Prime Cuts: Your Best Bets in Prime Time For Friday, 2-10-06
Posted by Rhys Alexander Categories: Comedy, Drama, Prime Time, Reality, ABC, FOX, NBC,
It’s an exciting night for Arrested Development fans! A four-episode marathon completes the beloved series.
Arrested Development, 8pm, FOX. Catch the final four episodes of this cherished comedy.
Dancing With the Stars, 8pm, ABC. Learn the results of the latest dance-off.
The Olympics, 8pm, NBC. The ceremonies start with much fanfare tonight. Say hello to thrilling action and athleticism; say goodbye to your favorite shows that will sink to repeats to avoid competing against the games. EndScore will have coverage.
In Justice, 9pm, NBC. We can’t decide what’s worse: the hokey title, or Kyle’s hideous haircut.
Obviously, a less than thrilling night for television, with all the repeats and the heralding in of tepid weekend entertainment. Unless you’re an Arrested Development fan, of course.
Gallery: Prime Cuts: Your Best Bets in Prime Time For Friday, 2-10-06
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Always a bridesmaid, never a bride: Greg Grunberg has been known for a number of supporting roles in popular series, but has never carried the spotlight himself. From a goofy sidekick on Felicity to a right- hand man in Alias to a cameo as an ill-fated pilot in Lost, not only has Grunberg received all his roles from popular series creator J.J. Abrams; he’s also always been the guy in the background. Finally, he’ll have a chance to take the lead in the NBC drama Heroes, about normal people who discover they have gained superpowers. Will Grunberg be able to carry a show on his sturdy shoulders? We’ll tune in to find out.
Greg Grunberg, whose “Alias” character supported the nearly superheroic Sydney Bristow for several seasons, is getting some powers of his own. Grunberg will star in the NBC pilot “Heroes,” a show about people who discover they have superpowers. “Heroes” comes from “Crossing Jordan” creator Tim Kring. It’s about a group of seemingly everyday people, Grunberg among them, who realize they have superhuman abilities, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
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Gallery: Greg Grunberg Finally Takes The Lead
Donald Trump Seeks A Gold Medal Apprentice
Posted by Rhys Alexander Categories: Reality, Sports, NBC, Apprentice, The - Donald, News,
In a new twist for the sixth season of the popular NBC reality series The Apprentice, viewers will choose one of the candidates, from a list of twelve Olympic athletes. Why an Olympic athlete? Perhaps because with the amount of physical and mental fortitude required to rise to the top of a sport, the contender would have no trouble competing against the other candidates, and would not buckle under the pressure of The Donald’s stare.
Maybe this will add a dash of spice to a show that has waned a bit the past few seasons.
NBC Olympics and Mark Burnett Productions have joined forces for this ambitious exercise in corporate synergy. Voters will choose from 2006 US Olympic athletes Allison Baver, Travis Cabral, Casey FitzRandolph, Todd Hays, Chad Hedrick, Danny Kass, Joe Pack, Speedy Peterson, Angela Ruggiero, Katie Uhlaender, Seth Wescott, and Chris Witty. The winner of the online vote will appear as a contestant on season six of the series. Voting begins Friday, February 10 and concludes Sunday, February 26, at NBCOlympics.com.
“One does not reach the Olympic Games without enormous drive, perseverance, ambition, and a willingness to take a risk; [these are] traits required of business leaders,” said Gary Zenkel, President of NBC Olympics, in a statement.
Read More | TV.com
Gallery: Donald Trump Seeks A Gold Medal Apprentice
Andrea Anders Will Abandon Joey To Star On Another Show
Posted by Rhys Alexander Categories: Comedy, CBS, NBC, Talent,
Even Joey’s own stars are weary of the tepid comedy, which NBC is already considering for cancellation. Andrea Anders, who plays Joey’s neighbor on the NBC show, is not waiting for her walking papers. She has already ran over to a different network. She will star in the CBS comedy Class, which will follow the adventures of seven adults who reunite after years of separation following their childhood friendships. Class is already garnering decent buzz, which may mean Anders has made the right choice.
Read More | Reuters
Gallery: Andrea Anders Will Abandon Joey To Star On Another Show
Prime Cuts: Your Best Bets in Prime Time For Wednesday, 2-8-06
Posted by Rhys Alexander Categories: Comedy, Drama, Prime Time, ABC, FOX, NBC,
Tonight’s choices are decent, though nothing to shout about. (Unless you’re on American Idol.)
The Grammy Awards, 8pm, CBS. Crooners glitter it up on music’s biggest night.
American Idol, 8pm, FOX. The hopefuls finally make it to Hollywood, where dreams will dissolve and ears will bleed.
The Biggest Loser, 8pm, NBC. Husband and wife teams lose big to win big.
Bones, 9pm, FOX. This all new episode pits the beautiful partners against murderers and mysteries.
Lost, 9pm, ABC. Fans will surely find delight in this all new Lost.
Law & Order, 10pm, NBC. Television’s longest-running crime serial tackles all new crime tonight.
Gallery: Prime Cuts: Your Best Bets in Prime Time For Wednesday, 2-8-06
Rejected Series Given A Second Chance By Television Networks
Posted by Rhys Alexander Categories: Comedy, Drama, ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC,
Dashed dreams are given a chance of rejuvenation as major networks give the go ahead to previously rejected pilots. This move has been successful in the past, such as when CBS first rejected Numb3rs, but then gave it a chance to air and watched it become a hit show. Will other shows be as lucky?
