The Daily Beast: "TV Upfronts 2013: NBC, ABC, CBS, Fox, and The CW By the Numbers"

Is your favorite show safe? I take a look at what’s on tap for the broadcast networks for the 2013-14 season, which shows are coming back, and which ones have gotten the axe.

At The Daily Beast, you can read my latest feature,
"TV Upfronts 2013: NBC, ABC, CBS, Fox, and The CW By the Numbers," in which I offer a running total (which will be updated throughout the next week) at all the broadcast network shows that have been renewed, ordered, and cancelled as we move into upfront presentations week for the broadcast networks.

Every May, advertisers and members of the press descend on New York City as the broadcast networks host their annual upfront presentations, where they will unveil their fall schedules, trot out talent, and announce which shows will be coming back next season and which ones won’t.

The Daily Beast will be reporting on every move being made by ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, and The CW as they prepare to launch their 2013-2014 schedules. As the week wears on, The Daily Beast will continue to update its gallery of new shows as the individual networks present their schedules and programming and report on what the networks’ top executives are saying.

This year’s crop of pilots was heavy on literary adaptations, period dramas, foreign formats (particularly of British, Spanish, and Israeli series), and remakes of movies (About a Boy! Beverly Hills Cop! Bad Teacher!) and old television shows (Ironside! The Tomorrow People!). Plus, there was not one, but two takes on Alice in Wonderland, proving that fairy tales are again a hot commodity this year. Will Joss Whedon’s white-hot Avengers television spinoff, Marvel’s S.H.I.E.L.D., make it to the airwaves? Will NBC take a chance on J.J. Abrams’ supernatural drama Believe, which revolves around a girl with unique abilities and the man who is assigned to protect her at all costs? Or will it be yet another year of doctors, lawyers, and cops?

Below you’ll find a guide to the week’s schedule of upfront presentations:

Monday, May 13: NBC
Monday, May 13: Fox
Tuesday, May 14: ABC
Wednesday, May 15: CBS
Thursday, May 16: The CW

In the meantime, here’s a scorecard—broken down by network—to help you keep track of which of the 100-plus network pilots have been picked up to series, which current shows will be returning next season, and which shows are now six feet under. (As renewals and cancelations come in, we will continue to update this list throughout the week or so.)


Continue reading at The Daily Beast...

The Daily Beast: "Bring on the New Shows!" (Upfronts 2012)

Over at The Daily Beast, we're keeping you up-to-date with all of the news, renewals, cancellations, and series orders coming out of this week's broadcast network upfronts.

You can read our Network Scorecard, which keeps track of all of the renewals and cancelations as well as reactions to the scheduling changes and check out video promos for all of the networks' new shows. And you can read detailed descriptions--as well as insider information--about all of the new series heading to your television in the fall and spring.

Jace Lacob and Maria Elena Fernandez take a look at what’s coming up and what’s coming back on TV this fall as television's network upfronts week comes to a close. The CW moved Supernatural to Wednesdays, ordered five new shows, renewed Hart of Dixie, and canceled Secret Circle and Ringer. CBS moved Two and a Half Men to Thursdays and The Mentalist to Sundays, while The Good Wife is staying put. ABC renewed Revenge (moving it to Sundays at 9 p.m.), Modern Family, Grey's Anatomy, Suburgatory, and several others. Fox renewed Touch (and it moved it to Fridays), canceled Alcatraz, moved Glee to Thursdays, and ordered Kevin Williamson's The Following and several comedies, including one from The Office's Mindy Kaling. NBC renewed Community (which moves to Friday this fall), Parks and Recreation, Parenthood, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and 30 Rock, and ordered 10 new shows, including a comedy with Matthew Perry, serial killer drama Hannibal, the Dick Wolf-produced Chicago Fire, and J.J. Abrams action drama Revolution. Read our analysis of all of the networks' 37 new series and counting!

Continue reading at The Daily Beast...

The Daily Beast: "HBO Axes Michael Mann/David Milch Drama Luck"

Nick Nolte in HBO's 'Luck', Gusmano Cesaretti / HBO

After the death of a third horse on set, HBO has announced the end of Luck.

Over at The Daily Beast, you can read my take on HBO's decision to cancel Luck, just weeks after a second-season renewal on the Michael Mann-David Milch horseracing drama.

Luck has appeared to run out for HBO's Luck. Following a third horse death on the set of the racetrack drama, as first reported Tuesday by TMZ, premium cable network HBO today announced that it has decided to stop production on the low-rated show, citing animal-safety concerns. Luck, created by Michael Mann and David Milch, had already been renewed for a second season, despite meager ratings. “The two of us loved this series, loved the cast, crew and writers," Milch and Mann wrote in a joint statement. "This has been a tremendous collaboration and one that we plan to continue in the future.”

The nine episodes comprising Season 1 of Luck were already completed and sent to critics late last year. The production shutdown will affect only the show's second season, which was scheduled to air in 2013; the network will reportedly air all the remaining episodes from the first season.

"Safety is always of paramount concern," said HBO in a prepared statement that went out to press this afternoon. "We maintained the highest safety standards throughout production, higher in fact than any protocols existing in horseracing anywhere with many fewer incidents than occur in racing or than befall horses normally in barns at night or pastures. While we maintained the highest safety standards possible, accidents unfortunately happen and it is impossible to guarantee they won’t in the future. Accordingly, we have reached this difficult decision."

Continue reading at The Daily Beast...

The Daily Beast: "Desperate Times for TV Networks"

The fall of 2004 kicked off a television season that brought us some of the biggest hits of the last decade, launching Lost, Desperate Housewives, Grey’s Anatomy, and House. Seven years later, those supernovas are either burning out or dead altogether, victims of audience fatigue or oversight, as their once-huge numbers dwindled year after year.

ABC announced on Sunday that Desperate Housewives will end its run in May—-the demise of the once powerful drama signals a death knell for serialized storytelling at the broadcast networks.

Over at The Daily Beast, you can read my latest feature, "Desperate Times for TV Networks," in which I examine the death of massively popular scripted TV, with the announcement that long-running drama Desperate Housewives is to end.

Have the days of 2004-05 season--and those massive ratings--gone for good? Does Terra Nova have a chance in hell? Head to the comments section to discuss and debate.

Brilliant But Canceled: FX's John Landgraf on Terriers' Cancellation

Critics and audiences alike were disheartened--if unsurprised--by FX's decision to cancel the critically-adored but low-rated freshman drama series Terriers this morning.

The announcement about the fate of Terriers, created by Ted Griffin and executive produced by Shawn Ryan, was made via a PR email to press members, which promised further information and a statement from FX president John Landgraf at an unprecedented telephone press conference later today.

Many of us were curious to see just what Landgraf had to say about the network's decision not to bring Terriers back for a second season (and why he was willing to host this conference call), though the writing was on the wall for the drama, considering the ratings chart that FX sent out this morning, which compared Terriers's thirteen-episode run with that of fellow FX series Dirt, Damages, The Riches, and Over There, all of which were canceled by FX yet all had significantly higher ratings than Terriers (more than two times), particularly in the key Adults 18-49 demographic.

(It's worth noting that Damages was rescued from the scrapyard by DirecTV's The 101 Network, which will air the next two seasons exclusively.)

