Yesterday morning, I was prepping for an interview with Roxy Olin from "The City" when I got an email from my editor. "90210" had just cast Former Model/Actress Kelly Lynch as Ivy's (the new surfer chick on "90210") mom and we had the inside scoop (even before Michael Ausiello, who always gets the first word). I said, yes, but first I had to contact my MTV rep to push the Roxy interview.

As I was waiting for MTV's answer, I went to work on the article. Every two minutes, my editor IM'd me to see if it was finished. So stressful! It was my first scoop, though, and I wanted it to cover the breaking news, as well as be informative. I turned it in within ten minutes and it went up: My first scoop! What a rush!

Later, TV Guide picked up the story and confirmed that Kelly Lynch's character would be involved in a quick affair with West Bev's cutest teacher, Ryan Matthews. The fact remains: I was the first one to report the casting. Yay!

Check out the post at LATimes.com.

By the way, after turning in the article, I had to go straight into my interview with Roxy. Really great interview. Check it out on Tuesday morning at the LATimes.com "The City" Show Tracker.

Related:
'90210': Five burning questions from the season so far
'90210': The whole gang is asking...trick or treat?
All '90210' Posts

Photo: Kelly Lynch will play Ivy's mother on "90210." Credit: DailyCeleb.com

Labels: 90210, Kelly Lynch, LATimes.com, Los Angeles Times, Show Tracker

All week, the TV media have been in an uproar over the photo challenge in this week's episode. The fervor got to such a level that I couldn't just ignore it. I also have a special point of view on the topic, since my family is from the Pacific Islands and my mother is "hapa."

To read my review and how I tackle the "blackface" controversy, check out the post at LATimes.com

Related:
'America's Next Top Model': The contestants have to come up with personalities
'America's Next Top Model': The contestants fight to stay on top
All 'America's Next Top Model' posts

Photo: Yep, that's really Nicole in her winning photo on "America's Next Top Model." Credit: Tyra Banks / Pottle Productions Inc

Labels: America's Next Top Model, ANTM, LATimes.com, Los Angeles Times, Show Tracker, Tyra Banks

I can't believe how well my plan to increase readers on "The City" Show Tracker went. Erin's interview got so many comments - both intensely critical and kind. There was even a dig at me!

I was happy to see Whitney take the reigns and actively control her life again. In the first few weeks, the show revolved around Roxy and Olivia. There was also a surprise from Roxy that almost made me reconsider my stance on her. Almost.

Go to LATimes.com to read my review.

Related:
'The City': Erin Kaplan defends Joe and Roxy, but Olivia? Not so much (with exclusive video)
'The City': Be careful what you wish for
All 'The City' posts

Photo: Whitney Port is all smiles on a date with Freddie Fackelmayer on “The City.” Credit: MTV

Labels: LATimes.com, Los Angeles Times, MTV, Show Tracker, The City

This week's "90210" was a repeat of the premiere, so I decided that I needed a good way to catch those people up who are just getting into the show, as well as engage the hardcore fans. This article was what I came up with!

Check it out at LATimes.com.

Related:
'90210': The whole gang is asking...trick or treat?
'90210': Even rich girls get the blues
All '90210' posts

Photo: Tristan Wilds as Dixon, Matt Lanter as Liam and Michael Steger as Navid on “90210." Credit: The CW

Labels: 90210, LATimes.com, Los Angeles Times, Show Tracker

I told you I'd be doubling up on my LATimes.com Show Tracker posts on "The City"! This week, I served up a double helping.

First, I interviewed Erin Kaplan from the show. I really do enjoy her no-nonsense approach to work and, of course, we share in our dislike of Olivia's "skills." We spoke for almost a half-hour and I'm sad that only about ten minutes of that made it onto the page.

Second, I rolled out my first of several exclusive online videos from the week's episode. And it's a good one! Hope my effort pays off in web traffic and loads of viewer comments on the article.

