New Alyssa Milano sitcom is set in Pittsburgh

In the upcoming ABC sitcom "Romantically Challenged," Alyssa Milano will play a Pittsburgh lawyer who is a recently divorced mother of two.

Why is the show set in the Burgh?

"[Executive producer] Ricky Blitt is from Montreal, but he's a huge Pittsburgh Penguins fan," Milano explained to a table full of TV critics in the Warner Bros. commissary last Monday. Moreover, he wanted a "small-town city" and Pittsburgh fits the bill.

Blitt previously created Fox's "The Winner" and was a writer on "Family Guy." Milano said "Guy" creator Seth MacFarlane has asked Blitt to write a "Family Guy" movie script.

In "Romantically Challenged," Milano plays Rebecca, who has not dated since President Clinton was in office. Kyle Bornheimer, who appears in the upcoming Pittsburgh-lensed movie "She's Out of My League," co-stars as Rebecca's lifelong best friend, Perry.

Noted sitcom director James Burrows will be the show's in-house director. Burrows, known for directing TV's best comedies (including "Will & Grace" and the "Friends" pilot), previously had an in-house directing gig on another Pittsburgh-set sitcom, Fox's short-lived "Back to You."

ABC hasn't yet announced exactly when "Romantically Challenged" will premiere or what time slot it will air in. The show doesn't seem like a smart fit for ABC's Wednesday night family sitcom lineup, except maybe paired with "Cougar Town." And it does not seem destined for the 8 p.m. Wednesday slot vacated by "Hank" and currently filled by reruns of more popular ABC Wednesday night comedies.

"I don't know if it's an 8 o'clock show," said Milano. "There are a lot of jokes about sex."

It's possible ABC will schedule the program for 9:30 p.m. Monday following "Dancing With the Stars." "Romantically Challenged" is likely to debut sometime in early April.

Posted by Charmed 1 Comments 26 Jan 2010

Fox to distribute 'Machete', stars Rose McGowan

Twentieth Century Fox has won the domestic distribution rights to Robert Rodriguez's "Machete," based on Rodriguez's fake trailer for "Grindhouse."

"Grindhouse," released in 2007, was co-written, produced, and directed by Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino. The film is a double feature consisting of two feature-length segments, the Rodriguez-directed "Planet Terror" and Tarantino-directed "Death Proof," and bookended by fictional trailers for upcoming attractions, advertisements, and in-theater announcements.

Danny Trejo stars as a blade-wielding Mexican ex-Federale who is double-crossed by a crooked politician. Michelle Rodriguez, Lindsay Lohan and Rose McGowan also star.

Rodriguez shot the film last fall in Austin, Texas.

According to Variety, Rodriguez wrote the script with his longtime editor, Ethan Maniquis.

Read more: http://www.monstersandcritics.com/movies/news/article_1528359.php/Fox-to-distribute-Machete#ixzz0dlLUXHbU

Posted by Charmed 0 Comments 26 Jan 2010

Rose McGowan has more plastic surgery

Rose McGowan plays a doctor on this season of "Nip/Tuck," but it appears the actress may have gone under the knife herself.

During the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art's 30th anniversary gala over the weekend, onlookers were shocked to see the barely recognizable actress sporting a taut, puffy face.

Posted by Charmed 1 Comments 15 Dec 2009

How Alyssa Milano Celebrates the Holidays

When it comes to the holidays, I always wonder, are stars just like us? Or do they celebrate the holidays in their own way that's nothing like our way? After hearing how Alyssa Milano plans to spend the upcoming holidays, I've come to the conclusion that she celebrates Christmas just like us, but when it comes to birthdays? Nothing like us.

Alyssa Milano is a newlywed and getting ready to spend her first Christmas with new hubby, CAA agent David Bugliari. She's thrilled she got married and I'm thrilled that the couple is spending Christmas much like any other no-celebrity newlywed couple would. Alyssa says, "We're going to decorate our tree, which is awesome. And I think just waking up Christmas morning with my husband is pretty fabulous."

Aww, so Alyssa Milano will be spending Christmas at home, waking up to her new husband and their Christmas tree. Love it! However, before you think, "Wow, celebrities are just like us!" you need to check out what she's doing for her upcoming December 19, birthday.

Instead of celebrating her birthday in a traditional way, she's giving it up for clean water projects. According to Alyssa, "I'm giving up my 37th birthday to hopefully raise $50,000 for clean water projects and sanitation projects in developing nations... And we're so close - we're so close!" In fact, they made it! And after this interview, the goal was raised to $75,000.

Alyssa Milano is always up for helping out a good cause, but she couldn't be happier with how her birthday is turning out so far. She says, "I'm more blown away by just the regular people that live paycheck to paycheck that are helping me out through this birthday wish. It's really made this 37th birthday special!"

