— Sources reported Monday that Ryan Seacrest signed a lucrative deal to remain on board as the host of “American Idol.” Seacrest will pull $15 million from CKX per year for three years, a boost three-fold from his prior salary of just less than $5 million. The deal locks Seacrest down to “Idol”/19 Entertainment parent company CKX for television broadcasting, so even if “Idol” does not continue for three years, he would likely host another series for the company.
— EW reports that four new characters are being cast for “Friday Night Lights.” The characters:
Vince – A charming, wrong-side-of-the-tracks African American from East Dillon who is introduced to viewers while running from the police. Coach Taylor hopes to utilize his speed on the football field.
Luke – Vince’s classmate and rival; envisioned as a young Paul Newman, he finds himself in East Dillon due to the redistricting and is not happy.
Jess – The daughter of a one-time NFL hopeful, she is very into football. She also finds herself as the object of affection from all area high school boys.
Becky – A recurring character (the other three are regulars) that is described as a “poor Blair Waldorf.” She supposedly finds Tim Riggins in bed with her mother and responds by trying to seduce him herself.
