TV News Thread

[D.B. Barnes]

Potential replacement for that godawful Unsupervised crap.

FX Developing Animated Comedy From 'Aqua Teen Hunger Force' Creator

The project would revolve around a man recently released from prison and feature "Eastbound and Down's" Danny McBride among its voice cast.

FX is continuing its push into animation.

The male-skewing cable network, which recently renewed Archer for a fourth season, is developing a half-hour animated comedy project from the co-creator of Aqua Teen Hunger Force, The Hollywood Reporter has learned exclusively.

Aqua Teen's Matt Maiellaro and newcomer Grant Dekernion are penning the untitled project, which would revolve around a man recently released from prison.

Dekernion, a friend of Danny McBride, took the idea to the Eastbound and Down star and his production company, Rough House. The shingle's Matt Reilly then connected the duo with Maiellaro to flush out the concept. McBride is attached to voice a character in the project, which is in development.

The animated prison project joins an FX development slate that recently delivered freshman animated series Unsupervised.

Should the project go to series, Maiellaro and Dekernion would be credited as co-creators, writers and exec producers, with the former serving as showrunner. The project hails from Rough House, with the company's David Gordon Green, Jody Hill, McBride and Reilly also receiving credit as exec producers.

Seriously, anything would be better than Unsupervised.

[Invader_quirk]

The shingle's Matt Reilly then connected the duo with Maiellaro to flush out the concept.

Isn't the phrase "flesh out"?

[D.B. Barnes]

The shingle's Matt Reilly then connected the duo with Maiellaro to flush out the concept.

Isn't the phrase "flesh out"?

Perhaps they do their best brainstorming in the bathroom.

[Invader_quirk]

Perhaps they do their best brainstorming in the bathroom.

*Shrug* I know I do.

[D.B. Barnes]

Dane Cook to Star in NBC Comedy Pilot

The comedian-turned-feature actor will play a grouchy alpha male DJ in "Next Caller Please" from "Weeds" producer Stephen Falk.

Dane Cook is heading to series television.

The stand-up comic-turned-feature actor has been tapped to star in NBC's comedy pilot Next Caller Please, The Hollywood Reporter has learned. The single-camera series revolves around Cam Doherty, a brash alpha male DJ and his feminist co-host set in the office of a satellite radio station. Cook will play Cam, the disheveled, unshaven, hung-over and purposely detached magnetic grouch who doesn't like that his co-host is a woman. Weeds producer Stephen Falk will write and executive produce Next Caller Please. Like Weeds, the project hails from Universal Television and Lionsgate TV. Marc Buckland will direct the pilot

Collette Wolfe will play his co-host, Stella, in the gender comedy, while Joy Osmanski is on board to portray Winnie, Stella's producer, who recruits her to the radio show.

Cook's casting is the latest in a string of feature actors booking broadcast pilots. He joins Kevin Bacon (Kevin Williamson's serial killer drama), Cuba Gooding Jr. (Fox's Guilty), Mira Sorvino (CBS' Trooper) and Dennis Quaid (CBS' untitled Ralph Lamb Western), among others.

Cook, whose recent credits include features My Best Friend's Girl, Dan in Real Life, Mr. Brooks and Employee of the Month, is repped by UTA and Jackoway Tyerman. Cook's casting comes as part of the actor's overall deal at the network, which he inked in September.

Known for his stand-up comedy, Cook also guest starred last year on CBS' Hawaii Five-0. Should Next Caller Please be ordered to series, it would mark his first starring turn on network show.

Sounds like a sure-fire hit.

[Johnny Unusual]

David Cronenberg developing historical based TV series Knifeman

http://www.avclub.com/articles/david-cronenberg-is-getting-into-television,70841/

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

David Cronenberg’s fascination with the human body and all the horrible, horrible ways it can kill you may soon find a home on your television with the pilot Knifeman, which Cronenberg is developing as his first serious foray onto the small screen. The drama, based on Wendy Moore’s 2006 biography of the pioneering yet disgusting John Hunter, will explore the many ways in which the 18th-century doctor helped to invent modern surgery by experimenting on corpses purchased from body snatchers and then deliberately charging those corpses for things that weren’t covered under their HMO. Ha ha ha, amIright? No, but seriously Hunter was grossly brilliant and brilliantly gross, even going so far as to inject himself with venereal disease—another indicator of why Cronenberg finds him interesting.

