MASONVILLE, Colo. - Zoey is a Chihuahua, but when a rattlesnake lunged at her owners' 1-year-old grandson, she was a real bulldog.
NBC has announced that it has inked a deal for Phenomenon, the working title for a "live" reality competition series that will feature controversial alleged mentalist Uri Geller and Criss Angel Mindfreak illusionist Criss Angel conducting a search for "the next great mentalist."
"The match-up of two world-famous personalities, Uri Geller and Criss Angel -- who have demonstrated astounding skills -- makes for a riveting series format," said Ben Silverman, co-chairman of NBC Entertainment and Universal Media Studios. "Factor in the mystery of the genre, the live competitive angle as the contestants attempt to follow in Criss and Uri's footsteps, and incredible interactive applications, and we think viewers will have many compelling reasons to watch."
Phenomenon is based on a popular Israeli reality competition series called The Successor, which premiered earlier this year. Geller served as a judge and mentor for the Israeli show, and the NBC adaptation will follow a similar format, with 10 contestants having their "mystifying talents" tested through a series of weekly challenges in-front of a panel of celebrity guest judges and a studio audience.
BBCWed, 24 Jan 2007 11:10 UTC
A hit Israeli TV show starring celebrity spoon-bender Uri Geller has come under fire from magicians for being full of "tricks and stunts".
The self-proclaimed paranormalist is looking for others with his "powers" on Uri Geller Looks for a Successor.
But Israeli magician Eliron Toby said the show "damaged" those who wanted to believe in Geller and Dandi Asraf said there were "no supernatural powers".
Cris Chinaka
ReutersSun, 22 Jul 2007 11:25 UTC
Zimbabwe police are hunting a traditional spirit medium who led President Robert Mugabe's government on a fruitless search for much-needed fuel she said was mysteriously oozing out of a rock.
The southern African state is battling with acute fuel shortages amid an economic crisis many blame on Mugabe's policies.
On Sunday, a Zimbabwean government newspaper reported a 35-year-old traditional healer and spirit medium claimed to have discovered diesel streaming from a rock in the northwest around Chinhoyi Caves, protected by locals as a traditional shrine.
Rotina Mavhunga had said "the diesel was a gift from ancestral spirits who saw that their children were suffering because of the fuel shortage" and was pictured by a local newspaper holding a hosepipe stuck into a rock, "spewing the oil," the Sunday Mail said.
Wikipedia moved with its customary lightning speed this morning to bring netizens the very latest in-depth information on steam pipes, one of which yesterday gave New Yorkers a nasty fright:
Some hear choral singing while others claim it's the sound of pipe organs or the whistling of the wind. But to Tibetan monks, the sound streaming through the Deadman Valley near Kamloops is proof the area is the centre of the universe.
ยท Professional gang carries out 50 break-ins
ยท Criminals leave behind no DNA or fingerprints
The rich and famous of Los Angeles protect their mansions with high walls, security cameras and sophisticated alarms. But it has failed to stop a small team of burglars who have hit about 50 homes over the past year and got away with an estimated $7m (ยฃ3.4m) in cash, rare books and jewellery.
Chris Taylor
HeraldSat, 21 Jul 2007 05:10 UTC
Teething troubles started early for a Worthing mum when midwives made a dental discovery on her newborn baby.
Beautiful Megan Andrews was born at 7.23pm on June 29, a healthy baby girl.
But doctors soon discovered she came with extras - at least seven teeth.
Mum Claire Slimming, 20 - she was born with 12 teeth - said she was "a little bit shocked" by the news.
"I was pretty much out of it at first," said Claire.
"They told me a bit later on. It can't be helped.
Britain's Prince Charles surprised his wife, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, with an unusual gift on her 60th birthday - two sheep, the Daily Mail has reported.
Camilla is delighted with the rare breed ram and ewe, which cost the heir to the throne around ยฃ300 ($701) each, according to the paper, which headlined its story "Happy birthday to ewe!''
"The royal family have so much already that they don't actually give wildly extravagant presents,'' said an unnamed friend of Camilla, quoted by the paper.
"Their gifts tend to be more thoughtful - although some may view them as a little bit crazy.
Debbie Hulleman's pet dog Pepper likes to chew things. She's gnawed on lipstick canisters, shampoo bottles, ball point pens, toothpaste and now the list includes nearly 750 dollars in cash gobbled right down.
She says that last incident has been the worst. It required collecting shredded bits of money from the floor and also from the dog's vomit and droppings ... not a pleasant task.
Hulleman says it happened when she and her husband ewnt on a four-day vacation in June and had her mother in Oakdale, Minnesota, take care of the family's dogs, Zach and Pepper.