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May 2009
‘Idol’ judge outs Adam Lambert on ‘The View’
This morning on “The View,” “American Idol” judge Kara DioGuardi told Barbara Walters that “Idol” runner-up Adam Lambert is gay.
“I don’t think that Adam was ever in (the closet),” DioGuardi told Walters. “I think he was always openly out.”
Lambert has been coy about his sexuality, a subject of speculation and debate during the “Idol” season.
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Jay’s walking from ‘Tonight’ tonight
Jay Leno bids farewell to the “Tonight Show” tonight (10:30 p.m., KXAN), but it seems kind of pointless to make a big deal about it since he’s not really going away.
When comic king-maker Johnny Carson vacated the “Tonight Show” desk in 1992, he hinted that he might one day return to television, but went on to live out his remaining days in seclusion, sporadic appearances on the tube notwithstanding. Leno, whose decision to retire led NBC to peg “Late Night” host Conan O’Brien as his replacement — 5 years ago! — just won’t go away. The popular, glad-handing host isn’t even changing networks, he’s merely shifting time slots.
Actually, that’s disingenuous (sorry, Jay brings that out in me). Leno’s fall move to the 9 p.m. slot five nights a week is a relatively big deal, programming-wise, and you can bet the other networks will be watching. He probably won’t be doing anything particularly innovative in prime time, but Leno’s show will be much cheaper to produce than the one-hour dramas that would otherwise fill those slots, so it doesn’t have to come first in the ratings to be hugely profitable. If the experiment is successful (NBC seems unsure — Leno’s been given a relatively short contract) expect non-peacock network cloning machines to be cranked up to eleven.
There won’t be any genuine drama on “Tonight” tonight … the smooth torch passing from Leno to his successor — and final guest — O’Brien is the antithesis of the convoluted and feud-inspiring hand-off from Carson to Leno (Johnny wanted former “Late Night” host David Letterman to succeed him and, in fact, clandestinely fed the CBS “Late Show” host monologue jokes until just before his death in 2005). We might hear some amusing “headlines.” Perhaps there will be a final “Jaywalk.” We’ll definitely witness lots of schmaltzy nostalgia. And you can’t go wrong with James Taylor.
But the real fun starts Monday, when we get to see how O’Brien will liven up the “Tonight Show.”
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Texas Film Hall of Fame Awards highlights on KLRU tonight
Brendan Fraser and Catherine Hardwicke were among the honorees at the Texas Film Hall of Fame Awards Ceremony at Austin Studios Thursday, March 12, 2009. Thomas Haden Church, right, emceed the event. Photo by Larry Koolvord, Austin American-Statesman
Didn’t fraternize with Fraser? Missed hobnobbing with Billy Bob? See them from 8-9 p.m. tonight as highlights from the 2009 Texas Film Hall of Fame Awards are shown on KLRU. The awards ceremony, which was held at Austin Studios on March 12, 2009, will also be re-broadcast on KLRU2 at 9 p.m. June 3.
Emceed by Thomas Haden Church, this year’s honorees were Larry Hagman, Powers Boothe, Catherine Hardwicke, Thornton and the Wes Anderson film, “Rushmore.” Presenters included Linda Gray, Keith Carradine, Brendan Fraser and Dennis Quaid. Luke Wilson accepted honors on behalf of “Rushmore’s” cast and crew.
Other special guests included “Friday Night Lights” cast members Kyle Chandler, Connie Britton, Brad Leland and Dana Wheeler-Nicholson. Grammy Award-winning musician Ray Benson, 2003 Hall of Fame inductee Tobe Hooper (director of 1974’s “Texas Chainsaw Massacre”), Beastie Boy Adam Yauch and AFS Artistic Director and 2007 Hall of Fame inductee Richard Linklater, who honored the work of Horton Foote, are also featured. Foote was inducted into the Texas Film Hall of Fame in 2003 and died earlier this year at the age of 92.
Located at Austin Film Society’s Austin Studios, the Texas Film Hall of Fame Awards are presented by AT&T and recognize actors, directors, screenwriters, musicians, filmmakers and films from, influenced or inspired by the Lone Star State. The proceeds from the event benefit the educational and artistic programs of AFS.
For more information on Austin Film Society, visit the group’s Web site.
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It’s a good start for Mike Judge’s ‘Goode’ comedy
Mike Judge is no stranger to poking fun. “Office Space” skewered corporate America while “King of the Hill” took on the frequently redneck residents of Arlen, Texas. “Beavis and Butt-head?” Well, they pretty much disdained everything they saw, whether it was music videos or each other.
But at the heart of it all — yes, even in “Beavis,” there was a genuine affection for the characters, and that’s what’s missing — so far — in Judge’s “The Goode Family,” a new half-hour animated sitcom which pokes fun at a family of zealous tree-huggers (they even have a vegan dog). The folks in “King of the Hill” were so well-rounded and real, and the dialogue so sharp and authentic, that the show could have been easily produced with a live-action cast. “Goode,” however, is crammed full of jokes, and not the subtle, character-based kind for which “KotH” was famous.
The pilot episode opens cleverly enough, with a close-up of a hybrid auto’s bumper and a sticker which reads, “Support our troops — and their opponents.” The Goodes shop at a Whole Foods-like store even though they can’t really afford it because, well, it’s the right thing to do (and the cheaper stores are off limits because “they don’t even have a mission statement.”)
Hey — it’s not easy being green.
The animation is reminiscent of “KotH” and the voice talent is good, especially Judge as the Goode family patriarch, Gerald, whose cadence is identical to Hank Hill’s even though the two characters could not sound more different. A subplot which poked fun at abstinence-only zealots and chastity balls makes me hopeful that “Goode” is not just the one-note, green-bashing series intimated by ABC’s promos.
Here’s what the perceived left and right thought about “The Goode Family:”
First up, NPR. Under the headline, “The Goode Family”: Mike Judge’s Disappointing New Comedy, Linda Holmes writes:
What Judge is trying to get at here is a richly mockable comedic target; satire about the tensions between environmental responsibility and convenience, the tendency to proselytize about hybrid cars, whatever — there’s plenty of raw material … But the execution just isn’t funny enough to justify watching an entire half-hour show to get to those moments — even in the summer.
Over on the other side, FOX News hasn’t weighed in with a review, but for an advance article about the show, the network found a media expert who called it an antidote to the raft of PC-leaning network comedies.
Did you watch “The Goode Family?” Will you watch again? Are you surprised that FOX News was optimistic while NPR clearly did not like the show?
Post your thoughts below.
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AT&T addresses “Idol” Arkansas vote controversy
Addressing the Internet buzz that an inordinate, fishy amount of “American Idol” votes coming from winner Kris Allen’s home state of Arkansas (allegedly 38 million of the 100 million votes cast) tilted the contest in his favor, the Associated Press is reporting that “overeager company employees” helped Arkansas fans vote by text at viewing parties — but didn’t influence the final results.
Adam Lambert fans, what do you think?
Click here for the whole story.
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Austin doc gives prescription for happy life on ‘Today’
Carrie Contey, PhD, co-founder of Slow Family Living, will be featured on “The Today Show’s” fourth hour segment with Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb Thursday at 9am.
The segment will focus on how families are being forced to look at family life in the face of the ailing economy. As a co-founder of Slow Family Living along with Austin writer and mother of four Bernadette Noll, Contey will be interviewed with the editor of Parents Magazine.
“Slow Family Living provides the tools, support and inspiration that guide people in slowing down, connecting and enjoying life as individuals and within the family,” Contey says.
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Will greenies think the new Mike Judge comedy is ‘Goode?’
Austinite Mike Judge has a new show, “The Goode Family,” premiering tonight at 8 p.m. on KVUE (ABC). The half-hour, animated comedy from the creator of “King of the Hill” and “Office Space” focuses on the Goodes, a family of hardcore tree huggers whose motto is ‘WWAGD — What Would Al Gore Do?’
