"Spider-Man" Spin-off for Venom?

Source: Zap2it.com

Report: Sony Spinning 'Spider-Man' Into 'Venom' Pic
Topher Grace wouldn't necessarily reprise the role in the bad guy spinoff

Sony is reportedly developing a "Spider-Man" franchise spinoff based around the villainous Venom.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Jacob Estes ("Mean Creak") wrote one draft of a "Venom" script, but the studio is contemplating moving in a different direction with a different writer.

Venom isn't so much a single character in the Marvel pantheon as the name given to a gooey alien symbiote that latches onto a human host, bonds with the form and takes on super-and-evil powers. Venom was first introduced back in 1984 and since then, it has merged with a variety of characters including men, women and Spider-Man himself.

In "Spider-Man 3," Topher Grace played the character in its early Eddie Brock incarnation, but due to Venom's amorphous nature, the studio would be able to easily recast without alienating fans of the blockbuster franchise.

In a summer of wildly successful comic book movies, the "Venom" property is attractive to Sony because, according to the HR, under the original licensing deal between the studio and Marvel, Sony has provisions allowing for spinoffs based around the Spider-Man universe characters.

Sony continues to develop a fourth "Spider-Man" film, with a targeted 2011 release date, but it remains unclear which members of the core franchise team -- including director Sam Raimi and stars Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst -- would return.

"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" Teaser/Trailer

DWTS Season 3 Runner-up Give Birth to a Baby Boy

Source: Zap2it.com

'Dancing With the Stars' Contestant Becomes a Mother
Marissa Jaret Winokur and Judah Miller have a baby boy

Marissa Jaret Winokur may not have won "Dancing With the Stars," but she's enjoying a much better prize than a mirrorball trophy.

The Broadway star and her husband, comedy writer Judah Miller, became the parents of a baby boy born via surrogate on Tuesday, July 22, reports People.

Winokur, who survived cervical cancer and a life-saving hysterectomy seven years ago, had enlisted the help of a surrogate mother. The new parents both helped deliver their son, named Zev Isaac Miller.

"He is so perfect," says Winokur. "My little miracle baby is here, and I can't believe it. I'd say he's got a Winokur face and a Miller body.

"One minute I'm totally fine, and the next minute I'm overwhelmed with emotion," she adds. "I can't believe I am sitting here next to my baby. This is the one thing that's been missing from our lives. Now our house is really going to be a home."

The Tony winner was the third runner-up on her season of "Dancing With the Stars" and afterwards landed a deal to host her own talk show. Miller received an Emmy nomination for his work on "King of the Hill."

Sounds from Hell - *Warning: Very Disturbing*

To those who don't believe in God, Heaven, Hell, Satan (the devil), and other supernatural beings, I'd say: "you better listen to this".

Description: You can hear millions of people, who are suffering in hell, where eternal damnation exists.

*Warning: Very Disturbing* (I put 2 videos from YouTube, but there are MANY VIDEOS about this one in YouTube, not only two!)

VIDEO/AUDIO 1


VIDEO/AUDIO 2

Stephanie McMahon Gives Birth

Hunter's (Triple H) wife, Stephanie McMahon-Levesque gave birth to their second daughter, Murphy Claire Levesque, the newest member to the McMahon-Levesque clan! Their daughter is 8 pounds and 12 ounces.

Freddie Prinze, Jr. (Scooby-Doo star) Joins WWE Creative Team

Hollywood Actor Freddie Prinze Jr. Joins WWE Creative

Source: PWInsider.com & SEScoops.com/wwe

Hollywood actor Freddie Prinze Jr. has joined World Wrestling Entertainment's Creative team. He worked last night's Saturday Night's Main Event & WWE RAW taping in Washington, DC and will be working with the company regularly in the future.

Prinze, a big WWE fan, has been a celebrity blogger on WWE's "Fan Nation" online community and has been at a number of live events in recent months.

He's married to "Buffy" star Sarah-Michelle Gellar and starred in both Scooby Doo movies, as well as "She's All That" and "I Know What You Did Last Summer."

Philippine TV: ABC-5 changes name to TV5

Source: PEP

ABC-5 changes name to TV5
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
10:31 AM

Last March, ABC-5 informed PEP (Philippine Entertainment Portal) that the company had entered into a "major blocktime agreement" with MPB Primedia, Inc., a Philippine corporation backed by Media Prima Berhad of Malaysia.

This agreement has resulted in a new look and a new target market for the broadcasting company owned by Antonio "Tonyboy" Cojuangco. Starting August 9, ABC-5 will be known as TV5, a channel that promises to target "under-served demographic of 30 and below including those who are young at heart—generally the progressive Pinoys who are open to change and are willing to try new things and experiences."

According to Christopher Sy, TV5 Chief Executive Officer, "We realize that our target market is an active segment that may not have the time to try to follow something on a daily basis. As such, our schedule is based more on "appointment" television with provisions for catch-up TV, allowing people the flexibility to watch our programs when it's convenient for them."

TV5 will offer various show genres such as reality, drama, variety, teens & toons, and movies.

"We think we can attract a sizeable audience by providing a fresh alternative to the country's two major networks which seem to mirror each other's programming. We hope to provide shows that are different and more relevant to a youthful Filipino audience," said Sy.

The newly repositioned TV station will broadcast using a 120kW transmitter. It was recently launched to the trade industry through an event attended by more than 1,000 movers and shakers from the advertising business as well as the stars from the channel's upcoming programs. The big trade launch showcased TV5's new programming lineup, which was well received by the audience.

TV5 is a television channel brand of MPB Primedia, Inc., a Philippine domestic corporation, which entered into a long-term block air time agreement with Associated Broadcast Company, which is headed by Mr. Cojuangco.

Mega Manila TV Ratings: July 25-28, 2008 (Friday - Sunday)

Click link:

MEGA MANILA TV RATINGS: July 25-28, 2008

New James Bond Movie Theme Has a Duet!

Source: Zap2it.com

007 X 2: New James Bond Theme Song Will Be a Duet
Jack White and Alicia Keys will team on 'Another Way to Die' for the 'Quantum of Solace' soundtrack

"Quantum of Solace" is the 22nd James Bond adventure, but producers are boasting it will feature the franchise's first duet theme song.

MGM and Columbia pictures announced on Tuesday (July 29) that Jack White of the will write, produce and play drums on "Another Way to Die." Lead vocals will be handled by another multi-Grammy winner, Alicia Keys.

"We are delighted and pleased to have two such exciting artists as Jack and Alicia, who were inspired by our film to join together their extraordinary talents in creating a unique sound for 'Quantum of Solace,'" producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli say in a joint statement.

The soundtrack to "Quantum of Solace" will be released by J Records on Oct. 28, 2008.

"Quantum of Solace," Daniel Craig's second turn at 007, will open on Oct. 31 in France and the United Kingdom and a week later in the United States and much of the rest of the world.

In addition to Craig, the cast of the Marc Forster-directed thriller also features Judi Dench, Mathieu Amalric, Gemma Arterton, Olga Kurylenko and Jeffery Wright.

With the White Stripes, White has released six albums and won five Grammys, including three for best alternative album, both recently winning earlier this year for "Icky Thump." White's second band, The Raconteurs, picked up a pair of Grammy nominations. He also won acclaim and Grammys for his work on Loretta Lynn's "Van Lear Rose" album.

One of music's most successful solo artists, Keys has also been branching into acting, appearing in "The Nanny Diaries" and "Smokin' Aces." She'll next be seen on the big screen in October's "The Secret Life of Bees."

Cable TV: "Avatar: Sozin's Comet" Ratings Update

The 7/18/08 episode of "The Avatar: Last Airbender" scored a 2.7 cable rating equalling to 4.5 million viewers for Nickelodeon.

