Part of me is surprised that this deal took this long to happen. But when you watch the recent crop of new shows on the Chortle Network (with the exception of Tosh.0), it really shouldn't surprise anyone.
Comedy Central has ordered a half-hour scripted pilot based on the Onion's Sports Network. The OSN is part of the popular satirical magazine's online TV news network that launched a little under a year ago.
This isn't the first time the network has tried to do a satirical sports show. Comedy Central also shot a pilot for a Daily Show-esque sports show called Sports Central that died in the pilot stage. This incarnation sounds much more promising since it will spoof not only sports figures and stories, but also the tone and style of sports media. Sweet sassy molassey, this is gonna rock!
I'm all for more Westerns on television. It's a genre that lends itself well to the ongoing storytelling format that a regular TV series allows. So when I saw an article that FX was gearing up Reconstruction, a series set in the post-Civil War era of American history, I was pretty excited.
Creators Joshua Brand and Peter Horton thought it would make a good allegory for today's world, dealing with the economic crisis and even the ongoing war. "How does one heal after (a war)? How do you find your humanity again?" asked Horton. These are things the show hopes to deal with.
It centers around Jason, an East Coaster who comes back from the war changed. He finds refuge in a small town in Missour, where the saga will unfold. All of this was great, until I got to one line in the Reuters story: "Brand, the co-creator of St. Elsewhere, is writing the script for the project, which will include magical elements, with thirtysomething actor-turned-director Horton attached to take the helm." Magical elements? What?! Why?
The Cartoon Network is stepping away from cartoons yet again. This time they're creating a new reality show in which scrawny teenaged boys ages 13 to 16 will be put through high-tech training an effort to stop them from being bullied or to get back property that has been borrowed and not returned. The series will be called Going Commando. Insert joke here.
I'm somewhat ambivalent on this show. On one hand, teaching kids problem-solving skills is a great idea. On the other hand, the show should also teach the kids the discipline needed to use their knowledge for good rather than evil (perhaps the show could be sponsored by Google?).
I'm sure many of us nerdy types were bullied in our youth and would have enjoyed the use of "night vision, hydro reconnaissance or rappelling" in an effort to fix the problem or at least make it go away. So what do you think? Is this program a good idea or a disaster waiting to happen?
CBS Monday night comedies have been doing pretty well so far this season, as far as the ratings are concerned. The Big Bang Theory is challenging Two and a Half Men for top Nielsens for a sitcom; How I Met Your Mother is doing as well or better than last year, and the new kid on the block, Jenna Elfman in Accidentally on Purpose, has benefited by being smackdab in the middle of all that established comic success.
A&E, the cable network that is slowly becoming no arts nor entertainment, has signed on another tabloid favorite celebrity to bare her life for the camera.
Kirstie Alley will join the network's neverending list of celebrity reality shows. This one will focus on her neverending battle with weight loss as she raises her kids. The network has ordered 10 episodes of the new series.
In other words, it's every other family-related reality show you've ever seen except this one will star Kirstie Alley.
Some more sad TV news that thankfully doesn't involve Kirstie Alley: Flight of the Conchords might not be returning to television.
Jermaine Clement, one of the show's stars, told the Reuters News Service that their hilarious show might not return to television for a third season because the amount of work that it requires.
This isn't his or anyone else's final decision on the matter. Clement and his costar Bret McKenzie will discuss the possibility of a third season with directors and producers and should come to a decision by the end of the month. So all of you fans with Flight of the Conchords prayer alert hidden in your closet might want to a light an extra candle before you go to bed tonight.
Attention, attention! This is not a joke. It's not a spoof or a gag. Kathy Griffin will host a dance show for ABC. That's right, the funny lady of Bravo's My Life on the D-List, has said yes to hosting Let's Dance, a new celebrity reality show in which stars compete with one another by re-creating classic routines from pop culture. That means someone is going to try and do Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean" dance from Motown's 25th Anniversary Special, don't you think?
I am not a Dancing With the Stars fan, but this show sounds like something I'd be interested in watching for a couple of reason. Number one is Kathy Griffin. I think she's hilarious. She also loves celebrities, so I could see her really getting into this show and being the perfect built-in zingmeister. She'll say whatever comes to her mind, and -- fortunately -- that's usually pretty funny.
Former According to Jim star Jim Belushi is moving to a drama series. He's been tapped to star in a legal drama created by Murphy Brown mastermind Diane English and Homicide and Oz exec-producer Barry Levinson. The show is loosely based on the memoir "How Can You Defend These People?" by TV commentator and lawyer Mickey Sherman.
This is an excellent way for Belushi to wash the stench of According to Jim from his person. If presented as a dramedy (much like many of the popular dramas today), this could be a winner.
It took a few weeks to get it done, but at least all of the produced episodes of Southland have a home now. The show developed a little bit of buzz with its first seven episodes last season. Then it developed a lot of buzz this year when NBC pulled the plug on it before its second season had even begun, leaving six episodes created and in limbo.
Apparently, its darker tone didn't fit in with the network's plans anymore. After all, the 10 p.m. slot, where most of your more sophisticated shows used to live on NBC, is the home of Leno now. Immediately word came out that various cable networks were looking to pick up the series, but no one knew exactly what that meant. There were theories, of course, and TNT emerged as the front-runner.
Now we know, and it looks like everyone was right. TNT has secured the rights to Southland; primarily the right to broadcast the 13 episodes produced so far.
