Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts with the label Full Season Pickups

Good Luck, "Chuck": NBC Grants Back Nine Order for Spy Dramedy

Just like Bryce Larkin, you can't keep a good spy dead for long. I am currently jumping up and down with abandon and glee (much like a pigtailed six-year-old girl) at the news that NBC has granted freshman series Chuck a full season order. Yes, you read that correctly: spy dramedy Chuck , from creators Josh Schwartz and Chris Fedak, has received the ever-elusive back nine order, despite the current writers strike, though the Peacock was quick to preface that statement by offering the alternative language of "the balance of the 2007-08 season." The announcement of Chuck 's full season order--and that of fellow freshman series Life --was made by Ben Silverman. " Chuck and Life stand out in a crowded TV landscape because they are smart, well-produced series with incredibly talented casts," said Silverman in a press release. "Both shows are hitting their stride creatively, have developed loyal audiences and offer unlimited potential to grow throughout t

Trustafarians Rejoice: ABC Picks Up "Dirty Sexy Money" For Full Season

Forget what your parents may have told you: Vice does have its rewards. In a bit of a surprise move (albeit one that makes this jaded writer ecstatic), ABC will not kill critical, er, darling Dirty Sexy Money and has instead handed out a full season order to the freshman drama . The back nine order for the series, created by Craig Wright, comes amid the ongoing writers' strike here in Hollywood and is the first order of its kind since the strike began nearly two weeks ago. (Apparently, my constant prayers that the series would be picked up were heard by Steve McPherson.) Dirty Sexy Money joins fellow Alphabet network rookies Private Practice, Pushing Daisies , and Samantha Who? in the pickup line. ABC's confidence in Dirty Sexy Money , while well-intentioned, is perceived as a bit odd as there is no guarantee that the series will even finish shooting its initial 13 episode order, given the strike situation. However, a spokesperson for the network said that ABC is confident th

Doctor "Who": ABC Loves, Loves, Loves Samantha

ABC continues its trend this season, granting another full season pickup to a freshman series. Samantha Who , which stars Christina Applegate as an amnesiac who discovers that she was a terrible human being after an accident (which may not have been much of an accident), has received a back nine order by ABC, bring the total installments this season to twenty-two (well, potentially, should there be no prolonged strike). Series, which to date has averaged a 4.5/11 among the key A18-49 demo, also stars Melissa McCarthy, Barry Watson, Jennifer Esposito, Kevin Dunn, Tim Russ, and Jean Smart. I enjoyed the pilot for Samantha Who when I saw it in May but haven't yet caught any of the subsequent episodes (they're on my TiVo). To me, it's an intriguing premise and Applegate is a compelling (if at times too broadly drawn) lead, but I worry that the series' simple conceit could wear thin after a while, like My Name is Earl . Meanwhile, it's not looking good for Cavemen (the

Anchors Away: FOX Orders More "Back to You"

Fans of the Kelsey Grammer-Patricia Heaton starring comedy Back to You will be pleased with this news bulletin: FOX has picked up the comedy for a full season. That's not all. Rather than stick to the traditional back nine order, FOX has opted to instead order eleven additional installments of Back to You , bringing the episodic total to 24 episodes this season. While the ratings haven't been all that peachy for Back to You so far this season, FOX is hoping that the launch of American Idol will spread some cheer onto this local newsroom. The news of the full season order for Back to You comes on the heels of ABC's full season pickups for Pushing Daisies and Private Practice and CBS' pickup of The Big Bang Theory . A back-nine order for comedy Samantha Who , which received an additional six script order, is expected shortly.

"Practice" Makes Perfect: ABC Drama Picked Up For Full Season

Looks like sometimes spin-offs do work, after all. Private Practice , from Grey's Anatomy creator Shonda Rhimes, has scored a full-season order from ABC, garnering a full 22 episodes this season. (That it, unless that writers' strike actually does materialize after all.) Drama revolves around Dr. Addison Montgomery, who left Seattle Grace for the sunnier climes of Santa Monica and finds herself working at a medical cooperative clinic run by her now divorced medical school friends. Series, which airs in the ultra-competitive Wednesday nights at 9 pm timeslot, is the highest rated new series this season. Over the course of its first four airing, Private Practice has managed to hold onto rough 12.8 million viewers. Also getting full season orders today: CBS' freshman comedy The Big Bang Theory and returning series The Unit , which had previously only received a 13-episode order this season.