The 2-hour world premiere movie (also the finale of "The Avatar: Last Airbender") of "Avatar: Sozin's Comet - The Final Battle" (7/19/08) posted a 3.1 cable rating equalling to 5.6 million viewers and Nickelodeon topped prime time for that time period.

Quick Peek at the [this past] Weekend Box Office,

Weekend Box Office
1. "The Dark Knight": $75 million
2. "Step Brothers": $30 million
3. "Mamma Mia!": $17 million
4. "The X-Files: I Want to Believe": $10 million
5. "Journey to the Center of the Earth": $9 million
6. "Hancock": $8 million
7. "Wall-E": $6 million
8. "Hellboy II: The Golden Army": $4.9 million
9. "Space Chimps": $4.3 million
10. "Wanted": $2.7 million

Source: Exhibitor Relations through Zap2it.com

Mega Manila TV Ratings: July 21-24, 2008 (Monday-Thursday)

MEGA MANILA TV RATINGS: July 21-24, 2008

"Dark Knight" Builds Up Another Record!

Source: Yahoo! Movies

"Dark Knight" overshadows box office rivals again
Sunday July 27 1:32 PM ET

Batman buried his rivals at the North American box office for a second weekend on Sunday, racing past $300 million in a record 10 days.

The Caped Crusader's blockbuster outing, "The Dark Knight," sold an estimated $75.6 million worth of tickets during the three days beginning Friday, taking its total to $314.2 million, distributor Warner Bros. Pictures said.

A week after it scored a record-breaking $158 million opening, "The Dark Knight" added a new title to its impressive list of superlatives: the best second weekend, surpassing the holiday-boosted $72 million haul of 2004's "Shrek 2."

The $180 million movie, which stars Christian Bale as Batman and late actor Heath Ledger as the anarchic Joker, has reportedly been drawing strong repeat business, and also has piqued the interest of people who avoid superhero flicks or rarely go to the movies at all.

"The Dark Knight" now ranks as the second-biggest movie of the year, just behind the $315 million haul of "Iron Man," and the 23rd-biggest of all time.

The previous speed record for a $300 million film was 16 days set by "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" in 2006. The next target is $400 million, which took "Shrek 2" 43 days to reach. Warner Bros. distribution president Dan Fellman predicted "The Dark Knight" would take just 18 days to reach that milestone.

"Where we go from there, it's uncharted waters," Fellman said.

The last movie to break $400 million was the 2006 "Pirates of the Caribbean" movie, which ranks No. 6 on the all-time list with $423 million. The 1997 epic "Titanic" leads the field with $601 million.

"STEP BROTHERS" STRONG

Elsewhere, the Columbia Pictures comedy "Step Brothers," starring Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly as perpetual adolescents, opened surprisingly strongly at No. 2 with $30 million. The 20th Century Fox sci-fi sequel "The X-Files: I Want to Believe" came in at No. 4 with $10.2 million, a figure at the lower end of expectations.

In between, Universal Pictures' ABBA-inspired musical romance "Mamma Mia!" slipped one place to No. 3 with $17.8 million while its 10-day total rose to $62.7 million.

"Step Brothers" represents a strong rebound for Ferrell and Reilly, following their recent respective bombs "Semi-Pro" and "Walk Hard." The actors, along with director Adam McKay, previously worked together in the hit 2006 comedy "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby."

Industry pundits had forecast a $25 million opening for the $65 million film, which received mixed reviews from critics. Ferrell and Reilly's emotionally stunted characters are forced to live together when their single parents marry. Two-thirds of the male-skewing audience was aged under 25, Columbia said.

"The X-Files: I Want to Believe" also marks a reunion, this time between former FBI agents Mulder (David Duchovny) and Scully (Gillian Anderson). But it failed to spark much enthusiasm among fans or critics. Fox said it had targeted an opening in the $10 million to $15 million range.

"We made it for the fans and they have come out," said Chris Aronson, senior VP of distribution at the News Corp-owned studio.

The sci-fi mystery comes to screens six years after the underlying TV series "The X-Files" ended its run, and a decade after the first big-screen spinoff. That film, also called "The X-Files" opened to $30 million on its way to $84 million domestically.

The $30 million sequel marks the third consecutive disappointment in as many weeks for Fox, following the Eddie Murphy comedy "Meet Dave" and then the animated "Space Chimps." The studio, noted for keeping costs down and sharing the risk with outside partners, has had a quiet year highlighted by the early-spring release "Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who," which grossed $154 million domestically. Next up is the August 15 horror film "Mirrors" starring Kiefer Sutherland.

Warner Bros. is a unit of Time Warner Inc. Columbia Pictures is a unit of Sony Corp while Universal Pictures is a unit of General Electric Co.

(Reporting by Dean Goodman; Editing by Bill Trott)

Solar Eclipse -- August 1st!

Source: Yahoo!

Viewer's Guide: Aug. 1 Solar Eclipse

Joe Rao
SPACE.com Skywatching Columnist
SPACE.com
Fri Jul 25, 12:45 AM ET

Friday, August 1 is a red-letter day for eclipse enthusiasts. On that date, the sun will be partially eclipsed over an immense area that includes western and central Asia, parts of northern and central Europe, all of Greenland and even a small slice of northeastern North America.

A total solar eclipse — the first in nearly two and a half years — will be visible along a narrow track that will start over the Northwest Passage of Canada, gives a glancing blow to northern Greenland, then shifts southeast through Siberia and western Mongolia and before ending near the famed Silk Route of China.

The path of totality for this upcoming eclipse is never more than 157 miles (252 km) wide.

Where it's visible

The total eclipse begins at sunrise over Northern Canada's Queen Maud Gulf, where the moon's umbra will first touch down on the Earth, resulting in Canada's hosting its first total solar eclipse since February 26, 1979.

As the sun comes into view over the north-northeast horizon its disk will become completely blocked by the moon. This is in the area of the famous Northwest Passage, a sea route connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans through the Arctic archipelago of Canada. The various islands of the archipelago are separated from one another and the Canadian mainland by a series of Arctic waterways collectively known as the Northwestern Passages. Politically, this region belongs to Nunavut, the largest and newest of the territories of Canada; it was separated officially from the vast Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999.

Although the umbral shadow narrowly misses the towns of Cambridge Bay on Victoria Island, and Resolute on Cornwallis Island, its northern edge just clips the northernmost permanently inhabited place in the world: Canada's remote outpost of Alert, which lies just 508 miles (817 km) from the North Pole and has a population of just 5. Here, totality will last 43 seconds.

Crossing the open Arctic, the southern half of the totality path slides across the many fjords of northermost Greenland, coming to within 450 miles (720 km) of the North Pole at 9:38 UT over the Arctic Ocean before turning southeast. Totality sweeps over the Norwegian island group of Svalbard, while the northern edge of the umbra's path just grazes Russia's Franz Josef Land island group, then cuts across the crescent-shaped island of Novaya Zemlya on its way to central Asia. The umbra first touches the Russian coast on the Yamal Peninsula. Not far inland, greatest eclipse, producing 2 minutes 27 seconds of totality, is attained near the town of Nadym (pop. ~46,000), just inland from the boot-shaped Gulf of Obskaja.

Spending part of your summer in Siberia may sound a bit more appealing upon hearing that the central path passes almost directly over the city of Novosibirsk, Russia's third most populous city (pop. ~1.4 million) where totality begins at 10:44 UT and will last 2 minutes 18 seconds. The center of the path will then follow the Mongolia-China border for several hundred kilometers, with Olgij, Mongolia getting 1 min 36s of totality. Totality finally whisks into north-central China, crossing the west end of the Great Wall before leaving the Earth at a point northeast of the major city of Xi'an (pop. 3.9 million).

