OWN to show Shadyac's 'I Am'

In the network's first high-profile docu acquisition, "I Am" will preem on Oprah Winfrey's OWN next month, marking the Discovery Communications/Harpo joint venture's first anniversary on Jan. 1. "Bruce Almighty" helmer Tom Shadyac's pic explores philosophical questions in interviews with thinkers including Noam Chomsky, Desmond Tutu and Howard Zinn. Street date for the "I Am" DVD is Jan. 3. The film will air on following an interview between Oprah and Shadyac about the painful bicycle accident that caused him to begin questioning his lifestyle. Contact Sam Thielman at sam.thielman@variety.com

'New' pair aspire to fuel B.O. uptick

Ashton Kutcher as Randy in New Line Movie theaters romantic comedy 'New Years Eve,' a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Fox's R-ranked comedy, 'The Sitter,' starring Jonah Hill, is anticipated to bow within the high single numbers to low teens.With year-to-date box office still lower 2.4% versus. this past year, industryites are searching for this weekend's set of openers -- Warner Bros.' ensembler "New Year's Eve" and twentieth century Fox's R-ranked laffer "The Sitter" -- to assist jumpstart an outburst in filmgoing with the holidays.Last weekend's B.O. downturn, usual for the publish-Thanksgiving frame, saw "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Beginning -- Part 1" win its third straight weekend. "New Year's Eve" should break that streak having a bow expected to stay in the reduced- to mid-$20 millions. "The Sitter" is forecasted to debut within the high single numbers to low teens.A good amount of new niche game titles is going to be competing for adult attention: Focus Features' "Mess Tailor Soldier Spy" and Paramount's "Youthful Adult" both bow in limited release. "Mess" launches today at four locations in NY and L.A. "Youthful Adult" is out in five marketplaces, amassing eight engagements.B.O. experts remain positive the remaining days through New Year's -- using their roster of high-profile product -- is going to be enough to shut the Stateside B.O. gap versus. this past year.Though "New Year's Eve," from New Line, is not likely to equal the outlet of 2010's "Valentine's," which bowed to $56 million, Warners has situated "New Year's Eve" to profit from the extended holiday lead-in. The studio stated it needs the pic ultimately to outgross "Valentine's," which cumed $110 million locally. Films released around Christmas often begin to see the greatest multiples in comparison holiday to a play period, though the 2011 crowded Christmas slate could stunt the film's growth.Allocated in a reported $56 million, "New Year's Eve" also bows day-and-date a few days ago in a number of overseas marketplaces including Australia, Germany and also the U.K.Pic's star energy, including Michelle Pfeiffer, Robert P Niro, Zac Efron, Jessica Biel and Nicole Kidman, should drive attendance both locally and abroad. The inclusion of worldwide stars Til Schweiger and Sofia Vergara should help further overseas."New Year's Eve" is anticipated to skew mostly female, while Fox's "The Sitter" is monitoring fairly evenly between your genders, with teenagers holding a small edge. Fox stated it needs "The Sitter," which cost within the $20 millions, to profit from elevated holiday moviegoing the film's greatest comedy competish can come from "Youthful Adult" if this grows wide next weekend.Searching to construct person to person, Fox intends to sneak "We Purchased a Zoo" again a few days ago, just two days following the film's first countrywide sneak previews. Monitoring continues to be around the soft side, although the studio remains hopeful, because the film plays well with auds.Also reaping helpful benefits from positive buzz, Paramount's family-friendly "Hugo" grows in the third frame to two,608 locations, up from 1,840. Martin Scorsese pic cumed $26.8 million by Wednesday, with enhanced mid-week tallies.Fox Searchlight will even turn to get holiday traction from "The Descendants" and "Shame" because the two photos get larger releases a few days ago. "The Descendants" adds a hostile 300 playdates for any total 874, while "Shame" a lot more than doubles its limited run, with 21 locations on Friday. To date, "Descendants" has totalled $18.9 million "Shame" nearly $500,000. Contact Andrew Stewart at andrew.stewart@variety.com

