The show that won’t die just cast a big-name star. Megan Mullally (Will & Grace) is joining the FOX comedy Breaking In as a series regular. She will play the new boss at Contra Security, overseeing the missions played out by the ragtag team of break-in experts Cam, Cash, Josh, and Melanie. Where does season 1 Contra boss Oz (Christian Slater) factor into the shakeup at the top? That plot detail is still under wraps. The addition of Mullally is part of “significant creative changes” for the show heading into season 2, according to Deadline. The source reports that “the “mission of the week” concept where members of the Contra team go out of the office on a different assignment in every episode will be scaled back as Breaking In will segue into a more office-based comedy.” The show came so close to death (twice!), so a change in the way things will play out is expected. Creators Adam F. Goldnberg and Seth Gordon did a fine job introducing the characters during the series’ seven episode debut season; let’s hope the dynamic between all of them doesn’t change too much in round two. The entire cast is expected to return when Breaking In comes back to FOX this spring, even Odette Annable who is now a series regular over at the FOX medical drama House.

[Via Deadline]

Here’s a nice Halloween treat for us all: a teaser poster and trailer for the upcoming stop-motion animated feature ParaNorman. The movie is from Focus Features and LAIKA, the same partnership that produced 2009′s critically-acclaimed Coraline. ParaNorman is directed by Sam Fell and Chris Butler; Butler imagined and penned the original story. The voice cast includes Kodi Smit-McPhee, Casey Affleck, Anna Kendrick, John Goodman, Leslie Mann, Jeff Garlin, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Elaine Strich, Tempestt Bledsoe, Bernard Hill, and Alex Borstein. The trailer, embedded after the break, doesn’t reveal much of the plot as it includes zero dialogue, but this quick synopsis should suffice:

A misunderstood boy who can speak with the dead takes on ghosts, zombies and, worst of all, grown-ups, in order to save his town from a centuries-old curse. Norman Babcock is an outcast in his small New England town. When a horde of zombies is unleashed on the populace, Norman learns he must use his paranormal powers to make things right again. That’s not an easy task when you’re only eleven. And you’ve just been grounded. 

The movie poster and teaser trailer make ParaNorman out to be a strange, dark, and visually stunning piece of work worthy of much anticipation. It releases wide August 17, 2012 in 3D. (Click here for more…)

From Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment (the animation studio behind Despicable Me) comes a film adaptation of one of Dr. Seuss’ most popular children’s stories, The Lorax. Danny DeVito stars as the voice of the orange, furry Lorax and Zac Efron voices the protagonist Ted. Here’s a nice synopsis:

The 3D-CGI feature Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax is an adaptation of Dr. Seuss’ classic tale of a forest creature who shares the enduring power of hope. The animated adventure follows the journey of a boy as he searches for the one thing that will enable him to win the affection of the girl of his dreams. To find it he must discover the story of the Lorax, the grumpy yet charming creature who fights to protect his world. Danny DeVito will lend his vocal talents to the iconic title character of the Lorax, while Ed Helms will voice the enigmatic Once-ler. Also bringing their talents to the film are global superstars Zac Efron as Ted, the idealistic young boy who searches for the Lorax, and Taylor Swift as Ashley, the girl of Ted’s dreams. Rob Riggle will play financial king O’Hare, and beloved actress Betty White will portray Ted’s wise Grammy Norma.

Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax hits theatres in 3D on March 2, 2012.

Can you believe it? Another Lost actor is returning to the Island! According to EW, Tania Raymonde (aka Alex Rousseau) will guest star in an upcoming season 2 episode of Hawaii Five-0. She will play “Trisha, a married woman caught up in a love triangle between her husband and the volleyball coach she’s sleeping with.” Raymonde joins Five-0 regular Daniel Dae Kim and new recurring guest star Terry O’Quinn in the greatest attempt to reunite the case of Lost. Glad this natural beauty is finding work post-Lost; she’s currently starring in the new MTV series Death Valley.

In related casting news, Robert Englund–the man best known for portraying Freddy Kruger in the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise–will also guest star in a Five-0 episode. And can you guess which one? That’s right–the Halloween-themed one. EW got this scoop too and they say he will play “a homeless desert storm veteran who hangs around an ancient burial site and becomes a suspect in a murder investigation.”

Hawaii Five-0 returns this Monday, September 19 at 10PM on CBS.

