Ian Abercrombie dies at 77

British-born actor Ian Abercrombie, who memorably played Mr. Pitt, Elaine's wealthy, persnickety boss, on "Seinfeld," died Thursday, Jan. 26, in Los Angeles from complications of kidney failure. He was 77 and recently had been diagnosed with lymphoma. In recent years Abercrombie had recurred as an 800-year-old wizard on Disney Channel's "The Wizards of Waverly Place," did voicework for "Star Wars: Clone Wars" as Chancellor Palpatine and Darth Sidious and was a series regular on "Birds of Prey" (as Alfred Pennyworth, Batman's butler). But while he was a near-constant presence on the smallscreen since the late 1960s -- with 127 TV credits, according to the IMDb -- and appeared in dozens of films, Abercrombie considered himself a stage actor first and foremost. Born in Grays, Essex, Abercrombie began his showbiz career as a dancer onstage during WWII. Later he made his U.S. stage debut in a 1955 production of "Stalag 17" with Jason Robards and performed in plays in summer stock, regional and Off Broadway venues. Drafted into the U.S. Army in 1957, he served in Special Services stationed in Germany, directing a production of "Separate Tables" and appearing with Olivia de Havilland in her touring show. The actor settled in California after his Army stint. Stage credits over the past four decades include "Mary Stuart," with Marsha Mason; "Crucifer of Blood," with Charlton Heston; "The Wrong Box," with Bill Hutton; "Bent"; "The Vortex," with Rupert Everett; "Lettice and Lovage"; "Sweet Prince," with Keir Dullea; "A Doll's House," with Linda Purl; and "The Arcata Promise" opposite Anthony Hopkins. The actor drew acclaim for the one-man show "Jean Cocteau -- A Mirror Image" and played Alfie Doolittle in "My Fair Lady." After making his smallscreen debut in 1965 on "Burke's Law," Abercrombie went on to make guest appearances on "Dragnet" and "Get Smart"; on "Columbo," "Barnaby Jones," "Cannon" and "The Six Million Dollar Man"; and, during the 1980s, on shows including "Quincy," "Happy Days," "Fantasy Island," "Three's Company," "L.A. Law" and "Moonlighting." During the decade he also had a recurring role on the NBC soap "Santa Barbara," and he guested on primetime sudsers including "Falcon Crest" and "Dynasty," while later he appeared on "General Hospital" and "Days of Our Lives." During the 1990s he appeared on "The Nanny," "Murphy Brown," "Northern Exposure," "Blossom," "Touched by an Angel" and "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," to name just a few. Recent credits included "Desperate Housewives" and "How I Met Your Mother." Abercrombie's film credits include "Army of Darkness" (in which he played Wiseman), "Wild Wild West," "Marilyn Hotchkiss' Ballroom Dancing and Charm School" and David Lynch's "Inland Empire," and he did voicework on animated pics including "Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties" and last year's "Rango." The actor was a founding member and former board member of BAFTA-LA as well as a board member for the Actors Fund. Abercrombie is survived by three brothers. Contact Variety Staff at news@variety.com

Tate Taylor draws WGAW's Selvin Award

Tate Taylor is set to receive the Writers Guild of America West's Paul Selvin Award for his adapted screenplay for the civil rights-era drama "The Help." The Selvin Award "recognizes written work which embodies the spirit of constitutional rights and civil liberties." Taylor, who also directed, will be honored at the guild's West Coast ceremony on Feb. 19 at the Hollywood Palladium. He's also been nommed for the WGA adapted screenplay award. "Tate Taylor's adapted screenplay for 'The Help' artfully distills the empowering essence and core emotional truths of Kathryn Stockwell's novel, translating it into a film that forcefully illustrates how ordinary people can impact positive social change. Evoking a specific time and place, the film's message is ultimately universal and remains relevant today," said WGAW president Christopher Keyser. Taylor's script "does Paul Selvin's legacy proud by conveying the continuing power of the written word." Taylor said he was keenly aware of the many heroes from the battle for civil rights when he penned the script. "But to me, ordinary heroes such as Aibileen and Minny are often the ones we find most relatable and empowered by," he said. "After all, the ordinary hero hiding in each of us is often the most powerful catalyst for change." Contact Dave McNary at dave.mcnary@variety.com