Landgraf said that he had met with Ted Griffin, Shawn Ryan, and Tim Minear on Friday to have a "postmortem" for the show and told them that the network would not be picking up Terriers for a second season. Landgraf called New York Magazine's decision to name Terriers as the third best show of 2010 "bittersweet."

The reason behind the call with press? An effort at transparency, which is something that Landgraf believes in both internally and externally. Given the support the show received from the creative community, Landgraf didn't want press to speculate about why the show was axed.

Landgraf did take some umbrage at the notion that the terrier-centric billboard campaigns in New York and Los Angeles affected the ratings (he went as far as saying that FX's marketing team had unfairly taken the blame for the series' failure), particularly as the on-air campaign tested well with the network's 600-person focus group, who felt that it captured the tone, setting, and plot of Terriers.

"For whatever reason the show didn't work, it wasn't because the promos didn't show Donal Logue and Michael Raymond-James..."

So what did the postmortem findings show about why Terriers failed?

"People felt the show was compatible with the FX brand but dissimilar to other FX shows," said Landgraf about the postmortem he had with the series' producers. "The things that were wonderful about the show were subtle... It had a subtle charm that crept up on you. [But] I don't know if subtlety is something that the American public is buying in droves today."

(Interestingly, the focus group testing showed that the perception was that Terriers was "less sexy [and] less edgy" than FX's other programming.)

The numbers, according to Landgraf, further supported this: Terriers was losing 47 percent of its lead-in audience an dropped an average of 16 percent over the course of its hour run.

"What would I have done differently? At a minimum, I'd probably call it 'Terriers: PIs," said Landgraf, chuckling.

"The show failed to launch," he continued. "It was the weakest premiere that FX has ever had... One of the luxuries that cablers have that broadcasters don't is that we could leave it on-air... You put things out there, you give people the opportunity to find it and sample it, and talk to their friends."

He pointed out that FX's upcoming drama Lights Out is unique in the respect that it's the only show featuring an ex-boxer trying to make it, whereas there is a lot of familiarity with buddy private detectives. Clearly, FX couldn't make the public feel that Terriers was innately different or superior to those similar series that came before.

"There's a relatively low correlation between excellence and commercial success," said Landgraf, who went on to say that FX is committed to finding the overlap. "We just try to make really good shows."

"Part of what was great about Terriers was its integrity and its subtlety. Season Two would have been great and it would have been better than the first. But the question was, can we at FX justify [a second season] as a business?"

Despite being heartbroken about FX's decision, I do applaud Landgraf for taking the time to make the network's decision-making process transparent and speaking to press about the reasons and rationale behind the cancellation. Series, even beloved ones, get axed all the time without the sensitivity and grace shown by FX in this case. ("I'm glad that some people saw it and loved it," he said courteously thanking members of the press for supporting the show and writing about it. "That's not nothing.")

"One of the things we've done well is take risks and continue to put shows on the air," said Langraf. "The reality is that this is hard when you're aiming for creative excellence... and commercial success," said Landgraf, somberly.

"This isn't the first really good show that we've had to cancel and it won't be the last."

Putting the Dog to Sleep: FX Cancels Terriers

It's official: FX has opted not to move ahead with Ted Griffin and Shawn Ryan's brilliant PI drama Terriers.

The news of the cancellation was announced this morning by FX SVP of Media Relations, John Solberg, in an email to members of the press which invited us to participate in a conference call with FX president John Landgraf later this morning, in which Landgraf would discuss the network's decision not to order a second season of Terriers.

The cancellation hits amid a fall season that hasn't generated too many hits, either critical or audience ones. (In fact, the only two new series that I fell in love with this fall season were Terriers and Boardwalk Empire, which should say something about the lackluster nature of the offerings this season>.)

Hank and Britt's tagline may have been "too small to fail," but in the end it seems that Terriers itself was too small to succeed. Despite its creative triumph, the series was undone by low ratings, a terrible title, an even worse marketing campaign, the FX/Dish carriage dispute, and audience apathy.

Which is a real shame, as the public missed out on a remarkable series that those of us who tuned in week after week had fallen head over heels in love with. I've already written about the joys of watching this beautiful, introspective, and genre-busting series over in another post, "Don't Put This Dog Down: TV Needs FX's Terriers," so I won't reiterate my thoughts again here. (Though I urge you to check it out as it will be, tragically, a eulogy for the already mourned show.)

If I'm being honest, I'll say that it was a longshot for Terriers to get renewed, given the ratings that it had achieved in the 13-episode run but it would also have been a triumph of the medium--and of creative achievement--if FX had given the show a reprieve and allowed it time to grow... and time for the audience to discover it on DVD.

Alas, it was not meant to be. The cancellation shows once again that television might be a medium but it's also a business, even in the more creatively charged waters of cable.

I loved Terriers and I was continually astounded and impressed with what Griffin, Ryan, the writers, and the series' talented group of actors, was able to achieve in the thirteen episodes allotted to them. Even if this is the end for this amazing series, I did relish every minute of those thirteen episodes, every pithy line of dialogue, every hard moment of emotion, and every smile that passed between Hank (Donal Logue) and Britt (Michael Raymond-James).

Ultimately, Terriers might be too small to fail, but it's not small enough that it will fade from memory any time soon. You and your maverick spirit will be missed, my scrappy friend.

Not So Lucky Four-Leaf Clover: AMC Cancels Rubicon

It's official: AMC has announced that they will not be renewing Rubicon for a second season. The series, produced by Warner Horizon Television, premiered in early August on AMC.

AMC made the following statement about the cancellation:

"Rubicon gave us an opportunity to tell a rich and compelling story, and we're proud of the series. This was not an easy decision, but we are grateful to have had the opportunity to work with such a phenomenally talented and dedicated team."

I do have to say that I'm surprised by the decision, given that when I met with AMC President and General Manager Charlie Collier and Joel Stillerman, senior vice president of original programming, a few weeks back for a feature for The Daily Beast, they seemed more positive about a possible pickup, telling me that a decision would be reached in the next few weeks.

It was.

Rubicon, despite its much publicized launch numbers (at the time the highest rated original series launch for the network), ended with relatively low numbers, even for AMC. (The first and only season ended with just with 1.04 million viewers overall.)

What do you think of the news? Has AMC made a mistake ending Rubicon? Or did you tune out along the way? Head to the comments section to discuss.

The Daily Beast: "Is J.J. Abrams Too Big for TV?"

Sci-fi auteur Abrams' latest TV show, Undercovers, has gotten the axe at NBC.

Over at The Daily Beast, I take look at what went wrong and why TV needs a fully-committed, not watered down, Abrams in my latest feature, "Is J.J. Abrams Too Big for TV?"

Do you agree with my assessment? Did you try to watch Undercovers? Do you miss the days of Lost, Alias, and Felicity? Should Abrams be more committed to these television endeavors even as his feature film career skyrockets? Or is it a case of over-committing, audience expectations, or creative partnerships? Head to the comments section to discuss.

Syfy's Caprica is Toast; Better News for Bored to Death and Eastbound and Down

Bad news for Caprica fans.

Syfy has axed the Battlestar Galactica prequel spinoff and will be pulling the remaining episodes from the schedule, effective immediately.

Which doesn't mean that you won't get to see how the season ended. Syfy also announced that it would air the remaining five episodes sometime next year, according to the press release:

"The remaining first run episodes of Caprica -- airing Tuesdays at 10/9c -- will be removed from the schedule as of next Tuesday, November 2. These final five episodes of the season will be re-scheduled to air at a to-be-announced time in the first quarter of 2011, and will conclude the run of the series."

