There are very few series that I fall in love with at first sight but Steve Levitan and Christopher Lloyd's superb comedy Modern Family was one of them, delivering an astute and nuanced portrait of a thoroughly modern family in America. Throughout the twenty-odd episodes that followed, I quickly fell in love with the extended Dunphy-Pritchett clan, looking forward to each Wednesday evening, when I would get a chance to curl up on the couch and spend a half an hour with my favorite television family.
The first season of ABC's deliciously hilarious comedy Modern Family comes to a close tonight with a fantastic episode ("Family Portrait"), written by Ilana Wernick and directed by Jason Winer, that displays the often complex bonds of family and how one's expectations of perfection don't always match up with reality.
The main storyline revolves around Claire (Julie Bowen) as she attempts to create the perfect setting for a family portrait of the entire Dunphy-Pritchett clan, unaware that her family is falling apart around her. Despite being married to Phil (Ty Burrell), as much of a fix-me-up as humanly possible, Claire is once again zeroing in on the tiny imperfections that lurk beneath the surface of her seemingly perfect world: the broken step.
An ongoing in-joke within the first season, the broken step on the staircase in the Dunphy home once again bubbles up, here a major plot point that offers not just a further complication to the ideal picture setting but a symbol of things that can't be fixed. Because, let's be honest, Bowen's Claire is like many married women: she's the uptight calm in the center of the storm, attempting to keep everything moving smoothly but often unable to let go.
Without giving too much away, Claire will most definitely have to let go by the end of the episode, a theme that culminates in a glorious sequence about unity and catharsis, all set amid the most humorously intense family portrait ever televised.
The rest of the episode recounts the hours before the command performance (and the white outfits they all must wear) as Cam (Eric Stonestreet) embarks on a professional music career and performs "Ave Maria" at a wedding (worry not: he's paid "in flowers"), Mitchell (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) attempts to handle a pigeon loose in the apartment, Haley (Sarah Hyland) keeps an eye on Claire (and on a pimple); Jay (Ed O'Neill) recounts the tumultuous 1960s--and his stint in a barber shop--to Luke (Nolan Gould), and Phil and Gloria (Sofia Vergara) take Manny (Rico Rodriguez) and Alex (Ariel Winter) to a basketball game, where the two adults suffer through an awkward moment.
While each of the storylines are separate, they all come together at the very end of the episode as the family gathers together. Along the way, there are numerous complications, many destroyed objets of kitsch, an appearance by Kobe Bryant, a very uncomfortable kiss, and a painfully hysterical freak-out from Ferguson's Mitchell, set to Cameron's moving performance of "Ave Maria."
Tonight's installment, beautifully acted, written, and directed, offers us lot of laughs and some moments of genuine emotion, even from Hyland's eternally jaded Hayley. "Family Portrait" wasn't meant to be the season finale but works perfectly as a season ender. (Aside: Nolan Gould, via Twitter, sent me a message informing me that it was bumped backwards as the two-part Hawaii vacation was meant to close out the season; editor Ryan Case later told me that the finale would either be this episode or "Hawaii" and the network picked this one.)
But, really, whatever the case, I'm glad that the producers opted to use "Family Portrait" as the season finale for the first season. The final moments sum up so much of what this remarkable series is about, uniting the characters on screen in a way that wasn't accomplished in "Hawaii" (another brilliant outing) and giving us a nice visual that connects with the opening credits each week.
While Claire's idealized family portrait might not turn out the way she anticipated, the result--both for the family and for the audience--is perfect, nonetheless. As Modern Family goes on its extended summer vacation, I dare anyone watching to not feel that the series itself has also achieved perfection. See you in the fall, Dunphys and Pritchetts; you'll be missed in the meantime.
Modern Family's season finale airs tonight at 9 pm ET/PT on ABC.
I wanted to like FOX's new action-comedy The Good Guys. I really did.
The series, which gets a sneak peak on FOX tonight before its official launch this summer, revolves around anachronistic police officer Dan Stark (The West Wing's Bradley Whitford) who acts as though he's the living embodiment of a 1970s TV cop show and is paired with by-the-book, ambitious younger officer Jack Bailey (Mad Men's Colin Hanks), who resents the fact that his promising career is being held back by this boozy, washed up hack.
Created by Matt Nix (Burn Notice), The Good Guys could be fun, escapist fare but the first hour found it trying way too hard to please and the intentional quirkiness of the situation (look for Whitford's Dan to eat moldy cottage cheese and vomit!) often feels laborious and arrives with the subtlety of an anvil being dropped on our heads.
Which is sad as both Whitford and Hanks are fantastic, as are their fellow cast members Jenny Wade (as Jack's A.D.A. ex-girlfriend Liz) and Diana Maria Riva (as Lieutenant Ana Ruiz). It's nice to see a series where the major positions of power are being held by female characters while it's the men who are desperately in need of getting their lives in order.
There are some fun sequences, such as the shootout between Hanks' Jack and guest star Andrew Divoff (Lost's Mikhail), here playing a South American assassin, the second best in all of the world, and a car chase that has Jack making a major--and literal--leap of faith.
As for the good guys themselves, their odd couple pairing is meant to indicate that they're not only meant to be partners but can and will be teaching one another valuable and important lessons about Life and Humanity and Duty and Honor. Which is fine and good and all that, but I wanted the series itself to have more of a winning sparkle about it.
Yes, Dan's methods are horribly old-school but it's hard not to compare the metaphorically out-of-time Dallas cop with Life on Mars and Ashes to Ashes' original anachronism, Gene Hunt (the staggeringly brilliant Philip Glenister)... and Gene comes out trumps every time.
In the end, while it's a fun diversion, I just wanted Good Guys to be, well, better.
FOX will offer a sneak peak at the pilot episode of The Good Guys tonight at 8 pm ET/PT. The official series premiere is scheduled for June 7th at 9 pm ET/PT.
Welcome to the Day Three of network upfronts 2010.
CBS this morning announced its plans for fall, a few hours ahead of its official upfront this afternoon, unveiling a schedule that includes several new scripted series, including dramas Hawaii Five-O, The Defenders,, the untitled Criminal Minds spinoff and comedies Mike & Molly and $#*! My Dad Says.
"We believe television's #1 network just got stronger," said Nina Tassler, President, CBS Entertainment. "New series will be launched behind proven hits and key scheduling moves will help grow nights. Two of the dramas, Hawaii Five-0 and The Defenders, continue our successful evolution in the drama form - character driven with great humor. The third new drama, Blue Bloods, introduces a police drama with a unique family spin. Our two new comedies will definitely make some noise. $#*! My Dad Says is based on a distinctly loud and funny Twitter feed - led by a larger-than-life star in William Shatner. Mike & Molly is a comedy on the romantic side, featuring the trademark humor of TV's reigning king of comedy, Chuck Lorre. And, the best news is that these new series join a schedule deep with hits and leadership in every program genre."
The big news is that CBS is moving Monday night juggernaut The Big Bang Theory to Thursdays at 8 pm, where it will go head to head with NBC's Community as the Eye looks to launch a new comedy toehold on Thursdays. Survivor meanwhile moves to Wednesdays and Fridays will now serve as the home for Medium, CSI: NY, and new drama Blue Bloods.
No additional series were ordered beyond those that CBS formally announced over the weekend, though the network did order four new drama series and two new comedies.
UPDATED: CBS' full fall schedule can be found below, along with the official press release from the network, descriptions for the new and returning series, and photography for the network's new series.
CBS TELEVISION NETWORK 2010-2011 PRIMETIME SCHEDULE (N=New, NT=New Time, all times ET/PT)
MONDAY 8:00-8:30 PM HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER 8:30-9:00 PM RULES OF ENGAGEMENT 9:00-9:30 PM TWO AND A HALF MEN 9:30-10:00 PM MIKE & MOLLY (N) 10:00-11:00 PM HAWAII FIVE-0 (N)
TUESDAY 8:00-9:00 PM NCIS 9:00-10:00 PM NCIS: LOS ANGELES 10:00-11:00 PM THE GOOD WIFE
THURSDAY 8:00-8:30 PM THE BIG BANG THEORY (NT) 8:30-9:00 PM $#*! MY DAD SAYS (N) 9:00-10:00 PM CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION 10:00-11:00 PM THE MENTALIST
FRIDAY 8:00-9:00 PM MEDIUM (NT) 9:00-10:00 PM CSI: NY (NT) 10:00-11:00 PM BLUE BLOODS (N)
SUNDAY 7:00-8:00 PM 60 MINUTES 8:00-9:00 PM THE AMAZING RACE 9:00-10:00 PM UNDERCOVER BOSS 10:00-11:00 PM CSI: MIAMI (NT)
New Series:Hawaii Five-O, The Defenders, $#*! My Dad Says, Untitlcd Criminal Minds Spinoff, Mike & Molly
Renewed: 48 Hours Mystery, 60 Minutes, The Amazing Race, The Big Bang Theory, Criminal Minds, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CSI: Miami, CSI: NY, The Good Wife, How I Met Your Mother, Medium, The Mentalist, NCIS, NCIS: Los Angeles, Rules of Engagement, Survivor, Two and a Half Men, Undercover Boss
Cancelled/Ending:Accidentally on Purpose, Cold Case, Gary Unmarried, Ghost Whisperer, Miami Medical, The New Adventures of Old Christine, NUMB3RS, Three Rivers
Scheduling Changes:The Big Bang Theory, CSI: NY, Survivor, CSI: Miami
America's Most Watched Network Adds Five New Series to Its Top-Rated Lineup
New Dramas Include a New HAWAII FIVE-0, Comedic Drama THE DEFENDERS and a Family of NYPD's Finest BLUE BLOODS
Comedies Include a Series Based on a Twitter Feed and a New Show From Chuck Lorre About a Couple Who Find Love at an Overeaters Anonymous Meeting
18 Current Series Return
CBS Unveils Four Key Time Period Moves to Grow Nights and Spread Strength Across the Schedule
THE BIG BANG THEORY Launches New One-Hour Comedy Block Thursday at 8:00 PM
SURVIVOR to Open Wednesdays at 8:00 PM
CSI: NY Moves to Friday at 9:00 PM and CSI: MIAMI to Sunday at 10:00 PM to Power Two Key Time Periods
CBS announced today its new 2010-2011 primetime schedule and the addition of five new series, including three dramas and two comedies, and key scheduling moves to enhance America's most watched lineup.
The new series includes an updated take on the classic series HAWAII FIVE-0; comedic drama THE DEFENDERS starring Jim Belushi and Jerry O'Connell as colorful Las Vegas defense attorneys; drama BLUE BLOODS about a family of NYPD cops starring Tom Selleck and Donnie Wahlberg; a Twitter-inspired comedy, $#*! MY DAD SAYS, starring William Shatner as a father who spouts politically incorrect observations on daily life; and the romantic comedy MIKE & MOLLY, starring Billy Gardell and Melissa McCarthy as a cop and teacher who find love at an Overeaters Anonymous meeting.
"We believe television's #1 network just got stronger," said Nina Tassler, President, CBS Entertainment. "New series will be launched behind proven hits and key scheduling moves will help grow nights. Two of the dramas, ‘Hawaii Five-0' and ‘The Defenders,' continue our successful evolution in the drama form - character driven with great humor. The third new drama, ‘Blue Bloods,' introduces a police drama with a unique family spin. Our two new comedies will definitely make some noise. ‘$#*! My Dad Says' is based on a distinctly loud and funny Twitter feed - led by a larger-than-life star in William Shatner. ‘Mike & Molly' is a comedy on the romantic side, featuring the trademark humor of TV's reigning king of comedy, Chuck Lorre. And, the best news is that these new series join a schedule deep with hits and leadership in every program genre."
The freshman series will be joined by 18 returning shows including the season's #1 drama/scripted program - NCIS; #1 comedy - TWO AND A HALF MEN; #1 new series - UNDERCOVER BOSS, the #1 news magazine - 60 MINUTES, the #1 new drama - NCIS: LOS ANGELES, plus the #1 scripted series in key demos (18-49 and 25-54) - THE BIG BANG THEORY, along with two franchise reality series - SURVIVOR and the seven-time Emmy Award winner THE AMAZING RACE.
Also returning are: HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER, RULES OF ENGAGEMENT, THE GOOD WIFE, CRIMINAL MINDS, CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION, THE MENTALIST, MEDIUM, CSI: NY, 48 HOURS MYSTERY and CSI: MIAMI.
A spin off of the hit drama CRIMINAL MINDS, starring Forest Whitaker, has been ordered for midseason.
The new 2010-2011 schedule:
On Monday, CBS adds a new Chuck Lorre comedy to television's top-rated comedy block and a big new drama to cap the night. From 8:00-9:00 PM, the established duo of HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER and RULES OF ENGAGEMENT returns. Television's top comedy TWO AND A HALF MEN remains at 9:00 PM, serving as a lead-in for the new comedy MIKE & MOLLY, starring Billy Gardell and Melissa McCarthy at 9:30 PM. HAWAII FIVE-0 rides the wave into 10:00 PM.
On Tuesday, CBS's top-rated night remains intact with the #1 rated scripted series, NCIS, at 8:00 PM followed by the #1 new drama, NCIS: LOS ANGELES, at 9:00 PM and the #2 new drama, THE GOOD WIFE, at 10:00 PM.
On Wednesday, CBS makes two strategic time period changes to bookend the night. SURVIVOR provides a potent lead-off hitter at 8:00 PM. The sixth-year hit CRIMINAL MINDS remains at 9:00 PM, providing a strong lead-in to the new drama THE DEFENDERS, starring Jim Belushi and Jerry O'Connell, at 10:00 PM.
On Thursday, CBS opens a new one-hour comedy block on TV's biggest night. THE BIG BANG THEORY, the fastest growing series on television, kicks off the line-up at 8:00 PM, serving as a powerful lead-in for the irreverent new comedy $#*! MY DAD SAYS. The rest of the night remains unchanged with the popular drama block CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION and THE MENTALIST from 9:00-11:00 PM.
On Friday, CBS adds a New York/New York tandem from 9:00-11:00 PM. Veteran drama MEDIUM leads off the night at 8:00 PM. Proven hit CSI: NY moves from Wednesday to serve as the tent pole at 9:00 PM, flowing seamlessly into the NYPD police drama BLUE BLOODS at 10:00 PM.
Saturdays will feature CBS's CRIMETIME programming from 8:00-10:00 PM, followed by the popular true crime series 48 HOURS MYSTERY at 10:00 PM.
On Sunday, a winning crime drama moves to 10:00 PM to anchor one of TV's biggest nights. The perennial #1 news magazine, 60 MINUTES, kicks off its 43rd season at 7:00 PM. The seven-time Emmy Award-winning series THE AMAZING RACE returns at 8:00 PM followed by the first full season of UNDERCOVER BOSS, TV's #1 new show at 9:00 PM, keeping intact a powerful reality block. CSI: MIAMI provides the night's strongest 10:00 PM anchors in years.
The New Comedies are:
$#*! MY DAD SAYS, based on the popular Twitter feed by Justin Halpern, stars Emmy Award winner William Shatner as Ed Goodson, a forthright and opinionated dad who relishes expressing his unsolicited and often wildly politically incorrect observations to anyone within earshot. Nobody is immune from Ed's rants, including his sons, Henry, a struggling writer-turned-unpaid blogger; and Vince (Will Sasso), the meek half of his husband/wife real estate duo with domineering Kathleen (Nicole Sullivan). When Henry finds he can no longer afford to pay rent to his pretty roommate -- and secret admirer -- Sam (Stephanie Lemelin), Ed reveals a soft spot and invites Henry to move in with him. Henry agrees, knowing that the verbal assault will not abate and now there will be no escape. Describing their father/son relationship is tricky - but Ed will easily come up with a few choice words. Emmy Award winners David Kohan and Max Mutchnick are executive producers for Warner Bros. Television. Emmy Award winner James Burrows directed.
MIKE & MOLLY is a comedy from Chuck Lorre ("Two and a Half Men," and "The Big Bang Theory") about a working class Chicago couple who find love at an Overeaters Anonymous meeting. Officer Mike Biggs (Billy Gardell) is a good-hearted cop who sincerely wants to lose weight. Mike's partner, Officer Carl McMillan (Reno Wilson), is a thin, fast-talking wise-guy, who despite his teasing encourages Mike on his road to slimness and romance. While speaking at an O.A. meeting, Mike meets Molly Flynn (Melissa McCarthy), an instantly likeable fourth-grade teacher with a healthy sense of humor about her curves. For Molly, focusing on smart choices isn't easy because she lives with her sexy older sister, Victoria (Katy Mixon), and their mother, Joyce (Swoosie Kurtz), both of whom flaunt their healthy appetites and slender figures. Mike also faces temptation at the diner he and Carl frequent, where they've become friends with the Senegalese waiter, Samuel (Nyambi Nyambi), who finds trying to eat less a foreign concept. For Mike and Molly, thanks to their mutual love of pie and the desire to resist it, finding each other may have been worth the "weight." Chuck Lorre and Mark Roberts are executive producers for Chuck Lorre Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television.
The New Dramas are:
HAWAII FIVE-0 is a contemporary take on the classic series about a new elite federalized task force whose mission is to wipe out the crime that washes up on the Islands' sun-drenched beaches. Detective Steve McGarrett (Alex O'Loughlin), a decorated Naval officer turned cop, returns to Oahu to investigate his father's murder and stays after Hawaii's governor persuades him to head up the new team: his rules, her backing, no red tape and full blanket immunity to hunt down the biggest "game" in town. Joining McGarrett is Detective Danny "Danno" Williams (Scott Caan), a newly relocated ex-New Jersey cop who prefers skyscrapers to the coastline but is committed to keeping the Islands safe for his 8-year-old daughter; and Chin Ho Kelly (Daniel Dae Kim), an ex-Honolulu Police Detective wrongly accused of corruption and relegated to a federal security patrol, who is also a former protégé of McGarrett's father. Chin's cousin, Kono (Grace Park), is a beautiful and fearless native, fresh out of the academy and eager to establish herself among the department's elite. McGarrett vows to bring closure to his father's case while the state's brash new FIVE-0 unit, who may spar and jest among themselves, is determined to eliminate the seedy elements from the 50th state. Peter Lenkov, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci are executive producers for CBS Television Studios.
THE DEFENDERS stars Jim Belushi and Jerry O'Connell in a comedic drama about two colorful Las Vegas defense attorneys who go all-in when it comes to representing their clients. Nick and Pete are the local go-to guys with an eclectic client list who are still looking to hit their own jackpot. Leading the law firm of Morelli & Kaczmarek are Nick Morelli (Belushi), an earnest, hard-charging attorney who represents his clients to the best of his ability, no matter how big or small the case, and his partner, Pete Kaczmarek (O'Connell), whose passion for the law is matched only by his love of fast cars, beautiful women and expensive clothes. Joining them in their growing law practice is new associate Lisa Tyler (Jurnee Smollett), an enthusiastic young attorney looking to put her exotic dancing days behind her; and their young assistant, Sophie (Tanya Fischer), a spunky and sweet ingénue who is eager to please her bosses. As Lady Luck shines on their legal careers, the partners have their hands full when it comes to their personal lives. While Pete is busy cruising the Vegas Strip for his latest romantic conquest, Nick is focused on repairing his fractured marriage to his estranged wife, Jessica (Gillian Vigman), while remaining present in the life of their young son. No matter the offense, Nick and Pete aim to prove that when the stakes are high they're willing to bet the house on the clients they defend in Sin City. Carol Mendelsohn, Niels Mueller and Kevin Kennedy, Joe and Harry Gantz, and Davis Guggenheim are the executive producers for CBS Television Studios.
