June 9th, 2009 | 0 Comments
Comedy Central is bringing back Futurama with a 26 episode order set to run over two seasons. Futurama creators Matt Groening and David Cohen already are working on stories for the new episodes of the sci-fi cartoon, slated to premiere in mid-2010. Just like with Family Guy, whose return was triggered by DVD sales and solid ratings for the show’s reruns on Cartoon Network, the performance of Futurama’s repeats DVD sales was key to its resurrection.
The order from Comedy Central was preceded by four original specials: Bender’s Big Score, The Beast With a Billion Backs, Bender’s Game and Into the Wild Green Yonder, which have done well on DVD and on Comedy Central. Into the Wild Green Yonder, premieres on Comedy Central in September. Comedy Central was happy with the specials and with the 72 produced episodes it acquired from 20th Century Fox TV in 2006.
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June 8th, 2009 | 0 Comments
TBS is in preliminary talks to order 13 new episodes of My Name Is Earl. The show was recently canceled by NBC. My Name Is Earl became one of the highest-profile cancellations this season. After it was canceled speculation arose that the series, which has won five Emmys, would find another home either on TBS or Fox.
A deal for new episodes of My Name Is Earl is still a long shot as the two sides have to figure out if an expensive network single-camera series can be produced under a basic cable network’s economic model. Also, while they’re still under a hold, the show’s cast has yet to be lined up for a lower-budget reincarnation of the series at TBS.
June 8th, 2009 | 0 Comments
Phineas & Ferb, on both the Disney Channel and Disney XD, has not only been picked up for a third season, but a Christmas special and a music CD is in the works. Disney ordered 35 more episodes of the animated TV show about a couple of brilliantly outlandish school kids, which will take the show to 100 total episodes. The third season also features a new recurring cast member: Jack McBrayer, the actor who plays Kenneth the page on 30 Rock.
Phineas & Ferb, which also stars Ashley Tisdale, is about a couple of stepbrothers who spend their 104-day summer vacation masterminding one grandiose scheme after another. Tisdale plays the boy’s sister, Candace, whose mission is to tattle on her precocious little brothers. Co-created by Dan Povenmire and Jeff Marsh, it’s the top-rated primetime animated show for children 6-11 and 9-14.
June 5th, 2009 | 1 Comment
BET has picked up The Wendy Williams Show, which will premiere July 13 in syndication and on the cable network. The show, hosted by disc jockey and former VH1 personality Wendy Williams, will revolve around celebrities, gossip and topical discussion. BET hasn’t finalized a timeslot for the show, which will run day and date with the syndicated telecasts. In syndication the hourlong talk show has landed daytime and early afternoon slots. The Wendy Williams Show is cleared on stations covering 95% of U.S. TV households. Show is making its national debut after a six-week test run last summer on Fox O&Os in New York, Los Angeles, Dallas and Detroit.
May 19th, 2009 | 0 Comments
CBS has picked up Cold Case, Numbers, The New Adventures of Old Christine, Rules of Engagement and Gary Unmarried. CBS is looking in to potentially acquiring the recently-canceled NBC drama Medium, which is produced by CBS TV Studios. CBS opted not to renew Without a Trace and The Unit and freshman 11th Hour.
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May 19th, 2009 | 0 Comments
The CW has given series pickups to three dramas, Melrose Place, Vampire Diaries and The Beautiful Life, in advance of its 2009 Fall Lineup presentation.
The Melrose Place reboot was written by Todd Slavkin and Darren Swimmer. Like the original Melrose Place which aired on Fox in the 1990’s, the series revolves around a group of twentysomethings who live in a L.A. apartment complex, but with a murder mystery twist right from the get-go.
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