Screen Rant » heroes

How’s the Jay Leno Show Faring These Days?

Bruce Simmons — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 22:12:58 +0000

Despite all the hoopla and what appeared to be NBC directives of enforced support for The Jay Leno Show, and pulling scripted dramas en masse, The Jay Leno Show is not faring as well as could be expected.

NBC made a reasonable pitch, declaring how different the show would be… if you count pulling the desk off the set and rearranging the same routines as different, then fine, it’s different. Otherwise, I’m not sure what the change is. And to boot, viewers aren’t impressed.

At least it doesn’t look good from last Monday night where The Jay Leno Show pulled in 4.6 million viewers… and was bested by everything on the air except One Tree Hill on The CW, Gossip Girl, again from The CW and, well… huh. That’s it.

Dancing with the Stars, at its peak, had 18.4 million viewers and took the night, but in the very same time slot that Leno sat, his 4.6 million viewers did not compete against a rerun of CSI: Miami, which drew in 11.2 million viewers, and Castle was right behind CSI: Miami, with 11.1 million viewers soundly trouncing Leno.

I think that if the show had actually been different, it might have had a chance. Now what do they do? Stay happy that they’re beating The CW soundly and stick by their guns, despite how much money they dropped on Jay? Or start looking to actually make real changes to the show?

What changes? I don’t know. Maybe they need to put Jay in Heroes and give him a mutation power of the gift of insight.

Source: TV By The Numbers

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Heroes: One Shall Soon Fall [Updated]

Kofi Outlaw — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 21:26:44 +0000

Update: Find out who is going to go (If you dare)!

Alot of us having been saying it for sometime: One of these characters on Heroes has got to die. And stay dead. For good.

Well, it seems like somebody up in the big office over at NBC FINALLY heard our collective cries, because E! Online is reporting that Heroes will be rocked by a major death this season and “this is not one that will go unnoticed by even the most casual fan.”

Better start catching up on your episodes of Heroes: Redemption now if you don’t want to be left out of the loop come kill time!

E! Online drops a clue as to which character will be getting the ax – but we here at Screen Rant try to stay SPOILER FREE – so if you’re the type who fancies a little tidbit to get them wondering, I’ll point to where you can get a leg-up on your best guestimate. The clue is pretty vague, so it won’t RUIN things for you:

WHICH HERO WILL DIE?

Man, I just hope this death is a real death and not some bait-and-switch movie like (OLD SPOILER ALERT) Nathan’s “death” was last season. This show has been begging for a move like this to get made (we’ve even been discussing a few candidates), and, in the end, I think the showrunners will appreciate just how much narrative space a well-executed death (pun intended) frees up.

Which Hero do you think will go? Which one would you like to see go?

Catch Heroes Monday @ 8pm on NBC

Source: E! Online

Update Source: Sci-fi Wire

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Does Heroes Need A Reboot?

Kofi Outlaw — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 18:08:49 +0000

Heroes‘ latest installment, Redemption didn’t exactly connect with its two-hour season premiere, pulling in just 6 million viewers. Even though a lot of our readers found the opening chapters to Redemption to be interesting and full of potential, the Nielsen figures seemed to dictate that Heroes‘ was trying to dust it self off too late, considering the show once pulled in 16 million viewers weekly.

After seeing last night’s episode, “Ink” (which was one the better episodes I’VE seen in the show’s four-year run), I found myself back on the fence, wondering if Heroes truly needs to be “rebooted” next season, or if the show simply needs more episodes like “Ink,” consistently, to lure viewers back into the fold.

“INK” RECAP

In last night’s episode we saw Carnival ringmaster Samuel (Robert Knepper) head out on a mysterious mission to test Peter, bringing with him an equally mysterious blend of “magic ink.” Meanwhile, Claire tried to figure out how to handle exposing her powers to new girlfriend, Gretchen (Madeline Zima), while Parkman had an interesting tug-of-war for control of his mind with the psychic “ghost” of Sylar. Finally, Peter learned that there can be a downside to saving lives in this litigious society we live in, and we were introduced to a new hero, Emma, a deaf woman who can “see” sound as colored auras.

What I loved about “Ink” is that it was a timely example of Heroes at its best. The show is always operating at top form when it finds ways to shine an original and interesting light on tried and tested superhero conventions. The Claire storyline showed the young whiny girl we’re annoyed with actually growing up and becoming her own woman (thank god); the Parkman sequence with Sylar and that suspected drug dealer was probably the best Parkman storyline I’ve seen to date (no doubt in large part to Zachary Quinto); and the Peter crossing paths with Samuel storyline set up some major intrigue about who Samuel is (Good guy? Bad Guy? Bad guy with a twisted moral code?) and what role his Carnival will play.

And I don’t think I’m being sappy by saying that the scene with deaf hero Emma creating glorious music in the park using her “sight-sound” power was not only beautiful, but inspirational as well (ok, maybe I am being a bit sappy).

“Ink” had me feeling like I was back watching Season 1 of Heroes again. Every commercial break was like torture; I didn’t want that good feeling to be interrupted, and I certainly did not want the end credits to roll.

When we get episodes like this, it’s hard for me to argue that Heroes needs a fresh start.

REBOOT WITH BENEFITS

…On the other hand, that scene with Emma in the park does lend some strong credit to the claim that Heroes would benefit from a “start from scratch” reboot approach next season. Emma discovering her power and the possibilities it opened up for her was the EXACT emotional bait that had us holding our collective breaths the first time Peter stepped off the edge of that roof believing he could fly – or clapping our hands like trained seals the first time Hiro successfully stopped time. Heroes made us believe that we too might one day discover that we are greater than the boundaries of our everyday lives – only that promise somehow got buried under the same geektastic cliches and conventions that’ve kept comic books regulated to fanboy circles.

One obvious benefit of starting Heroes over with a (largely) new cast of yet-undiscovered powers is that viewers (beyond the fanboy nation) could once again connect with these everyday people (like Emma), who discover something extraordinary about themselves. After introducing us to new possibilities, the showrunners could make the corrective step of wrapping the storylines for each character much sooner (discover their powers and decide what to do with them), freeing the show up to explore all over again with new characters, powers, perspectives and possibilities.

For those who are partial to certain characters, no worry: a reboot each season or two doesn’t mean the fan-favorites would have to be thrown out with the extraneous bits – just keep a few (2-3) familiar faces around as through-lines, and now and again (preferably during sweeps week) you could bring the whole gang (or most of them) back for a super-showdown climax. And, of course, cameos and guest-appearances by old friends would not only be welcome, but arguably a strong draw for the audience.

I’m still not sure, though… under the right creative direction (read: Bryan Fuller), even some tasty juice can get squeezed out of Parkman. That’s big, but how often will an episode like “Ink” come along this season?

