Tag Archives: ABC

ABC delays ‘V’ season 2 premiere to January [Update: Episode order cut from 13 to 10]

News, Television, , , , , , ,

Missing ABC’s hit sci-fi series V?  Me too.  I hate to say it but we are going to have to wait an extra two months longer to find out what the heck is up with that red sky.  Though ABC initially announced a November return, they have since pushed the premiere to January 4, 2011.  ABC’s other sci-fi show No Ordinary Family will move from Tuesday at 9PM to 8PM from November 30 until January 4; following the return of V it will move back to its 8PM time slot and serve as an appropriate lead-in to the show.  What’s going to take up Ordinary‘s slot when it moves?  Skating with the Stars.  Ugh, I know.

Update: More bad news.  According to Deadline, ABC is prepared to cut the V season 2 episode order from 13 to 10 episodes.  Why the slight but noticable trim?  It’s due to “scheduling reasons” revolving around ABC’s reality programming.  When V was delayed to the January 4 premiere date, it gave the sci-fi series room for a 12 week run precisely until March 29 when the spring season of Dancing with the Stars is set to premiere.  This period between early January and late March is expected to include 2 preemptions, leveling the total number of V episodes to 10.  A sprinkle of good news?  V season 2 is still in production, so the creative staff will have ample to time to adjust the storyline to make it fit in this tighter schedule.  Allow me to fume for a moment.  I can’t stand that network TV has to bow down to mindless reality programming, giving shows like Dancing/Skating with the Stars precedence over stimulating, creative powerhouses such as V.  I understand where is ABC is coming from; Stars is a ratings champ and V certainly does not attract as many eyeballs (though it should).  But STILL.

[Via Deadline, here & here]

2010 Fall TV Preview

Television, , , , , , , , , ,

It’s mid-September, my favorite time of year.  Brand new television programming begins and old favorites return.  I’m going to run through the new network and cable shows that I’m most anticipating, let you know which returning shows you should be watching, and I’ll hypothesize about which new shows are likely to get the axe.  Not so interested in my opinions?  Simply click here to view the 2010 fall schedule for the big four networks (including synopses, cast/creator info, and trailers) and decide what to watch on your own terms.

CBS: There’s a reason why CBS is the most watched network–they mostly air procedural crime dramas that do not force viewers to tune in every week.  Take, for example, the CSI franchise (which now includes CSI, CSI: NY & CSI: Miami) and the NCIS franchise (NCIS, NCIS: Los Angeles).  Sprinkle in some fantastic comedies like The Big Bang Theory and How I Met Your Mother plus popular reality shows like Survivor and The Amazing Race, and Undercover Boss and you’ve got a worthy lineup that does not require weekly viewing.  Though I am not not the biggest fan of the procedurals, The Mentalist does a fine job of drawing me in when I happen to channel surf to the network.  Also, I’ve only heard good things about The Good Wife, so you might want to give that a try as well.

Of the five new shows premiering this fall on CBS, there’s only one that I’m fully interested in: Hawaii Five-O.  Again, crime procedurals are usually not my cup of tea but there’s no denying how action-packed and fun this 1960s reboot looks.  (The show originally aired on CBS for 12 seasons from 1968-1980.)   Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman (Fringe) serve as executive producers and stars Alex O’Loughlin (Three Rivers), Scott Caan (Entourage), Daniel Dae Kim (Lost), and the beautiful Grace Park (Battlestar Galactica: The Plan) will work together to take down the villains.  Except tons of explosions, violent action scenes, and quick, witty banter from Caan.  It only helps that the backdrop to all of this is Oahu!  Premieres Monday, September 20 at 10PM.

Getting the axe?  $#*@ My Dad Says.

Continue reading 2010 Fall TV Preview →

‘Lost’ auction nets over $1 million, fans revel at The Island one last time

News, Television, Video, , , , , , , , ,

From August 21-22 the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California was transformed into a Lost fan’s wet dream.  Not only did it house Lost memorabilia for the show’s most diehard fans and collectors to bid on, but it also contained key set pieces from the show (ie. the Oceanic 815 plane, the hatch, pieces of The Black Rock and The Temple) and actors (Sterling Beaumon (Young Ben Linus), Andrea Gabriel (Nadia), and Daniel Roebuck (Dr. Arzt)) for fans to see and take pictures with.  The auction was a smashing success; people in-person, over the telephone, and online paid a pretty penny to call themselves owners of some of Lost‘s most recognizable items.  The first day of bidding netted around $900,000, and early estimates speculated that the second day would exceed sales of $1 million.  Though it has not been disclosed where all the money will go, it has been made public that an undetermined portion of the proceeds will land in the hands of Hawaii-based charities.