Research led me to this post by Mother Nature Network blogger Shea Gunther. He posted a few clips from the show — and a synopsis — but offered little opinion beyond this: “I’m really excited about ‘The Goode Family,’ a new animated series from Mike Judge, the voice and brains behind ‘King of the Hill’.”
I wanted to know why a environmental activist would be excited about a show that appears to have set its satiric sights on environmental activists (apparently so did some of his readers, who responded to his post with disbelief) so I got a hold of Gunther, who was kind enough to elaborate.
“I’m excited about the Goode Family because I’m a huge fan of Mike Judge,” Gunther says. “I think ‘King of the Hill’ is one of the better shows on TV; he has a subtle touch that humanizes the red neck Texan lifestyle as seen through the Hill family. I’m hopeful that he’ll do the same for greenies through the Goode family.”
Gunther insists he’s not worried about the show’s potential to poke fun at environmental activists. “First off,” he says, “we’re a pretty funny group of people — we put our food scraps in special containers on the kitchen counter, wear funky clothes, eat funny food, and sometimes we smell bad. What’s not to laugh about that?”
He claims that a group has to be able to laugh at itself if it hopes to become a mainstream movement.
“You know you’ve hit the big time when either ‘The Simpsons,’ ‘South Park’ or Mike Judge are making fun of you,” he says. “We just have to roll with it and enjoy the ride.”
Gunther claims that environmentalists, as a whole, don’t mind being made fun of.
“The most hilariously stereotypical environmentalists will probably get all huffy about it, not that that’s a hard thing to do. For the most part though, we’re a fun bunch of people and I think ‘The Goode Family’ is going to find many a fan in the world of greenies.”
What do you think? Do you use special containers for your table scraps? What’s your take on “The Goode Family?”
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‘Jon & Kate’ not getting along so great
I must confess that I’m not a “Jon & Kate Plus 8” watcher. Having spent the early years of my marriage around a bunch of daycare infants, I’ve really had no desire to relive the trials and tribulations of child rearing vicariously through the Gosselin couple, their twins and sextuplets.
Lately, though, as the show prepared to head into its fifth season, the hype has been impossible to escape. Salacious tabloid headlines are everywhere, and if “Jon,” “Kate” and “infidelity” were terrorist buzzwords, recent Internet chatter would have placed the country on high alert.
I watched several episodes of the “J&K” TLC marathon, trying to understand what all the excitement was about — the March 23 season four finale scored the best ratings in the series’ history. The big question then was how the couple’s marriage was tolerating their growing celebrity, and a cliffhanger of a fourth-season ender led viewers and the Gosselins alike to wonder if the show would continue.
But here they are and, according to an interview with Entertainment Weekly, they’re doing it for the kids.
Today’s premiere hammered that point home relentlessly as the Gosselins’ celebrated (?) the sextuplets’ 5th birthday party. Opening with separate interviews of a weary-looking, flush and unshaven Jon and an immaculate Kate (was there any doubt she’d have this all compartmentalized and tidy?) the show seemed to dive right into the tabloid controversy but, in reality, barely broke the surface of the shallow end. There were plenty of references to vague indiscretions, but few details and no direct admissions of guilt.
Kate dismissed the claims of an affair with her bodyguard outright, explaining that she travels for her job (she has authored books based on her experiences raising eight children) and must take security with her. The tabloids’ allegations, she protested, made her furious. That’s all we heard about that.
Much more time was indirectly spent on reports that Jon had engaged in an affair with a 23-year-old schoolteacher (photos of the pair driving together are easily found online). Jon says “Whether it’s true or false doesn’t matter — it affects every part of your life.” He claims that he hasn’t been thinking clearly enough for months, but adds, “I never cheated on Kate, and that’s the way it is.”
Still, no matter what they say to each other in private, there’s more going on here than the Gosselins are willing to admit to their audience, at least so far.
Much of the episode focused on preparations for the children’s birthday party. Jon was noticeably absent, and Kate didn’t miss an opportunity to point out that she was handling all of the preparations by herself.
During the party itself, both spouses are in attendance. They walk past each other many times but fail to acknowledge each other’s presence. The children, eating cake and swinging at pinatas, seem oblivious to the marital strife. In the couch interview at the end of the show, when we do finally see Jon and Kate together, they are together in only the most perfunctory way, and they remain so for only a short time.
Neither can describe the status of their relationship; neither can predict where it’s heading.
Kate, wiping tears from her eyes, says the party was important because it could be “our last family picture.” Jon talks about how important it is to be friends and able to get along “whether you’re married or not married.”
They both talk about how they need to make sure their kids remain safe, happy and loved.
It remains to be seen if the show’s many fans will stick with it if its main themes become “can this marriage be saved?” and the paparazzi-bashing cries of “we never asked for any of this” (yes, you did).
My impression heading into this episode was that Kate was depicted as a shrew, constantly putting her husband down and taking him to task. What a difference a few months can make. I am aware that reality show plotlines are skewed to and fro through editing as nimbly as if they were written in advance, but Kate really came across as the sympathetic character here.
In the end, her birthday-party observation about the irony of how we treat cartoonish pinatas serves as an apt subconscious assessment of the growing pains her show (and family) is going through: “You have characters you love,” she says, “and you just beat ’em to death.”
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Random thoughts for new TV Blog readers
I’ve made quite a few new Facebook friends and been followed by a bunch of you on Twitter today, so I’m going to assume that somebody read my debut column. Welcome aboard!
Space in the paper can be tight, but here on the Internet our boundaries are virtually unlimited, so let’s get this conversation started!
What shows are you passionate about? Which do you hate? What TV-related subjects would you like to see us cover in the Statesman? Please post below.
Okay, I need to go bone up on “Jon and Kate Plus 8” for Monday’s big premiere. How will TLC balance the need to deliver fans the show they’ve come to love with the reality that the infidelity accusations which have been burning up the tabloids and chat rooms will almost certainly change it?
I’ll be watching right along with you to find out.
Blogger Charlie at “Interesting Pile” has a list of series marathons running this Memorial Day weekend (including “Jon and Kate”). Check it out here
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Pamela who? Former Austinite worked on just-cancelled ABC show
There’s a familiar, local name amidst the casualties of ABC’s May 18 cancellation of the Christina Applegate vehicle, “Samantha Who.”
Austinites might remember the show’s executive story editor, Pamela Ribon, from distant past work with local comedy ensemble “Monk’s Night Out” and her contributions to the Big Stinkin’ Sketch and Improv Comedy Festival and FronteraFest. In addition to a slew of local and national theatrical events, Ribon (currently residing in Los Angeles) has also worked on the television shows “Hot Properties” and “Mind of Mencia.” She was a charter contributor to “Technopolis,” The American-Statesman’s late, lamented personal technology section.
“Samantha Who” was the highest-rated sitcom to debut during the 2007-2008 television season, but lost several million viewers while changing time slots in its second season and moving from Monday to Thursday nights this spring. Variety claims that the large number of new series ABC picked up this fall made “Samantha” expendable.
“It was a pleasure working with everybody and I’m honored to have been part of such a fine show,” Ribon says. She’s finishing up her third novel — she calls it “kind of an eat, pray, love about roller derby (eat, cry, shove, if you will)” — and looking forward to her next television adventure.
Read more about the self-proclaimed pop culture princess at her Web site.
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Why isn’t Adam our ‘Idol?’
The Internet sea is roiling today with analysis of Kris Allen’s “American Idol” win and what it says about you, me and our attitudes toward Adam Lambert’s undeclared sexual preference. Here are a few quick takes:
The TV Addict calls the contest a “lose/lose conclusion,” arguing that depending which way the outcome landed, it would have been viewed as either a victory for left-leaning liberals or indication of a conspiracy on the part of “Idol” judges.
New York Magazine’s Chris Rozvar, in its “Vulture” column, argues that loser Adam Lambert’s ambiguous sexuality was not a factor as much as the simple fact that he is different, pointing out that, “when placed in the context of Kris, or even Danny Gokey, (Lambert) represents The Other.”
