Archive for July, 2009
HBO Renews “Entourage,” “True Blood” and “Hung”
Posted by Melanie McFarland in Commentary, TCA Summer Press Tour 2009, TV News, The Pick-Up Game, Tune In Info on July 30th, 2009
HBO wants to do keep on doing bad things with its current Sunday lineup next summer.
In the channel’s executive session, HBO co-president Richard Plepler and Michael Lombardo, president of its programming group and West Coast operations, officially gave the green light to another season of “Entourage,” a third season of “True Blood” and a sophomore season for “Hung.”
The sheer heat that this summer’s “True Blood” episodes are putting out makes its renewal a no-brainer. Ditto for “Entourage,” even if it’s getting a touch long in the tooth by cable TV standards. But “Hung’s” quick renewal comes as something of a surprise, as it’s barely halfway through its first season.
Could this be a sign that the premium channel is actually thriving in spite of the recession? Well, Lombardo says, yes. Sort of.
“No business is recession proof,” he admitted, but described HBO’s business as resilient. According to Lombardo, they don’t have lots of money to spend, but what he calls an “enviable” amount. The “cocooning” trend has been good to the channel, according to the execs; DVD sales are doing well, and viewership is up across the board.
“Unfortunately, that has not resulted in the coffers opening wider for original programming,” added Plepler.
But it hasn’t resulted in heartbreaking slices to its content either. “Big Love,” for example, will be back in January. The seventh season of “Curb Your Enthusiasm” is coming September 20, coupled with the arrival of “Bored to Death,” a new comedy starring Jason Schwartzman, Ted Danson and Zach Galifianakis.
HBO was not ready to commit to another season of “The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency,” but execs advised reporters not to write any eulogies just yet. Their hesitance to renew has more to do with the sudden passing of series creator Anthony Minghella last spring. Minghella sculpted the direction for the first season and directed the pilot before he died, and execs stressed the need to find the right showrunner to take his place before committing to season two.
As for a third season for “Flight of the Conchords,” Lombardo said that’s entirely up to Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie. “We’re waiting, and as soon as they tell us they’re ready, we’d be thrilled,” Lombardo says.
![[Post to Twitter]](http://tv.blog.imdb.net/wp-content/plugins/tweet-this/icons/tt-twitter.png){kind=icon}
Tweet This Post ![[Post to Digg]](http://tv.blog.imdb.net/wp-content/plugins/tweet-this/icons/tt-digg.png){kind=icon}
Digg This Post ![[Post to Reddit]](http://tv.blog.imdb.net/wp-content/plugins/tweet-this/icons/tt-reddit.png){kind=icon}
Reddit This Post ![[Post to StumbleUpon]](http://tv.blog.imdb.net/wp-content/plugins/tweet-this/icons/tt-su.png){kind=icon}
Stumble This Post
TCA Press Tour: What a Long, Strange Trip It’ll Be
Posted by Melanie McFarland in Commentary, TCA Summer Press Tour 2009, TV News, Tune In Info on July 30th, 2009
Barely an hour after I set foot into the Langham Hotel in Pasadena, Piers Gibbon offered me a shrunken head to eat. The heads in question were made of marzipan and cake, and part of promoting Gibbon’s upcoming special “Search for the Amazon Headshrinkers” (coming to Nat Geo), but it still made for a strange hello.
“Let me tell you, I’ve done a lot of weird things in my career,” he said, “but never in my life did I imagine I’d be standing beside a tray full of these.” Quite a statement coming from a guy who rose to fame with a U.K. show called “Jungle Trip,” for which he traveled through far flung locales sampling various hallucinogenic potions.
“It will live forever on BitTorrent sites for various reasons,” Gibbon said. “I lose control of my bowels, for example.” I laughed profusely, selected a bizarre treat and was on my merry way.
Odd run-ins like this are par for the course at the Television Critics Association’s Summer Press Tour, ten days of panels, cocktail mixers and unexpected conversations about TV. Most interactions are quite comic, and whenever a network executive is talking you can pretty much accept that you’re being conned.
