UPDATE: No surprises here! 3o Rock has won the 2009 Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series.

The general consensus is 30 Rock, and I’ll go with that as well. It would be very surprising if any other TV series won this time.

The sitcoms that have been nominated for the 2009 Emmy Awards for Outstanding Comedy Series are:

1) 30 Rock, NBC, produced by Broadway Video, Little Stranger, Inc. in association with Universal Media Studios

30 Rock is touted to win the 2009 Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series

This comedy series was the winner of the 2008 Emmy award for Outstanding Comedy Series and is expected to win again.

Alec Baldwin, who plays Jack Donaghy in this sitcom about a fictional comedy series, also won the 2008 Emmy award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series.

2) Entourage, HBO, produced by Leverage and Closest to the Hole Productions in association with HBO Entertainment

Entourage premiered on HBO in 2004, and is currently in its sixth season. Actor Jeremy Piven won the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series, in 2006, 2007, and 2008.

3) Family Guy, FOX, produced by Fox Television Animation

Family Guy, an animated sitcom, revolves around a dysfunctional family, the Griffins, who live in a fictional town called Quahog, in Rhode Island. The sitcom debuted in 1999 and has completed eight seasons. It is slated to be on air till 2012.

4) Flight of the Conchords, HBO, produced by Dakota Pictures and Comedy Arts in association with HBO Entertainment

Flight of the Conchords debuted on HBO in 2007, and has been nominated for six Emmy Awards in 2009.

5) How I Met Your Mother, CBS, produced by 20th Century Fox Television

How I met Your Mother began airing on CBS in 2005 and will enter season five on September 21, 2009.

6) The Office, NBC, produced by Deedle-Dee Productions and Reveille LLC in association with Universal Media Studios

The Office, starring Steve Carell, debuted on NBC in 2005. It is an adaptation of the BBC series by the same name.

7) Weeds, Showtime, produced by Showtime Presents in association with Lionsgate Television and Tilted Productions, Inc.

Weeds, starring Mary-Louise Parker, Elizabeth Perkins, Hunter Parrish, Alexander Gould, and David Hoselton, premiered in 2005.

UPDATE: As expected Bryan Cranston has won the 2009 Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for Breaking Bad.

But it is very likely that Hugh either Laurie or Michael C. Hall will walk away with the honors this year.

Here are the nominees for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for the 2009 Emmy Awards.

1)  Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad, AMC, produced by High Bridge, Gran Via Productions, Sony Pictures Television

Bryan Cranston, winner of the 2008 Emmy award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama series

Bryan Cranston plays Walter White in the drama series created and produced by Vince Gilligan, that debuted in 2008.

Bryan Cranston won the 2008 Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for Breaking Bad.

2) Hugh Laurie, House, produced by FOX Universal Media Studios in association with Heel and Toe Films, Shore Z Productions and Bad Hat Harry Productions

Photo: Hugh Laurie in House

Hugh Laurie appears as Dr. Gregory House, in the medical mystery TV series House. Co-stars include Lisa Edelstein, Omar Epps, Robert Sean Leonard, Jennifer Morrison, Jesse Spencer, Peter Jacobson, Kal Penn, and Olivia Wilde.

Hugh Laurie has been nominated consecutively for the Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama series from 2005 to 2009. Will this be his big year?

3) Gabriel Byrne, In Treatment, HBO, produced by Leverage, Closest To The Hole Productions and Sheleg in association with HBO Entertainment

Gabriel Byrne in In Treatment

Gabriel Byrne plays Paul Weston in In Treatment.

He has already won the 2009 Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Drama, for In Treatment.

4) Michael C. Hall, Dexter, produced by Showtime Showtime Presents in association with John Goldwyn Productions, The Colleton Company, Clyde Phillips Productions

Michael C. Hall plays Dexter Morgan, in the TV series Dexter, that premiered in 2006 with its fourth series slated to go on air on September 27, 2009.

Hall was nominated for a 2008 Emmy Award for Outstanding Actor in Drama Series and the 2008 Golden Globe awardfo  Best Actor in a TV Drama, for Dexter.

5) Simon Baker, The Mentalist, CBS, produced by Warner Bros. Television

Simon Baker has been nominated for a 2009 Emmy award for Outstanding Actor in a drama series for his role as Patrick Jane in The Mentalist.

6) Jon Hamm, Mad Men, AMC, produced by Lionsgate Television

Jon Hamm plays Don Draper in the drama TV series Mad Men, which debuted in July 2007.

He is the winner of the 2008 Golden Globe award for his role in Mad Men.

The 2009 Emmy Awards will be held on September 20, 2009, at the Nokia theatre in Los Angeles, and will be aired live on CBS at 8 PM.

