Tag Archives: ABC

‘OUAT in Wonderland’ scoop: a longer season promised with hope for more stories to tell

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Once fans, perk up! Originally envisioned as a standalone, limited series to bridge the gap during Once Upon A Time‘s winter hiatus, spinoff Once Upon A Time In Wonderland is spinning into a more traditional series for the alphabet network. At the Upfronts, ABC announced that Wonderland will air concurrently in the fall alongside the flagship series; OUAT remains at Sundays at 8 and Wonderland slides into the Thursday at 8 timeslot. And now, EW reports that the original episode order of 13 is being expanded; a final count is still unknown but it will fall between 14 and 21 in total. Traditionally, a show will get a 13 episode order and if it fares well in the ratings it will get “picked up” for a “back nine” or 9 additional episodes usually rounding a full season out at 22 installments. ABC is so confident in this spinoff, however, that it is allowing creators Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis to craft a story with exactly the right amount of episodes required to tell it.

“We really want to tell the story without having to worry about how to stretch it for five years,” says Kitsis. “The upfront order will be it for the season.” Adds Horowitz, “This is not meant to be a 22-episode season. Whatever it ends up being, we’ll have told a complete story, with a beginning, middle and end.”

So Wonderland remains a standalone tale, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it can’t come back for more. “If the audience responds and people love these characters, the plan would be to bring it back next year and tell a whole new story,” Horowitz says.

The creative duo describe the difference between the flagship series and its spinoff. Once from the beginning was imagined as a long, intricate tale with multiple story arcs that necessitate more than one season to properly pull off. Wonderland, on the other hand, is inherently designed to open and close a major arc inside a single season, much like FX’s American Horror Story does.

On Wonderland Horowitz remarks, “The DNA of this show is different and consciously so. The idea is you can just come on in and enjoy the ride.” Adds Kitsis, “If you’ve seen Once, you’ll be rewarded; if you haven’t, you won’t miss a beat.”

OUAT returns and OUAT In Wonderland premieres this fall on ABC. Watch the Upfronts trailer for Wonderland here.

TV reminder: ‘Wilfred’ returns June 20 on FX (also: status update on ABC’s ‘Zero Hour’ & ‘666 Park Ave.’)

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Everyone’s favorite talking dog Wilfred (Jason Gann) returns for more adventures with his easily persuaded neighbor Ryan (Elijah Wood) on Thursday, June 20 at 10PM on FX. FYI, the 13-episode third season will air two episodes a week. Previously on Wilfred, Ryan made an intriguing discovery that he had actually drawn a family picture–Wilfred included–when he was just a boy. What does that mean? Who-slash-what is Wilfred? Will we finally find out this season?! If you’re not watching Wilfred, you’re missing out on what has to be the most hilarious, dark and deep existential dramedy on television. It makes you laugh, it makes you think, and most of all, it keeps you guessing at its true intent.

On a totally unrelated note… it’s summer time and most fall/midseason shows have come to their conclusions. A couple that were cancelled are getting their time in the sun to finish out their respective runs. ABC’s conspiracy thriller Zero Hour returns tonight at 8PM with two new back-to-back episodes. It will continue to air Saturdays at 8 until its two-hour series finale which lands on August 3. Supernatural series 666 Park Avenue has four episodes left in its run, and it will begin its final rollout next Saturday, June 22 at 9PM leading out of a new installment of Zero Hour. 666‘s one-hour finale falls on July 13. So there you have it.

USA decides not to pick up ‘Happy Endings’, sitcom stumbles into grave

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This sucks. This is so sucky. Every now and then there’s a network series that is so incredibly raw and genuine and infectious that catches the attention of a small percentage of TV viewers and for that reason it gets the sharp axe. For some, life goes on; ABC’s Cougar Town and NBC’s Southland both found life after death in the cable arena on TBS and TNT, respectively. Even FOX’s Breaking In managed to come back from the dead and return to FOX, but that didn’t last long. And most recently there is Arrested Development, an irreverent show that got cancelled before its time telling stories up and seven years later it was resurrected on Netflix.

