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UPFRONTS 2013: The Overachievers

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Friday May 17, 2013 @ 7:18pm PDTTags: Chuck Lorre, J.J. Abrams, Seth MacFarlane, Upfronts
Nellie Andreeva

First off, congratulations to all writers, producers, actors and agents who landed new series this week. I know it wasn’t easy. Here is Deadline’s annual list of those who excelled at the upfronts. I tried to be inclusive, but if I’ve missed anyone who’s had a banner week, let me know. I’ve also compiled a list of pods and independent producers with multiple broadcast series.

Cougar Town co-creator Bill Lawrence and his Doozer banner had three new series unveiled at the upfronts this week: comedies Undateable on NBC, Surviving Jack on Fox and Ground Floor on TBS. Also, TBS recently renewed Cougar Town for a fifth season.

Related: 2013-14 Schedule Grid & Top Face-Offs

J.J. Abrams‘ Bad Robot claimed one of the top new drama series last season with NBC’s Revolution and one of the hottest sophomore shows with CBS’ Person Of Interest. The company is keeping the momentum with two new series orders for next season: Almost Human at Fox and Believe at NBC.

Independent producer Aaron Kaplan of Kapital Entertainment received two new series orders from the broadcast networks: Back In The Game at ABC and Friends With Better Lives at CBS. Additionally, his freshman ABC comedy The Neighbors was renewed and his ABC pilot Bad Management is in serious contention for a series pickup. Kaplan also received two cable series orders in the past month, for Chasing Life on ABC Family and Instant Mom on NickMom, and also has comedy series Wendell & Vinnie on Nick at Nite and pilot HR at Lifetime.

Writer-producer Julie Plec also landed two new series this week, both at the CW: She wrote/executive produces the planted Vampire Diaries spinoff The Originals and executive produces The Tomorrow People. Additionally, she executive produces TVD, giving her three series on the air next season. (Fellow Tomorrow People executive producer Greg Berlanti has two, including returning CW hit Arrow.)

Another drama writer-producer, former ER showrunner David Zabel, saw both of his pilots picked up. He is the writer/exec producer on ABC’s Betrayal and co-writer/exec producer on ABC’s Lucky 7. Read More »

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UPDATE: Amazon Studios Begins Pilot Pickups; ‘Zombieland’ Writer Blames Pass On Fans

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Friday May 17, 2013 @ 11:45am PDTTags: Alpha House, Amazon Studios, Zombieland
Nellie Andreeva

2ND UPDATE, 11:45 AM: I hear Alpha House has gotten an official pickup, joining Betas. Alpha House follows four senators (John Goodman, Clark Johnson, Matt Malloy, Mark Consuelos) who live together in a rented house in Washington, DC. Zombieland and Browsers did not make the cut.

Related: Full Amazon Pilot Listings

UPDATE, 9 AM: Zombieland writer-producer Rhett Reese took to Twitter to blame the series’ pickup fail on Zombieland fans themselves: “I’ll never understand the vehement hate the pilot received from die-hard Zombieland fans. You guys successfully hated it out of existence.”

UPDATE, THURSDAY PM: There will be no Zombieland TV series, at least not on Amazon. The streaming service has passed on the pilot, as well as Browsers, as it continues to narrow down the field. Read More »

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RATINGS RAT RACE: ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ Steps It Up, ‘Idol’ Rises, ‘CSI’ Finale Down, ‘Supernatural’ Finale & ‘Nashville’ Up

By DOMINIC PATTEN | Thursday May 16, 2013 @ 9:09am PDTTags: American Idol, Arrow, CSI, So You Think You Can Dance, TV Ratings

It was Nigel Lythgoe night on Fox on Wednesday with back-to-back competition shows produced by the former choreographer. Almost to the finish line, it was the season’s last performance night for American Idol (2.9/10). Finalists Candice Glover and Kree Harrison sang three songs each on the one-hour live show from LA’s Nokia Theatre. The most-watched show of the night with 11.57 million viewers, Idol was even with the final numbers of last week’s two-hour show but up 12% in the 8-9 PM hour. As is common with live shows, those results could be adjusted in the final numbers later today. Tonight’s finale will see a few surprises aside from declaring a winner, including performances of new tunes from judges Mariah Carey — with Randy Jackson on bass — and Keith Urban.

