Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movie Channel have been yanked off AT&T U-verse, now that there's no resolution in sight in the retrans standoff between AT&T and Crown Media.

Crown Media and AT&T put out dueling statements this evening, as carriage deals expired at 12:01 a.m. ET early Wednesday morning.

Here's AT&T's statement:

“We are very disappointed that Hallmark has refused to provide AT&T and its customers with a fair deal — one that is no worse than similarly-sized and smaller providers — and refused to adhere to key obligations under our current deal. We offered to extend the current deal while talks continued, and Hallmark rejected that offer. Hallmark has forced us into a position where we no longer have the rights to carry the Hallmark channels as of 12:01 EDT. We don’t want customers to lose their programming, but we believe strongly that our customers should not have to pay more than their fair share for Hallmark’s channels, which is exactly what Hallmark is demanding.”

AT&T said it had replaced Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movie Channel with Starz Kids & Family, as well as Turner Classic Movies.

Meanwhile, here's the statement from Crown Media:

Bill Abbott, President and CEO, Hallmark Channels, said, “When Hallmark Channels announced that we were likely to be dropped from AT&T U-verse’s national channel lineup, I was moved by the immediate support from our loyal viewers. Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movie Channel represent the 100-year legacy of quality and trust of the Hallmark brand. We are the nation’s family networks, and we will continue to produce quality programs that connect people emotionally.”

Hallmark added that it was "willing to re-start negotiations toward the distribution agreement as long as they are fair and in good faith."

Check out both sides' dueling propaganda websites: AT&T's is here, and Hallmark's is here.

Over at the other retrans battle currently in the news, things are much more upbeat. A deal between Disney and Time Warner Cable is imminent.

As seen above, Conan O'Brien is teasing today that TBS will finally unveil the title of his new late night yakker tomorrow.

Will Conan go the simple, "The Conan O'Brien Show" route? Or will the host attach himself to a title in the variety of "Late Show," "Late Night" or "Tonight"? Perhaps TBS will look to streamline things by adding a "Conan Tonight" to its pre-existing "Lopez Tonight"? "Conan Tonight," after all, would allow the host and network to take a slight dig at NBC, where O'Brien previously hosted "The Tonight Show."

OK, "Conan Tonight" is doubtful -- it would positively raise the ire of NBC's lawyers, after all. But what will it be? Vote below!

Joan Cusack has joined the cast of Showtime’s “Shameless.”

Actress plays a mom with a sexually active daughter, a role originally taken by Allison Janney in the pilot. Janney had to be replaced, however, because she landed a role in the ABC midseason series “Mr. Sunshine.”

“Shameless” is based on a U.K. series from Paul Abbott, who exec produces with John Wells. Bonanza Prods. is producing. Skein, which launches Jan. 9, stars Emmy Rossum and William H. Macy. Production begins in a few weeks.

Cabler also just signed Eddie Izzard to co-star in the third season of “United States of Tara.” Izzard will appear in eight episodes.

Izzard is no stranger to cable, having had a starring role in FX drama “The Riches.” He’s also performed in several stand-up specials.

Bravo's "Top Chef" pulled off a feat on Sunday night that many pundits believed was impossible: The series knocked off "The Amazing Race," which had dominated the Emmy reality competition category for the past seven years.

A "Race" win was so expected that "Top Chef" exec producer Jane Lipsitz, one half of the Magical Elves production team, opted to stick in New York -- where the Elves are currently filming a Justin Bieber concert feature for Paramount and simultaneously shooting the next season of "Top Chef."

Lipsitz's partner, Dan Cutforth, was at the Nokia, however, and was rather shell-shocked as he picked up the prize. Cutforth partied with his Magical Elves team on Sunday night, then caught the early flight to New York on Monday morning.

The win came nearly a decade after the Elves' first Emmy nom, way back in 2001 for "Bands on the Run" (where Cutforth and Lipsitz first teamed up). The Magical Elves later made a name for themselves on "Project Greenlight," and then "Project Runway" and "Top Chef." The bleary-eyed duo took a moment on Monday afternoon to reflect on their whirlwind win, and chat about where their company is headed.

VARIETY ON THE AIR: Jane, where were you on Sunday night?
LIPSITZ: We're doing our first feature film for Paramount, and the timing just worked out that today and tomorrow we're at Madison Square Garden shooting. It's the big film and I've been on the road for ten days. I was going to fly back but the schedule was too crazy. It's heartbreaking.

VARIETY: Was there a part of you that figured, "Oh well, 'The Amazing Race' is going to win anyway"?
LIPSITZ: Well yeah, if I, in my most wildest dreams, had imagined that we were going to win, I would have found a way to make it work. But obviously having sat there for six years (and not won)... now we won because I wasn't there.

VARIETY: So now you can't go anymore.
LIPSITZ: I'm not allowed to go to the Emmys ever again.

VARIETY: Were you watching the Emmys in New York when the show won?
LIPSITZ: I was at a production meeting and I missed the beginning of the show. I walked in and sat down in the chair and it was the first award that I saw. Everyone in the room was screaming and the phone was crazy. It was a pretty amazing moment. And we're shooting "Top Chef" in New York, so I immediately grabbed the "Top Chef" crowd and we went out and had a little celebration here.

VARIETY: Obviously you weren't expecting this.
LIPSITZ: I think you feel like it was an impossible feat to beat "The Amazing Race," and we're storytellers, so we love a good story. Being the underdogs that toppled the king is a story that we'd document. It's amazing to win, but obviously under the circumstances a lot of people have been paying attention to this category because of "The Amazing Race's" winning streak, and its exciting to be acknowledged as the show that could beat "Amazing Race."
CUTFORTH: You can only put yourself through this so many times. The first few times you get there in a state of excitement and think you've got a chance at winning. But when you don't win that many times, after a bit you put up your defenses and just go through the motions and enjoy the night, never expecting that you're going to win. My immediate reaction was just complete disbelief. We were jumping up and down with excitement. Not particularly dignified, one of our producers (Erica Ross) fell over.
LIPSITZ: There's a clip on YouTube now that says "girl falls at Emmys."
CUTFORTH: She was philosphical about her place in Emmy history.

