FX: ‘Justified’ Renewed For Season Five

Yeah, big shocker, we know…

Via Press Release:

NEW YORK, March 28, 2013 – FX Networks announced a slew of pickups this morning, with Justified getting a fifth season pickup on FX, while It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, The League and Legit will all return and move to FXX, announced John Landgraf, President & General Manager, FX Networks.The critically-acclaimed drama series Justified, starring Timothy Olyphant, will continue to run on FX. Season five begins production this fall and will air on FX in January 2014. Season four is currently airing, with the season finale slated to air next Tuesday, April 2, at 10:00 PM ET/PT. To date, season four is pacing to be Justified’s most-watched season ever.

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, The League and Legit will all move to FXX.

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’s ninth season will air on FXX this fall, and the network has also placed an order for a tenth season that will air in the fall of 2014. One of the most successful comedies in all of basic cable, Sunny’s eighth season ranked #2 in its basic cable time period in Men 18-49 and Men 18-34 (behind only the NFL on the NFL Network) and #2 in Adults 18-34 and Women 18-34 (behind Jersey Shore).

The League’s already announced fifth season will air on FXX this fall, and the network is announcing a sixth season pickup that will air on FXX in the fall of 2014. Last season, The League ranked #2 in its basic cable time period in M18-49, behind only the NFL on NFL Network.

The new critically-acclaimed comedy Legit’s first season will end on FX Thursday, April 11 at 10:30PM ET/PT. The show has officially been picked up for a second season, and will be moving to FXX, returning in early 2014. Legit continues to build an audience, growing by +25% from its first three episodes to its second three episodes.

Developed by Graham Yost and starring Timothy Olyphant, Justified is based on the works of crime novelist Elmore Leonard, including Leonard’s short story “Fire in the Hole.” The series co-stars Walton Goggins, Nick Searcy, Jacob Pitts, Erica Tazel and Joelle Carter. Yost wrote the pilot and serves as executive producer/showrunner on the series. Leonard is also an executive producer on the series along with Carl Beverly, Sarah Timberman, Michael Dinner and Fred Golan. Justified is produced by Sony Pictures Television and FX Productions.

TBS: ‘Cougar Town’ Renewed For Season Five

Via Press Release:

Break Out the Wine – TBS’s “Cougar Town” is Coming Back for Season 5

#cougartownrenewed

TBS has renewed its hit original comedy Cougar Town, produced by ABC Studios and starringCourteney Cox, Christa Miller, Busy Philipps,Dan Byrd, Ian Gomez, Josh Hopkins and Brian Van Holt. The network has ordered 13 episodes for season five, which is expected to launch in 2014. Cougar Town joined the TBS lineup in January for the show’s fourth season. It currently airs Tuesdays at 10 p.m. (ET/PT), with the season finale slated for April 9.

“Cougar Town has been everything we hoped it would be: a smart, big-hearted, laugh-out-loud comedy that shines a bright light on the TBS brand,” said Michael Wright, president, head of programming for TBS, TNT and Turner Classic Movies (TCM). “This season, the brilliant cast and immensely creative production team on Cougar Townhave crafted their best episodes yet, and we couldn’t be happier inviting them back for more.”

Cougar Town centers on the “cul de sac crew,” a tight-knit group of friends who keep things funny while supporting each other through the challenges and pitfalls of life – with a little dysfunction and a whole lot of wine. Courteney Cox stars as Jules Cobb, a recently remarried mom who is never far from her wine and her friends, including her new husband, Grayson (Josh Hopkins); her under-achieving ex-husband, Bobby (Brian Van Holt); her next-door neighbor and confidante, Ellie (Christa Miller); her feisty protégé, Laurie (Busy Philipps); and Ellie’s loveably average husband, Andy (Ian Gomez). They are frequently joined by Jules’ 21-year-old son, Travis (Dan Byrd), who tends to be far more mature than anyone else in the group.

Cougar Town was co-created by executive producer Bill Lawrence (Scrubs, Spin City) and consulting producer Kevin Biegel (Scrubs). Courteney Cox and David Arquette also serve as executive producers.

Cougar Town Ratings

Since launching its fourth season on TBS Jan. 8, Cougar Town has averaged 2.8 million viewers,1.7 million adults 18-49 and 812,000 adults 18-34 in Live + 7 delivery. The show ranks as TBS’s top original primetime series ever with adults 18-49 and total viewers. As part of Cougar Town‘s successful transition to cable, new episodes on TBS are drawing an audience whose median age is seven years younger than the show’s last season on broadcast.

