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[10/28/06 - 11:46 AM]
Script Orders Keep Five More Newcomers Alive
By Brian Ford Sullivan (TFC)

LOS ANGELES (thefutoncritic.com) -- Newcomers "Help Me Help You," "Men in Trees," "The Nine," "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" and "The Class" all received some good news this week as their respective networks have asked for several additional scripts of each series.

The developments will give each network a few extra weeks to evaluate the show's future without derailing any future production beyond their original 13-episode orders.

As for specifics, NBC ordered three more scripts of "Studio 60," CBS asked for four extra scripts of "The Class" and ABC has ordered four additional scripts each for "Help," "Men" and "Nine."

The news leaves ABC's "Six Degrees" and NBC's Wednesday duo of "30 Rock" (soon to relocate to Thursdays) and "20 Good Years" as the only remaining freshman series without some sort of extension. In addition to the above quintet, additional scripts have been asked of FOX's "Justice," "Standoff," "'Til Death," "Happy Hour" and "Vanished" as well as NBC's "Friday Night Lights."

Snagging full seasons thus far: ABC's "Ugly Betty" and "Brothers & Sisters," CBS's "Jericho" and "Shark," NBC's "Heroes" and The CW's "The Game" while NBC's "1 vs. 100" has also snagged 10 additional episodes beyond its original five-episode order.

In fact, CBS's "Smith" and The CW's "Runaway" are the only fall newcomers to have been axed while NBC's "Kidnapped" and FOX's "Vanished" (despite its additional scripts) will wrap after 13 episodes but remain under consideration for next season.

Also of note this past week: NBC's has extended "ER's" 13th season to 25 episodes while ABC/Warner Bros. Television's midseason drama "Traveler" has been trimmed from 13 to eight episodes (including the pilot). The latter decision was made this early to allow producers sufficient time to wrap its serialized storyline.





  [august 2026]  
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· 1 VS. 100 (GSN)
· 20 GOOD YEARS (NBC)
· 30 ROCK (NBC)
· BROTHERS & SISTERS (ABC)
· CLASS, THE (CBS)
· ER (NBC)
· FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS (DIRECTV)
· GAME, THE (BET)
· HAPPY HOUR (FOX)
· HELP ME HELP YOU (ABC)
· HEROES (NBC)
· JERICHO (CBS)
· JUSTICE (FOX)
· KIDNAPPED (NBC)
· MEN IN TREES (ABC)
· NINE, THE (ABC)
· RUNAWAY (CW)
· SHARK (CBS)
· SIX DEGREES (ABC)
· SMITH (CBS)
· STANDOFF (FOX)
· STUDIO 60 ON THE SUNSET STRIP (NBC)
· 'TIL DEATH (FOX)
· TRAVELER (ABC)
· UGLY BETTY (ABC)
· VANISHED (FOX)





[08/25/26 - 04:16 PM]
"Dolly Parton: An American Original - Special Edition of 20/20" Airs Tonight, Tuesday, Aug. 25, on ABC at 10 P.M., Streams Tomorrow on Disney+ and Hulu
The one-hour special celebrates the extraordinary life and legacy of beloved global icon Dolly Parton, who died at age 80.

[08/25/26 - 03:10 PM]
ESPN Delivered Its Second Most-Watched MLB Little League Classic Ever!
The audience peaked at 2.2 million viewers during the 9:45 p.m. ET quarter-hour.

[08/25/26 - 03:03 PM]
FOX Saturday Baseball Stays Hot with 3,079,000 Viewers, Most-Watched MLB Telecast of the Week on Any Network
The network's coverage reached a peak audience of 3,779,000 viewers from 9:45 - 10 PM ET.

[08/25/26 - 02:34 PM]
CBS to Air "A CBS News Special: Dolly Parton - An American Icon" Tonight at 10:00 PM
Gayle King, Tony Dokoupil, and a team of CBS News journalists will celebrate the life and mark the passing of entertainment legend Dolly Parton.

[08/25/26 - 02:31 PM]
The Mic Is Hot When Jeff Lewis Returns to Bravo with "Still Flipping Out", Premiering Sept 28 at 9 P.M. ET/PT
The new series follows former "Flipping Out" star Jeff Lewis as he navigates the demands of his hit SiriusXM show on Radio Andy, an eponymous design empire, and everything in-between.

[08/25/26 - 02:20 PM]
FOX Sports Scores Landslide Win with Freedom 250
Coverage reached a peak viewership of 3,482,000 viewers from 2:30-2:45 PM ET.

[08/25/26 - 01:00 PM]
Starz Announces Additional Casting for New Untitled Black Rodeo Drama
Shannon Wallace, Curtiss Cook, Lauren E. Banks, Liv Symone, and Jason Dirden round of the show's cast.

[08/25/26 - 12:58 PM]
"Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" Dominates During Show's Summer Run - Jumping Over Last Year's Average by +9%
The series also stands as Wednesday's No. 1 primetime program among Total Viewers in each of its five weeks.

[08/25/26 - 12:16 PM]
Netflix and Shonda Rhimes Extend Creative Partnership
The extended partnership will give Netflix and Shondaland the opportunity to continue to exclusively produce, stream and distribute TV series, feature films and gaming while continuing merchandise and live events opportunities connected to its IP.

[08/25/26 - 12:01 PM]
Netflix Top 10: Week of August 17 - "Outer Banks" Strikes Gold at No. 1 in This Week's Top 10
"My Brilliant Career" traversed the Australian bush to land at No. 2 on the English TV list with 4.7 million views.

[08/25/26 - 12:01 PM]
The CW to Honor the Life and Legacy of Dolly Parton with Special Encore Presentation of "Dolly Parton: Here I Am"
Featuring exclusive interviews and remarkable archival footage, the documentary offers an intimate look at the woman behind the iconic songs, unmistakable style and enduring cultural impact that made Parton one of the most beloved entertainers of all time.

[08/25/26 - 12:00 PM]
"Survivor" to Reveal the Season 51 Castaways on YouTube Livestream
During the livestream, viewers will meet the new castaways and will also be treated to a first-look tour of the Survivor 51 Tribal Council by host and showrunner Jeff Probst.

[08/25/26 - 11:31 AM]
Netflix and Kevin Langue Partner to Bring "The Kevin Langue Show" to Netflix
Beginning September 5, members can watch a curated collection of episodes from each channel pulled from Kevin's back catalog, with new episodes dropping day-and-date alongside YouTube going forward.

[08/25/26 - 11:00 AM]
A24's "Backrooms" Begins Streaming Exclusively on HBO Max September 25
The film stars Chiwetel Ejiofor, Renate Reinsve, Mark Duplass, Finn Bennett, and Lukita Maxwell.

[08/25/26 - 10:23 AM]
Four New Documentaries Celebrating Some of Comedy's Most Influential Voices Are Coming to Netflix This October
Martin Mull, Norm Macdonald, Maria Bamford, and SCTV are among the featured subjects.