The northern half of Maine as well as the Canadian Maritime Provinces will experience a partial eclipse at sunrise.

Eclipse expedition

A most unusual attempt to rendezvous with the moon's shadow will be made by an Airbus A330-200 twin-engine long-range aircraft. Following a flight plan optimized specifically for the purpose of viewing this eclipse, all of the many unusual requirements of this flight have been evaluated and satisfied with arrangements by the air charter company Deutsche Polarflug (AirEvents) which has previously operated successful over-flights of the North Pole with this same aircraft.

Glenn Schneider, from the University of Arizona's Steward Observatory and a veteran of 26 total eclipses, has worked out the detailed formulation of the flight plan. He is targeting a point from the high polar north, at approximately +83-degrees latitude and about 440 nautical miles from the North Pole at an altitude of 37,000 feet above the Arctic Ocean.

This will be a unique event in the annals of solar eclipse-chasing since there are no records of any total solar eclipse observations as far north as this. While total solar eclipses in the polar regions are not rare, accessibility is very difficult. Until this juncture in time (and technology) very high-latitude (north or south) total solar eclipses have been elusive. The total solar eclipse of 23 November 2003 was the first in history to have been observed from the Antarctic.

Once again it needs repeating: to look at the sun without proper eye protection is dangerous. Even if you are in the path of the total eclipse you will need to protect your eyes during the partial phases.


The Science Behind the Eclipse
Galleries: Solar Eclipse in 2005 and 2006
Local Viewing Circumstances

Joe Rao serves as an instructor and guest lecturer at New York's Hayden Planetarium. He writes about astronomy for The New York Times and other publications, and he is also an on-camera meteorologist for News 12 Westchester, New York.


Original Story: Viewer's Guide: Aug. 1 Solar Eclipse

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WWE Friday Night SmackDown! - Official Results (July 25, 2008)

Source: WWE.com

Results:
SmackDown: A woman's scorn, a Deadman reborn
By: Lennie DiFino
July 25, 2008

PHILADELPHIA – After suffering through the embarrassment of her husband Edge’s infidelity last week, SmackDown General Manager Vickie Guerrero came to the City of Brotherly Love intent to show the world she was as strong as ever. The jilted bride listened as Edge offered his apologies and begged for her love, and she let the Ultimate Opportunist know she still loved him. But, by the end of the night, Guerrero not only displayed her GM power, but she showed the Rated-R Superstar that his tryst with Alicia Fox had caused her to do the unthinkable – reinstating Undertaker and placing her husband in a Hell in a Cell Match with the returning Phenom at SummerSlam. Full match preview...

Summer Blockbuster
In a Biggest Blockbuster of the Summer Battle Royal, despite the best efforts of Big Show, Jeff Hardy, MVP, Umaga and Mr. Kennedy, The Great Khali, with his translator Ranjin Singh back by his side, defeated five of SmackDown’s greatest competitors to earn himself a WWE Championship Match at SummerSlam against Triple H. The World’s Largest Athlete looked poised for the victory, but an already eliminated Umaga returned to the ring and delivered a Samoan Spike, ruining Big Show’s chances. After Khali’s victory, The Game made his way into the arena, and he and the Punjabi Giant stared each other down, as Khali motioned he wanted the gold. Full match preview...

Before competing in the Battle Royal, MVP welcomed Jeff Hardy into his VIP Lounge, where the cocky MVP accused Jeff of being a failure, bringing up Hardy’s stormy past. While Hardy attempted to explain himself, the Franchise Playa kept it coming, pointing out all the negatives that had befallen the Charismatic Enigma, much to the disgust of our fans. Hardy finally had heard enough, and he chased the Ballin’ Superstar out of the ring.

New champs on Friday night
After capturing gold at The Great American Bash this past Sunday, the new WWE Tag Team Champions, Curt Hawkins & Zack Ryder, were not in tag team action on SmackDown, but Hawkins was in one-on-one action against Festus. The rivalry between these duos is boiling, and the corn-fed colossus picked up a singles win, gaining some retribution for the attacks he has sustained from “The Family” over the past few weeks.

United States Champion Shelton Benjamin proved that he is ready for action with his newly-won title around his waist, taking on Jimmy Wang Yang. In a fast-paced encounter, the Gold Standard continued his hot streak, defeating the resident redneck.

Also, Divas Champion Michelle McCool defeated Maryse on SmackDown, just days after becoming the first-ever champion. The All-American Diva was all smiles with the gold around her waist, but many wonder if the Diva she defeated at The Great American Bash, Natalya, is done hunting for the title.

Kozlov continues to roll
Vladimir Kozlov sustained his impressive undefeated streak on SmackDown, defeating Philadelphia’s own, Stevie Richards. After the match, Kozlov made his way to the announce table and told Jim Ross & Mick Foley that he wanted better competition. Will anyone in the SmackDown locker room step up and test the Moscow Mauler?

New look brings luck
The new look and attitude of The Brian Kendrick continued its evolution on SmackDown when the high-flying Superstar defeated Shannon Moore. With Ezekiel by his side, The Brian Kendrick is looking to charge his way up the SmackDown ranks, and there are many, including SmackDown commentator Jim Ross, who feel the sky is the limit for Kendrick.

WWE Friday Night SmackDown! - Official Preview (July 25, 2008)

Source: WWE.com

Preview:
Friday Night Battle Royal
July 25, 2008

Friday on SmackDown, six Superstars will compete in the Biggest Blockbuster of the Summer Battle Royal, with the winner facing Triple H at SummerSlam for the WWE Championship. The Over-the-Top Rope Challenge pits Big Show vs. Jeff Hardy vs. Mr. Kennedy vs. The Great Khali vs. Montel Vontavious Porter vs. Umaga. After the melee, which Superstar will be left standing with the chance at gold?

WWE Champion Triple H retained his gold at The Great American Bash, keeping Edge at bay with an unexpected assist from the Rated-R Superstar’s scorned bride, Vickie Guerrero – who received a spear from the Ultimate Opportunist after she got entangled with wedding planner Alicia Fox.

After Edge was caught lip-locked with Fox on video during his wedding reception, courtesy of The Game, Guerrero undoubtedly will look to earn retribution against her husband to salvage her good name. But Guerrero may also seek revenge on the man who made her happiest day a living hell – the WWE Champion.

Will SmackDown’s scorned General Manager make life a living hell for the Ultimate Opportunist? Is Triple H safe from her wrath, even after defeating the Rated-R Superstar? Will Edge find a way to get back in the good graces of his not-so-blushing bride? And how will “The Family” react to Edge’s infidelity? Will his best man, Chavo Guerrero, stand by and watch as the Guerrero name is tarnished?

Two members of “The Family,” Curt Hawkins & Zack Ryder, achieved what their friend Edge could not – capturing gold. In a Fatal Four Way Match, Hawkins & Ryder managed to win the WWE Tag Team Championship, giving them their first reign atop the tag ranks in WWE. Will Hawkins & Ryder stay on top of the world?

Another SmackDown Superstar who brought gold back to Friday night was Shelton Benjamin. The Gold Standard defeated Matt Hardy to become the new United States Champion, winning his first championship in over two years. Can Benjamin capitalize on his success and keep the gold around his waist? Or will someone step up, looking to steal the golden dreams of Benjamin?

Also, Michelle McCool became the first-ever Divas Champion at The Great American Bash, outlasting Natalya and forcing the red-headed powerhouse to tap out. Having made history by winning the gold, can McCool etch her name even deeper into WWE’s annals by keeping the Sexiest Women on Television from taking her title?

