or


[05/15/12 - 11:04 AM]
Lee: Look for All-Star "Dancing With the Stars"; "Hulk" Still in the Works
By The Futon Critic Staff (TFC)

LOS ANGELES (thefutoncritic.com) -- "Why just watch, when you can feel?" will be the question ABC asks its audience during today's upfront presentation. Said tagline was underscored by ABC Entertainment Group President Paul Lee following the announcement of the network's 2012-13 schedule. "That really encapsulates this brand," the executive told reporters. "Everything we do is about an emotional connection: great stories, great characters and real emotion."

Other notable developments from today's press call with the ABC chief:

-- "We're going to do something different this fall, we're going to do an all-star edition of 'Dancing With the Stars,'" Lee confirmed. "We're going to be bringing back fan favorites from the last 14 seasons." When asked about who specifically will return, Lee would only say "we can't talk about the casting yet but I would love to see some of the fan favorites from the last seasons come back. And we have many favorites over the 14 seasons... fingers crossed, we are casting now."

-- "I think it's time for Friday night to be a destination again for broad family entertainment," Lee said about the move of "Last Man Standing" to Fridays. He likewise defended his decision to shift "Happy Endings" and "Don't Trust the B----" to Tuesday night: "Of our shows, those are two of our most passionate audiences so we believe those audiences will move to find those shows."

-- Aside from its comedy plans on Tuesdays at midseason, Lee also revealed that "'Mistresses' is a show that we're going to be launching after 'The Bachelor' franchise, probably in May."

-- On the company's Marvel properties: "We did do some development this season, not just with ourselves but also with FOX... Of course you know 'The Hulk' is in development, it wasn't going to be ready for this season but we hope we'll be ready for next season." Beyond "Hulk" Lee said, "We've got some in development but none that I can talk about at this point." As for "AKA Jessica Jones," which was penned by "Red Widow's" Melissa Rosenberg, the executive indicated it won't be moving forward. "We have other development which probably is further at the front of the queue."

-- Lee also indicated they're open to year-round development. "It's much easier to develop midseason [but] it's difficult to break the mold," he said. "In many ways it's easier in terms of casting and staffing up. It's not impossible that we'll make a couple of moves in the next few months." As for whether any of their current pilots are being rolled, Lee said, "Nothing that comes to mind."

-- The executive likewise confirmed a few episode orders. "The intention is to have 'Revenge' absolutely do 22 episodes," Lee said about the Sunday-bound drama. He also indicated "Body of Proof" indeed has a 13-episode commitment for midseason.

-- As for its rollout plans, Lee said, "We did launch two or three shows right at the beginning of the fall last year, we're probably going to continue to do that." Adding, "Staggering show launches works for us, it's been a successful strategy and I think we're going to continue to do so."

-- After the conference, a network spokesperson confirmed to us that "Million Dollar Mind Game" and "You Deserve It" are indeed canceled. As for "Nightline Prime," we're told the series isn't considered something that is picked up or cancelled in the usual sense as it's possible that title could be used again.

-- And finally, TVGuide.com reports that ABC has picked up "Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition" for a third season of 15 two-hour episodes. The Alphabet made the pickup early - in advance of its season two launch on June 3 - due to the year-long production cycle needed to create the show. Chris Powell will return as host while various show alums will serve as "weight-loss ambassadors" next year. In addition, Walmart has joined as a sponsor.





  [may 2012]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
  


· BACHELOR, THE (ABC)
· BACHELORETTE, THE (ABC)
· BODY OF PROOF (ABC)
· DANCING WITH THE STARS (ABC)
· DON'T TRUST THE BITCH IN APARTMENT 23 (ABC)
· EXTREME WEIGHT LOSS (ABC)
· HAPPY ENDINGS (ABC)
· INCREDIBLE HULK, THE (ABC)
· LAST MAN STANDING (FOX)
· MARVEL'S JESSICA JONES (NETFLIX)
· MILLION DOLLAR MIND GAME (ABC)
· MISTRESSES (ABC)
· NIGHTLINE PRIME (ABC)
· RED WIDOW (ABC)
· REVENGE (ABC)
· YOU DESERVE IT (ABC)





[08/10/26 - 12:16 PM]
Grammy Award-Winning Singer and Actress Brandy Norwood Returns to Lifetime to Star in and Executive Produce Sequel to Holiday Movie, "Christmas Everyday"
Norwood reprises her role as Francine "Fancy" Ballantine, which garnered her an NAACP award nomination, alongside real-life daughter Sy'rai Smith who stars as Fancy's younger sister, Belle; Debbi Morgan as their mother, Evelyn; and Robert C. Riley as Fancy's fiancé, Jaylen.