[Via EW 1, 2]

Earlier this summer FX picked up a 13-episode order for its next original drama series. American Horror Story comes from Nip/Tuck creator Ryan Murphy and his Nip/Tuck and Glee collaborator Brad Falchuk. Deadline reports: “Described as a psychosexual thriller, [the show] centers on a therapist and his wife who, dealing with the aftermath of the husband’s adultery, move along with their kids into a new house that seems to know all about their fears and plays on them.” Now check out this all star cast extracted from a press release:

American Horror Story revolves around The Harmons, a family of three who move from Boston to Los Angeles as a means to reconcile past anguish. The All Star cast features Dylan McDermott (The Practice) as “Ben Harmon,” a psychiatrist; Connie Britton (Friday Night Lights) as “Vivien Harmon,” Ben’s wife; Taissa Farmiga as “Violet,” the Harmon’s teenage daughter; Jessica Lange (Tootsie, Blue Sky, Grey Gardens) in her first-ever regular series TV role as “Constance,” the Harmon’s neighbor; Evan Peters (One Tree Hill) as “Tate Langdon,” one of Ben’s patients; and Denis O’Hare (The Good Wife) as “Larry Harvey.” Guest stars for the series include Frances Conroy (Six Feet Under) and Alexandra Breckenridge (Dirt) as the Harmon’s housekeepers; and Jamie Brewer as Constance’s daughter.

AHS promises to be an extremely chilling TV series with intention to genuinely frighten audiences. Murphy describes it as a “feel-bad” show, as opposed to his “feel-good” show Glee. He and Falchuk were inspired by classic horror films Rosemary’s Baby and Don’t Look Now. Industry members who have seen the pilot were spooked and amazed by its originality.

Says FX president John Landgraf: “We’re thrilled to welcome Ryan and Brad back to their original home. They have shown an uncanny ability to bring original series to the air unlike any that have come before, and to reconcile ’wildly entertaining’ with the ’creatively ambitious.’ Once again, American Horror Story is a wholly unique and original take on its genre with richly drawn characters. The ability to put together a cast of stars such as Dylan McDermott, Connie Britton, Denis O’Hare, Frances Conroy and Oscar-winner Jessica Lange speaks to the quality of the writing and storytelling. This series is going to blow audiences back in their seats, and we can’t wait to have it on our air.”

Others who have seen the pilot say that it’s filled to the brim with character and plot development. One critic says, “The first episode has more stuff crammed into it than some shows have in their first season.” This may not be such a great thing because viewers typically don’t like to get suffocated by too much in the very beginning. At the TCAs, Murphy admitted that pilot “has like eight cliffhangers” but he went on to reassure potential viewers that he has “an obligation to the audience in the next two [episodes] to explain a lot of those things that are set up.”

Over the summer FX has been running a super creepy yet intriguing marketing campaign to amp anticipation for the series. Short commercials featuring AHS ”clues” can be screened at this YouTube channel. This week the cable network finally released a standard teaser clip featuring the main cast in the haunted (?) mansion. What’s up with Denis O’Hare vanishing up in flames and who’s that stalker-ish man (?) in the black latex suit grabbing at Connie Britton? This same question can be asked about the bizarre poster pasted above. The teaser video is after the break.

I will certainly give this show a try, and I think you should too. I trust Murphy and Falchuk’s creative vision and so I expect AHS will find its groove at some point during its first season run. The cast is stacked and the intrigue is there. Tune in to see what American Horror Story is all about when it premieres October 5 at 10PM on FX.

[Via FX; Deadline 1, 2] (Click here for more…)

After trekking to White Castle and busting out of Guantanamo Bay, Harold & Kumar are ready to take on the holiday season in A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas. And they’re going to do it in style: the third flick in the stoner franchise is 3D. Here’s the setup:

After years of growing apart, Harold Lee and Kumar Patel have replaced each other with new friends and are preparing for their respective Yuletide celebrations. But when a mysterious package mistakenly arrives at Kumar’s door on Christmas Eve, his attempt to redirect it to Harold’s house ends with the “high grade” contents — and Harold’s father-in-law’s prize Christmas tree — going up in smoke. With his in-laws out of the house for the day, Harold decides to cover his tracks, rather than come clean. Reluctantly embarking on another ill-advised journey with Kumar through New York City, their search for the perfect replacement tree takes them through party heaven — and almost blows Christmas Eve sky high.

David Krumholtz and Eddie Kaye Thomas reprise their roles as Goldstein and Rosenberg, and of course Neil Patrick Harris is back playing an outlandish version of himself. Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg, directors and writers of the first two movies, penned the script and Todd Strauss Schulson was brought on to direct.

The trailer hints at so much we can look forward to: Harold wields a shotgun and shoots Santa out of the sky; NPH makes it into heaven and greets Jesus with this line: “you’re one of those”; he also gets a musical number; the stoners take a trip in claymation form; the fact that the movie is in 3D is acknowledged head-on by MADtv alum Bobby Lee; and hot women. Plus there’s bound to be a smorgasbord of memorable cameos; according to IMDb you can expect Danny Trejo, Thomas Lennon, Patton Oswalt, and Elias Koteas to show up at some point. Maria (Paula Garcés), Harold’s love interest from White Castle, is also expected to make a return.

