TV Hot Spot: News

ABC Announces Return of Hit Shows!

Post by: Sal


Source: The Futon Critic

Series Returning Include "Boston Legal," "Brothers & Sisters," "Desperate Housewives," "Grey's Anatomy," "Lost," "Samantha Who?" and "Ugly Betty"

"Lost" Moves to New Time Thursday Nights at 10:00 p.m. Beginning April 24

ABC Entertainment announces the return of television's biggest hit shows, including "Boston Legal," "Brothers & Sisters," "Desperate Housewives," "Grey's Anatomy," "Lost," "Samantha Who?" and "Ugly Betty."



Return dates and times are as follows:

"Samantha Who?" returns Monday, April 7 (9:30-10:00 p.m., ET) with six original episodes.

"Boston Legal" returns Tuesday, April 8 (10:00-11:00 p.m., ET) with six original episodes.

"Desperate Housewives" returns Sunday, April 13 (9:00-10:00 p.m., ET) with five original episodes and a special two-hour finale (seven hours total).

"Brothers & Sisters" returns Sunday, April 20 (10:00-11:00 p.m., ET) with four original episodes.

"Ugly Betty" returns Thursday, April 24 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET) with five original episodes.

"Grey's Anatomy" returns Thursday, April 24 (9:00-10:00 p.m., ET) with five original episodes.

"Lost" will move to its new 10:00 p.m. time period on Thursday, April 24, with five weeks of original episodes.

"Pushing Daisies," "Private Practice" and "Dirty Sexy Money" will return next season.


Take Care,

Sal

TV Hot Spot: News

ABC sets comedy with Kohan, Mutchnick!

Post by: Sal


Source: The HollyWood Reporter

In the first major project sale after the writers strike, ABC picked up a multi-camera comedy from "Will & Grace" creators David Kohan and Max Mutchnick.

The network has handed out a pilot order to the project, which was written on spec before the strike.

The untitled sitcom centers on two men -- one straight, one gay -- who are lifelong best friends and business partners. Both of them are in serious romantic relationships and try to find a balance between their allegiances to each other and to their significant others.

The central characters mirror the relationship between Kohan, who is straight, and Mutchnick, who is gay. The two writing partners have been friends since their teen years at Beverly Hills High School.

Last development season, Kohan and Mutchnick penned a multi-camera pilot for CBS, which revolved around a gay writer and a straight writer, who are best friends, and their hot young assistants.

The project for ABC is a brand new show, which the due submitted to WBTV just before the strike. The studio took it out immediately after the end of the work stoppage and landed a production commitment at ABC.


Take Care,

Sal

TV Hot Spot: News

ABC Gives 2008-09 Pick-Ups to Nine Shows!

Post by: Sal


Source: Zap2It

ABC has picked up nine of its most successful scripted shows for the 2008-09 season, including first-year offerings "Pushing Daisies," "Private Practice," "Samantha Who?" and "Dirty Sexy Money."

In addition to those four new shows, ABC gave no-brainer early pick-ups to "Desperate Housewives," "Grey's Anatomy," "Lost," "Ugly Betty" and "Brothers & Sisters."

"The strength of our schedule this fall was unprecedented and speaks for itself," says Stephen McPherson, president, ABC Entertainment. "We're looking forward to building on that success."

None of ABC's pick-ups can be considered a real surprise and a number of programs on the network's schedule remain currently unrenewed, including freshman drama "Women's Murder Club," the Emmy-winning "Boston Legal" and "Men in Trees," which still has an unholy number of unaired episodes in the can.

A more interesting question isn't which ABC shows will be back next season, but which ABC shows will be back with new episodes later this season.

With the writers strike finally at an end, networks will have to decide which shows will be put back into production to yield fresh installments later in the spring and which will just hold off for next fall. It's expected, for example, that ABC will get new episodes of "Samantha Who?" but that "Private Practice," "Pushing Daisies" and "Dirty Sexy Money" are all done for this season. Also expected to shoot new episodes are "Desperate Housewives," "Grey's Anatomy," "Ugly Betty," "Boston Legal" and "Brothers & Sisters."

Thus far, there's no word on the fate of "Cavemen" and "According to Jim."



Take Care,

Sal

TV Hot Spot: News

ABC News Correspondent Dies in Skiing Accident!