The American-Statesman’s own Michael Barnes blogs about the show’s gay-straight social dynamic, comparing the two finalists’ victory/defeat embrace to that of last year’s contenders, David Cook and David Archuleta: “The cute, straight, gay-friendly boy (Allen) clearly bonded deeply with the accomplished, glamorous, presumably gay man (Lambert). And both seemed comfortable with the power sharing. That flips last year’s finale relationship, when the cute, friendly, presumably gay boy (I could be wrong) bonded with the accomplished, somewhat glamorous straight man. And both seemed relieved by the outcome.”
The New York Times’ Alessandra Stanley contends that the vote doesn’t reveal as much about the state of America as does the success of the ‘Idol” machine itself: “ ‘American Idol’ matters not just as a pop culture phenomenon, but as an institution that works — with scary efficiency — at a time when so many other American enterprises seem flawed or imperiled. It stands out this season in particular: ‘American Idol’ is a money-making machine in the middle of a worldwide recession, an old-fashioned must-see television hit at a time when the Internet and cable have eaten away at the networks’ hegemony.”
What do you think? Did America crown Kris Allen based solely on his vocal abilities? Are we ready for a possibly-gay Idol? Does it matter? Post your opinions below.
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The CW announces its fall schedule
Last to the party, The CW has announced it’s 2009-2010 primetime schedule.
There are no surprises on Mondays, as the popular “Gossip Girl” and “One Tree Hill” carry on with business as usual.
It’s back to the ’90s on Tuesdays: A reboot of nighttime soaper “Melrose Place” joins the second-season of “90210” in a nostalgic lineup. The new version of “Melrose” finds Laura Leighton reprising her original-version role of Sydney Andrews, now landlady of the elegant, Spanish-style apartment building in the trendy Los Angeles area. 18-year-old Violet Foster (Ashlee Simpson-Wentz, “7th Heaven”) arrives in L.A. with a secret connection to Sydney, joining an ensemble of attractive, 20-something tenants. The pilot episode revolves around a dead body floating in the courtyard pool, but you probably already guessed that.
On Wednesdays, “America’s Next Top Model” leads into a new fashion-fueled drama from producer Ashton Kutcher. “The Beautiful Life” sounds a lot like “Melrose Place, 10021” featuring a cut-throat group of young, beautiful and very sexy models living together in a models’ residence in New York City. The show features Sara Paxton (“Last House on the Left”), Mischa Barton (“The O.C.”) and supermodel Elle Macpherson.
Thursdays go all Adam Lambert-y (shout out to disappointed “Idol” fans — woo!) as the new “The Vampire Diaries” joins “Supernatural” for a gothic-tinged evening (lets call it the “Twilight” zone). “Diaries” follows two vampire brothers obsessed with the same girl as they battle to control a town’s fate.
“Smallville” dons its cape and flies up-up-and-away to Fridays, followed by a less-super encore of “America’s Next Top Model.”
“Parental Discretion Advised” is slated to appear mid-season. Billed as a heartwarming dramedy, the series explores the aftermath of a young girl’s discovery of her biological parents.
Check out the full schedule (with complete synopses) after the jump, courtesy of The CW.
THE CW’s 2009-2010 PRIMETIME SCHEDULE
MONDAY
8:00-9:00 PM GOSSIP GIRL
9:00-10:00 PM ONE TREE HILL
TUESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM 90210
9:00-10:00 PM MELROSE PLACE (New Series)
WEDNESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM AMERICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL
9:00-10:00 PM THE BEAUTIFUL LIFE (New Series)
THURSDAY
8:00-9:00 PM THE VAMPIRE DIARIES (New Series)
9:00-10:00 PM SUPERNATURAL
FRIDAY
8:00-9:00 PM SMALLVILLE (New night)
9:00-10:00 PM AMERICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL (Encore Presentation)
MONDAY
8:00-9:00 P.M. “GOSSIP GIRL” Returning for its third season, GOSSIP GIRL is a one-hour drama based on an exclusive group of privileged teens on Manhattan’s Upper East Side whose lives revolve around the blog of the all-knowing albeit ultra-secretive GOSSIP GIRL. No one knows GOSSIP GIRL’s identity, but everyone in this exclusive and complicated vicious circle relies on her website and text messages for the latest scoop. The series stars Blake Lively as Serena van der Woodsen, Leighton Meester as Blair Waldorf, Penn Badgley as Dan Humphrey, Chace Crawford as Nate Archibald, Taylor Momsen as Jenny Humphrey, Ed Westwick as Chuck Bass, Jessica Szohr as Vanessa Abrams, Kelly Rutherford as Lily van der Woodsen and Matthew Settle as Rufus Humphrey. Filmed in New York and based on the popular series of young-adult novels by Cecily von Ziegesar, GOSSIP GIRL is from Alloy Entertainment in association with Warner Bros. Television and CBS Television Studios with executive producers Josh Schwartz (“Chuck,” “The O.C.”), Stephanie Savage (“The O.C.”), Bob Levy (“Privileged”), Leslie Morgenstein (“Privileged”), John Stephens (“Gilmore Girls,” “The O.C.”), and co-executive producer Joshua Safran.
9:00-10:00 P.M. ONE TREE HILL In season seven of ONE TREE HILL our beloved characters learn the struggle to live an exceptional life doesn’t end once you’ve achieved your dreams. Whether they found true love, answered a call to greatness, or sought redemption for sins of the past, nothing that’s come before compares to the challenges our characters now face to keep their dreams alive, their friendships intact and their lives full in the place they call home. ONE TREE HILL was created by Mark Schwahn and is executive produced by Schwahn, Joe Davola, Greg Prange, Mike Tollin and Brian Robbins. ONE TREE HILL is a Mastermind Laboratories and Tollin/Robbins Production in association with Warner Bros. Television.
TUESDAY
8:00-9:00 P.M. 90210 The second season of 90210 focuses on the West Beverly group as they begin their all-important Junior year. They’ll go through all the ordinary teenage struggles and triumphs - crushes, sexual discovery, academic pressure, evolving friendships, shunning and isolation, love and relationships, family issues, SATs, STDs, a desire to fit in, a desire to stand out, fear and humiliation, joy and exultation - but they’ll do so in the extraordinary world of LA - a world of movie stars and overnight success, glamour and glitz, surfing and sunshine; a city where the American dream is writ large in the Hills and yet failure could come around any corner of the Boulevard of Broken Dreams. We’ll follow Naomi, the well-meaning, but delightfully narcissistic rich girl with a heart of cubic zirconium; Adrianna, the gifted, artistic drama queen whose personal life is as dramatic as any role she could hope to play; Silver, the outspoken free spirit who marches to the beat of her own drum machine; Annie, the good girl from Kansas who has gotten a bit lost in the land of Oz; Dixon, her charming, good-natured brother who adapts easily to any challenging situation and yet is still struggling to find his own voice; Navid, whose geeky charm makes all the Blaze girls swoon; and Liam, the troubled New York transplant who abhors the decadent materialistic world of Beverly Hills. These stories could only happen in LA…and only on “90210.” The series stars Rob Estes as Harry Wilson, Lori Loughlin as Debbie Wilson, Shenae Grimes as Annie Wilson, Tristan Wilds as Dixon Wilson, AnnaLynne McCord as Naomi Clark, Ryan Eggold as Ryan Matthews, Jessica Stroup as Silver, Michael Steger as Navid Shirazi, Jessica Lowndes as Adrianna Tate-Duncan and Matt Lanter as Liam Court. 90210 is produced by CBS Television Studios with executive producer Rebecca Sinclair.
