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‘MadTV’ Canceled by Fox

  • News
  • November 13, 2008

Fox announced the cancelation of Mad TV. The series lasted an impressive 14 seasons but had suffered season-to-season ratings declines for a while now so the news came as no surprise.

"There’s been great interest in recent years," executive producer David Salzman told Variety. "We’ve had a number of networks inquire as to whether the show was coming off Fox and saying that they’d be interested. We have not started to talk to them yet, but now is the time to begin those conversations. I think we have real prospects, but you never know, especially given the economy."

The announcement came Wednesday, allowing the produces to plan to wrap production of the shortened season in December. "This will give us a proper sendoff, a chance to promote the finale and bring back old cast members," Salzman said.

"They said it was too expensive for a daypart where dollars have been shrinking," he said. "Their thought was, the show is what the show is, and that essence needs to be maintained — but it’s hard to produce as big and ambitious a show as ours for less money than they’re paying now."

Comedy Central has been airing reruns of the show, based in name only on the legendary humor magazine, but their deal with Fox expires at year end. Salzman intends to find a home for the 326-episode library and hopefully continue to produce new episodes.
 

FX sets Return Dates for ‘Nip/Tuck’ and ‘Damages’

  • News
  • November 13, 2008

FX announced the return dates of two of its award-winning dramas, Nip/Tuck and Damages.  The continuation of the fifth season of Nip/Tuck begins on Tuesday, January 6 at 10 p.m. for eight weeks, while the second season of Damages premieres on Wednesday, January 7 at 10 p.m. with 13 new episodes.

Nip/Tuck revolves around the lives of Dr. Sean McNamara (Dylan Walsh) and Dr. Christian Troy (Julian McMahon), two plastic surgeons, close friends and business partners who run McNamara/Troy, an overwhelmingly successful plastic surgery practice. 

Earlier this season, Sean and Christian departed Miami for Los Angeles seeking a fresh start for McNamara/Troy in a new city.  As season five continues, Sean tries to re-build his life after surviving a brutal attack from Colleen Rose.  McNamara/Troy faces an unexpected, serious medical crisis. Christian decides to settle down with one woman and Sean discovers a new love in a moment of extreme vulnerability.

Guest stars include Sharon Gless, Portia de Rossi, AnnaLynne McCord, Bradley Cooper, John Schneider, Jennifer Coolidge, Morgan Fairchild and Katee Sackoff.

Damages, fresh off its Emmy wins for Outstanding Lead Actress (Glenn Close) and Outstanding Supporting Actor (Željko Ivanek), follows the turbulent lives of Patty Hewes (Glenn Close), the nation’s most revered and reviled high-stakes litigator and her bright, ambitious young protégé Ellen Parsons (Rose Byrne).

After her unprecedented victory over billionaire Arthur Frobisher (Ted Danson), Patty Hewes has the legal world at her feet.  Just as she’s pondering her next move, Daniel Purcell (William Hurt), a man from Patty’s mysterious past, storms back into her life, catapulting Patty into a new legal challenge. 

At the same time, Ellen is on a mission to take down Patty.  She’s agreed to act as an informant for the FBI, assisting them in their criminal investigation of Patty and the firm.  As Patty unravels the mystery surrounding Daniel Purcell, she must also negotiate the perilous minefield both inside and outside her office.

In addition to Academy Award winner William Hurt, Academy Award winner Marcia Gay Harden and Timothy Olyphant join the cast of Damages for its second season. 

Stan Lee to Produce ‘Hero’ for Showtime

  • News
  • November 13, 2008

Stan Lee will executive produce a television adaptation of Hero for Showtime according to Variety. The novel was written by Perry Moore and was released in 2007, telling the story of an “up-and-coming super-hero who struggles to hide his secret identities.”

Moore is writing the script for the hour long series and will also serve as an executive producer along with Hunter Hill.

Hero joins a growing list of pilots announced by the premium cable network, including yesterday’s Camelot.

Lee last worked in television, producing and hosting two seasons of Who Wants to Be a Superhero? for the Sci Fi Channel.
 

Laura Harris Will be ‘Defying Gravity’

  • News
  • November 13, 2008

Laura Harris (Women’s Murder Club) has been announced by Fox as the female lead opposite Ron Livingston in Defying Gravity.