One causality to low ratings this season was the critically acclaimed Happy Endings, an ABC sitcom with an all-star cast and impeccable writing. Like Arrested before it, Endings comes out up with too many jokes to count and leaves it up to the viewer to sift through it all laughing all the while. It’s fast-paced, younger-skewing nature is probably what led to its demise; ABC president Paul Lee admitted it was “on brand” for the network but unfortunately wasn’t “broad” enough to warrant a fourth season. And so backing studio Sony TV began shopping it around to cable nets to find a new home for it. USA showed interest in possibly picking it up for another season, but Deadline reports those talks have shut down and the cable network ultimately decided to pass on it and invest in its own programs. Sony TV continues to shop it, but now it’s really starting to look like Happy Endings has come to the end of the road.

That’s such a shame, since its ensemble cast including Casey Wilson, Elisha Cuthbert, Eliza Coupe, Adam Pally, Zachary Knighton, and (who I considered to be the funniest man on TV this season) Damon Wayans Jr. make a wonderful, natural comedic team that are always in sync week after week. I guess all we can do now is be thankful that the show even managed to make it to three seasons despite bubble ratings along the way, just like we did with Arrested. Now hopefully it won’t take a network nearly a decade to realize just how funny and hip Happy Endings really is and produce at least another season.

2013 Upfronts: ABC orders 13 new series for next season

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On Tuesday ABC took the stage at the 2013 Upfronts, unveiling 11 new series coming to the network next season: five comedies, seven dramas, and one reality show. Jump after the break to get more information about all of the new shows including synopses, cast and creator/executive producer listings, clips, and initial reactions.

Significant changes to the schedule include: Tuesday night at the network undergoes a complete overhaul; the highly anticipated drama Marvel’s Agents of S.H.E.I.L.D. opens the night at 8PM leading into two new sitcoms The Goldbergs and Trophy Wife and another new drama Lucky 7… The Dancing with the Stars results show has been yanked from the sked on Tuesday to make room for S.H.I.E.L.D. and it will now be integrated in the two-hour Stars performance show on Mondays… On Wednesdays The Middle will serve as the lead-in for the new James Caan sitcom Back In The Game and Rebel Wilson’s Super Fun Night gets the plum post-Modern Family slot at 9:30PM; Nashville will continue to close the night… Originally the plan was to have Once spinoff Once Upon A Time In Wonderland air in the winter when the flagship series will be on hiatus, but the network ultimately decided to run both Once and its spinoff concurrently in the fall; Wonderland opens Wednesday night to lead into Shonda Rhimes’ dramas Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal to make for a “empowered female” night… The Neighbors relocates to Fridays at 8:30PM paired with Last Man Standing.

Elsewhere: ABC president Paul Lee shared his plan to divide some of the network’s high profile dramas in 12-episode halves; at least Once, Revenge, and Scandal will air 12 episodes uninterrupted in the fall, take a break, and then return with another 12 episodes that will last until May. Bridging the gap in-between will be limited series like reality show The Quest… Lee also spoke about his “hard decision” to cancel the acclaimed comedy Happy Endings: “I do think Happy Endings is absolutely on brand,” he said. “What we found was it was just too narrow. It was a very hard decision because, as you know, I love that show and I found it very hard to make that decision. On the same token, I think Super Fun Night and Mixology [coming midseason] are broader shows that will bring in a wider audience.” Happy Endings still has the opportunity to be saved by a cable network like USA… Returning sitcom Suburgatory and new comedy Mixology, along with new dramas Killer Women, Mind Games, and Resurrection are being held for midseason… Following in FOX’s footsteps, ABC is touting “limited series” with shorter, cable-like runs; midseason’s Resurrection will play out as a limited series with 13 episodes.

