Tag Archives: season renewal

‘Breaking Bad’ spinoff ‘Better Call Saul’ coming in 2015, renewed for season 2, may incorporate ‘Bad’ favorites

Better Call Saul is coming soon and here’s your first look at the Breaking Bad prequel series starring Bob Odenkirk as the scheming lawyer Saul Goodman. Standing to his right are executive producer Peter Gould (a former Bad exec producer and the inventor of the Saul character) and Bad mastermind Vince Gilligan (who will serve as co-showrunner on Saul alongside Gould and direct the series pilot).

Some new information has surfaced since AMC announced the highly anticipated Breaking Bad spinoff. First of all, the new series was originally intended to premiere this November, but the network decided that more time was needed to prep so now Saul Goodman won’t return to our screens until early 2015. Such news typically stings, but AMC is putting a damper on that by greenlighting a 13-episode second season before the first 10 episodes even launch! That’s right–Bad fans who intend to flock to Saul are already guaranteed a healthy serving of 23 episodes of Gilligan and Gould’s next drama.

Also, there’s this: Jonathan Banks aka Bad‘s dearly departed Mike Ehrmantraut is joining Odenkirk as a series regular! And that’s not all. Gould recently spilled to The New York Daily News that “perhaps some of [Better Call Saul] takes place before Breaking Bad, during Breaking Bad, and after Breaking Bad.” So what does this mean? “That gives us the ability to bring back characters that were killed on Breaking Bad.” Boom. All hail Walter White and his prodigal son Jesse Pinkman?

As exciting as that may sound–Bad favorites, dead or otherwise, returning to the small screen–Gould assures viewers that his new show “stands on it own, is its own story, and is a brand extension” and will not rely on flashy guest spots from Bad alumni. Still, leaving the door open for Mr. White and Jesse “Magnets, Bitch!” Pinkman to return for more mayhem is an exciting proposition to say the least.

AMC president Charlie Collier said the following surrounding the news of Better Call Saul‘s premiere date shift and early season 2 renewal: “Production on Better Call Saul is underway and we could not be more proud of nor more excited about the work to date. We join the fans in eager anticipation for this series and today we happily confirm that our initial Saul order is for two seasons and a total of 23 episodes. When introducing any series, especially one with the DNA of Breaking Bad, there are countless factors to consider in making sure the show gets the launch it deserves. We have a strong history with Vince, Peter, Bob, the studio and so many involved with this production; we are enjoying the process on ‘Saul’ and all share a focus on making it a true television event. No half measures.”

‘Wilfred’ renewed for a fourth and final season

The one show that I always felt could go on forever is coming to an end after four seasons. On Wednesday FX’s Wilfred starring Elijah Wood and Jason Gann was renewed for a fourth season and the network concurrently announced that it would be the series’ last. Was the philosophical comedy about a guy who interacts with a talking dog brutally cancelled? No, not necessarily. Though the show saw a ratings drop in its latest season, Variety reports that FX head John Landgraf sat down with the Wilfred producers “well ahead of time” so that they could map out the final season appropriately. Unlike all previous seasons, the final one will play out across 10 episodes instead of 13. Executive producer David Zuckerman, the man who developed the Australian show for US audiences, took off in season 3 and handed the reins to Reed Agnew and Eli Jorné who had also been with the show from the beginning. For the final 10, Zuckerman returns as showrunner with Agnew and Jorné at his side. Following the announcement he tweeted, “Very excited to be returning to Wilfred full time for S4! Time for some answers!”

I  could watch Wilfred come up with ways to torment and teach life lessons to his neighbor for a long time, but alas there’s one more chapter left in the dark, crude, hilarious, smart, and thoughtful tale of Ryan Newman and his best friend Wilfred. What exactly is Wilfred? The time is nigh to find out.

Wilfred returns in 2014 when it will join It’s Always Sunny in PhiladelphiaThe LeagueLegit, and Totally Biased With W. Kamau Bell on FX’s spinoff network FXX.

CBS renews 18 shows including freshman drama ‘Person of Interest’ & comedy ‘2 Broke Girls’

Today CBS became the first network out of the gate to reveal the fate of the bulk of its primetime programming. So let’s get right to it, shall we? The following shows have been renewed and will return in the 2012-13 TV season:

9 DRAMAS: Person of Interest, Blue BloodsCriminal MindsCSI, The Good WifeHawaii Five-0The MentalistNCISNCIS: Los Angeles

4 COMEDIES: 2 Broke GirlsMike & Molly, The Big Bang TheoryHow I Met Your Mother

3 REALITY SHOWS: Amazing Race, SurvivorUndercover Boss

2 NEWSMAGAZINES: 48 Hours Mystery60 Minutes

CBS Entertainment president Nina Tassler on all these pickups: “This large-scale renewal is testimony to the strength, stability and success of a deep and diverse roster of top-rated programming. It positions us for continued success next season and certainly creates an environment that will give our new shows the best possible chance to succeed.”

The fates of CSI: NY, CSI: MiamiUnforgettable, and A Gifted Man are still up in the air. And as for the network’s once-staple comedy Two and a Half Men–CBS says “preliminary discussions” are being had. The issue here is that Ashton Kutcher’s deal has to be extended; once that happens (and it will) you can expect CBS to flaunt the long-running comedy’s renewal (and perhaps a multi-year pickup at that). Stay tuned.

[Via EW; Deadline]