Welcome to your Monday morning television briefing. I had a fantastically relaxing weekend, between the rain and some quality telly on Sunday night with Skins, Amazing Race, and Mad Men keeping me occupied all evening.
Showtime is developing drama series The Booths, about the dysfunctional relationship between three actor-brothers Edwin, Junius Brutus Jr., and John Wilkes Booth in the years before the latter would assassinate Abraham Lincoln. The brothers were the sons of British actor Junius Brutus Booth and actress Mary Ann Holmes. While there is no writer or production company attached, Kevin Bacon has signed on to executive produce the project. (Variety)
Jamie Bamber says that Battlestar Galactica could have become a mainstream hit like Doctor Who if it had aired on a bigger network platform. "[Battlestar] is only cult because it's been stuck on Sky One and not pushed. In America it's on the Sci Fi Channel, which has a stigma to it. If it was on a mainstream channel it would be as big as Doctor Who or Lost. I take 'cult' to mean not mainstream or readily available." Hmmm, do we agree with his assessment? Sadly, I think that had BSG aired on, say, NBC, it would have been cancelled pretty early on if the numbers didn't match their expectations. (Digital Spy)
Wayne McClammy (the director of such viral videos as the Matt Damon and Ben Affleck love songs that appeared on The Jimmy Kimmel Show) will direct the pilot for FOX's single-camera space-set workplace comedy Boldly Going Nowhere, from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia creators Rob McElhenney, Charlie Day, and Glenn Howerton. (I read the Boldly script a few months back and, while I am addicted to Sunny, found that it wasn't really too funny.) (Hollywood Reporter)
Ivan Sergei (Charmed) has been cast in the season finale of Lifetime's Army Wives, where he'll play the long-lost nephew of Betty (Patricia French). (TV Guide)
CBS has handed out a put pilot commitment to comedy Big D, from writer/executive producers Jeff and Jackie Filgo (That '70s Show, Old Christine) and Warner Bros. Television, but both the network and the studio are being tight-lipped about the project's premise. (Variety)
NBC is developing drama ICE, about the world of Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agents with the department of Homeland Security, post-9/11. Writer Joe Carnahan (Dirt) and director Antoine Fuqua (Training Day) are attached to the project, which hails from Universal Media Studios. Project should not be confused with AMC's similarly-named but significantly less-capitalized Ice, about the world of diamond dealers in New York City. (Variety)
Felt that Liz Lemon hawking the joys of Diet Snapple on NBC's 30 Rock went a little far in the product placement category? You may not be alone as New York Magazine takes an in-depth look at everyone's least favorite element of television-making, circa 2008: product integration. (New York Magazine)
CBS Paramount Network Television has signed a two-year exclusive overall deal with One Tree Hill creator Mark Schwahn, under which he will develop new series for the studio. Separately, Schwahn has signed a one-year deal with Warner Bros. Television to keep him as showrunner on the CW drama series (pointing to signs that the netlet will pick up the drama for another season) and has signed a deal with CBS Records to launch his own imprint. (Hollywood Reporter)
Stay tuned.
Channel Surfing: Jamie Bamber Thinks "BSG" Should Be a Bigger Hit, Product Integration, Ivan Sergei, and More
Channel Surfing: "Wonderfalls" Crossover Slated for "Pushing Daisies," Jesse L. Martin Donates to "Philanthropist," "Desperate Housewives," and More
Welcome to your Friday morning television briefing. I will admit that I felt the loss not having a new installment of The Office to watch last night and I still have Episodes Two and Three (next week's episode) to watch of Ugly Betty, but I did laugh my butt off watching the one-hour It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia last night, which not only gave us Mac and Charlie faking their own deaths but the very odd sight of Mac in a pawn shop wedding dress. (Congrats, BTW, to Rob McElhenny, who wed his Sunny co-star Kaitlin Olson this week.)
