Games Of Thrones Director Alan Taylor To Helm Thor 2

First Published: December 26, 2011 1:31 PM EST Credit: Getty Premium LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- Caption Chris Hemsworth steps out at the premiere of Thor at the El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles on May 2, 2011Thor 2 has found its director. Alan Taylor will replace Patty Jenkins at the helm of the superhero sequel, according to Deadline, which was first to report the news. Taylor, an accomplished TV director, is best known for his work on HBOs Game of Thrones, as well as credits on small screen hits including Boardwalk Empire, Mad Men and Nurse Jackie. Jenkins, director of 2003s crime drama Monster, was originally slated to direct the film, but was removed from the project earlier this month following rumored creative differences with Marvel. The highly anticipated sequel, featuring returning star Chris Hemsworth as the hammer-wielding Norse god, is slated for theatrical release on November 13, 2013. Copyright 2011 by NBC Universal, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

ROLL CALL: Kevin Federline Really Happy For Britney Spears On Her Engagement

First Published: December 19, 2011 2:11 PM EST Credit: WireImage LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- Caption Kevin FederlineK-Fed Shows BritBrit Some Love: There doesnt appear to be any ex animosity between Britney Spears and Kevin Federline. Following the announcement of her engagement to Jason Trawick, the man who gave us Popozao, spoke out about the pop stars upcoming nuptials. Im really happy for her I think hes a great guy, K-Fed told reportedly told Australias TV Week. Shes happy; shes doing really well. I want to say shes in a good place. I havent spoken to her much since Ive been over here (K-Fed is Down Under filming the weight loss reality show Excess Baggage) both of us have been busy with her being on tour but I do know from talking to the kids and talking to the kids teachers that theyre doing really good. Its a good step in the right direction. Im totally happy for her. Could this mean that K-Fed, who split with the pop star in 2007, might possibly get an invite to Brit and Jasons wedding? Shiloh Steals The Show!: The Brangelina clan celebrated Brads 48th birthday this weekend in Las Vegas (CLICK HERE for all the details!), but its the expression on Shilohs face while sitting in the audience that stole the show for us! See the always adorable Shiloh, HERE! In Case You Missed It!: Host Jimmy Fallon, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler and Seth Meyers reminded us how good Saturday Night Live can be this weekend during a Weekend Update Joke-Off. See who had the best punch line for a story about a strip club having a toy drive, HERE! In Case You Missed That It Or Wondered Who Broke Wind!: On Fridays The View there was an odd noise during an interview with Homeland star Claire Danes. The noise, which appeared to emanate from Whoopis region, caused the host to say, Excuse me, I just let a frog out of there. However, TV execs told The Huffington Post, It was a joke. Every time there is a fun noise she pretends it was her. Check out the possible wind break, HERE! Copyright 2011 by NBC Universal, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Matt Roush's Top 10 (And Then Some) of 2011

