Spanish B.O. dips 3% in 2011

MADRID -- Total box office takings in Spain fell 2.7% to Euros628 million ($823 million) in 2011, bucking the upward trend seen in other major European territories this year. Admissions edged down 2.2% to 95.5 million, according to provisional figures from Rentrak. Spanish movies' B.O. rose 24%, hiking their domestic share to 14%. Whereas Germany and France are on track to record B.O. upticks of up to 4% this year, Spain has been held back by a number of factors. First, piracy ravages Spain far more than its two Euro-zone peers. Second, the Spanish economy is in tatters, which has hit consumer spending. Lastly, the local production biz is far smaller than its counterparts in France or Germany, so the impact on the uplift in the B.O. of local pics is less pronounced than that in the other countries. "Avatar's" stellar perf in 2009/2010 made 2011's figures look poor in comparison, but a strong final quarter has helped offset this, which gives analysts and exhibitors some cause to be upbeat. "Though it opened in Spain in 2009, 'Avatar' grossed 52.2 million ($68.4 million) here in 2010. Given the results for Spain's first three quarters this year, its final box office is a highly positive result," said Arturo Guillen, managing director, Rentrak Spain. Spain's top grossers were "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn -- Part 1," distribbed by Aurum, and Santiago Segura's 3D pic "Torrente 4: Lethal Crisis," released by Warner Bros. Both pics notched up around $25.7 million. "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" ranked third with $24.5 million, and "Tintin" was fourth with $23.6 million. Warner Bros. was Spain's top distributor. Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com

Watch Conan O'Brien Defile Hanukkah (and Tom Six's Artistic Vision) With Human Centipede Menorah

If you’ve been looking for a way to incorporate Tom Six’s gross-out film Human Centipede II into your holiday traditions, Conan O’Brien has just the gift for you: The first-ever (and hopefully last-ever) Human Centipede menorah — made up of nine unfortunate men and women bound to each other mouth-to-anus style, with each carrying a giant candle on his/her back. Mazel tov? Yes, this happened. And you can pull off this same party trick by inviting nine of your least self-respecting friends to take part at home — and then, like Conan experienced last night — watching as your stunned audience recoils from the offensiveness and all-around unfunnyness of the bit. Tune into Conan tonight if you’d like to continue celebrating the Festival of Comedy Blights. In related news, my condolences go out to the actors who have added Human Centipede Menorah member to their resumes. [via Team Coco]

'Wolverine' sailing can get twelve several weeks in federal prison

'X-Males Roots: Wolverine'A NY guy remains sentenced to at least one year in federal prison for unlawfully uploading a partial version of last century Fox's "X-Males Roots: Wolverine," one of the most difficult punitive measures ever passed on for internet piracy.Bronx resident Gilberto Sanchez is at prison for uploading a nearly final "workprint" copy in the film this past year several month before its theatrical release. "We're feeling this really is really a long sentence ever enforced for just about any defendant charged with uploading only one copyrighted film towards the web,Inch assistant United states . States Attorney Lisa E. Feldman, who works together the FBI's computer and intellectual property crimes section, told Variety.Sanchez made the film designed for download to Megaupload.com for approximately every day before Fox could have the pic removed.Furthermore with a one-year prison term, Judge Margaret M. Morrow also enforced twelve several weeks of supervised release as well as other computer restrictions on Sanchez.Sanchez's upload illicited common shock and horror around Hollywood and was seen because the industry's most dangerous incident of piracy as much as that point. In those days, Fox thought that 15 million people downloaded the film. If accurate, which will theoretically put ticket purchase deficits inside the 100s of vast amounts. Contact Rachel Abrams at Rachel.Abrams@variety.com

Ask Matt: Globes Weirdness, Dexter, Person of Interest, Charlie Sheen, and More!

