Tag Archives: CBS

AMC renews ‘The Walking Dead’, CBS renews ‘Under the Dome’ & ‘Extant’ [Update: ‘TWD’ record ratings]

News, Television, , , , , , , ,

Days before AMC premieres the fifth season of its ratings juggernaut The Walking Dead, the network renews the zombie drama for a sixth season. It’s no surprise, really, since the show continues to perform spectacularly in the ratings and its popularity never seems to die down.

“We could not be more excited for October 12th as we share new episodes of The Walking Dead with fans around the globe,” said AMC President Charlie Collier in a statement released this past Tuesday. “In advance of Sunday’s season five premiere, AMC proudly confirms a sixth season order of this extraordinary series. Thank you to Robert Kirkman, Scott Gimple, the terrific executive producers, and the entire team who brings this compelling world and these rich characters to life. There’s plenty more Dead ahead thanks to their impressive, collective effort.”

At last, it seems as if the series has found a showrunner it’s sticking with. Following the abrupt exits of Frank Darabont and Glenn Mazzara, Scott M. Gimple is here to stay. Season 5 premieres this Sunday, Oct. 12 at 9pm.

Elsewhere, CBS is bringing back its summer dramas Under the Dome and Extant for a third and second season, respectively.

“We’re committed to delivering our viewers and advertisers year-round programming with a wide variety of storytelling,” said CBS Entertainment Chairman Nina Tassler in a statement today. “We continue to see summer as a great place for unique concepts, innovative business models, and passionate television audiences.”

Update (10/13): Following tradition, the Walking Dead season premiere opened to record recording on Sunday: 17.3 million viewers tuned into it (11 million of which are part of the 18-49 demo), making it the most watched episode to date. The previous record holder was the season 4 opener which drew 16.1 million viewers (10.4 million in the 18-49 demo). These are huge numbers for cable; not only do they rival network TV viewership, they exceed it. AMC might as well renew Dead, at this point, for life.

PSA: Fall TV schedules inside

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

We’ve made it to the most exciting time of year! Well, it is for me at least. New TV series premiere and favorite ones return in late September, so it’s time to take a look at each of the network’s fall schedules and decide which shows you’ll be tuning into this season. This season I’ve decided to consolidate it all in one post, so without further adieu, jump after the break to view the fall schedules for the Big Four networks (namely, FOX, ABC, NBC, CBS) plus The CW. Continue reading PSA: Fall TV schedules inside →

Comic Con: Extended look at ‘Person of Interest’ season 4

News, Television, Video, , , , ,

At the end of Person of Interest‘s third season, our heroes Reese, Finch, Shaw, and Root were forced into hiding after the sinister John Greer of Decima Technologies turned on a second powerful and all-knowing artificial intelligence-enabled machine known as Samaritan. At Comic Con executive producers Jonah Nolan and Greg Plageman, along with cast members Jim Caviezel, Michael Emerson, Kevin Chapman, Sarah Shahi, and Amy Acker, screened an extended clip (embedded after the break) featuring mostly new footage from the upcoming season that sheds a good amount of light on what’s coming next. Samaritan is hunting down the remaining members of Team Machine…The Machine continues to spit out numbers and while Reese is eager to continue their work, Finch knows their resources are severely limited…The Machine has helped Reese go undercover in law enforcement while ladies Shaw and Root now work at a posh department store (the panel’s crowd erupted in laughter at the sight of Shaw working her new job)…also, quick glimpses of Elias and Control hint at their return.

When asked what the theme of the new season will be Plageman answered “war.” It’s a battle between two AIs and our heroes are stuck in the middle with limited resources and no sanctuary (The Library was destroyed, remember?). It is key to note that Detective Fusco is not being flagged by Samaritan, and Plageman says this will allow for fun creative liberties. Also, Nolan briefly hinted that the two AIs might be upgraded with a voice some time in the future, but at the same time Plageman assured fans that they “always want to keep the technology grounded.”

