or


[05/16/03 - 12:00 AM]
Studios Keep the Talent Deals Coming
By Brian Ford Sullivan (TFC)

CHICAGO (thefutoncritic.com) - While many say that the era of the big studio deal is over, that hasn't stopped several actors and producers from landing hefty commitments in the past month. Here's a rundown of recent signings:

-- Writer-producers Jim O'Doherty and David M. Israel ("Grounded for Life") have signed a new two-year mid-seven-figure overall deal with Carsey-Werner-Mandabach. The duo is set to serve as executive producers/showrunners on the company's "The Tracy Morgan Show," which has been picked up for a midseason order by NBC. O'Doherty and Israel penned the script for the pilot and executive produced it with Lorne Michaels, Marcy Carsey, Caryn Mandabach, Tom Werner, David Miner and Dave Becky.

-- "Clone High U.S.A." creators Phil Lord and Chris Miller have inked a two-year, seven-figure overall deal with 20th Century Fox Television. The pair will develop and script original live-action and animated material for the company a well as work on the studio's existing comedy projects.

-- "24" co-creator and executive producer Robert Cochran has signed a new two-year overall deal with 20th Century Fox Television to remain as showrunner of the series while also developing new series projects for studio. Fellow co-creator and executive producer Joel Surnow signed a similar deal with 20th earlier this year. The duo, along with fellow writer/producer Howard Gordon, are all set to return to the drama next season.

-- Former "Frasier" writers/producers Christopher Lloyd and Joe Keenan are set to return to the series for its 11th and final season. The pair will share showrunning duties with current executive producer Dan O'Shannon. The news comes as the duo has inked a new, two-year, seven-figure overall production and development deal with Paramount Network Television. In addition to working on "Frasier," they'll create, develop and executive produce series projects for the studio once the comedy wraps next May. Lloyd was an executive producer on the series from its debut until May 2000 while Keenan joined "Frasier" in 1994 and was named co-executive producer in 1997. Keenan left shortly after Lloyd and the duo began developing new projects for Paramount as a team, landing a blind series commitment from CBS for the short-lived comedy "Bram and Alice."

-- Reality mogul Stuart Krasnow ("Weakest Link," "Dog Eat Dog," "America's Most Talented Kid") has signed a a new two-year, seven-figure overall development and production deal with NBC Studios. The pact calls for Krasnow to create, develop and executive produce unscripted projects for NBC while continuing his role as showrunner on "Dog." Krasnow also has several other projects in NBC's hopper: "Average Joe" (with fellow reality producer Andrew Glassman), "America's Most Talented Senior" and a hybrid reality/comedy pilot with Kathy Griffin ("Celebrity Mole") that's in contention for midseason.

-- "Saturday Night Live" head writer Tina Fey has sealed a new two-year deal to remain in that position (which she currently shares with co-head writer Dennis McNicholas) at least through the 2004-05 season. As part of the pact, Fey will develop her own primetime project for the Peacock with any production coming out of that deal would be produced by NBC Studios and "SNL" producer Lorne Michaels' Broadway Video.

-- "J.A.G." star David James Elliott has signed on for another two seasons of the military drama, earning himself a healthy raise in the process. Elliott will pull down about $300,000 per episode to remain with the series (or around $6.5 million per season), an increase of about $100,000 per episode from his previous deal. The pact was signed shortly before CBS' formal pickup this week of the series for its eighth season. CBS executives had expressed reservations about renewing the series before Elliott's deal was in place. Co-star Catherine Bell was previously inked through next season.

-- NBC Studios has signed the cast of "Will & Grace" through the 2004-05 season in keeping with the Peacock's renewal of the series through said season back in March of 2002. Leads Eric McCormack and Debra Messing are set to make $400,000 per episode for the next two seasons with supporting cast members Megan Mullally and Sean Hayes also receiving comparable raises.





  [may 2003]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
    


· 24 (FOX)
· 30 ROCK (NBC)
· AMERICA'S MOST TALENTED KIDS (PAX)
· AVERAGE JOE (NBC)
· BRAM & ALICE (CBS)
· CLONE HIGH USA (MTV)
· DOG EAT DOG (NBC)
· FRASIER (NBC)
· GROUNDED FOR LIFE (WB)
· JAG (CBS)
· MOLE, THE (ABC)
· SEARCH FOR AMERICA'S MOST TALENTED SENIOR, THE (NBC)
· TRACY MORGAN SHOW, THE (NBC)
· WEAKEST LINK, THE (NBC)
· WILL & GRACE (NBC)





[08/03/26 - 11:54 AM]
Amazon MGM Studios Orders "DINKS" to Series from Marta Kauffman's Okay Goodnight, in Pioneering Deal with Lionsgate and Publicis Media Content Innovation
Real-life married couple June Diane Raphael and Paul Scheer star in and executive produce the series, with Jon Gabrus set as a series regular.