Connect with TBS’s Cougar Town

Website: http://www.tbs.com/show/cougar-town
Twitter: http://twitter.com/CougarTownTBS  | #CougarTownTBS
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/CougarTown

About TBS

TBS is basic cable’s reigning champion among young adults in primetime. Available in 100 million households, TBS features original primetime comedy series like Cougar Town, Men at Work,Sullivan & Son, King of the Nerds, Who Gets the Last Laugh? and Deon Cole’s Black Box, as well as the Emmy®-winning late-night series CONAN, starring Conan O’Brien. TBS also features an outstanding slate of contemporary comedies, such as The Big Bang Theory and Family Guy, along with blockbuster movies and championship sports. In addition, TBS produces special live comedy events, like the star-studded comedy festival held each year in Chicago.

TBS is part of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company. Turner Broadcasting creates and programs branded news; entertainment; animation and young adult; and sports media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world.

Connect with TBS

Website: http://www.tbs.com
Pressroom: http://tbsnewsroom.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TBSveryfunny
Twitter: http://twitter.com/TBSveryfunny | http://twitter.com/TBSPR

FX: ‘Archer’ Renewed For Fifth Season

Seriously, if you aren’t watching Archer you’re depriving yourself of the funniest show on television.  And yes,  I know this is late and there are only two episodes left of the season.

Via Press Release:

Archer GETS SEASON FIVE PICK-UP FROM FX 

Current Fourth Season of Archer Is Achieving All-Time Ratings Highs 

Posting Gains of +44% in Adults 18-34 and +36% in Adults 18-49 vs. Last Season 

Seven All-New Episodes of Archer Remain in Season Four with Two-Part Season Finale Airing April 4 and April 11 

LOS ANGELES, February 27, 2013 – FX has ordered season five of its critically-acclaimed animated comedy series Archer, it was announced today by Nick Grad, Executive Vice President of Original Programming and Development, FX. The network has ordered 13 episodes for the series’ fifth season.

Archer was created by Adam Reed and Floyd County Productions and it is executive produced by Reed and Matthew Thompson. Seven all-new episodes of Archer remain in season four, which wraps up on Thursday, April 11 at 10:00 PM E/P. This year Archer will enter into the category of Outstanding Comedy Series for the Emmy® Awards.

“Archer is one the very best comedy series on television,” said Grad. “Adam Reed, Matt Thompson and the incredible cast – H. Jon Benjamin, Aisha Tyler, Jessica Walter, Chris Parnell, Judy Greer, Amber Nash, George Coe, and Lucky Yates – are comedic geniuses. It is truly rewarding the way in which the audience and fans have embraced their work and that the ratings to continue to grow. The quality of Archer is undeniable.”

When notified of the season five pick-up, Reed said, “Thank God.”

When Reed notified Thompson of the season five pick-up, Thompson replied, “Called it.”

Archer has posted dramatic ratings growth every year and season four of the series is on record pace. In 2013, Archer ranks as cable’s #2 series in delivery of Men 18-34 behind The Walking Dead, and it has ranked as television’s #1 program in that demo in the Thursday, 10 PM time period in four of the past six weeks (Live+Same Day). Through four episodes this season, Archer is posting gains of +44% in Adults 18-34 and +36% in Adults 18-49 compared to its season three average. First-run episodes of Archer are averaging 2.37 Million Total Viewers; 2.01 million Adults 18-49, and 1.41 million Adults 18-34 (L+7). In comparison to the Archer’s first season, four season in the series has increased its audience by +92% in Total Viewers, +129% in Adults 18-34, +159% in Men 18-34, +128% in Adults 18-49, and +160% in Men 18-49 (L+7).*

Archer is produced by FX Productions. In February 2012, FX Productions closed an overall production deal with the series’ Executive Producers, Adam Reed and Matt Thompson, and their animation studio, Floyd County Productions.

In tomorrow’s episode, “Live and Let Dine” (Airs February 28, 10:00 PM E/P), Archer (H. Jon Benjamin), Lana (Aisha Tyler), and Cyril (Chris Parnell) go undercover in the irascible celebrity chef “Lance Casteau’s” (Anthony Bourdain) hellish kitchen (Written by Adam Reed). Other upcoming guest stars include Bob’s Burgers veterans Eugene Mirman and Kristen Schaal, and Jon Hamm will voice the character of “Captain Murphy,” the possibly deranged commander of an undersea laboratory, in the two-part season four finale airing on April 4 and April 11.