Michelle Dockery and Dan Stevens 1. HOMELAND The best new series of the year is Showtime's twisty nail-biter of a psychological thriller, an emotionally intense cat-and-mouse game between two damaged souls: Damian Lewis as Nicholas Brody, a Marine POW who may have been turned by terrorists during eight years in Iraqi captivity, and Claire Danes as Carrie Mathison, the unstable CIA analyst who breaks all the rules to get under his skin - and at times under the sheets. (Bringing new meaning to undercover agent). The actors are as electrifying as the storytelling in this taut tale of homeland insecurity, which also features a marvelously restrained Mandy Patinkin as Carrie's melancholy mentor and a revelatory Morena Baccarin as Brody's understandably conflicted wife. Homeland comes from the veteran producers of 24, who have lost none of their knack for sustained suspense, but within this more realistic framework have been able to concoct a thoughtful and gripping meditation on the human toll of the war on terror. 2. DOWNTON ABBEY A complete delight. PBS' sprawling, Emmy-winning Masterpiece miniseries, with echoes of Jane Austen and Upstairs Downstairs in its wittily sudsy panache, is set on a grand but embattled English estate in the years before WWI, with romantic and financial intrigues distracting the well-born and servant class alike. First among equals in the brilliant ensemble: Maggie Smith as the perpetually indignant Countess Dowager, given to hilariously withering pronouncements like, "No Englishman would dream of dying in someone else's house." The very idea! Want more Matt Roush? Subscribe to TV Guide Magazine now! 3. BREAKING BAD Not missing a beat in its excruciatingly suspenseful fourth season, AMC's dark fable of violent corruption pits the desperate Walt White (Bryan Cranston, deepening the darkness of this outrageous anti-hero) against the icy kingpin Gus Kring (Giancarlo Esposito in a masterful performance of understated menace) in an unpredictable season-long battle of wills. After the cunningly plotted and literally explosive season climax, Walt says "I won" to his morally compromised wife Skyler (Anna Gunn). Yes, he did, but at what cost? 4. COMMUNITY-vs-THE BIG BANG THEORY Airing opposite each other all year on Thursdays were two fabulous extremes on the spectrum of comedy magic. NBC's low-rated gem, the epitome of cult comedy, the experimental and existential - and hugely entertaining - "fan favorite" Community defies genre categorization (a Glee holiday parody is also a takeoff on Invasion of the Body Snatchers) while bringing to life an ensemble of indelible misfits. And dominating the time period, The Big Bang Theory, CBS' gut buster of a monster sitcom hit, has only intensified its geeky genius since beefing up the roles of the ladies in these dysfunctional brainiacs' lives, with Mayim Bialik's dour Amy and Melissa Rauch's perky Bernadette keeping Kaley Cuoco's Penny from being the oddest girl out. 5. GAME OF THRONES HBO successfully brings the epic fantasy to TV with dynamic impact in this adult, red-blooded and relentlessly brutal saga derived from George R.R. Martin's iconic page-turners. Grim tidings befall good people (including Sean Bean's noble Ned Stark) in a medieval mash-up of dynastic mayhem with just the right amount of supernatural menace. 6. JUSTIFIED In the sensational second season of FX's tangy, twangy crime drama, the lethally charming U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens (Timothy Olyphant) meets his match - in Emmy winner Margo Martindale's monstrously ruthless Kentucky mountain matriarch Mags Bennett. With her deadly Apple Pie moonshine always at arm's reach, she presides over a tangled multi-family feud for control of Harlan County. If only her bumbling offspring had inherited her steel. Justified goes down with the kick of blended whiskey. 7. THE MIDDLE & MODERN FAMILY The have-not Hecks of Indiana and the well-off West Coast Pritchett/Dunphy clan have little in common, except being uncommonly funny. ABC's underappreciated The Middle nails the raucous comic anxiety of overwhelmed parents (the award-worthy Patricia Heaton and Neil Flynn) and their underachieving square-peg kids: lazy Axl, Poor Sue and oddball Brick. In terms of cultural relevance, The Middle may actually be TV's most significant current comedy. Meanwhile, the acclaimed Modern Family continues to spearhead TV's comedy renaissance with sophisticated farce that anyone with relatives can relate to. 8. FRINGE Living on the fringe of the TV schedule and ratings, Fox's sci-fi/fantasy mind-blower just keeps expanding in its mystical complexity. As Peter Bishop plays peek-a-boo between warring universes, we're treated to cautionary Frankenstein parables of the dangers of playing God. A more than worthy successor to The X-Files. 9. THE GOOD WIFE Once Alicia (Emmy winner Julianna Margulies) embraced her bad side, in a tumultuous secret liaison with her boss Will (Josh Charles), network TV's most compelling drama is also its steamiest, cunningly blending the personal with a sharply written legal procedural that is never less than stimulating. 10. NEW GIRL Four's company, and great company at that. In Fox's endearingly zany new comedy, a free-spirited pixie (Zooey Deschanel in a career-defining test of the how-much-is-too-cute threshold) moves into a man cave with three guys, including Max Greenfield as the hilariously smarmy Schmidt. Their bro-code of conduct will never be the same with this sweet, silly and needy interloper in their midst. She's a hoot, and so's the show. Under the heading of honorable mention, I would have liked to include DirectTV/NBC's Friday Night Lights and FX's Rescue Me on the list for their final seasons, but we were already cheering their finales within the same issue's "Cheers & Jeers" package, so honor was done. In retrospect, I'm sorry I didn't find room for FX's small but mighty, and darkly funny, Louie. Under most improved, and getting better all the time, Parks and Recreation succeeds Community (going on undeserved hiatus) as NBC's best comedy. Damages enjoyed another taut, suspenseful season on DirecTV. What's TV's best American horror story? Not that overrated FX monstrosity, but AMC's imperfect but perfectly harrowing The Walking Dead. And my biggest surprise since fall, because the pilot didn't blow me away, is the guilty pleasure of ABC's Revenge, especially since the evil Tyler showed up to spread his malice in the Hamptons. He makes Emily look like an amateur. In terms of the year's biggest disappointments, that list would include the aforementioned American Horror Story (which, with the exception of the fabulous Jessica Lange, is as inept and indulgent as it is sickeningly ugly), HBO's turgid Mildred Pierce miniseries, the woeful Oscar-night hosting of James Franco and Anne Hathaway, Starz' misguidedly Americanized Torchwood: Miracle Day, ABC's shoulda-been-more-fun Pan Am, AMC's shoulda-been-more-original Hell on Wheels, and ABC's shoulda-never-aired Charlie's Angels reboot. There are more (many thankfully forgotten), but why dwell on the bad? Here's to an even better 2012 in TV. Happy new year! Subscribe to TV Guide Magazine now!

The Way I Met Your Mother's Alyson Hannigan Expecting Second Child

Alyson Hannigan Inside a situation of existence emulating art, The Way I Met Your Mother's Alyson Hannigan is pregnant together with her second child, TVGuide.com has confirmed. Fortunately for that 37-year-old actress, her Mother character also transpires with presently be pregnant, so she will not need to hide behind giant handbags or be a part of waitress or eating contests. Browse the relaxation of present day news This is actually the second child for that Buffy alum and husband Alexis Denisof, 45, who in addition have a 2-year-old daughter named Satyana. The pair get married in 2003.

