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Weekly TV Wrap Up – July 2nd 2009

Bruce Simmons — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 17:39:19 +0000

Today we’re going to talk a little bit about House’s next season, plus casting news about Gossip Girl and Ugly Betty.

We’ve got contract news on Law and Order:SVU, insight into Wentworth Miller’s (Prison Break) next role, and some bits about Sons of Anarchy and Nip/Tuck.

We’ve also got some late-breaking bits we’ve added this afternoon with regards to the creator of My Name Is Earl, and the final season of Lost.

We have the usual weekly recap of ratings from the previous week, but it’s not the usual list. The source is having issues distributing the information, so I’ve done the best I can this week.

And of course we wrap up with the ratings from last week.

A Thought About House’s Upcoming Season

With the new season of House coming up, we all know that House has committed himself.

But have you thought about how things will be once he’s out and back at work?

Neither did I, but according to executive producer Katie Jacobs, we should be prepared for the hospital to be working differently.

“A doctor can’t check into a mental institution and just walk back into his job like nothing happened. We will not start forsaking reality. This [story] will have consequences.”

Source: EW

Lost Gets One More Hour

The mythos of ABC’s Lost is so big that the last season of the show couldn’t contain the entire story. At least that’s one take on why ABC has added an extra hour to the next season.

Now, instead of 17 hours, you’ll have 18 hours of getting Lost.

No facts are concrete, but rumors say they’ve added an additional storyline to the season.

Not to be a horrid tease, but with all the supposition about Charlie, I have to wonder if that’s the extra storyline?

Source: THRFeed

Gossip Girl Casting News

Hillary Duff will be joining the cast of Gossip Girl for a guest appearance in a multi-episode story arc.

She’ll be playing a movie star (shocking) named Olivia Burke who ends up rooming with Vanessa (Jessica Szohr).

Duff’s first episode will air on October 5th.

Source: EW

Ugly Betty Cast Update

If anyone is wondering about Daniel Eric Gold’s status on Ugly Betty, wonder no more.

Gold is returning to the show and he’s becoming a full-time series regular.

Source: EW

Greg Garcia Heads To Fox

It was a sad day earlier this week as production staff cleared out the facility that was being used as the set location for My Name Is Earl. With the show gone, folks are looking for work and the creator / executive producer of Earl, Greg Garcia, was one of them.

News is that he’s landed a gig over on Fox developing a new pilot for the network.

This new pilot is about “a 25-year-old who winds up having to raise an infant with the help of his quirky family. The kid was the result of a one-night stand with a woman who ended up on death row for murder.”

If you feel like it sounds familiar, even Garcia admits that this comes from the kind of world that Earl inhabited. At least he’s honest.

Source: Variety

Law And Order:SVU Contract Renewals

Mariska Hargitay and Christopher Meloni have successfully extended their contracts for 2 more years.

Unconfirmed sources say that the pair will be making roughly $325k per episode, or $6.5 million a year, each. I’m wondering if they’d pay me to be in just one episode. I’m not greedy!

Source: E Online

Where Will Wentworth Miller Show Up Next?

After playing a felon on the run in Prison Break, Wentworth Miller will next appear in a guest role on Law and Order: SVU’s season premiere episode, and this time he’ll be on the other side of the badge.

He’ll be playing a member of the NYPD Blue named Nate Kendal who ends up saving a rape victim.

Wentworth fans, set your DVR’s. The episode will air September 23rd.

Source: TV Guide

FX Programming Reminders

Sons of Anarchy returns to the cable network with fresh episodes beginning on September 8th and Nip/Tuck returns in October.

Ratings

Either my source or Nielsen are having issues with the data, so I’ve only got the top 20 ranked shows from last week to share with you.

As you can see, America’s Got Talent dominated while a repeat of NCIS takes the title of highest-rated scripted drama. Considering all the fanfare going on, I’m a bit surprised that the Michael Jackson special on CBS was only at 13th on the list. A pleasant surprise is that The Philanthropist landed in the top 20, settling in at 16th. I’m glad it ranked where it did and considering the quality of its story, I hope it improves. You can check out my quick review of The Philanthropist to see what myself and others thought of the show.