While the ratings for the launch of Pushing Daisies, were not exactly as sweet as honey for ABC, fans of the brilliant series can look forward to, among other things, a cross-over with Bryan Fuller's tragically-missed Wonderfalls in the eighth episode of the current season, according to Fuller in an interview. Just what this means and which Wonderfalls characters have been cast (an interesting dilemma as Lee Pace starred on that series as well) remains to be seen. But I for one would love to see Caroline Dhavernas' Jaye Tyler show up... (iF Magazine)
Jesse L. Martin (Law & Order) has been cast in NBC's upcoming drama The Philanthropist, opposite James Purefoy who plays Teddy Rist, a wealthy billionaire playboy who uses his wealth and connections to help people in need. Martin will play Philip Maidstone, Teddy's business partner and close friend. Production is slated to begin soon in London though the network has reduced the series' initial 13-episode commitment by several segments. (Hollywood Reporter)
Steven Weber (Brothers & Sisters) will turn up on ABC's Desperate Housewives this season as the thrice-divorced college professor lover of Susan's adult daughter Julie (Andrea Bowen). Look for the duo to turn up on Wisteria Lane next month. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)
In other casting news, Wallace Shawn (The Princess Bride) has been cast in a multiple-episode arc on the CW's Gossip Girl, where he'll play the father of Serena's new boyfriend Aaron (Vanished's John Patrick Amedori) and a potential love interest for Blair's mother Eleanor. He'll first show up in the November 11th episode. (TV Guide)
Zeljko Ivanek will return for Season Two of Damages, despite shooting himself to death in the first season's penultimate episode. Ivanek, who won an Emmy last month for his amazing turn as Ray Fiske, will be making "several appearances" in Season Two... but something tells me that he won't be returning from the dead any time soon, unless Damages brings the Pie Maker to Hewes & Associates. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)
AMC is developing a sci-fi series based on Kim Stanley Robinson's novel "Red Mars," with writer/executive producer Jonathan Hensleigh (Armageddon), about the inhabitants of the first human colony on Mars. (Hollywood Reporter)
NBC has moved the premiere of its six-episode reality competition series Momma's Boys to this fall, airing in the Wednesdays at 9 pm timeslot vacated by America's Got Talent beginning October 29th. Lest you think that NBC isn't wedded to this concept--in which 32 women try to win over three bachelors and their all-important mothers--casting on the second season has already begun this week. (Variety)
USA Today's Robert Bianco reviews the CW's Sunday night lineup, which it leased out to Media Rights Capital. In a view that's hardly surprising, Bianco says that all of the series are "missable"
and goes on to say that Valentine is "badly cast and sadly inept." Ouch. (USA Today)
ShineReveille International has come on board to distribute NBC's upcoming reality series Howie Do It, executive produced by and hosted by Howie Mandel (Deal or No Deal). Let's just hope that it's better than Mandel's performance at the Emmys last month. (Hollywood Reporter)
Channel Surfing: "Fringe" Gets Full Season, "Daisies" Fails to Bloom, Showtime Announces "Tara" Launch, "Survivor" Flap at CBS, and More
Welcome to your Thursday morning television briefing.
But is it The Pattern? The big news is, of course, the full season pick up for FOX's freshman drama Fringe, bringing this season's total to 22 episodes. "We're having a blast working on this show with this great team of producers and amazing cast," said FOX Entertainment president Kevin Reilly. "The series has really taken off creatively, and it's exciting to see that the audience is responding. We believe this is the first full season of many years to come." The pickup for Fringe marks the second full season order so far this year; last month, the CW ordered a full season of 90210. To date, Fringe has ranked as the number one new series among adults 18-49 this season. (Variety)
Pushing Daisies' second season launch plummeted in the ratings, sadly. "Despite strong reviews, the return of Daisies (6.3 million viewers, 2.0/6) had the steepest drop of any show this fall, declining a roller coaster-style 55% to a series-low fourth place at 8 p.m." Ouch. Let's hope that ABC doesn't get trigger-happy and cancel Daisies just as it's returning to the airwaves. Fans looking to send pie to ABC execs better start baking now, well in advance of Daisies' initial 13-episode order conclusion. Sigh. (Hollywood Reporter's Live Feed)
Showtime will launch its newest scripted comedy, The United States of Tara, starring Toni Collete, John Corbett, and Rosemary DeWitt, on January 18th at 10 pm. Series will bow between the final season of The L Word and the second season of Brit import Secret Diary of a Call Girl. Tara follows a woman suffers from multiple personality disorder and looks at how her family deals with her divergent identities. Project comes from writer/executive producer Diablo Cody and executive producer Steven Spielberg, who came up with the series' original premise. (Hollywood Reporter)
Megan Mullally (Will & Grace) and Cheryl Hines (Curb Your Enthusiasm) have closed deals to appear in ABC's series adaptation of online series In the Motherhood (which starred Chelsea Handler, Leah Remini, and Jenny McCarthy in its original iteration). Handler may reprise her role in the ABC version but no deal is in place. Net is looking at potential 2009 launch. (TV Guide)
UK fans of Warner Bros. Television's The Mentalist, starring Simon Baker, can rest a little easier: the series will be coming to Blighty in 2009. Five and Five US have acquired rights to the procedural drama, which the nets will launch next year. (Variety)
Rosie O'Donnell will get her very own variety show this Thanksgiving entitled Rosie's Variety Show, which will be presented live on NBC from New York the evening before Thanksgiving. It's believed that the special--which will feature celebrity guests, musical acts, contests, and comedy sketches--could be a sign of a similar O'Donnell-fronted series for 2009. (Variety)
Parents Television Council has filed an indecency complaint with the FCC over CBS' season premiere of Survivor, which featured unintentional full frontal male nudity and was the first installment of the long-running reality franchise to be broadcast in HD. (Washington Post)
Stay tuned.
Channel Surfing: Robin Takes Flight at CW, "Partridge" Lands at NBC, Norman Lear, "Sarah Connor" Woes, and More
Welcome to your Wednesday morning television briefing. I suffered through some sweltering heat here in Los Angeles last night and watched the latest lackluster episode of 90210 and a fantastically taut episode of Fringe (more on that in a bit).
