Academy discloses more Oscar presenters

Oscar-winning stars Meryl Streep, Colin Firth, Natalie Portman, Christian Bale and Melissa Leo have became a member of their email list of presenters for Sunday's 84th annual Oscars ceremony, the Academy of movement Picture Arts and Sciences introduced Thursday. Additionally, crooner Tony Bennett will serenade the 2010 Academy Award readers in the Governors Ball, which immediately follows the ceremony. Formerly introduced presenters include Halle Berry, the cast of "Bridesmaids," Bradley Cooper, Tom Cruise, Penelope Cruz, Cameron Diaz, Michael Douglas, Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, Zach Galifianakis, Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Jennifer Lopez. Chris Rock, Ben Stiller and Emma Stone. The Oscar ceremony, located by Billy Very, will occur in the Hollywood & Highland Center and air survive ABC. Contact Christy Grosz at christy.grosz@variety.com

Pilot Season: Mary McCormack Cast in ABC Comedy, FlashForward Vet Lands Shonda Rhimes Drama

[Warning: This story contains major spoilers from Sunday's episode of The Walking Dead. Read at your own risk. ] Lori has come a long way from housewife-turned-zombie apocalypse survivor. Sunday's episode of The Walking Dead proved she would do just about anything to keep her family intact, even if it means planting the seed in husband Rick's head that his best friend Shane needs to die. TVGuide.com turned to executive producer and showrunner Glen Mazzara to get the scoop on Lori's "foolish decision." Plus: What will the future hold for Shane, who's long outlived his comic book counterpart? Find out below: Read More > Other Links From TVGuide.com Andrew LincolnNorman ReedusScott WilsonFrank DarabontSarah Wayne CalliesJon BernthalMichael ZegenGlen MazzaraThe Walking DeadChandler RiggsMelissa Suzanne McBride

Film Commissioners announce Locations show

The Assn. of Film Commissioners Intl. holds its Locations Show on June 15-16 within the La Convention Center. The large event will run simultaneously while using opening weekend in the La Film Festival, held June 14-24 at venues centered on the adjacent L.A. Live complex. ''Film Commissions aren't nearly locations,'' mentioned AFCI Executive Director, Martin Cuff. ''Our annual trade event supplies a unique chance to talk to these Film Commissions who with one another provide over $2.5 billion in annual funding. We're very searching toward our move downtown, creating a genuine worldwide village within the La Film Festival.'' The trade event happened last June at Disney Art galleries using the Producers Guild of America's ''Produced By'' conference. Contact Dork McNary at dork.mcnary@variety.com

Sky Deutschland to raise $394 million

BERLIN -- Sky Deutschland announced plans on Thursday to raise 300 million ($394 million) this year to finance investments in exclusive new content and innovative new services. News Corp. will backstop the funding, which Sky plans to raise in two steps. The company is looking to secure a minimum of $130 million by March through a rights offering, a private placement or a shareholder loan and the rest by September. It may also issue a convertible bond as part of the process. Sky recently inked an exclusive three-year multi-platform pay TV deal with Warner Bros., and has also beefed up its high-definition TV offerings. In 2011, Sky managed to narrow its losses before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization by 42% to $203 million, while revenue climbed 17% to $1.4 billion. Sky also surpassed the 3 million subscriber mark. "In 2011 we delivered a number of key milestones in building our business for a profitable future," said Sky Deutschland CEO Brian Sullivan. "Overall our results reflect the best performance in the history of the company: we are attracting new customers at the fastest pace ever, and customer satisfaction and recommendation levels are at all-time highs. To have over 3 million customers actively choosing Sky is a fantastic achievement, but we expect more to come and there is still more to do. The additional funding announced today will support us to further drive these efforts, to continue building an exciting service for our customers and a valuable business for our shareholders." Sullivan expects Sky's performance to continue to improve this year and "to be significantly better than 2011." Contact Ed Meza at staff@variety.com

Exclusive: Phyllis Diller Returns to The Bold and the Beautiful

Darlene Conley and Phyllis Diller We'll have what she's having! TV Guide Magazine has learned that legendary comic - and 94-year-old fireball - Phyllis Diller is heading back to the CBS soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful for a two-day appearance in March.Diller will again play Gladys Pope, who was a madcap makeup artist seen numerous times on the show from 1995 to 2004. Back then, Gladys was best pals with low-rent couturier Sally Spectra (the late Darlene Conley) and the two dizzy dames shared many a Lucy and Ethel-type escapade.B&B is keeping the specific deets on Diller's return under wraps but this much we can tell you: Gladys is back with a whole new vocation and will play an integral part in a very romantic event - one that's perfectly timed for the soap's 25th anniversary!Subscribe to TV Guide Magazine now!

Disney Junior to switch SoapNet in March

Disney Junior Disney Funnel has confirmed a launch date due to its new 24-hour preschool funnel. Disney Junior will replace SoapNet of satellite and cable systems during the night time on Friday, March 23. The completely new cable network, a spinoff of Disney Channel's Disney Junior block, will launch while using new animated series Doc McStuffins. That relate, of a six-year-old girl who nurses her sick toys to health, is among several new programs that may make their debut on Disney Junior. Among the other new shows going to the funnel inside the next season: Gaspard and Lisa, which concentrates on two youthful young puppies in the French neighborhood Guess Simply How Much I Like You, using the book of the title Sofia the initial, a TV movie and series of a princess and Oki's Oasis, a western of a cat cat sheriff, voiced by Mandy Moore. Disney Junior also plans a weekend movie evening (named the Magical Arena of Disney Junior) and may bring over its quantity of interstitials referred to as a Poem Is... read by Laura Linney, Viola Davis, Jessica Alba, Owen Wilson and Liev Schreiber. Current series Mike as well as the Never Land Pirates, Jesse Duck Clubhouse, Little Einsteins and Handy Manny may even work on Disney Junior. The funnel joins an progressively competitive preschool cable marketplace, where it'll face offered by Nick Junior., Sprout and Qubo, among others. Disney Junior was already accessible in 28 the areas outdoors in the U.S. In beginning the funnel, Disney states it's broadening the primary focus from kids age 2-5 to kids 2-7 - a demo it calls "preschool plus." The business has furthermore triggered a "council of academic experts" to influence the channel's curriculum. "This marks the beginning of a sea alteration of the 'preschool plus' television landscape," states Gary Marsh, leader and Boss of Disney Channels Worldwide. "The response to the Disney Junior programming block remains very positive." Numerous audiences will still receive SoapNet after March 22, only must be handful of satellite and cable handles Disney continue being completed. Once people deals are completed, SoapNet will completely shut lower. Subscribe to TV Guide Magazine now!

VIDEO: Get ready for More Pretty Little Liars! Everyone Is Fighting!

Pretty Little Liars When Pretty Little Liars returns, the ladies will not function as the tight-knit foursome we are familiar with seeing. "The ladies have produced this schism, especially between Spencer and Emily," Troian Bellisario, who plays Spencer, told TVGuide.com. "They have two different ideas of methods to beat this type of is doing on their behalf.In . Pretty Little Liars Start Searching: Everything does not look wonderful for your couples Emily, meanwhile, isn't any more backing lower and following Spencer's plans. "Emily has acquired a great deal confidence," Shay Mitchell states."She's really around the pursuit to uncover who A is and prevent everything." Inside the video below, we get together with Bellisario, Mitchell, Lucy Hale and Ashley Benson, who share some knowledge of the arrival season, including Aria and Ezra's "being launched," the return of Maya, and three (yes, three!) large fight moments. Pretty Little Liars returns on Monday, Jan. 2 at 8/7c on ABC Family.