Rank, Show Title, (Repeat, Premiere, Special), Network, Viewers in the Millions

1. America’s Got Talent-Tue (P) NBC – 11.5 < NBC’s best performer
2. NCIS (R) CBS – 11.1 < CBS’s Best performer
3. America’s Got Talent – Wed (P) NBC – 10.4
4. The Mentalist – Tue (R) CBS – 9.1
5. 60 Minutes (R) CBS – 8.8
6. CSI (R) CBS – 8.7
7. Two And A Half Men (R) CBS – 8.7
8. 20/20 Special Edition on 6/25 (S) ABC – 8.2 < ABC’s best performer
9. CSI: Miami (R) CBS – 8.0
10. Wipeout ABC – 7.8
11. So You Think You Can Dance – Wed Fox – 7.6 < Fox’s best performer
12. Criminal Minds (R) CBS – 7.6
13. CBS News: Michael Jackson (S) CBS – 7.5
14. CSI: NY (R) CBS – 7.4
15. The Big Bang Theory (R) CBS – 7.2
16. Philanthropist (P) NBC – 7.1
17. 48 Hours Mystery Tuesday (R) CBS – 7.0
18. So You Think You Can Dance – Thurs Fox – 6.9
19. The Bachelorette ABC – 6.8
20. Dateline Friday NBC – 6.7

Selected Top Cable Shows

As you can see, break-ups help reality TV as Jon & Kate ratings spiked, marking another good week for TLC with The Closer, Royal Pains, Burn Notice and NCIS snagging spots in the top-20 cable slots for their respective networks.

1. BET Awards Show, BET – 10.7
2. Jon & Kate Plus 8, TLC – 10.6
4. WWE Entertainment, USA – 7.3
5. The Closer, TNT – 6.4
8. Royal Pains, USA – 5.9
9. Sprint Cup Racing/Loudon, TNT – 5.6
12. Burn Notice, USA – 5.3
17. NCIS, USA – 4.2
20. Confed. Cup Soccer, ESPN – 3.9

I’m looking forward to how they mix up the chemistry of House with the new equation of his having been committed and it’s good to see that Law and Order: SVU will retain the steadfast cast that’s been in place since 1999. I was a bit worried, considering how the network had renewed the show before the two lead actors were resigned. For you Gossip Girl fans (who ask me to cover news on the show), I’m wondering if you feel like having big-name stars come and go on the show is great to see or just distracting? Do you think it’s only a ruse to boost ratings?

As always, questions and comments are welcome here on Screen Rant.

Weekly TV Wrap-Up – June 4th 2009

Bruce Simmons — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 15:25:54 +0000

It is Thursday again and the weekend looms in front of us.

Today I’m going to chat about Summer Glau maybe being on Dollhouse, a tiny bit about Law & Order: SVU, a bit of Doctor Who news and some info about Ronald D. Moore’s Virtuality including the air date and scenes from the show.

And as usual, we’ll take a peak at ratings from last week.

Oh! I’ve jammed in a subtle note about Burn Notice.

While you’re here, if there’s anything TV related on your mind, slap it in the comments and let us know what you’re curious about or have an opinion on.

Shall we get on with it?

Summer Glau On Dollhouse?

Does Summer look chatty here?

Joss Whedon was asked if he’d consider getting Summer Glau on Dollhouse. Duh!

He’s way ahead of everyone. Apparently he was already asking Summer to consider coming on board the Dollhouse production before The Sarah Connor Chronicles was even canceled. (A moment of silence for TSCC please.)

Joss is looking to cast her in a role of a character that talks too much. LOL… that would be new. Summer Glau being chatty?

Some think she’d be prefect as an “active” (i.e., one of the dolls) in Dollhouse, but Joss likes pushing his cast. The idea of her being someone chatty would definitely be new to us.

If you haven’t seen her actually being all chit-chatty, it’s a refreshing look at Summer.

Source: Entertainment Weekly

Law & Order: SVU Contract Talks

Word on the street is that there is still no deal in place for Law & Order: SVU stars Mariska Hargitay and Chris Meloni for next season.

As you know, SVU has been renewed for next year regardless of the stars’ contracts, but word is that negotiations are “moving in the right direction.”

I think it’s a shame that Hargitay and Meloni were asking for so much money and I hope everyone can come to a happy medium.

I know SVU is NBC’s No. 1 scripted show, but that isn’t saying much considering where on the charts it kept showing up. Last week in the ratings it was in 25th place.

Source: Entertainment Weekly

Doctor Who Coming to BBC America

Starting in July, BBC America will be airing five Doctor Who specials. On top of those episodes, they’ll also be airing the final four adventures that have David Tennant starring as the Doctor.

All this fun starts in July.

Making a smart move for Doctor Who fans, BBC America also snagged the 2008 Christmas Special, “The Next Doctor,” which stars David Morrissey and Dervla Kirwan. It will be broadcast on June 27, 2009.

Sounds great. Now I have to figure out what channel BBC America is.

Source: Sci Fi Wire

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Weekly TV Wrap Up – February 5th, 2009

Bruce Simmons — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 15:37:02 +0000

Well, we survived the Super Bowl and the travesty of a 3D commercial and now we, what? Wait for the 2009 football season to start back up? Well, so be it. In the mean time, let’s check out what happened during the last week.