'The Artist' tops DGA Honours

"The Artist" director Michel Hazanavicius has won the Company directors Guild of America feature film award. In France They director capped Woodsy Allen for "Night time in Paris," David Fincher for "The Lady using the Dragon Tattoo," Alexander Payne for "The Descendants" and Martin Scorsese for "Hugo." "It's maybe the greatest recognition I possibly could hope," Hazanavicius stated in the acceptance. "I really like company directors, I recognition company directors making this an recognition for me personally.InchThe black and whitened quiet -- referred to through the helmer like a "love letter" to Hollywood -- is occur the times throughout the transition to talkies."It's strange to check films and say which is better but I am thrilled to understand this,Inch Hazanavicius came to the conclusion in the acceptance speech.The trophy was presented Saturday evening in the Hollywood and Highland ballroom by Tom Hooper, champion of last year's DGA award for "The King's Speech." James Marsh won the documentary trophy for "Project Nim," dedicated to a chimpanzee's existence among humans. The comedy series trophy visited Robert B. Weide for "Palestinian Chicken" episode of HBO's "Curb Your Enthusiasm." "Modern Family" had won the course for 2 years consecutively.Patty Jenkins won the dramatic series award applies to the pilot of AMC's "The Killing."The DGA win came around the first nomination for Hazanavicius - and marks the very first time that the quiet film has won the DGA trophy.The champion from the DGA Award has matched up the Oscar champion in most but six years since 1948, including this past year, when Tom Hooper required both trophies for "The King's Speech." The final divergence arrived 2002, when Take advantage of Marshall won the DGA Award for "Chicago" and Roman Polanski received the Academy Award for "The Pianist."Amy Schatz won the DGA Award for kids programming for "Children's Garden of Poetry"Noam Murro won the DGA advertisements award and also got a large laugh together with his two-word acceptance -- "ThanksInchDay time serials award visited William Ludel for "General Hospital." The truth award visited Neil P. DeGroot for "The Greatest Loser."Woodsy Allen would be a no-show as always but received large laughs on his videotaped speech for getting a DGA nom -- "This really is approximately the very best, the Nobel Prize, and also the bottom, the Republican primary." Contact Dork McNary at dork.mcnary@variety.com

UMPG to manage Irving Berlin catalog

The Universal Music Posting Group will administer the background music posting catalog of Irving Berlin -- the songwriter who composed such perennials as "Whitened Christmas," "There Is No Business Like Show Business," "Puttin' Around The Ritz" and also the "God Bless America" -- for privileges outdoors of The United States.Based on the announcement by Paul Connolly, UMPG's leader of Europe & Uk, together with Berlin's kids Mary Ellin Barrett, Linda Emmet and Elizabeth Peters who partially manage the songwriter's trust, UMPG gets control administration for the majority of the catalog through the territory effective immediately, along with other tunes incorporated later.Based on ASCAP, "Whitened Christmas" is easily the most recorded holiday song ever, with more than 500 versions in a large number of languages.Over Berlin's 60-year career he authored 1,500 tunes, 19 Broadway shows and gained nine Oscar nominations and something win. His chart-topping tunes happen to be construed by the kind of Sinatra, Streisand, Garland, Merman, Jolson, Crosby and Billie Holiday, among numerous others.Berlin's tunes, stated Connolly inside a statement, "truly transcend decades and they are woven in to the very fabric in our culture." Contact Steve Chagollan at steve.chagollan@variety.com

Start searching at Judd Apatow's This Can Be Forty

The initial image went online from Judd Apatow's This Can Be Forty, plus it features the identical happy(ant) family everyone knows and love from Knocked Up.Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann are reprising their roles as Pete and Darlene, the narrative acquiring a few years after Knocked Tabs on the happy couple facing new challenges and struggles.In line with the LA Occasions, Pete's music label is fighting, with Debbie's dress shop (now staffed by Megan Fox) requiring to obtain a couple of from the slack. As Leslie Mann puts it, the film is stuffed with, "the kind of stuff about marriage you do not see in movies.""It comes down lower to getting older,In . continues Mann. "'What the hell happened? Am I Held making all the right options? Is how I'm stated to become? Could it be?A All people dreams you'd if you were youthful, all of the options, if you lock into marriage and kids, carry out the options dwindle or disappear?InchFor the cash, the bond between Pete and Darlene was one of the better elements in Knocked Up, therefore we are quietly positive that Apatow can offer the products with that certain. Let's just hope they can absorb it at under two several hours for something different...

