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FILM/TV BITS: ABC 'gives'; Mo'Nique on TV One; 'House of Payne' DVD; TV One's Rice; 'Flavor' finale; Tyson's 'Top Model'; Cuba's 'Lies'; BET's 'Blackout.'
*Despite enthusiasm from the network and decent ratings, ABC has announced that Oprah Winfrey's reality show "Oprah's Big Give" will not be returning for a second season. "We loved that show and absolutely would have loved to bring it back," ABC entertainment president Steve McPherson said. "But it was something (Oprah) didn't want to do." The show, which featured contestants competing in charity events each week, consistently won its time period on Sunday nights.
*Mo'Nique takes her turn in the hot seat opposite Cathy Hughes on TV One's new episode of "TV One on One," premiering Sunday (May 18) at 9 p.m. ET. In addition to her TV appearances and movie roles, the actress-comedienne will soon tackle radio as the host of a new Syndication One talk show. She tells Hughes: “As everybody knows, I love to talk, and I love the fact that I will be in a position, along with some great people, that we can make a difference."
*Tyler Perry's "House of Payne: Volume Two" comes to DVD on Tuesday, July 1. The package includes 20 episodes as well as featurettes and bloopers. "House of Payne" has won NAACP Image Awards for Best Comedy Series, Best Actor (LaVan Davis) and Best Supporting Actor (Lance Gross). The show focuses on a working class family that experiences all of life's struggles - divorce, rehab, anger management and child custody issues; with Perry's signature blend of family, faith, love and laughter.
*Michelle Rice has been named executive vice president of affiliate sales and marketing of TV One. In this position, she will be responsible for all aspects of the network's distribution strategy and operations, including marketing and local ad sales. A graduate of Temple University with a degree in journalism, Rice also holds an M.A. degree in communication management from the University of Southern California. She will also be an honoree at the 2008 NAMIC Annual Awards breakfast in New Orleans May 19, which recognizes young leaders in the industry.
*On the series' finale of "Flavor of Love 3" premiering on Monday, May 19 at 9:00 p.m. Flav finds himself caught between an undeniable chemistry with one girl and a love connection with the other. VH1 will marathon episodes from season 3 on Monday, beginning 11 a.m. On Saturday, May 17, the entire "Flavor of Love" season one will air back to back beginning at 1 p.m. On Sunday, beginning at 10:30 a.m., VH1 will air "Flavor of Love 2." Additionally, Flavor Flav's new single "317," which he recorded and co-produced with Sam Knight, the winner of "VH1's The Track with Flavor Flav" is now available for free download on FlavorOfLoveWorld.com.
*Last season's "America's Next Top Model" winner Caridee English is reportedly dating Tyson Beckford. According to the New York Post's Page Six, she spilled the beans Tuesday at the Entertainment Weekly Upfront Party in New York, stating that she dumped her ex-boyfriend after he stole $10,000 from her. "He went into my bank account, took all that money and went to Las Vegas and spent it," she said. "We're over."
*Cuba Gooding Jr. will star opposite Christian Slater in Nu Image/Millennium Films' action/comedy "Lies & Illusions." The story centers on a novelist being hunted by a spy who believes the writer holds millions of dollars in diamonds stolen by his dead fiancee. The film also stars Sarah Ann Schultz, Christa Campbell, Al Madrigal and Lochlyn Munro. Shooting begins this week in Spokane, Wash.
*In the first ever news special for its audiences in the United Kingdom, BET explores issues facing models of color in the U.K. in "Beauty Blackout." Premiering Monday, May 26 at 8:30 p.m. on the network's UK channel SKY 209, BET News correspondent Sharon Carpenter speaks with Jamelia, Alesha Dixon, Nicola Hughes and "Britain's Next Top Model" judge Gerry Deveaux for a look at the color-challenged fashion and glamour modeling industry from all perspectives. The special also delves into the disturbing ways in which England's beauty ideal affects average women and young girls in their everyday lives.
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