Thankfully you won’t have to wait much longer; A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas hits theatres November 4.

It’s time to make a Glee about-face. Shortly after Glee co-creator Ryan Murphy told The Hollywood Reporter that the show’s stars Lea Michele, Chris Colfer, and Cory Monteith would not be returning to the FOX musical comedy for season 4, fellow co-creator Brad Falchuk set things straight at Comic Con: “Here’s the exact thing: [Rachel, Kurt and Finn] are seniors, so they’re graduating, but because they’re graduating that doesn’t mean they’re leaving the show. If you have Lea Michele under contract, you don’t say, ‘We’re gonna let you go.’” He added, “It was never our plan or our intention to let them go. They are not done with the show after this season.”

So the three of them will be back for season 4! Now why did Murphy say that they wouldn’t come back? What’s up with the co-creator contradiction? In a post-Comic Con interview with Deadline, Murphy revealed that he was indeed investigating a spin-off starring the three actors. He was hoping that the Glee trio would graduate from McKinley High and move to New York City (an idea planted in the season 2 finale) to explore their career in the arts. In fact, Murphy went so far as calling the Juliard School to make it a backdrop for the new show. However, things started to fall apart when one or more of the actors became resistant about moving to a different city to shoot the show. And as of now, spinoff plans have halted. In Murphy’s own words:

We’re not talking about it, we’re not pitching it. We’re not doing anything for the next several months except for this third season. I would prefer and I know Brad would prefer and I think the actors will prefer to roll up our sleeves and do a really good season and if there is a spin-off, talk about it in April. Could we do a spin-off? To be quite honest with you, maybe. Some of the actors that we discussed doing spin-offs do not want to do a spin-off. It’s hard to do a spin-off on a show where an actor says no. And if there’s no spin-off, then we’ll announce that there’s not. But as of now, I can tell you I’m not working on it.

It all break down like this: Rachel, Kurt, and Finn are graduating at the end of season 3. They will be back for season 4 (and potentially seasons 5, 6, and 7 since they all signed seven-year contracts). What role they will play in that season is still to be determined. And a spin-off series might happen sometime after season 3. Gleeks, you can relax now.

While we’re at it, let’s put a neat little bow on the Chord Overstreet story. Falchuk spilled that Overstreet (who played Sam Evans) was offered a deal to return for ten episodes next season with the possibility of becoming a series regular in the same way Harry Shum Jr. (Mike Chang) and Darren Criss (Blaine) worked their way from guest star to regular status. In the end Overstreeet declined the offer. “We wanted him back because we like Chord personally and had some good stories planned for him and with Mercedes,” revealed Falchuk. “He decided he would have opportunities elsewhere that he would like to pursue, and we can’t force him to work, so we wished him well.” It has been confirmed that Overstreet will not return for any episodes next season. So long, Trouty Mouth.

[Via EW; TVLine; Deadline]

Still can’t get over the fact that FOX decided to cancel the rising midseason comedy Breaking In? Though there’s still an eensy bit of hope that the network might resurrect the Christian Slater/Brett Harrison sitcom from the grave, we can all sleep well at night now that we know Breaking In breakout female star Odette Annable is returning to the small screen to assist Dr. House and his team of diagnosticians this fall. That’s right–Annable is bringing her charm to the FOX medical drama where she will serve as a series regular. As Deadline so astutely points out, this marks the first regular addition to the cast since the promotion of Olivia Wilde, Peter Jacobson, and Kal Penn in season four. According to various sources, House will meet Annable’s character in the season seven premiere and she’ll be requested to join him at Princeton-Plainsboro. With Lisa Edelstein’s Dr. Cuddy and Amber Tamblyn’s Martha Masters out of the show (and Olivia Wilde’s Thirteen in and out due to blossoming movie deals), Annable (as of right now) will be the only full-time female cast member next season. This may change soon once the team behind House casts Cuddy’s replacement. And for all you Breaking In fans hoping for a comeback, fear not; Deadline reports, “There is time carved into Annable’s deal for House that would allow her to also do Breaking In should Fox opt to pick up the series for a second season.” Booyah!

[Via Deadline]

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Glee co-creator Ryan Murphy confirmed that show regulars Lea Michele, Chris Colfer, Cory Monteith will not be returning to the FOX musical comedy for season 4. Rachel Berry, Kurt Hummel, and Finn Hudson are seniors and will be graduating from McKinley High at the end of the upcoming season. Murphy explains, “You can keep them on the show for six years and people will criticize you for not being realistic, or you can be really true to life and say when they started the show they were very clearly sophomores and they should graduate at the end of their senior year.” He’s taking the latter route, and although I commend the creative team for keeping things realistic in terms of who stays and goes, it will be with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to these cast members so early in the show’s lifespan. And to make matters tougher for Gleeks, Murphy hints that “more characters are leaving than are staying” by the time graduation rolls around. He added, “We’ve never done anything by the book. We made that decision and I involved Chris [Colfer] and Lea [Michele] and they thought that was a good idea. They both trust the writing and trust me and felt that it would be great to have an open and closed experience for them to go out while they were on top.”

