If you're one of the fortunate few who make it big in the television biz, shouldn't you take the opportunity to use that cushy cushion you have built for yourself and take a big risk on something exciting and new? Not if you're one of these big television producers.
For instance, Ryan, creator of the groundbreaking FX cop drama 'The Shield,' has another cop drama premiering with Fox called 'Ridealong.' Kelley, the writer/producer behind 'The Practice' and 'Boston Legal,' has created a reality drama for NBC called 'Kindred.' Even Rhimes, the woman behind ABC's 'Grey's Anatomy,' has another medical drama show for ABC called 'Off the Map.' Is ABC looking to create an all-medical soap opera cable channel in the coming year?
Way back when, Ricky Gervais did a hilarious podcast cleverly titled 'The Ricky Gervais Show.' Then suddenly, he stopped it and between that, New Coke and the cancellation of 'Hank,' the world found another reason to stop smiling.
Now HBO is returning that joy to the world with an animated version of his podcast starting Feb. 19. Here's a little joy appetizer, but don't get too full because the main course is right around the corner.
When I first heard about this show, I could have sworn I had heard something about it before, only with another star attached to it and not Virginia Madsen. Turns out there was another version of 'Scoundrels' that ABC attempted, a couple of years ago, only it had Catherine O'Hara in the lead role and it was called 'Good Behavior.'
'Scoundrels' is based on a New Zealand show, 'Outrageous Fortune,' and Madsen will star as the mother/head of a family of crooks who decides that they all need to go straight after the dad is put in prison. I'm going to assume that things don't go smoothly and their criminal pasts will catch up to them in some way. But this sounds like it could be a fun show, sort of like 'The Riches' and maybe a hint of the USA show 'Cover Me' (which I really liked - it was canceled way too early).
This won't be a permanent series though. Right now it's going to be an eight episode summer show.
Uh, yeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaah, from this TBS report it looks like Gary Cole is going to be starring in a new hour-long comedy from Andy Breckman, the creator of 'Monk.' It's about a veteran Philadelphia cop who has to train his goofy nephew partner. Maybe it will be a modern 'Andy Griffith Show' (only Barney and Andy were cousins). It's called 'Uncle Nigel,' and Cole will be playing Nigel.
Cole is a really underrated actor. He just seems to bop along over the decades in role after role, but if you look at what he's done it's been pretty fantastic, from his role in the NBC drama 'Midnight Caller' (which I think was a little ahead of its time and would fit in nicely today) to a terrific Robert Reed impression in the 'Brady Bunch' movies to his classic role in 'Office Space' and 'The West Wing' (above).
Yeeeeeeeeaaaaah, if you could get this TBS show on the air as soon as possible, that'd be great. Thanks.
The television gods have spoken. Okay, not really. But the people in power at HBO have had their say and 'Big Love' will be back for a fifth season. Ten more episodes have been ordered as the fourth season continues to unfold. Hallelujah! The story of the Hendricksons goes on and on.
Unlike some other HBO drama series, 'Big Love' has not been a sky-rocket. It's been more a slow boil, gradually picking up fans and followers as the show evolves. Perhaps it was the very nature of the situation, a polygamist family living in plain sight in modern day Utah while keeping their way of life a closely guarded secret.
Bill and his three wives and passel of children try to keep to the principle while blending with suburbia, but they're continually pulled into controversy based on their individual pasts and the choices they've made. It all adds up to great drama.
'Outsourced,' one of what seems to be many Indian-infused situation comedies inspired by the wild success of 'Slumdog Millionaire,' actually came to a theater near you long before NBC picked up the pilot.
The movie as well as the TV show is based on an American who finds himself running a customer service department for a novelty company. The trailer included below actually gave me a couple of good chuckles and some hope that NBC isn't picking up its one-millionth 'The Office' clone.
'Slumdog Milionaire' may have been a gripping and uplifting tale of adversity and triumph that is starting to inspire a slew of new TV pilots, but it looks like it's about to run its course. Obstacle course, that is.
Check out this trailer for what appears to not only be a revival of the 'Slumdog Millionaire' franchise, but also a classic children's TV favorite for the big screen. I double dare you to watch it or take the physical challenge.
Oprah Winfrey may be leaving syndication for her own cable network, but that doesn't mean her empire won't continue. Hot on the heels of the successful launch of 'The Dr. Oz Show,' another frequent guest of 'The Oprah Winfrey Show', Nate Berkus is getting his own show. 'The Nate Berkus Show' will spotlight interior design advice for guests, as well as general lifestyle tips and personal style.
Berkus has appeared on Winfrey's show many times over the years, and even served as host for her one-season prime time venture, 'Oprah's Big Give.' He's already a bestselling author, radio host, and has his own home line on Home Shopping Network, and at Linens 'n Things.
I guess with Martha Stewart leaving syndication as well, Oprah saw an opening for home decoration and interior design. She'd already taken a bite out of the cooking genre with Rachael Ray. The question is: what's left for Oprah to conquer? Is it time to horn in on the sleazy talk shows like Jerry Springer and Maury Povich? Does she have a judge she can trot out?
(In my best Christopher Walken voice, which really isn't all that good) Guess what? Your TV has a fever! And the only prescription... is more 'Slumdog Millionaire' type shows!
The critical and financial success of the plucky little independent Bollywood-esque drama that brought 'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?' back into your consciousness just as it was leaving has inspired several upcoming TV comedies with heavy Indian-themes.
