Welcome to the 202nd episode of TV’s Top 5, The Hollywood Reporter’s TV podcast.
Every week, hosts Lesley Goldberg (West Coast TV editor) and Daniel Fienberg (chief TV critic) break down the latest TV news with context from the business and critical sides, welcome showrunners, executives and other guests, and provide a critical guide of what to watch (or skip, as the case may be).
You’re the Worst creator Stephen Falk joins the podcast this week for a conversation about showrunners for hire and his new show, Apple’s Billy Crudup starrer Hello Tomorrow, on which he does just that. Falk also opens up about the larger themes at play in the retro-futuristic comedy and the issues that are front and center as the Writers Guild prepares to hammer down a new deal with the studios. Falk also shares an update on his WeWork TV series with Succession...
Every week, hosts Lesley Goldberg (West Coast TV editor) and Daniel Fienberg (chief TV critic) break down the latest TV news with context from the business and critical sides, welcome showrunners, executives and other guests, and provide a critical guide of what to watch (or skip, as the case may be).
You’re the Worst creator Stephen Falk joins the podcast this week for a conversation about showrunners for hire and his new show, Apple’s Billy Crudup starrer Hello Tomorrow, on which he does just that. Falk also opens up about the larger themes at play in the retro-futuristic comedy and the issues that are front and center as the Writers Guild prepares to hammer down a new deal with the studios. Falk also shares an update on his WeWork TV series with Succession...
- 2/17/2023
- by Lesley Goldberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
FX may be the best with this news. The cable network has renewed critical darling comedy You're the Worst for a second season on younger-skewing Fxx, and Married for a sophomore run on FX. Both will expand their second-year runs from 10 episodes to 13. You're the Worst, from Weeds and Orange Is the New Black's Stephen Falk, centers on two horrible people — Jimmy (Chris Geere) and Gretchen (Aya Cash) — and their misadventures in live, love and romance. Falk previously told THR that NBC canceling his Dane Cook comedy Next Caller after it was ordered to
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- 9/24/2014
- by Lesley Goldberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
'You're the Worst' Creator Opens Up About Failure, Dating and How Jenji Kohan Brought Him Back to TV
You're the Worst creator Stephen Falk knows what it's like to make a comeback. The showrunner had his first series — NBC's Dane Cook comedy Next Caller — canceled months before it was scheduled to air as a midseason replacement. Four of the show's six-episode order had already been completed before the network opted to scrap the series set in the office of a satellite radio station. Story 'Next Caller' Creator Bares Soul Over NBC Abandonment Following the abrupt cancellation — which came only five months after it was picked up to series — Weeds alum Falk took to his
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- 8/7/2014
- by Lesley Goldberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Hieroglyph - we hardly knew ye.
Greenlit by Us network Fox, the action-adventure series starring Spooks and Beauty & The Beast veteran Max Brown was axed earlier this week before it had aired a single episode.
The broadcaster cited "creative reasons" for the pre-premiere cancellation, though perhaps Fox was cleaning house following the surprise exit of entertainment chairman Kevin Reilly?
Brown and his co-stars can at least take some solace in the fact that they're far from the first cast and crew to have a show commissioned and then canned in quick succession...
Gregory House kills Sherlock Holmes
In early 2004, it was announced that Conan Doyle aficionado Stephen Fry was to play Sherlock Holmes in a TV drama for ITV, with his old sparring partner Hugh Laurie cast as Watson.
Ironically, it was the unexpected success of House - in which Laurie played the Holmes-inspired title character - that scuppered the project.
Greenlit by Us network Fox, the action-adventure series starring Spooks and Beauty & The Beast veteran Max Brown was axed earlier this week before it had aired a single episode.
The broadcaster cited "creative reasons" for the pre-premiere cancellation, though perhaps Fox was cleaning house following the surprise exit of entertainment chairman Kevin Reilly?
Brown and his co-stars can at least take some solace in the fact that they're far from the first cast and crew to have a show commissioned and then canned in quick succession...
Gregory House kills Sherlock Holmes
In early 2004, it was announced that Conan Doyle aficionado Stephen Fry was to play Sherlock Holmes in a TV drama for ITV, with his old sparring partner Hugh Laurie cast as Watson.
Ironically, it was the unexpected success of House - in which Laurie played the Holmes-inspired title character - that scuppered the project.
- 7/4/2014
- Digital Spy
Fox has decided not to make its ambitious Ancient Egypt drama series after all.
The network is shutting down Hieroglyph, the network’s sexy historical-fantasy thriller that was previously given a straight-to-series order for midseason.
The show’s writers were informed earlier Monday, sources say. The show starred Max Brown, Reece Ritchie, Condola Rashad and John Rhys-Davies. Only one episode had been shot, but scripts had been written for several more episodes. We’re told that the series wasn’t creatively coming together the way executives had hoped.
The move follows the departure of Fox’s former programming chief Kevin Reilly,...
The network is shutting down Hieroglyph, the network’s sexy historical-fantasy thriller that was previously given a straight-to-series order for midseason.
The show’s writers were informed earlier Monday, sources say. The show starred Max Brown, Reece Ritchie, Condola Rashad and John Rhys-Davies. Only one episode had been shot, but scripts had been written for several more episodes. We’re told that the series wasn’t creatively coming together the way executives had hoped.
The move follows the departure of Fox’s former programming chief Kevin Reilly,...
- 7/1/2014
- by James Hibberd
- EW - Inside TV
Greetings and Salutations. It's time for another year of Take Me To The Pilots entries, a format that I started way back in The Blogspot Days and I've been doing it regularly for HitFix since 2010. [I honestly don't know why I didn't do Take Me To The Pilots in 2009.] I've been using the same intro post since 2010 and that post featured a header image from Fox's "Lone Star," which famously lasted only two episodes despite being one of my favorite pilots of that fall. It exposes one of the main challenges of the pilot viewing process and the Take Me To The Pilots process, which is that at this stage in the game, it's less about what these things actually Are and more about the potential of what they Might Be. And that potential may never be realized, for good or for ill. Sometimes you fall in love with a pilot and America hates it and it's gone after two episodes. Sorry, "Lone Star.
- 6/28/2014
- by Daniel Fienberg
- Hitfix
In a surprising new trend among non-traditional television outlets, transgender characters are gaining not only increasing visibility in programming, but prominence within show plot-lines.
Most recently, writer Jill Soloway announced that she is creating a new pilot for Amazon titled "Transparent," which is set to cast "Arrested Development" star Jeffrey Tambor in the leading role.
The show, which will begin filming in September, reportedly centers around a "middle-aged parent who sits his three adult children down for a revealing, personal conversation. Mort has been secretly living a double-life as a woman, and is eager to introduce the family to their new, authentic parent."