The show’s pilot will be directed by Cronenberg, from a script by Friday Night Lights’ Rolin Jones and Ron Fitzgerald, and while it doesn’t currently have a network attached, it’s being produced by Media Rights Capital, which recently sold the David Fincher-led House Of Cards to Netflix. And given that Netflix embeds an insidious broadcast signal that causes its viewers to develop a malignant brain tumor lest they ascend to the new flesh, Cronenberg should be all over that too.

[D.B. Barnes]

HBO’s ‘Luck’ To Shut Down For Good Following Latest Horse Death

Luck will be no more on HBO. The pay cable network, along with Luck executive producers David Milch and Michael Mann, just announced that they’re ending the series following yesterday’s horse death, the third on the set of the horse racing drama starring Dustin Hoffman. Luck had been in the middle of production on the second episode of Season 2. The recently completed first episode won’t air. Meanwhile, the remaining two episodes of Luck‘s first season will air as scheduled, with the season finale serving also as a series finale. In the immediate aftermath of yesterday’s horse death, HBO initially said that production on Luck will continue with scenes that don’t involve horses. Now the stoppage will encompass the entire production. As of the time of HBO’s announcement, filming on the series was still underway, with the cast and crew unaware of the decision, but was expected to shut down immediately.

In a statement, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals applauded HBO’s decision to end Luck. ”Knowing that old, unfit, and drugged horses were forced to race for this series, PETA is glad that HBO has finally decided to cancel the show,” PETA said. The organization noted that it had urged the show’s producers “to use stock racing footage instead of endangering horses for entertainment purposes” and said that it “has called on law enforcement to investigate the deaths of the horses used on the set and to bring charges as appropriate.”

I'd heard good things about this show. Too bad they couldn't manage to avoid killing horses left and right. 

[Johnny Unusual]

HBO’s ‘Luck’ To Shut Down For Good Following Latest Horse Death

Luck will be no more on HBO. The pay cable network, along with Luck executive producers David Milch and Michael Mann, just announced that they’re ending the series following yesterday’s horse death, the third on the set of the horse racing drama starring Dustin Hoffman. Luck had been in the middle of production on the second episode of Season 2. The recently completed first episode won’t air. Meanwhile, the remaining two episodes of Luck‘s first season will air as scheduled, with the season finale serving also as a series finale. In the immediate aftermath of yesterday’s horse death, HBO initially said that production on Luck will continue with scenes that don’t involve horses. Now the stoppage will encompass the entire production. As of the time of HBO’s announcement, filming on the series was still underway, with the cast and crew unaware of the decision, but was expected to shut down immediately.

In a statement, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals applauded HBO’s decision to end Luck. ”Knowing that old, unfit, and drugged horses were forced to race for this series, PETA is glad that HBO has finally decided to cancel the show,” PETA said. The organization noted that it had urged the show’s producers “to use stock racing footage instead of endangering horses for entertainment purposes” and said that it “has called on law enforcement to investigate the deaths of the horses used on the set and to bring charges as appropriate.”

I'd heard good things about this show. Too bad they couldn't manage to avoid killing horses left and right. 

Maybe they shouldn't have ended every episode with a Q&A with fans, followed by shooting a horse point blank in the head.  David Milch has always been an innovator.

[D.B. Barnes]

Dennis Miller Heading to ABC Comedy Pilot 'Awesometown'

The former stand-up comic and late-night talk show host has joined the cast of Awesometown, ABC's comedy pilot starring Ben Rappaport, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.

The ensemble comedy revolves around the lives of four young professionals who work and live together in New York. Rappaport (Outsourced) stars as Dusty, a twentysomething who, following a breakup, moves in with his co-worker.

Miller will play Nelson Burke, the genius boss of Burke Architecture, who is described as never having smiled and "surgical" with his cut-downs.

Miller joins a cast that includes Nick Kocher, James Earl III and Amanda Crew in the pilot, which is being penned by Due Date scribe Adam Sztykiel. Sztykiel will serve as an executive producer alongside Josh Bycel, Jon Fener, Aaron Kaplan and Sean Perrone, with Jesse Peretz on board to direct the single-camera effort from 20th Television. The project, should it be ordered to series, would mark Miller's first scripted series-regular gig. The former Saturday Night Live player most recently guest-starred on an episode of CBS' Hawaii Five-0.

