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[05/19/09 - 12:54 PM] The Futon's Upfront Notes: ABC & Nbc By The Futon Critic Staff (TFC) |
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LOS ANGELES (thefutoncritic.com) -- A round-up of the various developments from upfront week that may have gotten lost in the shuffle:
-- NBC has canceled both "My Name Is Earl" and "Medium"... "Earl" creator Greg Garcia took to the pages of the Los Angeles Times to protest the move, saying "I e-mailed Jeff Zucker [president and chief executive of NBC Universal] on Sunday, and I never got a response. But this is show business. The writing was on the wall. When you go to bed the night before the schedule is out, and no one has spoken to you, you know what's happening. You get somewhat frustrated with how it's being handled, but that's the business we work in. I've never fooled myself that it's a fair or friendly business." Garcia and producer 20th Century Fox Television hope to pitch the series to other networks.
As for "Medium," talks are underway with CBS to pick up the show as it's based at corporate sibling CBS Television Studios. "NBC's cancellation of 'Medium' is inexplicable to us," the studio said in a statement. "The ratings don't lie: 'Medium' outperforms many of NBC's renewed shows. Despite inconsistent scheduling, 'Medium' -- under the creative vision of (creator) Glenn Gordon Caron, one of the most preeminent producers in television -- has always performed with distinction both creatively and commercially. Multiple award-winning actress Patricia Arquette and the cast have delivered a stellar series for five consistent seasons. The awards and ratings speak for themselves. We believe the show has a significant future and await developments." A deal however is not expected until after the upfronts.
-- ...as well as "Howie Do It" and "Deal or No Deal," sources have confirmed. Said cancellation doesn't extend to the latter's syndicated version. In total the Peacock will have parted ways with 16 series, the most by any broadcast network (number two: ABC with 12). The dead pool also includes "America's Toughest Jobs," "Chopping Block," "Crusoe," "Kath & Kim," "Kings," "Knight Rider," "Life," "Lipstick Jungle," "Momma's Boys," "My Own Worst Enemy," "Superstars of Dance" and the departing "ER."
-- ABC has likewise pulled the plug on "Cupid" and "According to Jim" however "Surviving Suburbia" remains alive. Alphabet topper Steve MacPherson noted during a press call this morning they'll make a final decision about the series by September when its option expires. "Suburbia" returns with the first of six episodes of Wednesday, May 27 at 9:30/8:30c. As for "Jim," look for the series finale on Tuesday, June 2 at 8:00/7:00c. The 10 other series not returning for the 2009-10 season are "Boston Legal," "Dirty Sexy Money," "Eli Stone," "Homeland Security USA," "In the Motherhood," "Life on Mars," "Opportunity Knocks," "Pushing Daisies," "Samantha Who?" and "The Unusuals."
-- The Alphabet may also order additional comedies for midseason. The Cedric the Entertainer-led "The Law," Jeff Strauss's "Married Not Dead" and the sibling comedy "This Little Piggy" were among the pilots mentioned as possible midseason contenders going into upfront week. The Shonda Rhimes-produced "Inside the Box" is also being eyed for potential redevelopment.
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[10/17/25 - 01:16 PM] "Live with Kelly and Mark" Hits Season Highs with Best Audience Performance Since July "Live" has now ranked as the No. 1 talk show in syndication for 139 consecutive weeks across all key measures.
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[10/17/25 - 10:38 AM] "Dancing with the Stars" Continues Historic Hot Streak - Rising for Fourth Straight Week Since Premiere with 6 Million Total Viewers Plus: "High Potential" dominated the 10 p.m. hour with 4.15 million Total Viewers and a 0.33 rating among Adults 18-49.
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[10/17/25 - 10:01 AM] 51st Season of "Saturday Night Live" Continues with Three Back-to-Back Shows in November Miles Teller is on tap to host on November 1, followed by Nikki Glaser on November 8, and Glen Powell on November 15.
