Okay, “Night Shift” fans, I was able to do a phoner with Billy Dee Williams before my departure to the TCA Press Tour, and it’s now live on Bullz-Eye.
Category: TV Dramas (Page 178 of 235)
* Isaiah Washington will be appearing in a 5-episode stint on “The Bionic Woman.” (Co-chairman Marc Graboff said, “He’s a wonderful actor, and he became available…” Naturally, the audience burst into laughter. “…and, just to address that laughter, we did start talking to him about appearing before he ‘became available.’ He met the writers, the role was thought of for Isaiah, but it’s now been more specifically tailored to him.”)
* Norman Lear is returning to TV, overseeing a new, as-yet-uncast sitcom. (Graboff: “His belief in telling great stories and drawing attention to issues that are real inside American society through emotion and comedy are what inspired me to go into television. Potentially, Norman would write as the show gets going.”)
* The network’s upcoming new reality series: “Phenomenon,” starring Uri Geller and Criss Angel.
* The network is forging a new association with Charlie Corwin, executive producer of “The Squid and the Whale.”
* Donald Trump will indeed be returning with another season of “The Apprentice,” but it’s going to be done with celebrities this time, with all challenges and winnings being done for charity. (Graboff: “Donald has personally asked me to extend an invite to Rosie (O’Donnell).”)
* Both Alec Baldwin and Tracy Morgan are committed to “30 Rock” and will be back.
* It sounds like “Friday Night Lights” was saved partially because the network execs liked it, but mostly because it’s a fiscally solid show, i.e. it’s a hell of a lot cheaper to produce than, say, “Heroes”; as such, they could afford to believe in the show a little longer. (Hey, whatever. As long as it’s still on, right?)
* NBC’s adaptation of the Australian series, “Kath & Kim,” is on the fast track, and both Graboff and his fellow chairman, Ben Silverman, are both aware that it’s gonna depend on the casting as far as whether it’ll be another “Office” or another “Coupling.”
* NBC is definitely looking to keep Jay Leno within the network after his departure from “The Tonight Show.” (Silverman: “We love Jay, and we’d love him to stay with NBC forever.”)
Per the Sci-Fi Network’s panel at the TCA press tour…
“Sci-Fi.com has ordered a 10-part webisode series based on the multi-award-winning “Farscape” the fan and critical darling that has been widely recognized as one of the greatest sci-fi series in television history. Executive-produced by Brian Henson and Robert Halmi, Jr., and produced by The Jim Henson Company, in association with RHI Entertainment, the series will revive and expand the beloved “Farscape” universe.”
After the “Californication” panel yesterday, David Duchovny was literally SWARMED by writers with their recorders extended…and, yes, I was one of them. But, eventually, my arm got tired – I was having to stretch over the shoulder of another fella – and I have to give up the ghost. Still, I got this pic, and I also got this valuable info:
Duchovny is anticipating that he’ll finally, FINALLY be receiving the script to the forever-gestating “X-Files” movie sequel. It’s a co-write by Chris Carter and Frank Spotnitz, which longtime fans of the show will be giddy about, given that Carter, of course, is the show’s creator, while Spotnitz wrote, story-edited, and produced many fine episodes for the series. (Carter will also direct, according to Duchovny.) Gillian Anderson is on board, as you’ve no doubt heard rumored…but, then, this flick has been nothing but rumors for the longest time. Lord knows we’ve heard rumors that a script was on the way before. So what makes this different?
“This time,” says Duchovny, “I really am supposed to get the script next week. And I’m looking forward to seeing what (Chris) did.”
It’s to be a one-off script, i.e. there are no intentions to continue the franchise as an ongoing series of sequels, and – all things being equal – the plan is for filming to begin later this year, with a release date for sometime in 2008.
Bonus anecdote: Evan Handler, who plays Duchovny’s character’s agent on “Californication,” joked, “It’s going to open the same weekend as the ‘Sex and the City’ movie.” Duchovny’s reply: “We’re gonna crush ’em!”
If you’re looking for the transcript of the “General Hospital: Night Shift” panel, sorry, I had to yank it. As a new member of the Television Critics Association, I committed the cardinal sin of not studying the bylaws as well as perhaps I should have, and I didn’t realize that the posting of transcripts is more than a little bit frowned upon. I’ll work on pulling together some highlights of the event in a slightly different format, but, for now, it’ll remain MIA.
Sorry!
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