News comes on the heels that the cabler has ordered a pilot for another Battlestar Galactica prequel series, entitled Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome, which will return the series' setting to war-torn battles and Viper maneuvers. (I had wondered just what Syfy would do with Caprica last week when that announcement was made.)

"We appreciate all the support that fans have shown for Caprica and are very proud of the producers, cast, writers and the rest of the amazing team that has been committed to this fine series," said Syfy programming chief Mark Stern in a statement. "Unfortunately, despite its obvious quality, Caprica has not been able to build the audience necessary to justify a second season."

No word on just when those remaining episodes will unspool but the fact that Syfy has yanked the series from its lineup--a real rarity among cable networks--points towards just how dismal the ratings were for this Syfy original series, ratings that likely weren't helped by the move to Tuesday evenings at 10 pm where there was a hell of a lot more competition from the broadcast networks than on Fridays.

The news was better for fans of HBO's edgy comedies Bored to Death and Eastbound and Down, both of which were renewed yesterday for third seasons.

I've seen the remaining episodes of this current season of Bored to Death and thought they were among the series' sharpest and most nuanced to date. Fun, hilarious, and meaningful. I'm going to miss this show between seasons. Bored to Death has consistently emerged as one of the most underrated comedic gems on television. I'm glad to see HBO giving it a vote of confidence with another season.

What do you make of the news? Is Syfy right to cancel Caprica? Are you sad to see it go? And are you happy by HBO's renewals for Bored to Death and Eastbound and Down? Discuss.

Channel Surfing: ABC Axes My Generation, David E. Kelley to Tackle Wonder Woman, Spartacus, Lara Flynn Boyle, and More

Welcome to your Monday morning television briefing.

And another one bites the dust. The axe has fallen on Noah Hawley's drama My Generation, which was cancelled by ABC after just two episodes. Production has come to a screeching halt on the series, which debuted to more than 5 million viewers in its initial airing and then plummeted a staggering 31 percent for the second episode. ABC has yet to announce a replacement for My Generation, which had the Thursday evening at 8 pm ET/PT timeslot. News comes on the heels of FOX's decision to can Lone Star after two airings, while all eyes are on ABC's Whole Truth and NBC's Outlaw, which mark the two most likely targets for cancellation, should ratings not improve. (Hollywood Reporter's The Live Feed)

Better fire up that invisible plane: The Hollywood Reporter's James Hibberd and Borys Kit are reporting that Warner Bros. Television is said to be developing a modern-day take on DC Comics' Wonder Woman for television rather than film this time around. (Joss Whedon had attempted to write a Wonder Woman feature film script back in 2005 and Deborah Joy LeVine attempted to launch a small screen version in 1998. Of course, Lynda Carter very famously played Diana Prince in the 1975-79 television series.) But the interesting news is who Warners has pacted with to write and executive produce the potential series: Ally McBeal creator David E. Kelley. [Editor: While I applaud the effort of Warner Bros. Television to return this icon to the small screen, I can't help but scratch my head about the decision to go with Kelley, who is based at the studio. Odd.] (Hollywood Reporter's The Live Feed)

Pay cabler Starz is said to be considering "all options" when looking at the future of its brand-defining series Spartacus after series lead Andy Whitfield had to bow out due to his battle with cancer. While Starz president/CEO Chris Albrecht said that "hopefully" Spartacus will return, there is no certainty that the series will return for its planned second season, though there is the possibility of recasting Whitfield's role. "If not, we'll have something else in the fourth quarter," Albrecht told The Hollywood Reporter. (Hollywood Reporter)

Deadline's Nellie Andreeva is reporting that E! has ordered a pilot presentation for an untitled docuseries focusing on actress Lara Flynn Boyle, best known for her roles on ABC's The Practice and Twin Peaks. The potential project would, according to Andreeva, "follow the Practice alumna as she splits her time between her life in Texas and her marriage to real estate investor Donald Ray Thomas II and her Hollywood-centric lifestyle in Bel Air." (Deadline)

Now this I'd like to see: one name that's being bandied around as a potential entertainment president for NBC is former Showtime topper Robert Greenblatt, who stepped down from the pay cabler earlier this year. Rumors are flying that Greenblatt is being groomed for an oversight role at the network after the merger with Comcast goes through. "It's spectacular," said Paradigm TV agent Debbee Klein said about Comcast possibly considering Greenblatt for the role. "They haven't had an executive of his stature since Grant Tinker and Brandon Tartikoff. The writing community would make NBC a must-stop destination if he's at the helm... He's not just a guy who does one thing well. He's patient and has a very keen sense of material. He knows how to work with writers without stepping on their voice. Very few executives have that ability, such as [CBS entertainment president] Nina Tassler." Hmmm... (Hollywood Reporter)

E! Online's Jennifer Arrow has a series of first-look videos from this week's Grey's Anatomy/Private Practice crossover. (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)

ABC is developing an untitled comedy vehicle for Damon Wayans (My Wife and Kids) that will reteam him with Don Reo. (Variety)

Elsewhere, Lifetime has ordered a pilot for an untitled drama about the female head of a university hospital psych department. Project, from writer/executive producer Michael Sardo and executive producer Gerard Bocaccio, "revolves around a woman who moves to Philadelphia to work as chief of staff in the psychiatry department alongside her sister and a diverse staff." (Variety)

TV Guide Magazine's Will Keck has details about Amber Tamblyn's character on FOX's House, where she has signed on to a multiple-episode story arc as medical student Martha M. Masters. (TV Guide Magazine)

FOX has ordered pilot presentations for three Sony Pictures Television-produced animated comedies, including So Cal, Swell, and Sunflower Ponds. Talent involved includes Josh Faure-Brac, Doug Robinson, Kevin Ceil, Andy Riley, Anthony and Joe Russo, Reed Agnre, Eli Jorne, and Jamie Tarses. (Variety)

UK satcaster Sky has acquired UK rights to TV Land comedy Hot in Cleveland, which stars Jane Leeves and Betty White. (Broadcast)

Stay tuned.

The Daily Beast: "Lone Star and 10 Other Quickly-Canceled TV Shows"

While the cancellation of FOX's con man drama Lone Star took no one watching the ratings by surprise, some pointed towards the fact that FOX didn't let the show find an audience, axing it after just two low-rated airings.

While such early cancellations might be rare, it doesn't mean that they don't happen. Over at The Daily Beast, I take a look at ten other early cancellations from the last ten years, from Viva Laughlin to reality duds like The Will. (Remember that gem?) You can read my latest feature "10 Most Quickly Axed Shows of the Last 10 Years" here.

(And, before you say it, I know that Wonderland and Girls Club were also canned after two episodes. Couldn't fit everything in there, sadly!)

Also, out of morbid curiosity: do any of the entries on this list ring a bell to you?

Channel Surfing: FOX Axes Lone Star, Lie to Me Moves to Mon and Human Target to Wed, Josh Schwartz/Rachel Bilson's Ghost and More

Welcome to your Wednesday morning television briefing.

