TV journalism crucial in U.K.

LONDON -- Public fascination with tabloid sex ripoffs may be diminishing inside the U.K., but the requirement for TV investigative journalism remains high. Probing the role of investigative journalism inside the Blighty press, home of Lords Communications Committee on Tuesday found the final outcome will still be an important pressure for public good by "holding the effective to account," even when it's an extremely "blunt instrument." Among people testifying were Funnel 4's Dorothy Byrne, ITV's Ian Squires and BBC Panorama's Tom Giles, who've been then Ray Fitzwalter, former World to use it editor, and John Ware, also from Panorama. Contact the number newsroom at news@variety.com

New Poster For That Phantom Menace

Individuals three dimensional The Exorcist are moving outThey've been moving closer for a while now, but here's real proof the The Exorcist three dimensional reissues are actually, really, honestly happening, having a poster for that Phantom Menace. It's back, and this time around it's stereoscopic.You'll observe that the poster designers have emphasised the greater popular aspects of the film here: DarthMaul is front and center, Ewan McGregor and Yoda obtain a try looking in, but Mike Lloyd and Jar Jar are nowhere to appear. Contrast this using the original poster in 1999 below, where both got a go.We are less than sure why the still-popular LiamNeeson and Natalie Portman have forfeit their place, however most probably it's only to make that one look dissimilar to 1999's, or possibly it's more essential to help remind us that you will see pod-racing and space battles in three dimensional. The teaser's still the very best of all though.The Exorcist Episode I:The PhantomMenace has gone out in three dimensional onFebruary 10, 2012.

So Much for Oscar; Soderbergh's Liberace Goes to HBO

Earlier this year producer Jerry Weintraub predicted Oscar gold for one of his upcoming pet projects, the Steven Soderbergh-helmed Liberace biopic. “I’ve got a great script, it’s a great story, and they’re great characters,” he enthused to Movieline. “That’s what I make movies about. It’s going to win an Academy Award… for Michael Douglas.” Well, not so fast. Turns out the biopic, now titled Behind the Candelabra, has been picked up by HBO Films. Soderbergh explained the match in a statement (via Deadline): “From the inception of this project, we’ve had two priorities: getting it right creatively, and getting as many people as possible to see it,” Soderbergh said. “HBO’s fearless approach to original programming and their unparalleled ability to pull in viewers make them the perfect fit for us. The HBO touch certainly worked for recent A-list starring projects like Grey Gardens, which earned multiple nods and wins at the Emmys and the Golden Globes, or Todd Haynes’ Kate Winslet-driven miniseries Mildred Pierce, another Emmy powerhouse. So it’s not a shabby move in terms of prestige; you just know Liberace’s primed for every TV award out there, even before it’s begun lensing. The telefilm will still star Michael Douglas as the titular flamboyant musician and Matt Damon as his lover, Scott Thorson, and films next summer. So, the ultimate trade-off: Oscar hopes vs. a wider audience in an utterly respected and critically dominant home market. Did Douglas really need another Oscar statuette, or will buckets of Emmy and Golden Globes kudos suffice? HBO Picks Up Steven Soderbergh’s Liberace Film Starring Michael Douglas & Matt Damon [Deadline]

Bill Clinton Attends Premiere of 'The Way,' Cheers Film and Related Foundation (Video)

On Wednesday evening, THR was one of only a few media outlets in attendance for a very special NY premiere of Emilio Estevez's The Way, which opens in theaters today. Held as a fundraiser for the Walkabout Foundation, a non-profit organization that provides wheelchairs to paralyzed people around the world who cannot afford them, the event was attended by former U.S. president Bill Clinton, a friend of the foundation's founders. After the lights came up, Clinton gave a seven-minute speech in which he cheered both the film and the foundation (see above video). The former president, who was accompanied to the event by daughter Chelsea Clinton, said: "Let me begin by thanking Emilio Estevez, the producer David Alexanian, and my friend Martin Sheen -- who, when I left the White House, became my president, 'cause he was still on The West Wing... I thank the people who made this beautiful movie... I want you to know you did a good thing tonight... Thank you again Martin. Thank you Emilio for making this movie." VIDEO: Martin Sheen Stars in Emilio Estevez-directed 'The Way' Trailer The Way first screened at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival (where I caught it). It stars Sheen (Estevez's father) as a tightly-wound doctor who decides to try to complete the epic "pilgrimmage" across the Camino de Santiago -- a walk of 485 miles across Spain along "The Way of St. James" -- that his free-spirited adult son (played, appropriately enough, by Estevez) was attempting to complete when he got caught in a storm and died. The film is surprisingly moving (thanks to a tour de force performance by 71-year-old Sheen, who inherently engenders more goodwill than just about any actor I can think of) and funny (thanks, above all, to a great supporting performance by Dutchman Yorick van Wageningen), and you will be hardpressed to find a better story about a father and son, friendship, and faith this year. Bill Clinton Martin Sheen The Way

