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TV News Roundup – January 2010 – Week 4

Indian-themed comedies a new TV trend
Exec: ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ effect has ‘a lot to do with it’
The two comedies — “Nirvana” at Fox and “Outsourced” at NBC — have something else in common: They both are ensemble shows about Indians and Indian Americans. A third project, a U.S. version of popular British comedy “The Kumars at No. 42,” about an immigrant Indian family, also is poised for revival. Eight years after NBC took a stab at the format, the show’s British producers are shopping it to U.S. networks, including FX.

Frell! Farscape creator teases us about comics, webisodes
Farscape creator Rockne S. O’Bannon has a Twitter feed, and he’s been busy updating it with teasers for his comic book and the much-anticipated webisode sequel series: @Rockne_S: This weekend was dedicated Farscape comic story writing time. Delivered pages for the next 4-issue arc. What are those frelling PKs up to?! … Farscape webisodes: yes still a possibility. But like always with FS, the deal-making is a very slow grind. Frustratingly slow!

U.K.’s supernatural Being Human scares up a third season
Russell Tovey, Lenora Crichlow and Aidan Turner are announced to return for a third series of critically acclaimed hit BBC Three drama Being Human, as the supernatural friends trying to live normal lives despite their unusual afflictions. The popular drama made by Touchpaper Television, part of the RDF Media Group, will see the housemates relocate from their current home in Bristol to Wales – a move triggered by events in the dramatic climax of the second series (to be shown in February).

NBC renews ‘Parks and Rec’ for third season
Early pickup was done solely for production reasons
NBC has renewed “Parks and Recreation” for a third season. The early pickup was done strictly for production reasons to lock in actors’ schedules, a rep for NBC said, stressing that the sole pickup for the sophomore comedy in no means reflects on the renewal chances of NBC’s other Thursday comedies.

Bello, Crowe, Beaufoy team at HBO
Actress to star in drama ‘Emergency Sex’
Maria Bello has teamed with Oscar winners Simon Beaufoy and Russell Crowe for a series project in the works at HBO. Bello is set to star in the drama “Emergency Sex,” inspired by the book “Emergency Sex and Other Desperate Measures: A True Story From Hell on Earth,” by Kenneth Cain, Heidi Postlewait and Andrew Thomson, the project revolves around the larger-than-life exploits of expatriate nongovernment-organization workers who find their sanity tested in the face of atrocities, loneliness and primal desires.

HBO eyes biopic about anti-gay activist
‘Sex and the City’ creator to direct film about Anita Bryant
HBO is developing a biopic of former beauty queen, singer and celebrity pitchwoman Anita Bryant, who is known mostly for her work as an anti-gay activist. “Sex and the City” creator Darren Star is on board to direct the film, which is being written by “Runaway” creator Chad Hodge. Star also is executive producing with Dennis Erdman. “She is a fascinating person on every single level,” said Hodge, who has a connection to Bryant — they both attended Northwestern. “The twists and turns of her life are incredible.”

NBC picks up ‘The Cape,’ ‘Outsourced’
Superhero drama and office comedy pilots greenlighted
BC on Thursday picked up two more pilots: hourlong “The Cape” and the comedy “Outsourced.” “Cape” is a light drama with a comic book sensibility. Set in a fictionalized version of Los Angeles, it centers on a former cop framed for a crime who becomes the Cape, a masked hero, to clear his name and reunite with his son. Based on George Wing and John Jeffcoat’s indie movie, “Outsourced” is comedy centered on a recently demoted manager of a novelties company who is shipped off to India to manage a ragtag group of customer service reps.

9 secrets from the set of Caprica
According to Paula Malcomson, Ron Moore is just as crazy as Deadwood creator David Milch, he just doesn’t show it. “Dave is outwardly insane, and Ron is inwardly insane,” she explained.

Spoilers! Werewolf rage and nudity due on Vampire Diaries
The CW’s Vampire Diaries returned last week to pay off the pre-holiday cliffhanger, and Damon (Ian Somerhalder) took Elena (Nina Dobrev) on a road trip, Elena finally confronted Stefan (Paul Wesley) about looking exactly like his ex, Katherine. Now the show builds up to the season finale, and you won’t know what’s coming even if you read all the books on which the show is based. (Spoilers ahead!)

