Earlier today an interesting little rumor started by a sharp-eyed New York Post reader started to make the Internet rounds. The claim? That former Office star Steve Carell made “an unexpected, unannounced cameo” in last week’s “Trivia” episode as a member of The Queerenstein Bears team. While the dude in the screenshot accompanying the report certainly looks a lot like the actor (with a bushy beard, some under-eye bags, and a few extra pounds, mind you), NBC is now saying that he was just an extra — and definitely not Carell. Are you as oddly disappointed by this news as we are? It would have been kind of funny to see him sneak into the background a few episodes this season, Patton Oswalt-style, don’t you think? [via AV Club]

Mid-season TV is totally underrated. Largely seen as primetime’s second string, the slate of shows that pop up each winter to replace the fall season’s biggest failures has more to offer than you might think — especially at a time when cable and premium channels are challenging the networks’ traditional September-to-May schedule. With that in mind, there are a whole lot of new series debuting from December through February that we at Flavorpill can’t wait to watch. From Don Cheadle and Kristen Bell as corporate bloodsuckers to Kevin Smith’s comic-book store to the return of Deadwood creator David Milch, our ten most anticipated mid-season shows are after the jump. Read More »

Quick, think of your favorite character from film or TV. Got it? Now imagine someone else wearing that character’s clothes and saying that character’s words. Unless you’re thinking of James Bond, Doctor Who, or another notoriously replaceable face, it’s probably hard to picture a different actor playing the part. Alas, before there were “lights, camera, action” on all our favorite productions, there were auditions, and that role was up for grabs. Check out some silly successful, failed, and even fake audition tapes, featuring some very familiar faces, after the jump.

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1. The Beatles’ earliest recordings with singer Tony Sheridan are set to be released in a deluxe two-CD set on November 8; also included in the elaborate packaging will be rarely seen photos by Astrid Kirchherr, band contracts, poster art, and handwritten bios by each member of the group. [via Variety]

2. Steve Carell has signed on to star in Foxcatcher, the next project from Moneyball director Bennett Miller; the film is based on the true story of John du Pont, “the schizophrenic heir to the du Pont fortune, and the man who pulled the trigger on Olympic wrestler David Schultz.” [via Slashfilm]

3. After spending a few years away from Hollywood, X-Files creator Chris Carter is planning to write and executive produce a new “a female-lead mystery police thriller” with a “paranormal twist” called Unique. We hear that Gillian Anderson is available… [via Vulture]

4. This is interesting: Russell Brand will be the first guest on Rosie O’Donnell’s new talk show, which premieres on The Oprah Winfrey Network on October 10 and will be taped in Chicago’s Harpo Studios, former home of The Oprah Winfrey Show. [via Inside TV]

5. If you haven’t seen it yet, here is Adele’s beautifully-shot, black and white video for “Someone Like You,” which was filmed early one morning in Paris.

Bonus Buzz: Famous Robot Blueprint Posters

Last night was the MTV Movie Awards, the network’s annual film awards show that’s always more about parodies and interactions between celebrity presenters than who wins what. If you missed it, have no fear, reruns will be airing round the clock for the next month or so. But be warned: If you were born after 1990, you’re not only older than most of this year’s winners — there will also be some moments from the broadcast that will make you feel ancient. Click through as we run through some of the most egregious examples.

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1. Thanks to raking in $90 million from her Monster Ball tour and an unparalleled social media presence, Lady Gaga has stolen Oprah’s number one spot on this year’s Forbes Celebrity 100 list. Rounding out the top five are Justin Bieber, U2, and Elton John. [via MTV]

2. So, according to The Huffington Post, Lars Von Trier’s not-hilarious-to-anyone-else Hitler comments actually got him kicked out of the Cannes Film Festival — although, it’s unclear if the ban is permanent. From the official statement: “The board of directors profoundly regrets that this forum has been used by Lars von Trier to express comments that are unacceptable, intolerable, and contrary to the ideals of humanity and generosity that preside over the very existence of the festival. The Board of Directors firmly condemns these comments and declares Lars von Trier a persona non grata at the Festival de Cannes, with effect immediately.”

3. According to The Hollywood Reporter, British comedienne Catherine Tate is producers’ first choice to replace Steve Carell on The Office. If you’re unfamiliar with her work on Doctor Who, you’ll get a chance to check her out in tonight’s season finale.