Tambor recently starred in Netflix's non-network revival of the popular television comedy "Arrested Development," as well as played the head of a news network in another Amazon pilot for Onion News Empire, which has not yet been green-lighted for production. The actor also filmed four episodes...
Most recently, writer Jill Soloway announced that she is creating a new pilot for Amazon titled "Transparent," which is set to cast "Arrested Development" star Jeffrey Tambor in the leading role.
The show, which will begin filming in September, reportedly centers around a "middle-aged parent who sits his three adult children down for a revealing, personal conversation. Mort has been secretly living a double-life as a woman, and is eager to introduce the family to their new, authentic parent."
Tambor recently starred in Netflix's non-network revival of the popular television comedy "Arrested Development," as well as played the head of a news network in another Amazon pilot for Onion News Empire, which has not yet been green-lighted for production. The actor also filmed four episodes...
- 8/8/2013
- by The Huffington Post
- Huffington Post
FX has ordered another comedy pilot – this one called You’re The Worst, created and written by Stephen Falk. It’s about two toxic self-destructive people who fall in love and attempt a relationship. Falk, a co-exec producer and writer on Weeds and on Netflix’s new Orange Is The New Black. He created and exec produced the half hour comedy Next Caller for NBC. FX has been very busy buying comedy. Last month, the network announced it had ordered an unnamed project starring Martin Lawrence and Kelsey Grammer as battling lawyers who wind up buddies. The project is a 10/90 order, in the same manner as the net’s Charlie Sheen comedy, Anger Management, in which an initial production of 10 episodes becomes an auto-order for 90 more if the first batch hits an agreed-upon ratings threshold. That’s also the deal for FX’s new George Lopez comedy project. In June,...
- 7/17/2013
- by THE DEADLINE TEAM
- Deadline TV
Former "Weeds" co-executive and writer Stephen Falk has landed a comedy pilot, "You're the Worst," with FX Networks. The pilot, created and written by Falk, is described as a "comedic love story about what happens when two toxic, self-destructive people fall in love despite themselves and attempt the impossible -- a relationship." Also read: 'Pacific Rim's' Robert Maillet Joins Guillermo del Toro's FX Pilot (Exclusive) In addition to "Weeds," Falk's credits include the FX series "Orange Is the New Black," from "Weeds" creator Jenji Kohan, and created the NBC comedy "Next Caller." "We love...
- 7/17/2013
- by Tim Kenneally
- The Wrap
Guess who’s back?
Four years after taking the country by storm with his last major tour — 2009′s “ISolated INcident” — Dane Cook is preparing to hit the road again this fall. He’s calling his latest venture “Under Oath,” a loaded name that wasn’t chosen lightly. “As a comedian, I am obligated to tell you the truth, my truth,” he explained to EW in an exclusive interview. “To share with you my beliefs, my perspective. And I think that we forget sometimes that that’s the oath that comics take, that we will go up and share everything — the irreverent,...
Four years after taking the country by storm with his last major tour — 2009′s “ISolated INcident” — Dane Cook is preparing to hit the road again this fall. He’s calling his latest venture “Under Oath,” a loaded name that wasn’t chosen lightly. “As a comedian, I am obligated to tell you the truth, my truth,” he explained to EW in an exclusive interview. “To share with you my beliefs, my perspective. And I think that we forget sometimes that that’s the oath that comics take, that we will go up and share everything — the irreverent,...
- 7/8/2013
- by Hillary Busis
- EW.com - PopWatch
"Arrested Development" is finally back in our lives after seven years off the air.
And in that time, the dysfunctional Bluth family missed out some pretty significant moments, from Barack Obama getting elected to a bevy of social media platforms launching, beloved TV shows signing on and off to serious solar system developments. Plus, there have been plenty of reality stars in between, ripe for the mocking.
Below, HuffPost TV rounded up 28 events that mattered between "Arrested Development's" original run, which ended on February 10, 2006, and the show's revival on Netflix, which kicked off May 26, 2013.
We elected our first black president.
We met Don Draper and Walter White (and started watching AMC)
(Source: Disquettes des filles on Tumblr)
(Source: digital ghosts. on Tumblr)
Netflix introduced Watch Instantly.
Jason Bateman and Michael Cera had real movie careers.
Jason Bateman in "Horrible Bosses"
(Source: Melting Flowers on Tumblr)
Michael Cera in "Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World...
And in that time, the dysfunctional Bluth family missed out some pretty significant moments, from Barack Obama getting elected to a bevy of social media platforms launching, beloved TV shows signing on and off to serious solar system developments. Plus, there have been plenty of reality stars in between, ripe for the mocking.
Below, HuffPost TV rounded up 28 events that mattered between "Arrested Development's" original run, which ended on February 10, 2006, and the show's revival on Netflix, which kicked off May 26, 2013.
We elected our first black president.
We met Don Draper and Walter White (and started watching AMC)
(Source: Disquettes des filles on Tumblr)
(Source: digital ghosts. on Tumblr)
Netflix introduced Watch Instantly.
Jason Bateman and Michael Cera had real movie careers.
Jason Bateman in "Horrible Bosses"
(Source: Melting Flowers on Tumblr)
Michael Cera in "Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World...
- 5/29/2013
- by Jaimie Etkin
- Huffington Post
Dane Cook has become family friendly. The comedian will star as the lead in Disney's upcoming animated film Planes, voicing a small plane named Dusty. A go-getter in search of adventure, Dusty dreams of being a pro racing plane, but must overcome both a lack of experience and, more importantly, a fear of heights.
Cook has starred in several films, including opposite Jessica Biel and Kate Hudson, but his most recent project, an NBC sitcom Next Caller, was nixed before it reached the air. The movie
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Cook has starred in several films, including opposite Jessica Biel and Kate Hudson, but his most recent project, an NBC sitcom Next Caller, was nixed before it reached the air. The movie
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- 2/28/2013
- by Jordan Zakarin
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
NBC has pulled its freshman drama "Do No Harm" off the air after just two dismally rated episodes.
The network will replace it with repeats of "Law & Order: Svu" for the next couple of weeks, and they could scarcely do worse than "Do No Harm." The show, a Jekyll-and-Hyde story starring Steven Pasquale, premiered to just 3.1 million viewers and a 0.9 rating among adults 18-49 a week ago. That was the smallest debut ever for an in-season scripted show on one of the big four networks.
Thursday's (Feb. 7) fell further, drawing only 2.2 million people and a 0.7 in the 18-49 demographic. Only The CW's "Beauty and the Beast" drew a smaller audience Thursday night on the broadcast networks. "Do No Harm" finished 10th in adults 18-49 in its timeslot, behind ABC and CBS but also "Suits" on USA, "Archer" on FX and "Impractical Jokers" on TruTV, among others.
