Warner Brothers to announce single Blu-ray/HD DVD optical disc January 4, 2007 9:00 am
Posted by Rosario T. Calabria in Blu-ray Disc, DVD, HD DVD, Movies, News, Television.add a comment
Understanding that consumers are wary of buying into the new high-definition players, Warner Brothers plans to announce a new disc (Total HD disc) capable of playing film and television content in both formats.
Executives at Time Warner (parent of Warner Brothers) hope the disc will generate an increase of sales of the new High-Definition players. Barry M. Meyer, the chairman and chief executive of Warner Brothers, said in an interview that the company came up with the Total HD disc after concluding that neither Blu-ray or HD DVD was going to lose the format war anytime soon.
“The next best thing is to recognize that there will be two formats and to make that not a negative for the consumer,” Mr. Meyer said. “We felt that the most significant constituency for us to satisfy was the consumer first, and the retailer second. The retailer wants to sell hardware and doesn’t want to be forced into stocking two formats for everything. This is ideal for them.”
The disc will be debuted at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas next Tuesday.
Source: — [The NY Times] — New Disc May Sway DVD Wars
LG Electronics set to debut first dual-mode HD DVD/Blu-ray player January 4, 2007 8:45 am
Posted by Rosario T. Calabria in Blu-ray Disc, DVD, HD DVD, Movies, News.add a comment
South Korean electronics giant LG Electronics. Inc. announced Thursday their intention to develop the worlds first Optical Disc Player capable of supporting the two competing disc formats — Blu-ray and HD DVD.
LG will debut the player next week at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The company had originally planned to release models for each format, but decided against that approach, fueling speculation that they were moving in this direction towards a dual player.
The new model will hit the U.S. market during the first quarter of this year, with LG adding that they will announce a timeframe and price point for the device during CES.
Possible renewal for ‘Galactica’ close January 3, 2007 5:34 pm
Posted by Rosario T. Calabria in Battlestar Galactica, News, Rumors, Sci Fi, Science Fiction, Television.add a comment
SyFy Portal is reporting, but stressing the news should be viewed as rumor, that Sci Fi is close to renewing the critical hit Battlestar Galactica for a fourth season, possibly even before the switch to Sunday nights happens this January.
“Moving a show to Sunday nights might at first glance appear to be an act of desperation, but SciFi Channel is expected to officially give the greenlight to a fourth season of “Battlestar Galactica,” possibly even before the show makes its Sunday night debut on Jan. 21.”
The site is also reporting that news isn’t so good for the proposed spinoff Caprica: “Anyone expecting to see ‘Caprica’ before 2008 is fooling themselves,” a SciFi Channel source told SyFy Portal. “There is still quite a bit to be worked out.”
The site also goes on to report that Sci Fi is not expected to grant a greenlight for the recent mini-series The Lost Room which aired at the end of December and averaged a 1.8 household rating over its three nights (1.9, 1.7, 1.7), well below previous mini-series by the network (3.0+ from Mini’s such as Battlestar Galactica and more recently The Triangle).
Battlestar Galactica averaged a 1.5 household rating during the first half of its third season. The show is down nearly 30% from the 2.0 it averaged over the first 10 episodes of season 2.
Source: — [SyFy Portal] — ‘Battlestar Galactica’ To Get Renewed, ‘Caprica’ Struggles
Stacy Kiebler to guest star on two ABC shows January 3, 2007 5:19 pm
Posted by Rosario T. Calabria in News, Television.add a comment
Stacy Keibler, former WWE star and more recently a favorite dancing contestant on season 2 of Dancing with the Stars, will be a guest character on two ABC shows; What about Brian and George Lopez.
From the ABC Press Release:
She will begin a seven-episode arc of ABC’s drama series “What About Brian,” playing fledgling actress/model Stephanie who moves in to an apartment downstairs from Brian (Barry Watson). There is an immediate flirtatious bond between Brian and the irresistibly hot Stephanie, causing even more problems between Brian and his current girlfriend. The episode, entitled “What About Finding Your Place…,” is scheduled to air MONDAY, FEBRUARY 5.
