James Gandolfini will forever be defined by Tony Soprano, a fact that scarcely diminished his work on the bigscreen and stage.

The cable industry’s practice of bundling channels is facing pressure from plenty of consumer groups, upstart competitors and John McCain. But the question posed by a class action suit is whether there is a case to be had for the many customers who pay the bills. Four subscribers to multichannel services filed a class action... Read more »

Chet Flippo, renowned music journalist who worked for outlets including Rolling Stone, Billboard and CMT, died June 19 in Nashville following a lengthy illness. He was 69. He was serving as editorial director of CMT and CMT.com up until his death. Born in Fort Worth, Texas, he served in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam... Read more »

In a different, pre-HBO world, James Gandolfini the TV star never would have happened. Fox wanted Anthony LaPaglia for the lead role when they were developing “The Sopranos,” and it’s hard to imagine a major network having gone with a guy of Gandolfini’s limited profile at the time. SEE ALSO: James Gandolfini Dies at 51... Read more »

The Hollywood community reacted with shock and sadness on Twitter late Wednesday  over the sudden loss of James Gandolfini, who died at the age of 51 of a possible heart attack. Jesus. The world just lost one of its great actors. James Gandolfini has passed away. Thoughts to his family. Such a talent. I'm saddened.—... Read more »

James Gandolfini, who brought a balance of intensity and vulnerability to his portrayal of conflicted mob boss Tony Soprano that made him among the most respected actors of his generation, died Wednesday in Rome. He was 51 and was believed to have suffered a heart attack. SEE ALSO: James Gandolfini’s Unlikely Stardom According to the... Read more »

Netflix is scaring up a second season of “Hemlock Grove.” The streaming service has confirmed the horror series, which premiered in April, will return for another 10 episodes in 2014. Veteran showrunner Charles H. (Chic) Eglee (“Dexter”) will join as executive producer of the second season of “Grove,” which is produced by Gaumont International Television.... Read more »

Phase 4 Films has acquired U.S. and Canadian rights to “Adventures in the Sin Bin,” the comedy that bowed last year at the Seattle Intl. Film Festival. The pic from writer Christopher Storer and tyro helmer Billy Federighi centers on a teen who loans out his retro van — the “Sin Bin” of the title — for... Read more »

The resurgence of the 1980s Brit megamusical continues, with producer Cameron Mackintosh locking in a West End revival of “Miss Saigon” that will open at the Prince Edward Theater in May. Originally helmed by Nicholas Hytner in its 1989 London bow, the new staging of “Saigon” will be directed by Laurence Connor, the co-director of the... Read more »

FX has given a 10-episode series order to a comedy starring Kelsey Grammer and Martin Lawrence. Series is produced by Debmar-Mercury and Lionsgate TV under Debmar’s “10/90″ deal format that calls for accelerated production of 100 episodes if the initial 10-episode test run fares well. Untitled comedy about two lawyer friends was created and is... Read more »

Although Alberto Barbera opted to slim down the Venice Film Festival lineup when he was appointed artistic director last year, the world’s oldest international sprocket opera appears to be setting a particularly lavish table for its 70th-anniversary edition.

As the Hulu sales process drags on, the Internet TV venture increasingly is struggling, with its best and brightest employees jumping ship amid uncertainty about who their new bosses will be.

With the film biz ailing on the plains in Spain, any new production is news. But "The Master of Altamira," skedded to start production this year, is noteworthy as a microcosm of trends now driving international film production.

In this modern era of 3D, effects-laden movie spectacles, some of Hollywood’s most prolific indie directors are making a colorful splash into black-and-white.

DreamWorks mogul Steven Spielberg wants to work on his own terms, so he’s decided to write the checks himself.

Internet giants Google, Facebook and Microsoft each secretly pay tens of millions of dollars to top broadband providers to ensure consumers avoid any Internet traffic congestion when accessing their content, according to a report published Wednesday in The Wall Street Journal. Comcast, Time Warner Cable, AT&T and Verizon are named as the broadband providers who... Read more »

"Castle," "Chicago Fire," "Dallas," "Grey's Anatomy," "Private Practice" and "Switched at Birth" earned Imagen nominations for top primetime program.

Vince Flynn, a best-selling author of political thriller novels, died early Wednesday morning at United Hospital in St. Paul, Minn. after a long battle with prostate cancer. He was 47. He was best known for his CIA page-turners that starred Mitch Rapp, a counterterrorism operative. Flynn was born on April 6, 1966, in St. Paul.... Read more »

In a potential signal that advertisers may be placing additional funds at cable networks in the coming TV season, Time Warner’s Turner unit expects ad-dollar commitments at its TBS, TNT, TruTV and Adult Swim cablers to increase in this year’s upfront market, according to a person familiar with the situation. This person said the networks... Read more »

Sam Taylor-Johnson, the British helmer of “Nowhere Boy” who is married to “Kick-Ass” star Aaron Taylor-Johnson, has been tapped to direct the Universal and Focus adaptation of “Fifty Shades of Grey,” the studio announced Wednesday. Michael De Luca is producing and Kelly Marcel penned the script. “Sam’s unique ability to gracefully showcase complex relationships dealing... Read more »