Archer, an animated, half-hour comedy, revolves around the spy agency known as the International Secret Intelligence Service (ISIS) and the lives of its employees. Although their work of espionage, reconnaissance missions, wiretapping and undercover surveillances is daunting and enigmatic, every covert operation and global crisis are actually unmitigated occasions for the ISIS staff to undermine, sabotage and betray each other for personal gains and selfish pleasures.

The series features The Voice of H. Jon Benjamin as the highly skilled yet incredibly vain master spy “Sterling Archer,” a role which garnered Benjamin an Emmy® Award nomination for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance in 2010. The ensemble voice cast also includes Aisha Tyler as fellow agent provocateur “Lana Kane”; Jessica Walter as Sterling’s domineering mother and the rapacious CEO of ISIS, “Malory Archer”; Chris Parnell as the easily intimidated comptroller of ISIS, “Cyril Figgis”; Judy Greer as Malory’s loquacious secretary, “Cheryl Tunt”; Amber Nash as the discordant director of human resources for ISIS, “Pam Poovey”; series creator Adam Reed as the gay voice of reason at ISIS, “Ray Gillette”; Lucky Yates as ISIS’s possibly mad scientist, “Krieger”; and George Coe as Archer’s elderly and always exploited butler, “Woodhouse.”

Reed and Thompson are represented by Matt Rice and Joel Begleiter at UTA, and Gregg Gellman of Morris Yorn Barnes Levine Krintzman Rubenstein Kohner & Gellman.

Merlin Canceled By BBC, Fifth And Final Season To Air On SyFy, Premiere Date Announced

Via Press Release:

December 14, 2012
MERLIN RETURNS FOR FIFTH AND FINAL SEASON ON SYFY WITH 13 ALL-NEW EPISODES BEGINNING FRIDAY, JANUARY 4 AT 10PM

SYFY VENTURES LAUNCHES MERLIN: THE GAME

NEW YORK – December 14, 2012 – Syfy will say good-bye to Camelot when the fifth and final season of Merlin returns Friday, January 4 at 10PM (ET/PT) with 13 all-new episodes.

As season five opens, Camelot is at the height of its golden age. With Queen Guinevere and the Knights of the Round Table at his side, Arthur has never felt stronger. But even as Camelot flowers, the seeds of its destruction are being sown. As the forces of darkness gather, only Merlin stands between Arthur and a fate that has been written since the dawn of time.

Merlin returns with its core cast of Colin Morgan (Merlin), Bradley James (Arthur), Katie McGrath (Morgana), Angel Coulby (Gwen), Richard Wilson (Gaius) and John Hurt (Voice of the Dragon), along with newest cast member Alexander Vlahos as Mordred.

Special guest stars in season five include Lindsay Duncan (Alice in Wonderland), Janet Montgomery (Entourage), Liam Cunningham (Game of Thrones), Josette Simon (Cry Freedom), Sophie Rundle (Episodes) and the return of Anthony Head (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) as Uther Pendragon.

Merlin is produced by Shine TV Ltd and BBC Wales, and distributed by FremantleMedia Enterprises. Johnny Capps and Julian Murphy are co-creators and executive producers.

Syfy Ventures, in partnership with Bossa Studios, also announced the U.S. launch of the official Merlin game under the Syfy Games label. Merlin: The Game — syfy.merlingame.com — is an exciting role-playing game that enables viewers to aid Merlin and Arthur in completing quests, defending the realm and exploring the exciting world of Albion. Gamers can become engrossed in the Arthurian legend as Merlin commands them and six of their best friends to embark on a magical adventure to become the Heroes of Camelot.

Merlin: The Game is the latest addition to the Syfy Games portfolio of games targeting genre fans and core gamers.

Syfy is a media destination for imagination-based entertainment. With year round acclaimed original series, events, blockbuster movies, classic science fiction and fantasy programming, a dynamic Web site (www.Syfy.com), and a portfolio of adjacent business (Syfy Ventures), Syfy is a passport to limitless possibilities. Originally launched in 1992 as SCI FI Channel, and currently in more than 98 million homes, Syfy is a network of NBCUniversal, one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies. (Syfy. Imagine greater.)