Person of Interest returns Tuesday, Sept. 23 at 10PM on CBS. Continue reading Comic Con: Extended look at ‘Person of Interest’ season 4 →

TV reminder: 5 premieres to look out for in July

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

Summer has arrived! Now that you’ve binged OITNB and revisited the Dome, it’s time to jump into new worlds including Halle Berry’s Extant and Guillermo del Toro’s The Strain. Skip after the break for the full rundown of anticipated July premieres you can’t miss. Continue reading TV reminder: 5 premieres to look out for in July →

TV reminder: 6 premieres to look out for in June

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

The summer months are upon us and though many of your favorites series are taking a break until September there are quite a few new and returning ones that premiere in June. See what’s coming up and worth checking out after the break! Continue reading TV reminder: 6 premieres to look out for in June →

2014 Upfronts: CBS intros 8 new series

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

CBS has eight new series lined up for next season. In the fall, four new dramas will premiere–Scorpion, spinoff NCIS: New Orleans, Stalker, and Madam Secretary–alongside a new comedy The McCarthys. Two dramas–Battle Creek and spinoff CSI: Cyber–will land on the schedule in midseason with new comedy The Odd Couple. Also being held for midseason are returning series The Mentalist, Mike & Molly, and Undercover Boss.

The Big Bang Theory returns to Mondays to kick the night off leading into another sitcom Mom, and these are followed by new drama series Scorpion and the returning NCIS: LA. TBBT will revert to its Thursday 8PM timeslot when Thursday Night Football concludes in late October; at that point 2 Broke Girls will premiere its third season in its regular Monday 8PM slot. On Tuesdays the flagship NCIS will lead into the latest franchise spinoff NCIS: New Orleans and Person of Interest will follow at 10PM. New drama Stalker is paired with Criminal Minds on Wednesdays and new sitcom The McCarthys is sandwiched between the final season of Two and a Half Men and Elementary on Thursdays. Elsewhere, The Amazing Race relocates to Fridays at 8 and newbie Madam Secretary opens Sunday nights leading into The Good Wife and CSI. Spinoff CSI: Cyber will take over the flagship CSI on Sundays at 10 in midseason.

Jump after the break to view the full fall schedule, trailers for the new fall CBS series, and synopses. Continue reading 2014 Upfronts: CBS intros 8 new series →

Stephen Colbert to succeed David Letterman in 2015

News, Television, , , , , ,

The late-night talk show scene is ongoing a major makeover. Shortly after Jimmy Fallon took over The Tonight Show from Jay Leno and Seth Meyers occupied Fallon’s vacant Late Night seat, it was announced this week that Stephen Colbert is going to be David Letterman’s successor when the longstanding Late Show host retires in 2015. It has been confirmed that the Comedy Central host of the politically-bent Cobert Report will not be bringing over his conservative pundit character to the Late Show but instead will play himself (can’t wait to see what that will look like). Unfortunately for Report fans, when the transition happens that show will be no more. Here are some choice quotes from those parties involved:

Colbert: “Simply being a guest on David Letterman’s show has been a highlight of my career. I never dreamed that I would follow in his footsteps, though everyone in late night follows Dave’s lead. I’m thrilled and grateful that CBS chose me. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go grind a gap in my front teeth.”

Letterman: “Stephen has always been a real friend to me. I’m very excited for him, and I’m flattered that CBS chose him. I also happen to know they wanted another guy with glasses.”

CBS CEO Les Moonves: “Stephen Colbert is one of the most inventive and respected forces on television. David Letterman’s legacy and accomplishments are an incredible source of pride for all of us here, and today’s announcement speaks to our commitment of upholding what he established for CBS in late night.”

CBS Entertainment chairman Nina Tassler: “Stephen is a multi-talented and respected host, writer, producer, satirist and comedian who blazes a trail of thought-provoking conversation, humor and innovation with everything he touches. He is a presence on every stage, with interests and notable accomplishments across a wide spectrum of entertainment, politics, publishing and music. We welcome Stephen to CBS with great pride and excitement, and look forward to introducing him to our network television viewers in late night.”