When TVLine mentioned the news to Colfer he said, “It’s definitely not my choice. But I completely understand that it works for the integrity of the show. One of the things that I love about Glee is, despite characters breaking into song in the middle of the hallway, it was very real to me. It always seemed like a very real high school environment. And I think by having some characters graduate, they’ll continue having that element.” Michele took to Twitter and reacted like this: “We always knew we’d graduate in real time. It’s all part of the plan and it’s all good! It’s going to make Season 3 amazing!!!”

Sidenote here: Ever since the season 2 finale where the gang travels to New York City to compete for Nationals, people have been hoping that Murphy imagines a spinoff series starring Rachel and Kurt. The creative team certainly planted the seeds for a possible spinoff. In “New York,” the two of them visit the Broadway set of Wicked and discuss their futures. Rachel says that after they graduate from high school she wants to go to college in New York; she says, “This is where I belong.” Kurt replies, “I’m so coming, too.” In June Murphy tackled the idea head-on with TVLine; “It’s an interesting idea,” he said. “The questions are ‘How would we do it? And when would we do it?’ It would have to be something I would talk about to Peter Rice and Kevin Reilly and Dana Walden and Gary Newman. What we’re trying to do now — maybe those discussions will happen around December — we’re just now trying to do the first 10 episodes.” Something to keep on your radar.

Forcing out fan favorites is an interesting choice to be made. Michele and Moneith are certainly considered the show’s female and male leads, and Colfer has been nominated for his efforts two years in a row. Once they’re gone, Murphy and company will have to find more members to join New Directions; casting is bound to start soon, and I’m sure the writing staff is already cooking up ways to introduce new characters throughout the upcoming season (one of which will come from Oxygen’s Glee Project).

Glee returns Tuesday, September 20 on FOX. The season three premiere will reveal all the departing graduates and confirm who’s safe for season four.

[Via THR]

Scorsese’s fully embracing 3D with his upcoming flick Hugo. The family-friendly adventure film stars Asa Butterfield (The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas), the phenomenal Chloë Moretz (Kick-Ass, Let Me In), Ben Kingsley, Jude Law, and Sacha Baron Cohen. ComingSoon.net provides a synopsis:

Hugo tells the story of an orphan boy living a secret life in the walls of a Paris train station. With the help of an eccentric girl, he searches for the answer to a mystery linking the father he recently lost, the ill-tempered toy shop owner living below him and a heart shaped lock, seemingly without a key. Based on Brian Selznick’s award winning and imaginative New York Times bestseller, “The Invention of Hugo Cabret,” this magical tale is Academy Award-winner Martin Scorsese’s first film shot in 3D.

Dig the trailer above. Hugo hits theatres November 23, 2011.

Following the events of the pivotal Hawaii Five-0 season finale, the show has had a gaping hole to fill. Spoiler alert! Antagonist Wo Fat skillfully framed Steve McGarrett for the murder of the Aloha state’s governor played by Jean Smart. Next season, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles alum Richard T. Jones (he played Agent Ellison) will replace Smart as governor in a recurring role. According to TV Guide’s source, the “new governor will be more conservative than [Smart's] Jameson and keep a tighter leash on McGarrett and his team.” Also, “[he'll be] cleaning up a lot of the mess left by the previous administration.” Jones contributed remarkably to the short-lived Terminator series, and I’m excited to see what he’ll bring to the table on H50.

Jones joins Terry O’Quinn and Tom Sizemore as new cast members on the show. Sizemore (Crash) will play a former Detroit Homicide Detective turned head of Hawaii police department’s Internal Affairs unit for a multi-episode arc, according to EW. His task will be to investigate the Five-0 team following last season’s mishaps including the governor’s murder and the stolen police money.

[Via TVLine 1, 2; TVGuide; EW; IGN]

Tom Cruise returns as Ethan Hunt in the fourth installment of the Mission: Impossible franchise. Ghost Protocol is directed by Brad Bird (The Incredibles). Ving Rhames and Simon Pegg reprise as Luther Stickell and Benji Dunn, respectively, and Jeremy Renner, Josh Holloway (Lost‘s Sawyer), Anil Kapoor, Paula Patton, Vladimir Mashkov, Michael Nyqvist, and Lea Seydoux join the cast. M:I 4 is a Bad Robot Production; J.J. Abrams produced the film (with Cruise and Paula Wagner) and co-wrote it with André Nemec and Josh Appelbaum (these guys previously worked with Abrams on Alias).