"Do No Harm" is...
The network will replace it with repeats of "Law & Order: Svu" for the next couple of weeks, and they could scarcely do worse than "Do No Harm." The show, a Jekyll-and-Hyde story starring Steven Pasquale, premiered to just 3.1 million viewers and a 0.9 rating among adults 18-49 a week ago. That was the smallest debut ever for an in-season scripted show on one of the big four networks.
Thursday's (Feb. 7) fell further, drawing only 2.2 million people and a 0.7 in the 18-49 demographic. Only The CW's "Beauty and the Beast" drew a smaller audience Thursday night on the broadcast networks. "Do No Harm" finished 10th in adults 18-49 in its timeslot, behind ABC and CBS but also "Suits" on USA, "Archer" on FX and "Impractical Jokers" on TruTV, among others.
"Do No Harm" is...
- 2/8/2013
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Zap2It - From Inside the Box
Before you start vomiting out the devil inside you, let Ology clarify one crucial, important thing about this Jessica Simpson TV show news: ordering a pilot is just that. It's ordering just one episode of a show just to get a feel for what that show would be like if it were to air. And I'm sure that once the folks at NBC get a glimpse of a Jessica Simpson staring at a wet noodle for 30 minutes, they'll realize that they've made a mistake. I mean, they let Dane Cook get pretty far before chucking Next Caller Please, but still, this proves that they've got some sense.
The actual news: NBC has put in an order for a comedy pilot starring Jessica Simpson's breasts, co-starring all her other limbs. The multi-camera sitcom will be loosely based on Jessica's life, which so far has involved leveraging her modest music career...
The actual news: NBC has put in an order for a comedy pilot starring Jessica Simpson's breasts, co-starring all her other limbs. The multi-camera sitcom will be loosely based on Jessica's life, which so far has involved leveraging her modest music career...
- 1/15/2013
- by Terron R. Moore
- TVology
A couple months ago, NBC announced it was dropping Next Caller, a yet-to-air sitcom in which Dane Cook was to play an abrasive talk radio host. The network claimed to be unhappy with the show's "creative direction." Apparently, that wasn't code for "Dane Cook" as NBC has signed a new development deal with the comedian. There's no word yet on what his next show might be. We hear that animal hospital is an available setting once again, so there's that.
- 12/14/2012
- by Jesse David Fox
- Vulture
Despite scrapping his midseason sitcom Next Caller Please four episodes into production, as well as the general outcry that greeted news of Next Caller Please in the first place, NBC has signed another deal with Dane Cook to declare it thinks Dane Cook is still really funny, you guys, fucking deal with it. Deadline reports that, even though the network ultimately decided it disliked the direction in which Next Caller Please was heading, it never stopped liking Dane Cook, even if everyone started telling NBC that liking Dane Cook wasn't cool and he isn't funny anymore—or whatever ...
- 12/14/2012
- avclub.com
Exclusive: While NBC opted not to go forward with midseason comedy Next Caller, the network is staying in business with the series’ star Dane Cook. NBC Entertainment and sibling studio Universal Television, which co-produced Next Caller with Lionsgate TV, have inked a new deal with the actor-comedian to develop a new starring vehicle for him. Cook’s casting in Next Caller stemmed from a development deal he signed with NBC last fall. Although NBC brass didn’t like the creative direction of the show, which led to its demise four episodes into production, they liked Cook — who starred as a foul-mouthed satellite radio DJ forced to share the mic with a chipper NPR feminist (Collette Wolfe) — and wanted to keep him in the fold. “Dane Cook is one of the most talented comedians working today,” said NBC Entertainment president Jennifer Salke. “He has a broad fan base and always fresh point of view.
- 12/14/2012
- by NELLIE ANDREEVA
- Deadline TV
Exclusive: Sought-after pilot director Marc Buckland has been tapped to helm The Gates, NBC‘s recently picked up single-camera comedy pilot from writers Cathy Yuspa and Josh Goldsmith, Kapital Entertainment and 20th Century Fox TV. The project, which was given an early green light, is based on the British series of the same name that premiered on Sky Living in August. It is an adult ensemble comedy set at the front gates of an elementary school drop-off and revolves around the parents, school staff and 15-minute social minefield they have to navigate at the beginning and end of each school day. Yuspa and Goldsmith wrote the script and executive produce with Kapital Entertainment’s Aaron Kaplan as well as Laurence Bowen and Philip Clarke of Feelgood Fiction, the UK production company behind the original series. The Gates reunites Buckland with NBC and 20th TV, the network and studio behind the comedy My Name Is Earl,...
- 12/5/2012
- by NELLIE ANDREEVA
- Deadline TV
"Next Caller" was supposed to be stand-up star Dane Cook's entrée into television after scattered movie roles and guest spots on "Louie" and "Hawaii Five-0," a single-camera comedy about a chauvinistic DJ (played by Cook) and a feminist formerly employed at NPR (Collette Wolfe) who end up co-hosting a call-in show about relationships. NBC intended the series to be a 2012-2013 mid-season replacement and ordered six half-hour episodes, only to cancel the show in October before ever airing it. On Tumblr, the show's creator and showrunner Stephen Falk (a co-executive producer on "Weeds") has weighed in with a painful, funny and brutally honest post about what it felt like to have his project abruptly snuffed out while mantaining an admirable sense of balance (sorry, anyone in search of ill-considered, embittered public rage). He offers some thoughts about why it happened, and writes that "what it comes down to in.
- 11/19/2012
- by Alison Willmore
- Indiewire
It's been slightly over a month since NBC announced that it was pulling "Next Caller," the midseason comedy starring Dane Cook that had yet to air and this weekend, the show's creator, showrunner and sole executive producer Stephen Falk took to Tumblr to express how he felt about NBC's decision --in nearly 1,700 words "from outside a Starbucks in Flagstaff, Az."
In the post, titled "Advice To Young TV Writers (but really: What Happened To My NBC Show)," Falk compared finding out about the cancellation of "Next Caller" to natural disasters. "This is the moment after the 10.0 earthquake. Suddenly, nothing is the same. You don’t have a show anymore," Falk wrote. "The frozen people of Vesuvius had more warning than you did."
Falk has been making the cross-country drive from New York, where he was filming, to his home in La with his dog and set a depressing scene in...
In the post, titled "Advice To Young TV Writers (but really: What Happened To My NBC Show)," Falk compared finding out about the cancellation of "Next Caller" to natural disasters. "This is the moment after the 10.0 earthquake. Suddenly, nothing is the same. You don’t have a show anymore," Falk wrote. "The frozen people of Vesuvius had more warning than you did."