Jim Caviezel, David Costabile Send your questions to askmatt@tvguidemagazine.com and follow me on Twitter!Question: I often appreciate the Golden Globes because they show greater range in the nominations than the Emmys, which tend to nominate the same people long after the bloom is off the rose. However, this year's nominees are just weird. Boss and American Horror Story instead of Breaking Bad, Justified or The Good Wife (or Friday Night Lights, if it was eligible)? Callie Thorne? Jeremy Irons? David Duchovny? Of the five nominated comedies, only two (Episodes and Modern Family) seem to be fitting. The Middle, Community, Parks and Rec, Big Bang Theory and Cougar Town deserve praise ahead of the others (especially the highly problematic Glee). I know that the Hollywood Foreign Press tends to be eclectic in its choices, but this is somewhat ridiculous. What do you think? - ErinMatt Roush: Somewhat ridiculous? Try laughably. This group is so desperate to seem with-it that once again, they end up lacking any credibility whatsoever. I'm all for including new blood into an awards mix, but this year's transfusion went way overboard. Embracing niche shows like the dismal Boss over the spectacular season of Breaking Bad (among the other terrific dramas you pointed out) or the peculiar Enlightened over the best of NBC's Thursday night comedies goes beyond head-scratching. If we didn't know better, we'd think they were being incredibly elitist instead of merely desperate in their slavish embrace of cable (especially the pay channels). But at least they acknowledged Homeland, which is more than the astonishingly lazy SAG Awards nominations could muster last week.Question: I saw the Golden Globes nominations and was quite surprised to see American Horror Story got the nod over The Walking Dead in the best drama category. I like American Horror Story (I know you are not a big fan), but I love The Walking Dead and think it is a much better show. What are your thoughts about this? - CathyMatt Roush: Obviously I agree with you. The first half of The Walking Dead's second season wasn't perfect - even I got restless toward the end of those episodes on the farm, though the final sequence was as powerful and disturbing as anything the show has ever done - but at least it seems to be about actual humans in a truly horrific situation. And when it goes for the jugular, it's truly frightening, because it feels like there's something truly at stake. Whereas American Horror Story is just a lurid sick joke badly told, and the only nominations I'm on board with regarding that show are those saluting Jessica Lange's wildly entertaining performance - she runs circles around everyone, and if the rest of the cast were on her level (Denis O'Hare comes close), they might be able to salvage the dreadfully obvious and vulgar writing. I've always loved the horror genre when done well, which is why I'm rather dismayed (but in a way, almost amused) to see people egging on this indulgent train wreck with nominations and Top 10 mentions.Question: I am assuming with awards season around the corner, due to its schedule everyone will forget what a great final season Rescue Me had. - GlennMatt Roush: You're probably right. But I hope you saw our Cheers & Jeers year-end issue, where we singled out Rescue Me among the year's finest series finales (along with Friday Night Lights, of course). But it really isn't so much about the timing of the final season as much as the perception that Rescue Me had peaked a few seasons ago. Which is mostly accurate. And while the show did regain much of its power in its final season, it probably wasn't enough to get back on many people's radar, especially those handing out awards, who generally are more keen on acknowledging shows that still have a future.Question: I know "jump the shark" can refer to a show's general decline in quality, but for me it means the introduction of a plotline so outrageous or clichéd that we can no longer watch and suspend disbelief. I have been thinking about shark-jumping ever since I saw Deb's dream sequence on Dexter last week. And I want to know: Is it me, or were the writers winking at us as they water-skied over the cage? The Dexter writers seem too savvy to me to have made this plot decision without knowing how viewers might react. The dream sequence itself seemed deliberately scripted to remind of us of every other romantic dream sequence we've ever seen in films or TV, so that viewers knew long before the cut to Deb in bed that it was in fact a dream. And in a show about a single dad/vigilante serial killer, who hides in plain sight in a homicide division forensic lab (where his adoptive sister is a cop), who talks to a hallucination of his dead adoptive father, who has murdered people just yards away from colleagues and who has shared Thanksgiving dinner with another serial killer's family, I suppose one could ask whether any plotline is too outrageous. But then I could be giving the writers too much credit. I am withholding judgment on this plot twist until I see the finale, but I am really curious to read what you think. - Michelle