Here’s a synopsis that’s making rounds across the ‘Net: This is not just another mission. The IMF is shut down when it’s implicated in a global terrorist bombing plot. Ghost Protocol is initiated and Ethan Hunt and his rogue new team must go undercover to clear their organization’s name. No help, no contact, off the grid. You have never seen a mission grittier and more intense than this.

The trailer, in a word, is awesomesauce. It’s action-packed, thrilling, and sexy–a great mix if you ask me. And how insane is that final sequence we’re left with? Cruise actually scaled Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, to get the shot. Plus the theme song, it never gets old.

Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol hits standard and IMAX theatres on December 16, 2011.

Oh, isn’t it beautiful? Take some time to scan the official movie poster for Pixar’s Brave above.

Pixar’s thirteenth animated film Brave is going to shake things up on more than one level. Firstly, go girls: Brenda Chapman is helming the film alongside Mark Andrews; she is the Pixar’s first female director. In addition, the movie stars Princess Merida (voiced by Kelly Macdonald), the first female protagonist in a Pixar film. Second, Brave plans to go where no Pixar film has ventured before. ”What we want to get across [with the teaser] is that this story has some darker elements,” co-director Mark Andrews spills to EW. “Not to frighten off our Pixar fans — we’ll still have all the comedy and the great characters. But we get a little bit more intense here.”

The animation is spectacular, and the first official poster really does an impressive job getting that idea across. The detail is incredible. See those stones looming behind the letters? “[They] are actually a pretty important set in the film,” producer Katherine Sarafian tells EW. “We can’t say what happens there, but they were inspired by an actual location in Scotland that we visited multiple times during our research. It was a very powerful setting for the kind of things we want to have happen in the story.”

Here’s a brief synopsis of the story: Brave is set in the mystical Scottish Highlands, where Merida is the princess of a kingdom ruled by King Fergus (Billy Connolly) and Queen Elinor (Emma Thompson). An unruly daughter and an accomplished archer, Merida one day defies a sacred custom of the land and inadvertently brings turmoil to the kingdom. In an attempt to set things right, Merida seeks out an eccentric old Wise Woman (Julie Walters) and is granted an ill-fated wish. Also figuring into Merida’s quest — and serving as comic relief — are the kingdom’s three lords: the enormous Lord MacGuffin (Kevin McKidd), the surly Lord Macintosh (Craig Ferguson), and the disagreeable Lord Dingwall (Robbie Coltrane).

Brave is slated to release in 3D on June 22, 2012. After a look at this grand poster, anticipation is high. A teaser trailer is expected to play before Cars 2 (which hits theatres tomorrow, June 24). Once it hits the ‘Net I’ll make sure to embed it after the break.

Update: The teaser trailer has arrived. And it’s just as gorgeous and thrilling as you probably expected it to be. Watch it after the break.

[Via EW-InsideMovies] (Click here for more…)

Reboot time! The 1984 classic Footloose is making a comeback with a brand new cast. Newcomer Kenny Wormald is ready to step into the big shoes once filled by a young Kevin Bacon to star as the rebellious Ren MacCormack. Country singer Julianne Hough plays the minister’s daughter Ariel, Dennis Quaid is her father, and Miles Teller is Ren’s friend Willard. Need a recap on the story? Here it is:

Ren MacCormack is transplanted from Boston to the small southern town of Bomont where he experiences a heavy dose of culture shock. A few years prior, the community was rocked by a tragic accident that killed five teenagers after a night out and Bomont’s local councilmen and the beloved Reverend Shaw Moore responded by implementing ordinances that prohibit loud music and dancing. Not one to bow to the status quo, Ren challenges the ban, revitalizing the town and falling in love with the minister’s troubled daughter Ariel in the process.

Footloose is a timeless classic. Is a remake necessary? Probably not. But the music and dancing entwined in this love story is so fantastic that I wouldn’t mind watching it all over again in a slightly altered modern form. Dig the trailer above and get ready to snap in the aisles when Footloose circa 2011 hits theatres this October.

It’s a Lost reunion in Hawaii! The incredibly talented Terry O’Quinn (John Locke) decided it is time to go baaaack to the Island and join his fellow castaway Daniel Dae Kim (Jin Kwon, now Chin Ho Kelly) in what TVLine describes is a “pivotal recurring role” on Hawaii Five-0. Furthermore the source says, “O’Quinn will play a Navy Seal Lt. Commander who trained Alex O’Loughlin’s McGarrett in Coronado, and served with his father in Vietnam. Described as strong, stubborn and a man you want in your corner when things go south, the character holds some of the answers to the mysteries surrounding the respective murders of McGarrett’s mother and father.” O’Quinn was ready to star in Marc Cherry’s ABC pilot Hallelujah but it was not picked up. Also, at one point he was supposed to star alongside Lost alum Michael Emerson in the tentatively titled Odd Jobs but that idea is shelved for the time being. Fortunately for us it all worked out in the end–O’Quinn returns to TV this fall! (And so does Emerson in the CBS procedural Person of Interest).

