BSkyB squares up to Netflix in Blighty

LONDON -- The uber competitive BSkyB is to launch its own on-demand service as it attempts to head off competition with Netflix and impending U.K. smart TV service YouView. Announcing the move as it revealed six monthly figures that showed a slowdown in the number of new pay TV subscribers, the paybox's CEO Jeremy Darroch claimed the initiative would offer "a distinctive" new choice to the 13 million U.K. households that do not buy pay TV. He added: "This new product launch will build on our early leadership in multi-platform distribution. "It will allow us to make our expertise and investment in content and technology work even harder, extending our options for continued growth." BSkyB's on demand offer will bow in the first half of the year. Sky Movies will be available from the start, with sport and entertainment added later in the year. Consumers will be able to choose from a variety of pricing options, including unlimited monthly pay-as-you-go access. This marks a significant departure from BSkyB's traditional subscription-based business model. Darroch said: "Alongside the continued growth of our satellite platform, this will be a new way for us to reach out to consumers, but may not want the full Sky service." Netflix has got off to a strong start in the U.K. and the much-delayed YouView, whose backers include the BBC and BT, is expected to bow late in the spring. BSkyB's six-monthly figures showed that the satcaster added 40,000 new TV customers in the second quarter to Dec. 31 -- missing analysts' forecasts of 58,000 and down on the 140,000 net additions in the same period in 2010. Competition in the U.K. VOD space further increased on Tuesday as Miramax and paybox BT Vision inked a licensing agreement that will bulk up the service's U.S. content for Brit customers. Pics available under the deal include "Chicago," "Pulp Fiction," both "Kill Bill" pics, "The English Patient," "Good Will Hunting," "The Talented Mr. Ripley," "The Aviator" and the first three instalments of the "Scream" franchise. The digital terrestrial and broadband service, owned by local telco BT, already offers fare from Warner Bros., Universal and Film4. Diana Lodderhose contributed to this report. Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com

Chefs offer Sundance goers another

Tijuana chef Javier Plascencia cooks at Chefdance Saturday. "There are many great restaurants in Park City. The problem is, they all are packed, and every film desires to host a night time meal for cast and professionals," mentioned Kenny Griswold, who along with Mimi Kim launched Chefdance nine in the past to supply festgoers a relaxed chance to consume and schmooze. 5-evening quantity of dinners starts tonight at 427 Primary St. (the prior Harry O's space) getting a roster of intriguing chefs cooking for just two festival film teams each evening. Films include Spike Lee's "Red-colored-colored Hook Summer season" and comedy "Save the Date." Each dinner hosts 250 site visitors, a combination of filmmakers, talent and professionals within the requested films and finance professionals from private equity finance finance and banking groups inside an atmosphere where "you'll be able to really finish a conversation," Griswold mentioned. Tonight's dinner is actually chefs from San Diego's Sea Rocket Bistro, together with your imaginative touches as kimchi cotton chocolate and pork face with apple pop rocks and mustard fresh fresh paint. Saturday's dinner supplies a rare chance to taste Tijuana chef Javier Plascencia's food outdoors of Mexico. The Baja Mediterranean cuisine pioneer assists dishes including sous vide beef tongue with black mole and yellowfin tuna parfait. "Top Chef" champion Hung Huynh prepares a ocean food-focused menu Sunday, while Monday's dinner from "Iron Chef" judge Donatella Arpaia features gnocchi with white-colored truffles. Griswold mentioned the fact nothing changes hands -- Nicholas Foods provides the majority of the elements -- helps cultivate a sluggish paced existence the finance pros appreciate. Chefdance's dinner-party format, which addresses the issue in obtaining Park City reservations, has produced other chef-driven occasions through the fest. The Supper Club will get control nowhere Iguana with restaurateur-TV host Todd British coping with chefs including Zakary Pelaccio of NY's Fatty Crab. "Top Chef" alum Marcel Vigneron toplines Supper Suite at Montage Deer Valley, while Goodnight Gansevoort within the One Group House provides dinners for photos including "Lay the favouriteInch from NY restaurants STK and Asellina. Contact Pat Saperstein at pat.saperstein@variety.com