WMatt Roush: My own notes during that dream sequence of Deb and Dex getting uncomfortably intimate read: "STOP IT! NO!!" followed by a few "ewwwwws" for good measure. But as we now know (SPOILER ALERT for those who haven't watched Sunday's finale yet), this icky epiphany was a set-up for the long-awaited climactic twist of Deb finally discovering the truth about her adoptive brother (and, in her mind, the love of her life: again, ewww), that he's a murderer of murderers. I agree with you that the way last week's dream sequence was filmed made it obvious it was a tease, so there was a wink (and perhaps a leer) implied. And in the finale, when Deb cried to her therapist, "Is this just horribly wrong?" any viewer with sense had to be screaming back to the screen, "Yes!" The therapist, as they so maddeningly do, merely prodded her, "Does it seem wrong?" So I guess my knee-jerk answer to your question is that if this is the catalyst the show needed to clue Deb in on Dexter's secret, maybe it was worth it. Because I have to think the sight of Dex plunging the knife into Travis' chest kind of spoiled the mood, don't you think? I guess we'll find out next season.Question: I'm a huge fan of the new CBS crime drama Person of Interest. I have been a great admirer of Jim Caviezel and Michael Emerson, who has always impressed me. I love the story lines and think it is the best show to come out in a long time, but it has not raised that much popular support and the ratings, while good, are not as great as CSI. What are your thoughts about the show and do you think it will be granted a second season, because it feels like the best shows get canceled. And also what are your views on the final season of Chuck, and do you think it's a possibility that it gets a back order to reach the 100-episode mark? - IshaanMatt Roush: I wouldn't worry about Person of Interest. It's not quite a breakout hit, but it's performing solidly on Thursday, and has been picking up steam lately, both in the ratings and creatively. The last few episodes, introducing the Elias nemesis and bringing Detective Carter closer to the worlds of Finch and Reese, have been very strong and surprising. It's not as conventional as many of CBS's procedurals, which may ultimately work against it being as popular, but I don't see CBS dropping it when the network has so many long-in-the-tooth series waiting to be put out to pasture over the next few seasons. Regarding Chuck: There is no possibility I can imagine where it will continue past its scheduled finale (titled "Chuck Vs. the Goodbye") to reach any other sort of milestone beyond the miracle of scoring this shortened fifth season. Which I'm sorry to say feels like a misbegotten one. My fondness for this series waned a while ago, though I stayed with it through last season, and watching the first few episodes of this season put me off so completely I had no inclination to go the extra mile to follow it through on Fridays (where I'm already trying to keep up with more intriguing and/or fresher low-rated shows like Fringe, Nikita, Supernatural and Chuck's new NBC companion Grimm).Question: I'd like to get your opinion on the departing Desperate Housewives, which I see you haven't really addressed so far. I know you've been quite critical of the show in the past and with good reason. With the exception of Seasons 1 and 4 (thanks primarily to Dana Delaney), the show has been, at best, uneven. I found Season 7 particularly frustrating. Susan's storylines as well as the Gaby baby switch drama were completely out of step with the tone of the show, and with the exception of the season finale, most of the season felt like a rushed and empty effort. I've stuck it out with the show despite its problems, because there are a few episode gems to be found amongst the terrible ones.When this final season of Desperate Housewives started out, I was under the impression that it may unfortunately go the same way as the other seasons. But over the last couple of weeks, it seems to be picking up a significant amount of steam. For one thing, the murder mystery might not be the best the show has ever had, but at least it's given us an opportunity to see the housewives working together or, at least, interacting with one another more than usual (the Bree/Gaby moments have been a particular highlight). Also Marc Cherry, Bob Daily and Co. seem to be doing a nice job of bringing the show back to its roots by bringing Mary Alice back into focus, particularly in the last episode with the Bree suicide cliffhanger. What do you think? Has Housewives got a chance of going out with a bang? - AdamMatt Roush: A "bang" sounds a little hopeful for a show that lost its oomph quite a while ago, and which lost me for good last season. I tried watching the first few episodes of the season, but much like the Chuck situation, felt the show was running on fumes (and not very enjoyable ones), so haven't been keeping up. (With terrific shows like Homeland, The Good Wife and Once Upon a Time on Sundays, there are much more satisfying options.) I do agree with you, though, that any storyline in which the