In related Five-0 casting news, Masi Oka (Heroes) who plays the quirky coroner has been promoted to series regular status. So you can expect to see much more of him next season. All good news.

[Via TVLine 1, 2]

Ready for some brand-spankin’ new TV!? Every year the big networks hold their own press events to preview their new programming to advertisers and audiences. The Upfronts is a time when the networks release TV program information to the public like the creators, producers, and stars behind their new fall and mid-season shows. Jump after the break to browse the Eye’s upcoming TV lineup; there you’ll find trailers, synopses, and the complete fall schedule. But first start here and get acquainted with the fresh programming.

CBS’s 2011-12 schedule includes 6 new series. New comedies include 2 Broke Girls and How To Be a Gentleman. New dramas include Unforgettable, Person of Interest, A Gifted Man, and The 2-2.

When and where can you find these programs in the schedule? I’ll tell you! Monday night is brimming with half-hour comedies; How I Met Your Mother, newbie 2 Broke Girls, Two and a Half Men (with Ashton Kutcher taking over for Charlie Sheen), and Mike & Molly will run between 8PM and 10PM. The final hour of the night is home to the fantastic Hawaii Five-O remake. NCIS and the spinoff NCIS: Los Angeles will lead into the new drama Unforgettable on Tuesdays. Reality show Survivor: Pacific Island kicks off Wednesday nights, followed by Criminal Minds (its spinoff Suspect Behavior has been canned) and CSI. This is the first time the original CSI has been moved from its Thursday 9PM slot in ten years. So what will CBS place in that coveted timeslot? The new drama from J.J. Abrams and Jonah Nolan, that’s what! Person of Interest, starring Jim Caviezel and Michael Emerson (Lost), will occupy the Thursday 9PM position, wedged between comedies The Big Bang Theory, How To Be A Gentleman, and drama The Mentalist. Friday night opens with new drama A Gifted Man, followed by CSI: NY and Blue Bloods. CBS is experimenting by placing network vet Rules of Engagement at 8PM on Saturdays, and this scripted comedy will be followed by other Saturday programming including 48 Hours Mystery. Notably, The Good Wife has moved to Sundays at 9PM, and it will be preceded by 60 Minutes and The Amazing Race; CSI: Miami closes out the night at 10PM.

A couple of CBS shows are being held for mid-season premieres. The third season of the reality series Undercover Boss as well as freshman drama The 2-2 from executive producer Robert De Niro will air later next year.

And if you’re keeping track, the following CBS shows have been cancelled and will not be returning next season: $#*! My Dad Says, Mad Love, Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior, and The Defenders.

(Click here for more…)

Ready for some brand-spankin’ new TV!? Every year the big networks hold their own press events to preview their new programming to advertisers and audiences. The Upfronts is a time when the networks release TV program information to the public like the creators, producers, and stars behind their new fall and mid-season shows. Jump after the break to browse the alphabet network’s upcoming TV lineup; there you’ll find trailers, synopses, and the complete fall schedule. But first start here and get acquainted with the fresh programming.

ABC’s 2011-12 schedule includes 13 new series. New comedies include Last Man Standing, Man Up, Suburgatory, Apartment 23, and Work It. New dramas include Revenge, Charlie’s Angels, Once Upon a Time, Pan Am, Good Christian Belles, Missing, The River, and Scandal.

When and where can you find these programs in the schedule? I’ll tell you! Nothing new on Mondays; there you’ll hit Dancing with the Stars (two hour performance show) and Castle. Tuesday packs two new comedies, more reality TV, and a returning drama; Tim Allen makes his return to primetime in Last Man Standing at 8PM, followed by Man Up, Dancing with the Stars (one hour results show), and Body of Proof. Wednesday night is still comedy night for ABC; new comedy Suburgatory is sandwiched between The Middle and Modern Family at the 8:30PM slot and the buzzy newcomer Happy Endings will return for a second season in the comfy post-Modern Family slot. New drama Revenge closes out the night at 10PM. Thursday is still home to Grey’s Anatomy and spin-off Private Practice, but now the night is anchored by the Charlie’s Angels remake. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition has moved to Friday at 8PM to join Shark Tank and 20/20. Saturday has Saturday Night College Football. And Sunday is stuffed with three scripted dramas; new dramas Once Upon a Time and Pan Am surround ABC vet Desperate Housewives. America’s Funniest Home Videos will air that night in the early 7:30PM slot.

