renewed-related stories
Posted Oct 25th 2009 9:03AM by Jason Hughes
Filed under: Other Drama Shows, OpEd, Pickups and Renewals, Reality-Free
It looks like HBO is so in love with Gabriel Byrne's turn as Dr. Paul Weston that they're willing to go into uncharted territory with him. While the Isreali series
BeTipul, on which it was based, only went two seasons,
HBO has ordered a third round of In Treatment.
This is significant because the series remained incredibly faithful to the original series through both of its first two seasons. For this new third season, the writers will have to create all new patients, stories and drama for our beleaguered psychotherapist. Gabriel Byrne is already attached to continue his role, of course. It wouldn't be a show without him. I hope they can secure Dianne Wiest again as Paul's mentor and therapist, Gina.
Continue reading HBO booking a third season of In Treatment
Posted Sep 29th 2009 5:25PM by Jason Hughes
Filed under: Other Sci-Fi/Supernatural Shows, Cancellations, Pickups and Renewals, Reality-Free
When ITV canceled their hit series
Primeval, I was baffled. This was the top-rated show on BBC America, and it was a pretty solid hit worldwide as well. Apparently, I was right about that, though, as BBC Worldwide and German ProSeiben are part of a complex deal that enabled the show to go back into production.
If only there were an organizaton like that that could step in every time a network axes a sci-fi show on a massive cliffhanger, like
Primeval was. Even better, the renewal gives the series
two new seasons at 13 episodes each. We're going to have to wait until 2011 to find out how Connor and Abby get out of that tree, but that's better than never finding out.
Unlike the
Jericho renewal of a few years back, this deal doesn't include any reductions in budget of any kind, so not only will they be able to keep the entire cast intact, the effects budget remains untouched. I'm glad to hear that, as I don't think I was ready for men in rubber suits chasing the crew around.
Posted Aug 27th 2009 3:21PM by Jason Hughes
Filed under: Other Drama Shows, Pickups and Renewals, Reality-Free
Good news for everyone who's ever been screwed by someone in power. Not so good news for everyone in power.
TNT just picked up Leverage for a third season, and I couldn't be happier. In the first season,
Leverage worked because of the cleverness of the heists the gang got up to. I found myself trying to figure out all the angles they were working, but by the end they still managed to trick me a couple of times.
The second season saw them lose their stately headquarters and tackle these jobs in a much more street level fashion, and in several ways the show got better. At the same time, rather than the heist always taking center stage, at times it was our five characters that shone brightest.
By that I'm referring to the quirks of their individual personalities, because we haven't gotten a great deal of character development this season. The banter and camaraderie within the crew gives us some great lines and moments each week, though. Now that a third season is secured, I'd like to see the character arcs for those great personalities pick up again.
Posted May 13th 2008 2:27PM by Joel Keller
Filed under: Interviews, How I Met Your Mother, Pickups and Renewals, Reality-Free
Just got off the phone with Carter Bays, co-creator of
How I Met Your Mother (Craig Thomas was doing another interview). He confirms that,
as earlier reports indicated, the show has been renewed for a fourth season.
"I think we can say it. We got our pickup. We're on the schedule, so we hear," he told me. As far as where the show will be on the schedule, he doesn't know, but "we'll be happy to be anywhere." When I asked him if he was confident that the show was going to be picked up, he said "Call me crazy, but I never really doubted it. I just felt like this show has a lot of creative life left in it, and that it's too good of an environment to up and disappear."
I asked him a lot about Britney Spears' appearance and if it was the reason why the show got picked up. "The cynical answer would be Britney, but I do think that even before that ... during the strike especially, when I managed to get out in the world it felt like enough people liked the show and proselytized for it that it's grown in viewership."
The full interview will be up either tomorrow or Thursday, where I ask Bays about Britney, not making the show guest star-heavy, some info on the finale, and why the heck was that framed letter in Stella's apartment. Stay tuned.
Posted May 13th 2008 9:37AM by Joel Keller
Filed under: Industry, Programming, How I Met Your Mother, Pickups and Renewals, Upfronts, Reality-Free
Well, it looks like fans of
How I Met Your Mother (me! me!) and
The Unit (maybe my parents?) have some early good news ahead of CBS's upfront, which is scheduled for tomorrow: The
LA Times' Show Tracker blog is reporting that
both shows will be renewed (thanks to Greg for
leaving a comment with the link last night).
