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Warner Brothers is getting the jump on everybody (except maybe the BBC) by bringing back classic television episodes as online content.

Warner Brothers is preparing a major new Internet service that will let fans watch full episodes from more than 100 old television series. The service, called In2TV, will be free, supported by advertising, and will start early next year. More than 4,800 episodes will be made available online in the first year. — Internet Service to Put Classic TV on Home Computer

Former “American Idol” contestant Constantine Maroulis is ready to return to television, this time in a sitcom that’s being developed for him by ABC and Kelsey Grammer’s production company.

The project is in the very early stages of development, with the details still being hammered out and no writer yet attached, said Steve Stark, president of Grammer’s Grammnet Prods. banner.

Grammnet brought Maroulis to ABC, which then signed a talent holding deal with him, said Stark, who called Maroulis a “showman” with a “bigger-than-life personality” who stood apart from the rest of the “Idol” Season 4 contestants.

Maroulis’ pact with ABC also gives the network the option of casting him in another project, comedy or drama.

Stark also noted that Maroulis has a background in theater, having trained at the Boston Conservatory.

Maroulis came in sixth place during the most recent season of Fox’s singing competition \”Idol.\”

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter

A study by researchers in Scotland shows criminals are getting better at covering their tracks, thanks to the information from shows like “CSI.”

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The BBC’s has moved a lot more quickly than most broadcasters to embrace new technologies, partly thanks to its non-advertising-centric business model. Earlier this year, it attracted the ire of record labels by making Beethoven’s symphonies available for download as way to introduce people to classical music, and its also started debuting some TV shows online before they’re shown over the air. Based on the success of the downloadable shows — as well as the massive interest in a leaked episode of Doctor Who — the BBC’s director of television says the company is planning to simulcast its TV networks on the web, as well as put additional video content to accompany shows (bugmenot required) online. This is also in addition to its media player that will let people watch the last week’s worth of programs online.
Too few broadcasters understand that they should be taking steps to make their content more accessible to people in whatever format and on whatever device they want to use, and devote resources to evolving their business model to accomodate that, rather than trying to figure out ways to block it.

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Al Gore has his finger on the pulse of our young. I can barely supress a giggle. This is exactly what we need, Howdy Doody preaching street to the flip-flip clad herd.

“We can’t apologize for doing what we need to do to get this business off the ground,” he said.

Only about 25 percent of Current’s initial material is truly audience-generated; the rest has been done by staff members or solicited from professionals. That’s disappointingly small to some people who bought into Current’s utopian visions; Neuman said he expects more amateur contributions once the network is established.

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current.tv

I have noticed that quite a few of the hits on this blog come from Google-iers searching for contact information for the cast of the BBC’s Doctor Who. After a little digging here is what I have discovered.

David Tennant:
Update!
After contacting his voice work agent I discovered that his real contact is:

David Tennant
c/o Harriet Robinson
ICM
Oxford House
76 Oxford St
London, W1D 1BS
United Kingdom

Castaway Voice Overs

7 Garrick Street London WC1
UK
Phn: +44 2072402345
Fax: +44 2072872202
http://www.castaway.org.uk/

John Barrowman:
John Barrowman
C/O
Gavin Barker and Associates
2d Wimpole Street
London W1G 0EB
England UK
If you would like an autographed photo of John send a self addressed stamped envelope.
Please send EITHER a 5x7 inch envelope OR an 8x10.

All others:
C/O BBC
PO Box 1922, Glasgow, G2 3WT
UK

IMDB.com has a new section devoted to television. With news, message boards, photos, and television listings it is sure to be handy.

Our new IMDbTV
section will help you find out more about the hottest new stars, best
new shows, and biggest selling DVDs in the realm of television. We’ll
steer you to the TV message boards you care the most about, show you the photos of the stars that make your nights (and days), link you to the stories and news from the world of television and show you, at a glance, what’s on tonight. IMDbTV also has all the 2005 Emmy nominees as a precursor to our Road to the Emmys section.

via [IMDB.com]
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Jeez! Is that not a nice view?

Image via WENN

There are some new photos online from the recent filming in London over the past couple of days:

The World Entertainment News Network
site has a second collection up with four pages of small photos (the
large ones are not available except as highly watermarked files)
including Tennant and Piper leaving the TARDIS, Billie under an
umbrella, and Noel Clarke, all in a rainy environment (possibly the
opening of the Christmas special).

The Czech Isifa Photo
service (again reproducing images from the international Splash News
celebrity picture service) has added more images including a
snow-dusted TARDIS, Piper and Clarke running, Coduri and Tennant
outside the TARDIS (again, images watermarked by the photo service).

Our friends at David-tennant.com have a selection of small photos taken of Tennant and Piper together.

The Unit News

site has a collection of photographs taken at the Brandon Estate, site
of Jackie and Rose’s flat used in the first series and again in the
Christmas special.

UPDATE 2030 GMT: Another site, Xposurephotos (yet another news photograph site) has more pictures online from the filming over the past several days.

via [Outpost Gallifrey]

http://www.david-tennant.com/
http://unitnews.co.uk/gallery/index2.php?pg=46
WENN
IS Fotobank
Xposure