Falk has been making the cross-country drive from New York, where he was filming, to his home in La with his dog and set a depressing scene in...
- 11/19/2012
- by Jaimie Etkin
- Huffington Post
Tonight's How I Met Your Mother has Joe Manganiello showing off his "comy hubby" look
News
George Takei posted a Hawaii Five-0 set picture with Daniel Dae Kim on his tumblr and... oh my God, George Takei has a tumbr. I wish I had the productivity that such a discovery could damage.
Zap2It reports that True Blood shapeshifter Janina Gavankar has taken a recurring role on Arrow as a vice cop who had run-ins with Olliver when he was just a partying playboy.
Stephen Falk, who created the sitcom Next Caller only to see the series get cancelled before it could air, wrote about his experience and the emotions that comes with an abrupt cancellation. I was surprised to be a little moved by Falk's post. By all accounts, Next Caller was exactly the show you'd imagine when you hear that it stars Dane Cook as a free spirited...
News
George Takei posted a Hawaii Five-0 set picture with Daniel Dae Kim on his tumblr and... oh my God, George Takei has a tumbr. I wish I had the productivity that such a discovery could damage.
Zap2It reports that True Blood shapeshifter Janina Gavankar has taken a recurring role on Arrow as a vice cop who had run-ins with Olliver when he was just a partying playboy.
Stephen Falk, who created the sitcom Next Caller only to see the series get cancelled before it could air, wrote about his experience and the emotions that comes with an abrupt cancellation. I was surprised to be a little moved by Falk's post. By all accounts, Next Caller was exactly the show you'd imagine when you hear that it stars Dane Cook as a free spirited...
- 11/19/2012
- by LyleMasaki
- The Backlot
In a post on his blog, Stephen Falk, creator/executive producer of NBC midseason comedy Next Caller, discusses the network’s decision last month to pull the plug on the series. Next Caller, produced by Lionsgate TV and Universal TV, starred Dane Cook as a foul-mouthed satellite radio DJ forced to share the mic with a chipper NPR feminist (Collette Wolfe). Jeffrey Tambor, Joy Osmanski and Wolé Parks co-starred in the series whose four completed episodes won’t air. In a post titled Advice To Young TV Writers (but really: What Happened To My NBC Show), Falk describes the effect the cancellation has had on him, addresses the potential reasons for Next Caller‘s demise, shares some lessons from the experience and voices support for female comedy writers. Here is his post in his entirety. Hey, you aspiring TV writers. It’s a hard job to crack into, but if...
- 11/17/2012
- by NELLIE ANDREEVA
- Deadline TV
NBC silenced Next Caller, but creator Stephen Falk will have the last words. Many of them. The former Weeds writer/producer had his talk radio-set comedy, starring Dane Cook and Collette Wolfe, slated for mid-season but canceled by the network before it ever aired; the four episodes produced did not take the creative direction that NBC had hoped for. In a new post to his website, Falk gives a raw account of the moments that followed word of the cancellation, and the difficulties he had with the network. Photos: The 100 Fresh Faces of Fall TV Of breaking the
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- 11/17/2012
- by Jordan Zakarin
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
By Rachel Bennett
Television Editor & Columnist
Every Friday, Rachel recaps the week’s major TV-related news, announcements and gossip!
***
Top Stories
• The results are in: 65.6 million people watched the town hall-style debate between President Barack Obama and Gov. Mitt Romney on Tuesday. The first presidential debate drew around 67.2 million viewers.
• The sun is shining. The sky is blue. The flowers are in bloom (just go with it). Everything is perfect because Tina Fey (NBC’s 30 Rock) and Amy Poehler (NBC’s Parks and Recreation) are hosting the 2013 Golden Globes.
• NBC canceled its new comedy Animal Practice, starring Justin Kirk (Showtime’s Weeds). NBC’s sophomore comedy Whitney will take its place Wednesday nights starting Nov. 14.
• Barbara Walters announced that she will interview Lindsay Lohan for the Nov. 16 episode of ABC’s 20/20. The actress-turned-tabloid headline is promoting Lifetime’s upcoming Elizabeth Taylor biopic Liz & Dick.
• After a lengthy search, Mario Lopez...
Television Editor & Columnist
Every Friday, Rachel recaps the week’s major TV-related news, announcements and gossip!
***
Top Stories
• The results are in: 65.6 million people watched the town hall-style debate between President Barack Obama and Gov. Mitt Romney on Tuesday. The first presidential debate drew around 67.2 million viewers.
• The sun is shining. The sky is blue. The flowers are in bloom (just go with it). Everything is perfect because Tina Fey (NBC’s 30 Rock) and Amy Poehler (NBC’s Parks and Recreation) are hosting the 2013 Golden Globes.
• NBC canceled its new comedy Animal Practice, starring Justin Kirk (Showtime’s Weeds). NBC’s sophomore comedy Whitney will take its place Wednesday nights starting Nov. 14.
• Barbara Walters announced that she will interview Lindsay Lohan for the Nov. 16 episode of ABC’s 20/20. The actress-turned-tabloid headline is promoting Lifetime’s upcoming Elizabeth Taylor biopic Liz & Dick.
• After a lengthy search, Mario Lopez...
- 10/19/2012
- by Rachel Bennett
- Scott Feinberg
Despite the solid comedic premise of Dane Cook playing a smug douche who forces his colleagues to defend him out of professional obligation, NBC has decided not to move forward with its midseason sitcom Next Caller Please, after ordering and then actually watching four episodes. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the show was “not heading in the creative direction” the network expected from a show starring Dane Cook that was somehow expected to have a creative direction. There’s no clarification as to what NBC hoped said creative direction might have been—the show paired Cook’s misogynistic, narcissistic shock ...
- 10/15/2012
- avclub.com
NBC may be looking for new comedies to fill their aging line-up, but Dane Cook's Next Caller won't be one of them.
The show had Cook playing a chauvinistic DJ, and was supposed to show its six episode order midseason. Four episodes had already been filmed, but NBC won't be airing any of them. Perhaps chauvinism isn't hip anymore?
Also canned is NBC's Munsters reboot Mockingbird Lane, although at least that show is going to air as a Halloween special instead of a full series.
Shows the network Has picked up? Go On and The New Normal have gotten full season orders so far, and who knows what will be next.
Think it's good Next Caller isn't airing? Can't say I'm going to lose sleep over it.
The show had Cook playing a chauvinistic DJ, and was supposed to show its six episode order midseason. Four episodes had already been filmed, but NBC won't be airing any of them. Perhaps chauvinism isn't hip anymore?
