SPOILER ALERT! NBC’s ‘The Office’ Finale

By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Thursday May 16, 2013 @ 9:48pm PDTTags: NBC, Steve Carell, The Office, The Office finale

Diane Haithman is a contributor to Deadline.

The Office FinaleSPOILER ALERT! UPDATE: Steve Carell reprised his role as former Dunder Mifflin manager Michael Scott after all — appearing about 45 minutes into The Office finale to be Dwight’s “bestest mensch” (read: best man) at his wedding to Angela. After Michael unexpectedly appears, Dwight (Rainn Wilson) says: “Michael, I can’t believe you came.” His former boss replies: “That’s what she said.” Later in the episode, he tells the documentary crew: “I feel like my kids all grew up and married each other — it’s every parent’s dream.” Carell earned six Emmy noms for the role but never won. He left the series after its seventh season.

PREVIOUSLY: No, Michael Scott is not going to turn up at Dunder Mifflin on Thursday. Really. Ken Kwapis swears to Deadline that longtime star Steve Carell does not appear in this week’s series finale of The Office. “I sure wish Steve had done a cameo. It would’ve been a wonderful touch,” said Kwapis, who also directed the pilot episode of the midseason-replacement comedy that aired in March 2005. “Sadly, he didn’t.” So why did NBC choose to sneak a peek of Carell into its finale promo after last week’s episode? A spokeswoman said the network would maintain its “no comment” stance but noted the footage of the erstwhile Office manager could be a clip from an old episode. READ MORE »

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‘Modern Family’ Gets Cable Makeover For Launch On USA Network: VIDEO

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Thursday May 16, 2013 @ 7:53pm PDTTags: Modern Family, Steven Levitan, Upfront, USA
Nellie Andreeva

How would hit ABC comedy Modern Family look and sound like if it aired on cable? The show’s writers offer a peek in a promo for the Emmy-winning series’ upcoming off-network launch on USA Network in September. The video was a highlight at today’s USA upfront presentation, where … Read More »

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Adam Sandler To Leno: “Maybe Go To Fox”

By DOMINIC PATTEN | Thursday May 16, 2013 @ 7:48pm PDTTags: Adam Sandler, Jay Leno, The Tonight Show

Jay Leno is readying to exit stage left from NBC’s Tonight Show next February. So Adam Sandler was a guest Thursday and offered a little unsolicited advice about Leno’s post-Tonight plans. Of course, Sandler doesn’t mention that the problem is that Fox would have to get clearance for any late-night show from the affiliates who get to keep all the ad revenue from their late local news. Fox then might have to compensate them for any lost revenue. In other words, it’s complicated. Read the transcript after the jump: Read More »

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Anyone Care Who Won ‘American Idol’?

By NIKKI FINKE, Editor in Chief | Thursday May 16, 2013 @ 7:14pm PDTTags: American Idol, American Idol 12th season, Candice Glover, Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj

Obviously the winner of American Idol‘s 12th season was going to be a woman since this is the first time in many seasons that the two finalists are female. Other than that, I don’t give a shit who takes the prize because, seriously, are these victors (who always sound like cats being strangled) ever heard from again? Not really, except maybe Kelly Clarkson or even Carrie Underwood. This season was memorable only because of the bickering between Nicki Minaj and Mariah Carey, and the lousy ratings down about 25% compared to last season. That said, do not read further if you want to be surprised… SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT!  Read More »

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Syfy’s ‘Warehouse 13′ To End Run With 6-Episode Fifth and Final Season

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Thursday May 16, 2013 @ 7:08pm PDTTags: Jack Kenny, Syfy, Universal Cable Productions, Warehouse 13
Nellie Andreeva

EXCLUSIVE: Syfy has renewed flagship drama Warehouse 13 for a fifth season, which will be its last. Production on the final six-episode installment of the series, on which Jack Kenny serves as executive producer/showrunner, will … Read More »

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CAA Signs CNBC’s Maria Bartiromo

By DOMINIC PATTEN | Thursday May 16, 2013 @ 5:39pm PDTTags: Agency Signing, CAA, CNBC, Maria Bartiromo