Oh Heroes, I don’t yet know WHAT to think… How about you guys reading this? Should Heroes be rebooted or was last night’s episode a prime example of everything that can go right with this show?

Tune in to Heroes: Redemption Mondays @ 8/7c on NBC to get in on this debate. Check out Hulu or NBC.com to catch up on the episodes already shown this season.

Peter/Sylar Image Source: TV Sky

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Can Heroes Redeem Itself From a Ratings Landslide?

Kofi Outlaw — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 17:14:58 +0000

The fifth volume (fourth season) of Heroes, entitled “Redemption,” continues tonight – but will you be watching? Do you even care anymore? Our Heroes season premiere review and subsequent discussion forum revealed that many of our readers felt that the latest installment of the show started out with at least SOME potential – a few even said that the show had gone back to the sort of basics they loved from the first season.

Well, those readers represent a minority opinion, because Heroes: Redemption pulled in a measly 6 million viewers, WAY down from its season one heyday, when Heroes was pulling in 16 million fans a week. OUCH.

Right about now, that whole “Redemption” title is sounding more like an ironic joke than anything.

I won’t hammer the point home (see my Heroes: Redemption premiere review for that), but this season of Heroes, IMHO, is still making a lot of the same missteps that started with Volume Two: Generations, the biggest of which is retaining the core cast at the expense of viewer interest and storytelling opportunity. There need to be more deaths and new characters/villains introduced. Sure, fans love Zachary Quinto as Sylar – but how many times are we gonna watch the beloved villain die only to not die, turn good only to eventually go back to evil, and hunt down other powered beings to steal their gifts before it all feels pointless and repetitive?

Oh, wait, we may be at that point already…

Guess we’ll see whether or not the viewers can be lured back as the new season of Heroes progresses. I’m skeptical – just as skeptical as I am that this show will survive past this season. Hope I’m wrong (for the sake of future superhero shows) but… I’m not hopeful.

What do you think about Heroes: Redemption? Are the low ratings deserved, or should fans stick with show?

Heroes will be on NBC Mondays @ 8/7c

Source: Sci Fi Wire

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Heroes: Redemption Season Premiere Review

Kofi Outlaw — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 21:19:26 +0000

So last night Heroes‘ fifth volume (fourth season) “Redemption” had its two-hour premiere on NBC and I’m sure a lot of you have already voiced your opinion over at our Heroes discussion forum. My goal here is to review the show, and let you know (since you care) if I personally think that our favorite Heroes are truly on the road to Redemption.

“Redemption” picked up some six weeks after the finale of last season’s “Fugitives” storyline, with our Heroes all trying to return to normal lives NOT being on the run from government agents.

And is it just me, or has Mohinder (Sendhil Ramamurthy) fallen into a black hole and vanished?

As the season opens Claire (Hayden Panettiere) is starting school; Parkman (Greg Grunberg) has reunited with his estranged wife and is raising his baby son; Peter (Milo Ventimiglia) has found purpose as a super-powered paramedic; Noah “HRG” Bennett (Jack Coleman) is reluctantly starting a new “Company” with help from Angela Petrelli (Cristine Rose); Hiro and Ando (Masi Oka and James Kyson Lee) are trying to start a hero business of their own; Nathan (Adrian Pasdar) isn’t feeling quite himself (because he’s not); and Sylar (Zachary Quinto) is still wreaking havoc as a “ghost.” Fun all around.

While our old favorites (and not-so-favorites) tried to get their grooves back, a new band of super powered individuals appeared on the scene, this time in the form of a traveling carnival led by mysterious “earth-mover” Samuel (Prison Break’s Robert Knepper). Samuel is a ringmaster of questionable allegiances, who operates with the help of his super-speedster henchman (Ray Park) and “magic tattoo canvas,” Lydia (Dawn Olivieri).

For a two-hour episode, I have to say very little happened: Hiro found out he’s dying and also that he can make select changes to the past if he’s not an idiot about it; Noah settled old beef between himself, government pit bull Emile Denko (Zeljko Ivanek) and ice (now water) queen, Tracy Strauss (Ali Larter); Peter then helped Noah track down a mysterious compass that Denko had kept hidden (which was promptly stolen by Samuel’s speedster henchman); Parkman kept freaking out an imaginary Sylar; Nathan was having an identity crisis (though nothing really happened with him); and Claire’s new over-achiever college roommate took a header out their dorm room window, and ended up street pizza (leading to Claire to inadvertently reveal her power to new BFF Gretchen (Madeline Zima).

And, in the “surprise twist” ending, [SPOILER ALERT!!!] We learned that Samuel thinks Claire, Hiro and Peter are fated to join the carnival. DUH, DUH, DUUUUUUHHHHHHHH…

Ok, so it was nice to catch up with our Heroes again – but was this premiere episode truly deserving of the label “Redemption?” Not quite yet, IMHO. We had one real moment of quality action (Peter vs. Ray Park) but other than that, meh….

It irks me that aside from Peter (and now Tracy Strauss), it still seems like none of these characters have come to terms with who they are, or how best to use their powers – that’s a four-season identity crisis!!! Also (and a lot of us have been saying this for awhile now), it’s time to definitely make some cuts. Show creator Tim Kring once revealed that originally, Heroes was suppossed to rotate characters and stories like seasonal cleaning – time to go back to that original plan. Parkman can definitely go (waste of a telepath), Nathan should STAY dead, Hiro is no longer needed and Mrs. Petrelli barely had any shining moments to begin with. I WOULD keep Ali Larter onboard (loving her new character and powers) and though I love him to death, I think Claire would have a lot more room to breath as a character if her daddy HRG bit the big one.

Strip those characters I just mentioned away and watch the show open up for Ando, Peter, Claire, and Tracy – enough of the old to keep the show familiar, with enough room (and budget) freed up to bring in some new blood. And we need a new villain, somebody to equal the maniacal brilliance of Zachary Quinto’s Sylar. Every new villain since Sylar has showed promise (Adam, Father Petrelli, Denko) only to be wasted. Quinto is obviously moving up in the world – time to let him go, Heroes.

As for “The Carnival?” Meh… We’ll see. Could be interesting, could turn out to be another Heroes storyline that starts strong but ultimately sputters out. Too early to tell. (What’s up with Robert Knepper’s oscillating accent?)

Finally, as I asked at the opening – has anybody seen Mohinder??? It occurred to me months ago, after I attended the Heroes panel at Comic Con, that in the midst of all the talk about upcoming storylines and preview clips, there wasn’t a single mention of Mohinder. And after the character was a no-show last night, I’m beginning to SERIOUSLY wonder. Small loss if he never comes back.

So that wraps my review of the Heroes: Redemption season premiere. What did you think?

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Heroes Premiere Discussion: What Did You Think?

