Though he's got his hands in just about everything, it's likely you know Val Emmich from his voice, or from him face. The singer/songwriter has done some acting, and currently plays the love interest of "Ugly Betty" (and surprise, his character is a musician!). If you'd like to see this in person, you're in luck, because the NJ-native is in town tomorrow evening at the Canal Room (tix), performing songs from his six albums (the latest, Little Daggers, was just released). more ›

No doubt the NY Post got a call from momager Dina Lohan this morning. The paper is reporting that her eldest, Lindsay, was such a nightmare on the set of Ugly Betty that her episodes were cut from 6 to 4. They say that LiLo "smoked 24/7, and after she left, they had to repaint her dressing room it was such a mess." It gets better! She allegedly "would obsessively cut pictures of herself out of the tabloids like she was creating some sort of scrapbook" (creepy!) and while rehearsing for a scene where America Ferrera had to "pants" her, they claim she wasn't wearing any underwear (the episode aired last night). Her friends defend her by saying the starlet "wears underwear all the time now." No doubt she has a whole scrapbook of photos to prove it. more ›

All signs pointed to Ugly Betty taking over DUMBO today (remember, this 3rd season the show has moved filming to New York), and even though the show infiltrated the cobblestone streets, no one really noticed in the sweet shadow of the Van Leeuwan Ice Cream Truck. For fans of Betty, here are some scenes that confused onlookers were treated to...the cast and crew should be out there til around 9 p.m. tonight. more ›

After years of hemorrhaging film production business to cheaper locations like Canada, New York City is seeing a spike in movie shoots, back up to the pre-9/11 level. Bloomberg reports that the city saw a 36% rise in production last year, with over 245 movies and television shows shot citywide in 2007. A consulting group hired by the mayor’s office determined that the industry pumps $5 billion a year into the economy and employs some 100,000 people. more ›

Though the show takes place here, Ugly Betty isn't actually filmed in New York; the first two seasons were filmed in Los Angeles. However, with Gov. Paterson's new tax credit program, the show may uproot and make a move east. more ›

• Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: a missing patient at Kings County Hospital in Brooklyn, a car vs. overpass on Kings Highway in Brooklyn, and a truck explosion on 64th Rd. and 108th St. in Queens.
• A sharp-sighted deckhand on a Staten Island Ferry spotted a pistol sticking out of the pocket of a dim-witted passenger snoozing on a Sunday morning ferry. The passenger, who was arrested, had a long record of criminal weapons possessions.
• The wife of the slain orthodontist Daniel Malakov previously met with a political consultant to plan a custody protest with her daughter in front of the White House. She gave up her plan when advised that "nobody would care."
• Lindsay Lohan is reportedly looking to rejuvenate her image by appearing as the assistant manager at a fast-food restaurant on the television series "Ugly Betty."
• Strip-club Scores is sponsoring a food drive with collected food dedicated to City Harvest called "Cans for Cans." Club customers will gain free admission with a printed-out copy of the promotion from the business' web site and a donated can of food.
• A very interesting look at how pidgin Gaelic by Irish newcomers to NYC shaped modern American slang.
• Community Board 10 will be holding a public hearing on the proposed rezoning of 125th St. on November 14th.
• Bomb scare at Laguardia airport.

There have been a few ads in the NY Times weddings section that spoof the real wedding announcements. For instance, we believe we recall a few for divorce services, but less ironically, there have been ads for marriage-related movies, like The Starter Wife. And this week, there's an ad for an upcoming wedding on the ABC comedy Ugly Betty. Of course, the ad is a lot wordier than the usual NY Times wedding announcement, but any mention of Wilhemina assistant Marc St. James is worth the extra ink. more ›

Last night the 59th Annual Emmy Awards took place on the left coast, but New Yorkers made out very well. New York productions/creative types that took home the gold: Late Night with Conan O'Brien (writing), The Daily Show (variety-comedy show series), 30 Rock (best comedy), and Dick Wolf (for producing Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee). In the would-have-been arena, America Ferrera won best actress in a comedy, Ugly Betty, which was originally supposed to shoot in the Big Apple but shoots in L.A. because it's cheaper. We'll also count Rob Marshall, who won for directing the Best Variety-Musical Special, Tony Bennett: An American Classic, since he has Broadway roots. more ›

Covering Coverage
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NY Mag reports that the bull costs $10,000 a year to insure, which might be why their ultra-premium margaritas cost $51. While it may take a couple of those margaritas to get on the bull, we wonder if they check how sober a person is before riding. more ›

: Season 2 more ›

A look at some noteworthy television this week: more ›

Tim Gunn is leaving Parsons! Could it be that he wants to spread his acting wings? Not really, his main job will now be at Liz Claiborne as chief creative officer. Let's take a look at his upcoming appearances on the thing that introduced us to Gunn in the first place, the tv. more ›

Yes, yes, last night was the Golden Globes. And boy, that Warren Beatty NEVER SHUTS UP. more ›

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association voting pool for the Golden Globes only consists of 83 members, but every year their mainstream tastes become one of the potential early prognosticators for the Emmys and the Oscars. Over in Beverly Hills today, the stylists are putting the finishing touches on the stars' couture, that long red carpet is being laid and some assistant is double checking the seals on the envelopes. Here in New York of course, we get to play the more enviable armchair critic job hashing out who might be taking home this year's statues after tonight's telecast [8 - 11 pm on NBC]. more ›

Just stop wondering about the "Who Will She Choose?" sky-writing from New Year's Day. It's really anti-climactic. A few people Flickr'd it, but we doubt they actually tuned in for the premiere of the ABC Family drama Wildfire to see if heroine Kris would choose Matt or Junior. Because how were they supposed to know to tune into ABC Family in the first place? more ›