John Goodman
Amazon unveiled 14 new original pilots last week, and according to TVGuide.com's poll, Alpha House, Zombieland and Onion News Empire are the early favorites.
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Roy Price
Amazon is throwing the lid off TV's pilot process. As it looks to join rival Netflix in the original series game, the online retailer has just posted pilot episodes of six sitcoms, two animated comedies and six children's cartoons. Amazon will then gauge audience reaction before making series orders.
Pilots are usually screened in network boardrooms and closed-door focus groups. But in an extensive interview with TV Guide Magazine, Amazon Studios director Roy Price says he wanted to make the service's selection process transparent for U.S., U.K. and (soon) Germany audiences...
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John Goodman
Imagine a world in which the NFL, the NBA and Major League Baseball all decided to move their seasons to the same time of year. It would be chaos, for fans and the professional sports business alike. And yet, in television, that's essentially what happens during pilot season.
The broadcast networks traditionally order pilots during the first few months of the year. From there, it's a race to find the best actors, hire a crew, build sets and produce a show before May, when the upcoming fall schedules are announced. The field has always been crowded, but this spring, several cable networks and online retailer-turned-programmer Amazon are also developing new shows that they hope will go to series (cable networks typically produce pilots throughout the year, usually avoiding the spring).
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Melissa McCarthy
A critic has become the center of controversy after calling Identity Thief star Melissa McCarthy "tractor-sized" and a "hippo" in a review of the film.
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Glenn Close
Damages is back for one final showdown between Patty Hewes and Ellen Parsons.
Season 4 ended with Patty (Glenn Close) stealing the High Star case from Ellen (Rose Byrne) and taking all the credit for bringing down Howard Erickson (guest star John Goodman). But Ellen had the last laugh: She was named as the sole character witness to testify against Patty in her custody battle with her son for her granddaughter.
Summer TV: Get scoop on your favorite returning shows
But don't count Patty out. In Wednesday's premiere (9/8c, DirecTV's Audience Channel), Patty...
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Private Practice, Mad Men, Glee
Every week, editors Adam Bryant and Natalie Abrams satisfy your need for TV scoop. Please send all questions to mega_scoop@tvguide.com.
Every week I ask for Private Practice news and will keep asking till I get some. Please, I'm desperate! Any CharCoop news? —Kriti
NATALIE: Erica's inevitable demise will be the first parenting challenge for Charlotte and Cooper. "Their principal concern is Mason's psychological well-being in dealing with her [death]," Paul Adelstein says. "He said goodbye to her, but she's still alive and he knows she's still alive, so as much resolution as there was, that actually causes some problems. Then they're going to have a grieving child, and they're going to be grieving themselves, so it's a big challenge for them."
It's odd, but I missed Betty in the Mad Men premiere. When will be seeing her? — Ashley
ADAM: Don't worry, Ashley, Betty is in Sunday's episode. And...
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John Goodman and Roseanne Barr
This fall, the networks want to party like it's 1992. It was 20 years ago that stars like Roseanne Barr, John Goodman, Kirstie Alley and John Stamos ruled the sitcom world. Now they're all back, and signed on to star in new comedy pilots this spring.
The trend started this season with Tim Allen's successful return to TV as the...
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Roseanne Barr, John Goodman
Roseanne and Dan John Goodman are finally reuniting!
Goodman has joined the cast of Barr's new NBC pilot Downwardly Mobile, TVGuide.com has learned.
Pilot Season: NBC picks up eight comedies, including ones from Roseanne Barr, Jimmy Fallon
Written and executive-produced by Barr, the pilot will...
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Emily Deschanel, David Boreanaz
"Sort of like an eclipse — it doesn't happen that often." That's Angela's wry take on the remarkable sight of "Bones" Brennan (Emily Deschanel) crying copiously at a grisly crime scene, as Fox's Bones (9/8c) finally begins its seventh season, re-establishing ...
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Joel Mchale, Dana Delany and Kathy Bates
We're mere weeks into the new TV season, and already the freshman class has provided some bona fide hits (hello, girls both New and 2 Broke!) But while some shows started strong, several others faltered out of the gate (RIP, The Playboy Club, Free Agents, How to Be a Gentleman and Charlie's Angels!) Which shows will be next? These 11 are in the most danger, due to low ratings, poor performances among younger viewers and other typical bad signs. Is your favorite show on the list?
Fall Preview: Get scoop on all your favorite new and returning shows
1. Body of Proof (ABC)
Tuesdays at 10/9c
The Good News: Dana Delany is just lovely. We'd watch her read the phone book.
The Bad News: It often falls behind both Unforgettable and Parenthood in the demo, and the only show pulling lower ratings for ABC...
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