"Robot Chicken: Star Wars" Sequel on the Way!

Source: Zap2it.com

'Robot Chicken: Star Wars' Attack of the Sequel
'Episode II' will debut on Nov. 16

The Force is strong with "Robot Chicken."

Fresh off of an Emmy nomination for the " Star Wars" episode of "Robot Chicken," Adult Swim has announced that it will go forward with a sequel, appropriately titled "Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode II."

"We're thrilled to get to make 'Episode II;' it doesn't even seem real--getting to make Star Wars twice!" says co-creater Seth Green, who also won an Annie Award for directing the first special.. "We're so excited and bursting with joy."

"With this second special, we knew we had to do something a bit different, something more," adds co-creator Matt Senreich. "With that in mind, we decided to focus on the bounty hunters a bit and explore their stories. It's a geek-fest for us all."

"Episode II" will feature the returning voice talents of Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia, Billy Dee Williams as Lando Calrissian, Ahmed Best as Jar Jar Binks, Seth MacFarlane as Emperor Palpatine, Breckin Meyer as Admiral Ackbar and Boba Fett, Conan O'Brien as Zuckuss and Donald Faison. Comedian Andy Richter will also join the voice talent.

The first "Robot Chicken: Star Wars" special was released Tuesday, July 22 on DVD. The sequel will premiere on Nov. 16.

FOX Wins Another Thursday

Source: Zap2it.com

FOX Is 'Smarter' Than Thursday Rivals
'Fifth Grader,' 'So You Think' top night

Fast National ratings for Thursday, July 24, 2008

A night of new shows on FOX carried the network to a ratings victory, although no network drew terribly impressive numbers.

FOX averaged a 4.9 rating/9 share in primetime, beating CBS, 4.5/8, for the night's No. 1 spot. ABC took third with a 3.0/5. NBC, 2.6/5, came in fourth, and The CW pulled down a 1.1/2.

In the adults 18-49 demographic, FOX's 2.2 rating led a pretty meager field. CBS took second in the key ad demo at 1.6, edging NBC's 1.5. ABC averaged 1.2 and The CW 0.7.

"Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?," 4.6/9, put FOX on top at 8 p.m. "Greatest American Dog" earned a 4.0/8 for CBS. "Last Comic Standing" drew a 2.6/5 for NBC, edging an "Ugly Betty" rerun on ABC. The CW got a 1.2/2 from "Smallville."

FOX held the lead at 9 p.m. with "So You Think You Can Dance," 5.2/9. A "CSI" rerun on CBS was close behind at 4.9/9. "Last Comic Standing" improved slightly to 2.9/5 in its second hour. "Grey's Anatomy" scored a 2.7/5 for ABC, and a "Supernatural" rerun fell a bit from its lead-in on The CW.

At 10 p.m., CBS' "Flashpoint" delivered a 4.5/8 in its new home. "Hopkins" posted a 3.7/7 for ABC, and "Fear Itself" came in at 2.2/4 for NBC.

PS2 Has a Blood Diamond?

Source: Yahoo! Games

Playstation 2 component incites African war
Console war reaches past the couch and into the Congo, claims report.
By Ben Silverman

Has the video game industry dug up its very own blood diamond?

According to a report by activist site Toward Freedom, for the past decade the search for a rare metal necessary in the manufacturing of Sony's Playstation 2 game console has fueled a brutal conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

At the center of the conflict is the unrefined metallic ore, coltan. After processing, coltan turns into a powder called tantalum, which is used extensively in a wealth of western electronic devices including cell phones, computers and, of course, game consoles.

Allegedly, the demand for coltan prompted Rwandan military groups and western mining companies to plunder hundreds of millions of dollars worth of the rare metal, often by forcing prisoners-of-war and even children to work in the country's coltan mines.

"Kids in Congo were being sent down mines to die so that kids in Europe and America could kill imaginary aliens in their living rooms," said Ex-British Parliament Member Oona King.

So where's the connection to Sony? According to Toward Freedom, during the 2000 launch of the PS2, the electronics giant was having trouble meeting consumer demand. To pump out more units, Sony required a significant increase in the production of electric capacitors, which are primarily made with tantalum. This helped drive the world price of the powder from $49/pound to a whopping $275/pound, resulting in the frenzied scouring of the Congolese hills known for being ripe with coltan.

Sony has since sworn off using tantalum acquired from the Congo, claiming that current builds of the PS2, PSP and PS3 consoles are sourced from a variety of mines in several different countries.

But according to researcher David Barouski, they're hardly off the hook.

"SONY's PlayStation 2 launch...was a big part of the huge increase in demand for coltan that began in early 1999," he explained. "SONY and other companies like it, have the benefit of plausible deniability, because the coltan ore trades hands so many times from when it is mined to when SONY gets a processed product, that a company often has no idea where the original coltan ore came from, and frankly don't care to know. But statistical analysis shows it to be nearly inconceivable that SONY made all its PlayStations without using Congolese coltan."

Currently, the Playstation 2 is the best-selling video game console of all-time, having sold through over 140 million units.

ECW Cable Rating for July 22, 2008

The July 22nd episode of ECW featuring its main event, the Fatal-Four Way Match [Matt Hardy vs. John Morrison vs. The Miz vs. Finlay] to determine the #1 contender to the ECW Championship scored a 1.5 cable rating, up from last week's 1.4.

Mega Manila TV Ratings: July 18-20, 2008 (Friday-Sunday)

MEGA MANILA TV RATINGS: July 18-20, 2008

Charice Plays Herself in ABS-CBN's "MMK"

Source: PEP

MMK tells life story of Charice Pempengco

Jocelyn Dimaculangan

Thursday, July 24, 2008
02:16 PM


The public is aware of the struggles of this young singer who made waves abroad because of a YouTube video. This Saturday, July 26, viewers will be able to learn about the background of Charice and the reason why she no longer uses the last name Pempengco.

After tapping Gretchen Barretto in Maalala Mo Kaya, Filipina singing sensation Charice will be tapped to play herself in ABS-CBN's drama anthology show. Singer-actress Zsa Zsa Padilla has been chosen to portray Raquel, the mother of Charice who also struggled to be a single parent to her children.


Maalala Mo Kaya (July 26, 2008)


Director: Jeffrey Jeturian

Writers: Joan Habana and Dado Lumibao

Cast:

Charice: Charice Pempengco

Young Charice: Sharlene San Pedro

Raquel (Charice's Mom): Zsa Zsa Padilla

Kokoy (Charice's Brother) Rhap Salazar

Charice's Dad: Neil Ryan Sese

Tess (Charice's Grand Mother): Madeleine Nicolas


SYNOPSIS. This is the story of Charice, a 16-year old girl who has always dreamed of seeing herself on TV. Growing up in a broken family, she has never seen her father since she was three. Charice and her brother Kokoy were raised alone by their mother Racquel, who also taught her daughter how to sing and conquer her fears.

Charice, equipped with the talent and the passion, as well as a very supportive and heroic mother, joined numerous singing competitions. She won sometimes but it reached a point when she started losing hope, especially when she did not make it as the grand winner in Little Big Star. A lot of people continued to put their faith in Charice but more than anyone else, it was her Mommy Raquel who never stopped in believing that she can reach her dream through her music.

In 2007, an anonymous fan and YouTube blogger FalseVoice posted her videos on the web. Today, Charice is not only popular here in the Philippines but also among foreigners who continue to recognize her gift of music.

With hard work, faith, and through the help of the video sharing site, Charice is now famous all over the world, proudly showcasing the immense talent that Filipinos have to offer.

Maalala Mo Kaya, hosted by Charo Santos-Concio, airs Saturday nights on ABS-CBN.

