Village Vidiot: TV

Fans of NBC's canceled police drama "Southland" can breathe somewhat a sigh of relief. While the Peacock Network pulled the plug on the compelling show after just six episodes, cable network TNT has picked it up to show the remaining seven episodes that were shot for its second season.

From the press release issued Monday (November 2):

TNT has picked up the critically acclaimed series SOUTHLAND, closing a deal with Warner Bros. Television that will bring the drama from Emmy®-winning producer John Wells (ER, The West Wing) to the network in January.  TNT has obtained exclusive rights to air all six episodes that have been shot for the second season, as well as the seven episodes from the series’ first season.  SOUTHLAND will air on TNT Tuesdays at 10 p.m. (ET/PT), beginning with the first episode of the series on Jan. 12.

“This is a great win for fans of SOUTHLAND and a perfect opportunity to introduce the series to new viewers,” said Steve Koonin, president of Turner Entertainment Networks.  “It’s also another outstanding example of how TNT has established itself as the go-to place for the best dramas on television.”

“We are extremely pleased that TNT has acquired all 13 episodes of SOUTHLAND, giving devoted fans the opportunity to watch a show that they passionately support,” said Peter Roth, president of Warner Bros. Television.

Dennis Hopper, who co-stars in the original Starz series, "Crash," has prostate cancer, according to his manager.

The actor, best known for his work in "Apocalypse Now" and "Easy Rider," is canceling all of his plans to focus on treatment.

He just finished shooting the second season of his series, which is based on the 2004 Best Picture film about racism in Los Angeles.

About the 73-year-old actor, his manager said, "We're hoping for the best."

So are all of his fans. He's one of the most memorable character actors to come out of Hollywood. Best of luck on his treatment.

The World Series is on, and the ratings are huge.

Game 1 between the Philadelphia Phillies and the New York Yankees drew more than 19 million viewers, the biggest ratings for the annual opener this decade, according to Variety.

That's also a 33 percent increase in viewers over last year's Game 1.

Meanwhile, Fox has shut down its primetime schedule for two weeks while it broadcasts the fall classic. Fans of "Glee" have to wait until Nov. 11 for the next episode to air.

Another casualty from the fall season - NBC's "Trauma" has been canceled.

The one-hour drama about paramedics in San Francisco just couldn't muster enough ratings despite its feeble attempts to try and capture the heart-racing thrills of "ER."

It also was just too expensive to produce at a reported cost of about $3 million per episode. Granted, producer blew up a lot of stuff for the show - they just forgot to create good characters.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, the network will produce the rest of the 13 episodes before calling it quits, but it is not known if they will even air (at least they likely will for the upcoming DVD).

In the meantime, "Chuck" will take its place on the schedule.

Cox Communications is planning to sell the Travel Channel, and it may be asking up to a whopping billion dollars for the network.

The channel is best known for rather disgusting "Man V. Food" (pictured above, which believe it or not, I love to watch), and “Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations."

According to the New York Times, News Corp., which owns Fox, and Scripps Networks have expressed some interest.

One of the top 20 contestants on this season's "So You Think You Can Dance" has bowed out due to illness, according to Fox. Don't worry, it's none of the Utahns who are on the show.

Billy Bell is leaving and hip hop dancer Brandon Dumlao, 21, of Concord, Calif., is stepping in to replace him.

From Fox's release:

“We are disappointed that Billy cannot continue dancing in the competition on the advice of his doctor and wish him a speedy recovery,” said executive producer/judge Nigel Lythgoe. “However, we are fortunate that Brandon Dumlao has agreed to return.”

Meanwhile, two Utahns and a former Utahn are in the competition, including the show's first married couple.

Ryan and Ashleigh Di Lello are from Orem and competing against each other while Mollee Gray originally is from Orem but now is living in California.

The first performance/results show is tonight (Oct. 27) at 7 p.m. on KSTU Channel 13.

Microsoft saw the upcoming special "Family Guy Presents: Seth & Alex's Almost Live Comedy Show" that it was planning to sponsor and probably had a blue screen of death.

The show had jokes about "deaf people, the Holocaust, feminine hygiene and incest," according to Variety. The House that Bill Gates Built didn't think that was funny and pulled its sponsorship.

Um, just exactly what was Microsoft thinking a "Family Guy" special was going to have jokes about anyway?

Here's a preview of the upcoming Nov. 8 special when it used to have direct pitches in it for Microsoft's Windows 7. I would imagine those will be taken out.

Reko Rivera (Left) John Savio from Tampa wanted to be iPhones for Halloween. WORKING iPhones. There's a costume for that. The elaborate outfits included 42-inch televisions for the front display, apparently because they had money to burn and the stamina to carry LCD panel TVs around their shoulders.

Here's what extravagance looks like.

BTW, is it just me or is the guy on the right "Napoleon Dynamite" actor Jon Heder.