Ellen, Rachael Score Emmys

Both Battleground and Lilyhammer get mixed reviews, as streaming services branch out

(NEWSER) - Online streaming sites Hulu and Netflix both launched original series this week, as both services take baby steps toward competing with regular television, reports Gigaom . A look at each:

• Hulu's Battleground is the more conventional of the two, a 13-episode comedy about a Senate campaign in Wisconsin that started today, with a new 22-minute episode airing each Tuesday. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has solid praise for Battleground, saying it is "a smart, well-written comedy series you might find on a premium cable network." The AP is less kind, however, calling it "a light, watered-down knockoff of The Office," while the New York Daily News comes down somewhere in-between.

Group blasts chain's new spokeswoman

(NEWSER) - A group calling itself "One Million Moms" isn't happy about JC Penney's new spokeswoman, openly gay talk-show host Ellen DeGeneres. "Funny that JC Penney thinks hiring an open homosexual spokesperson will help their business when most of their customers are traditional families,” the group says. "More sales will be lost than gained unless they replace their spokesperson quickly. Unless JC Penney decides to be neutral in the culture war, then their brand transformation will be unsuccessful." More»

Police believe the 75-year-old committed suicide

(NEWSER) - Soul Train creator and longtime host Don Cornelius was found dead this morning in his Sherman Oaks, Calif., home, in what police are calling an apparent suicide. Law enforcement sources say the 75-year-old died from a single gunshot wound to the head, which they believe was self-inflicted. Cornelius' Soul Train holds the title of the "longest-running first-run nationally syndicated show in television history," reports the Los Angeles Times . Its 35-year run began in 1971, and in 2010 Cornelius told the paper that he was working on a sort of biographical movie about the show. More»

Michael's daughter remembers dad on 'Ellen' interview

(NEWSER) - In a poignant interview airing today on Ellen, Paris Jackson says that dad Michael once told her, “If I die tomorrow, always remember what I told you.” And, she says, “I took his advice and I remembered everything he told me.” She also related how he influenced her to pursue an acting career, E! reports. “My dad was in the movie Moonwalker and I knew he could sing really well, but I didn't know he could act. I saw that and I said, ‘Wow, I want to be just like him,’” she says. More»

Plus: Letterman gives him a Vespa

(NEWSER) - It’s Regis Philbin's last day on Live! with Regis and Kelly. He kicked off his farewell last night with a visit to David Letterman’s show (highlights in the gallery) and continued with an hour-long goodbye tribute this morning. Who will Kelly Ripa get to cozy up to next? TV Guide offers up a list of eight possible replacements. A sampling:

• Mark Consuelos: First of all, he’s Ripa’s husband. He has also already filled in for Regis, and has hosted his own show. But maybe it's too cutesy a pairing?