Helping hand lifts bizzers

During the recent economic meltdown, a successful 45-year-old director with a mid-seven-figure portfolio -- 60% of which was in stocks -- saw his holdings drop in value by about 20%.Against the advice of his financial adviser, Freemark Financial's Steves Rodriguez, the anxious helmer sold everything and moved into cash, fearing that equities would continue to fall."There's a visceral reaction," says Andrew Meyer, another partner at Freemark, a Santa Monica business and wealth management firm. "You want to jump out of these things that have pulled back in value."In fact, stocks extended their decline. From the Lehman Bros. bankruptcy in September 2008 though the market bottom in March 2009, the S&P 500 index tumbled more than 40%.At first it looked like the director had made the right move, but then stocks came roaring back."Changing strategy at that point just does not work," Meyer says. "You're going to lose all the upside."The director is still in cash today, having missed the entire 2010 market advance. Meyer notes that he's the firm's only client who didn't fully recover from the 2008 decline."It's very rare that making an emotional decision is going to turn out well for you," adds Rodriguez. "At the end of the day, you want to be true to whatever strategy you employ."Although nobody could foresee the extent of the downturn, many wealth managers were getting uneasy well before 2008. Stephen Prough, co-founder and managing director of Salem Partners, a Los Angeles-based wealth management and investment banking firm, began telling clients in 2006 that "prices of certain assets were unsustainable."Prough's clients were nervous, especially a 40-year-old entrepreneur who had sold his entertainment-related business for "tens of millions of dollars" just before the crisis hit.By fall 2008, the firm had reduced the average equity exposure in portfolios from about one-third to 15%. "We didn't miss all of the 2008 meltdown, but we missed a lot of it," Prough adds.The entrepreneur's portfolio fell about 10%, but "we certainly made up for it the next year," Prough says. The firm saw value in both convertible bonds and municipal debt, which had tumbled as investors across the country were forced to liquidate holdings to raise cash. Salem started to put clients' money to work in those asset classes at the end of 2008. It also made opportunistic buys of stock options. That positioned clients for the market rebound, yet risked only the relatively small option premium.For Jason Romano, a financial planner and partner at Moss Adams Wealth Advisers, protecting clients' financial health comes down to structuring an asset allocation so that "regardless of what happens -- whether it's a good or bad market -- you're going to be OK."In 2008, Romano, who specializes in entertainment clients at the firm's Los Angeles office, had a portion of clients' assets in alternative investments that have low correlations to U.S. stocks. A small position was in a fund that could sell short, thus rising as stocks plunged.Although clients suffered modest losses, says Romano, the key technique was to rebalance portfolios -- selling part of a position that had advanced to buy more of an asset class that had declined.One of Romano's clients, a successful TV writer in his mid-50s, had a portfolio of 20% stocks and 80% bonds, mostly California munis. Although the muni market also sold off, Romano reminded the writer that he held individual bonds that would eventually mature at face value. (In contrast, bond funds have no maturity date.) Meanwhile, the income from the individual bonds would continue unchanged.Romano reminded the writer, whose portfolio is in the range of $7 million to $10 million, they were not investing for that one year. The writer's portfolio was rebalanced and recovered with the market."We highly encourage clients to continue adding money to their investments," he says.Financial advisers say entertainment industry clients can't be lumped together as one group. While studio execs have a steady paycheck, talent often lives from job to job. Having a large cash cushion is imperative for someone with a variable income stream.That can limit the amount of money available for investing in stocks or other "risk" assets. "I don't put any money in that they're going to need within the next three years," says Rich Winer, prez, Winer Wealth Management in Woodland Hills, Calif.The intensity of showbiz can also affect the money management process. "I find that entertainment clients are so focused on their careers they are not following their financial stuff as closely as other clients," adds Winer.He and other advisers who work with showbiz pros try to overcome that with frequent communication.But the key is having that plan. "If we can avoid losing (much) money in these big market declines that come every three to five years, then we don't have to take as much risk during the bull runs."SHOWBIZ WEALTH MANAGEMENT REPORTHelping hand lifts bizzers | Segal gets kudo as biz manager | No boom, no bust | How to avoid the downside of Westside wealth | Social media money trail Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com