So how much did some of the most exciting items go for?  The Dharma Van proved to be the most valuable item at the auction; it sold for $47,500!  Not even Hurley’s hot Camaro, which sold for $20,000, could top the vehicle that turned Hurley’s luck around.  Somewhat fitting, isn’t it?  Other top prizes include: Jacob’s dial mechanism and mirror array from “The Lighthouse” ($27,500); the frozen donkey wheel ($22,500);  Faraday’s journal ($20,000); the Dharma Swan station computer ($16,000); the pilot script signed by J.J. Abrams & Damon Lindelof ($15,000); 12 cans of Dharma beer ($5,000); Locke’s wheelchair ($3,250); and Sawyer’s paperback copy of Watership Down ($2,750).

Look after the break for a slightly more extensive list of the top-selling items from the auction.  Also after the break is a 12-minute video that will take you on a brief tour around the hangar.

[Via EW-PopWatch; TheWashingtonPost] Continue reading ‘Lost’ auction nets over $1 million, fans revel at The Island one last time →

Lost memorabilia up for auction; ultimate Losties inquire within

Images, News, Television, , , , , , , ,

Make your own kind of music, sing your own special song; make your own kind of music, even if nobody else sings along.

Who could forget the season two opener “Man of Science, Man of Faith”…when we first discovered a mysterious man living underground inside a hatch?  This man, who we would later come to know and love as Desmond David Hume, was minding his own business and listening to a catchy tune called “Make Your Own Kind of Music” by “Mama” Cass Elliot when another man named John Locke interupted his life of ever-lasting solitude with a loud blast of dynamite atop the Dharma-constructed hatch door.  The song abruptly stoppped when the needle fell off the record and the rest, as they say, is history.

And now you have a chance to be part of that history by owning the very record player that was used in the show!  On August 21-22, LOST: The Official Show Auction will take place at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California.  Literally hundreds of Lost props and costumes will be available for fans to bid on.  Everything from Dharma beer cans to Charlie’s DriveShaft ring to Desmond’s photo of himself with Penny to Mr. Eko’s Jesus stick to the blue Dharma van to Jughead to Faraday’s time travel journal (“Desmond Hume will be my constant!”) to Locke’s wheelchair to Carl’s brainwashing googles to Naomi’s Iridium 9500 satellite phone…ugh I’m out of breath…will be up for grabs at the live auction next month.  But don’t expect to get away with any of these items easily.  The Apple-II Plus computer with an Apple III monitor (aka the Swan Station computer Desmond then Locke then Eko used to type in the Numbers every 108 minutes) starts at $1000.  But then again the Swan Station film projector and screen (the medium that first introduced Locke, Jack, and us to Mr. Pierre Change) is given a range of $400-$600, so item pricing will vary.

Interested in bidding?  You have a few options.  You can attend the live action in Santa Monica or you can bid over the phone, with absentee forms, or over the Internet at Live Auctioneers.  Interested in eyeing the goods?  Look in the gallery below for just a handful.  You’re going to want to hit up Profiles in History to view the full catalog (organized by season).  Each item is tagged with a description that’ll job your memory concerning its use in the show.  Minutes will quickly turn into hours when you browse this ultimate collection of Lost shwag.  Have fun, and happy bidding!

[Via Engadget]

1 2 3

ABC president Steve McPherson steps down [Update: Paul Lee steps in]

News, Television, , , , , , , , , ,

After six years as ABC Entertainment Group President, Steve McPherson has resigned from the company.  When McPherson first took the reins of the ABC primetime lineup the network was stuck in fourth place behind direct competitors CBS, FOX, and NBC.  Throughout his career as president he oversaw many of ABC’s well known hits and misses.  He had a hand in launching the uber-successful primetime dramas like Lost, Grey’s Anatomy, and Desperate Housewives; the new Wednesday night comedy lineup including Modern Family, Cougartown, and The Middle; and one of most watched reality programs Dancing With the Stars.  During his early days, though, he was there when the network overplayed “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” until its eventual cancellation.  He has also been faulted with not pushing hard enough for procedural dramas (like CBS’ The Mentalist) as opposed to the heavily serialized shows like Lost.  As great as a show Lost was (and always will be), shows like it are hard to repeat and syndicate once they are completed.  His final year with ABC (2009-2010) landed the network in third place, just 150,000 viewers ahead of NBC.