The article talks more about
HIMYM, of course, mentioning that Britney Spears' first appearance gave the show the boost it needed to carry it to a fourth season. I wish that wasn't true, but I'm pretty sure it is. As much as fans of
HIMYM (me! me!) hated the distraction Brit Brit brought to the show, and really hated her wooden performance (especially last night, according to many of the commenters on
my review of "Everything Must Go"), they have to admit that without the pop tart, the show might not have made it.
Sigh. Oh, well. Whatever gets the job done, right? I'll see if I can confirm the renewal when I speak to Carter Bays and Craig Thomas later today.
Posted Aug 4th 2007 5:20PM by Adam Finley
Filed under: Celebrities, Last Comic Standing, Pickups and Renewals
Great news for people who like standing comics and Americans who have talent: NBC has renewed both Last Comic Standing and America's Got Talent. Both series will return next summer.
The hosts from both shows, Talent's Jerry Springer and Standing's Bill Bellamy, will return for the new seasons. Talent judges Sharon Osbourne, David Hasselhoff and Piers Morgan will also return.
Continue reading Last Comic Standing and America's Got Talent renewed
Posted Feb 27th 2007 7:23PM by Joel Keller
Filed under: Other Drama Shows, NBC, OpEd, Pickups and Renewals
Las Vegas is one of those shows that I've always thought was in the same category as
Wings and
Just Shoot Me!, one of those nice little shows that never generates any buzz, but does just well enough in its timeslot to keep getting renewed. If you're around on a Friday night and there's nothing to watch, it's always good to stumble across the show; the beautiful triumvirate of Cox, Marcil, and Sims is always nice to look at, and they make good use of celebrity guest shots. Most of all, the show stars James Caan; 35 years after
The Godfather, the man is still compelling to watch, even if he only seems half-interested in being on the show most of the time.
Anyway, the crew at the Montecito is going to get another year to distract us from our lonely Fridays, as NBC has decided to pick
Las Vegas up for a fifth season,
according to TV Week. "The cast and producers have consistently given us what we want from
Las Vegas - pure entertainment," said NBC Entertainment president Kevin Reillym "and we're looking forward to another fun ride next season with the show." Ah the beauty of low expectations: the show is averaging a 2.8 rating for the season.
Posted Jan 17th 2007 9:59AM by Anna Johns
Filed under: Syndicated, Talk Show, Pickups and Renewals
The
Rachael Ray phenomenon will stretch at least through the end of this decade. Her syndicated talk show, which premiered last fall, is renewed through 2010. No surprise, really, considering how popular she is. A survey done by King World last year found that she's the
"most likeable television host" we have right now, with Paula Deen, Ty Pennington and even Oprah trailing behind her. Although, I have to agree with
Bob's assessment that the woman is just plain exhausting.
Bob and I are evidently in the minority, however. Rachael's show is the highest-rated syndicated talk show since Dr. Phil debuted in 2002.
According to TV Week, her show averages a 2.1 rating and is consistently ranked among the top five talk shows on television. So far, one-third of the country has signed on to carry
Rachael Ray through 2010.
Posted Dec 12th 2006 4:35PM by Joel Keller
Filed under: Industry, OpEd, FX, Pickups and Renewals, Documentary
Who knew that eating your body weight in McDonald's could lead to a lasting career? Morgan Spurlock is finding out, as the director/guinea pig from the 2004 documentary
Super Size Me is carving out a nice little resume for himself as a producer and director. And his efforts are paying off:
Cynopsis is reporting that FX is
picking up his documentary series
30 Days for a third season.
For the uninitiated,
30 Days examines controversial issues by following a subject -- someone other than Spurlock, even though he's been the subject in an episode or two -- as he or she experiences something that touches on that issue. Usually, the environment the subject is in is completely foreign to them and, in some cases, runs opposite to their ideology or beliefs.
Continue reading 30 Days gets third season
Posted Oct 10th 2006 7:31PM by Joel Keller
Filed under: TV Royalty, Industry, OpEd, Syndicated, Celebrities
It's hard to believe, but Mary Hart and her legs have been hosting
Entertainment Tonight since August of 1982, meaning that she is now beginning her 25th season with the entertainment news program. Throughout all the changes in how entertainment news is reported -- believe it or not,
ET used to be a much more informative and sedate program than it is now -- and all of the show's male co-hosts -- remember Robb Weller? Bob Goen? John Freakin' Tesh? -- she's been there.
Now comes word that Hart has
signed a multi-year deal to continue hosting the show. Since Hart is already a month shy of her 56th birthday (she got an honorable mention when I listed the
hottest TV women over 50), the deal will likely take her past her 60th birthday. That's quite a feat in the youth-obsessed world she covers. Wonder if the producers still have an insurance policy out on those legs...