Her character will be Chloe, “a geologist assigned to the mission alongside former flame” of Livingston’s Maddux. Also announced in the cast is Israeli-born Eyal Podell, playing Dr. Evram Mintz, “a young medical specialist and war-tested surgeon with a degree in psychiatry and a penchant for alcohol.”

The Hollywood Reporter describes Gravity as “set in the near future and revolves around eight astronauts from five countries who take on a mysterious six-year mission through the solar system.”

The proposed series is a coproduction of Fox TV Studios, Canada’s CTV, Germany’s ProSieben and the BBC.
 

VIZ Adds Two New Series for Xbox Viewing

  • News
  • November 13, 2008

As the Xbox transforms itself into an entertainment portal, more and more companies are developing material to be played on the platform in addition to video games.  The latest to announce product is VIZ Media, saying their animated action series Bleach and Death Note (both Uncut and English dubbed) are now available.

Fans will now have the ability to watch these episodes on a Download-To-Own (DTO) basis through Xbox LIVE for 160 Microsoft Points per episode.

Bleach offers episodes 1-41 dubbed in English with more to be added, and Death Note features the full 37-episode series dubbed in English. The two series join Naruto Uncut, which has been offered on Xbox LIVE since November 2007 and currently features episodes 1-52 dubbed in English as well as episodes 1–24 subbed (with English subtitles), with more to be added.

“The anime genre enjoys a huge following among millions of avid Xbox 360 owners and the addition of the Bleach and Death Note series to the Xbox LIVE library will be a big attraction,” Scott Nocas, group product manager for Xbox LIVE, said in a release.

Xbox LIVE provides viewers with easy access to hundreds of full-length TV shows for Download-To-Own and the latest feature films for Download-To-Rent. Xbox 360 is also the first gaming console to offer Standard and High Definition TV shows and movies via digital distribution. Xbox LIVE currently includes a worldwide social entertainment network reaching more than 14 million members and offering 24/7 online access to gaming, movies, music, TV shows and more.

“We are very excited to team with Xbox LIVE to feature episodes of Bleach and Death Note,” says Ken Sasaki, Vice President, Strategy & Business Development, VIZ Media. “The combination of the hottest television and movie programming, video gaming and social networking interaction makes Xbox LIVE a compelling platform to present these smash hit animated dramas. As the convergence of digital technology presents an innovative new way to access and download a wide array of content, we look forward to fans across the United States turning to Xbox LIVE for the latest in online animated programming from VIZ Media.”
 

Dark Horse Renews Partnership with Universal Studios

  • News
  • November 13, 2008

Sci Fi Wire is reporting that Mike Richardson, founder of Dark Horse Entertainment, that he has struck a renewed partnership with Universal Pictures to develop a slate of movies based on the company’s many comics and graphic novels, including R.I.P.D.

"Actually, we’re quite busy right now," Richardson told reporters at an event celebrating the release of Hellboy II: The Golden Army on DVD. "The most immediate is R.I.P.D. … David Dobkin (Wedding Crashers) is directing. We’re doing it over at Universal Studios. We have a great script by [Matt] Manfredi and [Phil] Hay. R.I.P.D. stands for Rest in Peace Department. It’s based on a graphic novel by Peter Lenkov. It’s about dead cops that died in the line of duty that are sent back basically to get people who don’t want to come peacefully, people who stayed behind. It’s a lot of fun. … It has a few of the elements of something like a Men in Black, except this one has real scares in it. It’s not sort of a cartoon scares. A lot of humor, but real scary stuff going on."

Dark Horse and Universal have several projects predating the new partnership including the previously announced Emily Strange, the character created by Rob Reger and a staple at Hot Topic stores.

Freaks of the Heartland, based on the graphic novel by Steve Niles (30 Days of Night) has been placed with Overture and Richardson said David Gordon Green (Pineapple Express) will direct.

Barack Obama, Fanboy

  • News
  • November 13, 2008

President-elect Barack Obama is apparently closer to our audience than any of his predecessors.  According to “The 50 Facts You Might Not Know” in the London Telegraph, the following information has emerged:

• He collects Spider-Man and Conan the Barbarian comics
• He has read every Harry Potter book
• His favorite films are Casablanca and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
• He enjoys playing Scrabble and poker
• He uses an Apple Mac laptop
• His favorite fictional television programs are MAS*H and The Wire

So the question is this: does he prefer Barry Windsor-Smith or John Buscmea’s depiction of the Cimmerian?

astroboy-cgi-1-6729055

IDW to Adapt ‘Astro Boy’

  • News
  • November 13, 2008

astroboy-cgi-1-5644041IDW Comics has announced it has obtained the license for comics based on the Astro Boy movie. They intend to publish two comic miniseries tied to the film, according to IDW Editor in Chief Chris Ryall.  The CGI-animated movie will be opening next October in a release said to be planned for 3000 screens and the comics are currently envisioned as a four-part prequel and a four-part adaptation of the film.  The first issue of the prequel would be out in May, so a collection could be released with the film in the fall.