It's official: the axe has fallen on FOX's low-rated con-man drama Lone Star after just two episodes. The initial outing for the James Wolk-led ensemble drama lured only 4 million viewers or so and the second episode saw its fortunes decline further still, with only 3.2 million tuning in. Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that production on the 20th Cenutyr Fox Television-produced drama will shut down immediately. “We will have shot five completed episodes after the pilot,” a studio spokesperson told Ausiello, “and will not complete principal photography on episode 106.” No word on the fate of the four unaired episodes that have already been shot. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

[Editor: As one unnamed network insider told Variety's Michael Schneider: "The viewers have spoken." Meanwhile, AOL Television's Maureen Ryan explores her take on what the cancellation of Lone Star means for the broadcast networks, which can be read here.]

FOX meanwhile has announced its timeslot replacement for Lone Star, moving the third season of Lie to Me--which wasn't expected to return to the lineup until November--to Mondays at 9 pm ET/PT beginning next week, while Human Target, slated to air on Fridays, will now move to Wednesdays at 8 pm, where it will fill in the gap left by Lie to Me's shift to Monday beginning November 17th... though it was meant to debut this Friday. FOX will fill that timeslot with repeats of House. Whew. (via press release)

Deadline's Nellie Andreeva is reporting that NBC has ordered a pilot for the as-yet-unwritten supernatural romantic comedy Ghost Angeles, from executive producer Josh Schwartz (Chuck) and star Rachel Bilson (The O.C.). Project, from Warner Bros. Television, will also be executive produced by Henry Alonso Myers, Stephanie Savage, and Leonard Goldstein. "Schwartz and Henry Alonso Myers (Ugly Betty) co-created Ghost Angeles and will write it together," writes Andreeva. "Details on the project are being kept under wraps but, according to a concept circulated around, it centers on a young woman in Los Angeles who can talk to the dead, helping the spirits as much as they are helping her." (Deadline)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that ex-Heroes star Jack Coleman will guest star in an upcoming episode of NBC's The Office, where he is expected to play a government official with “Jon Hamm-esque wholesomeness,” according to an unnamed source. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

The Hollywood Reporter's Matthew Belloni is reporting that three of the stars of Discovery's Deadliest Catch--Capts. Johnathan and Andy Hillstrand (who were sued by the network for not appearing for work on a spinoff) and Capt. Sig Hansen--have quit the production. "We have been through a lot over the past year and unfortunately given the current situation with Discovery we are unable to continue participating in Deadliest Catch," said the fisherman in a joint statement. "It has been a fantastic ride, and we wish the best to all of the amazing and supportive 'Catch' fans we have met over the years." (Hollywood Reporter's THR, Esq.)

DirecTV's The 101 network has signed deals with BBC Worldwide to acquire US broadcast rights to three British comedies, including ITV's No Heroics (launching November 4th), short-lived BBC dramedy Mutual Friends (launching November 3rd), and How Not to Live Your Live (November 4th). (Variety)

Casting round-up: Rachel Nichols (Alias) has been cast in a multiple-episode story arc on CBS' Criminal Minds, where she will play FBI cadet Ashley Seager; she's slated to appear in three episodes. Elsewhere, Izabella Miko (Coyote Ugly) will appear in a five-episode arc on NBC's midseason superhero drama The Cape. (Deadline)

Catherine Dent (The Shield) will join the cast of CBS' NCIS for a two episode arc, according to Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello. She'll play Whitney Sharp, described as "a former NCIS agent who shares a past with Ducky" (David McCallum) who is "educated, bright, and extremely capable federal agent who had an eye for talent and a tongue for persuasion back in the day." Her episodes are slated to air in November. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Pilot orders for four projects at ABC Family: Nine Lives, Switched at Birth, Strut, and The Lying Game. (Variety)

Lifetime has ordered eight episodes of a US adaptation of British reality format The Fairy Jobmother, which will launch October 28th. (Variety)

Stay tuned.

Channel Surfing: TBS Axes My Boys, John Schneider to Wisteria Lane, Top Chef: Just Desserts, Terra Nova, and More

Welcome to your Wednesday morning television briefing.

It's official: TBS has cancelled comedy My Boys after four seasons. News comes after series stars Jordana Spiro and Kyle Howard had to withdraw from pilots that had been ordered to series due to their first position on the TBS comedy, whose days many suspected were already numbered. According to Variety's Jon Weisman, roughly 14 months passed between the end of the third season and the beginning of the fourth season, which kicked off in July. One cast member--Jim Gaffigan--left between the seasons. Spiro's role on Love Bites was eliminated when she was unavailable as the show under went some retooling. (Variety)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that John Schneider (Smallville) has been cast in a multiple-episode story arc on ABC's Desperate Housewives this season, where he will play the father to Brian Austin Green's Keith, the new handyman/contractor overseeing the remodeling of the home of Marcia Cross' Bree. Schneider will make his first appearance in Season Seven's seventh episode. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

TVGuide.com's Gina DiNunno has an interview with Top Chef: Just Desserts host/judge Gail Simmons about the culinary competition series launching tonight (after the season finale of Top Chef). "Pastry chefs are so precise and so exacting [that] it really does come out in their personalities," said Simmons. "And they're artists, so with that comes a lot of drama. ... I mean, there's a lot of strategy and sabotage, and what's amazing is that desserts sort of lend themselves to that because they're so delicate and so fragile that you kind of have to guard them with your life or else it all could be lost." (TVGuide.com)

Entertainment Weekly's Lynette Rice has confirmed that Stephen Lang (Avatar)--reported by Deadline to be in talks to join the cast of FOX's Terra Nova--is indeed in talks to do just that. Lang would star opposite Jason O'Mara and Allison Miller in the project, which recounts the adventures of a family from the future who travels back to prehistoric times as part of a project to save the human race. Lang would play "the merciless leader of a prehistoric settlement." Series is slated to launch in fall 2011 after a sneak peek next May. (Entertainment Weekly's Hollywood Insider)

All is not well behind the scenes on Terra Nova, however. Executive producer David Fury--known for his work on 24 and in the Whedonverse--has exited the project, citing "creative differences." Fury had been serving as co-showrunner on the FOX project, alongside Brannon Braga, who will now become the series' sole showrunner. (Variety)

SPOILER! TV Guide Magazine's Will Keck talks to Bones star Michaela Conlin about just what she and Hodgins will be bringing back from Paris when the series returns on September 23rd. "Angela's pregnant!" said Conlin. "I have to be honest, at first I was a little hesitant. To marry this wild child off and get her pregnant had me worried that this would limit her, story-wise. But I now feel, getting in to the sixth season, it's going to be interesting to see her try to fit her wild life into this maternal situation." Look for Angela's pregnancy to have a major effect on Brennan meanwhile. (TV Guide Magazine)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Rachael Taylor (Transformers) has been cast in a multiple-episode story arc on ABC's Grey's Anatomy this season. "Taylor’s character is still being conceived—she’s not scheduled to debut until midseason—but a Grey’s insider confirms that she will be playing a (surprise!) doctor," writes Ausiello. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

MTV has ordered two scripted pilots: That Girl, a coming of age comedy about "a 15-year-old misfit who suddenly becomes the center of attention after the kids in school mistakingly believe she tried to commit suicide," from creator Lauren Iungerich; and horror comedy Death Valley, about a division of the LAPD that focuses on supernatural threats, from executive producers Austin Reading, Jilie Kellman Reading, Eric Weinberg, and Tim Healy. (Variety)

E! Online's Megan Masters has an exclusive first look at the tenth and final season of the CW's Smallville, which kicks off on September 24th. (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)

