2012 Fall TV Schedule: NBC

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Here we are, the most exciting time of year. Summer is coming to a close, school is back in session, new shows premiere and your favorites return to the magical box in your living room. The 2012 fall TV season technically doesn’t start until later this month, but some of the networks are premiering new shows sooner rather than later. Whip out your calendar; it’s prime time to mark it up.

NBC has the most staggered rollout of the big four networks. In August, the Peacock previewed the Matthew Perry starrer Go On and the wacky Animal Practice to take advantage of its Olympics coverage. They also premiered the controversial reality show Stars Earn Stripes and the second season of Grimm last month. NBC will continue to let shows premiere before the official start of the fall season with The Voice starting Monday, September 10. Also premiering next week is Go On (a re-airing of the pilot on 9/10 plus episode 2 on 9/11), The New Normal (the pilot on 9/10 plus episode 2 on 9/11), Parenthood, and Guys with Kids. The week of September 17 sees the premiere of Revolution, Up All Night, The Office, and Parks and Recreation. Interestingly, the network is only premiering one show during the official start week (that is 9/24 -9/30), Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Fans of 30 Rock, Whitney, and Community will have to wait until October. Also premiering that month is the Dick Wolf drama Chicago Fire.

Buzzy NBC dramas to look out for include J.J. Abrams’ Revolution (I saw it, the pilot is good not great, much potential is there) and Hannibal from Bryan Fuller. The latter show is premiering in midseason along with Do No Harm, Infamous, and comedies Next Caller, Save Me, and 1600 Penn.

Ryan Murphy’s The New Normal is certainly the network’s most buzzy new comedy. Having watched the previews of both shows during the summer Olympics, I heartily recommend Go On over Animal Practice, especially if you’ve been following Perry over the years.

Jump after the break to view the full schedule.

Click here to get reacquainted with the new programming.

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2012 Fall TV Schedule: FOX

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Here we are, the most exciting time of year. Summer is coming to a close, school is back in session, new shows premiere and your favorites return to the magical box in your living room. The 2012 fall TV season technically doesn’t start until later this month, but some of the networks are premiering new shows sooner rather than later. Whip out your calendar; it’s prime time to mark it up.

FOX’s fall rollout begins next week on Thursday, September 13 with the two-night premiere of The X Factor (now with Britney Spears and Demi Lovato) and Glee. Monday, September 17 sees the return of Bones and the series premiere of new medical drama The Mob Doctor. During the official start week (9/24 – 9/30) viewers will catch two new episodes of New Girl as well as the series premiere of Ben And Kate and The Mindy Project, plus the return of Kitchen Nightmares, Fringe, and the Sunday night Animation Domination lineup. October sees the premieres of Raising Hope, The Cleveland Show, and Kiefer Sutherland’s Touch.

Buzzy FOX comedies to look out for include Ben And Kate (starring Dakota Johnson, Nat Faxon, and Maggie Jones) and The Mindy Project (starring Mindy Kaling).

A FOX drama to look out for is The Following from Kevin Williamson starring Kevin Bacon. It premieres in midseason along with comedy The Goodwin Games.

Jump after the break to view the full schedule.

Click here to get reacquainted with the new programming.

Look in the gallery below to view key art, aka TV posters!

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2012 Fall TV Schedule: ABC

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Here we are, the most exciting time of year. Summer is coming to a close, school is back in session, new shows premiere and your favorites return to the magical box in your living room. The 2012 fall TV season technically doesn’t start until later this month, but some of the networks are premiering new shows sooner rather than later. Whip out your calendar; it’s prime time to mark it up.

ABC is following CBS with a rather traditional fall rollout, however they are saving a handful of shows for October and November starts. After Shark Tank, What Would You Do?, and 20/20 begin on Friday, September 24, the majority of ABC’s fall shows will premiere during official start week–that is Monday, September 24 through Sunday, September 30. October will see the premieres of Nashville and returning shows Suburgatory, Happy Endings, and Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23. In early November the Tim Allen starrer Last Man Standing returns to the schedule with Reba McEntire’s Malibu Country.

