The network said Friday a live episode of the comedy will air Oct. 14 and will be performed twice so that both East and West Coast viewers get to see it that way.

NBC executives told the Television Critics Association that “30 Rock” executive producers Tina Fey and Loren Michaels were approached about a live episode and were up for the challenge. Fey, the show’s star and creator, is familiar with live TV from her “Saturday Night Live” days. Michaels created and produces the show.

NBC has aired other live episodes, but this will be the first for the Emmy-winning “30 Rock,” which is produced in New York.

Police officials confirmed to MTV News that Snooki, whose given name is Nicole Polizzi, was in police custody at press time. No further details regarding the arrest or why she was arrested were available, but TMZ reports that she was arrested for disorderly conduct.

The gossip website further reports that Snooki was seen near the beach at Seaside drinking what was believed to be Coca-Cola from a beer funnel. Additionally, she was earlier spotted doing shots at a local bar. A rep for MTV had no comment on the matter.

In photos reportedly taken around the time of the arrest, Snooki is seen walking on the boardwalk along with her pals Vinny and Ronnie from the show. Snooki is dressed in a hot-pink tiger-print T-shirt that says “I Heart Snooki,” a baseball cap, sunglasses, a miniskirt and hot green slippers. She was photographed being approached by officers and handcuffed, with co-star and friend JWoww by her side. It is unclear from photos what incident prompted the arrest.

The Mean Girls star has been overwhelmed by notes from fans.

But she is only allowed to get 10 at a time – so she will have plenty of reading material when she is released from the women’s jail in Lynwood, California.

‘You only get 10 letters at any one time, and deliveries are only once or twice a day,’ spokesman Steve Whitmore said.

‘Most inmates don’t get anywhere near that kind of mail. It will be given to her or an associate when she leaves.’

She must return her letters to get new ones.

The 24-year-old actress is serving a 90-day sentence for violating probation on her 2007 drunk-driving arrest but she is expected to walk free early next week.

The 22-year-old actor was rumoured to have gone to a strip club while in New York but he has reassured the world during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live that he asked his girlfriend Vanessa Hudgens
‘ permission first.

He said: ‘She was fine with it.’

However Efron denied that he spent $2,000 in the club and said: ‘I’m not really a type of guy who does this kind of thing often.

‘I had this image of what it’d be like. I’ve heard a lot about these places, mostly from rap music – they’re supposed to be pretty reputable!

‘So I envisioned myself in a nice couch with ’stunna shades’ with T-Pain and Usher making it rain money. And it just wasn’t like that.’

At the time of his death, Jackson had reportedly left hard drives filled with previously unreleased music.

The Thriller hitmaker’s former manager Frank DiLeo estimates Jackson’s vaults contain more than 100 completed and unreleased songs, including collaborations with Akon, will.i.am and Ne-Yo.

The tracks are expected to be included in the forthcoming release, alongside songs Jackson recorded at the peak of his career in the 1980s.

DiLeo tells RollingStone.com, “There are a couple of songs we recorded for the Bad album that we had to cut that are just sensational.”

A spokesperson for the estate confirms the new record will be the first in a 10-project, seven-year deal worth $250 million (£166.7 million) that Jackson estate executors signed with Sony Music bosses in March (10).

The deal will also include reissues of Jackson’s classic albums, new greatest hits sets, a DVD collection of the King of Pop’s music videos and a possible collaboration with circus troupe Cirque du Soleil.

According to TMZ.com, Kara DioGuardi has been fired from FOX’s hit show.

Although the songwriter apparently was given the pink slip, DeGeneres made the decision on her own to leave the talent show immediately, opting out of the remainder of a four-year contract.

With DeGeneres out, Jennifer Lopez is reportedly close to signing a deal to take over the empty seat, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press.

But that’s not the only big change in store for “Idol.”

Though Bret Michaels appeared to be the front-runner to replace departing judge Simon Cowell, reports Thursday night claim Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler is in the lead, reports GossipCop.com.

If all deals go as planned, the reality show reportedly will revert to its original three-judge format, consisting of Lopez, Tyler and original judge Randy Jackson.

DeGeneres said her departure had been in the works for some time.

“A couple months ago, I let Fox and the ‘American Idol’ producers know that this didn’t feel like the right fit for me,” she said in a statement. “I told them I wouldn’t leave them in a bind and that I would hold off on doing anything until they were able to figure out where they wanted to take the panel next.”

DeGeneres, 52, the host of the daytime “Ellen DeGeneres Show,” said the added prime-time workload “became more than I bargained for.”