ABC orders Kari Lizer pilot

Lizer ABC has acquired the pilot for any comedy from Kari Lizer and Warner Bros. TV.The untitled half-hour multicamera project concerns a higher-powered female executive that has centered corporate America for a long time, facing the greatest challenge of her existence: finding herself unemployed and serving as a complete-time mother to her two teens.A week ago, Lizer arrived an airplane pilot order from NBC for any project about two femme buddies, also from Warner Bros. TV.Lizer was creator and professional producer from the CBS laffer "The Brand New Adventures of Old Christine." Contact Andrew Wallenstein at andrew.wallenstein@variety.com

Alcatraz Stars Rock the Jailhouse for Premiere Party

Jorge Garcia The Rock was rockin' as the cast and producers of Alcatraz broke into San Francisco's most infamous prison on Wednesday night for their premiere party. It was an especially memorable night for stars Jorge Garcia, Sarah Jones and Jeffrey Pierce, who returned to the island after filming part of the pilot on location. "It's exciting!" Garcia told TV Guide Magazine. "We started shooting this thing a year ago, so it's kind of cool to have a year anniversary on The Rock." "It feels complete, we need to be here," added Jones.As for Pierce, his bad guy character Jack Sylvain appears in the pilot as the first former Alcatraz prisoner to reappear after 50 years, but there might be more to his story in future episodes. "What's going to be fascinating about the show is the piece by piece revelation of why they're doing what they're doing," Pierce teases. "That is going to be the secret surprise in the Cracker Jack box. There are going to be a lot of twists and turns, I guarantee it."The show isn't wasting any time with those big revelations, including a stunning reveal about Parminder Nagra's character backstory at the end of the second hour. "Nobody is quite as they seem," Nagra teases, noting that her relationship with Sam Neill's character in the past is "something to explore further." Added Jones: "I feel like I don't know something. On the boat ride here, one of the writers came up to me and said 'just wait until you see what happens.'"During the party, the cast dined in the mess hall, posed for photos in the shower room and introduced the screening in cell block D. The real-life Alcatraz rangers even taught Garcia how to open the cell doors before locking him inside for a few photos. "OK, you can open it up now!" laughed Garcia. Even though production has moved north to Vancouver, Garcia hints the opportunity to return to Alcatraz is still on the table. "There are certain things that this city has that are very signature to the look," says Garcia. "It would be fun to showcase that every now and again."Alcatraz premieres Monday, January 16 at 8/7c on Fox.Subscribe to TV Guide Magazine now!

'Ghost Protocol' scares up $46 mil overseas

Paramount's "Mission: Impossible -- Ghost Protocol" nabbed $46.2 million from Dec. 31 to Jan. 2, bringing its international cume to a terrif $227.6 million as it spent a third consecutive week atop the overseas box office.The pic, with a global tally of around $365 million through Jan. 2, is on track to become the franchise's highest-grossing installment, according to Par. The second "Mission" topped out at approximately $545 million worldwide in 2000.Large-screen exhib Imax has helped boost totals for "Ghost Protocol."The film's Imax presentation has collected north of $46 million worldwide, of which $13 million comes from international Imax wickets. Par released the film domestically for an exclusive week-early launch in Imax (the pic's domestic Imax tally has reached $33.1 million)."Ghost Protocol" opened in Blighty on Boxing Day (Dec. 26), topping the local B.O. with $12.7 million in its first seven days. (That's nearly 20% better than the third "Mission: Impossible's" initial-week gross in the U.K.)The pic also held pole position in holdover Asian territories, including Japan and South Korea, where after three go-rounds it has cumed $35.7 million and $34.8 million, respectively.Par has yet to release "Ghost Protocol" in several key markets, such as Italy, Argentina and China, where the pic is set to bow late this month. Because of the government-imposed blackout holiday period -- during which only local product is permitted -- China's Oscar foreign-lingo submission, "The Flowers of War," has had room to grow locally. The pic, which bowed Dec. 26, has scored $83 million at the Chinese B.O. in its first 17 days."Flowers" stands as the country's sixth-highest grossing film of all time. Contact Andrew Stewart at andrew.stewart@variety.com

Josh Lucas States Frightening Jury Duty Experience Assisted Cause Him To Sign Up For That Firm

