What’s Happening!!
Here’s the latest news from the networks concerning series premieres, renewals and acquisitions, followed by a list that will be continuously updated to keep viewers in tune with what’s going on with their favorite TV shows.
NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS
- “America’s Prom Queen” — Series premieres March 17 on ABC Family (six episodes).
- “The Baby Borrowers” — NBC series originally scheduled to premiere on Feb. 18 will move to a later date to be announced.
- “The Celebrity Apprentice” — First-season finale airs March 27 on NBC. Second season premieres in January 2009.
- “Click & Clacks As the Wrench Turns” — Series premieres in summer on PBS (first animated primetime series inspired by Tom and Ray Magliozzi’s radio show “Car Talk.”
- “Crash” — Series premieres in sometime in 2008 on Starz (13 episodes based on Academy Award-winning film “Crash”).
- “Dear Genevieve” — Series premieres in 2009 on HGTV. Hosted by popular design personality Genevieve Gorder.
- “Deion & Pillar: Prime Time Love” — Series premieres April 15 on Oxygen. Sneak peek Sunday during Super Bowl halftime show.
- “Flashpoint” — CBS has ordered 13 episodes of this new police drama inspired by true stories of an elite big city Strategic Response Unit. Production will begin in April.
- “Gordon Ramsay’s F Word” — BBC America has acquired season 3, premiere date is TBA.
- “Last Restaurant Standing” — Series premieres Feb. 12 on BBC America.
- “Legally Blonde: The Search for the New Elle Woods” — New reality series premiering in spring on MTV. It follows the search for a talented singer/actress/dancer to take over for Broadway star and current lead Laura Bell Bundy.
- “Mary Queen of Shops” — BBC America has acquired seasons 1 and 2, premiere date is TBA.
- “My Dad Is Better Than Your Dad” — Series premieres Feb. 22 on NBC.
- “Raising the Bar” — Latest legal drama series from Emmy winner Steven Bochco scheduled to premiere in 2008 on TNT. Stars Mark-Paul Gosselaar (”NYPD Blue”), Gloria Reuben (”ER”) and Jane Kaczmarek (”Malcolm in the Middle”).
- “Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares” — Season 4 premiered Jan. 24 on BBC America.
- “Rescue Chef” — Series premieres March 1 on Food Network.
- “Survivor” — CBS has ordered two more editions to be broadcast during the 2008-09 season. These will mark the 17th and 18th editions of television’s longest-running hit reality competition series.
- “Top Gear” — Season 10 premieres Feb. 25 on BBC America.
- “UFO Hunters” — Series premiered Jan. 30 on History Channel.
- “Your Mama Don’t Dance” — Series premieres Feb. 29 on Lifetime (eight episodes, season finale Apil 18). Hosted by Ian Ziering (Dancing With the Stars”).
NETWORK NEWS
- “Big Brother” – Ninth season premieres Feb. 12 on CBS.
- “Dexter” – Showtime drama debuts Feb. 17 on CBS with the pilot episode.
- “Eli Stone” – Series premieres Jan. 31 on ABC.
- “Jericho” – Second season premieres Feb. 12 on CBS.
- “Lipstick Jungle” – Series premieres Feb. 7 on NBC.
- “Lost” – Fourth season premieres Jan. 31 on ABC.
- “The New Adventures of Old Christine” – Third season premieres Feb. 4.
- “Power of 10″ – Pulled from CBS schedule, expected to return in summer.
- “The Price is Right” – Coming to prime-time Feb. 22 on CBS for first of six hour-long episodes.
- “quarterlife” – Series premieres Feb. 26 on NBC.
- “Survivor: Micronesia” – Sixteenth season premieres Feb. 7 on CBS.
- “Welcome to the Captain” – Series premieres Feb. 4.
CABLE COMMENTS
- “Brotherhood” – Renewed for eight-episode third season on Showtime.
- “Cities of the Underworld” – Second season premieres Jan. 28 on History Channel.
- Clinically Wild Alaska” – Series premieres Feb. 8 on Animal Planet.
- “In Treatment” – Series premieres Jan. 28 on HBO.
- “Jericho” – CBS drama debuts Feb. 11 on SCI FI with a four-episode marathon.
- “Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List” – Renewed for fourth season on Bravo. Scheduled to return sometime in 2008.
- “Pinks” – Fifth season premieres Feb. 20 on Speed Channel.
- “Tori & Dean … Still Inn Love: – Renewed for eight-episode third season on Oxygen. Scheduled to return in summer 2008.
- “Ultimate Recipe Showdown” – Series premieres Feb. 17 on Food Network.
SYNDICATED STUFF
- “The Martha Stewart Show” – Renewed for a fourth season.
- “The Morning Show With Mike and Juliet” – Renewed for a second season.
Grammy goodness
Good news! The Writers Guild of America has announced that the 50th annual Grammy Awards will not be picketed.
Better news! Carrie Underwood is among the first group of artists committed to perform during the ceremony that will air live at 7 p.m. Feb. 10 on CBS. The two-time Grammy winner is also nominated this year for best female country vocal performance and best country collaboration with vocals (with Brad Paisley). Other artists scheduled to perform during the 3-and-a-half hour telecast are Beyonce, Foo Fighters, Aretha Franklin, Mary J. Blige and Rihanna. Foo Fighters will perform as part of this year’s “My Grammy Moment” 2008 segment, in which 15 unsigned musicians will play with the group as part of an orchestra. Franklin and Blige will take part in a Gospel segment that will also include The Clark Sisters, Israel & New Breed, the Madison Bumblebees and Trin-I-Tee 5:7. – Penny Soldan, TV Editor
What’s happening!!