BLUE BLOODS is a drama about a multi-generational family of cops dedicated to New York City law enforcement. Frank Reagan (Tom Selleck) is the New York Chief of Police and patriarch of the Reagan brood, which he heads as diplomatically as he does the force, even when dealing with the politics that plagued his unapologetically bold father, Henry (Len Cariou), during his stint as Chief. A source of pride and concern for Frank is his eldest son Danny (Donnie Wahlberg), a seasoned detective, family man and Iraqi War vet who on occasion uses dubious tactics to solve cases. The sole Reagan woman in the family, Erin (Bridget Moynahan), is a N.Y. Assistant D.A. and newly single parent, who also serves as the legal compass for her siblings and father. Jamie (Will Estes) is the youngest Reagan, fresh out of Harvard Law and the family's "golden boy." However, unable to deny the family tradition, Jamie decided to give up a lucrative future in law and is now a newly minted cop, a career change seemingly supported by his beautiful girlfriend, Sydney Davenport (Dylan Moore), a first year lawyer. Jamie's life takes an abrupt turn, however, when he's asked to become part of a clandestine police investigation even his father knows nothing about, and one that could impact the family's legacy. Emmy Award winners Mitchell Burgess, Robin Green and Leonard Goldberg are executive producers for CBS Television Studios.
The Midseason Series:
CRIMINAL MINDS SPINOFF stars Academy Award-winner Forest Whitaker in a drama about an elite team of agents within the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit who use unconventional methods of investigation and aggressive tactics to capture the nation's most nefarious criminals. Unit chief Special Agent Sam Cooper (Whitaker) is a mentally and physically fierce natural leader who is not afraid to put his career on the line in order to stand by his convictions. Cooper strives to avoid political bureaucracy and has handpicked an eclectic group of profilers to work outside the confines of Quantico: Former British Special Forces soldier Mick Rawson (Matt Ryan), confident and handsome, works as a highly-skilled marksman with an undiluted eye for rooting out evil; John "Prophet" Sims (Michael Kelly), a former convict with a street-smart edge and a calm, Zen-like presence, who is determined to make amends for past sins; and Gina LaSalle (Beau Garrett), an attractive, tough agent armed with a cunning sense of perception. This exceptional group of FBI operatives is strong in their beliefs and steadfast in their mission to bring the country's most dangerous criminals to justice. Chris Mundy, Edward Allen Bernero, Mark Gordon and Deborah Spera are executive producers for ABC Studios in association with CBS Television Studios.
I'm curious to know what you thought. What did you think of this episode and of the season in general? Should we trust Marcus? Sad to see Val go? Will Ryan come back around? Will Lisa become queen? Will you come back next season to watch Season 2 of V? Head to the comments section to discuss.
ABC unveiled its fall schedule and new programming offerings to advertisers today in New York, continuing the second official day of network upfronts week.
Not in New York? You can check out the show previews for ABC's newest series, including No Ordinary Family, The Whole Truth, My Generation, Off the Map, Detroit 1-8-7, Body of Proof, Mr. Sunshine, Happy Endings, and Better Together, below.
NO ORDINARY FAMILY
THE WHOLE TRUTH
MY GENERATION
OFF THE MAP
DETROIT 1-8-7
BODY OF PROOF
MR. SUNSHINE
BETTER TOGETHER
HAPPY ENDINGS
SECRET MILLIONAIRE
Which of these series look best to you? Which are you planning on checking out? And which will not even warrant a quick glance? Head to the comments section to discuss.
A day ahead of its official upfront presentation, CBS announced that it had canceled seven series, including The New Adventures of Old Christine, Ghost Whisperer, Cold Case, Miami Medical, NUMB3RS, Gary Unmarried and Accidentally on Purpose and had issued reprieves for Medium and Rules of Engagement.
CBS is expected to announce orders for new dramas Hawaii Five-O, Defenders, and Blue Blood, comedies Bleep My Dad Says and Mike & Molly, and the untitled Criminal Minds spinoff.
It's still possible that the Warner Bros. Television-produced Old Christine could turn up on ABC as Steve McPherson has previously indicated his desire to acquire the Julia Louis-Dreyfus-led comedy should CBS opt not to renew it... and the same fate could hold true for supernatural drama Ghost Whisperer, which could be saved by ABC as well.
Over at the CW, the netlet announced that the axe had fallen on Melrose Place, finally ending months of certainty that the DOA series would be cancelled. However, the CW team did opt to renew on-the-bubble series Life Unexpected and One Tree Hill.
The netlet is expected to pickup two new dramas for next season: espionage actioner Nikita from Warner Bros. Television and college drama Hellcats, from CBS Television Studios and WBTV.
CBS will announce its fall schedule tomorrow, with the CW wrapping up upfronts week on Thursday.
I hate spoilers. I don't read them, I don't like them, and I don't want to foist them onto you, my readers.
I had the opportunity last week to watch tonight's episode of Lost ("What They Died For") and I've kept my mouth shut because I don't want to ruin the sense of surprise and discovery that comes from going into an episode unencumbered by any advance knowledge of what's about to unfold.
So I'm not going to reveal even an iota of the plot of tonight's fantastic installment of Lost, written by Elizabeth Sarnoff and Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz and directed by Paul Edwards. (Sorry!)
What I will say is that it did remove some of the bad taste left in my mouth by the previous episode ("Across the Sea"), easily the most divisive episode in the entire history of Lost so far. It builds on some of the elements introduced there while advancing the main plot of the series: the fate of the survivors of Oceanic Flight 815.
While "Across the Sea" felt like an entirely different series, a parable slotted in right after a particularly tense and heartbreaking episode, "What They Died For" feels entirely like a penultimate episode of Lost should: it sets the stage for the final chapter (airing Sunday evening, of course) and kicks the action into high gear, signaling in no uncertain terms that the end is about to arrive.
While there's a lot of drama contained within tonight's episode and some crucial plot points, I do want to say that there's also a hell of a lot of humor as well, as "What They Died For" might just go down as one of the funniest episodes of Lost in a very long time. Despite the presence of some whiplash-inducing plot twists, there's also some nicely scripted levity. So you'll be laughing and possibly falling off the edge of your seat at the same time.
That's all I'll say about tonight's humorous and haunting episode, other than the fact that I really, really, really enjoyed it and there will be quite a lot to discuss after the episode has aired...
The penultimate episode of Lost airs tonight at 9 pm ET/PT on ABC.
"This is everything about me. And if something should happen to me, the only person I want to have it is you."
With the potential threat of Daniel Shaw hanging over their heads, everyone seemed to be thinking about their own mortality, with Team Bartowski uncovering Shaw's "spy will" and Chuck and Sarah drafting their own. Given the dangerous line of work that they're involved in, it's more than likely than not that having such a document will be a good thing, a chance to say goodbye to a loved one, to make a confession, to offer up their true selves.
On this week's episode of Chuck ("Chuck Versus the Living Dead"), written by Lauren LeFranc and Rafe Judkins and directed by Jay Chandrasekhar, Chuck once again found himself attempting to live a double life when his father Stephen (guest star Scott Bakula) arrived in Los Angeles after receiving a coded message from Ellie in the paper (itself part of a Ring plot to lure him out into the open and recover The Governor) and Chuck had to pretend that he was no longer an intelligence asset but had left the spy life behind.
Needless to say, Stephen's no fool and saw through Chuck's ruse straightaway, even turning up during a mission to offer his son a literal helping hand (as Chuck was dangling off a building ledge several stories off the ground). I'm happy to see Stephen back in the mix again as I felt as though he disappeared way too quickly at the end of last season and we didn't see the fallout from his knowledge that Chuck had defied him and downloaded the Intersect 2.0 into his brain.
Whereas prior to his Season Two appearance, Stephen had been portrayed as irresponsible, it's now clear that everything Stephen has done in his life as been to protect his children and to keep them as far away as possible from the world of espionage. While Chuck might want to save the world, it's not the life that Stephen had originally envisioned for him, a world of safety and security and where you could go to sleep at night with the knowledge that someone else was shouldering the burden of keeping the world safe.
But that's not how life turns out. Life is a series of adjustments and unexpected paths. In looking to prevent Chuck from entering a profession that all but destroyed his life, Stephen's actions have lead both Chuck and Ellie into it. (That's irony for you, huh?) But Stephen also recognizes that Chuck is doing this for altruistic reasons: "You downloaded the 2.0 for the same reason I invented it: to help people. If you want to be a spy, I'm going to do everything I can to help you be the man you want to be."
Aw.
To that end, Stephen agrees to construct a Governor for his son. Like a pacemaker, a Governor works on the neural network of the person with an Intersect inside his head, controlling the neural responses and protecting the user from serious harm, such as the effects that Chuck has been experiencing of late.
Of course, The Ring is after The Governor for their own purposes and they're using Ellie to get to Stephen. Unfortunately for her, she believes that Justin is looking to protect Stephen and he's already managed to turn her against Casey (using her shifty attitude towards him against her). The look of horror when Justin instructs her to unlock the stereo speaker and pull out a gun truly expressed just how far over her head Ellie is right now.
While she opts instead to take Casey out with a heavy skillet instead, she ends up running right into the true enemy: Justin, who takes the opportunity to bring her to a Ring facility and locks her in his office. Which is really not good. While Stephen may have been able to outwit The Ring at the cabin, The Ring now has Ellie in their grasp... and likely they are going to offer a trade: her life for that of Stephen Bartowski. Knowing the selfless Stephen, he'd be likely to accept that trade.
Meanwhile, the mystery of whether or not Daniel Shaw is alive continues. Despite Chuck's semi-prophetic dreams (or subconscious Intersect flashes), it does appear that Shaw died in the Seine that day. Or does it? We see someone accessing an Intersect mainframe using Shaw's login. Does it mean that Shaw is in fact alive? Or is someone using his identity? Could it be a little Gaslight at work?
Regardless, Chuck is taking no chances and drafts a "spy will" of his own. It's another major step into adulthood for Chuck, coming as it does with the realization of his own mortality and possible death, thanks to a profession that does have quite a high body count. It's interesting to see just how much Chuck Bartowski has matured since we first met him in the pilot episode. Now with his dream job and dream girl by his side, Chuck is poised to take a running leap out of adolescence just in time for the fourth season. When you look at the arc that the writers have carried out for him, it's been a gradual transformation from boy to man, from victim to hero.
Elsewhere, Big Mike attempted to reunite Jeffster after the group split up thanks to some differences of opinion between Jeff and Lester (a battle between art versus commercialism, enacted in front of the Buy More entrance), and we learned that Mike himself was once a member of Earth, Wind, and Fire (he was Rain). While it didn't quite connect (or at all, really) to the main plot, it was a fun subplot that brought us more Jeffster, here performing "Love Hurts."
What else did I like about this episode? Chuck catching the knife flung at his face by Stephen as a test; when that same moment was echoed as Sarah uses an axe to deflect a knife headed for Chuck; Morgan's efforts to find bulletproof pants among Castle's equipment; Stephen asking Chuck if Sarah also has an Intersect ("That's all her"); the family dinner between the three Bartowskis; and the fight scene between Ellie and Casey, as it seems Ellie is about to be dragged, kicking and screaming, into Chuck's spy world.
What did you think of this week's episode? Do you want Ellie in on Chuck's secret? Is Shaw really dead? What does The Ring have planned? Head to the comments section to discuss.
Next week on the two-hour season finale of Chuck ("Chuck Versus the Subway/Chuck Versus the Ring Part II"), The Ring is closing in on Chuck and Operation Bartowski. Fortunately, Chuck's dad Stephen is working hard to save his son. Meanwhile, Casey must secretly protect his daughter from the Ring, and Big Mike receives some serious news about the Buy More.
ABC this morning announced its plans for fall and midseason, a few hours ahead of its official upfront this afternoon, unveiling a schedule that includes several new scripted series, including dramas No Ordinary Family, Detroit 1-8-7, My Generation, Body of Proof, Off the Map, and The Whole Truth and comedies Better Together, Happy Endings, and Mr. Sunshine.
“Our passion for great storytelling is at the core of everything we do,” said Stephen McPherson, president, ABC Entertainment Group. “Finding and supporting writers, directors, producers and actors who share that passion is critical to our success. Our shows are the product of these collaborations, and we are thrilled to add 10 new series to our schedule next year.”
While much of the schedule remains intact, new series No Ordinary Family and Detroit 1-8-7 will take over Tuesdays, with the Dancing with the Stars Results Show taking over the 9 pm timeslot from current occupant Lost, which wraps its run this weekend. Serialized sci-fi drama V will return in midseason, though executives indicated that the Warner Bros. Television-produced drama could show up on the schedule as early as November.
No additional series were ordered beyond those that ABC formally announced last week, though the network did order six new drama series and three new comedies. On Wednesdays, the current comedy block will be joined by Better Together at 8:30 pm, with The Middle sliding to 8 pm to kick off the night.
UPDATED: ABC's full fall and midseason schedules can be found below, along with the official press release from the network, descriptions for the new and returning series, and photography for the new series.
ABC Fall Primetime Schedule
(new shows noted in bold)
MONDAY: 8:00 p.m. “Dancing with the Stars” 10:00 p.m. “Castle”
TUESDAY: 8:00 p.m. “No Ordinary Family” 9:00 p.m. “Dancing with the Stars the Results Show” 10:00 p.m. “Detroit 1-8-7”
New Series:No Ordinary Family, Detroit 1-8-7, My Generation, Body of Proof, Off the Map, The Whole Truth, Better Together, Happy Endings, Mr. Sunshine
Renewed:20/20, America's Funniest Home Videos, The Bachelor, Brothers & Sisters, Castle, Cougar Town, Dancing with the Stars, Desperate Housewives, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Grey's Anatomy, The Middle, Modern Family, Private Practice, Saturday Night Football, Supernanny, V
Cancelled/Ending:Better Off Ted, The Deep End, Eastwick, Find My Family, FlashForward, The Forgotten, Hank, Happy Town, Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution, Lost, Romantically Challenged, Scrubs, Shark Tank, Ugly Betty
Scheduling Changes:The Middle, V
Midseason Launches:Mr. Sunshine, Off the Map, Happy Endings
NEW FALL AND MIDSEASON SERIES DESCRIPTIONS
DRAMA:
“BODY OF PROOF” Dr. Megan Hunt (Dana Delany) was in a class of her own, a brilliant neurosurgeon at the top of her game. But her world is turned upside down when a devastating car accident puts an end to her time in the operating room. Megan resumes her career as a medical examiner, determined to solve the puzzle of who or what killed the victims. Her instincts are sharp, but she’s developed a reputation for graying the lines of where her job ends and where the police department’s begins. It turns out her career isn’t the only thing that will need to be rebuilt; Megan’s family has taken a backseat to her ambition, and now she’s discovering there’s a lot of work to do when it comes to dissecting her relationships with the living.
Dana Delany stars as Dr. Megan Hunt, Jeri Ryan as Dr. Kate Murphy, Geoffrey Arend as Dr. Elliot Gross, John Carroll Lynch as Detective Bud Morris, Windell Middlebrooks as Dr. Curtis Brumfield, Nic Bishop as Peter Dunlap and Sonja Sohn as Detective Samantha Baker.
“Body of Proof” is from ABC Studios. Christopher Murphey wrote the pilot, which was directed by Nelson McCormick. Murphey and Matt Gross serve as executive producers.
“DETROIT 1-8-7” What does it take to be a detective on America’s most dangerous streets? Get ready to be part of the action when a documentary crew rolls with some of Detroit’s finest, offering an insider’s glimpse behind the curtain of a Homicide Unit. The cameras unearth the crisis and revelation, heartbreak and heroism of these inner city cops -- moments of raw exposure when they address us directly, as well as private moments when they forget they’re being filmed.
There’s the damaged but driven Detective Louis Fitch, a wily homicide vet who is the most respected -- and most misunderstood -- man in the division; Detective Damon Washington, Fitch’s new partner, who finds the first day on the job is a trial by fire, complicated by the imminent birth of his first child; Detective Ariana Sanchez, sexy, edgy and beautiful, who has emerged from a rough background to become a rising star in the department; Narcotics undercover cop John Stone, a streetwise smooth talker, clever and quick with a smile made for the movies, who is teamed with Sanchez -- a combustible pairing rife with conflict and sexual tension; Sergeant Jesse Longford, a 30-year veteran struggling with his impending retirement from the force and the city he loves, who, together with his partner, Detective Aman Mahajan -- a fully Americanized son of Indian immigrants -- form an amusing mismatch of experience and enthusiasm, intellect and instinct, old school and new world, but whose combined skills have never encountered a case that couldn’t be cleared; and all are headed by Lieutenant Maureen Mason, a strong-willed single mom struggling to balance home and work.
The men and women of Detroit Homicide are as smart and tough as they come. They have to be, working the neighborhoods of the once and future Motor City, a rebounding bastion of middle America still saddled with the highest murder rate in the country.
“Detroit 1-8-7” stars Michael Imperioli (“The Sopranos”) as Detective Louis Fitch, Jon Michael Hill as Detective Damon Washington, James McDaniel (“NYPD Blue”) as Sergeant Jesse Longford, Aisha Hinds (“True Blood”) as Lieutenant Maureen Mason, Natalie Martinez as Detective Ariana Sanchez, D.J. Cotrona as Detective John Stone and Shaun Majumder as Detective Aman Mahajan.
The series is produced by ABC Studios. The pilot was written by Jason Richman. Executive producers are Richman, David Hoberman, Todd Lieberman and David Zabel. Jeff Nachmanoff directed the pilot.
“MY GENERATION” What a difference ten years can make. In 2000, a documentary crew follows a disparate group of high schoolers from Greenbelt High School in Austin, TX as they prepare for graduation, then revisits these former classmates ten years later as they return home to rediscover that just because they’re not where they planned doesn’t mean they’re not right where they need to be.
These students couldn't wait to graduate and head out into the real world. But the world they were entering got very real very fast. As these classmates return home to revisit their old hopes for their future, they'll discover that, even if you don't get exactly what you thought you wanted out of life, it’s not too late to get what you need.
“My Generation” stars Michael Stahl David as Steven, Kelli Garner as Dawn, Jaime King as Jacqueline, Keir O’Donnell as Kenneth, Sebastian Sozzi as Falcon, Mechad Brooks as Rolly, Anne Son as Caroline, Daniella Alonso as Brenda and Julian Morris as Anders.
“My Generation” was created and written by Noah Hawley (“The Unusuals,” “Bones”), who is also an executive producer, along with Warren Littlefield, Henrik Bastin, Patrick Magnasson and Martin Piersson. Craig Gillespie directed the pilot. The project is from ABC Studios.