Mega Buzz: Handcuffs on Castle, 2 Broke Hookers, and Marshall's HIMYM Tribute

Nathan Fillion, Kat Dennings, Jason Segel Every week, editors Adam Bryant and Natalie Abrams satisfy your need for TV scoop. Please send all questionsto mega_scoop@tvguide.com. I am so excited for the "Cuffed" episode of Castle. What can you tell me? -Erin ADAM: Castle and Beckett, handcuffed on a bed together, with no recollection of how they got there - what could possibly go right wrong? As you might imagine, the duo finds themselves in a number of awkward - and suggestive -positions as they try to escape. At one point, Beckett even asks Castle to lift up her shirt. Rawr! (That sexist sound is also a hint.) Will Max and Caroline ever hit their goal on 2 Broke Girls? - Jen NATALIE: I know, right? These girls need some quick cash. What could they do, what could they...? No! Not that! They wouldn't possibly consider... prostitution, would they? Yep, in a story line straight out of every 13-year-old boy's imagination, they would. Got any good How I Met Your Mother scoop? - David ADAM: Marshall will honor the memory of his dearly departed dad by continuing their tradition of tailgating at a Minnesota Vikings football game. Well, not exactly at. Instead, he and his brothers will want to watch the game "with" their dad (and some beers and bratwurst, of course). Suffice it to say that their tribute will go from touching to all-out creepy when some uninvited guests join the party. When will the curse be broken on Once Upon a Time? - James NATALIE: Well, first of all, it's not going to be like - poof! - and all of the sudden everyone knows they are beloved fairy tale characters. In fact, they're definitely not going to find out all at the same time. But one person will, and soon. But this knowledge might end up being more of a curse than a blessing. "Even if you do know who you are, that doesn't mean everything immediately comes back to you and you get your happy ending," executive producer Adam Horowitz says. Adds executive producer Edward Kitsis: "In a lot of ways, it might just make it worse." I need intel on the Sons of Anarchy finale. - Jon ADAM: Tara's actions will remind you of Gemma more than ever. Potter will surprisingly go above and beyond to help SAMCRO. And by the season's end, someone new is holding the gavel while someone else is conspicuously absent from the chapel. Are Pete and Violet really breaking up on Private Practice? - Leo NATALIE: It sure looks that way. A new paramedic (Stephen Amell) is joining the crew as a potential love interest for one of the Seaside Wellness docs. By process of elimination - Addison has too many men, Amelia just lost her fiancé and Charlotte already has a husband - it seems like Violet will be moving on to new prospects very soon. Please tell me there's hope for Annie and Liam on 90210? - Lacey ADAM: Alas, it looks like there is another man waiting in the wings for Annie, a twentysomething playboy who is the heir to his family fortune and therefore completely oblivious to the concept of work. Although Annie encourages him to give up yacht racing and jet-setting in favor of doing something important with his life, he simply becomes a slightly more grounded version of himself - the type of guy Naomi would fall for. Hmm, maybe there is hope for Annie and Liam after all! I can't stand thinking of Jason Dohring as a rapist on Ringer. Please tell me that it didn't really happen! - Jessica NATALIE: It didn't really happen... or did it? You'll find out for sure after the New Year, but let's just say things aren't exactly what they seem between Juliet and her teacher. In fact, there's actually a third party involved. Is it just me, or is CSI: Miami pitting Natalia against the new girl in the lab? - Beth ADAM: It's not just you. In fact, producer Barry O'Brien tells me that the bad blood brewing between Natalia and Taylor Cole's Samantha will become more important as the season goes on. "We're going to put the two of them in the field, where they have to rely on each other in a life-or-death situation," he says. "We're having some fun with that rivalry, but we're soon going to drive to a very powerful, emotional place with them." Are there anymore Saturday Night Live stars heading to Up All Night? - Heather NATALIE: We're going to immediately start lobbying the Up All Night casting peeps to cast Kristen Wiig for the upcoming role of Amanda, a glamorous old friend of Ava's who's an over-the-top former girl band singer. They can use this as the audition tape. So glad Leverage is back. What can you tell me about the new episodes? - Todd ADAM: Look for Hardison to take more of a leadership role. "We've addressed Hardison's interest in running his own team," Aldis Hodge tells us. "[He's] taking a shot at it and... it's a very interesting turn for him because he's never had that kind of responsibility." Don't worry, Hardison's not leaving the team. In fact, the experience may serve as an attitude adjustment. "I think he's still learning," Hodge says. "I think he's ready in ways that he still doesn't understand, but he still has a few tactics that he needs to get comfortable with." What do you know about the new season of Pretty Little Liars. - Meg NATALIE: Remember when Pretty Little Liars star Ian Harding told us that Ezra was going to have a "tumultuous" interaction with a certain someone's parents that involved a stunt coordinator? That violent confrontation takes place in the premiere. And if you're anything like us, you'll be quite surprised by who throws the first punch. Natalie's Mega Rave: After a slow start to the season, Terra Nova finally got some much-needed momentum by not only revealing who the mole is, but why she's betraying the people of the colony... in the same episode! Adam's Mini Rant: I can't believe Showtime execs still agreed to renew Dexter for two more seasons after seeing Sunday's painfully obvious "twist." (Additional reporting by Robyn Ross and Kate Stanhope) Crave scoop on your favorite TV shows?E-mail Adam and Natalie at mega_scoop@tvguide.comor drop us a line atTwitter.com/TVGuide

