Tagged: CW

Television Notes

  • News
  • December 6, 2008

Sam Raimi’s entry into reality game shows, 13  Fear Is Real, has been given a January 7 premiere date on the CW. Contestants are brought to a haunted house and must endure challenges akin to the sort found in the modern day horror film. The challenges., though, are also designed to exploit each contestants greatest fear and the last person standing will win  $66,666. For those who miss out, the series is scheduled for repeats on Friday nights, beginning January 9.

ABC’s very full midseason inventory has meant the network could trim their orders from across numerous new shows.  Cupid, yesterday, had its order of 13 episodes trimmed to nine, including its pilot. Castle and The Unusuals had their 13 episode orders cut back to ten each.

Showtime has ordered a third season of David Duchovny’s Californication. The 12-episode season is expected for late 2009.
 

CW Drops Plans for ‘Graysons’

  • News
  • November 7, 2008

flying-graysons-3630334Fans can breathe easier now.

The CW has dropped its plans for The Graysons, which would have dramatically altered the character of Dick Grayson in stories set before he became Robin the Boy Wonder.  According to Variety, Warner Bros. Pictures president Jeff Robinov rethought the premise and decided it didn’t fit in the company’s overall plans for its DC Comics super-heroes.

With Smallville likely in its eighth and final season, the CW network was seeking a replacement series and settled on Dick Grayson.  The reimagined premise, announced on October 1, saw him growing to his mid-teens and still performing with his parents, the renowned trapeze act, the Flying Graysons. Rather than call him Dick, he was also renamed “DJ”, all of which set off alarms throughout comic book fandom.

"Warner Bros. TV never had 100% clearance," one executive told the trade.

Robinov had told The Wall Street Journal back in August that the studio wanted to create a more cohesive plan for the DCU, largely after it faltered to keep up with Marvel which this year introduced connected elements between its Iron Man and Incredible Hulk films. Among those decisions was halting the Justice League film and possibly rebooting Superman, going with a darker approach.

Christopher Nolan, talking about directions he might go with a third film in his Batman franchise, dismissed adding Robin at any time but word had it that he never gave his blessing to the CW series. The idea that having Batman in theaters and Robin on television was considered by some executives to be a mistake.  They also thought Smallville might have had something to do with Superman Returns’ poor box office.  Clearly, none of them saw the film.

The Graysons, as a result, did not fit with the plan at all.

"The studio has opted not to go forward with the development of The Graysons at this time as the concept doesn’t fit the current strategy for the Batman franchise," the studio said in a statement. "Warner Bros. Television is currently working on several replacement options for the CW."
 

justice-1-1304924

‘Smallville’ Producers Talk ‘Graysons’

  • News
  • October 3, 2008

justice-1-1304924News broke earlier this week that the CW was developing a new series based around the first Robin titled The Graysons. The show, set to focus on Dick "DJ" Grayson in his pre-Robin years, has been reported as a possible replacement for Smallville should Clark Kent’s pre-Superman adventures conclude at the end of this season.

Not so, say Brian Peterson and Kelly Souders, executive producers on Smallville and now hard at work behind the scenes on The Graysons. They issued a statement over at KryptonSite that clears the air of their intentions on developing the new series.

Says the pair:

"As news and rumors swirl around the development of The Graysons for the CW, we have every intention of letting you, our fans, be the first to know the reality. Never have we been so committed to the continuing success of Smallville as we are to seasons 8 and 9. While we are extremely excited to be working hand-in-hand with Wonderland, Warner Bros. and the CW to create the origin story of Dick Grayson, it has never been intended as a replacement for Smallville, as is speculated in some media. The cast, crew, writers and producers are all working full-steam ahead on a story-line for Clark that allows for seasons of further trials and adventures for our favorite hero. As always, we all have you to thank for achieving eight years of this amazing show that Al and Miles created, and we’re looking far beyond!"

This upcoming season of Smallville is sure to have plenty of DC heavy cameos to put any Superman lover into a fangasmic fit. Justin Hartley, who plays Oliver Queen (Green Arrow), has returned to the series as a regular this season, and will be joined once again by Justice League members Aquaman, The Flash, Black Canary, Cyborg and the Martian Manhunter. The Legion of Super-Heroes are set to join the fray this year, along with Plastique, introduced just last night. Most widely reported is the arrival of Doomsday, played by Sam Witwer (Battlestar Galactica). Doomsday famously killed Superman in the best-selling Death of Superman arc back in the nineties, leading to the creation of Superman replacements Steel, Superboy, Cyborg Superman and the Eradicator.

With Peterson and Souders stating they have plans for Smallville beyond season eight, might they be setting up a junior version of the Death of Superman and Reign of the Supermen stories? Holy kryptonite, that would be suh-weeeet.

‘The Graysons’ Fly to the CW

  • News
  • October 1, 2008

grayson3-4602958Inspired by Clark Kent’s Smallville roots, the CW is launching a new DC hero-turned-angsty teen television series called The Graysons. According to Variety, the show follows the early years of Dick "DJ" Grayson before he becomes Robin. Smallville executive producers Kelly Souders and Brian Peterson are behind the series, as is Supernatural executive producer McG. The CW has committed to a pilot episode.

Variety is calling the show a potential replacement for Smallville should that series end this season as anticipated. The Graysons would also be a solid companion to Smallville should it return next year. Further, the move to bring another DC property onto the CW shows a sign of good faith from Warner Bros., who has a 50% investment in the network.

