MGM Improves Steve Hendry In TV Operations

MGM stated today it has drawn on veteran Steve Hendry for that role of SEVP Television Procedures. Part of MGM’s finance team in excess of 13 many most lately SEVP Finance, he'll oversee fiscal procedures and business planning the MGM Television Group and Digital and are accountable to TV division leader Roma Khanna and MGM COO Ken Schapiro.

Aretha Franklin Talks Odds On Halle Berry Biopic Casting, Obama Second Term

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Aretha Franklin brought an uncharacteristically mellow vibe to the nation's capital Monday night, back in her element on stage and looking royally relaxed as she partook in this city's specialty -- a little off stage politicking. our editor recommendsPresident Obamas Marthas Vineyard Vacation Spot Put up for Sale (Exclusive)Lady Gaga, Bono and Usher to Headline Celebration of Bill Clinton Smaller in size but not stature after what reports speculated was (and Franklin insists was not) a scare with pancreatic cancer, the Queen of Soul came to Washington to receive the Thelonius Monk Institute of Jazz Founder's Award. Herbie Hancock, Jennifer Hudson, Colin Powell and Madeleine Albright were among the mix of D.C. and Hollywood A-listers on hand to pay homage to Franklin and to the Institute, now in its 25th year. Though public performances since her December surgery have been rare, Franklin gamely followed up a medley of her own hits (performed on Monday by a group that included Hudson, Chaka Kahn, Dee Dee Bridgewater and Diane Reeves) with a smooth rendition of "Moody's Mood for Love." And while the standard seemed to bring out the diva's softer side, Franklin was characteristically feisty offstage in discussing the man whom she -- and her iconic hat -- helped inaugurate in 2009. "It was tough when he got there," she told The Hollywood Reporterof the bleak economic landscape facing President Obama. "He's doing everything he can do and," Franklin added for emphasis, "that can be done at this point in time." And Aretha may know better than most. She has spent time of late with the President, having revved up the crowd with a brief set before thePresident's Labor Day speech in the Motor City, a speech generally seen as the kick-off to the fall political season. "He rocked the crowd!" beamed the woman who knows a thing or two about whipping a crowd into frenzy. "He was terrific!" (Franklin was slated to see Obama again on Wednesday, this time for an Oval Office visit alongside finalists of the Monk Institute's International Jazz Piano Competition). But while the Queen of Soul had only high marks for the President's performance, some of her fellow artists were less amped by Obama's generally low-key, no-more-drama approach to the nation's political battles. "He knows the game, he got into it," said pioneering beat boxer Doug E. Fresh. "Show me what you got! It's like me being an MC --sometimes the mic don't work. But I can't stand there and tell the audience 'Aww, the mic don't work'. The audience don't care." Longtime Tonight Show Bandleader and Monk Institute backer Kevin Eubanks, whose telegenic laugh belies a lively policy wonk, saw Obama as only the latest victim of a much bigger problem with American culture. "We personify [national problems] in the body of one person," he lamented. "That makes us not responsible. Because if it's not his fault, then it's our fault." Still, Eubanks predicted that Obama would weather the storm and maybe even earn himself a monument on the National Mall, just as the late Martin Luther King, Jr. did a few weeks ago. (Aretha herself had been scheduled to perform at the monument's dedication, but Hurricane Irene had other ideas). Undaunted, the Queen of Soul was in good spirits Monday and, according to associates, seems to have a new lease on life. She'll duet with Tony Bennett at the Metropolitan Opera House later this month, and offered up that she is close to getting her passion project -- an Aretha biopic -- off the ground. "We're hammering out the last details," Franklin said of the project, which made headlines earlier this year when the non-singing Halle Berry sidestepped an offer to take on the role. That didn't sit well with Franklin, who carped to talk show host Wendy Williams that she "would like the person who is going to play me to be more confident." But Monday night in D.C., it was Aretha who exuded all the confidence. "Halle Berry," she said. "I think Halle Berry's gonna get it." Related Topics Barack Obama Aretha Franklin

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Author Carter Covington Sells 2 Comedies

Carter Covington, creator/executive producer of ABC Family’s series version of 10 A Couple of A Few Things I Hate About Yourself, has offered two comedy projects, both with top coffee coffee pods. At ABC, he's Where’s My Wand, from Happy Madison, The brand new the new sony TV and ABC Art galleries, at Fox he's Threepete, from Shawn Levy and Marty Adelstein’s 21 Laps/Adelstein and 20th TV. The only real-camera Wheres My Wand is founded on Eric Poole’s comedy memoir of the title of a boy maturing along with his extended-suffering father, his older sister, and also the hygiene-obsessed mother. The multi-camera Threepete is another household comedy. It calls for a grandfather, father and boy who share the title Peter — and hardly anything else. WME-repped Covington also done ABC Family’s Greek.