FOX: Two-Hour ‘Fringe’ Series Finale Date Announced

Via Press Release:

THE FIFTH AND FINAL SEASON OF “FRINGE”

CONCLUDES WITH A TWO-HOUR SERIES FINALE,

INCLUDING THE 100^TH EPISODE,

FRIDAY, JANUARY 18, ON FOX 

Climactic Nine-Episode Countdown Continues with an All-New Episode Tonight

November 2, 2012 – As the Fringe team fights for humanity’s future in the fifth and final season, the imaginative journey toward the end of the acclaimed series will culminate in a climactic conclusion during the two-hour final-two-episodes event Friday, Jan. 18 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. This milestone date will also celebrate the series’ 100^th episode.

Series Co-Creator and Executive Producer J.J. Abrams reflected on the show’s run: “It has been an absolute honor to have been a part of the weird and wonderful world of FRINGE. I will always owe the cast and crew for pouring their hearts and souls into every dimension of this series. Creating the show with Bob Orci and Alex Kurtzman was a joy, but watching it evolve over the years into such an imaginative, insane and heartbreaking ride is nothing less than a thrill. I am grateful to our blessed fans, and to Kevin Reilly and Peter Rice and everyone at the glorious Fox network for allowing FRINGE to reach its bittersweet conclusion.”

Executive producer and showrunner J. H. Wyman said, “Above all else, from the bottom of my heart, I would like to personally thank everyone involved with FRINGE. From the most amazing fans, to our incredible cast, writers and crew, and our wonderful partners at FOX and Warner Bros. – we would not be here without you. It simply cannot be overstated how grateful I am for the ongoing and unconditional support we have received over the past five seasons. It has been both mind-blowing and humbling. I’ve always been a fan of science fiction, and to be able to tell this story about a family – a family that, through everything, fought together for survival – has been a highlight of my career. As we approach the final chapter, I can hardly believe it, and I’m just truly thankful for this unparalleled experience.”

“FRINGE has truly imagined the impossibilities over its five seasons and will go down in the books as one of FOX’s most riveting and creatively brilliant series,” said Kevin Reilly, Chairman of Entertainment, Fox Broadcasting Company. “It has been a blast to work with J.J., Joel and their masterful creative teams, as well as with Anna, Josh and John and the rest of the most talented cast and crew in the business.”

Throughout FRINGE’s thrilling five seasons, the series has followed Special Agent OLIVIA DUNHAM (Anna Torv), enlisted institutionalized “fringe” scientist WALTER BISHOP (John Noble) and his globe-trotting, jack-of-all-trades son, PETER (Joshua Jackson) as the Fringe team explored mysterious occurrences linked between parallel universes, doppelgängers, Observers and unimaginable threats. The unlikely trio supervised by Special Agent PHILLIP BROYLES (Lance Reddick) and assisted by ASTRID FARNSWORTH (Jasika Nicole) – often led them to science and technological corporation Massive Dynamic, founded by WILLIAM BELL (guest star Leonard Nimoy), and its enigmatic chief executive, NINA SHARP (Blair Brown).

The fifth and final flash-forward season of FRINGE is set in 2036, when the “Observers” have become ruthless rulers of a dystopian society. As the battle for the world’s future continues to unfold, the Fringe team is in the midst of making its final stand to save humanity. In the aftermath of the devastating loss of Peter and Olivia’s daughter, ETTA (guest star Georgina Haig), the intensity escalates as the combat continues and Peter makes a pivotal and game-changing move in the all-new “An Origin Story” episode airing tonight (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX.

Created by J.J. Abrams, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, FRINGE is produced by Bad Robot Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television. Abrams, Bryan Burk and J.H. Wyman serve as executive producers, while Akiva Goldsman is a consulting producer. “Like” FRINGE on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Fringe. Follow the series on Twitter @FRINGEonFOX and join the discussion at #fringe.

-FOX-

OFFICIAL: TNT Renews Southland For Fifth Season

Via Press Release:

A message from Michael Wright, president and head of programming for TNT, TBS and Turner Classic Movies (TCM):

________________________________________________

TNT’s Southland will return.

I’m proud today to announce that TNT has ordered 10 episodes for a fifth season of Southland, scheduled to begin in February 2013.

Season after season, critics and fans alike have championed TNT’s Southland as one of television’s best dramas. This year, the show has not only solidified its impassioned fan base, but also picked up some new young-adult devotees along the way.

In its fourth season, Southland centered its focus on four primary characters played by four outstanding actors:

• Michael Cudlitz as Officer John Cooper, who bounced back from surgery and an addiction to painkillers only to be put under the microscope of a new partner.

• Shawn Hatosy as Officer Sammy Bryant, who chose to give up being a detective and return to the streets as a uniformed patrolman.

• Regina King as Detective Lydia Adams, who faces probably the biggest challenge of her life, becoming a mother.

