Despite all his self-promoting talk on the night’s edition of MVP’s VIP Lounge, SmackDown’s Franchise Playa proved to be no match for the Big Red Machine, deciding to get counted out rather than face the fires of the ECW Champion.

Then, after picking up the win, Kane had to deal with his own vindictive adversary,
Mark Henry, who was out for payback for the double-chokeslam he received from Kane and Big Show earlier in the week on ECW. (WATCH)

Debut loss
In his first one-on-one match, Bam Neely took on United States Champion
Matt Hardy. Looking on was Chavo Guerrero – Hardy’s Night of Champions opponent. But, Chavo proved to be more hindrance than help to his family member, as he attracted the attention of referee Charles Robinson who ejected him from ringside. With Bam distracted by Guerrero’s ejection, Hardy capitalized by delivering a hard-hitting Twist of Fate to pick up the win.

Ref ordered to wrestleIn a shocking move, Guerrero ordered WWE referee Charles Robinson to face action on SmackDown. While meeting with Robinson in her office, Guerrero expressed concern at what she perceived as Robinson’s lack of objectivity in Edge’s matches against
Undertaker at WrestleMania XXIV and Judgment Day. She was also unhappy about Robinson ejecting Chavo from ringside earlier in the night. “You need to experience how it feels from a Superstar’s perspective,” she said.

Robinson had no choice but to follow the GM’s orders, even without knowing who his opponent would be. As he anxiously awaited the start of his first-ever match, he learned Guerrero picked none other than The Great Khali to face him. In an extreme mismatch, the 420-pound Punjabi Giant destroyed Robinson using a clothesline, head butt, Khali Chop and Khali Vise Grip. The brutal assault required Robinson to be removed from the ring on a stretcher. (
WATCH) More on Charles Robinson’s condition…

Bringing the pain
Just like she did a few weeks ago on SmackDown,
Michelle McCool defeated Layla using a heel hook to make her submit. The All-American Diva’s win attracted the attention of Natalya, who looked on from the ramp after the match. With the upcoming live three-hour WWE Draft on the next episode of Raw, the SmackDown Diva roster could be totally shaken up as the Sexiest Women on Television vie for the new Divas Championship. More on the WWE Draft…

Streak continues
All things must come to an end, but don’t tell Vladimir Kozlov. The man from Moscow chalked up another win by defeating
Jamie Noble, bringing his undefeated SmackDown record to 11-0. While leaping from the top rope, Noble was met with a vicious head butt from Kozlov, leaving Noble writhing in agony after the match ended. More on Jamie Noble’s condition…

Tag team’s demise?The growing dissention between tag team partners
Deuce & Domino came to a head after their loss to Jesse & Festus. After Festus pinned Domino, Deuce delivered a Crack em’ in da’ Mouth to Domino. Deuce then tossed his leather jacket over his fallen comrade’s face as if to signal the end of the partnership of the once tag team champions.

Looking for gold
With WWE Tag Team Champion
John Morrison on commentary, he watched his partner, The Miz, take on Finlay. With tensions high surrounding the upcoming tag team title match at Night of Champions, Morrison jumped up from the announce table in the middle of the match to go after Hornswoggle. Hornswoggle retaliated by whacking Morrison in the knee with a shillelagh. The action outside the ring distracted The Miz, allowing Finlay to capitalize and deliver a Celtic Cross to pick up the pinfall.

Friday, June 20, 2008

"Deal or No Deal: Around the World" - Philippines airs on ABS-CBN's "Sunday's Best" at 10 p.m. (Phil. time)

"Deal or No Deal-Around the World" airs on ABS-CBN, June 22

Jocelyn Dimaculangan

Tuesday, June 17, 2008
02:40 PM

As part of Deal or No Deal - Around the World, U.S. Deal or No Deal host Howie Mandel came to the Philippines to meet his local counterpart Kris Aquino and shoot a special episode that would be shown on the American channel NBC.

Last April 24, Howie co-hosted the special episode that was taped in one of the studios at the ABS-CBN compound. On that day, the American host led the 26K girls in riding a pedicab around the grounds of the Kapamilya station.

In the Philippine portion of the two-hour TV special, two American contestants were also brought to the Philippines to play the game according to the rules of the Philippine franchise called Kapamilya, Deal or No Deal. The briefcases, carried by the 26K girls, contained prizes in dollars following the U.S. version, which ranges from one cent to $1 million. American contestants Mike Levy and Patrick Hook were also treated to Pinoy delicacies such as sisig and balut during the Philippine segment of the show.

The special episode of DOND, which also featured segments shot in South Africa and Estonia, aired in the United States last May 7.

Deal or No Deal - Around the World Philippines was produced by ABS-CBN under Almaden's business unit with Bobet Vidanes as director and Morly Nueva as executive producer. Filipinos will be able to watch this global episode when ABS-CBN airs this TV special this Sunday, June 22, during the Kapamilya Network's Sunday's Best at around 10 pm.

NUTAM: May 2008 Top Shows (ABS-CBN & GMA)

Source: PEP

TV Ratings: "The Singing Bee" grabs the lead from "Dyesebel" in May NUTAM Ratings

ABS-CBN's The Singing Bee overtook the lead from GMA-7's Dyesebel by a slim .2 percent margin. According to the latest survey report prepared by AGB Nielsen Media Research Philippines among nationwide households for the whole month of May, Cesar Montano's karaoke game show registered a 32.6 percent rating against Deysebel's 32.4 tally.

Last April, Dyesebel—topbilled by Marian Rivera and Dingdong Dantes—outmuscled The Singing Bee in the primetime category to secure the top spot for the Top Weekday Primetime Programs. The legendary Mars Ravelo creation totaled a rating of 35.7 percent while The Singing Bee registered a score of 33.7 percent.

