Close seasoned for ‘Shield’

Looks like Glenn Close has developed a fatal attraction for cable.

The Oscar-nominated actress is joining the cast of FX’s “The Shield” as the new captain of the Farmington precinct, reports TV Guide Online.

Close will appear in all 13 episodes of the show’s fourth season, which kicks off in March.

“Glenn is flat-out, hands-down one of the very best actresses on the planet,” raves series creator Shawn Ryan. “We think this is an extremely unique, dynamic character that shakes our Shield world upside down over the course of the entire season.”

In other TV news, ABC has given full-season orders to its two breakout rookie hits – the twisted suburban soap “Desperate Housewives” and the survival drama “Lost,” reports E!Online. The freshman series have helped boost ABC to its first strong showing in the ratings in at least four years.

Mary-Kate rumors denied

After spending time at a treatment center for an eating disorder, Mary-Kate Olsen is under heavy scrutiny during her freshman year at New York University, reports The Associated Press.

Her publicist, Michael Pagnotta, denied Tuesday a report on NBC’s “Today” show that the 18-year-old actress had suffered a setback and returned to Los Angeles.

“Somehow there’s a suggestion that she has relapsed into an eating disorder,” he said. “That’s just silly. She’s in ongoing treatment for an eating disorder. She is working very hard at being well.”

Pagnotta, in a statement, said Olsen is in Los Angeles for a few days on personal business “and will be returning to New York and to school shortly.”

Janice Min, editor in chief of US Weekly magazine, said on the “Today” show that the brunette half of the Olsen twins was under too much stress.

“She just got out of recovery when she came to New York,” Min said. “For anyone who has been to college, the freshman year is stressful, and when you are Mary-Kate Olsen and having the whole world watch your behavior and what you eat was too much.”

‘Soup’-ers redo ‘Gilligan’

NEW YORK (AP) – Grammy-nominated Bowling for Soup has recorded a remake of the “Gilligan’s Island” theme song for TBS’ new reality series, “The Real Gilligan’s Island,” set to premiere on Nov. 30.

The show is based on the ’60s comedy. Castaways will work together to try to get off the island. Episodes are modeled after some of the situations that occurred in the original series, the Atlanta-based cable channel said Wednesday.

In 2003, Bowling for Soup was nominated for a Grammy Award for best pop performance by a duo or group with vocal for “Girl All the Bad Guys Want.”

Kimmel keeping ABC spot

LOS ANGELES (AP) – Jimmy Kimmel will keep up the late-night banter for another year. ABC said Wednesday it has renewed “Jimmy Kimmel Live” through 2005.

“I’m delighted that ABC has exhausted all other options and picked up mine for another year,” Kimmel joked in a statement released by the network.

The program debuted in January 2003.

Copy the Story Link