'Homeland' Star Damian Lewis' Surprising Discovery About President Obama

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It just kept getting better for Homeland's Damian Lewis.

It's generally exciting enough to find out that the President of the United States has seen -- let alone is a fan of -- your work, which is something President Obama has openly admitted on numerous occassions. To get invited to attend a State Dinner at the White House? Even better. And then, on top of all that, there was the location of his place card.

"It was made more remarkable by the fact that as I was walking down with my wife to go and sit at the table, assuming Id be by the toilets," Lewis laughed, as he spoke with The Hollywood Reporter at the New York City premiere of his show's second season. Instead, he said, "I sat opposite the president himself, at his table, next to Mr. Warren Buffett. And so it became an even more surreal, out-of-body experience."

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Quite ironic, given that Lewis plays a turned terrorist who nearly detonates the vice president in the first season of the show. Lewis, who brought his wife, Helen McCrory, sat directly across from British Prime Minister David Cameron's wife, Samantha Cameron. He was also joined at the table by George Clooney. So what did Lewis think of the President?

"Hes a charming, impressive, powerful -- obviously -- man. But hes much more alpha male in the room than you think hes going to be. When he first came into power," he explained, "all the dissenters were keen to point out that he looked good in a suit and he was a lawyer and he drank cappuccino, and where was the American guy? Hes really every bit the American guy, when youre with him."

Did he then abuse that power to get some second season spoilers out of Lewis?

"No, he didnt ask about plot, because he didnt want to spoil it," the star laughed. "He wants to watch it."

The premiere of Homeland was held on the deck of the USS Intrepid, organized by Showtime and sponsored by Time Warner Cable.

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Fox News Wins Convention Cycle, Dems Outdraw RNC

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With the confetti settled -- and likely cleaned up -- in both Charlotte and Tampa, the biggest winner of the 2012 convention cycle is Fox News Channel.

Buoyed by massive margins of victory during the Republican National Convention and a six-day total audience 32 million viewers during the prime 10-11 p.m. hour, the network bested its closest competition (NBC) by 7 million viewers. In the adults 25-54 demo -- which is more desirable to the cable news outlets than the broadcast networks that favor 18-49-year-olds -- Fox News placed second to NBC (8.52 million behind 9.7 million).

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No other network reached the highs FNC reached during the third night of the RNC (9.1 million viewers), giving it a dominant average nightly viewership of 5.34 million viewers. NBC placed second with 5.03 million, followed by ABC (3.66 million), CBS (3.4 million), CNN (3.1 million) and MSNBC (2.97 million).

In the adults 25-54 demo, both CBS and ABC's broadcast coverage outmatched CNN and MSNBC. The networks trailed NBC (1.94 million) and FNC (1.42 million), with ABC averaging 1.32 million and CBS averaging 1.26 million. CNN's six-night average was 1.15 million, while MSNBC trailed with 1.01 million.

NBC's strong showing over the other broadcast networks -- and in many cases, its cable competition -- also comes in spite of the fact that it did not air coverage of the second night of the Democratic National Convention because of the NFL season opener.

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In partisan terms, the DNC pulled in both a larger audience and more from the adults 25-54 demographic. The three nights' worth of DNC coverage, despite the absence of one night from NBC, grossed 70.2 million total viewers and 24.5 million adults 25-54 across the three main broadcast and cable news networks. The RNC was just behind with 65.9 million total viewers and 21.2 million adults 25-54.

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'Ringer' Actor Returning to 'The Good Wife'

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Mike Colter

Another familiar face will be popping back up on The Good Wife.

Ringer actor Mike Colter, who played Malcolm Ward on the shortlived serialized CW series, will return to Lockhart/Gardner as drug kingpin Lemond Bishop in the upcoming fourth season, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.

Colter recently filmed an episode, which will center on Bishop and his home life, in addition to his other (safe to assume, illegal) activities. Bishop's reappearance on The Good Wife is expected, as his legal troubles have overlapped with other characters on the show, most notably Kalinda (Archie Panjabi).

He is a part of a stable of recurring guest stars, some of whom will make appearances in the new season, including Denis O'Hare and Rita Wilson. His first Good Wife appearance came in 2010. Season four will also welcome veteran actors like Christina Ricci, Nathan Lane, Maura Tierney, Amanda Peet, Kristin Chenoweth and Marc Warren to the fold.

Colter appeared in Men in Black 3 and can next be seen in Kathryn Bigelow's Zero Dark Thirty.

The Good Wife returns Sept. 30 on CBS.

E-mail: Philiana.Ng@thr.com

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'Breaking In' Creator Sells 1980s 'Wonder Years' Comedy to ABC

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Adam F. Goldberg

Breaking In creator Adam F. Goldberg is back in business.

ABC has given a pilot production commitment toHow the F--- am I Normal, a single-camera comedy described as a dysfunctional Wonder Years set in the simpler times of the 1980s.

Goldberg is on board to pen the Sony Pictures Television project and executive produce alongside Happy Madison's Doug Robinson. Seth Gordon will reteam with Goldberg and executive produce and direct the pilot.

The project was originally set up at Fox in August 2011, when the network revived Breaking In for a shortened second season.

"My favorite show of all time is the Wonder Years, so this is my chance to go do a Wonder Years," Goldberg told THR of the project earlier this year. He had digitized 300 tapes featuring his own dysfunctional family's squabbles to use as inspiration.

