Now don’t get your hopes up (I know I’m a constant tease), all that has been confirmed so far is that a made-for-TV movie has been given the go ahead and will act as a prequel to the popular spy series. Bruce Campbell (Sam) is set to star and will also be a producer for the project that will likely surround Sam’s final mission with the Navy Seals before his arrival in Miami.
Fox released its Fall schedule today and even a superficial glance reveals a line-up brimming with season premieres, as has now become tradition. House, Glee, Fringe, Bones and Human Target all return and the network continues its monopoly of adult cartoons with its Sunday line-up of The Simpsons, The Cleveland Show, Family Guy and American Dad.
It’s that time of year again; this morning the nominees for this year’s Emmy awards were announced and below is a glance at some of the major categories, with few surprises and in my opinion, way too much Glee than is healthy for any person, no matter how flamboyantly fabulous you might be.
The HBO series Entourage has recruited the talents of yet another pornstar to join Sasha Grey on set. Rather surprisingly, the adult performer is not a busty young blonde, but rather, tall, dark and hung like a mutant donkey. The gentleman in question is one ‘Tommy Gunn’ (almost definitely his real name), who has starred in classics such as Everybody Needs MILF and my personal favorite Teen Alien Sex Dreams.
So with less than two weeks left to go before the season three premiere of True Blood, I thought I’d post the five minisodes that HBO have released as a teaser to keep us all going till June 13th. Each short clip is around three minutes long and although they don’t give away many clues to what’s going to be in store, each is really quite entertaining and definately worth the watch. My personal favourite is the first, I love Eric’s character and his reactions to the auditions are great.
FOX won the prime time battle again in 2009-2010 based on their NFL lineup, Glee, American Idol, and strong early season numbers. This year they look to add some new programming along with returning a great deal of their last season shows. Gone is stalwart 24 along with Sons of Tucson, Past Life, Til Death, Brothers, and Dollhouse. New this season are four new comedies and three new dramas.
Of note is the fact that both Lie to Me and Human Target survived to new seasons despite some low ratings and the chance of cancellation. Glee returns as one of the top shows on TV as does American Idol in the spring. Not seen on the schedule but meant as a mid-season replacement is Terra Nova from producers Steven Spielberg, Peter Chernin, Brannon Braga (24, “Star Trek: Enterprise”) and David Fury (“Lost,” “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”) an interesting looking show with a little bit of a science fiction feel. It looks like it could be good.
CBS looks to build on its already strong lineup with some strategic changes. Eighteen of the shows return from last season. They have mixed and matched some of the new shows into old places and sort of switched things around. For example, the very funny Rules of Engagement finally gets a spot of its own, holding onto its Monday slot before Two and a Half Men. CSI: Miami moves to late slot on Sunday from Monday and the New Hawaii Five-0 takes it place starring Alex O’Laughlin. The very popular The Big Bang Theory moves to lead off the Thursday night programming and is followed by William Shatner’s new raucous comedy $#*! My Dad Says which could be a winner.
Gone are Friday nights The Ghost Whisper and N3mbers as well as Cold Case, the short lived Miami Medical, Accidentally on Purpose, Gary Unmarried, and the New Adventures of Old Christine. Other new shows are from the creator of Two and a Half Men, Chuck Lorre, Mike and Molly a comedy about two people that meet at an Overeaters Anonymous meeting, The Defenders starring Jim Belushi and Jerry O’Connell in a Comedic Drama about two Las Vegas attorney’s, and finally Blue Bloods debuting late on Friday’s a generational police drama set in New York City.
Like NBC, ABC seems to have made a major revamping of its lineup. Gone are freshman shows FlashForward, The Deep End, the forgotten, Eastwick, the short lived Happy Town, and Romantically Challenged with Alyssa Milano all replaced with seven new shows. Also discontinued is sophomore comedy Better Off Ted as well as long time favorites Scrubs and Ugly Betty. There are three mid-season replacements and V which was not canceled but seems to be missing from the schedule, but ABC President Steve McPherson made the decision to keep V over Flashforward. Still it’s strange that it does not appear in the fall schedule and must be meant as a mid-season or spring intro.
Well despite a lot of talk otherwise NBC and Angela Bromstad, President, Primetime Entertainment, NBC and Universal Media Studios announced that Law & Order along with Heroes, Mercy, and Trauma will not be returning for next season. While the last three might not be a surprise one has to wonder about the franchise that was about to take the record as longest running hour long series on television away from Gunsmoke.
Bromstad said “it was time to move on”, but Law & Order: SVU and Criminal Intent will be joined by a new Law & Order: Los Angeles in the fall lineup. (Law & Order: Criminal Intent can be viewed on NBC Universal’s USA Network.)
Few things say “confidence” like being picked up for a fifth and sixth season when season four hasn’t even aired yet, which just happened to Burn Notice, currently highly popular spy-meets-MacGyver-meets-A-team show with a decent-sized and fairly diverse following. While this is of course great – a slow rise to popularity and steady renewal is far better than the Firefly-effect – it does cause some concern for the avid fans like myself. Mainly: Will it be any good?
