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Hamburg-based production company Junafilm is marking its 15th anniversary this year with the world premiere of English-language thriller Spirit In The Blood on home turf at Filmfest Hamburg.

The Hamburg connection runs strong in Spirit In The Blood, which is directed by Canadian-born, Hamburg-based Carly May Borgstrom.

It was also backed by new Filmfest Hamburg director Malika Raballah in her previous job as head of funding at regional fund Moin.

“Malika had been a great supporter from the very beginning,” says Junafilm founder Verena Gräfe-Höft. “She saw the film in a very early phase at a test screening when she...

On Monday, September 30, 2024, at 11:00 Am, OWN presents an eye-opening episode of Dr. Phil titled “Too Hot!” This episode dives into the complexities of relationships and self-image, featuring a variety of compelling stories that highlight how weight loss and transformation can impact personal dynamics.

The episode introduces a 62-year-old woman who is dating a much younger man, just 28 years old. This surprising relationship raises questions about societal norms and the perceptions of love across age gaps. Dr. Phil explores how this couple navigates their relationship amidst societal expectations and potential judgments from friends and family.

Another fascinating story features a woman whose dramatic 140-pound weight loss has led her husband to express concerns about her new appearance. He believes she looks “too sexy,” prompting discussions about body image, attraction, and the emotional implications of significant weight loss on a marriage. Lastly, viewers will meet a former winner of The Swan,...

UPDATE: In January 2020, Day’s lawsuit was dismissed without prejudice. Randal Haworth, a Beverly Hills plastic surgeon who has appeared on TV shows like Fox’s “The Swan,” has been accused of illicit drug use and watching pornographic movies and videos depicting beheadings during his surgeries. According to a proposed amended complaint filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on Friday, Haworth “regularly played hardcore pornography and videos showing extreme and graphic violence, such as actual beheadings, on a monitor, on in the background during during some of his surgeries.” Laura Day, a former patient who first filed a malpractice suit in January 2017, also claimed in the new filing — based...

The dentist to the stars -- who fixed grills on "The Swan" -- may have filled her last cavity after drilling a patient for $641K worth of work, and now the Dental Board of California wants to take her license.   According to the Board's complaint, Dr. Sherri Worth did a ton of work on Ingrid Valdez who initially sought treatment in 2009 for a "gummy smile" and some discolored teeth. However, Valdez ended up getting multiple root canals,...

There's no subtitles unfortuantely, but this certainly Looks pretty damn impressive. As a fan of the cartoon I'll definitely be checking it out. Set in the near future, Gatchaman follows the story five special agents of the International Science Organization in Tokyo as they try to protect the world from the mysterious terrorist group who call themselves Galactor. With technology that far surpasses that of humans, Galactor has declared war on the entire world and has already subjugated half of it. Trained to draw out the power from the mysterious crystal-like object called a "stone," our five heroes will be called "Gatchaman." Gatchaman stars Tôri Matsuzaka as Ken aka Gatchaman, Gô Ayano as Condor No Joe, Ayame Gôriki as Jun The Swan, Tatsuomi Hamada as Junpei The Swallow, Ryohei Suzuki as Ryu The Owl, Gorô Kishitani as Dr. Nambu and Eriko Hatsune as Naomi. Follow @RorMachine !function(d,s,id){var js,...

In a move widely expected by industry insiders, American Idol executive producers Nigel Lythgoe and Ken Warwick "will be leaving the show,” a source tells The Hollywood Reporter. However, formal exit discussions have not yet begun. THR noted in a May 8 story that the two longtime friends and showbiz pros would likely be shown the door, as the Fox series continues to weather a public beating due to sinking ratings -- the season 12 finale was down more than 40 percent when compared to Idol's closer in 2011. Photos: Mike Darnell's Greatest Hits: 'American Idol,' 'Kitchen Nightmares' and 'The Swan' As

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A former contestant from Season 2 of the extreme makeover/beauty pageant hybrid "The Swan" says the reality show ruined her life, and is speaking out about the celebrities who are slated to appear on Fox's two-hour special "Celebrity Swan."

At 34 years old, Lorrie Arias appeared on "The Swan" in 2004, and underwent more plastic surgery procedures than any other contestant -- going on to get a face lift, nose job, brow lift, upper lip lift with fat transfer, upper/lower eye lift, full body lift, breast implants, tummy tuck and liposuction on her knees -- but did not go on to compete in the beauty pageant component of the show.

Today, Arias told the New York Post that her surgeries were for nothing, since she's "a 300-pound mess of a person who is afraid to go outside.”

The former reality show contestant is speaking out about Fox's decision to revive the show,...

