Connie Britton To Star In ABCs Nashville

After lengthy negotiations, Friday Night Lights alumna Connie Britton has closed a deal to star in ABCs drama pilot Nashville. Written by Callie Khouri, directed by R.J. Cutler and produced by Lionsgate and ABC Studios, Nashville is described as a family soap about love, country music, family, politics and sex set against the backdrop of the Nashville music scene. It centers on 40-year-old Nashville superstar Rayna James (Britton) who is stunned to find that her star is fading and her label requires her to team up with teen sensation Juliette Barnes (Hayden Panettiere) on touror else face the loss of her own tour and the labels promotion of her latest record, whose sales have been underwhelming. Complicating things for Rayna, a married mother of two is the fact that she is the family’s sole breadwinner. This marks Britton’s return to broadcast television after recently starring on the first season of FX’s anthology horror drama American Horror Story. She previously toplined with Kyle Chandler Friday Night Lights, reprising her role from the hit Peter Berg movie of the same name. The drama series, which originated on NBC before migrating to DirecTV, earned Britton two Emmy nominations. On the big screen Britton, repped by WME and Untitled Entertainment, will next be seen in Friend For the End of the World opposite Keira Knightly and Steve Carell.

Study: Cable industry fumbled VOD

New research hammers the cable industry for fumbling VOD badly enough to miss out on billions in ad revenue and paving the way for the emergence of over-the-top alternatives like Netflix. The Diffusion Group estimates that VOD makes up just 1% of U.S. TV viewing, or 3.6 billion of 350 billion total hours watched in 2010. In contrast, analyst Bill Niemeyer noted that the 2 billion hours Netflix claimed to have streamed in the fourth quarter of 2011 alone was 80% more than cable and telco distributors racked up for their VOD offerings. While VOD is available in approximately 9 million more homes than the 42.9 million homes reported to have digital video recorders in 2010, DVR viewing was eight times greater, according to the research. Keep in mind commercials are often better protected in the VOD environment, where the fast-forwarding that allows for rampant ad-skipping via DVRs is disabled. In terms of revenue, the $263 million in ad dollars Hulu reported in 2010 was nearly twice what MSOs from Comcast to Verizon managed to bring in via VOD that year. Niemeyer projected multichannel VOD would be a $6 billion business had the operators realized the technology's potential over the past decade, squandering a multi-year headstart ahead of OTT challengers. "Online services are now generating impressive consumer viewing, subscription revenue, advertiser spend, and network mindshare that well could belong to operator VOD if only they had prepared for the inevitable: competition from the Internet," wrote Niemeyer. TDG outlines numerous problems that have plagued VOD from the start, including the absence of dynamic ad insertion, adequate measurement techniques and compelling user interfaces that discouraged programmers from giving the platform any programming beyond what they were contractually obligated to deliver via affiliate agreements. Niemeyer blames the cable biz for failing to develop VOD because return of investment wasn't easily justified without broad-scale testing, though solutions to VOD's myriad shortcomings were readily available via vendors. Niemeyer also criticizes the MSOs for focusing too much on TV Everywhere efforts aimed at countering Netflix and its ilk on digital platforms when bolstering VOD would better protect the value of the core TV product, and open up opportunities for interactive advertising as well. TDG estimates that Comcast, the single largest purveyor of VOD, hasn't seen any growth among VOD usage for the past five years even as the company has doubled the amount of content available on the platform. Comcast and Cablevision recently announced separately that they were updating their VOD capabilities with dynamic ad insertion, though specifics on the deployment haven't been disclosed. Satcasters were not included in the study because their VOD offerings were deemed to minimal to measure. Contact Andrew Wallenstein at andrew.wallenstein@variety.com