ABC is developing an untitled drama pilot about the vice president of the United States and his female chief of staff with writers/executive producers Sheldon Turner and Shaun Cassidy attached. "The drama, which comes with a strong dose of comedy, focuses on the underdog nature of the veep's team -- call it the political equivalent of Glee," writes Variety's Michael Schneider. "Untitled hour is less about politics and more about office dynamics, including a budding romance between the chief of staff and the veepee's son." (Variety)

Dylan Baker, Matthew Lillard, Amy Irving, and Jennifer Grey are all set to guest star on Season Seven of FOX's House, which kicks off on Monday evening. (Hollywood Reporter)

In other FOX casting news, Jamie Hector (The Wire, Heroes) will guest star in the third season premiere of Lie to Me, where he will play a character involved in a major bank heist. (Hollywood Reporter)

TNT is said to have renewed medical drama Hawthorne for a ten-episode third season, according to Deadline's Nellie Andreeva. Official word of the pickup will apparently come today. (Deadline)

Denise Richards has been cast in Season Two of Spike's Blue Mountain State, where she will play "the coach's contentious and meddling ex-wife Debra who adds to his troubles as he must deliver a winning season." (Hollywood Reporter)

BBC Two has renewed comedy Rev, created by and starring Tom Hollander, from Simon Pegg and Nira Park's Big Talk Prods. Series revolves around an inner city priest and is set to return for a second season in Fall of 2011, while the US cable networks are said to be sniffing around a potential American remake. (Deadline)

In other UK-centric news, Comedy Central has given a pilot order to a US remake of BBC Two's Time Trumpet, created by Armando Iannucci, which offers a take on the current news from the perspective of the future. Should it be ordered to series, the format would likely launch in late 2011 or 2012. (Hollywood Reporter)

Syfy has promoted three executives: Tim Krubsack has been upped to senior VP of alternative programming, Lucia Gervino to senior VP of production, and Erika Kennair will now serve as VP of original programming and development. (Variety)

Stay tuned.

Channel Surfing: No Ordinary Family Cuts Two, Emily Deschanel Talks Booth/Brennan Romance, HBO Axes Tim, Parks and Rec, and More

Welcome to your Friday morning television briefing.

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that ABC's upcoming superhero drama No Ordinary Family is undergoing some casting changes as Tate Donovan (Damages) and Christina Chang (CSI: Miami). The actors respectively played the family's doomed pilot and a detective at the precinct where Michael Chiklis' character worked as a police sketch artist. An unnamed source close to the production told Ausiello that the decision was storyline-based and that producers hoped to bring both actors back in a guest starring capacity if their schedules allowed for it. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

E! Online's Kristin Dos Santos has an interview with Bones star Emily Deschanel, in which she asks the actress about the will-they-or-won't-they romance between Brennan and David Boreanaz's Booth. So will the star-crossed duo ever come together? "[In] the 100th episode we came very close," Deschanel told Dos Santos. "And I think we keep moving forward... I was just talking to Hart Hanson, the creator of our show, about if Booth and Brennan get together in the next season, and I can't tell you what we decided." (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)

Deadline's Nellie Andreeva is reporting that HBO has cancelled animated comedy The Life and Times of Tim... but studio Media Rights Capital is said to be shopping the Steve Dildarian-created series to other outlets, including Comedy Central, Adult Swim, and TBS. "A deal would be complex as it would include the existing 20 episodes as well as a potential new season of the show," writes Andreeva. [Editor: I heard about this a few days ago and was crushed to learn of HBO's decision as I adore Tim and hope it finds a new home soon.] (Deadline)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Saturday Night Live (and MacGruber) star Will Forte is set to guest star in a third season episode of NBC's Parks and Recreation, which will return to the lineup in midseason. "The MacGruber spoofster will play a Pawnee resident whose obsession with the Twilight franchise complicates a pet project Poehler’s Leslie is working on," writes Ausiello. "Hint: Think time capsule."

Starz has unveiled its cast for its ten-episode medieval drama Camelot, set to premiere in early 2011. The cast of the international co-production will include Joseph Fiennes (FlashForward) as Merlin, Eva Green (Casino Royale) as Morgana, Jamie Campbell Bower (The Prisoner) as Arthur, and Tamsin Egerton as Guinevere. "With Joseph Fiennes, Eva Green, Jamie Campbell Bower and Tamsin Egerton in the cast, we've got actors who can bring real passion and intensity to their roles," said Starz President and CEO Chris Albrecht in a statement. (via press release)

CBS is said to have given a thirteen-episode order to comedy Mad Love, created by Matt Tarses, and will air the Sony Pictures Television-produced series in midseason, according to Entertainment Weekly's Lynette Rice. Project stars Minka Kelly (Friday Night Lights) Lizzy Caplan (Party Down), and Jason Biggs (American Pie). (Entertainment Weekly's Hollywood Insider)

Ira Ungerleider has been hired as showrunner and executive producer of NBC's upcoming comedy series Friends with Benefits, from 20th Century Fox Television. As part of his deal, Underleider has also signed a blind script deal with the studio. (Variety)

Entertainment Weekly's Lynette Rice is reporting that Lauralee Bell will reprise her role as Christine Blair on CBS soap The Young and the Restless beginning July 15th. "Her return is expected to last about a month, during which time Christine will reunite with Paul and Nina," writes Rice, "and harbor some secrets that will impact them and their children." (Entertainment Weekly's Hollywood Insider)

HBO has ordered a documentary based on Carrie Fisher's one-woman show Wishful Drinking, which will mix segments from the stage show with archival footage and interviews. (Variety)

BSkyB signed a deal to purchase Virgin Media Television's portfolio of channels, which includes Bravo and Living and five other webs in the UK. The deal, hailed by BSkyB CEO Jeremy Darroch as "an attractive investment opportunity which complements our existing content business and delivers strategic and financial benefits," is subject to regulatory approval. (Variety)

Stay tuned.

Channel Surfing: Amy Ryan Nabs In Treatment Role, Jessalyn Gilsig Talks Glee, Sanaa Lathan Spies Tilda, and More

Welcome to your Thursday morning television briefing.

Deadline's Nellie Andreeva is reporting that Amy Ryan (The Office, The Wire) has landed a role on Season Three of HBO's psychiatric drama In Treatment, where she will play the new therapist for Gabriel Byrne's Paul. That role was formerly supplied by Dianne Wiest's Gina, who was Paul's mentor/psychotherapist for the first two seasons. (Wiest has departed the series.) [Editor: it's about high time that Ryan had a regular gig on a series. She's been a favorite since her turn on The Wire as Beadie, so it's only fitting that she returns to HBO for In Treatnment.] (Deadline)

E! Online's Kristin Dos Santos has an interview with Glee's Jessalyn Gilsig, who plays Will's scheming ex-wife Terri. So will Terri be returning for Season Two of Glee? And just what was up with her potentially inappropriate interest in Finn (Cory Monteith)? While Gilsig admits that she hasn't yet received her official pickup from FOX for next season, she did discuss what happened with Finn in this week's episode ("Funk"). "What happened was completely by accident," Gilsig told E! Online about Terri's relationship with Finn. "She sees in Finn so much of what she saw in Will when she first met him because he's the same age as Will was. It's her way of remembering happier times—when she used to be kind to Will. And she realizes, here's a chance to be supportive of this kid." (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)