The second night of the two-part premiere of Season 10 of So You Think You Can Dance (2.3/6) headed to Detroit for the first time for the next round of auditions, with Season 4’s tWitch joining the judges panel, SYTYCD benefited from its Idol lead-in with a 21% jump over Tuesday’s premiere. It also saw viewership leap 39% to 7.11 million. On a night that saw the NBA Playoffs on TNT, Fox was tops in both viewers and adults 18-49 among the broadcast networks. Read More »

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Live-Blog: CW Upfront Presentation

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Thursday May 16, 2013 @ 8:17am PDTTags: the CW, Upfronts
Nellie Andreeva

The CW gets points for originality. After three days of marathon presentations, it’s hard to surprise weary upfront goers. But the network found a way to cheer them up when everyone’s attendance bracelets lit up and began to pulsate to the dance music of presentation’s opening act, Swedish DJ duo Icona Pop (and the following music intros).

CW president Mark Pedowitz doubles as a couples counselor today, walking onstage hand in hand with recently broken up Vampire Diaries stars Nina Dobrev and Ian Somerhalder. “Last year, I told you this would be a transformative season at the CW and it has been,” Pedowitz says.

Related: CW Expands Streaming To Apple TV

The CW’s new Wednesday lineup of Arrow and newbie The Tomorrow People is showcased as an Amell family affair as the two series star cousins Stephen and Robbie Amell, respectively. The Amells come out to show off their shared good-looks genes and a childhood photo that draws a big “awww” from the audience. Also on hand is the star of new teenage Mary Queen of Scots costume drama Reign, Adelaide Kane, who felt a little awkward walking onstage in full regal attire. The trailer was well received though.

Related: CW New Series First Looks: Video Read More »

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Cannes: Brian Grazer, Ron Howard Introduce Imagine 2.0; A Pele Pic On The Croisette, A Crowd-Funded ‘Friday Night Lights’, ‘Dark Tower’, Jay-Z And One Angry White Whale

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Thursday May 16, 2013 @ 7:22am PDTTags: Brian Grazer, Cannes Film Festival, Cannes Wrap-Up, Friday Night Lights, Imagine Entertainment, Pele, Ron Howard, The Dark Tower
Mike Fleming

EXCLUSIVE:When Imagine Entertainment partners Brian Grazer and Ron Howard re-upped in their 26th year at Universal in early 2012, like all studio term producers they watched the deal get smaller. They also went from exclusive to first look and while that might have humbled less energetic founders who’d made 50 films for the same studio, Grazer and Howard took it as license to tap into new avenues of distribution and funding to be more productive than ever.

Consider that while Howard tinkers with the finished Formula One drama Rush and casts the Warner Bros adaptation of the Nathaniel Philbrick novel In The Heart Of The Sea with Chris Hemsworth, Grazer is on the Croisette, beating the drum for a Pele biopic to be directed by The Two Escobars helmer Jeff Zimbalist and his brother Michael. Grazer and production president Kim Roth called the film a close cousin to the search for genius depicted in 8 Mile, only here it’s a dirt-poor kid’s journey from being part of the Shoeless Wonders (a band of soccer wunderkinds too poor to afford shoes) to a phenom who at 17 led Brazil to the World Cup. Grazer and his partners will have the film ready by the time the world is whipped into a frenzy for World Cup action next year.