CW has given a put pilot commitment to drama The Graysons, based on the pre-Boy Wonder life of Batman sidekick Robin before he dons the mask and cape (a la Smallville). Drama, from Smallville executive producers Kelly Souders and Brian Peterson and Chuck/Supernatural executive producer McG, will follow Dick "DJ" Grayson in a new take on the iconic character. (In the original comics, Robin was the orphaned son of a high-flying trapeze artist family who was taken in by Bruce Wayne and trained to be Batman's sidekick.) Series is viewed as a potential replacement for Smallville, should this be final season, or as a companion piece if Smallville is renewed. Studio Warner Bros. Television also hopes to use this development to prove that the netlet isn't in any serious jeopardy. But they're really going to call Robin "DJ"? Ick. (Variety)
Could Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles be canceled in an effort to save the ratings of FOX's Prison Break? That's what one network source has said as the axe could come swinging down on ratings-starved Terminator as early as this week. "All I can say is that production will likely stop," said the unnamed source, "and I would think that Fox might try to air some of the episodes already in the can. But I don't know. They don't want to lose Prison Break, so there could be some schedule shuffling in the future."(SyFy Portal)
Television icon Norman Lear is developing Everybody Hurts, a drama series following a pro-wrestling business in 1970s New York, at HBO. Project is written by Aaron Blitzstein (The Riches) and will be executive produced by Lear and Lara Bergthold. (Hollywood Reporter)
The revamped single-camera comedy pilot The Partridge Family has landed at NBC. This version, from Reveille, Geffen Records, and Sony Pictures Television, will have a struggling single mom "pimping her kids in order to create a wholesome-slash-sexy cash cow." Pilot will be written by Jeff Rake, who also serves as executive producer. (Hollywood Reporter)
Rake has also teamed with Arrested Development creator Mitch Hurwitz on an untitled action dramedy pilot about ""a Pentagon-based inventor who decided he couldn't live another day standing on the sidelines while Rome burns and accordingly set out [to] put his inventions to very real use, behind the back of friends, family and the entire U.S. government," according to Rake. Arrested Development pilot helmers Anthony and Joe Russo are attached to direct the project, which has been set up at FOX. (Hollywood Reporter)
CBS and CBS Paramount Network Television have signed a talent deal with Cole Hauser (K-Ville), who recently starred in drama pilot The Tower for the network and studio. (I actually quite liked the journalism drama pilot, which also starred Rosamund Pike, Marcia Gay Harden, Denis O'Hare, and CCH Pounder.) (Variety)
Fred Willard will guest star in two episodes of CBS' comedy series Worst Week. The former Back to You star and Connie Ray (Thank You for Smoking) will play the parents of hapless Sam (Kyle Bornheimer) in two installments set to air later this fall. (Entertainment Weekly's Hollywood Insider)
Cory Monteith (Kaya) has joined the cast of FOX's Ryan Murphy pilot Glee, opposite Jayma Mays and Matthew Morrison. He'll play Finn, a football player who is coerced into joining the high school glee club by its new advisor. (Hollywood Reporter)
Valerie Bertinelli just got some company on her untitled TBS comedy: Nadia Dajani (Emily's Reasons Why Not), Kevin G. Schmidt (Cheaper by the Dozen), and Dean Collins (The War at Home) have joined the cast of Dave Caplan's comedy pilot about a woman whose husband leaves her to deal with their kids, his struggling lumber business, and life in general on her own. Already cast: Juliette Goglia and Anjelah Johnson. (Hollywood Reporter)
Vanessa Marcil (Las Vegas) will serve as the host for Lifetime's upcoming reality competition series Blush: The Search for the Next Makeup Artist alongside judges Hal Rubenstein and Joanna Schlip and mentor Charlie Green. (Variety)
Stay tuned.
I had the opportunity to watch the first three episodes of Season Two of Chuck a few weeks back and enjoyed every single second of them. But I cannot describe the pure pleasure I got from watching the season opener ("Chuck Versus the First Date"), from the opening scene of Michael Clarke Duncan dangling our beloved Chuck Bartowski out of a window by his ankles to Sarah and Chuck's putative first date... which, not unsurprisingly, goes horribly, horribly wrong. To have Chuck's winning blend of action, comedy, and romance back on the air makes me almost feel like all's right with the world. Or television, anyway.
What did you think of the season opener? Were you as disturbed by Chuck walking in on Devon and Ellie in the shower as he was? Did you jump for glee when Morgan's Call of Duty plan actually helped Chuck get out of a tight squeeze? Are you thrilled about Lester taking over as the new Svengali-esque assistant manager (temporarily, anyway) of the Buy More? Did you worry that Casey might blow Chuck's brains out after receiving orders to eliminate the Intersect? (Um, not for a second.)
And--OMG!--were you as absolutely SHOCKED as I was by the explosion that destroyed the new Intersect and seemingly killed Tony Todd's CIA Director Graham?
Talk back here.
I was extremely nervous to watch last night's season premiere of The Office ("Weight Loss") for a number of reasons. First, the series had burned me badly by last year's seriously uneven episodes, lackluster humor, and bizarro writing that had Michael acting far too improbably rather than just being an obnoxiously over-the-top employer who seemed somewhat rooted in reality. And, second, it was another one-hour installment, which to me, meant that the Peacock had not learned its lesson from last season, which proved that the one-hour format rarely works for a comedy like this.