CBS renews 20 series for the 2014-15 season

News, Television, ,

On Thursday CBS renewed 20 series consisting of 9 dramas, 6 comedies, 3 reality shows, and 2 newsmagazines and they are:

NCIS, NCIS: Los Angeles, Person of Interest, Criminal Minds, CSI, Elementary, Hawaii Five-0, Blue Bloods, The Good Wife, The Big Bang Theory, 2 Broke Girls, Mike & Molly, Mom, The Millers, Two and a Half Men, Survivor, The Amazing Race, Undercover Boss, 60 Minutes, and 48 Hours.

Those CBS shows still “on the bubble” and that haven’t been greenlit for another season at this time include veteran The Mentalist and freshman dramas Intelligence and Hostages (the latter of which has a .01% chance of returning), and freshman comedy The Crazy Ones.

“The best way to launch new shows in the fall and throughout the season is to surround them with a strong and stable lineup of successful series,” said CBS Entertainment Chairman Nina Tassler. “The shows we’re picking up today cut across every night of the week and feature genre leaders, time period winners and the most-watched shows on broadcast television.”

Note: The network renewed Survivor for two additional cycles and The Big Bang Theory‘s renewal includes three more seasons of the hit Chuck Lorre sitcom.

“Comedy is a big part of our schedule, and The Big Bang Theory is the biggest comedy force on television,” said Tassler. “This multi-year deal further strengthens our network’s position for future seasons and marks another chapter in the great partnership CBS enjoys with Warner Bros. Television for delivering audiences the best in comedy. We’re proud to work with and showcase the incredible talents of Chuck Lorre, Steve Molaro and this amazing cast every week.”

TV teasers: CBS’ ‘Extant’ & FX’s ‘The Strain’

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

Here are a couple tantalizing teasers to chew on. First up is Extant, a new original series from executive producer Steven Spielberg and starring Halle Berry. Extant is “a futuristic thriller about a female astronaut (Berry) trying to reconnect with her family when she returns after a year in outer space. Her experiences lead to events that ultimately will change the course of human history.” A bit vague, yes, but allow the teaser hanging above get your mind reeling. Extant joins another Spielberg-produced series, Under the Dome, when it debuts this summer on CBS.

Learn about vampire thriller The Strain after the break. Continue reading TV teasers: CBS’ ‘Extant’ & FX’s ‘The Strain’ →

TV reminder: 9 premieres to look out for in January

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

We’ve hit the midseason mark and with it comes a handful of series premieres worth getting excited about, along with the return of some of your favorite shows. Full speed ahead, after the break! Continue reading TV reminder: 9 premieres to look out for in January →

Fall TV updates: ‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’, ‘The Crazy Ones’, ‘The Millers’ & ‘Mom’ get full season orders, ‘Ironside’ & ‘Welcome to the Family’ cancelled

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

What does the FOX say? It says Brooklyn Nine-Nine is getting a full season order bringing its season 1 tally to 22 episodes. Though the Andy Samberg/Andre Braugher sitcom has been landing so-so-to-low ratings since debuting to 6 million viewers and a 2.5 demo rating, the network sees its potential to grow into a bonafide hit by not only granting it a full season but also giving it the plum post Super Bowl slot. When Super Bowl XLVIII ends on Sunday, February 2 it will lead into a “special one-hour comedy event” with new episodes of New Girl and Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Ratings are guaranteed to spike and with any luck these FOX comedies will retain a chunk of its new viewers when things go back to normal after the Super Bowl.

B99 has had a string of fine half-hours since opening in September. Samberg’s wacky Jake Peralta and Braugher’s deadpan Captain Holt is a match made in comedy heaven, as is the supporting cast anchored by MVP Joe Lo Truglio.

Expect a season 2 renewal next; Fox entertainment head Kevin Reilly is a fan: “It’s exciting to see that both critics and fans love Brooklyn Nine-Nine as much as we do,” he said. “With Andy and Andre out in front of this incredible ensemble, it feels like this show is going to be around for a long time.”

