Florida-based mom Susan Schrivjer petitioned Toys R Us this week to remove its Breaking Bad action figures from the shelves, calling the Walter White toy which comes with a mini tray of meth “a dangerous deviation” from the store’s family values. Schrivjer, an admitted fan of Breaking Bad, said on NBC’s Today show that the toys were “appalling.” In response to Schrivjer’s petition, Toys R Us issued a statement on Sunday that the toys were labeled as suitable for kids ages 15 and up, but the store has since removed the product from its shelves. Schrivjer appeared Fox & Friends on Thursday to elaborate on her stance. “Putting something that has fake illegal drugs with it next to G.I. Joe or Mario Bros. just morally isn’t right,” she said. “This has nothing to do with people taking their kids in there or buying that or anything, this has to do with the placement of that doll.” In response to the kerfuffle, Bryan Cranston tweeted the following
on Wednesday: “Toys R Us puts Breaking Bad toys on ‘indefinite sabbatical.’ Word on the street is that they were sent to Belize. Nicely played Florida Mom.” The action figures are sold out from the manufacturer Mezco Toys. Before you know it, the street value on these dolls will be Blue Sky high!
WE tv announced its new supernatural thriller South of Hell Thursday, including casting news. Mena Suvari
(Chicago Fire, American Beauty) will play Maria Abascal, a reluctant exorcist (reluctant perhaps because she has her own demon named Abigail living inside her) who lives in Charleston, SC — the most possessed city in America. Working together, Maria and Abigail will battle evil, while Maria’s brother David (Zachary Booth) will battle his own real-life demon: heroin. Eli Roth
(Hemlock Grove, Hostel) will direct the pilot and production is underway now. New episodes of South of Hell are coming to WE tv in 2015.
Teresa Giudice, the Real Housewives of New Jersey star sentenced to 15 months behind bars will go to prison (and not to a halfway house as she had requested earlier in the week). Judge Esther Salas revealed on Wednesday that Guidice, who will serve time for conspiracy and bankruptcy fraud, is going to the same prison that was the basis of the Netflix hit Orange Is the New Black
. When Giudice surrenders herself on Jan. 5, she will go to Danbury, CT (about 100 miles from her home) to join 200 other inmates at FCI Danbury — the same prison where the real-life Piper Kerman served time for drug trafficking and money laundering. In an interview earlier this month, the RHONJ star told Bravo’s Andy Cohen that she didn’t think that she would actually have to go to prison after pleading guilty.
Pivot, the socially-conscious cable network owned by Participant Media and founded by billionaire Jeff Skoll, will be shuttling voters to the polls for this year’s mid-term elections. Pivot and its social-action platform TakePart.com are encouraging more voter engagement by offering the code JustVote for free Lyft rides (up to $25) in select cities from today through election day. “It’s important to vote in mid-term elections and have a voice in state and local issues which can have lasting impact on national policies,” said Jacob Soboroff, co-host of Pivot’s TakePart Live. “Registering is just the first step, if you don’t get to the polls to vote your voice doesn’t count.” For election coverage, tune into TakePart Live, hosted by Soboroff, Meghan McCain and Baratunde Thurston, Monday through Friday at 10 pm, and visit TakePart.com/justvote
to get more information.
Morena Baccarin, the Homeland beauty who was nominated for an Emmy in 2013, will take on the role of Gotham
‘s Dr. Leslie Thompkins. News of Baccarin’s casting comes as Fox orders a full 22-episode season of Gotham. She will appear as a recurring star in season one and will most likely return as a regular in season two. Baccarin’s Gotham casting marks a return to genre for the actress who also appeared in Firefly, V, and Stargate. According to Batman universe lore, Thompkins is a dedicated doctor and was a friend to Bruce Wayne’s parents. Rumor has it that the young Dr. Thompkins will take on a gig at the newly-opened Arkham Asylum’s Home for the Criminally Insane.