In the ABC comedy “George Lopez,” Stacy plays Vic’s young and beautiful but not too bright fiancie. The episode, entitled “George’s House Has Two Empty Wombs,” is scheduled to air WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 31, and the episode entitled “George Thinks Vic’s Fiancie is Lion about Being a Cheetah” is scheduled to air WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21.
What about Brian is in its second year and currently airs Monday nights from 10:00 to 11:00 PM.
George Lopez begins its sixth season this January and airs Wednesday nights from 8:00 to 8:30 PM.
All times eastern.
USA Network picks up “Mary Sunshine” January 3, 2007 5:12 pm
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The USA Network has given a full series order to the pilot Mary Sunshine, ordering an additional 11 episodes of the Mary McCormack starring drama.
“When you’ve got something so good, you don’t let it go,” USA executive vp original programming Jeff Wachtel said of the network’s pickup decision. The series won’t be ready to go for about a year.
‘Mary’ is said to be similar and compatible with USA’s Monk and Psych, but it is expected to be launched on its own.Source: — [The Hollywood Reporter] — USA sets sights on ‘Mary’
NBC puts first part of new Apprentice season opener online January 3, 2007 4:17 pm
Posted by Rosario T. Calabria in News, Television.add a comment
The first 20 minutes of the sixth season of The Apprentice have been put online, ready to stream from either NBC.com or Yahoo! Those interested in checking out the first 20 minutes of the 90-minute premiere (set to launch this Sunday, January 7 from 9:30 to 11:00 PM ET. on NBC) can do so at either site.
From the NBC Press Release:
Dramatic new twists and turns – and a cross-country move to Los Angeles – make NBC’s new season of “The Apprentice” more compelling than ever when 18 new candidates engage in the series’ fiercest competition yet. In a compelling social experiment of haves and have nots, candidates this season will have to earn the right to live like Trump. Each week, the winning team will get to live in a luxurious mansion. But the losers will have to sleep outside in the back yard of the mansion in tents with outdoor showers and port-a-potties, giving the “Apprentice” hopefuls more incentive than ever to win their tasks each week.
In another engaging new twist, the winning project manager will sit in the boardroom and help advise Mr. Trump on who he should fire each week from the opposing team, plus they will also remain project manager until their team loses. Ivanka and Donald Trump Jr. will return for several episodes, along with previous “Apprentice” winners, as boardroom advisors to their father.
The series will return to its regular timslot the following week (January 14); Sundays from 9:00 to 10:00 PM ET.
NBC orders pilots for three shows January 3, 2007 4:11 pm
Posted by Rosario T. Calabria in New Show Orders, News, Television.add a comment
NBC executives have given the go ahead for three drama pilot orders of shows by David Eick (Bionic Woman), Dennis Leary (Fort Pit) and Josh Schwartz (Chuck).
From Variety:
“Fort Pit,” from Sony Pictures TV, is based on a real NYPD precinct in which “bad cops go to finish off their careers and young rookie cops with no pull go to start their careers,” said Sony Pictures TV co-prexy Zack Van Amburg.
Meanwhile, “Chuck,” an action comedy about twentysomething spies, is written by Schwartz and Chris Fedak. Warner Bros. TV is producing.
Then there’s “Bionic Woman,” a new take on the 1970s franchise from Eick (“Battlestar Galactica”) and Laeta Kalogridis (“The Dive”), both of whom are writing and exec producing (Daily Variety, Oct. 10). Drama, from NBC Universal TV Studio, was given a cast-contingent order.
Head on over to Variety for more details on the pilots ordered.
Source: — [Variety] — NBC pilots 3 dramas
Two new channels expected to emerge from News Corp/Time Warner carriage deal January 3, 2007 12:03 am
Posted by Rosario T. Calabria in News, Television.add a comment
An expected business news channel moved one step closer to a reality as News Corp. signed a deal with Time Warner (the nations second largest Cable company with about 23 million subscribers) to carry the network when it launches (which is expected to be sometime this year). Comcast (12 million homes) is also signed on with News Corp. for the network.
Time Warner, in the deal, also agreed to carry the Fox Reality Channel when that network launches.