Also canned is NBC's Munsters reboot Mockingbird Lane, although at least that show is going to air as a Halloween special instead of a full series.
Shows the network Has picked up? Go On and The New Normal have gotten full season orders so far, and who knows what will be next.
Think it's good Next Caller isn't airing? Can't say I'm going to lose sleep over it.
- 10/15/2012
- by Paul
- TVovermind.com
Major Crimes wraps its first season tonight.
News
Bryan Fuller says that Mockingbird Lane still could become a series depending on how well the Halloween special does. Fuller says that NBC's issue was whether the series could appeal to a broad audience, and if enough people tune in for the special, the network would reconsider. I'm still hoping Mockingbird Lane can pull a Nightingales, only without removing all the interesting parts of the pilot when becoming a series.
I'm fascinated with TV shows that get cancelled without airing an episode, whether that be the train wrecks that look so bad the network rethinks its decision over the summer, like the Scott Baio comedy Rewind, or shows that left to wither unaired over the season like Still Life. Now the Dane Cook comedy Next Caller can join those ranks. Considering how awful Next Caller looked, I'm relieved.
Did you expect Tyra Banks...
News
Bryan Fuller says that Mockingbird Lane still could become a series depending on how well the Halloween special does. Fuller says that NBC's issue was whether the series could appeal to a broad audience, and if enough people tune in for the special, the network would reconsider. I'm still hoping Mockingbird Lane can pull a Nightingales, only without removing all the interesting parts of the pilot when becoming a series.
I'm fascinated with TV shows that get cancelled without airing an episode, whether that be the train wrecks that look so bad the network rethinks its decision over the summer, like the Scott Baio comedy Rewind, or shows that left to wither unaired over the season like Still Life. Now the Dane Cook comedy Next Caller can join those ranks. Considering how awful Next Caller looked, I'm relieved.
Did you expect Tyra Banks...
- 10/15/2012
- by LyleMasaki
- The Backlot
Five months after placing a six-episode order, the network has pulled the plug on Dane Cook's Next Caller. The first four episodes of the comedy, which is about a foul-mouthed radio host, were not "heading in the creative direction" NBC had in mind, says The Hollywood Reporter. It's not clear what they were expecting from Cook — his stuff is nothing if not consistent — but the series has been removed from the network's midseason lineup. So far, there's no word as to whether anyone else is interested in picking up the concept.
- 10/13/2012
- by Andre Tartar
- Vulture
Dane Cook's midseason comedy Next Caller has been cancelled by NBC. The network picked up the show, set in a satellite radio station, back in May, but has since decided to axe the series before it even aired. Deadline reports that four of the six episodes NBC ordered had already been filmed, but bosses felt Next Caller wasn't evolving in the desired direction. Created and executive produced by Stephen Falk, the show starred (more)...
- 10/13/2012
- by By Colin Daniels
- Digital Spy
NBC has reportedly cancelled their new Next Caller TV series before a single episode has aired. The peacock network ordered seven episodes of the Dane Cook sitcom but halted production after only four were produced. Word is that they weren't happy with the direction that the show was going in.
It looks unlikely that the four episodes will ever air but you never know. Times are tough and some of the shows that NBC does believe in are performing dismally anyway (re: Animal Practice, Guys with Kids, the Thursday line-up). They recently announced they'd be airing the Mockingbird Lane pilot so it's not a stretch that they could end up airing Next Caller someday as well.
If Next Caller never sees the light of day, here's a sample of what you're missing:...
It looks unlikely that the four episodes will ever air but you never know. Times are tough and some of the shows that NBC does believe in are performing dismally anyway (re: Animal Practice, Guys with Kids, the Thursday line-up). They recently announced they'd be airing the Mockingbird Lane pilot so it's not a stretch that they could end up airing Next Caller someday as well.
If Next Caller never sees the light of day, here's a sample of what you're missing:...
- 10/13/2012
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
The peacock network has already pulled the plug on their new mid-season comedy, Next Caller, before a single episode even aired. According to Deadline, the Dane Cook sitcom was cancelled because it wasn't going in the creative direction that NBC had been hoping for.
The network had initially ordered seven installments. Four episodes of Next Caller have been shot but none of them will be shown. The cast includes Dane, Collette Wolfe, Desmin Borges, Jeffrey Tambor, Joy Osmanski, Wole Parks, and Ryan Devlin.
Here's how the peacock network described the show in May:
Next Caller -- What happens when a foulmouthed satellite radio DJ - played by the multi-platinum selling artist and outrageously charming Dane Cook ("My Best Friend's Girl") - is forced to share the mic with a chipper NPR feminist? It's anyone's call in this sharp new...
The network had initially ordered seven installments. Four episodes of Next Caller have been shot but none of them will be shown. The cast includes Dane, Collette Wolfe, Desmin Borges, Jeffrey Tambor, Joy Osmanski, Wole Parks, and Ryan Devlin.
Here's how the peacock network described the show in May:
Next Caller -- What happens when a foulmouthed satellite radio DJ - played by the multi-platinum selling artist and outrageously charming Dane Cook ("My Best Friend's Girl") - is forced to share the mic with a chipper NPR feminist? It's anyone's call in this sharp new...
- 10/13/2012
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
The second cancellation of the new TV season (after CBS' "Made in Jersey") is unexpected - mainly because it's for a show that hasn't even aired yet. Deadline reports that NBC has scrapped its midseason comedy series "Next Caller".
Dane Cook starred as a foul-mouthed satellite radio DJ forced to share the microphone with a chipper NPR feminist (Collette Wolfe).
Four of six commissioned episodes were shot before the network pulled the plug because "creatively the series was not going in the direction they had hoped for". The already produced episodes will Not go to air.
In brighter news, two well-regarded cable shows have scored season renewals.
USA has ordered a sixteen episode third season of their hit corporate legal dramedy "Suits". The remaining six episodes of the current second season are scheduled to air later in the year.
Meanwhile Adult Swim satirical hit "Robot Chicken" has been renewed for a seventh season.
Dane Cook starred as a foul-mouthed satellite radio DJ forced to share the microphone with a chipper NPR feminist (Collette Wolfe).
Four of six commissioned episodes were shot before the network pulled the plug because "creatively the series was not going in the direction they had hoped for". The already produced episodes will Not go to air.
In brighter news, two well-regarded cable shows have scored season renewals.
USA has ordered a sixteen episode third season of their hit corporate legal dramedy "Suits". The remaining six episodes of the current second season are scheduled to air later in the year.
Meanwhile Adult Swim satirical hit "Robot Chicken" has been renewed for a seventh season.
- 10/13/2012
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
The Dane Cook comedy "Next Caller" has been scrapped by NBC, Deadline reports.