Post by: Sal


Source: TVGuide

Latest from Ausiello:

John McWethy, an award-winning correspondent for ABC News, died on Wednesday in a skiing accident in Colorado. He was 61. During his tenure with ABC, McWethy reported on wars, the fall of the Soviet Union, and the Sept. 11 attacks on the Pentagon. (In fact, he had to evacuate the building, but continued to broadcast from the lawn outside.) "He was one of those very rare reporters who knew his beat better than anyone, and had developed more sources than anyone, and yet kept his objectivity," ABC News president David Westin tells the Chicago Tribune.


Take Care,

Sal

TV Hot Spot: News

"Goode" Times at ABC: New Animated Series!

Post by: Sal


Source: The HollyWood Reporter

ABC is venturing into primetime animation with "The Goode Family," a comedy from "King of the Hill" co-creator Mike Judge.

The network has handed out a 13-episode commitment to "Goode," which Judge created with John Altschuler and Dave Krinsky. The project hails from indie production company Media Rights Capital, which has an interim agreement with the WGA.

"Goode" -- which will be co-produced by 3 Arts Entertainment and Judge, Altschuler and Krinsky's still-untitled production shingle -- revolves around a family obsessed with doing the "right" thing environmentally, politically or socially whose efforts often have unintended comedic consequences.

Judge will voice the father and other characters on the series. He also voices two characters on Fox's "Hill" and voiced most of the characters on the earlier hit animated comedy he created, MTV's "Beavis and Butt-head."

"Goode" -- which was also pitched to NBC and Comedy Central, but not to Fox -- is being exec produced by Judge, Altschuler, Krinsky and 3 Arts' Michael Rotenberg and Tom Lassally.

The comedy was picked up off a pitch. While handing out a series order based on a pitch is rare, it has been more common this development season, which was heavily impacted by the writers strike, especially when there have been proven auspices attached. In September, ABC handed out a six-episode order to "Section 8," a sci-fi drama from "X-Men: The Last Stand" writer Zak Penn and producers Gail Berman and Lloyd Braun.

For ABC, "Goode" marks its first animated series since "Clerks," which had a short run in summer 2000.

MRC is looking to become a major TV player, with about 10 series in the works, including projects at Lifetime, HBO and Comedy Central.

The company has been very active online with production and distribution deals, including a pact with Google to distribute exclusive original digital content from Seth MacFarlane, creator of another Fox animated comedy series, "Family Guy."


Take Care,

Sal

TV Hot Spot: SITE NEWS!

TV Hot Spot Presents: Dance War!

Post by: Sal


Hey readers! I'm sure you can see the site is back up and running. I have just gotten back from my 2 Month trip in South Asia and am back with more energy than ever, and what a way to start the new year with a NEW Partnership. I have just been contacted by an executive at ABC about their new show "Dance War". Check out the exclusive content below which cannot be found ANYWHERE else! Its EXCLUSIVE to TV Hot Spot. Enjoy! Oh and WATCH this show because you sure are missing out!



About The Show:

Dance War is a seven-week series the premiered January 7, 2008, from 8:00-10:00 p.m., ET and will air Mondays at 8/9 central on the ABC Network until February 25th.

Dancing with the Stars judges and renowned choreographers Bruno Tonioli and Carrie Ann Inaba will put their reputations on the line as they search for America's most talented amateur performers - who can both dance and sing -- in a massive nationwide hunt. They'll create two rival teams and battle it out on the dance floor to form the ultimate performance group, on Dance War: Bruno vs. Carrie Ann on the ABC Television Network.

Pop sensation and Dancing with the Stars Season Two champion Drew Lachey hosts the six-week primetime reality series.

After the audition show, Dance War goes live with the top 12 contestants divided into two teams. Captains Tonioli and Inaba will mentor their teams through spectacularly-themed song and dance numbers ranging from Latin to Pop and Country. The fate of the teams is in the hands of viewers who will vote for their favorite group each week. The captain of the lowest scoring team -- whether it be Bruno or Carrie Ann -- will face the dilemma of having to choose one of their performers for elimination. The champions will win a life changing prize - they'll go on tour as the opening act for a major performing artist and a chance to start a thrilling career as part of a brand new all-dancing, all-singing act.