Make no mistake, though – Press Tour is no fan fair for the networks. They got that last week in San Diego. No, Press Tour is different. It’s a journey into the heart of snarkness that some gleefully refer to as the Death March with Cocktails: Almost two straight weeks of network and cable channels doing their best to sell scores of entertainment journalists with well-calibrated B.S. meters on their fall lineups. We will wade through a lot of mediocrity here before the public sees it – and on the way, see snippets of a show or two that are so extraordinary that we can’t wait to share them with the world.
There are producers on hand; the new ones smile nervously if this is their first time out, while the veterans wear poker faces and hope for the best. There are network executives saying one thing in front of a full room while their every word is diligently transcribed by stenographers, and quite another once they’ve had a few at the hotel bar and think nobody’s listening.
Oh yes, and there are stars. Actors and actresses we’re all quite familiar with who, in most cases, actually want to sit down chat with us. No kidding. Barely two summers ago, a lively Jennifer Westfeldt shared war stories about how nerve-wracking the audition process can be, illustrating her point by sharing that her longtime boyfriend had to audition for the lead in a cable drama no less than six times before the network finally gave him the role. The problem was, nobody had heard of him. A mere two seasons later Westfeldt’s man, “Mad Men’s” Jon Hamm, is up for an Emmy.
And that’s the real fun of it, looking behind the curtain to see who, and what, will be involved in the shows we watch – and based on what we see, whether we’d advise viewers to give those shows their time. So visit IMDb.com’s TV blog often over the next ten days for updates, observations and lots more strange moments for dessert. Cable’s up first. PBS arrives this weekend, and the networks have their turn next week.
The shrunken head, by the way, was delicious.
Tweet This Post Digg This Post Reddit This Post Stumble This Post
Nominations for 61st Annual Emmy Awards Are In…
Posted by Melanie McFarland in Uncategorized on July 16th, 2009
For the second year in a row, Emmy had few early morning surprises among its major category nominees. It was a huge year for cable, with “House” and “Lost” becoming the only broadcast nominees for best drama. It was an even bigger year for “30 Rock,” which snagged 22 nods in total, including a supporting actor nomination for Jack “Kenneth the Page” McBrayer. AMC’s “Mad Men” scored 16 noms.
Bigger shockers were in store in the Comedy Series category, as the offbeat HBO series “Flight of the Conchords” and, even more surprisingly, “Family Guy” (??!!) elbowed their way in to stand alongside conventional choices such as “The Office,” “30 Rock” and “How I Met Your Mother.”
On the other hand, the casts of “The Shield” and “Battlestar Galactica,” both of which aired their final seasons during the Emmy Award qualification period, felt no love on this summertime morning.
Between now and Sept. 20, when the awards are broadcast on CBS, there’s sure to be a great deal of debate as to the merit and wisdom of these nods. Here is the list of major categories:
Outstanding Drama Series
“Big Love,” “Breaking Bad,” “Damages,” “Dexter,” “House,” “Lost,” “Mad Men”
Outstanding Comedy Series
“Entourage,” “Family Guy,” “Flight of the Conchords,”"How I Met Your Mother,” “The Office,” “30 Rock,” “Weeds”
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama
Sally Field, “Brother and Sisters”
Kyra Sedgwick, “The Closer”
Glenn Close, “Damages”
Mariska Hargitay, “Law & Order: SVU”
Elizabeth Moss, “Mad Men”
Holly Hunter, “Saving Grace”
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama
Bryan Cranston, “Breaking Bad’
Michael C. Hall, “Dexter”
Hugh Laurie, “House”
Gabriel Byrne, “In Treatment”
Jon Hamm, “Mad Men”
Simon Baker, “The Mentalist”
Outstanding Made for TV Movie
“Coco Chanel,” Lifetime; “Grey Gardens,” HBO; “Into the Storm,” HBO; “Prayers for Bobby,” Lifetime; “Taking Chance,” HBO
Outstanding Miniseries
“Generation Kill,” HBO; “Little Dorrit,” PBS
Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series