9:00-10:00 P.M. MELROSE PLACE (New Series) In an elegant Spanish-style apartment building in the trendy Melrose neighborhood of Los Angeles, a diverse group of 20-somethings have formed a close-knit surrogate family. Sydney Andrews (Laura Leighton, the original MELROSE PLACE) is the landlady, still beautiful at 40, and a central figure in the lives of all her tenants, especially handsome and rebellious David Breck (Shaun Sipos, “Shark”). Sydney started an affair with David despite her turbulent history with his estranged father, Dr. Michael Mancini (Thomas Calabro, the original MELROSE PLACE). Both father and son learned through experience that Sydney was not above using blackmail to control people. Another tenant, high-powered publicist Ella Simms (Katie Cassidy, “SUPERNATURAL”), once considered Sydney her mentor, but their friendship was destroyed by betrayal, and Sydney threatened to evict Ella and ruin her career. Sydney also played a pivotal role in the career of Auggie Kirkpatrick (Colin Egglesfield, “All My Children”). After they met at an AA meeting, she became Auggie’s sponsor and encouraged his dream to become a chef. Now a successful sous chef at the trendy restaurant Coal, Auggie has been avoiding Sydney since she began drinking again. The other tenants include Lauren Yung (Stephanie Jacobsen, “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles”), a medical student in desperate need of money to pay her student loans, and Jonah Miller (Michael Rady, “Swingtown”), an aspiring filmmaker who has just proposed to his live-in girlfriend Riley Richmond (Jessica Lucas, “Cloverfield”), a first-grade teacher. The newest tenant, 18-year-old Violet Foster (Ashlee Simpson-Wentz, “7th Heaven”), has just arrived in LA with her own secret connection to Sydney. When a bloody body is found floating in the courtyard pool, David is the leading suspect. However, as the police are soon to discover, almost everyone living at MELROSE PLACE had a reason to want the deceased out of the way. An updated version of the popular 1990s series, MELROSE PLACE is from CBS Television Studios with executive producers Todd Slavkin & Darren Swimmer (“SMALLVILLE”). Oscar-winner Davis Guggenheim (“An Inconvenient Truth”) is the director and executive producer of the pilot.
WEDNESDAY
8:00-9:00 P.M. “AMERICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL” Returning with its thirteenth and fourteenth cycles, the runaway runway hit series stars Tyra Banks. The show gives real people an opportunity to prove that they can make it in the high-stress, high-stakes world of supermodeling. With mentoring by Tyra Banks and exposure to high-profile fashion-industry gurus, young women of various backgrounds, shapes and sizes must endure a highly accelerated modeling boot camp and face weekly tests to determine who will make the cut as they vie for a professional modeling contract. The executive producers are Ken Mok (“Making the Band”), Tyra Banks and Daniel Soiseth (“Hell’s Kitchen”). The reality series was created by Tyra Banks and developed by Mok and Kenya Barris. AMERICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL is produced by 10 by 10 Entertainment in association with Bankable Productions.
9:00-10:00 P.M. THE BEAUTIFUL LIFE (New Series) The life of a high-fashion model appears glamorous and sexy, but as every new model quickly learns, behind the beautiful façade is a world of insecurity and cutthroat competition. Two teenage models who are about to discover this world for themselves are Raina Collins (Sara Paxton, “Last House on the Left”), a stunning beauty with a secret past, and Chris Andrews (Benjamin Hollingsworth, “The Line”), a strikingly handsome Iowa farm boy. When Raina makes an unforgettable impression at a show introducing the new line from designer Zac Posen (appearing in a cameo role), she steals the spotlight from her friend Sonja (Mischa Barton, “The O.C.”). Sonja has been out of the country for mysterious reasons and is now desperate to reclaim her standing as the reigning supermodel. While Raina and Sonja live at the top of the fashion food chain, Chris is starting at the bottom, having just been discovered by agent Simon Lockridge (newcomer Dusan Dukic) of the Covet Modeling Agency, which is owned by former supermodel Claudia Foster (Elle Macpherson, “Friends”). At his first photo shoot, Chris’ inexperience almost derails his career until Raina comes to his rescue, showing him how to relax and work the camera. That afternoon, Raina brings Chris to the “models’ residence” where she lives along with other young hopefuls, including Marissa Delfina (Ashley Madekwe, “Secret Diary of a Call Girl”), Egan (Jordan Woolley, “As The World Turns”), Issac (Corbin Bleu, “High School Musical 2”) and the current alpha-male-model known as Kai (Nico Tortorella, “Twelve”). At an exclusive industry party that night, Chris is again impressed by Raina’s generosity when she steps aside to make sure Sonja lands a job that will resurrect her career. However, after an ugly scene with Simon, Chris is left to question whether he can survive in this world of dangerous excess and fleeting fame. THE BEAUTIFUL LIFE is from Katalyst Films in association with CBS Television Studios and Warner Bros. Television with executive producers Ashton Kutcher & Jason Goldberg (“True Beauty,” “Punk’d”), Karey Burke (“True Beauty”), Mike Kelley (“Swingtown,” “Jericho”) and Carol Barbee (“Swingtown,” “Jericho”). Christian Duguay (“Coco Chanel”) directed the pilot.
THURSDAY
8:00-9:00 P.M. THE VAMPIRE DIARIES (New Series) Four months after the tragic car accident that killed their parents, 17-year-old Elena Gilbert (Nina Dobrev, “DeGrassi: The Next Generation”) and her 15-year-old brother, Jeremy (Steven R. McQueen, “Everwood”) are still trying to cope with their grief and move on with their lives. Elena has always been the star student; beautiful, popular and involved with school and friends, but now she finds herself struggling to hide her sadness from the world. As the school year begins, Elena and her friends are fascinated by a handsome and mysterious new student, Stefan Salvatore (Paul Wesley, “Army Wives”). Stefan and Elena are immediately drawn to one another, and Elena has no way of knowing that Stefan is a centuries-old vampire, struggling to live peacefully among humans, while his brother Damon (Ian Somerhalder, “Lost”) is the embodiment of vampire violence and brutality. Now these two vampire brothers - one good, one evil - are at war for Elena’s soul and for the souls of her friends, family and all the residents of the small town of Mystic Falls, Virginia. Based on the series of books by L. J. Smith, THE VAMPIRE DIARIES is from Alloy Entertainment and Bonanza Productions Inc in association with Warner Bros. Television and CBS Television Studios with executive producers Kevin Williamson (“Dawson’s Creek,” “I Know What You Did Last Summer”), Julie Plec (“Kyle XY,” “Wasteland”), Leslie Morgenstein (GOSSIP GIRL, “Privileged”) and Bob Levy (GOSSIP GIRL, “Privileged”). Marcos Siega (“Dexter”) directed the pilot.
9:00-10:00 P.M “SUPERNATURAL” Returning for its fifth season, this haunting series follows Sam and Dean Winchester, two brothers bound by tragedy and blood to their dangerous, other-worldly mission. This past season, Dean was rescued from Hell by the angel Castiel, who told Dean he was meant to avert the impending Apocalypse, as well as Lucifer rising from Hell. As the brothers were caught up in the epic battle between angels and demons, Sam and Dean found their relationship was strained almost to the breaking point until ultimately, both brothers were betrayed. Now, in season five, they must battle the Devil himself. The series stars Jared Padalecki as Sam Winchester, Jensen Ackles as Dean Winchester and Misha Collins as Castiel). SUPERNATURAL is from Warner Bros. Television in association with Wonderland Sound and Vision, with executive producers McG (“Charlie’s Angels,” “The O.C.”), Eric Kripke (“Boogeyman”) and Robert Singer (“Midnight Caller”).
FRIDAY
8:00-9:00 P.M. “SMALLVILLE” Returning for its ninth season, last season SMALLVILLE was filled with twists and surprises, starting with the disappearance of Lex Luthor. However, someone quickly arrived to take his place - the enticing Tess Mercer. As Tess maneuvered her way through town, she flirted with her old flame Oliver Queen, discovered Clark’s true identity and unleashed a new world of danger. As if that hurdle wasn’t enough for Clark, he also met his greatest match - Doomsday. SMALLVILLE explored the origins of Doomsday, revealing a sympathetic guy named Davis Bloome, who battled an inner demon - the Doomsday character fans have loved to hate for years. When Clark wasn’t busy battling the beast, he was knee-deep in work at the Daily Planet. Last season threw Clark and Lois Lane together - literally across the desk from each other. As Clark’s persona as the cub Planet reporter emerged, so did his feelings for Lois, the fated love of his life. The series stars Tom Welling as Clark Kent, Allison Mack as Chloe Sullivan, Erica Durance as Lois Lane, Justin Hartley as Oliver Queen and Cassidy Freeman as Tess Mercer. Reinterpreting the Superman mythology from its roots, SMALLVILLE was developed for television by Alfred Gough & Miles Millar (“Shanghai Noon,” “The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor”), based on the DC Comics characters. Kelly Souders & Brian Peterson serve as executive producers, along with James Marshall, Mike Tollin, Brian Robbins and Joe Davola. The series is produced by Tollin/Robbins Productions and Warner Bros. Television. SUPERMAN was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster.
