On Tuesday, the highly anticipated Joss Whedon series, Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (a spinoff series of the insanely successful film, The Avengers) starring fan-favorite Clark Gregg as Agent Phil Coulson, premiered and though it was clearly the front-runner going into the evening, I’m not sure if anyone saw it doing as well as it did. With 11.9 million viewers and a 4.6 rating among the coveted 18 – 49 demographic, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. was the highest rated premiere in all of television in four years.
So, ABC had a choice: air an episode of Shark Tank on Thursday at 8:00 p.m. or, y’know… the highest rated premiere on television in four years. Kind of a no-brainer with that decision. The only downside is for folks who can only get ABC on their TV because after the awesomeness that is Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. ends (yeah… we f*cking love this show), those unfortunate viewers will be forced to watch the two-hour season premiere of Grey’s Anatomy.
All hail the power of digital media distribution! Not for nothing, this really shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone who was paying attention because production company Prospect Park picked up the licensing for both One Life to Live and All My Children back in July of 2011, right before they were to end their run on ABC. I’m going to post the ABC Press Release from July 7, 2011 first and then the latest one from Prospect Park after because the initial one has more details on exactly how this is going to play out. Even though I don’t care one way or another about daytime dramas, there are two reasons that this story appeals to me: first because of the nostalgia (AMC was Mom’s favorite show) and second, because of the fact that yet two more shows are finding life in the digital realm, basically telling the old, dinosaur model of commercial television revenue generation what to go do with itself. Kudos to Prospect Park, and congratulations to the legions of OLTL and AMC fans! You got your shows back!
Via Press Release:
Thursday, July 07, 2011
ABC Television Network
PRESS RELEASE – PRESS RELEASE – ENTERTAINMENT –
ABC Licenses All My Children and One Life to Live to Prospect Park
ABC LICENSES ITS ICONIC SOAPS “ALL MY CHILDREN” AND “ONE LIFE TO LIVE
TO PROSPECT PARK
EXCLUSIVE MULTI-YEAR, MULTI-PLATFORM DEAL ALLOW THE SOAPS’ STORIES TO CONTINUE BEYOND THEIR FINAL AIRDATES ON ABC
BURBANK, CA – July 7, 2011 – ABC has licensed its iconic soaps, “All My Children” and “One Life to Live” to Prospect Park, it was announced today by Brian Frons, President, Daytime, Disney/ABC Television Group & Janice Marinelli, President, Disney/ABC Domestic Television and Rich Frank & Jeff Kwatinetz of Prospect Park. The exclusive multi-year, multi-platform deal enables the soaps’ stories to continue beyond their finale dates on ABC. ABC will broadcast its final episode of “All My Children” on Friday, September 23rd and will air the final episode of “One Life to Live” in January, 2012.
The licensing agreement, brokered by Disney/ABC Domestic Television Group, enables Prospect Park to continue production of “All My Children” and “One Life to Live” beyond their life on ABC. Prospect Park will produce and deliver the two long-running programs to consumers via online formats and additional emerging platforms including internet enabled television sets. Under the terms of the arrangement, the programs will continue to be delivered with the same quality and in the same format and length. Additional details of the new productions and tune-in will be forthcoming from Prospect Park.
“We are privileged to continue the legacy of two of the greatest programs to air on daytime television, and are committed to delivering the storylines, characters and quality that audiences have come to love for over 40 years. ‘All My Children’ and ‘One Life to Live’ are television icons, and we are looking forward to providing anytime, anywhere viewing to their loyal community of millions,” said Frank and Kwatinetz. “Technology changes the way the public can and will view television shows. Now that there are so many devices available in addition to television sets, viewers are taking advantage of watching shows wherever they are and on any number of devices. The driving force in making the switch and attracting new audiences is to have outstanding programs that people want to watch. We believe that by continuing to produce the shows in their current hour format and with the same quality, viewers will follow the show to our new, online network.”
“‘All My Children’ and ‘One Life to Live’ are iconic pieces of television history that captivated millions of fans since their beginning over 40 years ago,” said Frons. “Each of the shows have made an indelible mark on our culture’s history and informed our consciousness in their own way. We are so glad Prospect Park has assumed the mantel for these shows and that they will continue for the fans.”
Marinelli continued, “From the time the shift in the daytime strategy was announced, our hope was to find a new home for these treasured shows. We are thrilled to license them to Prospect Park so the stories of life in Pine Valley and Llanview can continue to be told for the passionate and loyal fans that enjoy watching each day.”
“I’m just so happy that ABC found a home where the legacies of ‘All My Children’ and ‘One Life to Live’ can continue. I’m excited for their future with Prospect Park,” added Agnes Nixon, creator of both “All My Children” and “One Life to Live.” “It takes a lot of living to make a soap opera a serial, and the wonderful teams on both shows have done just that. Together, we are a big family that keeps going, and I’m looking forward to working alongside these wonderful people as we ensure that the shows will continue with all the love and excitement we’ve always had. I also am so happy for our loyal fans, whom we love so much, and who have been so supportive over the last 40 plus years.”
Prospect Park is a media and production company founded in 2009 by entertainment industry veterans Jeffrey Kwatinetz and former Disney Studios head Rich Frank. Along with successful film and music divisions, the company’s television group has numerous shows in development and breakout network hits airing, including “Royal Pains” and “Wilfred.”
In April, ABC announced that it was expanding the focus of its daytime lineup to include more programming that is informative and authentic and centers on transformation, food and lifestyle. “The Chew,” an innovative and groundbreaking daily talk show that celebrates and explores life through food, will premiere on September 26th. “The Revolution,” a daily show about health and lifestyle transformations, will replace “One Life to Live” in January 2012.
“All My Children” has revolved around the lives of the residents of fictional Pine Valley, a town which closely resembles the Philadelphia Main Line. “All My Children” took home the 1998 Emmy-award for Outstanding Drama Series, the third time the show received this top honor, having also garnered the award in 1994 and 1992. “All My Children” has received more than 30 Emmy Awards and consistently distinguishes itself in the field of daytime drama. The show has historically been committed to and is often the first to tackle social issues, focusing on such topics as AIDS, abortion, cochlear implants, teenage alcoholism, racial bias, acquaintance rape, spousal abuse, homosexuality, Reyes syndrome, Vietnam MIAs, drug abuse, the risks of motherhood over 40, safe sex, pet therapy and organ donations, among others. The show made television history airing daytime television’s first same-sex kiss between two lesbian characters as well as daytime television’s first same sex wedding between two women. The show was the first to chronicle the coming out story of a transgender woman and to cast a real life Iraq war vet whose story reflected his real life experiences and injuries incurred in combat.
“All My Children” premiered on the ABC Television Network on January 5, 1970, as a half-hour show; seven years later it expanded to an hour. Julie Hanan Carruthers is executive producer.
Also created by Agnes Nixon, the Emmy Award-Winning “One Live to Live” is set in the fictional town of Llanview, which is modeled on a Philadelphia suburb. “One Life to Live” debuted on The ABC Television Network July 15, 1968 as a half hour show. Ten years later, it grew to a full hour in 1978.