'Horror Story' scares up audiences

FX's new drama 'American Horror Story' first showed to three.two million audiences in the initial telecast Wednesday."American Horror Story" was scarily proficient at accumulating audience totals in the premiere Wednesday evening. FX's new drama from Ryan Murphy and Kaira Falchuk came 3.two million audiences because of its initial telecast and 5 million over three airings. Within the 18-49 demo, "Horror Story" shipped 3.two million audiences as a whole. Series, which stars Dylan McDermott and Connie Britton like a husband and wife who transfer to a haunted house in La, received mixed reviews from experts but was clearly popular for that network. Show went facing tough broadcast competition in the 10 p.m. Wednesday timeslot. For the reason that hour, the 1.6 national rating in grown ups 18-49 for "Horror" wasn't too remote in the dramas on CBS (2.9 for "CSI"), ABC (2.5 for "Revenge") and NBC (2.1 for "Law & Order: SVU"). Murphy and Falchuk are veterinarians from the cabler, getting professional created "Puppy nip/Tuck." The cosmetic surgery skein remains probably the most effective shows in Forex history. Really, "Horror Story" equaled the series premiere of "Puppy nip/Tuck" within the demo and was 33% much better than the debut of popular motorcycle club skein "Sons of Anarchy." Additionally to Murphy and Falchuk, Dante Di Loreto is professional producer. Show is created by Last Century Fox. Contact Stuart Levine at stuart.levine@variety.com