CBS also made some major announcements this week. A trio of new comedies–The Crazy Ones, The Millers, and Mom–have all been picked up for full 22 episode seasons. The three shows, in that order, ranks as the top three freshman comedies on TV. David E. Kelley’s The Crazy Ones with Robin Williams and Sarah Michelle Gellar averages 13.71 million total viewers and a 3.6/10 in the adults 18-49 demo; Greg Garcia’s The Millers with Will Arnett and Margo Martindale averages 12.41 million viewers and a 3.2/09 rating; and Chuck Lorre’s Mom with Anna Faris and Allison Janney averages 7.98 million viewers and a 2.6/06 rating.

“We’re proud of CBS’s leadership position in comedy and excited to build on it with the back nine pick-ups of these three new comedies,” said Nina Tassler, CBS Entertainment President. “These series are creatively distinct, continue to improve each week and are led by strong showrunners, writing and production staffs, and feature amazingly talented casts.”

Unlike FOX and CBS this week, NBC was forced to clean off its axe and kill not one but two shows. Drama Ironside with Blair Underwood and comedy Welcome to the Family have been cancelled. Ironside will air its fourth and final episode this Wednesday and Welcome to the Family has been pulled from the schedule effective immediately. In their most recent airings, Ironside and Family produced meager 1.1 and 0.9 demo ratings in 18-49, respectively.

To fill in Ironside‘s Wednesdays at 10PM void NBC will air original episodes of Dateline and various specials until Dick Wolf’s Chicago Fire spinoff Chicago P.D. premieres January 8. Filling in Welcome to the Family‘s Thursdays at 8PM void are episodes of The Voice, SNL, Parks & Rec, Sunday Night Football, the live telecast of The Sound of Music, and The Sing Off. Dan Harmon’s Community returns to NBC’s schedule Thursday, January 2 with two new back-to-back episodes. Click after the break to view the full breakdown of the network’s Wednesday & Thursday plans.

And lastly there’s ABC. Though the alphabet network didn’t make any major pickups or cancellations this week, they did show support for struggling in the ratings but widely buzzed about sitcoms The Goldbergs and Trophy Wife. Both freshman comedies have received an order for three additional scripts each, a sign of confidence from the network. These shows deserve a full season order, and hopefully this move brings them one step closer to that goal. In their most recent outings, The Goldbergs attracted 5.1 million total viewers and a 1.6 demo rating and Trophy Wife landed 4.1 million viewers and a 1.3 demo rating. Like FOX did with Brooklyn Nine-Nine, let’s pray ABC can see past the low ratings and embrace the relatable creativity these shows have been producing. Continue reading Fall TV updates: ‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’, ‘The Crazy Ones’, ‘The Millers’ & ‘Mom’ get full season orders, ‘Ironside’ & ‘Welcome to the Family’ cancelled →

‘Hawaii Five-0’ lets fans design episode this season

News, Television, , , ,

Last season on Hawaii Five-0, fans had the chance to vote on the ending of an episode by submitting who they thought was the installment’s culprit after all the evidence was given. This season viewer participation reaches an entirely new level of interactivity; the show is allowing fans to shape an entire episode. Through October 31, fans can vote on key story elements like Scene of the Crime, The Victim, The Murder Weapon, The Evidence, The Suspect, and The Takedown; each category contains seven options to choose from. For example, the murder weapon can be flame thrower, a spear gun, or even a poisonous toad; a five inch stiletto, however, is currently the frontrunner. And this is only Phase 1. In January fans can vote on props and wardrobe, in February music, and in March the episode title will be chosen. Production on the episode begins in February 2014 in Oahu, Hawaii and it will air sometime later this season.

“Viewers loved helping figure out the ‘whodunit’ episode last season,” said exec prod Peter Lenkov. “Now, we want to up the ante by having viewers’ input on the production of a show. From story to props, viewers will help call the shots. And yes, this is fun for me when I get to see just how creative our writers can be when the key elements are chosen.”

“We are always looking for ways to engage with our viewers and reward fan loyalty,” added Glenn Geller, exec VP at CBS. “A Fan-Built Five-0 is another great example of how Peter Lenkov thinks outside the box in order to deliver exciting and original stories to the viewers.”

Click here to vote on the story elements today.

Hawaii Five-0 airs Fridays at 9PM on CBS.