- Monday, August 27, 2012

Robin Roberts said Friday will be her last day co-anchoring “Good Morning America” for a while.

On Monday’s edition of the ABC News program, Ms. Roberts made official the start date for what’s being called her “extended medical leave.”

Ms. Roberts told viewers in July that she has MDS, a blood and bone-marrow disease once known as preleukemia.

She said she will be hospitalized next week to prepare for the bone-marrow transplant that will take place about 10 days after that.

Looking further ahead, Ms. Roberts noted she is luckier than many workers who become ill. She said her bosses have been generous in giving her the needed time off, and her job will be waiting for her when she’s well enough to return. She described herself as “very blessed.”

’Jersey Shore’s’ Snooki gives birth to baby boy

“Jersey Shore” star Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi gave birth early Sunday to her first child, a boy.

The reality TV star and her fiance, Jionni LaValle, welcomed 6-pound, 5-ounce Lorenzo Dominic LaValle into the world just before 3 a.m. Sunday at St. Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, N.J., MTV said.

“The world just got another Guido!!!,” a representative for Miss Polizzi told MTV. “Nicole, Jionni & Enzo are doing great!”

MTV congratulated Miss Polizzi and her fiance and looked toward the newborn’s possible appearance on “Jersey Shore.”

“We couldn’t be happier for Nicole and Jionni on the healthy delivery of their baby boy!,” MTV said in a statement. “We look forward to Lorenzo’s first trip to the Jersey Shore and can’t wait to see his first animal print onesie.”

MTV has said it’s bringing “Jersey Shore” back for a sixth season, with the 24-year-old Miss Polizzi as part of the action, but has declined to offer specifics on how big a part she will play in the show about hard-partying Italian-American friends.

ABC Family orders pilot from J.Lo’s company

ABC Family said it has greenlighted a series pilot from Jennifer Lopez’s production company about a lesbian couple and their diverse family.

ABC Family said Thursday the comedy-drama pilot, titled “The Fosters,” is about two women raising a “21st century,” multiethnic mix of foster and biological children.

Miss Lopez will be an executive producer for the hourlong project. Casting was not announced.

Her company, Nuyorican, is in development on other TV series, including “Taming Ben Taylor,” a romantic comedy starring the actress-singer, and “Sweet Little 15,” a Mexican girl’s coming-of-age story.

Miss Lopez, who recently exited “American Idol” as a judge, also is developing films through her company.

Bryan gets second chance on ’Dancing With the Stars’

All of that practice in Las Vegas paid off for Sabrina Bryan.

The season five competitor from “Dancing With the Stars,” who performed onstage with the series’ live show in Las Vegas, was announced as the final addition to the series’ upcoming All-Stars season.

After a month of campaigning for fan votes alongside fellow alums Kyle Massey and Carson Kressley, the 27-year-old “Cheetah Girls” actress broke the news on Monday’s “Good Morning America.”

Miss Bryan, who danced with Mark Ballas the first time around, will be paired with Louis Van Amstel for All-Stars. (Mr. Ballas is returning with former partner Bristol Palin.)

Her elimination from the series in 2007 still ranks as one of the more shocking in its history. She was voted out in week six despite being largely favored to make it to the finale.

“Dancing With the Stars: All Stars” premieres Sept. 24 on ABC.

Utah TV station won’t air NBC’s ’The New Normal’

The same Mormon-owned Utah station that refused to carry NBC’s “The Playboy Club” last season is giving a thumbs-down to the network’s new comedy “The New Normal.”

The CEO of KSL-TV’s parent company told the Salt Lake Tribune that “from time to time we may struggle with content” and that the dialogue may be “excessively rude.” The comedy from “Glee” creator Ryan Murphy is about a gay couple relying on a surrogate to have a baby.

“For our brand, this program feels inappropriate on several dimensions, especially during family viewing time,” said Jeff Simpson of Bonneville International Corp.

NBC issued this response: ” ’The New Normal’ is a contemporary look at how families are defined today, portrayed through a comedic prism. We are confident that the show will find another home in the Salt Lake City market.”

NBC insiders have long pointed out that the station is in a unique situation because its parent company, Bonneville, is owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. But like “Playboy Club,” “New Normal” likely will be aired on a different station.

In the meantime, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Discrimination joined the fray Saturday. “Same-sex families are a beloved part of American television thanks to shows like ’Modern Family,’ ’Glee’ and ’Grey’s Anatomy,’ ” said President Herndon Graddick in a statement. “While audiences, critics and advertisers have all supported lesbian-gay-bisexual-transgender stories, KSL is demonstrating how deeply out of touch it is with the rest of the country.”

Earlier this year, the conservative group that dubs itself One Million Moms called for a boycott of the comedy, which stars Justin Bartha and Ellen Barkin. Mr. Murphy had this to say at this summer’s Television Critics Tour: “Every person and group has a right to protest something. I find it to be interesting that they would take a position before they’ve seen it. I think if they watch the show, I actually think they would love it. For the first time, they will be represented! Ellen Barkin’s character is a member of the Million Moms! She will protest people and events, and I think it will be great fodder for Brian and David’s characters to talk about. In many ways, this show is about tolerance and the discussion of the tolerance, and it’s delivered with sensitivity with a certain amount of veracity.”

Compiled from Web and wire reports

Copyright © 2024 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission.

Please read our comment policy before commenting.

Click to Read More and View Comments

Click to Hide