Summer 2008 TCA Press Tour: Fox, Day 1; Happy Days Duo Reunite for Possible New Series; MySpace Adds Krofft Classics

Monday, July 14, 2008

Summer 2008 TCA Press Tour: Fox, Day 1; Happy Days Duo Reunite for Possible New Series; MySpace Adds Krofft Classics

The broadcast portion of the summer 2008 TCA press tour started Saturday with PBS, and among the series they announced were a revival of the classic '70s children's series The Electric Company, returning in January 2009 and a new children's series launching Sept. 1 called Sid the Science Kid. Also, of note from PBS was a comedy special coming in January 2009. Make 'Em Laugh: The Funny Business of America is a landmark six-part series that will chronicle the funniest moments in American entertainment, from the pratfalls that entertained immigrants in the early 1900s to the most biting satire and stand-up today, to illuminate how comedy has been a mirror of our changing society. Among those interviewed: Sid Caesar, George Carlin, Dick Gregory, Carl Reiner, Joan Rivers, Shelley Berman, the Smothers Brothers, Jonathan Winters, Mort Sahl, Steve Martin, Jason Alexander, Phyllis Diller, Cheech Marin, Bill Maher, Lily Tomlin, Lorne Michaels, and a Who's Who of other groundbreaking comic minds. Should be good.
Today and tomorrow Fox and Fox cable networks are up. Today it is all about the Fox broadcast network. The cast and crew of many hit Fox series and upcoming series will be on hand today on the panel. They started today with a Prison Break themed breakfast called Prison Break-fast. Then it was on to the panels with casts and crews of many Fox shows and entities: So You Think You Can Dance, Fringe, Fox News, Do Not Disturb, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, 24, Secret Millionaire, and a panel featuring producers of Fox's animated series.
As of this writing nothing new was really learned. Fox did say the 250th episode of King of the Hill will air in May 2009 and Erica Ash, Matt Braunger, Eric Price and Lauren Pritchard have joined MADtv for its 14th season. Earlier, we found out that Sanaa Lathan, Nia Long and Kevin Michael Richardson were joining the animated Family Guy spin-off The Cleveland Show. Keep checking back in this spot for new updates or for sure in tomorrow's Fox day 2 notes.

Don Most and Anson Williams, who of course starred as Ralph Malph and Potsie on the long-running sitcom, Happy Days, have reunited to produce a potential new series, Take 2. In addition to executive producing the series, the pair also star in the pilot episode.
"Each episode of Take 2 is like a short independent film," says Williams, "and will reunite different iconic duos of the present and past, but in all-new stories, as completely different characters. They'll still have the established on-screen chemistry that audiences know and love -- but I think people will be stunned when they see just how different they can be." "I thought about Lemmon and Mathau or Tracy and Hepburn. The reason they worked together over and over again was because they had chemistry on-screen. In our favorite TV shows growing up, you saw that same kind of chemistry -- Ralph and Potsie, Will and Grace, Laverne and Shirley. Why not utilize that already established chemistry -- bring together these beloved stars - in these provocative scripts that Frederick Stroppel had written?"
We will have more information on this series should it go forward and get picked-up for a series. Best of luck to them! Read the full press release. Check out clips on YouTube.

Sid and Marty Krofft's classic '70s shows are now on MySpaceTV! H.R. Pufnstuf, Land of the Lost, Electra Woman & Dyna Girl, Lidsville, Sigmund & the Sea Monsters, Dr. Shrinker and The Bugaloos, will make their exclusive global home on the social-networking platform. The license extends to put condensed versions of Krofft-produced TV episodes as well as taped messages from the Kroffts themselves.
In addition to the condensed episodes, which they are calling "Kwikies," which run 3-5 minutes, the Kroffts are also making available highlight clips. MySpace subscribers will also make theme music from the shows available.
Too bad the whole episode won't be on MySpace, but it is better than nothing. Head on over to the Krofft section to watch these condensed episodes. This is similar to Sony's Minisode Network.