Remember that reality show "The Swan"? Well if you don't, you're about to.

Fox has ordered a celebrity version of the 2004 controversial makeover reality series, Deadline.com is reporting. The network has greenlighted "Celebrity Swan," a two-hour special of the plastic surgery show that will air later this year.

The original show featured two "ugly ducklings" each episode and followed them as they experienced a physical and psychological transformation over a three-month period with the help of a coach, therapist, trainer, dentist and cosmetic surgeons. The woman who looked prettier at the end of the process would compete in a beauty pageant at the culmination of the season. Hence, controversial.

According to Deadline, the creators behind the original extreme makeover show -- Nely Galán, her company Galan Entertainment, FremantleMedia and producer Arthur Smith -- will be back for the special, which will feature female celebrities looking to reinvent themselves for a comeback.

Fox’s 2004 extreme makeover reality series The Swan is coming back in a celebrity version. The network has greenlighted Celebrity Swan, a two-hour special to air later this year. I hear FremantleMedia and producer Arthur Smith, who were behind the original plastic surgery series, will be back for the special, which will feature female celebrities looking to reinvent themselves for a comeback. They will undergo a physical, psychological and career “extreme makeover” with the help of a coach, therapist, trainer, cosmetic surgeons and a dentist as cameras follow them through the transformative process. Casting is currently underway through The Conlin Co. and no celebrities have been set, though I’ve heard the names of former White House intern Monica Lewinsky and Happy Days alumna Erin Moran as possibilities. Production is slated to begin this spring. The Swan was created by Nely Galán, and her company Galan Entertainment will be producer on the celebrity special.

Don Groves is a Deadline contributor based in Sydney. Australian actor-writer-director Bille Brown, who performed on Broadway and the West End and in the films Killer Elite, The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Voyage Of The Dawn Treader and Fierce Creatures, died Sunday in a Brisbane hospital. He was 61 and had been battling bowel cancer. William “Bille” Brown began his career in the early 1970s at the Queensland Theater Company with Geoffrey Rush, among others. In 1976 he joined the Royal Shakespeare Company and appeared in productions at London’s Aldwych and Haymarket Theaters and with the Chichester Festival Theater and English National Opera. He had two further engagements with the RSC, from 1986–88 and 1994–96. He was an artist-in-residence at the State University of New York in 1982 and made his Broadway debut in 1986 in Michael Frayn’s Wild Honey with Ian McKellen. He returned to Australia to live permanently in 1996. His Australian film credits include The Dish,...

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge awoke in a secluded country inn on the morning of their first wedding anniversary. The couple, who spent the previous day celebrating with some pals at the wedding of an old school friend of Kate's, stayed at the 12th century inn close to the coast in Suffolk, eastern England. The whole of the 34-bedroom Westleton Crown had been rented out for wedding guests. "They would have been familiar with everyone who was staying at the hotel," an excited hotel source says.William and Kate stayed in The Swan room (usual cost: £165 a night) and...

Insiders are speculating the deal is worth upwards of $100 million: London / Los Angeles – June 28, 2011 – The Tinopolis Group and A. Smith & Co. Productions announced today that the two entities have joined forces by bringing A. Smith & Co. and its decade of success developing and producing some of the most notable unscripted television programming seen around the world under the Tinopolis Group, creating a transatlantic television powerhouse. A. Smith & Co. will continue to operate as a stand-alone entity based in Los Angeles joining and working with Tinopolis Group’s other companies which include television production entity Mentorn and sports television producer Sunset + Vine. The announcement was made today by Ron Jones, Executive Chairman of Tinopolis Group, and Arthur Smith, Founder and CEO of A. Smith & Co., who will join the Tinopolis Board of Directors and continue to lead the company alongside his partner and company President, Kent Weed. Under this agreement A.

Today, TLC announced that Rupert Everett and Ivana Trump will join What Not to Wear’s Clinton Kelly, Say Yes the Dress: Atlanta’s Monte Durham, and former Paradise Hotel/The Swan host Amanda Byram in London to offer commentary on Friday’s Royal Wedding. (Say Yes the Dress’ Randy Fenoli will handle on-air coverage of the network’s five-hour Times Square viewing party, which will include a live performance by Colbie Caillat.) Truth be told, I’d have preferred to see Everett sitting alongside Kathy Griffin, Joan Collins, and company over on the TV Guide Channel — or “deputized” by E!

Got a scoop request? An anonymous tip you’re dying to share? Just want to say hi? You can send any/all of the above to askausiello@tvline.com

Question: Is there any truth to the rumor that Booth will be breaking up with Hannah in the Feb. 10 episode of Bones? Or is it possible that they might get engaged? Please tell me anything to calm my nerves before I die from anxiety! —Bee

Ausiello: I’m not commenting on what specifically goes down in the Feb. 10 episode, but I will say this: It’s my understanding that Katheryn Winnick...

