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TV Critics Tour: 'Dexter' could go on (and on and on ...)
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BEVERLY HILLS -- "Dexter," far and away the biggest hit on Showtime and a signature cable series (despite what you may have thought of the sixth season), could extend beyond the eighth season. That's the season that most reasonable observers, not to mention star Michael C. Hall, expect to be its last. But Showtime boss David Nevins said on Monday, "I'd be stupid if I didn't leave the door open" for a ninth season. Hall -- whose Dex has now been revealed to sis Deb as a serial killer -- said this afternoon that the expectation is that the eighth will be the last season. "I think the sense is, we're moving towards a definitive end." But he then left that aforementioned door ajar as well: "Never say never..." The seventh season starts Sept. 30. Check out a trailer below.
TV Critics Tour: 'The Big C' to end
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BEVERLY HILLS -- "The Big C," Showtime's (and Laurra Linney's) series about a woman battling cancer, was handed an end-of-series notice Monday. The series will wrap in four hour-long episodes next season (no airdates were provided). The news comes as a bit of a surprise -- Linney is a wonderful actress, of course, and has a Golden Globe (and Emmy noms) for this one alone to prove it. But the series never exactly entered the pantheon of Showtime hits, and Linney's character Cathy was handed very very bad news when this series launched. Asked how it would end, Showtime chief David Nevins told TV writers here not to assume anything (notably a fatal conclusion, so to speak). He said the series had cooked up a "novel" end to Cathy's predicament.
TV Critics Tour: The CW explores 'Battle Royale' series
BEVERLY HILLS - Some books (and movies) would appear to be TV proof and one of those would seem to be the Japanese novel, (and movie) "Battle Royale," about kids battling (and killing) other kids. It's also, ummm, very violent. But CW Television Network president, Mark Pedowitz, confirmed an earlier report (in the LA Times) that the network was indeed exploring such a project. No time...
Read more »TV Critics Tour: CBS closes in on 9th season for 'How I Met Your Mother"
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Beverly Hills - "How I Met Your Mother," TV's shagggiest dog story, enters its eight season in September, but how much longer this tale keeps spinning has been of concern to fans and CBS alike. Co-creators Carter Bays and Craig Thomas, have said there’s an end-point for this hugely successful series. They just haven't said when, nor has CBS. But at yesterday's TV critics tour here, CBS...
Read more »TV Critics Tour: ABC notes and quotes
BEVERLY HILLS - ABC wrapped up their part of the critics tour last week and...here are a few thoughts and quotes from the stars and producers of the network's newcomers...
- Nashville:" Easily ABC's most anticpated newcomer of the new season - if you believe the hyperbolic hyperbole of the critics in attendance here. (And by the way, the pilot is good...) Good cast and production team...
Read more »TV Critics tour: 'Homeland,' 'Louie' honored at 28th TCA Awards
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BEVERLY HILLS - "Homeland," "Louie," "Breaking Bad,"and "Game of Thrones" were honored last night at the 28th annual TCA awards, with Claire Danes (above) winning for oustanding achievement in drama - most likely a glimpse of her future foretold at this September's Emmy Awards.
David Letterman, meanwhile, got the career achievement nod.
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Read more »FX: Martin Sheen to join 'Anger Management'
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BEVERLY HILLS — Martin Sheen, father of Charlie (who else?), will join his son's new FX comedy, "Anger Management" as a regular, the network announced this morning.
John Landgraf, FX chief, said Sheen will play the father to Charlie Sheen's character, which will bring the sitcom more "multigenerational family" format like "Two and a Half Men," he said.
Sheen's...
Read more »'Modern Family' dispute is over
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BEVERLY HILLS — "Modern Family," TV's top comedy, and the studio that produces it, have reached a deal with the cast that has abruptly ended a dispute that threatened — or so suggested various reports over the last few days — the season premiere launch in September.
Details were not released but the Los Angeles Times reported last night that the cast — specifically six key...
Read more »AMC cancels 'The Killing'
"The Killilng" - AMC's much-praised-then-much-condemned - series about a pair of Seattle homicide detectives who spent a couple of seasons chasing Rosie Larsen's killer - has been officially dropped by the network.
The statement: “After much deliberation, we've come to the difficult decision not to renew The Killing for a third season.AMC is incredibly proud of the show and is fortunate to have worked with such a talented team on this project, from showrunner Veena Sud and our terrific partners at Fox Television Studios to the talented, dedicated crew and exceptional cast.”
The cancellation is not entirely unexpected - ratings fell dramatically the second season after a torrrid first, and the series seemed to creatively struggle to wrap a complicated storyline. (Who killed Rosie? Well, kind of everyone - though specifically Billy Campbell's oily campaign manager bore chief responsibility.) The show even sparked a surprisingly vitriolic critical backlash at the end of the first season by ending with a cliff-hanger instead of resolving the murder mystery.
But there were a pair of fine performances here - notably by Mireille Enos (who got an Emmy nomination) and Swedish newcomer Joel Kinnaman who can credit this series for launching his now hot career trajectory.
TV Critics Tour: ABC entertainment chief 'optimistic' about 'Modern Family'
Photo credit: ABC
BEVERLY HILLS — “Modern Family” is embroiled in a thoroughly modern dispute over money which, per some reports earlier this week, threatened to derail this season's launch in September.
But in a carefully parsed response to a half-a-dozen questions posed here (in artfully different ways), Paul Lee, ABC entertainment chief, refused to characterize the negotiations except to say that he was “optimistic” that would be resolved — and resolved in time for the new season launch.
The adult cast members have sued 20th Century Fox [the producer] in an effort to break a pact that has secured them to a seven-year run which would also have the effect of limiting their ability to secure big raises or even pieces of the residuals — “Modern Family,” TV's most esteemed (and successful) comedy on track to win a consecutive best comedy Emmy in September — could last a decade, bringing Fox and ABC billions in back-end revenue via syndication and various other venues. The cast — much like the “Friends” cast a decade ago — have banded together to make certain they benefit from the windfall as well. Said Lee, “I expect it to start on time. We're in the middle of negotiations [and] we're hopeful, optimistic, we'll be able to resolve it.”
