TV Chatting

It is with heavy heart that I announce that I am leaving TV Chatting.  I have enjoyed working on the blog but I have always wanted to run my own site and now I am finally doing that.  I just launched Crazy4TV.com where I will be covering all of my favorites including LOST, Heroes, Grey’s Anatomy, Chuck, Fringe, The Big Bang Theory and How I Met Your Mother, among (many) others.

I’m not sure who will be taking over here at TV Chatting but be sure to show them some love when they do. 

I hope you’ll come over and check out the new site and give me some feedback.

Thanks for reading!

NBC entertainment president Angela Bromstad said the network is planning to bring Heroes back for a fourth season, adding that plans are to order 18-20 episodes of the show for next season.

Despite a drop in ratings this season, the show is still tied with The Office as the network’s top-rated series among adults 18-49 this season. 

The network is also considering Jesse Alexander’s pilot project Day One, about a group of survivors in the wake of a catastrophic global event, as a companion piece to Heroes. They are hoping the popularity of Heroes could help a new series like Day One find an audience, especially if it airs as part of the same Monday night block.

"Day One is a big event and we’re looking at that to come into the Heroes spot," Bromstad said. "It’s right now being looked at as a 13-episode run — something people could commit to and we could make a big splash with."

Bromstad also cited the show’s global popularity as working in Heroes favor.  "Every single place you go has heard about Heroes — whether you’re in China or Japan or Russia," she said. "And to me, that is global content."

The network has privately discussed setting a series end date for Heroes, which has worked in the favor of the quality of shows like Lost and Battlestar Galactica. But even if NBC ever made such a move, Bromstad said, they wouldn’t want to make next season the conclusion.

Of course, this is not yet an “official” renewal, but barring any drastic ratings drop, the show seems safe for renewal at this point.

For all of the latest on Heroes, check out Watching Heroes.

If you, like me, are a child of the 80’s, then I’m sure you remember Super Dave Osborne - the bumbling Evel Knieval wanna-be whose stunts always ended in grievous bodily injury.  Turns out he is still alive and coming back to TV in a series of half hour specials on Spike TV.

Bob Einstein will again play the self-described “greatest daredevil superstar entertainer of all time,” in a four-part mockumentary-style series on Spike TV premiering this summer. The show will chronicle his preparations for a weekly death-defying stunt.

Einstein originated the character, which was part of the 80’s Showtime hit Bizarre. Super Dave went on to have his own Showtime series which ran from 1980-1985. He spun off the character into the animated series Super Dave: Daredevil for Hire, Super Dave’s Vegas Spectacular, and his own feature film The Extreme Adventures of Super Dave. Einstein recently revived the character for an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live.

My heart broke just a little bit this morning when I found out that former Monkee Peter Tork has cancer.

Tork announced via his website that he has been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer called Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma and will undergo extensive surgery today in New York.  The cancer is uncommon and generally grows slowly on a person’s head and neck. It’s most frequently found in the salivary glands but in Tork’s case was discovered on the lower region of his tongue.  Doctors say preliminary findings from a biopsy show the cancer has not spread beyond the initial site and Tork says his prognosis is good.

Tork, 67, was the bassist for the 60’s made-for-TV band.  He was known on The Monkees as “the dummy,” a stark contrast to his real persona.  Though the show only aired from 1967-68, the band garnered a loyal following from fans.  In 1986, for the 20th anniversary of the show, MTV ran a marathon which kickstarted a reunion tour and fueled the success of the band and show once again.  Tork toured with bandmates Davy Jones and Micky Dolenz on and off throughout the 1980’s and 1990’s.  He continues to make music today with his current band, Shoe Suede Blues.

In the 1990’s he was seen on television as Topanga Lawrence’s father on the sitcom Boy Meets World, as well as a guest character on 7th Heaven. In 1995 Tork made a guest appearance on the TV show Wings, playing himself at an auction bidding against Crystal Bernard’s character for the Monkeemobille.

Peter remains cheerful about his condition and hopeful about the future.

“I am extraordinarily grateful, amazed and humbled by the encouragement, affection and support I’ve received so far,” Peter says of the reaction from friends and family to the news of his illness. “Barring any complications, I fully expect to honor a performance date I have this June with Shoe Suede Blues,” Tork states. “We’re appearing in Manchester, Connecticut and I’m looking forward to that and all our tour dates.”

According to The Hollywood Reporter, CBS is thisclose to a major commitment to two of their hit comedies, Two and a Half Men, and The Big Bang Theory.