Here's the "Girl Falls at Emmys" YouTube video -- the spill happens at 0:32. It's a pretty good trip, worth watching!

MORE AFTER THE JUMP.

Having slurped a taste of ratings success with reality/tabloid star Kate Gosselin last time out, ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" is going whole-hog with its cheesiest (and most obnoxious) cast yet.

And by the way, I think that's a good thing. I'm kind of appalled at myself for saying this, but I'm looking forward to a train-wreck cast that includes Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino, David Hasselhoff and Bristol Palin.

Seriously, this cast just drips tabloidy goodness. And these are the kind of folks we wanna see falling on their asses and making giant fools of themselves on national TV. (And seriously, for murdering good music taste in the late 1980s/early 1990s, Michael Bolton has got it coming.) WELL DONE, ABC.

The full lineup: Michael Bolton, Brandy, Margaret Cho, Rick Fox, Jennifer Grey, David Hasselhoff, Florence Henderson, Kyle Massey, Bristol Palin, Audrina Patridge, Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino and Kurt Warner.

Will TV movies and miniseries make next year's Primetime Emmy cut?

A day after HBO swept all eight longform categories, broadcast network execs once again groused about having to devote so much Emmy time to those awards. And they may now be in a position to do something about it.

It's no secret that the Big Four broadcast networks, which take turns televising the Emmys, are itching to kick the longform categories out of the live telecast.

The TV Academy has so far managed to keep the categories in the show. But as ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC get ready to discuss a new contract with the TV Academy, the fate of those longform awards promises to be a key negotiating point.

And some insiders believe that if the org manages to secure another deal with a license fee near its current $7.5 million annual pricetag, it will come with some concessions -- such as altering the way those longform awards are presented.

It's not a new idea. Ever since the broadcasters got out of the longform game, they've been anxious to move those categories to the Creative Arts Emmys. (Another option: Launching a new longform awards show, which could be telecast on HBO or another cabler.)

Network execs say they have no beef with longform programming in general. But devoting so much time to a handful of minis and movies that have been seen by a fraction of the audience is a momentum killer, they argue, and one reason that the Emmycast isn't a big viewer draw.

And Emmy ratings suggest that viewers agree, Mischer said.

"When we looked at the minute by minute ratings, they really do drop in longform," he said. "And longform is some of the best work in television -- just unbelievably good work of the highest quality with great artists. But it's a simple fact that it's less accessible to viewers."

Read the full story here.

MEANWHILE... Why does this all sound familiar? Yeah, we wrote similar stories back in 2002, when then Emmy license deal was last up. Check out this Variety column from eight years ago, which I wrote after the 2002 Emmys. Sub out a few names, and it could have been written today.

This was my proposal back then:

Maybe it's time to take the movies and miniseries awards out of the main event.

Attention, HBO staffers, don't send those nasty emails just yet. Hear this out: By taking the longform awards out of the regular Primetime Emmy ceremony, the Academy could reward TV movies and miniseries--which have seen a true creative renaissance in recent years--with a special awards show to call their own.

Sound a little better? Not only would movie-intensive cablers like HBO and Turner stand to benefit from the visibility that comes with having a separate awards show, but the TV academy would get a chance to collect a second license fee for another gala kudofest.

With a huge boost of feature-level star power, and the possibility of basic cablers bidding to televise this Emmycast, the show could become an additional moneymaker for the org.

Meanwhile, broadcast webheads would welcome the move. While they remain an important part of the television landscape, the movie and mini awards increasingly feel out of place in the three-hour-plus telecast.

The more things change... apparently the more they don't.

Disney went in-house to find its new ABC Family prexy, tapping Radio Disney exec Michael Riley to take over the job.

Riley fills the void left when ABC Family topper Paul Lee was named the new president of ABC Entertainment. Since then, Lee has been still handling some ABC Family affairs while also settling into his new job. Riley's appointment will now allow Lee to focus on his ABC duties as the TV season begins.

Disney/ABC TV topper Anne Sweeney announced the appointment on Monday.

“Michael’s talent and drive are eclipsed only by the enthusiasm and passion he brings to every opportunity," Sweeney said. "I’m confident his unique set of skills and experience will help us further ABC Family’s amazing momentum.”

Riley will now oversee ABC Family original programming and acquisitions, franchise management, marketing, sales and operations. He had served as senior vice president and general manager at Radio Disney overseeing the kid-centric radio network and its 36 owned radio stations.

“I am extremely proud to have been part of a great team at Radio Disney and very much look forward to joining the incredibly passionate and inventive team at ABC Family," Riley said. "Their success over the past few years has been exceptional, driven by innovative storytelling, unique characters and iconic branding, and I’m honored to be given the opportunity to help build this amazing Millennial brand.”

Riley has been with Disney since 2008. Before that, he was senior vice president and general manager for Turner Broadcasting's Europe, Middle East and Africa operations.

Disney said a replacement at Radio Disney will be named in the near future.

NBC's broadcast of this year's Primetime Emmy Awards averaged a 4.1 rating among adults 18-49 on Sunday night -- down a touch from last year's CBS perf (4.2). On the flip side, the kudocast attracted 13.5 million viewers, up 9 percent from last year's 12.3 million.

Last year vs. this year comparisons are almost apples vs. oranges, of course. This year's telecast aired in August, when TV usage is lower; last year's ran on Sept. 20, the night before the TV season began.

But this year's telecast was helped by a double run on the West Coast, as the Emmys aired live at 5 p.m. and then again as a repeat at 8 p.m. Because the commercials were the same in both airings, the ratings were cumed.

Meanwhile, competition was more intense in 2009 (vs. an in-season NFL game) -- although this year's competish was nothing to sneeze at, either (a pre-season NFL matchup, as well as original eps of "Big Brother," "True Blood" and "Mad Men").

In the end, the fact that the Emmys held steady makes it a wash for the TV Academy, which can still at least note that the Emmys continued an upward trend in total viewership.

More from Variety ratings guru Rick Kissell here.

