Exclusive: TLC Orders Extreme Cheapskates to Series
'90s Stars Make a Comeback
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...
Will Viewers Tire of The Reality TV Singing Wars?
The networks may be killing the singing golden goose. After a decade of smacking down every competitor in its sight, American Idol isn't the only game in town anymore — and even Fox admits that the addition of rival hits The X Factor and The Voice has hurt the mother ship.
Downton Abbey Creator Julian Fellowes Raises the Titanic
Going through Downton Abbey withdrawal? Unfortunately, Mister Bates, the Dowager Countess and O'Brien won't be back for a third season on PBS until next January, but ABC hopes you'll bide that time by tuning in this spring to Titanic, the next project from Downton creator Julian Fellowes. Like Downton, Fellowes' take on the Titanic will focus on...
First Look: ESPN's Kornheiser and Wilbon, Wipeout's Henson on Kick Buttowski
Pardon the interruption, but ESPN hosts Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon will provide guest voices on this Saturday's all-new episode of Disney XD animated series Kick Buttowski — Suburban Devil.
The Simpsons Get Exiled From Springfield in Their 500th Episode
Has Springfield finally had enough of the Simpsons clan? On the long-running animated series' 500th episode (titled "At Long Last Leave," airing Sunday at 8/7c on Fox), Homer and family discover that they weren't invited to a secret town meeting. "The point is to kick them out of town for all the crap they've pulled over the last 500 episodes," says Simpsons executive producer Al Jean. "We explore their emotions as they find out that everyone hates them."
Greg Berlanti: This Pilot Season's Go-To Guy
TV has always been a crap shoot, and the odds of landing a series on the air are long. But don't bet against writer and producer Greg Berlanti, who has managed to land a whopping five pilot orders this winter — including two at CBS and one each at Fox, The CW and USA. Berlanti, whose previous credits include Brothers & Sisters and Everwood, leads the list of this year's hot pilot producers. "The real work of casting and putting together great production teams is still to come...
Watch My Show: A Gifted Man's Neal Baer Answers Our Showrunner Survey
A Gifted Man, which moves to its new 9 p.m. time slot on Friday, February 17, could use a bit of divine intervention. CBS still sees potential in the medical drama, which stars Patrick Wilson as a doctor haunted by the ghost of his ex-wife, but the show remains firmly on the bubble. Executive producer Neal Baer is no stranger to medical drama, both on screen and in real life. A graduate of Harvard Medical School, Baer used to practice medicine between seasons as a writer on ER. Later, he made the transition to Law & Order: SVU, which he ran for 11 seasons. Now, as the creator of A Gifted Man, Baer has made several tweaks to the show in recent months, putting the focus on the show's medical setting (where Wilson's character is assisted by critics' fave Margo Martindale) and bringing in both Rachelle Lefevre as a love interest and ER alum Eriq La Salle as an old colleague. Baer answered our showrunner survey in the hopes that Man will be gifted with more viewers. TV Guide Magazine: Friday night is usually date night. Why should I stay home and watch A Gifted Man instead?Neal Baer: We're a cheaper date than
Exclusive: Discovery Channel Revs Up New Series Machines of Glory
Discovery Channel is heading to the construction site for its next testosterone-fueled series. The cable network just picked up Machines of Glory, a new competition show that pits three crews of machine operators against each other in a series of hardhat battles.
Watch My Show: Cougar Town's Bill Lawrence Answers Our Showrunner Survey
No executive producer has worked harder than Bill Lawrence to drum up an audience for a show on the bubble.
The Real Story Behind House's Cancellation
The decision to end House after eight seasons wasn't easy — and, it turns out, didn't necessarily have to come at all this year. According to insiders, star Hugh Laurie and his fellow executive producers David Shore and Katie Jacobs were eager to bring the long-running Fox drama back for one more year, despite conventional wisdom that everyone was ready to move on. One exec believes that Laurie, one of the highest-paid actors on TV (he makes $700,000 an episode), was even prepared to take a pay cut in order to return.
Watch My Show: Battleground's JD Walsh and Marc Webb Answer Our Showrunner Survey
Hulu is gearing up for battle. The online TV service launches its first original scripted series, Battleground, on Tuesday, February 14, and will continue to roll out new episodes every Tuesday over the next several weeks. The show, created by JD Walsh, takes a comedic faux documentary-style look at a group of campaign workers in the battleground state of Wisconsin. Jay Hayden stars as Chris "Tak" Davis, the manager of a distant third-place Senate candidate, while Ben Samuel, Teri Reeves and Alison Haislip also star. Hulu has produced 13 episodes of the 22-minute comedy, which also comes from executive producers Marc Webb (500 Days of Summer, The Amazing Spiderman) and Hagai Shaham. Walsh and Webb answered TV Guide Magazine's showrunner survey in the hopes of earning your viewership vote.