In fact, what kept me watching the NBC series was last season's superlative season finale ("Goodbye, Toby"), which--while an hour in length--managed to keep the action moving swiftly and kept the humor grounded and realistic. (No pizza boys were harmed in the making of that installment.) And it introduced one of the single best characters in the history of The Office: Holly Flax, played by the inimitable Amy Ryan (The Wire).
So what did I think of last night's fifth season opener ("Weight Loss")? I have to say that it was far better than most of last season's episodes, both on a scripting and pacing front, but it fell short of reaching the same heights as some of the series' most memorable episodes. I am sure the Jim & Pam 'shippers out there were cheering through the rafters when they met at a rest stop on the highway (how, uh, romantic) and Jim finally proposed to Pam after spending the summer apart whilst she attended a three-month design course at Pratt in New York. (Question: why were Pam and Mad Men's Rich Sommer attending a class on spores and mold if they're studying design? Color me confused.)
I thought that the use of the narrative device employed by writers Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky, in which we saw a brief look at each week the Scranton office participated in the weight loss initiative, worked quite effectively and showed us the passage of time without resorting to cheap gimmicks. I loved how it allowed us to see Michael grow his goatee just in time for Ryan Howard to return... to replace Pam as the temporary receptionist.
Ryan's fall from grace has been handled well and I am eager to see him try to fit back into the machinery of Dunder-Mifflin Scranton and hopefully face up to those fraud charges. (Although I am not sure why Jim and Ryan referred to the incident between them as occurring "last year," when it was just a few months earlier.)
Kelly is quickly becoming a favorite again. Her sunken eyes (received after basically fasting for three days and subsisting on maple syrup, lemon, and cayenne pepper), her efforts to procure a tape worm from Creed, and her fainting were pitch-perfect for her character, as was her subtle manipulation of Ryan when he came by her cubicle to apologize and ask her out.
Less aware was Michael, who once again failed to pick up on Holly's signals that she wants him to ask her out, going so far as to offer to buy her Counting Crows concert tickets--after she found herself stood up by her yoga instructor date--and then ripped them up, rather than make a date for the two of them out of it. It's nice to see Michael be on the receiving end of a crush for a change but it's clear that, for right now anyway, he's made his choice with Jan, even if he's not the father of her baby.
How great was the scene when Holly finally learned that Kevin wasn't mentally handicapped after she freaked out at Angela for calling him an "idiot"? I was hoping that the writers would be able to string this storyline a little further but it was probably about time that Holly learned that Kevin wasn't actually as challenged as he appears.
Pam, meanwhile, is settling into her new role as design student/resident adviser in New York and is making friends. I knew that Rich Sommer would be turning up on the series this season (and ran into him Saturday at the BAFTA/LA Tea Party, where he was chatting with fellow Office stars Kate Flannery and Leslie David Baker) and I think he's a perfect potential love interest for Pam. We all know that Jim and Pam will eventually end up together but the long road to the altar will never, ever be smooth for them, so I'm glad to see that the writers are attempting to shake things up a little for our lovebirds without breaking them up needlessly right off the bat.
And I loved that Phyllis used her knowledge of Angela and Dwight's secret affair--which is being carried on right at the office under Andy's nose as he plans a magical wedding ("every little boy's dream")--in order to usurp Angela's place as the head of the party planning committee. And her "jugs" comment had me laughing.
As for Angela and Dwight, their little rendezvous will eventually attract someone's attention, even if they are being as careful and slick as a drug operator off of The Wire, with beepers and clandestine warehouse trysts. The way Angela sadly kissed Andy (and then wiped his face) was absolutely heartbreaking; even as he attempts to plan the perfect wedding for her (and then surprise her with his washboard abs on the wedding night), she can't help but feel guilty for the way she's using him. And likely when he discovers her infidelity, no amount of anger management training will prevent him from having a volcano-level meltdown.
And, surprisingly, I'm looking forward again to see what happens next. Let's just hope the writes can keep this train on the rails again as the season progresses and remember what made The Office great in the first place: workplace-based humor, painfully funny situations, and compelling characters.
In two weeks on The Office ("Business Ethics"), Holly is forced to hold a business ethics seminar at Dunder-Mifflin after Ryan's recent scandal but the meeting quickly turns chaotic when Michael allows everyone to talk about the unethical things they do at the office... and Jim forces Dwight to comply with the company's time theft policy.
Channel Surfing: "Heroes" Suffers, Lifetime Nabs "Mother" Reruns, "Knight Rider" Reviews, "Doctor Who," and More
Welcome to your Wednesday morning television briefing. I spent last night watching Fringe (more on that in a bit), catching up on Gossip Girl, and sitting through another dull installment of 90210. At least it took the bad taste out of my mouth from Knight Rider. (Shudder.)