Reality producer Louis Boyd has joined CBS as VP alternative programming. He will be involved in developing new alternative programs, including reality and game shows, and in overseeing CBS' current slate of reality series, reporting to Evp alternative programming Jennifer Bresnan. Boyd most recently served as a producer on the Style Network's How Do I Look? that received a Daytime Emmy nomination last month. Previously, he was a coordinating producer of the Food Network's Chefs vs. City and a producer on the CW’s Pussycat Dolls and Stylista and Fox's The Swan.

CW executive Jennifer Bresnan will take over as CBS' head of alternative programming, the network said Tuesday.

Bresnan served as the CW's senior vp alternative programming since the network launched two years ago, where she supervised production on the network's "America's Next Top Model," "Beauty and the Geek" and the upcoming "Stylista" and "13: Fear Is Real."

Bresnan replaces longtime CBS reality boss Ghen Maynard, who stepped down last week.

"Jen's background in developing and producing reality programming is incredibly diverse, her relationships in the creative community run very deep, and we're excited for her to start developing all types of programming in the reality genre," said CBS Entertainment president Nina Tassler, to whom Bresnan will report.

Before joining the CW, Bresnan worked in production on several reality series.

She served as producer on the first season of "American Idol," supervising producer on "The Apprentice: Martha Stewart" and co-executive producer on "The Swan."...

CW reality executive Jennifer Bresnan has been named senior vp alternative programming at corporate sibling CBS Entertainment, heading the network's reality programming department.

She takes over the responsibilities from Ghen Maynard, who is segueing into a producing deal that gives CBS and CW a first look at his development.

In her new position, Bresnan will spearhead the development of new reality programs for CBS and also oversee its current slate of programs, including "Survivor," "The Amazing Race" and "Big Brother."

Bresnan has been senior vp alternative programming at the CW since August 2006. There, she supervised production on "America's Next Top Model," "Beauty and the Geek" and the upcoming "Stylista" and "13: Fear Is Real," among other series.

It's unclear who will succeed her at the CW.

In her new post, she reports to CBS Entertainment president Nina Tassler.

"Jen's background in developing and producing reality programming is incredibly diverse, her relationships in the creative community run very deep, and we're excited for her to start developing all types of programming in the reality genre," Tassler said.

Bresnan also served as a producer on the first season of Fox's "American Idol," supervising producer on Mark Burnett's NBC series "The Apprentice: Martha Stewart" and co-executive producer on both editions of Fox's "The Swan," among other producing credits.

If you think you’ve seen the world’s wackiest game shows on television, think again. ABC is now gearing up for their wackiest offering ever, and it comes by the name of I Survived A Japanese Game Show. ABC has gathered ten Americans, most of which has never gone out of the country, for a grueling feat in Japan, where they will compete in the funniest and craziest games ever. ABC has already begun shooting for the reality competition, which challenges contestants to vie for the prize of $250,000.

Also appearing on the reality competition is host and interpreter Tony Sano. An American actor who is fluent in Japanese, Sano has previously worked on Touch Wood and Beating Vegas. Mamasan, a house mother and resident pot stirrer, will also be leading the contestants alongside game show host Rome Kanda, who was previously seen on the Pink Panther and Saturday Night Live.

Dennis Miller has signed on to host his first game show, GSN's Grand Slam, in which top game show contestants compete against one another.

Grand Slam, executive produced by Michael Davies for Embassy Row and Sony Pictures Television, features 16 former game show contestants vying for top honors in a single-elimination tournament. They will be tested on their general knowledge, math and logic skills, ability with words and letters and grasp of pop culture and current events, with one winner taking home a $100,000 grand prize.

Among the contestants are Jeopardy! champs Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter along with Who Wants to Be a Millionaire top prizewinners Kevin Olmstead and John Carpenter.

Amanda Byram (The Swan, Paradise Hotel) will serve as co-host on the eight-episode series, which goes into production today in New York. Grand Slam is set to debut at 8 p.m. EDT on Aug. 7.

GSN senior vp programming Jamie Roberts praised Miller.

Well, members of the cast and crew of Stargate Sg-1 and Stargate Atlantis have gotten together for a movie -- though not in a way that fans might expect. David Hewlett (Dr. Rodney McKay on Stargate Atlantis) is making his writing and directorial debut with a new independent comedy film entitled A Dog's Breakfast. The film was shot early this year and was produced in Vancouver, British Columbia during the Stargate hiatus period.