Pulling off a tremendous, “Glee”-inspired opening number to this year’s Emmy Awards, “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” exec producer Mike Shoemaker admits he now owes a lot of favors.

The opening – which featured Emmy host Fallon and several “Glee” cast members (as well as Jon Hamm, Tina Fey, Betty White, Kate Gosselin, Joel McHale, Jorge Garcia and Nina Dobrev) – earned raves from crix.

But it wasn’t easy to pull off.

“This was one of the first things we wanted to do,” said Shoemaker.

The first step: Getting the “Glee” stars – including Jane Lynch, Lea Michele, Chris Colfer, Cory Monteith and Amber Riley) – on board. After “Glee” exec producer Ryan Murphy signed off, the seed was planted.

Then, the tough part: Getting the rights to Bruce Springsteen’s “Born to Run,” which Fallon wanted to sing as part of the opener.

Enter Emmycast exec producer Don Mischer, a vet of music shows. A few calls later, Springsteen had given his OK.

“That was a big moment,” said “Late Night” scribe Amy Ozols, who helped mastermind the opening.

Fallon later headed to Capitol Records, where he recorded his vocal tracks for “Born to Run” in Studio A, the same legendary studio where Frank Sinatra once recorded.

And to add to the surreal factor, former Journey frontman Steve Perry happened to be there, and wound up giving Fallon some vocal coaching.

Then came the recruitment of other folks. For starters, Hamm and Fey are “friends of the show” – both of whom, Shoemaker admits, he now owes a lot to.

Shooting began late Friday, after folks like Fey finally made it to town. The producers had the run of the Nokia Theatre to shoot – and they utilized much of it.

As the Friday shoots were being edited, filming continued on Saturday.

Fallon, Shoemaker and the “Late Night” team that traveled to Los Angeles worked non-stop on Friday and Saturday to make it happen.

Choreographer and Pussycat Dolls founder Robin Antin was brought in to whip the actors into shape – and for much of Saturday, the performers rehearsed the live-action portion of their song-and-dance routine.

“Jon Hamm sounds awesome, Jorge Garcia sounds awesome, the stars just aligned to do this,” Shoemaker said.

EBAY, here I come! 

Here's the REAL news backstage this year: After years of being stuck in a tent behind or next to the venue, the Emmy press area has gone indoors. The brand new JW Marriott, adjacent to the Nokia, is now home to the massive press experience. That means no more attempts to pound out copy while wearing a monkey suit in a stifling hot tent... and no more port-a-potties. Yes, for the first time this year, the Emmy press experience boasts real restrooms.

And not just real restrooms... but futuristic ones. Behold the futuristic urinal experience (above)!

First up, winners will be taken to a sea of photographers -- where the flashbulbs will paralyze them into submission. Perfect for their sitdown with Billy Bush. 

Network and entertainment newsmag row -- ABC, CNN, etc., they're all here. And this being NBC's telecast this year, "Today" and "Access Hollywood" are REALLY here.

The publicist holding tank. PLEASE DON'T FEED OR TOUCH THE PUBLICISTS.  

Security as usual is tight outside the Nokia Theatre in downtown L.A., as folks start arriving for the 2010 Primetime Emmys.

These officers were more than happy to get their pics taken, and even joked about Photoshopping their heads off. But make no mistake: These guys aren't gonna find it funny if you try to show up sans parking pass. And that WON'T be Photoshop lopping your head off.

"THINGS ARE GONNA GET AWFULLY MESSY IF DAME JUDI DENCH DOESN'T WIN LEAD ACTRESS IN A MINISERIES OR MOVIE. I'M JUST SAYING."  

So far, so good. The technology's working, the backstage room is roomy and has food and water thank goodness.

I'm about to head out to the red carpet to see what there is to see. In the meantime here's a cute pic of Sofia Vergara and Jim Parsons at an Emmy rehearsal.

Kicking off a busy Emmy-soaked weekend, Variety brought together showrunners and producers from this year's Emmy-nominated outstanding dramas and comedies for breakfast and a free-wheeling, fun panel discussion.

Attending the Friday morning event at the Paley Center: On the comedy side, Steve Levitan ("Modern Family"), Jeff Schaffer ("Curb Your Enthusiasm"), Paul Lieberstein and Greg Daniels ("The Office"), Linda Wallem and Liz Brixius ("Nurse Jackie") and Dante Di Loreto and Brad Falchuk ("Glee").

For dramas, Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof ("Lost") were joined by Vince Gilligan ("Breaking Bad"), Clyde Phillips ("Dexter"), Robert King ("The Good Wife") and Gregg Fienberg ("True Blood").

Read Variety's recap of the event here.

And The Surf Report's Diane Gordon has a great, comprehensive recap of the comedy panel (the drama one is coming) here.

If DVDs simply won’t do the trick and you’re looking for a truly cinematic “Lost” experience, head across the Pond.

Beginning Sept. 13 and running for three days nonstop, all 121 episodes of “Lost” will be screened at London’s Leicester Square’s Prince Charles Cinema. The marathon is sure to draw fans from around the world, so be sure to sign up at lostmarathon@taylorherring.com.

Six seasons in three days? Sounds like Dharma water will be a concession necessity.

Any guesses on what those things are? Corn chips? Orange peels? Fall leaves?

A lot is riding on Sunday's Emmycast -- but the competition isn't making it easy for the TV Acad.

Although late August is usually considered a dead time of year in TV land, this Sunday promises to be a busy one.

HBO has lined up new episodes of "True Blood," "Hung" and "Entourage." AMC isn't standing down against the Emmys, offering up a new "Mad Men" seg -- even though the show is a favorite to once again clean up on the kudocast -- and an original "Rubicon."

Fox, meanwhile, has the NFL pre-season Steelers/Broncos matchup, while CBS continues with "Big Brother 12." A&E's "The Glades," Lifetime's "Drop Dead Diva" and E!'s "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" are also in originals. MTV even has a "Jersey Shore" marathon on tap.

In other words, the days of rival nets stepping aside and letting the Emmys shine are long over.