The sudden resignation comes on the heels of the Summer TV Press Tour 2010, a time when the big networks show off and promote their fall TV lineups.  Yesterday “an informed source” leaked information saying that McPherson was tied up in a formal investigation conducted by ABC related to sexual harrassment crimes.  ABC has not responded to comment, nor have they denied the rumors.  McPherson’s lawyer states that his client “made a voluntary decision to resign, and ABC accepted his resignation.  It is not uncommon for high-level executives to be the subject of gossip and innuendo.”  Whatever the case may be, McPherson is out and a replacement has not been decided upon yet.  ABC Family president Paul Lee, riding high on his recent teen-hit Pretty Little Liars, is expected to occupy the now-vacant position.  McPherson’s parting words:

“I want to thank the wonderful team of individuals who have worked with me throughout my time here and wish them nothing but the best.”

Update: It’s official.  Paul Lee is the new ABC Entertainment Group President and will oversee the network’s primetime lineup and its sister company, ABC Studios.  If he can do to ABC what he did with ABC Family (Kyle XY, The Secret Life of the American Teenager, Pretty Little Liars, Greek) this network might have a fighting chance against behemoths FOX and CBS.

[Via EW-HollywoodInsider; here & here; THR]

FlashForward might just live to see another day on Starz?

News, Television, , , , , , ,

Ever since ABC axed FlashForward after its first season its hardcore fanbase has been trying to pull whatever strings it can to revive the show.  A Facebook group called “SAVE FLASHFORWARD!” has gained a substantial following; these rapid fans have been sending emails and letters to ABC head Steve McPherson and other network and cable presidents demanding the sci-fi drama deserves at least a second season.  Some have even staged local “blackouts” in front of ABC offices.  It appears as if these efforts might be picking up enough steam to actually influence the fate of the show.  A fan recently posted this comment on the Facebook group wall:

“I just called Starz and the rep told me that they are aggressively seeking the license for FlashForward and that a lot of people have been calling about [the show].”

Upon seeing reading this statement the group moderator followed up with this: “McPherson is allegedly softening.”

I advise you to take what you’re reading here with a grain of salt.  These statements are merely comments by eager fans of the show, so they may or may not be true.  Whatever the case, this is great news for FlashForward fans.  It’s a win-win-lose situation and here’s how.  If these statements are true, FlashForward might just live to see another day on a cable station where Mark Benford can call D. Gibbons Dyson F**k if he really wanted to.  If the statements are false, light of this news is already garnering massive fan support and encouraging people to email and call Starz to push for a renewal.  And the lose situation–well that’s if all of this ends up being for naught and the show stays dead.

Let’s get realistic for a sec.  In order for cancelled show to get brought back to life, the main cast needs to be on board if you want to appease the fans.  As far as I know, four prominent cast members are already booked for fall and midseason shows.  James Callis (Gabriel McDow) plays a new resident in Syfy’s Eureka; Michael Ealy (Agent Marshall Vogel) is joining The Good Wife on CBS; Christine Woods (Janis Hawk) is a series regular in the new NBC comedy Perfect Couples; and Joseph Fiennes (Mark Benford), the crux of the show, is signed on to play the wizard Merlin in the upcoming 10-part series Camelot on Starz.  That’s right, Starz.  If the FlashForward showrunners could somehow replace or remove Vogel and Hawk from the story and conjure up a contract with Starz that enables Fiennes to manage Camelot and FlashForward then a revival could technically happen.  But remembering we’re talking realistically here, so I’m going to say that’s a LONG SHOT.

In the end it all comes to down to scheduling conflicts, network execs, and money.  But if the hardcore fans continue to spread the word of save FlashForward who knows what might happen.  Call Starz’ toll-free line (866-888-4010) to make yourself heard.  Cuz it would be totally awesome to find out what all of little Charlie’s future visions meant!