Sanaa Lathan (Nip/Tuck) is the latest actor to board HBO's comedy pilot Tilda, which stars Diane Keaton, Jason Patric, and Ellen Page, according to Deadline's Nellie Andreeva. Lathan will play Sasha Litt, described as "a mysterious new head of operations that RMG head Andrew Brown (Jason Patric) brings in to work at the studio." Production on the pilot, written by Cynthia Mort and directed by Bill Condon, is slated to get underway soon in Los Angeles. (Deadline)

ABC won't be coming to the rescue of cancelled CBS comedy series The New Adventures of Old Christine after talks broke down between ABC and studio Warner Bros. Television. "The network had showed strong interest in picking up Old Christine for the past three years," writes Deadline's Nellie Andreeva. "But when the show finally became available this year, a deal proved impossible to make as ABC was said to be unwilling to pay the high license fee needed to keep the veteran comedy series going." Which means that the Old Christine episode that aired May 12th will in fact serve as the series finale. (Deadline)

SPOILER! Leonard Nimoy has hinted that he might be returning to FOX's Fringe, despite the fact that his character, William Bell, appeared to have died in the season finale. "Do I think William Bell is really dead?" said Nimoy in a video on the official website. "This is science fiction. I have died in science fiction many times and somehow magically or scientifically come back. Given that he has disintegrated, what happens in the future remains to be seen." [Editor: his conjecture would also cast doubts upon Nimoy's "retirement" from acting as well.] (via Digital Spy)

What, was the title Conveyor Belt of Doom already taken? Chris Jericho will serve as host of ABC's "extreme game show" Downfall, set to air launch June 22nd. Series, which has been ordered for six episodes, will feature "contestants try to answer questions while on the roof of a Los Angeles high-rise. Meanwhile, 'the largest conveyor belt ever seen on TV' will send potential winnings (cash and prizes), the player's personal possessions and even friends and family over the side of the building." (Hollywood Reporter)

NBC Universal has signed a two-year overall deal with writer Lisa Zwerling (FlashForward), under which she will join the staff of NBC's upcoming drama series The Event as a consulting producer and develop new projects for Universal Media Studios. "Lisa is a breath of fresh air, so smart and passionate," said NBC Entertainment/Universal Media Studios drama exec VP Laura Lancaster told Variety. "We're impressed with her creative range and feel so fortunate she's decided to make UMS her home." (Variety)

"Sword of omens, give me sight beyond sight!" Cartoon Network has ordered a new animated series of ThunderCats (based on the much beloved 1980s animated series) from Warner Bros. Animation. "The update will combine swords and science with high-stakes battles as good and evil clash for the Stones of Power," writes The Hollywood Reporter's James Hibberd. News comes after Cartoon Network gave a series order to animated superhero project Green Lantern. (Hollywood Reporter)

BBC Worldwide America has hired former Nickelodeon executive Herb Scannell has the new president of U.S. operations, where he will oversee digital channel BBC America as well as BBC Worldwide America's US-based studio and production entity. "I would assume (BBC America) has more original shows launching than any other channel in cable TV," Scannell told Variety. "That's just by nature, given the number of shows coming from the BBC that haven't aired here in the States. I do have an interest in supplementing that with made-in-America shows that kind of have the three major attributes that make a BBC show: That they're smart, innovative and irreverent. Those are the key building blocks to think about programming wise and in branding." (Variety)

After nearly 40 years, the axe has fallen on Roy Clarke's long-running British comedy series Last Of The Summer Wine, which will end its run after more than 30 seasons this year, BBC One confirmed. "Last Of The Summer Wine has been part of BBC One for nearly 40 years," said Jay Hunt, Controller, BBC One, in a statement. "This wonderful final series is a fitting farewell to these much loved characters and I am delighted some of the channel's other heritage brands will be helping to say goodbye in style." (BBC)

Frances Berwick has been promoted to president of Bravo, filling a position that has been empty since Lauren Zalaznick was promoted to president of NBC Universal Women & Lifestyle Entertainment Networks in 2008. [Editor: congrats, Frances!] (Variety)

Stay tuned.

Channel Surfing: ABC Circles Alias Reboot, True Blood Werewolves, ABC Passes on Ghost Whisperer, Chuck, Doctor Who, and More

Welcome to your Friday morning television briefing.

Could ABC be dipping its toes back in the Alias well? According to a story by E! Online's Kristin Dos Santos, ABC Studios is said to be considering a reboot of J.J. Abrams' Alias, which starred Jennifer Garner as superspy Sydney Bristow. "It's only very initial talk at this point, but I'm told that the development folks over at the Alphabet network are considering doing a new version of Alias that would borrow some elements of the original series," writes Dos Santos. "But the series would most likely not include any sort of complex mythological throughline such as the Rambaldi prophecy (a storyline that lost some of the fans). According to this source, ABC is hoping to hold onto its lost Lost audience with a re-envisioned J.J. Abrams series, in light of FlashForward not working out so well. (It was canceled last week.)" [Editor: Interestingly, ABC seems slow to get back into the superspy game, with NBC's Chuck already on the air and J.J. Abrams' own Undercovers heading to the network this fall. I also question the wiseness of rebooting a series that only ended a few seasons back and which is closely associated with a particular lead actress.] (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)

UPDATE: The Wrap is reporting that the potential Alias reboot would be for first-run syndication (a la Legend of the Seeker) rather than for primetime broadcast on ABC. "Network stressed to TheWrap that the talks are in very early stages, and that Jennifer Garner would not be in any way involved," writes The Wrap's John Consoli. (The Wrap)

USA Today's Bill Keveney has an interview with the cast of HBO's True Blood about the third season of the vampire drama, which launches next month and brings a slew of werewolves to Bon Temps.It's just another element added to the supernatural craziness of it all," said Anna Paquin. "There's no way you can ever get bored on a show like this. When you think you've seen it all and done it all, something weirder and wilder comes out of the woodwork." (USA Today)

It's time for Ghost Whisperer to fade into the afterlife. Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that the CBS supernatural drama--which starred Jennifer Love Hewitt--will not be picked up by ABC. "After five wonderful seasons and over 100 episodes, we are disappointed to announce Ghost Whisperer will not be returning for a sixth season," said Ghost Whisperer executive producers Ian Sander and Kim Moses in a statement. "We’ve had an incredible experience and owe a debt of gratitude to everyone involved. We continue our relationship with ABC Studios and look forward to developing many more successful projects together in the future." ABC later confirmed the report via Variety's Michael Schneider. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files, Variety)

Jeffster! The Chicago Tribune's Maureen Ryan has an exclusive full-length look at the latest music video from Chuck's Jeffster, their hilariously low-rent version of Jon Bon Jovi's "Blaze of Glory." (Chicago Tribune's The Watcher)

Doctor Who executive producer Steven Moffat has teased details about the two-part finale of his first season of Doctor Who to Doctor Who Magazine, which concludes with the provocatively titled two-parter "The Pandorica Opens"--which will feature a cliffhanger for the Time Lord (Matt Smith) and his latest traveling companion (Karen Gillan)--and "The Big Bang." "It's not just the cliffhanger for Episode 12," Moffat told Doctor Who Magazine. "It's like the cliffhanger for every single episode up until that point. This is where the wheels come off. Everything the Doctor is running from lands on his head today." (via Digital Spy)

