Fox Entertainment Chairman Peter Rice answers questions at TCA.
Monday was the day. It was really supposed to happen. Honest, and for reals! Many of us thought — nay, hoped — Fox Entertainment Chairman Peter Rice and Entertainment President Kevin Reilly were going to announce the new judges for “American Idol,” putting to rest all of the speculative burbling in the trades through the weekend.
Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler, seated side by side at the judges table, delivering scathing critiques from behind gigantic Coca Cola cups! Can’t you just see it?
Granted, we are not six-year-olds on Christmas morning, convinced that behind that soft, wrapped package of tube socks our parents have hidden a rocket ship. We cover television and are used to keeping our expectations low.
That’s for good reason. Not long after the trades began quoting unnamed insiders swearing J. Lo and Tyler were in there, other reporters slowed their roll by saying the contracts are still being hammered out. And it appears that the T’s had not been crossed, the I’s dotted or the dollar bills counted by Monday morning.
“The only thing I can tell you with absolute certainty right now is that no one has signed a deal yet on either side of the camera to join ‘American Idol’ next year who wasn’t on it last year,” Rice said. “And I know that that is it’s not particularly a fun announcement. It’s certainly not the choice I would have made, but it is the truth as we sit here today. There are no signed deals with anybody.”
Rice added, “I can tell you that much of the information that has been written is accurate. And some of the information that has been written is wildly inaccurate.”
Did he tell us which tidbits were on the money? Even hint at it? Of course not. We came at him from the front, the side, directly and obliquely. We tried through the normally gregarious Reilly. No luck.
“If variations of ‘I’m not going to get into conversations we’ve had with people’ were a drinking game,” one critic tweeted, “TCA members (would) be dead.”
What Rice did say was that when the main audition rounds kick off in September, the judges will be in place and ready to make dreams come true or irreparably crush hopeful spirits. Meanwhile, Mr. Tyler, currently on tour with Aerosmith, reportedly let a few details slip through his trademark lips over the weekend.
“This beautiful girl from Fox came up to me and made an offer. I honored her offer… and it’s just a work in progress,” Tyler said in a radio interview quoted in a Billboard.com article.
So it remains, for the time being. Keep reading for the day’s other takeaways…
"Lone Star's" cast: (L to R) Eloise Mumford, James Wolk and Adrianne Palicki.
For those who don’t know, Kevin Reilly helped shape FX into the brand it is today. So it’s not altogether surprising to see him take a chance on a show like “Lone Star.”
Creator Kyle Killen says he sold it as “Dallas without the cheese,” but he admitted to critics that he was more inspired by shows like “Breaking Bad.”
The central character is a sensitive, charming guy who is truly, madly, deeply in love with two women, neither of whom knows about the other and both of whom happen to be part of a large con he’s running. The pilot is more enjoyable than one would expect, but it’s tough to say whether it’ll catch on with audiences. While it’s a laudable goal to bring more of a cable sensibility to network television, shows like “Breaking Bad” don’t have the ratings it takes to make it in that arena. That’s why they’re on as opposed to Fox, home to broadcast television’s greatest ratings monster.
– Like so many other fall series, “Running Wilde” is going through a number of changes before it hits the air. Key roles have been reimagined and re-cast, one to include David Cross, with whom co-creators Mitch Hurwitz and Jim Vallely worked on “Arrested Development.” The changes are actually a positive sign, mind you, because the original pilot was tepid, and that’s putting it mildly.
Even if the changes work, Hurwitz and Vallely know they face the bigger challenge of escaping “Arrested’s” shadow. Remember, this is a comedy that is much more beloved in its afterlife; while it ran on Fox, it struggled to maintain its viewership. (Hurwitz later informed a group of reporters that the movie is still in the works.)
Given that history, expect “Wilde’s” humor to be a bit broader in the beginning. “If we can get a big audience interested in the show, more and more of our subversion, hopefully, will be able to come out,” Hurwitz assured critics.