ladies of Wisteria Lane are operating in tandem instead of in separate universes tends to make for a better season. And the Mary Alice element does bring the show nicely full circle. I will probably rejoin Housewives at some point closer to the end of the season so I can prepare a proper eulogy. Maybe Chuck, too, both being series I enjoyed during their long-ago peak. (And I stayed loyal to both long after the point of it making any critical sense.)Question: I won't argue the cutesiness of Hart of Dixie, but it's not phony: It's just set in another universe. Bluebell is to Alabama as Stars Hollow is to Connecticut, but eleventy-seven times more so. A little gentle chivalrous sexism lives on, but racism and its legacies are erased by the warm sun and the gentle breezes off the Gulf of Mexico. Everybody eats in the same restaurants, sees the same doctor(s), celebrates the same daft holiday variants in that precious little town square. Dogwoods bloom just in time for the Alabama-Florida football game. The mayor, a former NFL star (Cress Williams, really?), lives in the old plantation house and has a pet alligator named Burt Reynolds, apparently the only gator along that stretch of coastline. And this same tall, handsome black mayor had a hot romance with the local doctor's pearlescently platinum daughter, and no one took a shot at him - or, for that matter, even noticed. There are some fine and admirable people in Alabama (our Alabama), but Bluebell and its citizens aren't among them. Their home is much farther from here than Fringe's Over There, and those who can't abide an alternate-universe tale should steer well clear. - JohnMatt Roush: Letter of the month! Kudos! Thanks for the laugh. But even an offhand comparison to the bliss of Gilmore Girls feels like sacrilege. Yes, Stars Hollow had more than its share of precious qualities, but the premise, the characters, the rapid-fire dialogue were all so distinctive and smart, truly charming, leaving a happy afterglow and not the sense that you'd just bitten into a poisoned praline. You're right. The Fringe team really should be called in to investigate these aliens in Bluebell.Question: When are they going to realize that without Charlie Sheen, Two and a Half Men stinks?!?!?! The character of Walden is ridiculous, they brought back Herb's sister as Walden's wife (what's with that; do they think viewers are too stupid to remember the actress [Judy Greer] as the one who broke Charlie Harper's heart?), they're wasting Jake and Berta's characters, and as much as I like seeing more of Alan, one person can't carry a show. Did Charlie Sheen do moronic things? Yes. Would a mentally fit person do the things Charlie Sheen did? No. The man has a mental illness. Now that he seems to be taking his medication or getting help in some way or another, Charlie Sheen needs to "man up" and apologize to Chuck Lorre and the rest of the Men staff in whatever way they deem acceptable (privately, publicly, huge donation to a favorite charity), Lorre and company need to accept said apology, and they need to get the show back to what it has always been about: Charlie Harper and his hysterically vile lifestyle. JMHOPeople who have mental illnesses have relapses and setbacks. Being mentally ill is no different than having a medical problem such as diabetes. If Charlie Sheen had stopped taking his insulin and gone into a diabetic coma, spent copious amounts of time in the hospital to recoup, would they have fired him for that? No, I don't believe so. And believe me, a diabetic whose blood sugar has dropped can say and do some outrageous things. If they wouldn't fire a diabetic who behaved poorly, why should it be OK to fire someone who is mentally ill?!?!? That is wrong on so many levels. Thanks for letting me vent. - Cindy LynnMatt Roush: Vent all you want, but that ship has sailed. Charlie has moved on, developing a new sitcom (Anger Management) for FX, which is likely to be one of the most anticipated and analyzed comebacks in TV history. I recommend you read Michael Schneider's excellent and thoughtful interview with Men's executive producer Chuck Lorre, who was already well acquainted with substance abuse and recovery well before the Charlie Sheen debacle went into its final tailspin. These decisions weren't made lightly, and there was no guarantee the show was going to come through it, but regardless of your feelings for Men 2.0, it's doing better than CBS and Warner Bros. could have anticipated. I'm not arguing the show wasn't better in its original form - it was - and if they could have kept it going with Sheen on board, they would have. But he made it impossible, and there's no rebuilding that nuked bridge. The best news would be that Sheen, now that he's put his public rantings and self-congratulatory embarrassment of a concert tour behind him, is on an actual road to recovery and Anger Management is as good a fit for him as Men was. If, that is, the rest of the public is as forgiving as you are.Question: I'm a huge fan of the Owen/Cristina pairing on Grey's Anatomy, but I haven't been thrilled with their storyline for the first half