Thursday, March 05, 2015

Spike TV 2015 Upfront Brings Out Big Stars; Syfy Spring Premieres, Includes Return of Bitten with Laura Vandervoort

Spike TV

Spike TV had its annual upfront and we have some highlights from it. With a series of announcements including a new tagline and logo at an Upfront presentation to advertisers in New York City, Spike took a giant step further toward its mission of attracting a broader, gender-balanced audience. The tagline "Spike: The Ones To Watch" encompasses the network's strategic shift to a general entertainment network delivering compelling original entertainment with an edge and a distinctive point of view. It speaks to the network's bold personalities and a brand pushing the boundaries of the unexpected. With a dynamic multi-platform redesign, Spike's on-air look will reflect the brand's evolution. Among the stars who attended the Upfront presentation were Ben Kingsley, Dwayne Johnson, Jillian Michaels, Adam Carolla, Jon Taffer, Dave Navarro, John Krasinski, Stephen Merchant, LL Cool J & Chrissy Teigen.

Among the announcements Spike made today include: Spike TV has partnered with world-renowned entertainer, Dwayne Johnson and Dany Garcia's $7 Bucks Productions, for a development deal to create and produce compelling and impactful programming for the network. Johnson and Garcia will executive produce shows ranging from big live events, specials, sports and initiatives surrounding our troops and veterans. The goal is to tap into people's humanity and touch lives, inspiring the audience while entertaining them.
Spike TV has partnered with Legendary Pictures to develop an original scripted series, Emergency Broadcast, that features a group of government first responders who confront the planet's most fantastic crises and disasters. Based on an original idea by Thomas Tull, Chairman and CEO of Legendary, the project reteams Legendary with longtime collaborator Max Brooks, the best-selling and critically-acclaimed author (World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War, Zombie Survival Guide), who serves as a Consultant on the project.
Spike TV has green lit an additional eight episodes of the highly-anticipated new, original series, Lip Sync Battle. The series is based on the cultural phenomenon of lip sync battling seen by millions on television and online. Featured performers for the new eight episodes include Emily Blunt, Anne Hathaway, Terrence Howard, Taraji P. Henson, Queen Latifah, Justin Bieber, Will Arnett, Alison Brie, Mike Tyson, and Terry Crews.




Bitten Cast

Syfy announced its spring 2015 premieres, which will include a new series and a sophomore season of Bitten. Highlights include: the premieres of the 13-part, epic mythological drama Olympus (April 2) and ghost-seeking unscripted series Haunting: Australia (March 24); the new season returns of fan favorites Lost Girl (April 17) and Bitten (April 17), and the Original Movie Lake Placid vs Anaconda starring Robert Englund (Nightmare on Elm Street) (April 25) will be among the highlights of Syfy's spring programming slate. Back to Bitten, Season 2 of the popular supernatural thriller kicks off with a special two hour premiere returning Laura Vandervoort as Elena, the world's only female werewolf; Greyston Holt as Elena’s passionate partner Clay Danvers, and Greg Bryk as the Alpha Pack leader Jeremy Danvers. Beginning April 24, Bitten will air Fridays at 9PM, followed by Lost Girl at 10.

As for Olympus, the 13-part mythological drama series takes viewers into the action-packed world of humans, Gods and monsters. Starring Matt Frewer (Max Headroom, Orphan Black), Sonita Henry (Star Trek, The Fifth Element), Cas Anvar (Argo, The Expanse) and Graham Shiels (Guardians of the Galaxy, Thor: Dark World), the gripping series captures the dangerous courage of a few brave men and women who banished the Gods to the realm of the unconscious - a place they called the Underworld or the Kingdom of Hades.


Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Friday, March 27

Happy's Place - "" (NBC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
When a woman inherits her late father's tavern, she's shocked to discover that it's co-owned by a half-sister she never knew existed... who has some interesting new ideas about how to run the family business.

Stumble - "Finals Week" (NBC, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Having missed cheer camp, the team must submit a skills tape in order to qualify for Daytona, but the headwinds are against Courteney, as making the tape falls right in the middle of finals week at Heådltston.

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of March 23)

Friday, March 27

  • Chelsea Handler (Are You There, Chelsea?) - Watch Chelsea on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Trey Parker and Matt Stone (Creators of South Park) - Trey and Matt are guests on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
  • Andrew Rannells (Girls/The New Normal) - Andrew appears on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
  • Tony Shalhoub (We Are Men/Stark Raving Mad/Wings) - Tony is a guest on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Jenny Slate (The Great North/Big Mouth/Married/Bob's Burgers) - Jenny appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Amanda Peet (Brockmire/Togetherness/Bent) - Amanda chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
  • John Leguizamo (The Brothers Garcia) - John talks about ABC News Live Prime with Linsey Davis at 7pm.
  • Jon Bernthal (The Class) and Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Bear/Girls) - Jon and Ebon talk about Broadway's Dog Day Afternoon on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am.
  • Valerie Bertinelli (Hot in Cleveland/Cafe Americain/Sydney/One Day at a Time) - Drew has a special food news with Joey Chestnut, Sunny Anderson and Valerie on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
  • Melissa Peterman (Happy's Place/Young Sheldon/Baby Daddy/Working Class/Reba) - Kit and Melissa check out How to Train Your Dragon: Isle of Berk on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.


