Oprah Bans the B-Word, Conan O'Brien to Broadcast 'Show Zero' and More
No "bitches" will be allowed on the Oprah Winfrey Network.In a speech at Maria Shriver's Women's Conference in California, Winfrey promised to ban the word "bitch" from her new cable channel. Instead, OWN will be "fun and entertaining without tearing people down and calling them bitches. Imagine that. Imagine."
OWN debuts Jan. 1 and will include shows featuring Gayle King, fashion guru Carson Kressley and chef Cat Cora, among others. Winfrey told the conference audience that she was "destined" to launch the channel.
"Growing up, I could never find my name on any of those license plates or lunchboxes," she said. "Now, I know what it was for -- to start my own network. A whole network, a whole channel that we're designing to carry the Oprah Winfrey message. I know that as I start out on this next chapter, there's going to be some mistakes. I know there's going to be some stumbles. I know I'm a work in process and progress. I know nothing new is perfect, but I'm not scared. I'm not afraid."
In other TV news ...
Conan O'Brien will air a 'Show Zero' online before his show's TBS debut. Can't wait this excruciating final week before Conan O'Brien returns to television with his new TBS late-night talk show, 'Conan'? Team Coco feels your pain. That's why TeamCoco.com, along with Facebook and YouTube, will live stream 'Show Zero' on Monday night at 11PM ET/8PM PT.
O'Brien promises the warm-up will include celebrity guests, The Basic Cable Band and sidekick extraordinaire Andy Richter and will be broadcast live from the Conaco Production offices in Burbank.
• Speaking of OWN, Carson Kressly will get a solo show on the network. In addition to hosting 'Your Own Show,' the former 'Queer Eye for the Straight Guy' guru will headline makeover series 'Carson-Nation.' [Deadline]
• ABC's 'Modern Family' aired its most-watched episode ever last night. Preliminary ratings show 13.1 million viewers tuning in and a 5.1 adult demo rating. [The Hollywood Reporter]
• 'Facts of Life' star Mindy Cohn will appear on TLC's 'What Not to Wear' Friday night. She follows in the footsteps of 'Blossom' herself, Mayim Bialik, who was featured in an episode last season. [PopWatch]
• Showtime is developing a half-hour comedy based on the blog ImBoyCrazy.com. The show will follow a woman (played by the blog's writer, Alexi Wasser) "looking for love, purpose, and the meaning of her life, one dude at a time. It follows her as she tries to navigate the world of sexuality in the post-modern society of Los Angeles while trying to find real love." [Deadline]
• Cablevision customers have filed a class-action lawswuit against their provider for depriving them of Fox content. The plaintiffs are asking for $450 million, or the equivalent of a one-month rebate for all of Cablevision's 3 million customers. [The Hollywood Reporter]
• In casting news: Mechad Brooks will join USA's 'Necessary Roughness' pilot, and the Lifetime pilot 'Against the Wall' has added three new cast members. Brooks will play a wide receiver who bonds with his therapist, while Marisa Ramirez, Brandon Quinn and and Chris Johnson will play coworker, brother and friend, respectively, to the cop lead of 'Against the Wall.' [Deadline]

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