“NO ORDINARY FAMILY” The Powells are about to go from ordinary to extraordinary. After 16 years of marriage, Jim and Stephanie’s relationship lacks the spark it once had, and their family life now consists of balancing work and their two children, leaving little time for family bonding. During a family vacation set up by Jim in an attempt to reconnect, their plane crashes into the Amazon River. But this is where the fun starts for the Powells, as they soon discover that something’s not quite right. Each of them now possesses unique and distinct superpowers. But saving and savoring their family life will be equally important, as they try to find purpose for their new powers and embark on a journey to find out what defines and unifies them. The Powells are a totally relatable family who happen to be a little bit amazing.
Michael Chiklis (“The Shield”) stars as Jim Powell, Julie Benz (“Dexter”) as Stephanie Powell, Romany Malco (“The 40-Year-Old Virgin”) as George St. Cloud, Tate Donovan (“Damages”) as Mitch McCutcheon, Autumn Reeser as Katie Andrews, Christina Chang as Yvonne Cho, Kay Panabaker as Daphne Powell and Jimmy Bennett as JJ Powell.
The pilot was written and executive-produced by Jon Feldman. The series is executive-produced by Feldman, Greg Berlanti, Morgan Wandell and David Semel, who also directed the pilot. Joe Hartwick, Jr. serves as producer. “No Ordinary Family” is from ABC Studios.
“OFF THE MAP” Executive producers Shonda Rhimes and Betsy Beers (“Grey's Anatomy,” “Private Practice”) and creator Jenna Bans (“Grey's Anatomy”) bring you an uplifting medical drama that explores how far you have to go to truly heal.
Welcome to “la ciudad de las estrellas” (the city of stars), a tiny town in the South American jungle which has one understaffed, under-stocked medical clinic. That’s where idealistic young Dr. Lily Brenner just landed, along with fellow doctors Mina Minard and Manny Diaz. All of these young doctors are running away from personal demons, but they aren’t the only ones with emotional baggage. Take the legendary and enigmatic Ben Keeton, who was the youngest Chief of Surgery at UCLA. He walked away from it all to found the clinic. Together with his right-hand doctor, Otis Cole, he’ll teach these newcomers how to save lives in the most challenging environment they’ve ever worked in.
In this ensemble drama, five doctors who have lost their way will go to the ends of the earth to try to remember the reasons why they wanted to become doctors in the first place.
“Off the Map” stars Martin Henderson as Ben Keeton, Caroline Dhavernas as Lily Brenner, Enrique Murciano as Manny Diaz, Mamie Gummer as Mina Minard, Jason George as Otis Cole, Valerie Cruz as Zita (Zee) and Jose Julian as Charlie.
“Off the Map” is executive-produced by Shonda Rhimes and Betsy Beers, and created/executive-produced by Jenna Bans. The series is from ABC Studios.
“THE WHOLE TRUTH” This unique legal drama chronicles the way a case is built from the perspective of both the defense and prosecution. Showing each side equally keeps the audience guessing, shifting allegiances and opinions on guilt or innocence until the very final scene.
Kathryn Peale, the product of a New England background and a sheriff father, is the Deputy Bureau Chief in the New York State District Attorney's office. Jimmy Brogan, born and raised in Hell's Kitchen and a friend of Kathryn's since their days at Yale Law School, is one of New York's rising criminal attorney stars. Buoyed by their respective teams, these evenly matched lawyers — each with a strong streak of competitiveness, a fervent belief in their clients and an equally intense passion for the law — go about creating two different stories from the same set of facts. As this up-close, behind-the-scenes look at the legal process mirrors the excitement of a championship match, it becomes evident that truth has nothing to do with innocence or guilt — at the end of every trial, the only thing that matters is what the jury believes.
“The Whole Truth” stars Rob Morrow (“Numb3rs”) as Jimmy Brogan, Joely Richardson (“Nip/Tuck”) as Kathryn Peale, Eamonn Walker (“Oz”) as Sr. ADA Terrence “Edge” Edgecomb, Sean Wing as Chad Griffin, Anthony Ruivivar as Alejo Salazar and Christine Adams as Lena Boudreaux.
The series is produced by Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with Jerry Bruckheimer Television and Warner Bros. Television. The pilot was written and co-executive produced by Tom Donaghy, and the executive producers are Jerry Bruckheimer and Jonathan Littman. Alex Graves was executive producer and director for the pilot, and KristieAnne Reed serves as a co-executive producer.
COMEDY:
“BETTER TOGETHER” Maddie and Ben have been dating for nine years. They know each other inside and out, a relationship marked by contentment and affection, seeing their commitment to one another as a “valid life choice,” something they proclaim often — and often loudly. Maddie’s younger sister, Mia, has been dating Casey for seven weeks. With a shared c’est la vie attitude, Mia and Casey are smitten with each other, and thrilled to explore the oh-so-many things they don’t know about each other yet. But when they announce they’re getting married and having a baby, it’s news that throws Maddie for a loop. Surprisingly, the girls’ parents, Vicky and Joel, couldn’t be more pleased. Married 35 years, they have recently adopted a carpe diem sort of philosophy, rather like Mia’s, maybe because they’re getting older and lost a good portion of their savings when the economy tanked. With three very different relationships tightly intertwined in one family, will it be free thinkers vs. over-thinkers, or will each couple begin to see things a little bit differently?
“Better Together” stars JoAnna Garcia as Mia, Jennifer Finnigan as Maddie, Josh Cooke as Ben, Jake Lacy as Casey, with Kurt Fuller as Joel and Debra Jo Rupp as Vicky.
The series is from Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with Silver and Gold Productions and Warner Bros. Television. Shana Goldberg-Meehan is executive producer and writer. The pilot was directed by James Burrows.
“HAPPY ENDINGS” Forget who gets to keep the ring – when a couple splits, the real question is, who gets to keep the friends? In this modern comedy, a couple’s break-up will complicate all of their friends’ lives and make everyone question their choices. When life throws you for a curve, hold on tight to the people you love. Every circle of friends has someone who’s the gravitational center. For years, perfect couple Dave and Alex drew their friends in and held them together. Now that they’ve split, does this group have the stuff to stay together? Or do Max, Brad, Jane and Penny have to choose sides? Suddenly every event is a negotiation… like, who gets to go on the annual ski trip? There are a lot of big questions to be answered, but this group has been together so long, somehow, little by little, they’ll figure out how to hold on, even though their center is split up. It helps that Dave and Alex have agreed to stay friends. But there will definitely be other complications down the road – like Penny’s long-suppressed feelings for Dave. What is the waiting period for dating a friend’s ex? This show isn’t afraid to ask the embarrassing personal questions that inevitably arise in every long-term, close-knit group of friends.
“Happy Endings” stars Elisha Cuthbert (“24”) as Alex, Eliza Coupe as Jane, Zachary Knighton as Dave, Adam Pally as Max, Damon Wayans, Jr. as Brad and Casey Wilson as Penny.
From executive producers Jamie Tarses, Jonathan Groff, Anthony & Joe Russo, and co-executive producer David Caspe, “Happy Endings” examines the complex network of long-term friendships. The pilot was written by David Caspe and directed by Anthony & Joe Russo. The series is from Sony Pictures Television and ABC Studios.
“MR. SUNSHINE” Matthew Perry stars as Ben Donovan, the self-involved manager of a second-rate San Diego sports arena who begins to re-evaluate his life on his 40th birthday. Working alongside him is his boss and arena owner, Crystal -- attractive, powerful and highly erratic; Alice -- the cute, tomboyish marketing director and Ben’s friend with benefits; Alonzo – a former basketball player, handsome and unbelievably happy; Ben’s assistant, Heather – pretty, sweet, but terrifying because she once lit a boyfriend on fire; Crystal’s son, Roman – sweet-faced, clueless and Ben’s newest employee; and a hapless operations crew whom Ben refers to collectively as the “Steves.”
“Mr. Sunshine” stars Matthew Perry (“Friends”) as Ben, Allison Janney (“The West Wing”) as Crystal, Andrea Anders as Alice, James Lesure as Alonzo, Nate Torrence as Roman and Portia Doubleday as Heather.
Matthew Perry, Alex Barnow, Marc Firek, Jamie Tarses and Thomas Schlamme are executive producers. The Pilot was written by Matthew Perry and Alex Barnow & Marc Firek and directed by Thomas Schlamme. “Mr. Sunshine” is a Matthew Perry Production, Shoe Money Production, Barnow and Firek Production and FanFare Production, in association with Sony Pictures Television.
ALTERNATIVE SERIES:
“SECRET MILLIONAIRE” “Secret Millionaire” is a one-hour alternative series that follows some of America’s wealthiest people for one week as they leave behind their lavish lifestyles, sprawling mansions and luxury jets, conceal their true identities, and go to live and volunteer in some of the most impoverished and dangerous communities in America. Surviving on welfare wages, their mission is to discover the unsung heroes of America -- deserving individuals who continually sacrifice everything to help those in need. Throughout this incredible experience, the Secret Millionaires will attempt to remain undiscovered, coming face to face with extraordinary and amazing people battling the odds every day of their lives. On the final day, in an emotional and dramatic climax, they reveal their true identities. Ultimately, the millionaires will each give away at least $100,000 of their own money, changing lives forever.
Executive producers of “Secret Millionaire” include Grant Mansfield, Claire O'Donohoe and Leslie Garvin. Co-executive producer is Paul Osborne. It’s directed by Bruce Ready and is an RDF USA Production.
RETURNING SERIES:
DRAMAS:
“BROTHERS & SISTERS” “Brothers & Sisters” heads into its fifth season as executive producers Ken Olin, Greg Berlanti and David Marshall Grant continue to follow the California-based Walker family through the complicated maze of American life today. The compelling one-hour drama series is about a collection of five enmeshed and somewhat damaged adult siblings and their strong but passionately devoted mother, Nora Walker (Oscar and Emmy Award winner, Sally Field). The Walkers’ lives have not been without challenge; romance, parenting, illness, politics, divorce, infidelity, addiction, arrest, war and even death have pushed each of them to the limit, but they continue to work toward living their lives as individuals, while loving each other unconditionally and trying to maintain some semblance of normalcy after the loss and lies of their larger-than-life family patriarch, William Walker.
“Brothers & Sisters” stars Dave Annable as Justin Walker, Maxwell Perry Cotton as Cooper Whedon, Kerris Lilla Dorsey as Paige, Sally Field as Nora Holden, Calista Flockhart as Kitty Walker, Balthazar Getty as Thomas Walker, Rachel Griffiths as Sarah Whedon, Luke Macfarlane as Scotty Wandell, Gilles Marini as Luc Laurent, Matthew Rhys as Kevin Walker, Ron Rifkin as Saul Holden, Emily VanCamp as Rebecca Harper and Patricia Wettig as Holly Harper.
The series is executive-produced by Ken Olin (“Alias,” “thirtysomething”), Greg Berlanti (“Dirty Sexy Money,” “Everwood”), David Marshall Grant, Sarah Caplan and Molly Newman. It’s produced by ABC Studios.
“CASTLE” When viewers first met Richard Castle -- a famous mystery novelist and divorced father raising his teenage daughter, while being kept grounded by his Broadway diva mother -- he was creatively blocked. But when the NYPD questioned him in connection with a series of murders staged to imitate crime scenes from his books, Castle found inspiration in NYPD Detective Kate Beckett, a bright and aggressive homicide detective with a fascination for odd and offbeat cases stemming from the years-old unsolved murder of her own mother. Though they instantly clashed, sparks of another sort began to fly, leading both to danger and a hint of romance as Castle stepped in to help find the copycat killer. Once that initial case was solved, Castle and Beckett continued to investigate strange homicides in New York, combining Castle’s writer’s intuition and Beckett’s creative detective work. With Beckett as his muse, Castle used his newfound experience in the field as fodder for his latest novel and bestseller, Heat Wave.
During this past season, Castle and Beckett’s relationship has grown stronger as they’ve dodged bullets, captured killers, and solved countless murder cases in their unorthodox partnership. But by the Season Two finale, Beckett’s new relationship with a robbery detective has pushed Castle away, forcing them both to confront their feelings for one another. When Castle leaves to finish writing his second Nikki Heat novel, Naked Heat, Beckett has to watch him walk away, unable to express her true feelings and unsure whether he will return to the precinct.
The series stars Nathan Fillion as Richard Castle, Stana Katic as Detective Kate Beckett, Ruben Santiago-Hudson as NYPD Captain Roy Montgomery, Tamala Jones as Medical Examiner Lanie Parish, Jon Huertas as NYPD Detective Javier Esposito, Seamus Dever as NYPD Detective Kevin Ryan, Molly Quinn as Alexis Castle, with Susan Sullivan as Martha Rodgers.
“Castle” is produced by ABC Studios. Andrew Marlowe serves as executive producer/writer, along with executive producers Rob Bowman, Laurie Zaks and Armyan Bernstein.
“DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES” The primetime soap with a truly contemporary take on the “happily ever after,” “Desperate Housewives” returns for its seventh season. After losing her business, Bree (Marcia Cross) begins the process of rebuilding her life by telling Gaby (Eva Longoria Parker) a secret that could end their friendship; Lynette (Felicity Huffman) and Tom (Doug Savant) face a rough road ahead as they welcome a fifth child to their ever growing brood; and Susan (Teri Hatcher) and Mike’s (James Denton) financial woes have forced them to rent out their house and leave Wisteria Lane. But when Paul Young (Mark Moses) mysteriously returns to the neighborhood as the new tenant, suspicions will rise.
“Desperate Housewives” stars Teri Hatcher as Susan Mayer, Felicity Huffman as Lynette Scavo, Marcia Cross as Bree Hodge, Eva Longoria Parker as Gabrielle Solis, Ricardo Antonio Chavira as Carlos Solis, Doug Savant as Tom Scavo, Kyle MacLachlan as Orson Hodge, Brenda Strong as Mary Alice Young, James Denton as Mike Delfino, Kathryn Joosten as Mrs. McCluskey, Charlie Carver as Porter Scavo, Max Carver as Preston Scavo, Joshua Logan Moore as Parker Scavo, Kendall Applegate as Penny Scavo, Madison de la Garza as Juanita and Mason Vale Cotton as MJ Delfino.
Marc Cherry is executive producer and creator. “Desperate Housewives” is produced by ABC Studios and is the winner of both the 2005 and 2006 Golden Globe® Award for Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy.
“GREY’S ANATOMY” “Grey's Anatomy” is the recipient of the 2007 Golden Globe® Award for Best Television Series – Drama, and multiple Emmy nominations, including two for Outstanding Drama Series.
The doctors of Seattle Grace Hospital deal with life-or-death consequences on a daily basis -- it’s in one another that they find comfort, friendship and, at times, more than friendship. Together they’re discovering that neither medicine nor relationships can be defined in black and white. Real life only comes in shades of grey.
“Grey’s Anatomy” stars Ellen Pompeo as Meredith Grey, Patrick Dempsey as Derek Shepherd, Sandra Oh as Cristina Yang, Justin Chambers as Alex Karev, Chandra Wilson as Miranda Bailey, James Pickens, Jr. as Richard Webber, Sara Ramirez as Callie Torres, Eric Dane as Mark Sloan, Chyler Leigh as Lexie Grey, Kevin McKidd as Owen Hunt, Jessica Capshaw as Arizona Robbins and Kim Raver as Teddy Altman.
“Grey’s Anatomy” was created and is executive-produced by Shonda Rhimes (“Introducing Dorothy Dandridge”). Betsy Beers (“Casanova”), Mark Gordon (“Saving Private Ryan”), Krista Vernoff (“Law & Order”), Rob Corn (“Chicago Hope”), Mark Wilding (“Jake: 2.0”) and Allan Heinberg (“The O.C.) are executive producers. “Grey’s Anatomy” is an ABC Studios production.
“PRIVATE PRACTICE” From Shonda Rhimes, the Golden Globe®-winning creator of “Grey’s Anatomy,” comes a story about finding a way to begin the rest of your life. Renowned neonatal surgeon Addison Forbes Montgomery moved from Seattle to Los Angeles to reunite with old friends, Naomi and Sam Bennett, and join their medical practice, Oceanside Wellness Group. In the years since Addison’s arrival, the practice has undergone enormous changes, with financial turmoil and personal tragedies taking their toll; Naomi is now at the helm of the competition, Pacific Wellcare, and the doctors split down the middle between the two practices. Their bonds were further tested as friends ran into the unexpected arms -- and beds -- of others for support and comfort. Through it all, these tight knit doctors have worked together to find solutions to their patients’ needs, encountering medical cases that challenge their abilities and their ethical and moral ideals. Now they must deal with the biggest tragedy the practice has ever faced -- the death of one of their own, Dell. These doctors may be pros in the hospital; it’s their private lives that need a little practice.
“Private Practice” stars Kate Walsh as Dr. Addison Forbes Montgomery, Tim Daly as Dr. Pete Wilder, Audra McDonald as Dr. Naomi Bennett, Paul Adelstein as Dr. Cooper Freedman, KaDee Strickland as Dr. Charlotte King, with Taye Diggs as Dr. Sam Bennett and Amy Brenneman as Dr. Violet Turner.
“Private Practice” was created and is executive-produced by Shonda Rhimes. Betsy Beers, Mark Gordon, Mark Tinker, Craig Turk and Steve Blackman are executive producers. The series is produced by ABC Studios.
“V” Appearances were deceiving in “V,” the thrilling new drama series about the world’s first alien encounter. Simultaneously appearing over every major city in the world, the Visitors (or V’s) arrived offering wonders of technology and promoting peace. While the world quickly embraced the V's as saviors, an FBI Counter Terrorist Agent -- and others making up the resistance group called The Fifth Column -- discovered that the Visitors are not who they said they are. Will humanity stop being fooled and realize the Visitors’ true intentions before it's too late and they take over Earth?
“V” stars Elizabeth Mitchell as Erica Evans, Morris Chestnut as Ryan Nichols, Joel Gretsch as Father Jack, Lourdes Benedicto as Valerie, Logan Huffman as Tyler Evans, Laura Vandervoort as Lisa, with Morena Baccarin as Anna and Scott Wolf as Chad Decker.
“V” is produced by HDFilms in association with Warner Bros. Television. Scott Rosenbaum, Steve Pearlman and Jace Hall are executive producers.
COMEDY:
“COUGAR TOWN” Courteney Cox stars as Jules Cobb in her Golden Globe®-nominated role as a recently divorced mom in her forties facing the often humorous challenges, pitfalls and rewards of life’s next chapter. Along for the journey are her teenage son, her ex-husband and friends, who together make up her dysfunctional yet supportive and caring extended family... even if they have a funny way of showing it sometimes.
“Cougar Town” stars Courteney Cox as Jules, Christa Miller as Ellie, Busy Philipps as Laurie, Dan Byrd as Travis, Josh Hopkins as Grayson, Ian Gomez as Andy and Brian Van Holt as Bobby.
Bill Lawrence (“Scrubs,” “Spin City”) serves as executive producer/writer/director, Kevin Biegel (“Scrubs”) as writer/co-executive producer, and Courteney Cox and David Arquette are executive producers. The series is produced by ABC Studios.