Top Hollywood Moneymakers: Will Smith, and Cameron Diaz

Source: Zap2it.com

Will Smith, Cameron Diaz Take Hollywood to the Bank
Charlie Sheen, Katherine Heigl are top TV money makers

It's been a very good year for Will Smith. The "Hancock" star banked $80 million -- making him Hollywood's top money earner last year, according to a new ranking from Forbes.

Cameron Diaz made $50 million last year, ranking as Hollywood's top-earning female, the business publication reports.

Johnny Depp was No. 2, with a $72 million paycheck. Tied for third place were Eddie Murphy and Mike Myers, with $55 million each.

Leonardo DiCaprio, with $45 million, rounded out the Top Five.

And while "Atonement" leading lady Keira Knightley earned $32 million, and Jennifer Aniston pulled in $27 million, Forbes notes that men still make twice as much as women in Hollywood.

In terms of media personalities, Oprah Winfrey still owns the bank. Her earnings last year were a staggering $275 million.

As for other TV stars, "Two and a Half Men's" Charlie Sheen was the top-earning male ($20 million), while "Grey's Anatomy" star Katherine Heigl made $13 million, making her the top-ranking female.

Funny Video - "Time for Some Campaignin'"

Source: JibJab.com

Send a JibJab Sendables® eCard Today!

WWE.com vs. TNAWrestling.com

As of 6:41 pm CT, July 23, 2008

Source: Alexa.com

WWE Friday Night SmackDown! Rating for July 18, 2008

The 7/18/08 episode of SmackDown!, before the Great American Bash 2008, scored a 2.4 broadcast rating and a high of 1.6 rating in the Adults 18-49 demographic.

WWE won't be worrying too much about the rating of SD! during the summer because some areas in the US are preempted for MLB games.

WWE SummerSlam 2008 Matches (so far) As Revealed in the SD!/ECW Tapings at Philadelphia, PA.

Source: SEScoops.com/wwe

At this week’s ECW & SmackDown tapings from Philadelphia, several huge matches were announced for this year’s WWE SummerSlam.

Here is the current CONFIRMED card for SUMMERSLAM!

WWE Championship Match
Triple H (c) vs. The Great Khali

ECW Championship Match
Mark Henry vs. Matt Hardy

Hell In A Cell Match
The Undertaker vs. Edge

Christian Bales Denies Allegations of Assault

Source: Yahoo! OMG

Bale arrested and released; denies assault
By Associated Press

LONDON - Christian Bale has denied allegations of assault made by his mother and sister, hours after he was arrested, questioned by London police and released.

The 34-year-old star of "The Dark Knight" spent four hours at a police station, but was not charged. British media had reported that Bale's mother and sister complained he had assaulted them at the Dorchester Hotel in London on Sunday night.

Representatives for Bale released a statement today denying that an assault took place.

A woman thought to be Bale's sister Sharon told reporters "it's a family matter" from her home in Corfe Mullen, 110 miles southwest of London. A man who answered the door at the home of his mother Jenny Bale in nearby Bournemouth said she did not want to comment.

Jay Leno's Last Show on "The Tonight Show" is Set Before Conan Takes Over!

Source: Zap2it.com

Jay Leno Bows Out in May
Conan takes over 'Tonight Show' in June

NBC says it's still talking to Jay Leno about remaining with the network, but it's also set an end date for Leno's time on "The Tonight Show."

Leno's 17-year tenure on the show will end May 29, 2009, NBC announced Monday -- with help from the man himself. Like Jimmy Kimmel did last week, Leno put on a disguise (a bald cap and fake goatee, where Kimmel just had a cap on) and commandeered a microphone at the Television Critics Association press tour to pepper NBC co-chairmen Ben Silverman and Marc Graboff with questions.

"Is it true you offered Leno a fifth hour of the 'Today' show?" fake reporter Leno asked. "I know you brought back 'Knight Rider.' Any chance 'Manimal' will be coming back?" (For the record, the answers are no and, sadly, no.)

More relevantly, Silverman and Graboff announced that Leno's last "Tonight Show" as host will air Friday, May 29. Conan O'Brien will take over the show the following Monday, June 1. Jimmy Fallon will also take over "Late Night" sometime in the first half of next year. An on-air date for Fallon's first show hasn't been set, though producer Lorne Michaels says the plan is to stream episodes online before the show goes over the air as a way to let Fallon find his footing.

"'The Tonight Show' has a remarkable history rich in tradition. We're proud of each and every show Jay has shared with America as we look forward to Conan carrying on that outstanding tradition next year," NBC late-night boss Rick Ludwin says in a statement. "We also can't wait for Jimmy to showcase his winning style following Conan."

As for why NBC hasn't locked Leno down for something after "The Tonight Show," Graboff says it's a matter of finding the right thing.

"When we made the deal with Jay [that put the succession plan in place] four years ago, we made a long-term deal with him. We've been talking to him for pretty much that whole time about the future beyond 'The Tonight Show,'" Graboff says. "We can't force him to do something. We're presenting him with a number of opportunities that we think would be great. We're hoping he eventually thinks that they'll be as great as well."

"Dark Knight" Lead Role Arrested for Assault!

Source: Yahoo! OMG

Report: 'Batman' accused of assaulting mom, sister
By Associated Press

LONDON - Batman star Christian Bale was arrested Tuesday over allegations of assaulting his mother and sister, police and British media said.

The 34-year-old actor spent four hours at a London police station before being released on bail.

British media had reported that Bale's mother and sister complained he had assaulted them at the Dorchester Hotel in London on Sunday night, a day before the European premiere of his latest film, "The Dark Knight."

The Sun newspaper said police did not question the actor Monday because they did not want to interfere with the premiere of the movie.

Asked Tuesday whether Bale had been arrested, a London police spokesman did not refer to him by name but said: "A 34-year-old man attended a central London police station this morning by appointment and was arrested in connection with an allegation of assault."

The spokesman spoke on condition of anonymity because force policy did not authorize him to be identified. British police do not name suspects before they are formally charged.

The force later said in a statement that the man had been released on bail pending further inquiries and told to return on an unspecified date in September.

U.S.-based representatives for Bale didn't immediately return messages seeking comment. Repeated phone calls to Bale's London representative went unanswered.

Wales-born Bale first made a splash as the child star of Steven Spielberg's "Empire of the Sun" in 1987. His screen credits also include "American Psycho," "The Machinist" and "Batman Begins."

In "The Dark Knight," Bale reprises the role of wealthy playboy Bruce Wayne and his crime-fighting alter-ego Batman, a brooding vigilante superhero still scarred by the murder of his parents.

The Warner Bros. film, which stars the late Heath Ledger as Batman's nemesis The Joker, took in a record $158.4 million at the box office in its opening weekend in the U.S. last week.

___

Warner Bros. is a unit of Time Warner Inc.

More on The CW Network President Dawn Ostroff

Source: Zap2it.com

The CW zigs where others only dare to zag
By Hanh Nguyen

Like any adolescent, The CW is still trying to discover its identity, experiment with innovative ideas and occasionally make some bold, if borderline wackily uncertain moves. Hey, they may even offend people (read: critics) along the way. Welcome to the first green network, the one that has less to do with living green than spending greenbacks.

"Looking towards the future, we are very focused on women 18-34. We know that's our sweet spot and we know that's where we can make the most noise," says Dawn Ostroff, C-Dub's President during Saturday's Television Critics Association executive conference.

Among the most surprising announcements she made was the network is considering starting its upcoming 2009-2010 season in the summer instead of the fall. You see? Wacky.

"We're all talking about how we can have programming on throughout the year, at different times of the year," explains Ostroff. "We really feel we need to zig when everybody else is zagging. In fact, we're looking at putting on our '09-'10 season ... during the summer next year. To that end, we're even looking at shooting pilots much, much earlier this year, in October/November."

