NBC Orders Additional Up All Night Episodes, Switches It to Multi-Camera Format; Yahoo Comedy Show Burning Love Gets Two More Seasons

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

NBC Orders Additional Up All Night Episodes, Switches It to Multi-Camera Format; Yahoo Comedy Show Burning Love Gets Two More Seasons

NBC has ordered three additional episodes of Up All Night, which will bring their season two total to 16 episodes. The series will go on a winter break after episode 11 airs in December. When the show comes back in the spring 2013, it will return as a multi-camera sitcom for the final five episodes of the season. The sophomore comedy, which stars Christina Applegate, Will Arnett, Maya Rudolph, and Luka Jones, has struggled in the ratings on Thursday nights. It has averaged around only three million viewers.

NBC tried a switch like this before in 2003 with Watching Ellie. The series, which starred Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Lauren Bowles (Julia's real life half-sister) and Steve Carell, originally aired as a single-camera comedy from February-April 2002. When they returned almost a year later in April 2003, they switched to a multi-camera format. Unfortuntely, the format change didn't work for them as they had even lower ratings. A couple of other sitcoms made the switch from single-camera to multi-camera with much better success. The Odd Couple's first season was shot single-camera with a laugh track added. The other four seasons were shot with three cameras and in front of a studio audience. Happy Days is the best-known series to switch formats. Their first two seasons were shot single-camera with the laugh track added. When they made the switch to the multi-camera format in season three, they became a huge hit.

What do you think of NBC's decision? Discuss it on our Up All Night message board. They have a couple of other multi-camera sitcoms in Guys with Kids and Whitney. They had much success with multi-camera sitcoms like Friends and Seinfeld in their glory days, so this seems like a good move.

Burning Love

Paramount's Insurge Pictures and Yahoo! announced yesterday that Burning Love, the popular comedy series that spoofs reality dating shows, will return for two more hilarious seasons on Yahoo! Screen in 2013. The break-out video program premiered June 4 domestically on the Yahoo! Comedy Channel to critical acclaim.

Burning Love is a web spoof of the series The Bachelor and The Bachelorette. The series follows fireman Mark Orlando (Ken Marino) in his search for the perfect woman to marry or at least be engaged. Many familiar actors from film and television have appeared in the scripted comedy series. Michael Ian Black appears as the host, Bill Tundle. Other characters are played by Ben Stiller, Christine Taylor, Adam Scott, Mo Gaffney, Mather Zickel, Kerri Kenney-Silver, Ryan Hansen and Paul Scheer. The contestants on the show include Kristen Bell, June Diane Raphael, Ken Jeong, Malin Akerman, Natasha Leggero, Abigail Spencer, Noureen DeWulf, Jennifer Aniston, Beth Dover and Janet Varney.

The series is written by Erica Oyama (Children's Hospital) and directed by Ken Marino. Seasons two and three will feature returning cast members Ken Marino, June Diane Raphael and Natasha Leggero as well as new characters in their quest to find true love. Season Two, which is coming in January 2013, will follow Julie (June Diane Raphael), who failed to capture Mark Orlando's heart in Season One of Burning Love, as she searches for love in a group of guys who are hopefully all there for the right reasons. In Season Three, Burning Down the House reunites our favorite rejected guys and girls as they return to the Burning Love mansion to compete for a hefty prize and for each other's affection.

Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Monday, June 8

The Neighorhood - "Welcome to Babies and Bathwater" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Dave’s ambitious home improvement plans take a turn, prompting Calvin to step in, while Malcolm seeks Gemma’s help to overcome writer’s block. Meanwhile, Tina’s suggestion for Daphne sparks a parenting dilemma for Courtney.

The Neighorhood - "Welcome to Secrets and Santa" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
The Butlers’ anniversary plans take an unexpected turn when a blast from the past, Calvin’s ex-girlfriend, resurfaces. Meanwhile, Malcolm’s meeting gets hijacked, Marty makes a big move toward commitment and Gemma finds herself caught in a holiday misunderstanding.

St. Denis Medical - "Mama Bear Activated" (NBC, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
After Bruce is attacked at the hospital, Matt helps him deal with the aftermath; Alex motivates Joyce to amp up security, while Ron and Serena debate who is more qualified to defend themselves.

St. Denis Medical - "Get Me in the Pod, Brother" (NBC, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Alex and Ron spar over the wisdom of open communication; Joyce brings in a body scanner that proves overly distracting.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of June 8)

Monday, June 8

Tom Hanks (Bosom Buddies) - Watch Tom on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Eric André (Man Seeking Woman/2 Broke Girls/Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23) - Eric is a guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Eve Hewson (Bad Sisters) - Eve appears on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC. She also talks about Disclosure Day on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am and on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
Josh Gad (Wolf Like Me/Avenue 5/The Comedians/1600 Penn/Back to You) and Andrew Rannells (Girls/The New Normal) - Josh and Andrew are guests on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Jennifer Lopez (South Central) and Betty Gilpin (GLOW/Nurse Jackie) - Andy Cohen interviews Jennifer and Betty on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 9:15pm on Bravo.
John Reynolds (Four Weddings and a Funeral/Search Party) - John talks about Never Change! on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.
Laverne Cox (Clean Slate) - Laverne talks about Transcendent: A Memoir on Live with Kelly and Mark (check your local listings) and with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
Wanda Sykes (The Upshaws/The New Adventures of Old Christine/Wanda at Large) - All Access with Linsey Davis sits down with Wanda Sykes for an in-depth conversation on her 40-year career in comedy and what's next on ABC News Live Prime with Linsey Davis at 7pm.
Meagan Good (Cousin Skeeter/Raising Dad) - Meagan and Jonathan Majors talk about their much-talked-about romance, wedding, and the story behind their new fitness brand on a repeat of Tamron Hall, so check your local listings.
Mariska Hargitay (Can't Hurry Love) - NBC's Today catches up with Mariska in the 10am hour.
Jaleel White (Family Matters/Grown Ups) and Valerie Bertinelli (Hot in Cleveland/One Day at a Time) - Jaleel tells Valerie and Ross Mathews about being a child actor and his game show Flip Side on a repeat of The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.