Programs not returning next season: 666 Park Avenue, Body of Proof, Don’t Trust the B— in Apartment 23, Family Tools, Happy Endings, How To Live With Your Parents (for the Rest of Your Life), Last Resort, Malibu Country, Private Practice, Red Widow, and Zero Hour. Continue reading 2013 Upfronts: ABC orders 13 new series for next season →

ABC picks up ‘Once Upon A Time In Wonderland’

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Here’s the first production still from the Once Upon A Time spinoff now titled Once Upon A Time In Wonderland. English born actress Sophie Lowe stars as Alice, seen for the very first time in the image posted above. Here’s the latest synopsis provided by ABC:

In Victorian England, the young and beautiful Alice (Sophie Lowe) tells a tale of a strange new land that exists on the other side of a rabbit hole.  An invisible cat, a hookah smoking caterpillar and playing cards that talk are just some of the fantastic things she’s seen during this impossible adventure.  Surely this troubled girl must be insane and her doctors aim to cure her with a treatment that will make her forget everything.  Alice seems ready to put it all behind her, especially the painful memory of the genie she fell in love with and lost forever — the handsome and mysterious Cyrus (Peter Gadiot).  But deep down Alice knows this world is real and just in the nick of time, the sardonic Knave of Hearts (Michael Socha) and the irrepressible White Rabbit (John Lithgow) arrive to save her from a doomed fate. Together, the trio will take a tumble down the rabbit hole to this Wonderland where nothing is impossible.

This fresh adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s tale down the rabbit hole comes from Once co-creators Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz and will be executive produced by Steve Perlman and Zack Estrin. Wonderland is envisioned as a standalone, limited series that will air when the flagship series is on its winter hiatus. In a way, it will bridge the gap during the break. Next week ABC will be unveiling its entire slate of new series for next season and there the network will likely shed even more light on the exciting promise of a new realm to be explored.

‘Apartment 23’, ‘Zero Hour’, ‘666 Park Avenue’ & ”Do No Harm’ are coming back from the grave to wrap their seasons

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As they say, good things come to those who wait. If you tuned into cancelled shows like Zero Hour and Don’t Trust the B in Apartment 23 this season, you are getting the opportunity to get hooked once more.

Let’s start with the alphabet network. Starting May 17, Apt 23 fans can watch the remaining eight episodes from the sitcom’s second season via ABC.com, Hulu, and iTunes. Conspiracy thriller Zero Hour is due to return Saturday, June 15 at 8PM; on that day the network will air two episodes back-to-back and then the remaining eight episodes will air Saturday nights until the end. Though ABC hasn’t confirmed a return date, fans will finally learn (well, fingers crossed) if Terry O’Quinn is indeed the devil on 666 Park Avenue this summer.

On NBC, Do No Harm–which only lasted two weeks when it premiered in midseason–will return to finish its freshman run starting Saturday, June 29 at 10PM.

[Via Deadline; TVLine 1, 2]

April Fools! 2013 Edition

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Here we are again: April Fools Day. Only this time around it’s 2013 and no one is safe. We start, as is tradition, with Google’s masterful pranks. It’s all after the break…or is it. Continue reading April Fools! 2013 Edition →

‘Once Upon A Time’ spinoff set in Wonderland in the works [Update: series get a title & three stars]

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It’s true: a Once Upon A Time spinoff is in the works! Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz, creators of the ABC fantasy series based on classic fairy tale characters, are imagining a new realm to explore in a completely new series separate from their current show. They are working closely with Once consulting producer Jane Espenson and writer Zack Estrin (Zero Hour, The River, No Ordinary Family, Prison Break) to make Wonderland the main setting for the spinoff series. The original plan was to make the Mad Hatter (played by Sebastian Stan in Once) the protagonist of the new series. But there’s a reason why the charming actor hasn’t been featured in the current season of Once a whole lot–he’s a very busy actor and for this reason he unfortunately likely won’t be able to headline the proposed spinoff. The latest rumor to come out of the mill says that the Once spinoff in Wonderland will star Alice, a classic fairytale character we still haven’t met in Once just yet. According to Deadline the new series will surround Alice with other new characters including “Amahl, described as exotic, soulful and optimistic; and The Knave, a sardonic adventurer, a man of action, a loner and a heart-breaker.” The site also reports that the spinoff will take place in a post-curse world but will indeed feature flashbacks so viewers may once again be acquainted with (spoiler alert) the not-so-dearly departed Cora who once ruled Wonderland as the Queen of Hearts.

