HLN is lining up subs for Joy Behar, who begins her vacation later this week and returns to “The Joy Behar Show” after Labor Day.
Former “Early Show” anchor Rene Syler (goodenoughmother.com) will fill in for Behar Aug. 16 and 17; other confirmed subs include “Dr. Drew” Pinsky, Shaun Robinson (“Access Hollywood”) and “Millionaire Matchmaker” Patti Stanger.
Meanwhile, Behar’s former CNN/Headline News compatriot, Christiane Amanpour, earned a meh — in terms of ratings — for her debut as host of ABC’s “This Week” this past Sunday: 2.2 million viewers, finishing third behind “Meet the Press” (2.8 million) and “Face the Nation” (2.4 million).�ÿ
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Rain Perry’s “Beautiful Tree” will be used, again, as the theme song for The CW’s “Life Unexpected,” which kicks off its second season next month.
Perry’s new album, “Internal Combustion,” is out Sept. 21 (Precipitous Records) — one week after the season premiere of “Life Unexpected” (9 p.m./Ch. 11).
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AMC’s “Rubicon” (James Badge Dale, Miranda Richardson) got off to a strong start (for AMC) Sunday night, premiering to 2 million viewers — the highest-rated premiere of AMC’s three original series (including “Breaking Bad” and “Mad Men”).
The two-hour “Rubicon” premiere led into the second episode of the over-hyped, over-indulged “Mad Men,” which snared 2.5 million viewers — down from its record-setting 2.9 million-viewer showing in last week’s season premiere. A “Mad Men” backlash already?
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Post film critic Lou Lumenick will join TCM host Robert Osborne in October as a guest programmer on the network’s “Critic’s Picks” series. Lumenick, one of 16 film critics who’ll join Osborne that month, taped his segments in June; they’ll air every Monday and Wednesday night on TCM.
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Books . . . “Brady Bunch” creator Sherwood Schwartz and son Lloyd J. Schwartz have teamed on “Brady, Brady, Brady: The Complete Story of The Brady Bunch, As Told By the Father/Son Team Who Really Know.” How they’re ever gonna fit that title on the cover I can only guess, but the book promises “secret revelations” about behind-the-scenes shenanigans on the “Brady Bunch” set. It’s out Sept. 1.
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The death yesterday of Mitch Miller (at the ripe old age of 99!) reminds me of those old Allan Sherman records from the early ’60s. Sherman referred to Miller in his songs Al ‘N’ Yetta — “Al ‘n’ Yetta fans of Art Linkletta, and they love to sing along with Mitch” — and in My Zelda (“Sing along with Moishe now”). Great stuff.
Last, but not least:
WFAN’s “Boomer & Carton” show (Boomer Esiason, Craig Carton) will be simulcast on MSG beginning Sept. 14 (6-10 a.m. weekdays) . . . acclaimed singer/actress Della Reese has signed on with Bensky Entertainment (Lynda Bensky) . . . Tom Papa “The Marriage Ref”) headlines Carolines tomorrow through Saturday . . .