Fox has greenlit 'Nirvana,' an Indian-American family sitcom and NBC has picked up 'Outsourced,' another office comedy about an American manager who is sent to India to manage a customer service department. Would you be interested in watching these shows, even if you had never heard of 'Slumdog Millionaire'?
Little people are the next big thing on television, apparently. 'Little People, Big World' has been recently joined by 'The Little Couple,' 'Little Chocolatiers' and 'Pit Boss.' Now, Spike TV is getting in on the action, quite literally, by greenlighting a six-episode series about a troupe of traveling little person wrestlers.
The network has ordered ten episodes of 'Scrappers,' which follows a group of scrap-metal workers as they root around in Brooklyn looking for the best crap. So tell me, how does a show about people scrapping metal score more episodes than a series about the Half Pint Brawlers, a group of little people wrestlers led by Puppet "The Psycho Dwarf."
Question: how many shows about cake are there on TV right now? Three? Nine? Seventy? Cake seems to be all the rage right now and it doesn't look like it's going to slow down anytime soon. TLC has announced that they have renewed 'Cake Boss' for a third season.
I often watch Food Network's 'Ace of Cakes' but I'm not sure how many "cake-based" shows one person can take, even 'Cake Boss.' Another show, 'Ultimate Cake-Off,' airs tonight. On the other hand, like most people, I love cake, so in a way I hope the trend continues, only extended to sitcoms and dramas. I'd like to see 'How I Met Your Cake,' 'Cake Idol,' 'Cakes of Anarchy,' and 'Mad Cakes' on my TV in the future.
America, you can breathe a sigh of relief: the cast of 'Jersey Shore' will indeed be back for a second season. They signed for a reported $10,000 or so per episode (the exact figure is unknown). That's a couple thousand or so per ab. Six of the cast members went onto the 'Today' show this morning to tell Meredith Vieira and America the "big" news.
In other news from the show, they might actually film someplace else than the Jersey shore for the second season, perhaps a warmer place. Maybe it would be fun to see them go to Paris, like 'The Facts of Life' did that time.
SyFy has been reinventing things with mixed success. They have 'Battlestar Galactica', their gold standard, but they also have 'Flash Gordon' and numerous other bombs. They've also had mini-series based on classic tales like 'The Wizard of Oz' and 'Alice in Wonderland'. Now, they're going to even older stories by creating a television movie franchise based on classic fairy tales. One benefit of this idea is that nobody is owed any creator fees as most fairy tales are in the public domain.
Of course, much like their previous mini-series such as 'Tin Man' and 'Alice', these stories will have a modern, adult spin. For example, 'Hansel and Gretel' will now become a revenge flick. 'Little Red Riding Hood' could very well turn into a copy of 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' where Red hunts down werewolves.
This idea might work, and some of the movies might even become backdoor pilots if done well enough (despite the limited budget of each). Of course, this concept has already sort of been done with DC Comics' 'Fables' series, but using that directly would involve paying for rights.
ABC really loves dealing with Bill Lawrence and his crew, don't they? 'Scrubs' has been on far longer than anyone expected, and 'Cougar Town' is now on its way to a second season. It seems like Steve McPherson and company haven't been deterred by the poor ratings of 'Scrubs,' since he's ordered a pilot from two of the show's writers.
'How to Be a Better American' is about a middle-aged man who goes on a journey to be a better man, dragging his unwilling family along with him. It's a single-camera comedy that will be run by Steven Cragg and Brian Bradley, longtime members of Team Lawrence; they will also be writing the pilot.
No casting news yet, so the show is more of a concept than anything else. But it sounds kind of like 'The Middle' in an RV, which actually wouldn't be so bad. As long as they don't have a kid who whispers to himself, they'll be OK.
Have you been itching with excitement and unable to sit still because of the nervous anticipation building in your body over what has happened to the cast of the MTV reality series Jersey Shore? If so, please seek professional help immediately.
That means the show will have to start shooting very soon to get the episodes ready to air in the summer. If you work or live in Seaside Heights, you might want to warn your fellow citizens and start stocking up on plastic sheeting and duct tape.
If you're one of the fortunate few who make it big in the television biz, shouldn't you take the opportunity to use that cushy cushion you have built for yourself and take a big risk on something exciting and new? Not if you're one of these big television producers. 
When I first heard about this show, I could have sworn I had heard something about it before, only with another star attached to it and not Virginia Madsen. Turns out there was another version of 'Scoundrels' that ABC attempted, a couple of years ago, only it had Catherine O'Hara in the lead role and it was called 'Good Behavior.'
Uh, yeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaah, from this TBS report it looks like 
The television gods have spoken. Okay, not really. But the people in power at HBO have had their say and 
(In my best Christopher Walken voice, which really isn't all that good) Guess what? Your TV has a fever! And the only prescription... is more 
Little people are the next big thing on television, apparently. 
Question: how many shows about cake are there on TV right now? Three? Nine? Seventy? Cake seems to be all the rage right now and it doesn't look like it's going to slow down anytime soon. TLC has announced that they have 
SyFy has been reinventing things with mixed success. They have 
ABC really loves dealing with Bill Lawrence and his crew, don't they? 
Have you been itching with excitement and unable to sit still because of the nervous anticipation building in your body over what has happened to the cast of the MTV reality series Jersey Shore? If so, please seek professional help immediately. 
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. on 'Faces of America' and the Beer Summit
Six Reasons Why '24' Has Jumped the You-Know-What
The Super Bowl Commercials: The Best
