Pop Confidential

It's the show the Pop Confidential crew can't stop talking about, Showtime's hit dramedy Shameless. On today's Pop Confidential podcast, Andrew Stearn, president of John Wells Productions, and one of the executive producers of Shameless, joins Jamey Giddens, Luke Kerr, Jillian Bowe and Regan Cellura to talk about his company's bombastic adaptation of Paul Abbott's long-running British series.

The PC gang couldn't wait to dish with Stearn about the series Regan compares to crack, because it's so addictive. Tune in to hear them find out from Stearn what first attracted John Wells Productions to the original U.K. series about the wonderfully dysfunctional Gallaghers.

Stearn reveals the journey his team went on to adapt Shameless for the U.S. market. You won't believe which broadcast network the project was originally slated for before it was pitched to HBO and then finally Showtime.

Find out how John Wells and Stearn got an actor of William H. Macy's caliber to basically lie down on the floor in a drunken stupor, as the unrepentent Frank Gallagher for theShameless pilot. Stearn also gushes about how the rest of his stellar cast came together, from Emmy Rossum (Fiona), to Justin Chatwin (Steve/Jimmy), to Shanola Hampton (Veronica), Steve Howey (Kev), Ethan Cutkosky (Carl) and all the rest, Shameless boasts arguably the best ensemble on television.

Stearn also praises Joan Cusack's standout performance as the tragicomically agoraphobic Sheila (a part originally slated for Alison Janney), as well as newcomer Laura Slade Wiggins, who plays Sheila's attention-seeking daughter Karen. The gang got Stearn to open up about the shocking ending of episode 11, featuring Frank and Karen. Was it hard to get Showtime to let them go there?

Speaking of going there, Stearn also weighs in on the love triangle between Kash (Pej Vahdat), Ian Gallagher (Cameron Monaghan) and Mickey (Noel Fisher), teasing that another Gallagher sibling is going to find out about Ian's secret life in the season finale. Will he or she be as cool with Ian being gay as Lip (Jeremy Allen White) has been?

And what about Steve's own secret life that he's hiding from Fiona. Will it be Debs (Emma Kenney), or Officer Tony (Tyler Jacob Moore) who busts Steve out?

As if all that wasn't enough to fill a fun, half-hour chat, Stearn also talks about the other series John Wells Productions has on the air, TNT's Southland, starring Regina King, which was recently renewed for a fourth season. Does Stearn feel we've entered a time where gritty dramas like Shameless and Southland can only be told on cable? You'll have to download the podcast to find out!

Be sure to check out the season finale of Shameless this Sunday night, March 27 on at 10 pm ET on Showtime. Southland airs on TNT, check your local listings.

On today’s Pop Confidential podcast Jamey, Luke, Jillian, Regan and Melodie discuss the latest in celebrity, TV, movie and music news, including:

Glee’s Blaine and Kurt finally kiss. Did the PC gang enjoy the long anticipated scene? With all the school bullying stories being reported in the news, is it ironic that Ryan Murphy seems to try and bully music groups into letting him use their music on Glee? Are music groups selling out when they let Glee use their music?

The new costume for David E. Kelley’s Wonder Woman has been revealed, but no one on the podcast, other than Luke, seems to have a problem with it. Luke, on the other hand, has big problems with it and doesn’t think it bodes well for the upcoming remake. Will comic book fans be turned off by the costume or should they be more worried about the script? No matter what you think of the Wonder Woman costume, it inspired Pop Confidential’s most heated debate to-date.

Regan and Luke were impressed by Anna Torv’s interpretation of Leonard Nimoy’s Dr. William Bell on Fringe. Unfortunately, the amazing performance wasn’t watched by many people as the show’s ratings are down. Jamey’s had about as much comic book and sci-fi topics as he can handle in one podcast so he turns the topic to the upcoming series The Secret Circle. Days of Our Lives’ alum Shelley Hennig has been cast as the show’s head witch.

Boris Kodjoe has found a new home on the upcoming series Georgetown and Jamey’s beloved Heather Locklear has signed on to star in The Assistants. Regan is ecstatic that Connie Briton has joined Ryan Murphy’s new FX series American Horror Story.

Then it is on to movies. Jamey is worried that Luke will be upset that Kevin Costner has been locked in as Clark Kent’s father Jonathan Kent. Bradley Cooper’s Limitless topped the box office, but Jamey watched The Lincoln Lawyer in theaters and Luke plans to see Paul.

Jamey wraps up the podcast by asking who everyone is listening to. He loves Jennifer Hudson’s “Where You At” and can’t get enough of Colbie Caillat. Find out who everyone else is listening to on their iPods.

On today’s Pop Confidential podcast Jamey, Luke, Jillian and Regan are joined by TV Guide’s Damian Holbrook for almost two hours of pop culture hot topics.

In the wide ranging podcast Holbrook and the PC gang discuss the latest of the Charlie Sheen saga. How will Sheen’s legal battle with Warner Bros. and Chuck Lorre turn out?