This week, we chat a little about the latest Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue, NBC’s Chuck, some wedding news about Fringe, upcoming episodes of The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Prison Break’s final episodes, Nip/Tuck going away, Supernatural feuds, and some sad or stupid news about Kyle XY, Reaper and the Digital TV transition delay.

Let’s get to it gang!

1) If you are a David Letterman fan, he’ll be unveiling the latest Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue cover and the identity of the cover model! So keep your eyes opened on February 9th. I’m hoping it’s Marissa Miller! Source: CBS Entertainment

2) Believe it or not, last Monday night’s Chuck, shown in 3D, scored its highest ratings of the season with just over 8 million viewers… Viewership was up 24%. If for some reason you want that 1D headache using those 3D “glasses” you got for the Super Bowl, you can catch the 3D version of Chuck on NBC.com. Source: NBCUni

3) Fringe Wedding News: On Fringe, FBI Special Agents Olivia Dunham and John Scott were seeing each other behind the scenes. This is where real life mimics TV, or something like that. The actors that play those two parts, Anna Torv and Mark Valley, were married in December. Congratulations to the new happy couple. I wonder when a little Fringe-baby will be on the way? Source: Yahoo.com

4) Speaking of Fringe: With the season underway, it looks like we’ll be learning more about something called “the Pattern,” and there will be an amazing revelation of Olivia Dunham’s past. It’s been said that she’s not what she seems. We’ll even become privy to Peter’s background. Additionally, we’ll also be seeing some form of closure for Mr. Jones… if you remember him. Source: SciFi Wire

5) Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles will have an episode that is a preview of the upcoming new season. An injured Sarah is guided by the image of John’s father, Kyle Reese, while Weaver’s move to protect John Henry results in deadly consequences in “The Good Wound,” airing Friday, Feb. 13 (8:00-9:01 PM ET/PT) on FOX (SCC-214) (TV-14 V). Source: FOX

6) For any of our readers who are Aaron Douglas fans, (Chief Tyrol on Battlestar Galactica), he’ll be at the New York Comic-Con, BUT don’t be fooled by the website schedule. Aaron says it’s not correct and he has confirmed his own Con schedule:

Signing: Fri. 12noon – 1pm (Table 1 with Yuri Lowenthal)
Signing: Fri. 2pm – 4pm (Fan Expo Canada Booth)
Guest Panel: Fri. 6pm – 7pm (Emissary Guest Panel in room 1A08)
Signing: Sat. 12 noon – 4pm (Fan Expo Canada Booth)

Source: The Chief’s Deck

7) As Prison Break winds down, expect to see the boys back in prison in the final episodes. Sigh. Give it a rest people. Oh wait, they are. This is the last season of Prison Break. Source: E Online

If you were watching the Super Bowl in Tuscon Arizona on your Comcast cable service, you got a wee bit more than you bargained for! With less than 3 minutes to go, right after the big Arizona touchdown, poof: 30 seconds of the Club Jenna channel (for those of you who don’t subscribe to it, that’s a porn channel boys and girls), then back to the recap of the touchdown. Zoinks. The FCC is looking into it and Comcast said this might have been a malicious intrusion by neighboring Cox Cable. Double zoinks!! I wonder if anyone grabbed for their 3D glasses then? Source: E Online

9) For the unknowing Nip/Tuck fan, you do know this is their sixth and final season, right? That is all.

10) Just in case you were wondering when the supposed brotherly feud was going to erupt, it will be in the last three episodes of Supernatural where Sam and Dean don’t see eye to eye, or more bluntly put, Sam vs. Dean. Ug. I’m not looking forward to that one. I can’t imagine them being totally at each others throats. Can you? Source: EW.com

11) For you Kyle XY fans, you may want to pull out your crying towels. ABC Family is letting the show go in place of three new shows they’ve ordered to take its place. 10 Things I Hate About You, based on the feature film of the same name. Perfect 10, a drama set in the world of competitive gymnastics & Ruby and the Rockits, a comedy about a former teen idol whose own family life is turned upside-down when his brother/ex-bandmate shows with his daughter. Oh please, hold me back. Source: TV Guide

12) We know Reaper is coming back to The CW. But the new info is that it’s coming back sooner than planned. As of right now, it’s slated to return to the airwaves on March 3rd and slated to run its entire 13 episode run. Mark your calendars! Unfortunately, it sounds like the goat being led to the bait stake in Jurassic Park! They’re putting Reaper in at 8 p.m. Tuesdays, and sliding 90210 back to 9 p.m. to protect it from the competing American Idol show on FOX. It’s always the interesting shows that get screwed. Source: THR

14) The Digital TV transition is going to be delayed. The House of Representatives voted Wednesday to push the transition date back to June 12th. Basically, the “coupon program” ran out of money. Maybe some of the stimulas package money can go for this… it’s going for everything else. Welcome to the bright, shiny new America – the only government that will pay you to watch TV. Source: TV Guide