“The Colbert Report,” “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart,” “The Late Show with David Letterman,” “Real Time with Bill Maher,” “Saturday Night Live”
Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, “New Adventures of Old Christine”
Christina Applegate, “Samantha Who”
Sarah Silverman, “The Sarah Silverman Program”
Toni Collette, “United States of Tara”
Mary-Louis Parker, “Weeds”
Tina Fey, “30 Rock”
Lead Actor in a comedy series
Jemaine Clement, “Flight of the Conchords”
Steve Carell, “The Office”
Charlie Sheen, “Two and a Half Men”
Jim Parsons, “The Big Bang Theory”
Tony Shalhoub, ”Monk”
Alec Baldwin, “30 Rock”
Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Kevin Dillon, “Entourage”
Neil Patrick Harris, “How I Met Your Mother”
Rainn Wilson, “The Office”
Tracy Morgan, “3o Rock”
Jack McBrayer, “30 Rock”
Jon Cryer, “Two and a Half Men”
Supporting Actor in a Drama
William Shatner, “Boston Legal”
Christian Clemenson, “Boston Legal”
Aaron Paul, “Breaking Bad”
William Hurt, “Damages”
Michael Emerson, “Lost”
John Slattery, “Mad Men”
Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Kristin Chenoweth, “Pushing Daisies”
Amy Poehler, “Saturday Night Live”
Kristin Wiig, “Saturday Night Live”
Jane Krakowski, “30 Rock”
Vanessa Williams, “Ugly Betty”
Elizabeth Perkins, “Weeds”
Supporting Actress in a Drama
Rose Byrne, “Damages”
Sandra Oh, “Grey’s Anatomy”
Chandra Wilson, “Grey’s Anatomy”
Dianne Wiest, “In Treatment”
Hope Davis, “In Treatment”
Cherry Jones, “24″
Tweet This Post Digg This Post Reddit This Post Stumble This Post
Emmy Nominations to be Revealed on Thursday!
Posted by Melanie McFarland in Uncategorized on July 15th, 2009
Neil Patrick Harris hosts the 61st annual Emmy Awards.
Perhaps we’re being a bit kind in ending that headline with an exclamation point, given Emmy’s longstanding reputation of confusing and disappointing us.
Then again, one never knows. Last year wasn’t too terrible, with many legitimately deserving series, actors and actresses getting their due. Think about it — only two or three seasons ago, a show like AMC’s “Mad Men” would have had about the same chance of being nominated for Outstanding Drama as Chris Kattan has of winning an Oscar.
Not only did it score a nod in that category last summer, after only one season on the air, but it won the top drama award in September. On that same night, Bryan Cranston took home some metal for his turn in “Breaking Bad.” This might not be evidence of a lasting change for the better among Emmy voters, but at the very least it’s two slivers of proof that they may have actually started watching television.
On the other hand, there were major missteps that have a chance (a slim one, but still) of being corrected on Thursday. If the final season of “The Shield” and castmember Walton Goggins come up empty again, it will be difficult to turn this writer’s frown upside down. One also hopes (beyond hope) that the final season of “Battlestar Galactica” will get a little love. Other shows on the wish list are likely to be lost causes — farewell “Pushing Daisies,” we barely got to know ya, and we doubt ever Emmy did either.
So, considering all of last year’s hits — and the years of misses that preceded it — do we dare to have high expectations for Thursday’s nominations announcement? Oh, go ahead. This is supposed to be the era of hope, after all.
We’ll be listing the major nods shortly after “Grey’s Anatomy’s” Chandra Wilson and “Big Bang Theory’s” Jim Parsons, along with Television Academy chair John Shaffner, reveal them on Thursday morning. Feel free to drop by and discuss what the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences got right and where it went wrong right here in our comments section.
And regardless of how things shake out this week, take solace in knowing you can count on one sure thing: with Neil Patrick Harris hosting and serving as a producer on the 61st Emmy Awards telecast, it’s bound to be an interesting evening. The show will be broadcast live on Sunday, Sept. 20 (8:00-11:00 PM, live ET/delayed PT) on CBS.
Tweet This Post Digg This Post Reddit This Post Stumble This Post
NBC’s Fall Premiere Dates
Posted by Melanie McFarland in Uncategorized on July 1st, 2009
Jay Leno hosts "The Jay Leno Show."
Welcome to NBC’s fall lineup, or as some may come to call it, LenoLand.