“I also realized this season that while I love discovering, supporting and nurturing young talent, it was hard for me to judge people and sometimes hurt their feelings,” she said.

She took over the seat vacated last August by Paula Abdul, who was known as the sometimes ditzy but nice judge who left the show over a contract dispute.

Cowell announced before the show’s ninth season premiered in January that he was leaving to start his own Fox talent show, “The X Factor.”

Peter Rice, chairman of entertainment for Fox Networks Group, said there were no hard feelings over DeGeneres’ decision.

“We were fortunate to receive the humor, energy and love for talent that she brought to the show,” Rice said.

Tryouts for season 10 of “Idol” began July 17 in Nashville.

Oh, Kanye. We’ve missed you.

Hip-hop’s most ridiculous rapper has been relatively quiet in recent months — ever since that 2009 MTV Music Video Awards outburst about Beyonce’s “Single Ladies” video being better than Taylor Swift’s (which, by the way, it was) and someone on his PR team told him to shut it until the backlash died down. Well, time’s up. Kanye has a new album out in September — formerly called Good Ass Job, it’s currently without a name — and the promotional firestorm is kicking into gear. Kanye has already performed at the BET Awards and appeared at the khaki-clad offices of Facebook and Twitter. Then, on July 28, he opened a Twitter account. And here’s what we discovered: Kanye is funny. 

His blog, Kanyeuniversecity.com, has made us laugh for years, but it was sometimes hard to tell if we were laughing with Kanye or at him. The all-caps rants — such as the January 2009 post that began with the phrase, YOOOO WHY WON’T YOU LET ME BE GREAT!!! and ended with the request that we all “LOOK HOW FRESH MY SUIT IS” — seemed to be accidentally hilarious. And when fans complained that he showed up two hours late for a 2008 Bonaroo performance, Kanye didn’t apologize, he blogged an obscenity-laced rant and called everyone at Bonaroo “squid brains.” Basically, Kanye seemed like a diva. But on Twitter, he’s different. He’s more sarcastic, even tongue-in-cheek. Maybe we’ve had Kanye all wrong.

According to Twitter, here are some things Kanye West has done in the past two days:

• Flown on a private jet

• Complained that the private jet he flew on was too small.

• Called himself king and then posted a photo of one of Napoleon’s thrones

• Drank wine out of a gold goblet

• Bemoaned the lack of cherubs

• Listened to the “William Tell Overture” (“Classical music is tight, yo”)

• Listened to Leonard Bernstein. (“[His] flute player is snapping write now!!! Are those Christmas bells?”)

• Put fresh flowers in his house

• Explained what it was like to date a model: “I had to learn to like small dogs and cigarettes”

• Asked for decorating advice: “Is the Versace sofa too hood? Might need to cover it in plastic!!!”

• Ordered his salmon cooked medium instead of medium well (“I didn’t want to ruin the magic”)

• Posted photos of Louis XIV’s credenza

• Asked someone to give him this horse

Close to 300,000 people are now following his Twitter account and looking at his pictures of furniture. The number of people Kanye is following? Zero.

Dina added that she isn’t allowed any physical contact with Lindsay when she visits.

“I talk to her through glass. There’s a phone and we put her on speaker but I can’t even hug my daughter…She’s treated like a common criminal.”

Er…that’s ‘cos she is!

“All I can say about that is that we’re doing six Britney songs, and then Brittany (Heather Morris) is doing a Britney song,” Murphy said about the episode, which will air September 28 (Tuesday). “We’re paying tribute to her in a sort of fun and unexpected way.” Murphy also described the episode as “hallucinogenic.”

The Washington Post reported that the cast is expected to receive the script for the episode, which will be called “Britney/Brittany,” on Monday (July 26).

Back in May, “Glee” star Mathew Morrison told Us Weekly that an episode dedicated to Spears’ music was just a rumor planted by her manager. “I hope our show doesn’t go along that route,” he said at the time. According to EW.com, Morrison’s character will echo those sentiments. “The entire episode is Schuester saying, ‘I don’t want to do Britney! I don’t want to do Britney!’ ” said Murphy.

TVGuide.com reports that Glee is set to make its return on September 21 (Tuesday), with the Spears tribute serving as the season’s second episode.

Last week, Spears let her “Glee” fandom slip in a tweet to fans. “Watching @GleeOnFox. What are you guys up to tonight?” she said.

What Britney classics do you want to hear on “Glee”? Share your thoughts in the comment section!