Tag Archives: NBC

TV renewals: ‘Bates Motel’, ‘Revolution’, ‘Glee’ and others coming back next season

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On April 8, A&E renewed Bates Motel for a second season. Same order as before–10 new episodes will premiere in 2014.

A&E president Bob DeBitetto: “Bates Motel has garnered critical acclaim and a loyal audience in its first few weeks. With superb writing and exceptional acting, led by the critically acclaimed performances of Vera Farmiga and Freddie Highmore, we’re incredibly excited to see where Carlton and Kerry take Norma and Norman Bates next.”

On April 26, NBC renewed five dramas including freshmen Revolution and Chicago Fire, Law & Order: SVU (for a fifteenth season), Parenthood (for a fifth season), and Grimm (for a third season).

NBC entertainment president Jennifer Salke: “On the verge of our 2013 fall scheduling decisions, we’re pleased to renew five drama series that will be important to our new season line-up. We’re proud and very appreciative of all of the actors, producers, writers and directors who work so hard to deliver such high-quality work week in and week out. These complex shows represent a broad range of genres and tones, and all of them stand out for us in a television landscape now filled with one-hour series. We’re especially pleased to be renewing Revolution and Chicago Fire — two first-season successes — and there will be more returning series announcements made in the next couple of weeks.”

For more renewal news, jump after the break. Continue reading TV renewals: ‘Bates Motel’, ‘Revolution’, ‘Glee’ and others coming back next season →

‘Apartment 23’, ‘Zero Hour’, ‘666 Park Avenue’ & ”Do No Harm’ are coming back from the grave to wrap their seasons

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As they say, good things come to those who wait. If you tuned into cancelled shows like Zero Hour and Don’t Trust the B in Apartment 23 this season, you are getting the opportunity to get hooked once more.

Let’s start with the alphabet network. Starting May 17, Apt 23 fans can watch the remaining eight episodes from the sitcom’s second season via ABC.com, Hulu, and iTunes. Conspiracy thriller Zero Hour is due to return Saturday, June 15 at 8PM; on that day the network will air two episodes back-to-back and then the remaining eight episodes will air Saturday nights until the end. Though ABC hasn’t confirmed a return date, fans will finally learn (well, fingers crossed) if Terry O’Quinn is indeed the devil on 666 Park Avenue this summer.

On NBC, Do No Harm–which only lasted two weeks when it premiered in midseason–will return to finish its freshman run starting Saturday, June 29 at 10PM.

[Via Deadline; TVLine 1, 2]

NBC pulls the fourth episode of ‘Hannibal’, shares informative web series, finally releases it on iTunes

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Hannibal episode 104 “Ceuf” was originally set to air on Thursday, April 25 but a day before its airing NBC and series executive producer Bryan Fuller deemed the installment’s content too inappropriate for TV when taking in consideration of recent world news (i.e. the Boston bombings and the Newtown shooting). The hour’s intriguing synopsis:

A string of family murders takes place, and Will (Hugh Dancy) determines they were conducted by each of the families’ missing children, who were abducted and brainwashed into killing their old families for their sinister “new family.” Against Alana’s (Caroline Dhavernas) recommendation, Hannibal (Mads Mikkelson) checks Abigail (Kacey Rohl) out of the hospital for some frightening psychiatric practices that ultimately align her loyalty with him.

Fuller sided with the network to pull the episode from the schedule, but he didn’t leave fans of the creative new series empty handed. The network released online a five-part “web series” that includes select scenes from the missing episode that do not involve the admittedly gruesome “crime of the week.” You can watch all five parts (with an introduction from Fuller) at YouTube.

On Tuesday, April 30, after NBC aired Hannibal‘s fifth episode, the network finally released “Ceuf” into the wild making it available for download via iTunes. Fans of the show will surely gobble up the lost ep, even if it means watching it out of order.

Hannibal airs Thursday nights at 10PM on NBC.

Jimmy Fallon to replace Jay Leno on ‘The Tonight Show’ in Spring 2014

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It’s official: Jimmy Fallon will take over The Tonight Show in Spring 2014 when Jay Leno will step down (again) from his post as the late-night ratings king. When Fallon moves to 11:35PM, The Tonight Show will return to its home at 30 Rock in New York City. Leno took over the hosting duties of The Tonight Show in 1992 from TV icon Johnny Carson, and when Leno steps down in 2014 he will have hosted for 22 years. A replacement for Fallon at Late Night has not been picked yet, but rumors are swirling that executive producer Lorne Michaels will fill the vacant seat with another SNL Weekend Update anchor, Seth Meyers. Here are some quotes pulled from an NBC press release:

Leno: “Congratulations Jimmy.  I hope you’re as lucky as me and hold on to the job until you’re the old guy. If you need me, I’ll be at the garage.”