“One Life to Live” has been lauded for its groundbreaking exploration of social issues, diverse canvas, award-winning performances and innovative storylines. Along with the history-making week of live shows in May 2002, “One Life to Live” is responsible for many “firsts” in Daytime television, including stories of interracial romance, illiteracy, medical misdiagnosis, racial prejudice, gang violence and teen pregnancy. The show received mass critical acclaim for its 1992 homophobia storyline, which captured national headlines when it introduced the character of a gay teen (played by then unknown Ryan Phillippe) and culminated with the emotional display of the Names Project AIDS Memorial Quilt. “One Life to Live” was honored by the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) with the Outstanding Daytime Drama Award in 1993, and again in 2005 and 2010.
In 2002, the show won its first-ever Daytime Emmy Award in the Outstanding Drama Series category, and was nominated again in 2007 and 2008. Created by Agnes Nixon, “One Life to Live” debuted on July 15, 1968 and marked its 10,000th episode on August 17, 2007. Frank Valentini executive-produces.
Ken Ziffren of Ziffren Brittenham advised Prospect Park on the deal and the company is represented by Skip Paul at Centerview Partners LLC.
Via Press Release:
January 7, 2013 – We are pleased to confirm that Prospect Park is reviving the beloved soap operas, All My Children and One Life To Live as the anchor programs on The Online Network (TOLN). Today we are also pleased to confirm that Prospect Park has: 1) signed guild agreements with both SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) and the DGA (Directors Guild of America); 2) entered into a consulting agreement with Agnes Nixon the creator of All My Children and One Life To Live guaranteeing her active involvement; 3) hired Foz McDermott (coordinating producer Heroes) as TOLN’s head of production, Jennifer Pepperman (Director, One Life To Live) as Executive Producer on One Life to Live, and Ginger Smith (Producer, All My Children) as Executive Producer on All My Children; and 4) arranged the necessary financing to begin production in February on both All My Children and One Life To Live.
We thank the loyal audience and new generation of fans of both shows who have demonstrated that passion and exciting story lines are not just reserved for traditional television. Their enduring support encouraged us to move forward each and every day. We look forward to sharing more details including our launch air date and additional specifics in the coming weeks.
In what we can only say amounts to news that we’re surprised took this long to happen, CBS canceled their freshman “comedy” Partners on November 13th. Yes, we know we’re late on this, as well, but we never miss an opportunity to gloat as this year’s winner for the worst new series has FINALLY been canceled and we can say, “We told you so.”
FOX has also thankfully canceled (the dreadful) The Mob Doctor, and The CW has canceled the low-rated Emily Owens.
In sadder, but, again, not unexpected news, Last Resort and 666 Park Avenue have been canceled by ABC. Both were very good shows that didn’t take off from the start, unfortunately. But, then again, this is the U.S. television market so why should quality of programming having anything to do with success, right?
New Series “Red Widow,” “Zero Hour,” “Family Tools,” “How to Live with Your Parents
(for the Rest of Your Life),” “The Taste” and “Celebrity Diving” Join the Schedule,
Along with Returning Series “Dancing with the Stars” and “Body of Proof”
December 4, 2012 – ABC announced midseason premiere dates for new dramas “Red Widow” and “Zero Hour” today, along with new comedies “How to Live with Your Parents (for the Rest of Your Life)” and “Family Tools,” and new alternative series “The Taste” and “Celebrity Diving.” Returning series “Dancing with the Stars” and “Body of Proof” will rejoin the schedule will all-new seasons in the new year, and “Suburgatory” will move to Wednesday nights at 8:30 p.m., beginning April 3, 2013.
“Red Widow,” from “Twilight Saga” films writer Melissa Rosenberg and starring Radha Mitchell, is a riveting new drama about one woman’s journey into the world of organized crime, and how far she will go to keep her family safe. “Red Widow” will debut with a two-hour premiere on Sunday, March 3 from 9:00-11:00 p.m., ET, and premiere in its regular timeslot, Sunday nights at 10:00 p.m., ET, on Sunday, March 10.
New thriller “Zero Hour” stars Anthony Edwards (“ER”) in his return to series television. Edwards’ character, Hank Galliston, has spent his life debunking myths, only to be drawn into one of the most compelling mysteries in human history after his wife’s shocking disappearance. “Zero Hour” will premiere on Thursday, February 14 at 8:00 p.m., ET.
New comedy “How to Live with Your Parents (for the Rest of Your Life)” features Sarah Chalke (“Scrubs”) as a recently divorced single mom who moves back in with her eccentric parents, played by the multitalented and critically acclaimed Elizabeth Perkins and Brad Garrett. The series premieres on Wednesday, April 3 at 9:30 p.m., ET.
“Family Tools” debuts on Wednesday, May 1 at 8:30 p.m., ET and stars Kyle Bornheimer, J.K. Simmons and Leah Remini in a new family comedy that proves mixing family with business is never easy. “Family Tools” will take over for “Suburgatory” in this new timeslot following its season finale.
New innovative cooking competition show “The Taste” will feature celebrity chefs Anthony Bourdain, Nigella Lawson, Ludo Lefebvre and Brian Malarkey, will debut with a special two-hour premiere on Tuesday, January 22 from 8:00-10:00 p.m., ET, and will premiere in its regular time period, 8:00-9:00 p.m., ET on Tuesday, January 29.
“Celebrity Diving,” based on the international hit reality series “Celebrity Splash,” will premiere on Tuesday, March 19 at 8:00 p.m., ET and will feature as judges legendary Olympic diver and four-time gold medalist Greg Louganis, along with David Boudia, who brought home the gold for diving at the 2012 London Olympics.
“Dancing with the Stars” will return for a 16th season on Monday, March 18 at 8:00 p.m., ET. “Dancing with the Stars the Results Show” will debut the following week on Tuesday, March 26 at 9:00 p.m., ET.
“Body of Proof,” starring the Emmy(r)-winning Dana Delany, will return to the schedule on Tuesday, February 5 at 10:00 p.m., ET, and will feature new cast member Mark Valley as Det. Tommy Sullivan, a former NYPD detective (and a bit of a lady killer) who has transferred back to Philadelphia to rekindle his relationship with Megan Hunt (Delany).
Critically acclaimed Wednesday comedy “Suburgatory” will move to at 8:30 p.m., ET as of Wednesday, April 3, one week after the season finale of “The Neighbors.” “The Neighbors” returns with original episodes on Wednesday, January 9, and runs for 12 straight weeks.
ABC’s Midseason premiere dates are as follows (all times listed are ET):
Tuesday, January 22
8:00-10:00 p.m. “The Taste” (Two-hour Series Premiere)
Tuesday, January 29
8:00-9:00 p.m. “The Taste” (Regular Time Period Premiere)
Tuesday, February 5
10:00-11:00 p.m. “Body of Proof”
Thursday, February 14
8:00-9:00 p.m. “Zero Hour”
Sunday, March 3
9:00-11:00 p.m. “Red Widow” (Two-hour Series Premiere)
Sunday, March 10
10:00-11:00 p.m. “Red Widow” (Regular Time Period Premiere)
Monday, March 18
8:00-10:00 p.m. “Dancing with the Stars”
Tuesday, March 19
8:00-9:00 p.m. “Celebrity Diving”
Tuesday, March 26
9:00-10:00 p.m. “Dancing with the Stars the Results Show”
Wednesday, April 3
8:30-9:00 p.m. “Suburgatory” (New Time Period Premiere)
9:30-10:00 p.m. “How to Live with Your Parents (for the Rest of Your Life)”
Wednesday, May 1
8:30-9:00 p.m. “Family Tools”
Midseason show descriptions are as follows:
NEW DRAMAS:
“RED WIDOW”
Marta Walraven seems to have an idyllic life. A stay-at-home mom in tony Marin County, just north of San Francisco, she is devoted to her three children and her husband. Behind this perfect faade, however, is a more complicated story: Evan, Marta’s husband, supports the family by exporting marijuana. Marta is familiar with the world of organized crime: her father, Andrei Petrov, and his loyal bodyguard, Luther, are Bratva – Russian gangsters – in San Francisco. It’s a world from which she and her sister Kat always wanted to escape, though they never quite did.
