‘Kidnapped’ Latest TV Casualty
Posted by Wendy Michaels Categories: Drama, NBC, The CW, Cancellations, Ratings,
Kidnapped seemed ill-fated when NBC switched it from Wednesday to Saturday nights—the proverbial “kiss of death.” Well, the series has been kissed, and it’s now officially dead. NBC has removed the show from the schedule permanently. Good news for fans, however—NBC will air the eight remaining episodes on NBC.com. I saw a commercial for Kidnapped the other day, and it’s a surprise that it didn’t take off—with stars like Jeremy Sisto, Delroy Lindo, Dana Delany and Timothy Hutton, there was plenty of star power. The original timeslot averaged under 7 million viewers per week; the move to Saturday proved lethal, with numbers dropping to 4 million. So far, we’ve seen the passing of CBS’ Smith and The CW’s Runaway. Twenty Good Years will reportedly get the axe as well, since it will be leaving the air in a couple of weeks. Warner Bros. TV, however, says the show is still in production.
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Gallery: ‘Kidnapped’ Latest TV Casualty
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NBC has refused to air a TV commercial for the new Dixie Chicks’ documentary, Shut Up & Sing due to the subject of the film. NBC’s policy is to prohibit ads that show “public controversy.” The film looks at the slide from the top the Dixie Chicks experienced after they criticized President George W. Bush during a London concert in March 2003. If you recall the incident, lead singer Natalie Maines told the audience that they were “ashamed” to come from the same state as Bush. Following that, some radio stations refused to play the bands’ records and boycotted ads for their “Accidents & Accusations” tour.
The documentary opened on Friday in New York and Los Angeles, and local affiliates of the big five broadcasters did run promos for the movie in those cities. The Weinstein Co., who is distributing the film, said of the rejection that they are “exploring taking legal action.” Harvey Weinstein made a statement saying, “It’s a sad commentary about the level of fear in our society that a movie about a group of courageous entertainers who were blacklisted for exercising their right of free speech is now itself being blacklisted by corporate America.”
Following suit, the CW network also refused to air the ads, saying they had “concerns we do not have appropriate programing in which to schedule this spot.”
Read More | Yahoo! News
Gallery: Dixie Chicks’ TV Ad Won’t Air on NBC
Additional Scripts Ordered for Four New Series
Posted by Wendy Michaels Categories: Comedy, Drama, Prime Time, ABC, NBC, Ratings, Renewals,
Four new series on ABC and NBC have gotten the go-ahead for additional scripts. Help Me Help You, The Nine, Men in Trees and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip are all big winners—ABC’s shows have gotten the order for four more scripts and Studio 60 is picked up for three more scripts. Studio 60‘s announcement was a surprise to many, as the show has not been a ratings winner. It does, however, rank among the top shows for upscale viewers (incomes greater than $75,000).
This marks a trend of networks to favor ordering more scripts rather than giving full season pickups. In fact, only six new shows have been given the full ride so far—Brothers & Sisters, Ugly Betty, Heroes, Shark, Jericho, and The Game.
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Gallery: Additional Scripts Ordered for Four New Series
Jesse L. Martin, who plays Detective Ed Green on Law & Order, was the victim of a robbery during a visit to his hometown of Buffalo, NY. In town to shoot a film, Martin was eating breakfast and signing autographs on Monday morning, only to have his car broken into. The thief got away with Martin’s luggage, iPod and autographed photos. Director Peter McGennis said of the incident, “He’s lived in New York City for 20 years and has never been robbed or a victim of theft. He comes back here and in two days he gets fleeced.” The film Martin was shooting is an indie movie called Buffalo Bushido. Without his luggage, Martin flew to New York City with just the clothes he was wearing and his wallet. Quite a homecoming—Martin graduated from the Buffalo Academy for Visual and Performing Arts.
Read More | Access Hollywood
Gallery: Star of Law & Order Robbed
Must See TV is Back!
Posted by Wendy Michaels Categories: Comedy, Prime Time, NBC, My Name Is Earl, Scrubs, The Office,
Remember when Thursday nights were ‘Must See TV’ on NBC? Well, Thursday nights are about to get a great lineup again. Of course, this is just in my opinion, but I’m sure plenty will agree. First, Scrubs is coming back on November 30th! The long-awaited return is finally just around the corner, and here’s hoping that the 9 p.m. slot on the Thursday night lineup will bring more viewers to this great comedy. Second, 30 Rock, the new Tina Fey/Alec Baldwin sitcom will move to Thursdays at 9:30. This little comedy has got potential and Thursday may give it more exposure. My Name is Earl and The Office will continue at 8 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Oh my god, settle in to your comfy chair for the best night of TV! Kevin Reilly, President of NBC Entertainment, said of the news, “We are excited about the prospect of two-hours of top-notch comedy on Thursday nights, which includes the return of Scrubs. We will stay on-brand with the best comedy block on television, which will position us for the future on the night.” Look for it all on November 30th (and of course, ER is still hanging in the Thursday 10 p.m. spot).
Read More | ComingSoon.net
Gallery: Must See TV is Back!
