Oprah profit-free network said to hemorrhage $330 million
How hurtin is Oprah Winfreys network, OWN? Massively. Last week, an article in Bloomberg Businessweek guessed that the cable joint, born 2008, may have lost upward of $330 million. Not Oprahs money; she has no personal financial stake in the venture. Still, her name is on it, OWN has seen flagging viewership, and there have been a few high-profile duds (this means you, Rosie ODonnell!). Os show, Oprahs Next Chapter, has been getting pretty good numbers, with savvily chosen guests, such as Whitney Houstons family. Oprah remains indomitable: She says that while you could call the network 101 Mistakes so far, she is in it for the long haul. A sentiment, by the way, you very seldom hear in TV-world.
Hurray for PhillyWood!
Dead Man Down, starring Lafayette Hills own Terrence Howard, is now filming in town. Its playing stand-in for New York. Wednesday, they filmed a gun battle at 17th and Walnut. Next day, TH was there, hanging out with Philly folk. TH also shot a scene with Armand Assante at the Latham Hotel. Colin Farrell has been scampering around rooftops with a gun. On CBS3, coproducer Joseph Zolfo said Philly shooting was skedded for 35 days, with an old Navy Yard hangar as a sound stage. He correctly said that Philly is film-friendly and cheaper than N.Y.C.
Summer lunch concerts scheduled
The city has announced its Wednesday lunchtime summer concert series. Theyll hold forth from noon to 1:30 Wednesdays from June 6 to the end of August. Locations vary. If it rains, theyll move to either Reading Terminal (12th and Filbert) or the Gallery (Ninth and Market). Its a nicely eclectic lineup, starting June 6 with the goodtime Cajun allons-danser of Alligator Zydeco at 1601 Market (rain location: Reading Terminal); on June 13 its rockabilly with Gas Money at Centre Square, 1500 Market (Gallery rain); on June 20 its Brazilian niceness with Minas at Caf Cret, that cute coffeeplace/restaurant at 16th and Parkway (Reading if rain). Nice. For the whol! e schedu le, check out Philly.com at http://bit.ly/J8X5zC.
Dictator attacks Today show
Raise your foot if you think that what Sacha Baron Cohen does to promote his movies is even funnier than the films. As the world cant avoid knowing, SBC (Da Ali G Show, Brno, Borat) has a new film out May 16 called The Dictator. He hit NBCs Today Monday morn, where, as dictator Admiral General Shabazz Aladeen, with hilariously exaggerated Castroesque beard and Gadhafiesque military hat (the hair not on host Matt Lauers head seemed to sprout from the Dictators beard), he said unacceptable things in all directions. He told a mildly frantic Lauer that he (Dictator) had infecundated Oprah Winfrey, taken Megan Fox on a date, and kidnapped Lauers wife. Then he accused Lauer and his Today coanchor, the lovely and perfect Ann Curry, of backstage illicitness. All funny lies.
Why if youre French, youre more fun
France is more fun than us and heres why: You can have a president whose wife is a pop star and model known to have been nude, and its no big. Take Nicolas Sarkozy, just fired as head French guy. His wife is the lovely and talented singer/model/actress Carla Bruni. Well, the new guy, Franois Hollande, can beat that. Hes not even married to his womanperson! In the United These Here States, thatd be enough to electrocute your goat politically, but over there, est n pas grave (thats French, for either its no big deal or how many cattle wear hats in your hotel, yet?). (Of course, being a socialist, as Franois is, would also sink your dinghy.) Her name? Valerie Trierweiler, and she wants you to call her his companion. Shes twice-divorced, is mother to three kids, and shes a journalist!!! Kiss of death! Why cant we play like that??? Such fun wed have!
Huge Twitter news, yo!
We interrupt this SideShow to let you know that Demi Moore, now in mid-dislocation from Ashton Kutcher, has made her new status official: She has changed her Twitter handle. Used ! to be @m rskutcher; now its @justdemi She has 5 million followers.
Infinitesimally small tiny items
The Parents Television Council, aghast that Howard Stern is about to start being a judge with Sharon Osbourne and Howie Mandel on NBCs Americas Got Talent, is trying to pressure advertisers to ditch the show. Betcha Howard is just brokenhearted. Lindsay Lohan has settled out of court with Dawn Holland, a worker at Betty Ford rehab clinic who claims LiLo hurt her in 2010 when Holland tried to administer a Breathalyzer test when, says Holland, LiLo entered in diminished capacity. Justin Bieber, 18, has graduated from high school, not that he needed to, but his mom asked. His sweetikins Selena Gomez did it in 2010. Plenty of stars, such as Beyonc, LiLo, and Britney Spears, have not. Not that they need to. Stuart Dunn, given 36 months probation earlier this year for unauthorized entry of Mila Kunis home, was detained Friday, allegedly for stalking her in front of her gym. Nadya Octomom Suleman began filming her first porn film, a solo work, shall we say?, last week in the San Fernando Valley. Good to see stars branching out. Dont Be a Star and Drive, Pt. MCMXIII: Matthew Fox (Lost) was busted on a DUI Friday in Oregon. So what? says accomplished crazy driver Amanda Bynes, who, after last months DUI and assorted mishaps, sideswiped a truck and got pulled over. Hand over those keys! Country guy Jake Owen had a police moment Saturday down in Vero Beach, Fla., for excessive Cinco de Mayo observance. But by Monday at dawn, he was having a barefoot beach wedding with model Lacey Buchanan. Monday morning, he tweeted: My face hurts from smiling. What a wonderful way to start the rest of my life.
Contact SideShow at sideshow@phillynews.com. This article contains information from Inquirer wire services and websites.