TV News Roundup – January 2010 – Week 3
‘How I Met Your Mother’ meets Season 6
CBS gives comedy series an early renewal
On the heels of “How I Met Your Mother” hitting its 100th episode and its creators/executive producers Carter Bays and Craig Thomas getting locked in by producing studios 20th TV for three more years, CBS has given the comedy series an early sixth-season renewal.
Who’s confronted and what’s revealed in Fringe season finale
According to consulting producer and director Akiva Goldsman, Walter Bishop (John Noble) will finally face off with his old mad scientist partner, William Bell (Leonard Nimoy), for the two-part Fringe season finale later this year.
Weird Al to Make Live-Action Flick for Cartoon Network
Turns out the deal was inked months ago, but now — with the script in its third draft, though still not officially green lit — Yankovic can finally share a few details about it. ”I’ll be making an appearance in it. Cartoon Network had requested that I develop a show with a much younger protagonist – the actual star of the movie will most likely be teenage.”
True Blood’s Alexander Skarsgård More Naked Than Ever
“Alex is not shy about getting naked at all!” said Preston, who plays Arlene Fowler. “And there will be lots of those kinds of scenes with Alex this season.”
‘Rex Is Not Your Lawyer’ DOA at NBC?
NBC has delayed a verdict on Rex Is Not Your Lawyer, the much-buzzed-about drama pilot starring Doctor Who’s David Tennant. Peacock execs were eyeing Rex to possibly fill one of its post-Jay Leno Show holes at 10 pm this spring. But a source close to the show tells me, “The sets are coming down this week.”
TNT picks up Spielberg’s alien invasion pilot
TNT has picked up three new series — all of its pilots, basically. One of particular interest is an alien invasion project, written by Robert Rodat from an idea he conceived with Steve Spielberg. The untitled project is set shortly after aliens have wiped out most of the human population. Noah Wyle plays the leader of a ragtag group of soldiers and civilians who struggle against the occupying alien force, with Moon Bloodgood, Jessy Schram, Seychelle Gabriel and Maxim Knight co-starring.
Jacob, his nemesis returning to ‘Lost’
Titus Welliver, Mark Pellegrino to appear in final season
With “Lost” fans eager for answers in the final season of the ABC drama, at least one of the show’s mysteries may get resolved: Who is Jacob’s nemesis? Titus Welliver, who played a mysterious character in Season 5, is set to reprise his role in the second part of “Lost’s” sixth season, which premieres Feb. 2. To make things even more suspenseful, also returning for the final season is Mark Pellegrino, who played Jacob. He will appear in at least six episodes of “Lost’s” final, 18-episode season.
Q&A: Anil Kapoor
Bollywood actor talks about his arc on this season’s “24″
Initially I was a bit skeptical but working with the “24” team was wonderful as they took good care of me. The sheer scale of this TV show is bigger than most films. I mean it was definitely bigger than “Slumdog Millionaire” considering that the average budget of one episode of “24” is between $3.5 – $4 million and that the show employs about 350-400 people. So in a sense it was really like working on a major film.
Gene Roddenberry pilot gets deal; ‘Bigger than Trek’?
The son of “Star Trek” creator Gene Roddenberry has struck a deal to try and bring one of his late-father’s forgotten projects to TV. Rod Roddenberry has formed an agreement with Imagine Television to develop “The Questor Tapes,” which is based on a 1974 Roddenberry pilot that ultimately aired as a TV movie. The original “Questor” is about an android with incomplete memory tapes who searches for his creator and his purpose.
Adult Swim renews ‘Robot Chicken’
Adds two seasons of the network’s top-rated show
Adult Swim has renewed “Robot Chicken” for an unprecedented two more seasons. That translates into 40 more episodes of “Robot” to air as a fifth and sixth season. The pickup isn’t much of a surprise; the series from Seth Green and Matthew Senreich is currently the network’s top-rated show and performs well on DVD (particularly its “Star Wars” parodies).
Guest stars, plot twists revealed for Chuck (spoilers!)
There’s a lot more guest stars coming up on NBC’s Chuck, which has begun its third season already with guests Angie Harmon and Superman Returns’ Brandon Routh. Routh returns next week, joined by Stone Cold Steve Austin, and former Smallville star Kristin Kreuk shows up in a few weeks. (Spoilers ahead!)
