Tuesday, March 04, 2008
Nick at Nite March 2008 - George Lopez Week; TBS and TNT Upfront 2008- New Sitcoms, Dramas...and Match Game!
We will try to detail this more when more information comes, but this sounds like a, watch out, whoooooppppaaa week, as George would say! Discuss this month here.
TBS and TNT had its annual upfront yesterday and many original series are in the works for both cable networks.
TBS, television's top-rated comedy network, is ramping up its production of original programming with a slate of primetime comedy series in development, two late-night pilots ordered and three late-night projects in the works. The network, which currently ranks as ad-supported cable's #1 network in primetime delivery of young adults, has enjoyed tremendous success with such original programming as My Boys, The Bill Engvall Show and Frank TV. All three of those series are set to return.
Primetime projects in development include a sitcom adaptation of Jane Ganahl's bestselling memoir Naked on the Page: The Misadventures of My Unmarried Midlife, along with half-hour comedies from Dave Caplan (The Drew Carey Show) and Brian Hargrove (Titus). For late night, TBS has ordered pilot presentations of the animated series Stay Tooned (working title) and a new edition of the classic game show Match Game. TBS is also working on late-night comedies with Robert Townsend, The Jim Henson Company and Mark Wolper.
TNT is planning a significant boost in original programming, with 14 series in development and a plan to change most of the network's weekday, primetime schedule to originals by 2010. TNT's aggressive plan includes a mixture of scripted dramas, unscripted programs and the network's award-winning telecasts of the NBA. Under the new strategy, TNT will continue to showcase popular movies on Friday nights and weekends.
TNT has several new series in development. They join two recently greenlit projects Raising the Bar (working title), from executive producer Steven Bochco (NYPD Blue), and Leverage, from executive producer Dean Devlin (Independence Day). Both projects are expected to premiere in TNT's lineup later this year. TNT is also considering Truth in Advertising, from Greer Shephard and Michael M. Robin, executive producers of The Closer.
Scripted series in development include The Genie Chronicles, a fantasy-adventure from DreamWorks Television, producers of TNT's Into the West; Generations, a family drama from executive producer Robert Redford and writer/executive producer John Sacret Young (The West Wing, China Beach); Technophobia, from executive producer Mark Frost (Twin Peaks); an untitled project from the Hoosiers team of Angelo Pizzo and David Anspaugh; and an untitled drama based on characters created by crime novelist Tess Gerritsen.
For the first time, TNT is also branching into unscripted series, with several projects in development from such talents as Ridley Scott, Tony Scott, Mark Burnett, Mark Wolper, former NBA star Kenny Smith and Gay Rosenthal.
TNT's current original programming successes include ad-supported cable's #1 series of all time, The Closer, starring Golden Globe winner Kyra Sedgwick. That series will return for its fourth season this summer. The network's highly successful Saving Grace, featuring Oscar winner Holly Hunter, also will return for a second season this summer. The show premiered in 2007, claiming ad-supported cable's largest audience of the year for a new series launch.
For full details on each new project with synopsis, click HERE!
Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows
Friday, November 7
Happy's Place - "Promises, Promises" (NBC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
When Emmett continues his nightly check-ins with Bobbie to ensure her safety, Isabella pays the price as she's kept up by their loud late-night chats, prompting her to tell Bobbie to advance their relationship or at least take it out of the house.
Stumble - "Pilot" (NBC, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Courteney Potter is fired from her job after being involved in a cheer scandal; to salvage her reputation and career, she must put together a competitive team in a tiny school with an unpronounceable name and only one cheerleader.
Vampirina: Teenage Vampire - "First Villain" (Disney Channel, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Sophie directs Vee and Elijah in a romantic scene; a new student from Transylvania, Lucien, disrupts the chemistry; Demi and Britney have kitchen duties.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of November 3)
Friday, November 7
- Kristen Bell (Nobody Wants This/Central Park/The Good Place) - Watch Kristen on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Dave Franco (The Afterparty/Scrubs/Do Not Disturb) - Dave is a guest on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Janelle James (Abbott Elementary) - Janelle dishes on ABC's Abbott Elementary on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
- Rainn Wilson (The Office) - Rainn chats about Soul Boom Workbook: Spiritual Tools for Modern Living with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
- Jeff Hiller (Somebody Somewhere/Nightcap) - Jeff talks about Lost and Found in Cleveland and Actress of a Certain Age: My Twenty-Year Trail to Overnight Success on The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
- Taran Killam (Stumble/Single Parents) and Jenn Lyon (Stumble/Saint George) - Taran and Jenn talk about Stumble on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
- Lil Rel Howery (Rel/The Carmichael Show) - Lil Rel, Tabitha Brown and the cast of the new holiday movie Unexpected Christmas stop by Sherri, so check your local listings.
- Laura Dern (F Is for Family/Enlightened) - Drew Drew sits down and chats with Laura on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
- Sydney Sweeney (Everything Sucks!) - Sydney talks about her new movie Christy on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
- Rachel Sennott (I Love LA/Call Your Mother) - Rachel tells Drew about her upcoming show I Love LA on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listirngs.
New on DVD and Blu-ray
01/28 - Wait Till Your Father Gets Home - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/04 - The Wayans Bros. - The Complete Series
03/11 - Frasier (2023) - Season Two
04/01 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete Third Season
05/13 - The Drew Carey Show - The Complete Series* (missing 4 episodes and some music has been replaced or altered)
06/06 - Shoresy - Season 2
06/17 - Looney Tunes - Collector's Vault - Volume 1 (Blu-ray)
07/22 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)
08/26 - The Huckleberry Hound Show - The Complete Original Series (Blu-ray)
10/07 - Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - The Complete First Season
More Recent and Upcoming TV DVD and Blu-ray Releases / TV Shows on DVD, Blu-ray and Prime Video / DVD Reviews Archive
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