of the season. I can live with the abortion that took place early in the season, because it would seem that it would provide a deep, engaging storyline for the characters and for the amazing Sandra Oh and Kevin McKidd to act out, but there has been very little fallout thus far and almost no reaction on the part of either character aside from the first couple of episodes of the season. There hasn't even been the usual brilliant, subtle expressions that Sandra Oh is so good at to indicate that Cristina is at least thinking about the impact on her marriage, such as during the scene in [episode 5] where she is fawning over Zola, Derek and Meredith's baby, and Owen leaves the room. Do you think the lack of reaction and the delaying of any real discussion of the abortion is due to contract talks taking place and whether or not Sandra Oh will come back next season, and do you think that the dragging out and lack of addressing the issue over the first half of the season has done damage to the pairing in the long term, assuming Sandra Oh comes back? It's very difficult to understand where the writers are going with Cristina and Owen or whether or not it is worth sticking out the rest of the season to see if the situation will be addressed at all. - MichelleMatt Roush: Seems to me it's more a case of the writers not wanting to belabor (no pun intended) this particular storyline. The dynamic in the scene you described between Cristina and Owen, with Zola as the catalyst, said volumes without it having to be spelled out. Sometimes less is more, though I imagine "shippers" wouldn't be satisfied until these characters get their own spin-off. I doubt the ongoing contract uncertainties have that much to do with how the first half of the season played out. That's no way to write a show. And should both actors stay on Grey's, which I hope they do, I don't think long-term damage has been done, if any. This situation is something that will always be a part of their history, and who's to say it won't come up at the next turning point in their relationship? The way these actors played out their roles in the midseason finale, in the wake of Henry's death on the operating table, with Cristina's meltdown seen but not heard, is the kind of drama I'm more interested in, anyway, and I'm gratified that Grey's can still deliver the goods when it wants to this long into its run.Question: I have written you before about CSI: Miami. I have commented on some of the things that Horatio does. After the Dec. 11 episode, I wonder why I still watch. The writers have ruined this show by the way Horatio is being written. The team will criticize people for taking the law into their own hands. The end of the episode shows the child molester hanging from a balcony. He tells H that he has to help him. H says, "Do I?" and then lets him fall to his death. Apparently H is now judge, jury and executioner. I am almost hoping that the last show has him on trial and going to prison for the stuff he's done. There was that incident in Brazil and he punched a suspect that was being questioned on Dec. 4. - FosterMatt Roush: If your scenario ever plays out, with Horatio brought back to earth from whatever delusional superhero Valhalla he thinks he's operating in, I might actually watch. But until then, I just have to echo the most pertinent part of your commentary, namely: Why again are you still watching?Question: Long-time reader of TV Guide Magazine and fan of your column. I am a voracious reader and have been a fan of Stephen King forever. In your review of Bag of Bones, you describe the "rearranging the magnetized letters on his fridge door." You call it a classic King touch: the fantastic within the ordinary. Completely true. However, I dare suggest, that the first time I read that "classic King touch" was in a book by Dean Koontz. The book, Watchers, was about a golden retriever. A very special golden retriever who used Scrabble letters to spell out words. From what I've read, King and Koontz are at least acquaintances, and probably genuine friends. I would be willing to bet that particular "classic King touch" started with Dean Koontz. Just sayin' ... - DavidMatt Roush: Good catch. And you may be right. Like you, I'm a longtime King fan (not so much with Koontz), though Bag of Bones is one of his books that didn't grab me or stick with me - it was still better than the miniseries - and I can't say if the magnetized-letters trick was his invention or not. I guess there are only so many ways for spirits to reach out, and I might have been even more impressed if Scrabble tiles had been used. But thanks for reading, and for writing.And that goes for everyone who has written in and/or followed this column through the year. That's a wrap until 2012, and I can't thank you all enough for keeping me challenged and entertained with your questions and comments. Please keep them coming to askmatt@tvguidemagazine.com, and we'll pick up the conversation again in the new year. In the meantime, have the happiest of holidays in anticipation of what I hope will be a Smash-ing 2012 TV year!Subscribe to TV Guide Magazine now!