John Hesling is executive producer and Moira Ross is co-executive producer. Dance War: Bruno vs. Carrie Ann is produced for ABC by BBC Worldwide Productions, and is based on the BBC's format DanceX.


Sneak Peek Video:



Links for more info:

http://abc.go.com/primetime/dancewar/index?pn=index

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dance_War:_Bruno_vs._Carrie_Ann


Take Care,

Sal

TV Hot Spot: STRIKE!

The CW & CBS: Shows in Development!

Post by: Sal


Source: The Hollywood Reporter


With the writers strike nearing an end, it looks as if there will be a pilot season this year after all -- but it won't be the pilot season we've all grown to love and hate.

There will be fewer pilots and there might be more projects ordered straight to series. But there are more tactical twists in store at the broadcast networks.

For instance, CBS and CW are expected to do a lot more presentations in lieu of full-blown pilots this year, especially on the drama side. Presentations are shorter than pilots, faster to make and cheaper for the networks that order them.

The quicker turnaround is said to have been key to CBS' and CW's decisions to go with presentation-heavy slates this year given the time constraints of a truncated pilot season. But sources stress that this is not a long-term development strategy, and the networks will be evaluating their development options on a project-by-project basis.

CBS, CW and Fox have been consistent in ordering presentations as part of their pilot mix. (Fox reportedly also contemplated a switch to more presentations early in the strike but is now said to be leaning toward sticking with the traditional pilot format.)

CBS' promising freshman series "Moonlight" was ordered as a presentation last season. Also a result of a presentation order was the network's long-running family drama "Judging Amy."

Still, studios generally are not fond of the presentation model because they get a lower license fee but their costs are close to what they spend on a full pilot.

The lower license fee limits the networks' financial risk in case they don't pick up the project. But, because of their length, successful presentations have to be reshot before going to series. This proved beneficial to "Moonlight," which was reconceptualized and recast in the summer.

Overall, "the networks save money in failure, so you get the feeling they are sometimes rooting for (the presentations) to fail," a studio source said.

For that reason, negotiating a pilot license fee normally takes longer for a presentation order, and studios sometimes decline the order altogether.

But faced with the post-strike realities of network development where U.S. broadcasters are reaching abroad for cost-efficient series, presentations might not be such a bad alternative.

Add to that NBC's much-touted straight-to-series strategy, which might not be a bonanza for studios either, should it involve more six-episode orders like the one handed out to comedy "Kath & Kim" this week. If they are not vertically integrated, as is the case with "Kath & Kim's" network and producing studio, studios don't always accept six-episode pickups; they're a much harder international sell than 13-episode orders.

Still, an episodic order is better than a pilot order. Which brings us to the one certain thing this strike-impacted pilot season that everyone is cheering about -- there will be fewer pilots.

For years, studios have sounded the alarm about the spiraling cost of network pilots. Now NBC Universal chief Jeff Zucker and his News Corp. counterpart Peter Chernin have vowed to do fewer pilots, as few as five or six a year for NBC.

So, will NBC be ordering any more pilots this development season, since it already has handed out eight pilot and four straight-to-series orders? Pilots include comedies "Zip," "Man of Your Dreams" and "Father Ted" and dramas "The Watch" (on which NBC recently passed), the Luke Reiter project (EDIT: "Play Or Be Played"), "Blue Blood," the movie/backdoor pilot "Knight Rider" and "Kings" and series "Kath," "Robinson Crusoe," "The Philanthropist" and "Fear Itself."

What makes things even more intriguing is that NBC was the only broadcast network not to terminate any of its pilot scripts because of the strike, so it has plenty from which to choose.

Fox has two pilots completed, comedy "Hackett" and drama "The Oaks," with J.J. Abrams' "Fringe" shooting and "The FBI" casting.

In another cost- and time-saving move that the networks can adopt in the post-strike world, Fox ordered a table read for animated comedy "The Pitts" and will make a series pickup decision based on that.

CBS' also has several traditional pilots ordered before the strike -- dramas "Eleventh Hour" and "The Meant to Be's" and comedies "My Best Friend's Girl" and "Worst Week" -- while CW has made no orders so far. ABC has four pilots in different stages of production, dramas "Life on Mars" and "The More Things Change" and comedies "Cedric the Entertainer" and "Literary Superstars."

