TV News

NBC Announces Fall Schedule

Wasting no time, NBC kicked off network Upfronts this week by laying out
its schedule for the Fall season, as well as some of their plans for
mid-season. Whether it’s shows returning or a different premiere date
for a series; TV Line had all the changes the network plans to make,
which were plenty.

Returning Thursdays to the tried and true format; two hours of comedy
and one of drama, will likely be a smart move for NBC if they can find a
strong enough drama to close the night. Maria Bello will try to do just
that as she leads the cast in the UK import, Prime Suspect. Also
shaking up Thursdays will be 30 Rock push to mid-season and Parks and
Recreation (don’t worry it’s not getting bumped to January…again)
returning to its old spot following Community, so that comedian Whitney
Cumming’s self titled series can benefit from The Office lead in.

Yabba-Dabba- Remake!

Looks like Fox’s resident cartoon family overlord, Seth
MacFarlane has got the deal to produce The Flintstones.  Fox entertainment president Kevin Reilly said
production on the animated series will begin production in Fall 2011 for a
2013 premiere on the Fox schedule. In a cross-studio collaboration, The
Flintstones will be produced jointly by 20th Century Fox Television and
Warner Bros Television. So how will it all play out? MacFarlane did shed some
light on his plans for the remake: The characters will look the same but
he’ll introduce new technology, like “What is the animal version of
an iPad?”

Wonder Woman’s TV Chances Not Looking Good

It’s not official, but Variety is reporting that David E. Kelly’s Wonder Woman TV show is not looking good. NBC’s looking to pass on it which is probably a good thing at this point since there isn’t a bit of positive press about the show. I personally don’t care about the costume since it’s more pratical and reflects the comic’s costume, but a lot of people that are only familiar with the cartoon and old TV show wanted the swim suit back. Also David E. Kelly isn’t the producer you want for something like this since he’s mostly a court drama/comedy guy. Again it’s not official, but I think we can put it to rest.

Seth Gabel Joins Fringe Full-Time

It’s a happy day for Fringedom! Okay, so I made that word up but there
really is some good news for fans of the Fox sci-fi series Fringe.
Following the renewal of the show for a fourth season, Seth Gabel, aka
Lincoln Lee in both universes, has signed onto the show as a series
regular. It isn’t yet know which Lincoln will be shown the most.

Comcast Shells Out for NBC Primetime

Deadline.com
had the story as Comcast execs, including CEO for NBC Universal Steve
Burk, said the company plans to spend $200 million more on the
Peacock’s primetime plumage than GE did last year, and an additional
$100 million on NBCU’s cable networks. Burke replaced Jeff Zucker,
much to the delight of everyone on the planet, when Comcast purchased
NBC Universal in a deal finalized at the end of last year.

Dexter – One Down, Two To Go…

Following news last week of casting call information for the sixth season of Showtime’s Dexter, there has been wide speculation of who might fill some of the pivotal roles. Now the first role has been officially cast: TV Line is reporting that Colin Hanks will be joining the show.

Hanks, who has appeared in many television shows from Roswell to his starring role in the short-lived Fox series The Good Guys, is the eldest son of Oscar-winning actor Tom Hanks. 

Dexter’s Got Some New Friends…

With filming on the much anticipated sixth season of Showtime’s Dexter
set to get underway at the month’s end, the flow of information about
what is going on has finally begun. The plot remains elusive, but
tvline.com got their hands on casting call information for some of the
new blood set to appear this year.

The CW Makes Fall Pick-Ups

Just
a few weeks prior to announcing its fall schedule, The CW network has
finally made some early pick-ups for next season. Unsurprisingly the
network’s biggest hit The Vampire Diaries made the cut as well as other teen dramas including 90210 and Gossip Girl. However, perhaps the biggest news for long-serving fans of the network comes with the renewal of Supernatural for a seventh season.

NBC’s Wonder Woman Will Wear “Little Shorts”

NBC Entertainment Chairman Robert Greenblatt told TVLine.com last week that there is a third outfit in Wonder Woman’s closet. The first pictures of the heroine in costume released in mid-March, with the shiny blue pants and boots, did not win popular acclaim and even caused quite a stir in some circles. Those fans felt empowered, but not quite satisfied, when leaked photos from the pilot’s set showed what they assumed to be an updated version of the outfit with red boots, patriotic stars, and a more sober fabric for the pants. Which brings us back to the interview last week.

30 Rock – 100

30 Rock celebrated its 100^th episode with a giant-sized two-part episode in which TGS, the show-within-the-show also celebrates its 100^th episode.  Although it was a cameo-filled extravaganza, it was also partly a clips show that recycled footage from the previous five seasons.  This raises the question as to what purpose a “Clips Show” serves in the age of Hulu and You tube.