SHOOTING STARS: New TV Land series films Vegas finale

Las Vegas represents an end-of-the-rainbow realm where dreams come true for visitors of all ages.
Including the 10-member cast of TV Land’s upcoming series “Forever Young,” who were scheduled to wrap a two-day shoot Sunday for the series finale.

Featuring five 20-somethings and five 70-somethings, “it’s a show about the generation gap, where old and young collide,” explains Eliot Goldberg, TV Land’s senior vice president of development and original programming, who’s also one of “Forever Young’s” executive producers.

Based in Los Angeles, the six-part series previously visited Palm Springs so cast members young and old could experience “retirement fun” before heading to Las Vegas.

The group’s Vegas plans included a Venetian gondola ride and a limousine cruise along the Strip, plus sky diving and visits to various casinos, restaurants and clubs.

The show is scheduled to air next summer.

“We call it a docu-comedy,” Goldberg notes. “For us, it’s a kind of hybrid — a mix of documentary, like ‘The Real World,’ ” along with “competitive elements,” including a big Vegas winner.

“We wanted to do a finale with something really big and exciting,” representing “a big dream come true,” according to Goldberg. “And it’s a lot more exciting to do it there” in Las Vegas, a location that “gave us everything  — a great look and a lot of activities” the show’s “cast will absolutely love.”

Poker primer: If you’re planning to teach people how to play poker, it makes sense to focus your cameras on the Poker Capital of the World.

Which explains why the online site PokerStars is scheduled to wrap up a three-day shoot today for a new “Poker Tutorial” series.

The 26-part series will offer episodes devoted to the basics, advanced strategy and everything in between, notes producer-director Marc Reeks.

Because the show will feature poker pros’ opinions and advice, “we’re in Vegas to film some interviews,” along with background footage of “iconic Las Vegas landmarks — the home of modern poker,” Reeks reports.

The tutorials will be distributed worldwide, with a projected April airdate.

International calls: Other overseas projects also have Las Vegas on their location schedule.

The Bollywood romantic comedy “Stand By Me” continues production with second-unit background shots unlikely to feature stars Imran Khan and Kareena Kapoor. The itinerary included a scheduled Sunday stop at the Regional Justice Center.

And the French TV reality series “Les Anges” (which translates as “The Angels”) was expected to spend a whirlwind day in Las Vegas Friday, following five showbiz wannabe stars — including an aspiring model, singer and DJ — to Las Vegas after four weeks in Los Angeles.

Among their destinations: a wedding chapel, Paris Las Vegas’ Eiffel Tower and Mon Ami Gabi (but of course) and the Palms’ ghostbar.

The show made Las Vegas a destination because it’s a place “where you can complete all your dreams,” explains Carole Fougere, the show’s Las Vegas-based location manager.

The series is expected to air in France in early 2011 — which, lest we forget, is almost here.

Reality check: MTV’s “The Real World,” headquartered at the Hard Rock Hotel, is scheduled to wrap production Friday. And “Death Collectors,” which began following the Clark County Public Administrator in late November, was scheduled to end production Saturday.

But E!’s “Holly’s World,” with Holly Madison, is expected to roll on this week, along with History’s “Pawn Stars,” which continues production through Thursday before taking a 10-day holiday break.

And, speaking of History, a two-day shoot was scheduled to end Saturday for “How the States Got Their Shapes,” expected to air next spring or summer.

Judd-gment day: That would have been Saturday, when the Judds — Naomi and Wynonna — were scheduled to make a “Last Encore” tour stop at Mandalay Bay.

But that’s not the only gig the Judds had that day; before the concert, cameras were set to follow the mother-daughter country duo around town for their docu-series (tentatively titled “The Judds”), debuting next year on the new Oprah Winfrey network, OWN.