• Ben McKenzie as Officer Ben Sherman, who became a full-fledged officer only to risk his career and the life of his new partner.

And speaking of new partners, this year’s Southland featured terrific performances by Lucy Liu and Dorian Missick. Lucy Liu’s Officer Jessica Tang gave Cooper a run for his money when it comes to personal baggage. And Dorian Missick’s Detective Ruben Robinson provided exactly the kind of experienced parental insight Lydia needed as she prepares to embark on her new life as a mother. We also enjoyed great guest performances by Lou Diamond Phillips, Lisa Gay Hamilton, Marla Gibbs, Carl Lumbly, Tracey Walter and, as the unforgettable Officer Dewey Dudek, C. Thomas Howell.

TNT’s Southland found new ways this year to get under our skin with scenes and events that electrify us emotionally:

• Ben lashing out with a venomous rage we’ve never seen before when he attacks a pimp and has to be dragged off by Sammy.

• Lydia finally coming to terms with her pregnancy after being attacked and stabbed by a gang member.

• Tang hiding a toy gun’s safety tip in order to cover up a horrible mistake.

• John using his own personal story as a gay man to prevent a teen from committing suicide.

• Sammy lying slumped over and bleeding in his patrol car after he and Ben are slammed in a collision.

• John and Tang discovering a body in the wheel well of a minivan (a macabre image I’m sure few of us will ever forget).

We are very proud of Southland and grateful to everyone involved in the series, including executive producers John Wells, Chris Chulack and Jonathan Lisco; creator Ann Biderman; and our partners at Warner Bros. Television. We look forward to going deeper into the lives of Southland‘s extraordinary characters and the streets they struggle to keep safe next year.

Michael Wright
President, Head of Programming
TNT, TBS, Turner Classic Movies (TCM)

DirecTV: ‘Damages’ Fifth and Final Season Summer Premiere Date Announced

We hate to say this, but we could really give two-sh*ts about this news.  Although we were happy to see SOMEONE save the fantastic drama Damages from cancellation after its third season, the idiots over at DirecTV think it’s a good idea to hide the show completely unless you subscribe to them.  They won’t even release the fourth season until the end of June… two weeks before the fifth season premiere!

So let’s get this straight: you want more subscribers and the only reason you picked up Damages was to get more subscribers but you think that by hiding the only scripted show you have will inspire more people to subscribe?  Brilliant, DirecTV and thank you.  Thank you for giving us one more reason to hate you besides the fact that you don’t offer Internet or telephone service and a swift breeze knocks out your service.

Via Press Release:

DAMAGES Fifth and Final Season Heads Toward an Explosive Showdown This Summer

DAMAGES, featuring Glenn Close, Rose Byrne, Ryan Phillippe, Jenna Elfman, Janet McTeer and John Hannah, to Premiere July 11 exclusively on DirecTV’s Audience Network

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — DirecTV’s Audience Network (http://www.DirecTV.com/DTVAPP/content/premiums/audience) heats up this summer with the season five premiere of the Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning, critically acclaimed legal thriller, DAMAGES, starring Emmy Award-winner Glenn Close and Emmy Award-nominee Rose Byrne, on Wednesday, July 11 at 9 p.m. The fifth and final season of the series, which has been nominated for nineteen Emmy Awards, centers on the timely and controversial subject of government and corporate transparency, focusing on how the ever-changing digital landscape shapes the way in which information is obtained and shared. DAMAGES is produced by Sony Pictures Television in association with FX Productions and KZK Productions.

In true DAMAGES fashion, the season features a stellar array of stars including Ryan Phillippe, who joins the cast as a series regular. Emmy Award-nominee Jenna Elfman, Academy Award-nominee Janet McTeer, John Hannah, Chris Messina, Judd Hirsch, M. Emmett Walsh, Victor Garber, William Sadler, Gbenga Akinnagbe, Gillian Alexy and Zachary Booth will be featured throughout the season. DAMAGES was created and executive produced by KZK (Todd A. Kessler, Daniel Zelman and Glenn Kessler) and co-executive produced by Mark A. Baker.

