Posted by RabbitEars
This morning at CBS’ executive session at TCA, Nina Tassler, president of entertainment at the network, addressed a few questions about their upcoming season.
Of note regarding C.S.I.: Crime Scene Investigation, one of the net’s most successful shows, is the departure this season of star William Petersen after the 10th episode. Who’s replacing him? [Read more →]
Posted by RabbitEars
During the always interesting and high-energy ABC Show Runners panel this afternoon at TCA (a very popular and successful panel begun last year), several of the network’s driving forces behind its top shows were on hand to divulge (or not) secrets to the upcoming season.
On the panel were Greg Berlanti, executive producer and co-creator of Eli Stone, and executive producer of Brothers & Sisters and Dirty Sexy Money; Marc Cherry, creator and executive producer of Desperate Housewives; Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof, executive producers of Lost; Silvio Horta, executive producer of Ugly Betty; and Shonda Rhimes, creator and executive producer of Grey’s Anatomy and its spinoff, Private Practice. [Read more →]
Posted by RabbitEars
Sam Raimi (Spider-Man) and the team that helped him make the syndicated hits Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess is back in the national syndication game, this time producing a series based on Terry Goodkind’s fantasy bestseller Wizard’s First Rule. As with the other two series, this one features the rugged and beautiful New Zealand landscape as its filming backdrop in the story of a woodsman who discovers his own magical powers and must use them to stop a tyrant from unleashing an ancient evil.
Wizard’s First Rule has been cleared to air in 95% of the country, including the top 50 markets, beginning Nov. 1 with a two-hour event (succeeding episodes are one hour each). Check your local market for more details on channels and air dates.
Posted by RabbitEars
ABC Family held its TCA presentation this morning, with a few notable announcements:
* The Secret Life of the American Teenager, an immediate hit for the network after premiering just two weeks ago (it debuted to the network’s highest original series telecast ever), has already been renewed for thirteen additional episodes. One of these new episodes will air in September, while the remaining 12 will hit the airwaves in January.
* Greek returns for another season Aug. 26. As it returns, spring break is over, and the gang returns to campus to complete their school year.
* Lincoln Heights comes back Sept. 16 for its third season. This season, Cassie and Charles take their relationship to new heights, while Tay and Lizzie also delve further into their passions, with Tay starting to create his own music, and Lizzie getting invited into a prestigious private school.
The main topic of discussion was the three-night miniseries event Samurai Girl, airing Sept. 5-7. Based on the popular series of young adult novels, the series follows young Heaven (Jamie Chung, also starring in the upcoming April theatrical release Dragonball), the sheltered daughter of a wealthy Japanese family, who suddenly finds that her past is linked to an ancient prophecy that both good and evil forces seek to control. Brendan Fehr of the cult favorite Roswell also stars, as Heaven’s trainer and the man who may help her find her destiny, and maybe some romance.
Posted by RabbitEars
ABC is somewhat on its way to becoming known as the “anti-FOX” when it comes to reality shows, with many of its programs being fairly family-friendly and not in the business of embarrassing or psychologically scarring anyone for ratings purposes. Likewise with their new series Opportunity Knocks, premiering Sept. 23. In the show, host J.D. Roth (who, according to his bio, you can blame for “being directly involved in and responsible for over 2,000 episodes of reality/game television” either through creating, producing or hosting them, including Beauty and the Geek, The Pick Up Artist and Age of Love) knocks on the door of one unsuspecting home and brings the family immediately into a game show. Roth asks the family trivia questions based directly on their lives. Can a mom choose which of the five girls on hand gave her son his first kiss? Can dad guess which pottery piece was made by his daughter? It might be surprising to think how little you may know about your own family when you stop to look at it.
Executive producer Ashton Kutcher did some thinking on that subject when he helped present the show at TCA yesterday. When asked how he would fare on this show, the actor replied, “I don’t know that I would do too well. It would depend on the question. I’m not very good at dates. It takes me about 20 minutes to remember my anniversary [date]. Since making the show, it has encouraged me to make more of an effort to know the people I spend every single day with.”
Among those people is wife Demi Moore, and Kutcher was also asked how she might do on Opportunity Knocks. “She’d be a genius,” he answered immediately. “I think the moms on this show are going to do better than anyone else. In general I think women have a lot more compassion and awareness than men. So my wife would dominate.”
Posted by RabbitEars
Michael Imperioli, famed as Christopher on The Sopranos, is back on series TV (on the other side of the law) in Life on Mars, an ABC remake of the hit BBC series premiering Oct. 9. The series follows Sam Tyler (Jason O’Mara), a New York City detective suddenly thrust back into the year 1973 (details on exactly how are not being offered. There is almost a Lost quality about possible meanings — is Sam in heaven? Did he travel through time?)
Imperioli plays 1973 detective Ray Carling, a big, tough guy in the classic New York cop tradition. And that’s the attitude producers were looking for when they hired Imperioli, to get the flavor of a New York cop.
“Most of the stuff I’ve been doing seems to be either a cop or a robber,” laughed Imperioli at the show’s presentation this morning at TCA. “But if that pays the bills that’s okay.”