9:00-10:00 P.M. “AMERICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL” (Encore Presentation).
MIDSEASON
PARENTAL DISCRETION ADVISED (New Series) After spending all of her 15 years bouncing from one foster family to another in Portland, Oregon, Lux (Britt Robertson, “Swingtown”) has decided it’s time to take control of her life and become an emancipated minor. Her journey through the legal maze leads Lux to her biological father, 30-something Nate “Baze” Bazile (Kristoffer Polaha, “Mad Men”), who owns a bar, lives like an aging frat-boy with two slacker roommates, and is astonished to learn that he has a teenage daughter. Lux is equally astonished when Baze reveals that her mother is Cate Cassidy (Shiri Appleby, “E.R.”), a star on the local “Morning Madness” radio show, along with her on-air partner and real-life boyfriend, Ryan Thomas (Kerr Smith, “Eli Stone”). Lux has been listening to Cate’s voice on the radio as long as she can remember, so she feels an instant connection with the mom she’s never met. Baze takes Lux to meet Cate, who is shocked and saddened to learn that Lux has grown up in foster care, but thrilled to finally meet her beautiful daughter. When a judge decides that Lux isn’t ready for emancipation and unexpectedly grants temporary joint custody to Baze and Cate, they agree to try to get past the awkwardness and make a belated attempt to give Lux the family she deserves. PARENTAL DISCRETION ADVISED is produced by Mojo Films in association with CBS Television Studios and Warner Bros. Television with executive producers Liz Tigelaar (“Brothers and Sisters,” “What About Brian”) and Gary Fleder (“October Road”). Gary Fleder directed the pilot.
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Kris Allen wins ‘American Idol’
At the end of a star-studded finale, and after nearly 100 million votes were cast, 23-year-old Kris Allen was named “American Idol” Season 8 champion over rival Adam Lambert. The singer-songwriter from Conway, Arkansas — noted for accompanying himself on guitar or piano and twisting the arrangements of popular songs — bested his rival, 27-year-old actor and singer Lambert.
“Idol” makers seemed to be pushing for Lambert: two weeks ago, Simon Cowell all but told America to vote for him and, during Tuesday’s performance show, Lambert received the lion’s share of the judges’ praise. But America was not ready to crown such an unusual contestant who favored the outrageous and theatrical over Allen’s more mainstream style and homey charm.
The finale was much more elaborate than in recent years, featuring performances from the sublime to the ridiculous: The last female contestant to leave the show, Allison Iraheta, sang a beautiful duet of “Time After Time” with Cyndi Lauper, while Lambert glammed up the stage with KISS. Allen and Lambert (whose vocal stylings have been unwisely compared to Freddie Mercury’s) delivered a spirited rendition of “We Are The Champions” with the surviving members of Mercury’s band, Queen (perhaps Lambert has found his post-Idol gig).
Allen seemed genuinely surprised and gracious, telling host Ryan Seacrest, “I don’t even know what to say right now; I’m not even here,” and claiming that Lambert deserved to win. And in the end, American was forced to endure one final rendition of “No Boundaries,” the awful coronation power ballad co-written by new “Idol” judge Kara DioGuardi. Even seeing DioGuardi almost strip down to a bikini for charity mid-show did not excuse that.
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Troy Kimmel returning to Austin’s airwaves
Troy Kimmel is heading back to KEYE — albeit for a limited run.
Kimmel, who served as the CBS station’s chief meteorologist from 2000 to 2003, will spend the summer filling in on weekend newscasts while management attempts to find a replacement for Megan Campbell.
One of the city’s best-known weathercasters, Kimmel has also spent time working at KTBC and KVUE. Currently chief meteorologist for Clear Channel’s Austin radio stations and a senior lecturer at UT, he broke the news in a Facebook post Wednesday:
“Ok.. it’s official.. I’m headed back to KEYE TV (CBS) here in Austin to freelance and help out in the weather department with Susan Vessell. Just a summer commitment.. but should be fun!!”
Kimmel starts this weekend, and can be spotted on KEYE’s weekend newscasts, which air Saturday at 6 and 10 p.m. and Sunday at 5:30 and 10 p.m.
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CBS announces fall lineup: moves ‘The Mentalist,’ picks up ‘Medium’
Here’s the Associated Press report on the CBS fall slate:
NEW YORK (AP) — A couple of television crime-fighters are on the move: Patricia Arquette and “Medium” from NBC to CBS, and Simon Baker’s “The Mentalist” to CBS’ Thursday-night lineup.
CBS, the last of the top four broadcasters to reveal its fall schedule to advertisers this week, said it was canceling “Without a Trace,” “The Unit” and “Eleventh Hour.” New series with Jenna Elfman and Julianna Margulies are moving in.
The nation’s most popular network is a model of stability in a roiled broadcast industry. It’s the only network with more viewers this season than last, yet still lost money because of a depressed advertising market.
CBS moved quickly to grab “Medium.” As an aging show, production costs were going up. But since it is made by a production company owned by CBS Corp., the costs were more easily absorbed by CBS. It lands on CBS’ Friday schedule at 9 p.m., between “Ghost Whisperer” and “Numb3rs.”
Simon Baker’s “The Mentalist” was broadcast TV’s only real new hit this season, and CBS decided to move it from Tuesday nights to Thursday at 10 p.m.
Thursdays are important for networks as they seek income from advertisers like film studios looking ahead to the weekend. CBS also said it sees the chance to gain a competitive edge at 10 p.m. with NBC’s decision to air Jay Leno’s new comedy show at that hour each weeknight.
“No matter how well he does, there’s going to be more (audience) share available at 10 o’clock for people who put on great dramas,” said CBS Corp. chief executive Leslie Moonves, “and that’s what we do.”
CBS tinkered with its Monday-night comedy lineup, except for 9 p.m. stalwart “Two and a Half Men.” The network is moving “How I Met Your Mother” up a half hour to 8 p.m., and shifting “Big Bang Theory” to 9:30 p.m. in the hope of nurturing it as a hit.
Elfman’s new show, “Accidentally on Purpose,” debuts at 8:30 p.m. Based on a true story, it’s about a San Francisco film critic who gets pregnant after a one-night stand with a young slacker, then decides to keep both the baby and the dad.
Much like it did with its “CSI” franchise, CBS is now spinning off “NCIS,” which has surprised even network executives with its burst of popularity the past year or so. “NCIS: Los Angeles” features Chris O’Donnell and rapper LL Cool J as a former Navy SEAL, and will air directly after “NCIS” on Tuesday.
CBS says it has an opportunity on Tuesdays with ABC, NBC and Fox’s schedules that night dominated by reality shows like “Dancing With the Stars” and “The Biggest Loser.” “If you don’t want to watch reality, we are the only game in town,” said Kelly Kahl, CBS’ chief scheduling executive.
Margulies stars in “The Good Wife,” about a stay-at-home mom forced back into the workplace when her politically prominent husband is sent to prison after a sex scandal. It will air Tuesdays at 10 p.m.
CBS is bringing on one other new series in the fall. “Three Rivers,” to air Sundays at 9 p.m., is a medical drama about organ donation.
CBS also renewed the comedy “The New Adventures of Old Christine,” which ABC had been eager to pick up if CBS didn’t want to air it any longer.