DAMAGES (http://www.DirecTV.com/DTVAPP/content/damages) follows the lives of Patty Hewes (Glenn Close), the nation’s most revered and reviled high-stakes litigator and her former protégé, the bright and ambitious Ellen Parsons (Rose Byrne). After four seasons of professional and personal manipulation and deceit, season five sets the stage for the final showdown between Patty and Ellen. Channing McClaren (Ryan Phillippe) is a computer expert and the iconoclastic founder of a website, McClarenTruth.org, devoted to government and corporate transparency. When McClaren is approached by Naomi Walling (Jenna Elfman), an investment bank employee troubled by her company’s conduct with insider information, it lays the foundation for the case that will finally pit Patty and Ellen against one another. In an attempt to triumph over her former mentor, Ellen hires Kate Franklin (Janet McTeer), a one time colleague of Patty’s who is all too familiar with how she operates, but whose loyalty could be called into question. Adding to the turmoil surrounding the case is Rutger Simon (John Hannah), the chief lieutenant and gatekeeper for McClaren. As the series builds to its electrifying conclusion, far more than the verdict is at stake for everyone involved.

Since its premiere in 2007, DAMAGES has received a total of nineteen Emmy Award nominations. In its first season, the series was nominated for an Emmy for Best Drama series and Glenn Close won the Emmy for Lead Actress in a Drama Series, an award she has won twice for her role as Patty Hewes. In addition to DAMAGES’ multiple Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Series, Acting, and Casting, the show has also received Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Writing and Outstanding Direction.

DAMAGES has been nominated for seven Golden Globe Awards. In its first season, the series earned more Golden Globes nominations than any other show on television, with Glenn Close winning for Best Actress in a TV Series – Drama.

In addition to a variety of other wins and nominations, DAMAGES has been nominated for awards from the Writers Guild and the Producers Guild.

ALERT! We Called It! FOX: Fringe Renewed For Fifth And Final Season

As we predicted, FOX has renewed their SciFi thriller, Fringe, for a fifth and final season despite its continuing declining ratings. FOX announced Thursday that they had ordered 13 episodes of the fan-favorite to wrap up the series next season, though no details have been provided as of yet for a season premiere date (see the full press release below).

Despite the naysayers, this comes as no surprise to us whatsoever simply due to the fact that against all odds, FOX renewed the struggling series for a fourth season last year after being dumped into the Friday night “death slot” and the reasons for this are pretty basic.

The key for a bubble-show like Fringe with a small but dedicated fanbase is getting to a fourth season, not a fifth.  A fifth season for any show like Fringe is almost a guarantee if they can get to that magical fourth season.  Why?  Well, if the network thinks a fourth season is viable despite mediocre ratings, it’s only because the production studio is giving the farm away to get it to the fifth season.

Five is the magic number for scripted television for several reasons.  The first is the most talked about and that is getting a show to that magic 100 episode mark which makes the show more valuable for syndication.  At the end of this season, Fringe will have 87 episodes under its belt, 87 plus the 13 ordered for season five and voila… 100 episodes.  This doesn’t mean a whole lot to FOX, but it does mean a lot to Warner Bros. Television who is far more concerned about the success of the show after its original run than it is while it’s in first-run.  Because of that, Warner Bros. and FOX have been in negotiations since January to lower the series licensing fee (what Warner Bros. charges FOX to air each episode) so FOX could mitigate their losses on it and though no details have been released as to what was negotiated, we can guarantee you that Warner Bros. is practically giving Fringe away for the final season.  This should come as a surprise to no one because it’s exactly what Warner had to do last year to get FOX to agree to a fourth season.

And U.S. syndication isn’t the only outlet for Warner Bros. to profit off of the franchise.  Fringe is currently shown in 30 countries worldwide and with 100 episodes it makes it a very attractive property globally for U.S. and international cable and satellite services and smaller local markets.

There is also the issue of home video sales but even more important is digital distribution through Video On Demand services such as Netflix, Hulu and Amazon. None of these services offer instant access to Fringe to their subscribers (Hulu offers the last five episodes of the current season but that means a whole lot of nothing because you can get that from FOX’s website for free) and that’s because there’s no deal in place between Warner and these services and that is a huge key for future profitability, especially for Fringe which has typically been the largest gainer in Live +7 DVR viewings over the past four years.  

Fringe has become a DVR show which means that it’s become a VOD show.  That and the fact that science fiction and serialized drama is incredibly popular on these digital services makes it ideal for those providers to add it to their stable.  This means non-exclusive deals for Warner Bros. with multiple providers globally ans potentially bringing in hundreds of millions of dollars for the foreseeable future for a product they don’t even have to spend money on to produce any more.

So the lesson to be learned here, again, is that it’s a whole new world out there when it comes to the television industry.  Here we have a series that was given two additional seasons despite miserable ratings and the fact that the network airing it is losing money on it and why?  Because the production company sees the bigger picture of its potential profitability and is willing to take a hit on it now in order to reap the benefits from it in the future, Nielsen ratings be damned.