Fallon: “I’m really excited to host a show that starts today instead of tomorrow.”

Steve Burke, CEO of NBCUniversal: “Jay Leno is an entertainment icon, making millions of people laugh every weeknight for more than 20 years. His long reign as the highest-rated late-night host is a testament to his work ethic and dedication to his viewers and to NBC. We are purposefully making this change when Jay is #1, just as Jay replaced Johnny Carson when he was #1.  Jimmy Fallon is a unique talent and this is his time.  I’m thrilled he will become the sixth host of ‘The Tonight Show’ at exactly the right moment, in conjunction with our coverage of next year’s Winter Olympic Games from Sochi, Russia.”

NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg commented on Tonight moving from Burbank, California to 30 Rock. “The Tonight Show will bring even more jobs and economic activity to our city — and we couldn’t be happier that one of New York’s own is bringing the show back to where it started — and where it belongs.”

When The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon premieres in Spring 2014, Lorne Michaels will follow him to serve as exec producer of his new show and his old one; he replaces longtime Tonight EP Debbie Vickers. As long as Leno follows through with his talk show retirement this time, Fallon is poised to smoothly transition into the earlier hour of entertainment. Way to go Jimmy! Let’s hope he brings The Roots with him. Watch Fallon and Leno sing it out in a clip embedded after the break.

[Via Deadline 1, 2] Continue reading Jimmy Fallon to replace Jay Leno on ‘The Tonight Show’ in Spring 2014 →

TV reminder: ‘Hannibal’ premieres April 4 at 10PM on NBC

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If you were intrigued by the platter of trailers that premiered in February promoting NBC’s upcoming serial killer thriller Hannibal, let this serve as a friendly reminder: the televised adaptation prequel to the classic 1991 horror film Silence of the Lambs premieres next week on Thursday, April 4 at 10PM. Hannibal comes from the visionary producer behind Pushing Daisies Bryan Fuller and stars Hugh Dancy as gifted criminal profiler Will Graham, Laurence Fishburne as Agent Jack Crawford, Caroline Dhavernas as Dr. Alana Bloom, and Mads Mikkelsen plays the infamous serial killer who eats his prey Dr. Hannibal Lector. Click after the break to watch two new trailers plus get an inside first look at the show with commentary from the cast, Fuller, and pilot director David Slade. Continue reading TV reminder: ‘Hannibal’ premieres April 4 at 10PM on NBC →

TV reminder: ‘Revolution’ returns Monday at 10PM on NBC

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After an excruciatingly long four month hiatus, NBC’s Revolution returns on Monday night, March 25. Things will pick up right where they left off: our group of rebels have finally reclaimed long-lost Danny and they are forced to face Monroe’s evil empire that managed to harness some power thanks to the powerful amplifier Rachel built for him under duress.

At the winter TCAs, series executive producer Eric Kripke promised that the second half of the show’s debut season will be “bigger, better, more exciting and [with] more revelations–at the same time maintaining the format.” He added, “Giving [Monroe] power was more about making him an unstoppable force. We start to deliver on the promise of the title. The revolution begins.”

In a more recent interview with EW, Kripke opened up more about what to expect in the final ten episodes of the season. If you thought the first season featured some high-octane, action-packed sequences, things are about to get turned up to a whole other level. “It’s so big,” says Kripke. “It’s action on a level that I’ve truly never seen on network television before. This show is about the characters and it’s about the emotion, and we really keep it grounded, but man, we really blow some s–t up, too.”

In addition to more action, there more also be more revelations. In early April (on the 8th, to be exact), viewers will finally be privy to how the lights went out. “[Rachel] basically just sits there and tells the entire story. That’s it. Literally, she lays it out. It’s absolutely fun,” says Elizabeth Mitchell, Rachel’s portrayer. We’ll also learn more about Rachel and Miles’ past, Aaron will eventually have to face the wife he left behind, and relationship between Neville and his son Jason will be tested.