They dive into the new pilot season. TV Guide published a great Complete Pilot Report with all the latest developments on the most anticipated series. From Sarah Michelle Gellar’s Ringer to the return of Annie Potts to a southern role in Good Christian B----es!, find out which shows everyone is looking forward to most. Holbrook gives his take on the Wonder Woman and Dallas remakes.

It isn’t just pilot season that has everyone excited. Showtime’s Shameless, ABC Family’s Pretty Little Liars, Fox’s American Idol and TLC’s Sister Wives are also must discuss series. Find out how the release of Glee star Matthew Morrison’s new single “Summer Rain” got Holbrook into a Twitter war.

Everyone is waiting with anticipation for Scream 4. Will people check out Russell Brand’s Arthur when it hits theaters? Battle: Los Angeles topped the box office, but did anyone watch it?

All this and oh so much more on today’s Pop Confidential podcast.

On today’s Pop Confidential podcast Jamey, Luke, Jillian and Regan discuss the latest in TV, music, movie and celebrity news, including:

Charlie Sheen continues to battle Warner Bros and Chuck Lorre. Why are we so fascinated by his antics and why can’t we escape the story? What will happen next? Luke thinks Sheen owes Warlocks an apology. Jillian has a theory about why he’s behaving the way he is.

The House of Dior has dismissed fashion designer John Galliano for his anti-Semitic comments. Oscar winner Natalie Portman, who had an endorsement contract with Dior, expressed her disgust for his comments. Patricia Field came out in defense of Galliano, but many people do not agree with her sentiment.

Spoilers for the upcoming season of True Blood have hit the internet. The PC gang loves True Blood and they dive into the latest developments. Another show the PC gang can’t get enough of is Showtime’s Shameless. Regan thinks William H. Macy deserves and Emmy nomination. The new season of Celebrity Apprentice premiered on NBC and Jamey’s tuning in to see Star Jones face off against NeNe Leaks.

Pop singers who performed for the Gaddhafi family are dealing with the fallout of Muammar Gaddafi’s war against the Libyan people.

Johnny Depp’s Rango topped the box office. Jamey watched I Am Number Four. Did he actually like the sci-fi movie or was he disappointed in it?

On today’s Pop Confidential podcast Jamey, Luke, Jillian, Regan and Melodie discuss the latest in pop culture headlines, including:

Why do we care about Lindsay Lohan anymore? Jamey asks why we, as the public, are obsessed with following her every little move? Charlie Sheen, a functional addict, has advice for Lohan. He also wants to star in another Major League sequel.

The Kardashian’s are worth $65 million, but Jamey doesn’t understand why they never get nominated for an Emmy award. The Amazing Race returned to CBS, but its ratings are down.

The PC gang reacts to Britney Spears’ new music video. The pop icon could be sued by the Bellamy Brothers. Music executive Steve Staute slammed the Grammys for snubbing popular acts like Justin Bieber, while having them pull in ratings by having them perform.

Larry King returns to CNN to be interviewed by Piers Morgan. Will The Jersey Shore and Real Housewives of Atlanta bring an end to civilianization as we know it? Jamey’s latest obsession is Holly’s World on E!. The Good Wife and Pretty Little Liars are must watch for the PC gang. Luke and Regan can’t get enough of Adele’s CD, 21. Melodie is love with MTV’s My Life as Liz and discovers that Jamey is too. All this and much more on today’s Pop Confidential podcast!

On today’s Pop Confidential podcast Jamey, Luke, Jillian, Akash and Melodie are joined by Larry Flick from Sirius OutQ’s The Morning Jolt to discuss everything about the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards.

From Lady Gaga’s red carpet arrival in an egg to Cee Lo dressed up like Big Bird on-stage, this year’s Grammy fashion had the PC gang scratching their heads. Why did Rihanna decide to look like a pipe cleaner?

Lady Antebellum took home Record and Song of the Year, but Arcade Fire shocked viewers when it won Album of the year. Even more shocking was upset win of Esperanza Spalding in the Best New Artist category. Justin Bieber fans took their anger over his loss out on Spalding’s Wikipedia page.

Did Christina Aguilera’s Grammy performance redeem her after her Super Bowl flub? What can she do to get her career back on track? Jamey defends Aguilera passionately, but doesn’t convince everyone else that her career problems are more than a “Glitter moment”?

Did Lady Gaga’s premiere performance of “Born This Way” live up to everyone’s expectations? Does “Born This Way” rip off Madonna? Luke asks Larry to if Gaga’s “Born This Way” or Britney Spears' “Hold it Against Me” is the better song.

What was everyone’s favorite and least favorite Grammy performance? All this and much more on today’s Pop Confidential podcast!

On today’s Pop Confidential podcast Jamey, Luke, Jillian, Regan and Akash dive into what was truly important about the 2011 Super Bowl. Forget who actually won the year’s biggest football game; we only cared about Christina Aguilera flubbing the national anthem, The Black Eyed Peas’ half-time show and Glee’s post Super Bowl episode.

