Fox picked up Michael Strahan’s comedy Brothers with a 13 episode-order. The pilot about the relationship between a retired NFL player (Michael Strahan) and his wheelchair-bound brother (Darryl Mitchell) was one of the last ones picked up by Fox. CCH Pounder also stars in the comedy. The show joins dramas Human Target, Past Life and Glee and comedies Cleveland and Sons of Tucson as new shows planned for next season on Fox.
Fox renewed midseason drama Lie to Me with a 13-episode second-season order. The network also is boosting the show’s producing team with Shawn Ryan joining as executive producer/showrunner.
Ryan already had been landing a hand behind the scenes on the crime drama’s first season. Despite his expanded duties on Lie To Me, Ryan remains committed to CBS’ The Unit, which he also executive produces/runs. The drama is still in contention for a pickup after Ryan pitched his ideas for next season to the network and after the series saw a ratings uptick in the last couple of weeks. Ryan is accustomed to running two shows simultaneously. He did it for several years with The Unit and his FX drama The Shield.
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ABC has officially picked up drama Flash Forward. The show, which already is being promoted on the network, received a 13-episode order. Based on Robert J. Sawyer’s novel, the series chronicles the aftermath of a global event in which everyone in the world blacks out for 2 minutes, 17 seconds and has mysterious visions of six months into the future. David Goyer and Brannon Braga co-wrote the pilot which Goyer directed.
In addition to Joseph Fiennes, the cast includes Sonya Walger, John Cho, Jack Davenport, Brian O’Byrne, Courtney B. Vance, Christine Woods, Zachary Knighton and Peyton List.
Fox has announced that hit sci-fi series Fringe will be coming back for a full 22-episode second season. The show, which wraps its first season on May 12, regularly wins its Tuesday night slot among top demographics and rates as this season’s No. 1 new show with adults 18-49. Fringe is the story of FBI agent Olivia Dunham’s entanglement with the mysterious Pattern and the mad genius father-son team of Walter and Peter Bishop.
NBC has announced its pickups for the 2009-2010 primetime season including four dramas, two comedies and three renewals. NBC officially picked up new dramas Trauma, Parenthood, Mercy and Day One (which will air as a limited-run event) and comedies Community and 100 Questions. Beyond the six new shows, NBC also gave a go-ahead to returning shows Southland, Heroes, Parks and Recreation and six new Thursday night Saturday Night Live Weekend Update episodes. Patricia Arquette’s Medium received a pickup Sunday morning, though its exact order was being worked out and expected to be in the 13-18 episode range.
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NBC has renewed the John Wells midseason drama Southland. The network ordered 13 episodes for a second season of the cop drama. Southland, starring Ben McKenzie, was a late addition to NBC’s midseason schedule replacing ER. It got off to a very strong start in the Thursday night timeslot. The ratings have since slipped, but network executives like Southland’s broad appeal, creative potential and Wells’ solid track record as a showrunner.