More on the competition -- and how it may hurt the TV Academy's bargaining power as it looks to renew the Emmycast broadcast wheel -- here.

Lifetime is moving forward with plans to turn the story of the alleged "Craigslist Killer" into a TV movie.

Philip Markoff (above), who was given that moniker after being accused of killing a woman he met through Craigslist, committed suicide on Aug. 15 in a Boston jail cell while awaiting trial.

The movie, which went into development long before Markoff's suicide, centers on the former Boston U. student who appeared to live a double life.

Markoff was in medical school and engaged to be married when he was arrested in the shooting of Julissa Brisman, and accused of robbing a Las Vegas woman and attacking a stripper.

Prosecutors said Markoff met the women by answering ads for erotic services on the Craigslist website.

Scribes Donald Martin and Stephen Tolkin are adapting the ripped-from-the-headlines story, which is set to be produced by Sony Pictures TV. Judith Verno is exec producer, while Stephen Kay will direct.

Read more here.

Josh Schwartz's and Stephanie Savage's new Fake Empire has landed its first major piece of development, a D.C.-set drama at ABC.

Alphabet net has given a put pilot order to Fake Empire's untitled D.C. project, which centers on a group of twentysomething roommates who juggle their personal and professional lives in Washington. The young politicos find that the ideals that brought them to D.C. don't always match with the realities of living in the nation's capital.

Because of the producers, the project could be unofficially nicknamed "OC in D.C." -- although that would never pass muster as the show's actual title.

Will Fetters, who wrote the recent Robert Pattinson-Emilie de Ravin feature "Remember Me," is writing the script and will co-exec produce.

Warner Bros. TV, where Fake Empire was launched earlier this year in a blockbuster deal, is the studio. Schwartz and Savage will produce along with Leonard Goldstein, who heads up Fake Empire's TV operation.

Read more here.

Nielsen has put out its TV audience estimates for the 2010-2011 TV season, adding another million homes to the total.

For this season, the research company estimates the total number of TV households at 115.9 million -- and the number of people 2+ in those homes at 294,650,000 people (up more than two million).

Here's a recent historical track:

Fox’s “Terra Nova” has tapped Allison Miller as its next inhabitant.

Miller joins previously cast star Jason O’Mara on “Terra Nova,” the mega-series from Steven Spielberg, Peter Chernin, Brannon Braga and David Fury. 

“Terra Nova,” set for a 2011 launch, centers on humans from the year 2149 who are forced to find a way to save the human race -- and discover a rip in the time-space continuum that can send them back to pre-human Earth.

Miller will star as Skye, a veteran Terra Nova resident who takes O’Mara’s character’s son under her wing.

Miller’s credits include NBC’s “Kings” and the Zac Efron feature “17 Again.”

“Terra Nova” is also exec produced by Jon Cassar, Aaron Kaplan, Katherine Pope, Justin Falvey, Darryl Frank, Craig Silverstein and Kelly Marcel. Alex Graves is directing the pilot.

20th Century Fox TV produces with DreamWorks TV, Kapital Entertainment and Chernin Entertainment. 

The Hallmark Channel vs. AT&T U-verse battle is getting ugly. The latest: A statement from Bill Abbott, President and CEO, Hallmark Channels, who's responding to an earlier statement by AT&T.

Here's what Abbott has to say:

“It is unfortunate that AT&T U-verse’s statement of the situation is inaccurate. They are a multi-billion dollar organization bullying one of the nation’s last surviving independent cable networks by insisting on unreasonable rates that would seriously jeopardize our longevity. Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movie Channel are two of the few remaining family-friendly networks offered on television and represent less than 1% of AT&T’s total basic programming fees! Although we would have preferred to conduct the negotiations privately, we have been forced to comment since AT&T advised its customers weeks ago that Hallmark Channels may be dropped on August 31, 2010.”

Being a Bruce Springsteen fan for the last 30 years, I’m always awaiting the next album or concert, and now I’m whetting my appetite for “The Promise: The Making of Darkness on the Edge of Town.”

Premiering Oct.7 on HBO and unspooling at the Toronto Film Festival in a few weeks, “The Promise” will take a comprehensive behind-the-scenes look at the creation of Springsteen’s 1978 masterpiece.

Thanks to Backstreets magazine, here’s a clip from the film:

Bruce Springsteen - "The Promise: The Making of 'Darkness on the Edge of Town'" Sneak Peek from Columbia Records on Vimeo.

As part of his new deal at Sony Pictures TV, features producer Irwin Winkler is looking to once again turn his 1995 Sandra Bullock film "The Net" into a TV series.

"The Net" was adapted as a TV series once before; that short-lived 1998 USA Network skein starred Brooke Langton.

This time around, John Brancato and Michael Ferris -- who wrote the original feature screenplay -- will adapt the series themselves. Project hasn't yet been shopped to networks.

"We thought it would make a great TV series," Winkler said of the movie that revolved around a software analyst who becomes embroiled in the netherworld of computer-driven espionage and identity theft. "A lot of people said it was ahead of its time anyhow."

Read more about it, and Winkler's new TV deal, here.

TLC has announced that "Little People, Big World" will end its run after the show's upcoming sixth season.

The show stars parents Matt and Amy Roloff -- both little people -- and their children, Jeremy, Zach, Molly, and Jacob. "Little People, Big World" first bowed in 2006, and helped relaunch TLC's focus toward people with unusual stories (along with the now-infamous "John and Kate Plus 8").

“Through 'Little People, Big World,' the Roloffs have touched the hearts and enlightened the minds of millions of people worldwide,” said Eileen O’Neill, President & GM, TLC. “Its groundbreaking premiere introduced us all to the realities of being a little person, and we thank Matt & Amy and their family for their courage and willingness to share their lives.”

Gay Rosenthal Productions produces "Little People, Big World." Gay Rosenthal, Paul Barrosse, Joseph Freed, Nicholas Caprio, and Jeffrey L. Weaver are EPs.

"Little People, Big World" returns for its last season starting September 6 at 8 p.m.