Brad Grey Inks New Contract to Remain Paramount Chairman

Last year, as Oprah Winfrey was attempting to set up lucrative carriage deals for her new TV network, she decided to negotiate personally with the executives at Comcast, the nation's largest cable operator.our editor recommendsGayle King Addresses Oprah Winfrey's Letter to Wendy Williams: Not RealOprah Winfrey Magazine, Website Struggle After End of Syndicated Talk ShowOprah Winfrey's Primetime Series to Launch on New Year's DayHollywood's Real Estate Deals of the Week: Oprah Winfrey, Bruce Willis, 'Twilight' Honeymoon House, Justin Bieber's Manager The Ceremony: Academy Honors Oprah Winfrey, James Earl Jones and Dick Smith in Emotional EveningOWN Shifting Attention to Its African-American ViewersOWN Expands Oprah Winfrey's 'Lifeclass'Oprah Winfrey's OWN Taps Susanne Daniels as a Consultant Winfrey traveled to the company's Philadelphia headquarters in the hope that a little Oprah magic would result in handsome fees for her joint venture with Discovery Communications. But according to multiple sources with direct knowledge of the meeting, Comcast executives not only rebuffed Winfrey but characterized her pitch as "greedy" for an unproven network. After that, Winfrey did not attend other such meetings. PHOTOS: Oprah Through the Years The rude awakening is indicative of Winfrey's struggle to turn OWN into the kind of powerhouse she presided over during her 25 years as the queen of daytime TV -- a struggle that has taken on a new sense of urgency as Winfrey returns to television with the launch of her weekly interview show Jan. 1, OWN's first anniversary. As losses mount, industry observers and some former insiders are starting to wonder how long Discovery or Winfrey will stay in the ambitious effort to make OWN fly. Today, major service providers including Comcast pay nothing for OWN, which is not unusual for a network with no ratings history. (Comcast declined comment.) But Discovery is going without those fees as it has poured $254 million into funding the venture (far above its initial $189 million commitment). And the network faces an increasing number of "make-goods" after negotiating rich pacts with such blue-chip advertisers as General Motors and Procter & Gamble, which agreed to a $100 million multiplatform sponsorship deal personally shepherded by Winfrey. With these pressures, analysts suggest Winfrey should cover at least some of the costs of running OWN. Right now, the venture pays 7 percent interest on the $254 million investment, and Discovery recoups its investment first with profits split 50-50. From the start, Winfrey's reach has seemed to exceed her grasp with OWN. She attempted to launch the network while still hosting her syndicated show. And unlike competitors, OWN tried to program without a lineup of reruns of established shows. "It's hard to start without an existing library," says a source with firsthand knowledge of the situation. "The idea that [OWN] had to create almost all original programming was kind of daunting." VIDEO: The 5 Best Clips From 'The Oprah Winfrey Show Winfrey also is said to have been unfamiliar with the general television landscape, according to sources with firsthand knowledge -- one insider says that in the early going, she often expressed enthusiasm for ideas that seemed original to her -- but weren't. "Oprah has a bubble she lives in," says another. "She's not a fan of a lot of TV." Multiple sources also describe Discovery Communications president and CEO David Zaslav as somewhat "starstruck" in his early dealings with Winfrey. These sources say Zaslav operated on the hope that Winfrey would be willing to appear on the network five days a week, even though she was "pretty firm from the outset" that she would not. "That claim is ludicrous," says Discovery spokesman David Leavy. "We are trying to build a business, a brand and a platform to nourish an audience and build value for the long-term. Any characterization beyond that is just ill-informed." One insider says Winfrey delayed signing her deal with Discovery in part because of ambivalence about the venture overall and escalating pressure to increase her role. Her pact was renegotiated in summer 2010, several months after she announced in November 2009 that she would end her daytime talk show. From the start, OWN has been beset with executive turnover. The most recent casualty was Discovery COO Peter Liguori, whose exit was announced Nov. 9. So far this year, OWN is averaging just 136,000 viewers per day (Monday through Sunday, 6 a.m.