Many television show producers are shaking in their boots around this time, wondering if their beloved shows will be renewed by their networks for another season. But not Oprah Winfrey. When you're Oprah Winfrey, you take it upon yourself to cancel your own show due to disappointing ratings, even if the network wants another season. Winfrey & Co. have chosen to discontinue the philanthropic reality show, Oprah's Big Give, "which never really pushed past 10 million viewers."

"We loved that show and absolutely would have loved to bring it back," said ABC entertainment president Steve McPherson. "But it was something [Oprah] didn't want to do."

… this morning MTV announced it has greenlit the 21st season of The Real World. It will be filmed in Brooklyn, the reigning home turf of post-teen drama, and broadcast in 13 one-hour episodes in early 2009. No word yet regarding in which neighborhood the attention-seeking hopefuls will reside …

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When most networks unveil their fall programming at their upfronts, I, being a television junkie, am passively interested. When BET does it, I'm filled with a sense of dread. What now?

I'll say this — it's not as bad as last year's. Considering last year's lineup included Hot Ghetto Mess-turned-We Got To Do Better and Hell Date, a Punk'd-type dating show featuring little people wearing dimestore devil costumes, it would be hard for them to come up with ideas that are as bad as they were last year. As it is, many of the shows sound like the creative team just tried to translate programs on other networks into "black versions," like the new, self-explanatory show Judge Karen, and the MC Lyte-hosted dating show The Boot, which sounds a lot like a combination of Elimidate and MTV's Next (a bad combination, in case you haven't seen either of them).

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After 8 months in the clink, Foxy Brown has officially been released from prison. Of course, TMZ was there to catch her as she caught her first taste of freedom. Countdown until she messes up again starts…. now!

But it's not like there's no hope for Foxy. She is all set to do star in her new reality show on VH1, which will surely be representative of the quality programming VH1 has offered the public thus far. She can also look to other rappers who faced incarceration in the middle of their careers for tips on how to proceed.

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Nicole Murphy, Eddie's ex, along with her current boyfriend, NFLer Michael Strahan, Jason Kidd's ex-wife Joumana, and Patrick Ewing's ex-wife Rita, were spotted in NYC having a discussion about a planned "First Wives Club" reality show. Seriously, ladies? Now, I'm not even going to pretend to know what these ladies suffered at the hands of their famous men (there were those domestic abuse allegations from Kidd), but there have got to be classier choices out there. Also, Shar Jackson already tried this. It didn't work. [PS]

It's probably not the best idea for Foxy Brown to invite the entire world witness what are sure to be numerous parole infractions once she's released from jail, but sometimes money talks. The currently-incarcerated former rap star is in talks with VH1 (who else?) to star in her own reality show after she is released from Rikers Island.

Foxy Brown will be following in the venerable footsteps of Flavor Flav, Bret Michaels, Tiffany Patterson (aka New York), and a bunch of D-list drug addicts. Our girl has finally made it! [SP]

Ludacris, with his eponymous youth charity and new reality show, is the new rapper with the heart of gold. The sometimes actor has signed on to star with Tommy Lee in a reality show called Battleground Earth that will air on the Discovery Networks' new eco-friendly cable channel, Planet Green.

According to Daily Variety, the show will feature Ludacris and Tommy competing in various challenges around the country that highlight green issues. The series will culminate with the two artists meeting up in Los Angeles to headline a concert at the Greek Theater – with proceeds benefiting Griffith Park.

Well, we all knew Ludacris liked the green stuff.

Last night the ladies of Top Model covered themselves in makeup and then even more paint as the the battle to look beautiful raged on. According to the ANTM judges, contestant Marvita looked the least pretty while slathered in goo, so she was asked to leave. Fin.

Click through for the messy photos.

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VIVICA'S REALITY It's now come to the point in Vivica A. Fox's career where it's time for her to host a reality show. Yes, she's at that point. Miss Fox is hosting a VH1 show called Glam God with Vivica Fox, a competition show focused on the search for the "next great celebrity stylist." Will the stylist then work his or her magic on the host? Tune in to find out!

The progeny of MC Hammer, Al B. Sure, and Bobby Brown will be participating in a new reality show in which children of "famous" people (little Al B. Sure is really lucky he made it into this cast) compete in a singing competition to find the "next big star." It's called Rock the Cradle.

Here’s a full list of the contestants vying for the top spot on Rock the Cradle:

• Jesse Money, daughter of Eddie Money
• Jesse Blaze Snider, son of Dee Snider
• Lara Johnston, daughter of Tom Johnston of the Doobie Brothers
• A’keiba Burrell-Hammer, M.C. Hammer’s daughter
• Landon Brown, (pictured) son of Bobby Brown
• Lil Al B Sure, R&B singer Al B Sure’s son
• Crosby Loggins, Kenny Loggin’s son
• Chloe Rose Lattanzi, Olivia Newton John’s daughter
• Lucy Walsh (pictured right), daughter of the Eagles‘ Joe Walsh

If I'm ever famous, I'm going to use my resources to ensure that my children never have to participate in a humiliating, nepotistic reality show. But that's just me.