A number of ABC shows are being held for mid-season premieres. Cougar Town will return for a third season in the spring, as will The Bachelor, Secret Millionaire, What Would You Do?, and Wipeout; and the following new series will enter the fray around this time as well: comedies Apartment 23, Work It and dramas Good Christian Belles, Missing, The River, and Scandal.

And if you’re keeping track, the following ABC shows have been cancelled and will not be returning next season: No Ordinary Family, V, Brothers & Sisters, Detroit 1-8-7, Off the Map, The Whole Truth, Mr. Sunshine, Better With You, and My Generation.

*In case you’re wondering, ABC opted not to bring to series the Terry O’Quinn (Lost) starrer Hallelujah from Marc Cherry (Desperate Housewives).

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Ready for some brand-spankin’ new TV!? Every year the big networks hold their own press events to preview their new programming to advertisers and audiences. The Upfronts is a time when the networks release TV program information to the public like the creators, producers, and stars behind their new fall and mid-season shows. Jump after the break to browse FOX’s upcoming TV lineup; there you’ll find trailers, synopses, and the complete fall schedule. But first start here and get acquainted with the fresh programming.

FOX’s 2011-12 schedule includes 12 new series. New comedies include New Girl, I Hate My New Daughter, Allen Gregory, and Napoleon Dynamite (the latter two are animated cartoons). New dramas include Terra Nova, Alcatraz, and The Finder. The X-Factor is the sole reality show addition for next season.

When and where can you find these programs in the schedule? I’ll tell you! Monday night packs two dramas; FOX staple House (which will be entering its eighth and likely final season, without Lisa Edelstein, see below) is being pushed to the 9PM slot to cushion Steven Spielberg’s highly buzzed about dino-epic Terra Nova. Tuesday night remains comedy night with the Zooey Deschanel-starrer New Girl cushioned between Glee and Raising Hope at the 9PM slot. Simon Cowell’s next big competition reality series The X Factor will air its one-and-a-half-hour performance show Wednesday nights and the one-hour results show the following night. I Hate My Teenage Daughter, a half-hour comedy starring Jaime Pressly, airs after the performance show on Wednesdays; FOX veteran Bones airs after the results show on Thursdays. Friday nights will be familiar to all: Gordon Ramsey’s Kitchen Nightmares and the best sci-fi show on TV Fringe will occupy the 8PM and 9PM slots respectively. Saturdays are home to back-to-back episodes of Cops, followed by America’s Most Wanted. FOX has all but cancelled their longest running series; AMW is being limited to four quarterly two-hour specials. And lastly Sunday night is Animation Domination, per usual. Following the NFL-post game The OT, the following animated ‘toons will air between 7:30PM and 10PM: The Cleveland Show, The Simpsons, Allen Gregory (new), Family Guy, and American Dad.

A number of FOX shows are being held for mid-season premieres. American Idol returns January 22 and will take over The X Factor‘s positions on Wednesday and Thursday nights. House will be bumped back to the 8PM slot to make way for the new mysterious series from J.J. Abrams called Alcatraz on Monday. Following the Idol results show on Thursday will be the Bones spinoff The Finder. And the spring Animation Domination Sunday looks like this: ‘toon encores will air in the early 7:30PM slot, Napoleon Dynamite get sandwiched between The Cleveland Show, The Simpsons, and Family Guy, and Bob’s Burgers will occupy American Dad‘s 9:30PM slot. When Glee goes on a short hiatus between March and April, FOX plans to expand the Tuesday night comedy block with single-camera comedy Family Album (starring Glee‘s Mike O’Malley) and Little in Common (starring Rob Corddry and Kevin Hart); one or both may make the cut. Lastly, Tim Kring’s Touch starring Kiefer Sutherland is also being saved for a mid-season launch.

And if you’re keeping track, FOX went mad and cancelled the following shows; these will not be returning next season: Human Target, Lie To Me, The Chicago Code, Breaking In, Traffic Light, Running Wilde, and The Good Guys.

*Dr. Cuddy is checking out of House early. This unfortunate news comes after many of the other stars re-upped their contracts for the upcoming season. Lisa Edelstein’s original contract expires at the end of this current season, and she decided to not follow her castmates into what’s likely to be the show’s final season. The show is undergoing some budgetary cuts, and so her decision not to come back is likely due to a pay cut. Bummer. This is what Edelstein had to say on the matter: “After much consideration, I am moving onward with a combination of disappointment at leaving behind a character I have loved playing for seven years and excitement of the new opportunities in acting and producing that lie ahead.”

*FOX has decided not to pick up the anticipated spooky sci-fi series Locke and Key from Josh Friedman, Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman, and some guy named Steven Spielberg. The show, based on the Joe Hill comic book of the same name, is currently being shopped around network and cable station. Sources say studio 20th Century Fox TV is pitching it to The CW and Syfy, so let’s hope the adaptation can find a home elsewhere before it turns to dust.