* While they’ve temporarily halted the move to turn Jack Bauer loose in a 24 feature, they’ve instead decided to bring him back in a limited series, this after selling an Arrested Development revival directly to Netflix. Grazer tells me they are absolutely moving forward with a movie version of another Imagine series, Friday Night Lights, and they will likely use crowdfunding to directly tap the rabid fan base of that drama for some of the budget. “We made a terrific feature with Pete Berg, turned it into a terrific TV series and will now make a movie from that series,” Grazer said. “I’m not sure such a thing has been done before.” Read More »

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2013-14 The CW Schedule

By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Thursday May 16, 2013 @ 6:04am PDT

CW FALL 2013-2014 SCHEDULE
(New programs in UPPER CASE; NN=New Night)

MONDAY
8-9 PM – Hart Of Dixie (NN)
9-10 PM – Beauty And The Beast (NN)

TUESDAY
8-9 PM – THE ORIGINALS
9-10 PM – Supernatural (NN)

WEDNESDAY
8-9 PM – Arrow
9-10 PM – THE TOMORROW PEOPLE

THURSDAY
8-9 PM – The Vampire Diaries
9-10 PM – REIGN

FRIDAY
8-9 PM – The Carrie Diaries (NN)
9-10 PM – America’s Next Top Model

2013-14 NEW SERIES DESCRIPTIONS

Dramas

The Originals – Family is power. The Original Vampire family swore it to each other a thousand years ago. They pledged to remain together, always and forever. Now, centuries have passed and the bonds of family are broken. Time, tragedy and hunger for power have torn the Original Family apart. When Klaus Mikaelson, the original vampire-werewolf hybrid, receives a mysterious tip that a plot is brewing against him in the supernatural melting pot that is the French Quarter of New Orleans, he returns to the city his family helped build. Klaus’ questions lead him to a reunion with his diabolical former protégé, Marcel, a charismatic vampire who has total control over the human and supernatural inhabitants of New Orleans. Determined to help his brother find redemption, Elijah follows Klaus and soon learns that the werewolf Hayley has also come to the French Quarter searching for clues to her family history, and has fallen into the hands of a powerful witch named Sophie. Tensions between the town’s supernatural factions are nearing a breaking point as Marcel commands his devoted followers and rules with absolute power. For Klaus, the … Read More »

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CW 2013-14 Schedule: ‘Hart Of Dixie’ & ‘Beauty And The Beast’ Move To Monday, ‘Supernatural’ To Tuesday, ‘Carrie Diaries’ To Friday, ‘Reign’ To Follow ‘Vampire Diaries’

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Thursday May 16, 2013 @ 6:00am PDTTags: the CW, Upfronts
Nellie Andreeva

The CW schedule features far more sweeping changes than any network this year. Like last fall, the CW is introducing three new series this fall — The Vampire Diaries spinoff The Originals, costume drama Reign and sci-fi drama The Tomorrow People — with three more series — dramas The 100; Star-Crossed; and reality show Famous In 12, from the TMZ team — on tap for midseason. For a second year in a row, the CW will hold its fall launches until October to avoid the blitz of new shows and allow for more uninterrupted originals. Here is the schedule, followed by analysis and descriptions of the CW’s new series:

Related: CW New Series First Looks: Video

CW FALL 2013-2014 SCHEDULE
(New programs in UPPER CASE; NN=New Night)

MONDAY
8-9 PM – Hart Of Dixie (NN)
9-10 PM – Beauty And The Beast (NN)

TUESDAY
8-9 PM – THE ORIGINALS
9-10 PM – Supernatural (NN)

WEDNESDAY
8-9 PM – Arrow
9-10 PM – THE TOMORROW PEOPLE

THURSDAY
8-9 PM – The Vampire Diaries
9-10 PM – REIGN

FRIDAY
8-9 PM – The Carrie Diaries (NN)
9-10 PM – America’s Next Top Model

The CW is shaking up its schedule big time, with changes on every night. In all, only the network’s two top series, The Vampire Diaries and Arrow, are staying put. They are being used to launch two of the CW’s highest-profile new series, the Mary, Queen of Scots drama Reign and the Greg Berlanti-Julie Plec produced futuristic The Tomorrow People. CW brass has high hopes for female-centered reign, so it opted to launch the series behind the network’s series with the highest concentration of female viewers, Vampire Diaries.