In May, the Peacock net announced it had ordered six episodes of the laffer, featuring Cook as a Howard Stern-type satellite radio shock jock forced to partner with a feminist co-host (Collette Wolfe) hired by his boss, played by "Arrested Development's" Jeffrey Tambor.
Four of the six episodes were filmed when production was halted on "Next Caller," originally slated for midseason, because network execs weren't happy with its creative direction. None of the episodes will air.
NBC recently ordered full seasons for freshman comedies "The New Normal" and "Go On," as well as the drama "Revolution."...
In May, the Peacock net announced it had ordered six episodes of the laffer, featuring Cook as a Howard Stern-type satellite radio shock jock forced to partner with a feminist co-host (Collette Wolfe) hired by his boss, played by "Arrested Development's" Jeffrey Tambor.
Four of the six episodes were filmed when production was halted on "Next Caller," originally slated for midseason, because network execs weren't happy with its creative direction. None of the episodes will air.
NBC recently ordered full seasons for freshman comedies "The New Normal" and "Go On," as well as the drama "Revolution."...
- 10/13/2012
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Zap2It - From Inside the Box
NBC’s Next Caller is now nothing but dead air.
The Dane Cook-led sitcom, which was slated to premiere at midseason, is no longer part of the network’s lineup, according to our sister site Deadline.
The single-camera comedy from Weeds‘ Stephen Falk follows Stella (Cougar Town‘s Collette Wolfe), whose dream job at a satellite radio station is marred by the fact that her co-host (Cook) is a chauvinistic jerk.
Related | NBC Scoop: Dane Cook Comedy Next Caller Drops Cast Member
Jeffrey Tambor (Arrested Development) was to play their boss, with Ryan Devlin (Brothers & Sisters) guest-starring as Cook’s nemesis.
The Dane Cook-led sitcom, which was slated to premiere at midseason, is no longer part of the network’s lineup, according to our sister site Deadline.
The single-camera comedy from Weeds‘ Stephen Falk follows Stella (Cougar Town‘s Collette Wolfe), whose dream job at a satellite radio station is marred by the fact that her co-host (Cook) is a chauvinistic jerk.
Related | NBC Scoop: Dane Cook Comedy Next Caller Drops Cast Member
Jeffrey Tambor (Arrested Development) was to play their boss, with Ryan Devlin (Brothers & Sisters) guest-starring as Cook’s nemesis.
- 10/13/2012
- by Kimberly Roots
- TVLine.com
Earlier this week, CBS cancelled "Made in Jersey" after only two airings, but on Friday (October 12), NBC pulled the plug on the midseason comedy before it even premiered. In May, NBC ordered "Next Caller" to series for midseason and, according to Deadline.com, four episodes of its six-episode order had been shot. Created by Stephen Falk, the pilot starred Dane Cook and Collette Wolf as mismatched hosts of a radio talk show. Jeffrey Tambor, Joy Osmanski and Wole Parks co-starred. NBC already has "1600 Penn" and "Save Me" for midseason, while the delay of "Community" and "Whitney" gives...
- 10/13/2012
- by HitFix Staff
- Hitfix
In what can only be categorized as a preemptive strike, NBC has canceled Dane Cook's midseason comedy, "Next Caller," before it even had a chance to premiere, Deadline is reporting.
According to Deadline, after four episodes had been filmed, NBC execs decided that "creatively the series was not going in the direction they had hoped for" and halted production on the show. The episodes that have already been produced will reportedly not make it to air.
The comedy (and we use the term loosely) was almost unanimously deemed unwatchable by the HuffPost TV staff, so it's not entirely surprising that NBC eventually came to the same conclusion. The pilot starred Dane Cook as a misogynistic satellite radio DJ, with Collette Wolfe playing his co-host, a feminist NPR commentator. Jeffrey Tambor also appeared as their boss, and we're just relieved he's now free to focus on brighter things -- such as the "Arrested Development" reunion.
According to Deadline, after four episodes had been filmed, NBC execs decided that "creatively the series was not going in the direction they had hoped for" and halted production on the show. The episodes that have already been produced will reportedly not make it to air.
The comedy (and we use the term loosely) was almost unanimously deemed unwatchable by the HuffPost TV staff, so it's not entirely surprising that NBC eventually came to the same conclusion. The pilot starred Dane Cook as a misogynistic satellite radio DJ, with Collette Wolfe playing his co-host, a feminist NPR commentator. Jeffrey Tambor also appeared as their boss, and we're just relieved he's now free to focus on brighter things -- such as the "Arrested Development" reunion.
- 10/13/2012
- by Laura Prudom
- Huffington Post
NBC has hung up on Next Caller. The midseason comedy starring Dane Cook as a chauvinistic DJ will not move forward at the network, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed. The Lionsgate/Universal Television co-production was picked up in May with a six-episode order and set to join the network's midseason lineup. Sources confirm to THR that the four episodes that have already been filmed will not air as the series did not heading in the creative direction the Robert Greenblatt-led network had expected. Photos: The 100 Fresh Faces of Fall TV Weeds alum Stephen Falk wrote and executive
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- 10/13/2012
- by Lesley Goldberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Exclusive: NBC has pulled the plug on midseason comedy series Next Caller. The network in May had given the Dane Cook-starring project a six-episode order. After filming four of them, I hear network brass had decided that creatively the series was not going in the direction they had hoped for. Production on the series, produced by Lionsgate TV and Universal TV, has stopped, and the produced episodes won’t air. Created and executive produced by Stephen Falk, Next Caller stars Cook as a foul-mouthed satellite radio DJ forced to share the mic with a chipper NPR feminist (Collette Wolfe). Jeffrey Tambor, Joy Osmanski and Wolé Parks co-star. NBC recently gave two of its freshman comedy series, Go On and The New Normal, full-season pickups, while fellow freshmen Guys With Kids and especially Animal Practice, have been struggling. The network has two other comedy series on tap for midseason, 1600 Penn and Save Me.
- 10/13/2012
- by NELLIE ANDREEVA
- Deadline TV
Exclusive: Sought-after pilot director Marc Buckland is venturing into his own development with an hourlong project, which has sold to NBC through Universal TV. Titled This Thing Called Love, it is described as a comedic documentary that explores the minutae of modern relationships through the eyes of several very disparate couples. Buckland will write, direct and executive produce under his development deal with Universal TV. Under the pact, Buckland made his pilot-writing debut last season with single-camera comedy Rip, which also was set up at NBC. Both pilots Buckland directed for NBC the past two seasons — drama Grimm and comedy Next Caller Please — went to series. His directing work on the pilot for another NBC series, single-camera comedy My Name Is Earl, earned him an Emmy. ICM Partners-repped Buckland is currently helming single-camera comedy pilot Paging Dr. Freed for NBC sibling USA Network.
