TVSquad

I was never big on clowns when I was a kid. Except for one that is, Bozo.

Larry Harmon wasn't the only person to play Bozo The Clown, but he is the person most identified with the role. A man named Pinto Colvig was the first Bozo The Clown in the mid-1940s on several children's records, and then Harmon was hired to play Bozo in the mid-50s and eventually got the licensing rights to the character and arranged for various people to play the clown on TV in different markets, including Willard Scott in Washington, D.C., Frank Avruch in Boston, and Bob Bell in Chicago. The last show aired on WGN in 2001, and Harmon was involved in a controversy in 2004 when the International Clown Hall of Fame took down Harmon's plaque and recognized Colvig as Bozo. But Harmon never claimed to have created the character, just that he made him what he became.

Harmon died of congestive heart failure in Los Angeles at age 83.

Fans of skanktastic television will love this news. Kim Kardashian and her ass, both stars of E!'s Keeping Up with the Kardashians, are launching a line of perfume. She announced this news on her blog, which, by the way, is one of my favorite blogs. It's wonderfully delusional and self-congratulatory.

I'll indulge you in a sample, "It has always been a dream of mine to start my own perfume business, since I love to mix fragrances together and come up with new and different scents! I hope you understand my total excitement as I let you, the readers of my blog, become the first to know that I am creating my own fragrance!!!" I love the emboldened words and gratuitous use of exclamation points.

Here's who's on the late night shows tonight.

• Charlie Rose: Judith Jamison
• The Daily Show: Lara Logan (repeat)
• The Colbert Report: Jonathan Zittrain (repeat)
• The Late Show with David Letterman: Sarah Jessica Parker and The Republic Tigers (repeat)
• Jay Leno: Dustin Hoffman, Gordon Ramsay, and Flobots (repeat)
• Jimmy Kimmel Live: Charlize Theron, Guillermo del Toro, and We The Kings (repeat)
• Tavis Smiley: Larry Hagman and Lee A. Daniels
• Late Night with Conan O'Brien: Jeff Garlin, Dax Shepard, and The Kills (repeat)
• The Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson: Virginia Madsen, Darin Strauss, and John Hiatt (repeat)
• Last Call with Carson Daly: Adam Carolla, Gary Cannon, and Cloud Cult (repeat)

Former Sopranos mobster Michael Imperioli is returning to television as a police detective. The actor has been cast in ABC's Life on Mars, an American adaptation of the BBC series. Imperioli landed the role of Detective Ray Carling, one of the lead character's colleagues. Ray is described as "a rough, tough sexist who has never heard of the phrase 'politically correct'."

This cast addition is the latest of many changes made to the drama. David E. Kelley is out as the Life on Mars showrunner, and October Road's Josh Applebaum, Andre Nemec, and Scott Rosenberg have replaced him. Producers also decided to move the show's production and fictional setting from Los Angeles to New York City.

VH1 diva Tiffany "New York" Pollard is back this summer for another chapter in her celebreality life. New York Goes to Hollywood premieres in August and will follow your favorite H.B.I.C. as she leaves Tailor-Made behind and tries to make it in Tinsel Town.

To rev up for the new show, VH1 put together a set of promos that have New York acting as classic Hollywood characters. She plays Dorothy from Wizard of Oz: "Toto, where the f*ck are we?" She plays Marilyn Monroe in that classic scene where the blonde starlet walks over the sidewalk grate. However, New York uses the breeze from the passing subway car to dry her nails and her nether regions. Whatever works, right? Finally, New York plays Forrest Gump and imparts some wisdom about life and chocolates.

The videos are after the jump. All three are stupid and unfunny. And all three prove the New York's new show is going to be a blast. Check it out and let me know what you think.

New York Goes to Hollywood premieres August 4th at 9 p.m. ET on VH1.

The American DVD collection for Spaced is finally coming out, and Simon Pegg, Jessica Hynes and Edgar Wright will be promoting it through their US invasion. Well, by "US invasion," I mean they're going on a four-city tour, screening episodes and answering questions in NYC, LA, San Diego's Comic-Con, and Austin. That's sort of an invasion, yeah?

Anyway, I was just sitting here and feeling sorry for myself, like I do, doubly so this time because I won't be able to attend any of those inevitably textbook events. Then, I stumbled across this recent blog entry from Simon Pegg.

According to that journalist without peer, Ted Casablanca -- yeah, I'm sure that's his real name -- Food Network diva and Emmy-winning talk show hostess Rachael Ray is working on a new project.

No, it's not a new cookbook or anything about food or travel, her two specialties on FN. Rachael Ray is writing her memoirs, the story of a kid from upstate New York who's made in big on TV.

Rachael, who turns 40 on August 25, has had a meteoric rise on TV, and as I wrote last week, she's one of five TV stars I think have exceeded expectations. In a very short time, she's become a force with which to be reckoned.

The wackiest talent showcase (yes, wackier than America's Got Talent) is back with Comedy Central's The Gong Show. Hosted by Comedy Central veteran Dave Attell, The Gong Show will feature seven to ten bizarre acts each episode that will be judged by a rotating panel of celebrities. At the end of each show, the act with the highest score will be crowned the winner.