Fans of the character are familiar with Robin’s origin. Dick, a young acrobat, is orphaned when his parents are murdered by gangsters during their trapeze act. He’s taken in by Bruce Wayne and becomes Batman’s protege. The Graysons takes place before these events. Set in modern times, the hour-long drama will focus on young "DJ" as he faces tasks fit only for a hero of Robin’s caliber: first loves, young rivals and family. Ahem. Guess you can’t say Dick on TV?

Smallville grew out of the oroiginal producers’ desire to tell the story of yourn Bruce Wayne.  When Warner Bros. refused to let television have access to their movie franchise, they shifted gears and set their sights on Clark Kent growing up and discovering his powers.

Since then the eight seasons have seen a variety of DC heroes and villains appear, some with spin-off potential.  Among the characters already seen have been Oliver Queen (Green Arrow), A.C. Curry (Aquaman), Bart Allen (the Flash), Dinah Lance (Black Canary), Cyborg, and the Martian Manhunter.  Coming this season will be Plastique and the Legion of Super-Heroes.

In 2006, a pilot was produced for an Aquaman series much in the same vein as Smallville and the proposed The Graysons, but the CW decided not to air the program. Smart money says that even if The Graysons sees the light of day, the series won’t survive long. Part of Smallville‘s appeal is its unique spin on a superpowered adventure. Considering The Graysons is pre-Robin, it’s hard to imagine little Di–… sorry, "DJ" sharing in Clark’s success. Makes one wonder why they didn’t just go for a Bruce Wayne show. Maybe then Armie Hammer would actually have a job.

‘Smallville’ Schedules a Break

  • News
  • September 12, 2008

As Smallville prepares to premiere next week, word from the CW is that there will be a long break between episodes ten and eleven. This is being done for two reasons: one, it provides the network somewhere to run the second season of Reaper, and two, it allows them the opportunity to retool for a ninth season if ratings and casting issues indicate that makes sense.

The eleventh episode is currently scheduled to be the Geoff Johns-penned introduction of the Legion of Super-Heroes.

Look for a season 7 recap next week before the new season kicks off.
 

Networks Tighten Belts, Cut Pilots

  • News
  • January 23, 2008

Television networks are drastically reducing the number of pilots scheduled for production this year, according to statements issued in the last few days by many of the major networks. An elimination of pilots and reduction in the number of new script orders was announced by several networks recently, with each of the statements citing a need to cut costs due to the writers’ strike.

According to Variety, CBS announced that it had dropped several scripts due to the work stoppage late last week, while 20th Century Fox and CW announced this week that they were each dropping 8-12 pilots from their upcoming production schedules.

"Due to the ongoing work stoppage, the CW will be taking a more targeted approach to what is certain to be a truncated pilot season," the [network] said in a statement released Tuesday. "As a result, we are releasing some scripts that had been in development in order to dedicate our creative energy and resources to those projects we choose to pursue."

 

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Behind The Big ComicMix Broadcast

  • News
  • July 15, 2007

benturpin-1110741As the days roll by, I have two stacks of paper here on the Big ComicMixBroadcast Desk. One is labeled “Before San Diego,” the other is marked “Whenever.” That pretty much stands as a metaphor for things here right now as well. However, that doesn’t mean I have lost ANY of the notes I need to share with you from the week:

  •  If you are looking to (*ahem*) familiarize yourself with the actress cast as the new Supergirl on the CW’s Smallville, I found the best place to be here. It is much better than sitting through My Mom Has A Date With A Vampire – trust me!
  • The “test version” of Disney’s new free (with ads) gaming site can be seen here,  but BE CAREFUL. There are still links up fore the old subscription based site.
  • You can get info on all the deals offered & the creators appearing at SDCC from Penny Farthing Press here. A lot of these books can be ordered right from the site, too.
  • If that editorial job offered by IDW Press sounds interesting, you can get a jump on this by going here for more info.
  • You can see samples of Breaking Up by Aimee Friedman and Christine Norrie, you can go to Christine’s site. You get treated to a LOT of Christine’s other work – a real bonus!

Back at you in a couple of days as we continue to edge closer to the San Diego ComicCon, marvel at Harry’s magic boxox office and clear off the shelf for a big pile of new comics and DVDs!!

Kevin Smith Pilots Reaper

  • News
  • June 26, 2007

Kevin Smith is set to direct the CW pilot Reaper, a comedic drama about 21-year-old Sam Oliver, a slacker who learns that his parents sold his soul to the devil when he was born and now he must to pay the debt by becoming the Satan’s bounty hunter, retrieving souls escaped from hell. Michele Fazekas and Tara Butters (Law and Order: SVU) wrote the project; it film for two weeks in Vancouver, beginning March 12th.

Sending candy bars to CW to save Veronica Mars

kristenbellleia-1762550Since it worked so well for Jericho, there’s another grassroots campaign in the works – this time, people are sending Mars bars to CW president Dawn Ostroff in an attempt to save Veronica Mars.

The Indian Food Store is collecting many many many Mars bars from around the world and sending them to Ms. Ostroff with a note that reads: "Veronica Mars: More Addictive Than Chocolate! Satisfy our craving for Season 4!" They got over 600 orders in the first three hours, and will probably get many more as the word gets out.

Mmmmm… Kristen Bell and chocolate…. <insert Homer Simpson gurgle here>

Yes, and we’re not above running the picture of Kristen Bell in the Leia outfit to get your attention. If need be, we also have the cheerleader and leather outfits. But only if you save the show.

Hat tip: Lisa Sullivan. For the story only. The photos are mine. Mine, do you hear?!?

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