Knowing talent when he sees it, Hewlett utilized the talents of several members of the cast and crew from the Sg-1 and Atlantis family. Hewlett co-stars in the film and was joined by his real-life sister Kate Hewlett (Jeanie Miller on Atlantis), Paul McGillion (Carson Beckett on Atlantis, who is also, by the way, departing the show mid-season three as a regular), Christopher Judge (Teal'c on Sg-1), Rachel Luttrell (Teyla Emmagan on Atlantis), Amanda Byram (host of...

TORONTO -- MGM said Monday that it has acquired worldwide rights to A Dog's Breakfast, a low-budget dark comedy shot in Vancouver by the cast and crew of MGM's Stargate Atlantis and Stargate SG-1 while on production hiatus.

The film, directed by David Hewlett, who plays Dr. Rodney McKay on Stargate Atlantis, recently garnered about 100,000 views when clips from the project were uploaded on YouTube.

The movie was shot for about $1 million in January at a house adjoining Deer Lake in Vancouver. Hewlett wrote and directed the comedy, which stars Christopher Judge (Stargate SG-1), Rachel Luttrell (Stargate Atlantis) and Amanda Byram (The Swan), with Jane Loughman and John G. Lenic sharing producer credits.

Breakfast follows a brother (Hewlett) attempting to thwart a new relationship involving his sister (Kate Hewlett) and her TV star fiance, Ryan (Paul McGillion).

MGM acquired all rights for the film, including TV, new media and home video.

"We are delighted to be working with David Hewlett and Kibble Prods. on this hilarious comedy," MGM executive vp Charles Cohen said.

Galan Entertainment is teaming with HBO on a series of mobile mini-telenovelas designed to entertain Hispanic viewers and provide an English "phone book" to those on the go. Titled La Traductora (The Translator), the series recounts the daily experiences of Carmen, an immigrant and her daughter Maribel, who is constantly translating English for her mother. The mobisodes are geared to not only engage but also deliver key phrases in English deemed essential for effective communication in the U.S. Galan Entertainment president Nely Galan, who created and executive produced Fox's reality show The Swan, cited the increasing production of entertainment content created for new-media platforms as instigating the series' creation.

Lifetime Television is ramping up its reality programming in a big way. In addition to the previously reported I Married a Princess, the cable network has ordered 13 episodes of the competition series Ms. Mogul (working title) and a one-hour pilot titled Almost Family and is developing the docu-soap The Big Kahuna (HR 12/7). Ms. Mogul, debuting in the second quarter with a two-hour premiere followed by one-hour episodes leading up to a two-hour finale, features 15 small-businesswomen competing to transform their new business ideas into reality by winning a startup fund of up to $1 million. Each woman will have a media-mogul mentor in her respective field to help her along the way. Creator/exec producer Nely Galan (The Swan) said the show does not have a traditional elimination-style format but declined to be more specific.

Gold Circle Films has courted The New Girl, picking up the Alan Shapiro-scripted project for an undisclosed sum with Shapiro on board to direct. The project is described as a thriller about a teenage girl who is transformed from an ugly duckling to a swan only to encounter a nightmarish underside to her dream. The timely project comes to Gold Circle following the success of a string of high-profile television shows that showcase plastic surgery and the people who elect to go under the knife. Those shows include the reality series Extreme Makeover, The Swan and Dr. 90210 as well as the scripted Nip/Tuck at the FX Network. Girl was brought to Gold Circle topper Paul Brooks by former vp creative affairs Paramount Pictures executive Brad Kessell, who will produce along with Brooks. The company's Wendy Rhoads will oversee for her firm. Shapiro wrote and directed the Alicia Silverstone thriller The Crush. He is repped by the Gersh Agency. Gold Circle's upcoming films include Something Borrowed starring Debra Messing and Dermot Mulroney, White Noise, a supernatural thriller starring Michael Keaton, and Jiminy Glick in LaLaWood, starring Martin Short as the title character.

U.K. cable and satellite channel LIVINGtv has acquired makeover reality series The Swan from Fremantle International Distribution, the distribution arm of FremantleMedia. The deal for the show, which airs on Fox in the United States and wrapped up its first season last month, encompasses 16 one-hour episodes from the first and second seasons. Swan begins its second season on Fox in November. FID also has sold Swan, produced by FremantleMedia North America and Galan Entertainment in association with A. Smith & Co., to eight European markets, including Scandinavia (Viasat), Holland (RTL), Iceland (ITC) and Germany (ProSieben).