- 9/27/2012
- by NELLIE ANDREEVA
- Deadline TV
Fringe‘s latest Observer-centric teaser comes with a haunting message for anyone planning to rise against the fedora’d future-dwellers: “Heed. Obey. Serve.” — else be subject to a full cerebral scan, or (gulp) worse.
Press Play below for a first look at the PSA of sorts from the Fox drama’s fifth and final season (bowing Sept. 28 at 9/8c), and then hit the comments with your snappy judgements!
Ready for more of today’s TV dish? Well…
• NBC is developing L.A. Woman, a new drama from Justified creator Graham Yost. Per The Hollywood Reporter, the project centers on a...
Press Play below for a first look at the PSA of sorts from the Fox drama’s fifth and final season (bowing Sept. 28 at 9/8c), and then hit the comments with your snappy judgements!
Ready for more of today’s TV dish? Well…
• NBC is developing L.A. Woman, a new drama from Justified creator Graham Yost. Per The Hollywood Reporter, the project centers on a...
- 9/5/2012
- by Megan Masters
- TVLine.com
NBC’s Utah affiliate KSL-TV is sticking with its old normal this fall and refusing to air Ryan Murphy’s new gay-dads-and-their-surrogate comedy The New Normal.
“From time to time we may struggle with content that crosses the line in one area or another,” Jeff Simpson, CEO of Ksl’s parent company, Bonneville International, told the Salt Lake Tribune. “The dialogue might be excessively rude and crude. The scenes may be too explicit or the characterizations might seem offensive.”
Ksl, which is owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, last season declined to air NBC’s The Playboy Club on similar grounds.
“From time to time we may struggle with content that crosses the line in one area or another,” Jeff Simpson, CEO of Ksl’s parent company, Bonneville International, told the Salt Lake Tribune. “The dialogue might be excessively rude and crude. The scenes may be too explicit or the characterizations might seem offensive.”
Ksl, which is owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, last season declined to air NBC’s The Playboy Club on similar grounds.
- 8/25/2012
- by Michael Slezak
- TVLine.com
Exclusive: As one of the country’s top touring standup comedians, Dane Cook has extensive experience onstage. But he is now going for a different type of onstage experience — in his theater debut, the actor-comedian has joined the Hollywood Bowl’s upcoming production of The Producers. He will play Franz Liebkind in the staging of Mel Brooks’ musical, which will hold three performances at the Hollywood Bowl — on July 27-29. Cook joins previously announced cast members Richard Kind as Max Bialystock, Jesse Tyler Ferguson as Leo Bloom, Roger Bart as Carmen Ghia, Gary Beach as Roger De Bris, and Rebecca Romijn as Ulla. Susan Stroman, winner of the Tony for both direction and choreography for the original Broadway stage musical, will direct and choreograph Hollywood Bowl’s fully staged production. Cook, repped by UTA, next toplines the upcoming NBC comedy series Next Caller.
- 6/26/2012
- by NELLIE ANDREEVA
- Deadline TV
In the months between a pilot getting picked up and production beginning on the show, it's not unusual for some major changes to be made to the series. The latest casualty of the post-Upfronts shuffle is Wole Parks, who will no longer star on NBC's midseason comedy "Next Caller" alongside Dane Cook.
Parks played Keith Calhoun, an employee at an NYC-based satellite radio show, led by Cook's character, which is thrown into upheaval when he gets a new feminist cohost. Previously, Parks starred on "As The World Turns."
According to TVLine, producers cite creative reasons for the change. No word yet on whether Parks' character will be recast or simply eliminated from the pilot. Watch a clip from the show below.
Parks played Keith Calhoun, an employee at an NYC-based satellite radio show, led by Cook's character, which is thrown into upheaval when he gets a new feminist cohost. Previously, Parks starred on "As The World Turns."
According to TVLine, producers cite creative reasons for the change. No word yet on whether Parks' character will be recast or simply eliminated from the pilot. Watch a clip from the show below.
- 6/23/2012
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Zap2It - From Inside the Box
The new NBC comedy Next Caller has made a call of its own, by letting go one of its original cast members.
TVLine has learned that Wolé Parks (photo, second from left) isn’t moving forward with the Dane Cook-fronted comedy, in what sources call a “creative decision.”
Parks, whose previous credits include As the World Turns and Law & Order appearances, played Keith Calhoun in the single-camera sitcom, which follows a feminist public radio host (Cougar Town’s Collette Wolfe) as she starts her dream job at a New York-based satellite radio station. Said gig becomes a nightmare when...
TVLine has learned that Wolé Parks (photo, second from left) isn’t moving forward with the Dane Cook-fronted comedy, in what sources call a “creative decision.”
Parks, whose previous credits include As the World Turns and Law & Order appearances, played Keith Calhoun in the single-camera sitcom, which follows a feminist public radio host (Cougar Town’s Collette Wolfe) as she starts her dream job at a New York-based satellite radio station. Said gig becomes a nightmare when...
- 6/23/2012
- by Kimberly Roots
- TVLine.com
In an interview with Deadline, Louis C.K. once again emphasized that he has no ill will towards fellow comedian Dane Cook for an old controversy that centered on a few of Cook's jokes bearing suspicious similarity to those of C.K.
"I think he sort of got some of my jokes in his head and got sloppy," C.K. said in the interview. "He’s a good guy and not capable of maleficence."
Last year, C.K. had Cook on his show "Louie" to dramatize a reconciliation between the two comedians. In the episode, Louie asks Dane for tickets to a concert, which Dane has the ability to procure. Dane says he will, under one condition: Louie must apologize for failing to combat the perception that Dane stole his jokes.
Since the episode has aired, C.K. has suggested that filming the episode was cathartic for both him and Cook.
"I think he sort of got some of my jokes in his head and got sloppy," C.K. said in the interview. "He’s a good guy and not capable of maleficence."
Last year, C.K. had Cook on his show "Louie" to dramatize a reconciliation between the two comedians. In the episode, Louie asks Dane for tickets to a concert, which Dane has the ability to procure. Dane says he will, under one condition: Louie must apologize for failing to combat the perception that Dane stole his jokes.
Since the episode has aired, C.K. has suggested that filming the episode was cathartic for both him and Cook.
- 6/19/2012
- by Ross Luippold
- Huffington Post
We've seen the network's new fall and midseason pilots, and while they're not for review (things often change drastically before the shows are set to premiere), we do want to share our first reactions with you.