– Later came a panel for “Raising Hope,” the new comedy from executive producer Greg Garcia (“My Name is Earl”). Hope is not a concept, it’s a kid that a young adult moron unexpectedly finds himself rearing while living with his parents, who aren’t interested in having another baby in the house. Most of the pilot’s humor is derived from slapstick involving improper child safety precautions, and the rest from Cloris Leachman portraying a senile great grandmother fond of sitting around in her bra. Conservative parent groups are bound to have a field day with this one.
Some may be turned off by “Hope,” but it’s bound to win plenty of fans among viewers who will relate to its working class family’s celebration of imperfection. “Hope” lacks the uplifting elements that made “Earl” so charming during its first season; the humor is, if not dark, than a bit grimy and soiled to say the least. But it has a lot of heart, and like ABC’s comedy “The Middle,” it should give harried, overworked parents something to laugh at.
– It could not be a Fox TCA day without some celebration of “Glee.” Among the news items its creator shared with critics are details about the first few episodes: The premiere tackles the idea of constantly having to audition in life, while the third episode looks at faith.
During the second half of the series, creator Ryan Murphy revealed that one episode would feature original songs penned by the characters. Among the guest cast planned are John Stamos and Susan Boyle, and they hope the latter will appear to coincide with a “Glee” holiday CD release. Also, Adam Shankman is on board to direct an episode.
Many (including Murphy) feel “Glee” has passed its popular culture saturation point, but the producers fully intend to keep having fun with it. When asked about a “Glee” novel given to critics, Ryan Murphy added that he hopes to have a storyline in which Sue Sylvester writes her autobiography, followed by Jane Lynch going on book tour as Sue to promote it. But Murphy’s not just taking advantage of the fluffier perks of having a hit series. He also is considering featuring real high school show choirs as New Directions’ competitors.
But the funniest detail he revealed today was about New Directions’ ever-present piano player. The only direction Murphy said he’s given him is, “You hate those kids.” He urges viewers to watch for his glare in scenes from future episodes.
Oh…we will.
Follow IMDbTV on Twitter to get news, and snark, from the Television Critics Association Press Tour moments after it happens.
Day 6: Fox Still Wily. “Idol” Judge Watch Continues.
Fox Entertainment Chairman Peter Rice answers questions at TCA.
Monday was the day. It was really supposed to happen. Honest, and for reals! Many of us thought — nay, hoped — Fox Entertainment Chairman Peter Rice and Entertainment President Kevin Reilly were going to announce the new judges for “American Idol,” putting to rest all of the speculative burbling in the trades through the weekend.
Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler, seated side by side at the judges table, delivering scathing critiques from behind gigantic Coca Cola cups! Can’t you just see it?
Granted, we are not six-year-olds on Christmas morning, convinced that behind that soft, wrapped package of tube socks our parents have hidden a rocket ship. We cover television and are used to keeping our expectations low.
That’s for good reason. Not long after the trades began quoting unnamed insiders swearing J. Lo and Tyler were in there, other reporters slowed their roll by saying the contracts are still being hammered out. And it appears that the T’s had not been crossed, the I’s dotted or the dollar bills counted by Monday morning.
“The only thing I can tell you with absolute certainty right now is that no one has signed a deal yet on either side of the camera to join ‘American Idol’ next year who wasn’t on it last year,” Rice said. “And I know that that is it’s not particularly a fun announcement. It’s certainly not the choice I would have made, but it is the truth as we sit here today. There are no signed deals with anybody.”
Rice added, “I can tell you that much of the information that has been written is accurate. And some of the information that has been written is wildly inaccurate.”
Did he tell us which tidbits were on the money? Even hint at it? Of course not. We came at him from the front, the side, directly and obliquely. We tried through the normally gregarious Reilly. No luck.
“If variations of ‘I’m not going to get into conversations we’ve had with people’ were a drinking game,” one critic tweeted, “TCA members (would) be dead.”
What Rice did say was that when the main audition rounds kick off in September, the judges will be in place and ready to make dreams come true or irreparably crush hopeful spirits. Meanwhile, Mr. Tyler, currently on tour with Aerosmith, reportedly let a few details slip through his trademark lips over the weekend.
“This beautiful girl from Fox came up to me and made an offer. I honored her offer… and it’s just a work in progress,” Tyler said in a radio interview quoted in a Billboard.com article.