New ‘Nikita’ set for CW
Net also orders drama from ‘Gilmore Girls’ creator
The network has picked up two pilots: an update of the 1990s action thriller “La Femme Nikita” and a family drama from “Gilmore Girls” creator Amy Sherman-Palladino. “Nikita” will give the CW its first nonsupernatural action drama. In this version, Nikita goes rogue, and a new assassin is trained to replace her. McG (“Terminator Salvation,” “Human Target”) will executive produce the “Nikita” remake with Peter Johnson and Craig Silverstein (episodes of “Bones,” “K-Ville”), who will write and executive produce. “CSI” director Danny Cannon has signed on to helm the pilot.

Syfy updating fairy tales for movie franchise
Putting new twists on Hansel and Gretel, Red Riding Hood
The network is airing five titles that give a contemporary twist on a classic story, from Hansel & Gretel (years after escaping the witch in the haunted forest, Hansel returns seeking revenge) to Little Red Riding Hood (a descendant of Little Red discovers her family secretly hunts werewolves). The series is partly inspired by the network’s mandate to find projects with broader appeal that began in earnest last year with the network’s rebranding from Sci Fi to Syfy. Syfy’s Saturday movies continue to be one of the last bastions of regularly produced made-for-TV movies. Each film is typically an international co-production made with a budget of about $2 million and shot on 35mm film. Syfy works with about 10 indie studios, which also distribute the titles on DVD. Each tends to average about 1.8 million viewers Saturdays during the network’s twice-monthly original airings.

George Lucas producing a CGI musical! Featuring … fairies?
George Lucas is tackling his first musical. The untitled, top-secret CGI-animated film is in preproduction at Lucas’ Skywalker Ranch in Marin County. Kevin Munroe is directing the CGI film, which is expected to feature music from a variety of sources. Munroe hails from the animated world and made his directorial debut in 2007 with the fourth Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie, “TMNT.” He recently wrapped production on his live-action debut, the adaptation of the “Dead of Night” comic that stars Brandon Routh and Taye Diggs.

John Barrowman set to play villain in Desperate Housewives
John Barrowman is heading to Hollywood to play the ‘bad guy’ on TV hit Desperate Housewives. The Torchwood and Dr Who star will guest star in several episodes on the long-running show about the goings on in fictional Wisteria Lane. He will be the show’s main villain in the last section of the current season, series six. Episodes featuring Barrowman will be broadcast in the America later in the Spring and around May/ June in the UK.

15 weird roles Lost’s actors had before they became stars
Everybody had to start somewhere—even the cast of Lost. Before the series, which begins its sixth and final season Tuesday, propelled its cast to mega-stardom, the actors and actresses put in their share of grunt work doing cameos, walk-ons, bit parts and those always-embarrassing commercials.

Spouses set for ‘Human’
Fricke, Carver to oversee Syfy’s adaptation of Brit hit
Husband-and-wife writing team Anna Fricke and Jeremy Carver have signed on to oversee Syfy’s adaptation of Brit hit “Being Human.” Fricke and Carver will exec produce and serve as showrunners on “Being Human,” which already has a 13-episode order lined up at Syfy. “Being Human” centers on three twentysomething roomies who navigate their double lives as a ghost, a vampire and a werewolf. Production begins this spring on “Being Human.”

But Wait, There’s More…

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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About The Author

Scott From LA

Scott is an art director, writer and comics creator living in Los Angeles. He has been a pop culture maven from a very young age. His very first job was as a manager of a comic book store. He spent several years working in a video store, and yes, we are talking VHS tapes. A student of literature and Writing, he brings his obsessive love of comic book trivia, movie history and science fiction/fantasy writing to bear on the work he does for CoolShite.

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Article Information

  • Posted: Saturday, February 6th, 2010
  • Author: Scott From LA
  • Filed Under: News, TV News
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