Take Care,

Sal

TV Hot Spot: STRIKE!

Nets Prepare to go back to Work!

Post by: Sal


Source: The Hollywood Reporter

Talk of settlement puts contingency plans into high gear

After a three-month lull, agents' phones began ringing off the hook again Monday as word about an imminent end to the writers strike spread around Hollywood during the weekend.

The talks are still in the exploratory stage since the deal between the writers and the studios is still being finalized, but contingency plans put in place by the TV networks and studios will have existing series return on the air on average four weeks (for multicamera comedies) to six weeks (for dramas) after the official end of the strike.

How quickly each show can go back to production depends on the condition of the scripts started before the strike. The prep time needed is said to be two weeks for multicamera comedies and four weeks for more elaborate productions.

However, networks are not expected to ask every series to produce more episodes this season, which doesn't necessarily mean that those shows will be automatically canceled.

"Each network needs to decide what shows it needs for the rest of the season," one network executive said.

Some freshman and bubble series and heavily serialized dramas may not do more original episodes this season but would get pickups for next fall to give the creative team time to work on them, some sources said. Among the series rumored to possibly resume production in the summer are NBC's serialized hit "Heroes," which could do an extended run next season, and ABC's promising freshman "Pushing Daisies."

However, others cautioned that the networks may want to get more episodes of all of their series in the can as a contingency in case of a SAG strike in the summer.

Fox's "24" is among the shows expected to go back to production first. Despite the fact that the real-time drama won't air new episodes this season, it will ramp up production quickly to avoid losing some of the actors needed for the entire 24-episode arc whose options will be up soon.

Also expected to resume production quickly are ABC's "Grey's Anatomy," "Lost," "Desperate Housewives" and "Brothers & Sisters"; CBS' "CSI" franchise, "Without a Trace" and "Cold Case"; and such multicamera comedies as CBS' "Two and a Half Men" and "The Big Bang Theory" and Fox's " 'Til Death."

NBC's "The Office" has a script ready to shoot as production on the episode, which was slated to film the first week of the strike, was shut down because star Steve Carell refused to cross the picket line.

The end of the strike also will bring resolution to low-rated freshman series whose future was put in limbo because of the strike. No orders are expected for new episodes of such series as ABC's "Big Shots," CBS' "Cane," NBC's "Journeyman" and Fox's "K-Ville," though some sources indicated the jury is still out on "Cane," which has several scripts ready.

Things are murkier on the development front. All broadcast networks except NBC terminated a portion of their development last month, citing lesser needs because of the strike. The broadcast networks can still opt for a truncated pilot season, but by the time the strike is over, they will be at a point where they will have normally ordered all their pilots. To get pilots up and running, the nets will have to rely heavily on first drafts since very few scripts had been delivered before the work stoppage.

A few pilots, including Fox's "The Oaks" and NBC's movie/backdoor pilot "Knight Rider," were filmed during the strike. Several more, including NBC's "The Man of Your Dreams" and Fox's dramas "The FBI" and "Saint of Circumstance," are slated to go into production shortly after the strike ends.

Additionally, studios are prepping pitches to go out as soon as the strike is over.

An imminent end to the strike would mean virtually no disruption of cable networks' scheduling plans.

Should the strike end in the next month or so, writing would start right away on TNT's "The Closer" and "Saving Grace," which would be back on track for their summer runs as originally scheduled.

As for USA, a spokesperson said that the network's summer programming also would remain pretty much intact if the strike ends over the next few weeks. Premiere dates for certain shows likely have to be pushed back but only by a few weeks.

With the second season of "The Tudors" wrapped, filming on "Brotherhood," "Dexter" and "Californication" not scheduled to begin until June and "Weeds" in production with a waiver for producer Lionsgate, Showtime's filming schedule also won't be affected.


Take Care,

Sal

TV Hot Spot: News

ABC: Midseason Schedule Released!

