IAC Trial Blows Cabin Doors Open On Barry Diller's Private Jet Addiction
· In Extreme Fighting Championship: Mogul Edition, Liberty Media head John Malone and a major shareholder in Barry Diller's IAC took Diller to court over Diller's plan to split his company into five not-so-easy pieces. In his opening day testimony, he accused Diller of selfishly referring to their warm-and-fuzzy, communal corporate multi-conglomerate as "his business," and of having mastered the "'fine art' of taking advantage of the corporate jet." There really is a fine art to that, as Diller has been known to order in entire water polo teams when he suddenly develops a midnight hankering for some Italian. [Variety]
· As soon as celebrated fauxteur Brett Ratner finishes shooting on his Imagine Playboy movie (to be released simultaneously in IMAX Bunny-D!), his next project is looking to be a live-action version of '90s comic book series Harbinger. [Variety]
· Usherers of vapid realitainments to the blank-brained tween masses MTV greenlights two new series: Rock the Cradle, in which the children of music stars compete against one another for the title of Most Talented Born-Into-Privilege Brat. Also, Celebrity Music Mentor Project, which will pluck unknowns and place them under the wings of established performers, forcing them to compete for the coveted title of Most Talented Auditioned-Into-Privilege Brat. [Variety]
· In a shocking turn of events, NBC perfect storm Ben Silverman has picked up an established U.K. reality format for a U.S. version. In this case, it's Who Do You Think You Are, to be produced by Lisa Kudrow's Is or Isn't Entertainment. In it, celebrities' genealogies are researched, leading to stunning revelations. (Eg.: Paris Hilton is actually the product of her great great grandfather Ezekiel Hilton having copulated with a Brown-Mantled Tamarin while on safari in the Amazon basin.) [THR]
· The Emmys are moving from the Shrine Auditorium to the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live. Producers will also continue to tinker with TV's biggest night by staging the proceedings in-the-spiral, guaranteeing virtually zero sight-lines for anyone in attendance, but lots of opportunities for Ryan Seacrest to identify designer footwear. [THR]