Source: — [TV Week] — Time Warner, Fox News Ink Carriage Deal
Indiana Jones 4 to begin filming in June January 2, 2007 11:45 pm
Posted by Rosario T. Calabria in Indiana Jones, Movies, News.add a comment
The fourth film in the Indiana Jones saga (currently untitled) will begin filming in June of this year.
The David Koepp penned script will be directed by Steven Spielberg and Harrison Ford will star. Frank Marshall will serve as producer, while George Lucas and Kathy Kennedy will serve as executive producers.
Though casting has not begun yet (with the exception of Ford as Indy) both Ford and Lucas have gone on the record stating they hope to have Sean Connery reprise his role as Indy’s father. Lucas said: “we are writing him in whether he wants to do it or not.”
There is still no exact release date set for the movie, but it’s expected to be released sometime in May of 2008.
Source: — [The Hollywood Reporter] — Can you dig it? Fourth ‘Indy’ in ’08
Court TV pulled from DISH Network (video included) January 2, 2007 9:59 pm
Posted by Rosario T. Calabria in News, Television.6 comments
Court TV has been taken off DISH Network’s channel lineup, effective 12:01 AM Monday, January 1, 2007. Both parties say they failed to come to terms on a new carriage agreement.
Turner said that EchoStar (the parent company of DISH Network) is “unwilling to pay…the standard industry rate”, but are willing to work with the company to return the channel to the roughly 12 million DISH subscribers capable of receiving the network.
EchoStar’s Eric Sahl, senior VP of programming for DISH responded, calling Turner’s asking price “unreasonable” adding “It is not fair to ask our customers to pay a DBS premium for a channel owned by the second largest cable operator, Time Warner.”
The Biography Channel will fill the gap left by Court TV while negotiations continue between the two sides.
Turner, in the meantime, began airing a television spot urging their viewers to call DISH Network and register their dissaproval with the loss of the channel. You can view the video of the commerical below.
ABC green lights tv version of “Mr and Mrs. Smith” January 2, 2007 9:58 pm
Posted by Rosario T. Calabria in Movies, New Show Orders, News, Television.1 comment so far
In development for a while, Variety is reporting that ABC has given to go ahead on a small-screen version of the hit Brad Pitt/Angelina Jolie film Mr. & Mrs. Smith.
The script was originally ordered back in January of 2006. The series will be overseen by Doug Liman and Simon Kinberg as director and writer, and they will be joined by Dave Bartis as executive producers.
“ABC has been amazing in terms of giving us time for development,” Kinberg said. He also added that the plan is to get the pilot out by March.
The show will be more comedic than the feature with a little more darkness, saying: “It’s essentially ‘Married … With Children’ with guns,” Kinberg said. “The show takes all the marital issues a couple has and blows them up to action-genre size.”
So rather than fight about who forgot to pack the toothpaste, “They’ll bicker over someone forgetting to pack the detonator,” he said.
This wil be the second time a TV version of Mr. & Mrs. Smith was attempted, there was a 1996 version of the show that lasted less than 2 months on CBS. It starred Scott Bakula and Maria Bello.
Source: — [Variety] — ABC gets with ‘Smith’
Bravo renews Top Chef January 2, 2007 9:58 pm
Posted by Rosario T. Calabria in News, Renewals, Television.add a comment
Bravo has renewed its top-rated food competition program Top Chef for a third season.
Among comparable food programs on cable, Top Chef is the top rated among adults 18-49 (1.224M) and women 25-54 (755,000).”The second season of ‘Top Chef’ has outperformed even our highest expectations both in ratings and the quality of this non-fictional competitive drama,” says Bravo President Lauren Zalaznick. “We look forward to discovering another group of culinary talents with the same passion for food and cooking with commanding personalities that make ‘Top Chef’ a must see every Wednesday night.”
The second series returns tomorrow (January 3) for the first of five remaining second season episodes. The program is up 56% in the key demo viewers compared to its first year (786,000 to 1.224M).
Happy New Year! January 1, 2007 7:16 pm
Posted by Rosario T. Calabria in Websites (Site Info).add a comment
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
I’ll be back tomorrow with updates.
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