But when Evan is brutally murdered in their driveway, everything changes. Marta’s first concern is to protect her children – and yet when FBI Agent James Ramos promises Marta justice in exchange for her cooperation, she cannot go against the Bratva code. She refuses his help.
Slowly, the truth about her husband’s murder begins to emerge: Evan’s business partners – Marta’s scheming brother, Irwin Petrov, and their best friend, the hapless Mike Tomlin – were involved in the theft of millions of dollars of cocaine from the formidable international crime boss, Nicholae Schiller. Evan paid with his life, but as far as Schiller is concerned, his debt is not clear. It falls to Marta, as Evan’s widow, to navigate the criminal underworld in order to repay this debt – in whatever way Schiller sees fit.
Hounded by the FBI on the one hand and by Schiller on the other, while also trying to raise three grieving kids on her own, Marta discovers a tenacity she never knew she had. As she hunts for the truth about her husband’s death and struggles to keep her children safe, she’ll rely on her resourcefulness, determination and her Bratva DNA like never before. But just how far is Marta willing to go in order to beat her adversaries at their own deadly game?
“Red Widow” stars Radha Mitchell (“High Art,” “Pitch Black,” “Man on Fire”) as Marta Walraven, Sterling Beaumon (“Clue,””Lost”) as Gabriel Walraven, Clifton Collins Jr. (“Traffic,” “Thief”) as FBI Agent James Ramos, Luke Goss (“Blade II,” “Hellboy II: The Golden Army”) as Luther, Suleka Mathew (“Hawthorne”) as Dina Tomlin, Erin Moriarty (“One Life to Live”) as Natalie Walraven, Jaime Ray Newman (“Drop Dead Diva”) as Kat Petrova, Jakob Salvati (“Crescendo,” “Little Boy”) as Boris Walraven, Lee Tergesen (“Army Wives”) as Mike Tomlin, Wil Traval (“Rescue Special Ops”) as Irwin Petrov, with Rade Serbedzija (“24”) as Andrei Petrov and Goran Visnjic (“ER”) as Nicholae Schiller.
Based on the Dutch series “Penoza,” “Red Widow” is executive-produced and written by Melissa Rosenberg (“Dexter,” “Twilight Saga” films) and executive-produced by Howard Klein (“The Office,” “Parks & Recreation”) and Alon Aranya. The series is produced by ABC Studios in association with Endemol Studios.
“ZERO HOUR”
As the publisher of a paranormal enthusiast magazine, Modern Skeptic, Hank Galliston has spent his career following clues, debunking myths and solving conspiracies. A confessed paranormal junkie, his motto is “logic is the compass.” But when his beautiful wife, Laila (Jacinda Barrett), is abducted from her antique clock shop, Hank gets pulled into one of the most compelling mysteries in human history, stretching around the world and back centuries.
Contained in one of his wife’s clocks is a treasure map, and what it leads to could be cataclysmic. Now it’s up to Hank to decipher the symbols and unlock the secrets of the map, while ensuring the answers don’t fall into the wrong hands – a man they call White Vincent (Michael Nyqvist). With his two young associates, Rachel (Addison Timlin) and Arron (Scott Michael Foster), in tow, along with Becca Riley, a sexy FBI agent (Carmen Ejogo), Hank will lead them on a breathless race against the clock to find his wife and save humanity.
“Zero Hour” stars Anthony Edwards (“Big Sur,” “Flipped,” “ER”) as Hank, Carmen Ejogo (“Sparkle,” “Chaos,” “Away We Go”) as Beck, Scott Michael Foster (“Californication,” “The River”) as Aaron, Addison Timlin (“Californication”) as Rachel, Jacinda Barrett (“Matching Jack,” “Middle Men,” “New York, I Love You”) as Laila and Michael Nyqvist (“Mission: Impossible – Ghost Patrol”) as White Vincent.
“Zero Hour” was written by Paul T. Scheuring (“Prison Break”) who is also an executive producer along with Zack Estrin, Pierre Morel, Lorenzo DiBonaventura (“The Transformers,” “GI: Joe” franchise, “Salt,” “Red”) and Dan McDermott (“Human Target”). The pilot for “Zero Hour” was directed by Pierre Morel. The series is produced by ABC Studios.
NEW COMEDIES:
“HOW TO LIVE WITH YOUR PARENTS (FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE)”
Polly (Sarah Chalke) is a single mom who has recently divorced. The transition hasn’t been easy for her, especially in this economy. So, like a lot of young people living in this new reality, she and her daughter, Natalie (Rachel Eggleston), have moved back home with her eccentric parents, Elaine (two-time Golden Globe(r) and Emmy(r) nominee Elizabeth Perkins) and Max (three-time Emmy(r) winner Brad Garrett). But Polly and her parents look at life through different generational lenses. Polly (in contrast to how she was raised) aspires to be organized and together, while Max and Elaine live a more free-flowing, improvisational life-style. Polly wants to take it slow with new relationships, while her parents encourage her to be more sexually adventurous.
Polly and her parents’ views on parenting itself also conflict: Polly wants to be an involved modern parent, but Max and Elaine are laid back, hands-off parents from the 1970s. Polly believes children need to be sheltered and have structure and guidance, while Max and Elaine feel that children need the freedom to fall and pick themselves back up. After all, Polly turned out okay, so what’s the big deal?
They say it takes a village to raise a child, but in Polly’s case, this village is on fire, and although her ex-husband Julian’s (Jon Dore) intentions are good, he doesn’t exactly help extinguish the flames. But through figuring out how to live with her dysfunctional family, Polly realizes she might even be able to learn a few helpful things about herself.
“How to Live with Your Parents (for the Rest of Your Life)” stars Sarah Chalke as Polly, Elizabeth Perkins as Elaine, Jon Dore as Julian, Rachel Eggleston as Natalie, Stephanie Hunt as Jenn and Brad Garrett as Max.
“How to Live with Your Parents (for the Rest of Your Life)” is executive-produced by Brian Grazer, Francie Calfo and Claudia Lonow. The series is produced by Imagine Television in association with Twentieth Century Fox Television.
“FAMILY TOOLS”
Mixing family with business is never easy, and Jack Shea (Kyle Bornheimer) is about to learn that lesson the hard way. When Jack’s father, Tony (J.K. Simmons), has a heart attack and is forced to hand over the keys to his beloved handyman business, Jack is eager to finally step up and make his father proud. Unfortunately Jack’s past career efforts have been less than stellar, so everyone seems to be waiting for him to fail. His new job isn’t made any easier by Tony’s rebellious, troublemaking assistant, Darren (Edi Gathegi), and Darren’s flirtatious sister, Liz (Danielle Nicolet), who works at the local hardware store. But with the support of his Aunt Terry (Leah Remini) and his oddball yet endearing cousin Mason (Johnny Pemberton), Jack Shea may just find his true calling right at home.