Amazing Race's Ron and Bill: We Could not Get Over Two Bad Cabbies

Ron Zeitz and Bill Cruz Flight family and friends and domestic partners Ron Zeitz and Bill Cruz began Leg 2 from the Amazing Race 19 in last place and remained there, eventually becoming the 2nd team axed within the show's first double elimination. Their fate was sealed once they were among the eight teams who skipped the extra clue in the orphanage, however the misfortune began without one, but two bad cab motorists. Discover that which you did not see around the episode and the things they think about the additional clue hidden in plain sight.Amazing Race's Ethan and Jenna: We prefer SurvivorYou were in last the entire leg. Why have you log off to this type of bad start?Bill: We make no excuses whatsoever, but - you hear this constantly around the Race - simply because they can't show exactly what happens, you do not see what cab works, what cab did not. However when we showed up in Jakarta, i was first in the train. The 2nd we arrived in Yogyakarta, it had been downhill with taxis. Each of our taxis, that have been the functional rides of this leg - nice motorists - could never succeed. ... We never designed a mistake before orphanage. We simply had the worst luck - again, it isn't a reason, but simply a well known fact of the items happened. With spelunking as being a task that needs to be completed in an order of arrival, there's very little chance to create up time. We simply were built with a difficult time recuperating. You transformed cabs once, but could not change again?Bill: No. One was in the center of the evening within an area we understood nothing about. The cab was lost. He was nice all, but he stopped and also got on his mobile phone for help. That put us behind. Then departing to get at the caves, our cab driver am afraid of all of the activities he wouldn't pull to leave, therefore we wound up because the sixth cab within the line and that we were within the second group. The entire time, he attempted to pass through people, however it was morning hurry and there is no method of getting around. I was stuck for the reason that eleventh place that time.John: The only real time our cab really started it in was whenever we left the spelunking and headed in to the city center to complete the dancing ... after which he travelled to the orphanage. He only agreed to be onto it at that time, however, we'd lots of ground to pay for. The showgirls were maybe two minutes in front of us [departing the Roadblock]. We understood i was directly behind everything.It appeared as if you were by her in the Detour, or had you been just in a different street corner? Ron: There have been three different corners we're able to dance at. Jeremy and Sandy, and Marcus and Amani were just finishing whenever we were approaching. ... I'm not sure when the bikes were simpler, but we could fly through dancing. It required, like, fifteen minutes ... We understood i was still in last, but we felt like we're able to still constitute a while. Bill: The truth that these were there - Marcus and Amani were within the first group to depart spelunking - i was pleased to discover their whereabouts knowing we left last. The ride in the caves to another task was over an hour or so, and that is where our cab driver composed time.Amazing Race's Phil Keoghan: We now have probably the most competitive cast yetWhat would you think about the additional clue twist?Bill: At the start of the race, they stated, what's awesome concerning the Amazing Race is the fact that they are always adding new twists, and i believe that is what causes it to be so exciting and why we have loved everything these years. When you are a longtime fan, you are always searching for that clue box. Once they gave us that emblem, which was exactly what the clue box was, and that is that which was so awesome relating to this season. Nothing was that which you expect so that it is. To tag onto by using the sign - never during my craziest dreams would I've thought to check out an indication inside a frame. It had been a surprise to us whenever we recognized we skipped it, but as racers, we i never thought to search for it. We truly needed to tell ourselves after - and I am sure audiences did - "You have to check out the whole surroundings because anything could be a clue." Which was most likely the greatest as soon as. It had not been only a clue or perhaps a clue box that may offer you directions. It may be anything, including what we should just thought was area of the desk. We did not even notice it.Which means you never even looked over?Ron: I believe i was feeling excited that people had completed the job pretty rapidly. We did not know where we was and you walk in, your adrenaline's moving, the thing is these youthful women and also you start talking together and you're feeling good by what you have been able to perform. I'd say, as eight teams skipped it, it had been quite simple to miss.Expenses: At that time, because we understood i was eleventh, i was so about consuming as soon as. Whenever we walked in and saw all individuals women and also the instructors, and they are clapping and yelling, I am talking about, truly, that moment was what we should have there been for. ... I was getting a lot of fun passing on for them and seeing their excitement. We ought to always be thinking game, but we were not thinking game at this second because we understood exactly what the task was. Therefore we skipped the clue, but I'm going to be honest, at that time, I wasn't considering searching round the room for clues. Had you seen it, you would have experienced ninth and safe. Will it the charitable organisation part of the task allow it to be simpler to swallow that you simply did not?Ron: Absolutely. Whenever we returned, we understood i was done. Once we were running towards the Pit Stop the very first time, we had other teams running back. I was convinced that the lower limb was ongoing. Obviously, no a person's likely to let you know these were switched back.Bill: Whenever we returned, i was like, "We are back!" At that time, it had been completely concerning the orphanage. We understood our Amazing Race would finish, therefore we required time to provide them with it and desire them mainly because now it had been nearly, "Let us provide them with all of this money. We can not change our future." We could not change anything and even when we're able to, it had not been what that moment involved. Now we are providing them with $300 U.S., therefore it is an excellent gift.What lengths behind Ethan and Jenna had you been?Expenses: A little way whatsoever. These were checking in whenever we reached the Pit Stop. We needed to wait to sign in.Ron: I believe there is most likely ten minutes between everybody checking in who needed to return. We passed one another returning and forth. It had been also extremely warm and damp. I believe area of the adrenaline within me was saying, maybe somebody am tired they needed to walk and that we would amazingly pass somebody.Bill: I was battling too and at that time, it might take an Olympic sprint to overtake somebody even fifteen minutes in front of you.Fall Preview: Get scoop on all of your favorite coming back showsWhat are you currently so far?John: We are back at American [Air carriers]. We are making people happy in mid-air. I additionally do home financial loans, and so i continue doing that. ... We are awaiting Crest Whitestrips to give us a call because Bill am impressed with how whitened our teeth were! We all know Crest will probably be calling us every day now! [Laughs] But simply taking pleasure in existence and being careful in our family. The main reason we continued the Race was because there have been lots of health problems with this family plus they were type of were in a nice place whenever we continued the Race. Now we are getting some major difficulties with cancer battles, to ensure that is really our priority like a family. Bill: We are also benefiting from excellent messages and texts from your buddies and family and [colleagues], therefore it is great to believe that support too.

Melissa McCarthy Dances Into Her Debut as SNL Host

Melissa McCarthy When Melissa McCarthy required happens to host Saturday Evening Live, she began out by giving an alert to her children: Retire for the night now - because mama's going to get pretty inappropriate. She described, "They are just recovering from that sink scene from Bridesmaids. We have been coping with some evening terrors."McCarthy am looking forward to her hosting gig, she felt obliged to convey herself through dance. Became a member of by Bridesmaids co-star Kristen Wiig, the duo carried out several featuring their hilariously cheesy dancing ability:Every young girl wants a Lil' Poundcake toy - she has the aroma of frosting! She's a handbag and hair that develops! But Lil' Poundcake's best feature? She supervises Warts shots!Arlene (McCarthy) takes the interoffice romance to an alternative level -- her unabashed sexual advances make her friend, Tim (Jason Sudeikis), very uncomfortable.Ever question what it might be want to see Chris Rock interpret Broadway classics like Annie? "It is a hard-knock existence? Whatchyou know of the hard-knock existence? I'll let you know one factor, though - she gets some dad issues. Gotta keep her from the pole ..."An emphasis group for Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing goes awry when among the participants (McCarthy) becomes a little too passionate concerning the product.