Vic Holtreman — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 03:46:19 +0000

Heroes is back for a fourth season, and the big question is whether it will live up to this season’s title: Redemption. The fan reception of the show has varied wildly after the superhero series exploded on the scene in its first season. People loved season one but thought Heroes lost its direction in season two. The crew behind the show tried to bring it back to something the fans would love with last season’s Fugitives, but in the end it was hit or miss and didn’t fully restore our enthusiasm for the series.

I know you’re eager to discuss the season premiere, so here’s a forum for you to talk about it freely, including spoilers. Tell us what you thought of the Season 4 / Book 5 premiere of Heroes: Redemption (we’ll tell you what we thought later).

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Heroes: Redemption Preview Clips

Bruce Simmons — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 13:34:21 +0000

Season 4 (Volume 5) of Heroes is coming at us early next week.

The 2-hour premiere episode will be introducing a mysterious carnival clan whose intentions are unknown at this time. The returning familiar characters you all know will be adjusting to new stages of their lives, trying to find a balance between normal life and Heroes life, after being hunted by the government.

In the meantime, to get you excited for the premiere, check out the video we have for you.

Be warned, there are 6 preview clips, all played in order under one video.

Heroes premieres on Monday, September 21st.

Much thanks to Collider for the vid.

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Netflix Alert: Some Shows Are Leaving The Service

Bruce Simmons — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 20:12:35 +0000

I know quite a few folks that enjoy their Netflix subscription. I know a few who swear by it. Yet they might want to start rethinking their allegiance, from what I’m seeing today.

It looks like NBC shows are being pulled from the Netflix schedule, and if your guess is as good as anyone’s guess, it could be due to Hulu’s push to generate income via their ad supported traffic scheme as more shows are headed there.

The shows that have been noted as disappearing are 30 Rock, Heroes and the newer Office episodes.

We’ll also be seeing some CBS content sliding off the Netflix schedule but for the moment, NCIS looks to be sticking around.

I wonder if Disney’s bucketload of money is behind this when they invested in the service? In what I’m seeing, ABC and NBC nets have the most advertising in their online and On Demand offerings. And if it’s working for these networks, you know we’ll be seeing more of this as time ticks on and other networks get on board with the practice.

As far as I’m concerned, this is both good and bad. Networks and advertisers were finding it harder to monetize their internet offerings and commercials. Add to that the fact that advertisers still get more bang for their buck on the tube, and I’m surprised to see how quickly advertising is taking root in streaming content. But as I watch the internet become more evolved in what they can do with ads and what they offer, you see where this is heading. The only issue I have is that I’m forced to endure commercials on Hulu. So I’ve started coordinating my snack runs to the kitchen accordingly.

Screen Rant readers who are Netflix subscribers: Double check your own listings and let us know what you are finding!

Source: Gizmodo

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TV News & Notes: 2009 Fall Schedule, The Office & More

Kofi Outlaw — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 21:17:15 +0000

Just a brief update on this Monday: Plan your prime time with the 2009 TV Fall Schedule; Smallville is getting another new guest star; A certain “Foxy” lady might be kicking off SNL this year; Learn how to catch up on all the NBC shows you missed last year (for free!); and speaking of NBC, how about a first-look photo of Jim and Pam getting married on The Office?

And as a bonus (because I love you) I let you know about the government’s “Cash for TV Clunkers” program.

Let’s get to it!

The Office

So we recently let you Office fans know when you can expect Jim and Pam to walk down the aisle – four episodes into the news season. And now we have the first official wedding photo!

The scene was shot at a church in Van Nuys, California on this past weekend and from the photos below you can see that Pam (Jenna Fischer) will be a lovely bride and Jim (John Krasinski) will be every girl’s hometown-sweetheart Prince Charming.

Pam as a beautiful bride.

Krasinski and Fischer shooting the wedding scene.

The Office Season 6 kicks off September 17 at 9/8c on NBC.

Source: TV Guide

Smallville

Actress Steph Song let it be known on her Twitter account yesterday that she will be playing the role of Roulette on the sixth episode of Smallville’s upcoming 9th season. In the DC Universe Roulette is a kick-ass madame of underground fighting tournaments, often using super heroes and/or villains as combatants.

Not sure how the character will be portrayed on Smallville, but I’ll sure tune in to find out!

The show returns on September 25th (that’s Friday now) @ 8/7c on the CW.

Source: Twitter

Saturday Night Live

Life & Style is exclusively reporting that “actress” Megan Fox will be the host kicking SNL’s 35th season on September 26th. Fox would naturally do the gig in order to further promote her upcoming high school comedy/horror flick Jennifer’s Body, and has reportedly been prepping to bring the yuck-yuck by doing a digital short with Andy Samberg.

I’m I the only one who thinks SNL could potentially be off to a bad start this decade year?

Source: Life & Style

NBC TV Rewind

Were there any NBC shows you missed and have been waiting to catch up on? If so, forget about renting the DVDs and just head on over to NBC.com – you can catch up on episodes from many of NBC’s TV lineup for free on the website.

Shows being offered include:

30 Rock
America’s Got Talent
Chuck
Days of Our Lives
Friday Night Lights
Great American Road Trip
Heroes
Kings
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
The Listener
Merlin
The Office
Parks and Recreation
The Philanthropist
Southland
The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien
The Wanted

(I know I’ve been waiting to catch up on Days of Our Lives )

Source: NBC

2009 Fall TV Lineup

As Summer winds down many of us will be reluctantly returning to the indoors with only the anticipation of our favorite shows return (plus a few good looking new entries) to brighten up our end-of-summer blues.

But where and when do we find our long-lost TV friends and family in the new TV season? Luckily, we have a list of the shows you want to see, as well as where and when you can catch them.

