NBC to give “Top Chef” a network run December 12, 2006 10:19 pm
Posted by Rosario T. Calabria in News, Television.add a comment
NBC will be giving the Bravo reality show “Top Chef” its first network airing December 30th (a Saturday) at 8:00 PM ET.
The episode to be aired will be a re-airing of a holiday episode which will air on Bravo on Decemeber 13th.
Top Chef is currently in its second year on Bravo and is a solid performer for the network. It’s most recent episode attracted 1.76 million viewers.
NBC announces broadcast team for first two NFL playoff games December 12, 2006 10:15 pm
Posted by Rosario T. Calabria in News, NFL, Sports, Television.2 comments
On January 6, 2007, NBC will have a doubleheader of football that night. Tom Hammond (Notre Dame football broadcaster for the network) and Cris Collinsworth (currently a contributer to NBC’s “Football Night In America” as well as part of the NFL Networks Thursday night football games) will announce the first game of the night.
NBC’s regular team of Al Michaels and John Madden will call the second game.
Collinsworth and Hammond last worked together for the 1995 Orange Bowl college football game and also worked together calling NBC’s Notre Dame broadcasts from 1992-1994
Golden Globe Nominations to be announced this Thursday [Update] December 11, 2006 7:19 pm
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The nominations for “The 64th Annual Golden Globe Awards” will be announced at the Beverly Hilton on December 14, 2006.
Jessica Biel, Scarlett Johansson and Mathew Perry, will join Hollywood Foreign Press Association President Philip Berk that morning to give the nominations for 25 categories.
The awards ceremony will take place live on NBC at 8:00 PM on Monday, January 15, 2007.
HBO looking to launch Online Video Service December 11, 2006 6:55 pm
Posted by Rosario T. Calabria in Movies, News, Sports, Television, Video Downloads.add a comment
According to HBO’s Eric Kessler, president of sales and marketing for the channel, the network hopes to launch a broadband-video service sometime during the 2007 calendar year.
“We believe we can do with the broadband platform what we did with the on-demand product for our partners,” Kessler said. “Our goal is to create a broadband product with our affiliates that would continue to increase our usage and the value of HBO to our subscribers.”
No other details about the service have been announced, but it is expected to contain the same original series, specials and sports offerings currently available on HBO On Demand (a subscription based VOD channel).
Prince to perform during Super Bowl halftime show December 11, 2006 6:49 pm
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It was announced today that the 11 time nominated and six-time winning Grammy performer Prince will be entertaining the audience of Super Bowl XLI, as well as the nation, on February 4th in Miami.
Prince makes the third straight Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame member to be the lead act during the Super Bowl, following up on Paul McCartney two years ago and the Rolling Stones’ Mick Jagger last year.
ESPN aquires European Football (Soccer) December 11, 2006 6:45 pm
Posted by Rosario T. Calabria in ESPN, News, Sports, Television.1 comment so far
ESPN has picked up the rights to air the 2008 UEFA European Football Championshiops, sheculded for Saturday, June 7 through Sunday June 29, 2008.
The tournament, which will be played in Austria and Switzerland, is one of the most popular sporting events in the world today.
On the television front, all 31 games will be shown (exclusively) on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN Classic and ABC as well as on ESPN Deportes.
ESPN Radio also has the broadcast rights to air the games on the radio if they so choose.
Soccer rated very highly during the past world cup on all the ESPN nets as well as on ABC, and ESPN has taken steps in recent months to continue expanding their soccer portfolio in an effort to capitialize and maintain the sports increase in ratings.
Firefly to become video game December 11, 2006 1:30 am
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“Firefly”, the short lived (2002), but critically acclaimed and fan-loved Science Fiction series, will be resurrected once again (the show spawned a theatrical movie titled “Serenity” last year), but this time in video game form.
Wired.com is reporting that Multiverse has struck a deal with Fox Licensing to turn the show into a MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game) in the vein of Star Wars Galaxies and Eve Online.