Imperioli may have the natural look of a NY cop, but he did have to do some research on personality and procedure. “I spoke with a guy who was a detective then. They tended to be guys who were from New York, had a relationship to the streets. They had an instinct for what was going on, who was who, where to find informants. It was in their DNA.”
Posted by RabbitEars
ABC confirmed this morning at the summer TCA tour that Katie Holmes will be guest-starring on its quirky hit Eli Stone when it returns this fall. Holmes, who began filming her episode yesterday, plays an attorney and will be in a sizable portion of the episode (the second episode of the season, airing Oct. 21). In a tantalizing note, it was revealed that she will be singing and dancing, but no details are being offered by executive producer Greg Berlanti (who also worked with Holmes when he executive produced Dawson’s Creek).
Speaking of singing, George Michael has expressed interest in returning to the show for appearances. He is on tour right now, but producers are looking at possibly having him in a Christmas-themed episode.
Executive producer Marc Guggenheim said he hopes that “guest star begets guest star” as other notable actors discover the show and notice the names who are already appearing on it. He also hasn’t ruled out having some personalities from fellow ABC hit Dancing With the Stars pop in, and they are talking with the network about it.
Posted by Rabbitears
Ron Perlman (Hellboy II: The Golden Army) stars in a seemingly rare non-makeup-heavy role in Sons of Anarchy, a new FX series debuting in September. It’s an interesting-looking “family drama” set in the rough world of a motorcycle gang, a group disillusioned by the government and now surviving in its own self-contained society, with its own rules. Charlie Hunnam plays Jax Teller, whose love for this brotherhood begins to conflict with his growing concern over the club’s lawlessness, which includes such activities as arms dealing. Perlman plays Jax’s stepfather, who also has certain ideas for the direction of the club. Katey Sagal contributes to the strong cast as Jax’s mother, and this is a role in which you’ve never seen the often-comedic actress before, a hardened, life-worn yet strong woman.
Naturally, in a series about bikers, a certain degree of riding was required among the cast, most of whom had never ridden before, including Perlman. “I’m still in the process of learning how to ride,” says the actor, speaking this morning at the TCA tour. “It’s not going very well. But I have major medical. It’s terrifying, I’m not going to lie to you. Luckily, all of my mishaps have been little mishaps.”
It seems unlikely that Sons of Anarchy will be a misstep for FX, which can seem to do no wrong when it comes to original series, and which looks to have another powerful winner here.
Posted by Rabbitears
FX displayed its justifiable bragging rights this morning during their presentation at the summer Television Critics Association (TCA) tour. During the introductory executive session, the network made a strong case for how FX ushered in the new era of top-flight basic cable programming with the launch of The Shield (originally title Rampart) in 2001. They pointed out how shortly afterward, USA began the first of its successful character-driven shows with Monk. The last seven years has also seen the rise of other outstanding original scripted dramas on networks that may once have only shown sports, movies, or reruns of acquired series (now they may only show those 90% of the time, right TNT?). Mad Men. Battlestar Galactica. The Closer. Army Wives. Can FX and The Shield take credit for this explosion in the direction basic cable has taken in the creation of original series? They think so, and to some extent they may be correct. And though The Shield is beginning its final season in September, the show has also inspired FX itself to continue in this direction, with other acclaimed series like Nip/Tuck, Rescue Me, Damages and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. The network talked about The Shield and some of these other shows at later sessions, which I’ll talk about in another post.
The network also made a few casting and date announcements at this session.
* Nip/Tuck has finished production on Season 5, which will begin in January 2009. The overall plan is to complete 100 episodes, with the series ending in early 2011. Producer Ryan Murphy, whose association with the show had been in question, will remain with the series through its final episode.
* Rescue Me returns for its fifth season in spring 2009. Michael J. Fox will be guest-starring in a four-episode arc beginning with the season premiere.
* Marcia Gay Harden will join William Hurt and Timothy Olyphant in recurring roles on Damages, and Ted Danson will be back for several more episodes.
* The future is very sunny for It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. The plan for the popular comedy (the #1 series on Hulu this past week) is to produce 39 more episodes in addition to the 13 that are already in production for its third season, returning in September
* A new comedy is in the works called Testees (had to make double sure I spelled that correctly!) from Kenny Hotz, a writer on South Park and Kenny vs. Spenny. Thirteen episodes have been ordered for the show, about two friends in their early 30s who work as medical guinea pigs. The show premieres Oct. 9.
Posted by Barb
More news and notes from the TCA tour:
Tommy Lee Claims Ludacris Is “A Sweetheart”
Hip hop superstar Chris “Ludacris” Bridges and Mötley Crüe rocker Tommy Lee battle it out to become eco-friendly on Planet Green’s Battleground Earth (premiering Aug. 3 at 10pm ET). After weeks of sparing, trying to outwit and conserve more energy than the other, the two have forged a genuine friendship. “Man, we really became good friends. I absolutely adore him,” Lee says. “He’s a sweetheart. He’s got a big heart, man. He is just a real passionate, cool, cool guy, you know, who I’m glad to be friends with.” Aw, shucks, we love you too, Tommy.
