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Channel Surfing: ABC Family Cancels "Kyle XY," At Odds with Parents Television Council, Adam Baldwin, ABC Pilot News Bonanza, and More

Welcome to your Monday morning television briefing. I hope everyone's now well rested from Super Bowl weekend and a slew of first-run series programming. Let's dive into the headlines.

Bad news for the belly button-less: ABC Family has canceled teen sci-fi drama Kyle XY. The cabler did however renew Greek, Lincoln Heights, and The Secret Life of the American Teenager for additional seasons and handed out ten episode orders for new series Ruby and the Rockits, Perfect 10, and 10 Things I Hate About You. (Variety)

NBC announced that it will stream both the 3D and 3D versions of tonight's episode of Chuck live at NBC.com starting at 5 am PT tomorrow. Viewers will also be able to choose between watching the 3D installment in either HD or standard definition, with or without closed caption subtitles, and stream while chatting using NBC.com's Viewing Party function. (via press release)

The New York Times profiles Chuck's Adam Baldwin, who returns to the airwaves tonight with the NBC series. “The guy does more with a grunt than most actors could do with a monologue,” said Chuck executive producer Josh Schwartz. “You totally believe him as this N.S.A. agent who’s happy to torture and kill people, but he’s also really, really funny. He gets the comedy without ever breaking character. And his preparation is astounding. Adam really relishes all these details: How does Casey sharpen his knife and fork before he eats? He’s worked all that stuff out.” (New York Times)

ABC ordered an untitled pilot from executive producer Jerry Bruckheimer and writer Mark Friedman that will be directed by Danny Cannon (CSI). Project, from Warner Bros. TV and Bruckheimer TV, will follow a team of amateur crimefighters who solve crimes against unidentified victims. (It's known informally around town as The Unknown.) Also getting pilot orders late Friday: high school musical drama Limelight, from writer K.J. Steinberg (Gossip Girl), executive producer McG, director/EXP David Semel, and Warner Bros Television and Wonderland TV, about the teachers and students of an NYC performing arts college and is loosely based on the life of the Neptunes' Pharrel Williams; and Empire State, a modern day Romeo and Juliet story from executive producers Mark Gordon and Deb Spera, writer Michael Seitzman and ABC Studios, about two families--one blue-collar and the other wealthy real estate moguls--who crash into one another in a star-struck romance. (Variety)

Twilight's Jackson Rathbone has been cast in an upcoming episode of CBS' Criminal Minds, where he will play a college student on spring break who could be the target of a serial killer. Episode, to be directed by Jason Alexander, is scheduled to air in April. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

NBC has once again changed the title of Amy Poehler's new comedy, launching in April. Previously known as Public Service, the comedy--which stars Poehler, Rashida Jones, and Aziz Ansari--has undergone another name change and will now be known as Parks and Recreation.

NBC medical drama pilot Trauma will be directed by Jeff Reiner (Friday Night Lights, Caprica), in a move that removes the contingency to be lifted from the project. Also signing on to helm pilots: Simon West (Revolution) will direct FOX drama pilot Human Target; Deran Sarafian (K-Ville) will direct FOX's untitled reincarnation project (informally referred to as The Reincarnationist around town). (Hollywood Reporter)

The Los Angeles Times discusses the monstrously large set of FOX's Dollhouse, a "5,000-square-foot, two-story structure, unusually elaborate for a TV production, sits 10 stories below a Los Angeles high-rise," desgined by Stuart Blatt. (
Los Angeles Times)

CBS given a series order to unscripted docusoap Arranged Marriage, from Magical Elves' Jane Lipsitz and Dan Cutforth, the executive producers of Bravo's Top Chef. Series will follow four adults who are married off by their friends and family to a stranger and then, after they exchange vows, follow the newlyweds as they begin married life together. (Hollywood Reporter)

Parents Television Council's latest target? ABC Family's name, which the organization feels is misrepresentative of the material it airs given the word "family" in the network's name. "It's kind of a misnomer to call ABC Family a family channel," said Michelle MacNeal, the head of a local branch of PTC. "When you call something 'family,' it gives the impression that it's safe for all members of the family, even young children." (Los Angeles Times)

Nikki Finke is reporting that George Lopez may land a latenight talkshow at cabler TBS to air at either 11 or 11:30 pm. (Deadline Hollywood Daily)

Universal Cable Prods. has signed a two-year overall deal with writer/executive producer Steve Franks (Psych) that will keep him on as showrunner on Psych for Seasons Four and Five and a one-year first-look deal with director Jace Alexander (Burn Notice), under which Alexander will develop projects for the cable group. (Hollywood Reporter)

BET has acquired off-net rerun rights to CW's comedy The Game and will beginning airing episodes from the series' first two seasons in February. (Variety)

Stay tuned.

