The New Adventures of Old Christine Given Full Season
Posted by Wendy Michaels Categories: Comedy, Prime Time, CBS, Saturday Night Live, Ratings, Renewals,
Julia Louis-Dreyfus is sittin’ pretty now that her Emmy-winning show The New Adventures of Old Christine has been ordered for a full season. Originally, CBS ordered 13 episodes for the second season, but with ratings on the upswing, the order was increased to 22 episodes. Christine was a mid-season sitcom last year—and many wondered if Louis-Dreyfus could shake the “Seinfeld Curse.” The last episode averaged 13.6 million viewers, which was an increase from the average of the first season, at 12.5 million. While I’m not a regular watcher, I do stumble across it from time to time—Louis-Dreyfus does a great job; I’ve been a fan of hers since her Saturday Night Live days.
In other CBS news, The Class and How I Met Your Mother will swap time slots, with How I Met Your Mother now taking on the 8:00 slot and The Class moving to 8:30. The Class could apparently use the bump from the popular How I Met Your Mother as a lead-in.
Read More 
| Reuters
Gallery: The New Adventures of Old Christine Given Full Season
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Fox Gives Robert Smigel Animated Pilot a Try
Posted by Wendy Michaels Categories: Animation, Late Night, Prime Time, FOX, Family Guy, Saturday Night Live,
Give that man a series—any series! Robert Smigel, the talented man behind Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, the Saturday Night Live TV Fun House segments, as well as writer for Late Night with Conan O’Brien has had an animated pilot green-lit by the Fox Network. Animals will provide another animated half-hour to Fox’s Sunday-night cartoon offerings (King of the Hill, The Simpsons, American Dad and Family Guy). According to trade papers, Animals will “mine the animal kingdom for a parody of life in suburban America.” The series is produced by Adam Sandler’s company, Happy Madison. Smigel and Sandler have a past with Saturday Night Live, plus Smigel has popped up in small appearances in Happy Gilmore and Punch-Drunk Love.
Read More | Zap2it
Gallery: Fox Gives Robert Smigel Animated Pilot a Try
Amy Poehler, Tina Fey Hit the Big Screen
Posted by Wendy Michaels Categories: Comedy, Late Night, NBC, Saturday Night Live,
The pairing of Amy Poehler and Tina Fey may be over at the Weekend Update desk at Saturday Night Live, but they will be starring in a comedy film together. The film Baby Mama is about a single woman who wants to have a child, but is too committed to her professional life to give it up for pregancy. She turns to a surrogate, and the laughs ensue. There are no specifics about which funny lady will play which role, but the film does come from the co-writer of the Austin Power sequels. Production will not begin until next summer, after Poehler is done with SNL and Fey with her new series, 30 Rock. Look for Poehler in the upcoming movies Spring Breakdown, Southland Tales, Tenacious D in ‘The Pick of Destiny’ and Blades of Glory.
Read More | Zap2it
Gallery: Amy Poehler, Tina Fey Hit the Big Screen
The Week Ahead in TV
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Comedy, Drama, Late Night, Prime Time, ABC, Cable, NBC, The CW, America’s Next Top Model, Degrassi, Everybody Hates Chris, Saturday Night Live, The CW, The Office,
The CW let America’s Next Top Model kick off the new network last week—now they’re hoping you’ll stick around to see the other premieres they have to offer. Also up, the much-hyped debut of Ugly Betty. Will the stellar reviews have any effect on last season’s best comedy,The Office?