[Note: Shows are listed alphabetically]

Show (Net), Date time
20/20 (ABC), Sept. 11 at 10 p.m.
30 Rock (NBC), Oct. 15 at 9:30 p.m.
48 Hours Mystery (CBS), Sept. 26 at 10 p.m.
60 Minutes (CBS), Sept. 27 at 7 p.m.
90210 (The CW), Sept. 8 at 8 p.m.
Accidentally On Purpose (CBS), Sept. 21 at 8:30 p.m.
Amazing Race, The (CBS), Sept. 27 at 8 p.m.
America’s Funniest Home Videos (ABC), Oct. 4 at 7 p.m.
America’s Most Wanted (Fox), Sept. 12 at 9 p.m.
America’s Next Top Model (The CW), Sept. 9 at 8 p.m.
American Dad (Fox), Sept. 27 at 9:30 p.m.
Beautiful Life, The (The CW), Sept. 16 at 9 p.m.
Big Bang Theory, The (CBS), Sept. 21 at 9:30 p.m.
Biggest Loser, The (NBC), Sept. 15 at 8 p.m.
Bones (Fox), Sept. 17 at 8 p.m.
Brothers (Fox), Sept. 25 at 8 p.m.
Brothers and Sisters (ABC), Sept. 27 at 10 p.m.
Californication (Showtime), Sept. 27 at 10 p.m.
Castle (ABC), Sept. 21 at 10 p.m.
Cleveland Show, The (Fox), Sept. 27at 8:30 p.m.
Cold Case (CBS), Sept. 27 at 10 p.m.
Community [moves to at 8 p.m. on Oct. 8] (NBC), Sept. 17 at 9:30 p.m.
COPS (Fox), Sept. 12 at 8 p.m.
Cougar Town (ABC), Sept. 23 at 9:30 p.m.
Crash Course (ABC), Aug. 26 at 9 p.m.
Crimetime Saturday (CBS), Sept. 26 at 8 p.m.
Criminal Minds (CBS), Sept. 23 at 9 p.m.
CSI (CBS), Sept. 24 at 9 p.m.
CSI: Miami (CBS), Sept. 21 at 10 p.m.
CSI: NY (CBS), Sept. 23 at 10 p.m.
Dancing with the Stars (ABC), Sept. 21 at 8 p.m.
Dateline NBC (NBC), Sept. 26 at 8 p.m.
Defying Gravity (ABC), Already Started! at 10 p.m.
Desperate Housewives (ABC), Sept. 27 at 9 p.m.
Destination Truth (SyFy), Sept. 9 at 9 p.m.
Dexter (Showtime), Sept. 27 at 9 p.m.
Dollhouse (Fox), Sept. 25 at 9 p.m.
Eastwick (ABC), Sept. 23 at 10 p.m.
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (ABC), Sept. 27 at 7 p.m.
Family Guy (Fox), Sept. 27at 9 p.m.
FlashForward (ABC), Sept. 24 at 8 p.m.
Football Night in America (NBC), Sept. 13 at 7 p.m.
Forgotten, The (ABC), Sept. 22 at 10 p.m.
Fringe (Fox), Sept. 17 at 9 p.m.
Gary Unmarried (CBS), Sept. 23 at 8:30 p.m.
Ghost Whisperer (CBS), Sept. 25 at 8 p.m.
Glee (Fox), Sept. 9 at 9 p.m.
Good Wife, The (CBS), Sept. 22 at 10 p.m.
Gossip Girl (The CW), Sept. 14 at 8 p.m.
Grey’s Anatomy (ABC), Sept. 24 at 9 p.m.
Greek (ABC Family), Aug. 31 at 9 p.m.
Hell’s Kitchen (Fox), Sept. 29 at 8 p.m.
Heroes (NBC), Sept. 21 at 8 p.m.
House [2-hr] (Fox), Sept. 21 at 8 p.m.
How I Met Your Mother (CBS), Sept. 21 at 8 p.m.
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (FX), Sept. 17 at 10 p.m.
Jay Leno Show, The (NBC), Sept. 14 at 10 p.m.
Law and Order (NBC), Sept. 25 at 8 p.m.
Law and Order: Special Victims Unit (NBC), Sept. 23 at 9 p.m.
Lie To Me (Fox), Sept. 28 at 8 p.m.
Mad Men (AMC), (In progress) at 10 p.m.
Man Vs Wild (Discovery), (In progress) at 9 p.m.
Medium (CBS), Sept. 25 at 9 p.m.
Melrose Place (The CW), Sept. 8 at 9 p.m.
Mentalist, The (CBS), Sept. 24 at 10 p.m.
Mercy (NBC), Sept. 23 at 8 p.m.
Middle, The (ABC), Sept. 30 at 8:30 p.m.
Modern Family (ABC), Sept. 23 at 9 p.m.
Monk (USA), Already started! at 9 p.m.
NBC Sunday Night Football (NBC), Sept. 13 8:15 p.m.
NCIS (CBS), Sept. 22 at 8 p.m.
NCIS: Los Angeles (CBS), Sept. 22 at 9 p.m.
New Adventures of Old Christine, The (CBS), Sept. 23 at 8 p.m.
Numbers (Numb3rs) (CBS), Sept. 25 at 10 p.m.
Office, The (NBC), Sept. 17 at 9 p.m.
One Tree Hill (The CW), Sept. 14 at 9 p.m.
Parks and Recreation (NBC), Sept. 17 at 8:30 p.m.
Private Practice (ABC), Oct. 1 at 10 p.m.
Project Runway (Lifetime), Aug. at 10 p.m.
Psych (USA), Aug. 7 at 10 p.m.
Sanctuary (SyFy), Oct. 9 at 10 p.m.
Saturday Night Football (ABC), Sept. 5 at 8 p.m.
Saturday Night Live (NBC), Sept. 26 11:30 p.m.
Saturday Night Live Weekend Update (NBC), Sept. 17 at 8 p.m.
Scare Tactics (SyFy), Oct. 6 at 9 p.m.
Shark Tank (ABC), Sept. 29 at 8 p.m.
Simpsons, The (Fox), Sept. 27 at 8 p.m.
Smallville (The CW), Sept. 25 at 8 p.m.
So You Think You Can Dance (Fox), Sept. 9 at 8 p.m.
Sons of Anarchy (FX), Sept. 8 at 10 p.m.
Southland (NBC), Sept. 25 at 9 p.m.
Stargate Universe (SyFy), Oct. 2 at 9 p.m.
Supernanny (ABC), Oct. 16 at 8 p.m.
Supernatural (The CW), Sept. 10 at 9 p.m.
Survivor: Samoa (CBS), Sept. 17 at 8 p.m.
Three Rivers (CBS), Oct. 4 at 9 p.m.
Til Death (Fox), Oct. 2 at 8:30 p.m.
Trauma (NBC), Sept. 28 at 9 p.m.
Two and a Half Men (CBS), Sept. 21 at 9 p.m.
Ugly Betty (ABC), Oct. 9 at 8 p.m.
V (ABC), Nov. 3 at 8 p.m.
Vampire Diaries (The CW), Sept. 10 at 8 p.m.

Source: Cinemastatic

BONUS ITEM: Cash For TV Clunkers

Need a chuckle to get you through this current political/economic turmoil? Head over to TV Tango and have a look at their “Cash For TV Clunkers” program – a listing of the top 10 famous TV cars that could stand to be sent to the scrapyard.

Hilarious!

Source: TV Tango

That’s it for now. Talk to you again during the commercials.