Check out the interview and exclusive video at LATimes.com

Related:
'The City': Be careful what you wish for
'The City': Use your weapons wisely
All 'The City' posts

Photo: Erin Kaplan makes for good TV on “The City.” Credit: MTV

Labels: Erin Kaplan, LATimes.com, Los Angeles Times, MTV, Olivia Palermo, Roxy Olin, The City

Right before I wrote this article, I got this crazy migraine. It could have been caused by a lot of factors: Only having three hours sleep the night before, stress, not eating. I had a lot going on that day. In the end, I decided to sleep for six hours and get up at 5am to write the piece. Of course, I didn't get out of bed until 6AM and I still had the migraine. My editor wrote me twice, because I'm usually one of the first to file my stories. In the end, I worked through the pain, wrote it, then turned it in. And, I actually think it was pretty good considering how I felt.

Check out the post at LATimes.com

Related:
'America's Next Top Model': The contestants fight to stay on top
'America's Next Top Model': Cycle 7 Winner CariDee English adds rock star to her resume
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Photo: Nicole, right, puts her interviewing skills to the test as she interviews "90210's" Jessica Lowndes on “America's Next Top Model.” Credit: The CW

Labels: America's Next Top Model, ANTM, LATimes.com, Los Angeles Times, Show Tracker, Tyra Banks

This week, a rumor went around that "The City's" Whitney Port was dating movie star Leonardo DiCaprio. The story later proved false. I really wanted to write a quick preview piece on it for LATimes.com Show Tracker. "The City" isn't as popular as the other two shows I cover, so I've been trying to figure out ways to drive more traffic to my posts on the show. The thing is the rumor isn't news unless I could get something new on it, so I asked my MTV contact if I could get an L.A. Times exlusive response from Whitney, herself. The first answer was no, but then I pushed. An hour later, I got my second rebuff. I have to say, though, that at least my contact tried.

I plan on really beefing up my coverage of the show, so keep a look out!

With all the rumors, it seemed like a coincidence (or was it?) that Whitney started dating again on the show.

Check out my article on LATimes.com

Related:
'The City': Use your weapons wisely
'The City': Please, don't try this at work
All 'The City' posts

Photo: Whitney Port from “The City.” Credit: MTV

Labels: LATimes.com, Los Angeles Times, Show Tracker, The City, Whitney Port

This week felt like riding the carousel of love. Almost every character switched it up in this episode. That was a smart move, since the CW publicist told me that next week is a rerun. I think everyone will come back after the brief hiatus to find out who everyone ended up with.

Check out my take on LATimes.com

Related:
'90210': Even rich girls get the blues
'90210': It's a scene on Soundtrack 90210
All '90210' posts

Photo: Newcomer Ivy, played by Gillian Zinser, knows how to make an entrance on “90210.” Credit: Michael Desmond / The CW

Labels: 90210, LATimes.com, Los Angeles Times, Show Tracker

The girls are getting more catty as the season progresses. In this episode, it reaches the highest level so far. I've had my eye on Nicole as the front-runner for "Top Model" since the premiere. I'm hoping she stays above the "mean girls'" antics and takes the the title. That'll learn 'em!

Check out the article on LATimes.com

Related:
‘America’s Next Top Model’: Cycle 7 winner CariDee English adds rock star to her resume
‘America’s Next Top Model’: The contestants try to stand out in a crowd
All posts on ‘America’s Next Top Model’

Photo: Nicole flies high in this week's winning photo on "America's Next Top Model." Credit: Patricia Von Ah / Pottle Productions Inc.

Labels: America's Next Top Model, LATimes.com, Los Angeles Times, Show Tracker

All day I was assaulted by "spoiler" tweets that threatened my viewing experience of this week's "90210." I always try to avoid reading spoilers and recaps by other writers. I just want to make sure my opinion isn't tainted. Mostly, I was seeing a lot of "hate-tweets" directed at the character Adrianna. So, I knew she had finally acted on her attraction to Teddy. I had no idea to what extent.

Check out the article at LATimes.com

Related:
'90210': It's a scene on Soundtrack 90210 (with a sneak preview from the album)
'90210': There are two A's in Drama
All posts on ‘90210’

Photo: Jessica Lowndes, left, as Adrianna Tate-Duncan, Jessica Stroup as Erin Silver and AnnaLynne McCord as Naomi Clark on “90210.” Credit: Patrick Wymore / The CW

Labels: 90210, LATimes.com, Los Angeles Times, Show Tracker

I'm definitely developing an appreciation for People's Revolution owner and Whitney's boss, Kelly Cutrone. She doesn't mince words. Her bullshit monitor is tuned, which keeps her from falling for Roxy's tricks. Plus, It's clear that she cares about Whitney and her future.