“Family Tools” stars Kyle Bornheimer (“Bachelorette,” “Romantically Challenged,” “Perfect Couples”) as Jack Shea, J.K. Simmons (“Ultimate Spiderman,” “Generator Rex,” “The Closer”) as Tony Shea, Edi Gathegi (“X Men: First Class”) as Darren Poynton, Johnny Pemberton (“21 Jump Street,” “Aim High”) as Mason Baumgardner, Danielle Nicolet (“X Men TV Series”) as Lisa “Stitch” Poynton and Leah Remini (“In the Motherhood,” “King of Queens”) as Terry Baumgardner.
Based on the UK series “White Van Man,” the “Family Tools” teleplay is by Bobby Bowman. “Family Tools” is executive-produced by Joshua Sternin (“That ’70s Show”), J.R. Ventimilia (“That ’70s Show”), Mark Gordon (“Grey’s Anatomy,” “Criminal Minds”), Andrea Shay (“It Takes a Village,” “Virtual Virgin”) and Paul Buccieri (“Prime Suspect”). The pilot for “Family Tools” was directed by Michael Fresco (“Suburgatory,” “Raising Hope,” “Better Off Ted,” “My Name Is Earl,” “Northern Exposure,” “St. Elsewhere”). The series is from ABC Studios.
NEW ALTERNATIVE SERIES:
“THE TASTE”
One blind spoonful could change everything… on ABC’s “The Taste.” The exhilarating new cooking competition show “The Taste” puts 16 culinary competitors — pro chefs to home cooks — to the fire when four of the world’s most notable masters of the food world judge their creations based on a blind taste test. In this pressure-packed contest, the taste in a single spoonful can catapult a contender to the top or send him packing. “The Taste” features no-holds barred chef Anthony Bourdain, British food star Nigella Lawson, expert chef/author Ludo Lefebvre and restaurateur Brian Malarkey. Each of the four culinary superstars and “Taste” mentors – Bourdain, Lawson, Lefebvre and Malarkey – will coach a team of four competing pro and amateur cooks chosen from a nationwide casting call as they vie to create the best tasting dish. In each episode, the groups will face team and individual challenges with a variety of culinary themes through several elimination rounds. At the end of each episode, the mentors will have to judge the competitors’ dishes blind, with no knowledge of whose creation they’re sampling, what they’re eating, how it was prepared or whom they could be eliminating.
“The Taste” is from Kinetic Content and is executive-produced by Chris Coelen, Matilda Zoltowski, Emma Conway, Anthony Bourdain and Nigella Lawson. Brian Smith is the director.
“CELEBRITY DIVING”
“Celebrity Diving,” based on the hit international format “Celebrity Splash,” features celebrities competing in an exciting, family-friendly and often thrilling diving competition in front of a packed audience. Stars will perform dives from dizzying heights that will increase in difficulty each week, including backflips, somersaults and other gymnastic feats, to impress the judges, viewers at home and, most importantly, to win! Leading up to the competition, a professional diving instructor will give each celebrity weeks of training. Dives are not for the faint of heart, as they can be from as high as from 10-meter boards, with ever-increasing complexity, leading up to the much-anticipated finale.
“Celebrity Diving” is from award-winning production company Eyeworks USA (formerly 3 Ball Productions). The series is executive-produced by JD Roth, Todd A. Nelson and Brant Pinvidic. Judges include legendary diver and four-time Olympic gold medalist Greg Louganis, and David Boudia, who brought home the gold for diving at the 2012 London Olympic Games.
RETURNING SERIES:
“DANCING WITH THE STARS”
Season 16 of “Dancing with the Stars” will feature a star-studded cast filled with celebrities across a variety of genres, who will be paired with some of the world’s most decorated professional ballroom dancers to compete each week in a live ballroom competition. The couple with the lowest combined judges’ scores and public votes for their performance is sent home live every week, on “Dancing with the Stars the Results Show.”
Hosted by Emmy(r) Award winner Tom Bergeron (“America’s Funniest Home Videos”) and Brooke Burke-Charvet (“Dancing with the Stars” Season Seven Champion), the celebrities perform choreographed dance routines which will be judged by renowned Ballroom judge Len Goodman and dancer/choreographers Bruno Tonioli and Carrie Ann Inaba. The series is produced by BBC Worldwide Productions. Conrad Green serves as executive producer.
“BODY OF PROOF”
Brilliant and driven neurosurgeon Dr. Megan Hunt (Dana Delany) has found a new life as a Medical Examiner after a car accident left her with a condition called paresthesia and unable to operate. Although she’s no longer in the business of fixing what’s wrong with living patients, she’s still instinctively drawn to finding out what killed her dead patients and uncovering who was responsible and why. As she pursues the answers, the bodies of the dead provide the clues. The body is, in effect, the proof. As she, alongside her incredible team, investigate what happened to her patients, she finds their lives and the lessons they hold are in a way a bequest to her, to learn from them what she can and to apply to her own personal journey of redemption and forgiveness. In return, Megan is determined to get them justice.
“Body of Proof” stars Dana Delany as Dr. Megan Hunt, Jeri Ryan as Dr. Kate Murphey, Mark Valley as Detective Tommy Sullivan, Geoffrey Arend as Dr. Ethan Gross, Windell D. Middlebrooks as Dr. Curtis Brumfield, Elyes Gabel as Detective Adam Schaeffer, and Mary Mouser as Lacey Fleming.
The series is created by Christopher Murphey and executive-produced by Murphey, Matthew Gross, and Evan Katz. “Body of Proof” is produced by Gross Entertainment and ABC Studios.
“SUBURGATORY”
Tessa and George (Jeremy Sisto) have been on their own ever since Tessa’s mom pulled a “Kramer vs. Kramer” before Tessa (Jane Levy) was even potty trained. So far George has done a pretty good job of raising Tessa without a maternal figure in their lives, but suddenly he’s feeling a little out of his league. So it’s goodbye New York City and hello suburbs. At first Tessa is horrified by the big-haired, fake-boobed mothers and their sugar-free, Red Bull-chugging kids. But little by little, she and her dad begin finding a way to survive on the clean streets of the ‘burbs. Sure, the neighbors might smother you with love while their kids stare daggers at your back, but underneath all that plastic and caffeine, they’re really not half bad. And they do make a tasty pot roast.
“Suburgatory” stars Jeremy Sisto (“Law & Order”) as George Altman, Jane Levy (“Shameless”) as Tessa Altman, Carly Chaikin (“The Last Song”) as Dalia Royce, Rex Lee (“Entourage”) as Mr. Wolfe, Allie Grant (“Weeds”) as Lisa Shay, Alan Tudyk (“V”) as Noah Werner, Cheryl Hines (“Curb Your Enthusiasm”) as Dallas Royce, Ana Gasteyer (“Saturday Night Live”) as Sheila Shay and Chris Parnell (“30 Rock”) as Fred Shay.
Emily Kapnek (“Hung”) writes and executive-produces this bitingly ironic single-camera comedy, which is produced by Warner Bros. Television.
Pick-Up Joins Previously Announced Full Season Orders for “The Neighbors” and “Scandal”
ABC has picked up a full season of new drama “Nashville,” it was announced today. “Nashville” joins previously announced full season orders for new comedy “The Neighbors” and returning drama series “Scandal.” “Nashville” airs Wednesday nights at 10:00 p.m., ET on the ABC Television Network.