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TV News & Notes: Warehouse 13, Lost, Star Wars & More

Kofi Outlaw — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 13:41:50 +0000

Today we got news for you on a former Deadwood actor whose getting Lost this season; the gang at 24 are wondering if their eighth day will be their last; Syfy will be re-opening the doors to Warehouse 13 next season; Heroes has a new poster; Apollo plays in the Dollhouse; Star Wars will soon be on TV; and ABC gets room at Clive Barker’s Hotel.

All that, and we bid farewell to a TV News Legend (see above). Let’s get to it:

LOST

Lost will be adding a new cast member to its sixth and final season. Deadwood’s John Hawkes (he played Jewish entrepreneur Sol Star) will join the Lost crew as Lennon, a ““Scruffy, edgy, charismatic, and slightly stir-crazy…spokesperson/translator for the president of a foreign corporation. He’s a wily negotiator, and far more powerful than his lowly position would seem to indicate.”

Hmmm… Could he be working for the nefarious Charles Widmore? Or perhaps the mysterious Hanso Corporation?

Guess we’ll find out for (semi-)sure when Lost returns next year.

Source: THR

Apparently, the 24 cast and crew are preparing Jack Bauer’s next day out to POSSIBLY be his last. In the event that Fox chooses to ax the show after its eighth season, the producers are filming several alternate season-enders that will either tie off the saga of Jack Bauer for good, or leave room for the show to live to fight another day.

Said producer Evan Katz: “We’re flexible. We have a scenario that would work well if the show ends. But we also have scenarios where it could go on.”

Hmmm… when DOES Jack Bauer start to overstay his welcome? If this upcoming season is as good as the last one, maybe it would be a good idea to go out on a high note. Judging from his nervous behavior at the Comic-Con 24 panel, star Kiefer Sutherland may be ready to move on…

24 returns in January.

Source: IMDB via Slash Film

Warehouse 13

Syfy’s Summer series Warehouse 13 has been something of a hit: after debuting in July to 3.5 million viewers, the cable series has managed to steadily however around the 3.7 million viewers mark every week.

Those strong numbers have made it a no-brainer for Syfy to order an additional 13 episodes of the show; Warehouse 13 season two will premiere next summer.

Sorry W13 fans, I know that’s a long time to wait – but you got to give the rest of us time to catch up / catch on!

Source: TV Squad

Heroes

We’ve already posted a preview trailer and a super-speed fight clip from Heroes’ upcoming fifth volume, “Redemption”, in the hopes that at least SOME OF YOU out there are still on board for this show [cue crickets]…

Well, to add to your “Heroes Mania” (sarcasm alert!) here is a THRILLING new promo poster that lets you know all about Heroes:Redemption:

[Volume on crickets increases...]

Season 4 (Volume 5) of Heroes debuts with a 2-hour premiere Monday, September 21st on NBC.

Source: TV Squad & UGO Movie Blog

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Heroes Volume 5 Video: Ray Park vs. Peter Petrelli

Rob Keyes — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 00:05:12 +0000

Heroes took a giant leap in the right direction with Volume 4: Fugitives, and it helped erase some of the bad memories many of us had with the previous two volumes which were really bringing down the show.

The series, which had been subject to a lot of negative criticism, was back on a high note and those of us still watching were looking to be in for a treat the next season, thanks to some awesome additions to the cast and some much-improved storylines put into play where the show left off.

Today, we have a brand new video for you today which features one of the newest and coolest additions to the cast of Heroes, Ray Park.

This latest video showcases Jack Coleman’s character, Noah Bennet, watching Park’s super speed ability in a little fight sequence with Milo Ventimiglia’s Peter Petrelli. It is titled “Blurring Blades.” Watch and see what you think:

UPDATE: Thanks to Screen Rant reader Jimmy, here’s a Youtube version for our foreign friends:

I love Ray Park and I really enjoyed the latest volume of Heroes. With the additions of Ray Park, Ernie Hudson and Robert Knepper to the cast, I thought things were going to be even better with this next volume.

That being said, this video is not that good. The sound is okay but the music they chose for it doesn’t fit at all. Where’s the intensity and cool factor? The fight looks weak due to the emphasis of their speed power and it wastes an opportunity to showcase some amazing choreography from Park. It’s simply not that cool which it damn well should be with Ray Park fighting Peter Petrelli in it… with knives!

What happened here? There’s some pretty easy fixes for this scene and I hope it’s improved when the episode airs.

I’m not too worried though because the full preview for Redemption we saw a few weeks back looked great and I still have high hopes for this upcoming season. I hope some of the new cool characters stick around for a while. These additions represent some talented people and I expect their characters to be very entertaining.

What did you think of the video and are you excited to see the show return?

Season 4 (Volume 5: Redemption) of Heroes debuts with a 2 hour premiere on Monday, September 21, 2009.

If you’re a Park fan like me, make sure to check out our post on him wanting to play Iron Fist in a potential Marvel Studios film.

Source: NBC

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TV News & Notes: Heroes, Damages, HBO & More

Bruce Simmons — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 04:37:43 +0000

Today we have a unique collection of tidbits that range from Heroes on NBC, some HBO delving into Sci-Fi and some popular comics coming to television. I’ve also dug up some news on FX’s Damages.

Heroes’ New Cast Member

Ernie Hudson has signed onto the cast of NBC’s Heroes.

He’s joining the cast as a Baltimore detective, Captain Lubbock. What little is known about Hudson’s role is that he’ll be looking for one of the other characters in the show.

Heroes 4th season will be introducing a new mythology about a traveling carnival, whose members have special powers.

This carnival will be run by a character portrayed by Rober Knepper. Oh great, Tea-Bag running a super powered carnival. We’re definitely in trouble.

Source: THR

HBO Taking On Sci-Fi Programming?

Word on the street is saying that HBO is tinkering with the idea of bringing on some science fiction fare to add to their already exciting lineup of shows.

HBO has approached X-Files alum Frank Spotnitz about a medical thriller type show called Humanitas. This idea takes place in a time where doctors can manipulate genes and create viruses, addressing various ethical dilemmas.

Spotnitz is also looking at adapting a novel titled The World Inside by Robert Silverberg. It takes place in 2381 and humanity has exploded in numbers due to a culture of free love. (Oh my, this already smells like HBO!)

Right now these are just ideas and nothing has been picked up, but it’s promising to the sci-fi genre that HBO is looking to expand in this direction. It could really help gather new fans who might otherwise not give the genre another look.

Source: io9

Comic Books Being Adapted To TV

Along with AMC picking up The Walking Dead, NBC is looking to generate ratings in one form or another and though traditionally they’ve veered away from science fiction that might be too heady for their audience (or so they say), they have picked up a live-action adaptation of a Vertigo title – a supernatural based comic-book series titled Midnight, Mass.

Gretchen Berg and Aaron Harberts (Roswell, Pushing Daisies) are penning the project.

In a reflection of another, wildly popular supernatural themed show that’s premiered recently, this one is about a globe-trotting couple (husband and wife) who solve supernatural issues and crimes.