The Season Three premiere of NBC's Heroes (9.9 million viewers, 4.9/12 in adults 18-49) was down 25 percent from its sophomore launch , landing it second in the hour behind ABC's Dancing with the Stars. The slide for Heroes was not unexpected, coming as it did after a season that many fans found creatively lacking and middling and a curtailed season due to the writers strike. (Hollywood Reporter)
CBS will air the original pilot of new drama Eleventh Hour, starring Rufus Sewell and Marley Shelton, as its opening installment, after all. The Eye had previously announced that it would wait to air the original pilot of Eleventh Hour ("Resurrection")until later in the season but the network has now reversed its position. (Futon Critic)
Following the news that Rebecca Rand Kirchner (Gilmore Girls) will oversee the writing staff of CW's 90210, studio CBS Paramount has announced that they have signed a two-year overall deal with Kirchner. She will focus her energies on drama 90210 and, in the second year of her deal, develop new projects for the studio. Kirchner previously worked with executive producers Gabe Sachs and Jeff Judah on Freaks and Geeks. (Hollywood Reporter)
The CW has given a put pilot commitment to drama Light Years, about a teenager who discovers that her birth parents were teens who broke up after a one-night stand that led to her mother getting pregnant... and those teens have grown up to become a bar owner (dad) and a morning radio show host (mom). Project is from ABC Studios, writer/executive producer Liz Tigelaar (Brothers & Sisters), and director/executive producer Gary Fleder. (Variety)
Tigelaar will also write Mystic Confidential.com, about a "small-town blog and how it impacts the way a group of people live their lives." Project comes from writer/executive producer Liz Tigelaar, executive producers Greg Berlanti and Laurence Mark, ABC Studios, and Berlanti Television. (Variety)
Missing Ryan Howard something fierce before The Office returns tomorrow night? The New York Times profiles The Office's writer/actor BJ Novak. (New York Times)
Battlestar Galactica's Mary McDonnell will guest star in an upcoming episode of ABC's Grey's Anatomy, though there's precious little detail about just what character she'll be playing. (E! Online)
Lifetime has snagged rerun rights to CBS comedy How I Met Your Mother; network--which beat out TBS, ABC Family, and FX for the rights--will launch the series in a weekly run beginning in fall of 2010 but will be able to repurpose two plays a week of the series starting in early 2009. (Variety)
I wanted to write this up but the folks at Sci Fi Wire beat me to the punch: Battlestar Galactica's Paul Campbell--last seen in NBC's short-lived viral series Nobody's Watching--has returned to television, playing yet another character named Billy in NBC series Knight Rider; this time he's a geeky tech with a penchant for porn, Torchwood, and awkward conversations with co-worker Zoe (Cho Smith). (Sci Fi Wire)
Speaking of Knight Rider--which launches tonight--I thought I'd feature some reviews of NBC's newest drama series. USA Today's Robert Bianco describes Knight as "much to despise in Knight Rider, a shockingly incompetent, barely coherent, ad-driven rip-off about a shape-shifting autobot that owes more to Transformers than it does to the cheesy '80s original that shares its name." (Wow.) Los Angeles Times' Robert Lloyd says, "... notwithstanding an ominously dark hole in Mike's memory, the remade Knight Rider is fundamentally of a piece with its predecessor. As drama and as spectacle, and with a remarkable lack of irony, it re-creates the cheesy sci-fi adventure from the 1980s" and that the series is "something for 12-year-old boys (and 12-year-old-boys at heart), undemanding, unsophisticated, no deeper than the thickness of a comic-book page." And Hollywood Reporter's Ray Richmond says of Knight: "Plenty of adrenaline, but a dopey story depletes the tank quickly."
100 lucky families will get the chance to go behind the scenes at Doctor Who and Torchwood as party of a fundraising effort for this year's BBC Children in Need appeal; all they need to is answer one multiple-choice question, which will be announced on the Chris Moyles show on BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio Wales, and BBC Radio Cymru and will be available at the Beeb's Doctor Who site. "This is so exciting – giving fans the opportunity to take a behind the scenes look at where we film Doctor Who, Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures is just brilliant," said Russell T. Davies. "It'll be the perfect opportunity for the whole family to experience something unique and truly extraordinary. It will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience – and the best thing is that all the money raised will go towards BBC Children in Need." (BBC)
Lauren Ambrose, Adam Kaufman, Susie Essman, Ricki Lake, and Mercedes Ruehl have signed on to star in CBS' new Hallmark Hall of Fame telepic Unorthodox. (Hollywood Reporter)
UK's Channel 4 will cut up to 15 percent of its workforce and slash budgets by $185 million over the next two years; broadcaster has told staff that it plans to cut a maximum of 150 jobs amid what the net describes as "some of the most challenging economic circumstances in its history." (Variety)
Stay tuned.
What's On Tonight
8 pm: New Adventures of Old Christine/Gary Unmarried (CBS); Knight Rider (NBC); America's Next Top Model (CW); Dancing with the Stars (ABC); Bones (FOX)
9 pm: Criminal Minds (CBS); America's Got Talent (NBC); 90210 (CW); David Blaine: Dive of Death (ABC; 9-11 pm); 'Til Death/Do Not Disturb (FOX)
10 pm: CSI: New York (CBS); Lipstick Jungle (NBC)
What I'll Be Watching
8 pm: America's Next Top Model.
On tonight's episode ("Fierce Eyes"), the models must wear blindfolds while practicing their runway walks (that should be amusing) and are then tasked with posing with their eyes during a photo shoot.
9 pm: Project Runway on Bravo.
