Teen Star Jasin Bieber Hollywood Celebrity of the Week

Twitter fights with “C.S.I.” co-stars. The constant questions about his supposed relationship with the latest flavor-of-the-week teen star. The “fans” who toss eggs (and then get arrested for their actions). Reports of him vomiting in the Philippines.

So much media scrutiny surrounds Justin Bieber these days – heck, he got a haircut and it made national headlines – that it’s easy to forget why this Canadian whiz kid became so famous in the first place.

Thankfully, John Chu’s documentary “Never Say Never” hit stores on DVD and Blu-ray to reminds fans (and haters, for that matter) why this kid matters.



The doc captures Bieber’s rise, and is characterized by the relentless performer’s drive to entertain and need to succeed. The phrase “Born for this” seems to have been invented for Bieber, and talented musicians such as Usher and Boyz II Men stop by the “Never Say Never” shoot to chime in, collaborate, or simply stare in awe at what Bieber’s been able to accomplish in such a short amount of time.

No matter your opinion on Bieber’s music, you are bound to be moved by the number of emotionally uplifting scenes Chu includes on the DVD. My favorite, by a long shot, is Bieber’s manager, Scooter Braun, heading out into the fans to give lucky patrons tickets closer to the stage as a way to say thank you for the support. The looks on the parents’ faces in those scenes are priceless, and make me like Bieber even more.



Will it last? Who can say? Pop stars are fleeting. We’ll have to see, over time, if Bieber is a flash in the pan or a legitimate talent. Having seen “Never Say Never” now, I’ll tell you I’m leaning toward the latter, so long as he maintains that drive to succeed. And stays away from those tabloid-fueling rumors. Until then, we are very proud to announce that Justin Bieber has been named the “Hollywood Celebrity of the Week.”

NBC Pickup Spree adds 'Smash,' 'Prime Suspect,' More

The multicamera comedy, from Universal Media Studios, is based on the stand-up comedy of Whitney Cummings and revolves around the ups and downs of a young couple in a committed relationship. Cummings penned the pilot and will executive produce with Betsy Thomas (Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel), Scott Stuber (Your Highness), Quan Phung and Barry Katz (Good Luck Chuck). Andy Ackerman (Perfect Couples) directed the pilot. The series garned strong buzz in recent weeks, with network interest in femme-skewing comedies.

Up All Night (formerly known as the untitled Emily Spivey, Alpha Mom). Another single-cam comedy that takes an irreverent look at parenthood through the point of view of an acerbic working mother (Christina Applegate) who never thought she'd be a mom, along with her stay-at-home husband (Will Arnett) and opinionated parents. Maya Rudolph co-stars in the UMS project. Spivey wrote the pilot and will executive produce along with Lorne Michaels (Saturday Night Live, 30 Rock). Sources tell THR this too is a go, with the combo of talent involved a major selling point.

Smash. The musical drama, based on an idea by Steven Spielberg, revolves around a cross-section of characters (Debra Messing, Katharine McPhee) who work to put on a Broadway musical about Marilyn Monroe. Theresa Rebeck penned the pilot with Spielberg, Justin Flavey, Darryl Frank, Craig Zadan and Neil Meron on board as executive producers. Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman will contribute original songs. Smash, which many have dubbed Glee for adults, hails from Universal Media Studios and DreamWorks TV. The project was said to be a sure thing all along. Working in its favor: Spielberg's engagement, a high-profile cast and the early involvement of NBC boss Bob Greenblatt, who developed the show while still at Showtime.

Prime Suspect, an adaptation from the British miniseries starring Helen Mirren, stars Maria Bello as a female detective who has to make her bones in a tough New York precinct dominated by men. The reboot counts Alex Cunningham, Peter Berg (Friday Night Lights), Sarah Aubrey and Julie Meldel Johnson as executive producers. Berg directed the pilot. Greenblatt was a big fan of both the reboot concept and Bello, sources tell THR.

NBC is scheduled to unveil its complete slate to Madison Avenue buyers on Monday in New York.