Korean girl group Wonder Girls will release their first eponymous TV movie in February via U.S. cable channel Teen Nick, making them the first Asian singers to star in an American television movie, their agent said Tuesday. Originally titled “Wonder Girls at the Apollo,” the movie’s title was recently changed to “The Wonder Girls.” A brief teaser video has been released via YouTube and Facebook.Scheduled for official broadcast on Feb. 2, the series is garnering attention from fans here since Tee

After the Korean Wave gained serious momentum in the field of television over a decade ago, the global market for Korean dramas has expanded and morphed drastically. No longer restricted to Asia or home theater, broadcasters and production companies must navigate an increasingly complex terrain that encompasses both regional preferences and the Internet.Long gone are the times when TV series were made for the domestic market alone. Take Chorok­baem Media, the production company behind hallyu hit

LOS ANGELES (AP) ― Russell Brand is divorcing Katy Perry after 14 months of what appeared to be a storybook marriage.“Sadly, Katy and I are ending our marriage,’’ Brand said in a statement released to The Associated Press. “I’ll always adore her and I know we’ll remain friends.’’Brand, 36, offered no other details, but in papers filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, the British comedian cited irreconcilable differences.He and the 27-year-old pop singer were married in October 2010 at a resort ins

 Pioneering hallyu TV drama sees 10th anniversaryOn the night of Jan. 14, 2002, the first episode of KBS TV drama series “Winter Sonata” went on air. Korea was four months ahead of the highly anticipated 2002 FIFA World Cup in Korea and Japan, and was still recovering from the 1997 Asian financial crisis. The term “hallyu,” which was in fact introduced in 1999 by local reporters in Beijing who were surprised by the popularity of Korean TV drama shows in China, was still unfamiliar among the view

The popular MBC TV program “I am a Singer” won the top prize on Thursday at the 2011 MBC Entertainment Awards. The show has been the talk of the town ever since it kicked off in March, introducing talented singers who had not been well-known or had been previously popular but fallen out of the public eye.“The win is more touching because we were awarded as a team. More than anything, I think it was trust in music that brought this happy day. I am also thankful to Lee So-ra for leading us as a te

LOS ANGELES (AFP) ― Reality TV producer Bruce Beresford-Redman is willing to face trial in Mexico for the murder of his wife after losing his fight against extradition, his lawyers said.Beresford-Redman, 40, an Emmy-nominated former producer of CBS’s “Survivor” and MTV’s “Pimp My Ride,” is accused in the death of Monica Burgos, 41, his Brazilian-born wife of 11 years, at a Cancun resort in April, 2010.In a statement, his lawyers Richard Hirsch and Vicki Podberesky expressed disappointment with l

Pressures of digital, modern society triggering return to the ‘innocent’ ’70s and ’80sNo one can dismiss the apparent infiltration of a massive stroke of retro-heavy nostalgia for the music and mood of the ’70s and ’80s. From the small screen to the silver screen, from the stage to the radio, what South Koreans refer to as the “7080” culture can be found most everywhere.Ever since the trend started seriously attracting buzz following the unprecedented popularity of C’est Si Bon concerts when the

Los Angeles (dpa) - Maria Shriver is considering putting herdivorce from former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger onhold, celebrity website TMZ.com reported Monday. Shriver, who is a scion of the Kennedy political clan, filed fordivorce from the action movie star-turned-Republican polit

KBS’ popular weekend reality TV show “One Night, Two Days” team won the grand prize at the KBS Entertainment Awards over the weekend. It was the first time for a whole team, instead of an individual entertainer, to receive the top prize at the annual awards. Five members of the team ― singers Lee Seung-ki, Kim Jong-min and Eun Ji-won, comedian Lee Su-keun, and actor Eom Tae-woong ― went on stage together, saying they were both “surprised and thrilled” with the result. “I really thought that the

LONDON (AP) ― Fighting back tears, singer George Michael appeared outside his London home Friday to acknowledge that he had nearly died during his month-long battle with pneumonia.He said it had been “touch and go” while he was in the intensive care unit of a Vienna hospital battling an extremely dangerous form of pneumonia but that his representatives had “played it down” to avoid alarming his fans.“They spent three weeks keeping me alive basically,” said the singer, who appeared to have lost w

The Taiwanese anchor woman who created controversy by parodying North Korean announcer Ri Chun-hee has been replaced, announced the China Television System on Wednesday. Liang Fang-yu, host of CTS’ evening news program, delivered election information on Monday imitating Ri’s hair style, fashion and voice as was seen on the N.K. broadcaster on Monday when Ri announced the death of Kim Jong-il. Introduced as “Liang Chun-hee,” Liang appeared wearing a hanbok, or Korean traditional costume, and mimi