Argentine feevee tilts toward teens

"Floricienta" Argentine producer RGB Entertainment will launch a teen-skewed cable feevee in November, the first in Latin America. Yups will carry teen series produced by RGB and Cris Morena Group, partners on comedies like "Casi angeles" (Teen Angels) and "Alma pirata" (Pirate Soul) plus Cinderella-style novela "Floricienta." The schedule will include fiction, dating shows, gamers, talent contests, musicvideos and other programming secured through acquisitions or production deals, Dario Turovelzky, Yups' head of programming said. He said the teen focus will set it apart from the Disney Channel and MTV, which have been trying to cater to wider audiences. "There is a void for the 12- to 18-year-old target on Latin American cable television," he said. Yups will bow in northern countries of South America and expand next year across Latin America, he said. The new network also will include an online service for viewers to develop their own content for the feevee, helping to build buzz and loyalty among the hard-to-nail-down age group. Viewers can learn to make short films and submit scripts for the site and screen, with oversight by a production committee. Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com

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Revolver takes '7 Lives' for U.K., Ireland

Revolver Entertainment has acquired U.K. and Ireland rights to British indie "7 Lives," an urban re-telling of "It's a Wonderful Life."Stealth Media Group announced the deal Friday during the Toronto Film Festival.The film is written and directed by Paul Wilkins, produced by Paul Wilkins and Mike Parker ("Rancid Aluminium", "I Know You Know") and exec produced by SMG and Duncan Napier-Bell's Eyeline Entertainment."7 Lives" stars Danny Dyer ("Age of Heroes"), Kate Ashfield ("The Kid") and Martin Compston ("The Disappearance Of Alice Creed").Stealth has made two other early sales at Toronto to Entertainment One, which nabbed Donal MacIntyre's ''Hooligans'' for U.K. distribution and indie horror ''Devils Bridge'' for Blighty, Scandinavia, Oz and New Zealand. Contact Dave McNary at dave.mcnary@variety.com

Lady Gaga to Perform in Times Square on New Years Eve

Is it too early to start making New Year's Eve plans?our editor recommendsLady Gaga Calls No Makeup 'Harper's Bazaar' Cover 'Amazing'Lady Gaga's Fashion Forward Style Not if you plan on ringing in the New Year with Lady Gaga. With the end of the year about four months away, Ryan Seacrest made a big announcement on Thursday about the plans for one of the world's biggest pop stars. VIDEO: Lady Gaga, NAS, 'Jersey Shore's' Pauly D Appear in 9/11 Remembrance Promo Gaga will perform live on ABC's annual Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest. "One of the things we're doing for Dick celebrating his 40th year hosting the event is having Lady Gaga perform live in Times Square right before the ball drops," said Seacrest in his announcement. VIDEO: Lady Gaga Debuts Fashion Film This will be Gaga's first performance on the telecast. As a native New Yorker, she's sure to be a crowd favorite. Last year, the telecast attracted an average audience of 18.8 million, and 8.1 million Adults 18-49, according to ABC. Dick Clark started hosting the annual telecast, which features a variety of performances each year, on December 31, 1972. Seacrest joined on as a host for the 2005 telecast. Past performers have included Avril Lavigne, Drake, Christina Aguilera, Miley Cyrus and Jennifer Lopez. Related Topics ABC Lady Gaga Ryan Seacrest Dick Clark Productions

Emmys Poll: Who's Your Pick to Win Drama Supporting Actress?

Archie Panjabi After pulling off a surprise win for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama at last year's Emmys, The Good Wife's Archie Panjabi will try to become only the sixth person to win the category twice.Emmys poll: Who's your pick to win comedy series?Panjabi has a good chance of repeating, thanks to some juicy story lines last season, but she'll need to get past stiff competition in co-star Christine Baranski, Michelle Forbes (The Killing), Christina Hendricks (Mad Men), Kelly Macdonald (Boardwalk Empire) and Margo Martindale (Justified).Who's your pick to win? Vote below.The 63rd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards airs Sunday, Sept. 18 at 8/7c on Fox. Who do you think should win the Emmy for Oustanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series? Christine Baranski, The Good Wife Michelle Forbes, The Killing Christina Hendricks, Mad Men Kelly Macdonald, Boardwalk Empire Margo Martindale, Justified Archie Panjabi, The Good Wife vote view results

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