Entertainment Weekly's Lynette Rice is reporting that Alex Graves (Fringe) has signed on to direct the pilot for FOX's upcoming time travel/prehistoric drama Terra Nova, from executive producers Brannon Braga, Peter Chernin, and Steven Spielberg. (Entertainment Weekly's Hollywood Insider)

Little Britain creator/stars David Walliams and Matt Lucas are heading back to BBC One, with a new sketch comedy entitled Come Fly with Me, which will be set an airport and feature the comedy duo in a variety of guises. "It's thrilling that Matt and David's next big show will be on BBC One," said Jay Hunt, controller of BBC One. "They are uniquely talented comic writers and performers and Come Fly With Me is a wonderfully exciting idea." (BBC News)

Cartoon Network is prepping weekly animated series Green Lantern: The Animated Series. No information was immediately available other than the fact that the series will follow popular DC Comics character Green Lantern and will launch after this July's direct-to-DVD animated Green Lantern movie. (Hollywood Reporter)

Former Top Chef contestant Marcel Vigneron is heading to sci-fi territory. Syfy has announced that it has given series orders to three unscripted series, which it will launch later this year: Marcel's Quantum Kitchen, Paranormal Witness, and Face Off. (Variety)

Stay tuned.

Dancing with the Upfronts: CBS Axes Seven Series, CW Renews Two, Kills Melrose Place, Orders Nikita and Hellcats

A day ahead of its official upfront presentation, CBS announced that it had canceled seven series, including The New Adventures of Old Christine, Ghost Whisperer, Cold Case, Miami Medical, NUMB3RS, Gary Unmarried and Accidentally on Purpose and had issued reprieves for Medium and Rules of Engagement.

CBS is expected to announce orders for new dramas Hawaii Five-O, Defenders, and Blue Blood, comedies Bleep My Dad Says and Mike & Molly, and the untitled Criminal Minds spinoff.

It's still possible that the Warner Bros. Television-produced Old Christine could turn up on ABC as Steve McPherson has previously indicated his desire to acquire the Julia Louis-Dreyfus-led comedy should CBS opt not to renew it... and the same fate could hold true for supernatural drama Ghost Whisperer, which could be saved by ABC as well.

Charlie Sheen, meanwhile, has successfully concluded a contract renegotiation that will see him return to CBS' Two and a Half Men for two additional seasons. "To put a fitting end on the two and one-half months of whirlwind speculation, I'm looking forward to returning to my CBS home on Monday nights," said Sheen via a statement released by his publicist. "I want to thank (CBS Corp. president and CEO) Les Moonves for his support."

Over at the CW, the netlet announced that the axe had fallen on Melrose Place, finally ending months of certainty that the DOA series would be cancelled. However, the CW team did opt to renew on-the-bubble series Life Unexpected and One Tree Hill.

The netlet is expected to pickup two new dramas for next season: espionage actioner Nikita from Warner Bros. Television and college drama Hellcats, from CBS Television Studios and WBTV.

CBS will announce its fall schedule tomorrow, with the CW wrapping up upfronts week on Thursday.

The Daily Beast: "Bring On the New TV Shows!"

Over at The Daily Beast, I've been updating our gallery of new broadcast network television series, as the networks unveil their fall schedules and announce new programming at this week's upfronts.

You can check out the gallery at The Daily Beast and keep track of all of the renewals and cancellation by visiting my post "Bring On the New TV Shows!" (and get to the gallery directly by clicking here).

I'll be continually updating the gallery with new photography, descriptions (not pulled straight from the press releases, thank you very much), and tidbits that you won't see elsewhere.

In the meantime, I'm curious to know which new series are you most excited about? And which do you think are doomed to fail? Head to the comments section to discuss.

Dancing with the Upfronts: NBC Confirms Law & Order Cancellation, Orders Law & Order: Los Angeles

It's official: NBC has confirmed that it has canceled Law & Order, which will end its run on May 24th, tying with Gunsmoke for the title of longest running television drama.

News comes a day after conflicting reports about the fate of the original flavor Law & Order, which has aired on NBC for twenty seasons, but after news of eleventh hour talks evaporated, NBC confirmed the original report by Deadline that the axe had fallen on the historic series by releasing an official statement.

The same press release announced the renewal of Law & Order: SVU and confirmed rumors from several months back that the network was developing yet another iteration of the legal procedural, this time set in Los Angeles, and entitled Law & Order: Los Angeles (or just LOLA). The series, from executive producer Dick Wolf and Blake Masters (Brotherhood), is currently in pre-production. Any casting attachments have yet to be announced.

"The full measure of the collective contributions made by Dick Wolf and his Law & Order franchise over the last two decades to the success of NBC and Universal Media Studios cannot be overstated," said Jeff Gaspin, Chairman, NBC Universal Television Entertainment. "The legacy of his original Law & Order series will continue to make an impact like no other series before."

"Law & Order has been one of the most successful franchises in the history of television, which is why it is so critical that we continue this important brand and our relationship with Dick Wolf and his team with LOLA and Law & Order: SVU,” said Angela Bromstad, President, Primetime Entertainment, NBC and Universal Media Studios.

The full press release from NBC can be found below.

NBC ANNOUNCES PICKUPS FOR NEW DRAMA ‘LOLA’ (‘LAW & ORDER: LOS ANGELES’) AND RETURNING ‘LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT’ AND ‘LAW & ORDER’ ENDS ITS HISTORIC RUN ON NBC MAY 24
UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. – May 14, 2010 – NBC has picked up the new drama “LOLA” (“Law & Order: Los Angeles”) as well as renewed “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” for the 2010-11 season. In addition, NBC will end its historic and record-tying “Law & Order” when the mothership series concludes its 20th season on Monday, May 24 (10-11 p.m. ET).

The announcements were made today by Angela Bromstad, President, Primetime Entertainment, NBC and Universal Media Studios.

Jeff Gaspin, Chairman, NBC Universal Television Entertainment said, "The full measure of the collective contributions made by Dick Wolf and his 'Law & Order' franchise over the last two decades to the success of NBC and Universal Media Studios cannot be overstated. The legacy of his original ‘Law & Order’ series will continue to make an impact like no other series before."

Bromstad added: “‘Law & Order’ has been one of the most successful franchises in the history of television, which is why it is so critical that we continue this important brand and our relationship with Dick Wolf and his team with ‘LOLA’ and ‘Law & Order: SVU.’”

The brainchild of creator and Emmy Award winner Wolf, "Law & Order" has spawned one of the most successful brands in primetime television. It is the 1997 Emmy Award winner for Outstanding Drama Series and the record holder for the most consecutive (11) nominations in that category for a primetime series (tied with "Cheers" and "M*A*S*H"). It premiered on September 13, 1990, and eventually tied “Gunsmoke” as the longest-running drama series in television history.

The new “LOLA” (“Law & Order: Los Angeles”) is a procedural crime drama that will follow the theme and storylines similar to the “Law & Order”-brand series on the streets of Los Angeles. The series, from executive producer Dick Wolf and Blake Masters (“Brotherhood”), is a Wolf Films production in association with Universal Media Studios. Casting and pre-production work are continuing.

In its current 11th season, "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" has delivered a 2.9 rating, 8 share in adults 18-49 and 9.3 million viewers overall. "Law & Order: SVU" is NBC's #1 scripted series this season in total viewers. Since moving to Wednesdays (10-11 p.m. ET) on March 3, "SVU" is #1 in the time period in adults 18-49, adults 25-54 and other key ratings categories and has improved on NBC's average rating in the hour during the traditional 2008-09 season by 29 percent in adults 18-49.

“Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” is a hard-hitting and emotional series from NBC's "Law & Order" brand as it chronicles the Special Victims Unit of the New York Police Department, the elite squad of detectives who investigate sexually based crimes. The drama follows Detective Elliot Stabler (Emmy Award nominee Christopher Meloni), a seasoned veteran, and his partner, Detective Olivia Benson (Emmy and Golden Globe Award winner Mariska Hargitay), whose difficult past is the reason she joined the unit.

Captain Donald Cragen (Dann Florek) oversees the unit while Detective John Munch (Richard Belzer, "Homicide: Life on the Street") brings his acerbic wit and street-honed investigative skills to the team. Munch’s partner, Detective Odafin "Fin" Tutuola (Ice-T), adds his unique sense of humor and investigative experience. Forensic psychiatrist, George Huang (B.D. Wong) and Medical Examiner Melinda Warner (Tamara Tunie) uncover forensic evidence.

"Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" is a Wolf Films production in association with Universal Media Studios. Wolf is creator and executive producer; Neal Baer ("ER," "China Beach"), Ted Kotcheff ("Fun with Dick and Jane," "Weekend at Bernie's") and Jankowski are executive producers.

“Law & Order: Criminal Intent” continues to air in its ninth season on USA Network.

Channel Surfing: Chuck Renewed, ABC Keeps V But Not FlashForward, NBC's Law & Order Conundrum, Lost, and More

Welcome to your Friday morning television briefing.

Good news for Chuck fans: Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Chuck has been renewed for a fourth season of thirteen episodes, though NBC declined to comment on the report. While I had hoped for a full-season order, any Chuck is better than no Chuck, right? (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Good news as well for fans of the Visitors: ABC has reportedly given a thirteen-episode renewal to freshman sci-fi drama V. "V was likely a no-brainer, as ABC wants to bring back at least one frosh drama, and the alien thriller is showing signs of life," writes Variety's Michael Schneider. "Its fellow frosh sci-fi drama, FlashForward, is not." (Variety)

Yep, it's not looking good for FlashForward, which Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting has already been cancelled, along with Better Off Ted, Scrubs, and Romantically Challenged. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

After a day of back-and-forth about the fate of Law & Order, NBC is reportedly in talks to renew the legal procedural for a record-breaking 21st season. "The network has long intended to bring back the Dick Wolf-produced drama for one final season, allowing the show to top Gunsmoke as the longest-running drama in TV history," writes The Hollywood Reporter's James Hibberd. "But NBC's testy relationship with Wolf came to head Thursday when the producer rejected the network's offer to continue the show at a reduced license fee. Wolf's office told producers and some cast members that the drama had been canceled, triggering online reports that the show was finished." Apparently, those reports were premature, though it's possible that the eleventh hour talks could result in no deal, at which time Wolf could shop the series to cablers. TNT, meanwhile, denied reports that they are in talks with Wolf. (Hollywood Reporter)

The New York Times' Lorne Manley has a brand-new Q&A with Lost showrunner/executive producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse just ahead of the series finale of Lost, airing Sunday, May 23rd. "If there’s one word that we keep coming back to, it’s redemption," said Lindelof. "It is that idea of everybody has something to be redeemed for and the idea that that redemption doesn’t necessarily come from anywhere else other than internally. But in order to redeem yourself, you can only do it through a community. So the redemption theme started to kind of connect into 'live together, die alone,' which is that these people were all lone wolves who were complete strangers on an aircraft, even the ones who were flying together like Sun and Jin. Then let’s bring them together and through their experiences together allow themselves to be redeemed. When the show is firing on all pistons, that’s the kind of storytelling that we’re doing. I think we’ve always said that the characters of Lost are deeply flawed, but when you look at their flashback stories, they’re all victims. Kate was a victim before she killed her stepfather. Sawyer’s parents killed themselves as he was hiding under the bed. Jack’s dad was a drunk who berated him as a child. Sayid was manipulated by the American government into torturing somebody else. John Locke had his kidney stolen. This idea of saying this bad thing happened to me and I’m a victim and it created some bad behavior and now I’m going to take responsibility for that and allow myself to be redeemed by community with other people, that seems to be the theme that we keep coming back to." (The New York Times)

ABC has picked up six new series for the 2010-11 season: comedies Mr. Sunshine, Happy Endings, and Better Together and dramas My Generation (formerly known as Generation Y), The Whole Truth, and Detroit 187. Variety's Michael Schneider is also reporting that Wright vs. Wrong could still be in contention. (Variety)

Deadline's Nellie Andreeva is reporting that NBC drama pilot Rockford Files is now dead, despite it being a major frontrunner just a few weeks ago. [Editor: I can't say that I'm surprised as I wasn't all that chuffed with the script or the casting of Dermot Mulroney.] (Deadline)

CBS has ordered a pilot for Chuck Lorre's comedy Mike & Molly and is said to be high on Bleep My Dad Says, Team Spitz, Livin' On a Prayer, Hawaii Five-O, Defenders, Chaos, and the untitled John Wells/Hannah Shakespeare medical drama. Deadline's Nellie Andreeva is also reporting that CBS is in talks to renew Ghost Whisperer and Old Christine but that, if talks go South, ABC would step in to pick them up should CBS pass. (Deadline)

Over at NBC, it's looking certain that Kindreds, Garza, and The Cape will all receive series orders before Sunday afternoon rolls around. Sadly, Rex Is Not Your Lawyer is said to be dead at NBC. (Hollywood Reporter's The Live Feed, Deadline)

Sony Pictures Television has signed a new two-year overall deal with Damages creators Todd A. Kessler, Daniel Zelman, and Glenn Kessler. There is still no word on the fate of Damages, which wrapped its third season last month. "We originally planned out five or six seasons between Patty (Close) and Ellen (Rose Byrne), about the relationship between mentor and protege," Kessler told Variety. (Variety)

Deadline's Nellie Andreeva is reporting that producers of 20th Century Fox Television-produced drama pilot Breakout Kings, which FOX passed on after it renewed Lie to Me and Human Target, are shopping the project and have been talking to USA, A&E, and Spike. (Deadline)

Entertainment Weekly's Lynette Rice is reporting that TNT has picked up legal dramedy Franklin and Bash, which was originally developed at sister cabler TBS. Series, from creators Kevin Falls and Bill Chais, stars Mark-Paul Gosselaar and Breckin Meyer. (Entertainment Weekly's Hollywood Insider)

TBS, meanwhile, has ordered eight episodes of hour-long period comedy Glory Daze, which stars Kelly Blatz, Callard Harris, Matt Bush, Drew Seeley, Hartley Sawyer, Julianna Guill, and Tim Meadows. Series revolves around a group of college friends in 1980s Wisconsin. Glory Daze was created by Walt Becker and Michael LeSieur; it will likely premiere later this year. (Deadline, Variety)

Universal Media Studios has signed a two-year production deal with Todd Holland and Karey Burke's new shingle, which remains as yet unnamed. "Together we really make one perfect creative person," Holland told Variety. "She has all the skills I don't have: all the network experience, the general awareness of the writer community and the memory of so much TV development. I'm always thinking like a director -- 'What are we doing right now?'" (Variety)

Stay tuned.