The mix of second chance pilots offers a bit of everything: drama, comedy, and adventure, and producers hope that viewers will be receptive.
With a staggering amount of new material pitched every development season, the resurrection odds for an older script that already has been passed on are minimal. But there are a few factors that can increase a show’s chances.
“The key word is passion,” Fox executive vice president of programming Craig Erwich says. “Somebody—it can be the writer, an agent or an executive—has to not allow the project to die. In the back of their minds, all executives carry about 10 projects they wish they’d made.”
For eight years after CBS passed on his drama The Truth About Joey Ice Cream, writer Paul Haggis tried to get the project, about four young Irish brothers in New York, made. Finally, NBC last summer picked up the script to a pilot and later to series titled The Black Donnellys. It didn’t hurt that in the meantime, Haggis had become one of the hottest filmmakers in Hollywood after garnering critical acclaim for writing Million Dollar Baby and for co-writing and directing Crash.
Shonda Rhimes, creator of ABC’s red-hot drama Grey’s Anatomy, also is a writer whose previous work is being revisited after she made it big. Rhimes is writing a new journalism-themed drama pilot for ABC for midseason 2006-07 consideration. In reality, that project was developed a year earlier than Grey’s and now is being reworked.
We’re hopeful that we’ll find some diamonds in this so-called ‘junk pile.’ Sometimes a second chance is just what a quality show needs.
Read More | TV.com
Gallery: Rejected Series Given A Second Chance By Television Networks
Prime Cuts: Your Best Bets in Prime Time For Monday, 1-6-06
Posted by Rhys Alexander Categories: Prime Time, ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC,
Let’s start off the week with some great—and all new—TV!
Surface, 8pm, NBC. Dive into the depths of the season finale tonight.
Skating With Celebrities, 8pm, FOX. This so-bad-it’s-good reality show glides on towards another elimination tonight. With sequins, lots of sequins.
Wife Swap, 8pm, ABC. Are we the only ones who can’t help giggling at the title of this show? How did they get it past the censors? Tonight’s swapping is brand new.
The Bachelor, 9pm, ABC. Women put on fancy dresses and embarrass themselves in hopes of catching a man. New episode, same old story.
24, 9pm, FOX. Jack’s battling all new evil tonight. For an hour.
Medium, 10pm, NBC. An all-new episode pits our favorite psychic soccer mom against ghostly baddies.
Rollergirls, 10pm, A&E. We admit it. We love these hard-skating bad girls. Of course, Medium is the best thing on at 10pm, so we recommend you catch the 1am repeat of this reality treat.
Gallery: Prime Cuts: Your Best Bets in Prime Time For Monday, 1-6-06
Britney Spears Goes Conservative For Will & Grace
Posted by Rhys Alexander Categories: Comedy, Prime Time, NBC, Talent,
More details about Britney’s guest star appearance have emerged:
Britney is shedding the skin-tight outfits and gyrations for a turn as a conservative Christian talk show host on NBC’s Will & Grace. Viewers will likely be anxious to see if the pop diva’s acting skills have improved. We’ll be tuning in!
Rather than singing or playing herself, Spears, 24, will take a stab at comedy acting, portraying a Christian conservative talk show host in a guest appearance on the gay-themed series, NBC said Wednesday.
She will share most of her scenes with the flamboyant Will & Grace character Jack, played by Emmy winner Sean Hayes, an NBC spokesman said.
The episode, marking Spears’ first gig as an entertainer since giving birth to a son in September, will be taped February 15 and air on April 13. Her last real experience as an actress came in the 2002 teen road film Crossroads.
Read More | TV.com
Gallery: Britney Spears Goes Conservative For Will & Grace
With our favorite shows moving beyond the television set to places such as our computers and cell phones, it’s hardly a shock that an online-exclusive series will soon debut. NBC will air an American Idol type music competition series entitled StarTomorrow, debuting this summer. Certainly an intriguing idea. Do you think viewers will tune in?
In addition to the performances, the show will offer video packages that include interviews, rehearsal footage and background information on each group. The winner of the 16-week series will get a recording contract with Casablanca Records, headed by music-biz veteran Tommy Mottola—who’s also an executive producer of the series.
“This is the first time NBC will be distributing a network-quality program exclusively online,” says Jeff Gaspin, who oversees digital content for NBC. “We want to give consumers a new viewing experience, and digital content enables us to give more scheduling and programming latitude to them, truly allowing viewers to create their own show.”
Read More | Zap2It
Gallery: NBC Developing Online-Only Series
Mariska Hargitay Will Be Replaced For Six Episodes on Law & Order: SVU
Posted by Rhys Alexander Categories: Drama, NBC, Talent, News,
We sure will miss her! One of the best actresses on television, on the best crime show today, will miss six episodes for maternity leave. Mariska’s character, Olivia Benson, will not be pregnant on the show. Hmm…that would be hard to explain, since Olivia never has time to date!
Gladiator’s Connie Nielsen will fill in for Hargitay.
Read More | Zap2it
Gallery: Mariska Hargitay Will Be Replaced For Six Episodes on Law & Order: SVU
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