Country superstars Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood are back as hosts of this year's “The 44th Annual CMA Awards.” Gig marks the duo's third consecutive year hosting "Country's Biggest Night," which airs live from Nashville via ABC on Wednesday, Nov. 10 at 8 p.m.

“Carrie and Brad have done a tremendous job hosting and we are very happy to have them back again this year,” said Steve Moore, CMA Chief Executive Officer. “They have developed a natural rhythm and have a great rapport with the audience – both in the house and our fans watching at home. They each have a great sense of humor and timing, which are two essential ingredients for hosting a live awards broadcast.”

Yes, it's true, Will "MacGruber" Forte won't be back this season on "Saturday Night Live."

Said his publicist: "After eight great seasons, Will has made the decision to move on from SNL to pursue new opportunities. He is eternally grateful to Lorne and all of the incredible people he worked with over the years."

Forte, who joined "SNL" in 2002, is probably best known for his clumsy take on "MacGyver," the shaggy-haired "MacGruber" (which was spun off into a feature this summer -- which flopped at the box office). His portrayal of Peyton Manning is also considered among "SNL's" best-ever clips.

Other Forte characters include "Tim Calhoun" and "The Falconer."

It might not require the most personal of carriage-dispute condolences, but it does make for an unpleasant Hallmark card.

Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movie Channel are the latest cablers to go down to the wire with AT&T U-Verse, with the distributor possibly dropping the channels at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday if the parties can't agree to terms on a new deal.

Hallmark today described negotiations "at a standstill," though history tells us that a resolution will be achieved. Most recently, AT&T went to the mat with Rainbow Media channels AMC, IFC and WeTV before reaching an agreement.

"We hope AT&T will recognize the extraordinary value of our channels and renew the carriage agreement," said Hallmark Channels prexy and CEO Bill Abbott. "At the present time, however, talks are not progressing, and it is looking more likely that Hallmark Channels will be dropped from AT&T."

One difference in these talks is that Rainbow not only had the corporate heft of Cablevision behind it, but also the impending season premiere of culturally zesty "Mad Men" as a negotiating tool. Hallmark's Crown Media backers don't quite pack the same power, and arguably its biggest programming weapon — the premiere of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia's eight-hour daytime lifestyle programming block on the network, including "The Martha Stewart Show" — won't come until Sept. 13.

Nevertheless, Hallmark is not to be dismissed lightly, and it is sure to have fans ringing AT&T to say how dissatisfied they'll be if the channels is dropped.

AT&T U-Verse services approximately 2.3 million of Hallmark's audience of 90 million.

Update: AT&T issued its own statement this morning, predictably citing "Crown Media’s unreasonable and inflexible demands" and AT&T's own efforts to keep the channels "at a fair price for its customers."

Earlier this month, ABC News' "Boston Med" series wound down with the story of Jim Maki, a Boston man who received the nation's second-ever face transplant surgery.

It was a luck of the draw for "Boston Med" cameras, which were already following the plight of Joseph Helfgot, who was looking to receive a heart transplant. When Helfgot died, his wife allowed Helfgot's face to be donated and transplanted on Maki.

Now, ABC News' Diane Sawyer has landed an exclusive interview with Connie Culp, who received the the nation's first face transplant. Culp, who is now completing the final phase of her procedure, talks to Sawyer on Thursday's "World News with Diane Sawyer."

What does it all mean? Apparently ABC is Your Official Face Transplant Network.

Turner's research team just sent out their summer-to-date round up of broadcast and cable performance. Above, an interesting ten-year track of the Big 4 broadcast nets' summer ratings. No surprise here: It's a mostly downward trend. But if there's any consolation, it's that the nets managed to stop the bleeding this summer, as ABC, NBC and Fox saw gains (offsetting CBS' declines). 

By the way, check out those summer 2000 ratings (helped out by "Millionaire" on ABC and "Survivor" on CBS). The networks would kill now to get those ratings IN SEASON.

Now, on to ad-supported cable. In total viewers, USA dominates in prime, while Nick has the whole day wrapped up (thanks, out-of-school kiddies!). Big events "LeBron: The Decision" and the special "Deadliest Catch" episode led the summer cable viewership -- but check it out, new TNT drama "Rizzoli & Isles" scored four of the ten most-viewed telecasts of summer in cable. That's a hit.

Among adults 18-49, USA dominates in prime... but look at total day, as Adult Swim leads. (Granted, it's apples-to-oranges, as Adult Swim only programs a few hours in late night). You might also notice that Fox News is No. 3 with total viewers, but doesn't make the top ten with young adults.

Also, it's worth noting that while scripted series held many of the total viewers slots, when you look at the adults 18-49 top ten programs of summer, they are *all* unscripted. And yes, "Jersey Shore" is repped twice, while "Deadliest Catch" scores a whopping five of the top ten slots.

Here's another decade trend chart -- again, not exactly a surprise, as cable's summer performance increased over the decade thanks to an upsurge in original programming. But in 2010, at least, broadcast is slightly up -- while ad-supported cable is slightly down.

"Party Down"

The team behind "Party Down" has reason to hire caterers: Its next project just scored a put pilot order from NBC.

Rob Thomas, Jon Enbom and Dan Etheridge are the creators behind "Temps," a single-camera laffer that has landed at the Peacock after an aggressive bidding war. Thomas and Enbom will write the script.

Warner Bros. TV is behind the single-camera comedy. Thomas, Enbom and Etheridge will exec produce along with Jennifer Gwartz and Danielle Stokdyk.

The quintet all spent two seasons on "Party Down," the Starz comedy that scored critical acclaim but low ratings. Starz recently canceled the show after ratings failed to pick up.

Read more here.

Emmy's reality host crisis has been averted.

Jeff Probst, the winner of this year's reality host Emmy (his third consecutive victory), has accepted an invitation to present an award at Sunday's Primetime Emmy telecast.

That will give the TV's nommed reality hosts their moment in the Primetime spotlight after all.

Read more here.

Derek Waters, who's behind the "Funny or Die" Web series "Drunk History," has partnered with thesp Michael Cera and scribe Emily Kapnek to develop a comedy for FX.