Sources: Sci Fi Wire

There Will Be A Season 3 Of Damages

There’s been a question posed by a Screen Rant reader as to if/when Damages will be coming back.

After some digging, I’ve found out that when FX picked up season two, they also ordered a third season. Filming for the third season will begin in September and Damages will return in January 2010.

Source: FX, HitFix

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Television: The High Cost Of Doing Business

Bruce Simmons — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 15:36:28 +0000

In this article, I’m chatting a bit about advertisers cutting costs and how this might be relating to shows like Heroes and Day One. That, and I’ve got an off-subject bonus paragraph that just might make your jaw drop!

Advertiser Revenue Down

This year, my sympathies go out to the networks struggling to survive in this economy. The economy has caused purse strings to be tightened and advertisers to be more frugal.

The reason networks have fewer dollars to spend is because ad revenue for the upcoming season of television has declined by 22% from the year before.

If I lost 22% of my income, I’d be pretty distressed, but what a 22% decline means here is that the networks only brought in a mere $7.2 billion (that’s with a “B”) in primetime ad sales.

My heart really pours forth.

Network, Primetime Ad value Sold:

ABC – $1.9 billion
CBS – $1.9 billion
Fox – $1.6 billion
NBC – $1.5 billion
CW – $300 million

It would appear to cost a lot for networks to actually air the shows we enjoy watching, and though in the past I’ve written about the curse of extra loud TV ads and we’ve all touched on ways to get around them, the bottom line is that it’s the advertising dollar that make our favorite shows possible.

So, despite my ragging on ads most of the time, supporting sponsors is a good way to help your shows stick around.

Network Shows Hurt By Reduced Ad Sales?

For instance, the new show that NBC has yet to air, Day One, looks like it’s going to be a single season effort. In a statement that confuses me, NBC said that it was a big event for them, but because serialized shows are tougher to sustain, that they weren’t necessarily looking for it to return for a 2nd season. Huh?

Why start a show if you’re not planning to support it?

Day One will be directed by Alex Graves (Fringe, Journeyman) and stars Julie Gonzalo, Derek Mio, Addison Timlin, Adam Campbell, Catherine Dent, David Lyons and Carly Pope.

Details about the show have been kept under wraps until recently and now I know why – because it sounds awfully familiar.

NBC President of Prime Time Entertainment Angela Bromstad let it out that it’s about aliens and an alien invasion. So it’s just not about a disaster, but a disaster related to aliens. Wow, hop on the alien invasion bandwagon people!

Day One is expected to debut in March.

Is Ad Revenue Also Hurting Heroes?

Ad spending plus ratings may be contributing to the budget cut that Heroes is seeing for their upcoming season.

The budget, per episode, for Heroes is being reduced by $300k. Ouch! (Is that the excess money burning in the picture?)

Off Subject Eye-Opener!

Every now and then, I find something I just have to share with you, our Screen Rant readers, because I think you’d find it interesting. So since I’m talking money, this article I came across just dazzled my senses and sounds like it would fit right in.

When you think hot dog cart in New York City, have you ever pondered how much it costs to operate in certain locations?

Nah, Me neither.

But I read that the hot dog vendor in front of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York got booted from his spot because he was overdue on his monthly rent for the spot.

The rent for that street space comes to $53,558 MONTHLY! And here I thought hot dog carts were just a fun little business fling!

Sources: Media Week, Airlock Alpha, NY Daily News, Sci-Fi Wire

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Offiicial Preview of Heroes: Redemption

Kofi Outlaw — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 17:48:07 +0000

[UPDATE: We now have a version of the trailer viewable outside the U.S.]

If you were following our coverage of the 2009 San Diego Comic-Con then you probably caught my report on the Heroes panel, which featured cast and crew from the show coming out to promote the upcoming fifth volume/third season of the Heroes saga, titled (appropriately enough) “Redemption”.

Heroes indeed has a lot to redeem itself from (ridiculous story lines, shoddy scripts), and though last season’s “Fugitives” was a step in the right direction for many fans, it did not quite fully restore the show to its former greatness.

Will Heroes find “Redemption” this season? Check out the teaser trailer for the upcoming season and decided for yourself:

UPDATE: For our International audience, because you demanded it, here is another version of the Heroes: Redemption preview (VIEWABLE ANYWHERE)

Now this trailer contains a lot of the footage that was shown at Comic-Con – but not all of it. It looks like some of the more SPOILER moments (read my review of the panel to see which ones I’m talking about) have been stripped away and only a vague idea of overarching story is provided here. The footage at Comic-Con was much more in-depth.

If you didn’t catch it in the trailer, two big names joining the cast season are Robert Knepper (”T-Bag” from Prison Break) as “earth-mover”/carnival ringmaster, Samuel; as well as Ray Park (a.k.a. Darth Maul, Toad, Snake Eyes) as a super-speedster henchman with a penchant for knife-throwing. Both actors attended the Comic-Con panel and their roles look pretty interesting to say the least. Park in particular has an awesome super-speed knife-fight with Peter (Milo Ventimiglia) in an upcoming ep.

Oh, and in case you wondering: all the footage shown in this trailer (and subsequently at Comic-Con) all takes place in the first 3-4 episodes. That’s a lot of action crammed into a little bit of time.

Heroes: Redemption premieres on September 21, 2009 @ 9/8c on NBC.

Source: Hulu

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SDCC ‘09: Heroes Panel (Spock vs. Spock & Claire Kissing Girls)

Kofi Outlaw — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 19:33:57 +0000

[UPDATE: One of your favorite Screen Ranters was caught on video! See bottom of the post.]

The Heroes cast showed up to the 2009 San Diego Comic-Con in full force to promote the upcoming (3rd? 5th?) season of the show, appropriately titled “Redemption.”

In attendance were show creator Tim Kring, along with stars Jack Coleman, Masi Oka Hayden Panettiere, Adrian Pasdar, Zach Quinto, Milo Ventimiglia, and new additions to the cast Robert Knepper (Prison Break), Dawn Olivieri, Madeline Zima (Californication) and Darth Maul himself, Ray Park.

First there were the usual promotions: Heroes: Redemption will once again find our heroes trying to “go back to a normal life.” We’ll get to see how a different band of super powered individuals (villains?) have been able to accomplish this very thing, hiding in plain sight as a traveling carnival.

Robert Knepper’s character, Samuel (super power: “earth-mover”), will be carnival ringmaster, while Park’s character (power: super-speed) will be his knife-wielding henchman. Olivieri’s character (power: magic tattoos) will be a carny as well, though her loyalties are somewhat unclear. She’s also naked “most of the time.”