The premiere episode will be judged by Brian Posehn of Just Shoot Me, Steve Schirripa of The Sopranos, and Triumph the Insult Comic Dog. Other judges include Adam Carolla of Drawn Together, Kate Walsh of Private Practice, Andy Dick of Less Than Perfect, Ron White, Dave Navarro, Greg Giraldo, Jim Norton, and JB Smoove of Curb Your Enthusiasm.

Designer and architect Vern Yip is back for a third season of HGTV's Deserving Design. The series will continue to focus on people with touching stories who are in need of some renovation assistance. Stories of this season include a couple who has taken in over sixty foster children (they get a much-needed new family room), a young woman diagnose with advanced breast cancer who needs some design assistance with her condo, and an eco-conscious couple who are in need of Vern's expertise.

I'm excited this show is back for a third season. I loved Vern Yip's designs when he was on Trading Spaces. He always did affordable, modern, and clean-looking updates to the participants' homes. Plus this show isn't as flashy as Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. And there's no Ty Pennington screaming at you.

The new season starts tonight at 9 p.m. ET on HGTV. Will you be tuning in?

Comedy Central is presenting it's first unscripted series this summer called Reality Bites Back. Ten comedians will compete by making parodies of the most infamous reality shows. Whoever makes it to the end will win $50,000 in cash and the title "Lord of All Reality." And guess who's hosting? Michael. Ian. Black. The former State cast member will get to explain the absurd challenges and kick someone off the show each week.

Comedian contestants include Kyle Cease, Chris Fairbanks, Jeff Garcia, Red Grant, Tiffany Haddish, Bert Kreischer, Mo Mandel, Donnell Rawlings, Amy Schumer, and Theo Von. The series will satirize shows like American Idol, Survivor, The Amazing Race, The Biggest Loser, American Gladiators, Dancing with the Stars, and So You Think You Can Dance.

Welcome to Super Skank Wednesday. This is where I celebrate the awesomely skanky people on the following shows: I Love Money, Charm School, New York Goes to Hollywood, and The Surreal Life. Basically, I'll discuss the skankalicious shows that make VH1 the network it is today.

There's been a lull in trashtastic programming lately. I'm stuck watching So You Think You Can Dance (some of the those Latin ballroom costumes are a little slutty) and Secret Diary of a Call Girl (scripted skankiness). I long for VH1 to start their summer of skanktacity. We got a little taste last night with the I Love Money casting special. Check out my review after the jump.

Another day, another list of 10 semifinalists from the Emmys. This time, it's the Best Actor in a Drama.

There are a lot of the usual suspects on the list (which will be knocked down to five nominees in the next round), including actors from Dexter, Mad Men, Grey's Anatomy, Friday Night Lights, Breaking Bad, and House. One show that's not represented is Lost. I thought Matthew Fox did some great work this season, especially his drunk/screwed-up scenes.

After the jump, the list of the ten semifinalists (also check out those in contention for Best Actress - Comedy, Best Supporting Actor - Drama, Best Comedy, and Best Drama).

In an effort to promote Hellboy II: The Golden Army, Universal Pictures is releasing a series of strange and humorous commercials. The first involved James Lipton interviewing Hellboy. Not Ron Perlman, but the character of Hellboy himself. The second has Hellboy meeting the title character from NBC's Chuck (and I love how Ron Perlman's character refers to Zachary Levi's character as "Chucky").

Hellboy is being distributed by Universal and since Universal and NBC are the same entity, I can understand how a crossover between the two is possible. I do wonder if there will be any promotion for the movie when the new season of Chuck begins. Probably not, since the film will have already left the theaters. Still, a Ron Perlman appearance as any character on the show would be kind of cool.

Here's who's on the late night shows tonight.

• Charlie Rose: Naguib Sawiris, and an appreciation of Clay Felker
• The Daily Show: Mike Myers (repeat)
• The Colbert Report: Kenneth R. Miller (repeat)
• The Late Show with David Letterman: Adam Sandler, Scott Dixon, and Donna Summer (repeat)
• Jay Leno: Mike Myers, Abigail Breslin, and David Cook (repeat)
• Jimmy Kimmel Live: Steve Carell and Jewel (repeat)
• Tavis Smiley: Holly Hunter
• Late Night with Conan O'Brien: Patrick Stewart, Oliver Hudson, and A.A. Bondy (repeat)
• The Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson: John Cusack and Parminder Nagra (repeat)
• Last Call with Carson Daly: Maria Menounos, Benjamin Nugent, and Local H (repeat)

Christopher Ciccone, Madonna's super-classy brother who recently penned a tell-all about growing up with the infamous pop star, has set his sights on the reality TV world. Luckily for Madonna, the proposed show has nothing to do with her. Despite previous reports that claimed his reality show would be an extension of his upcoming book, Life With My Sister, the untitled project is said to instead be a design show.

Ciccone is no stranger to the world of design, having contributed to various condos and restaurants, not to mention his big sis' New York apartment. He even appeared on an episode of Top Chef: Miami as part of a restaurant design challenge.