Category Archives: Television

‘Up All Night’ receives five more episodes, switching from single to multi-cam later this season

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If you’re a fan of the Christina Applegate/Will Arnett/Maya Rudolph sitcom Up All Night, I’ve got some interesting news to share with you. First good news that’s easy to swallow: NBC has ordered an additional five episodes, extending the show’s season 2 run to 16 episodes total. And now it gets interesting.

After the show’s 11th episode airs this December, it will go on a three month extended hiatus to undergo a major change. When it returns in the spring, the season’s remaining five episodes will be shot in multi-cam format in front of a live studio audience. In other words, the show is completely transforming the way it is shot and delivered by ditching its original single-camera format. Yes, for a show to undergo such dramatic shift in its second season on air is a very occurrence. But it’s being done, says executive producer Lorne Michaels per Deadline, “to infuse the show with more energy.”

What’s the difference between single and multi-cam shows? It’s best to think of it in terms of current programming. Right now Up All Night plays like other single-cam comedies such as Modern Family and New Girl. Once it switches over, the vibe will change and it will play like CBS’ stable of multi-cam hits such as The Big Bang Theory and Two and a Half Men. What you’ll notice right off the bat, though, is a very audible laugh track since it will be shot in front of a live audience. Plus the limited amount of sets might feel more constructed.

Here’s what NBC entertainment chairman Bob Greenblatt had to say on the subject: “We know what the multi-camera audience does for the live episodes of 30 Rock, plus after seeing both Maya [Rudolph] and Christina [Applegate] do SNL within the past few months, we knew we had the kind of performers — Will Arnett included — who love the reaction from a live audience. We think we can make a seamless tradition to the new format. Also, we’re committed to the multi-camera form and this will give us another show to consider for next season in this new format.”

As a fan of the show since the last season’s pilot, I’m not so enthused about this abrupt decision to change up the format. Season 1 had its ups and downs creatively, but I’ve felt that creator Emily Spivey (or new showrunner Tucker Cawley) really turned things around this season by firing Ava from her talkshow and focusing more on the family at home. Ratings aren’t dismal this year, but they aren’t great either; most recently it scored a 1.4 rating in the all-important adults 18-49 demo. I guess Michaels and Greenblatt talked Spivey/Cawley into turning the show inside out and seeing where things go from there. It’s possible that the show was on the brink of cancellation and this is NBC’s way of pardoning it. It’ll be an interesting experiment to follow next year, that is a fact.

Up All Night airs Thursday nights at 8:30PM on NBC. There are only five single-cam episodes left.

‘Office’ spin-off ‘The Farm’ starring Rainn Wilson is a no-go at NBC

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Well darn. Looks like we’ll really have to say goodbye to The Office and all its characters this May when the series comes to an end. NBC has decided not to go forward with an Office spin-off called The Farm which was going to follow Rainn Wilson as Dwight Schrute on his beet farm running a bed & breakfast with his family. Wilson and Office executive producer and star Paul Lieberstein shared excitement at the potential for such a spin-off for the character earlier this year. But alas, the idea has been scraped. Wilson tweeted, “NBC has passed on moving forward with The Farm TV show. Had a blast making the pilot – onwards & upwards!”

As previously reported, a future episode of The Office serves as a back-door pilot for The Farm and takes place at Schrute Farms. The network still plans on airing the episode later this year, so at least we’ll all get a glimpse of where things might have headed.

ABC grants full season orders to ‘Scandal’ & ‘The Neighbors’

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Bet you weren’t expecting to hear this news before the TV season started. Today ABC handed out back-nine orders to Shonda Rhimes’ Scandal and (wait for it) Dan Fogelman’s The Neighbors. Scandal, starring Kerry Washington, is currently in its second season but the Alphabet network was hesitant and only gave it a 13-episode order to see how it would fare following its so-so rated first season. Averaging 8.1 million viewers and a 2.5 ratings share in the adults 18-49 demo, the political drama has proven itself to be a worthy contender on Thursday nights and will get to play with a full season consisting of 22 episodes this year.

Also given a full season is the alien-family sitcom The Neighbors. Before it premiered critics widely panned the pilot, and following the episode viewers flocked to Twitter to discuss how bad it really was. I guess the word of mouth actually helped it because it has been performing modestly in the ratings, good enough for ABC to let it finish its first season with 22 episodes aired. The bizarre Wednesday night comedy averages 6.8 million viewers and a 2.0 in 18-49 and on the schedule it shall remain for now.

We are still waiting on the fates of Last Resort and 666 Park Avenue; ABC recently upped their script orders. The network has more time to decide on Nashville since it got a late start.

Conan tweets image from the set of ‘Arrested Development’

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Conan tweeted this image from the set of Arrested Development today. He said:

Here’s the 1st official photo from the new Arrested Development on @Netflix. Spoiler alert: I’m an amazing actor.