Season Five (the final season on Bravo) of Project Runway continues tonight. On tonight's episode ("Rock n' Runway"), the contestants are tasked with designing outfits using musical inspiration from guest judge LL Cool J; Jerell considers sabotaging Suede; Jerell AND Korto consider sabotaging Kenley, who breaks down during judging.
Channel Surfing: CW to Stay in "90210," HBO Renews "Entourage," Producers of "Do Not Disturb" Ask for Second Chance, and More
Welcome to your Tuesday morning television briefing. I caught up on television-watching last night and finally got to watch Sunday's episode of Skins (Tony really is a manipulative sociopath, isn't he?) and watched some Season Two episodes of 30 Rock but, sigh, will have to wait to watch last night's Gossip Girl until tonight.
Netlet the CW has given a full season order to freshman drama 90210, with 22 episodes slated to air this season. “The successful addition of 90210 has taken The CW another step forward in building a cohesive schedule that defines this network as a destination for young women with shows that get our audience talking—and watching,” said president of entertainment Dawn Ostroff. "We're very excited about the chance to watch this ensemble of newcomers and familiar faces coalesce and grow together as we move forward." (Hmmm, methinks Ostroff may have just saved her job with this one.) (Variety)
In other 90210-related news, the drama has booked former Gilmore Girls and Buffy the Vampire Slayer writer Rebecca Rand Kirschner as an executive producer; she'll be overseeing the writers' room while Gabe Sachs (whom I met on Saturday and was absolutely charming) and Jeff Judah will be overseeing the day-to-day showrunning. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)
ABC ordered an additional eight scripts to its upcoming animated series The Goode Family--about a family of hapless do-gooders--from King of the Hill creator Mike Judge...
... and Vince and the boys will live to see another day as HBO has renewed Entourage for a sixth season of Hollywood-based debauchery. (Nikki Finke's Deadline Hollywood Daily)
The producers of FOX's multi-camera comedy Do Not Disturb have apologized "for being the perpetrators of such bad television" and have asked critics for another chance, after the network decided not to air the original pilot and instead launched the series with a subsequent episode that "created much confusion" and didn't reflect well on the overall quality of the series. Having seen both the truly awful original pilot episode, the dull-as-hotel-dishwater "Work Sex" episode, and a third equally boring episode, I can say that the sub-par quality of any of those individual episodes hangs like a dark cloud over all of them. Thanks, but no thanks. (Variety)
Tom Everett Scott (Cashmere Mafia), Regina King (24), and Arija Bareikis (Crossing Jordan) have been cast in NBC drama pilot LAPD, from Warner Bros. Television and executive producer John Wells. Scott will play Russell, a cop and father who is married to a blogger who writes about her marriage to a cop; King will play his partner Lydia. Bareikis will play a patrol cop who shares a fondness for surfing with her son. (Hollywood Reporter)
Canucks can finally get HBO... sort of. HBO is launching a pay channel in Canada as a joint venture between Astral Media and Corus Entertainment, which already air HBO content on the Movie Network and Movie Central. Due to laws which restrict foreign companies from owning or operating channels within Canada, HBO won't actually own HBO Canada but the two companies will expand their programming commitment to HBO from 100 hours per year to 300 hours. (Variety)
Kanye West has shot a half-hour pilot for Comedy Central entitled Alligator Boots that's described as "hip-hop meets the Muppets." West would produce and perform music with rapper Rhymefest; he also appears as the host of the pilot, which is under consideration for 2009. West, Rhymefest and Daniel Kellison serve as executive producers on the project, from Jackhole Prods. (Hollywood Reporter)
Lipstick Jungle didn't exactly make a splash across the pond: only 200,000 tuned in to watch Living's latest US acquisition when it launched last night. Ouch. (Digital Spy)
Stay tuned.
What's On Tonight
8 pm: NCIS (CBS); Biggest Loser: Families (NBC; 8-10 pm); 90210 (CW); Opportunity Knocks (ABC); House (FOX)
9 pm: The Mentalist (CBS); Privileged (CW); Dancing with the Stars (ABC; 9-11 pm); Fringe (FOX)
10 pm: Without a Trace (CBS); Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (NBC)
What I'll Be Watching
8 pm: 90210.
I'm beyond bored with this tired and underwhelming series but there's nothing else on at 8 pm these days. Sigh. On tonight's episode ("Wide Awake and Dreaming"), Ty announces his plans for an after party after the opening night of Annie's musical; Naomi can't come to terms with her parents' divorce; Brenda, Kelly, and Ryan confront Adrianna about her substance abuse; Dixon offers to help Silver backstage at the musical.
8:40-9:20 pm: Gavin & Stacey on BBC America.
If my gushing review of this bittersweet (yes, it's literally bitter AND sweet) comedy wasn't enough, why not tune in yourself to see just how wonderful the brainchild of writer/co-stars Ruth Jones and James Corden really is? On tonight's episode, Gavin and Stacey attend their respective stag and hen parties.
9 pm: Fringe.
On tonight's episode ("The Ghost Network"), the team investigates the death of bus commuters, whose bodies are frozen like insects in amber, and encounters a man who may have a psychic connection to The Pattern. Plus, Walter requests a piano for the lab. Yes, a piano.
