Archive for April, 2009
ABC Announces Early Pickups for 2009-2010 Season
Posted by Melanie McFarland in The Pick-Up Game on April 24th, 2009
It’s going to be about another month until the networks unveil their full schedules for the 2009-2010 season, but ABC was nice enough to put a few fears to rest by granting early pick-ups to 12 of its series.
Definitely returning next season are “America’s Funniest Home Videos,” “Supernanny,” “Wife Swap,” “The Bachelor,” “Private Practice,” “Brothers & Sisters,” “Ugly Betty,” “Dancing with the Stars,” “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,” and (no surprises here) “Desperate Housewives,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” and “Lost.”
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CBS’s season finale schedule
Posted by Melanie McFarland in Tune In Info on April 24th, 2009
Cliffhangers! Deadly force! Platonic co-workers and friends taking their relationships, and we quote, “to another level”!
These are the tasty treats that await CBS viewers this May, or so says its finale press release. Among the items to look forward to: an all-”Pearl Jam” soundtrack on the two-part season (series?) finale of “Cold Case” on May 3 & 10; Laurence Fishburne‘s Dr. Langston busting a cap with deadly results on “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” on May 14; and Barney finally — wait for it — confessing his love to Robin on “How I Met Your Mother” on May 18.
Read on for CBS’s finale schedule, taken from the network’s press release.
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Fox’s season finale schedule
Posted by Melanie McFarland in Tune In Info on April 22nd, 2009
Fox recently released its May schedule, including dates and times for season and series finales. We sorted through it and have rearranged the finales in chronological order here.
Notable among them: “House” ends for the summer on May 11, “Fringe” closes its season on May 12, and Day 7 of “24″ ends on May 18. The series finales for “Prison Break” and “MADtv” air May 15 and 16. And “American Idol’s” two-night finale (i.e., the night on which most other networks play possum) is set for May 19 and 20.
Not listed but still worth noting is that “American Idol’s” 300th episode, which happens to be the performance episode for the top three finalists, airs on May 12.
Read on for Fox’s May highlights, as listed on the network’s press release.
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“Weeds,” “Runway” Set Return Dates
Posted by Melanie McFarland in TV News, The Pick-Up Game, Tune In Info on April 22nd, 2009
Mary-Louise Parker as Nancy Botwin in the Showtime original series "Weeds."
Mainstream culture has long since caught on with certain, ahem, rituals associated with April 20th, aka 4/20. Cable’s G4, for example, dedicated an entire day’s worth of programming to spring’s tokin’ celebration. Sunday’s “Family Guy” episode was even titled “420,” and is highlighted by a musical number destined to become one of the series’ most memorable. (You can watch the entire episode on IMDb.com by clicking here.)
Not to be outdone — OK, either of those previous options surely outdoes Showtime’s announcement that the fifth season of “Weeds” kicks off June 8, but there it is. Nancy Botwin (Mary-Louise Parker) is back in business in about seven weeks, or so we found out on 4/20. Before that, however, circulated reports that Parker might not be up for a seventh season (Showtime has committed to one more 13-episode season after this one) which is probably for the best. Better to let a series go while it’s still riding high instead of after it’s cashed. Right?
– While we’re on the topic of happy returns, Lifetime has set a go date for the sixth season of “Project Runway“: August 20. That means a year will have passed between the point at which the sixth season went into production and the season premiere, during which the finalists showed (albeit anonymously) at Fashion Week in New York. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, but one wonders if spending this much time off the air, and under the direction of a different production team, might make some elements seem stale. Anyway, we’ll be tuning in.
– Lifetime also announced that “Army Wives” returns June 7 and its new dramedy “Drop Dead Diva” premieres July 12. The Lifetime comedy “Rita Rocks” returns in the fall.
– In the brain of the average IMDb user lies a node that just can’t get enough of Lorenzo Lamas. This is only a guess. Anyway, rejoice, o ye IMDb devotees, for E! announced yesterday that in addition to giving us a spinoff of “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” called “Kourtney and Khloe in Miami,” the cable channel is introducing “The Lamas Family,” in which we’ll not only tail Lorenzo, but his sorta-famous “Bachelor“-bait daughter Shayne, sorta-famous son A.J., teenage daughter Dakota and ex-wife Michele Smith. That tingle at the base of your skull is nothing to worry about, its just those Lamas neural receptors springing back to life after being dormant for oh so long.