Related: ‘Nikita’ To End Run With Final Six-Episode Installment Read More »

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Les Moonves Tells Advertisers That Media Would Be “Barren” Without Broadcast TV

By DAVID LIEBERMAN, Executive Editor | Wednesday May 15, 2013 @ 5:00pm EDTTags: CBS, Les Moonves, Upfronts

The CBS chief and his colleagues introduced their upfront sales pitches to advertisers today by taking a victory lap — a contrast to other networks’ efforts this week to promote their digital initiatives. With CBS in first place, Les Moonves says that “broadcast (TV) is not an old medium being left behind by new ones. Far from it. We’re at the center of it all…a media landscape that would be barren without us.” Network Sales President Jo Ann Ross coyly kicked things off: She told advertisers to “Please relax. We’re not going to give you a hard sell because at CBS we don’t have to”– as lights illuminated her dress with pitches to buy, ratings stats, and up arrows. She added that at CBS the sales message “is simple: anywhere, at any time on any screen.” The company vows to “reach the biggest audiences on multiple platforms across all of our assets.” Moonves added that “no matter how many times we tell our success story, I never get tired of it.” With CBS’ first victory this year among 18-to-49 year olds since the 1991-92 season he joked, “When making your buys, don’t hold our youth against us.”

Related:
Live-Blog: CBS Upfront Presentation
CBS Execs Take Shots At The Competition

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ABC’s Paul Lee On ‘Happy Endings’ & ‘Body Of Proof’s Cancellations

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Tuesday May 14, 2013 @ 11:12am PDTTags: ABC, Body of Proof, Happy Endings
Nellie Andreeva

ABC president Paul Lee did the inevitable post-mortem today on the cancellation of two bubble shows, comedy Happy Endings and drama Body Of Proof. Both are still in play, with Happy Endings a possibility at USA and Body Of Proof being considered by TNT, USA and WGN America. But here is why they are no longer on ABC: “We found Happy Endings was too narrow but I loved the show, I think it was absolutely on brand”, Lee said. Asked why ABC cancelled Happy Endings but picked up two other single-camera ensemble comedies about a group of friends — Mixology and Super Fun Night – Lee said, “I feel Mixology and Super Fun Night are much broader.” As for Body Of Proof, “We had a very strong season in terms of development,” Lee said. “I would love to see Body Of Proof find a good home for itself, I love (star) Dana Delany.”

Related: ABC 2013-14 Schedule

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Aereo Will Expand To Atlanta On June 17

By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Tuesday May 14, 2013 @ 6:07am PDTTags: Aereo

ATLANTA, GA– Aereo, Inc., today announced plans to launch its groundbreaking online television technology in the Atlanta metropolitan region. Beginning June 17, consumers who have pre-registered with Aereo will receive a special invitation to join and be one of the first to experience Aereo’s technology. After June 24, Aereo will make membership available to all eligible consumers across the Atlanta designated market area (DMA), which includes more than 5.3 million consumers in 55 counties across Georgia, Alabama and North Carolina. Atlanta joins Boston as the third city to launch as part of Aereo’s expansion announced in January.

Read More »

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CBS Hits Pause On Pre-Upfront Pickups

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Monday May 13, 2013 @ 5:58pm PDTTags: Broadcast Upfronts, CBS, TV Upfront Market
Nellie Andreeva

I hear CBS might be done ordering new series, at least until after its upfront presentation on Wednesday. The network already has picked up five comedy series and three dramas, including two pickups on Sunday, of drama Reckless and comedy Friends With Better Lives. I haven’t heard that any of the three remaining contenders — comedy Bad Teacher and dramas Backstrom and NCIS: Red — are dead, so pickup talks might continue after the upfront for what already is one of the largest CBS slates of new series in recent memory. (Additionally, CBS is in retool/reshoot conversations about comedy pilots The McCarthys and Jim Gaffigan) UPDATE: Rumor is that Red is dead.