The first woman to report live from the floor of the New York Stock Exchange is now with Creative Artists Agency. CNBC anchor Maria Bartiromo will be represented by the agency in all areas. Presently the … Read More »

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Don Todd Joins New ABC Drama Series ‘Mind Games’ As Executive Producer

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Thursday May 16, 2013 @ 5:29pm PDT
Nellie Andreeva

Samantha Who? co-creator Don Todd has joined ABC’s new drama series Mind Games as executive producer. On the 20th TV-produced show, Todd will assist creator/executive producer Kyle Killen with showrunner duties. Mind Games, which received a midseason order, … Read More »

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‘Grey’s Anatomy’s’ Camilla Luddington Set For ‘The Pact II’

By DOMINIC PATTEN | Thursday May 16, 2013 @ 3:31pm PDTTags: Camilla Luddington, Grey's Anatomy, The Pact II, Tomb Raider

EXCLUSIVE: Grey’s Anatomy is wrapping up its ninth season tonight but Camilla Luddington has a scary summer ahead of her. The actress, who plays Dr. Jo Wilson on the ABC medical drama this year, is … Read More »

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2013-14 Schedule Grid & Top Face-Offs

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Thursday May 16, 2013 @ 3:09pm PDTTags: ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, the CW, Upfronts
Nellie Andreeva

With the broadcast networks done unveiling their schedules, here is the full fall grid (see below) and some intriguing matchups for next season:

Tuesday 8 PM: This is shaping out to be the biggest fall battleground, especially for male viewers. The Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. on ABC are going against the agents of NCIS on CBS. Also joining the fray is another younger-skewing new genre drama series, the CW’s Vampire Diaries spinoff The Originals. Fox has new male-centered comedies Dads and Brooklyn Nine-Nine. All these shows (or those who survive) will have to go against the biggest broadcast reality show at the moment, NBC’s The Voice, in midseason. Will anyone blink?

Related: Tuesday “Comedy Sigalert” Back

Thursday 9 PM: Robin Williams vs. Sean Hayes. The comedy vets are returning with new series (Williams in CBS’ The Crazy Ones, Hayes in NBC’s Sean Saves The World) and will face off in one of TV’s highest-profile slots. In another male comedy star showdown, Michael J Fox will take on Ashton Kutcher and Jon Cryer at 9:30 PM. Read More »

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David Eick Joins TNT’s ‘Falling Skies’ As New Showrunner

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Thursday May 16, 2013 @ 2:30pm PDTTags: David Eick, Falling Skies, TNT
Nellie Andreeva

EXCLUSIVE: Former Battlestar Galactica executive producer and Caprica co-creator/exec producer David Eick has come on board TNT’s hit alien-invasion drama Falling Skies as executive producer/showrunner. On the show, executive produced by Steven Spielberg and starring Noah Wyle, he replaces fellow Caprica co-creator/exec producer Remi Aubuchon, who is leaving after serving as showrunner for the past two seasons. Season 3 of Falling Skies kicks off with a two-hour premiere June 9. Eick is expected to begin assembling a writing staff to start working on Season 4 in anticipation of pickup. (Because of Falling Skies‘ complicated shoot and laborious post-production process due to elaborate special effects, the writers on the show normally get a head start before an official green light so the gap between seasons is not too big.) Read More »

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Shakira & Usher Returning To ‘The Voice’ For Season 6

By DOMINIC PATTEN | Thursday May 16, 2013 @ 2:13pm PDTTags: Cee Lo Green, Christina Aguilera, Shakira, The Voice, Usher

All of this season’s judges on The Voice are coming back but not until next spring. NBC is close to finalizing deals that will see Shakira and Usher returning to the singing competition show for Season … Read More »

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CNN Adds Former KNBC Anchor Stephanie Elam As LA Correspondent

By DOMINIC PATTEN | Thursday May 16, 2013 @ 1:49pm PDTTags: CNN, Jeff Zucker, KNBC, Stephanie Elam

Stephanie Elam is returning to her old home at CNN, the network said today. The former NYC-based business reporter for the cable news network will now serve as a correspondent based out of LA. Elam joined … Read More »

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Bob Daily Signs Overall Deal WIth CBS TV Studios, Joins ‘We Are Men’ As EP

