Yeah, ‘F.A.T. Chance’
Oxygen is gearing up for the second season of “Mo’Nique’s F.A.T. Chance.” The show’s first season was the top-rated series in Oxygen history – so you can guess they’re excited over there about season number two, hosted
again by Mo’Nique. Toward that end, “F.A.T. Chance” producers will be here Monday at Roseland Ballroom (10 a.m.-1 p.m.) looking for “full-figured women who help redefine the face of American beauty.” It’s the last stop on a five-city casting call.
Speaking of ratings, Disney Channel’s “High School Musical” just keeps going and going . . . The movie, which has already shattered network records, aired for the eighth time last Friday with a special “Dance-Along” event -and snared nearly 5 million viewers to finish first in kids 6-11 and tweens 9-14. It also ranked first in (cable) households, and ranked 12th in households among all cable and broadcast networks.
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This is a big week for Peter Graves. The veteran actor (“Mission: Impossible”) not only turns 80 on Saturday, but recently celebrated 55 years in show business and the 25th anniversary of the release of “Airplane!” (where he displayed previously unseen comedic chops).
Last, but not least:
* Ch. 41 reporter Merijoel Duran not only won a local Emmy Sunday-but she’s engaged to the man she met while reporting her Emmy-winning story (a single dad raising twin girls).
* Tomorrow: “Hope & Faith” executive producers Nastaran Dibai and Jeffrey Hodes ring the closing bell at NASDAQ. “H&F” moves to 8:30 p.m. next Tuesday night.
* Pat Collins’ annual Broadway special airs Saturday (6:30 p.m./Ch. 5) and repeats Sunday (8 p.m./Ch. 9).
* John Harwood is CNBC’s new chief Washington correspondent.
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* Sean “Diddy” Combs, right, is producing a stove-top version of “Dancing with the Stars” for NBC. The new show, “Celebrity Cooking Showdown,” teams up big-time chefs with celebs in an “Iron Chef”-style showdown. It may be on as soon as April.
* MTV is apparently looking at Vail, Colo. -the high-style ski resort of the rich and famous-to be the next Laguna Beach. The show is looking to cast a group of young friends who live and work in the super-expensive play town.