“THE MIDDLE” Patricia Heaton stars in this warm and witty single-camera comedy about raising a family and lowering your expectations. Frankie Heck is a superhero. Well, no, not an actual superhero — not unless you count getting her kids out the door for school every morning as a superfeat. Middle-aged, middle class and living in the middle of the country, this harried wife and working mother of three uses her wry wit and sense of humor to try to get her family through each day intact. Frankie and husband Mike raise their kids with love and solid Midwestern practicality. Axl is the oldest, a teenage jock who eats the family out of house and home and walks around in his underwear. Then there’s Sue, their extraordinarily ordinary pre-teen daughter who fails at everything she tries with great gusto. Brick, the youngest son, is an odd kid whose best friend is his backpack. Together, they’re putting THE MIDDLE on the map.
“The Middle” stars Patricia Heaton as Frankie, Neil Flynn as Mike, Charlie McDermott as Axl, Eden Sher as Sue, Atticus Shaffer as Brick and Chris Kattan as Bob.
“The Middle” is created and executive-produced by Eileen Heisler and DeAnn Heline, and is a production of Warner Bros. Television.
“MODERN FAMILY” Today’s American families come in all shapes and sizes. The cookie cutter mold of man + wife + 2.5 kids is a thing of the past, as this comedy takes a modern and often hilarious look at the complications that come with being a family today.
“Modern Family” stars Ed O’Neill as Jay, Sofía Vergara as Gloria, Julie Bowen as Claire, Ty Burrell as Phil, Eric Stonestreet as Cameron, Jesse Tyler Ferguson as Mitchell, Sarah Hyland as Haley, Ariel Winter as Alex, Nolan Gould as Luke and Rico Rodriguez as Manny.
The Golden Globe®-nominated and Peabody Award-winning series is produced by Twentieth Century Fox Television in association with Levitan Lloyd Productions. Steven Levitan and Christopher Lloyd are executive producers/co-creators.
ALTERNATIVE
“AMERICA’S FUNNIEST HOME VIDEOS” “America’s Funniest Home Videos” will celebrate its 21st season when it returns in the fall. Hosted by Tom Bergeron, the series is the longest-running primetime show in ABC history and has been entertaining viewers for decades by showing what happens when adults, children and even inanimate objects are at their spontaneous best. “America’s Funniest Home Videos” has given away over $11 million in prize money and evaluated more than half a million videotapes from home viewers. Viewers wishing to submit home videos to “America’s Funniest Home Videos” should visit www.ABC.com for details.
Vin Di Bona is executive producer, with Todd Thicke and Michele Nasraway serving as co-executive producers.
“THE BACHELOR” ABC’s “The Bachelor” is the original primetime romance reality series that offers one lucky man and 25 lucky women the unique opportunity to find true love. This season the hit series will feature its 15th edition with the new Bachelor getting to know 25 women via a series of social gatherings and exotic, romantic dates – some in groups, some individually. He will introduce some of the women to his family and will visit their hometowns for a slice of their lives in an effort to determine the woman with whom he is most compatible. At the end of the journey, filled with drama and surprises, the Bachelor may quite possibly have found true love. But the big question is: After all of this, will he pop the question, and will she say yes?
“The Bachelor” is hosted by Chris Harrison and produced by Next Entertainment in association with Warner Horizon Television. Mike Fleiss and Martin Hilton are executive producers.
“DANCING WITH THE STARS” Hosted by Tom Bergeron (“America’s Funniest Home Videos”) and Season 7 champion Brooke Burke, “Dancing with the Stars” challenges celebrities from the worlds of Hollywood, sports and beyond to perform choreographed ballroom routines ranging from the Foxtrot to the Cha-cha-cha. Celebrities are paired with some of the top professional ballroom dancers in the world, and their live televised performances are judged by renowned ballroom judge Len Goodman and dancer/choreographers Bruno Tonioli and Carrie Ann Inaba.
“Dancing with the Stars” is the U.S. version of the international smash hit series, “Strictly Come Dancing.” This version is produced by BBC Worldwide Productions. Conrad Green serves as executive producer and Rob Wade is co-executive producer. Alex Rudzinski directs.
“EXTREME MAKEOVER: HOME EDITION” Put together one very run-down house, a deserving family, several opinionated designers, seven days and what do you get? The answer is “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.” Joining the series for Season 8 will be Jillian Harris (a successful designer for restaurants, residences, furniture and fashion who previously was featured as “The Bachelorette” in Season 5), Xzibit (a tireless performer in music, film and television) and Leigh Anne Tuohy (also a successful interior decorator, best known for being portrayed by Sandra Bullock in this year’s Oscar-winning film, “The Blind Side”). All three were “Get on the Bus” celebrity volunteers during Season 7 and were so incredibly moved by their experiences they asked to join the design team.
Each episode is self-contained and features a race against time on a project that would ordinarily take at least four months to achieve, involving a team of designers, contractors and several hundred volunteer workers who all have just seven days to totally rebuild and decorate an entire house – every single room, plus the exterior and landscaping. The result should be a decorator’s delight…if it can be done in time. And continuing for Season 8, “Get on the Bus” will feature more big-name celebrities as volunteers – last season, Mary J. Blige, Tyler Perry, David Cook, Usher, Jewel, Sheryl Crow, Christian Slater and Jessica Alba were among the many stars who helped out on the builds.
The show has won two Emmy Awards® for Outstanding Reality Program, plus two People’s Choice Awards, the Family Television Award for Best Alternative/Reality Program, an NAACP Award as Outstanding Reality Series, and a Service to American Leadership Award presented by The National Association of Broadcasters Education Foundation.
The returning designers include team leader Ty Pennington, with Paul DiMeo, Paige Hemmis, Michael Moloney, Ed Sanders, Tracy Hutson, Eduardo Xol and John Littlefield. “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” is produced by Endemol USA, a division of Endemol Holding. David Goldberg is Chairman, Endemol North America. The executive producers will be Brady Connell and George Verschoor. “SUPERNANNY” “Supernanny” kicks off its seventh season with Jo Frost criss-crossing America, taking on some of its toughest parenting challenges. She can tame the wildest toddler, soothe the savage six-year-old and get the most difficult child to overcome problems with behavior, sleep, mealtime, potty training and other challenges that have vexed parents around the world for centuries. The series debuted in America in early 2005 and captivated the country with Jo’s practical, no-nonsense style, honed over 20 years of nannying. “Supernanny” is now an international phenomenon; it airs in 172 territories, almost all of them with Frost as Supernanny. The series was nominated for a People’s Choice Award.
Nick Powell is the creator and executive producer of both the American and British versions of the show. Nick Emmerson and Stephanie Schwam are executive producers of the American version. “Supernanny” is produced by Shed Media US.
“20/20” ABC News’ acclaimed series “20/20” has distinguished itself as one of the most esteemed news programs in broadcast journalism. Amid the heated, competitive environment of primetime entertainment, “20/20” has demonstrated its ability to consistently attract a significant segment of the viewing audience by offering viewers more choices and more chances to learn about the world around them. For over three decades, “20/20” has continued to combine hard-hitting investigative reports, newsmaker interviews and compelling human interest and feature stories that have changes lives.
The program is co-anchored by the broadcast team of Elizabeth Vargas and Christopher Cuomo, both award-winning journalists.
FOX unveiled its fall schedule and new programming offerings to advertisers today in New York, continuing the first official day of network upfronts week.
Not in New York? You can check out the show previews for FOX's newest series, including Raising Hope, Running Wilde, Lonestar, Bob's Burgers, Ride-Along, and Mixed Signals below.
RAISING HOPE
RUNNING WILDE
LONESTAR
RIDE-ALONG
BOB'S BURGERS
MIXED SIGNALS
Which of these series look best to you? Which are you planning on checking out? And which will not even warrant a quick glance? Head to the comments section to discuss.
NBC unveiled its fall schedule and new programming offerings to advertisers today in New York, kicking off the official start to network upfronts week.
Not in New York? You can check out the show previews for NBC's newest series, including The Event, Chase, Undercovers, Outsourced, Love Bites, School Pride, and Outlaw, as well as midseason offerings The Cape, Friends with Benefits, Harry's Law, Perfect Couples, and The Paul Reiser Show below.
THE EVENT
CHASE
UNDERCOVERS
OUTSOURCED
LOVE BITES
SCHOOL PRIDE
OUTLAW
THE CAPE
FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS
HARRY'S LAW
THE PAUL REISER SHOW
PERFECT COUPLES
Which of these series look best to you? Which are you planning on checking out? And which will not even warrant a quick glance? Head to the comments section to discuss.
Turning and turning in the widening gyre The falcon cannot hear the falconer; Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world, The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere The ceremony of innocence is drowned; The best lack all conviction, while the worst Are full of passionate intensity. Surely some revelation is at hand; Surely the Second Coming is at hand.
Just what is Yeats' rough beast that slouches towards Bethlehem to be born, within the context of Ashes to Ashes?
Is it the mysterious DCI Gene Hunt, whose presence within the world of Ashes and Life on Mars seems to be one of the few constants? Or is it his nemesis, Discipline and Complaints Officer Jim Keats, Gene's dark reflection and a man of enigma himself?
Once again, Alex Drake finds herself caught between wanting to trust Gene and her own suspicions about what happened to Sam Tyler. Despite the fact that she wants to make a major leap of faith and believe Gene when he spins her a yarn about faking Sam's death, there's something that she can't quite let go of, something that's not quite right, and something that Gene isn't telling her.
What that might be remains to be seen, but it could bring about the end of this world if Alex manages to uncover the truth about Gene Hunt, Sam Tyler, and the world they are all currently inhabiting, a series of secrets that involve Officer 6620, the car crash, a weathervane, and the identity of Gene Hunt himself.
Yes, everything is beginning to unravel as, for each of the characters, things fall apart...
Warning: spoilers abound for US viewers who haven't seen Season Two or Season Three of Ashes to Ashes.
Functioning as the penultimate episode of Ashes to Ashes and the joint storyline of Ashes and its predecessor Life on Mars, I though that this week's installment was a work of staggering genius, managing to balance both a compelling mystery of the week--surrounding a potential ANC plot to assassinate South African president Pieter Botha in London--and the funeral of Viv with the sort of slow-burn reveals and mind-bending twists that this series excels at.
Viv's funeral brought things home for the gang at Fenchurch East (save maybe Chris, who found himself laughing at a rather inappropriate bit), offering up a Gene Hunt who, for a change, seemed utterly defeated, having to admit that he'd lost another officer to death. (Or is it Death?) The fact that the curtains wouldn't close around Viv's coffin, leading Gene to yank them shut, to grant Viv a final piece of dignity denied him by the brutal way that he died, was a biting reminder about the transience of life... right before we got a shot of a flame and those ubiquitous stars, which this week seemed all the more vital and important.
While Alex was forced to turn over the film canister she swiped from Gene's office to Keats, a number of inexplicable things occurred this week, as Keats received a set of VHS tapes (which he labeled with Ray, Shaz, and Chris' names), Shaz and Ray heard a disembodied voice from a supply closet at Fenchurch East, and Chris Skelton finally got his own well-earned Life on Mars moment this week... and managed to solve a crucial part of the puzzle in the process.
All this and the sexual tension between Alex and Gene nearly came to a head, before their near kiss was brutally interrupted by the arrival of Jim Keats, who brought Alex the developed film that she had given him. Just what did the film reveal? A series of photos, all happy ones, of the Manchester gang, including Sam Tyler and Annie... and a photograph of a house in Lancashire, one with a memorable weathervane that we've seen before.
There's been a bit of conjecture about that weathervane. I've long maintained, since the first or second episode of this season, that it depicted a crone with a walking stick facing west, a symbolic manifestation of Oz's Wicked Witch of the West, and another in a long line of Oz imagery that has peppered both this and LOM. Given the appearance (as seen in the promo for the series finale) of a scarecrow (!!!), the fact seems certain that we've been meant to see these things as symbolic allusions to the Oz story, pointing towards the fact that this world is a magical realm along the lines of Oz or Narnia, an impossible place that shouldn't exist.
Like either of those fantastical worlds, characters find themselves traveling there unwittingly and want desperately to return home, only to discover that, once returned, the place they were truly alive was in that other realm.
Home is, as they say, where the heart is.
Like travelers Sam Tyler and Alex Drake, we've seen others who were out of place in this world, like Railway Arms barman Nelson and Italian restaurateur Luigi, who this week informed the gang that he had come into money and would be going home. A foreigner (whether real or fake) has run both drinking holes in both series; several characters have looked for ways home but it's rarely ever as simple as clicking your ruby slippers together three times (though Ashes has shown a fixation with all things red from the start).
Alex's mission has been returning home. For the others, it hasn't been quite so clear cut. To use the Oz metaphor I invoked a few weeks back: Shaz needed courage; Ray a heart; and Chris needed brains. All three have attained their missions now, Chris by disobeying the gov and doing what was right, releasing prisoner Joshua and sending him out into the wind and then facing Gene one last time. In doing so, Chris got the moment that had been denied him: the acceptance on the part of Gene Hunt, that pat on the shoulder and respect that signified his inclusion into the circle of trust.
And just as the others did, his moment of epiphany came with darkness and the familiar strands of Bowie's "Life on Mars," though Chris realized two things that the others didn't: that the song was being played somewhere like a pub and the voice he heard in the foreground was none other than Nelson, the barman at the Railway Arms in Manchester. (In the end, it all seems to come back round to Manchester, doesn't it?)
It's an important realization and another clue towards where the series is going in its final week. Both Alex and the others are looking backwards, towards the past, in order to figure out the truth about their present day, much like both series did in their own way. Does it all come down to a song played in a Manchester pub, a place where perhaps the truth came out between Sam and Gene?
I'm also curious about the fact that Joshua literally disappeared after he provoked Chris to realize that Alex might be from the future. An intentional tip of the hat to the religious and mystical? Is it vital that Chris accept just where Alex--and maybe himself as well--actually came from? What to make of the old-school police whistle as well that was freaking Chris out so much this week? Another clue about the Officer 6620?
Meanwhile, Ray and Shaz heard a voice echoing out of a Fenchurch East station supply room, a moment that terrified both of them so much that they instinctively grabbed onto one another for support. Given the fact that Shaz loathes Ray, it was a major turning point in their relationship, a realization that they're either both going mad or are experiencing the same mortal terror as their world begins to disintegrate.
Later, joined by Chris, the troika are given another vision of the stars, looming over them, around them, a suffocating, dizzying swirl of light and darkness, that obliterated everything else out in its wake. A vision of the afterlife? The truth that this world is fleeting and false? Or that they're on the road to heavenly release? Could it be that each of them is closer to death than anyone realizes?
Just what is on the tapes that the malevolent Keats is preparing for each of them to see? Proof of their deaths? Of their pasts? Is he trying to goad them into catharsis or death itself as he attempts to tear this world down around their ears?
What did Shaz mean when she said to Ray and Chris, "it's like 1953 in your heads"? A throwaway line or something deeper? Could it be that that was the year Gene Hunt died? Hmmm...
Alex and Gene, meanwhile, come closer than they ever have to a full-blown sexual encounter with one another. While the night is ruined by the explosion at the South African embassy, the two retire to Alex's place where they dance that delicate dance and very nearly kiss for the first time. But whatever trust is there, whatever fragile faith, is destroyed by Keats' appearance with those photographs, which he claims depicts the grave of Sam Tyler, one in the shadow of that house with the weathervane.
I don't believe that is the case. Gene, though he tells Alex that he helped Sam fake his death, didn't tell her the whole story. And while there might be a grave in those fields, it's not Sam Tyler's grave, but that of Officer 6620. Just who is he? Another traveler, like Alex and Sam? Or, as I've suspected for a while now, the body of the "real" Gene Hunt, dead and buried all these years? Will finding that corpse and unearthing it cause this world to end, to disintegrate into nothing more than stars in their firmament?
There's also the matter of the bullet. Keats makes a point of referring to the bullet that nearly killed Alex and she infers that he means the accidental shot that Gene took at her in Season Two. But what if he was referring instead to that original bullet, the one that Layton fired at her skull in the very first episode? The point of impact that would have likely shattered her mind had Gene Hunt not stepped in to save her psyche?
As Gene said, the Final Chapter is at hand now. (Or as he actually said, "This is the final chapter, Bolly.") We've only got one episode of Ashes to Ashes remaining as the interconnected mysteries of Gene Hunt, Sam Tyler, Jim Keats, and the true nature of this world come crashing to a conclusion on Friday evening. Regardless of the outcome and the numerous reveals that the episode will likely contain, I'm going to miss Ashes to Ashes more than I can say, from the memorable characters to the mind-bending mysteries that the series has kicked up over the course of its intoxicating run.
The end is almost here... Will it end with Gene pouring Alex a big glass of Chianti or the destruction of their entire world, ashes to ashes, dust to dust? Find out Friday.
What do you think is going on here? Is the gang already long dead? Clinging to life? Will Alex get home or is that not even a vital component to the series anymore? Just who are Gene Hunt and Jim Keats? What happened to Sam Tyler? Head to the comments section to discuss.
On the series finale of Ashes to Ashes, DCI Gene Hunt and his team investigate a diamond heist following the murder of three London gang members. But DI Alex Drake is distracted and, with encouragement from DCI Jim Keats, she decides to pursue her own investigation to the bitter end, seeking to discover whether Gene Hunt murdered Sam Tyler; Gene races after Alex, leaving Ray Carling, Chris Skelton and Shaz Granger to plan an ambitious sting operation. As Gene desperately tries to reach Alex before she discovers the truth, Chris, Shaz and Ray's world completely falls apart. It's time for Alex and the rest of the team to find out the truth about Gene Hunt...
Welcome to the first day of network upfronts 2010.
FOX this morning announced its plans for fall and midseason, a few hours ahead of its official upfront this afternoon, unveiling a schedule that includes several new scripted series, including dramas Lonestar, Ride-Along, and Terra Nova and comedies Bob's Burgers, Raising Hope, Running Wilde, Traffic Light, and Mixed Signals.
Among the scheduling decision unveiled this morning by FOX: con man drama Lonestar will get the post-House slot vacated by 24, while Glee will slide to 8 pm ET/PT on Tuesdays, followed by a one-hour comedy block comprised fo Raising Hope and Running Wilde. Fridays look to be a place where FOX is looking to gain some traction with first-run dramas Human Target and The Good Guys landing at the end of the week. (Whether they will prove to be more successful there than say, Dollhouse or Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles remains to be seen.)
Shawn Ryan's Ride-Along, animated comedy Bob's Burgers, and comedy Mixed Signals will be held for midseason, along with the return of American Idol.
Good news for Thursdays: FOX is keeping the lineup of Bones and Fringe intact. (Whew.)
"FOX has been the No. 1 network for six consecutive seasons not only because our programs are hits, but also because they're the most engaging shows on television," said Peter Rice, Chairman, Entertainment, Fox Networks Group. "We're very excited to add a full slate of creative, original new series next season that will help us continue to capture imaginations and draw people back to FOX week after week."
"Last season, we did what FOX does best: we took some risks that paid off. Now we're going to up the ante with an even more diverse and creative roster of programs for next year," said Kevin Reilly, President, Entertainment, Fox Broadcasting Company. "With three daring new dramas, a fresh new animated series and three new live-action comedies, we're positioned to rebuild the FOX comedy brand, introduce the next generation of unique characters and deliver an even more compelling experience for our viewers next season."
UPDATE: FOX's full fall and midseason schedules can be found below, along with the official press release from the network, descriptions for the new fall and midseason series, and photography for the new series.