Madonna, Trent Reznor, Sinad O'Connor Among Musicians to Land Golden Globe Nominations

Sonja Flemming/CBS"The Amazing Race" CBS on Thursday announced more changes to its midseason schedule, including the premiere date of the next season of The Amazing Race as well as new Friday time periods for Undercover Boss and A Gifted Man.our editor recommends'Amazing Race' Season 19 Winners Revealed'Undercover Boss,' 'Dog Whisperer,' 'Dance Moms,' 'Best Ink' Get Premiere DatesCBS Orders More 'Gifted Man' Episodes Race's 20th edition is set to premiere at 8 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 19, with Phil Keoghan returning as host. Last week's season finale posted season-high ratings in viewers (11.2 million and adults 18-49 (3.3 rating). PHOTOS: CBS' New Season TV Shows: 'Person of Interest,' 'A Gifted Man' and More The reality show Undercover Boss, meanwhile, premieres at 8 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 15, but then relocated to 8 p.m. Fridays starting Feb. 17. The move means that freshman drama Gifted Man, which airs at 8 p.m. Fridays, will shift back an hour, to 9 p.m. The spiritual-tinged medical drama, which stars Patrick Wilsonin his first series television role, was recently picked up for three more episodes. The show has been a modest performer at 8 p.m. Fridays. STORY:CBS Announces Premiere for Rob Schneider Comedy, 'Undercover Boss' Return Date After Gifted Man completes its 16-episode run, CSI: NY will return to the 9 p.m. Friday time slot. Blue Bloods will continue to air at 10 p.m. Fridays. CBS recently announced that the Rob Schneider comedy ¡Rob! will premiere at 8:30 p.m. Thursdays, starting Jan. 12. PHOTO GALLERY: View Gallery CBS' New Season TV Shows: 'Person of Interest,' 'A Gifted Man' and More Patrick Wilson Phil Keoghan CBS The Amazing Race A Gifted Man Undercover Boss

A 'Tinker's' murmer

Helmer Tomas Alfredson kicked off the Dec. 7 preem of Focus Features' "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" at the Arclight by singing a Swedish version of "Happy Birthday" to producer Robyn Slovo. After receiving a warm round of applause, Alfredson told the crowd he hoped they'd understand his film, based on John le Carre's dense espionage novel. The afterparty at the Chateau Marmont found stars Gary Oldman, Colin Firth and Mark Strong mingling with well-wishers. Alfredon mused about the pic's protag, George Smiley, being "so complicated for an actor to do, because Smiley doesn't speak for 16 or 17 minutes in the beginning, and in the end, he raises his voice slightly." On certain takes, Oldman's Smiley was a bit too low-keyed. "Tomas would ask me to go a little bigger sometimes, because what I was doing was so small that it wasn't registering," recalled the thesp. "He'd ask me to glance over at Colin and I'd say, 'I did,' and he'd say, 'Can you make it a little bit bigger because we didn't quite see it.' By the end, we communicated telepathically." n Contact Jeff Sneider at jeff.sneider@variety.com

CW Pushes Back Midseason Returns of Ringer, 90210

Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ioan Gruffudd The midseason returns of 90210 and Ringer happen to be postponed, the CW introduced on Friday. 90210 is going to be back on Tuesday, Jan. 17 at 8/7c Body week after formerly introduced - and can function as charge-to the CW's new reality series Renovated, which follows modeling industry veteran Paul Fisher because he attempts to gather 100s of small agencies. Remodeled's premiere will repeat the next evening at 8/7c in addition to Friday, Jan. 20 at 9/8c, and it is second episode will air on Tuesday, Jan. 24 at 9/8c. Catch on Ringer and 90210 within our Movie Guide Ringer will return on Tuesday, Jan. 31 at 9/8c as Renovated then forms into its regular time slot on Wednesday, February. 1 at 9/8c. Other CW midseason premieres remain as formerly introduced.

Chelsea Clinton to produce NBC News Debut This Month

Chelsea Clinton Chelsea Clinton could make her NBC News debut Monday, 12 ,. 12, on Rock Center with John Williams, The NY Occasions reviews. Clinton, 31, sets of the nonprofit organization situated in her own home condition of Arkansas. The piece will participate NBC's recurring "Developing a Difference" feature. Clinton was hired lately, nevertheless the network stressed the previous first daughter wouldn't group of politics. Chelsea Clinton joins NBC News "I am hoping telling tales through 'Making a Difference' - just like my academic work and nonprofit work - might help me to reside in my grandmother's adage of 'Life is not in what occurs you, but by what you ought to do in what occurs you,'" she told the Occasions throughout time of her hire. Clinton look on Rock Center additionally to NBC Nightly News. She's the second daughter from the former leader hired by NBC lately. Jenna Rose rose bush Hager is really a correspondent for your Today show since August 2009. Will you watch Clinton's NBC News debut?