Smooth sailing for 'Noah.' ABC's Josh Elliott jumps to NBC. - Los Angeles Times
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Smooth sailing for ‘Noah.’ ABC’s Josh Elliott jumps to NBC.

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After the coffee. Before figuring out how to use my iPhone.

The Skinny: I finally broke down and got an iPhone. I am a dinosaur no more. Now I just have to master the touch screen, which I hate. It was a touching episode of “The Good Wife†as everyone deals with Will’s death. And if you don’t know by now what happened on the drama then it’s on you, not me. Monday’s headlines includes the box office recap, a profile of Warner Bros. CEO Kevin Tsujihara and some big-name TV folks will have new homes.

Daily Dose: Negotiations between Viacom, parent of MTV, Comedy Central and Nickelodeon, and a group of small cable operators are heading down to the wire. Viacom’s contract with the National Cable Television Cooperative is up at midnight Monday night (Eastern time) and could leave more than 5 million people without several popular networks. The NCTC has sent a letter to Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman saying it is “committed†to staying at the negotiating table as long as it takes and urging the media giant not to pull its channels yet. “Let’s both pledge to put the public first,†the letter said.

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Smooth sailing. “Noah†had no trouble navigating the weekend box office, taking in about $44 million in its opening weekend. Directed by Darren Aronofsky and starring Russell Crowe, “Noah†appealed to men and woman equally and likely will have no problem staying afloat in the coming weeks. Finishing second was last week’s champ “Divergent.†Also opening was the biopic “Cesar Chavez,†which labored to take in $3 million. Overseas, “Captain America†got off to a strong start with a take of $75 million. Weekend box office recaps from the Los Angeles Times and Variety.

Modest man. New Warner Bros. Chairman and CEO Kevin Tsujihara has quietly started making his mark at the entertainment giant. In an interview with the New York Times, Tsujihara said his style is “behaving like a human being.†That’s a radical approach in ego-filled Hollywood. Ultimately though, nice guy will only work if results are delivered. The movie studio is on a roll, but much of its success is still tied to the previous regime.

Playing by the same rules. As part of its continued effort to try to cut into television advertising dollars, Google’s YouTube will now start offering ratings guarantees with its commercials. According to the Wall Street Journal, YouTube has been making presentations to advertisers that focus on the site’s ability to woo young viewers, arguing that its audience compares favorably to cable channels, including ABC Family.

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On the set: movies and TV

Jumping ship. “Good Morning America†news anchor Josh Elliott is exiting the top-rated AM show for NBC Sports after being unable to strike a new deal with ABC. He will be replaced by Amy Robach. Although Elliott has a non-compete clause that will keep him off NBC’s “Today†initially, don’t be surprised if eventually he finds his way back to morning TV too. This is the second big talent raid NBC has made on ABC in the last several days. Last week, NBC wooed “Nightline†anchor Cynthia McFadden. More on Elliott’s move from CNN.

Ready to jump ship. Chelsea Handler, who has hosted a late night show on E! for several years, wants off the cable network. Handler has been bad mouthing E! a lot lately, including on Howard Stern’s radio show. Now her manager, the legendary Irving Azoff, tells the Hollywood Reporter that Handler has “at least seven suitors and many ideas.†Handler still has nine months to go at E! and while she has a loyal audience, it has gotten smaller in recent years.

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Inside the Los Angeles Times: Robert Lloyd on the CBS comedy “Friends With Better Lives.†Lorenzo Semple, a screenwriter whose credits included “Three Days of the Condor,†died at the age of 91.

Follow me on Twitter purely for my own selfish reasons. @JBFlint.

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