It's apparently a strategy of the early bird getting the viewers because this year the CW's 2008-'09 season will also start slightly early, on Sept. 1, about three or four weeks ahead of the other networks.

"We also have some shows we shall be plugging in throughout, some that we have not announced yet," adds Ostroff when confronted with a timeslot of eight weeks on the schedule that hasn't been accounted for. Check out The CW's Fall Premiere Dates.

Farming It Out, Branding the Livestock

The CW does, however, account for its Sunday nights, which consists of four shows produced by Media Rights Capital. It's a curious mix: In Harm's Way, a documentary show about dangerous jobs; Surviving Suburbia, a sitcom starring Bob Saget; Valentine, about a family of Greek gods who try to foster love around them; and Easy Money, a drama starring Laurie Metcalf about a family that runs a high interest loan business.

The big question is why The CW felt the need to hand over its Sunday programming block to this other company.

"The Sunday night formatting was a great opportunity for us to not have WWE [Smackdown] on Friday night, where it was really all men," says Ostroff. "There was no duplication in our audience at all for any of our other shows. When we look at the shows we're putting on Sunday night, we have real opportunity for flow. For viewers, it will be seamless ... in fact, much more seamless than WWE has been for the network."

As a strong performer, WWE, or rather its absence, may affect the network's overall ratings.

"It was a really tough decision and a bold decision to decide to take WWE off. It was not easy," acknowledge Ostroff. "The strategy of being able to brand this network was what we were thinking about."

Okay, gotcha. Forget men, bring on the women.

But with such branding, it's still unclear who has final say over the MRC shows, in which the CW insists they have creative control. Apparently the deal with MRC is so labyrinthine, Ostroff evades the critics' attempts to have her explain the deal three times. On the final round, she merely responds, "Let's leave it at it's a very complicated deal and we'll leave it at that. It is. Next question."

Our Fear Is Real

Another one of the new shows discussed that was not on the agenda is 13 - Fear Is Real (a CW not MRC show). As a surprise, Ostroff introduces a clip of the reality show brought to us by executive producer Sam Raimi and Jay Bienstock.

On this "The Blair Witch Project as a reality show," 13 people will arrive by bus to a remote area in the Louisiana bayou, one of the "most haunted areas on earth."

"What they don't know is that I'll be watching their every move," the clip's creepy announcer voice reveals. "They'll be dropped off deep in the woods where I'll play on their darkest fears. One by one they will be killed off. The last one alive will be awarded $66,666."

Uh, wait. We heard "killed." People will be killed?

"We'll do anything for attention here at the CW," Ostroff quips. "Well, what we say is that they are killed off or they disappear because once they're eliminated from the show, they're never seen again by the group of survivors.

"There's an environment that they created in the bayou of Louisiana where of course they know it's a reality show, but the intensity of the situation that they're living in and the kind of challenges that they're faced with really feel real to them while they're in it. We just finished the show. It's hot off the editing bay this week as a matter of fact. It was shocking to see how invested these contestants were. They really felt the horror."

Summary

Forget established schedules. Don't discuss certain upcoming shows at press tour. Get rid of a show that scored well. Have an outside company create your branding Sundays. Kill your contestants.

Well, that's different.

2008 WWE Great American Bash: SmackDown! Main Event - WWE Championship (Official Results)

2008 WWE Great American Bash Results COURTESY of WWE.com

Results:
Maul in the Family
By: Greg Adkins
July 20, 2008

UNIONDALE, N.Y. – Edge approached Sunday’s WWE Title Match against champion Triple H as a desperate man, and, as he himself admitted: “When I’m desperate, I’m dangerous.” (Watch the exclusive slideshow)

Unfortunately for the Ultimate Opportunist, a man with nothing left to lose has never been much of a match against a woman scorned. That was the case Sunday night as well when a wild turn of events led Edge to spear his wife, Vickie Guerrero, and lose the match to Triple H.

The trouble all started last Friday night on SmackDown when Triple H offered his wedding gift to Edge and his Vickie Guerrero during their reception. As the newlyweds looked on, The Cerebral Assassin unspooled a video of Edge sharing a passionate kiss with wedding planner Alicia Fox.

The damning footage ruined the couple’s nascent marriage and sparked a concentrated hatred in the jilted bride.

The first flash of that animosity shown brightly Sunday night. It looked like Edge had finally gained an advantage in the match when Fox entered ringside and tried to hand him the WWE Title to use, presumably, as a weapon. Guerrero, however, charged down after her, leveling the homewrecker with a stiff clothesline.

The two women battled into the ring, where both men were exhausted and flat on their backs. As the referee tried to separate Fox and Guerrero, the Ultimate Opportunist rushed the ref, who dodged his spear at the last moment. What happened next was stunning.

The R-Rated Superstar speared his wife, slamming her frame to the canvas. The stunned former champion could hardly believe what he had done and stood in silence for several moments.

As Edge wandered about the ring in an effort to compose himself, Triple H overcame his exhaustion and managed to administer a match-ending Pedigree to ensure his title reign continue.

It was a wild conclusion to an already rowdy night, costing Edge his chance at the WWE Title and possibly sabotaging any hope of a reconciliation with Guerrero. It also allowed Triple H to retain his WWE Championship, keeping The King of Kings nestled upon his throne.

2008 WWE Great American Bash: RAW Main Event - NYC Parking Lot Brawl (Official Results)

Results:
JBL drives it home
By: Aubrey Sitterson
July 20, 2008

UNIONDALE, N.Y. - After a brutal match that began in the parking lot and made its way inside of Nassau Coliseum, JBL slipped out of a FU at the last minute and pinned John Cena on top of a car to become the winner of the their NYC Parking Lot Brawl.

In the weeks leading up to the Bash, the issues between John Cena and JBL grew to something larger than a mere rivalry, with the Chain Gang Commander himself characterizing their conflict as a war. The build-up to their brawl saw Cena & Cryme Tyme combine forces to vandalize the self-made millionaire’s limousine. As retaliation, JBL took things to the next level, attempting to crush his opponent between two automobiles in the parking lot outside of a Raw event.

JBL arrived at his Bash match-up wielding a crowbar, ready to do some serious damage, but could not find Cena. The Chain Gang Commander turned the tables on JBL by attacking the Longhorn Loudmouth with a car and the battle was joined. In their bout, Cena went to shocking extremes, hooking up jumper-cables to the Layfield family jewels. This wasn’t enough to put down JBL, however, as he went on to beat Cena mercilessly and place his unconscious opponent inside a car, only to set the automobile ablaze.

Luckily for John Cena, WWE staff members were on hand to extinguish the flames, allowing the Chain Gang Commander to emerge steaming mad. Cena pummeled his opponent and placed JBL inside a car, which he proceeded to relocate inside the arena with the help of a nearby forklift.

John Cena seemed poised for victory with Layfield up on his shoulders for an FU, but the self-proclaimed “wrestling god” reversed the move, throwing Cena onto the car’s windshield and pinning him for the win. At The Great American Bash, though Cena is known for his drive, it was no match for the overwhelming horsepower of John “Bradshaw” Layfield.

2008 WWE Great American Bash: RAW - World Heavyweight Championship (Official Results)

Results:
Big Red invasion
By: Craig Tello
July 20, 2008

UNIONDALE, N.Y. – World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk may have debunked fluke-claiming critics by enduring in a highly competitive confrontation with Batista at The Great American Bash. But though the Straightedge Champion retained the gold, he was left with a bittersweet (and somewhat charred) taste in his mouth as Kane’s hell-wreaking intervention caused a double-disqualification. (Watch Punk's exclusive post-match interview)

Less than one month ago, CM Punk made a stand-out transition from ECW to Raw Superstardom by cashing in his Money in the Bank championship opportunity against an Animal-assailed Edge. Ironically, it would be Batista himself who would win No. 1 contendership and seek to curtail the tattooed champion’s greatest of personal ambitions fulfilled.