Related: Which Pilots Are Still Alive At CBS?

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2013-14 NBC Schedule

By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Monday May 13, 2013 @ 3:31pm PDT

NBC FALL 2013-14 SCHEDULE
(New programs in UPPER CASE; all times ET)

MONDAY
8-10 PM – “The Voice”
10-11 PM – “THE BLACKLIST”

TUESDAY
8-9 PM – “The Biggest Loser” (New Day and Time)
9-10 PM – “The Voice” (New time)
10-11 PM – “Chicago Fire” (New Day and Time)

WEDNESDAY
8-9 PM – “Revolution” (New Day and Time)
9-10 PM – ”Law & Order: SVU”
10-11 PM – “IRONSIDE”

THURSDAY
8-8:30 PM – “Parks and Recreation” (New time)
8:30-9 PM – “WELCOME TO THE FAMILY”
9-9:30 PM – “SEAN SAVES THE WORLD”
9:30-10 PM – “THE MICHAEL J. FOX SHOW”
10-11 PM – “Parenthood” (New Day and Time)

FRIDAY
8-9 PM – “Dateline NBC”
9-10 PM – “Grimm”
10-11 PM – “DRACULA”

SATURDAY
Encore programming

SUNDAY
7:00-8:15 PM – “Football Night in America”
8:15-11:30 PM – “NBC Sunday Night Football”

NBC MIDSEASON 2013-14 SCHEDULE
(New programs in UPPER CASE; all times ET)

MONDAY
8-10 PM – “The Voice”
10-11 PM – “THE BLACKLIST”

TUESDAY
8-9 PM – “The Voice”
9-9:30 PM – “ABOUT A BOY”
9:30-10 PM – “THE FAMILY GUIDE”
10-11 PM – “Chicago Fire”

WEDNESDAY
8-9 PM – “Revolution”
9-10 PM – ”Law & Order: SVU”
10-11 PM – “IRONSIDE”

THURSDAY
8-8:30 PM – “Parks and Recreation”
8:30-9 PM – “WELCOME TO THE FAMILY”
9-9:30 PM – “SEAN SAVES THE WORLD”
9:30-10 PM – “THE MICHAEL J. FOX SHOW”
10-11 PM – “Parenthood”

FRIDAY
8-9 PM – “Dateline NBC”
9-10 PM – “Grimm”
10-11 PM – “CROSSBONES”

SATURDAY
8-10 PM – Encore and specials programming
10-11 PM – “Saturday Night Live” (Encore)

SUNDAY
7-8 PM. – “Dateline NBC”
8-9 PM – “AMERICAN DREAM BUILDERS”
9-10 PM. – “BELIEVE”
10-11 PM – “CRISIS”

2013-14 NEW SERIES DESCRIPTIONS

New Comedies

About A Boy – Based on the best-selling Nick Hornby (“High Fidelity,” “An Education”) novel, … Read More »

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NBC’s 2013-14 Schedule: ‘Revolution’ Moves To Wednesday, ‘Parenthood’ To Thursday, ‘Blacklist’ Gets Post ‘Voice’ Slot

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Sunday May 12, 2013 @ 2:15pm PDTTags: NBC, Parenthood, Revolution, The Blacklist
Nellie Andreeva

Family comedies and action dramas dominate NBC‘s new series additions for next season. NBC is introducing six series in the fall — comedies Welcome to the Family, Sean Saves the World, and The Michael J. Fox Show; and dramas The Blacklist, Ironside and Dracula; with five more set for midseason– comedies The Family Guide and About A Boy, and dramas Believe, Crisis and Crossbones. (Dracula and Crossbones were carried over from last upfront/off-season). Not scheduled yet are newly picked up dramas Chicago PD and The Night Shift and comedy Undateable as well as last-minute renewal Community. On the returning series side, missing from the announcement are long-time reality staple Celebrity Apprentice and well reviewed freshman drama Hannibal as NBC is yet to make a pickup decision on both. Here is NBC’s fall and midseason schedules with analysis and new series descriptions underneath. As expected, the network is spreading its launches between the fall and spring, tied to its Winter Olympics coverage:

NBC FALL 2013-14 SCHEDULE
(New programs in UPPER CASE; all times ET)

MONDAY
8-10 p.m. – “The Voice”
10-11 p.m. – “THE BLACKLIST”

TUESDAY
8-9 p.m. – “The Biggest Loser” (New Day and Time)
9-10 p.m. – “The Voice” (New time)
10-11 p.m. – “Chicago Fire” (New Day and Time)

WEDNESDAY
8-9 p.m. – “Revolution” (New Day and Time)
9-10 p.m. – ”Law & Order: SVU”
10-11 p.m. – “IRONSIDE”

THURSDAY
8-8:30 p.m. – “Parks and Recreation” (New time)
8:30-9 p.m. – “WELCOME TO THE FAMILY”
9-9:30 p.m. – “SEAN SAVES THE WORLD”
9:30-10 p.m. – “THE MICHAEL J. FOX SHOW”
10-11 p.m. – “Parenthood” (New Day and Time)

FRIDAY
8-9 p.m. – “Dateline NBC”
9-10 p.m. – “Grimm”
10-11 p.m. – “DRACULA”

SATURDAY
Encore programming

SUNDAY
7:00-8:15 p.m. – “Football Night in America”
8:15-11:30 p.m. – “NBC Sunday Night Football” Read More »

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EXCLUSIVE: Warner Bros TV Shake-Up – Top Exec Bruce Rosenblum Settled Out And Peter Roth Signed To Big Long-Term Deal; All The Behind-The-Scenes Drama & Detail

By NIKKI FINKE, Editor in Chief | Sunday May 12, 2013 @ 2:06pm PDTTags: Big Deals TV, Bruce Rosenblum, Jeff Bewkes, Kevin Tsujihara, Peter Roth, Time Warner, Warner Bros Television Group, Warner Brother Television

UPDATE SUNDAY 2 PM: Warner Bros Entertainment CEO Kevin Tsujihara is finally confirming internally my news that Warner Bros Television Group Bruce Rosenblum is exiting. This, after Tsujihara for months and even in recent weeks has told almost everyone there that Rosenblum was staying.

BREAKING … SATURDAY 10 PM… EXCLUSIVE: Hollywood always fires people in success, or so the saying goes. I’ve learned that Warner Bros TV Bruce Rosenblum Outthe announcement by Warner Bros Entertainment CEO (and soon-to-be-chairman) Kevin Tsujihara is planned for 7 to 14 days after next week’s TV upfront presentations. Despite Tsujihara’s claims for months that he hadn’t made up his mind what to do about the brilliant but sharp-elbowed Bruce Rosenblum, I can tell you Tsujihara declared from Day Bruce Rosenblum Warner Bros TVOne of his new job that “Bruce is an unnecessary layer of management”. This, even though Rosenblum’s Warner Bros Television Group consistently contributes half of Warner Bros Entertainment’s profits year after year. I’m told that Rosenblum won’t be replaced as President of the Warner Bros Television Group now that he’s quietly settled out his contract which expires in August. (Tsujihara never made a move to negotiate a new one for him.) Some already expect Rosenblum not to turn up at next week’s upfronts. Instead Bruce is sitting on a fat severance package in recognition of his more than two outstanding decades at Warner Bros and for keeping his mouth shut during the humiliation of losing the WB CEO job and then getting kicked to the curb on top of that. Many in Hollywood thought Tsujihara might keep Rosenblum in place rather than bust up what is so obviously a winning formula atop the TV group. Instead Tsujihara proved that, just like his Time Warner boss Jeff Bewkes, he is more obsessed by politics and personality than profit. (“It would have been pretty awkward, quite frankly,” Tsujihara told the TV community about keeping Rosenblum on.)