Imagi Studios also announced that Jazwares will be the master toy licensee for the film, along with licensees American Greetings for greeting cards, stationery, gift wrap, and party goods; Penguin for books; and D3Publisher for game software.  Mass market products will focus on six to 14-year-olds.

Dark Horse will continue to offer the classic Manga and Right Stuf has the classic anime on home video.

The new film, directed by David Bowers (Flushed Away) from a screenplay by Timothy Harris (Places), features Freddie Highmore (Finding Neverland) as the voice of Astro Boy, along with Kristin Bell, Nathan Lane, Bill Nighy, Eugene Levy, Nicolas Cage, and Donald Sutherland.
 

Kim ‘Howard’ Johnson Shows ‘Monty Python’ Slides

  • News
  • November 13, 2008

Kim “Howard” Johnson, author of the just-released memoir Monty Python’s Tunisian Holiday: My Life with Brian, will appear live at Chicago’s i.O. Theatre, 3541 N. Clark Street (phone 773-880-0199), at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, November 18, to present, for the first time ever, his 30-year-old vacation slide show as he reveals secrets behind the filming of Monty Python’s Life of Brian. The event is free and open to the public.

Monty Python’s Tunisian Holiday: My Life with Brian Live! will incorporate many of the photos presented in the new book, and many more never before seen, Johnson will discuss the filming of the comedy classic and his life, times, and strange adventures with the six members of Monty Python.

“I’ve always enjoyed subjecting small groups of friends and relatives to my slides of Yellowstone Park and the Wisconsin Dells,” says Johnson. “So you can imagine how thrilled I am to be able to subject an entire audience to every minute detail of the Stoning Scene, the fate of George Harrison’s money, and the long-censored secrets of King Otto and Mrs. Pontius Pilate.

In addition to writing five books on Monty Python, Johnson is also co-author (with Del Close and Charna Halpern) of the improvisation manual Truth in Comedy and the author of the acclaimed biography of improvisational guru Del Close, titled The Funniest One in the Room.

A limited quantity of books will be available for purchase at the event.
 

Guillermo del Toro Updates ‘Hobbit’, ‘Frankenstein’

  • News
  • November 12, 2008

Director Guillermo del Toro spoke with reporters in Los Angeles to promote this week’s release of Hellboy II: The Golden Army on DVD.

Of course, the question about the third film in the series came up and del Toro replied, “You know, I think that they will not green-light it or not or they will not talk about it until the last Euro hits the piggy bank. The fact is the movie, even though it was dually sodomized by Hancock and The Dark Knight, still did theatrically better than the first movie, internationally is doing exceedingly better than the first movie. It really is in some cases doing 300 percent more business, and depending on the territory and globally I think is doing about 100 percent more business than the first one. Let’s see what happens with the DVD, and the people that make the decisions do it based on the calculator function of the iPod, not on the other one.

“I would beg them and amputate myself in order for them to wait for me, but I don’t control it. If they say, ‘No, no, no, we’re going to do it,’ I personally think this incarnation of the trilogy, I would love to finish because it’s not arbitrary that we went into a different direction on the second one. I really think when and if you see the three movies, you’re going to have a comedic one, a tragic one and you’re going to see three movies that are incredibly apart in registration one from another. It’s really exploring Hellboy in very different ways.”

When queried about casting for The Hobbit and bringing back actors from Lords of the Rings, he said, “Not yet. Just the ones that have been announced [Ian McKellen as Gandalf and Andy Serkis as Gollum]. There’s not lack of information. It’s not withholding. We really don’t have more information, because we’re writing. And literally, like every week, what you discover writing the two movies, writing the two stories, it changes. So every week there’s a discovery, and anything we say this week would be contradicted next week. Certainly that would be true in casting. Why create hopes or why create expectations if down the line you’re going to go, ‘You know what? That was not a good idea.’ So we won’t cast it until we finish writing.” (more…)

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