[Via DigitalSpy; io9]

Lost’s Michael Emerson teases DVD bonus “The New Man in Charge”

Image cache, News, Television, , , , ,

When the Lost season 6 and complete series collection DVD/Blu-ray packages were first detailed, we were informed that a bonus footage would “go deeper into the world of LOST with a much-anticipated new chapter of the island’s story from executive producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse.”  This week more details surrounding said footage have surfaced.  According to EW, it is an “original, 12-minute vignette called “The New Man in Charge,” a tantalizing look at what Hurley (Jorge Garcia) and Ben (Michael Emerson) do as the new Island overseers.”  They even got their hands on a still (see above)!  What’s that Ben doing in a Dharma jumpsuit?  Emerson says, “Ben is going around to Dharma installations and closing some down.  There are some good surprises…it does answer questions.”  August 24, come sooner please?

[Via EW; HDR]

FlashForward fans plan local “blackouts” in attempt to revive the series

News, Television, , , ,

FlashForward fans never say die!  In a last resort effort to save the show from the dark and gloomy death by cancellation it received back in mid-May, FlashForward fans around the world are rallying together to show their support for the short-lived sci-fi drama.  The fight to encourage ABC to bring back the show began when fans mailed over 20,000 friendship bracelets to ABC head Steve McPherson.  (The bracelet was a significant item on the show; it was given to protagonist Mark Benford by his daughter Charlie…but if you’re reading this you know that already.)  Also since April, fans have been signing online petitions and mailing handwritten letters to ABC studios to “save FlashFoward” from its (no longer pending, really) demise.  All of these efforts to force ABC to open their hearts to fans and bring the show back culminate in what is about to happen later today: a staged “global blackout” in front of ABC studios.

On June 10, 2010 (that’s today people!) FlashForward super fans around the world will congregate in front of their local ABC affiliates and lay (as unconscious as possible) on the ground for two minutes and seventeen seconds at a designated time.  A majority of the meetups will last about two hours; for the rest of the time fans will carry signs, wear FlashForward t-shirts, and raise awareness about the cause to bystanders.  The following US cities will take part in the blackout today: Los Angeles, New York, Detroit, Seattle, and Chicago.  North Carolina also has groups at the ready.  And this will truly be a “global” blackout; fans from Toronto, Canada, London, England, Hanover, Germany, Endinburgh, Scottland, Italy, Brazil and many others are also anticipating blackout day.  More details are available at www.preventtheblackout.com, a neat fan-made site that collates contact and RSVP information for the day’s events.

If you’re a fan of the show and happen to live near a participating location, go out and support FlashForward!  Though all signs point to this show being a goner (the show has been cancelled and both Joseph Fiennes (Benford) and Christine Woods (Janis Hawk) have been cast to new series), there’s no reason not to give the show a glimmer of hope for potential survival by joining this exciting grassroots movement.  And when you make it there and wake up from the blackout don’t forget to ask your fellow supports, “What did you see?”

[Via SaveFlashForward]

ABC 2010-2011 Schedule

News, Television, Video, ,

As one TV season ends, another begins.  Every year the big networks hold their own press events to preview their new programming to advertisers and audiences.  The Upfronts is a time when the networks release program information to the public like the creators, producers, and cast behind their new fall and mid-season shows.  Be sure to look after the break for trailers, synopses, and creator/producer/cast information behind ABC’s upcoming TV lineup.

10 new series :: 6 new dramas (Body of Proof, Detroit 1-8-7, My Generation, No Ordinary Family, The Whole Truth, Off the Map) – 3 new comedies (Better Together, Happy Endings, Mr. Sunshine) – 1 alternative (Secret Millionaire)

11 cancellations :: Better off Ted, The Deep End, Eastwick, FlashForward, The Forgotten, Hank, Happy Town, Lost (well, not cancelled but…), Romantically Challenged, Scrubs, Ugly Betty

Returning series held for mid-season :: V, Supernanny

ABC head Steven McPherson on keeping V & dropping FlashForward :: “It was a Sophie’s Choice.  In the end, FlashForward didn’t engage audiences like we hoped.  For V, I get more anecdotal calls and emails than any other show on the schedule.  A huge part of rebuilding the network is about taking chances.  Some shows just don’t work out.”

Drama

Body of Proof: Dr. Megan Hunt (Dana Delany) was in a class of her own, a brilliant neurosurgeon at the top of her game. But her world is turned upside down when a devastating car accident puts an end to her time in the operating room. Megan resumes her career as a medical examiner, determined to solve the puzzle of who or what killed the victims. Her instincts are sharp, but she’s developed a reputation for graying the lines of where her job ends and where the police department’s begins. It turns out her career isn’t the only thing that will need to be rebuilt; Megan’s family has taken a backseat to her ambition, and now she’s discovering there’s a lot of work to do when it comes to dissecting her relationships with the living.