First Look: Disney Creates a New Dance for Phineas and Ferb's Platypus Day
Move over, Macarena. Disney Channel is hoping to start a new dance craze timed to "Platypus Day," a holiday created by the cable network to celebrate Perry the Platypus, the teal-colored, duck-billed secret agent from Phineas and Ferb. This year's Platypus Day, which takes place on Saturday, March 3, will feature the introduction of "The Platypus Walk," a surf-rock tune that comes with an accompanying dance choreographed by Rosero McCoy (Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam). The song will debut today on Radio Disney, and Disney Channel's website will include a tutorial to the dance.
Watch My Show: Unsupervised's David Hornsby Answers Our Showrunner Survey
David Hornsby is a very busy man. Not only is he an executive producer of FX's It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, but he also appears occasionally as Rickety Cricket. Last year, Hornsby created, executive produced and starred in CBS' short-lived sitcom How to Be a Gentleman. And now he's a co-creator and executive producer of FX's new animated series Unsupervised (Thursdays at 10:30/11:30c), which follows the exploits of...
Two Beauty and the Beast Pilots: Which One Gets to Keep the Title?
Tale as old as time: Two TV rivals wind up with similar, competing shows (think ER vs. Chicago Hope). But ABC and The CW have gone a step further this winter, ordering two different pilots titled Beauty and the Beast. And should both projects go to series, neither side is going to want to give that title up — setting the stage for what could be a beastly showdown.
The Strategy Behind The Launch of Kiefer Sutherland's Touch
Viewers were touched last week by Kiefer Sutherland's new drama — but will viewers return on March 19 for the encore? Fox execs admit their launch strategy for Touch is a bit of a gamble, but they've been here before. The Touch roll-out is similar to how Fox debuted Glee in 2009 — airing a sneak preview behind American Idol before waiting several months for a fall launch. (The gap between preview and premiere for Touch will not be nearly as long as the four-month gap for Glee.) Fox also struck gold this fall by offering sneak previews of New Girl on multiple online platforms several weeks before the show's proper launch.
Product Placement: Is TV Selling Out?
On a recent episode of Hawaii Five-0, the characters paused from chasing bad guys to discuss Subway's assortment of sandwich toppings. Some of the Modern Family clan was seen shopping at Target, while others have been seen driving a Prius (a car that has also popped up on Bones). The Biggest Loser based a challenge around Progresso soup.
Work It: The Quick Life and Death of This Season's Worst New Show
As he stepped in front of reporters at this month's TV Critics Association press tour, ABC entertainment president Paul Lee knew a surefire way to get a rise out of the assembled reporters: "So, what do you think of Work It?" The critics, who had christened the sitcom this season's worst new TV series, laughed. And when Lee put the cross-dressing comedy out of its misery a few days later, few tears were shed. Even ABC execs quietly admit that Work It wasn't good — and left many viewers asking the age-old question, "How does a critically reviled show like that make it to the air in the first place?"
Network Pilot Watch: An Early Look at What's Trending for Fall
Remember last fall's The Playboy Club and Charlie's Angels? Both shows quickly fizzled — but their failure didn't sour the networks on period dramas or remakes. Both trends are hot again as pilot season gets underway this winter.
CBS Develops Two Comedy Projects for Martin Lawrence
CBS is developing a pair of sitcoms for comedian Martin Lawrence, with an eye toward shooting one of them as a pilot. Bernie Mac creator and The Daily Show contributor Larry Wilmore is behind one of the shows, while the other is from Rules of Engagement creator Tom Hertz and Adam Sandler's Happy Madison production company. In the Wilmore script, Lawrence would play a...
Exclusive: Frank Darabont on His New TNT Show and Leaving The Walking Dead
Frank Darabont has been quiet since being fired from AMC's The Walking Dead last summer — but now he has something to talk about. Fans of The Walking Dead were stunned last year when, just days after appearing at Comic-Con, the network severed ties with executive producer Darabont (who was replaced at the top by veteran producer Glen Mazzara). Both Darabont and AMC declined to discuss the reasons for his departure at the time, but it was widely believed to center on budget issues.
Can NBC Be Saved?
It's showtime for NBC Entertainment chairman Robert Greenblatt.