MTV Movie Brawl 2012: 'Hunger Games' Vs. 'John Carter'

Forget the Volturi. In "Twilight" star Peter Facinelli's screenwriting debut, "Loosies," the actor's traded in villainous vamps for a more real (albeit, less toothy) foe: NYPD's finest. Facinelli plays Bobby, a charismatic pickpocket who roams the NY City subway looking for hapless marks while alluding the cop whose badge he pilfered. The script took Facinelli only three weeks to write, but seven years to bring to the big-screen, giving him plenty of time to prepare—including mastering his character's career skills. "I worked with a magician. I tried to keep it all on the up and up," Facinelli told MTV News when asked if he consulted any real-life lifters for authenticity. "His forte was pickpocketing, so he taught me how to swipe watches. It's very much a distraction. You distract them in one area and go for the other area. And then I just practiced on crew members." Facinelli's training clearly paid off judging from the romantic caper's many blick-and-you'll-miss-it snatching scenes. But don't fret too much if you ever find yourself face to face with the actor on a crowded train: he said his new-found talent hasn't left the back lot. "I've been tempted," Facinelli said about practicing on bystanders. "People on the subway, they have their purses wide open. They sit there with their wallets and cell phones hanging out. It'd be so easy to go and have a second job as a pick-pocket on the side. But it's illegal and frowned upon by most societies." "Loosies" is in theaters now. Will you be checking out Peter Facinelli's "Loosies"? Tell us in the comments and on Twitter!

'The Grey' Exclusive Clip: Liam Neeson Faces The Wild

You will watch a distinctive clip from Liam Neeson's approaching thriller, "The Grey." This time around around, he is not fighting terrorists who've kidnapped his daughter or possibly a name crook, but something a lot more immutable: the backwoods itself. Several men're stranded in Alaska undertaking an airplane crash, and Neeson's the best option who must take it well to civilization. While trekking using the unknown, they're expected to use their intelligence to live the potential risks in the wild: baby baby wolves, and lots of them. Inside the clip, Neeson and also the partner are sitting on our prime high cliff, thinking about the fall below them. "You're going,In . Neeson states for the other guy, who polishes his glasses before sliding inside the edge and onto a sagging trip line connecting up him having a unseen surface inside the distance. While fighting to help keep position, he turns his mind for just about any brief moment after which it watches his glasses disappear to the abyss (in slow motion, clearly). Film talk for just about any second: the moderate colors look beautiful, as well as the whole interaction is nicely underscored with the wind, which obscures the dialogue getting a relentless whoosh. It feels as if you're in Alaska, basically. At least, "The Grey" will definitely be not just a simple point about "that movie where Liam Neeson fights a wolf." (Though he's doing fight a wolf, remember that.) The film involves theaters around the month of the month of january 27. What can you consider the exclusive clip from "The Grey"? Reveal inside the comments section and also on Twitter!