IATSE said Wednesday that it has organized The Swan from Swan Productions Inc. IATSE president Thomas Short said the single production series covers 30-40 employees and became active May 17 for the remainder of the current production season and with retroactive health and pension benefits. IATSE representatives Steve Aredas, Carolyn Bowden and Lyle Trachtenberg, along with the West Coast studio locals, led the organizing effort. The first season of the Fox reality series recently ended, and casting has begun on a second season.

The broadcast networks are not expected to carry President George W. Bush's primetime speech tonight, in which he will lay out a "clear strategy" for the future of Iraq. The Bush administration has not requested the Big Four to air live the president's address to an audience at the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, Penn., scheduled for 8 p.m. EDT on the last Monday of the crucial for the network's ad rates May sweep period. NBC, Fox and ABC will proceed with their scheduled programming for the 8-9 p.m. hour -- an episode of Fear Factor, the finale of The Swan and the broadcast premiere of Oscar-winning A Beautiful Mind, respectively. NBC and Fox's sibling cable channels, MSNBC and Fox News, will carry the speech.

Another stellar ratings performance from CBS' sophomore drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation led the network to a decisive nightly win Monday. CSI: Miami (20.4 million viewers, 7.5 rating/19 share among adults 18-49) was the top program for the night in total viewers and adults 18-49, according to preliminary Nielsen data. CBS' veteran comedy Everybody Loves Raymond (16.7 million, 5.8/15) and freshman sitcom Two and a Half Men (15.9 million, 5.7/14) also easily won their time slots in the 9-10 p.m. hour. As usual, NBC was strong out the gate with reliable ratings performer Fear Factor (10.6 million, 4.6/14) topping the competition. For the night, NBC averaged 15.7 million viewers and a 5.5/14 in 18-49. NBC (9.7 million, 4.2/11) was second, followed by Fox which logged 7.5 million viewers and a3.4/9 with a two-hour edition of The Swan. ABC had a slow night with the Wonderful World of Disney movie A Wrinkle in Time (7.0 million, 2.2/6).

Fear Factor and Las Vegas were hot for NBC on Monday, which also gave a boost to week two of The Restaurant. With CBS' lineup in rerun, NBC had no trouble winning the night in adults 18-49 (4.5 rating/12 share), though CBS' maintained a comfortable lead in total viewers (11.3 million). Fox was slow out of the gate at 8 p.m. with The Bernie Mac Show but The Swan showed some life at 9 p.m. NBC opened the night with the win at 8 p.m. with Fear Factor (12.8 million viewers, 5.3/16). The peacock stayed on top in 18-49 at 9 p.m. with Vegas (11.6 million, 4.7/12) topping CBS' 9-10 p.m. encores of Everybody Loves Raymond (13.1 million, 4.2/11) and Two and a Half Men (12.2 million, 3.9/10).

The return of The Restaurant did only modest business in the 10 p.m. hour for NBC on Monday while the under-the-knife makeover reality series The Swan showed some spunk for Fox. CBS had an unusually weak showing for an original episode of 9 p.m.'s Everybody Loves Raymond, but 10 p.m. dynamo CSI: Miami was on the money and led the eye network to the nightly win the viewers (15.4 million) and the adults 18-49 demographic (5.1 rating/14 share). NBC won the 8 p.m. hour with a repeat of Fear Factor (11.9 million, 5.1/15), and the peacock saw another plucky performance at 9 p.m. from freshman drama Las Vegas (11.3 million, 5.0/13).

NBC won the Monday primetime popularity contest among the networks as its 9-11 p.m. telecast of this year's Miss USA competition drew the highest ratings for the beauty pageant in six years. Miss USA 2004 averaged 13 million viewers and 4.8 rating/12 share in the adults 18-49 demographic, according to preliminary estimates from Nielsen Media Research. The cheesecake competition enjoyed a healthy 8 p.m. lead-in from a Miss USA- themed edition of Fear Factor (14.4 million, 5.8/16). Fox's new plastic surgery reality series The Swan cooled off considerably in its second airing after last week's American Idol-boosted premiere. Swan finished out with an average of 8.2 million viewers and 3.8/10 at 9 p.m., and it did post an uptick in its second half-hour. Fox was sluggish in the 8 p.m. hour with back-to-back editions of The Bernie Mac Show (6.2 million, 2.9/8). CBS ran a respectable No. 2 behind NBC for the night (NBC's 13.5 million, 5.2/13 to CBS' 11.4 million, 3.8/10) with its 8-10 p.m. block of Two and a Half Men repeats capped by a 10 p.m. encore of CSI: Miami. ABC placed third in viewers and fourth in adults 18-49 with its 8-11 p.m. airing of 1997 theatrical Air Force One (8.5 million, 2.8/7).