Thursday, March 05, 2015
Spike TV 2015 Upfront Brings Out Big Stars; Syfy Spring Premieres, Includes Return of Bitten with Laura Vandervoort
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.
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
Sunday, April 18
The Simpsons - "Dairy Queen" (Fox, 7:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Bart finds his old teacher's diary and learns a surprising secret; Lisa discovers an even bigger surprise.
Bless the Harts - "Hoot 'N Haw" (Fox, 7:30PM ET/PT)
When Wayne finds out he owns extra land, his family unexpectedly moves in on his property; Violet searches for Wayne's "Uncle Tommy" after he goes missing.
The Simpsons - "Panic on the Streets of Springfield" (Fox, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Lisa gets a new imaginary friend -- a depressed British singer from the 1980s; Homer becomes a truck guy.
The Great North - "Tusk in the Wind Adventure" (Fox, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Beef and Wolf meet their hero, legendary mountain man Tusk Johnson; Judy and the rest of the Tobin clan become addicted to '80s prime-time soap "Dynasty."
Bob's Burgers - "Some Kind of Fender Benderful" (Fox, 9:00PM ET/PT)
When Bob gets into a four-car fender bender right outside the restaurant, he realizes finding out who is at fault will not be as simple as he had thought.
Family Guy - "Young Parent Trap" (Fox, 9:30PM ET/PT)
Lois and Peter are mistaken for young parents by another couple at Stewie's school and are invited to live in a millennial apartment complex, leaving Meg and Chris home alone.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of April 12)
Friday, April 16
- Eddie Murphy (The PJs) - Watch Eddie on a repeat of The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
- Yvette Nicole Brown (The Mayor/The Odd Couple/Community) - Yvette chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
- Lorraine Toussaint (Where I Love) - Lorraine appears on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
- Morris Chestnut (Out All Night) - Morris talks about The Resident on LIVE! with Kelly and Ryan, so check your listings.
- Lil Rel Howery (Rel/The Carmichael Show) - Lil Rel will be on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
- Tiffany Haddish (The Last O.G./The Carmichael Show) - Tiffany guest hosts The Real, so check your loca listings.
- Maya Rudolph (Forever/Up All Night) - Maya talks about Netflix's The Mitchells vs. The Machines and hosting Saturday Night Live on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am.
New on DVD/Blu-ray (January-April)
01/22 - Corporate - Season 2
01/22 - Corporate - Season 3
02/02 - Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In - The Complete Series (2021 Retail Release)
02/16 - Fam - The Complete Series
02/23 - Betty White's Pet Set - The Complete Series
03/02 - Blue Mountain State - The Complete Series
03/02 - Happy Together - The Complete Series
03/02 - Rick and Morty - The Complete Seasons 1-4 (DVD) (Blu-ray)
04/20 - 'Til Death - The Complete Series
More TV DVD Releases / DVD Reviews Archive / SitcomsOnline Digest
Recent SitcomsOnline.com News Blog Posts