4. Last night Beyoncé debuted the post-apocalyptic video for “Run the World (Girls)” on American Idol; this morning, we get the kind of naked cover of her new album, 4, which is due out on June 28th. [via Vulture]

5. In case you were curious, Gawker has put together a possibly NSFW encyclopedia of every other awful thing Arnold Schwarzenegger has done.

Bonus link: 21 Pop Cultural Signs Of The Apocalypse

Last night’s Saturday Night Live surprised us with something we hadn’t known we’d always been missing — the return of the classic short “The Ambiguously Gay Duo.” Only this time, with the help of a flesh ray, Ace, Gary and the gang were transformed into human form. Jimmy Fallon and Jon Hamm appeared as Ace and Gary, and the villains revealed themselves to be Steve Carell and Stephen Colbert (who originally voiced Ace and Gary) along with host Ed Helms. Just like the Ambiguously Gay spots of yore, last night’s half-cartoon, half-live action version was cheap, listless, and mildly offensive. But funny! Watch the video after the jump.

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Steve Carell is officially gone from The Office and, between that and this whole royal wedding thing, it feels like the world has sobbed itself dry. In fact, we just tried to cry as an experiment and couldn’t because there are no tears left. None at all. But do we blame the people? No, not really. Michael Scott’s goodbye on The Office was heart-wrenching, and it was hard to see our beloved Dunder Mifflinites go through that painful farewell, especially since every moment was underscored with the uncertainty of how the show itself will cope in future seasons. Will it sink or swim? It’s hard to say, but The Office is hardly the first show to part with a leading man or lady. After the jump, we calculate the odds with a look back at how some of the biggest shows fared after cutting main characters loose.

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1. If you missed last night’s installment of The Office (which was Steve Carell’s penultimate episode), watch the cast sing a strangely touching parody of Rent’s “Seasons of Love” here. (Warning: it made us tear up a bit.)

2. This photo of Rupert Grint (the kid who plays Ron Weasley in the Harry Potter films) allegedly smoking from a bong is currently making the rounds. We always figured Fred and George for stoners, but never Ron — what would Hermione think?

3. “I’ve never treated anyone badly or in a discriminatory way based on their gender, race, religion or sexuality — period. I don’t blame some people for thinking that though, from the garbage they heard on those leaked tapes, which have been edited. You have to put it all in the proper context of being in an irrationally, heated discussion at the height of a breakdown, trying to get out of a really unhealthy relationship.” – Mel Gibson finally speaks out on the Oksana tapes

4. Weird but true: Chinese author Zhang Yiyi is planning to undergo 10 surgeries over a 10-month period — and spend an estimated $150,000 — to sculpt his face to look exactly like William Shakespeare’s mug because he wants to “let the people across the world mourn” one of world’s greatest writers. [via Herald Sun]

5. “I’m going to sail the Nile before it’s all over. I would like to see the Pyramids and the Sphinx… I want to do Broadway — on my terms.”- Some items on 69-year-old Aretha Franklin’s bucket list

Bonus link: In honor of Earth Day, 10 of the most polluted places on Earth

1. Devastating news: Last night at the National Dance Institute’s annual fund-raising gala, Alec Baldwin told Vulture that the next season of 30 Rock will be its last: “Our contracts are expired [in 2012], and Tina is gonna have a big career directing films and writing. She’s going to be the next Elaine May. She’ll be great.”

2. Finale guest stars Ray Romano, James Spader, and British comedienne Catherine Tate have been thrown into a pool that already includes Will Arnett and Ricky Gervais as possibilities to replace The Office’s Steve Carell when he exits the show on April 28th. [via TVLine]

3. Sigur Rós has posted 10 previously unreleased tracks — including some live recordings from 1998 — to help tide fans over until they return from their indefinite hiatus. It’s not new material, but we’ll take it. [via Paste Magazine]

4. Tennessee is the happiest state in the US, and Germany is the happiest country in the world — at least according to what people are posting on Twitter. [via Gawker]

5. Glee’s April 26th episode — which is inspired by Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way” — has been expanded to 90 minutes. We don’t know about you, but our fingers are crossed that it involves Kurt giving birth to a race of aliens that look just like him. [via TVLine]

Bonus link: A.C. Slater and Jessie Spano on the set of Extra