So it remains, for the time being. Keep reading for the day’s other takeaways…
"Lone Star's" cast: (L to R) Eloise Mumford, James Wolk and Adrianne Palicki.
For those who don’t know, Kevin Reilly helped shape FX into the brand it is today. So it’s not altogether surprising to see him take a chance on a show like “Lone Star.”
Creator Kyle Killen says he sold it as “Dallas without the cheese,” but he admitted to critics that he was more inspired by shows like “Breaking Bad.”
The central character is a sensitive, charming guy who is truly, madly, deeply in love with two women, neither of whom knows about the other and both of whom happen to be part of a large con he’s running. The pilot is more enjoyable than one would expect, but it’s tough to say whether it’ll catch on with audiences. While it’s a laudable goal to bring more of a cable sensibility to network television, shows like “Breaking Bad” don’t have the ratings it takes to make it in that arena. That’s why they’re on as opposed to Fox, home to broadcast television’s greatest ratings monster.
– Like so many other fall series, “Running Wilde” is going through a number of changes before it hits the air. Key roles have been reimagined and re-cast, one to include David Cross, with whom co-creators Mitch Hurwitz and Jim Vallely worked on “Arrested Development.” The changes are actually a positive sign, mind you, because the original pilot was tepid, and that’s putting it mildly.
Even if the changes work, Hurwitz and Vallely know they face the bigger challenge of escaping “Arrested’s” shadow. Remember, this is a comedy that is much more beloved in its afterlife; while it ran on Fox, it struggled to maintain its viewership. (Hurwitz later informed a group of reporters that the movie is still in the works.)
Given that history, expect “Wilde’s” humor to be a bit broader in the beginning. “If we can get a big audience interested in the show, more and more of our subversion, hopefully, will be able to come out,” Hurwitz assured critics.
– Later came a panel for “Raising Hope,” the new comedy from executive producer Greg Garcia (“My Name is Earl”). Hope is not a concept, it’s a kid that a young adult moron unexpectedly finds himself rearing while living with his parents, who aren’t interested in having another baby in the house. Most of the pilot’s humor is derived from slapstick involving improper child safety precautions, and the rest from Cloris Leachman portraying a senile great grandmother fond of sitting around in her bra. Conservative parent groups are bound to have a field day with this one.
Some may be turned off by “Hope,” but it’s bound to win plenty of fans among viewers who will relate to its working class family’s celebration of imperfection. “Hope” lacks the uplifting elements that made “Earl” so charming during its first season; the humor is, if not dark, than a bit grimy and soiled to say the least. But it has a lot of heart, and like ABC’s comedy “The Middle,” it should give harried, overworked parents something to laugh at.
– It could not be a Fox TCA day without some celebration of “Glee.” Among the news items its creator shared with critics are details about the first few episodes: The premiere tackles the idea of constantly having to audition in life, while the third episode looks at faith.
During the second half of the series, creator Ryan Murphy revealed that one episode would feature original songs penned by the characters. Among the guest cast planned are John Stamos and Susan Boyle, and they hope the latter will appear to coincide with a “Glee” holiday CD release. Also, Adam Shankman is on board to direct an episode.
Many (including Murphy) feel “Glee” has passed its popular culture saturation point, but the producers fully intend to keep having fun with it. When asked about a “Glee” novel given to critics, Ryan Murphy added that he hopes to have a storyline in which Sue Sylvester writes her autobiography, followed by Jane Lynch going on book tour as Sue to promote it. But Murphy’s not just taking advantage of the fluffier perks of having a hit series. He also is considering featuring real high school show choirs as New Directions’ competitors.
But the funniest detail he revealed today was about New Directions’ ever-present piano player. The only direction Murphy said he’s given him is, “You hate those kids.” He urges viewers to watch for his glare in scenes from future episodes.
Oh…we will.
Follow IMDbTV on Twitter to get news, and snark, from the Television Critics Association Press Tour moments after it happens.
This entry was posted on Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010, 12:21 am and is filed under Commentary, TCA Summer Press Tour 2010, Tune In Info. You can follow any responses to this entry through RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.