Waters, Cera and Kapnek are the exec producers behind "13th Grade," which centers on a high school graduate who's content with his meager lifestyle -- until his girlfriend dumps him for being "stuck" between childhood and adulthood.

Waters is onboard to star in the project, which is based on an idea by him and Paige Gullivan. Cera is co-writing the script with Gullivan.

Read more here.

Just a few weeks before the season is set to begin, Cox Communications has renewed its carriage deal with NFL Network.

Also, Cox Advanced TV customers will have the option of subscribing to NFL Red Zone, which allows viewers to watch a slew of different games in real time as teams move inside their oppontents’ 20-yard line. It’s the second year of Red Zone, and the innovation proved hugely popular with fans last season.

NFL Network, based in Culver City, Calif., will offer eight games this season starting with Nov. 11 when the Ravens travel to Atlanta and concluding on Christmas when Dallas plays at Arizona.

The Emmys will have a live behind-the-scenes webcast going at NBC.com and Emmys.com for the duration of Sunday's ceremony. Former NBC Sports exec producer David Neal (right) will run the show, and host Jimmy Fallon will jump on when the opportunity presents itself.

Neal will direct using eight behind-the-scenes cameras (including ones positioned immediately offstage and in the green room, the writers' area and kudocast exec producer Don Mischer's base of operations).

"It's going to be very raw," Neal said. "There's nothing particularly polished about it. I'm going to be using the experience I gained all those years in sports and reacting to what's going on. There's no script; the only thing I'm going to have is Don's show rundown."

Read the full story here.

AMC has given its next scripted series, "The Walking Dead," an appropriate premiere night of Oct. 31. I believe the word "freaky" satisfactorily describes the nearly five-minute trailer AMC has released.

The premiere episode will be 90 minutes long, followed by five hourlong episodes. “The Walking Dead” is AMC's first wholly-owned original series.

Andrew Lincoln, who worshiped Keira Knightley from anear in "Love Actually," stars in the series, exec produced by Frank Darabont and Gale Anne Hurd. Jon Bernthal, Sarah Wayne Callies, Laurie Holden (“The Shield”), Jeffrey DeMunn, Chandler Riggs and Steven Yeun co-star.

Only because I live five minutes from Santa Monica Airport, did I realize that the “Lost” auction was taking place this weekend at Barker Hanger.

On display was everything from Charlie’s guitar, to the Hurley’s winning lottery ticket, to the actual hatch. Seeing these kitschy artifacts makes you appreciate the excellent work of the show’s directors, special effects gurus and craftsmen who make everything seem so real on television when, in real life, they’re just scraps of paper, pieces of plastic and everyday items.

While there, I watched a few items go up for bid. There was a hundred or so people on site bidding away, and they were in competition with the thousands around the globe who were bidding online. Whenever a person on site won a bid, there was a healthy round of applause.

Among the tchotchkes that were bought while I was watching: one of Locke’s knives, which went for around $3,000; Ben’s passport and assorted papers, $4,000; Jack’s driver’s license, $2,000. Even Jack’s backpack sold in the $900 range. Hopefully the person who won that won won’t be lugging it around every day. That’s what Target is for.

It was great to see how much the show meant to the people at the auction, and will continue to mean to them long after the show said goodbye in May.

For those who couldn’t afford the big-ticket items, there was still a way to take home a bit of the show’s legacy. Bottles of Dharma water were being sold for $1 apiece, and T-shirts went for $15.

My personal favorite was one with a hand imprint and the words “Not Penny’s Boat” in front. Not unless you’re a true “Lostie” would you appreciate the sentiment, but for six seasons being part of that exclusive club is what fans found so enriching.

By CYNTHIA LITTLETON

This felt like an episode about people trying to live with open wounds -- Oedipal and otherwise. The Sally Draper scenes were painful to watch.

Though there were some light touches here and there, "The Chrysanthemum and the Sword" was a heavy episode. It's never easy to see a child suffer. And now even Sally's unfeeling mother recognizes that the kid is troubled.

Roger Sterling was also nursing a war wound through his visceral opposition to doing any kind of biz with a Japanese motorcycle manufacturer called Honda.

The physical manifestation of his anger was so expertly telegraphed by John Slattery -- in the way he prowled around the room during his first nasty encounter with the Honda execs and the way he and Pete nearly came to blows.

The subtext about Roger's concern about new accounts overshadowing the importance of his cornerstone client, Lucky Strike, was nicely handled by in the script by scribe Erin Levy and by helmer Lesli Linka Glatter who's just fantastic, particularly on this show. (And we all know that Lucky Strike is about to wane in importance once the federal ban on cigarette advertising on TV hits in 1966.)

I noticed this episode had an amazing color palette -- as if to visually represent that the Day-Glo psychedelic era is just around the corner. Deep greens, reds, blues and of course, Roger's pop art office (which is so not him!). It was a visual treat, sharply assembled by editor Leo Trombetta, who won an Emmy on Saturday for cutting the HBO telepic "Temple Grandin" (you notice these things after you endure a three-and-a-half-hour awards ceremony).

"Lost's" Damon Lindelof and Elizabeth Mitchell had quite the comedy routine going during their presenting slot at Saturday's Creative Arts Emmy Awards.

Lindelof joked that maybe the show "wouldn't have been canceled" if they hadn't killed off Mitchell's Juliet character at the end of season five. He confessed that all the hype about how he and Carlton Cuse the decision to end "Lost" after six seasons was just to save face.

Then Lindelof informed the aud that he felt it was only fair to let Mitchell write their banter for the kudos after making her read his words for so long. He pretended to read unfamiliar copy from the TelePrompTer.

"Killing off Juliet was was one of the stupidest things I've ever done in my career. I don't know how I sleep at night...Let's face it, I am a poopyhead."

-- Cynthia Littleton

HBO 17
ABC 15
FOX 9
CBS 7
NBC 7
PBS 7
Showtime 5
Cartoon Network 4
AMC 2
Discovery Channel 2
A&E 1
Comedy Central 1
Disney Channel 1
History 1
NBC.com 1
Nickelodeon 1
StarWarsUncut.com 1
USA 1
VEVO.com 1

A complete list of winners from Saturday's Creative Emmy Awards in Los Angeles.