[08/03/26 - 11:03 AM]
Ben Affleck and Jamie Ding Score Best Audience in a Year with Million-Dollar Win on "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire"
The July 29 episode rose from last week's season premiere with 4.22 million viewers.

[08/03/26 - 10:02 AM]
Shudder's Cult-Favorite Series "The Creep Tapes" Returns with a Two-Episode Premiere Tuesday, September 15
The six-episode season of the cult-favorite franchise features guest stars including Kate Siegel, Nic Hamilton, Elliott Fulham and Duplass' daughter, Ora Duplass, who will star in a throwback episode.

[08/03/26 - 09:46 AM]
"In Pursuit: Lessons of American Leadership" Premieres Tuesday, October 27, 2026 on PBS
Based on More Perfect's groundbreaking In Pursuit initiative, the film weaves together new interviews and archival material with documentary storytelling to explore what we can learn from the past to inform a more perfect union.

[08/03/26 - 09:15 AM]
V/H/S Cranks Up the Volume with New Installment "V/H/S/Mixtape" Streaming on Shudder October 9, 2026
Featuring all-new segments from legendary filmmaker Ernest Dickerson, hip-hop icon RZA, visionary director David Moreau, and acclaimed filmmaker Renee Zhan, whose segment includes original puppets by Jim Henson's Creature Shop.

[08/03/26 - 09:01 AM]
Video: "Star Wars: Visions Presents - The Ninth Jedi" - Final Trailer - Aug. 5 on Disney+ & Hulu
Beyond light and dark lies a power never seen before.

[08/03/26 - 09:00 AM]
The CW Network Renews Unscripted Hit Series "Scrabble," "Trivial Pursuit" and "Police 24/7"
The second seasons of "Trivial Pursuit" aAnd "Scrabble" continue on The CW this fall with new episodes debuting on Thursday, October 1.

[08/03/26 - 08:01 AM]
Video: "Outer Banks" Season 5 - Official Podcast Trailer Debut & Announcement
Hosted by longtime OBX fan and podcaster Ria Ciuffo, the series dives into the cast, characters, and the cultural phenomenon that has captivated audiences for years.

[08/03/26 - 07:23 AM]
New True Crime Series "Somebody Knows Something" Premieres Monday, Aug. 10, on Freeform and Streams Next Day on Hulu
"Somebody Knows Something" follows true crime influencer Kara Chamberlain as she investigates unsolved murders and missing persons cases that have stumped law enforcement and haunted internet sleuths for decades.

[08/03/26 - 07:04 AM]
Meet the Minds Behind the Magic: "Disney Worldbuilders" Premieres August 20 on Disney+
Academy Award- and Emmy-nominated filmmaker Leslie Iwerks sits down with Bob Iger, James Cameron, Jon Favreau, Kevin Feige, Jennifer Lee, Pete Docter, Dave Filoni, Jared Bush and Josh D'Amaro - with a look at new worlds on the way.

[08/03/26 - 06:01 AM]
Netflix Sets On-Air Team for First-Ever Regular Season NFL Game in Australia
Live from the Melbourne Cricket Ground on September 10 at 8:35 PM ET (September 11 at 10:35 AM AEST), Netflix will broadcast the Week 1 matchup, featuring the San Francisco 49ers vs. the Los Angeles Rams.

[08/02/26 - 05:16 PM]
Seo Kangjun and Ahn Eun-jin Explore Love, Temptation, and Complexities of Long-term Relationships in Prime Video's "A Love Other Than Yours"
The series explores the fragile line between comfort and passion, and whether choosing each other after ten years is an act of love, habit, or survival.

[07/31/26 - 01:03 PM]
ABC News Wins Across Late Night, Sunday Morning and Friday Night in Total Viewers and Key Adult Demos
Season to date, "Nightline" is up in Total Viewers versus the same point last season.

[07/31/26 - 10:37 AM]
ESPN and Fanatics Studios Announce Second Edition of "Fanatics Fest: All Access" to Debut on August 4 at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN
The second installment of the special offers unprecedented behind-the-scenes access to Fanatics Fest, the premier sports, entertainment and culture 4-day event that recently brought together the biggest names in sports, music, comedy and entertainment.

[07/31/26 - 10:01 AM]
Bravo's "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" Three-Part Reunion Begins Sunday, Aug. 9 at 8 P.M. ET/PT
Host Andy Cohen sits down with Porsha Williams, Phaedra Parks, Drew Sidora, Shamea Morton Mwangi, Kelli Potter, Angela Oakley, K. Michelle, Pinky Cole and friend Cynthia Bailey as they unpack the season's biggest moments, clear up the rumors and confront some surprising revelations.