This quick guide is designed to get you excited for some new shows ... and to warn you to curb your enthusiasm for others. Just keep in mind that we'll have full reviews of the final pilots closer to airdate in the fall or midseason. But for now, here are our snap judgments of all of NBC's new shows for the 2012-2013 TV season.
Read NBC Show Full Descriptions
& Watch Trailers Here
There are 11 new scripted shows coming to NBC -- the good (Ryan Murphy, please don't mess up "The New Normal"), the bad ("1600 Penn," you disappoint us!) and the stay-away-from-this-one-at-all-costs (why, "Animal Practice," why?) -- and plenty of varying opinions from HuffPost TV staff Mo Ryan,...
This quick guide is designed to get you excited for some new shows ... and to warn you to curb your enthusiasm for others. Just keep in mind that we'll have full reviews of the final pilots closer to airdate in the fall or midseason. But for now, here are our snap judgments of all of NBC's new shows for the 2012-2013 TV season.
Read NBC Show Full Descriptions
& Watch Trailers Here
There are 11 new scripted shows coming to NBC -- the good (Ryan Murphy, please don't mess up "The New Normal"), the bad ("1600 Penn," you disappoint us!) and the stay-away-from-this-one-at-all-costs (why, "Animal Practice," why?) -- and plenty of varying opinions from HuffPost TV staff Mo Ryan,...
- 6/6/2012
- by The Huffington Post
- Huffington Post
Mockingbird Lane: Jerry O'Connell is Herman Munster
On the same day that Bryan Fuller announced his Hannibal Lecter, the man responsible for bringing Herman Munster back to life has been revealed.
According to TVLine, Jerry O'Connell has been given the role of Munster family patriarch in the dramatic reboot of the 1960s sitcom. O'Connell, whose last regular TV role was in 2010's The Defenders, joins three other actors that have become attached to the project; Charity Wakefield will be playing Lily's niece Marilyn Munster, Mason Cook will be playing youngest child Eddie Munster, and Eddie Izzard will be playing Grandpa Munster.
Though Mockingbird Lane didn't make the NBC fall schedule, the show is in very serious contention for a 2013 midseason slot where it could air alongside Fuller's other project Hannibal. The show is said to be a "visually spectacular" one-hour interpretation of the 30 minute original, with the costumes and make-up...
On the same day that Bryan Fuller announced his Hannibal Lecter, the man responsible for bringing Herman Munster back to life has been revealed.
According to TVLine, Jerry O'Connell has been given the role of Munster family patriarch in the dramatic reboot of the 1960s sitcom. O'Connell, whose last regular TV role was in 2010's The Defenders, joins three other actors that have become attached to the project; Charity Wakefield will be playing Lily's niece Marilyn Munster, Mason Cook will be playing youngest child Eddie Munster, and Eddie Izzard will be playing Grandpa Munster.
Though Mockingbird Lane didn't make the NBC fall schedule, the show is in very serious contention for a 2013 midseason slot where it could air alongside Fuller's other project Hannibal. The show is said to be a "visually spectacular" one-hour interpretation of the 30 minute original, with the costumes and make-up...
- 6/5/2012
- by Shilo Adams
- TVovermind.com
Updated: Last year, most midseason series received shorter orders for fewer of the standard 13 episodes new shows get. That included ABC’s Gcb (10), The River (8) and Scandal and Don’t The B—- (7), CBS’ Rob (8) and NBC’s Bent (6) and Best Friends Forever (6). This year, the networks are not as stingy to new shows, with only two midseason series, ABC’s drama Red Widow starring Radha Mitchell and NBC’s late pickup, comedy Next Caller starring Dane Cook, getting fewer than 13 episodes — 8 and 7, respectively. But there are a number of returning series whose orders are shorter than the standard full-season 22 episodes (13 for midseason shows getting a second-season pickup). NBC did a lot of that on the comedy side, which the network’s topper Bob Greenblatt said at the NBC upfront was how they could afford to pick up as many (7) new comedy series. Of NBC’s returning comedy series only...
- 5/17/2012
- by NELLIE ANDREEVA
- Deadline TV
I’m fascinated by the current state of NBC. Last among the four major networks. Kept from the very bottom by dynasty deals like the NFL and the Olympics. A shell of its former self still propping up Jay Leno for chuckles every night. But I don’t look at the wilted Peacock with schadenfreude, like many do. Instead, it’s with sadness and nostalgia. What happened?
As an ’80s kid, I grew up watching NBC’s Saturday morning block, “Saved by the Bell,” “Alf,” Cosby, and Will Smith before he was Will Smith. The national news in our house was delivered by Tom Brokaw. I watched Michael Jordan dominate the NBA on NBC. There’s an easy joke in here about “Diff’rent Strokes” and “Baywatch.” In high school and college, we’d gather around episodes of “Friends,” “Scrubs,” “The West Wing,” and other “must see TV.” Conan O...
As an ’80s kid, I grew up watching NBC’s Saturday morning block, “Saved by the Bell,” “Alf,” Cosby, and Will Smith before he was Will Smith. The national news in our house was delivered by Tom Brokaw. I watched Michael Jordan dominate the NBA on NBC. There’s an easy joke in here about “Diff’rent Strokes” and “Baywatch.” In high school and college, we’d gather around episodes of “Friends,” “Scrubs,” “The West Wing,” and other “must see TV.” Conan O...
- 5/17/2012
- by Jeff Leins
- newsinfilm.com
So we're in the swing upfronts week, and after the blizzard of news Monday (May 14), we settle in to watch the trailers for NBC's very large slate of new series. And somewhere between "Chicago Fire" and "The New Normal," a pattern starts to emerge.
Yes, all these shows are on the same network, but could there be something more? We dig deeper. Suddenly we're like the little boy on "Touch" (which, Ok, is on Fox, but go with us here for a minute), seeing patterns where most people just see randomness. Surely it's a sign of something -- perhaps nothing more than having been up since 5 a.m., but maybe ... there's more. Consider:
"Chicago Fire" introduces us to characters who are dealing with the loss of one of their own a month earlier. So does ...
"Go On," in which we learn Matthew Perry's character lost his wife a month ago.
Yes, all these shows are on the same network, but could there be something more? We dig deeper. Suddenly we're like the little boy on "Touch" (which, Ok, is on Fox, but go with us here for a minute), seeing patterns where most people just see randomness. Surely it's a sign of something -- perhaps nothing more than having been up since 5 a.m., but maybe ... there's more. Consider:
"Chicago Fire" introduces us to characters who are dealing with the loss of one of their own a month earlier. So does ...
"Go On," in which we learn Matthew Perry's character lost his wife a month ago.
- 5/15/2012
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Zap2It - From Inside the Box
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