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[10/17/25 - 09:05 AM] All-New Season of "The Last Woodsmen" Premieres Friday, November 14 at 9PM ET/PT on Discovery Deep in the untamed wilderness of the Pacific Northwest, veteran logger Jared Douglas returns to put everything on the line in the new season.
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[10/17/25 - 09:01 AM] Video: "Mob War: Philadelphia vs. The Mafia" - Sneak Peek - Netflix A brutal mob war between John Stanfa and Joey Merlino plunges '90s Philadelphia into chaos and bloodshed in this captivating true-crime series.
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[10/17/25 - 08:31 AM] Video: "Me late que si" - Official Trailer - Netflix A desperate, ordinary man, fed up with his misfortune, hatches a daring heist and assembles a very unusual group to attempt the impossible: stealing a live lottery jackpot.
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[10/17/25 - 08:00 AM] "Weapons" Begins Streaming Exclusively on HBO Max October 24 When all but one child from the same class mysteriously vanish on the same night at 2:17 a.m., a community is left questioning who or what is behind their disappearance.
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[10/17/25 - 07:01 AM] Video: "My Secret Santa" - Official Trailer - Netflix A vivacious single-mom (Alexandra Breckenridge) in need of a job decides to disguise herself as a man in order to get hired as the seasonal Santa at a luxury ski resort.
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[10/17/25 - 07:01 AM] "Euphoria" Season 3 Is Coming Spring 2026 Newly announced cast members include Gideon Adlon, Bill Bodner, Colleen Camp, Danielle Deadwyler, Homer Gere, Jessica Blair Herman, Natasha Lyonne, Hemky Madera, Kwame Patterson, Trisha Paytas, Rebecca Pidgeon, Bella Podaras, Cailyn Rice, Eli Roth, Madison Thompson, Jack Topalian, Sam Trammell, Matthew Willig.
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[10/17/25 - 06:01 AM] Video: "Eloa the Hostage: Live on TV" - Official Trailer - Netflix This gripping documentary explores the case of a teenage girl who was kidnapped by her ex-boyfriend in one of Brazil's most shocking hostage situations.
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[10/17/25 - 06:01 AM] Apple Is the Exclusive New Broadcast Partner for Formula 1 in the U.S. Apple TV will deliver comprehensive coverage of Formula 1, with all practice, qualifying, Sprint sessions, and Grands Prix available to Apple TV subscribers.
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[10/16/25 - 02:11 PM] Video: National Geographic Unveils First Look at "Chris Hemsworth: A Road Trip to Remember" - A Powerful and Heartfelt Special Featuring the Global Movie Star on His Most Personal Journey Yet The one-hour documentary, from Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Darren Aronofsky's Protozoa, Jane Root's Nutopia, and Chris Hemsworth and Ben Grayson's Wild State, premieres November 23 at 9:00/8:00c on National Geographic and streams the next day on Disney+ and Hulu.
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[10/16/25 - 12:58 PM] Lifetime Announces Annual "It's a Wonderful Lifetime" Holiday Movie Slate Kicking Off November 29th Featured talent this year includes Brandy Norwood, Kane & Katelyn Brown, Loretta Devine, Debbi Morgan, Arielle Kebbel, Tyler Hilton, James Lafferty, Vivica A. Fox, Jackée Harry, Sy'Rai Smith, Nischelle Turner, Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman, and others.
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[10/16/25 - 12:31 PM] Video: "The Witcher" Season 4 - Character Trailer - Netflix Scattered to fates unknown, Geralt, Yennefer and Ciri traverse the war-torn Continent and its countless enemies in the hope of finding each other again.
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[10/16/25 - 11:32 AM] A+E Global Media and Rachael Ray's Free Food Studios Cook Up Expanded Programming Partnership with Over 100 New Episodes Ordered The network has ordered 110 new episodes of Ray's programming, including new episodes of "Meals in Minutes," that will continue to focus on her approachable and comforting cooking style.
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