Family Guy courtesy Fox
New releases announced today, July 16:Back To You - Season 1 will be coming out October 14 Dark Shadows -The Beginning, Vol. 6: Episodes 179 - 209 will be coming out October 28 Family Guy - Volume 6 will be coming out October 21 The Simpsons - The Complete 11th Season will be coming out October 7 War and Remembrance - The Complete Series will be coming out October 28 Visit TVShowsOnDVD.com for the complete stories on these and other news items.
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Question: I was wondering if you had any idea why Fox chose to cancel Back To You instead of 'Til Death. If I remember correctly, Back To You pulls in higher ratings and has a bigger backing from critics than 'Til Death does. Was it mostly a cost related issue? I would assume Kelsey Grammer and Patricia Heaton don't come cheap.
Answer: You would assume correctly. I can't explain why 'Til Death got a reprieve, but everything I heard and read regarding Back to You's cancellation had to do with money. There was a costly bidding war last year over that show and those talents — not just the stars, but the veteran sitcom writers who created it — and I think it's fair to say that the show ultimately fell short, both creatively and in the ratings. Many have wondered what would have happened had CBS, which seems a much more suitable home for this kind of comedy, had landed it. A moot point now ...
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Patricia Heaton and Kelsey Grammer in Back to You by Sam Jones/Fox
Having sitcom stalwarts Kelsey Grammer and Patricia Heaton in starring roles wasn't enough for Fox to bring Back to You back to you, the viewer, for a second season. "This was not an easy decision," said Fox Entertainment chief Kevin Reilly. "But with that kind of top-profile talent and...proximity to [American Idol] in the second half of the season, the expectations were higher."Reilly emphasized Fox is working to develop a live-action comedy franchise, but Back To You didn't seem to fit that bill. "The show did not seem to be strking a chord, and in terms of creative direction...it was a pretty mixed bag," he said. The show did go down with a fight. It got off to a strong start when it debuted last fall, attracting more than nine million viewers. Two episodes that followed Idol in April each brought in more than 12 million sets of eyeballs. While that's respectable — it won its timeslot on those two occasions, in terms of viewers and the highly coveted adult 18-49 group —...
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America's Next Top Model by Elizabeth Carrillo/The CW
Wednesday's weecap:8 pm/ETThe first hour of Deal or No Deal edged out TPIR to come out on top, with 7.76 million total viewers. Fox's 'Til Death wrapped its season with 5.79 mil (slipping 250K), while Back to You bid TV adieu with 6.87 mil. Top Model crowned its new champ in front of 4.92 mil.9 pmIdol added 1.85 mil to enjoy its best Wednesday numbers in six weeks, delivering 24.25 mil. Criminal Minds placed second with a typical 12.7 mil. Farmer Wants a Wife (1.9 mil) dipped another 210 thou.10 pmCSI: NY (11.6 mil) dropped a mil, L&O (8.6 mil) was down a hair, and Boston Legal (7.67 mil) gained 270K.Related:• Cheers & Jeers sizes up Top Model's big winner• Fox Fall: Back to You Won't Be Back • POLL: Who Should Win American Idol?
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Back to You courtesy Joe Viles/FOX
With the upfronts officially arriving next week, Fox is among the first to unfurl some of its plans. Per the Reporter, the network has renewed 'Til Death for a third cycle yet is not bringing back Back to You. Though the Grammer-Heaton sitcom drew good notices and decent numbers, it's reckoned that production costs ran too high (due to its marquee stars). Also, Fox is giving a series pickup to The Inn, which is described as "Upstairs/Downstairs at a hip New York hotel." The pilot was directed by Jason Bateman (Arrested Development), and the cast includes Niecy Nash (Reno 911), Jerry O'Connell (Crossing Jordan), Molly Stanton and Jesse Tyler Ferguson. — MWMRelated:• Exclusive: Fox's New Amsterdam Is Not Immortal• CW Axes Aliens in America• CW "Outsources" Sunday Night; Two Dramas, Two Comedies Coming
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Question: Thank you for answering the "why the new Gracie" question about Back to You. But what happened to Montana the weather girl? She had the best banter with Kelly and some of the most classic lines. Any clue?
Answer: Clearly, Back to You is going through more than the usual share of first-season course corrections. (I've had more than a few amusing letters saying, "So they thought the daughter and the weather girl were the problems?") Ayda Field was dropped from the ensemble, and there's an upcoming episode where the ever-insecure reporter Gary will try for the newly vacated weather position. But here's where things get really confusing. Because Fox is airing the episodes out of order (don't ask why), you will see Montana at least one more time, even though she has already been absent from some of the post-strike episodes that have aired. No official reason why she's out, but I think you'd have to assume the producers didn't see where they could take the character in the lon ...
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Question: Fox aired a rather fast-paced "recap" of the Back to You season in advance of its return last week. In it, they show the "daughter," who is definitely different than Laura Marano, the actress who has played that character the entire season. What's the deal? Is Gracie being played by a different actress? I've searched on Fox's website and e-mailed them with no formal response.
Answer: During the strike hiatus, it appears they did recast the role (now being played by Lily Jackson) for the usual "taking the character in a different direction" reasons. Being from the camp that feels the daughter storyline is the weakest part of the show's premise, I'm not convinced the casting was the problem ...
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Wednesday's recap:8 pm/ETABC's coverage of the Democratic debate averaged 10.7 million total viewers over its two-hour run, besting Deal or No Deal (9.67 mil) in the 8 o'clock hour (including in the key demos). 'Til Death (5.85 mil) and Back to You (seven mil) returned to typically sized audiences. Top Model (3.74 mil) dipped 340K from its last regular outing.9 pmOn Idol, 22.74 mil (down 1.4 mil from the last Wednesday results show) said goodbye to blondie. Criminal Minds scored 12.85 mil, sliding a quarter mil. Girlicious did 1.81 mil.10 pmTrailing both CSI: NY (13.4 mil, up 1.1 mil) and a L&O repeat, Men in Trees (6.1 mil) inched up 600 thou from its previous outing.
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Patricia Heaton, Back to You
Sure, Kelsey Grammer is worth his weight in sitcom gold, but Back to You (Wednesdays at 8:30 pm/ET, Fox) relies as much on the ballast of Patricia Heaton’s caustic Kelly Carr as it does on Grammer's pompous anchor Chuck Darling. The former Everybody Loves Raymond star explained why she doesn’t live in her old show’s shadow.
TV Guide: What’s in store for Kelly and Chuck?Patricia Heaton: Generally, their relationship, and whether they should reveal that he’s Gracie’s father, will come to a head. The pressure’s on Chuck to get over his Peter Pan complex.
TV Guide: Kelly’s like Moe Howard in the way she keeps everybody in line. Heaton: [Laughs] That’s a great metaphor! Debra Barone was like that. But Kelly is allo
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Returns Wednesday April 16 at 830 pmET FoxNumber of new episodes 5Where we left off Local news coanchors Chuck and Kelly struggled over whether to tell her 10-year-old daughter Gracie that hes her fatherWhats next Chuck and Kelly continue to wrestle with the Gracie dilemma There are times when [Kelly] thinks [Chuck] has matured and is ready for this and that it would be good for Gracie to have him as her dad cocreator Christopher Lloyd says They are both edging up to the brink of telling her and then running from itPictures dont lie As coworkers catch a whiff of the anchors steamy past key evidence is uncovered when sportscaster Marsh McGinley invites the gang over to his memorabilia-filled basement Says Lloyd In the background of one of the photos Chuck and Kelly are seen in a compromising positionWatch full episodes | Photos | More Returning Favorites coverage
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