'Grey's Anatomy' strong as a swap

ABC's 'Grey's Anatomy' came 12. million audiences on Thursday known as the night's No. 1 broadcast enter in most key demos. It'll face harder competition in future, but ABC's ''Grey's Anatomy'' returned in the two-month break getting a powerful showing Thursday and aided the web win the evening over mostly repeats round the rivals. ''Grey's'' and lead-out ''Private Practice'' hit season levels, while CW's ''The Vampire Diaries'' also came back nicely.According to preliminary national estimations from Nielsen, ABC started the evening by having an excellent debut for ''Winter Wipeout'' (2.8/8 in 18-49, 8.5 million audiences overall), which placed second to CBS comedy repeats due to its hour but was lower about 25% in the premiere on one evening this past year. ''Wipeout'' can be a large upgrade inside the timeslot for ABC, easily outperforming former slot occupant ''Charlie's Angels.''''Grey's Anatomy'' then elevated next (4.5 rating/11 participate grownups 18-49, 12. million audiences overall), standing since the night's No. 1 broadcast enter in most key demos and rising 10% in the latest episode on November. 10 to write its best demo score since late March the vet medical drama went facing repeats on CBS, NBC and Fox, with people nets coming back their Thursday shows in originals inside a couple of days. Closing the evening for ABC, ''Private Practice'' (2.8/7 in 18-49, 7.8 million audiences overall) hit a season high known as the apparent broadcast leader in demos, even though it likely placed behind MTV's season premiere of ''Jersey Shoreline.''For the evening, ABC won in 18-49 and 25-54 in addition to edged out CBS in general audiences. The 3.3 rating in 18-49 marks the most effective for just about any regular ABC Thursday selection this season.Cbs television studios television galleries placed second in demos, introduced by comedies ''The Large Bang Theory'' (3.5/10 in 18-49, 11.6 000 0000 audiences overall) and ''Rules of Engagement'' (2.6/7 in 18-49, 8.7 million audiences overall). The web also did decent amounts with repeats of crime dramas ''Person of Interest'' (1.9/5 in 18-49, 8.7 million audiences overall) and ''The Mentalist'' (1.9/5 in 18-49, 9.2 million audiences overall).NBC broadcast a thrilling-repeat comedy evening: ''Community'' (.8/2 in 18-49, 2.6 000 0000 audiences overall), ''Parks and Recreation'' (.9/2 in 18-49, 2.4 million audiences overall), ''The Office'' (1.1/3 in 18-49, 2.6 000 0000 audiences overall), ''Whitney'' (.9/2 in 18-49, 2.3 million audiences overall), a distinctive 10 p.m. airing of ''The Office'' (.7/2 in 18-49, 1.8 million audiences overall) after which it ''Up All Night'' (.7/2 in 18-49, 1.9 million audiences overall). And Fox broadcast some ''Bones'' repeats, producing single.2/3 in 18-49 and 4.8 million audiences overall at 8 together with single.1/3 in 18-49 and 4.3 million audiences overall at 9.At CW, ''The Vampire Diaries'' returned from an eight-week break to great amounts (1.4/4 in 18-49, 3.2 million audiences overall), matching its best women 18-34 score of the year (2.3/7) and rising 14% in 18-34 versus. its last original (1.6 versus. 1.4). Also back was rookie drama ''The Secret Circle'' (.8/2 in 18-49, 2.millions of audiences overall), in line with its recent shipping.Next Thursday will dsicover the series premieres of CBS comedy ''Rob'' (looking for ''Rules of Engagement'') and Fox drama ''The Finder'' (altering ''Bones'') together with the return of NBC's ''30 Rock'' within the new 8 o'clock timeslot as well as the new-evening debut in the net's ''Up All Night'' (altering ''Whitney'' at 9:30).Preliminary 18-49 earnings for your evening: ABC, 3.3/9 CBS, 2.3/6 Univision, 1.5/4 Fox and CW, 1.1/3 NBC, .8/2.In general audiences: ABC, 9.5 million CBS, 9.3 million Fox, 4.6 000 0000 Univision, 3.6 000 0000 CW, 2.6 000 0000 NBC, 2.3 million. Contact Ron Kissell at ron.kissell@variety.com

Ratings: Modern Family Returns Large

Modern Family ABC's reigning Emmy-winning sitcom Modern Family returned in the holiday hiatus towards the usual perch atop Wednesday's prime-time ratings, Nielsen overnights show. The show enhanced by some ten percent over its last first-work on 12 ,. 7 the network's other sitcoms also counseled me up in contrast utilizing their last fresh activities on that date. I Buy That lots of, CBS' recurring special on stars snookering other people by showing up in regular jobs, was up an incredible 130 percent versus. the ultimate who's was on (12 ,. 17, 2010). See the relaxation in the day's news on TVGuide.com 8 p.m.CBS: I Buy That lots of 8.32 million audiences (2.3 demo rating)ABC: The Middle 9.95 million (3.) Suburgatory 8.73 million (2.9)Fox: Glee [rerun] 2.35 million (.8)NBC: Up With The Evening [rerun] 3.52 million (1.) Whitney [rerun] 3.14 million (1.)CW: The Important Thing Circle [rerun] 971,000 (.3) 9 p.m.CBS: Criminal Minds [rerun] 8.21 million audiences (2.3 demo rating)ABC: Modern Family 13.98 million (5.6) Happy Being 7.73 million (3.3)Fox: Mobbed 3.02 million (1.2)NBC: Harry's Law [rerun] 4.46 million (.8)CW: The Important Thing Circle [rerun] 838,000 (.3) 10 p.m.CBS: CSI: Crime Scene Analysis [rerun] 8.06 million audiences (1.7 demo rating)ABC: Revenge 7.96 million (2.5)NBC: Law & Order: Special Sufferers Unit [rerun] 3.72 million (1.1)