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‘Idol’ speculation: Kris Allen takes it
Kris Allen and Adam Lambert squared off last night in what “American Idol” host Ryan Seacrest called the battle of “the guy next door vesus the guyliner.” Here’s my take:
Round one: Contestants’ choice
Adam reprised his popular rendition of Tears for Fears’ “Mad World,” but with a “Twilight” twist, wearing a floor-length black coat and prowling a stage covered in ethereal clouds of dry-ice smoke. He also imbued it with a more romantic, less desperate tone this time out. I guess he was going for votes from the teen girls and moms who drove that movie’s box office.
Kris slid onto a piano bench and reprised his version of Bill Withers’ “Ain’t No Sunshine,” a judge and fan favorite from earlier in the season. Sweet and soulful, Kris’ confidence was up, the vocals were solid and the performance seemed sweet and genuine.
Winner: Kris. Both contenders chose the right songs, very important at this point in the competition. The judges heaped praise on each, but Simon called this round correctly.
Round two: Producer’s choice
Simon Fuller chose “A Change Is Gonna Come,” a classic R&B tune — and a really interesting pick — for Adam. It seems like the whole “Idol” machine wants Adam to win, and it’s hard to imagine a better number to woo fans of Danny Gokey, whose votes will decide the winner. Adam cleans up nicely, does a stellar job with the vocals and appropriately tones down the facial tics.
Kris is assigned Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Goin’ On.” This time he brings out an acoustic guitar and strums along and croons with a few bongo players. It’s pleasant enough, but Kris’ fans are used to seeing him really change up the arrangements on these familiar tunes and his performance here is pretty basic. Also, he’s doing that thing again with the strained face that makes him look like the more stupid brother from “My Name Is Earl.”
Winner: Adam. Viewers got to see a different kind of performance from him — and a good one, so different from “Mad World” — while Kris, though good, gave us more of the same.
Round three: Huh?
Fans hoping for a better coronation song from “Idol” judge (and — as we kept hearing all season — professional songwriter!) Kara DioGuardi than previous years’ viewer-penned efforts had to be disappointed with that mess. “No Boundaries” is the aural poster child for the kind of pointless, inspirational power ballad so loved by the show’s runners, but loathed by its target audience. Honestly, who is ever going to run out and buy this song? The show needs to take a clue from its two finalists, neither of whom is suited to interpret this kind of sappy dreck (nor cram that many syllables into a measure way too short for them): the “Idol” dynamic is changing, and this coronation song business needs to keep up with the times.
Both contestants gave it a go, but neither could be expected to do anything special with that material. Perhaps Kris could have tipped the scales by accompanying himself again, maybe on the xylophone. Considering it was a toss-up, the judges’ gushing over Adam and damning of Kris with faint praise seemed especially transparent.
Winner: Anyone whose DVR stopped early.
While I think Adam is more talented and deserves to win, I still believe that the more marketable and familiar Kris will take most of the Danny Gokey votes, and the title.
What do you think?
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‘Heroes,’ ‘Chuck’ return to NBC this fall; ‘Friday Night Lights’ back in summer, 2010
Here’s the report on NBC’s fall schedule announcement from the Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) — NBC is giving the equivalent of broadcast timeshares to “Heroes,” “Chuck” and some of its six new series to keep airing original fare in a schedule where the chief constant is Jay Leno.
The network is building prime time and its hopes to escape fourth place around Leno and the boldest experiment in network television in some time. His comedy show will begin airing at 10 p.m. five nights a week in the fall.
With the workaholic Leno providing new material year-round, NBC felt the need to surround him with as few repeats as possible, said Ben Silverman, co-chairman of NBC Entertainment and Universal Movie Studios.
“We’ll have more original programming this year than ever before,” he said.
The oddball secret agent series “Chuck” was on the bubble until saved by an enthusiastic campaign by fans and a sponsorship deal with Subway. It will air 8 p.m. Mondays after NBC televises the Winter Olympics, while “Heroes” occupies that time slot in the fall.
Similarly, NBC will air the new series about paramedics in San Francisco, “Trauma,” at 9 p.m. Mondays next fall. The new science fiction “Day One” will replace it in the spring. The idea of limited-run series has seeped into broadcast TV from cable, with viewers showing little patience anymore for reruns.
NBC will start its new Chevy Chase series “Community” Thursdays after “The Office” in the fall, with the Emmy-winning “30 Rock” coming on the air about a month late due in part to movie commitments this summer by Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin. The network is opening Thursdays with a handful of “Weekend Update” specials from “Saturday Night Live,” followed by the Amy Poehler mockumentary “Parks and Recreation.”
“My Name is Earl” was shown the door, along with “Medium” and the game show “Deal or No Deal.”
The fall schedule will include the return of “Law & Order” for its 20th season, which will tie it with “Gunsmoke” as TV’s longest-running prime-time drama.
NBC had previously announced that sister show “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” will return in the fall, although contract negotiations with stars Mariska Hargitay and Christopher Meloni had yet to be resolved.
Another fall debut is “Parenthood,” produced by Ron Howard and based on the 1989 movie he directed. The family drama, starring Peter Krause, Maura Tierney and Craig T. Nelson, will air 8 p.m. Wednesdays, with new hospital drama “Mercy” set to claim the slot midseason.
“The Biggest Loser” will air for two hours on Tuesday nights. It will lose a half-hour in the spring for NBC to premiere the comedy “100 Questions.”
NBC executives said they were “bullish” on Leno’s chances at 10 p.m., pointing to surveys showing that many viewers were starved for laughs at an hour usually filled by serious dramas on network TV.
Yet NBC isn’t predicting how Leno will do in the ratings, and is lowering expectations. “This is a marathon, not a sprint,” said Marc Graboff, NBC Entertainment co-chairman.
Most series are getting traditional full-season orders of about 22 episodes, but not all. That includes “Chuck” and some other post-Olympic entries, and shows that do better creatively with shorter runs, such as “Heroes,” said Angela Bromstad, prime-time entertainment president for the network.
“The Marriage Ref,” a new reality show produced by Jerry Seinfeld, and “Celebrity Apprentice” will be paired on Sunday after the Olympics.
“Friday Night Lights” will remain on the air, but won’t return until summer 2010, NBC said.
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All singing, all dancing: “Glee” debut; “Dancing” finale
It’s good, old fashioned hoofin’ and hollerin’ on television tonight.
Over on FOX, check out the debut of “Glee,” a rare one-hour comedy series from Ryan Murphy, the creator of “Nip/Tuck” and “Popular.” Tonight’s pilot episode is engaging, especially the snarky first half. Applying equal amounts of “Malcolm in the Middle,” “High School Musical” and “School of Rock,” “Glee” follows an idealistic teacher in his efforts to recruit popular, talented members to McKinley High’s show choir (currently populated by misfits and social outcasts) and regain the group’s former glory. The school’s principal has given him just two months to turn the program around.
Stereotypes abound … students include a conflicted athlete/singer and an arrogant ingenue (see “HSM”), the nerdy kid in the wheelchair (see “Malcolm”), a stutterer and a sassy, full-figured diva (see “School of Rock”).
The teaching staff borrows its own familiar cast of sitcom characters, featuring the gruff football coach, stern cheerleading taskmaster, overly-sensitive counselor and no-nonsense principal. Nothing particularly new here (well, the former glee club director does have a new career selling his extra medical marijuana), but the writing is sharp and the musical numbers are well-executed, if cheesy.
“Glee” works best when it focuses on the funny and romantic … the staff members, especially, are full of surprising quirks, and a budding romance between married club director Will Schuester (Matthew Morrison) and fellow teacher Emma Pillsbury (Jayma Mays, with impossibly big, brown eyes) is, so far, not acted upon and sweet.
Less successful are the overly-earnest “we can do it” and “be who you want to be” scenes, as well as the sticky subplot involving Will’s unhappy marriage. It remains to be seen where “Glee” will go after tonight’s set-up, but I’m hopeful Murphy and crew can keep the maudlin to a minimum. Like the McKinley’s principal, I am willing to give it a couple of months.