New on DVD and Blu-ray

Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray) Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - The Complete First Season (DVD) St. Denis Medical - Season One (Blu-ray) Happy's Place - Season One (Blu-ray) Two and a Half Men - The Complete Series (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)
09/30 - Touché Turtle and Dum Dum - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
10/07 - Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - The Complete First Season (DVD)
10/14 - Curb Your Enthusiasm - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (DVD)
10/28 - St. Denis Medical - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
11/04 - Happy's Place - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
11/11 - Rick and Morty - Season 8 (Blu-ray) (DVD)
11/11 - SpongeBob SquarePants - The Complete Fifteenth Season (DVD)
11/11 - Two and a Half Men - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
12/02 - Tom and Jerry - The Golden Era Anthology (1940-1958) (Blu-ray) (DVD)
12/16 - Lippy the Lion and Hardy Har Har - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
12/16 - Wally Gator - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
01/20 - The Woody Woodpecker and Friends Golden Age Collection (Blu-ray)
01/27 - The New Fred and Barney Show - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/11 - Tom and Jerry - The Complete CinemaScope Collection (Blu-ray)
03/24 - Looney Tunes Collector's Vault - Volume 2 (Blu-ray)

More Recent and Upcoming TV DVD and Blu-ray Releases / TV Shows on DVD, Blu-ray and Prime Video / DVD Reviews Archive


Recent SitcomsOnline.com News Blog Posts

03/26 - Great Entertainment Television to Honor Chuck Norris; ABC's R.J. Decker Gets Time Slot Upgrade
03/25 - Netflix Announces Details of Nobody Wants This Season 3; Paramount+ Renews School Spirits for Season 4
03/24 - Hacks Returns for Final Season on April 9; America Says Is Back for Sixth Season on Game Show Network
03/23 - The Roast of Kevin Hart LIVE on Netflix; HBO Renews Late-Night Series
03/22 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of March 23, 2026)
03/21 - SitcomsOnline Digest: CBS Sets Plans for Final Episode of The Neighborhood; ABC Pulls The Bachelorette
03/20 - TBS Orders Season 13 of Impractical Jokers; HBO's Josh Johnson Comedy Special
03/19 - Netflix Casts Scooby-Doo Live-Action Series; Darren Star's Next Comedy Series Uncorked
03/18 - Saturday Night Live UK to Launch This Weekend; Hulu Renews Paradise for Season 3
03/17 - Netflix Renews Free Bert for Season 2; The Neighborhood: A Farewell Special in April
03/16 - Color Theories by Julio Torres on HBO; Lifetime's Ripped from the Headlines Spring Slate with Two New Movies
03/15 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of March 16, 2026)
03/14 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Family Guy's Stewie Griffin Getting Spinoff; NBCUniversal Cancels Several Daytime Shows, Including Last of the Daytime "Trash Talk"
03/13 - NBC Summer 2026 Schedule; Malcolm in the Middle Revival Series Trailer
03/12 - Season 9 of Rick and Morty This May; Fox Entertainment Studios Lines Up Frankie Quiñones for Comedy Series
03/11 - Antenna TV's Hazel 65th Anniversary Marathon; Kountry Wayne Prime Video Comedy Special
03/10 - XO, Kitty Season 3 Trailer Released for April 2 Launch; The Drew Barrymore Show Talker Gets 2 Season Renewal
03/09 - Beef Returns April 16 on Netflix; Remembering Jennifer Runyon of Charles in Charge
03/08 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of March 9, 2026)
03/07 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Scrubs Returns to Big Ratings; New Garfield Series Coming to Paramount+
03/06 - The Four Seasons Returns on May 28; More Details on I Suck at Girls
03/05 - COZI TV Pairs Up Al Bundy and Hondo at Last; ABC Renews Abbott Elementary for Season 6
03/04 - ABC's Scrubs Returns Big; Netflix's Little House on the Prairie Renewed for Season 2
03/03 - Prime Video's Kevin Premieres April 20; Fox Renews Best Medicine
03/02 - Running Point Returns April 23 on Netflix; A Different World Sequel Starts Production
03/01 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of March 2, 2026)
02/28 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Warner Now Set to Merge with Paramount, Not Netflix; X-Files Reboot Given Greenlight
02/27 - The Comeback Returns for Final Season on March 22; Animal Control Renewed for Season 5; Remembering Lauren Chapin of Father Knows Best and Robert Carradine of Lizzie McGuire
02/26 - AspireTV Gets First Ever Original Sitcom; Sullivan's Crossing Returns for Season 4 in April on The CW