ACADEMY OF TELEVISION ARTS & SCIENCES

62nd PRIMETIME EMMY AWARDS

OUTSTANDING CASTING FOR A DRAMA SERIES
LAURA SCHIFF, CSA, Casting Director
CARRIE AUDINO, CSA, Casting Director
Mad Men AMC

OUTSTANDING CASTING FOR A MINISERIES, MOVIE OR A SPECIAL
MEG LIBERMAN, CSA, Casting Director
CAMI PATTON, CSA, Casting Director
CHRISTINE KING, CSA, Casting Director
JENNIFER EUSTON, CSA, Casting Director
SUZANNE M. SMITH, CDG, Casting Director
The Pacific HBO

OUTSTANDING CASTING FOR A COMEDY SERIES
JEFF GREENBERG, CSA, Casting Director
Modern Family ABC

 

By CYNTHIA LITTLETON

“The Pacific” has momentum going into the Aug. 29 Emmycast, having stormed the Creative Arts kudos with seven wins.

HBO’s 10-part WWII epic led the winner’s circle at Saturday’s ceremony at the Nokia Theater with victories in tech and craft categories including longform casting, visual effects and art direction. “Pacific” also topped the list of this year’s Emmy nominees with 24 bids.

The rivalry between “Modern Family” and “Glee” picked up steam after Saturday’s marathon ceremony, which left the former with three trophies and the latter with two. “Modern Family” wins included casting for a comedy series, for Jeff Greenberg. “Glee” snared the guest comedy actor nod for Neil Patrick Harris’ visit to the show.

Harris also shared in the Emmy for last year’s Tonycast, which won for special class program. Harris, who hosted that kudocast, made a point of thanking the Los Angeles Times’ Chris Beachum, who noticed the TV Acad’s oversight of omitting Harris from the category after the Emmy noms were unveiled last month.

The ABC animated spesh “Disney Prep and Landing” made a strong showing with four wins, including the nod for animated program.

“Pacific’s” haul put HBO in the lead among nets, with 17, followed by ABC with 15 and Fox with nine.

The reality program category yielded a surprise winner as ABC’s little-watched “Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution” beat out such higher-profile competish as CBS’ “Undercover Boss” and Bravo’s “Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List” among others. (Still to come on Aug. 29 is the reality-competish program category, where CBS' “The Amazing Race” has scored seven consecutive wins.)

Moments after Ryan Seacrest, a producer of “Food Revolution,” collected his Emmy, he lost out in the reality host category for the third consecutive year to “Survivor’s” Jeff Probst.

Ann-Margret kept “Law & Order: SVU’s” streak going in the guest drama actress category, prevailing for her role as a troubled woman wrapped up in a decades-old murder. “SVU” has taken the guest drama actress five out of the last six years. Ann-Margret got a standing ovation as she accepted her first Emmy win after six noms.

The most memorable moment of the night came from John Lithgow (pictured above), who made a faux paux in accepting his trophy for guest actor in a drama series for Showtime’s “Dexter.”

“I’m glad to have every chance to thank Matt Blank and Bob Greenblatt of HBO,” Lithgow said.
Lithgow didn’t realize that he’d mixed up his pay cablers until reporters informed him of the gaffe when he came backstage. He gasped.

“Oh my god. I’ll never live that down. They’ll probably be taking this back now,” he joked, nodding to the Emmy statuette he held.

Betty White added a seventh Emmy to her trophy case, winning guest actress in a comedy series for her guest host turn on “Saturday Night Live.” (White did not attend Saturday’s ceremony.) Helmer Don Roy King won the variety/comedy series directing award for White’s “SNL” seg.

On the lensing front, CBS’ “CSI” won cinematography for an hourlong series; Showtime’s “Weeds” won for half-hour series. Longform honors went to PBS” “Return to Cranford, Part 2.” Lensing for non-fiction programming went to Discovery’s “Life.”

The cutters of ABC's "Lost" (Stephen Semel, Mark Goldman, Christopher Nelson, Henk Van Eeghan) won drama series picture editing for their round-the-clock work on the show's two-and-a-half-hour finale seg. Ryan Case won for comedy series for the pilot of "Modern Family."

Visual effects for a series went to the mothership “CSI.”

In the tuner categories, Dave Pierce won music direction for his work on the opening ceremonies NBC’s coverage of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Games.

Sean P. Calley won music composition for a series for his work on the final season of Fox’s “24.” Alex Wurman took the longform tune trophy for HBO’s “Temple Grandin.”

Randy Newman scored the original music and lyrics win for “When I’m Gone” from the finale of USA Network’s “Monk.”

Main title theme music went to Showtime’s “Nurse Jackie,” for tunesmiths Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman, who were teary-eyed when they came backstage. Melvoin noted that they were the first femmes to win in the category, and she noted that there had been talk of eliminating the theme music category altogether.
Mia Michaels of Fox’s “So You Think You Can Dance” sashayed away with the choreography trophy. She was asked backstage about the prospect of “SYTYCD” judge and exec producer Nigel Lythgoe going back to “American Idol” next year.

“Nigel is a superhero,” she said, matter of factly. “He can do both.”

The commercial winner got a big reaction from the femme reporters backstage, as the blurb honor went to Old Spice’s “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” spots, from Wieden & Kennedy and MJZ.

Emmy darling “Mad Men” took home two trophies, one for hairstyling and one for casting in a drama series.

PBS’ Ken Burns docu “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea” was recognized for nonfiction series.

Disney Channel’s “The Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie” won for children’s program.

Comedy Central’s “The Colbert Report” won variety/comedy writing for its stint of shows in Iraq last year.

John Leverence, the TV Acad’s awards guru for the past 30 years, was feted with the org’s Syd Cassyd Founders Award.

Governors Awards were presented to the Ad Council and to WMA stalwart Norman Brokaw, in recognition of his role in bringing to the screen series ranging from “Make Room for Daddy” to “I Spy” to “The Cosby Show.”