“We see virtual worlds as an extraordinarily promising new entertainment medium,” said Adam Kline, Fox Licensing’s vice president of media enterprises in an e-mail. “We believe Multiverse can deliver an experience that will remain true to the original series, while enabling a whole new level of personal involvement for fans.”
The online game will feature many different characters, not just the central characters.
“Television series can be really good properties to turn into MMOs, because when you make a TV series, not only do you need great characters, but you need to create a full, rich, compelling place,” Bridges says. “If you’re doing science fiction, you have to really think it out and create an incredibly rich environment that is compelling in its own right, and worth exploring and going back to week after week. That’s what Joss Whedon did with Firefly.”
Multiverse hopes to have a playable version of the game ready by 2008.
Source: [Wired] — Firefly Reborn as Online Universe
AFI Top 10 Film and Television names announced December 11, 2006 12:28 am
Posted by Rosario T. Calabria in Battlestar Galactica, Movies, News, Television.add a comment
AFI (the American Film Institute) has announced their 7th annual list of the top 10 film and television programs for the past year.
On the television front, NBC Universal was well represented with four series from NBC (“The Office”, “The West Wing”, “Heroes” and “Friday Night Lights”) as well as one series from Sci Fi (a division of NBC Universal) the critical darling “Battlestar Galactica”.
Other television series in the list were HBO’s “Elizabeth I” and “The Wire”, Showtime’s “Dexter”, Comedy Central’s “South Park” and Fox’s “24”.
On the film front, there was a wide mix of drama and comedy led by such movies as “Borat: Cultural Learnings Of America For Make Benefit Glorious Nation Of Kazakhstan”, “Happy Feet”, “Babel”, “The Devil Wears Prada” and “United 93”.
Others in the category being honored were “Dreamgirls”, “Half Nelson”, “Inside Man”, “Letters from Iwo Jima” and “Little Miss Sunshine”.
The awards show will be held January 12th at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills, where the rational behind each award choice will be disclosed during a ceremony.
Source: [Variety] – AFI names top films of the year
“Criminal Minds” gets post-Super Bowl Spot December 9, 2006 2:16 am
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CBS has decided to give the sophomore drama “Criminal Minds” the plush post-Super Bowl time-slot.
The series will air immediately following Super Bowl XLI on Sunday, February 4, 2007.
“This is an outstanding opportunity to expose a series that is young in its life cycle and on the rise to an enormous universe of potential new viewers,” said CBS entertainment president Nina Tassler.
“Criminal Minds” has performed very strongly this season against “Lost”, averaging nearly 17 million viewers a week and showing strong year-to year double-digit gains in the key adults 18-49 demo.
Another “Star Trek” Auction December 9, 2006 2:07 am
Posted by Rosario T. Calabria in Movies, News, Star Trek, Television.1 comment so far
Beginning December 15th, “Star Trek” fans will get the chance to bid on props and costumes from the franchise’s film and tv productions.
The ‘Trek’ items will be auctioned off on itsawraphollywood.com and eBay and will include itmes from all five TV series and all 10 films and some items being auctioned off include costumes from Captain Kirk and Captain Picard, Klingon “Bat-Leth’s and even certain pieces of furniture from the set of “The Next Generation”.
Click here for more details on the auction.
Spielberg and TNT team-up on a new project December 9, 2006 1:59 am
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Having last worked together on the hit 2005 limited mini-series “Into the West”, TNT and Steven Spielberg (through DreamWorks Television) are once again teaming up another limited series, “The Talisman”. The six-hour drama will premiere in the summer of 2008.
“The Talisman” is an adaption of a 1984 book by Stephen King and Peter Straub. In the novel, a boy travels into a parallel universe of good and evil in search of a talisman which can save his mothers life.
“Show Me the Money” picked up for more episodes December 9, 2006 1:55 am
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ABC has picked up six additional episodes of the William Shatner hosted game show “Show Me the Money”.
The series will also be moving to Tuesday’s at 8:00 PM beginning January 2nd.
It has averaged about 7.74M viewers a week this season thus far, with a 2.1/6 rating and share in adults 18-49.
David Letterman signs contract extension December 9, 2006 1:50 am
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David Letterman, host of the “Late Show With David Letterman” has signed a new contract with CBS to host the program through the fall of 2010.