-6 a.m.), a decline of 8 percent compared to predecessor Discovery Health in 2010. Among women 18 to 49, OWN is down 12 percent. In primetime, OWN actually is up slightly among total viewers -- 2 percent, to 258,000 -- and is up 8 percent among women 25 to 54. But OWN is flat among younger women 18 to 49. PHOTOS: Hollywood's Top Earners If Discovery executives remain disappointed with OWN's ratings -- "below our expectations" is how Zaslav characterized them in May -- they say they remain committed to the network. "My job, Oprah's job, is to create a meaningful audience for OWN over the next two years," Zaslav said Dec. 7. Executives at Discovery stress that the network is looking at the long-term upside potential of OWN. "After 11 months, we're very pleased with where we are," says Leavy. "We remain extraordinarily enthusiastic about the venture and what the venture holds." So far, the top-rated OWN show has been The Judds, which averaged 724,000 viewers and wrapped its six-episode run in May. The No. 2 show is reruns of CBS' Undercover Boss (640,000 viewers). And while OWN is doing relatively well with the documentary series Our America With Lisa Ling (477,000 viewers) and docusoap Welcome to Sweetie Pie's (450,000 viewers), the much-hyped Rosie Show -- which marked the return of Rosie O'Donnell to the talk-show format -- has been a big disappointment, averaging only 244,000 viewers as of Dec. 4. The next test for Winfrey, 57, will come with the launch of Oprah's Next Chapter. The weekly interview show -- a promo features Winfrey in the New Hampshire woods with American Idol judge Steven Tyler -- will mark Winfrey's return to the format that made her famous, albeit in primetime and only once a week. The show will air Sunday at 9 p.m., a competitive time slot. But executives at OWN and Discovery are banking that a little Oprah will go a long way to shore up the network's disappointing fortunes. "A network's ratings can improve quite a bit with one oversized hit," says Eric Handler, an analyst at MKM Partners, adding that OWN was launched with "an unusually high cost structure for a cable network because Oprah was attached to it." STORY:OWN Shifting Attention to Its African-American Viewers On the positive side, SNL Kagan analyst Derek Baine predicts advertising revenue for OWN will hit around $56 million this year and more than $85 million next year, far better than Discovery Health's $15.1 million in 2010. But he expects affiliate revenue to be cut in half, from $62 million in 2010 to less than $30 million in 2012 as Discovery attempts to lure more carriers by giving the channel away. Further, he says programming expenses are likely to balloon from $29 million last year to $135 million this year and more than $155 million next year. What this means for OWN's overall financial picture is murky because Discovery is an equity investor and therefore doesn't fully consolidate its results in financial reports. Thus wildly divergent predictions: Baine estimates that cash flow will swing from $28.8 million in 2010 to a negative $55.6 million this year and a $67 million loss in 2012. Miller Tabak analyst David Joyce expects Discovery to report a loss of $17 million for its equity stake in OWN for 2011, which will reverse to a positive $26 million next year and positive operating cash flow of $81 million by 2016. Observers agree that an increased sense of urgency has surrounded OWN in recent weeks, as insiders wonder whether the company can increase carriage fees, and how much it will need to invest to do so. TV distributors would not comment on when their current carriage agreements with Discovery and OWN expire. With major service providers paying nothing for the network now, the hope is that by 2013 these providers would agree to pay 20 cents per sub, a hefty increase from the 7 cents Discovery Health was getting from some, if not all, carriers. Sources say some smaller operators, including Charter and Cox, have agreed to those terms. [OWN did sign up Cablevision -- which has more than three million subscribers in the NY City area -- in December 2010.] But OWN has so far been unable to turn major operators. SNL Kagan estimates that at least for those who are paying, average monthly carriage fees per subscriber for OWN dropped to 5 cents this year and will go to 3 cents in 2012 as OWN offers the network to providers for free. STORY:Oprah Winfrey Magazine, Website Struggle After End of Syndicated Talk Show Some believe requiring Winfrey to pony up more money is the smart move. "Discovery has deep pockets but not bottomless," says Handler. "I think getting Oprah to match Discovery dollar for dollar on new capital would be a great idea, and it would show investors that she remains serious about the long-term success of the network." Winfrey has said that she "lets other people worry about ratings." But the ratings -- and everything else about the network -- have become a big problem, leaving many industry observers wondering whether Discovery or Winfrey will have the stomach to continue the struggle. "If I were her, I'd pack my bags," says an OWN insider. "What does she need this for? Running a network is 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. Anything short of that, forget about it." Georg Szalai contributed to this report. PHOTO GALLERY: View Gallery The 5 Best Clips From 'The Oprah Winfrey Show' Related Topics Oprah Winfrey

Chuck Lorre Nearly Quit 'Two and Half Men' Because Of Charlie Sheen