Miller hosted, wrote and executive produced his self-titled HBO late-night talker from 2004-05 and served in the same capacity on the syndicated Dennis Miller Show, which ran from 1992-2004.

The casting comes a day after Miller inked a long-term contract with Dial Global to continue as host of radio’s The Dennis Miller Show.

I hope this never even makes it to series, and if it does, I hope it gets cancelled after like two episodes. That's how much I fucking hate Dennis Miller.

[Bob]

HBO’s ‘Luck’ To Shut Down For Good Following Latest Horse Death

Luck will be no more on HBO. The pay cable network, along with Luck executive producers David Milch and Michael Mann, just announced that they’re ending the series following yesterday’s horse death, the third on the set of the horse racing drama starring Dustin Hoffman. Luck had been in the middle of production on the second episode of Season 2. The recently completed first episode won’t air. Meanwhile, the remaining two episodes of Luck‘s first season will air as scheduled, with the season finale serving also as a series finale. In the immediate aftermath of yesterday’s horse death, HBO initially said that production on Luck will continue with scenes that don’t involve horses. Now the stoppage will encompass the entire production. As of the time of HBO’s announcement, filming on the series was still underway, with the cast and crew unaware of the decision, but was expected to shut down immediately.

In a statement, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals applauded HBO’s decision to end Luck. ”Knowing that old, unfit, and drugged horses were forced to race for this series, PETA is glad that HBO has finally decided to cancel the show,” PETA said. The organization noted that it had urged the show’s producers “to use stock racing footage instead of endangering horses for entertainment purposes” and said that it “has called on law enforcement to investigate the deaths of the horses used on the set and to bring charges as appropriate.”

I'd heard good things about this show. Too bad they couldn't manage to avoid killing horses left and right. 

I loved "Luck" on HBO.   Maybe having all those guys who appeared on Law and Order (4 I think) is what really killed it......

[D.B. Barnes]

‘Clerks: The Animated Series’ Might Return in 2013

Clerks: The Animated Series might be edging towards a return in 2013. The series was a very short network prime time show, which many agree was ahead of its time. The series did the same style totally random-funny pop culture-filled jokes that were credited for Family Guy‘s later success.

Only two episodes were aired by ABC in 2000 before the show was canceled. The six-produced episodes were released on DVD and became a cult hit. Enough so that Harvey Weinstein wanted to produce an animated direct-to-video film titled Clerks: Sell Out based on the series. The movie was to have involved Dante and Randal making a movie about their lives at the Quick Stop.

But when Weinstein left Miramax, the rights to the Clerks Animated characters was left in the hands of the Disney Corporation, which had no interest in pursuing any future projects based on the property. However, Miramax was sold in 2011, allowing for a return.

Kevin Smith announced on Twitter yesterday that “Miramax 2.0 and I are hoping to give you new eps weekly next year.” So we might see new episodes of Clerks: The Animated Series in 2013 — but in what form? On Television? On Home Video? Or more likely — distributed digitally (Netflix, web, hulu…etc).

Saaaaay.

[k1]

Who is returning? Bear is returning! Oh no! How can this be??

Post full of midgets!

[Johnny Unusual]

HBO continues to be that guy with the Pynchon paperback on the train, adapting as many books into TV shows as it can so that you’re all made aware that HBO reads, has a rich intellectual life, and probably doesn’t even own a television to watch itself. Its latest literary acquisition, according to Deadline: The Madonnas Of Echo Park, the Brando Skyhorse (yes) novel about the Los Angeles neighborhood that’s home to a close-knit population of sinewy tree-people who roam the hills, filling them with the colorful sounds of their own name and the scents of desperation and eucalyptus oil. Ha ha, no, that is inaccurate. It’s actually about a less famous example of someone clinging to their cultural identity while facing the encroachment of younger usurpers—namely, the Latinos who have struggled to preserve their community’s heritage against an influx of gentrifying hipsters.

Playwright Julia Cho (who also previously worked on HBO’s Big Love) is handling the script, which will explore the way those respective groups learn to live with each other, besides the latter opening some really great taco trucks. And the development represents a much-needed win today for executive producers Aaron Kaplan and Kelly Marcel, whose previous collaboration Terra Nova finally died, despite its equally timely examination of what happens when a bunch of upper-middle-class people start moving into dinosaur neighborhoods. Anyway, consider this show HBO’s attempt to balance the scales after celebrating the lives of gentrifying hipsters in Bored To Death and How To Make It In America.