On average during Wednesday’s 10:00 o’clock hour, ABC rookie “Nashville” is No. 1 in its time period among Adults 18-49 (3.2/9), beating CBS’ veteran “C.S.I.” by 3% (3.1/9) and NBC’s freshman “Chicago Fire” by 33% (2.4/7). The new ABC drama also leads the hour with Adults 18-34 and across all key Women demographics (W18-34/W18-49/W25-54). Overall for the season, “Nashville” ranks among the Top 3 new TV series in Adults 18-49 and Adults 18-34, while qualifying as the No. 2 freshman program with Women 18-49. “Nashville” attracts an advertiser-coveted upscale audience, pulling in 30% higher ratings among Adults 18-49 in homes with $100k+ annual income (index of 130) to make it the top indexing new drama on broadcast TV this season, and the No. 2 highest-rated freshman show overall.
“Nashville” stars Connie Britton as Rayna Jaymes, Hayden Panettiere as Juliette Barnes, Charles Esten as Deacon Claybourne, Eric Close as Teddy Conrad, Clare Bowen as Scarlett O’Connor, Jonathan Jackson as Avery Barkley, Sam Palladio as Gunnar Scott, Robert Ray Wisdom as Coleman Carlisle and Powers Boothe as Lamar Wyatt.
Dee Johnson, R.J. Cutler, Callie Khouri and Steve Buchanan are executive producers of “Nashville.” The pilot was written by Callie Khouri and directed by R.J. Cutler. The series is produced by Lionsgate, ABC Studios and Gaylord Entertainment.
EDITORIAL NOTE: To understand how we do our reviews, please refer to our review of Revolution, here.
Chart-topping Rayna James (Connie Britton) is a country legend who’s had a career any singer would envy, though lately her popularity is starting to wane. Fans still line up to get her autograph, but she’s not packing the arenas like she used to. Rayna’s record label thinks a concert tour, opening for up-and-comer Juliette Barnes (Hayden Panettiere), the young and sexy future of country music, is just what Rayna needs. But scheming Juliette can’t wait to steal Rayna’s spotlight. Sharing a stage with that disrespectful, untalented, little vixen is the last thing Rayna wants to do, which sets up a power struggle for popularity. Could the undiscovered songwriting talent of Scarlett O’Connor (Clare Bowen) be the key to helping Rayna resurrect her career?
Complicating matters, Rayna’s wealthy but estranged father, Lamar Hampton (Powers Boothe), is a powerful force in business, Tennessee politics, and the lives of his two grown daughters. His drive for power results in a scheme to back Rayna’s handsome husband, Teddy, in a run for Mayor of Nashville, against Rayna’s wishes. – ABC
Score: 80 out of 100
Initial Impressions (July 20, 2012): Is it just us, or is this the country music version of NBC’s Smash? Proving that there is really hardly anything original in network prime-time drama, any more, Nashville, recycles a million and one film and television clichés in order to hobble together a weekly soap that all things considered, although not our cup of tea, doesn’t look particularly awful.
Shawn: As I noted in the preview, sometimes you can judge a book by its cover. This show is so reminiscent of Smash that on that level alone it induces eyeball rolling. That being said, it’s a pretty good show. I’m not going to spend too much time on Nashville not because it’s not worthy of it, but simply because it’s not the kind of show I have any real interest in. More than anything, it’s a soap and since it doesn’t involve plotting revenge against socialites in the Hamptons, it won’t find a spot in my DVR lineup… that and the fact that my wife has no interest in it, either.
The first thing that stands out is the epic nature of this production. From the opening scene, there really is no question that Connie Britton (Rayna James) and Hayden Panettierre (Juliette Barnes) are the country mega-stars that they portray on this new series. They’ve gone to great lengths to produce a show that looks believably big… as if our stars are really in arenas with thousands of screaming fans. It’s very effective because unlike a lot of other themed shows, nothing feels fake or contrived and it gives the show instant credibility with every other aspect of it.
The cast is diverse and the subplots are neatly woven together neatly so it’s fluid and nothing feels forced nor is it confusing. The characters are well-fleshed out and pretty complicated so that there’s no real bad guys, just a lot of competing agendas. Nashville is also very effective at making the city it’s named for and integral character to the story, from the modern high-rises in the business district, to the old hole-in-the-wall open-mic country music bars to the expansive suburbs, Nashville effectively incorporates every personality that the city offers which allows the audience to easily relate to it, despite the fact that they may never have been there.
The musical numbers are actually fantastic (and I’m not even a country music fan) but they are unfortunately also the reason why I got bored and was constantly checking the time. I could be wrong and maybe i’m expecting too much from a show that revolves around the music industry, but there were, from what I recalled, three complete music numbers during the pilot where nothing happened but the music numbers. That’s like 12 minutes out of a 42-minute show, or about 29% of it. In my book, that’s way too much.
So, if you like grand soaps with good music, you’ll certainly like Nashville.
Chance of Renewal: 80%
Nashville has had very strong ratings and on girl-powered ABC who has done traditionally very well with this format, this show should be successful.
Going to have to give a bit of a preamble explanation on this one because the press release is written from the standpoint of being intentionally non-specific using a bunch of marketing fancy talk. What it comes down to is that there will be no commercials in the November 11th episode of Revenge, instead the episode will be loaded what will more than likely be over-the-top product placement from Niemann-Marcus and Target.
Does this mean that we are going to see Victoria Grayson (Madeline Stowe) pushing around a red plastic shopping cart in a big-box store? Doubtful (but that would be rich, wouldn’t it?), however it is an interesting experiment in non-traditional primary revenue generation to say the least, so we’re all in favor of that because we’re all in favor on of non-traditional primary television revenue generation as it opens up more opportunities for better quality programming. That being said, we are a tad bit skeptical because we’ve seen product placement used obnoxiously in several dramas over the years that still had 18 minutes of an hour dedicated to commercials. So, we’ll have to see how this goes.
Tell us what you think about the idea of product placement or other types of non-traditional revenue generation for television shows and tell us what you think about November 11th episode of Revenge and how effectively you think it was done!
Via Press Release:
ABC ANNOUNCES UNPRECEDENTED PARTNERSHIP WITH TARGET AND NEIMAN MARCUS WITH FIRST-OF-ITS KIND INTEGRATION ON HIT SERIES “REVENGE”
October 17, 2012 – Target and Neiman Marcus have partnered with ABC for a ground-breaking integration in conjunction with the critically acclaimed series “Revenge.” As part of the highly anticipated reveal of the retailers’ holiday collection, Target and Neiman Marcus will be the exclusive show sponsor in the episode airing SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 11 (9:00-10:01 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network. In lieu of commercials, the retailers are working directly with the creative team of “Revenge” — a series known for its flair for fashion and high style — to create original content incorporating the Target+ Neiman Marcus holiday collection.
“This is an unprecedented event on every level,” said Marla Provencio, chief marketing officer, executive vice president, ABC Entertainment Group. “It has been a great experience collaborating with these two iconic brands, and we are thrilled that they chose ABC’s ‘Revenge’ as the exclusive partner.”
“The scale of our partnership with Neiman Marcus propelled us to go well beyond the traditional approach and develop marketing initiatives that reflect the historic nature of this collaboration,” said Jeff Jones, chief marketing officer and executive vice president, Target. “Working with the team at ABC has been invigorating. We’re confident the November 11 episode of ‘Revenge’ will blow our guests away and, much like our collection with Neiman Marcus, provide an unforgettable element of surprise this holiday season.”