Posted Sep 28th 2006 3:04PM by Joel Keller
Filed under: Other Comedy Shows, CBS, OpEd, Celebrities, Comedy Central, Pickups and Renewals
Have you noticed that there are some people in Hollywood who are able to keep their careers going, somehow staying in something resembling a spotlight, for years after they should have faded from the scene? You've got to give these people credit; without their determination, pluck, and do-anything-for-a-buck attitude, people like Kathy Griffin might have fallen off the face of the earth after a couple of years. In fact, I did
a Five post about folks like this a few months ago.
David Spade was on that list. He's a funny guy, but never the most talented person in that hoary group of former
SNLers. But he's been resourceful and scrappy enough to keep things going for more than 17 years. Which is the long way for me to say that Comedy Central
has picked up Spade's
The Showbiz Show for a third season, which will begin airing in February. In addition to his cable duties, Spade will have a role in the upcoming CBS mid-season comedy
The Rules of Engagement. So, as you see, Spade just keeps on keeping on. I'd make an Energizer Bunny joke here, but it's not 1990, so I'll refrain.
Posted Aug 23rd 2006 11:34AM by Joel Keller
Filed under: Other Drama Shows, Other Sci-Fi/Supernatural Shows, Industry, Programming, The 4400, USA
Every time we do a post about
The 4400 (or even when we don't do a post about, say, a particular episode), we're always surprised at the number of fans who come out of the woodwork to passionately defend and discuss the program. But it looks like USA is fully aware of this fan base, as they've been very satisfied with the show's ratings for the last three years. Because of this, the cable net
is renewing the show for a fourth season, with 13 episodes to be broadcast next summer.
When the show premiered in 2004, it received the highest ratings and biggest audience of any basic cable new-series premiere to that point, so the strong ratings it still receives shouldn't be a surprise. But, compared to other shows on the same network, like
Monk, Psych, and even
The Dead Zone, the show seems to get little media attention -- at least from the non sci-fi crowd. Maybe it'll finally get the attention it deserves in 2007.
Posted Aug 4th 2006 7:15PM by Anna Johns
Filed under: Other Sci-Fi/Supernatural Shows, ABC, Cable, Industry, Kyle XY
ABC Family is so happy with
Kyle XY that it has already committed to a second season. The show is only six episodes into its first season, but already it's the most-watched original show ever to air on ABC Family. It's been nabbing 2.1 million viewers a week, with 800,000 of them in that coveted 18-49 demographic. I watched the pilot for this show and it didn't strike me as intriguing but maybe I didn't give it enough time. It's about a teen-ager who wakes up in the woods with no memory, no life skills, and no belly button. He's taken in by the family of his juvenile detention counselor.
Is anybody out there watching/enjoying this show? Would you like us to start reviewing episodes?
Posted May 16th 2006 5:13PM by Anna Johns
Filed under: Other Drama Shows, Programming, Everwood, Veronica Mars, The CW
TV Guide is reporting that
Veronica Mars just got renewed for a third season. According to creator Rob Thomas, The CW is picking up
Mars for 22 episodes, with an agreement that if ratings are bad, it'll drop back to 13 episodes.
Also from TV Guide, word that
One Tree Hill is renewed but
Everwood is canceled. Shouldn't it be the other way around?
[Thanks to tipsters Ashley & Peter!]
Posted May 15th 2006 2:33PM by Joel Keller
Filed under: Other Comedy Shows, ABC, Industry, Programming, OpEd, Watercooler Talk
It seems like the number one example that anyone seems to give when discussing the all-important topic of "What's Wrong with Sitcoms?" is
According to Jim. And with good reason: it's not funny. It's a paint-by-numbers script full of lame jokes. Jim Belushi's character is the epitome of the
fat, lazy husband that doesn't do anything to deserve his unblievably hot wife. Oh, and did I say it's not funny? I did? Well I'll say it again: it's not funny.
But, for some reason, ABC likes this show, despite its declining ratings. How do I know? Well, Jim Belushi mentioned the show's pickup for the fall when he was on the Howard Stern show today. This means the show will be entering it's
sixth season -- and has enough episodes to hit the syndication jackpot -- while innovative shows like
Sons & Daughters, supposedly a favorite of ABC executives,
gets the ax.
So, does anyone here actually
watch According to Jim? And, if so, why do you like it? I'm extremely curious as to what you see in this show year after year. Is it the family element? Unrequited crush on Courtney Thorne-Smith? I want to know!
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