Buzzy ABC dramas to look out for include new country/pop musical Nashville (starring Connie Britton and Hayden Panettiere), Shawn Ryan’s politically charged Last Resort (starring Andre Braugher and Scott Speedman), and the mysterious 666 Park Avenue (starring Terry O’Quinn, Vanessa Williams, Rachael Taylor, and Dave Annable).

None of the network’s fall comedies particularly stand out yet, but be on the look out for midseason entrants How To Live With Your Parents (For The Rest Of Your Life) (starring Sarah Chalke and Brad Garrett) and Family Tools (starring Kyle Bornheimer and J.K. Simmons). Other mid-season starters include Zero Hour and Red Widow.

Jump after the break to view the full schedule.

Click here to get reacquainted with the new programming.

Look in the gallery below to view key art, aka TV posters!

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2012 Fall TV Schedule: CBS

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Here we are, the most exciting time of year. Summer is coming to a close, school is back in session, new shows premiere and your favorites return to the magical box in your living room. The 2012 fall TV season technically doesn’t start until later this month, but some of the networks are premiering new shows sooner rather than later. Whip out your calendar; it’s prime time to mark it up.

As is tradition, CBS has no surprises up its sleeves when it comes to rolling out their fall TV shows. After Survivor: Philippines begins on Wednesday, September 19, the rest of the network’s lineup will premiere during the official start week–that is Monday, September 24 through Sunday, September 30.

Buzzy CBS dramas to look out for include period show Vegas (starring Dennis Quaid and Michael Chiklis) and the Sherlock Homes inspired Elementary (starring Jonny Lee Miller and Lucy Liu as Joan Watson).

The only new comedy entering the fray for CBS this fall is Partners (starring Michael Urie, David Krumholtz, Sophia Bush, and Brandon Routh). It comes from Will & Grace creators David Kohan and Max Mutchnick, so it might be worth giving a shot if your schedule allows for it.

The following shows are being held for midseason starts: Friend Me, Golden Boy, and The Job.

Jump after the break to view the full schedule.

Click here to get reacquainted with the new programming.

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2012 Fall TV Schedule: THE CW

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Here we are, the most exciting time of year. Summer is coming to a close, school is back in session, new shows premiere and your favorites return to the magical box in your living room. The 2012 fall TV season technically doesn’t start until later this month, but some of the networks are premiering new shows sooner rather than later. Whip out your calendar; it’s prime time to mark it up.

The CW is starting late. They’re letting their new and returning shows out of the gate next month. It’s all part of the network president Mark Pedowitz’s plan to let viewers sample the big four networks’ new programs before diving into The CW’s offerings with “no traction.” The network kicks things off October 2 with the return of the Rachel Bilson starrer Hart of Dixie, followed by Supernatural the following day. The following week of October 10 sees the return of 90210, Gossip Girl, and The Vampire Diaries. New shows Arrow and Beauty and the Beast also premiere that week. The week of October 16 sees the premiere of Emily Owens M.D. and on Friday, October 19 America’s Next Top Model returns to the schedule along with Nikita. The following shows are being held for midseason starts: The Carrie Diaries, Cult.

Jump after the break to view the full schedule.

Click here to get reacquainted with the new programming.

Look in the gallery below to view key art, aka TV posters!

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2012 MTV VMA winners: Rihanna & One Direction on top

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Last night MTV Video Music Awards was a total bore and the ratings reflect that. Only 6.1 million viewers tuned into the Thursday night telecast; that’s down over a whopping 50% from last year’s show when a record-breaking 12.4 million people watched. Was it host Kevin Hart’s mediocre monologue or the unmemorable performances and acceptance speeches that caused the viewership plunge? Or maybe airing it on a school/work night wasn’t the best idea. No matter the case, it was dull so let’s just skip to the winners.