So, Alyssa is spending the holidays like many of us do. But we could all take a page from her book and start spending birthdays her way, too. The world would definitely be a better place!

Posted by Charmed 0 Comments 15 Dec 2009

Alyssa Milano Donates Birthday To Charity

Actress Alyssa Milano has written an article in the Huffington Post pledging her commitment to charity.

“As a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF and the founding ambassador for the Global Network, I’ve traveled to the field and seen firsthand the devastation left behind by waterborne illnesses," wrote the actress. "On these trips, I’ve run the gamut of emotions that range from mind-bending anger to heart-warming hope. Upon my return from the field, I count my blessings, and then as time passes, I become frustrated with myself that I’m not doing more to alleviate the pain of those I met on my journey.

“It is because of this very frustration that I decided to give up my birthday. I have everything I could ever want or need. All I want is to provide life-giving water for 10 communities, 500 families and 2,500 people. This is my Birthday wish. In lieu of spending money on a party or presents, I’m asking people to donate to my charity:water campaign and help make my wish come true."

Milnao is aiming to raise $50,000 for the charity. Charity:Water was established by Scott Harrison, a Manhattan party promoter, in 2006. While on a freelance photography trip in Africa, Harrison was shocked to see victims of contaminated water suffering long and painful deaths. He set up the charity to stimulate greater global awareness about extreme poverty, educating the public, and provoking compassionate and intelligent giving.

“Currently, almost a billion people in the world don’t have access to life’s most basic need: clean and safe drinking water,” wrote Milano. "That’s 1 in 8 people on the planet. Over 200 million people right now have a water-related disease called schistosomiasis… It’s a fancy word for parasites. Worms. When you see a heartbreaking photo of a malnourished child with an extended belly, that child most likely has this waterborne schistosomiasis and no matter what food or nutrients you give them, without proper medication and clean water they most likely will not survive.

“I believe it is innately within us, as warriors of the human spirit, to give to those less fortunate. Sometimes, we just don’t know how to go about doing it. If this rings true for you, I encourage you to watch the below video, be inspired, and join me by starting your own holiday campaign today at http://www.charitywater.org/holidays.”

Posted by Charmed 0 Comments 15 Dec 2009

Alyssa Milano To Showcase Her New Fashion Line TOUCH

Actress Alyssa Milano is a true baseball fan and her new fashion line shows it. Alyssa's new line will give female fans a chic option for sporting their team's logo.

On July 12, the actress will visit Busch Stadium in St. Louis, MO to showcase her TOUCH clothing line and sign autographs for fans at 3:30 pm. Sportservice, the developer of the line and retail provider for the St. Louis Cardinals, has developed a temporary retail boutique for fans to check out the new line, meet the "Charmed" actress and get an autograph.

"I created TOUCH for women who love sports as much as I do and want to be stylish, but still comfy, while cheering on their favorite team," Milano said in a press release.

"I've enjoyed working with Sportservice to bring the clothing line and accessories to baseball fans in St. Louis and around the country."

The collection will be available all year at Busch Stadium at the Official Cardinals Team Store. Sportservice saw the value in Milano's new line for women and has partnered with MLB and G-III sports to bring the TOUCH collection to Dodger Stadium and other ballparks across the country.

Good luck ALYSSA!

Posted by Charmed 4 Comments 11 Jul 2009

Full Grindhouse Theatrical Experience Coming to Blu-ray?

Company are set to release Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino’s Grindhouse on Blu-ray on August 11. No edition details are available, other than this would be a two-disc set, but it may we but it may well be the theatrical Grindhouse double feature. Grindhouse was conceived, edited and shown theatrically (in the US) as a typical exploitation double-feature as one could attend at cheap theaters in the 1970s: it consisted of two features (Planet Terror, by Robert Rodriguez, and Death Proof by Quentin Tarantino), interspersed with fake trailers and bumpers.

Posted by Charmed 0 Comments 11 Jul 2009

Red Sonja to start filming next year

LAST year a new movie adaptation of Red Sonja was announced, with plans to film it in 2008 and release it sometime this year, as the date on promotional posters indicated. Sin City director Robert Rodriguez was to produce the project, which will star his fiancee Rose McGowan as the so-called ’she-devil with a sword’.

But now executive producer Joe Gatta has explained what is happening with this project and when we can expect to see it hit the big screen. Gatta said the movie had been delayed and the intention is to film Red Sonja in 2010. The aim is to release it late that same year.

Gatta, who’s also producing the Conan remake, told Empire magazine: “Because of certain issues and the economy, we had to change our plan a bit. It’s frustrating because we thought we’d make the movie last year, before Conan.”

He is confident Red Sonja will go before cameras in 2010, and confirms it will be an origin story that ignores the previous movie and is instead based on the original Marvel comic book heroine created by Roy Thomas and Barry Windsor-Smith in 1973.

Posted by Charmed 1 Comments 20 Jun 2009