The deal ensures Letterman will be staying on the air past Jay Leno of NBC’s “Tonight Show”, who has already signed a contract to stay with that program through 2009. At that time, Conan O’Brian will become host of the program.”I’m thrilled to be continuing on at CBS. At my age you really don’t want to have to learn a new commute,” Mr. Letterman said in the announcement by CBS this past Monday.
“Thirteen years ago, David Letterman put CBS late-night on the map and in the process became one of the defining icons of our network,” Leslie Moonves, president and CEO of CBS Corp., said. “His presence on our air is an ongoing source of pride, and the creativity and imagination that the ‘Late Show’ puts forth every night is an ongoing display of the highest-quality entertainment. We are truly honored that one of the most revered and talented entertainers of our time will continue to call CBS ‘home.'”
Letterman is expected to make a little north of $30 million a year.
“One Tree Hill” fans get chance to appear on series December 9, 2006 1:37 am
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The CW, Warner Bros. Television and Sunkist are teaming up to give fans of the CW drama “One Tree Hill” a chance to appear in an episode of the series.
The contest will begin now and run through January 7, 2007. Fans can submit 30-second videos of themselves (through the CW website here) telling the creators why you have a passion for the show, and giving a few details about you and your hometown.
The winner will then have an episode filmed in their city during February and have the possibility of making a cameo appearence in the episode.
ABC tries not to get “Lost” on Wednesday nights. December 9, 2006 1:26 am
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When “Lost” returns in February, it will be sharing the Wednesday night spotlight with the next cycle of Fox’s “American Idol”. Same night being the key phrase as ABC has decided to move “Lost” out of direct competition with the ratings juggernaut ‘Idol’.
Starting February 7, 2007, “Lost” will have a new home on Wednesday nights at 10:00 PM. The series will now be going up against “CSI: NY” on CBS and NBC’s “Medium”.
“Lost” has experienced slight declines this season as its had to hold off a surging “Criminal Minds” which is routinely beating the show in households and occasionally in viewers as well as viewer complaints with the show’s formula.
This move will allow ABC to not have to worry about any additional loss that may be caused by the return of “American Idol”.
With “Lost” being moved out of the 9:00 PM time-slot, ABC is making room for two new comedies: the long-awaited “The Knights of Prosperity” (about an aging janitor who gets along with a group of misfits to rob Mick Jagger’s home) and “In Case of Emergency” (a comedy focusing on the lives of four freinds in their 30’s who haven’t seen each other since high school).
Those two shows will premiere January 3rd of next year.
The 8:00 PM time-period will be occupied by another set of comedies: “George Lopez” (premiering January 3rd) and “According to Jim” (premiering January 24th).
Florida moves past Michigan for the #2 spot in the AP and Coaches Top 25 polls December 3, 2006 4:20 pm
Posted by Rosario T. Calabria in College Football, News, Sports, Television.2 comments
The Associated Press is reporting that Florida has passed Michigan to take the #2 spot in the AP Top 25 and the USA Today Top 25 Coaches poll.
After the USC loss last night, the final spot in the BCS Championship game against the Ohio State Buckeyes will be between the Michigan Wolverines and the Florida Gators.
Ohio State’s coach Tressel abstained this week in his voting in the USA Today Coaches Poll.
“We are excited to play in the BCS title game against a tremendous opponent,” he said in a statement. “After consultation with my director of athletics, Gene Smith, and based upon our unique position in the BCS standings, I believe it is only fair that we not participate the final poll.”
With the movement of Florida into the final spot it is expected that Florida will be the #2 team in the final BCS poll, which will be released later today.
Continue reading to see the complete AP Top 25 and USA Today Top 25 Coaches Poll.
CBS pushes Daytime Emmys to the summer December 3, 2006 1:18 am
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After winning yet another November sweeps (in households and viewers but not adults 18-49), CBS is already planning ahead as they look towards the next sweeps period; May.
The “34th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards” will be moved from April (where it has aired for the past 15 years) to June. The date announced is June 15th from 9:00 to 11:00 PM ET.