FOX FALL 2010 PRIMETIME SCHEDULE
(All Times ET/PT)
MONDAY 8:00-9:00 PM HOUSE 9:00-10:00 PM LONESTAR (new)
SUNDAY 7:00-8:00 PM THE OT (NFL post-game) 8:00-8:30 PM THE SIMPSONS 8:30-9:00 PM THE CLEVELAND SHOW 9:00-9:30 PM FAMILY GUY 9:30-10:00 PM AMERICAN DAD
SUNDAY 7:00-7:30 PM THE SIMPSONS (encores) 7:30-8:00 PM AMERICAN DAD 8:00-8:30 PM THE SIMPSONS 8:30-9:00 PM BOB’S BURGERS (new) 9:00-9:30 PM FAMILY GUY 9:30-10:00 PM THE CLEVELAND SHOW
New Series:Bob's Burgers, Raising Hope, Lonestar, Ride-Along, Running Wilde, Mixed Signals, The X Factor
Renewed:American Dad, American Idol, America's Most Wanted: America Strikes Back, Bones, The Cleveland, COPS, Family Guy, Fringe, Glee, Hell's Kitchen, House, Human Target, Kitchen Nightmares, Lie to Me, The Simpsons
Cancelled:24, Brothers, Dollhouse, Our Little Genius, Past Life, Sit Down, Shut Up, Sons of Tucson, 'Til Death, The Wanda Sykes Show
Scheduling Changes:Glee, Lie to Me
Midseason Launches:Bob's Burgers, Ride-Along, Terra Nova, Mixed Signals
FOX ANNOUNCES PRIMETIME SLATE
FOR 2010-2011 SEASON
FOUR NEW COMEDIES, THREE NEW DRAMAS JOIN SCHEDULE
FALL TUESDAY COMEDY BLOCK TO FEATURE
NEW FAMILY COMEDY “RAISING HOPE”
AND NEW ROMANTIC COMEDY “RUNNING WILDE”
STARRING WILL ARNETT AND KERI RUSSELL
COMPELLING NEW DRAMA “LONESTAR” TO DEBUT IN FALL
NEW ACTION-ADVENTURE FAMILY DRAMA “TERRA NOVA”
SLATED FOR MIDSEASON
NEW ANIMATED COMEDY “BOB’S BURGERS”
AND NEW FAST-PACED DRAMA “RIDE-ALONG” TO PREMIERE MIDSEASON
NEW ENSEMBLE COMEDY “MIXED SIGNALS”
TO DEBUT IN SPRING
Special Episode of GLEE to Air Following SUPER BOWL XLV Sunday, February 6, 2011
New York (Monday, May 17, 2010) – Peter Rice, Chairman, Entertainment, Fox Networks Group; and Kevin Reilly, President, Entertainment, Fox Broadcasting Company, today unveiled the FOX primetime schedule for the 2010-2011 television season to the national advertising community during its annual Programming Presentation at The New Beacon Theatre.
“FOX has been the No. 1 network for six consecutive seasons not only because our programs are hits, but also because they’re the most engaging shows on television,” said Rice. “We’re very excited to add a full slate of creative, original new series next season that will help us continue to capture imaginations and draw people back to FOX week after week.”
“Last season, we did what FOX does best: we took some risks that paid off. Now we’re going to up the ante with an even more diverse and creative roster of programs for next year,” said Reilly. “With three daring new dramas, a fresh new animated series and three new live-action comedies, we’re positioned to rebuild the FOX comedy brand, introduce the next generation of unique characters and deliver an even more compelling experience for our viewers next season.”
GLEE, the No. 1 new series of this season among Adults 18-49 and key demos, returns for its sophomore season to anchor a new Tuesday comedy block. Premiering this fall is RAISING HOPE, the new family comedy from Emmy Award winner Greg Garcia (“My Name Is Earl”), starring Lucas Neff (“The Beast”), Martha Plimpton (“How To Make It In America”), Garret Dillahunt (“Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles”) and Academy and Emmy Award winner Cloris Leachman (“Malcolm In The Middle”). The sweet, offbeat comedy follows Jimmy Chance (Neff), a well-meaning screw-up trying his best to raise his infant daughter with the help of the eccentric family who did a less-than-stellar job of raising him.
Also debuting this fall is RUNNING WILDE, the new romantic comedy from “Arrested Development’s” Jim Vallely, Mitch Hurwitz and Will Arnett. Starring Arnett (“30 Rock”) and Keri Russell (“Waitress,” “Felicity”), the comedy centers on a lovable, but immature playboy (Arnett) trying desperately to win (or buy) the heart of his childhood sweetheart (Russell), the über-liberal humanitarian who got away.
LONESTAR, a sophisticated and provocative drama set against the sprawling backdrop of big Texas oil, will premiere this fall. From Chris Keyser and Amy Lippman (“Party of Five”), writer Kyle Killen and directed by Marc Webb (“(500) Days of Summer”), the compelling series stars newcomer James Wolk as a charismatic and brilliant schemer who has entangled himself in a deep, complex web from which he can’t break free. He’s caught between two very different lives and two very different women.
TERRA NOVA, an epic family adventure 85 million years in the making, is the new event drama slated for midseason from executive producers Steven Spielberg (“Jurassic Park,” “The Pacific”), Peter Chernin, Brannon Braga (24, “Star Trek: Enterprise”) and David Fury (24, “Lost”). The action-adventure series follows an ordinary family on an extraordinary journey back in time to prehistoric Earth as a part of a massive expedition to save the human race.
Joining the Sunday ANIMATION DOMINATION lineup in midseason is BOB’S BURGERS, a new animated comedy series from creator Loren Bouchard (“Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist”) about a man, his family and their floundering burger joint. Despite the greasy counters, lousy location and occasionally spotty service, Bob and his lovable and quirky family are convinced their burgers are their ticket to success.
The new drama scheduled for a midseason debut is RIDE-ALONG. From creator Shawn Ryan (“The Shield,” “The Unit”), the fast-paced series, shot on location in Chicago and starring Jason Clarke (“Public Enemies”), Jennifer Beals (LIE TO ME) and Delroy Lindo (“Kidnapped”), will take audiences on an unflinching and unpredictable ride through the streets of Chicago to navigate crime and corruption with the most respected – and notorious – cops in the city.
MIXED SIGNALS, scheduled for a spring premiere, is a new relationship comedy created by Bob Fisher (“Wedding Crashers”) about three longtime friends and their attempts to balance their committed relationships with their desire for freedom. The ensemble comedy stars Nelson Franklin (“I Love You, Man”), David Denman (“The Office”), Kris Marshall (HUMAN TARGET), Liza Lapira (“Dexter”) and Alexandra Breckenridge (FAMILY GUY) and reveals how friendships and romances enhance – and further complicate – the lives of men and the women who love them.
It was also announced that a very special GLEE will air following SUPER BOWL XLV on Sunday, February 6. GLEE, the most award-winning series of the year, will then make its spring premiere Wednesdays following AMERICAN IDOL.
Other FOX series returning in 2010-2011 include: AMERICAN DAD (Season 6), AMERICAN IDOL (Season 10) AMERICA’S MOST WANTED (Season 24), BONES (Season 6), THE CLEVELAND SHOW (Season 2), COPS (Season 23), FAMILY GUY (Season 8), FRINGE (Season 3), THE GOOD GUYS (Season 1), HELL’S KITCHEN (Seasons 7 and 8), HOUSE (Season 7), HUMAN TARGET (Season 2), KITCHEN NIGHTMARES (Season 3), LIE TO ME (Season 3), THE SIMPSONS (Season 22) and SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE (Season 7). Specials returning to the FOX schedule include NEW YEAR’S EVE LIVE and TEEN CHOICE 2010.
NEW SERIES SYNOPSES
The following new comedies will premiere this fall on FOX:
RAISING HOPE
RAISING HOPE is a new single-camera family comedy from Emmy Award winner Greg Garcia (“My Name Is Earl”) that follows the Chance family as they find themselves adding an unexpected new member into their already terribly flawed household. At 23 years old, JIMMY CHANCE (Lucas Neff, “The Beast”) is going nowhere in life. He skims pools for a living, parties every night and still lives at home with his family, including his MAW MAW (guest star Academy Award and Emmy Award winner Cloris Leachman); his mother, VIRGINIA (Martha Plimpton, “How to Make It in America”); his father, BURT (Garret Dillahunt, “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles,” “Damages”); and his cousin, MIKE (Skyler Stone, “The Mentalist,” “Dollhouse”). Jimmy’s life takes a drastic turn when a chance romantic encounter with LUCY (guest star Bijou Phillips, “Choke,” “Almost Famous”) goes awry once he discovers she is a wanted felon. Months later, when Jimmy pays a visit to the local prison, he discovers Lucy gave birth to their baby, who he is now charged with raising. At home with his new daughter, Jimmy’s family is less than enthusiastic about a new addition to the household. His parents, who had him when they were 15, never knew anything about raising a child and have no interest in trying again. If Jimmy can work up the nerve to ask her out on a date, he might get some help from SABRINA (Shannon Woodward, “The Riches,” “ER”), a sardonic checkout clerk he met at the supermarket. Cousin Mike is only concerned about how the baby is going to affect their social life, and out-of-touch Maw Maw is no help either. But Jimmy is determined to take care of his baby – whom Virginia thinks they should name HOPE. With very few useful skills but their hearts in the right place, will the Chance family be successful when they step into the unpredictable and immensely challenging world of parenting?
PRODUCTION COMPANIES: Amigos de Garcia Productions, 20th Century Fox Television
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER/WRITER: Greg Garcia
DIRECTOR: Michael Fresco
CAST: Garret Dillahunt as Burt, Lucas Neff as Jimmy, Martha Plimpton as Virginia, Skyler Stone as Mike, Shannon Woodward as Sabrina
GUEST CAST: Cloris Leachman as Maw Maw, Bijou Phillips as Lucy
RUNNING WILDE
From the Emmy Award-winning creator and the star of the critically acclaimed FOX series “Arrested Development” comes RUNNING WILDE, a romantic comedy starring Will Arnett (“Arrested Development,” “30 Rock”) as STEVE WILDE, a filthy-rich, immature playboy trying desperately to win (or buy) the heart of his childhood sweetheart, EMMY KADUBIC (Keri Russell, “Waitress,” “Felicity”), the über-liberal humanitarian who got away – all told through the perspective of a 12-year-old girl. Steve Wilde has never performed a selfless act. But why should he – he’s rich! The son of an oil tycoon, Steve hasn’t had to work a day in his life and has always gotten everything he’s wanted – with one exception: the love of Emmy. The daughter of a former Wilde housekeeper, Emmy is an earnest do-gooder who has spent her adult life trying to save the world. And though Emmy is content living with an indigenous tribe in the Amazon rainforest, her 12-year-old daughter, PUDDLE (Stefania Owen, “The Lovely Bones”), just wants to be a normal kid experiencing her adolescence in a normal place. And she would speak up except for the fact that she hasn’t spoken in years. When Wilde Oil’s expansion in the rainforest threatens her adopted tribe, Emmy decides to attend Steve’s self-thrown “Humanitarian of the Year” award ceremony in hopes of convincing him to help her cause…and also maybe because she still has a thing for Steve. But same-old Steve is unwilling to help because fighting Wilde Oil (a/k/a Dad) means putting his meal ticket in jeopardy. Rather than run the risk of letting Emmy slip away again, Steve pulls out all the stops to win her heart. To do so, he enlists the only other people in his life who can help: MIGO SALAZAR (Joe Nuñez, “Superbad,” “Prison Break”), Steve’s employee/sidekick/errand-boy, and GERTIE STELLVERTRETTER (Jayne Houdyshell, “Law & Order”), Steve’s nanny-turned-head-of-security as well as the biggest protector of Steve…and her own job. Despite having everything he ever wanted, Steve knows he can’t buy love and happiness, which falls in sharp contrast to Emmy, who has nothing but love and happiness. So with Emmy committed to doing good for nothing, and Steve being a good for nothing, will this hopelessly mismatched pair ever be able to reconcile their differences?
PRODUCTION COMPANIES: Tantamount Studios, Five Hole Pictures, Principato-Young Management, Lionsgate Television CREATORS/WRITERS: Mitch Hurwitz, Jim Vallely, Will Arnett EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Mitch Hurwitz, Jim Vallely, Will Arnett, Eric Tannenbaum, Kim Tannenbaum, Peter Principato, Paul Young, Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
DIRECTORS: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo CAST: Will Arnett as Steve Wilde, Keri Russell as Emmy Kadubic, Stefania Owen as Puddle Kadubic, Joe Nuñez as Migo Salazar, Jayne Houdyshell as Gertie Stellvertretter
The following new drama will debut this fall on FOX:
LONESTAR
From Chris Keyser and Amy Lippman, the creators of “Party of Five”; Marc Webb, the director of “(500) Days of Summer”; and creator Kyle Killen, comes LONESTAR, a provocative soap set against the backdrop of big Texas oil. ROBERT/BOB ALLEN (newcomer James Wolk) is a charismatic and brilliant schemer who has meticulously constructed two lives in two different parts of Texas. He’s juggling two identities and two women in two very different worlds – all under one mountain of lies. As “Bob,” he lives in Houston and is married to CAT (Adrianne Palicki, “Friday Night Lights”), the beautiful daughter of CLINT (Jon Voight, 24, “Midnight Cowboy”), the patriarch of an ultra-wealthy Texas oil family. More than 400 miles away in the suburban west Texas town of Midland, he’s “Robert,” living a second life with his sweet, naïve girlfriend, LINDSAY (Eloise Mumford, “Mercy,” “Law & Order: SVU”). In Midland, he plays the perfect boyfriend while secretly bilking local investors of their savings. In Houston, he’s a devoted husband, charming Cat and her family to cement his position in the rich family business he aims to clean out. Bob has lived both lives successfully for years without arousing any suspicions…so far. While one brother-in-law, DREW (Bryce Johnson, “Popular,” “The Mentalist”), admires Bob, his other brother-in-law, TRAMMELL (Mark Deklin, “Nip/Tuck,” “Desperate Housewives”), is suspicious of his motives. Bob begins to fear his secret lives may unravel. With the cons closing in on him, Bob is divided by his love for two women; his loyalty to his father and mentor, JOHN (David Keith, “An Officer and a Gentleman,” “The Class”); and his respect for his father-in-law, Clint. Now as he tries to hold his two lives together, while fending off angry investors and the suspicions of those around him, Bob puts it all on the line hoping he can beat the odds, leave the schemes behind and keep two separate relationships afloat.
PRODUCTION COMPANIES: 20th Century Fox Television, Depth of Field Productions, Keyser/Lippman Productions CREATOR/WRITER: Kyle Killen EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Kyle Killen, Kerry Kohansky, Paul Weitz, Chris Keyser, Amy Lippman DIRECTOR: Marc Webb CAST: James Wolk as Robert/Bob Allen, Eloise Mumford as Lindsay, David Keith as John Allen, Adrianne Palicki as Cat Thatcher, Mark Deklin as Trammell Thatcher, Bryce Johnson as Drew Thatcher, Jon Voight as Clint Thatcher
The new animated comedy joining the FOX schedule in mideason is:
BOB’S BURGERS
BOB’S BURGERS is a new animated series about a man, his family and a burger joint. A third-generation restaurateur, BOB BELCHER (H. Jon Benjamin, FAMILY GUY, “Archer”) runs Bob’s Burgers with the help of his wife and their three kids. Bob has big ideas about burgers, condiments and sides, but only a few thoughts on customer service and business management. Despite his greasy counters, lousy location and occasionally spotty service, Bob is convinced his burgers speak for themselves. Even though business is slow, Bob gets to work with his family. His wife, LINDA BELCHER (John Roberts, “The Christmas Tree,” “Jackie & Debra”), supports Bob’s dream through thick and thin (but truth be told, she’s getting a little sick of the thin). Their eldest daughter, TINA (Dan Mintz, “Important Things with Demetri Martin,” “The Andy Milonakis Show”), is a 13-year-old hopeless romantic with minimal social skills. Middle child GENE (Eugene Mirman, “Flight of the Conchords,” “Aqua Teen Hunger Force”) is an aspiring musician and a prankster who serves up more jokes than burgers. Their youngest, LOUISE (Kristen Schaal, “Flight of the Conchords,” “Modern Family”), is the most enthusiastic about her dad’s business, but an off-balance sense of humor and her elevated energy level make her somewhat of a liability in the kitchen. Beyond the restaurant is a city rich with character. Next door to Bob’s is It’s Your Funeral Home and Crematorium; down the street is Wonder Wharf, the oceanside amusement pier; and a few blocks away is Wagstaff Middle School, where Bob and Linda’s kids go to school. And across the street is Jimmy Pesto’s Pizzeria, Bob’s Burgers’ main competition and the thorn in Bob’s side.
PRODUCTION COMPANY: 20th Century Fox Television CREATOR: Loren Bouchard EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS/WRITERS: Loren Bouchard, Jim Dauterive DIRECTOR: Anthony Chun VOICE CAST: H. Jon Benjamin as Bob Belcher, John Roberts as Linda Belcher, Kristen Schaal as Louise Belcher, Eugene Mirman as Gene Belcher, Dan Mintz as Tina Belcher
The two new dramas slated for midseason debuts are:
TERRA NOVA
From executive producers Steven Spielberg, Peter Chernin, Brannon Braga (24, “Star Trek: Enterprise”) and David Fury (“Lost,” “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”) comes an epic family adventure 85 million years in the making. TERRA NOVA follows an ordinary family embarking on an incredible journey back in time to prehistoric Earth as a small part of a massive experiment to save the human race. In the year 2149 the world is dying. The planet is overdeveloped, overcrowded and overpolluted. With the majority of plant and animal life extinct, devotion to science has brought mankind to the brink of destruction, but has also provided its only hope for salvation. Knowing there is no way to reverse the damage to the planet, a coalition of scientists has managed to open up a fracture in the space-time continuum, creating a portal to prehistoric Earth. This doorway leads to an amazing world, one that allows for a last-ditch effort to save the human race…possibly changing the future by correcting the mistakes of the past. The series centers on the Shannon family as they join the tenth pilgrimage of settlers to TERRA NOVA, the first colony of humans in this second chance for civilization. JIM SHANNON, a devoted father with a checkered past, guides his family through this new land of limitless beauty, mystery and terror. Jim’s wife, ELISABETH SHANNON, is a trauma surgeon chosen through a global lottery as a new addition to Terra Nova’s medical team. JOSH SHANNON is their son, mourning the girl he left behind, as he’s torn between two role models – his father and the charismatic COMMANDER FRANK TAYLOR, the leader of the settlement, and the heroic first pioneer through the time portal. MADDY SHANNON, Jim and Elizabeth’s teen daughter, is as independent and adventurous as her parents, but her distrust of authority soon leads her on a dangerous path. In addition to blue skies, rolling rivers and lush vegetation, TERRA NOVA offers new opportunities and fresh beginnings to its recent arrivals, but the Shannons have brought with them a familial secret that may threaten their citizenship in this utopia. Additionally these adventurers soon discover that this healthy, vibrant world is not as idyllic as it initially appears. The areas surrounding Terra Nova are filled with dangerous dinosaurs, and other prehistoric threats, as well as external forces that may be intent on destroying this new world before it begins. But perhaps even more threatening than what lies outside the protective walls is the Shannons’ realization that something sinister may be happening inside TERRA NOVA as not everyone on this mission has the same intentions of how best to save mankind.
