Wednesday November 11, 2009
Robert J. "Joe" Halderman, the TV producer who allegedly attempted to blackmail Late Show host David Letterman, has asked the court to drop his case because, he claims, he was only trying to sell Letterman a screenplay.
Now screenwriters have gone to great lengths to get their work in front of the right people, but this might take the cake.
Halderman's lawyer claims there now extortion, only a screenplay for sale, and that the $2 million Halderman requested - in taped conversations between Halderman and Letterman's lawyer - was nothing more than a "commercial transaction."
Letterman's lawyer called the case "classic blackmail."
For more info check out the Letterman Extortion Plot Timeline.
Wednesday November 11, 2009
Dr. Phil has renewed his contract through the 2013-2014 season. That'll give the advice talk show 12 years on the air.
The show regularly ranks No. 2 behind The Oprah Winfrey Show.
More 'Dr. Phil':
Wednesday November 11, 2009
Good Morning America co-host Robin Roberts will interview Janet Jackson on Nov. 18 during a primetime special. Jackson is the superstar sister of the late King of Pop, Michael Jackson.
The interview will take place at Jackson's home in Malibu, Calif. Jackson will discuss both her brother's death, her stellar career, and an upcoming greatest hits album. How much of the interview will be dedicated to those points remains unclear.
Roberts will soon lose co-host Diane Sawyer. Sawyer is leaving to become anchor of ABC's Evening News. The short list of contenders for Sawyer's job include Chris Cuomo and George Stephanolpoulos, host of ABC's This Week.
Wednesday November 11, 2009
Rachel Ray is donating appliances, shelves, furniture and a year's supply of food for a Wilmington, Ohio, soup kitchen. She also hosted a Thanksgiving dinner for the town, still suffering from 15 percent unemployment.
The unemployment stems from the closure of a DHL Express and various Wilmington Air Park operations.
The donation and feast will appear on the Nov. 25 Rachel Ray show, just in time for Thanksgiving.