I'd take her over a "nice" boss who is easily enamored by shiny objects and has no clue what's really going down on the ground floor any day.

Check out my take on this week's episode at LATimes.com.

Photo: Roxy deploys her “secret weapon” on Whitney. Credit: MTV

Labels: Kelly Cutrone, LATimes.com, Los Angeles Times, People's Revolution, Show Tracker, The City

Today, CBS Records released "Soundtrack 90210," a collection of songs that are placed throughout this season of "90210." I knew the album was coming, so I turned down an interview with Jessica Stroup, Silver on "90210," in exchange for an interview with Scott Vener, the show's music supervisor. He was really cool and down to earth - definitely all about the music - and we bonded over me loving the Nikki & Rich song that opened the season premiere. Later, he sent me some unreleased tracks from the L.A. based duo.

Meanwhile, my editor Denise Martin, suggested I get some kind of clip from the album for my story. Awesome idea, but then the clip arrived after my interview with Vener. That meant I wasn't able to ask him specifically about the song - "You're So Cold" by Will Dailey. Thankfully, I got a hold of Dailey's management over the weekend and set up a phone interview in the middle of a writing date I had that next day. Turns out he flaked on the interview, which normally would be okay on a Sunday, but I only had a short window in which I could do the interview. After tweeting about his no-show (which now I feel awful about), Dailey messaged me and we made an appointment for the next day. I debated whether I should do the phone interview at all, but he was very insistent on rescheduling and he was totally apologetic. In the end, I think the article was a better one for having him in it, so that he can give us some backgorund on how he got on the album and so he can set up the song.

Btw, the clip I was hoping would be an exclusive ended up being offered for free by The CW the day before my story, which stole its thunder a bit. Oh, well.

Check out the article on LATimes.com.

Album art courtesy of CBS Records

Labels: 90210, LATimes.com, Los Angeles Times, Scott Vener, Show Tracker, Soundtrack 90210, Will Dailey

Today was supposed to be my first day off in almost two weeks, but just as I'm getting ready to put a dent in my DVR recordings this story came through.

It's always a bit annoying when you're trying to confirm a news story and no one will get back to you. I emailed, Facebooked, and called Tom Drummond and the Better Than Ezra crew to confirm what I found confusing in the Zimbio.com interview with CariDee. And nothing. So, I went ahead with a caveat.

Check out the story on LATimes.com.

Photo: Then newly dubbed “Top Model,” CariDee English, posing with Tyra Banks in 2006. Credit: The CW

Labels: America's Next Top Model, ANTM, Better Than Ezra, CariDee English, LATimes.com, Los Angeles Times, Tom Drummond

Not sure I could ever sit through a full Cirque du Soleil show. Just sayin'.

To check out the article at LATimes.com, go here.

Photo: From left, Laura, the eliminated Ashley and Kara pose with Cirque du Soleil on "America's Next Top Model." Credit: Mike Rosenthal / Pottle Productions Inc.

Labels: America's Next Top Model, ANTM, LATimes.com, Los Angeles Times

The company I work for produced this 12-episode series for History Channel. I'm writing/producing an episode on the Dead Sea scrolls, which will air toward the end of the run. Visually, it's fantastic.

Synopsis of tonight's episode from History: Sir Isaac Newton is one of the greatest geniuses in history, but few know that he also predicted a shocking new date of the Apocalypse. Though famous for discovering gravity, calculus, and the basic laws of universal motion, Newton possessed a very dark and mysterious side. Thousands of his private papers, only recently made available, reveal a man secretly obsessed with alchemy and Biblical prophecy.

Check out a preview of Nostradamus Effect: Apocalypse Code here.

For the series trailer, click here.

Labels: Apocalypse Code, Isaac Newton, The Nostradamus Effect, Workaholic Productions

Last night's episode was a roller coaster. I wanted to write a real simple take on the episode, since I still had to watch and write about "The City." Of course, the episode was wild and I had to just cover everything. I try not to deliver a blow-by-blow in these articles - there's enough of that available - so, I decided to grade the characters. That was fun and not as arbitrary as I thought it'd be. Made me remember something one of my NYU profs once said, "Don't underestimate pop culture, it will always surprise you."