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Among the appeals of the loosely defined 1980s project: the relatability of a family that yells often but ultimately loves each other. "Fox thought that that was a universal thing that hasn't really been seen on TV," he said in January, "because family shows tend to be watered down and pleasant."

At that time, he had hoped former The Talk host Leah Remini would be perfect for the mother, but she has since landed a role on ABC's Family Tools. He also planned to incorporate a Kevin Arnold-esque voiceover.

Normalmarks Goldberg's return after his FoxChristian Slaterworkplace comedy was briefly brought back from cancellation last year only to have itmeet the same fate.

Goldberg, repped by WME, was featured on THR's Next Generation list in 2011.

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Matthew Perry Eyes David Beckham for NBC's 'Go On' (Video)

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David Beckham

NBC's Go On is aiming for the stars.

The freshman comedy starring Matthew Perry as a sports-talk radio host has eyes on David Beckham for a guest role.

Sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that the former Friends star is the driving force behind landing Beckham, having reached out to the soccer superstar to cameo on the series.

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Showrunner Scott Silveri, meanwhile, told THR this week that he's already being pitched by agents and sports stars for cameos on the series, which has already booked the Miami Heat's Chris Bosh, Terrell Owens, Jeremy Roenick and Bob Costas for guest roles.

NBC declined comment.

Go On, which NBC previewed to 16 million viewers after the Olympics, premieres at 9 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 11, on NBC. Check out Perry's appearance on Friday's Tonight Show With Jay Leno, where he tells the host about his relationship with Beckham.

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NBC Near Deals for Two New 'Saturday Night Live' Cast Members

Aidy Bryant and Tim Robinson

Saturday Night Live is refilling its ranks.

The long-running NBC sketch comedy series is closing in on deals to add a pair of comedians -- Aidy Bryant and Tim Robinson -- to its cast for its upcoming 38th season, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed.

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Bryant is a Second City alum from Phoenix, Ariz., with a theater degree from Columbia College. With SNL's Vanessa Bayer, her sketch comedy group has performed at Chicago's Annoynance Theatre comedy club.

Detroit native Robinson, meanwhile, has a role in CBS' midseason Christopher Mintz-Plasse comedy Friend Me and has appeared in a handful of short films and as the lead in the BBC's Nice Day for a Welsh Wedding. He's also a Second City alum and an improv group active in Chicago's comedy circuit.

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The duo help replenish SNL's ranks after the recent departures of regulars Abby Elliott, Andy Samberg and Kristen Wiig, who all departed the series after its 37th season. Wiig announced her departure last season, with Samberg confirming his exit in June with Elliott announcing in August that her days in Studio 8H were done. She has since moved on to an arc on CBS' How I Met Your Mother. Jason Sudeikis' status with the Lorne Michaels series remains unclear.

A formal deal for the pair is expected to come next week, days before SNL's season premiere on Sept. 15 with host Seth MacFarlane and musical guest Frank Ocean.

NBC declined comment. The Comic's Comic first reported the news. Check out a pair of videos featuring Bryant as a woman named Kendra who undergoes therapy in a basement andRobinson's two-man web series My Mans,which was filmed as a pilot for Comedy Central, below.

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'Project Runway': Alicia Hardesty Reacts to Judges' Decision, Defends Elena Slivnyak

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Project Runway competitor Alicia Hardesty had escaped elimination after being in the bottom two twice before on this season, but she wasn't so lucky her third time, getting cut from the Lifetime competition on Thursday night's episode.

The 27-year-old designer from Brandenburg, Ky., was eliminated after a team challenge -- she was paired up with Dmitry Sholokhov and Elena Slivnyak, who don't get along -- that called for the groups to make a two-look collection for fall, one of which had to feature outerwear.

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Judge Michael Kors said her contributions -- a top and pant that were shown on the runway under a coat made by Slivnyak -- were "boring," while Heidi Klum said they were both "throwaway pieces."

For her part, Hardesty said Friday that she thinks the outcome would have been different if she had been paired up with other designers.

"I was there with two people who obviously don't get along from the very beginning," she said, adding: "I felt like I was always in the middle trying to keep the group together. ... [On the runway], what we focused on most for our group was that [the looks were] incohesive and we didn't get along, but I didn't feel like that was necessarily my problem. I did the best I could to help these people get along."

After the elimination, Slivnyak was seen crying backstage, but her tears weren't expained during the episode. Hardesty said she thinks the stress of the challenge caught up to her fellow competitor.

"We were in a really intense situation, and a group challenge," she said. "I think that just kind of got the best of her, and obviously she felt bad for me going home and how it went down ... and it hit her hard."

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Hardesty did admit that Slivnyak, who has been at the center of much drama throughout the season, was a challenge to work with but still defended her.

"When she gets into the workroom she is very competitive, and that comes across as harsh," she said, praising her technical skills and design aesthetic. "She's very creative and forward-thinking."

Hardesty also lamented that the Project Runway challenges didn't play to her design strengths, saying she felt like every task was outside her comfort zone. She said she wishes there had been one focusing on menswear, which is her specialty, or "something that allowed for more edge," like one in which she could have incorporated demin.

Hardesty, who said she would love the opportunity to design for Ellen DeGeneres or Johnny Depp, thinks Christopher Palu has a good shot at winning because he's been a "favorite of the judges."

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Hardesty is now focusing on her Original Tomboy line. She's putting funding together to begin production and is aiming for the line to be available to consumers in October.

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