Here some pics of the new heroes:

Ray Park

Robert Knepper

Dawn Olivieri

As for the cast we know and love:

HRG: He’s trying to start a new “Company” even as the rest of his personal life is crumbling around him.

Claire: Off to college to live a normal life. Meets a new friend with benefits (Zima’s character).

Hiro: Finds out his the pain from using his powers maybe worse than he thought. Embarks on a bucket list/destiny quest.

Peter: A little more grown up and hardened now that his whole family has tried to kill him, ready to be his own man and goes back to saving lives as a paramedic. Still ready to rumble though.

Nathan: Going through the Jeykll/Hyde experience of sharing a body with Sylar.

Matt Parkman: Going insane from psychic echoes of Sylar.

Sylar: Fighting over his body with Nathan and his mind with Parkman. Kicking ass on both fronts.

Ali Larter’s character will be back and wetter than ever; Ando will be starting a company with Hiro; and Mrs. Petrelli will still be nodding off only to wake up and freak out about the future.

Oh, and there’s something about a magic compass(?) thrown in there.

A montage/trailer of “Redemption’s” first three episodes was shown and I have to say, it had a lot of action and some very cool scenes and developments (a scene with HRG trapped in car filling with water stood out). However, am I ready to jump back into the “Heroes is awesome” deep end quite yet? Eh… not quite yet. But “Redemption” looks like it definitely has potential.

Some other highlights: HRG trapped in a car filling with water while in mid-traffic; a super speed knife fight between Peter and Ray Park; Mrs. Petrilli’s sister having Nathan/Sylar whacked Godfather style and buried alive; the aforementioned girl kiss; and finally…Sylar rising from the grave. And that’s all just the beginning!

Kring spoke to recent criticism of the show while not quite speaking about them. He said that this season they’re stripping away the “unrelatable elements” of the show (super powered beings fighting it out) and getting back to the characters we know and love. When one fan asked a question about whether or not the Heroes cast would go back to being as diverse as it used to be, Kring hinted that at would, and to keep an eye out for casting announcements.

Funny anecdote to end on: When Zach Quinto was asked by the moderator who would win in a fight between Spock and Sylar, Quinto said, “Spock…I believe that good should ultimately triumph over evil.”

When asked who would win in a fight between old Spock and new Spock, Quinto said (with a sly smile), “[Leonard Nimoy], in one round.”

UPDATE: Check out what fans had to say about the upcoming season (who’s that handsome guy in the “Philly” shirt near the end of the video ????):

Heroes: Redemption premieres on September 21st on NBC.

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Heroes’ Odd Off-Site Comic-Con Panel

Bruce Simmons — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 04:56:31 +0000

“What room are we in, Tim?”

Almost every panel at the 2009 San Diego Comic-Con is held in the convention center, in one of the main halls. Ballroom 20, for example, is a sizable room and a lot of shows are having appearances there.

Friday will see Ballroom 20 hosting panels for Stargate Universe, Caprica, BSG: The Plan, 24, Bones and Dollhouse. (Hmmm… I think I know where I’ll be all day Friday.)

So, you’d think that a big show like Heroes would be somewhere around Ballroom 20, or in one of the side rooms that aren’t all that small either…

At least that’s what I thought they’d do. Every now and then, I’m wrong. There, I said it.

Heroes will indeed have a panel and Tim Kring, Jack Coleman, Masi Oka, Adrian Pasdar, Zachary Quinto, Robert Knepper, Dawn Olivieri, Ray Park and Madeline Zima will be in attendance.

Sounds cool. But to attend the panel you will have to leave the convention center and head off to the Hilton San Diego Bayfront, and find the Indigo Room. Yea, it’s off-site from the convention center.

I don’t get it. We can surmise that maybe someone goofed with logistics, or that the network might be focusing on other things. I don’t know.

But they will be there.

The Heroes panel will be in the Indigo Room on Saturday, July 25th at 3:15 p.m..

I’ll be adding this to the Comic-Con TV panel so you can see the whole collection of events there.

Source: Airlock Alpha

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The Television Presence At San Diego Comic-Con 2009

Bruce Simmons — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 14:38:32 +0000

UpDated 7-2-09

Last year at the 2008 San Diego Comic-Con, the event was ruled by several big named movies that ranged from youthful vampires to illegal vigilantes. TV was more a side-note than anything else.

This year at the 2009 Comic-Con, things will be a bit different as television programming seems to have a bigger presence than last year.

For instance, the Warner Brothers Television Group will have 11 different panels for their shows. That’s a studio best for them. ABC Studios will have 7 panels. 20th Century Fox will have 9 panels.

Do you think your favorite television show will be represented?

This year, I’m ready… I hope. So in preparation, I’ve started sifting through the network press releases and other resources, pulling it all together for myself. I decided… OK, maybe I was nudged a bit by Vic, to actually put it all prep info together here, for you, our loyal readers.

I’m done chatting. Let’s take a look at what television panels are lined up for the 2009 San Diego Comic Con.

Wednesday Evening, July 22nd:

6-9 p.m.:
Warner Brothers Television will be airing pilot previews this evening for the early-arriving crowd.

Human Target, V and The Vampire Diaries are the shows being previewed on this evening.

Thursday, July 23rd:

Burn Notice, Time To Be Determined (TTBD)
This panel will feature Bruce Campbell and writers from the series.

Legend of the Seeker, TTBD

Psych, TTBD

5-6 p.m.: Dexter

8 p.m. – Special Screening – Green Lantern [UPDATED]
Catch a special screening of the 5th DVD in the Green Lantern series, titled Green Lantern: First Flight. It will have it’s world premiere in Ballroom 20. That’s 5 days before it’s released to DVD!

Continue to the next page for Friday’s schedule

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NBC 2009 Fall Premiere Dates Announced

Bruce Simmons — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 11:13:43 +0000

NBC has released the schedule of dates for their fall 2009 / 2010 season.

A pair of new dramas lined up for us are Parenthood & Trauma and some returning shows are Heroes, Law & Order: SVU and Law & Order. Southland survived it’s first season and is returning for a second.

NBC is “proud” to announce that they now have more comedy than any other network. However, they count The Jay Leno Show as part of that comedy lineup.