Over on ABC, “Dancing With The Stars” stages its Season 8 finale. Actor Gilles Marini and partner Cheryl Burke seem to be the odds-on favorite to take home the Mirrorball trophy, but popular opinion says the three finalist duos are as closely matched as any in the show’s history.
“Glee,” FOX, 8 p.m. “Dancing With The Stars,” ABC, 7 p.m.
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ABC’s new season will feature Grammer, Cox
Here’s the report on ABC’s fall schedule announcement from the Associated Press
NEW YORK — ABC plans to launch a comedy night on Wednesdays this fall with familiar sitcom stars Kelsey Grammer, Courteney Cox, Patricia Heaton and Ed O’Neill in new series with roles suited to the times.
The network said it will have 11 new series next season. Under entertainment chief Stephen McPherson, ABC has been the most aggressive network in launching new series and will keep trying even though many new ones have failed in the past few months.
“We’ve got our work cut out for us, but innovative, different and compelling is going to be the key,” McPherson said Tuesday. ABC is the third most popular network behind CBS and Fox, and its viewership declined by 3 percent this season.
Sitcom mainstay Grammer leads “Hank,” playing a corporate titan who’s been laid off. Heaton, who co-starred with Grammer in a short-lived Fox comedy after her best-known role on “Everybody Loves Raymond” finished, plays the wife and mother of an Indiana family trying to survive tough times.
Former “Friends” star Cox is on the prowl in “Cougar Town,” playing a newly single woman learning the new rules of dating in a youth-obsessed culture.
Christina Applegate’s “Samantha Who?” is the highest-profile existing series to be canceled. For the second time in two incarnations, “Cupid” didn’t make it to a second season on ABC.
O’Neill, best known as the harried dad in Fox’s “Married… With Children,” takes on another TV family in “Modern Family.” In the style of “The Office,” this looks at a family from the perspective of an unseen documentarian.
Ubiquitous producer Mark Burnett will make his first series for ABC, “Shark Tank,” where budding entrepreneurs try to convince five millionaires to seed their business ideas.
The new dramas include “Eastwick,” an adaptation of the movie “The Witches of Eastwick”; “The Deep End,” which follows four young lawyers joining a cutthroat firm; “Flash Forward,” a sci-fi series where people black out and get a glimpse of their future; “The Forgotten,” a Jerry Bruckheimer procedural on trying to piece together the stories of missing persons; “Happy Town,” about a Minnesota town that was plagued by kidnappings; and “V,” a remake of a 1980s era miniseries about aliens confronting humans.
McPherson said NBC’s decision to run Jay Leno each weeknight at 9 p.m. gives his network and CBS an opportunity to make inroads with dramas.
“Scrubs” will return for a second season at ABC after departing NBC, although star Zach Braff’s full involvement is unclear. McPherson also said ABC would be very interested in picking up CBS’ “The New Adventures of Old Christine” if CBS doesn’t go forward with it.
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FOX fall schedule finds ‘Terminator’ terminated
Hasta la vista, baby. FOX has accomplished what Sarah and John Connor could not — eliminating a ‘Terminator,’ at least from network television.
The fate of the sci-fi series, which saw half of its viewers bail during the just-concluded second season, was the subject of intense “show-saving” Internet activity by its shrinking but passionate fan base, some expressing hope that the opportunity for cross-promotion with this summer’s big-screen “Terminator: Salvation” reboot would deliver salvation to the small-screen effort.
“Dollhouse,” another low-rated drama with a rabid fan base, will be back for a second season on Friday nights.
“Fringe,” the J.J. Abrams mind-bender with that shocking, alternate-universe season finale featuring a still-standing and fully-functional World Trade Center, gets a second season, moving to Thursdays and following “Bones” in an inspired pairing.
FOX plans to debut four new shows this fall, with an additional three to join mid-season:
“Glee” (premiering Tuesday after “American Idol” — watch for a preview in this space) is an hour-long comedy from the creator of “Nip/Tuck.” It focuses on an inept high school choir trying to regain its former glory. Look for lots of music and biting humor.
“Family Guy” spin-off “The Cleveland Show” follows Peter Griffin’s soft-spoken neighbor’s move to his Virginia hometown. Since the laconic Cleveland seems like the least-likely character to get his own show, this could be interesting.
“Brothers” is a half-hour sitcom starring “Fox NFL Sunday’s” Michael Strahan and Daryl “Chill” Mitchell. The series follows a post-career NFL phenom’s return home (yes, it sounds kind of like “The Cleveland Show;” no, he’s not also Peter Griffin’s neighbor).
Wanda Sykes’ new late-night vehicle (tentatively titled “The Wanda Sykes Show,”) sounds like a no-swear zone version of Bill Maher’s HBO gig: the star’s own comedic takes and panel discussions on current events.
Mid season dramas include: “Human Target” (based on a DC graphic novel) in which mysterious security contractor Christopher Chance immerses himself into imminently dangerous situations in order to save his clients; and “Past Life,” which pairs a believer and a skeptic in mystery-solving adventures based on the concept of reincarnation.
The FOX Network’s only new mid-season comedy is “Sons of Tucson,” a “Malcolm In The Middle”-esque series which finds three brothers recruiting a dad-for-hire con man to stand in for their real father, who has been sent to prison.
See FOX’s full primetime fall and mid-season schedules after the jump.
FOX PRIMETIME SCHEDULE: FALL 2009 (All Times Central)
MONDAY
7:00-8:00 PM HOUSE
8:00-9:00 PM LIE TO ME
TUESDAY
7:00-9:00 PM SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE Performance Show
WEDNESDAY
7:00-8:00 PM SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE Results Show
8:00-9:00 PM GLEE
THURSDAY
7:00-8:00 PM BONES
8:00-9:00 PM FRINGE
FRIDAY
7:00-7:30 PM BROTHERS
7:30-8:00 PM ‘TIL DEATH
8:00-9:00 PM DOLLHOUSE
SATURDAY
7:00-7:30 PM COPS
7:30-8:00 PM COPS
8:00-9:00 PM AMERICA’S MOST WANTED
10:00 PM-11:00 PM THE WANDA SYKES SHOW (working title)
11:00 PM-11:30 PM ANIMATION DOMINATION ENCORES
SUNDAY
6:00-7:00 PM THE OT (NFL post-game)
7:00-7:30 PM THE SIMPSONS
7:30-8:00 PM THE CLEVELAND SHOW
8:00-8:30 PM FAMILY GUY
8:30-9:00 PM AMERICAN DAD
FOX PRIMETIME SCHEDULE: MIDSEASON 2010 (All Times Central)
MONDAY
7:00-8:00 PM HOUSE
8:00-9:00 PM 24
TUESDAY
7:00-8:00 PM AMERICAN IDOL Performance Show
8:00-9:00 PM PAST LIFE
WEDNESDAY
7:00-8:00 PM AMERICAN IDOL Results Show
8:00-9:00 PM HUMAN TARGET (January) / GLEE (spring)
THURSDAY
7:00-8:00 PM BONES
8:00-9:00 PM FRINGE
FRIDAY
7:00-7:30 PM BROTHERS
7:30-8:00 PM ‘TIL DEATH
8:00-9:00 PM DOLLHOUSE
SATURDAY
7:00-7:30 PM COPS
7:30-8:00 PM COPS
8:00-9:00 PM AMERICA’S MOST WANTED
10:00 PM-11:00 PM THE WANDA SYKES SHOW (working title)
11:00 PM-11:30 PM ANIMATION DOMINATION ENCORES
SUNDAY
6:00-6:30 PM ANIMATION DOMINATION ENCORES
6:30-7:00 PM AMERICAN DAD
7:00-7:30 PM THE SIMPSONS
7:30-8:00 PM SONS OF TUCSON
8:00-8:30 PM FAMILY GUY
8:30-9:00 PM THE CLEVELAND SHOW
Source: FOX
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New digital channels replace KLRU2, KLRU-G
Get ready to say goodbye to KLRU2 and KLRU-G.