UPDATE: Toni Collette is the surprise winner of the 2009 Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series.

Here is a list of nominees for the 2009 Emmy Award for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series:

1) Tina Fey, 30 Rock, NBC, produced by Broadway Video, Little Stranger, Inc. in association with Universal Media Studios

Tina Fey: Winner of the 2008 Emmy award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series

In 2008, Tina Fey won three Emmy awards for writing, producing, and acting in 30 Rock. In 2009, she has already won the Golden Globe award for Best Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy and two SAG awards.

Tina Fey has also won an Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actress in a TV series in 2009, for playing Sarah Palin on Saturday Night Live.

2) Sarah Silverman, The Sarah Silverman Program Comedy Central, Central Productions/Eleven Eleven O’Clock Productions/Oil Factory Inc.

Photo: Sarah Silverman

This stand-up comedienne, writer, singer, and actress won the 2008 Emmy for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics for Jerry Kimmel Live!
3)  Toni Collette, United States Of Tara Showtime, produced by Showtime presents in association with Dreamworks Television

Toni Collette has been nominated for role as Tara Gregson in Showtime’s original series United States of Tara.

4) Mary-Louise Parker, Weeds, produced by Showtime Presents in association with Lionsgate Television and Tilted Productions, Inc.

Mary-Louise Parker, who plays Nancy Botwin in Weeds, has been nominated for the Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for three years in a row from 2007-2009.

5) Julia Louis-Dreyfus, The New Adventures Of Old Christine, CBS, produced by Kari’s Logo Here in association with Warner Bros. Television

Julia Louis-Dreyfus has won two Emmys so far:
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for Seinfeld,  in 1996
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for The New Adventures of Old Christine
in 2006.

6)  Christina Applegate, Samantha Who?, ABC, produced by ABC Studios

Christina Applegate, who plays Samantha Newly, in Samantha Who?, has won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for Friends, in 2003.

Promo image of Mere Ghar AAyi Ek Nanhi Pari

The series ‘Nanhi Pari’ is a story about the family from Delhi’s Chandni Chowk who experience the birth of a baby girl after 18 years of their marriage and is about to welcome Laksmi’s avatar at home.

On the occasion of the launch, Ashvini Yardi, Head Programming, Colors, said, “We at COLORS believe in innovation. Mere Ghar Aayi Ek Nanhi Pari is a beautiful concept. It brings forth positive values with a feel good flavor. To have such a show at prime time is the key to standing out of the clutter.”

“We will continue to deliver a strong proposition of differentiation and distinctive content. It helps draw in the attention of the viewer.” Ashvini Vardi said that Colors TV channel is positive that Mere Ghar Aayi Ek Nanhi Pari would touch millions of hearts across the country. “We at COLORS have created a benchmark in terms of our programming,” added Vardi.

The daily soap is yet another women-centric drama, and is also socially conscious. In a country where female foeticide is still high, TV serials like Balika Vadhu and Nanhi Pari have been welcomed. http://www.dancewithshadows.com/society/female-foeticide.asp

Roshan Lal, also known as Lalaji, a partition survivor marries another partition refugee Guneeta Kaur and they settle in Chandni Chowk. They are blessed with everything except a girl and when they witness the birth of their daughter after 18 years the family is over the moon. They name the girl Chandni, and everythng that happens in the little girl’s life is given lots of importance. She is never left alone and even the smallest thing like her first appointment with the dentist is becomes a family affair. Her birthday is celebrated as the most important day of the year, every year.

‘Mere Ghar Aayi Ek Nanhi Pari’ basically moves around along the life of Chandni and her ups and downs and how the family backs her up in all her bad times. Mere Ghar Aayi Ek Nanhi Pari is a celebration of love and life and more importantly it celebrates the girl child and her rights.

Megha Chapekar will be portraying Chandni’s life, Lalji is characterized by Kulbhushan Kharbanda and Guneeta Ramlal Chawla is played by Joyshri Arora. The show is produced by DJ Creation. The show will be telecasted from March 9th every weekday at 9:30 pm on Colors.

Jerry Seinfeld will create and exec produce the Marriage Ref show on NBC

The six-episode show will feature all kinds of celebrities and comedians offering solutions to real-life couples caught up in marital fights.

The reality show is called Marriage Ref, because the celebrities and comedians offering their views and solutions will act as referees as the couples try to sort out their marital problems.

Jerry Seinfeld has been quoted as saying, “This is not a therapy show, it’s a comedy show.”

“After nine years of marriage, I have discovered that the comedic potential of this subject is quite rich,” he added.