Just a reminder not to forget to check out my advance review of the first three episodes of Season Two of NBC's Chuck... and that the sophomore season of the action comedy premieres in one week on September 29th at 8 pm.
But if you're not willing to wait that long (and, honestly, we've waited about nine months since the end of Season One), you can catch a sneak peek of Chuck's second season opener ("Chuck Versus the First Date") on Hulu.com.
Or after the jump for those of you too lazy to type in the URL.
So... what do you think? Are you sucked back into Chuck's world of spies and computer equipment? Did you miss Sarah and Casey? Are you thrilled that they, er, fixed Morgan's hair?
And, yes, that is Flight of the Conchords' addictively snappy tune "Foux du Fafa" playing in the scene at Orange Orange.
Season Two of Chuck premieres September 29th at 8 pm on NBC.
You do not cut off Patty Hewes in the middle of an acceptance speech.
Come to think of it, you probably shouldn't be cutting off Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner, Tina Fey, Bryan Cranston, and the aforementioned Glenn Close, period.
But that's just what they did on last night's tedious Emmy telecast, focusing instead on the inane chatter among the five nominated reality series hosts and a plethora of pointless and unfunny filler material.
Sure, the 60th Annual Emmy Awards wasn't as big a fiasco as last year's circular stage debacle, though this year came close with the ridiculous time-waste that was the show's opening twelve minutes or so, cheap-looking on-screen graphics for each category, fruitless use of familiar sets, and awkward "repartee" between presenters and our so-called "hosts."
The few high points for me? Ricky Gervais, for one, whose painfully funny (not to mention cringe-worthy) reminiscing of his in absentia win last year for Extras was absolutely spot-on and brilliant; Tommy Smothers finally getting his writing award from Steve Martin; Kathy Griffin forcing the audience to stand up for Don Rickles; Tina and Amy; Colbert and Stewart's prunes vs. plums debate.
And, oh, yes: some actual love for series like 30 Rock, Mad Men, and Damages, all of which prove that television series don't need to be dumbed-down cookie-cutter programs and that there is a place for smart, compelling, and sophisticated programming on American television.
That 30 Rock (which, incidentally, is releasing its sophomore season on DVD on October 7th) managed to take home awards for writing, best actor in a comedy (Alec Baldwin!), best actress in a comedy (Tina Fey!), and best comedy made my evening (despite the uneven pacing and sub par hosting), as did the best drama award for Mad Men and its writing award for series creator Matthew Weiner and Glenn Close and Zeljko Ivanek (yay!) winning for Damages.
But let's face it: the rest of the awards ceremony was pretty awful. You don't waste time at the beginning by dragging out Oprah to make an introduction and then leave five reality hosts filling precious airtime with unfunny nonsense to then later cut off your actual A-list award winners. Who seriously thought that Cranston would win for AMC's Breaking Bad? I was pretty damn surprised, so I would have liked to have let the man actually finish his acceptance speech... instead of watch Jimmy Kimmel take ten minutes to announce the winner of the new best reality host category. (Yawn.) The less said about Josh Groban's musical montage the better.
But then again, maybe what scared the producers of the Emmys was the fear that network television (save, say, 30 Rock) is completely irrelevant to the Emmy awards any more, given that cable television (and not even HBO at that!) has usurped its position as the home for forward-thinking drama. And, no matter how many reality television hosts you serve up as window dressing (really, the best bit was to have Tom Bergeron and William Shatner strip Heidi Klum?), that's the real issue here?
We might be experiencing, to quote the inimitable Tina Fey, a "turkey-burger economy" right now, but I am thankful to Fey, Weiner, and all of the talented actors, writers, and producers out there who continue to create meaningful, challenging, and stimulating work that not only entertains us but also makes us think. I feel vindicated that series like 30 Rock, Mad Men, and Damages took home some statuettes rather than see some other series (I won't name names here) walk away with the top prizes.
But what did you think? Were you happy with the winners? Saddened by those who went home empty-handed? Bored by the entire proceedings? Talk back.
Channel Surfing: Fichter and Stringfield Are "Night and Day," CBS Renews "Flashpoint," Emmys, Muppets, "Doctor Who," and More
Welcome to your Monday morning television briefing.
I had a wonderful if busy weekend which--not atypically--revolved around television. The wife and I attended Saturday's BAFTA/LA TV Tea Party and shared more than a few Pimm's Cups with Flight of the Conchords, Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, 90210 executive producer Gabe Sachs, The Office's Kate Flannery, Leslie David Baker, and Creed Bratton, Mad Men's Rich Sommer, Aaron Staton, and Michael Gladis, The Riches' Noel Fisher, 30 Rock's Scott Adsit, Battlestar Galactica babe Tricia Helfer, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles' Thomas Dekker, Jeff Garlin, and many, many others. (Fun, to say the least.)