Post by: Sal


Source: ABC

"Lost" Returns Thursdays at 9:00 p.m., ET on Thursday, January 31

New Series Premiering Include "Cashmere Mafia," "Dance War: Bruno vs. Carrie Ann," "Eli Stone" and "Oprah's Big Give"

"Cashmere Mafia" Premieres at its Regular Time Wednesday, January 9, After a Special Premiere on Thursday, January 3

"According to Jim," "Just for Laughs," "Supernanny" and "Wife Swap" Return

New Seasons of "Dancing with the Stars" and "The Bachelor" Begin March 17

ABC will premiere four new series, "Cashmere Mafia," "Dance War: Bruno vs. Carrie Ann," "Eli Stone" and "Oprah's Big Give," in addition to the premiere of the much anticipated fourth season of "Lost" on Thursday, January 31 at 9:00 p.m.

"Dance War: Bruno vs. Carrie Ann" premieres with a special two-hour episode on Monday, January 7, followed by 90-minute episodes through January. "Notes from the Underbelly" and "October Road" will continue to air at 9:30 and 10:00 p.m., respectively. "Samantha Who?" will return with original episodes in February at 9:00 p.m. "Dancing with the Stars" and "The Bachelor" start new seasons on Monday, March 17.

"Just for Laughs" returns Tuesday, January 1, at 8:30 p.m., following the Rose Bowl, and will air back-to-back episodes Tuesday nights (8:00 and 8:30 p.m.), beginning January 8. "According to Jim" will also return January 1, with two episodes at 9:00 and 9:30 p.m. The series will regularly air at 9:00 p.m., followed by "Carpoolers" (9:30 p.m.) as of January 8. "Dancing with the Stars the Results Show" will return at 9:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 25. "Boston Legal" will continue airing Tuesdays at 10:00 p.m.

"Wife Swap" will premiere at 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday, January 2, and "Supernanny" returns with special back-to-back episodes at 9:00 and 10:00 p.m. that same night. The new drama series "Cashmere Mafia" premieres in its regular timeslot at 10:00 p.m. on Wednesday, January 9, following a special premiere on Thursday, January 3. Beginning February 27, "MEN IN TREES" will air Wednesdays at 10:00 p.m.

On Thursday nights in January, "Ugly Betty" will continue to air at 8:00 p.m., followed by "Grey's Anatomy" at 9:00 p.m. and "Big Shots" at 10:00 p.m. "Lost" will premiere on January 31 at 9:00 p.m., followed by the premiere of "Eli Stone" at 10:00 p.m.

On Fridays, drama encores will air at 8:00 and 9:00 p.m., followed by "20/20" at 10:00 p.m.

On Sunday nights, "Oprah's Big Give" will premiere on Sunday, March 2 at 9:00 p.m.

ABC's midseason primetime schedule is as follows (all times Eastern; new shows in bold):

DAY TIME SERIES

MONDAY (JAN)

8:00 p.m. "Dance War: Bruno vs. Carrie Ann"
9:30 p.m. "Notes from the Underbelly"
10:00 p.m. "October Road"

MONDAY (FEB)

8:00 p.m. "Dance War: Bruno vs. Carrie Ann"
9:00 p.m. "Samantha Who?"
9:30 p.m. "Notes from the Underbelly"
10:00 p.m. "October Road"

MONDAY (MAR)

8:00 p.m. "Dancing with the Stars"
9:30 p.m. "Samantha Who?"
10:00 p.m. "The Bachelor"

TUESDAY

8:00 p.m. "Just for Laughs"
8:30 p.m. "Just for Laughs"
9:00 p.m. "According to Jim"
9:30 p.m. "Carpoolers"
10:00 p.m. "Boston Legal"

TUESDAY (MAR)

8:00 p.m. "Just for Laughs"
8:30 p.m. "Just for Laughs"
9:00 p.m. "Dancing with the Stars the Results Show"
10:00 p.m. "Boston Legal"

WEDNESDAY

8:00 p.m. "Wife Swap"
9:00 p.m. "Supernanny"
10:00 p.m. "Cashmere Mafia" ("MEN IN TREES" beginning Feb 27)

THURSDAY (JAN)

8:00 p.m. "Ugly Betty"
9:00 p.m. "Grey's Anatomy"
10:00 p.m. "Big Shots" (after special premiere of "Cashmere Mafia" on Jan 3)

THURSDAY (FEB)

8:00 p.m. "Ugly Betty"
9:00 p.m. "Lost"
10:00 p.m. "Eli Stone"

FRIDAY 8:00 p.m.