–Another thing: Hidden within Food Network’s new series press release was a potential gem called “What Would Brian Boitano Make?” That’s right, Brian Boitano, skating star, and “South Park” hero. The show premieres in August. Here’s the snippet taken directly from Food Network’s announcement.
“Everyone knows Brian Boitano won an Olympic gold medal in figure skating. What they don’t know: Brian is an accomplished cook who loves to entertain! In this new series, Brian takes viewers on a reality cooking adventure as he creates amazing food for a new event in each episode. Funny, knowledgeable and irresistible, Brian brings himself and so much more to ‘What Would Brian Boitano Make?’ ”
We bet he’ll kick an ass or two.
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Will Ferrell Joins Bear Grylls on “Man vs. Wild”
Posted by Melanie McFarland in Casting alert, TV News, Tune In Info on April 16th, 2009
Adventure brother: Will Ferrell joins Bear Grylls on "Man vs. Wild."
You’re welcome, America.
In a move that makes perfect sense in terms of corporate synergy but sounds absolutely ludicrous to the average person, Will Ferrell is joining Bear Grylls on an upcoming “Man vs. Wild” special.
During the episode, which is set to air in early June on the Discovery Channel, Ferrell spends 48 hours frolicking with Grylls in the icy glacier ranges of northern Sweden. The pair will rappel down hundred foot frozen waterfalls and sleep in sub-zero temperatures. Urine will be gulped and reindeer eyeballs shall be chomped. Yes. That’s going to happen.
The Discovery Channel press release even attributed the following quote to Ferrell: “To be able to participate in an episode of ‘Man vs. Wild’ was the thrill of a lifetime, even though I did get urine-drunk, which is sad.”
To ask why Ferrell, recently revealed by Parade magazine to have earned $31 million in 2008, would do such things is a perfectly valid question. Thanks to Discovery, we have the answer.
Can Ferrell keep up with Bear Grylls?
Ferrell’s latest movie “Land of the Lost” hits theaters on June 5. It’s a Universal Pictures movie, and Universal has a deal with Discovery Channel to create programming that ties into its film releases. A recent “Cash Cab” episode was tied to “Frost/Nixon,” and last summer’s “Wanted” joined forces with “FutureWeapons.” The hope is that the indelible memory of Ferrell ingesting horrible things will make you say, “Now that we know what that ‘Step Brothers’ guy is capable of, let’s round up the kids, head to the multiplex, and watch him survive in an undiscovered country filled with dinosaurs and monkey people. And hey — order popcorn with extra butter stuff. Mmm, mmm!”
Discovery is calling this episode “the most fully integrated to date” in its partnership with Universal, but methinks Ferrell got the short end of the stick here. There’s a huge difference between roughing it with a craft services table nearby and, well, that business mentioned above.
Are we going to watch? You bet.
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“Stargate Universe” Adds Guest Stars, Familiar Faces
Posted by Melanie McFarland in Uncategorized on April 16th, 2009
Amanda Tapping and Richard Dean Anderson sign on to guest star on the upcoming "SGU: Stargate Universe."
Some entertainment franchises refuse to lay down. “Stargate,” for example. That ‘verse just keeps on chugging, from “Stargate SG-1” to its spinoff “Stargate: Atlantis“…and as of this fall, fifteen years after the original film’s theatrical release, “SGU: Stargate Universe.” Now that “Star Trek” lives in theaters, “Stargate” is free to step in and boldly go where just about nobody else in TV is going anymore. With a number of relatively well-known actors in its cast, including Ming-Na, Lou Diamond Phillips and Richard Carlyle, it certainly seems to be higher profile than its predecessors were when they started.
Months ahead of its planned two-hour premiere in October, the cable channel already has recognizable guest stars lined up, including a number of “SG-1″ alumni: Amanda Tapping, Michael Shanks, Gary Jones and naturally, Richard Dean Anderson.
Also stopping by “SGU” is “24′s” Carlo Rota, Christopher McDonald and recording artist Janelle Monae, playing herself.
Of course, Sci Fi/SyFy has another highly anticipated title premiering within the next year: “Caprica.”
You’ll find an array of recently uploaded video clips at the top of the series homepage, or by clicking here.