Warner Bros Television President Peter Roth has just been signed to a new long-term deal and will report to Tsujihara for the first time. Roth reps the increasing power of content and the executives directly responsible for its creation. ”As I look at the key people that exist, Peter comes at the top of the list. He’s at the top of the game right now creatively,” Tsujihara enthused privately on Day One of his new job. But Rosenblum’s roles will be assumed by a new WBTV leadership mix including Warner Bros TV Group EVP Craig Hunegs, Warner Bros International Distribution President Jeffrey Schlesinger, and Warner Bros Television EVP Brett Paul. (“Peter is the big teddy bear but Brent was sent in to beat you up,” notes one exec.) These guys are some of what Bewkes was referring to back on January 28th when he talked about the “very strong benches of people beneath”. All will become the TV group’s new sharp-elbowed negotiators who won’t rub people the wrong way like Rosenblum did.

It’s been a professional and emotional roller-coaster for Rosenblum ever since he expected the top job and didn’t get it. Read More »

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Drama ‘Reckless’ Gets Series Order At CBS

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Sunday May 12, 2013 @ 10:59am PDTTags: Catherine Hardwicke, CBS, Reckless
Nellie Andreeva

CBS has picked up a third new drama series for next season. The order went to soapy legal drama Reckless. Written by Dana Stevens and directed by Catherine Hardwicke, Reckless is a sultry legal show set in Charleston, South Carolina, where a gorgeous Yankee litigator and a Southern City Attorney (Cam Gigandet, Anna Wood) struggle to hide their intense attraction while clashing over a police sex scandal. CBS TV Studios is producing, with Kim Moses, Ian Sander, Corey Miller and Hardwicke executive producing and Stevens co-exec producing. Reckless joins procedural Intelligence from ABC Studios and CBS TV Studios and serialized thriller Hostages from Warner Bros TV. Nice going for the soapy Reckless, which was the last drama to get a pilot order at CBS and now has snagged a last-minute series order. Word is CBS isn’t necessarily done. Reckless had been one of five pilots left in contention, along with dramas Backstrom and NCIS: Red, which is rumored for a potential pickup, and comedies Friends With Better Lives and Bad Teacher.

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Did Oscars Punish ’2016 Obama’s America’? Producer Says Yes, Academy Says No

By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Saturday May 11, 2013 @ 7:30pm PDTTags: 2016 Obama's America, Michael Moore, The Academy Of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences recently opened up first-round Oscar voting to the entire documentary branch and abandoned the previous system of allowing a small committee to determine the short list of eligible films. This radically curtails the influence of the documentary branch governors. Interesting, because last month an accusation of political bias in the documentary branch was lodged against the Academy – specifically, in an April 16th letter from Gerald Molen who produced the controversial right-wing documentary 2016: Obama’s America (as well as the Oscar-winning Schindler’s List). Molen’s missive was sent to Academy President Hawk Koch and documentary branch governors Rob Epstein, Michael Apted, and Michael Moore who is also a member of the AMPAS Board Of Governors. Molen questions why 2016: Obama’s America was ignored for an Academy Award nomination even though it was last year’s second highest grossing political documentary (behind only Moore’s Fahrenheit 9/11.) Molen wrote:

“I find myself wondering if it was excluded for ‘other’ reasons…”

“I have tremendous respect for Michael Apted as a creative and talented filmmaker but putting him with Rob Epstein and Michael Moore as the gatekeepers in charge of which films get nominated in the documentary category seems patently absurd…

“While Mr. Moore is a distinguished filmmaker, he holds a strong partisan view representing what Gallup tells us is only 21 percent of the population. Even if he were able to keep his personal philosophy out of the equation, you can certainly understand why the larger American constituency (pegged at 40%) would question the exclusion of a well-made and popular film that fails to reflect his views. Even if only in perception, this assumed bias will serve (in my opinion) only to injure the Academy…

“All up and coming filmmakers deserve to be recognized for their creative sensibilities and should not be punished because the messages of their films fail to fit the dogma of what some believe is politically correct.”