Three-time former World Heavyweight Champion Batista appeared to be the heavy favorite in a contest pitting power, size and experience against skill, resourcefulness and tenacity. But in his very first pay-per-view defense, Punk refused to be etched into history books as a mere “transitional champion” and for the entire bout, he took every ounce of fight to his sizeable challenger.

Suddenly, CM Punk and Batista’s battle for supremacy was overshadowed by a burlap sack bearing monster in the Nassau Coliseum. Deliberate and devastating, the seven-foot menace known as Kane brought an unruly ending to a hotly contested bout between two recent Raw draftees, laying both men out.

For weeks, Raw’s tormented monster has stalked the Monday night brand in search of answers to mysterious, twisted questions that none seem able to answer. Spouting his incoherent and puzzling mutterings – “Is he dead or is he alive?” – WWE’s own towering inferno continued his rancorous assault on a defenseless production crew member.

On the final Raw heading into The Bash, it was The Animal’s spear that left Kane unable to decimate Punk as planned. This may have been what drove the Big Red Monster to finish what he started with his former ally at a most inopportune moment, live on pay-per-view.

Is Kane yet satisfied with the damage caused to the World Heavyweight Champion and The Animal? Is any one safe, given the Big Red Machine’s recent unpredictability and bizarre actions?

Also, where does this leave Batista, who came within inches of clinching the gold before Kane’s unleashed wrath? The challenger was clearly unhappy as he Batista Bombed the battle-worn champion moments after the decision was rendered by the officials. Will the Straightedge Champion be able to keep the title with so many large threats?

2008 WWE Great American Bash: Chris Jericho vs. HBK Shawn Michaels (Official Results)

Results:
The Great American Bash: The worst has come
By: James Vermillion
July 20, 2008

UNIONDALE, N.Y. – After months of hatred boiling hotter and hotter, Shawn Michaels' promise that “the worst is truly yet to come” rung true at The Great American Bash. Unfortunately for HBK, the truth came at his own expense as Chris Jericho re-injured Michaels’ right eye drawing so much blood that, despite HBK’s insistence to battle on, the officials ended the match and Y2J was declared winner. (Watch Michaels receive medical attention)

Throughout the bout, Michaels gave it his all in the match and seemed to have the momentum until a well-placed elbow ended up worsening his injured eye. After that, Jericho and protégé Lance Cade – a former pupil of The Showstopper – targeted the injury making it bleed more and more profusely, causing the match to be ended on the referee’s decision.

With Michaels' heading back to San Antonio for further examination, Jericho came back out to make a bold announcement to our fans. He stated that tonight was historical as he claimed Michaels’ was diagnosed by the trainers with a detached retina and that those watching had just witnessed the last match of HBK’s career.

Y2J has had it out for HBK the last few months, constantly questioning Michaels’ morality. What seems to add even more fuel to his fire is the fans’ constant approval for HBK’s actions. Jericho struck first on an edition of the Highlight Reel originally injuring HBK’s eye by throwing him face-first into the Jeri-Tron 6000. Now that all is said and done, it seems as though Jericho has lived up to his prophecy and ended Michaels’ illustrious career.

Could the curtain have pulled for the last time for The Showstopper?

2008 WWE Great American Bash: ECW Championship (Official Results)

Results:
World's strongest betrayal
By: Andrew Rote
July 20, 2008

UNIONDALE, N.Y. – When ECW Champion Mark Henry and Tommy Dreamer stepped in the ring, an X factor decided the outcome once again. But it wasn't a frying pan this time, rather Colin Delaney who helped the World’s Strongest Man retain the ECW Title at Nassau Coliseum.

Dreamer has had his eye on the gold seemingly forever, but especially in recent weeks. He has fought for chance after chance. Despite Henry’s ability to overpower the ECW Original along with WWE Hall of Famer Tony Atlas in his corner, Dreamer got his opportunity at The Great American Bash and he almost made the most of it. But the World’s Strongest Man was able to add more muscle to his campaign in the form of Dreamer’s protégé, Delaney.

Nobody has been able to slow down Mark Henry’s reign since he won the ECW Title at Night of Champions. And now with Delaney by his side, against the man who helped the youngster earn a WWE contract, Henry’s position at the top of the Land of the Extreme doesn’t appear to be changing anytime soon.

2008 WWE Great American Bash: WWE United States Championship (Official Results)

Results:
The Great American Bash: Midas Touch
By: Lennie DiFino
July 20, 2008

UNIONDALE, N.Y. – Shelton Benjamin defeated Matt Hardy at The Great American Bash in the legendary Nassau Coliseum to become the new United States Champion – making history and ending a “Bash” streak, becoming the first Superstar to ever challenge for the U.S. Title at the event and win it the same night.

In a clash of two of WWE’s high-flying, risk-taking Superstars, Benjamin added to his impressive championship résumé that already included reigns as an Intercontinental Champion and Tag Team Champion, capitalizing on one mistake by Hardy in a match that was back-and-forth from start to finish. Hardy seemingly became disoriented after a moonsault, and Shelton Benjamin used that split second to bring Hardy down and earn the victory.

Now, the Gold Standard can call himself United States Champion, earning another title and bringing the gold with him to Friday Night SmackDown. Throughout his career, Benjamin has proven himself to be a fighting champion when he carries gold around his waist – and now, after more than two years without a major singles title to call his own, Shelton Benjamin will undoubtedly look to cement his legacy with his newly-won United States Championship.

2008 WWE Great American Bash: WWE Tag Team Championships (Official Results)

Results:
Out of the shadows, into the golden light
By: Mitch Passero
July 20, 2008

UNIONDALE, N.Y. – After spending months in Edge’s shadow, Curt Hawkins & Zack Ryder finally made a name for themselves – and they did it in big fashion by winning the WWE Tag Team Championship in their own hometown of Long Island, N.Y.

Going into the WWE Tag Team Championship Fatal Four Way, the now-former champions, John Morrison & The Miz, had done a lot of talking in their weekly WWE.com show, “The Dirt Sheet.” (Watch) The duo claimed they had no competition for their gold, and poked fun at just about anyone and everyone in WWE. But on this night, words were not enough to stop Hawkins & Ryder as the team claimed gold when Hawkins pinned Jesse.

Taking out the former champions was challenge enough for Hawkins & Ryder, but they also had to worry about six additional Superstars who were hungry for gold.

Jesse and Festus have been making great strides on SmackDown, with the corn-fed colossus Festus manhandling many an opponent. Despite a valiant effort, they could not find a way to win on this night.

And finally, the Belfast brawler Finlay & Hornswoggle had been at odds with The Miz & Morrison for weeks, often the butt of their “Dirt Sheet” jokes. Although they got in some good shots of their own tonight, they could not capitalize at the right moment.

With Hawkins & Ryder’s victory, championship gold is once again brought home to “The Family.”

The CW Premiere Dates for Fall 2008 Programming

Source: MediaWeek.com [an excerpt from the original post]

CW's Ostroff Looks for Early 2009-10 Season Launch; Notes on Its Schedule
Mediaweek's Alan Frutkin and Marc Berman report from TCA on The CW network's upcoming programming and plans
July 19, 2008


CW Series Premiere Dates:

What follows are the roll-out dates for the new and returning CW series. Unlike its competitors, the CW plans to launch four shows the week of Sept. 1.