Comments

joy said…
Can I just say that I'm SO happy that Adam Baldwin's coming into his (much-deserved) own? I've loved him forever...I think it was him playing that firefighter in that cheesy California wildfires TV movie way back in early 90s that did it. Yay for him.
Anonymous said…
Love Adam Baldwin -- so true about the grunt, LOL. He's amazing with facial expressions and body language. As much as Chuck is a great show all around, I think it would be weaker without the Casey character. The relationship between Casey/Chuck and Casey's conflicts about doing his job when it comes to Chuck is far better written than the more obvious Sarah/Chuck conflict maneuvers.

Looking forward to Dollhouse because I can't resist anything by Joss, but apprehensive about Eliza, who has never been one of my favorites in the Joss collective, but we'll see... As a fan of Pretender and Alias, Dollhouse is irresistible to be as the next show in that genre...

Still plan to watch Castle in spite of doubts.

Sam
Anonymous said…
Wow. An "Arranged Marriage" show? Just when you think Reality TV can't sink any lower...
Anonymous said…
Didn't Fox already do something like the arranged marriage show with MARRIED BY AMERICA????
Anonymous said…
I obviously blanked out on the Arranged Marriage show...denial. I can't stand that stuff. Why not have shows that model good, healthy relationships for a change? I guess that would be boring... they even had to go kill Jim on Ghost Whisperer to mess with one of the happiest marriages on TV.

Sam
Brent McKee said…
The insane thing about the PTC protesting about the ABC Family Channel is that ABC never wanted to call it that. They wanted to rename it XYZ, but they can't. The network was founded by Pat Robertson as an offshoot of the Christian Broadcasting network, and when he sold it there were two stipulations that were to continue in perpeturity - it had to air the CBN's "700 Club" every day, and the station name always had to have the word "Family" in it. To change the name ABC would literally have to kill the network, and with it all of the cable and satellite company contracts. They could then create the station they wanted, but there was absolutely no guarantee or requirement that the cable and satellite providers would replace ABC Family with XYZ. So the PTC only has one of their conservative fellow-travelers for the ABC Family Channel.
joy said…
I always loved those in perpetuity clauses. Not because I'm all yay, Pat Robertson, but because man, did he figure out a way to make it difficult for both Fox and ABC to maintain this cablenet. There's something about it that always makes me giggle.

Also - la, la, la, I see no reality. :-)
Anonymous said…
I know the ratings for Kyle XY dipped this year but is it really cause for ABC Family to pull the plug so immediately? I mean, ratings could always kick up again, and the show was so popular just last season. I think it's lame that they'd kill it so fast. I am intrigued by their three new shows though, especially Shaun Cassidy's. (The guy is a brilliant creator - I love American Gothic, Roar, and Invasion.)

The PTC needs to go screw themselves, they're the most self-righteous group of losers I've ever seen. I wouldn't mind them if they cared about being fair or even stood up for what they claim to - but what they really want is total control over all TV, not just during family hours on basic television.

I have to say almost all of the [scripted] pilots described here sound at least a little interesting. Especially ABC's, and FOX's "Human Target".
Anonymous said…
Why are they canceling Kyle XY, I love that show and all the actors on it. It's a great show, there is always a lesson to be learned and the show always makes me feel good and makes me want to be good. How can they cancel a show that does that is beyond me. Some FAT HEAD who's done this should be fired. He od she must be a real jerk. U suck ABC FAMILY!!!!!!
Anonymous said…
Hey, I can't believe they are pulling the plug on Kyle XY. What a great program. The ABC family scheduler of programming did a bad job of scheduling against the program 24 on FOX at the same time on the same day.Which everyone's been waiting for. They should of left Kyle xy on tuesday like it was last year and give it a chance. What kind of people do you have working there? take me off your list unless you keep on Kyle XY. That's a great show. DUPA'S ....

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