Via Press Release:

Thursday, April 26, 2012

HOT FROM FOX…

FOX BOOKS “FRINGE” FOR A FIFTH AND FINAL CHAPTER 

13 Episodes Ordered for 2012-2013 Season

FOX has picked up FRINGE for a fifth and final 13-episode season, it was announced today by Kevin Reilly, President of Entertainment, Fox Broadcasting Company.

“FRINGE is a remarkably creative series that has set the bar as one of television’s most imaginative dramas. Bringing it back for a final 13 allows us to provide the climactic conclusion that its passionate and loyal fans deserve,” said Reilly “The amazing work the producers, writers and the incredibly talented cast and crew have delivered the last four seasons has literally been out of this world. Although the end is bittersweet, it’s going to be a very exciting final chapter.”

FRINGE co-creator and executive producer J.J. Abrams added, “We are thrilled and beyond grateful that FOX – and our fans – have made the impossible possible: FRINGE will continue into a fifth season that will allow the series to conclude in a wild and thrilling way. All of us at Bad Robot are forever indebted to our viewers and the amazingly supportive FOX network for allowing the adventures of Fringe Division to not only continue, but to resolve in a way that perfectly fits the show.”

“This pickup means the world (both of them) to us, because we love sharing these stories with our enthusiastic fans,” added FRINGE showrunners and executive producers Jeff Pinkner and J.H. Wyman. “On behalf of the cast and crew, we applaud our fans and FOX for allowing us to imagine the impossibilities together for so long. Season Five is going to be a conclusive thrill ride for all of us.”

FRINGE’s compelling fourth season concludes with three all-new FRINGE Friday episodes in a row, counting down to the two-part season finale on Friday, May 4 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) and Friday, May 11 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT). In “Worlds Apart,” airing Friday, April 27 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT), team members on both sides, including Olivia (Anna Torv) and Peter (Joshua Jackson), continue to fight for a common cause, and there are shocking developments tied to the Cortexiphan children.

Created by J.J. Abrams, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, FRINGE is produced by Bad Robot Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television. Abrams, Bryan Burk, Jeff Pinkner, J.H. Wyman and Joe Chappelle serve as executive producers, while Kurtzman, Orci and Akiva Goldsman are consulting producers. Additionally, Pinkner and Wyman serve as the series’ showrunners. “Like” FRINGE on Facebook at www.facebook.com/fringe. Follow the series on Twitter @fringeonfox and join the conversation at #Fringe.

[EDITOR’S NOTE: Full episodes of FRINGE are available for viewing at www.fox.com and www.hulu.com. For episodic and gallery photos and for more information, please visit http://foxflash.com/div.php/main/page?aID=1z2z2z248.]

-FOX-

CONFIRMED: Breaking Bad Fifth And Final Season Premiere Date And News On Split Season

Fans, we finally have an (almost complete) answer to the question on everyone’s mind, which is, “When does the new season of Breaking Bad begin?”  After last season’s shocking finale, we can’t blame them.  To our eternal shame, we only got into Breaking Bad in October of 2011 and that was solely based on a recommendation from Brian Volke over at The Movie Bros.  To our credit, we were so captivated that we watched the first three seasons on Netflix within 72 hours, not even stopping for bathroom breaks (iPad), grocery store (iPhone), school Halloween carnivals (iPhone) or while driving (iPhone… plugged it into the AUX jack and listened to the third season episode, Fly).  After that, we went to VuReel, downloaded 11 of the 13 season four episodes and then we realized that we could by them at iTunes so we picked up the two remaining… and watched all of season four in a day.  Needless to say that we discovered very quickly that Breaking Bad is not just the best show on television currently, but it’s one of the best shows ever produced.

Bryan Cranston arrived in Albuquerque, New Mexico on March 23rd to begin production on the fifth and final season of AMC’s acclaimed dramatic series and less than a month later he has confirmed that the new season will premiere in July, 2012 (in about three months for those of you not so good at math).  The interesting part is that it was announced last year that the final season would consist of 16 episodes so that got everyone speculating that the final season would likely be split into two parts.

Well, it’s not speculation any more as Cranston has stated that they will indeed be splitting the final season into two parts, producing the first eight episodes and then halting production for four months and finally shooting the final eight episodes which will air in early 2013.

So there you have it, Breaking Bad is coming back in around 90 days or so and when we have an exact date we’ll, of course, let you know.