Gossip Girl: Monday, Sept. 1, 8 p.m. ET (season premiere)

One Tree Hill: Monday, Sept. 1, 9 p.m. ET (season premiere)

90210: Tuesday, Sept. 2, 8 p.m. ET (series premiere, two hours)

America’s Next Top Model: Wednesday, Sept. 3, 8 p.m. ET (season premiere, two hours)

Privileged: Tuesday, Sept. 9, 9 p.m. ET (series premiere)

Smallville: Thursday, Sept. 18, 8 p.m. ET (season premiere)

Supernatural: Thursday, Sept. 18, 9 p.m. ET (season premiere)

Everybody Hates Chris: Friday, Sept. 19, 8 p.m. ET (season premiere)

The Game: Friday, Sept. 19, 8:30 p.m. ET (season premiere)

In Harm’s Way: Sunday, Sept. 21, 7 p.m. ET (series premiere, Media Rights Capital)

Valentine: Sunday, Sept. 21, 8 p.m. ET (series premiere, MRC)

Easy Money: Sunday, Sept. 21, 9 p.m. ET (series premiere, MRC)

Stylista: Wednesday, Oct. 29, 9 p.m. ET (series premiere)

Surviving Suburbia: Sunday, Nov. 2, 7:30 p.m. ET (series premiere, MRC)

The 2008 WWE Great American Bash Final Card

Final Card for the WWE Great American Bash: Click each match link for its preview from WWE.com

WWE Champion Triple H vs. Edge

World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk vs. Batista

ECW Champion Mark Henry vs. Tommy Dreamer

WWE Tag Team Championship Fatal Four Way

John Cena vs. JBL in a NYC Parking Lot Brawl

Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Jericho

Michelle McCool vs. Natalya (Divas Championship)

SmackDown! Demo Rating Up, GAB Main Event, GAB Rumors

- WWE Friday Night SmackDown! rating for Friday isn't out yet but according to sources, the show was up 680,000 viewers from last week. SmackDown! is also up 20% in the Adults 18-49 and not only that, its broadcaster, The CW Network topped Friday's A18-49 contest beating ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX.

- According to ProWrestling.com, the main event for The Great American Bash is the WWE Championship match between WWE Champ Triple H vs. Edge.

- The first rumor is that Kane will be interfering RAW's main event, the World Heavyweight Championship, an indication that he will be going back to the original Kane form, the masked Kane and feud with "The Animal" Batista.

- Rumors are also going around the internet about the GAB Main Event, the reason why SmackDown!'s WWE Championship match is placed in the main event is because The Undertaker MAYBE returning tonight and interfere with the WWE Championship match between Edge and Triple H but as of this time, we don't know!

"Avatar: The Last Airbender: Sozin's Comet - The Final Battle" - Tonight at 8/7c on Nick!

Don't miss the 2-hour finale of Nickelodeon's top-rated anime series, "Avatar: The Last Airbender".

The"Sozin's Comet" episode will be divided into 4 parts, which will be 30 minutes each! Don't miss it tonight at 8/7c only on Nickelodeon!

The CW Tops Friday Demographic, CBS Takes Viewers

Friday 7/18/08

What follows is the fast affiliate results for Friday, July 18 broken out overall by total viewers and adults 18-49, and by each half-hour in the order of ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox and the CW.


OVERALL

-Total Viewers:
CBS: 6.34 million, NBC: 5.23, CW: 4.39, ABC: 4.26, Fox: 3.14

-Adults 18-49:
CW: 1.6 rating/6 share, ABC and CBS: 1.3/ 5 each, NBC and Fox: 1.2/ 5 each


----------

8:00 p.m.

ABC – America’s Funniest Home Videos (R)
Viewers: 4.46 million (#2), A18-49: 1.2/ 5 (#2)

CBS – Ghost Whisperer (R)
Viewers: 5.04 million (#1), A18-49: 0.9/ 4 (#4)

NBC – Most Outrageous Moments (R)
Viewers: 4.36 million (#3), A18-49: 1.1/ 5 (#3t)

Fox – Movie: The Animal (R)
Viewers: 2.81 million (#5), A18-49: 1.1/ 5 (#3t)

CW – Friday Night Smackdown!
Viewers: 3.83 million (#4), A18-49: 1.3/ 6 (#1)

----------

8:30 p.m.

ABC – America’s Funniest Home Videos (R)
Viewers: 5.22 million (#2), A18-49: 1.5/ 6 (#1t)

CBS – Ghost Whisperer (R)
Viewers: 5.85 million (#1), A18-49: 1.2/ 5 (#3t)

NBC – Most Outrageous Moments (R)
Viewers: 4.12 million (#4), A18-49: 1.0/ 4 (#5)

Fox – Movie: The Animal (R)
Viewers: 2.95 million (#5), A18-49: 1.2/ 5 (#3t)

CW – Friday Night Smackdown!
Viewers: 4.35 million (#3), A18-49: 1.5/ 6 (#1t)

----------

9:00 p.m.

ABC – Duel
Viewers: 3.35 million (#4), A18-49: 0.9/ 4 (#5)

CBS – Numb3rs (R)
Viewers: 6.28 million (#1), A18-49: 1.3/ 5 (#2t)

NBC – Dateline
Viewers: 5.27 million (#2), A18-49: 1.1/ 4 (#4)

Fox – The Animal (R)
Viewers: 3.30 million (#5), A18-49: 1.3/ 5 (#2t)

CW – Friday Night Smackdown!
Viewers: 4.46 million (#3), A18-49: 1.6/ 6 (#1)


----------

9:30 p.m.

ABC – Duel
Viewers: 3.27 million (#5), A18-49: 0.9/ 3 (#5)

CBS – Numb3rs (R)
Viewers: 6.63 million (#1), A18-49: 1.4/ 5 (#2)

NBC – Dateline
Viewers: 5.94 million (#2), A18-49: 1.2/ 4 (#4)

Fox – The Animal (R)
Viewers: 3.48 million (#5), A18-49: 1.3/ 5 (#3)

CW – Friday Night Smackdown!
Viewers: 4.91 million (#3), A18-49: 1.8/ 6 (#1)

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10:00 p.m.

ABC – 20/20
Viewers: 4.41 million (#3), A18-49: 1.4/ 5 (#2t)

CBS – Flashpoint
Viewers: 6.75 million (#1), A18-49: 1.4/ 5 (#2t)

NBC – Dateline
Viewers: 5.94 million (#2), A18-49: 1.5/ 5 (#1)


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10:30 p.m.

ABC – 20/20
Viewers: 4.86 million (#3), A18-49: 1.6/ 6 (#1t)

CBS – Flashpoint
Viewers: 7.46 million (#1), A18-49: 1.6/ 6 (#1t)

NBC – Dateline
Viewers: 5.76 million (#2), A18-49: 1.4/ 5 (#3)


Source: Nielsen Media Research [through PIFeedback.com]

Ben Affleck, Jennifer Garner Expecting Their Second Child

Source: Zap2it.com

Ben Affleck, Jennifer Garner Expecting Second Child

Who better is there to confirm your pregnancy than your former TV dad?

Victor Garber, who played Jennifer Garner's father on "Alias," confirmed the speculation that the actress is indeed pregnant with her second child with husband Ben Affleck, reports Usmagazine.com.

Garner, 36, has been wearing loose-fitting tops of late, fueling rumors that she's expecting.

A source claims that the pregnancy is five months along.

The couple already has a daughter, 2-year-old Violet.

Garner last starred in "The Kingdom" and appeared in the teen pregnancy comedy "Juno." Affleck, 35, last wrote and directed "Gone Baby Gone" and will co-star in the relationship film "He's Just Not That Into You" next year.