Target® Corp. (NYSE: TGT) and Neiman Marcus unveiled their unprecedented holiday collection featuring 24 of America’s preeminent designers – all members of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) – in New York. The collection will be available December 1 at all Target and Neiman Marcus stores, as well as online at Target.com and NeimanMarcus.com. In recognition of the 24 designers who created products for the holiday collection, Target and Neiman Marcus are donating a total of $1 million to the CFDA.
More information about the Target + Neiman Marcus Holiday Collection integration on the November 11 episode of “Revenge” will be available via ABullseyeView.com and NMDaily.com.
For more information on “Revenge,” visit ABC.com/Revenge.
EDITORIAL NOTE: To understand how we do our reviews, please refer to our review of Revolution, here.
Meet the Weavers, Debbie (Jami Gertz) and Marty (Lenny Venito). Marty, in hopes of providing a better life for his wife and three kids, recently bought a home in Hidden Hills, a gated New Jersey townhome community with its own golf course. Hidden Hills is so exclusive that a house hasn’t come on the market in 10 years. But one finally did and the Weavers got it!
It’s clear from day one that the residents of Hidden Hills are a little different. For starters, their new neighbors all have pro-athlete names like Reggie Jackson (Tim Jo), Jackie Joyner-Kersee (Toks Olagundoye), Dick Butkis (Ian Patrick) and Larry Bird (Simon Templeman). Over dinner, Marty and his family discover that their neighbors receive nourishment through their eyes by reading books, rather than eating. The Weavers soon learn that the entire community is comprised of aliens from Zabvron, where the men bear children and everyone cries green goo from their ears.
The Zabvronians have been stationed on Earth for the past 10 years, disguised as humans, awaiting instructions from home, and the Weavers are the first humans they’ve had the opportunity to know. As it turns out, the pressures of marriage and parenthood are not exclusive to planet Earth. Two worlds will collide with hilarious consequences as everyone discovers they can “totally relate” and learn a lot from each other. – ABC
Score: 15 out of 100
Initial Impressions (July 20, 2012): Stupid, dopey, and corny yet seemingly charming, heart-warming and endearing at the same time. We thought this was cute yet utterly repulsive. Kind of an odd dichotomy for an odd little show.
ABC and Marvel have confirmed that Joss Whedon is developing a TV series spinoff from The Avengers, based around S.H.I.E.L.D. Whedon is signed on to co-write the pilot with his brother Jed Whedon and Maurissa Tancharoen. Whedon is bringing in all the previous brain trust from Firefly, Buffy, and Angel on this one so it should be a fun ride ahead. If ordered to series, Jed Whedon and Tancharoen, alums of Joss Whedon’s Fox series Dollhouse, will serve as showrunner-exec producers with Jeffrey Bell. Marvel TV exec Jeph Loeb, who previously worked with Whedon on the ill fated animated Buffy the Vampire Slayer will also be an executive producer.
According to Variety, the series will revolve around the activities of the top-secret S.H.I.E.L.D espionage organization featured in The Avengers.
Trent Moore, writing for Blaster.com says:
“For us, that means all these excellent writers are going to have big budgets and a bigger platform to play with, and with some autonomy from the films, they may get a long leash to really dig in and make this a compelling series.”
So far, Avengers has racked up $1.5 billion world wide. To capitalize on this, ABC is fast-tracking this series.
RedEyeRogue has gotten this advance sneak peek of a rough cut from one of our inside sources:
Well, we know it’s been a long time and that we promised to get all of these done for each network the same week that we announced schedules but you know what? Sometimes we just suck. We’re unreliable and we break promises. There… we said it.
So, here we go: ABC’s new shows for the 2012 – 2013. ABC included so much production information in their press release that it’s going to take up the whole blog to repost it so if you want more info about these new shows, go here.
666 Park Avenue — At the ominous address of 666 Park Avenue, anything you desire can be yours. Everyone has needs, desires and ambition. For the residents of The Drake, these will all be met, courtesy of the building’s mysterious owner, Gavin Doran (Terry O’Quinn). But every Faustian contract comes with a price. When Jane Van Veen (Rachael Taylor) and Henry Martin (Dave Annable), an idealistic young couple from the Midwest, are offered the opportunity to manage the historic building, they not only fall prey to the machinations of Doran and his mysterious wife, Olivia (Vanessa Williams), but unwittingly begin to experience the shadowy, supernatural forces within the building that imprison and endanger the lives of the residents inside. Sexy, seductive and inviting, The Drake maintains a dark hold over all of its residents, tempting them through their ambitions and desires, in this chilling new drama that’s home to an epic struggle of good versus evil.
Our Take: John Locke is now Satan, himself… whoopty doo! Honestly, we were skeptical to begin with when we read the show description but we were completely non-plussed when we saw the trailer and it turns out that we aren’t the only ones. The folks at Comic-Con in San Diego had a chance to screen the pilot last week and their reaction was equally as mixed. Park does look like it has potential, but it looks very slow with many of the same horror themes we’ve seen many, many times before. We’ll certainly give it a shot but it had better be a lot more compelling than it appears.
Chance of Renewal: This type of genre programming has been finding some moderate success lately and if it gets the ball rolling out-of-the-gate, it could hook a loyal fanbase very quickly, but it’s got to move fast or genre-skeptical audiences will stop watching it after a couple of episodes.
Last Resort– 500 feet beneath the ocean’s surface, the U.S. ballistic missile submarine Colorado receive their orders. Over a radio channel, designed only to be used if their homeland has been wiped out, they’re told to fire nuclear weapons at Pakistan.
Captain Marcus Chaplin (Andre Braugher) demands confirmation of the orders only to be unceremoniously relieved of duty by the White House. XO Sam Kendal (Scott Speedman) finds himself suddenly in charge of the submarine and facing the same difficult decision. When he also refuses to fire without confirmation of the orders, the Colorado is targeted, fired upon, and hit. The submarine and its crew find themselves crippled on the ocean floor, declared rogue enemies of their own country. Now, with nowhere left to turn, Chaplin and Kendal take the sub on the run and bring the men and women of the Colorado to an exotic island. Here they will find refuge, romance and a chance at a new life, even as they try to clear their names and get home.
Our Take: Seriously… no joke. This is on your television this fall. Shawn Ryan returns to television in what looks like to us perhaps to not only be the best new series this season, but the best new American series in a decade. This looks beyond fantastic with an all-star cast and production team that puts feature films to shame. You wanted a high-octane thriller and replacement for 24, well you got one. Now, stop complaining.
Chance of Renewal: We have a hard time believing that audiences won’t instantly become attached to this. But then again, let’s be honest; American audiences in general are pretty stupid.
Mistresses– Welcome to a provocative and thrilling drama about the scandalous lives of a sexy and sassy group of four girlfriends, each on her own path to self-discovery, as they brave the turbulent journey together.
Meet Savi (Alyssa Milano), a successful career woman working toward the next phase in her life — both professional and personal — simultaneously bucking for partner at her law firm while she and her husband, Harry (Brett Tucker), try to start a family of their own. Savi’s free-spirited and capricious baby sister, Josselyn (Jes Macallan), couldn’t be more different – living single, serial dating and partying, and regularly leaning on her big sister along the way. Their common best friend, April (Rochelle Aytes), a recent widow and mother of two, is rebuilding her life after tragedy and learning to move forward, with the support and guidance of her closest girlfriends. And friend Karen (Yunjin Kim), a successful therapist with her own practice, reconnects with the girls after her involvement in a complicated relationship with a patient goes far too deep.