Hawk replied on behalf of the Academy: Read More »

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ABC Notifies Pilots That Didn’t Make It

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Friday May 10, 2013 @ 6:00pm PDTTags: ABC, Gothica, Keep Calm And Karey On, King John, Murder In Manhattan
Nellie Andreeva

4TH UPDATE 6 PM: Also getting a pass is nearly frontrunner and Disney-friendly drama Big Thunder, based on the Disney Parks ride, and dramas Reckless and Doubt.  Venice aka Westside is not going forward either. It started off well but was eventually overshadowed by fellow soap Betrayal. Also dead is multi-camera comedy Divorce, so ABC ended up passing on both of its multi-cam pilots, including King John, which will make it harder for such pitches next year. Comedy pilot Bad Management is not going for fall but is alive.

3RD UPDATE FRIDAY 5:30 PM: Welcome to Part 2 of ABC’s “pass” calls. Not going forward are comedies Spy, Middle Age Rage and Pulling. I hear Pulling was well liked but ABC brass felt it was too cable in sensibility. I hear ABC Studios plans to shop it elsewhere.

2ND UPDATE 7 PM: Dramedy Murder In Manhattan, about a mother-daughter sleuthing duo, also is not going forward. However, I hear that ABC Studios, which produced the pilot starring Bridget Regan and Annie Potts, is high on it and plans to shop it to cable. With its premise, Murder In Manhattan appears suitable for Lifetime, where ABC Studios successfully migrated another dramedy pilot that narrowly missed at the cut at ABC last year, Devious Maids. ABC is expected to continue with the pass calls tomorrow when it also will pick … Read More »

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Universal’s ‘Lone Survivor’ Gets January 2014 Release Date

By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Friday May 10, 2013 @ 12:37pm PDTTags: Lone Survivor, Mark Wahlberg, Universal Pictures

Mark Wahlberg-starrer Lone Survivor will bow on January 10, 2014. It will face off against Warner Bros’ sports comedy Grudge Match and Lionsgate’s horror pic Jessabelle. Based on the New York Times bestseller, Lone Survivor tells the harrowing story of four Navy SEALs on an ill-fated covert mission to neutralize a high-level Taliban operative when they are ambushed by enemy forces in the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan. Lone Survivor is directed by Peter Berg (Hancock, Friday Night Lights). Taylor Kitsch, Ben Foster, Emile Hirsch and Eric Bana also star. Universal Pictures, which developed the movie with Berg, is distributing. Berg penned the adaptation after embedding with a SEAL team for a month in Iraq. Emmett/Furla Films financed the pic.

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EMMYS: Warner Bros TV Goes To The Market For Its 2013 Emmy Campaign

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Friday May 10, 2013 @ 8:37am PDTTags: Emmys, Warner Bros. TV
Nellie Andreeva

After tapping into the social media zeitgeist last year with a campaign built around the popular “Keep Calm” Internet memes, Warner Bros TV is going low-tech, grassroots and green for its 2013 Emmy campaign. Starting next week, the studio will distribute 11 different show-specific reusable tote bags for some of its top series at farmers’ markets in Sherman Oaks (May 14), Beverly Glen (May 18), and Brentwood (May 19). The series featured are The Big Bang Theory, The Following, 2 Broke Girls, Arrow, The Mentalist, The Middle, Mike & Molly, Person Of Interest, Revolution, Suburgatory and Two And A Half Men. The farmers’ market campaign, which will have a strong fan element, will be anchored by a fully wrapped Airstream trailer where episodes of select WBTV series will be screening. Additionally, it will include artists applying glitter tattoo and nail art featuring staples from Warner Bros series, including Soft Kitty and the atom logo from The Big Bang Theory, a raven from The Following, the Revolution power button, and cupcakes from 2 Broke Girls. Visitors also can have their photo as their favorite WBTV character taken at the SocialPix station and upload images to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. using the hashtag #WBFYC. Read More »

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