Set Your Sonic Screwdrivers: Sci Fi Announces Season Three Launch Date for "Doctor Who"

After months of rampant speculation as to when the US public would finally get to see Season Three of British sci fi series Doctor Who , Sci Fi has finally announced that the TARDIS will be arriving in the States this summer. Sci Fi announced that it plans to launch Season Three of Doctor Who , starring David Tennant and Freema Agyeman (replacing the departed and much missed Billie Piper), in July. The third season kicks off with the most recent Christmas special, entitled "The Runaway Bride," starring Catherine Tate as a, well, runaway bride of sorts. (Don't look for Agyeman's Martha Jones, however. Her character doesn't show up until the third season's actual premiere episode, "Smith and Jones.") Among the highlights that the Doctor and Martha will reportedly face: William Shakespeare, a 1930s Dalek plot, vampiric aliens, and some stormtroopers called the Judoon. (For a trailer, click here .) While I saw "The Runaway Bride" last Decembe

FOX Renews "House" and "Bones"

In a move that surprised no one, FOX quietly gave early season renewals to drama series House and Bones , giving both series full-season orders for 2007-08. House , which stars Hugh Laurie as the brilliant and misanthropic Dr. House, has been picked up for a fourth season of mysterious medical maladies. The series is FOX's top drama and ranks as the #3 scripted series in the key adults 18-49 demographic. House currently averages 17.4 million viewers and recently reached its second highest total-viewer numbers (roughly 26 million) this past week, thanks to the support of American Idol . Meanwhile, Bones , starring Emily Deschanel and David Boreanaz as a mismatched crime fighting duo, has been ordered for a third season of anthropology-tinged homicides. The series tied its best-numbers-ever record this past week with 12.6 viewers. Chances, meanwhile, are not looking so good for a fall return engagement of fellow FOX drama Standoff , starring Ron Livingston and Rosemary DeWitt as ho

CW Proves Everybody Doesn't Hate "Chris"

I guess it pays to be hated. In a surprise move, the CW will announce later today that it will give an early full season pickup for comedy Everybody Hates Chris . The announcement is expected to come at the CW's portion of the Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour, currently underway in Pasadena. The early full season pick up of Everybody Hates Chris (a full 22 episodes for the 2007-08 season) is the first so far for the CW. Chris recounts the childhood experiences of Chris Rock (who narrates the single-camera comedy) growing up in the Bed-Stuy neighborhood of Brooklyn in the 1980s. It was created by Rock and Ali LeRoi and stars Tyler James Williams, Tichina Arnold, Terry Crews, Tequan Richmond, Imani Hakim, and Vincent Martella. The full season pickup for Chris definitely shines a light on the strength of this superlative series, which launched in the fall of 2005 on UPN before moving over to the newly created CW at the start of the season. Meanwhile, I'm hopin

Network Scorecard: "Studio 60" and "Brian" Get Full Seasons; Script Orders for "Veronica" and "30 Rock"; "Justice" and "Happy Hour" Get Benched

After weeks of industry-wide speculation, NBC has finally put the matter to bed and ordered the back nine episodes of struggling freshman drama Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip , which had been dogged by (credible) rumors of cancellations. But you can bet your bottom dollar that NBC didn't walk away from the bargaining table without an economic upside. Sources are reporting that NBC and studio Warner Bros. TV only came to a deal for Studio 60 's full season order thanks to a lower license fee for the additional nine installments, at a price much lower than the $2.5-3 million they paid per episode of the original order. And NBC is mulling possibly moving the struggling series out of its Mondays at 10 pm timeslot as it explores other options. The Peacock, which also ordered three additional scripts for struggling frosh series 30 Rock and Friday Night Lights , is expected to release its midseason lineup in the next few days. UPDATE: NBC has since ordered the back nine episodes of F