Soak it all in people. Conan and his trusty talkshow sidekick Andy Richter will take part in the resurrection of the cult comedy. It returns with Jason Bateman’s Michael Bluth in tow next year. Bateman is so in character in this photo; he’s got that classic dumbfounded “nothing going on upstairs” Michael look plastered on his face.

TV reminder: NBC airing Bryan Fuller’s ‘Munsters’ reboot ‘Mockingbird Lane’ as Halloween special tonight at 8PM [Update: The ratings are in…]

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If you were anticipating the bold Munsters reboot from Bryan Fuller, I have some bad news to report. NBC has decided not to go ahead with making the series. However, the network will air the pilot that was shot. The Peacock did not specifically state why they ultimately decided to pass on the show; instead the network’s Entertainment President Jennifer Salke released the following statement:

“This exciting new take on a memorable series will definitely blow out conventional wisdom and create its own legacy. Teaming this new show with a terrifying episode of Grimm makes the perfect pre-Halloween fright-fest.”

Mockingbird Lane stars Jerry O’Connell as Herman Munster, Portia de Rossi as his wife Lily, Mason Cook as their son Eddie, Eddie Izzard as Grandpa, and Charity Wakefield as Marilyn.

Tune into tonight at 9PM to catch an hour-long glimpse into Bryan Fuller’s imaginative, contemporary take on the classic 1960s sitcom. Rumor has it that if it does well in the ratings NBC may opt to pick it up for next season, but by planting it on a Friday night (aka where most shows go to die) I don’t see that happening. With Mockingbird Lane off his plate, the Pushing Daisies creator is now focusing solely on his upcoming midseason drama for NBC Hannibal.

Watch a trailer after the break.

Update: The ratings are in and they look like this. The pilot Halloween special drew 5.4 million viewers and scored a 1.5/5 rating in adults 18-49. Not too shabby. But is it enough for NBC to continue production on more scripts that have already been written? Don’t hold your breath. Continue reading TV reminder: NBC airing Bryan Fuller’s ‘Munsters’ reboot ‘Mockingbird Lane’ as Halloween special tonight at 8PM [Update: The ratings are in…] →

G4 phasing out ‘Attack of the Show’ & ‘X-Play’ at the end of the year

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G4 is reportedly undergoing a major rebranding next year and two significant casualties include the cable network’s flagship series Attack of the Show and X-Play. The video game review show X-Play debuted in 2003 back when G4 was known as TechTV and personalities Adam Sessler and Morgan Webb helped make it an entertaining way to discover new games and highlight ones worth checking out. Two years later Attack of the Show premiered, it introduced us to Kevin Pereira, Olivia Munn, Chris Hardwick, and Alison Haislip, and it quickly became the go-to destination for the latest in technology, gaming, pop and web culture. It also provided fantastic live coverage from major trade shows like E3, CES, and Comic Con. I had the pleasure of working at AOTS during the time it celebrated its 1,000th episode and I will never forget the great people who contributed to the making of such a fun and knowledgable show.

G4 Media General Manager Adam Stotsky on letting the long-running shows go: “Attack of the Show! and X-Play have been important for G4, and we want to acknowledge the creative people who have helped inspire and showcase the phenomenon of gamer culture. With more than 3,000 episodes aired between them, we have more than enough great material to honor these innovators and their amazing contributions as we bring both shows to a close.”

G4 will continue to air new episodes of both series through December. Retrospective episodes and ones with returning personalities and other special guests are in the works. In 2013, G4 will rebrand itself into a “more upscale, sophisticated guy TV space,” says TV Guide. PR after the break. Continue reading G4 phasing out ‘Attack of the Show’ & ‘X-Play’ at the end of the year →

CBS grants full season orders to ‘Elementary’ & ‘Vegas’

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A female Watson? Who’s laughing now. Today CBS made the decision to pick up full seasons of new dramas Elementary and Vegas. The Sherlock Holmes-inspired procedural starring Jonny Lee Miller and Lucy Liu averages 14.3 million viewers and a 3.5/10 rating in the adults 18-49 demo. The American period drama starring a cowboy sheriff (Dennis Quaid) and a Chicago mobster (Michael Chiklis) averages 14.9 million viewers and a 2.7/8 in adults 18-49. Full season orders (22 episodes to be exact) were expected.

CBS Entertainment president Nina Tassler on the back-nine orders: “Vegas and Elementary have opened strong, delivering big audiences and winning performances in important time periods. Each of the shows has rich characters, big stars and a unique visual style that have stood out in the crowd, helping make two of our strongest nights even stronger.”