The Fox network cannot risk pissing off Seth MacFarlane. If they do, they run a good chance of suddenly finding most of their entire Sunday night line-up sucking eggs. At least, that's one possible reason for the renewal of American Dadfor a sixth season. That pickup gives MacFarlane the renewal trifecta for Sunday nights.
Actually, of MacFarlane's three series, American Dad is the best one (although I'm finding The Cleveland Show inching closer to first place). As opposed to Family Guy, the storytelling is more linear than the other two and the jokes actually have some relevance to the plot or characters (I'm on Team South Park regarding that "feud").
The Cleveland Show is also better at linear storytelling and jokes than its predecessor, but it's still not up to the standards of American Dad. Sadly, American Dad will likely live in the shadow of Family Guy and The Cleveland Show for years to come. At least MacFarlane has three chances with Fox to keep on working.
Comedian Nick Swardson has scored his own sketch comedy series on Comedy Central. The show will hit the air next year and feature a lot of digital shorts and animation, some of which will be based on almost Python-esque "Gay Robot" character. Swardson and Adam Sandler actually shot a pilot for his "Gay Robot" character years ago and thanks to the magic of YouTube, you can also enjoy it. Warning: if you're easily offended by jokes of a sexual nature, please get over yourself and grow a sense of humor before watching it.
SyFy has picked up the rights to broadcast an American version of the BBC show Being Human. For those who are unaware, Being Human is about a twenty-something ghost, a werewolf and a vampire that live together, each with their own set of melodramatic problems. It's a bit like a supernatural Melrose Place.
Actually, given the context of the program, it would go much better on The CW. But that's not likely at this point. They already have The Vampire Diaries anyway.
While relaunching Americanized versions of Brit shows has been successfully done on television before (such as The Office), it's the first time that I'm aware that SyFy has tried it. Usually they have new versions of old television shows with hit-or-miss results (there was Battlestar Galactica, and then there was Flash Gordon).
The BBC series was okay but not great. If the British makers of the show are lucky, SyFy won't butcher it beyond recognition.
At the time, the show was embraced by fans of Beavis & Butthead and King of the Hill as a worthy sardonic successor to Judge's animated quiver. But, critics often attacked its mockery of political correctness and progressive politics. Some pundits went so far as claiming such a show was inappropriate in the era of Obama.
In other words, it's only censorship when your side is the one being silenced.
George Clooney learned a lot about television toiling away on The Facts of Life and E/R. The latter wasn't NBC medical drama that made him a star. I'm talking about the 1984 Elliott Gould sitcom on CBS that lasted a year, just 22 episodes.
But the point is this: he may be a major movie star today, but George knows and appreciates television. That could be why George Clooney's behind Delta Blues, a cop drama that TNT has just picked up.
I use the term drama loosely, because it's something goofier than a straight drama. The lead character is an Elvis Presley impersonator when he's not working for the Memphis Police Department. One more thing: Like Elvis, he honors his mother... and lives with her. Does that make him a mama's boy? I guess we'll have to wait and see.
Apparently, Jennifer Aniston has been hanging out with Chelsea Handler a lot. She's so impressed with Chelsea Lately and the format of her show, that she's found a reason to come back to the small screen. Aniston mentioned it to Oprah Winfrey, who took the idea and ran with it.
See, Oprah is launching The Oprah Winfrey Network in 2010. Now, suddenly, she could have a very high-profile project to help promote the new channel: a weekly talk show fronted by both Winfrey and Aniston. I've always found Aniston to be very friendly, funny and personable, so this could work out very well.
It's an interesting pairing, Oprah and Jen. I'm curious to see if the new venture will be formatted like a traditional late-night talk show, or more like the daytime staple Winfrey has mastered. I have a feeling Oprah will want to differentiate the two a bit more. Perhaps with Aniston's influence, there'll be a much more playful and comedic atmosphere. What do you think? Nothing's been signed yet, but would you watch Oprah and Jen helm a talk show?
Part of me is surprised that this deal took this long to happen. But when you watch the recent crop of new shows on the Chortle Network (with the exception of Tosh.0), it really shouldn't surprise anyone. 
I'm all for more Westerns on television. It's a genre that lends itself well to the ongoing storytelling format that a regular TV series allows. So when I saw an article that FX was gearing up Reconstruction, a series set in the post-Civil War era of American history, I was pretty excited.
The Cartoon Network is stepping away from cartoons yet again. This time they're 
CBS Monday night comedies have been doing pretty well so far this season, as far as the ratings are concerned. 
A&E, the cable network that is slowly becoming no arts nor entertainment, has signed on another tabloid favorite celebrity to bare her life for the camera. 
Some more sad TV news that thankfully doesn't involve 
Attention, attention! This is not a joke. It's not a spoof or a gag. 
Former According to Jim star Jim Belushi is moving to a drama series. He's been 
It took a few weeks to get it done, but at least all of the produced episodes of 
The Fox network cannot risk pissing off Seth MacFarlane. If they do, they run a good chance of suddenly finding most of their entire Sunday night line-up sucking eggs. At least, that's one possible reason for the renewal of American Dad 
SyFy has 
The Goode Family -- the Mike Judge show ABC did everything it could to kill -- has a new home at Comedy Central.
George Clooney
Apparently, Jennifer Aniston has been hanging out with Chelsea Handler a lot. She's so impressed with Chelsea Lately and the format of her show, that she's found a reason to come back to the small screen. Aniston mentioned it to Oprah Winfrey, who took the idea and ran with it.
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