And now, some goodies. First, flip through a gallery of stills from Monday night’s new episode “The Stand” right here. Next, jump after the break to watch a couple promos highlighting the upcoming episodes, one of which will really pump you up ‘cuz it plays Fall Out Boy’s bangin’ new single “Light ‘Em Up” (how appropriate, yes?). And then there’s a very special clip embedded after the break–you can watch THE FIRST EIGHT MINUTES of the new episode, right here, right now. Continue reading TV reminder: ‘Revolution’ returns Monday at 10PM on NBC →

NBC moves ‘Smash’ to Saturdays–the show is all but cancelled

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Sorry Smashers, I’ve got some bad news. On Wednesday NBC announced that it would be banishing its musical-driven drama Smash to Saturdays at 9 starting April 6. Since Gossip Girl‘s Josh Safran took over the reigns of the show from creator and Broadway vet Theresa Rebeck, Smash tanked in the ratings in its second season. On February 5 the new season premiere to 4.5 million viewers and a meager 1.1 rating in the adults 18-49 demo. Since then those numbers have dropped and fluctuated but remained dismally low–so low that the Peacock had every right to pull it from the schedule and call it a day; the most recent airing attracted only 2.9 million viewers and fell below the 1.0 rating threshold to a 0.9. However they are playing nice with the series’ small yet passionate fanbase and they’re letting it run its full 17-episode course before (very likely) pulling the plug on this thing.

In an interview with TVLine, Safran acknowledged the move to Saturdays. “I didn’t see it coming, being relegated to Saturday,” he said. “We’re all aware the show is not successful, but I guess I had hoped we would see what happened when The Voice came back [or] maybe they’d move us to a better time slot. But I understand from the network’s point of view. We hit a number and we stuck there.”

Despite the poor ratings, Safran stands behind his creative changes. “Everyone here from the top down is incredibly proud of the work,” he admitted. “I know that there are people who have their opinions and that’s totally acceptable, but that doesn’t change our viewpoint that we’re really proud and we love the show.”

Thankfully for fans Safran says the season 2 finale (which will most likely serve as the series’ final installment) “was constructed as a series finale.” He went on, “I don’t want [viewers] to think they are going to be left hanging, because they won’t be. The season has a beginning, middle and an end… [And] it just gets better and better.”

Currently Smash airs Tuesday nights at 10PM; to reiterate the show moves to Saturdays at 9PM on April 6 and will remain there until the end of its run on May 26.

‘Community’ cast gets the puppet treatment in upcoming episode

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We’ve seen them in claymation. We’ve seen them pixelated and animated. And soon this season we’ll have the chance to see the Greendale Gang as puppets! At PaleyFest this week it was revealed that Jeff, Britta, Abed, Troy, Annie, Shirley, Pierce  Chang, and Dean Felton (see what I did there?) will all be transformed into puppets in an episode slated to air later this season.

Per TVLine, “The story finds the study group taking a wild balloon ride that crash lands in the woods and forces them to spend a little time with a friendly mountain man (played by Seinfeld‘s Jason Alexander). The gang gets immortalized [in flashbacks] as puppets when Dean Pelton encourages them to talk about their adventures.”

Check out the puppet still in all its glory above. Community airs Thursday nights at 8PM on NBC.

New ‘Revolution’ web series to be live action featuring Monroe & Neville in the flesh

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One web series wasn’t enough, apparently. To help fans of NBC’s hot adventure drama Revolution bide their time during the series’ extended hiatus, the Peacock is introducing a second, this time live action web series featuring the show’s stars David Lyons (General Monroe) and Giancarlo Esposito (Captain Neville). According to EW, “The story will follow Capt. Neville on a mission to hunt down and kill and those who had a hand in the attempt to assassinate Monroe. While on his journey, however, Neville will apparently stumble “upon an even greater conspiracy that could change the course of the Republic forever.”” The five-part web series premieres Monday, February 25 at NBC.com. If you haven’t already, check out Revolution‘s animated web series that focuses on Sgt. Joseph Wheatly that debuted last month. The five released installements can be viewed at NBC, right here. Revolution kicks back into gear March 25.

Update (2/25): Episode 1 is out now! Watch it after the break.

Update 2: (3/18): All four episodes of Enemies of the State are out now. You know where to find ’em. Continue reading New ‘Revolution’ web series to be live action featuring Monroe & Neville in the flesh →

NBC sets premiere date for ‘Hannibal’ (teaser and key art inside) [Update: full-length trailer]

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Hannibal is coming to television this spring. NBC had ordered the serialized adaptation of the classic tale about Dr. Hannibal Lector (famously played by Anthony Hopkins in 1991’s Silence of the Lambs, originating in the Thomas Harris novel Red Dragon) last May and has since been keeping it warm on the bench. With midseason bust Do No Harm dead and gone, the Peacock’s schedule suddenly has a vacant Thursday at 10PM slot that’s begging to be filled. On April 4 Mads Mikkelsen (Casino Royale) will play the role of the mad serial killer and he’ll unleash his bag of mind tricks onto a gifted criminal profiler Will Graham (Hugh Dancy). Laurence Fishburne and Caroline Dhavernas also star. Hannibal is from Bryan Fuller, the man behind such visionary treats as Pushing Daisies and Heroes.