Special 'Idol' tops Tuesday

Fox's ''American Idol'' easily led its two hours in young adults with Tuesday's special episode. Most competing shows lost demo ground but the CBS ''NCIS'' shows performed well, and the night's final hour saw NBC's ''Parenthood'' wrap its season with an upswing. According to preliminary national estimates from Nielsen, ''American Idol'' averaged a 5.0 rating/13 share in adults 18-49 and 15.8 million viewers overall, on par with its two-hour Wednesday of last week. Tuesday's special episode, in which the 12 male finalists performed, did about 80% better than the net's regular lineup of last week. From 8 to 10 p.m., ''American Idol'' beat runner-up CBS by 56% in adults 18-49 (5.0 to 3.2) and by 37% in adults 25-54 (6.3 to 4.6). At CBS, ''NCIS'' (3.4/9 in 18-49, 18.0 million viewers overall) was dinged a bit by ''Idol'' but pulled to within 3 shares of it in adults 25-54 while beating the music competition in total viewers , something it never did when the shows faced each other on Tuesday for several years. ''NCIS: Los Angeles'' followed with a strong performance (3.1/8 in 18-49, 15.7 million viewers overall), bouncing back by 15% from last week's season low to place second across the board in the 9 o'clock hour; the two ''NCIS'' shows combined to beat ''Idol'' head-to-head in total viewers for the two-hour block. And at 10, ''Unforgettable'' (1.9/5 in 18-49, 9.9 million viewers overall) was down a tad week to week, tying for the hour's 18-49 lead. Opposite tough reality competition, NBC's ''The Biggest Loser'' dropped to season lows (2.0/5 in 18-49, 5.7 million viewers overall), but ''Parenthood'' (1.9/5 in 18-49, 5.1 million viewers overall) had its best demo score since Nov. 29 with its 18th and final episode of the season. The family drama, a strong performer among upscale viewers and a sizable gainer in DVR playback, figures to return for a fourth season in the fall. Fourth-place ABC saw ''Last Man Standing'' (2.1/6 in 18-49, 7.4 million viewers overall), ''Cougar Town'' (1.5/4 in 18-49, 4.3 million viewers overall) and ''The River'' (1.5/4 in 18-49, 4.1 million viewers overall) all edge down to season lows, and ''Body of Proof'' closed out the night with a below-average delivery (1.3/4 in 18-49 CW aired a special repeat of ''Hart of Dixie'' (0.3/1 in 18-49, 0.9 million viewers overall) and original ''Ringer'' (0.4/1 in 18-49, 1.1 million viewers overall). Preliminary 18-49 averages for the night: Fox, 5.0/13; CBS, 2.8/7; NBC, 2.0/5; ABC, 1.6/4; NBC, 1.5/4; CW, 0.4/1. In total viewers: Fox, 15.8 million; CBS, 14.5 million; ABC, 5.6 million; NBC, 5.5 million; Univision, 3.7 million; CW, 1.0 million. Contact Rick Kissell at rick.kissell@variety.com

Mad Men's Season 5 Poster: Simply What Does It Reveal?

Billy Very And so they thought Hathaway As Catwoman and James Franco brings in audiences.Sunday's 84th Academy awards, situated by Oscar stalwart Billy Very for your ninth time, loved just a little bump over last year's much-maligned festivities, according to preliminary amounts.See the Oscars fashion hits and missesThe three-hour telecast came 39.3 million audiences plus an 11.7 rating inside the grownups 18-to-49 demographic, up from 37.9 million and basically a tick below last year's 11.8.Everyone else was the second finest since the 2007 ceremony, when 40.2 million up-to-date in. (This Year's show acquired 41.7 million.)The Artist, Hugo and Meryl Streep top OscarsElsewhere, systems forfeited the evening for the Oscars typically, airing repeats, besides the Astonishing Race (7.6 000 0000, 2.1) and Celebrity Apprentice (5 million, 1.8), which fell 25 and thirty percent, correspondingly, striking series ratings lows.8 p.m.CBS: The Astounding Race 7.6 000 0000 audiences (2.1 demo rating) ABC: Oscars Red-colored-colored Carpet Live 8.64 million (3.) 84th Academy awards 6.3 million audiences (1.7) [8:30-11:30 p.m.]Fox: The Simpsons (R) 3.9 million (1.6) Napoleon Dynamite 3.6 000 0000 (1.6)NBC: Celebrity Apprentice (R) 2.5 million (.8) 9 p.m.CBS: The Mentalist (R) 4.8 million (.9)Fox: Family Guy (R) 3.5 million (1.6) American Father! (R) 3.2 million (1.5)NBC: Celebrity Apprentice 5 million audiences (1.8) [9-11 p.m.]10 p.m.CBS: CSI: Miami (R) 5.8 million (1.2)

Exclusive 'Goon' Buying and selling Cards: Now When Needed!