The two channels, available only to Time Warner Cable and Grande Communications customers, respectively, will disappear June 30 and be replaced in July by a new digital channel, 18.3, available to cable subscribers as well as over-the-air viewers.
The moves are unrelated to this week’s budget cuts and have been in the works for some time now, according to station manager Bill Stotesbery.
“We want to focus on a channel that’s available more broadly,” Stotesbery said. “We’re going to try some interesting and fun stuff.”
Viewers can expect much of the programming to be in blocks designed to encourage extended viewing. Several British comedies, for instance, could be aired over a few hours on a particular night each week.
Create, a station that airs cooking and how-to shows, will continue on digital channel 18.2.
KLRU’s main over-the-air signal, as well as channel 18.2, will sign off from 1 a.m. to 6 a.m. beginning Tuesday night, while KLRU2 and KLRU-G will continue to broadcast 24 hours until they cease operation. Channel 18.3 will also sign off in the early morning hours once it begins broadcasting.
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Short on contributions, KLRU cuts its staff
The nation’s continuing economic woes have hit Austin’s PBS station, forcing KLRU to lay off nearly a fifth of its staff, reduce the number of hours it broadcasts each day and proceed with other cuts to make up for a projected budget shortfall of almost $1 million this fiscal year.
A dozen people will be out of work by week’s end, according to station president Bill Stotesbery. The downsizing, which hits nearly every department, represents 18 percent of the broadcaster’s 65 current employees. Each affected worker will receive two weeks of severance pay, and health benefits will be paid through the end of June.
“These are folks who are playing very important roles at the station,” Stotesbery said. “These aren’t faceless decisions.”
Among those out of work are Domenique Bellavia and Sean Cunningham, producers of the locally produced, Emmy-winning “Docubloggers.” Production on the show, which features viewer-submitted documentaries, has been suspended because it lacks a corporate underwriter.
“We’re sad to see the show go, sadder to lose our jobs, but most importantly, sad to see this experiment in social media come to an end,” Bellavia and Cunningham wrote on their blog. “For all our fans and docubloggers, this is the Docu-Duo signing off.”
Also as part of the cutbacks, members of the station’s management team, including Stotesbery, will see their pay slashed by 5 percent to almost 20 percent. Positions currently open will remain unfilled for the foreseeable future, and most travel has been halted.
“In Context,” a program focusing on the local arts and design scenes, will go largely into reruns, with newly produced specials popping up occasionally. Other KLRU-affiliated shows, including “Central Texas Gardener” and “Texas Monthly Talks,” are unaffected, Stotesbery said, and plans for a new “Austin City Limits” studio at the site of the W Hotel and Residences in Downtown Austin are proceeding as planned.
The move that will be most evident to viewers is a reduction in the number of hours KLRU broadcasts each day. The station will go dark from 1 to 6 a.m. daily as a result of the staff cuts. A small savings on utility bills is also expected, Stotesbery said.
“We have a lot of pretty loyal overnight viewers,” Stotesbery said. “We’re going to work to see if there’s another way we can get information to the educators and others who watched or taped us during those hours.”
Estimated to take in $9 million this year, station executives now say they expect KLRU will have only about $8.1 million to spend in 2009. Even after slashing payroll and other costs, Stotesbery said there may still be a need to raise as much as an additional $400,000 by the end of September due to dips in membership and a reduction in contributions from foundations PBS traditionally depends upon and Corporate America.
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CW dropping Sunday programming
The CW network will abandon Sunday programming this fall to focus on its more successful weeknight lineup.
Once the change takes effect, local affiliates will determine what airs on Sunday evenings. Eric Lassberg, general manager of Austin’s KNVA, anticipates going with hour-long dramas or a movie from 4 to 7 p.m. In the 7 to 9 p.m. timeslot, Austin’s CW station is eyeing a movie package from distributor MGM that features titles such as “Legally Blonde,” many of them broadcast in high-definition.
Sundays have been a problem area since The CW launched in 2006. Countless shows have come and gone without making much of an impact. The network started the 2008-09 season by leasing the night to an independent production company, according to The Associated Press, but has since resorted to running movies and reruns of shows once aired by other broadcasters, including “The Drew Carey Show” and “Jericho.”
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Austinite on ‘Jeopardy’
Elyssa Browning, a 2006 graduate of Westlake High School, is one of 15 students selected to participate on “Jeopardy!” as part of the television game show’s 2009 College Championship series. Browning will represent St. John’s College in Annapolis, Md., where she is a junior.
The championship, which began Monday, runs through May 15. The first-round segment featuring Browning (who competes against students from Vassar and Emory) airs in Austin at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday (May 6) on KXAN. The semifinal and final rounds air next week.
Browning, whose passions include literature, history and foreign languages, won an individual gold medal in “Literary Criticism” in the 2006 UIL State Academic Meet with a record-setting score as a Westlake senior. In a video posted on the “Jeopardy!” website, Browning remarked that her dream category would be Texas History: “If every category was about Texas, that would be good.” In the response to the question: “Do you remember how old you were when you first started watching ‘Jeopardy!’?” Browning answered, “Probably in the womb.”
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‘Southland,’ featuring Austin’s Ben McKenzie, renewed for 2nd season
NBC, struggling desperately these days in the primetime ratings race, today announced its roster of new and returning shows for the 2009-10 season.
“Southland,” featuring Austin’s own Ben McKenzie, made the cut. Relatively new to the airwaves, the cop drama slid into the old “ER” timeslot last month. Thirteen new episodes have been ordered for next season, according to Zap2It.
Cult favorite “Heroes” and newish “Parks & Recreation,” with “SNL” alum Amy Poehler, will also be back. Several other shows, including “Law & Order” and “Chuck,” will have to wait a while longer to learn their fates.
Speaking of “SNL,” look for primetime editions of “Weekend Update” to pop up soon, most likely on Thursday nights. Hey, desperate times call for desperate measures …
NBC’s decision to strip an hour-long show helmed by Jay Leno each weeknight at 9 this fall shows just how desperate the network is these days. The move eliminates five hours of scripted programming each week, saving millions of dollars.
Six new primetime shows — four dramas and two sitcoms — have also received a green light. Here are descriptions of each, courtesy of The Associated Press:
“Parenthood,” starring Peter Krause (“Six Feet Under”), Maura Tierney (“ER”), Craig T. Nelson (“Coach”) and Bonnie Bedelia as family members dealing with the pressures of life. The show was shadowed by tragedy last week when NBC executive Nora O’Brien died after collapsing on the set in Northern California.
“Trauma,” about the heroics of San Francisco paramedics and deemed by Silverman the “adrenaline-rush” successor to NBC’s recently departed “ER.” The cast includes Derek Luke (“Notorious”), Aimee Garcia (“George Lopez”) and Jamey Sheridan (“Law & Order: Criminal Intent”). Peter Berg is the executive producer.
“Mercy,” a hospital drama that puts nurses at center stage. The ensemble cast includes Taylor Schilling (“Dark Matter”), Jamie Lee Kirchner (“Rescue Me”), James Tupper (“Men in Trees”) and Guillermo Diaz (“Weeds”).
“Day One,” a saga about neighbors who must rebuild their lives and society after a mysterious catastrophe decimates the world’s infrastructure. Adam Campbell (“Date Movie”), Catherine Dent (“The Shield”) and Julie Gonzalo (“Eli Stone”) star. The drama is planned as a “big event” to follow the Winter Olympics, Silverman said.
“100 Questions,” a comedy about a young woman (Sophie Winkleman, “Peep Show”), looking for love with the help of an online dating site and counselor (Amir Talai, “The Ex List”). It’s a traditional multicamera sitcom, a format that has dimmed in popularity in recent years, but which NBC believes in, Bromstad said.
“Community,” a sitcom about community college misfits that brings Chevy Chase of “Saturday Night Live” fame back to TV. The cast includes Joel McHale (“The Soup”), Gillian Jacobs (“The Book of Daniel”) and Yvette Nicole Brown (“Rules of Engagement”).
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