To read the LATimes.com article, go here.

Photo: Jessica Stroup as Silver on "90210." Credit: Michael Desmond / The CW

Labels: 90210, LATimes.com, Los Angeles Times, Show Tracker

This morning my first recap of MTV's "The City" posted. I specifically asked my editor to cover this one, because I'm really a fan. I know - I'm tweening out. Whitney, like Lauren Conrad (formerly of "The Hills"), has the perfect reactions to things. Even when Whitney isn't the main focus of a scene, her face reads like the perfect script. Plus, she loves to instigate by asking questions in this unassuming valley girl way. I love her. So, Whitney may not always be very active in a scene, but I always pay special attention to her reactions to events. That's what makes the show for me.

Click here to read the LATimes.com article.

Photo: From left, Olivia, Whitney, Roxy and Erin from "The City." Credit: MTV

Labels: LATimes.com, Los Angeles Times, MTV, Show Tracker, The City

I probably should have cared more about 90210's new character, Teddy Montgomery, since he's involved with two big plot lines this season (Adrianna-Navid love triangle and Annie's hit-and-run). The thing is I didn't quite glean onto him until this past week. I'm pretty sure 90210's producers knew exactly what they were doing when they used an extreme close-up on Teddy Montgomery's abs in Adrianna's daydream last week.

I had two other chances to interview Trevor Donovan, but I ended up interviewing other cast members whose plots were a bit more pressing (at least to me). This time around, I definitely wanted to get Donovan's take on Teddy's exploits, his former modeling career, and I was happy to publicize this weekend's 5k walk for Habitat for Humanity.

BTW, one of his publicists wasn't happy that I got his age wrong in the article. He's not 31 until THIS Sunday. Oops. That person had nothing else to say, but his other publicist loved it. [Update: I apologized for my bad math skills to said publicist, who replied saying, "No worries. The article was great!" Score.]

To read the article on LATimes.com, go here.

Photo: Trevor Donovan as 90210's Teddy Montgomery in his natural habitat. Credit: The CW

Labels: 90210, LATimes.com, Los Angeles Times, Show Tracker, Trevor Donovan

Now that I've got your attention. Trevor Donovan told me this morning that the "90210" and "Melrose Place" casts will be participating in a 5k walk this weekend for Habitat for Humanity.

Donovan says that the two shows are competing for the most fans to show up to the event in Pacoima, CA. Are you Team 90210 or Team Melrose Place? For more info, go to http://www.humanityca.org/

Photos: Trevor Donovan gives good walk. Credit: GREGinHOLLYWOOD

Labels: 90210, Habitat for Humanity, Melrose Place, Trevor Donovan

On October 17, the Company of Angels (CoA) is throwing a bash celebrating its 50th anniversary season. To mark the occasion, the company is honoring Culture Clash, Robert Ellenstein and Leonard Nimoy, a founding member.

Get your tickets here.

Company of Angels Theater was founded in 1959 as an artists' cooperative, and became a non-profit in 1975. As the first repertory company in L.A., Company of Angels provided a space for actors and other theater artists to work at their craft free of commercial constraints. You can check out LA Weekly's interview with Nimoy here.

Photo: Leonard Nimoy (right) in a 1953 production of Sholom Aleichem's It's Hard to Be a Jew. Credit: Leonard Nimoy

Labels: CoA, Company of Angels, Culture Clash, Leonard Nimoy, Los Angeles Theater, Robert Ellenstein

The first day of reenactments for "The Nostradamus Effect" episode I'm writing/producing began today.

Labels: History Channel, The Dead Sea Scrolls, The Essenes, The Nostradamus Effect, Workaholic Productions

I wrote this after only getting three hours sleep the night before, so I was feeling sassy. Thank god, we have editors to tone us down if we get a bit wacky! I'm disappointed with the picture, because I would have loved to share the images from the photo challenge, which was just so strange - inspired by Tyra's hair wrap at night! I was annoyed that The CW P.R. site had no pictures posted for last night's episode, so I'm sharing Bianca's losing photo here.

To read the LATimes.com article, go here.

Labels: America's Next Top Model, ANTM, LATimes.com, Los Angeles Times, Show Tracker, Top Model