First Released: The month of january 6, 2012 5:23 PM EST Credit: Getty Images Caption Josh Lucas and Juliette Lewis speak onstage throughout The Firm panel throughout the NBCUniversal area of the 2012 Winter TCA Tour in the Langham Huntington Hotel, Pasadena, The month of january 6, 2011LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- Josh Lucas, star of NBCs new drama The Firm, says carrying out his jury duty service in NY City 2 yrs ago, on the situation which hinged on whether or not to send a guy to prison for existence, assisted inspire him to defend myself against the role of lawyer and crusader for justice famous John Grisham character Mitch McDeere. I'd skipped jury duty multiple occasions because I had been on movies. After I visited perform the Lincoln subsequently Lawyer I visited the courthouse and that i stated, I must investigate and incorporate by using my jury duty. They stated, No, we dont care, Josh recounted following this Television Experts Association Winter Session panel on Friday for his NBC show, which premieres this Sunday evening, explaining the origins of methods he wound up around the situation. A legal court eventually told Josh to set of November 13, 2010, and the very next day, he was sent lower towards the court docket of the trial he'd eventually take part in. The 2nd I walked in, I saw this person recognize me, the defendant. I saw him speak with his lead a lawyer about this and so i went immediately towards the bailiff and that i stated, I have to talk to the judge, and also the judge stated, As we release everybody who came here simply because they had conflicts of great interest like yours, we'd not have the ability to get juries. Weve made the decision to prevent doing that. It does not matter if you are famous any longer. Unless of course we determine youre at risk, thats the only method you may be ignored, Josh ongoing. So strangely, Then i got selected. The situation was one the actor didnt would like to get into an excessive amount of detail on, but he suggested it affected him deeply. It had been this type of severe situation they needed to not only shackle him, however they needed to hold him lower within the court docket throughout his testimony, Josh stated. I cant let you know much [more] of computer was incredibly severe and violent, he added, verifying the situation involved the accused spouse. And also the actor was area of the jury that wound up convicting the un named guy for existence. He was involved with multiple crimes before [the main one he was on trial for], which i was not really permitted to understand and thats where I fell deeply in love with the legal elements, the actor described. There is a lot which i discovered afterwards that will have colored my ideas. And So I thought, this really makes if it is done correctly it can make for quite interesting television, if you're able to make a move that is not just normal procedural, procedural, procedural and thats where I really hope this show goes increasingly more. Six several weeks later, the chance emerged for that Firm, and Josh signed on. The 2-hour season premiere from the Firm premieres on Sunday at 9 PM EST/PST on NBC. Copyright 2012 by NBC Universal, Corporation. All privileges reserved. These components might not be released, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Cybill Shepherd to Star Opposite Jennifer Love Hewitt in The Client List

The Client List, Cybill Shepherd and Jennifer Love Hewitt Cybill Shepherd has signed on to star in Lifetime's drama series adaptation of The Client List, Deadline reports. In the original TV movie and upcoming series, Jennifer Love Hewitt plays Riley, a Texas housewife who's deserted by her husband and subsequently launches a massage parlor that offers sex healing in addition to therapeutic massages. Shepherd will reprise her role as Riley's mother, Lynette. Check out the rest of today's news This is Shepherd's first series regular role since starring in the '90s sitcom Cybill. The 61-year-old actress has since guest-starred on Psych, Eastwick and The L Word.

Box Office: Mission: Impossible Stays On Top, Surpasses Predecessor

Mission Impossible 4 Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol rang in the new year atop the box office, surpassing the gross for Mission: Impossible III, according to Box Office Mojo. The film, which stars Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner and Paula Patton, earned an estimated $31.3 million in its third week of release, bringing its total to $134.1 million after just 17 days. The third Mission: Impossible took in a total of $134.03 million back in 2006. Mission Impossible tops holiday weekend box office Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows started 2012 in second place, bringing in an additional $22.1 million. Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked followed at No. 3 with $18.3 million. War Horse galloped into fourth place with $16.9 million. At No. 5, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo earned $16.8 million. We Bought a Zoo came in at sixth place, with $14.3 million. The Adventures of Tintin landed at No. 7, drawing $12 million. Rounding out the top 10: New Year's Eve (No. 8, $6.7 million), The Darkest Hour (No. 9, $4.3 million) and The Descendants (No. 10, $3.6 million).