MONDAY
Heroes (9pm on NBC)
7th Heaven (8pm on CW)
Runaway (9pm on CW)
TUESDAY
Gilmore Girls (8pm on CW)
WEDNESDAY
One Tree Hill (9pm on CW)
THURSDAY
Ugly Betty (8pm on ABC)
Smallville (8pm on CW)
Supernatural (9pm on CW)
FRIDAY
Degrassi (9pm EST on The N)
SATURDAY
Saturday Night Live (11:30pm on NBC)
SUNDAY (10/1)
Everybody Hates Chris (7pm on CW)
All of Us (7:30pm on CW)
Girlfriends (8pm on CW)
The Game (8:30pm on CW)
Gallery: The Week Ahead in TV
Funny Guy Will Ferrell Developing Comedy for HBO
Posted by Wendy Michaels Categories: Comedy, Cable, HBO, Saturday Night Live, Cable/Satellite,
And speaking of former SNL cast members (see article below about the recent firings), Will Ferrell will bring the comedy P.E. to HBO. The premise of the series is a major league baseball pitcher who, after failing at professional sports, returns to his hometown to teach phys ed at his former middle school. He’ll also have to make up with the people from his town that he snubbed when he left to become a ball player. Along with his production company partner Adam McKay, Ferrell was able to sign on with HBO—the Hollywood Reporter is reporting that the deal is “one of the pay cable network’s richest development deals.” Writers Jody Hill, Ben Best and Danny McBride will pen the series; they wrote and starred in “The Foot Fist Way,” an indie kung fu comedy. McKay and Ferrell wrote this summer’s hit, “Talladega Nights: The Legend of Ricky Bobby,” starring Ferrell and directed by McKay. Got all that? At any rate, funny people behind a funny premise—on HBO. Oh, and I couldn’t resist this picture of Will playing the cowbell.
Read More | Yahoo! News
Gallery: Funny Guy Will Ferrell Developing Comedy for HBO
Three SNL Cast Members Get Pink Slips
Posted by Wendy Michaels Categories: Comedy, Late Night, NBC, Saturday Night Live, Rumors,
Early SNL firing rumors are now official. E! Online is reporting that a press release for the upcoming 32nd season omitted the names of three cast members’ names: unfortunately, Chris Parnell, Horatio Sanz and Finesse Mitchell will not be returning this season. The news comes as a “non-announcement,” since neither NBC nor Saturday Night Live released any official statement about the cast. Early rumors pegged Parnell and Sanz as fired, but did not predict Mitchell would not be returning. Instead, most were reporting that it would be Kenan Thompson or Darrell Hammond that would get the axe. Sanz had made a statement about a month ago to the Chicago Sun-Times, saying “I haven’t been approached with anything that’s led me to believe I won’t be back.” Seems the decision may have come as a surprise to him. NBC rep Marc Liepis doesn’t believe there is any ill-will about the decision, saying “I believe there were mutual choices made. When you’re on the show for eight years, I don’t think you look at it as a firing.” Both Parnell and Sanz have been on SNL for eight years, while Mitchell had only a three year run.
Saturday Night Live will air on September 30th, with host Dane Cook and musical guest The Killers. No official word yet on who will be taking over Tina Fey’s chair on Weekend Update, although early rumors pegged Jason Sudeikis. Guess we’ll know for sure on the 30th.
Read More | E! Online
Gallery: Three SNL Cast Members Get Pink Slips
The Week Ahead in TV
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Action, Comedy, Daytime, Drama, Prime Time, Reality, ABC, CBS, NBC, The CW, America’s Next Top Model, Desperate Housewives, ER, Grey’s Anatomy, My Name Is Earl, Oprah Winfrey Show, Saturday Night Live, The Office,
After a few weeks of sporadic debuts, we can all now breathe a sigh of relief. You now have a reason to be sitting on your couch every night because the TV onslaught has officially arrived! Here are the highlights for this week:
MONDAY
Oprah, Rachel Ray and The Megan Mullally Show (various)
Wife Swap (8pm on ABC)
Deal or No Deal (8pm on NBC)
The Class (8pm on CBS)
How I Met Your Mother (8:30pm on CBS)
Two and a Half Men (9pm on CBS)
The New Adventures of Old Christine (9:30pm on CBS)
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (10pm on NBC)
CSI: Miami (10pm on CBS)
TUESDAY
NCIS (8pm on CBS):
The Unit (9pm on CBS)
Law and Order: Criminal Intent (9pm on NBC)
Law and Order: SVU (10pm on NBC)
Smith (10pm on CBS)
Boston Legal (10pm on ABC)
WEDNESDAY
America’s Next Top Model (8pm on CW)
Jericho (8pm on CBS)
Biggest Loser (8pm on NBC)