This could be interesting.  I've never heard of the book, but it will be interesting to see a show handling the issue of gentrification.  Just so long as it's not too heavy handed or interested in hipster straw men.  A mature meditation on the cost of gentrification could be very interesting (though it doesn't sound like an "ass in seats" kind of show like Game of Thrones.

[D.B. Barnes]

First Trailer for HBO's Aaron Sorkin Drama 'The Newsroom' Released

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/wC8ovJYAU3U?version=3&amp;amp;hl=en_US" target="_blank" class="new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/wC8ovJYAU3U?version=3&amp;amp;hl=en_US</a>

First, he showed you behind the scenes of The West Wing, then he won an Oscar for his account of the creation of Facebook. Now, Aaron Sorkin is revealing the gritty side of The Newsroom.

HBO has released the first full-length trailer for Sorkin's new Jeff Daniels starrer The Newsroom, which explores the inner-workings of a 24-hour cable news network.

The hourlong drama stars Daniels as Will, the Keith Olbermann of news anchors, and follows him as he becomes unraveled and does what ever he can to hold on to his audience.

Emily Mortimer, Alison Pill, John Gallgher Jr., Olivia Munn, Dev Patel, Thomas Sadoski and Sam Waterston star. Jane Fonda recurs as the CEO of the cable news network's parent company whose ideals often clash with the news outlet she oversees.

"Progress is slow, but I'm in it for the long haul," Will says after expressing a string of less-than-popular political views.

Sorkin, who won an Academy Award for penning the screenplay forThe Social Network, will executive produce and write after spending time with high-profile cable news personalities like Olbermann and Chris Matthews to understand the world he planned to re-create.

Scott Rudin (The Social Network) and Alan Poul (Six Feet Under, The Big C) serve as executive producers, with Greg Mottola directing the pilot.

Sorkin, Daniels, Waterson, HBO. Yeah, I'm on board.

[Johnny Unusual]

First Trailer for HBO's Aaron Sorkin Drama 'The Newsroom' Released

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/wC8ovJYAU3U?version=3&amp;amp;hl=en_US" target="_blank" class="new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/wC8ovJYAU3U?version=3&amp;amp;hl=en_US</a>

First, he showed you behind the scenes of The West Wing, then he won an Oscar for his account of the creation of Facebook. Now, Aaron Sorkin is revealing the gritty side of The Newsroom.

HBO has released the first full-length trailer for Sorkin's new Jeff Daniels starrer The Newsroom, which explores the inner-workings of a 24-hour cable news network.

The hourlong drama stars Daniels as Will, the Keith Olbermann of news anchors, and follows him as he becomes unraveled and does what ever he can to hold on to his audience.

Emily Mortimer, Alison Pill, John Gallgher Jr., Olivia Munn, Dev Patel, Thomas Sadoski and Sam Waterston star. Jane Fonda recurs as the CEO of the cable news network's parent company whose ideals often clash with the news outlet she oversees.

"Progress is slow, but I'm in it for the long haul," Will says after expressing a string of less-than-popular political views.

Sorkin, who won an Academy Award for penning the screenplay forThe Social Network, will executive produce and write after spending time with high-profile cable news personalities like Olbermann and Chris Matthews to understand the world he planned to re-create.

Scott Rudin (The Social Network) and Alan Poul (Six Feet Under, The Big C) serve as executive producers, with Greg Mottola directing the pilot.

Sorkin, Daniels, Waterson, HBO. Yeah, I'm on board.

Sorkin is really hit or miss for me.  This could be pretty good, but if it has that unfortunate "Studio 60" problem of having the characters treat their work like the fate of the world depends on it and just being mouth pieces, then it probably won't do so well, but since a news program does (or is supposed to) trump a sketch comedy show in terms of importance then maybe he'll be more suited to this.  Jeff Daniels looks pretty magnetic, so that's good.

Please note, however, that there's already a great show called the Newsroom.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/m4RZBP4qsK8" target="_blank" class="new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/m4RZBP4qsK8</a>
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/b9huazlmDI8" target="_blank" class="new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/b9huazlmDI8</a>