Interestingly, the Once spinoff set in Wonderland starring Alice is being envisioned as a 13-episode anthology series a la American Horror Story, meaning it will have a solid beginning, middle, and end to simply serve as a bridge between the fall and winter episodes of the main series Once Upon A Time. Most of this is simply speculation at the moment, as we won’t know more until Kitsis, Horowitz and their creative team present their spinoff ideas to ABC later this year after Once wraps its second season. Still, intriguing news for fans of the show!

Update (3/29): In the past week the Once spinoff really started to make some headway. Though shooting is not set to begin until May after the flagship series wraps its second season, a title has been bestowed unto the offshoot and its three main characters have been casted. Aussie actress Sophie Lowe has been cast as the protagonist Alice in Once: Wonderland. Her character is described as one “who has a generous heart but carries the scars of a long hard life.” Surrounding Lowe are British actors Peter Gadiot and Michael Socha who are set to play Cyrus (“Alice’s love interest with a background shrouded in mystery”) and The Knave of Hearts (“a sardonic adventurer, a man of action, a loner and a heart-breaker”). A fourth lead named Amahl (“an exotic, soulful and optimistic character”) has yet to be cast. With a name and a cast forming, Once: Wonderland is slowly but surely spinning into reality.

[Via Deadline 1, 2, 3]

ABC cancels ‘Zero Hour’ after 3 airings

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And just like that, Zero Hour‘s time is up. The search for the Hank’s wife and the unravelling of the mystery involving the disciples’ secret clocks have come to a screeching halt as ABC decided to cancel the conspiracy thriller on Friday. Cancellation came because the show from Prison Break‘s Paul Scheuring couldn’t manage to find a sizable audience. In its February 14 series premiere, Zero Hour drew 6.3 million total viewers and a 1.3 in the 18-49 demo–ABC’s lowest rated in-season premiere of a scripted program in history. Things went from bad to worse as its third and most recent airing only attracted 5 million total viewers and a low 1.0 demo rating, prompting ABC to release the axe. But is it the show’s fault, really? An entertaining and intriguing thriller, Zero Hour‘s poor performance can certainly be chalked up to its placement on the schedule–you can say the series didn’t stand a chance as a midseason entry tossed in the challenging Thursdays at 8 timeslot. Previous ABC dramas like FlashFoward, Missing, and most recently Last Resort suffered similar fate there.

So what happens to the 10 remaining unaired episodes of Zero Hour? Will viewers ever receive answers to the widespread mysteries the show has laid out thus far? At the TCAs Scheuring assured audiences that every season of the show would wrap up a major thread in the end and “reset” with the introduction of a new overarching mystery. ABC hasn’t confirmed anything, but there are whispers that like with 666 Park Avenue the Alphabet network may allow the series to run its single season course sometime this summer. One can hope.

FOX pulls ‘Ben And Kate’ and ABC yanks ‘Apt. 23’ from their schedules, effectively canceling them

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Breathe, breathe. It’s tough news, I know. This week FOX and ABC pulled low-rated comedies Ben And Kate and Don’t Trust the B—- In Apartment 23 from their respective schedules. Ben And Kate, a freshman single-cam sitcom, managed to find its comedic groove early on but it never gained a foothold in the ratings. A dynamic cast led by the-one-and-only Nat Faxon delivered an absurd mixture of funny and heart week in and week out. In fact, FOX championed its creativity in October when the network expanded its original 13 episode order to 19. “Ben And Kate [has] everything we want to stand for in comedy: smart writing, hugely appealing casts and comedy that feels contemporary and real–which is why we’re confident [it] will continue to build on what is already an appointment comedy night for young, influential audiences on Tuesdays,” said FOX entertainment president Kevin Reilly. Though its numbers hovered in poor territory, FOX gave it time to find an audience and unfortunately it never quite found one broad enough to stay on the air. B&K averaged a 1.5 rating in the all-important 18-49 adult demographic, and that’s with 7-day DVR playback included; in so many words, not good enough. In a statement FOX says they plan to air the remaining six episodes at some point in the future. [Update: FOX has stopped production on the show so only 15 episodes will be produced meaning there are 2 unaired episodes that may or may not screen in the future.] And even though the net isn’t confirming cancellation, a sudden yank from the sked like this pretty much seals the deal.