Farrelly Brothers Pilot Coming to NBC
Posted by Wendy Michaels Categories: Comedy, Prime Time, BBC, NBC,
The Farrelly brothers (Peter and Bobby) are perhaps best known for their films There’s Something About Mary, Kingpin, Stuck on You, and Shallow Hal. Now they’re bringing their brand of humor to the small screen, joining forces with Ben Silverman, producer of The Office and Wil Calhoun, a writer for Friends. The pilot, called I’m With Stupid, is an adaptation of a British show that pairs a homeless man with a disabled man in a wheelchair. The man comes to live at the home for the disabled where the wheelchair-bound man lives. So where is the Farrelly brothers’ signature gross-out humor? Well, it’s sure to have some people prickly over the nature of the show and possibly the title (who is the “stupid” one in this friendship?). The brothers will direct and serve as executive producers. The British version has received high marks for its potrayal of disabled people. We’ll see if the Farrelly’s can bring any sensitivity to the subject. The Farrelly’s are currently working on a Three Stooges project.
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Gallery: Farrelly Brothers Pilot Coming to NBC
Scrubs’ Star Takes on Lifetime Movie
Posted by Wendy Michaels Categories: Comedy, Prime Time, Cable, NBC, Scrubs,
Sarah Chalke, who stars as Elliot Reid on Scrubs, is taking on a decidedly different role. Why I Wore Lipstick to My Mastectomy tells the story of a woman who has discovered she has breast cancer and how she copes with it. Here’s the twist—it’s a comedy. The story is about Geralyn Lucas, now the director of public relations for Lifetime Networks, who documented her battle with breast cancer and survival in the book of the same name. Now adapted for a Lifetime movie, the story is a humorous look at how one woman coped with something that most can’t wrap their brains around. I’m looking forward to seeing Chalke bring her gift of comedy to this film—so far, I’ve read good reviews of her performance. Jay Harrington (Coupling, Desperate Housewives) plays Lucas’ husband—a doctor who is trying to understand what his wife is going through. According to Geralyn Lucas’ bio on the Lifetime web site, her cancer diagnosis was 11 years ago. The movie premieres on Monday, October 23rd at 9 p.m on Lifetime—a fitting film for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Read More | Yahoo! News
Gallery: Scrubs’ Star Takes on Lifetime Movie
OK, I admit it. I watched 1 vs. 100—and it was pretty entertaining. For anyone who is tired of Deal or No Deal, this just may be the change of pace you need in a game show. With solid ratings, 1 vs. 100 was given the go-ahead by NBC, who ordered 10 additional episodes of the show (they already had 5 on the docket). “1 vs. 100 grabbed the public’s attention when it delivered solid ratings last Friday and staked out its own identity to become a great extension of our game-show franchise.” says Craig Plestis, head of alternative programming at NBC. 1 vs. 100 also brings Bog Saget back in the limelight and he does a fine job as host. If you’re unfamiliar with the premise, this game show puts one player up against a “mob” of 100 others—testing their knowledge of trivia. The individual player wins money for each correct answer as more members of the mob who answer incorrectly are eliminated from the game. The twist here is that if the individual player answers incorrectly, the remaining mob members split his or her earnings. The show premiered last week with almost 12.8 million viewers.
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Gallery: 1 vs. 100 Gets Full Order
Friday Night Lights to Replace Studio 60 on October 30th
Posted by Wendy Michaels Categories: Prime Time, NBC, Ratings,
Ruh-roh. This decision sounds like a bad sign for Studio 60—for one night only, Friday Night Lights will replace the Aaron Sorkin lovefest. NBC is trying to switch things up, and may just be trying to decide which one of these ratings stinkers will get the boot. On October 30th, during the 10 p.m. slot that Studio 60 normally fills, the football drama will get a shot at seeing whether it sinks or swims. Friday Night Lights will air following Heroes, NBC’s most successful freshman show. The new episode of Lights will air on October 30th, with a repeat of the episode in its usual 8 p.m. Tuesday time slot on October 31st. Studio 60 will take the week off—and for you Studio 60 fans, let’s hope it’s not more than a week. The much-hyped behind-the-scenes look at sketch comedy has steadily dropped viewers, now dipping below 9 million. People have a lot of complaints about the series, and I’m beginning to wonder if it will make it at all.
Friday Night Lights also seemed to be in danger of cancellation, but NBC ordered more scripts and now has the night switcheroo plan in place. The series has only averaged 6.6 million viewers.
Read More | Zap2it
Gallery: Friday Night Lights to Replace Studio 60 on October 30th
Leonardo DiCaprio Pitches E-topia
Posted by Wendy Michaels Categories: Reality, ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, Survivor, News,
The latest reality show premise comes courtesy of Leonardo DeCaprio—and promises to deliver some environmental messages. Currently in development, DiCaprio’s environmental series, E-topia serves up home makeovers of the eco-friendly variety. In this case, a team will reconstruct a town in America into a “‘green’ utopia of tomorrow.” While the reality series is not yet on any network’s plate, it is being shopped around. The makeover is no quickie solution, as it’s anticipated that each eco-friendly re-do will take months. Adding to the mix are a team of workers unfamiliar with working with “eco-idealists.” The idea came from executive producers Craig Piligian (Survivor) and Tom Mazza (Treasure Hunters), with DiCaprio, an environmental advocate, taking on the task as co-creator and executive producer. “We’re going to take a devastated community and help transform it as a prototype for the future,” Piligian said. “At the end of the day, we’re all going to have to change the way we live, the way we burn and use fuel ... We’re trying to show the country and the world by example, town by town by town, how we can change the way we live and fight global warming.”
Read More | Yahoo! News
Gallery: Leonardo DiCaprio Pitches E-topia
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