Bye, Edie: Sheridan Leaving Housewives

NBC musical dazzles critics... mostly

(NEWSER) - If you watched the Super Bowl, you just might have heard of Smash, NBC's new drama about the making of a Broadway musical. It premiered last night, and critics are (mostly) giving it a standing ovation:

• The buzz has gotten so intense that the conversation isn't even about whether it'll be good. "Good? Darling, it's great!" gushes Mary McNamara of the LA Times . The creators have "managed to capture the grand and sweeping gesture that is musical theater and inject it with the immediate intimacy of television," an impressive, unprecedented feat.

New 24-hour channel would cater to English-speaking Latinos

(NEWSER) - Disney and Univision are in talks to create a new English-language channel to enter the 24-hour TV news war, insiders tell the Wall Street Journal . The venture would be aimed at English-speaking Latinos, and the companies hope to get it up and running before the presidential election in order to get the edge with political coverage, the sources say. More»

Alan Rickman makes list for late role in 'Die Hard'

(NEWSER) - Good news for those still struggling to fulfill their career dreams: A few famous people have succeeded surprisingly late in life. Cracked lists five:

• Alan Rickman. Won his first film role at age 42. He became a theater actor after abandoning his graphic design business in his late 20s. His role in the stage version of Les Liaisons Dangereuses would lead to Die Hard and the Harry Potter movies. Best bad-guy actor ever?

NBC gives Handler a lot of freedom: 'LAT'

(NEWSER) - If you were worrying that a Chelsea Handler sitcom on network TV would tame the bawdy comedian, you can stop. Tonight's NBC debut of Are You There, Chelsea? features bartender Chelsea, played by Laura Prepon, behind bars for drunk driving, where she prays (to vodka) and promises to change her life. No, not to quit drinking ... just to relocate within walking distance of the watering hole. The show also includes the sex term "lady wood," the Los Angeles Times notes. More»

George Stephanopoulos will return to the show

(NEWSER) - Sunday morning news junkies will see a big change come Jan. 8: Christiane Amanpour is leaving her gig as host of ABC's This Week and will be replaced by former host George Stephanopoulos. Amanpour will work on prime-time specials for the network and develop a new show focusing on world news for CNN, reports the Huffington Post . Stephanopoulos will continue hosting Good Morning America, but probably on a four-day-a-week schedule, notes AP . More»