“Mistresses” is a salacious new drama about a group of friends caught in storms of excitement and self-discovery, secrecy and betrayal, and bound by the complex relationships they’ve created.
Our Take: This show is offensive on every level possible and no one at ABC seems to have a problem with it. We hate everyone on this show including the now very fat Alyssa Milano (Seriously… WTF happened?). The show is a deliberate affront to marriage that seeks to give some kind of glory, stature and moral high-ground to women who intentionally violate the sanctity of marriage. Sorry, but we don’t feel sorry for you that a married man chose his wife over you, in fact we think that the only redeeming thing that this show could possibly do would have to have all of these characters off themselves – and graphically – in prime time. We were waiting for a vomit-inducing show and we thought that NBC’s The New Normal might fit that bill. Nope… not even close. The New Normal is Shakespeare compared to this. Congratulations, ABC… YOU WIN!!!
Chance of Renewal: This is another failed attempt to try to recreate the magic of the now canceled Desperate Housewives and to bring a sexually-charged British drama to an American audience that hasn’t shown any interest in them. ABC tried the former course of action last year with GCB and it didn’t work and GCB was far less offensive. They need to learn that the key to recreating that kind of success isn’t by making the characters and situations more salacious, it’s by making the characters likable and the storylines well-written. Stop just trying to push the envelope. It’s cheap and it’s lazy. This is a midseason replacement and we expect ABC will try to shove it in on Sunday like they did with GCB for the DH nostalgia audience or if Scandal tanks (as we suspect it might) it will go into that timeslot on Thursday. Regardless, we don’t expect this show to last beyond its original 13 episode order and we really don’t expect it to last more than five or six episodes before it’s dumped into the Saturday night burn-off slot.
Nashville– Chart-topping Rayna James (Connie Britton) is a country legend who’s had a career any singer would envy, though lately her popularity is starting to wane. Fans still line up to get her autograph, but she’s not packing the arenas like she used to. Rayna’s record label thinks a concert tour, opening for up-and-comer Juliette Barnes (Hayden Panettiere), the young and sexy future of country music, is just what Rayna needs. But scheming Juliette can’t wait to steal Rayna’s spotlight. Sharing a stage with that disrespectful, untalented, little vixen is the last thing Rayna wants to do, which sets up a power struggle for popularity. Could the undiscovered songwriting talent of Scarlett O’Connor (Clare Bowen) be the key to helping Rayna resurrect her career?
Complicating matters, Rayna’s wealthy but estranged father, Lamar Hampton (Powers Boothe), is a powerful force in business, Tennessee politics, and the lives of his two grown daughters. His drive for power results in a scheme to back Rayna’s handsome husband, Teddy, in a run for Mayor of Nashville, against Rayna’s wishes.
Our Take: Is it just us, or is this the country music version of NBC’s Smash? Proving that there is really hardly anything original in network prime-time drama, any more, Nashville, recycles a million and one film and television clichés in order to hobble together a weekly soap that all things considered, although not our cup of tea, doesn’t look particularly awful.
Chance of Renewal: Looks just compelling enough to attract a broad audience and we are pretty confident in saying that this will probably be a big hit.
Red Widow — When Marta Walraven’s (Radha Mitchell) husband is brutally murdered, her first instinct is to protect her three young children. Her husband’s business partners – Irwin Petrova (Wil Traval), Marta’s scheming and untrustworthy brother, and Mike Tomlin (Lee Tergesen) — were involved in an illegal drug business deal with rival gangsters, and Marta’s husband paid the ultimate price. She already knows the violent world of organized crime; her father, Andrei Petrova (Rade Sherbedzija), and loyal bodyguard Luther (Luke Goss) are gangsters too. She and her sister Kat (Jaime Ray Newman) had always wished for a safer life without bloodshed and fear. For a while Marta lived happily as a stay at home housewife in San Marta’s cooperation, FBI Agent James Ramos (Mido Hamada) now promises justice.
Marta discovers a tenacity she never knew she had, and takes on the gangsters and the FBI to unveil the truth about her husband’s death. As she digs into this dark underworld, she’ll test her own strength, relying on her resourcefulness, determination and family ties like never before. To get out of this mob, she needs to beat the bad guys at their own deadly game.
Our Take: First, this isn’t 2000 and sorry, but since The Sopranos, audiences have kind of lost interest in shows revolving around organized crime (which is yet another reason why FOX’s The Mob Doctorwill fail… along with the fact that it looks stupid.). Second, seriously what the crap is this show about? We cannot discern any plot or main premise for this show from the trailer or show description. It’s like it’s just a bunch of ideas for a show about what a drama about organized crime should have in it thrown up on a white board and then filmed.
Chance of Renewal: Very difficult to tell because it’s nearly impossible to make any kind of assessment based on the show description and the trailer. Right now, we’re leaning toward “not likely” but again, there’s so little information to go on that we really have no idea. We’re looking forward to watching it just because we’re so damned curious as to what’s going on in this confused madness.
Zero Hour– As the publisher of a paranormal enthusiast magazine, Modern Skeptic, Hank Galliston has spent his career following clues, debunking myths and solving conspiracies. A confessed paranormal junkie, his motto is “logic is the compass.” But when his beautiful wife, Laila (Jacinda Barrett), is abducted from her antique clock shop, Hank gets pulled into one of the most compelling mysteries in human history, stretching around the world and back centuries.
Contained in one of his wife’s clocks is a treasure map, and what it leads to could be cataclysmic. Now it’s up to Hank to decipher the symbols and unlock the secrets of the map, while ensuring the answers don’t fall into the wrong hands – a man they call White Vincent (Michael Nyqvist). With his two young associates, Rachel (Addison Timlin) and Arron (Scott Michael Foster), in tow, along with Becca Riley, a sexy FBI agent (Carmen Ejogo), Hank will lead them on a breathless race against the clock to find his wife and save humanity.
Our Take: Mother Goose is back on TV, folks! That’s right, the least likely leading man in the history of cinema and television, ER‘s Anthony Edwards, returns to prime time midseason for what honestly looks like a fantastic and epic action/adventure SciFi/supernatural series with a whole ton of mystery and suspense. Just based on the trailer, Edwards’ everyman persona would seem to fit the bill for this role perfectly.
Chance of Renewal: As great as this looks, American audiences tend to shy away from shows as grand as this on network television and they especially shy away from serials. That being said, ABC is smartly debuting this midseason which means a shortened schedule (less for audiences to keep up with and minimal hiatuses) and less competition from premiering shows. So, 50/50 on this one, however ABC’s smart scheduling may just pay off.
How to Live with Your Parents (For the Rest of Your Life)– Polly (Sarah Chalke) is a single mom who’s been divorced for almost a year. The transition wasn’t easy for her, especially in this economy. So, like a lot of young people living in this new reality, she and her daughter, Natalie (Rachel Eggleston), have moved back home with her eccentric parents, Elaine (Elizabeth Perkins) and Max (Brad Garrett). But Polly and her parents look at life through two different lenses. Polly’s too uptight. Her parents are too laid back. Polly’s conservative when it comes to dating (no action, whatsoever), while her parents are still sexually adventurous. They think Polly turned out okay, so what’s the big deal? Well, they say it takes a village to raise a child…and in Polly’s case, this village is on fire. But with help from her best friend Gregg (Orlando Jones), her lovable yet irresponsible ex-husband Julian (Jon Dore) and her cool and fun assistant Jenn (Rebecca Delgado Smith) Polly takes her first steps toward getting a life, starting with a social one.