Rihanna took home the top prize Video of the Year for her Calvin Harris-produced dance track “We Found Love,” but UK boy band One Direction came out most successful with three Moonmen for Best New Artist, and their hit single “What Makes You Beautiful” scored them Best Pop Video and Most Share-Worthy Video. Other notable winners include Chris Brown (“Turn Up the Music” won Best Male Video), Nicki Minaj (“Starships” won Best Female Video), and Drake (“HYFR” won Best Hip-Hop Video).

Click here to view the full list of winners.

G.O.O.D. Music drops single “Clique” before ‘Cruel Summer’ release

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The latest single off Kanye West’s G.O.O.D. Music compilation album Cruel Summer is “Clique.” It features verses from Big Sean, Mr. West, and the other half of The Throne, Jay-Z. The track is produced by Hit-Boy and it’s a hot one. Hear it below and get ready for Cruel Summer due out September 18.

Amazon outs new Kindle Paperwhite e-reader, adds to the Kindle Fire tablet family

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The third major tech company to take the spotlight this week was Amazon. On Thursday they updated their e-reader and tablet lineups with the Kindle Paperwhite and the Kindle Fire HD.

The Kindle Paperwhite is the fifth-generation Kindle e-reader and it houses “the most advanced e-reader display ever constructed,” says Amazon. How so? It contains 212 pixels-per-inch making room for 62% more pixels than before and this allows text to appear crisper and clearer and images are sharper and richer. In addition, the blacks are blacker and the whites are whiter thanks to 25% higher contrast. What Amazon is really touting here is the patented front-lit display that makes reading with or without natural or artificial light a better experience. With the light left on all the time, the Paperwhite will still give you 8 weeks of battery life. The new e-reader packs a 6-inch capacitive touchscreen for input; there are no physical buttons for page-turning. Amazon describes its size like this: “[it’s] thinner than a magazine [at just over a third of an inch thin] and weighs less than a typical paperback [weighing 7.5 ounces].” Software enhancements include Time to Read, a feature that helps readers know the amount of time it will take them to finish a chapter or a book; X-Ray, a feature that lets readers see all passages across a book that mention ideas, fictional characters, historical figures, places or topics that interest them, as well as more detailed descriptions from Wikipedia; WhisperSync for Voice that allows readers to start an audiobook on one device and pick up where they left off on another; and new typeface options. A Wi-Fi only version of the Kindle Paperwhite goes on sale October 1 for $119. A 3G version will sell for $179. Preorder today.

In addition to introducing a second generation Kindle Fire (more on that device soon), Amazon added two new Android-based devices to the Fire family. The Kindle Fire HD comes in a 7-inch and 8.9-inch versions. The larger display model features 254 pixels per inch with a resolution of 1920 x 1200 (1080p full HD). The smaller display model has a lower resolution of 1280 x 800 (720p). New LCD technology reduces glare by 25% compared to the third-generation iPad. Also, integrated IPS allows for wide viewing angles. Other specs include: 1.5GHz dual-core OMAP4 4470 processor (in the Fire HD 8.9″), 1.2GHz dual-core OMAP4 460 processor (in the Fire HD 7″), Dolby Audio with dual stereo speakers, a front-facing camera for video chat, and built-in Bluetooth, HDMI-out, and 40% faster WiFi (compared to the latest iPad) thanks to dual-band support, dual antennas, and MIMO technology. To size ’em up, the Fire HD 8.9″ is 8.8mm thin weighing 20 oz. and the Fire HD 7″ is 10.2mm weighing 13.9 oz. Amazon shares that the smaller model gets 11 hours of battery life. Software enhancements include X-Ray for books, movies, and textbooks, allowing users to augment their tablet experience with expanded information from Wikipedia, IMDb, and YouTube; and FreeTime, a set of parental controls that allows parents to limit their kids’ screen time by content type. Pricing and availability. The Fire HD 8.9″ comes in four flavors: WiFi-only 16GB ($299), WiFi-only 32GB ($369), 4G LTE 32GB ($499), and 4G LTE 64GB ($599). For $49.99 customers can receive 4G LTE from AT&T, 250GB of data per month for one year, plus 20GB of Amazon Cloud storage and a $10 credit in the Amazon Appstore. The Fire HD 8.9″ is up for preorder today and goes on sale November 20. The Fire HD 7″ comes in two flavors: WiFi-only 16GB ($199) and WiFi-only 32GB ($249). These are in direct competition with Google’s Nexus 7 tablet. They’re also there to preorder and will release sooner on September 14.