With FOX’s The Following gaining a cult of its very own, is there room for another, more familiar serial killer drama on network TV? The 30-second spot embedded above even evokes some of the Ryan Hardy/Joe Carroll back-and-forth that has come to pass on Kevin Williamson’s thriller. And yet it’s dark and just intriguing enough to warrant anticipation for Hannibal‘s premiere. Share your take in the comment section below. After the break you’ll find creepy yet tantalizing key art featuring Mikkelsen as Lector at the dinner table. Who’s hungry?

Update: There’s a new full-length 2-minute trailer now available for your viewing pleasure. Watch it after the break.

Update 2: A couple more new clips are posted after the break. Continue reading NBC sets premiere date for ‘Hannibal’ (teaser and key art inside) [Update: full-length trailer] →

Christina Applegate exits ‘Up All Night’

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Up All Night is tearing at the seams. After NBC pulled the show from it schedule in December, it decided to change the single-cam sitcom to multi-cam with a live audience and all and amidst the news of such a drastic revamp series creator Emily Spivey departed the show and original showrunner Jon Pollack stepped away as did his successor Tucker Cawley. And now, series star Christina Applegate is leaving.

“It’s been a great experience working on Up All Night, but the show has taken a different creative direction and I decided it was best for me to move on to other endeavors,” said Applegate. “Working with [executive producer] Lorne Michaels has been a dream come true and I am grateful he brought me into his TV family. I will miss the cast, producers and crew, and wish them the best always.”

Like Spivey before her, Applegate could not accept the massive creative changes happening at the show and so she bid it adieu. So what exactly does this mean for the show? NBC has yet to comment on the news, but according to Deadline the show is not dead yet and they’re looking at replacing Applegate’s with a new actress, possibly Lisa Kudrow of Friends fame.

NBC ordered five more episodes to round out Up All Night‘s second season. With an Applegate replaced it can technically live on to test its multi-cam experiment this spring. When the show’s overhaul was announced I was a bit skeptical about its future; now with Applegate out I don’t see it having one.

Update (2/12): According to Deadline, NBC has reduced the multi-cam episode order from 5 to 1 and the network is still interested in testing new waters even without the show’s star Christina Applegate. James Burrows is set to direct the episode.

[Via Deadline]

NBC cancels ‘Do No Harm’ after two episodes, benches ‘1600 Penn’

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After the extremely dismal ratings the Do No Harm pilot received, it is no surprise that the Jekyll and Hyde-esque medical drama was canned after its second airing. NBC’s midseason effort debuted to 3.1 million total viewers and a meager 0.9 rating in the 18-49 demo, making it the the lowest-rated in-season broadcast scripted series debut on any of the Big Four networks in history. Sealing its fate were its second week numbers: only 2.2 million viewers came back for more and its demo rating dropped 22% to a 0.7. This show had zero chance of survival from the get-go. Since the pilot wasn’t all that stimulating, here’s hoping that those who did tune in didn’t get too attached to this short-lived cast led by Steven Pasquale.

Not too long ago at the TCAs Do No Harm‘s executive producer David Schulner said, “I think ultimately you can only write the show that you want to watch, and this was a show that I wanted to see on TV. I wanted it to be fun. I wanted it to be thrilling. I wanted it to be a roller-coaster ride. And I wanted it to have stakes. I also wanted there to be a love story at the center of it. Hopefully those ingredients will make it different than what has come before.” Fail. And want to know the saddest part of all? All 13 episodes have been produced and the remaining 11 may never see the light of day.

Elsewhere on NBC, 1600 Penn is getting benched this week in favor of a double airing of departing comedy The Office. Now, Deadline reports that the move was made because the upcoming Valentine’s Day themed episode of The Office came in supersized and needed the extra schedule space to fit. However, you cannot shake the fact that the at-times uproariously funny, stuffed-with-heart White House sitcom is performing poorly in the ratings (most recently it scored a low 1.1 in the 18-49 demo); such a sudden pull from the schedule is certainly not a good sign.