Criminal Minds (9pm on CBS)
Kidnapped (10pm on NBC)
CSI: NY (10pm on CBS)
THURSDAY
My Name is Earl (8pm on NBC)
The Office (8:30pm on NBC)
Grey’s Anatomy (9pm on ABC)
CSI (9pm on CBS)
ER (10pm on NBC)
Six Degrees (10pm on ABC)
Shark (10pm on CBS)
FRIDAY
Smackdown (8pm on CW)
Ghost Whisperer (8pm on CBS)
Close to Home (9pm on CBS)
Law and Order (10pm on NBC)
Numb3rs (10pm on CBS)
SUNDAY
Extreme Home Makeover (8pm on ABC)
Desperate Housewives (9pm on ABC)
Cold Case (9pm on CBS)
Brothers and Sisters (10pm on ABC)
Without a Trace (10pm on CBS)
Gallery: The Week Ahead in TV
Cast Reductions Announced for SNL
Posted by Wendy Michaels Categories: Comedy, Late Night, NBC, Saturday Night Live, News,
Since a press conference last month where Lorne Michaels announced upcoming cuts from the Saturday Night Live cast, many have been speculating about who would be going. Zap2it.com is reporting that at least three members of the cast will be leaving, with the likelihood for a fourth to depart as well. At present, it’s reported that Chris Parnell, Horatio Sanz and Kenan Thompson have been tapped to leave. Discussions of a fourth casualty are circulating about Darrell Hammond, who has had the longest run on the show. Hammond brings his impmeccable impressions to the table (including Donald Trump and Bill Clinton), but perhaps little new material. Horatio Sanz has been riding the SNL gravy train for far too long, as has Parnell—I’m most surprised by Kenan Thompson, who seemed to be featured in a lot of sketches last season. The fate of SNL‘s Weekend Update is also a hot topic, as Lorne Michaels auditioned cast members to take over for Tina Fey, who recently left the show, and Amy Poehler. It’s rumored that new cast member Jason Sudeikis (pictured at right) will be taking over the Update desk. Of course, none of this is confirmed—an NBC spokesman declined to comment.
Read More | Zap2it
Gallery: Cast Reductions Announced for SNL
Tina Fey Resigns From SNL
Posted by Wendy Michaels Categories: Comedy, Late Night, Prime Time, NBC, Saturday Night Live, News,
The rumors have come to fruition. Tina Fey is leaving Saturday Night Live to pursue her new gig on the NBC series 30 Rock, which premieres on October 11th. Fey has been with SNL since 1997, starting as a writer and becoming the first female head writer in 1999. Her role as co-anchor for the “Weekend Update” segment of the show began in 2000. During Fey’s appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on Friday, she said, “The new show’s going to take a lot of time. I wanted to stop doing Saturday Night Live so I could spend more time with Star Jones.”
The plot of 30 Rock in many ways mirrors her role on SNL—she’ll play the head writer of a fictional late-night sketch show. So, not much of a stretch, I suppose… but she has a lot of great experience to work with. Fey told Leno, “This is the big leap I’m making, it’s a show about working at a late-night comedy show… I’m very creative.”
According to Lorne Michaels, executive producer of 30 Rock and SNL, they will test various individuals and duos in September to find a replacment for Fey on “Weekend Update.” “If you’re asking if I’m happy about it, no,” said Michaels. “Tina disappearing is a huge hole in the writing staff.”
Read More | CBS News
Gallery: Tina Fey Resigns From SNL
NBC and YouTube Come Together
Posted by Wendy Michaels Categories: NBC, Saturday Night Live, The Office, Internet, News,
After a rocky start, NBC and YouTube have reached a mutual agreement that allows YouTube to post NBC clips of the new fall season. Things were not always so agreeable, as NBC made YouTube pull the Saturday Night Live “Lazy Sunday” Digital Short earlier this year.
NBC’s 2006-2007 lineup will be featured on a dedicated YouTube channel that houses NBC’s clips. NBC is also asking YouTube visitors to create their own 20-second promo video for The Office – the winning promo will air on NBC in August.
John Miller, NBC Universal Television’s marketing chief, says “YouTube is the perfect online media partner to promote NBC’s marquee entertainment to their audience and explore new and creative ways to harness the power of viral video in a manner that respects copyrights.” A smart move, considering YouTube’s popularity – as many as 70 million videos are viewed daily.
Read More | Zap2it
Gallery: NBC and YouTube Come Together
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