*The network has locked a deal with Warner Bros. to bring back The Flintstones to broadcast TV! Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane has been tapped to helm the venture. And for him this is a life-long dream come true. In fact, MacFarlane claims that Fred Flintstone was the first cartoon character he ever drew at age 2. The Flintstones will return to animated form in 2013 with production beginning this fall. MacFarlane commented on the exciting news: “So it’s appropriate that events have come full circle, allowing me to produce the newest incarnation of this great franchise. Plus, I think America is finally ready for an animated sitcom about a fat stupid guy with a wife who’s too good for him.” He added that while the characters will remain the same, new technology will enter the land. He questioned, “What is the animal version of an iPad?” FOX president Kevin Reilly said, “The Flintstones are among the funniest and most beloved characters in television history, and we can’t wait to introduce them to a whole new generation on Fox. FOX has long been home to iconic families like the Simpsons and the Griffins, so I have no doubt that the Flintstones and the Rubbles are going to fit right in on our air.”

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Ready for some brand-spankin’ new TV!? Every year the big networks hold their own press events to preview their new programming to advertisers and audiences. The Upfronts is a time when the networks release TV program information to the public like the creators, producers, and stars behind their new fall and mid-season shows. Jump after the break to browse the Peacock’s upcoming TV lineup; there you’ll find trailers, synopses, and the complete fall schedule. But first start here and get acquainted with the fresh programming.

NBC’s 2011-12 schedule includes 12 new series. New comedies include All Night, Free Agents, Whitney, Are You There, Vodka? It’s Me, Chelsea, Bent and BFF. New dramas include The Playboy Club, Prime Suspect, Grimm, The Firm, Smash, and Awake.

When and where can you find these programs in the schedule? I’ll tell you! On Monday and Tuesday, NBC is pairing new and returning dramas (respectively) with returning reality shows. On Monday The Sing-Off airs from 8-10PM and is followed by The Playboy Club. On Tuesday, The Biggest Loser airs from 8-10PM and is followed by Parenthood. Wednesday serves as a hybrid comedy/drama block for the network. New half-hour comedies Up All Night and Free Agents are followed by returning series Harry’s Law and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Thursday is packed with four half-hour comedies–Community, Parks and Recreation, The Office, and freshman Whitney and closes the night with the new drama Prime Suspect. The confirmed final season of Chuck (which will consist of 13 episodes) moves to Friday and is followed by new genre drama Grimm and Dateline NBC. Saturday is home to encore programming, and Sunday has NFL-related programs Football Night in America and NBC Sunday Night Football.

A number of NBC shows are being held for mid-season premieres. 30 Rock will return to Thursday at an unspecified time-slot; the post-football Sunday lineup will consist of Dateline NBC, The Celebrity Apprentice (Trump announced he is not running for president so he will return as the boss), and new drama The Firm; on Mondays The Sing-Off and The Playboy Club will make way for the second season of The Voice (in a two-hour format) and new musical drama Smash; and the following new series will enter the fray around this time as well: comedies Are You There, Vodka? It’s Me, Chelsea, BFF, Bent, and drama Awake.

And if you’re keeping track, the following NBC shows have been cancelled and will not be returning next season: The Cape, The Event, Chase, Law & Order: Los Angeles, Outsourced, and Perfect Couples.

*As specified above The Event will not be returning to NBC next season, however it may not be 100% dead yet. Executive producer Steve Stark is apparently not giving up on the show so fast. According to various sources he is shopping the underwhelming sci-fi drama to various cable and digital entities including Netflix. Universal Media Studio is providing “full support” for a potential move. Says Stark, “NBC has been an amazing partner, it launched the show beautifully.” Added creator Nick Wauters, “We have a dedicated fan base, and we promised them we will deliver one way or another and will continue to tell our stories.” If The Event does get picked up for a second chance at life, you’ll find out as soon as I get wind of it.

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A private detective is hired to find a missing stripper but the job turns complicated when everyone he questions ends up dead. From the mean streets of Los Angeles to the desolate desert of New Mexico, Cruz must contend with a brutal Russian Boxer, three brash LAPD detectives, an aged billionaire looking for the Big Bang, and the billionaire’s stunningly gorgeous wife. The solution to the mystery will cost ten lives, net $30 million and just might explain – well – everything.

So why should you care? Take a look at this cast: Antonio Banderas is the private eye (and who doesn’t like a good murder mystery?) and he’s surrounded by fantastic TV stars like Prison Break‘s William Fichner, No Ordinary Family‘s Autumn Reeser, Lost‘s Rebecca Mader, and Breakout King‘s Jimmi Simpson. James Van Der Beek and Snoop Dogg are thrown in for good measure. Should be a fun ride!

The Big Bang opens May 13.