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One More Season For “The Tudors”
Posted by Melanie McFarland in Commentary, The Pick-Up Game on April 14th, 2009
Hot: Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Henry VIII in Showtime's "The Tudors"
Showtime made it official today, a mere two episodes into its third season: Television’s sauciest softcore historic drama, “The Tudors,” has been renewed for a fourth and final chapter.
Season four is due to air in the spring of 2010 and will consist of 10 hours, focusing on Henry’s dysfunctional relationships (were there any other kind with this guy?) with his last two wives Catherine Howard and Catherine Parr. We’ll also get a glimpse of what the Showtime press release refers to as “his final descent into madness.” Production begins in Dublin this June.
Though the premium cable channel could have cut off “The Tudors” any time it wanted, it was clear Showtime was committed to seeing this series through to the end once Joss Stone signed on to play Anne of Cleves, a.k.a. wife #4. Henry only had six wives, so heck — why not take it on home?
Even so, one does wonder whether, and how, the series intends to incorporate the popular image of Henry VIII into the last season. So far “The Tudors” has happily showed off its vision of Henry in his younger days when he was randy, athletic, and may have been as pretty as Jonathan Rhys Meyers (but probably not).
Not so hot: The popular image of Henry, seen in this portrait.
By the time the good king got together with Catherine Howard, he seemed to be fonder of beer and mutton than sport. (A display of his armor at the Tower of London’s exhibit is proof of that.)
Then there’s the matter of the ulcer on his leg which, by a number of accounts, had to be regularly drained. That’s not sexy.
In any event, one has to give series creator and executive producer Michael Hirst his propers: the man will have written all 38 episodes of “The Tudors” once it has finished. How many of those episodes will require Rhys Meyers to wear a fat suit has yet to be established. We can’t wait to see how Emmy-award winning costume designer Joan Bergin handles the challenge.
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“Project Runway” Officially Moves to Lifetime
Posted by Melanie McFarland in TV News, The Pick-Up Game, Tune In Info on April 7th, 2009
Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn, in a photo for "Project Runway" when it was still airing on Bravo.
The fate of “Project Runway” sat in legal limbo for a year, but at long last NBC Universal and The Weinstein Company, which produces the series, settled. The show’s move to Lifetime became official last week, although a firm date has yet to be announced.
Ballpark estimate from Lifetime: This summer. In our opinion, this delay is a good thing. Lifetime risked burning out its fanbase had it kept “Runway” on its original schedule and premiered it in January. Give us a little break — makes the heart grow fonder and all that. (Especially after that rather tepid fifth season.)
According to Variety’s report, the legal imbroglio began in April 2008, when The Weinstein Company shocked the industry and fashionable couch taters by announcing it had cut an under-the-radar deal to move future seasons of “Project Runway” over to Lifetime. NBC Universal responded by slapping Weinstein with a lawsuit claiming it was denied a fair shot at negotiating a renewal for the show. The sixth season filmed in Los Angeles last fall.
The really fun part? “Project Runway” had a fall 2009 fashion week showing anyway, running its finalists’ collections down the catwalk anonymously. If you simply cannot wait, you can find the pieces in question here.
Variety also states The Weinstein Company is set to pay NBC Universal an undisclosed amount to release its interests in “Project Runway.” But The Weinstein Company, and Lifetime, will get plenty in the bargain. Weinstein cut a $150 million deal with Lifetime for future seasons of the fashion competition and its spinoff “Models of the Runway,“ as well as an additional project referred to in the trade as “Project Pygmalion.”
“I couldn’t be more excited that Lifetime will bring its viewers an amazing, all-new season of ‘Project Runway’ this summer,” said Lifetime’s president and CEO Andrea Wong (who, one assumes, won’t be getting any cards or flowers from NBC Universal exec Lauren Zalaznick any time soon) via an e-mailed statement. “All of us at Lifetime are thrilled to move forward with Heidi, Tim, Nina, Michael, The Weinstein Company and the entire ‘Project Runway’ team.”
Bravo, meanwhile, is doing its part to fill the gaping hole wee gap in its lineup with “The Fashion Show,” featuring Isaac Mizrahi and former Destiny Child singer Kelly Rowland as co-hosts. They’ll share judging duties with Fern Mallis (Who?) the Senior Vice President of IMG Fashion. (Oh…what? Never mind, we’ll find out.)