The same goes for ABC’s wild comedy Apt. 23. But in this case you could really see the axe coming. Though the show certainly managed to grow creatively from its shortened first season, the viewers at large didn’t seem to notice and didn’t latch on. The way in which ABC aired the show was an ominous sign for fans. Many episodes that were originally produced for season one bled into season 2 and made storylines jump all around the place; this would introduce confusion for newcomers. After ABC pulled 666 Park Avenue from its Sunday lineup, the net decided to run Apt. 23 and Happy Endings twice a week, in the Sunday 10PM hour and on their regular Tuesday night. This experiment only lasted so long; Apt. 23 has been abandoned (its most recent ep drew a low 1.1 demo rating) and (thankfully) Happy Endings will continue its run on Tuesdays. No word on whether or not the remaining eight unaired episodes of Apt. 23 will see the light of day. For now, it’s goodbye peachy June, goodbye creepy Eli, goodbye obsessive Robin, goodbye hopeless Mark, goodbye infectious Luther, goodbye James Van Der Beek, and so long Chole. We’ll miss your bitchy ways.

TCA 13: Creator Paul Scheuring aims to explore the human condition in his conspiracy thriller ‘Zero Hour’

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After watching the bizarre and slightly corny trailer for ABC’s upcoming conspiracy thriller Zero Hour, I must admit it made it sort of hard for me to recommend this midseason drama. The only elements pushing me to give it a try was that Prison Break creator Paul Scheuring is behind it and that revered actor Anthony Edwards (ER) stars. Today’s TCA panel pimping Zero Hour led by Scheuring and with some comments from Edwards has injected some much-needed confidence into me–it’s very high concept, it’s serialized to the core, and this show might just be an addicting thrill ride that educates and poses some lofty, intriguing questions about religion and history.

Briefly, Zero Hour stars Edwards as Hank Galliston, a publisher of a skeptics magazine, who has spent his career following clues, debunking myths and cracking conspiracies. But when his wife, Laila (Jacinda Barrett), is abducted from her antique clock shop by an international terrorist, Hank gets pulled into one of the most compelling mysteries in human history, stretching around the world and back centuries.

“The entire show is about the man or the woman beneath the identity,” Scheuring explained. “If you wear a Christian cross, are you automatically good? If you wear a Nazi armband, are you automatically bad? And that I think ultimately makes for more complex and interesting drama. All those different characters wear these different surface adornments, like Naziism, Christianity. But what’s the human beneath it?… I want to have a more sophisticated three-dimensional view of the characters as opposed to ‘Nazi! Bad!’ I mean, who cares?” After posing a hypothetical question ‘is the Christian God is real’ he stated, “Scientifically, that’s the question we are starting to ask as the season goes along.” (Along the same lines of he was stated earlier, he made a rather controversial statement when he said “The idea that all Nazis are bad is something we are exploring, 100 percent.”)

Scheuring shared, “There were two mandates: deliver something gigantic and make a spectacle.” Later he went on to admit, “There’s a fair amount of crazy in here.” Though critics are making comparions to the movies that star Tom Hanks as Robert Langdon, Scheuring was adamant, “We’re not the Da Vinci Code.” Continue reading TCA 13: Creator Paul Scheuring aims to explore the human condition in his conspiracy thriller ‘Zero Hour’ →