Now I told you I would return to the successor of the original Kindle Fire. Amazon is still calling it the Kindle Fire, and it still features the same 1024 x 600 non-HD 7-inch display. What’s changed? It’s got a 40% faster processor for better performance (1.2GHz dual-core OMAP4 430), twice the memory (1GB), and longer battery life (8.5 hours). The sole 8GB model goes on sale September 14 for $159.

Want to know what the rest of the Amazon e-reader line looks like today? In addition to the Kindle Paperwhite, the latest generation OG Kindle is still hanging in there. A slightly updated new model ships September 14 with 15 percent faster page turns and at a lower price point, $69 (ad-supported). Also still available is the Kindle Keyboard with 3G for $139 (ad-supported) and the giant Kindle DX with 3G at $379.

Get a closer look at the new Kindle Paperwhite e-reader and Kindle Fire tablets in the galleries below (in order Kindle Paperwhite, Fire HD 8.9″, Fire HD 7″, OG Fire). After the break, video and PR.

[Via Amazon 1, 2, 3] Continue reading Amazon outs new Kindle Paperwhite e-reader, adds to the Kindle Fire tablet family →

Motorola expands its Droid RAZR family with RAZR M, RAZR HD & RAZR MAXX HD smartphones

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Following in Nokia’s footsteps, on Wednesday Motorola announced three new additions to its Droid RAZR smartphone lineup. Let’s start with the most basic of the bunch denoted M and work our way to the long-lasting beast of a phone known as MAXX.

The Motorola RAZR M features an edge-to-edge 4.3-inch qHD (960 x 540) Super AMOLED Advanced display, a 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of storage, an 8 megapixel rear-facing camera that can record 1080p video, a 0.3 megapixel front-facing camera, and an NFC chip. The compact, Kelvar strong 4G LTE phone is available September 12 for an affordable $99 after a $50 rebate and signing a new two-year contract with Verizon Wireless. It’s up for preorder today.

The RAZR HD and RAZR MAXX HD boast a larger 4.7-inch 720p Super AMOLED HD display, the same 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor, 1GB of RAM, 8 megapixel shooter, front-facing camera, NFC chip, 4G LTE, and Gorilla Glass and Kelvar protection. The main difference between these two siblings is battery life. While the HD packs a decently sized 2,500mAh battery, the MAXX HD runs off a massive 3,300mAh battery that promises 32 hours of standard usability (13 hours of straight video playback, 21 hours of continuous talk time, 8 hours of web browsing over 4G LTE). Exact pricing and availability have not been shared at this time, but Moto says customers can expect the HD and MAXX HD to release “before the holidays” with VZW.

In addition, Motorola has specified that all three smartphones will ship with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich on board and they will be upgradeable to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean by the end of the year. Pics in the galleries below (in the order M, HD, MAX HD), and there’s video and PR after the break.

Update (10/14): Verizon has specified that the Droid RAZR HD & RAZR MAXX HD will go on sale October 18.