Seann William Scott and Liev Schreiber beating the ever-loving snot from one another, on ice believe it or not? Yeah, that seems like my concept of an incredible time in the movies. That's just what "Goon" has available for audiences once the hockey flick from Scott, Schreiber and Jay Baruchel hits theaters in choose metropolitan areas on March 30. Obviously, you can aquire a load of "Goon" way before that release date -- it's presently on VOD by today (Feb 24)! In front of the first "Goon" viewing experience, take a look at these "Goon" buying and selling cards, solely at MTV Movies. Check Them out beyond the jump! Yeah, that Ross Rhea card is rising on my small wall immediately. "Goon" hits VOD on Feb 24 and comes to choose theaters on March 30.

Steven Spielberg talks Tintin 2

Total Film recently caught up with Steven Spielberg, and we got him to spill the beans on the upcoming Tintin sequel.Spielberg directed the first instalment of the performance-capture/animated take on Hergé's spirited comic book series, with Peter Jacskon serving as producer. The pair had planned on a trilogy, and the ending of The Secret Of The Unicorn certainly left things open for a sequel.So what can Spielberg tell us about Tintin 2?"Peter [Jackson]'s doing it. I wanted to do it, but Peter has to because we made a deal. I said, 'I'll direct the first one, you direct the second one.'"And Peter, of course, is going to do it right after he finishes photography on The Hobbit. He'll go right into the 31, 21 days of performance capture."We're not telling the world what books we're basing the second movie on yet."But didn't producer Kathleen Kennedy say it's going to be The Calculus Affair?"We haven't decided that yet. She's throwing a monkey wrench into your story! It could be that. I like The Calculus Affair. So it could be."We have completed a story outline now. We have a writer on it. I'm just not declaring what it is. It will be more than one book, but no more than two."The Adventures Of Tintin: The Secret Of The Unicorn arrives on DVD and Blu-ray on 19 March 2012.For more from Steven Spielberg, get the new issue of Total Film magazine, which hits newsstands on Thursday 16 February.And, it's a special interactive issue this month, which means that you can get great extra content through the free Blippar app. Check out the mag for full details! Click here to subscribe to Total Film magazine.Click here to get Total Film magazine on iPad and iPhone from Apple Newsstand.

BERLIN: SPWA shoots for '2 Guns'

BERLIN --- Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions is nearing. a multi-territory deal for Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg starrer ''2 Guns.'' The $80 million pic, which Emmett/Furla Films and Universal Pictures are fully financing, is helmed by ''Contraband'' director Baltasar Kormakur. Mark Damon's Foresight Unlimited and Brian O'Shea's The Exchange have been shopping the project to buyers at the European Film Market in Berlin this week and the project didn't take long to heat up the market as the fest unspooled on Thursday. Kormakur is directing from a screenplay by Blake Masters (''Brotherhood''). Pic, which Uni will release domestically in late 2013, is an adaptation of Steven Grant's graphic novel ''2 Guns,'' which sees a DEA agent and an undercover Naval Intelligence officer who have been tasked with investigating one another but find they have both been set up by the mob , the very org the two men believe they have been stealing money from , to steal $81 million from the CIA. The mismatched pair must eventually learn to trust each other and work together to dig to the truth of the matter and survive. Marc Platt will produce the pic with Randall Emmett and George Furla. Envision Entertainment's Stepan Martirosyan and Remington Chase, who maintain a film fund with Emmett/Furla, will exec produce. Contact Diana Lodderhose at diana.lodderhose@variety.com