Our Take: Our regular readers know how much we hate comedies but this actually looks very funny. Good writing and an excellent cast can go a long way. Not really a whole lot more to say.
Chance of Renewal: This should be a hit considering that it’s in the same vein as ABC’s recent comedy successes.
Malibu Country– When Reba Gallagher (Reba) discovers that her husband, Bobby, (Jeffrey Nordling) a country music legend, has a cheatin’ heart, her world is turned upside down. Reba dreamt of becoming a country star herself, but put her career on hold to raise a family. Now she’s questioning all of that, big-time. With the ink on her divorce barely dry, Reba packs up her sharp-tongued mother, Lillie May (Lily Tomlin), her two kids and the U-Haul and heads for sunny California to begin a new chapter. Leaving Nashville in the rear view, they start over at their Malibu residence — the last remaining asset they have. Reba gets to know her new open and loving neighbor Kim (Sara Rue) and her son, Sage, but also discovers that relocation to Southern California is going to be quite an adjustment for a traditional southern belle: the West Coast seems like the polar opposite of Music City, and Reba feels like an outsider. Still, with the support of her family she sets about finding her voice, jump-starting her music career with the help of her new music agent, Geoffrey (Jai Rodriguez), and embracing this chance to begin again.
Our Take: Not for nothing, but hasn’t this show been done before and isn’t it a bit self-aggrandizing and arrogant to not only keep having Hollywood write shows specifically for you, with the lead character’s name the same as yours, pretty much based on your idealized version of yourself as just a regular person despite the fact that you’re an international celebrity and multi-millionaire? Reba, we’re sick of you and so is America (except for the dopiest of country western fans). You don’t bring anything to the table and you really never have (except for the fact that you were kind of hot one time and we guess you could sing). No one’s impressed with your sassiness anymore. It’s tired and so is the whole fish-out-of-water-southerner-moves-to-upscale-southern-California-and-shows-them-a-thing-or-two-about-good-old-country-wisdom-and-hilarity-ensues premise. The first time it was tried was on the Beverly Hillbillies and it’s the last time it worked. Sorry, Reba, but we knew Jed Clampett, and you’re no Jed Clampett.
Chance of Renewal: This show looks absolutely horrible and we sincerely hope that audiences are smart enough to see through the Reba crap and recognize this show for what it is: a pathetic attempt at resurrecting a TV career of someone who shouldn’t have had one to begin with using the typical stupid crap that all the sitcoms use while throwing in a little southern zing in for flavor. We predict that Malibu Country will get a full season and then be canceled. Sorry, but not even the return of Lily Tomlin can save this.
The Neighbors– How well do you know your neighbors?
Meet the Weavers, Debbie (Jami Gertz) and Marty (Lenny Venito). Marty, in hopes of providing a better life for his wife and three kids, recently bought a home in Hidden Hills, a gated New Jersey townhome community with its own golf course. Hidden Hills is so exclusive that a house hasn’t come on the market in 10 years. But one finally did and the Weavers got it!
It’s clear from day one that the residents of Hidden Hills are a little different. For starters, their new neighbors all have pro-athlete names like Reggie Jackson (Tim Jo), Jackie Joyner-Kersee (Toks Olagundoye), Dick Butkis (Ian Patrick) and Larry Bird (Simon Templeman). Over dinner, Marty and his family discover that their neighbors receive nourishment through their eyes by reading books, rather than eating. The Weavers soon learn that the entire community is comprised of aliens from Zabvron, where the men bear children and everyone cries green goo from their ears.
The Zabvronians have been stationed on Earth for the past 10 years, disguised as humans, awaiting instructions from home, and the Weavers are the first humans they’ve had the opportunity to know. As it turns out, the pressures of marriage and parenthood are not exclusive to planet Earth. Two worlds will collide with hilarious consequences as everyone discovers they can “totally relate” and learn a lot from each other.
Our Take: Stupid, dopey, and corny yet seemingly charming, heart-warming and endearing at the same time. We thought this was cute yet utterly repulsive. Kind of an odd dichotomy for an odd little show.
Chance of Renewal: The biggest problem with this is that although it may actually be decent, the weak casting of primarily no-names isn’t gong to give audiences a reason to stick around and find out. Canceled after six episodes.
The Family Tools– Mixing family with business is never easy, and Jack Shea (Kyle Bornheimer) is about to learn that lesson the hard way. When Jack’s father, Tony (J.K. Simmons), has a heart attack and is forced to hand over the keys to his beloved handyman business, Jack is eager to finally step up and make his father proud. Unfortunately Jack’s past career efforts have been less than stellar, so everyone seems to be waiting for him to fail. His new job isn’t made any easier by Tony’s rebellious, troublemaker assistant, Darren (Edi Gathegi), and Darren’s flirtatious sister, Liz (Danielle Nicolet), who works at the local hardware store. Yet with the support of his Aunt Terry (Leah Remini) and his oddball yet endearing cousin Mason (Johnny Pemberton), Jack Shea may just find his true calling right at home.
Our Take: Oddly enough, but even though the trailer isn’t anything special (and the fact that we generally hate comedies), for some reason we have this gut feeling that this will be very funny.
Chance of Renewal: Unlike The Neighbors, the casting on The Family Tools is brilliant and we expect that it will at least complete its first season. It will be on the bubble until May and we give it a 50/50 chance at renewal.
In what we can only say amounts to news that we’re surprised took this long to happen, CBS canceled their freshman “comedy” Partners on November 13th. Yes, we know we’re late on this, as well, but we never miss an opportunity to gloat as 
December 4, 2012 – ABC announced midseason premiere dates for new dramas “Red Widow” and “Zero Hour” today, along with new comedies “How to Live with Your Parents (for the Rest of Your Life)” and “Family Tools,” and new alternative series “The Taste” and “Celebrity Diving.” Returning series “Dancing with the Stars” and “Body of Proof” will rejoin the schedule will all-new seasons in the new year, and “Suburgatory” will move to Wednesday nights at 8:30 p.m., beginning April 3, 2013.
666 Park Avenue
Captain Marcus Chaplin (Andre Braugher) demands confirmation of the orders only to be unceremoniously relieved of duty by the White House. XO Sam Kendal (Scott Speedman) finds himself suddenly in charge of the submarine and facing the same difficult decision. When he also refuses to fire without confirmation of the orders, the Colorado is targeted, fired upon, and hit. The submarine and its crew find themselves crippled on the ocean floor, declared rogue enemies of their own country. Now, with nowhere left to turn, Chaplin and Kendal take the sub on the run and bring the men and women of the Colorado to an exotic island. Here they will find refuge, romance and a chance at a new life, even as they try to clear their names and get home.
Mistresses
Nashville
Red Widow
Zero Hour
How to Live with Your Parents (For the Rest of Your Life)
Malibu Country
Meet the Weavers, Debbie (Jami Gertz) and Marty (Lenny Venito). Marty, in hopes of providing a better life for his wife and three kids, recently bought a home in Hidden Hills, a gated New Jersey townhome community with its own golf course. Hidden Hills is so exclusive that a house hasn’t come on the market in 10 years. But one finally did and the Weavers got it!
The Family Tools
The SuperGeeks Super Blog 