Drama encores
9:00 p.m. Drama encores
10:00 p.m. "20/20"

SUNDAY (MAR) 7:00 p.m.

"America's Funniest Home Videos"
8:00 p.m. "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition"
9:00 p.m. "Oprah's Big Give"
10:00 p.m. "Desperate Housewives"


Take Care,

Sal

TV Hot Spot: News

ABC Wants You to 'Wipeout'

Post by: Sal


Source: Zap2It

Take away the ingestion of disgusting animal parts from "Fear Factor" and what do you have? You have a pilot just greenlit by ABC.

The network has given the go-ahead to an unscripted show called "Wipeout," a competition show that requires contestants to work their way through what ABC describes as "the world's largest obstacle course." The show comes from "Fear Factor" and "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" producer Endemol USA, the showbiz trade papers report.

"Wipeout" will feature 50 contestants per episode, all trying to wend their way through the aforementioned obstacle course in pursuit of a $50,000 prize. A casting notice on ABC's web site describes the game as "all the fun of 'Fear Factor' with none of the gross."

There's no timeline for the development of "Wipeout," though if ABC likes the pilot and the writers' strike lasts into 2008, it wouldn't be a big surprise to see the show on the air by season's end.

ABC and the other broadcast networks are reasonably well-stocked with reality programming for at least the next few months, having loaded up on shows in anticipation of a strike. A second wave of orders began this week, with NBC picking up a trio of series from "Ice Road Truckers" creator Thom Beers and now ABC's pilot order for "Wipeout."


Take Care,

Sal

TV Hot Spot: News

ABC: Upcoming Shows

Post by: Sal


Ordered To Pilot

Life On Mars: Drama about a 21st century detective who, following a car crash, mysteriously finds himself working as a cop in the 1970s. Starring: Jason O'Mara, Colm Meaney, Lenny Clarke, and Rachel Lefevre. Executive Producers: David E. Kelley, Jane Featherstone, and Stephen Garrett.

Section 8: A drama about a team of everyday people with advanced neurological abnormalities who work for a secret government agency. Executive Producers: Gail Berman, Lloyd Braun, and Zak Penn. Has also been given a blind 6-episode commitment

Literary Superstar: A comedy about a book publicist who's intensely loyal to her clients and lobbies to continue working with smaller, quirkier authors. Executive Producers: Darren Star, Dottie Zicklin, and Matthew Reilly

The More Things Change: Single-camera comedy follows the tale of thirtysomething guys at different life stages: One just got married and is adjusting to his newfound commitment; another is a successful Alpha male; a third suffers through a disastrous dating life; the last one undergoes an "identity crisis" in the pilot. From Allan Loeb and Todd Phillips.

Untitled Cedric The Entertainer Project: A comedy about a man who has always been the proud breadwinner for his family and has difficulty adjusting when his wife's hobby turns into a multimillion-dollar enterprise. Starring: Cedric The Entertainer, Regina Hall, Charles Malik Whitfield, Jasmine McNeal, Steven Wash Jr., Melissa Peterman, and Peter Mackenzie

Script Orders

Leap (ABC): A multi-generational drama based on sara davidson's book about how people approach various crossroads. Starring Goldie Hawn.

Lime Light (ABC): A drama that revolves around the world of students and faculty at a performing arts school in new york.

Miracle Man (ABC): A drama about a disgraced former televangelist, a man of no faith, who finds that god is using him to perform real miracles and change lives, starting with his own. Executive Producer: Tim Minear

Untitled David Hemingson Project (ABC): dramedy about a diverse group of hard-living, hard-working young associates at a high-profile law firm and the eccentric, aggressive and ambitious partners that dominate and complicate their lives.


Take Care,

Sal

TV Hot Spot: News

ABC, NBC Set Pre-Christmas Stunts

Post by: Sal

Though it probably has more to do with the time of year than the writers' strike, viewers should prepare for a whole lotta unscripted programming in mid-December.

ABC and NBC have each scheduled week-long events to fill a substantial portion of their prime-time lineups the week before Christmas. ABC will unveil a new came show called "Duel" over six nights starting Monday, Dec. 17. For the first four of those nights, it will compete with an NBC show called "Clash of the Choirs."

