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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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[06/19/26 - 06:01 AM] New Updates on Three Upcoming Netflix Anime Titles Revealed at MAPPA's 15th Anniversary Presentation "Jimoto Saiko!" (wt) and "Beat & Motion" will join the previously announced third season of "Ranma1/2."
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[06/19/26 - 05:01 AM] Netflix Announces Two New Samay Raina Titles: "India's Got Latent" Season 2 and an All-New Comedy Special in the Works Raina's all-new comedy special, exclusive to Netflix, which is currently in development, will showcase Samay's signature observational humor, sharp storytelling, and unique perspective that have made him one of the most influential voices in contemporary Indian comedy.
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[06/18/26 - 03:01 PM] "Bet" Season 2 Sets Additional Cast and Starts Production in Toronto Season 1 reached the global top 10 on Netflix in 77 countries and spent three weeks on the list with over 10 million views during that time.
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[06/18/26 - 03:00 PM] AMC Global Media's Critically Acclaimed Drama, "The Audacity," Commences Season 2 Production Production of the eight-episode second season is underway in Vancouver, Canada, with the series returning to AMC and AMC+ in 2027.
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[06/18/26 - 02:47 PM] Stars Shine Bright on FOX as Strong FIFA World Cup 2026 Viewership Continues 9,082,000 viewers witnessed Lionel Messi's hat trick with Argentina defeating Algeria 3-0 Tuesday on FOX.
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[06/18/26 - 02:34 PM] UFC Freedom 250 Reaches 17M Total Viewers in U.S. and Latin America on Paramount+ Since the beginning of the year, 16 million subscriber households have watched more than 180 million hours of UFC programming on Paramount+ - delivering viewership more than 20x the average pay-per-view event over the past two years.
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[06/18/26 - 01:56 PM] "Rulers of Fortune": Netflix Gathers Cast to Celebrate the Start of Season 2 Production Season 1 was a massive success, reaching Netflix's Global Top 10 and spending six weeks among the platform's most-watched non-English-language titles worldwide.
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[06/18/26 - 12:30 PM] Wonder Project Unveils First-Ever Line-Up of Six Stand-Up Comedy Specials - "Wonder Presents: The Stand-Ups" - Beginning July 2 From award-winning comedy studio, New Metric Media, each of the six specials will debut weekly, starring comedians Caroline Rhea, K. Trevor Wilson, Sterling Scott, Ola Dada, Zabrina Douglas, and Erica Sigurdson.
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[06/18/26 - 12:05 PM] Lacey Chabert Brings a Beloved Romantic Story to Life in the Limited Series "Paris Is Always a Good Idea," Premiering Thursday, July 30 Exclusively on Hallmark+ Based on the bestselling novel by Jenn McKinlay, the six-episode globe-trotting romance takes viewers on a heartfelt journey through Paris, Ireland and Spain filled with love, self-discovery and second chances.
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[06/18/26 - 11:11 AM] Prime Video Announces Season Three of "Fallout" Adds Emily Mortimer, Manny Jacinto, and Thomasin McKenzie to Cast The critically acclaimed global hit series, from Kilter Films, returns to Los Angeles this month to begin filming season three.
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[06/18/26 - 11:01 AM] Apple Original Films to Bring Beloved Children's Book "Little Santa" to the Screen How did Santa become Santa? The answer is in the evergreen musical comedy adventure, "Little Santa."
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[06/18/26 - 11:00 AM] FOX Creator Studios Expands Roster with New Wave of Creator Partners, Original Formats and Premium IP Now joining the FCS roster, which already ranges from culinary icon Gordon Ramsay to renowned comedian Tom Segura, are popular creators including Josh Richards, Emelia Hartford, Speeed Co, Sorted Food, MyHealthyDish, Mad Realities, and Christina Richardson.
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[06/18/26 - 10:31 AM] Netflix's "The God of the Woods" Rounds Out Cast with Tracy Letts, John Gallagher Jr. Lola Kirke, Colton Ryan and More The multi-generational drama series explores the Van Laar family's dark secrets, class tensions, and the mysteries surrounding the disappearance of 13 year old Barbara Van Laar from her family's summer camp - in the wake of an earlier family tragedy that may be related.
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[06/18/26 - 10:31 AM] "Jimmy Kimmel Live" Announces a Strong Lineup of Summer Guest Hosts Tiffany Haddish will lead things off, hosting the week of July 6, followed throughout the summer by Anthony Anderson, Ike Barinholtz, Colman Domingo and Jelly Roll.
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[06/18/26 - 10:12 AM] Missing Woman, Endless Questions: David Morrissey Stars in "Gone" - BritBox's Latest Gripping Crime Thriller Packed with twists and emotional stakes, the series premieres July 23 on BritBox.
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