Yes, with Jay Leno’s show occupying the 10 o’clock slot every weeknight, He of the Mighty Meaty Chin is now more of a mascot to NBC than that old peacock.
Beyond that, we’ve got “Heroes” returning on Sept. 21, “The Office” premiering on Sept. 17, and “30 Rock” back on Oct. 15. Keep reading for the full schedule.
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 13
7-8:15 p.m. – “Football Night in America”
8:15-11 p.m. – “NBC Sunday Night Football”
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14
10-11 p.m. – “THE JAY LENO SHOW” (Series Premiere)
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15
8-10 p.m. – “The Biggest Loser”
10-11 p.m. – “THE JAY LENO SHOW”
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17
8-8:30 p.m. – “Saturday Night Live Weekend Update Thursday”
8:30-9 p.m. – “Parks and Recreation”
9-9:30 p.m. – “The Office”
9:30-10 p.m. – “COMMUNITY” (series premiere – moves to Thursdays 8-8:30 p.m. on October 8; “30 Rock” returns October 15, 9:30-10 p.m.)
10-11 p.m. – “THE JAY LENO SHOW”
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21
8-10 p.m. – “Heroes” (two hour premiere, then TRAUMA premieres 9-10 p.m. Monday, September 28)
10-11 p.m. – “THE JAY LENO SHOW”
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23
8-9 p.m. – “PARENTHOOD” (Series Premiere)
9-10 p.m. – “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”
10-11 p.m. – “THE JAY LENO SHOW”
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 25
8-9 p.m. – “Law & Order”
9-10 p.m. – “Southland”
10-11 p.m. – “THE JAY LENO SHOW”
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26
8-9 p.m. – “Dateline NBC”
9-10 p.m. – “TRAUMA” (encore broadcast)
10-11 p.m. – “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” (encore broadcast)
11:30 p.m. – 1:00 a.m. – “Saturday Night Live”
Tweet This Post Digg This Post Reddit This Post Stumble This Post
Davies, Tennant on Vacating “Doctor Who”
Posted by Melanie McFarland in Commentary, TCA Summer Press Tour 2009, TV News, Tune In Info, Uncategorized on July 31st, 2009
The longest running science fiction series in television history, “Doctor Who,” is a beloved pop culture icon in its native U.K. Among U.S. viewers, however, coming out as a Whovian used to be a bit risky. Self-identified geeks once considered the classic series to be a little too geeky even for them.
BBC America, Russell T. Davies and David Tennant changed all that over the past few years — Tennant, especially. For three seasons the gregarious actor portrayed The Doctor with a combination of goofiness and gravitas, making him charismatic, sexy and at times even sinister. We believed it when centuries-old Doctor’s companions fell for him because, after all, we had too. Tennant and Davies’ recent Comic-Con appearance drove the fans into a frenzy.
That’s why the news that Tennant’s run on “Doctor Who” would be coming to an end made our hearts ache a little. The journey for his incarnation of The Doctor is already in the process of ending. “Doctor Who: Planet of the Dead” had its BBC America premiere last Sunday. The next special, “The Waters of Mars,” arrives in the fall and enlists a new companion named Adelaide (Lindsay Duncan, familiar to “Rome” fans as Servilia of the Junii). Tennant’s final special arrives at what would otherwise be the most wonderful time of the year, Christmas. Davies confirmed that it’s called “The End of Time,” and it will be at least an hour and a half, maybe more, with commercials.
The decision to leave wasn’t easy for Tennant but, as he explained to critics on Wednesday, “I like the fact that I stand a chance of leaving an audience and myself wanting more rather than people asking when I’ve leaving.”
For the record, Davies announced he’d be handing the reins off to Steven Moffat in May 2008, before Tennant decided it was time for him to go — he hit us with that news last October.
The actor described the feeling of abandoning the role that brought him such love and acclaim in both the U.K. and the states as both very exciting, and very sad. “It’s thrilling to be handing over the show in such good health, actually…we’ve all come on this journey together, and it feels like we’re coming to the end of something very special.”
As do we.
***Warning: Slight spoilers lie ahead.***
Read the rest of this entry »
No Comments