In the meantime, Kim Chiu and Gerald Anderson's My Girl continues to make its presence felt in the NUTAM (Nationwide Urban Television Audience Measurement) race as proven by its 31.1 percent rating, which is good enough to secure the third spot overall. My Girl, an adaptation of a popular Koreanovela, is also a prominent fixture in the Mega Manila contest, though always outpositioned by the other programs occupying the top slots.

Completing the magic five is Piolo Pascual and Angel Locsin's Lobo and primetime newscast TV Patrol World, accumulating ratings of 30.1 and 29.7 percent, respectively. Not far behind is Robin Padilla's Joaquin Bordado, which held its own ground to gain a 29.3 percent rating.

Pinoy Big Brother Teen Edition Plus slipped to No.7 with its 28.2 percent showing. The popular reality show placed No. 5 in the April NUTAM tally with an impressive 30.2 percent grade. PBB Teen Edition Plus ended its latest season last June 7 with Ejay Falcon emerging as the top winner.

Willie Revillame's Wowowee is still the king of the NUTAM Top Weekday Programs in the daytime category. The Kapamilya noontime variety show garnered a 21.9 percent rating to outlast Roxanne Guinoo's latest afternoon drama soap Ligaw na Bulaklak, which for its part managed to accumulate an impressive rating of 19.9 percent, good enough for second place.

The popularity of boxing here in our country continues to flourish, never mind if Manny Pacquiao is in the bill or not. Leading the Top Weekend Programs in the daytime race is the Oscar De La Hoya vs. Steve Forbes bout held at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California, U.S.A. The well-anticipated boxing match, which De La Hoya won, registered a 23.2 percent rating, relegating Wowowee to second place.

Dyesebel also shook up the weekend race when its Dyesebel, Ang Simula special tallied a 20.9 percent, consequently securing the No. 3 spot.

Moving to the primetime category, PBB Teen Edition Plus redeemed its pale performance in the weekday race by bullying its way en route to the No. 1 spot in Top Weekday Programs evening division. Collecting a strong 28.2 percent rating, PBB outlasted another Kapamilya show Kapitan Boom, which to its credit registered a 27.8 percent grade.

Rounding up the Top 5 are Goin' Bulilit (25.6 percent) and GMA-7's Kapuso Mo Jessica Soho and Bitoy's Funniest Videos, which garnered ratings of 25.3 and 24.7 percent, respectively.

Here are the Top 10 weekday and weekend programs for the month of May, based on a survey conducted by AGB Nielsen Media Research among NUTAM households:

Top Weekday Programs (Daytime)

Wowowee (ABS-CBN) - 21.9%
Ligaw na Bulaklak (ABS-CBN) - 19.9%
Pilipinas, Game KNB? (ABS-CBN) - 19.1%
Magdusa Ka (GMA-7) - 19%
Kaputol ng Isang Awit (GMA-7) - 18.7%
Daisy Siete (GMA-7) - 18.3%
Prinsesa ng Banyera (ABS-CBN) - 18%
Maging Akin Ka Lamang (GMA-7) - 17.8%
Pokemon (GMA-7) - 17.1%
Eat Bulaga! (GMA-7) - 15.7%

Top Weekday Programs (Primetime)

The Singing Bee (ABS-CBN) - 32.6%
Dyesebel (GMA-7) - 32.4%
My Girl (ABS-CBN) - 31.1%
Lobo (ABS-CBN) - 30.1%
TV Patrol World (ABS-CBN) - 29.7%
Joaquin Bordado (GMA-7) - 29.3%
Pinoy Big Brother Teen Edition Plus (ABS-CBN) - 28.2%
Babangon Ako't Dudurugin Kita (GMA-7) - 26.9%
Wheel of Fortune (ABS-CBN) - 22.7%
24 Oras (GMA-7) - 22%

Top Weekend Programs (Daytime)

De La Hoya vs. Forbes: Homecoming** (ABS-CBN) - 23.2%
Wowowee (ABS-CBN) - 21.8%
Dyesebel, Ang Simula** (GMA-7) - 20.9%
Cinema FPJ: Da King on ABS-CBN (ABS-CBN) - 17.4%
ASAP '08 (ABS-CBN) - 16.9%
Eat Bulaga! (GMA-7) - 16.2%
Dragon Ball Z (GMA-7) - 14.7%
The Buzz (ABS-CBN) - 14%
Your Song (ABS-CBN) - 13.6%
Pilipinas, KNB? (ABS-CBN) - 13.4%

Top Weekend Programs (Primetime)

Pinoy Big Brother Teen Edition Plus (ABS-CBN) - 28.2%
Kapitan Boom (ABS-CBN) - 27.8%
Goin' Bulilit (ABS-CBN) - 25.6%
Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho (GMA-7) - 25.3%
Bitoy's Funniest Videos (GMA-7) - 24.7%
Tok! Tok! Tok! Isang Milyon Pasok (GMA-7) - 22.1%
Kap's Amazing Stories (GMA-7) - 21.4%
Rated K (ABS-CBN) - 21.4%
Mel & Joey (GMA-7) - 20.7%
Imbestigador (GMA-7) - 20.4%

Legend: ** Special

Source: AGB Nielsen Media Research, Philippines



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This site was created during Dec. 30, 2006 (Philippine Time) known as "Kapamilya Pinoy Blogspot" at first but the author decided to change it to "TV Craze," on 5:06 a.m., February 12, 2008 (Philippine time). KPB still exists but it serves as a portal to this site for those who embraced its name. The name may have changed but the contents are still the same.
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