Fashion Slam: The Friday Five Black Friday Shopping Options

First Released: November 25, 2011 11:50 AM EST Credit: Getty Images Caption Fed up with holiday shopping stress?La, Calif. -- Missing the sales today? Me too! So if you're searching for different ways to invest your entire day off, here are a handful of saner ideas than enduring the mall madness! HIT THE MULTIPLEX My pick for that weekend is George Clooney within the Descendants. Clooney plays a distant father whose wifes coma brings him nearer to his two kids. The film experts within our office say this is actually the performance of his career and hes a Best Actor shoo-in. The experts agree! If you prefer a movie for the whole family, you cannot beat The Muppets, which will probably be HUGE! HIT THE Health spa Be oblivious towards the mall mayhem and discover inner peace at the local health spa. Or pamper yourself aware of an appearance scrub and mani/pedi. Go To The Gym Should you overindulged, you are able to ease your guilt with a decent workout. I love to be outdoors and hike, but a brisk walk could make you feel good. Or Perhaps Be A Inactive Plenty of good guilty pleasure TV to look at. The The famous host oprah Winfrey Show Favorite Things marathon begins at 2 PM on OWN. The Glee Project marathon begins at 10 AM on Oxygen. Over on Bravo, The Uniform Matchmaker marathon begins at 11 AM. MEET A Buddy Almost everyone has your day off, so utilize it to reunite and meet up with buddies prior to the entire holidays will get from you. If you do not have enough time for your meal, meeting for coffee or drinks are also options. Ienc the growing season to become grateful specifically for your buddies and family. Possess a wonderful weekend! Copyright 2011 by NBC Universal, Corporation. All privileges reserved. These components might not be released, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

MTV orders ' Buck Wild'

Anthropologists studying the Jersey shore will soon have another quirky region to examine: MTV has ordered 12 episodes of "Buck Wild," a series set in rural West Virginia among a group of friends who have just graduated from high school. Series produced by John Stevens and Barry Poznick from Zoo Prods. and J.P. Williams of Parallel Entertainment. Series will track the exploits of the recently matriculated Appalachian denizens as they head off to college, work at local jobs or just struggle to get by. "We know that showing unique slices of youth culture on MTV is something that resonates with our audience," said MTV programming head David Janollari. Contact Sam Thielman at sam.thielman@variety.com

TV Ratings: 'Bones' Evolves, 'Person of Interest' Matches Low

"Bones" It absolutely was a mixed bag inside the ratings on Thursday evening. CBS won the evening among the internet marketer-coveted demo on the potency of comedy staple The Big Bang Theory by getting a typical rating of three.2 in primetime. The network was easily most likely probably the most-seen in the evening, tempting 12.2 million audiences from 8-11 p.m. The Big Bang Theory (14.8 million total audiences, 5.2 rating in grownups 18-49 demographic), lower slightly, ongoing to dominate as Thursday's most-seen and finest-rated series which elevated Rules of Engagement (11 million, 3.6) three percent. Because the comedies were around the high, CBS' dramas couldn't capitalize. Person of curiosity (11.6 000 0000, 2.6) dropped four percent in the last original on friday to fit a collection low as well as the Mentalist (12.millions of, 2.5) sank fourteen percent matching a small for your season. Fox showed up an in depth second behind CBS, calculating a few.9 rating and 9.millions of audiences. The newest elimination episode in the X Factor (9.5 million, 3.) dipped 9 %. Bones elevated 8 percent known as the finest-rated drama among grownups 18-49, outperforming Private Practice and Person of curiosity at that time of your time to simply accept 9 p.m. victory. ABC adopted by getting an ABC News special with outgoing Live! co-host Regis Philbin and Katie Couric (8 million, 1.5), drawing the web's finest audience inside the 8 p.m. slot since September. A Couple-hour intervention episode of non-public Practice (7.2 million, 2.5) was lower 11 percent from the other day's airing. A few of NBC's comedies enhanced from the other day: Community (3.6 000 0000, 1.6) rose 7 percent and Parks and Entertainment (3.7 million, 2.) enhanced 11 percent. Work (5.6 000 0000, 2.9) and Whitney (4.millions of, 1.9), meanwhile, saw three percent and ten percent drops for lows. Prime Suspect (4.4 million, 1.1) matched up up a collection low, losing fifteen percent. The CW broadcast a Paul Wesley movie, Beneath the Blue (2.6 000 0000, .8). Refresh for your latest ... TV Ratings