PRODUCTION COMPANIES: 20th Century Fox Television, DreamWorks Television, Kapital Entertainment, Chernin Entertainment
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Steven Spielberg, Peter Chernin, Craig Silverstein, Kelly Marcel, Brannon Braga, David Fury, Aaron Kaplan, Katherine Pope, Justin Falvey, Darryl Frank
RIDE-ALONG
The city of Chicago is a paradox that serves as the setting for RIDE-ALONG, a new drama from Shawn Ryan (“The Shield,” “The Unit”). During a ride-along, a civilian spends a shift in the passenger seat of a squad car, observing the work day of a police officer. But in this series, the audience is the passenger, taking an unpredictable ride through the streets of Chicago and navigating crime and corruption with the most respected – and notorious – cops in the city. JAREK WYSOCKI (Jason Clarke, “Public Enemies,” “Brotherhood”) is a local legend and larger-than-life veteran of the Chicago Police Department. Like the city of Chicago, Jarek is razor blades and brass knuckles wrapped in politeness and egoless charm – a man who throws away partners the way others throw away tissues. TERESA COLVIN (Jennifer Beals, LIE TO ME, “The L Word”) arrived at the pinnacle of the Chicago Police Department in a short period of time. She’s determined to implement changes before the mud that is Chicago politics clogs her office. As a result of Teresa’s difficult choices, she has made some powerful enemies along the way, including two street gangs, the police officers’ union and a city alderman who proves to be a dangerous adversary. Jarek’s new partner, CALEB EVERS (Matt Lauria, “Friday Night Lights”), is a smart and observant young detective who desperately wants to prove himself. He is savvier and more observant than most people give him credit for, and just might make the perfect yin to Jarek’s yang. Also in Jarek’s charge is his niece, VONDA WYSOCKI (Devin Kelley, “Tease”), a rookie beat cop whose father, Jarek’s brother, was killed in the line of duty when she was young. Jarek keeps close tabs on her and is less than thrilled to discover she’s falling for her partner, ISAAC JOINER (Todd Williams, “In Plain Sight,” “CSI”), a charismatic cop who takes unnecessary risks on the job that land him and Vonda in some dangerous situations. ALDERMAN RONIN GIBBONS (Delroy Lindo, “Kidnapped”) is a building-magnate-turned-politician who has ruled his ward with a velvet glove for three decades. Jarek and Teresa are convinced Gibbons and his cohorts, including LIAM HENNESSEY (Billy Lush, “The Black Donnellys”), an Irish tough guy in Gibbons’ construction empire, are dirty to the core, but they’ve never had the evidence to prove it. When a murder investigation leads them to Gibbons, they are determined to bring him to justice and clean up Chicago – if that’s even possible.
PRODUCTION COMPANIES: 20th Century Fox Television, MiddKid Productions CREATOR/WRITER: Shawn Ryan EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Shawn Ryan, Charles McDougall DIRECTOR: Charles McDougall CAST: Jason Clarke as Jarek Wysocki, Jennifer Beals as Teresa Colvin, Matt Lauria as Caleb Evers, Devin Kelley as Vonda Wysocki, Todd Williams as Isaac Joiner, Billy Lush as Liam Hennessey, Delroy Lindo as Alderman Ronin Gibbons
The following new comedy will premiere in the spring:
MIXED SIGNALS
MIXED SIGNALS is a new comedy series about three longtime friends and their attempts to reconcile the irreconcilable: to balance their relationships with their need for freedom. The series reveals how friendships and romances enhance – and further complicate – the lives of men and the women who love them. ETHAN (Kris Marshall, HUMAN TARGET, “My Family”) is the perpetual bachelor. He loves women, and when he’s in, he’s all in – at least for three weeks. Charming, genuine and hopelessly independent, Ethan is finding out that as he gets older, the pool of women who are willing to take things day by day is rapidly evaporating. ADAM (Nelson Franklin, “The Office,” “I Love You Man”) recently moved in with his girlfriend, CALLIE (Alexandra Breckenridge, FAMILY GUY), and is learning how vastly different “she comes over a lot” and “she lives with me” really are. Adam is discovering there isn’t much “me” time any more, there’s only “us” time. MIKE (David Denman, “The Office”) is a married lawyer still trying to figure out the male-female dynamic. He wants nothing more than to be a good family man to his wife, LISA (Liza Lapira, “Dexter,” “Dollhouse”), and his infant son, but he’s also trying to carve out a little space for himself. Currently that space is in his car, where he watches action movies in 15-minute chunks while telling his wife he’s stuck in traffic.
PRODUCTION COMPANIES: 20th Century Fox Television, Keshet Broadcasting Ltd.
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Bob Fisher, David Hemingson, Avi Nir, Ran Sarig, Adir Miller, Elad Kuperman
DIRECTOR: Chris Koch
WRITER: Bob Fisher
CAST: Alexandra Breckenridge as Callie, David Denman as Mike, Nelson Franklin as Adam, Liza Lapira as Lisa, Kris Marshall as Ethan
Over at The Daily Beast, I've been updating our gallery of new broadcast network television series, as the networks unveil their fall schedules and announce new programming at this week's upfronts.
You can check out the gallery at The Daily Beast and keep track of all of the renewals and cancellation by visiting my post "Bring On the New TV Shows!" (and get to the gallery directly by clicking here).
I'll be continually updating the gallery with new photography, descriptions (not pulled straight from the press releases, thank you very much), and tidbits that you won't see elsewhere.
In the meantime, I'm curious to know which new series are you most excited about? And which do you think are doomed to fail? Head to the comments section to discuss.
Jeff Gaspin, Chairman, NBC Universal Television Entertainment, and Angela Bromstad, President, Primetime Entertainment, NBC and Universal Media Studios, hosted a conference call with reporter this afternoon, to discuss NBC's fall schedule, its new pickups, and other programming and scheduling issues.
While I won't recap the entire call, here are a few tidbits from that call, organized by topic, from Chuck and Law & Order to Parenthood and The Event.
Chuck:"Chuck came out of the wild card and performed very well for us," said Bromstad. "We think it will come back stronger in the fall."
"Where we felt we could be consistent this year, we felt we should, which is why Chuck stayed on Mondays at 8," said Gaspin.
Chase: "Chase is very much a straight-ahead procedural but has an adrenaline rush you don't normally see in a procedural," said Bromstad.
Parenthood: "Parenthood has worked for us. There's a reason for that... It's a broad show that is really welcoming to so many viewers," said Gaspin.
Day One: "Right now, Day One is not scheduled to air," said Bromstad of the sci-fi project, which had been cut back from a full order, to a short run... to a two-hour backdoor pilot... and now into oblivion altogether.
Law & Order Franchise: "It was time to move on," said Bromstad about the Law & Order cancellation and the order of new iteration, Law & Order: Los Angeles. "It's about the future and overall health of the franchise... it's up to us to reinvent it with Dick [Wolf] in a very modern, inventive way."
Law & Order: Los Angeles pilot is being written, according to Bromstad. But nothing is ready for an official announcement and it be a few weeks after upfronts until information is actually available.
"Yes the chung-chung will still be there," said Bromstad, but it's "too early to say whether they were be characters crossover from... the mothership."
Bromstad said that they are still in talks with Dick Wolf about a way to wrap up Law & Order via a 2-hr movie or event. So, it's possible that the series finale, scheduled to air this month, won't be the end of the original flavor Law & Order, after all.
Law & Order: Criminal Intent will now only be on USA, said Bromstad.
Rockford Files: The Rockford Files is being reworked for midseason or even next fall. "We really want to get it right," said Bromstad. #NBC
Parks and Recreation:"It's very possible that #ParksandRec will get a run at 9:30 but we have not determined that," said Gaspin.
"One of the toughest decisions we had to make," said Jeff regarding delaying Parks and Recreation until midseason. "It's not an indication that we think it's not as good" as the other Thursday comedies.
The Event: "We think The Event will appeal to [#Chuck's] young, male viewers," said Jeff. #NBC
Heroes: "NBC and Tim Kring, we felt we had fulfilled the viewers' desire [re] length of the show but we are in discussions about 2-hr movie," said Bromstad. So it's still possible that Heroes will get a series ender. But don't hold your breath as Bromstad indicated that, if it happens at all, it would be for "next year."
NBC will unveil its schedule to advertisers tomorrow.
Welcome to the unofficial first day of network upfronts 2010.
NBC this afternoon announced its plans for fall, ahead of its official upfront tomorrow, unveiling a schedule that includes several new scripted series, including dramas Undercovers, Chase, The Event, Law & Order: Los Angeles, Outlaw, Outsourced, Love Bites, Harry's Law, and The Cape, comedies Friends With Benefits, Perfect Couples, and The Paul Reiser Show, and reality series School Pride and America's Next Great Restaurant.
Having already made the bulk of their pickup announcements over the last two weeks, the word from the Peacock wasn't all that surprising in terms of new content, though the vast majority of the ordered series will sit on the shelf until midseason, with only Law & Order: Los Angeles, Undercovers, The Chase, The Event, Outsourced, Love Bites, and Outlaw earning spots on the fall sked.
What is surprising was that NBC would shift Law & Order: Special Victims Unit out of the 10 pm hour and would hold critical darling Parks and Recreation until midseason, rearranging the Thursday night comedy lineup to bump 30 Rock behind Community at 8:30 and giving new comedy Outsourced the post-Office slot at 9:30 pm, despite having gone into production on Parks and Rec's third season straightaway to accommodate Amy Poehler's pregnancy.
NBC also defied expectations by positioning J.J. Abrams and Josh Reims' new espionage dramedy Undercovers on Wednesdays at 8 pm ET/PT, rather than on Mondays, as had been the conventional thinking. (Though it's worth noting that the move splits up action-comedies Chuck and Undercovers, both produced by Warner Bros. Television, rather than stacking the similarly-themed programs on the same night.)
And Chuck will stay put on Mondays at 8 pm ET/PT, where it will hold onto its timeslot come this fall. While NBC has only reportedly ordered thirteen episodes of the action-comedy, it's possible that the Peacock will revisit the episodic order later on in the game once it sees the numbers for the first part of Season Four.
“This new schedule brings NBC back to basics with its commitment to quality scripted programming,” said Jeff Gaspin, Chairman, NBC Universal Television Entertainment. “Our new shows are distinctive and feature a combination of the biggest talent, the brightest new stars and the strongest auspices in television. With this new schedule, we're poised to take the next step toward our long-term goals with a lineup that has stabilized and has been building solid momentum through the second half of the season.”
“Our team has been working tirelessly to achieve our ambitious goals and we are so pleased to see that these new series demonstrate tremendous upside for NBC,” said Angela Bromstad, President, Primetime Entertainment, NBC and Universal Media Studios. “We feel that this development season introduces shows that will become part of the great programming legacy of our network.”
UPDATED: NBC's full fall schedule can be found below, along with the official press release from the network and photos and descriptions for the new fall and midseason series.... and now video as well.
NBC's Fall 2010 Schedule (New series noted in bold.)
TUESDAY 8-10 pm: The Biggest Loser 10-11 pm: Parenthood
WEDNESDAY 8-9 pm: UNDERCOVERS 9-10 pm: Law & Order: Special Victims Unit 10-11 pm: LAW & ORDER: LOS ANGELES
THURSDAY 8-8:30 pm: Community 8:30-9 pm: 30 Rock 9-9:30 pm: The Office 9:30-10 pm: OUTSOURCED 10-11 pm: LOVE BITES
FRIDAY 8-9 pm: Who Do You Think You Are?/SCHOOL PRIDE 9-10 pm: Dateline NBC 10-11 pm: OUTLAW
SATURDAY 8-11 pm: Drama Repeats
SUNDAY 7-8:15 pm: Football Night in America 8:15-11:30 pm: NBC Sunday Night Football
SUNDAY (beginning March 2011) 7-8 pm: Dateline NBC 8-9 pm: Minute to Win It 9-11 pm: The Celebrity Apprentice
New Series: Undercovers, Chase, The Event, Law & Order: Los Angeles, School Pride, Outlaw, Outsourced, Love Bites, The Cape, Friends With Benefits, Perfect Couples, Harry's Law, The Paul Reiser Show, America's Next Great Restaurant
Renewed: 30 Rock, The Apprentice, The Biggest Loser, Chuck, Community, Football Night in America, Friday Night Lights, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, The Marriage Ref, Minute to Win It, The Office, Parenthood, Parks and Recreation, Saturday Night Live, The Sing-Off, Sunday Night Football, Who Do You Think You Are?
Cancelled: Heroes, The Jay Leno Show, Law & Order, Mercy, Trauma
Scheduling Changes: Parks and Recreation, The Marriage Ref, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Midseason Launches: The Cape, Friends With Benefits, Perfect Couples, Harry's Law, The Paul Reiser Show, America's Next Great Restaurant
NBC UNVEILS 2010-11 PRIMETIME SCHEDULE ACCENTED BY FIVE NEW COMEDIES, SEVEN NEW DRAMAS AND NEW ALTERNATIVE PROGRAM
The New Fall Schedule Features All-Drama Lineups on Mondays and Wednesdays and All Comedies on Thursdays, Plus Unscripted Programming into Compatible Dramas on Tuesdays and Fridays
New Comedies Include “Friends With Benefits,” “Outsourced,” “Perfect Couples," “Love Bites” and “The Paul Reiser Show”
New Dramas Are “Undercovers,” “The Event,” “Chase,” “Law & Order: Los Angeles,” “Outlaw,” “The Cape” and “Harry’s Law”; And New Alternative Show “School Pride”
NEW YORK CITY -- May 16, 2010 - NBC announced today its 2010-11 primetime schedule that is highlighted by five new comedies, seven new drama series and one new alternative program, including shows from such innovative hit-makers as J.J. Abrams, Jerry Bruckheimer and David E. Kelley, among others.
The high-quality series include new comedies such as “Outsourced," "Love Bites," “Perfect Couples," "Friends With Benefits" and “The Paul Reiser Show." The new dramas are “The Cape,” “Harry’s Law,” “Outlaw,” “Undercovers,” “The Event,” “Chase” and “Law & Order: Los Angeles.”
The schedule features all-drama lineups on Mondays and Wednesdays and five comedies on Thursdays. Tuesdays will continue to combine the similar appeal of "The Biggest Loser" with "Parenthood," and Fridays will team "Who Do You Think You Are?" and the new series “School Pride” with "Dateline NBC" and the new legal drama "Outlaw."
NBC will also broadcast a 35th anniversary “Saturday Night Live” special that will celebrate the iconic late-night series’ long and eventful run on NBC since 1975.
The announcements were made by Jeff Gaspin, Chairman, NBC Universal Television Entertainment, and Angela Bromstad, President, Primetime Entertainment, NBC and Universal Media Studios.
“This new schedule brings NBC back to basics with its commitment to quality scripted programming,” said Gaspin. “Our new shows are distinctive and feature a combination of the biggest talent, the brightest new stars and the strongest auspices in television. With this new schedule, we're poised to take the next step toward our long-term goals with a lineup that has stabilized and has been building solid momentum through the second half of the season.”
“Our team has been working tirelessly to achieve our ambitious goals and we are so pleased to see that these new series demonstrate tremendous upside for NBC,” said Bromstad. “We feel that this development season introduces shows that will become part of the great programming legacy of our network.”
On Mondays (all times ET), NBC leads off with “Chuck” from 8-9 p.m., followed by two new and intense hour-long dramas - “The Event” (9-10 p.m.) and “Chase” (10-11 p.m.). Then on Tuesdays, NBC returns with its powerful stories from the hit alternative series “The Biggest Loser” (8-10 p.m.) and finishes the night with the acclaimed family drama “Parenthood” (10-11 p.m.).
NBC's Wednesday night features three hours of drama programming beginning with the new series “Undercovers” from J.J. Abrams (8-9 p.m.), “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” (9-10 p.m.) and the new “Law & Order: Los Angeles” at 10-11 p.m. concludes the night.
Primetime Thursdays feature wall-to-wall comedy as this season’s freshman sensation “Community” continues at 8-8:30 p.m. followed by the Emmy Award-winning “30 Rock” (8:30-9 p.m.). The Emmy-winning “The Office” continues 9-9:30 p.m. and will be followed by the new comedy “Outsourced” (9:30-10 p.m.). Now NBC’s comedy fans get an extra round of laughs when the new, hour-long comedy “Love Bites” debuts at 10-11 p.m. “Parks and Recreation” will return to Thursdays later in the season to give the night more original programming.
Fridays come alive with a fresh mix of reality, news and a new scripted drama as the popular “Who Do You Think You Are?” returns at 8-9 p.m. where it shares the time period with “School Pride” -- a new, proactive and inspiring series about rebuilding a community’s schools. “Dateline NBC” continues at 9-10 p.m. with its compelling personal stories. The workweek ends with “Outlaw,” a new courtroom drama featuring Emmy winner Jimmy Smits as a former U.S. Supreme Court justice.
The wildly successful “NBC Sunday Night Football” reigns supreme again on Sundays (8:15-11:30 p.m.) preceded by “Football Night in America” (7-8:15 p.m.).
Sundays beginning March 2011, the popular competition series "Minute to Win It" returns (8-9 p.m.) followed by "The Celebrity Apprentice" (9-11 p.m.)
The new series “The Cape,” “Friends With Benefits,” “Perfect Couples,” “Harry’s Law" and “The Paul Reiser Show" will premiere later in the season along with a new version of “The Apprentice” “The Marriage Ref” and the new series “America’s Next Great Restaurant” -- starring acclaimed celebrity chef/restaurateur Bobby Flay.
Series Descriptions:
New Dramas
‘THE EVENT’ -- "The Event" is an emotional, high-octane conspiracy thriller that follows Sean Walker (Jason Ritter, "The Class"), an Everyman who investigates the mysterious disappearance of his fiancée, Leila (Sarah Roemer, "Disturbia"), and unwittingly begins to expose the biggest cover-up in U.S. history. Sean's quest will send ripples through the lives of an eclectic band of strangers, including: newly elected U.S. President Martinez (Golden Globe nominee Blair Underwood, "Dirty Sexy Money"); Sophia (Emmy Award nominee Laura Innes, "ER"), who is the leader of a mysterious group of detainees; and Sean’s shadowy father-in-law (Scott Patterson, "Gilmore Girls"). Their futures are on a collision course in a global conspiracy that could ultimately change the fate of mankind. Ian Anthony Dale ("Daybreak") and Emmy winner Željko Ivanek (“Damages”) also star in the ensemble drama. “The Event” is a production of Universal Media Studios and Steve Stark Productions. Stark (“Medium,” “Facing Kate”) serves as executive producer, Nick Wauters ("The 4400," "Eureka") is creator/co-executive producer and Jeffrey Reiner (“Friday Night Lights,” “Trauma”) is the director/executive producer; Evan Katz (“24”) also is an executive producer.