[08/10/26 - 10:37 AM]
Discovery's Shark Week Delivers Best Ratings in Seven Years
Primetime telecasts averaged a 0.77 L3 rating among Adults 25-54, marking the largest year-over-year increase in 13 years and the first year of ratings growth since 2023.

[08/10/26 - 10:01 AM]
Apple TV Reteams with Alfonso Cuaron on New Series "Ascension"
Inspired by the novel "Last Days" by Adam Nevill, "Ascension" is a one-hour psychological horror thriller following Rose, a relentless documentary filmmaker and recently divorced mother who is brilliant at uncovering others' truths but struggling to resolve her own.

[08/10/26 - 10:00 AM]
New Interactive Game "Public Eye" from Wolf Games Now Available in Peacock's Mobile App
Players are Officer Logan Dine, a patrol cop secretly investigating his uncle's murder in the crime-ridden streets of Caldera City.

[08/10/26 - 09:31 AM]
Peacock Drops First Look Images & November 23 Premiere Date for Amy Poehler & Hugh Laurie Comedy "Dig"
The series follows a team of dedicated archaeologists (and less-dedicated college students) who spend their summer working on a dig site in Greece.

[08/10/26 - 09:31 AM]
discovery+ Launches New Play-Listed Channels Experience with Fan-Favorite Programming and Live NASA+ Streams
This new experience features curated channels with themed playlists from discovery+'s most popular franchises like the iconic "90 Day" Universe, "House Hunters," and "Ghost Adventures," plus new live NASA+ programming.

[08/10/26 - 09:01 AM]
Video: "NFL Hometown Eats" - Official Trailer - The Roku Channel
Super fans Eva Longoria, Joel McHale and Rebel Wilson are joined by football legends DeMarcus Ware, Devon Witherspoon and Davante Adams as they explore the best gameday eats in their home cities.

[08/10/26 - 09:00 AM]
Vice Studios & Starbreeze Entertainment Partner with Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson and G-Unit Film & Television for "Payday"
Since its launch in 2011, "Payday" has gone from a game to a global phenomenon.

[08/10/26 - 09:00 AM]
Paramount+ Presents Action-Packed Week Ahead of "UFC 330: Makhachev vs. Machado Garry" on Saturday, August 15th with Season 10 Premiere of "Dana White's Contender Series" on August 11
"This Is UFC: Makhachev vs. Machado Garry" premieres this Friday, August 14 on CBS.

[08/10/26 - 09:00 AM]
Disney Entertainment Television Unveils Powerful Multiplatform Commemoration of the 25th Anniversary of September 11, 2001
Airing for the first time is "9/11 Tribute in Light: Live from Lower Manhattan," a one-hour ABC News multiplatform live special on Friday, Sept. 11 (8:00-9:00 p.m. EDT), across ABC, Disney+, Hulu, National Geographic, ABC Owned Television Stations livestreams and ABC News Live.

[08/10/26 - 08:01 AM]
Video: MGM+ Releases Official Trailer, Key Art and New Images for "American Hostage" Starring Jon Hamm
Co-created by Shawn Ryan and Eileen Myers, the eight-episode series debuts Sunday, September 20 with a two-episode premiere, followed by weekly episodes through the finale on Sunday, November 1 on MGM+.

[08/10/26 - 08:01 AM]
Apple and Major League Baseball Announce September "Friday Night Baseball" Schedule and First-Ever Broadcast in Apple Immersive
For the first time, baseball fans can take in all the action of "Friday Night Baseball" live in Apple Immersive on Apple Vision Pro, leveraging 3D video recorded in 8K with a 180-degree field of view.

[08/10/26 - 07:01 AM]
Netflix Rounds Out Cast of "The Sticks" and Shares a Behind-the-Scenes Sneak Peek
Scott Bakula, Logan Marshall-Green, Alex MacIsaac and more will round out the cast for "The Sticks" (FKA "Untitled Hockey Project"), the official title for the heartwarming and inspirational drama series created by Nick Naveda.

[08/10/26 - 07:01 AM]
Video: "Drawn Together" - Official Trailer - Prime Video
The film premieres September 9 on Prime Video.

[08/10/26 - 07:00 AM]
Disney+, Hulu and iHeartMedia Announce Video Podcast Deal Beginning with Hit iHeartPodcast "Hey Jonas!"
Leading up to the premiere of "Camp Rock 3" on Disney+, "Hey Jonas!" will simultaneously debut on Disney+ and Hulu on August 14 with a new episode highlighting "Camp Rock," and will continue with additional episodes of Kevin, Joe, and Nick Jonas live at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event that weekend.