Yay! Primeval’s not extinct anymore; it’s coming back soon
The upcoming new season of Primeval will explore the other side of time travel: So far, the characters have only gone backward, where dinosaurs chase them. “There will be an aspect of the future in it, which is new for us,” series creator Adrian Hodges said. “Well, if you think of the future predators from other series, we’re going to have a kind of variation on that idea. There may also be some human intervention from the future as well.”
‘Supernatural’ spawns Web spinoff
Wonderland, WB TV producing ‘Ghostfacers’
McG’s Wonderland shingle and Warner Bros. TV are plotting a spinoff to the CW’s long-running spooky drama “Supernatural.” But rather than produce it for TV, the new show — “Ghostfacers” — is heading straight for the Internet. “Ghostfacers” reps the latest expansion into the digital studio space for Wonderland, which is producing the “Supernatural” spinoff with Warner Bros. TV’s Studio 2.0. In a twist, “Ghostfacers” will preem on TheWB.com — the interactive/video-on-demand website that emerged from the ashes of the WB television network (where “Supernatural” first bowed). The series will also appear on the CW’s website. Wonderland has already begun production on the project, which will initially run as 10 three-minute episodes.
Is Doctor Who’s new assistant a kissogram?
More details about the character of Matt Smith’s companion in the Tardis emerge…
It was announced a while back that the Doctor’s first regular companion for over a year would be Amy Pond, played by Karen Gillan. But what’s her role in life before she meets the Doctor? Well, according to a report at The Press Association, Amy Pond will be a kissogram.
Jennie Garth moves to Hidden Valley
Thesp hosts Web series from NBC Universal
Jennie Garth is moving from Beverly Hills to Hidden Valley. The thesp, who co-stars in “Beverly Hills, 90210,” hosts “Garden Party,” an original Web series that iVillage is launching this week. It was produced by NBC Universal Digital Studios and the makers of Hidden Valley Ranch dressings, along with Edelman-owned entertainment marketing agency Matter. Series aims to help families incorporate more vegetables into their diets, with Garth celebrating a new veggie each month as she meets farmers, chefs, moms and kids to tour family farms, plant cucumbers at home or visit a kids’ cooking school in order to bring the information to life. Site will also include cookbooks, a meal planner and other elements.
But Wait, There’s More…
- ABC greenlights ‘No Ordinary Family’ and ‘Freshman’
- Josh Schwartz and ‘Hitched’ pilot in at CBS
- ‘How I Met Your Mother’ creators ink new deal with 20th TV
- Joanna Garcia joins ABC’s sisters comedy
- NBC picks up two comedies, Fox adds a drama
- Fox, ABC give out pilot orders to ‘Traffic Light,’ ‘Edgar Floats’ given green light by networks
- Fox greenlights ‘Breakout Kings’
- The 100 questions Lost better answer or we’ll be pissed
- Rob Lowe exiting ‘Brothers & Sisters’
- ABC takes two more pilots, ‘Matadors’ and ‘True Blue’
- TNT picks up three series, incl. ‘Delta Blues’, ‘Rizzoli & Isles’
- Viewers abandon Heroes in droves: Can it be saved?
- British TV import ‘Survivors’ ends the world like nothing you’ve seen before
- Trek’s ‘T’Pol’ turns evil in Legend of the Seeker
- Fox orders comedy pilot ‘Strange Brew’
- NBC picks up comedy pilot ‘The Strip’ from ‘Reno 911′s’ co-creators/stars
- Playwright/TV scribe Theresa Rebeck Showtime’s Broadway TV project
- ABC picks up two drama pilots, ‘Off the Map,’ ‘Body of Evidence’
- Fox, CBS, ABC pick up pilots, ‘Nevermind Nirvana,’ ‘Odds,’ ‘Happy Endings’
- Summit develops ‘Push’ TV series
- Fox readying U.S. version of ‘Torchwood’
- Dr. Horrible 2 has to go now or we’ll lose it for a year
- ABC Family eyeing ‘Huge’, based on young-adult novel set at weight-loss camp
- Politicians urge BBC Worldwide sale, suggests tax breaks for kids’ programs
- Court orders BSkyB to cut ITV stake, must reduce share to 7.5%
- BBC’s science experiment
- Fox enlists Marc Webb to helm pilot, ’187 Detroit’
The Fine Print
This is by no means meant to be a comprehensive roundup of the entire weeks’ news. All stories are chosen by me for no other reason than that they got my attention and might capture yours. If something you think is more important chime in on the feedback; we’d love to hear comments and have a conversation about it.
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