The latter will feature five well-known singers -- Patti LaBelle, Nick Lachey, Kelly Rowland, Michael Bolton and Blake Shelton -- assembling 20-person choirs from each of their hometowns (Philadelphia, Cincinnati, Houston, New Haven, Conn., and Oklahoma City, respectively) for a live competition based in New York. The champion choir will win a prize that will benefit its home community, such as building a playground or renovating a community center.

Each celeb will be responsible for assembling and directing their choirs, putting them through the paces of harmonizing, choreography and style. They'll also serve as judges for the other choirs' performances, though the ultimate decision will rest with viewers.

"Clash of the Choirs" will air at 8 p.m. ET from Monday, Dec. 17 to Thursday, Dec. 20, with the Monday and Wednesday shows running two hours.

"Duel" is one of several game shows likely to hit the airwaves later in the season, particularly if the writers' strike lasts into the new year. It's based on a French format that combines typical quiz-show elements with betting and bluffing.

Two players will go head-to-head, betting on each question based on how confident they are in the answer. An incorrect answer means elimination, unless the player has bet enough to cover the loss.

"Duel" is scheduled for 8 p.m. each night from Dec. 17-21, with the finale coming Sunday, Dec. 23. A host hasn't been named yet.


Take Care,

Sal

TV Hot Spot: News

Networks at War: NBC Attacks ABC

Post by: Sal

NBC's hard-partying Head of Entertainment Ben Silverman has caused controversy in Hollywood taking shots at his competitors in a recent Esquire article, including ABC President Steve McPherson, whom he called a "moron" who hated "Ugly Betty" and its star America Ferrera and had to be talked into ordering the show after 17 pitches.

Before he took over his executive position at NBC, Silverman was an independent producer responsible for US adaptation of a number of internationally successful reality shows and scripted series including "The Biggest Loser," "The Office" and the aforementioned "Ugly Betty."

Speaking of McPherson Silverman says: "I delivered him a huge hit that he didn't want: "Ugly Betty." He hated the show, he didn't want America Ferrera, he didn't understand why I pitched it to him seventeen times and wouldn't stop. Then it delivered despite that. And every time we would do well, he'd try to find some issue with it."

"I think he wishes he had been a producer. He's a sad man, like a miserable guy stuck operating as an executive. And it probably makes him nuts that this kid who's five years younger than him is producing hit shows and then goes and gets his job in an end run -- and a much bigger job than he has."

NBC's current schedule was to a great extent put together by Silverman's predecessor Kevin Reilly. One of Silverman's first influences, paranormal-themed reality show "Phenomenon" has already premiered, but is not doing too well, scoring a little over 6 million viewers.

Over the summer, Silverman ordered a new scripted version of the classic "Robinson Crusoe" tale; a US adaptation of the British comedy about Roman Catholic priests "Father Ted," adaptation of a Colombian telenovela "Without Breasts There Is No Paradise" about a flat-chested girl who becomes a hooker to pay for a boob job and "American Gladiators" reality program hosted by Hulk Hogan.

Following the publication of the article, a surprised Silverman said he made the offensive comments off the record and the journalist was "provoking" him.

Take Care,

Sal

TV Hot Spot: News

Reyes stays on staff at ABC Studios

Post by: Sal

"Scrubs" co-star Judy Reyes is staying in business with ABC Studios.

Reyes has inked a talent holding deal with the studio behind the medical comedy -- now in its seventh and final season on NBC -- to star in a new series project. Reyes, who plays no-nonsense nurse Carla Espinosa on "Scrubs," had done a half-dozen pilots before she got the pilot script for "Scrubs."

"It was completely different from any sitcom I'd seen. It felt like a feature, and it was hilarious," she said. Reyes' seven-year stint on Bill Lawrence's single-camera comedy proved to be more than she ever expected.

"You get to do everything you dream of as an actress. You get to sing and dance, there is comedy, you deal with the reality of what happens in a hospital, so there is drama, and there are also tender moments at the end," she said.

After seven years on a comedy, Reyes said the obvious next choice for her would be to do a drama, but she is open to other possibilities.

"Television is opening up to a lot of new avenues as it gets competition from cable and reality, so any (genre) offers a challenge," she said.

Reyes, whose resume includes a recurring stint on HBO's prison drama "Oz," is repped by Paradigm, Leverage Management and attorney Dave Feldman.

Sal