GEEK ALERT! SyFy: Eureka Final Season, Lost Girl Season Two Premieres TONIGHT, 2012 – 2013 Schedule Info!

Hitting us like a shovel to the face, we just found out that not only is Eureka‘s fifth and final season starting tonight, but the second season of the Canadian transplant and now SyFy hit, Lost Girl will begin immediately after the Eureka premiere.  In the annals of television history that has to be the quickest transition between seasons a show has ever had in the U.S.  If you’ll recall, Lost Girl‘s first season just premiered in January and it just wrapped up a few weeks ago.  Yes, we are aware that the show has been on in Canada sice 2010 and we are just catching up with it here in the states, but still, SyFy S.O.P. on imports is to wait and have them air a season behind their country of origin.  This tells us that SyFy is very high on this show and that they are scrambling to get the season two episodes aired so that they can air season three episodes simultaneously with the Canadians.  Good for them as short breaks between seasons only help to keep audiences interested.  Read the full press release for more details below.

In other news, we just found out that SyFy’s upfront advertising event will be on April 24th.  As we’ve noted in the past, SyFy traditionally holds their upfront events in April ahead of the major networks upfronts in May.  For those unfamiliar with the upfront advertising events, these are the events that the networks hold to sell airtime to their advertisers.  This is the Christmas morning for television junkies like us when the networks announce their upcoming schedules and we find out what’s new, what’s renewed and what’s been canceled.

Now, what should be of particular note is, as we mentioned in our big Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome piece, that this is where we’ll really have an idea of what’s really going on with the BSG spin-off prequel.  As we noted, despite statements to the contrary by SyFy, we think it’s certainly a possibility that B & C will wind up being broacast on the network and not digitally, (or at the very least, they’re hedging their bets and it’s still up in the air) and the upfronts will give us a real indication of what direction they plan to take it.

Again, if SyFy announces that they will be airing the 90-minute B & C pilot in the Summer or Fall of 2012, all bets are off and they will be treating B & C as a backdoor pilot and will rely on its Nielsen 18 – 49 numbers, to determine which medium the saga will be distributed on.  If, on the other hand, they announce it for early 2012, then you can pretty much expect that it will be launched as a digital series exclusively, as they claim that they have intended from the beginning.  That being said, that’s nothing to fear.  Read all about why a digital B & C is actually a good thing, right here.

Now, what if they don’t tell us when they plan to air the 90-minute pilot?  Well, then… we’re screwed.

Via Press Release:

NEW YORK – April 9, 2012 – The spring season of Syfy’s “Powerful Mondays” programming block will feature the fifth – and final – season of the beloved, iconic series Eureka on Monday, April 16 at 9PM (ET/PT), followed by the second season of the sexy supernatural drama series Lost Girl at 10PM (ET/PT).

As Eureka’s thrilling fifth and final season kicks off, the town is reeling after the Astraeus and her crew mysteriously vanished just before their planned launch to Titan. When they finally crash land, Allison and the crewmembers are shocked to find themselves back in Eureka – and that they’ve been missing for four years. As the town copes with the shocking personal changes that have happened during their long absence, Sheriff Carter and Henry try to uncover the truth about the forces behind the crew’s bizarre disappearance – with deadly results.

Eureka stars Colin Ferguson (Sheriff Jack Carter) Salli Richardson-Whitfield (Allison Blake), Joe Morton (Henry Deacon), Erica Cerra (Jo Lupo), Neil Grayston (Douglas Fargo) and Niall Matter (Zane Donovan). Returning for the final season will be popular guest stars Wil Wheaton (The Big Bang Theory, Star Trek: The Next Generation) as the contentious Dr. Parrish and Felicia Day (The Guild, Red) as Dr. Holly Marten. Co-creator Jaime Paglia and Bruce Miller are executive producers. The series is produced and distributed by Universal Cable Productions.

In the Lost Girl season two opener, a nomadic Fae sideshow comes to town to take advantage of the chaos caused by both the bombing of the Light Fae headquarters and the declining physical condition of The Ash. Lost Girl stars Anna Silk as Bo, co-starring Kris Holden-Ried as Dyson; Ksenia Solo as Kenzi; Zoie Palmer as Lauren; Rick Howland as Trick, and K.C. Collins as Hale. Lost Girl is a Prodigy Pictures Production in association with Showcase. Executive producers are Jay Firestone, Michelle Lovretta and Peter Mohan. Lost Girl was created by Michelle Lovretta.