The reasoning behind the move is to stem any sort of loss of viewership leading up to May sweeps, when networks set ad rates based on the ratings data for the period. The program isn’t expected to produce much of an audience, as the most recent installment on ABC produced record low ratings.
“Fugly” pilot ordered by CBS December 3, 2006 1:10 am
Posted by Rosario T. Calabria in New Show Orders, News, Television.4 comments
CBS has ordered a pilot for a project called “Fugly”, the script was written by the creator of “My Name Is Earl”
“What I love about the show is that it’s about a family that’s always been on the outside looking in, watching other people being successful,” said creator Greg Garcia. “They ultimately decide that they need to be beautiful to achieve their dreams.”
Garcia wrote “Fugly” back during the 2004-2005 season for Fox, but they refused and it never went to any other network.
The pilot will be executive-produced by Garcia, and is scheduled to be shot in March, when production on Garcia’s current series ‘Earl’ ends for the second season.
Sci Fi and RHI Entertainment announce “Wizard of Oz” spinoff mini-series titled “Tin Man” December 3, 2006 1:01 am
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Sci Fi has teamed with RHI Entertainment to create a six-hour mini-series based on “The Wizard of Oz” tentively titled “Tin Man” set for a December 2007 premiere.
A sometimes psychedelic, often twisted and always bizarre take on ‘The Wizard of Oz,’ SCI FI’s ‘Tin Man’ is the epic tale of DG, a young woman plucked from her humdrum life and thrust into The Outer Zone (the O.Z.) – a fantastical realm rife with wonder, but oppressed by dark magic. In the adventure of a lifetime, DG discovers her true identity, battles evil winged-monkey-bats, and attempts to fulfill her destiny. Her perilous journey begins on the fabled Old Road that leads to a wizard known as the Mystic Man. Along the way, she is joined by a decidedly strange trio of companions – “Glitch,” an odd man missing half his brain; “Raw,” a quietly powerful wolverine-like creature longing for inner courage, and “Cain,” a heroic former policeman (who are known in the O.Z. as “Tin Men”) seeking vengeance for his scarred heart. Ultimately, DG’s destiny leads her to an emotional and terrifying showdown with the scintillatingly wicked sorceress Azkadellia, whose ties to DG are closer than anyone could have imagined. DG’s life, as well as the very future of the O.Z., hang in the balance.
Casting is underway for the mini which will be written by Steven Long Mitchell and Craig Van Sickle (creators of “The Pretender”).
The mini will go into production in Vancouver sometime in early 2007.
“Raines” given premiere date December 1, 2006 5:12 am
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Though it failed to make the midseason schedule, “Raines” hasn’t disappeared. NBC has set a March 2007 premiere date for the supernatural series which stars Jeff Goldblum as a detective who sees ghosts.
It will air Friday nights at 9:00 PM ET, replacing “Las Vegas” when that series ends its string of first-run episodes.
A&E orders second season of “Gene Simmons Family Jewels” December 1, 2006 5:06 am
Posted by Rosario T. Calabria in News, Renewals, Television.1 comment so far
A&E has ordered a second season of the Gene Simmons reality vehicle, signing off on a 20 episode run.
“Our viewers have really connected with Gene and his family,” says Bob DeBitetto, executive vice president and general manager at A&E. “‘Gene Simmons Family Jewels’ is a great example of A&E’s unique brand of peal-life series, presenting remarkable personal stories in an entertaining but always honest way.”
‘Family Jewels’ is the networks best original series launch since 2004 (“Dog the Bounty Hunter”) and averaged 1.3 million viewers and episode for the first season.
Gene Simmons had the following to say about the pickup: “Now that A&E has picked us up for another 20 shows, I suppose they expect me to put out. I will. “My family, Shannon, Nick and Sophie, my partners Leslie Greif and Adam Reed, the entire staff and I have a ‘take no prisoners’ approach to doing things. It’s our way or the highway and we’re proud to be back.”
Production on the second season has already begun, with the second season set to premiere sometime in 2007 (official date not yet set).
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