Reaction to this year's Emmy Awards--the 60th installment--wasn't quite what producers likely intended, with many critics--myself included--lashing out at the format, the hosts, and the distinct lack of scripted funnies. (Televisionary)
FOX has given a script order to workplace comedy The Station, about the employees of a covert CIA office in South America, from writer Kevin Napier, Fox Television Studios, and Red Hour Films' Ben Stiller, Jeremy Kramer, and Stuart Cornfeld. (Variety)
In other FOX news, the network has given a series order to Sam Baum's procedural drama Lie to Me, starring Tim Roth, Brendan Hines, Monica Raymund, and Kelli Williams. Project, from 20th Century Fox Television and Imagine Television, is about the fractious partnership between a former police officer who is a "human lie detector" (an expert in reading facial and body language that gives away deception) and a female clinical psychologist as they solve Washington-based crimes. I'm usually not a fan of procedurals but I found this to be a really compelling, interesting twist on a familiar crime-solving formula and a cracking script.
William Fichtner (Prison Break) and Sherry Stringfield (ER) have been cast in TNT drama pilot Night and Day from writers/executive producers Joel Surnow (24) and Todd Robinson. Project follows Dan Hollister (Fichtner), a middle-aged agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms who works for a special intervention task force as he finds himself drifting towards retirement age and dealing with upstarts half his age. Stringfield will play his wife Elizabeth, a stay-at-home mom. Night and Day will be in second position to Prison Break for Fichtner, whose deal expires at the end of the current season. (Hollywood Reporter)
Uma Thurman, Jesse L. Martin, and Jane Krakowski have signed on to appear in NBC holiday special Letters to Santa—A Muppets Christmas, which is slated to air December 17th. Previously announced participants include Whoopi Goldberg, Richard Giffiths, Tony Sirico, and Steve Schirripa. (Entertainment Weekly's Hollywood Insider)
CBS has renewed cop drama Flashpoint, which it co-produces with Canadian network CTV, for a second season; series hit a season high on Thursday night and gained 18 percent in the key demo over the last two weeks. No decision whether the 13 episodes will air during midseason or summer; production on Season Two begins in early 2009. (Variety)
In the resolution to one of the worst kept secrets in the entertainment industry, BBC drama czar Jane Tranter will move to Los Angeles to take a position as EVP of programming and production at BBC Worldwide, working alongside Paul Telegdy to oversee the company's North American production activities in LA and New York beginning January 1st. (Televisionary)
MTV has ordered Sex... With Mom and Dad, a sex-themed series for teenagers and their parents, featuring Dr. Drew Pinsky, who will help teens and/or their parents deal with issues related to sex, dating, and relationships. Series launches September 29th at 9 pm. (Hollywood Reporter)
Kathy Griffin has signed on for a fifth season of her Bravo reality series My Life on the D-List, following unsubstantiated rumors that the series would defect--like Project Runway--to cable rival Lifetime. (Variety)
Outbound Doctor Who showrunner Russell T. Davies has said that he would consider returning to the franchise if a feature film is greenlit. "I'd be very interested in going back for it," said Davies, who said the project will happen one day. "I think it could be lovely and could work as an idea. They did one in the 1960s and that worked and it didn't affect the TV series at all." (Digital Spy)
Sorry, GE, Rupert Murdoch has said that he's not interested in acquiring NBC or even smaller parcels of it though he does admire USA for being a "mature channel" that "makes a lot of money." (Hollywood Reporter)
Jennie Garth might not be appearing in any additional segments of 90210 after her original six episode commitment. "Nothing's confirmed at this point," said Garth. "It's still totally up in the air." Hmmm... (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)
Stay tuned.
Channel Surfing: ABC Finds Possible Companion for "Lost," Sci Fi Searches in "Warehouse 13," "Heroes," and More
Welcome to your Friday morning television briefing. I spent last night holding my sides from laughing so much during the season premiere of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (more on that in a bit) and was on the edge of my seat watching the much anticipated season premiere of The Amazing Race (which kicks off on CBS on September 28th).
Sci Fi has ordered 11 additional episodes of sci-fi dramedy Warehouse 13, which already shot a two-hour backdoor pilot earlier this year. Series, about Secret Service agents tasked with protecting a top secret South Dakota storage facility that contains a seemingly endless supply of supernatural artifacts (hint: like the TARDIS, the place is bigger on the inside), stars Eddie McClintock (Bones), Joanne Kelly (Vanished), CCH Pounder (The Shield), and Saul Rubinek (Blind Justice). Look for Warehouse 13--from writer/executive producer David Simkins, writers Brent Mote and Jane Espenson, and Universal Cable Prods.--to air in July 2009 as a companion series to the net's Eureka. (Variety)
ABC has found a possible companion for Lost in Threshold's David S. Goyer and Brannon Braga's spec script Flash Forward, about what happens after everyone in the world blacks out for two minutes and 17 seconds and experiences a vision of the world's future. Project, originally developed at HBO, is based on a Robert J. Sawyer novel. Goyer will direct the pilot and executive produce with Braga, Jessika Borsiczky Goyer, Vince Gerardis, and Ralph M. Vicinanza. ABC Studios is in negotiations to produce Flash Forward. (Hollywood Reporter)
Jonathan Goldstein (Old Christine) will serve as an executive producer on FOX's space-set single-camera comedy pilot Boldly Going Nowhere, from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia creators/stars Rob McElhenney, Glenn Howerton, and Charlie Day. Project is about the lazy crew of a wayward spaceship in the distant future. (Variety)
NBC has confirmed that Oprah Winfrey wil