With drama Made In Jersey dead and gone, the only new fall show from CBS that has yet to receive its fate is multi-cam sitcom Partners. In its most recent outing the comedy scored a 2.1/6 rating, up 11% from the week prior. Such a stat is nothing to call home about, but I’d say things are looking positive for Partners.

Showtime renews ‘Homeland’ for third season

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On Monday Showtime renewed Homeland for a third season. Coming off a critically acclaimed first season and sweeping at the Emmys, the counterterrorism drama from Howard Gordon, Alex Gansa, and Gideon Raff continues to bring the intensity, suspense, and surprise. The renewal comes a day after the shocking plot twist that occurred in season two’s fourth episode “New Car Smell;” this episode ranks as the highest rated hour of Homeland garnering 1.75 million viewers.

Showtime president David Nevins on the 12-episode renewal: “The Emmy wins for Homeland have certainly set the stage for a great second season. The writers, cast and crew of Homeland continue to create a remarkably entertaining and suspenseful roller coaster ride, growing audiences week after week. We can’t wait for our viewers to experience what unfolds through the rest of season two. Our partners at Fox 21 have been tremendous, and we are thrilled to begin the planning for Homeland’s third season.”

Homeland airs Sunday nights at 10PM on Showtime.

Going viral: ‘Breaking Bad’ musical parody featuring Walt & company channeling their inner Taylor Swift

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Video contains spoilers from the show.

The Internet has produced one of the most ridiculous videos I have ever seen. I’m sharing it with you, though, because it is just the right amount of entertaining for long-time followers of the critically acclaimed AMC drama Breaking Bad. YouTube channel Teddie Films has concocted a viral hit with “We Are Never Ever Gonna Cook Together,” a mashup of Breaking Bad and Taylor Swift’s new breakup single “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together.” The clip does a good job of musically summing up the tension between Walt and Jesse that occurs in season five, and it really scores with the absurd imitations of characters like DEA agent Hank Schrader, Walt Jr., and there’s even a guy in a chicken suit representing fast food chain Los Pollos Hermanos. What takes away from this almost-solid parody are giant inconsistencies like Jesse being Asian and Skylar’s portrayer wearing an obvious wig. Things like these add to the farcical nature of the video, but I feel that it really would have exploded with fans if they were more detail-oriented. Nitpicking aside, you should definitely have a watch if you like the show. Fair warning: Swift’s song is catchy to begin with; mashed with Breaking Bad don’t surprised if you catch yourself singing “Oooo ohhh Heisenberg” throughout the day.

You’re gonna kill me; the track is available for keeps through iTunes. Peace, bitch.

ABC orders additional scripts for ‘Last Resort’ & ‘666 Park Avenue’, FOX extends ‘The Mindy Project’s full season order and holds onto ‘The Mob Doctor’

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Today ABC showed signs of confidence for two of its new fall dramas. Instead of giving its full vote with full season orders (or “back nine” episodes), the Alphabet network ordered two additional scripts for political thriller Last Resort and the sexy, seductive, and intriguing 666 Park Avenue. That bumps their initial order of 13 episodes to 15. We’ll take it! And just for the record, earlier this month ABC ordered three more scripts for the wacky alien comedy The Neighbors.

Elsewhere, FOX must really like The Mindy Project because shortly after granting it the back nine, today the network ordered two more episodes of the Mindy Kaling comedy bringing its grand total to 24 episodes. Also, The Mob Doctor is safe for now. After airing four episodes with rather dismal ratings (the most recent ep attracted 3.4 million viewers and a 0.9 demo rating), FOX has decided to let the medical drama return from a short hiatus on November 5 and let its 13-episode order play out. This was the show most thought would be the first to go (Made in Jersey and Animal Practice beat it to the punch), so we’ll see if it can even last that long.

[Via Deadline 1, 2, 3; EW]

‘FRINGE’ trailer: Things are about to get…explosive

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Fringe is not on the schedule tonight, but you can try to fill that void by watching this trailer poignantly peeking at what’s to come in the relentless battle against the baldies. Things are about to get, in a word, explosive. Screen the wonderfully scored one minute trailer now.

Fringe returns next Friday on October 26 at 9PM on FOX. The 13-episode saga continues in episode 4 titled “The Bullet That Saved the World.”

TV clip: ‘Community’ reminds us why we miss the show so much

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If you thought the ousting of creator Dan Harmon was going to severely affect Community, let this brand spankin’ new clip produced exclusively for the Internetz to quell your fears. The cult comedy was supposed to return to NBC’s schedule today, October 19, but the network recently decided to keep it off the air and on the bench for a while longer. The Peacock even had the chance to replace a recently cancelled show with it, but they passed on the opportunity and instead turned to Whitney. To explain the scheduling mess, we turn to a special segment of “Troy & Abed in the Morning” featuring the titular hosts and the entire cast of Community in full form here.

October 19 isn’t just a date, it’s a state of mind…