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‘American Idol’ judges spread the love for final 3

LOS ANGELES: The three American Idol finalists earned nearly uniform votes of confidence Wednesday from the show’s judges. Now it’s the audience tally that will determine which two compete for glory in next week’s finale.

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Expect laughs in ‘What to Expect When You’re Expecting’

Cameron Diaz stars as Jules in What To Expect When you're Expecting. (Melissa Moseley/Lionsgate)

What to Expect When You’re Expecting is a Valentine’s Day take on impending parenthood. Assorted couples cope with pregnancies, planned and unplanned, adoption and the epic change that is coming to their lives.

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‘The Dictator’ falls between ‘Borat’ and ‘Bruno’ in quality

Sacha Baron Cohen in The Dictator.

For most of its quick and extremely dirty running time, the new Sacha Baron Cohen offender The Dictator wages war with itself, crude nonsense up against crude nonsense that’s really funny. Then comes the golden ticket, the speech of speeches, the scene in which the fictional North African dictator General Admiral Haffaz Aladeen addresses a gathering in New York City, recanting his barbarous ways with a heartfelt confessional.

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Mailbag: De Niro’s Lombardi, ‘Police Squad’ and ‘Naked Gun,’ series updates

Robert De Niro in Warner Bros. Pictures' and Village Roadshow Pictures' action comedy Showtime, also starring Eddie Murphy and Rene Russo.

If it’s Thursday, this must be the mailbag.

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CBS Announces Fall Plans

The official word: CBS announced today its new 2012-2013 primetime schedule, ordering four new series and making four key time period moves to further enhance television’s top-rated schedule. CBS will finish the season as America’s most-watched network for the ninth time in the past 10 years, leading in viewers by the widest margin of any…

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TNT/TBS Program Plans

The official word: Two of cable’s most successful brands are once again paving the way to the future with a bold, industry-leading strategy. According to the vision laid out by executives during the annual Upfront presentation today in New York, TBS and TNT will undertake a major transformation over the next two years, evolving from…

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CBS adds four new series, moves “Men,” “Mentalist”

CBS will add four new series to its lineup in the fall and will move a couple of hits to new nights. The Mentalist will shift to 10 p.m. Sunday, filling the time period vacated by the canceled CSI: Miami. And Two and a Half Men will head to 8:30 p.m. Thursdays, paired with The…

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PBS Announces New Programming

The official word: The runaway British hit CALL THE MIDWIFE, a new drama that depicts midwifery in 1950s London, kicks off the PBS 2012 fall season with a six-part Sunday-night run that begins September 30. A production of BBC Worldwide and Neal Street Productions, MIDWIFE further strengthens PBS’ hold on quality Sunday night programs and…

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Rock Hall Sets Grateful Dead Exhibit Tie-Ins

Or should that be tie-dye-ins? Anyway, the official word: In conjunction with its newest exhibit, Grateful Dead: The Long, Strange Trip powered by McIntosh, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum has announced a range of free public programs that explore the significance and legacy of the Grateful Dead, including interviews with Hall of…

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Syfy News, Including Returns of "Warehouse 13," "Alphas"

Those series will be back July 23. The full, official word: Featuring a record number of primetime original programming hours, Syfy’s hot Summer 2012 will be highlighted by the premiere of the new unscripted series School Sprits (from executive producer Mark Burnett), Insane or Inspired? and Paranormal Highway (working title) starring Jack Osbourne; new seasons…

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ABC adds 10 series to 2012-13 lineup; drops “Missing,” “GCB,” others

This Monday, May 14, 2012 photo shows TV personality Maria Menounos, left, and her partner Derek Hough performing on the celebrity dance competition series "Dancing with the Stars," in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/ABC, Adam Taylor)

By Rich Heldenfels Beacon Journal popular culture writer ABC plans to add 10 new series to its schedule in 2012-13, including four in the early fall. It is shaking up the schedule on most nights. For example, scheming soap Revenge will move to 9 p.m. Sunday, between Once Upon a Time and the new 666…

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Fox Finally Confirms Britney, Lovato as "X Factor" Judges

The official word: Multi-platinum, Grammy Award-winning worldwide pop icon Britney Spears and singer, songwriter and actress Demi Lovato will join L.A. Reid and Simon Cowell as judges on THE X FACTOR, the hit singing competition series returning this fall on FOX. Spears is one of the most successful and celebrated entertainers in pop history. Her…

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Fox moving “Glee” to Thursdays, making Tuesdays all-comedy, putting sports on Saturday night

Jane Lynch, a cast member in the television series "Glee," poses before a screening and Q&A for the show, at the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in Los Angeles, Tuesday, May 1, 2012. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

ox announced five new series — three comedies and two dramas — for its 2012-13 season on Monday. But the biggest news may be its moving Glee from Tuesdays to Thursdays in the fall.

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Mixed Notes – May 14

Some thoughts about "Smash," "Mad Men" and "Survivor." Also, this is the week when the broadcast networks announce their fall lineups, and I will be posting those announcements as they are made. You can see NBC’s below, and Fox’s is due this morning. Many of the details have already come out (as you can see, for…

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Fox New Season Announcement

The official word: Peter Rice, Chairman, Entertainment, Fox Networks Group; and Kevin Reilly, President, Entertainment, Fox Broadcasting Company, today unveiled the FOX primetime schedule for the 2012-2013 television season to the national advertising community during its annual Programming Presentation at the Beacon Theatre. “Television continues to be the most vibrant, emotionally rich platform in the…

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