The following is the important excerpt of the new programming lineup announcement from NBC:

NBC’s Fall 2009-10 premiere schedule (all times ET):

*Denotes new program

Sunday, September 13
7-8:15 p.m. – Football Night in America
8:15-11 p.m. – NBC Sunday Night Football

Monday, September 14
10-11 p.m. – The Jay Leno Show* (Series Premiere)

Tuesday, September 15
8-10 p.m. – The Biggest Loser
10-11 p.m. – The Jay Leno Show*

Thursday, September 17
8-8:30 p.m. – Saturday Night Live Weekend Update Thursday
8:30-9 p.m. – Parks and Recreation
9-9:30 p.m. – The Office
9:30-10 p.m. – Community*
(series premiere – moves to Thursdays 8-8:30 p.m. on October 8;
30 Rock returns October 15, 9:30-10 p.m.)
10-11 p.m. – The Jay Leno Show*

Monday, September 21
8-10 p.m. – Heroes (two hour premiere.
Trauma premieres 9-10 p.m. Monday, September 28)
10-11 p.m. – The Jay Leno Show*

Wednesday, September 23
8-9 p.m. – Parenthood* (Series Premiere)
9-10 p.m. – Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
10-11 p.m. – The Jay Leno Show*

Friday, September 25
8-9 p.m. – Law & Order
9-10 p.m. – Southland
10-11 p.m. – The Jay Leno Show*

Saturday, September 26
8-9 p.m. – Dateline NBC
9-10 p.m. – Drama encore broadcast
10-11 p.m. – Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (encore broadcast)
11:30 p.m. – 1:00 a.m. – Saturday Night Live

Monday, September 28
8-9 p.m. – Heroes
9-10 p.m. – Trauma* (Series Premiere)
10-11 p.m. – The Jay Leno Show*

Yes, there are some shows missing from this list because what I suspect you are looking for is going to premiere after the Olympics or mid-season. Those would be Chuck, Day One and Mercy.

From what I see, unless Southland takes off, NBC is going to continue to be outside the top-10 in ratings. Does anyone see anything I’m missing… that is besides completely decimating the 10 o’clock hour with their new comedy show of Jay Leno? Oh, I just can’t wait. (Sarc)

Are there any shows in particular that you’re excited to see start back up this fall?

Source: NBC

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Heroes To Go On Without Bryan Fuller?

Bruce Simmons — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 13:50:08 +0000

It’s with great sadness that we report that Bryan Fuller is leaving his spot as consulting producer on NBC’s Heroes.

Before you wonder, he isn’t leaving due to any internal strife. Instead, he’s working on developing some new shows / pilots for NBC Universal, the studio which produces Heroes.

The shows he’s developing are keeping him so busy that he just ran out of time for everything and something had to give. The sad news is that Heroes was the show that got the short end of the straw.

If you remember, after a rough 3rd season NBC let two of the Heroes producers go and brought Bryan Fuller back into the fold. Having recognized that season 3 fell into certain sci-fi stereotypes, he looked to bring more depth to the characters.

We here at Screen Rant thought this was a great move on NBC’s part. Heck, at one point fellow scribe Kofi Outlaw said that Bryan Fuller should be writing every episode of Heroes. Kofi further went on to demonstrate that all NBC needed to do was keep Fuller and director Greg Yaitanes and the show would dominate once again. Apparently no one at NBC was listening to us.

Aside from being the co-executive producer on the first season of Heroes, Fuller spent 2007 creating and running the ever popular series, Pushing Daisies. He returned to the Heroes staff when Daises was canceled. Fuller has also written / produced shows like Dead Like Me and the Star Trek spinoffs Deep Space Nine and Voyager.

Questions

So if Bryan Fuller is leaving a show like Heroes to work on these two other unnamed pilots / projects, we’re left with several questions:

The Heroes ask: "Bryan Fuller, where do you think you're going?"

Will Heroes return to its floundering ways with Fuller out of the picture again? The cast is all looking to someone right now for that answer and it’s possible the show may keep on track with the momentum it’s had lately. And if Fuller has left some decent notes behind, someone can model the next season based on his take.

Considering Fuller has created some of Heroes most popular episodes and he’s created the intensely fan popular Daisies, you have to wonder what exactly he is working on and just how freaking awesome it just might be?

For the time being, these pilots he’s working on are sorely need by NBC since their shows regularly flounder in the ratings while CBS and Fox dominate the top-10 spots repeatedly.

For now, Fuller is under contract with NBC Universal and they need to take serious advantage of that opportunity while they have it.

Also of note: Despite being super busy, Fuller is still hankering to create a new Star Trek series for television that takes place in J.J. Abrams new realm. He is a staunch Trekkie.

Suddenly I’m a little concerned for Heroes. Are you?

Sources: AICN, Entertainment Weekly

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Weekly TV Wrap Up – June 18, 2009

Bruce Simmons — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 14:52:44 +0000

Welcome to Thursday’s Weekly TV Wrap Up. Today we have a chunk of news to chat about.

I want to touch a bit on the television broadcast digital conversion and how well it went, or maybe not so well for some. Then we’ll touch on some True Blood ratings news, Heroes casting info, Bones renewal info and some Lie To Me news. We’ll then toss in some info on Patrick Swayze’s The Beast, My Name Is Earl and some Law And Order: SVU cast news.

Of course, I wrap it up with TV and cable ratings from last week.

Let’s get on with it, shall we?

Digital Transition Not So Smooth

As the television world went digital last Friday, for many it was a flawless event. For some, not so flawless.

One experience noted was that of a consumer who bought a digital TV, and later, a “digital” antenna to prepare for the transition – yet when the switch happened, they lost their local ABC and CBS stations.

They had issues because when the digital switch happened, stations went from the UHF to the VHF band and the antenna this consumer bought was designed only for digital UHF stations. So much for the digital sales pitch on the product. Hence, consumer beware.

There are digital receivers on the market that receive both bands. Be aware of that.

Nearly all stations that changed were using the UHF band until the change last Friday and now they’re almost all on VHF.

If perchance you or someone you know are still having problems, try this:

Force the converter box or digital TV to rescan for channels that moved to the new frequencies on Friday.

If that doesn’t work, try a technique called double rescanning.

What that entails is disconnecting the antenna from your TV or digital converter box. Then rescan again. Turn off your TV or box. Then turn it / them back on. Connect the antenna and scan one more time.

This procedure helps clear saved channels from your TV or box memory.

Source: DTV.gov, DTV.gov

True Blood Explodes On Cable

With the 2nd season premiere of True Blood kicking in at HBO, the ratings reflected viewers approval of the show.

The episode averaged 3.7 million viewers, which made it the most watched episode in two years for HBO, since The Sopranos.

source: EW

Heroes Might Be Adding A Cylon

Rick Worthy, who played the Simon model Cylon from Battlestar Galactica, is in negotiations to join the cast of Heroes.

The role will be a recurring role as Matt Parkman’s (Greg Grunberg) new partner.

Worthy brings a wealth of experience with him. He’s been in various shows prior to BSG like CSI, Fallen and Enterprise just to name a few.

They’re talking about this as if it’s a done deal but they did note they are still in negotiations. Do you think he’ll be added to the list of new Heroes cast, along with Robert Knepper and Madelina Zima?

Source: Superhero Hype

Click to continue reading our ‘Weekly TV Wrap Up’

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