A controversial new documentary exploring the path of the corpse of Italian fascist dictator Benito Mussolini is attracting criticisms from the Italy's press for some of the gruesome images it portrays while forcing Italians to examine the country's fascination with the strong-armed leader. Unlike Hilter in Germany or Franco in Spain, Italy has never completely come to terms with Mussolini, who remains an esteemed and iconic figure to many. PHOTOS: 12 of Hollywood's Most Mysterious Deaths The documentary, Il Corpo del Duce (The Duce's Body), examines some aspects of the country's fixation with Mussolini in part by following the path of Mussolini's corpse from when he was captured and killed by a partisan mob as he tried to flee to Switzerland. The film chronicles the corpse form the lamppost where his body hung by its feet in Milan to an anonymous grave and then to a refrigerated police warehouse. The path ends at a tomb near his birthplace in northern Italy, which still draws tens of thousands of visitors each year. Il Corpo del Duce premiered at the Turin Film Festival last month. The film, which features many never-before-seen images of the man known to Italians as "Il Duce," is directed by Roman director Fabrizio Laurentini, who is no stranger to Mussolini: six years ago, he directed Il Segrety di Mussolini (Mussolini's Secret), a documentary that focuses on the life of Isa Dalser, who historians say may have been Mussolini's first wife. STORY: Universal, Tom Hanks Travel to Hitler's Berlin for 'In the Garden of Beasts' Many of the images in the film are strong, including shots that focus on Mussolini's morbidly swollen face taken days after he was hung upside down, stoned, and shot, and others that show his bullet-ridden corpse curled up and stiff after ten years in a crate in the police warehouse where it was placed after supporters dug him up from his anonymous gravesite outside Milan. Laurentini is best known for his work in the horror genre, and in Il Corpo del Duce it shows: he has drawn criticism from the left for showing Mussolini's brutal treatment by anti-fascists, and from the right for his disrespectful treatment of Mussolini. "The Duce's Body: Mussolini becomes a horror film," the center-left newspaper La Repubblica reported. "Shock becomes the main attraction," a cinema blog stated. The financial daily Il Sole/24 Ore said, "The Duce's Body Still Lives." Consumer groups have called for the DVD of the film to carry a warning label to alert possible purchasers about its horrifying contents. The documentary is based on a book by Sergio Luzzato and will be broadcast by state television company RAI next year. PHOTO GALLERY: View Gallery 12 of Hollywood's Most Mysterious Deaths Related Topics International

Fashion Slam: The Best Way To Layer Stylishly

First Launched: December 13, 2011 11:01 AM EST Credit: Getty Images La, Calif. -- Caption Jessica Alba leaves Carnegie Hall in NY City on November 7, 2011Brrrrrrr! Baby, its cold outdoors! Be sure that you remain warm, but dont appear such as the Stay Puft Marshmallow Guy! Designer, stylist and boutique owner Beginning Baker, whose celebrity fans include: Jessica Alba, Bethenny Frankel, and Reese Witherspoon, shares her methods for the best way to layer with style. 1. When adding layers, don't let yourself be frightened of bold colors and fashions, bear in mind that sometimes less is a lot more! Fall and winter are filled with both jewel tones and warm hues as jewellery, vests and jackets and frequently precisely what it takes to enhance an outfit-up costume might be the best stripe, pop of color in addition to animal printjust be conscious, don't pair designs and prints. Ensure to take advantage of people prints moderately. I suggest one print per outfit. 2. Skirts! Tights! Shoes! The most popular part in regards to the transition from summer season to fall and winter gets the skirts, tights and boots in the closetand trust me, there's plenty to select from this season! Again, subtle textures and bold colors can certainly develop a dress-up costume. When layeringstart with some opaque or tonal tights, then pull around the great skirt and add boots. (see Jennifer Aniston, pictured) You may even add yet another layer getting a higher-knee sock attracted up over the top boots. 3. Enjoy different length hemlinesfor example, start with a extended fitted tank topone which hits you in the sides. Adding a great extended sleeve cashmere sweater which involves your waist. Placed on a vest or possibly a jacket by getting an uneven hemline and you are simply adding some dimension for the outfit. 4. Layer round the jewelry! Everyone has their most favorite outfit inside our closet, the one that we try to use two occasions in one week and hope that nobody notices! A powerful way to disguise that is by mixing your add-ons. Try adding round the bracelets and cuffs, a few great rings or numerous hand crafted strands across the neck. When adding jewelry, try not to take a look all at onceso either placed on the bracelets and rings, OR stack the braceletsbut prevent them at one time! 5. And finallywith winter heresnatch up a great hat, group of fingerless mitts and scarf! You'll find lots of stylish ones available plus hats would be the most helpful accessory for just about any bad hair day! Get a large floppy one as well as sturdy . mind warm together with an argument scarf in the solid or print- to complete your factor. To learn more, have a look at internet.starting-baker.com. Copyright 2011 by NBC Universal, Corporation. All rights reserved. These elements is probably not launched, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.