What did the PC gang think of Christina’s botching of the national anthem? Did she crumble under pressure or was she just trying too hard?

The Black Eyed Peas’ half-time show lived down to Luke’s expectations, but it didn’t help that Fox had audio problems. Jamey blames Fergie’s butchering of “Sweat Child O’Mine” on hubby Josh Duhamel’s alleged extramarital entanglements.

The PC crew then moves on to Glee’s post-Super Bowl episode. Did it deliver or did it fall flat? Jamey stirs up a hornet’s nest with his questions and comments about the episode. What did everyone think Glee’s Thriller mashup? Did Blaine and Kurt's singing “Bills, Bills, Bills” gel with the rest of the episode? Is Glee in danger of ending up like popular David E. Kelley series such as Ally McBeal, Private Practice and Boston Legal?

Simon Cowell’s X Factor will give out a $5 million dollar contract to its winner. Is that too much of a prize to award an unknown quantity? How will it compete against American Idol? Will it undermine Fox’s biggest series?

Leighton Meester’s The Roommate topped the Box Office. With a blossoming film career ahead of her and word that co-star Ed Westwick plans to leave Gossip Girl, should The CW series close up shop when its leads leave?

Lindsay Lohan is in trouble again. This time she allegedly stole a necklace. When will Lohan get her act together and can she recover from all her legal problems? All this and much more on today’s show!

On today’s Pop Confidential Podcast Jamey, Luke, Jillian and Regan record their first in-person and in-studio episode. During the fun-filled podcast they share their first impressions of each other and what it was like to meet for the first time. Did it live up to their expectations?

The Oscar nominations have been announced, but were there any shocking nominations or snubs? Which film with win Best Picture? Ashton Kutcher and Natalie Portman’s new movie No Strings Attached is in theatres and Regan gives it a mini review.

Skins has stirred up quite the scandal with its controversial content and boundary pushing storylines, but does it violate federal child pornography statutes? The MTV series’ ratings sank in the second week as advertisers pulled out and the Parents Television Council called for an investigation.

ABC Family’s Pretty Little Liars has returned is hitting it out of the park with their lesbian storyline, featuring Nia Peeples as Emily’s mother Pam. What is A up to and why is she torturing Hanna?

Pop Confidential’s Akash will be live blogging the post Super Bowl episode of Glee and rumor has it that Britney Spears will debut her new music video during the Super Bowl.

Did Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler sell out when they joined American Idol? Each of the PC gang shares their first impressions of the hit reality series’ new judges.

Joel Osteen admitted on Piers Morgan’s new series Piers Morgan Tonight that he believes homosexuality is a sin, which has Jamey weighing in on Osteen’s comments.

All this and much more on today’s Pop Confidential podcast.

On today’s Pop Confidential podcast Jamey, Luke and Jillian are joined by veteran Billboard editor and host of The Morning Jolt With Larry Flick on Sirius OutQ, Larry Flick. In the fun-filled hour Larry tells us about his latest project, America’s Best New LGBT Pop Star. The contest, whose winner will be announced on February 17, will help discover the next the next LGBT pop star. Larry also reveals some of the guest judges to appear on the show and what he’s looking for in contest submissions. He discusses whether-or-not long-time friend and ex-American Idol judge Kara DioGuardi will be a guest judge.

The conversation then turns to the state of the music industry and its stars. Jamey gets Larry’s take on Bieber mania and if the young singer will be able to make the transition to an adult artist. How will R&B super-star Usher factor into Bieber’s long term success? On his Sunday show Feel The Spin, Flick features up and coming new artists prompting Luke to ask, who will be the next Lady Gaga or Britney Spears? Chris Brown has been in the news for all the wrong reasons since the incident with Rihanna and Jamey questions whether or not Brown can salvage his career. Find out Larry’s advice for the troubled singer. The amazing Patti Labelle has been a guest on Larry’s shows several times and he shares a personal story about the singing icon.

You tuned in for Pop Confidential’s Best of 2010 in Pop Culture, now join Jamey, Luke, Jillian and Regan as they take a look back at the worst of 2010. What was the worst dirt of 2010 and worst hot mess of pop culture?

Which dramatic and comedic TV series disappointed, earning spots as worst TV shows? The PC gang loves themselves some good teen dramas, but which ones did they revile? A lot of BAD reality TV aired in 2010, but which shows were the worst? Find out who the PC crew picked as worst reality star of 2010. While movies like The Social Network may have earned rave reviews from the PC gang in 2010, which silver screen films made us want to walk out of the theatre and demand our money back as worst comedy and drama?

Jamey isn’t a fan of Lady Gaga, but did he pick her as his worst female musical artist of 2010? Jamey, Jillian and Regan’s jaws drop at Luke’s pick for worst male musical artist and they totally disagree with his choice. Who earned the distinction as the worst male and female movie stars of 2010? Find out on Pop Confidential’s Worst of 2010 in Pop Culture.