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Thursday May 16, 2013 @ 1:38pm PDTTags: Bob Daily, CBS TV Studios, We Are Men
Nellie Andreeva

EXCLUSIVE: Frasier and Desperate Housewives alum Bob Daily has signed an overall deal with CBS TV Studios. Under the pact, he will join the studio’s new CBS single-camera … Read More »

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MGM Reports Q1 Windfall From ‘Hobbit’ And ‘Skyfall’

By DAVID LIEBERMAN, Executive Editor | Thursday May 16, 2013 @ 1:23pm PDTTags: MGM, Skyfall, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

The numbers do the roaring for MGM. In the first three months of this year it generated net income of $57.4M, +150.7% vs the period last year, on revenues of $481.7M, +168.4%. It shouldn’t be a surprise. With the late 2012 release of the James Bond film Skyfall, and a 50% stake in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, the studio had $139.5M in worldwide box office revenues, up from $0.5M last year. The company says that it has to wait for costs to be covered before it can recognize revenue from two films it co-financed: Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters and G.I. Joe: Retaliation. Home entertainment also was way up — to $201.7M from $36.2M — with the home video release of Skyfall and piggy-back promotions for its James Bond library. But worldwide television licensing was -3.2% to $109.3M. MGM’s 19.1% stake in EPIX delivered $5M to net earnings, +16.3%. The results “exceeded our expectations” and “position us well to deliver on our financial goals” for 2013, CEO Gary Barber told investors. Read More »

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US Open Tennis Tournament To Air Exclusively On ESPN Beginning 2015

By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Thursday May 16, 2013 @ 1:15pm PDTTags: CBS, ESPN, US Open

After 45 years, the U.S. Open tennis tournament is leaving CBS and moving to cable. Beginning with the 2015 tournament, ESPN networks will air the sporting event exclusively. The U.S. Tennis Association and ESPN announced an 11-year … Read More »

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CBS News Names VP, News Services

By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Thursday May 16, 2013 @ 12:20pm PDTTags: CBS News

Kurt Davis has been named Vice President, News Services for CBS News. Davis will lead CBS News’ satellite newsgathering organization, which provides news and information to 200 CBS affiliates as well as to broadcasters around the world. The … Read More »

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ABC Family’s Kate Juergens Adds Chief Creative Officer To Title

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Thursday May 16, 2013 @ 11:49am PDTTags: ABC Family, Kate Juergens
Nellie Andreeva

ABC Family‘s top programming executive Kate Juergens has a new title. In addition to her current moniker, EVP, Programming and Development, Juergens has been named Chief Creative Officer for the network. She will continue with her … Read More »

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Tad Quill Signs Overall Deal With CBS TV Studios, Joins New CBS Series ‘We Are Men’

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Thursday May 16, 2013 @ 11:37am PDTTags: Big Deals TV, CBS, CBS TV Studios, Tad Quill, We Are Men
Nellie Andreeva

EXCLUSIVE: Tad Quill has signed an overall deal with CBS TV Studios. Under the pact, he will join the studio’s new CBS single-camera comedy series We Are Men as consulting producer. The project, created/executive produced by … Read More »

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CW’s ‘Amazon’ Pilot Redeveloped With New Writer, Net Eyes ‘The 100′ & ‘Carrie Diaries’ For Limited Run, Mulls Return To Comedy

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Thursday May 16, 2013 @ 11:15am PDTTags: Amazon, Aron Eli Coleite, the CW
Nellie Andreeva

She may rise again. The Wonder Woman origin drama Amazon is in active redevelopment at the CW. The project was originally written by Allan Heinberg last season. Despite doing some preliminary casting on the lead while the script was still being written, the network ultimately didn’t give it a pilot order, instead rolling it to off-season. A new writer, Heroes alum Aron Eli Coleite, was brought in. Now “we’re waiting for the script to come in,” CW president Mark Pedowitz said following the network’s upfront presentation today. “We do not want to produce something that doesn’t work for that character. It is the trickiest of DC  characters to get done.” If the network likes the script, the project will be ordered as an off-cycle pilot. As for The Selection, it is “unlikely” the property will be re-visited again after two failed pilots, the second of which came close to a series pickup, CW brass said.

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

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