‘UNDERCOVERS’ – Acclaimed writer/producer/director J.J. Abrams (“Star Trek," "Fringe," "Lost," "Alias") serves as co-writer, executive producer – and also directs – his first direction of a TV series pilot since “Lost” in “Undercovers” with executive producer/writer Josh Reims (“Brothers and Sisters”). “Undercovers” is a sexy, fun, action-packed spy drama that proves once and for all that marriage is still the world's most dangerous partnership. Outwardly, Steven Bloom (Boris Kodjoe, “Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Family Reunion,” “Soul Food,” "Resident Evil: Afterlife") and his wife, Samantha (Gugu Mbatha-Raw, “Doctor Who,” “Bonekickers”), are a typical married couple who own a small catering company in Los Angeles and are helped by Samantha’s easily frazzled younger sister, Lizzy (Jessica Parker Kennedy, “Smallville”). Secretly, the duo were two of the CIA’s best spies until they fell in love on the job five years ago and retired. When fellow spy and friend Nash (Carter MacIntyre, "American Heiress") goes missing while on the trail of a Russian arms dealer, the Blooms are reinstated by boss Carlton Shaw (Gerald McRaney, "Deadwood") to locate and rescue Nash. The pair is thrust back into the world of espionage as they follow leads that span the globe -- and Steven and Samantha realize that this supercharged, undercover lifestyle provides the excitement and romance that their marriage has been missing. Also starring is Ben Schwartz (NBC’s “Parks and Recreation”). "Undercovers" is from Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with Bad Robot Productions and Warner Bros. Television. The pilot was written by J.J. Abrams & Josh Reims and directed by Abrams. Abrams, Reims and Bryan Burk ("Fringe," "Lost, "Alias") are the executive producers.
‘THE CAPE’ – "The Cape" is a one-hour drama series starring David Lyons ("ER") as Vince Faraday, an honest cop on a corrupt police force, who finds himself framed for a series of murders and presumed dead. He is forced into hiding, leaving behind his wife, Dana (Jennifer Ferrin, "Life on Mars") and son, Trip (Ryan Wynott, "Flash Forward"). Fueled by a desire to reunite with his family and to battle the criminal forces that have overtaken Palm City, Faraday becomes "The Cape" his son's favorite comic book superhero -- and takes the law into his own hands. Rounding out the cast are James Frain ("The Tudors") as billionaire Peter Fleming -- The Cape's nemesis -- who moonlights as the twisted killer: Chess; Keith David ("Death at a Funeral") as Max Malini, the ringleader of a circus gang of bank robbers who mentors Vince Faraday and trains him to be The Cape, Summer Glau ("Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles") as Orwell, an investigative blogger who wages war on crime and corruption in Palm City; and Dorian Missick ("Six Degrees") as Marty Voyt, a former police detective and friend to Faraday. "The Cape" is a Universal Media Studios and BermanBraun production from executive producer/creator Thomas Wheeler (“Empire”), executive producer/director Simon West (“Con Air”), the executive producing team of Gail Berman and Lloyd Braun (NBC’s “Mercy), and executive producer Gene Stein (“Accidentally on Purpose”).
‘CHASE’ – “Chase” is a fast-paced drama from Emmy Award-winning executive producer Jerry Bruckheimer (“CSI” franchise, “The Amazing Race,” “Pirates of the Caribbean” films) and executive producer Jennifer Johnson (“Cold Case”) that drops viewers smack into the middle of a game of cat-and-mouse as a team of U.S. marshals hunts down America's most dangerous fugitives. Kelli Giddish (“Past Life”) stars as U.S. Marshal Annie Frost, a cowboy boot-wearing deputy whose sharp mind and unique Texas upbringing help her track down the violent criminals on the run. Cole Hauser (“K-Ville”), Amaury Nolasco (“Prison Break”), Rose Rollins ("The L Word”) and Jesse Metcalfe (“Desperate Housewives”) also star as members of Frost’s elite team. “Chase” is produced by Bonanza Productions Inc., in association with Jerry Bruckheimer Television and Warner Bros. Television. Bruckheimer, Jonathan Littman (“CSI” franchise, “The Amazing Race,” "Cold Case”) and Johnson serve as executive producers, while KristieAnne Reed is co-executive producer. David Nutter (“The Mentalist,” “Without a Trace” “The X-Files”) directed and is executive producer of the pilot that was written by Johnson.
‘OUTLAW’ -- Starring Emmy Award winner Jimmy Smits ("NYPD Blue," "The West Wing"), "Outlaw" is a new drama from executive producer John Eisendrath ("Alias," "Felicity," "Playmakers"). Cyrus Garza (Smits) is a U.S. Supreme Court justice who abruptly quits the high-level position. A playboy and a gambler, Garza had always adhered to a strict interpretation of the law until he realized the system he believed in was flawed. Now that he’s quit the bench and returned to private practice, he’s determined to represent “the little guy” and use his inside knowledge of the justice system to take on today’s biggest legal cases -- and he's making plenty of powerful people unhappy along the way. Jesse Bradford ("The West Wing"), Carly Pope ("24"), Ellen Woglom ("Californication") and David Ramsey ("Dexter") also star. “Outlaw” is a Universal Media Studios production along with Conaco productions. Eisendrath is executive producer along with Terry George ("Hotel Rwanda," "Reservation Road"), Conan O'Brien, Jeff Ross and David Kissinger ("Andy Barker, P.I."). "Outlaw" is written by Eisendrath and directed by George.
‘HARRY’S LAW’ – Emmy Award-winning creator David E. Kelley (“The Practice,” “Boston Legal”) brings his unique storytelling to “Harry’s Law,” a series about fate and the people it brings together, starring Academy Award winner Kathy Bates (“Misery,” “About Schmidt”). Harriet (Bates), Matthew (Ben Chaplin, “Me and Orson Wells”) and Malcolm (Aml Ameen, “Kidulthood”) couldn’t be any more different. Harriet is a curmudgeonly ex-patent lawyer who, having just been fired from her cushy job, is completely disillusioned with her success and looking for a fresh start. Her world unexpectedly collides with Malcolm’s -- a young man trying to figure out life. When he finds out Harriet is a lawyer, he begs her to represent him in an upcoming criminal case. Matthew, a dreamer at heart and also recently fired from his job as a high school teacher, is introduced to Harriet through Malcolm, a previous student of his. When these three cross paths, they realize they’re all looking for a fresh start. Now, the most unlikely of people are starting a law practice in the most unlikely of places--a rundown shoe store. “Harry’s Law” also stars Brittany Snow (“Hairspray”) as Harriet’s assistant, Jenna Backstrom and Beatrice Rosen (“Dark Knight”) as Eve, a high school French teacher. “Harry’s Law” is produced by Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with David E. Kelley Productions and Warner Bros. Television. David E. Kelley (“Boston Legal,” “The Practice”) and Bill D’Elia (“Boston Legal,” “The Practice”) serve as executive producers. D’Elia also is the director.
‘LAW & ORDER: LOS ANGELES’ – The new “Law & Order: Los Angeles” is a procedural crime drama that will follow the theme and storylines similar to the “Law & Order”-brand series on the streets of Los Angeles. The series, from executive producer Dick Wolf and Blake Masters “(“Brotherhood”), is a Wolf Films production in association with Universal Media Studios. Casting and pre-production work are continuing.
New Comedy Series ‘PERFECT COUPLES’ -- “Perfect Couples” depicts the misadventures of three engaging couples as they struggle to find out what makes the ideal relationship -- and how to maintain it through humorous trial-and-error. The series explores their heroic journey in search of the perfect relationship without destroying each other in the process. Dave (Kyle Howard, “My Boys”) and Julia (Christine Woods, “Flash Forward”) are the relatable, normal couple, but Julia's hope of remaining the cool, low-maintenance chick is tested by Dave’s attempts to keep both his wife and his needy best friend Vance (David Walton, “Heist”) equally happy. Vance, along with the neurotic Amy (Mary Elizabeth Ellis, “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”), are the high-passion, high-drama couple who bring out the best and worst in each other. The third duo features Rex (Hayes MacArthur, “She’s Out of My League”), a reformed party guy, and, and his wife, Leigh (Olivia Munn, “Attack of the Show”), who considers herself as the group’s mother hen. Believing that they are relationship experts, Rex and Leigh have attended every class and seminar on relationships -- and regard themselves as the “perfect couple.” Jon Pollack (“30 Rock”) and Scott Silveri (“Friends”) are the executive producers while Andy Ackerman (“Seinfeld,” “The New Adventures of Old Christine”) is the director. The series is produced by Universal Media Studios.
‘OUTSOURCED’ – “Outsourced” is a comedy where the Midwest meets the exotic East in a hilarious culture clash. The series centers on the all-American company Mid America Novelties that sells whoopee cushions, foam fingers and wallets made of bacon -- and whose call center has suddenly been outsourced to India. Todd Dempsy (Ben Rappaport, off-Broadway's “The Gingerbread House”) is the new company’s manager who learns that he’s being transferred to India to run the operation. Overwhelmed, Todd discovers that his new staff needs a crash course in all things American if they are to understand the U.S. product line and ramp up sales from halfway around the world. But as strange as America seems to his eclectic sales team, Todd soon realizes that figuring out India will be more than a full-time job. Rizwan Manji (“Privileged”), Sacha Dhawan (BBC’s “Five Days II”), Rebecca Hazlewood (BBC’s “Doctors”), Parvesh Cheena (“Help Me Help You”), and Anisha Nagarajan (Broadway’s “Bombay Dreams”) also star as members of Dempsy’s off-shore team; Diedrich Bader (“The Drew Carey Show”) and Jessica Gower (Network Ten’s “The Secret Life of Us”) additionally star. “Outsourced” is produced by Universal Media Studios. Robert Borden (“The Drew Carey Show” and “George Lopez”) is executive producer/writer. Ken Kwapis (“The Office”) developed the project through his company, In Cahoots, and serves as executive producer/director. Alex Beattie serves as co-executive producer.
‘THE PAUL REISER SHOW’ -- “The Paul Reiser Show” is a new single camera comedy from Emmy and Golden Globe nominated comedian-author-producer-actor Paul Reiser (“Mad About You”) and writer-producer Jonathan Shapiro (“Life”). The show stars Paul Reiser as…Paul Reiser. It's been a few years since Paul's hit TV series went off the air. Since then, he's been enjoying the quiet life at home with his lovely wife and kids and generally minding his own business. Lately, however, Paul has been thinking that it's time he did something new, something meaningful. As to what that next thing might be, he has no idea. In his quest to figure it out, Paul is helped and hindered by his new "friends." Like most men his age, Paul didn't choose these friends. They're the husbands of his wife's friends, the dads of kids that his boys go to school with. Thrown together by circumstance, Paul and his friends form an unlikely comradeship -- and a horrible basketball team. In addition to Reiser, Ben Shenkman (“Angels in America”) stars as Jonathan, Omid Djalili (“The Infidel”) as Habib, Duane Martin (“All of Us”) as Fernando, Andrew Daly (“MADtv”) as Brad, Amy Landecker (“A Serious Man”) as Claire, Brock Waidmann as Zeke and Koby Rouviere (“Greenberg”) as Gabe. The pilot is executive produced and written by Reiser and Shapiro, produced by Craig Knizek (“Mad About You”), Merri Howard (“Cold Case”) and Peter Safran (“Heist”), and directed by Bryan Gordon (“Curb Your Enthusiasm”). “The Paul Reiser Show” is a production of Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with Nuance Productions and Warner Bros. Television.
‘FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS’ -- From Oscar and Emmy winner Brian Grazer (“A Beautiful Mind,” “Arrested Development”), “Friends With Benefits” is a half-hour comedy revolving around a group of twenty-something singles as they navigate the difficult, and often confusing, world of dating. Ben Weymouth (Ryan Hansen, “Party Down”) is on the hunt for the perfect woman who meets his unique set of standards, while his best friend, Sara Maxwell (Danneel Harris, “One Tree Hill”), is just looking for a man to settle down with and raise a family. Ben and Sara have fallen into the habit of turning to each other for moral and physical support as they wait for Mr. and Ms. Right to arrive. Their friend Aaron (Fran Kranz, “Dollhouse”), a romantic at heart, doesn’t approve of Ben and Sara's complicated friendship, but he, along with womanizer Hoon (Ian Reed Kesler) and straight shooter Riley (Jessica Lucas, “Cloverfield”), are all distracted with their own dating trials and tribulations. David Nevins (“Lie to Me,” “Arrested Development”) joins Grazer as executive producer for Imagine Television. Also serving as executive producers are David Dobkin (“Wedding Crashers”), who directs the pilot, writers Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber (“(500) Days of Summer”), and Jeff Kleeman. “Friends With Benefits” is a production of 20th Century Fox Television, Imagine Television and Big Kid Pictures.
New One-hour Comedy Series ‘LOVE BITES’ – From Emmy Award-winning writer-producer Cindy Chupack (“Sex and the City”), “Love Bites” is an hour-long romantic comedy anthology series featuring three loosely connected, modern stories of love, sex, marriage and dating. Each episode contains multiple vignettes, all illuminating the theme of love with an edgy, irreverent spin. Becki Newton (“Ugly Betty”) stars as Annie and Jordana Spiro (“My Boys”) stars as Frannie, the last two single girls standing after all of their friends get married. Annie is an infectiously bubbly optimist and Frannie is an always-a-bridesmaid realist. Their story will anchor the series, while other romantically-challenged characters will come and go each week. The pilot's guest cast includes Jennifer Love Hewitt (“Ghost Whisperer”), Greg Grunberg (“Heroes”), Craig Robinson (“The Office”), Jason Lewis (“Sex and the City”), Lindsay Price (“Lipstick Jungle”), Larry Wilmore (“The Daily Show”), Charlyne Yi (“Knocked Up”), Pamela Adlon (“Californication”), Stacy Galina (“Hidden Hills”), Brian Hallisay (“Privileged”), Kyle Howard (“My Boys”) and Steve Howey (“Bride Wars”). “Love Bites” is a production of Universal Media Studios and Working Title Television, which is a new division of Working Title Films (the U.K. production company behind box office hits including “Love Actually,” “Bridget Jones's Diary” and “Four Weddings and a Funeral”). Chupack is creator, executive producer and writer. Emmy Award-winning producer-director Marc Buckland (“My Name Is Earl”) also is executive producer and directs the pilot. Eric Fellner, Tim Bevan and Shelley McCrory from Working Title Television are executive producers. “Love Bites” is Working Title Television’s first U.S. commission.
New Alternative Series ‘SCHOOL PRIDE’ – From executive producers Cheryl Hines ("Curb Your Enthusiasm") and Denise Cramsey ("Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" and "True Beauty"), “School Pride" is a proactive, alternative series that tells the stories of communities coming together to renovate their aging and broken public schools. While transforming the school, the community also restores its sense of value and school pride. The cameras follow students, teachers and parents as they roll up their sleeves and rebuild their own schools, concluding with the unveiling of a brand new, completely transformed school. They are motivated by a quartet of community organizers and personalities -- SWAT Commander Tom Stroup, interior designer Susie Castillo (“House of Payne”), comedian and former substitute teacher Kym Whitley (“Til Death”) and political correspondent Jacob Soboroff ("AMC News”). Together, the team of experts will lead the community through the makeover process. Months later, cameras will revisit the school to discover the lasting effects of the transformation -- a renewed sense of school pride and an increase in student achievement scores. "School Pride" is produced by Horizon Alternative Television.
NBC today officially announced that it had renewed action-comedy Chuck for a fourth season of thirteen episodes, landing it a spot on the 2010-11 schedule at the Peacock.
"Chuck has proven its enduring appeal and we love the new creative direction that Josh and Chris have taken the show," said Angela Bromstad, President, Primetime Entertainment, NBC and Universal Media Studios, in a statement.
While news of the renewal leaked out yesterday (and was itself confirmed earlier today by co-creator Josh Schwartz via Twitter), NBC today officially gave words of the Season Four renewal of Chuck in a press release that also touted the series order of several projects including Outlaws (formerly known as Garza), Harry's Law (formerly known as Kindreds), superhero drama The Cape, and comedy Friends with Benefits.
While the news of Chuck's renewal is cause for celebration, there is a bit of news that may put a damper on the joyous occasion: Televisionary has learned exclusively that executive producer Ali Adler will not be returning to Chuck for a fourth season.
According to a source close to the situation, Adler has accepted a position on ABC's new superhero family drama No Ordinary Family, from executive producers Greg Berlanti and Jon Harmon Feldman and ABC Studios. Series, which stars Michael Chiklis, Julie Benz, and Tate Donovan, revolves around a family who gains superpowers when their plane crashes in the Amazon rainforest. Adler is said to have signed on to No Ordinary Family earlier this month, prior to NBC's decision on Chuck's fate.
When reached via email, Adler had no comment on the rumor.
Adler will be much missed: not only had she been responsible for writing some of the Warner Bros. Television-produced series' most beloved episodes but, thanks to her generosity and passion for the series, remained one of its truest champions and advocates.
UPDATE: Adler has now confirmed her departure from Chuck via Twitter, where she wrote, "Decision 2 leave chuck family for NoOrdinaryFamily was a tuff 1. Love @joshschwartz76 + evry1 I worked w & all amzg fans. Long live Chuck!"
Welcome to this week's second look at Lost, which only has three and a half hours left before it fades to black. (Or white.)
Once again this week, I'll be taking a second look at this week's episode of Lost ("Across the Sea") by answering reader questions submitted via comments, Twitter, and email.
While I discussed "Across the Sea" in full over here (along with my views about why I didn't care for the episode), it's time to dive deeper and get to some further theories, doubts, and questions that we're all thinking about.
So, without further ado, let's grab our Senet boards, take a sip of wine, and let's discuss.
[NOTE: While I've already seen next week's astonishing and shocking episode ("What They Died For") at last night's Lost Live event (which I covered for The Daily Beast), I won't be discussing it here, so you can safely stay spoiler-free.]
Reaction to "Across the Sea" seemed to be extremely mixed, with viewers seeming to either love the episode or loathe it. I fell into the latter camp: while I appreciated the hows and whys of the story that unfolded here, I had to question the choices that Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse made in slating this episode in this particular order. Given that there are so few installments left, I didn't want to take a breather just when the momentum was going in full-swing before the end... and I certainly didn't want to break away from our core cast to focus on a pair of bickering deities whom we only met at the very end of last season.
There were some important answers buried within "Across the Sea" that are essential to a full understanding of Lost as a single entity, but, as I stated in my post on Wednesday morning, I felt that the episode amounted to little more than an information dump, a way for the writers to directly download a huge amount of exposition to our frontal lobes without grounding it in much emotion or characterization.
But I discussed all of that and more the other day. It's time now instead to look at your questions and thoughts stemming from "Across the Sea."
Adam and Eve. Amanda from Michigan asked, "Way back in season 1, when they introduced Adam and Eve, were they planning the whole Jacob/MIB storyline? We didn't even know that Jacob really existed until the very end of season 5. I'm guessing this is evidence that the writers knew what they were doing all along."
Um, not quite. Lindelof and Cuse have admitted that the Jacob-Man in Black mythos really was developed in the period when they were beginning to break the second season after the Season One ender when the hatch was blown open. The skeletons of Adam and Eve, discovered by the group at the beginning of Season One in "House of the Rising Sun," weren't planted there by the writers originally as the corpses of the Man in Black and Mother.