[Via Motorola; Engadget 1, 2, 3] Continue reading Motorola expands its Droid RAZR family with RAZR M, RAZR HD & RAZR MAXX HD smartphones →

Nokia announces new Windows Phone flagship device Lumia 920 and the mid-range Lumia 820

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On Wednesday Nokia and Microsoft held a joint event announcing two new Lumia smartphones that will run the next-gen mobile operating system Windows Phone 8. The new flagship WP8 device is dubbed the Nokia Lumia 920 and its specs are as follows: 4.5-inch (1280 x 768) display, 1.5GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor, 1GB RAM, 32GB memory, back-facing 8.7 megapixel camera with optical image stabilization, Carl Zeiss optics, LED flash, and 1080p video recording capability, front-facing camera, integrated 2000mAh battery with wireless charging support. All of this is housed inside a polycarbonate shell that comes in a variety of colors including black, grey, red, yellow, and white. Nokia is touting the phone’s “PureMotion HD+” display as the company’s “brightest, fastest and most sensitive touchscreen (the screen will accept input even if the user is wearing protective gloves);” the “PureView” back-facing camera that uses “advanced floating lens technology” that promises to capture clearer and brighter pictures even in low light situations; and the phone’s wireless charging functionality based on the Qi wireless standard. Place your phone down on a charging surface and it will automagically begin to regain battery life. Nokia will release its own wireless charing platforms and the company is also working with third parties such as Fatboy to sell portable wireless charging pillows. To kickstart the initiative, Nokia has partnered with The Coffee Bean and Virgin Atlantic to install wireless charing stations in countertops and airport lounges.

Also announced at the event is the mid-range alternative Nokia Lumia 820. It sports a smaller 4.3-inch (800 x 480) ClearBlack OLED display, only 8GB of storage (but there’s microSD expandability up to 32GB), a non-PureView 8 megapixel back-facing camera with Carl Zeiss optics and LED flash, and a smaller 1650mAh battery. It packs the same 1.5GHz dual-core processor as it’s bigger sibling, a VGA front-facing camera, and there is support for wireless charging. Users will have the ability to swap out their polycarbonate back cover for a wireless charging-capable one. The Lumia 820 comes in an even great variety of bright colors like red, yellow, grey, cyan, purple, white, and black.

Nokia has not specified pricing and release date information for either device. LTE and HSPA+ variants of the 920 and 820 “are expected to start shipping in select markets later in the year,” says the company’s press release. What you’re left with now are photos of the sleek phones in the galleries below (the 920 above, the 820 below), plus two intro videos and official PR after the break.

[Via Microsoft; Engadget 1, 2] Continue reading Nokia announces new Windows Phone flagship device Lumia 920 and the mid-range Lumia 820 →

Apple to unveil the iPhone 5 September 12

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Here we go people. The moment you’ve all been waiting for is almost here. Today Apple sent out invitations inviting press to attend a special event where the company will announce the next iPhone. The invite, posted above, teases “It’s almost here” and features a giant number 12 (referring to the date September 12) and its shadow is the number 5 (likely referring to the name of their next smartphone, the iPhone 5). After Apple reset the naming scheme with the third-generation iPad and simply called it “the new iPad,” most were led to believe that the next iPhone would shed a number and be known as “the new iPhone” to be in line with its bigger sibling. The 5 featured in the invite, however, has people speculating again. Will it be the iPhone 5, or perhaps the number here refers to the amount of new devices the company will unveil? In addition to a new iPhone, also in the rumor pipeline is an iPad mini and Apple typically announces updated iPods in September. Things to think about.

Other things to think about: how will the next-gen iPhone be different from the 4S? iOS 6 will ship out the gate, obviously, and rumor has it that it will sport a larger 4-inch screen and it is very likely that it will take advantage of 4G LTE speeds. Add to the speculation in the comment section below.

For now, mark your calendars; the date is September 12 and the time is 10AM PST. It all goes down at San Francisco’s Yerba Buena Center for the Arts and you can be sure that all the details will be posted here as soon as Tim Cook and company wrap up the festivities. At last, iPhone 5 here we come.