Starring Dana Delany, Jeri Ryan, Geoffrey Arend, John Carroll Lynch, Windell Middlebrooks, Nic Bishop, and Sonja Sohn.  [Fridays @ 9PM]

Continue reading ABC 2010-2011 Schedule →

Lost: Cast interviews, Emmy eligibility, & DVD extras

News, Television, Video, , , , , , ,

Here’s some good news for Lost fans.  First let’s talk Emmy eligibility.  This week The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Board of Governors made an exception to a long-standing rule involving the length of an episode and Emmy consideration.  So we all know that the Lost finale episode will run for two-and-a-half hours.  Normally for an extended episode to be considered for Emmy eligibility it cannot run for longer than two hours.  Thanks to the Board’s decision “The End” can be a potential contender for a number of Emmy awards such as Best Actor/Actress and Best Drama.  John Leverence, senior VP of awards: “We have a soft spot in our hearts for the final episodes of long-running series.”  The same exception made for Lost was also granted to The Wire and The Sopranos.

Next up there’s news about what will be included with the Lost Season 6 DVD package.  Exec producers Darlton plan on including about twenty minutes of “new content that addresses some of the unanswered questions in an entertaining way.”  According to an inside source “Damon and Carlton wanted to offer fans answers to additional questions they couldn’t get to in the body of the final show.”  These bonus features will be included in the stand-alone DVD package and in the DVD/Blu-Ray Seasons 1-6 mega box sets.

Now go watch some cast interviews in the video above, provided by IGN.  The Lost series finale airs this Sunday at 9PM on ABC.

[Via EW; TVGuide; IGN]

ABC axes FlashForward, renews V

News, Television, , , ,

For some time now there’s been much discussion surrounding the fate of ABC’s two freshman sci-fi series, FlashForward & V.  Overall both have been performing rather poorly in the ratings.  But when it came to decision time, ABC decided to cancel one and keep the other.  As much as I have enjoyed following FlashForward, there were many hints to its eventual demise.  Two of them are the following: The ratings (FFpremiered to 12.47 million viewers and plummeted to 4.77 million viewers for last week’s ep) and a change in leadership (co-creator/showrunner David S. Goyer left the show in early February).  And here’s another one: ABC heavily promoted the new series the wrong way; in a number of ad spots the network was hailing it as “the next Lost.”  Although the show contains a myriad of characters, a complex mythos, and flashbacks to boot, it is most definitely not another Lost.  The direction and plot of the show are quite different from Lost.  ABC obviously felt some pressure to promote the show in this way since Lost is nearly finished, but I have a feeling FF might have fared differently if it was marketed in a more appropriate way.  In my opinion, I thought FlashForward started out great, then it started to lose its focus (right around when Goyer made his announcement), and now it finds itself back on track with a bunch of potential.  But now none of that matters anymore since it won’t be coming back after the May 27 finale.  I wonder if the producers will try to wrap things up for us..

And then there’s V, the mini-series reboot that could.  ABC aired this series in a very strange manner due to a number of early production issues.  They aired an initial “pod” of four episodes starting in November which garnered a huge following, then the show did not come back until the end of March.  Thanks to this long hiatus, viewership dropped during the latter half of the season.  As of late, however, the show has seen a surge in the ratings, especially in the coveted 18-49 demo, and in my opinion, it’s become more creative and engaging with the addition of some new characters and exciting and fast-moving plot twists.  According to the latest sources, V has been issued a 13-epsiode second season set to start this fall.

So what do I think about all this?  As a fan of both shows, I have to say I’m not so surprised that ABC decided to cancel FlashForward and keep V.  Although the potential for FlashForward is just starting to come to fruition, the delivery feels a bit “too little too late”.  V, on the other hand, always packed an explosive punch, from the initial pod of episodes to where to series sits now.  All I have to say is this: At least ABC decided to keep one of these shows; a sudden cancellation of both would have been devastating.

FlashForward airs Thursday nights at 8PM on ABC; the two-hour finale airs May 27.  V ends its first season run next Tuesday at 8PM on ABC.

[Via EW-AusielloFiles, here & here]