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MTV, Cabrera hook up for ‘Score’

The hopelessly romantic notion of winning the boy or girl of one’s dreams is about to be translated to television, courtesy of MTV.

The show in question has a slightly less romantic, double-entendre title: “Score.”

Singer/Ashlee Simpson ex-boyfriend Ryan Cabrera will host the show, in which two aspiring songwriters will craft a tune designed to win the heart of a guy or girl. Cabrera and his band will work with the contestants on arranging the songs, and each hopeful will perform at the end of the episode, with the songs then going to MTV’s web site to be downloaded.

The object of the writers’ affections will then choose the winner based solely on the quality of the song. He or she won’t see the winner until the contest is over.

“This series is much more than a relationship show,” says Lois Curren, head of series entertainment at MTV. “It’s the ultimate showcase for emerging songwriters, singers and musicians to present their talent to millions of MTV viewers. “In addition, we’re excited to be working with Ryan Cabrera.”

MTV has ordered 20 episodes of “Score,” which will likely debut in the fall. Joe Simpson, Ashlee’s dad and Cabrera’s manager, will serve as one of the show’s executive producers.

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ABC enlists Simpson, Lachey for sweeps

Their MTV series is done, but ABC is hoping that Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson haven’t faded from the public consciousness yet.

On May 23, the network will unveil the celebrity couple’s third variety-show special, “Nick & Jessica’s Tour of Duty.” As the title implies, the focus of the show will be on entertaining U.S. troops stationed overseas.

The two-hour special, which is running on the last Monday of sweeps, comes about two months after “Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica” ended its run on MTV. (Lachey is currently working on another series for the cable network that will focus on his music career.) Simpson and Lachey are still a go-to couple for the showbiz-news grist mill, although a number of recent reports have focused on the state of their marriage.

Both of the couple’s previous specials have done pretty well for ABC. “The Nick & Jessica Variety Hour” drew close to 11.5 million viewers when it premiered in April 2004, and “Nick & Jessica’s Family Christmas” brought in an audience of 12.4 million in December.

“Tour of Duty” will feature appearances by Willie Nelson, country stars Big & Rich, Jimmy Kimmel, Brian McKnight and Lachey’s brother Drew. ABC also says Simpson and Lachey will deliver “emotional surprises from home” to some of the troops.

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A&E plans 9-11 movie, Lucas-Spielberg biopic

Original movies on subjects ranging from the events of Sept. 11, 2001, to the careers of two of Hollywood’s most powerful directors are on tap at cable network A&E.

The network, which will become home to syndicated reruns of “The Sopranos” next year, announced a number of movie and series projects for 2005-06 at its upfront presentation this week. Among the movie projects is “Flight 93,” which will reconstruct events on the hijacked plane that passengers sacrificed their lives to bring down on 9-11 before it reached its target, the Hollywood trade papers report.

“Flight 93” is at least the third Sept. 11-related project in the works at a network. ABC and NBC are both planning larger-scale miniseries based on the 9-11 Commission’s report.

Also on A&E’s slate is “Celluloid Titans,” which will track the rise of directors George Lucas and Steven Spielberg. It will also focus on the friendly rivalry between the two men who helped usher in the blockbuster era of the past 30 years.

Other movie projects in the works include a biography of country-music legend Johnny Cash and “Touch the Top of the World,” based on a memoir by world-class mountain climber Erik Weihenmayer, who has been blind since age 13.

On the series front, A&E is working on a show called “Random 1,” in which a production team travels across the country to find people in need and tries to help them with their problems.

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Sagal headlines ABC family’s ‘Confidential’

Katey Sagal, the star of ABC’s “8 Simple Rules,” and Christy Carlson Romano, the voice of “Kim Possible,” have signed on to an ABC Family movie set to premiere this summer.

They’ll play mother and daughter in “Campus Confidential,” a film about a high school outsider who takes revenge on the popular kids by publishing a gossipy tabloid newspaper about her school. The movie is currently shooting in New Orleans and is scheduled for an August debut.

Teddy Dunn (“Veronica Mars”) and Keri Lynn Pratt (“Jack & Bobby”) also star.

The story is set in motion when teenager Violet (Romano) and her mom (Sagal) move from their urban home to the suburbs, and Violet is shocked at how cliquish her new schoolmates are. The teachers are in on it too, not bothering to disguise their favortism toward certain students.

To combat the snobbish attitude, Violet and a new friend (Pratt) start publishing their tabloid and exposing the secrets of the popular crowd. Things get out of hand, though, when the two girls print a false rumor about Violet’s crush (Dunn).

Former “thirtysomething” star Melanie Mayron, who’s stepped behind the camera to helm episodes of “Providence” and “Ed” in recent years, is directing the film. David Kukoff and Matt Roshkow (“Model Behavior”) wrote the script.

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Constantine’s pre-‘Idol’ band gets record deal

Camera-loving “American Idol” finalist Constantine Maroulis may or may not have TV-engineered pop stardom in his future. He will, however, have a record in stores next month.

Pray for the Soul of Betty, the rock band Maroulis fronted before auditioning for the hit Fox show – to the camera-captured disdain of some of his bandmates – will see its self-titled album hit music stores May 10. The album is being distributed by KOCH Records, the label that inflicted two William Hung albums on the public last year.

“Pray For the Soul of Betty is one of the best rock bands I’ve heard in years,” says Alan Grunblatt, general manager of KOCH Records. “Considering how popular Constantine Maroulis is, we should go gold for sure!” (punctuation his). Grunblatt is the same label exec who tabbed the famous-for-being-horrible “Idol” rejectee Hung as “the new Elvis” last year.

In addition to Hung, KOCH Records has also released an album by season one “Idol” finalist Jim Verraros and a soundtrack to The WB’s fake “Idol”-like competition “Superstar USA.” It also boasts releases by more established artists, including Texas crooner Robert Earl Keen and hipster favorites Stereolab.

Maroulis was originally positioned as one of two “rockers” – Bo Bice being the other – among the 12 current “American Idol” finalists. As the final rounds have progressed, though, he’s embraced his inner lounge lizard, flirting shamelessly with the camera while performing songs like Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” and, this week, the Bee Gees’ “Nights on Broadway.”