I doubt Lindelof and Cuse will ever reveal just who they originally meant them to be... but it's safe to say that they had a very different answer in mind way back then, especially because Jack--though not an expert--dated the clothing of the skeletal remains and said that the level of decomposition indicated they had been dead approximately forty or fifty years, a point that reader Kim Harrington also pointed out.
Had Lost not gone on for six seasons, through alternate universes and various time periods and integrated sibling deities with divine and demonic powers, I dare say that we would have eventually learned something very different about "Adam and Eve" in the cave than this.
Jacob. Reader stimpqb1 wrote, "Maybe why Jacob lets people figure things out for themselves because he has no more answers that anyone else. The only thing he knows is that given time people will make decisions and there might be good or bad things that come from those decisions."
I think that's somewhat true. He was given an awareness of his position as guardian of the Source by Mother, who seemed to transfer a huge amount of power to him through the ritual... and he's had thousands of years to fulfill that duty. But much of what has unfolded has been on Jacob's terms and his belief that man is inherently good rather than evil. While he seems to have chosen these individuals for a higher purpose, he's leaving their ultimate decisions in their own hands. He's definitely a proponent of free will, even if he's pulling strings to set up encounters that will themselves lead to choices.
Eventually darkness will overtake light and the cycle will have to begin anew again. His fallen brother will find a way to kill him and attempt to flee the island, perhaps not by taking a plane or a submarine, but by returning to the source itself, as he was trying to do with the wheel. Unable to find the Source for thirty years (it seems to be a guardian's power to prevent others from finding the Source and thus shielding it), the Nameless One wants perhaps to extinguish the light and have it go out everywhere in the world? Perhaps that's why the stakes are so high for Jacob: letting the Man in Black leave, especially in his monstrous form, would result in the end of everything.
Likewise, rockauteur asked, "At what point did MIB regain his corporeal form to interact with Jacob? When was the statue built? How is Jacob able to leave the island? Is this a power he acquired or found that he had? Or did he literally travel off the island on a vessel or using the donkey wheel? Was Mother able to travel off the island (I'm thinking not)?" KenB echoed some of these questions with a few of his own: "If Nemesis is incorporeal but Jacob can come and go freely, then what are the rules about leaving the island and therefore what is it exactly that Jacob is protecting?"
All very good questions and likely many that will remain unanswered at the end of the series. It's my belief that the smoke monster didn't "regain his corporeal form" so much as begin the pattern of appearances by which we know him in the present day: he selected the image of a dead person, namely himself.
As for how Jacob was able to get off the island, it's perhaps wise to recall the words of his nameless brother from this week's episode: "One day you can make up your own game and everyone else will have to follow your rules."
I believe that the guardian has the ability to change the rules. Jacob believes he can be in more than one place at once and so he can be. I don't believe that he actually left the island unguarded but was perhaps able to send himself across the sea to appear there as well at key moments in our characters' lives. After all, I still maintain--as I suggested very early on this season--that the flashbacks we've seen throughout the series has been Jacob watching the characters and deciding which of them will be chosen to act as candidates to be his replacement.
It's no mistake that these characters were brought to the island, as we've been told time and time again, they were brought here for a reason and each one of them needed to be brought there in order to "let go" of the traumas and injuries of their past life. The island acted as a looking glass into their souls, enabling many of them to achieve redemption, to progress their grief, or rage, or loss, to sublimate those emotions and process them in a magical place, an impossible land like Oz or Narnia that was free of the distractions of the modern world.
Wine. Caitlin asked, "Now that MIB has smashed the wine bottle (in a different espisode this season), what will the candidate drink from during the handing-over ritual? Or won't the candidate drink from it, because the island is at the bottom of the sea and 'it only has to end once'?"
As I wrote on Wednesday, after seeing this episode, I didn't think that the wine was the important part of the ritual, just part of it like many religious rituals in many different belief systems. It just signified the benediction and the oath that the replacement was taking, completing the prayer. It could have been any cup or any wine. Or anything, really. The prayer--the words spoken--and the belief that they impart are the true essence of the power transfer.
The Nameless One. An anonymous commenter wrote, "I don't understand the deliberately not naming Jacob's brother. What purpose does it serve to not give him a name? Last night was the perfect opportunity to name him."
It was the perfect opportunity to name him, which is why Lindelof and Cuse subverted expectations by not naming him. When you name something, you give it form. Some ancient belief systems believe that if you know someone's name, it gives you power over them. Throughout the series, names have been incredibly important: they are identity signifiers. Various lists, names on the wall, names on the lighthouse compass, they all track individual people who are recognizable by their names.
If something has no name, it's therefore unknowable in any complete sense. The Nameless One has many names--smoke monster, Man in Black, Esau, Fake Locke, Smocke, Flocke, etc.--but no true name. By denying us any concrete identity marker, Team Darlton has managed to keep Jacob's brother somewhat unknowable and therefore somewhat mysterious and unpredictable by nature.
Claudia didn't have a name for him. She didn't know that he, Jacob's dark twin, even existed until he came into the world. She couldn't name him as she didn't have a name for him (remember how important it was that Aaron be named Aaron?) and Mother (who also is nameless, save for her familial relationship to the boys) killed Claudia before she had a chance to think of another name.
By not naming Jacob's brother, did Mother unwittingly--or intentionally--lead to his eventual betrayal? Did she need him to leave her, to attempt to find his own identity with the humans, knowing that he would only day return and punish her for preventing him from knowing about the world across the sea? From keeping a real knowledge of good and evil from him?
Jacob learns of evil because he sees the potential for such within himself, acting out of anger and vengeance, making a fatal mistake that results in the transformation of his brother into a black pillar of smoke, a fate worse than death. The Nameless One is corrupted by his own desire to leave. Jacob is able to sacrifice his own freedom for the greater good. His brother wants only to leave so he can be free. He's further corrupted by his time among the humans, by those who want to claim the power, to use it, to study it, and harness it. But the Source is meant to burn on its own, to be viewed from afar, and never to be touched, lest it and mankind be forever corrupted.
And another anonymous commenter (ye gods!) asked, "Just how did MiB know how to create a bomb using a wrist watch as detonator? He was born and raised on the island and was not the possessor of any great knowledge (evidenced by the basic child-like question she asked Mother). He now possesses Locke's body ... Locke was a box salesman, right? So just, where did he learn how to create a bomb?"
It was seen here that the Nameless One has many skills that he shouldn't, he seems to possess knowledge of things from across the sea even though he's never been there... and he's watched over humans on the island for thousands of years. Something tells me he's picked up a few pointers along the way, even how to rig a bomb (which was, after all, harvested from Widmore's explosives on the plane).
And Gregory wrote, "Jacob's brother is dead. His skeleton is lying in a cave. And although spirits may reappear here and there I shall quote Ben who I think said, "Dead is dead." This led me to think that Smokey is as much Locke right now, as I projected him to be the MiB before. And/Or although Smokey may have the same ambitions as Jacob's brother, it is not in essence Jacob's brother as portrayed in the episode."
Gregory, see above. Yes, the Nameless One's body is laying in the cave with that of Mother, but I believe that his interaction with the Source stripped his essence, his corrupted soul, from his body, transforming it into something dark and evil: the smoke monster, who then took the form of a dead person, himself. It's the start of his whole M.O., really.
Sawyer. Brian raised an interesting theory that had Sawyer taking over for The Man in Black, due to the fact that he seems to want to get off the island and was able to see the ghostly image of the young Jacob. The latter was a point of contention for Vishwananatha BU as well: "Wonder how/why you forgot/slipped to correlate the scenes of sawyer and MIB seeing the flashes of the boy with this episode...Gives a strong hint about sawyer's possible future."
I've said repeatedly throughout this season that I felt as though the dichotomy between Jack and Sawyer was meant to echo that of Jacob and his Nemesis... and the earlier one set up between Locke and Jack, with Jack finally stepping into the role of man of faith and Sawyer now fulfilling his role as skeptic. But besides for the obvious parallels, I don't think that Sawyer is being groomed as a replacement for Smokey. For one, we don't know that Smokey needs a replacement... The island seemed to exist before there was a smoke monster and Mother implicitly warned the boys against accessing the Source. Two, I've long said that the reason Sawyer was able to see the young Jacob is because he is a candidate and had been in Jacob's presence prior. I don't see it as an indication that Sawyer is being groomed as a candidate for Smokey or will take over Smokey's role as island prisoner.
Candidates. Rockauteur also raised an interesting point about parallels between the Dharma Initiative's button-pushing exercise and the role of protector on the island, writing, "One more thing: no one really ever discusses the parallels to Jacob hunting for his replacement with the candidates and the Dharma Initiative with the person that has to press the 108 button. Desmond was "a candidate" for that job by washing up onshore and replacing Kelvin... Interesting parallel..."
I thought this was a nice touch as well. Desmond was clearly a candidate to replace Kelvin, who wanted to get the hell off the island, providing a nice parallel with Jacob and his brother. Desmond was quite happy to press the button every 108 minutes, keeping the world safe (the island's human protector) while Kelvin wanted to shirk his responsibilities and go back across the sea. But it doesn't quite work that way.
Like Jacob, Desmond makes a fatal mistake: not pressing the button, which causes the crash of Oceanic Flight 815. (Just like Jacob accidentally creates the smoke monster.) But in doing so, Desmond saw that he had to reclaim his purpose and the act--which brought the castaways there, resulted in him dedicating his life--possibly the whole of his existence--to pushing the button and keeping the island safe.
Could it be that because of this role, which due to the electromagnetic correlation with the Source and the energy of the Swan Station, the Dharma supplies continued to arrive? Because they knew that, just as Jacob had to protect the island, so too did a human, pressing the button every 108 minutes? Until, of course, something changed and the energy was released, making the sky purple and infusing Desmond with electromagnetic properties.
Those properties that Widmore wants to use for some purpose. But what if Widmore's intentions and Jacob's aren't the same? Just what is the Nameless One scared of regarding Desmond? Could it be that because of his tolerance to the energy, he can safely enter the Source? Hmmm...
Fate or coincidence? Yammer2002 asked, "I remember from Season 2 that a big deal was made regarding the original crash: Desmond was chasing Kelvin Inman out of the hatch, did not enter the "Numbers" in time, resulting in the meltdown and eventually causing the crash of Oceanic 815. This makes it seem that the passengers of Oceanic 815 were there "accidentally," as as result of Desmond not entering the Numbers in time. However, this season, with the Numbers in the cave, with Jacob's "touch",and with the Lighthouse numbers, we are led to believe that each of the Oceanic 6 characters were "chosen" by Jacob to be on the island. This conflicts with the "accidental" nature of the initial crash."
Yes, Jacob chose these people and they were all brought aboard Oceanic Flight 815 for a reason. The crash happened because Desmond didn't push the button, because he didn't believe. But what if he was given a crisis of conscience to make him believe? What if Jacob left that a choice for Desmond to make, knowing that he would have to chose and in doing so, the candidates would arrive on the island? (See also above for my thoughts on why it was important for Desmond to question. The questioning is what made him sacrifice his life to fulfill his purpose of pushing that button until someone else could replace him.)
Lost-X. Greg asked, "Is it possible that the Lost X universe isn't really an alternate reality, but the new reality? Since the beginning of this season, it's been pretty much assumed that it was the bomb at the end of last season that spawned this new reality and sunk the island. But, what if it wasn't that event that sunk the island? What if it's the event at the end of the series that sunk the island and the life of the Lost X is truly the new reality?"
That seems in keeping with the epilogue-theory that's been circulating all season but its a theory that I can't get behind. There seems to be more of a connection between what's unfolding within the mainstream reality and the Lost-X reality, which despite being set in two different timeframes, seem to be unfolding at the same rate and time. What happens in one reality affects the other; Desmond's subconsciousness getting shuttled over to the Lost-X timeline seems to confirm that. I think they're islands in the stream, divergent realities occurring side-by-side rather than a strict cause-and-effect relationship.
Endless Cycle. HipHopAnonymous wrote, "In retrospect it seems like the real point of the whole ep was to warn viewers that the island is simply never going to be explained to anyone's satisfaction because it's all an endless succession of pass-the-baton backwards through time, i.e. before 815 there was the Frenchies, and before them Dharma, before them the Others, before them Richard, before him there was Jacob and MiB, and before them, the 'Mother'. If we were to get her backstory, it would no doubt simply lead to another predecessor who indoctrinated her into the mysteries of the island, preceded by yet another predecessor, ad infinitum. Thus we can only learn the stories of the people who came to the island, never the story of the island itself or how it came to be. Because the island simply is. And apparently always has been. No origin needed or applicable."
Agreed. The island has always been. Trying to figure out where or when it came from and who proceeded Mother is a bit like unstacking a neverending series of matryoshka. There are questions within questions within questions. One protector follows another, the cycle continues unabated... until it doesn't. If the smoke monster escapes, if the light goes out, there will be nothing to protect any longer. Someone will have to make an enormous sacrifice, not just of the span of a human life, but for eternity, to protect the island and its nature.
You're right when you say that we can only learn the stories of the people who come to the island rather than those who came before Mother. The cycle continues, they are the variables in the equation. Will they choose the path of righteousness or evil? That's the eternal question and the eternal struggle, really. Not just of the island but of mankind in general.
Come back Wednesday to discuss next week's episode and head to the comments section here to discuss any of the above thoughts, theories, or additional questions...
Next week on the penultimate episode of Lost ("What They Died For"), Locke devises a new strategy while Jack's group searches for Desmond.
I had the absolutely privilege and pleasure to attend last night's Lost Live: A Final Celebration event here in Los Angeles.
It was quite possibly the last hurrah for Lost, an event where 1800 very lucky attendees had the unique opportunity to say goodbye to the ABC drama series by listening to a 47-piece orchestra play the music of Lost composer Michael Giacchino, listen to Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse offer some final thoughts about the series, and watch the series' penultimate episode ("What They Died For").
It's official: NBC has confirmed that it has canceled Law & Order, which will end its run on May 24th, tying with Gunsmoke for the title of longest running television drama.
News comes a day after conflicting reports about the fate of the original flavor Law & Order, which has aired on NBC for twenty seasons, but after news of eleventh hour talks evaporated, NBC confirmed the original report by Deadline that the axe had fallen on the historic series by releasing an official statement.
The same press release announced the renewal of Law & Order: SVU and confirmed rumors from several months back that the network was developing yet another iteration of the legal procedural, this time set in Los Angeles, and entitled Law & Order: Los Angeles (or just LOLA). The series, from executive producer Dick Wolf and Blake Masters (Brotherhood), is currently in pre-production. Any casting attachments have yet to be announced.
"The full measure of the collective contributions made by Dick Wolf and his Law & Order franchise over the last two decades to the success of NBC and Universal Media Studios cannot be overstated," said Jeff Gaspin, Chairman, NBC Universal Television Entertainment. "The legacy of his original Law & Order series will continue to make an impact like no other series before."
"Law & Order has been one of the most successful franchises in the history of television, which is why it is so critical that we continue this important brand and our relationship with Dick Wolf and his team with LOLA and Law & Order: SVU,” said Angela Bromstad, President, Primetime Entertainment, NBC and Universal Media Studios.
The full press release from NBC can be found below.
NBC ANNOUNCES PICKUPS FOR NEW DRAMA ‘LOLA’ (‘LAW & ORDER: LOS ANGELES’) AND RETURNING ‘LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT’ AND ‘LAW & ORDER’ ENDS ITS HISTORIC RUN ON NBC MAY 24
UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. – May 14, 2010 – NBC has picked up the new drama “LOLA” (“Law & Order: Los Angeles”) as well as renewed “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” for the 2010-11 season. In addition, NBC will end its historic and record-tying “Law & Order” when the mothership series concludes its 20th season on Monday, May 24 (10-11 p.m. ET).
The announcements were made today by Angela Bromstad, President, Primetime Entertainment, NBC and Universal Media Studios.
Jeff Gaspin, Chairman, NBC Universal Television Entertainment said, "The full measure of the collective contributions made by Dick Wolf and his 'Law & Order' franchise over the last two decades to the success of NBC and Universal Media Studios cannot be overstated. The legacy of his original ‘Law & Order’ series will continue to make an impact like no other series before."
Bromstad added: “‘Law & Order’ has been one of the most successful franchises in the history of television, which is why it is so critical that we continue this important brand and our relationship with Dick Wolf and his team with ‘LOLA’ and ‘Law & Order: SVU.’”
The brainchild of creator and Emmy Award winner Wolf, "Law & Order" has spawned one of the most successful brands in primetime television. It is the 1997 Emmy Award winner for Outstanding Drama Series and the record holder for the most consecutive (11) nominations in that category for a primetime series (tied with "Cheers" and "M*A*S*H"). It premiered on September 13, 1990, and eventually tied “Gunsmoke” as the longest-running drama series in television history.
The new “LOLA” (“Law & Order: Los Angeles”) is a procedural crime drama that will follow the theme and storylines similar to the “Law & Order”-brand series on the streets of Los Angeles. The series, from executive producer Dick Wolf and Blake Masters (“Brotherhood”), is a Wolf Films production in association with Universal Media Studios. Casting and pre-production work are continuing.
In its current 11th season, "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" has delivered a 2.9 rating, 8 share in adults 18-49 and 9.3 million viewers overall. "Law & Order: SVU" is NBC's #1 scripted series this season in total viewers. Since moving to Wednesdays (10-11 p.m. ET) on March 3, "SVU" is #1 in the time period in adults 18-49, adults 25-54 and other key ratings categories and has improved on NBC's average rating in the hour during the traditional 2008-09 season by 29 percent in adults 18-49.
“Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” is a hard-hitting and emotional series from NBC's "Law & Order" brand as it chronicles the Special Victims Unit of the New York Police Department, the elite squad of detectives who investigate sexually based crimes. The drama follows Detective Elliot Stabler (Emmy Award nominee Christopher Meloni), a seasoned veteran, and his partner, Detective Olivia Benson (Emmy and Golden Globe Award winner Mariska Hargitay), whose difficult past is the reason she joined the unit.
Captain Donald Cragen (Dann Florek) oversees the unit while Detective John Munch (Richard Belzer, "Homicide: Life on the Street") brings his acerbic wit and street-honed investigative skills to the team. Munch’s partner, Detective Odafin "Fin" Tutuola (Ice-T), adds his unique sense of humor and investigative experience. Forensic psychiatrist, George Huang (B.D. Wong) and Medical Examiner Melinda Warner (Tamara Tunie) uncover forensic evidence.
"Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" is a Wolf Films production in association with Universal Media Studios. Wolf is creator and executive producer; Neal Baer ("ER," "China Beach"), Ted Kotcheff ("Fun with Dick and Jane," "Weekend at Bernie's") and Jankowski are executive producers.
“Law & Order: Criminal Intent” continues to air in its ninth season on USA Network.
There are very few series that I fall in love with at first sight but Steve Levitan and Christopher Lloyd's superb comedy Modern Family was one of them, delivering an astute and nuanced portrait of a thoroughly modern family in America. Throughout the twenty-odd episodes that followed, I quickly fell in love with the extended Dunphy-Pritchett clan, looking forward to each Wednesday evening, when I would get a chance to curl up on the couch and spend a half an hour with my favorite television family.