Jerry will be returning to TV eleven years after the hit sitcom Seinfeld was wrapped up in 1998. Seinfeld that ran for nine seasons is considered a classic show of its times.

Jerry Seinfeld will collaborate with Ellen Rakieten ,executive producer of The Oprah Winfrey Show to put together The Marriage Ref.

Seinfeld and Rakieten pitched the show to NBC Entertainment co-chairman Ben Silverman.

Jerry Seinfeld was last seen in the Bee Movie, where he does the voice over for Barry B. Benson. Seinfeld also wrote and produced the movie.

Seinfeld is also a published author. His book Seinlanguage was a Number One New York Times bestseller. Jerry Seinfeld has also written a book for children called Halloween.

The six-episode show will be aired on NDTV Imagine, at 10 PM every Saturday.

The Knights and Angels reality show, is a hunt for talented, sporty, cheerful cheerleaders with good dancing skills for the Kolkata Knight Riders team.

Six cheerleaders will be chosen out of 24 contestants who have been shortlisted after auditions in Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, and Bangalore.

Shahrukh Khan with the 24 contestants of his Knights and Angels reality show

The names of the 24 contestants who have been selected are:

Pranalika C Arya, Rupali Kantharia, Natasha Ramaseshan, Nikita Agarwal, Sanna Chirawawala, Sneha Parikh, Kaajal R Chandani, Sunanda Hiroo, Prathna Shah, Nisha Rizvi, Rekha Rana, Shruti Bhadekar, Samyukta S, Leena S Puthran, Geena Jha, Suhani Sharma, Srishti Gupta, Ananya Bera, Ruhi Kumari, Shilpa Vashist, Srishti Bhatia, Ritika Chibber, Mohak Nanda, and Priji.

Purab Kohli will host the Knights and Angels reality show

Knights and Angels will be hosted by actor Purab Kohli, last seen in the hit movie Rock On. Actress Anushka Sharma, who made her debut opposite Shahrukh Khan in Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, will be a celebrity judge in the first episode of Knights and Angels.

Saurav Ganguly, ex-caption of the Indian cricket team and captain of the Kolkata Knight Riders will be the main judge on the show.

The 24 shortlisted contestants will be trained and mentored by Shiamak Davar.

Shiamak Davar is the highly successful choreographer of  Dil To Pagal Hai, Dhoom 2, Bunty Aur Babli, and the recent Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi.

Talking about the Knights and Angels reality show, Shahrukh Khan, co-owner of Kolkata Knight Riders, said, “Cricket is a perfect blend of hard work and entertainment. We are very excited about the whole challenge of finding the best cheerleading squad for our Knights. These girls will become a key part in our quest for victory this season. The competition is tough and the boys will need all the support they can get on-field. All the girls have the right attitude, energy and enthusiasm.”

The winner of Knights and Angels will lead the six-member cheerleading team of the Kolkata Knight Riders.

Shahrukh Khan recently launched Ghar Ki Baat Hai on NDTV Imagine. The sitcom is based on the yesteryears popular sitcom Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi.

Meanwhile, Salman Khan is set to come back with Season 2 of the hit show Dus Ka Dum.

Starting February 16 to March 19, this movie festival will showcase one blockbuster movie, every Monday – Thursday at 8pm and the one lucky winner will win Rs 1 lakh everyday. This would mean that the 20 days of the festival will see 20 blockbusters and 20 lakhpatis.

Presenting viewers with the finest of masterpieces, the Twenty 20 movie tournament will host a number of Indian Cinema’s smash hits like Krissh, Dulhe Raja, Shootout at Lokhandwala, and Welcome to name a few. Viewers will need to answer questions asked in each break to be the winner.

According to Star Gold, for each correct answer that is SMSed, the viewer will score 4 runs. The viewer who answers all the question correctly will get a chance to win Rs 1 lakh. The eligibility criterion for winning is that all the questions have to be answered. An added feature will be each movie will comprise 2 or 3 lucky drop-ins wherein each correct answer will give the contestant 6 runs. A grand prize of Rs 1 lakh will be in store for the viewer who makes maximum runs by the end of movie on that day.

Talking about this initiative, Sameer Rao, General Manager, Star Gold said, “Gauging the success of our T20 movie tournament last year, we decided to build on the concept and continue with the tournament this year as well! Integrating innovation with interactivity, this tournament will help us gets a step closer to our dedicated viewers. Further enhancing our viewer’s movie watching experience, we are offering an opportunity to win cash prizes everyday.”

Meryl Streep in The French Lieutenant's Woman

BBC is in talks with a prominent Hollywood studio to adapt the movie into four one-hour episodes. Some reports say that MGM co-president of worldwide television distribution, Gary Marenzi, has said: “We have just got another draft of the script. Now we’ll start to look at casting and where to shoot, it could start later this year.”