A complete list of winners follows after the jump:

It’s not the last call for “Last Call With Carson Daly.”

NBC has renewed the latenight talker’s chatshow for a 10th season. Daly, who came over to the Peacock following his duties as host of MTV’s popular midday skein “TRL,” also hosts the Peacock’s New Year’s Eve programming from Times Square.

Half-hour “Last Call” airs on weeknights, and shoots each episode on location. A majority are taped in Los Angeles, but in other areas of the country as well. Universal Media Studios is producer. Stewart Bailey will return for a second year as exec producer and shares duties with Guy Oseary.

“I really feel that ‘Last Call’ has hit its stride. It took 10 years, but it feels brand new and great,” said Daly.

Added Rick Ludwin, NBC’s latenight topper: “‘Last Call’ has been a trend-setter in latenight since it began, but particularly in its most recent two seasons. Carson and Stewart continue to give viewers a series that’s distinctive, cool and entertaining.”

Also, the net announced Alex Coletti (MTV’s “Unplugged”) will serve as the new exec producer of “NBC’s New Year’s Eve With Carson Daly.”

Coletti’s resume include MTV’s “Unplugged,” Sundance Channel’s “Spectacle: Elvis Costello Meets …” as well as the halftime show for a pair of Super Bowls.

Chelsea Handler will host the Sept. 12 MTV Video Music Awards.

The latenight E! star will handle the jokes from the stage of the Nokia Theater for the annual kudofest in which nobody remembers who won. This one’s all about bling, fashion and ‘Did he really say that on live TV?’ moments.

Presenters include Kanye West (who knows a little something about trying to be too cool on live TV), Justin Bieber, Emma Stone and Penn Badgley.

“This has been a huge year for hip-hop and rap, and it is well-known that I have the closest ties with these communities musically and sexually,” said Handler. “I am to rap and hippity-hop, what Warren Buffet is to finance, minus the sex.”

Jesse Ignjatovic and Dave Sirulnick are exec producers.

There's truly no end to Betty White's talents.

Betty has inked a two-book deal with G.P. Putnam's Sons that calls for her to pen a memoir, "Listen Up!," focusing on the last 15 years, and another tome about her work with the L.A. zoo, "The Zoo and I: Betty and Her Friends."

She's got five books under her belt already. "Here We Go Again: My Life in Television," from 1995, should be required reading for anyone working in the TV biz. And she made a point of telling me once that she wrote that book -- no ghost writers at all.

Here's the release from Putnam:

Billy Bush will be hosting both “Access Hollywood” and “Access Hollywood Live” when the latter program launches Sept. 13.

Set to premiere on six NBC O&O’s (at 11 a.m. in New York and L.A.) and six Fox O&O’s as part of a slow rollout, “Live” will offer chats with one or two in-studio celebs every day, as well as offer lifestyle, fashion and cooking segments — a nod to a mostly female daytime audience.

Exec producer Rob Silverstein, who will show up to work each morning at 4:30 to prepare for the two shows, said, “Most entertainment is presented in an idiotic way. We’re trying to raise the bar and are perfectly situated to pull this off.”

Promotionally speaking, the new skein will include a handful of teases for the 7:30 p.m. original “Access,” which will tape around 11 a.m. — about an hour later than it does now.

Silverstein said he and NBC Universal had talked for years about adding another “Access Hollywood,” but the opportunity didn’t present itself until timeslots formerly occupied by Martha Stewart and Bonnie Hunt became available.

Co-hosting with Bush on the hourlong “Live” will be Kit Hoover, who also has a news and sports background. Her most recent job was host of ABC’s reality skein “Shaq Vs.”

Will the two make a good pairing? Silverstein said time will tell.

“No one can be sure, but our goal is to remake Regis and Kelly, not Mike and Maddy. Whether we can do that remains to be seen, but we have a good chance.”

Christian Campbell will have a recurring role as a high school math teacher in the upcoming season of HBO’s polygamy drama “Big Love.”

Prior to the new season, which will likely launch in January, the actor plays political right-winger Ralph Reed in the upcoming Kevin Spacey pic “Casino Jack.” “Jack” is unspooling at the Toronto Film Festival next month.

Mostly known for television, Campbell has appeared on a number of series in guest roles, including “CSI: Miami,” “NCIS” and “Ghost Whisperer.” He was a series regular on the 2006 NBC skein “The Book of Daniel.”

After all her experience talking to Whoopi, Sherri Shepherd could soon begin asking married couples where they like to make whoopee.

Shepherd will be the host when "The Newlywed Game" makes its return to television Nov. 1 on GSN, replacing Carnie Wilson. The Daytime Emmy-winning co-host of "The View" will begin taping 65 episodes of the weeknight series, which is moving production from New York to Los Angeles, in September.

“Sherri’s quick wit and energy will make her a great fit for 'The Newlywed Game,' " said GSN senior programming veep Kelly Goode. "She has a big personality and is outspoken about relationships—plus, she can find the humor in any situation.”

Shepherd's acting credits include "30 Rock," "Precious," "Everybody Loves Raymond" and of course "Sherri."

Michael Davies and Embassy Row produce "Newlywed" for Sony Pictures TV.

The Steven Tyler on "American Idol" chatter is heating up to a full boil.

Several sites are reporting that the Aerosmith frontman has signed on the dotted line to be the next "Idol" judge" and one source close to the situation told Variety, "I think it's true and probably done."

Tyler's name has been floated around for several weeks but all of it has been speculative. When called to discuss the latest Tyler talk, Fox said they would "neither confirm nor deny" the reports.

The show definitely has one judge's seat to fill and most likely two. After one season, Ellen DeGeneres is officially off the show and Kara DiGuardi is likely to be replaced as well. Randy Jackson seems secure.

With Simon Cowell gone and readying for the fall 2011 launch of "X Factor," Fox will probably bring the judges panel down to three from the four of last season.

Read more: http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118023059.html?categoryId=4076&cs=1#ixzz0wz3axvY3
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