Jamie Foxx is demonstrating the Oscar curse quite nicely with his new television show. The Academy Award winner is teaming up with MTV to host a Charm School-esque reality show called From G's to Gents, on which Foxx will help turn 15 "G's" into gentleman. I guess the title is self-explanatory. What is not self-explanatory is why the hell Jamie Foxx is doing this. Anyway, if the description below sounds like you, then you should send in a tape!

- Are you a hustler?
- Do you have the passion and skills, but can’t catch a break?
- Is your self-worth measured by the number of fights you’ve won, girls you’ve slept with, or weight of bling around your neck? ”From G’s to Gents” will take 15 young “G’s” and polish them up. Taking lessons in everything from Style and Grace, Etiquette, Chivalry, and Business Skills, the men will LEARN that with the right tools every G has the ability to be a true Gentleman – and a real shot at finding success.

The Stakes: The G that makes it to the end of the competition will win a large cash prize and the opportunity to make their dream job and lifestyle a reality.

[SR]

We all know what Snoop likes — Crips, jokes, hip hop, dogs, little league football, weed — but do we know what he hates? According to this quote from MTV Radio, he loves Nas and looks forward to his Nigger album because he hates hypocrisy. I think that's what he's saying. But if it is, he's certainly throwing stones inside of a very fragile glass house.

"I love him just for that, good sh*t Nas! F**k them! F**k all them rich, punk motherf**k*rs sitting on their motherf**k*ng heels trying to dictate to us what we should be saying. Because behind closed doors they saying B***h, nigg**, ho, and all that sh*t to…Everybody says the word."

And according to a clip from his new E! reality show, he hates needles, specifically ones that are going to be used to draw his blood. Perhaps he's concerned that the vast amounts of THC running through his veins might render any blood tests inconclusive. After the jump, check out the video of Snoop yelling for help at the doctor's office.

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You've seen Zulema Griffin on Project Runway, ordering her weepy fellow contestant to "cry and cut" or ruthlessly taking someone else's model. But you probably haven't seen her like this: beaming over the successful presentation of her Spring '08 line and posing for pictures with fans — fans of Zulema Griffin, the designer, not the reality television star.

Eschewing the traditional, and often boring, runway show, Griffin presented her collection yesterday at an art gallery. Inspired by the Nigerian musician Fela and his 27 wives, Griffin used 27 black models, who walked through the crowd or lounged lazily on sofas. The clothes — African-inspired dresses, blouses, skirts and pants — will be available in a boutiques next year, if all goes as planned.

Models lounging at Griffin's show

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So I enjoy reality television. Shoot me. While WWD's summary of the first episode of Kimora Lee Simmons new show, Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane should have me shaking my head in disgust, I have to admit I'm more than a little intrigued. I mean, the woman voluntarily likens herself to Anna Nicole Smith. How can I not watch?

Inside her home, the first episode of the weekly show begins with her uniformed staff preparing for the day and a distressed Simmons trying to find the person who moved her teddy bear from a mantelpiece to a chair. Later, inside the offices of Baby Phat — which felt sort of like an urban episode of "The Office" — she has something of a meltdown over a variety of crises, from her intense desire for a granola bar to, in her words, "being a little flustered." "I feel very Anna Nicole Smith right now," she relates at one point, explaining, "She liked pink like I like pink." Later, she observes of an apparently contented colleague, "You must have got some last night." Estranged hubby and godfather of rap Russell Simmons stops by the Baby Phat offices and Kimora tries to cut his cuticles.

The sad thing is, she probably wasn't even laying it on thick for the cameras. If you need further insight into Kimora's insanity eccentricty, the hour-long premiere airs on the Style Network on Aug. 5.

[WWD]

Someone, perhaps one of Irv Gotti's representatives or maybe the man himself, has convinced VH1 that Irv deserves his own reality show. Who am I kidding, this is a network that gave a sanity-challenged reject from a former rap group hype man's dating competition show her own series. They didn't need much convincing. But now that Irv Gotti and his Murder, Inc. are completely irrelevant, what will the show be about?

He explains, "I think women are going to identify with me and (estranged wife) Deb's relationship. I'm going to love her until I'm dead and gone.
"She's legally still my wife but we've been separated for like six, seven years." But Gotti insists his reality series won't be as pleasant to watch as ones featuring Flav and former Run-DMC star Joseph 'Rev Run' Simmons.
He explains, "After a few episodes, they (producers) said (Simmons' reality series) Run's House is like a hip-hop Cosby Show, and I love Run's House, but they said my s**t is more like The Sopranos.

You hear that? Stop lamenting the loss of The Sopranos. We now have the Gottis (not the actual crime family the wannabe one) to keep us entertained.

[PRI]