If the four-episode miniseries on The French Lieutenant’s Woman is made, it would be the first adaptation of the novel since the 1981 film.

The The French Lieutenant’s Woman miniseries is likely to be shot in America. The French Lieutenant’s Woman movie, starring Meryl Streep and Jeremy Irons, was shot in Lyme Regis in Dorset where the story is set, after the Napoleonic Wars. The movie also stars Hilton McRae, David Warner, Penelope Wilton, and Leo McKern.

John Fowles, author of The French Lieutenant's Woman

John Fowles book, The French Lieutenant’s Woman, was published in 1969.

The book is about Sarah Woodruff who lives a solitary life in the seaside town of Lyme Regis, and is called The French Lieutenant Whore, because she had a short  affair with Varguennes, a French sailor. Varguennes goes back to France to a wife, leaving Sarah behind, who is not even aware that Varguennes is married.

While Sarah spends her time near the sea in Lyme Regis, she meets Charles Smithson and his fiance Ernestina Freeman. Sarah tells Charles her story and they  become close. John Fowles explores three different endings in the book, revolving around Sarah and Charles.

Fowles died in 2005. His other works include The Collector and The Magus.

The movie was directed by Karel Reisz and adapted by playwright Harold Pinter. The French Lieutenant’s Woman was nominated for five Oscars in the categories of Best Actress in a Leading Role (Meryl Streep), Best Art Direction-Set Decoration (Assheton Gorton, Ann Mollo), Best Costume Design, Best Film Editing, Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium.

Meryl Streep won the Bafta award and the Golden Globe for Best Actress for the movie.

Channel V Launchpad 3 reality show

In January 2009, bands were called for auditions from all over the country. Finally seven bands, Faridkot, Reverse Polarity, Cassini’s Division, Blank Noise, Workshop, Circus, and Prachir, were shortlisted. These seven bands entered the House of Rock on February 7, 2009, where they will stay for ten days and perform challenging tasks to win the contest.

During the ten days, the bands will be totally disconnected from the outer world. The seven bands will be trained and mentored by Vishal Dadlani and provided a jam room to make their music.

On his stay in the house, IP Singh, vocalist of Faridkot commented, “It’s good being here, it’s definitely better than working at the office, and we are doing what we like here – making music.”

Faridkot have also been nominated for the Jack Daniel’s Rock Awards to be held in coming weeks for their song Madhav. ” I don’t think we’ll be able to attend that,” Singh said.

One of the tasks given to the seven bands on Day One was to voluntarily pick out one word and make a song out of it in ten minutes. Songs were made on words like Mummy (Faridkot), Pappu (Prachir), Waxing (Cassini’s Division), Bra (Reverse Polarity), Boyfriend (Blank Noise), 420 (Workshop).

There are some band members who have to sit for exams in a few weeks time. Despite that they are completely focused on their music.

The bands will also perform three gigs at the Blue Frog, on February 2, 5, and 9, 2009. They will be judged by a jury comprising Vishal Dadlani, SHAA’IR + FUNC, Ashutosh Phatak, Dhruv Ghanekar, Shekhar, and Raghu Dikshit.

The band that wins the Channel V Launchpad 3 reality show will get to cut an album, secure a record label deal, publish their photo on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine, and shoot a music video with Channel V.

As per reports in the Ananda Bazaar Patrika, Dadagiri will be telecast weekly on the popular Bangla TV channel, ZEE Bangla. In the show, the former Indian captain who retired from the game in 2008 will be seen interacting with the masses and talking to celebrity guests.

There are speculations that Dadagiri will be a quiz show. Sourav Ganguly has confirmed the news saying,” Yes, I have agreed to this proposal. I only know I have to conduct a quiz show.”

Dadagiri aims to find the best talent in Bengal, from various fields. The format of Dadagiri has yet to be finalized. A Zee Bangla official refused to comment on the matter.

Initially the Dadagiri show would have 52 episodes, which may be increased later depending on the popularity of the show.

Reports say that some episodes will feature celebrities from national and international cricket teams.

Saurav Ganguly, who is currently the captain of the Kolkata Knightriders IPL team, will also be selecting cheerleaders for the IPL 2009 season. He will part of a panel of judges in a TV reality show that will be produced by Shahrukh Khan’s Red Chillies Entertainment that is a co-owner of the Kolkata Knight Riders.

The reality show will be telecast on NDTV Imagine, and will start in February 2009. The official cheerleaders will be chosen in March in time for the big league matches that start on April 10, 2009.