This has nothing to do with the 1970’s ABC sitcom, although that was a funny show. Raj and Dwayne and Rerun, not to mention Dee and the late great Shirley Hemphill as sassy waitress Shirley.
But enough about that. This will be an on-going column that will be updated every time a network renews a series or announces a premiere date or pulls the plug on a show (not that networks let that be known through a press release).
In any case, this should help keep viewers in tune with what’s going on with their favorite TV shows.
— Penny Soldan, TV Editor
NETWORK NEWS
- “Big Brother” — Ninth season premieres Feb. 12 on CBS.
- “Dexter” — Showtime drama debuts Feb. 17 on CBS with the pilot episode.
- “Eli Stone” — Series premieres Jan. 31 on ABC.
- “Jericho” — Second season premieres Feb. 12 on CBS.
- “Lipstick Jungle” — Series premieres Feb. 7 on NBC.
- “Lost” — Fourth season premieres Jan. 31 on ABC.
- “The New Adventures of Old Christine” — Third season premieres Feb. 4.
- “Power of 10” — Pulled from CBS schedule, expected to return in summer.
- “The Price is Right” — Coming to prime-time Feb. 22 on CBS for first of six hour-long episodes.
- “Survivor: Micronesia” — Sixteenth season premieres Feb. 7 on CBS.
- “Welcome to the Captain” — Series premieres Feb. 4.
CABLE COMMENTS
- “Brotherhood” — Renewed for eight-episode third season on Showtime.
- “Cities of the Underworld” — Second season premieres Jan. 28 on History Channel.
- “Clinically Wild Alaska” — Series premieres Feb. 8 on Animal Planet.
- “In Treatment” — Series premieres Jan. 28 on HBO.
- “Jericho” — CBS drama debuts Feb. 11 on SCI FI with a four-episode marathon.
- “Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List” — Renewed for fourth season on Bravo. Scheduled to return sometime in 2008.
- “Pinks” — Fifth season premieres Feb. 20 on Speed Channel.
- “quarterlife” — Series premieres Feb. 18 on NBC.
- “Tori & Dean … Still Inn Love: — Renewed for eight-episode third season on Oxygen. Scheduled to return in summer 2008.
- “Ultimate Recipe Showdown” — Series premieres Feb. 17 on Food Network.
SYNDICATED STUFF
- “The Martha Stewart Show” — Renewed for a fourth season.
- “The Morning Show With Mike and Juliet” — Renewed for a second season.
This just in from CBS …
Reality television star and actress Paris Hilton visits “Late Show With David Letterman” Friday, Feb. 1 (10:35 p.m. on KWTV-9).
This will be Hilton’s sixth appearance on “Late Show” and her first visit back to the CBS late night broadcast since Sept. 28, 2007.
Hilton was recently named Harvard Lampoon’s “Woman of the Year,” and will visit Harvard University to accept the award on Feb. 6. Her new film, “The Hottie and the Nottie,” hits theaters Friday, Feb. 8.
Let’s roll out The Oklahoman’s inaugural television blog by looking at how
Hollywood is preparing for the 14th Annual Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards.
It’s being done up big-time, as beaucoups of celebrities (Tom Cruise, Russell Crowe and Angelina Jolie, to name a few) will be attending the picket-free ceremony airing live at 8 p.m. Sunday on TNT and TBS.
Even though the Writers Guild of America is still on strike, it is letting its members write for the SAG awards and will not stage protests outside the
Shrine
Exposition
Center.
So what’s being done for the big occasion? According to a press release:
- A total of 16,476.145 square feet of red carpet is being rolled out in the arrivals area.
- The interior Shrine entrance is being draped with 5,500 feet of gold fabric.
- 3,300 gold-rimmed glasses, 2,200 pieces of gold cutlery and 1,100 gold-rimmed fluted white china chargers will be placed on 86 rectangular dinner tables.
- 1,100 ivory silk seat cushions will be placed on Gold Chiavari chairs for the guests.
- Chef Alan Jackson will prepare the menu using 1,200 quail eggs and jumbo capers, 600 tomatoes, 225 lbs. of lamb, 200 lbs. of chicken and tuna, 150 lbs. of potatoes and flour, 100 lbs. of filo dough, 75 lbs. of almonds, red bell peppers, squash and zucchini, 50 lbs. of yellow wax beans, 30 lbs. of dried fig, 25 lbs. of carrots and celery, 24 lbs. of lettuce, 10 lbs. of basil, six gallons of extra virgin olive oil, eight gallons of kalamata olives and five lbs. of bakers yeast.
- 204 bottles of Dry Creek Vineyard’s Limited Edition 2003 Endeavor Dry Creek Valley Cabernet Sauvignon will be served. It was selected from the winery’s private reserve in honor of the Screen Actors Guild’s 75th Anniversary.
Oklahoma actress Jeanne Tripplehorn (born in
Tulsa) will get to partake in the festivities. She was asked to present an award, although she should have been nominated for one for her role as first wife Barb Henrickson on the HBO series “Big Love.”
Holly Hunter will be there, too. She was nominated for her role as
Oklahoma City police detective Grace Hanadarko on TNT’s “Saving Grace.”
— Penny Soldan, TV Editor