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CBS Switches Off “Guiding Light”
Posted by Melanie McFarland in Cancellations, Commentary on April 1st, 2009
Then: Herb Nelson, Ellen Demming, Susan Douglas, and Lyle Sudrow.
Dealing yet another blow to soap opera fans, CBS announced today that it is canceling daytime’s longest-running guilty pleasure “Guiding Light.”
“Guiding Light’s” final episode will air Sept. 18. When it fades out for the last time, it will have aired more than 15,700 episodes on radio and television, having begun as a NBC Radio serial with 15-minute episodes in 1937 before making the leap to TV, and CBS, in 1952.
That adds up to 72 years of taking part in American broadcasting.
But with niche cable channels such as Lifetime and Oxygen and syndicated series such as “Rachael Ray” and “The Oprah Winfrey Show” effectively targeting women, many of whom are working and not watching soap episodes on air (if at all), the genre has been in decline for years now. According to a Bloomberg report, “Guiding Light” is ranked last among soaps in the Nielsen ratings, and lost 13 percent of its viewership from last year.
Now: Kim Zimmer and Robert Newman, as iconic couple Reva and Josh.
The genre’s daily serialized nature means no repeats, save on specialty cable channel SoapNet, so they are not longterm revenue generators. Imagine how many DVDs it would take to capture the complete series of “Guiding Light.” The mind reels.
Still, to generations of stay-at-home parents, retirees, college kids cutting classes, and aspiring actors, this is quite a loss. Among the numerous recognizable TV and film stars who have appeared on “Guiding Light”: Thomas Gibson, Victor Garber, Peter Gallagher, Christopher Walken (!), Mira Sorvino, Joan Collins, Sendhil Ramamurthy, Taye Diggs, Mackenzie Phillips, Allison Janney, Nia Long, Calista Flockhart, Billy Dee Williams, Cicely Tyson, James Earl Jones, James Lipton and…wait for it…
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“Grey Gardens” premieres Saturday night on HBO
Posted by Melanie McFarland in Commentary, Tune In Info on April 18th, 2009
The Edies, in better days, played by Drew Barrymore and Jessica Lange in HBO's "Grey Gardens."
The tagline on the poster for HBO’s original film “Grey Gardens” reads, “True Glamour Never Fades.” In the context of the movie’s plot, and the real life story of Big Edie and Little Edie Bouvier Beale, this is a pleasant way of putting to words the Edies’ stubborn refusal to let go of a dream long past drifted out of reach. It’s less of a tagline, really, than it is a distorted view of reality, considering the trash, vermin and decrepitude surrounding these women in Grey Gardens’ bedraggled later years.
Rather, we invite you to think of that fabulous line as a sliver of sparkle on two-plus hours of riveting television. Indeed, “Grey Gardens” dances us from the lush illusion of wealth in the Edies’ early years through the dirty, ramshackle era during which the world was introduced to them.
Big Edie and Little Edie, the aunt and cousin of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, achieved cult fame after filmmakers Albert and David Maysles filmed their day-to-day lives in their rotting 28-room mansion over the course of six weeks. The resulting documentary never showed us what happened before the Maysles arrived on Grey Gardens’ doorstep; the audience was left to piece that part of the tale together through their arguments onscreen or perhaps with a little research at the local library.
This rendition of their backstory, as illustrated through emotionally shattering performances by Jessica Lange and Drew Barrymore, comes together as a weird, codependent love affair. Lange and Barrymore show us that it’s the ferocity of the Edies’ relationship that never fades; daughter and mother cling to one another, snarling, scratching and kicking all the while, as the ceiling crumbles and cats and racoons take over the place.
But there is a lot of heart in this story, no question. For every scene in which Lange’s Big Edie emotionally manipulates Barrymore’s compliant Little Edie into giving up on her dreams, or each shot of grand rooms piled high with trash or cat filth, “Grey Gardens” grants the audience a touch of emotional warmth and even a smile or two. The same song and dance that makes the Edies glow at a raucous party near the film’s beginning are what get them through the years that saw their grand house slump into a filthy hellhole.
When “Grey Gardens” makes its debut at 8 ET/PT Saturday night, anyone looking for a reason to hang on to their premium cable subscription should tune in. And if you had to let HBO go, be sure to add this one to the Netflix queue.
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