The shows are looking at multi-season deals - Men for 3 years and Big Bang for 2 years.

Both shows are produced by Warner Bros. and co-created by Chuck Lorre. The Big Bang Theory currently airs at 8 p.m. on Mondays and has kept setting new series-high numbers in the ratings this season.  Two and a Half Men airs at 9 p.m. and routinely wins it’s timeslot. 

There has been some discussion about making a switcheroo after a schedule change was made for one night, putting Big Bang on after Men.  Big Bang managed to retain an extremely large amount of the Two and a Half Men viewers in the 9:30 p.m. slot, something other comedies haven’t always been able to do.

ABC has announced that it will not renew Life on Mars beyond this season. The show will, however, complete the 17 episode order for this season and they have assured fans that they will wrap up the loose story ends, explain how Detective Sam Tyler (Jason O’Mara) got transported back in time and, perhaps, bring him back to his own time.

The series is based on the British show of the same name, which aired as a limited series.  The ABC version stars Harvey Keitel, Michael Imperioli and Gretchen Mol, in addition to O’Mara.  Gretchen Mol is reportedly already in talks to join the cast of the ABC pilot, Eastwick.

Despite strong support from the network and plum timeslots after huge hits Grey’s Anatomy and Lost, the show never really found an audience.

David Lyons, Carly Pope, Adam Campbell and Thekla Reuten have joined the cast of NBC’s Day One.  The series revolves around a group of people in an apartment complex after a catstrophic event. Lyons will play a Marine and an Iraq veteran who is a natural leader. Reuten will play an odd woman who keeps notes on other tenants. Pope will play a brilliant young woman who lives with her boyfriend (Campbell) an MIT graduate and computer genius.

Christopher J. Hanke has joined the CBS drama Three Rivers, a show about organ transplants. He will play the assistant to the transplant coordinator.

Anastasia Griffith will play an EMT who lost her paramedic boyfriend in a helicopter crash in NBC’s new medical drama Trauma.

Kim Raver will play a reporter once considered to be the next Diane Sawyer on ABC’s Inside the Box.

Alyssa Milano will star in the untitled Ricky Blitt comedy about a telemarketer and struggling writer, played by Eric Christian Olsen, who is torn between his needy best friend and the newfound love of his life, played by Milano.

Ty Burrell has signed on to star in My American Family. He will play a goofy, upbeat dad who thinks he is cooler than he really is in the comedy that revolves around a traditional couple, a gay couple and a multi-ethnic couple. Julie Bowen will play his wife.

John Patrick Amedori, Robert Wisdom and Jay Paulson have all been added to the cast of Happy Town, ABC’s Twin Peaks-esque mystery.

Sharon Leal and Brooklyn Sudano have joined Limelight. Leal will play a choreographer-turned-actress who returns to the performing arts college where she went to school.  Sudano, the daughter of Donna Summer, will play a young dancer auditioning for the academy.

Leah Pipes has been added to the untitled Dave Hemingson legal drama. She will play a new associate at the LA law firm who was born and raised in Beverly Hills.

Cole Hauser has joined Washington Field, the CBS drama about an elite team of FBI agents who tackle crises around the world. Hauser will play the squad’s supervisor.  Teri Polo has also been cast as Amanda O’Donnell, an expert in medical forensics and weapons of mass destruction whose husband it also on the team. Eddie Cibrian will play the evidence response team coordinator and hazmat expert.

Scott Wolf has been tapped to star in ABC’s remake of the ’80s sci-fi drama V.  Wolf will play Chad Decker, an Anderson Cooper wannabe who is tapped by the Visitors to disseminate their propoganda to the masses.

Jonathan Silverman has been cast in ABC’s untitled Jeff Strauss comedy pilot about three couples.

Michael O’Keefe, Courtney Henggeler, Frances Turner and Beth Broderick will star in Fox’s comedy Two Dollar Beer about a group of twentysomething friends in Detroit. It centers on ex-jock Luke (Jonathan Sadowski), whose parents (O’Keefe, Broderick) live in his house.

Dania Ramirez, Brad William Henke and Patrick St. Esprit have been added to ABC’s untitled Daniel Cerone drama which centers on a detective who gets help from his brilliant 11 year old brother.

Tawny Cypress and Sean Bridgers have joined CBS’ drama House Rules.  The show will tell the story of the freshman class of Congress. Cypress will play a former servicewoman who was stationed in Iraq. Bridgers will play a congressman from Georgia who won a recount.

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The cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation will be beaming into Stewie’s bedroom for an upcoming “sweeps” episode of the Fox hit Family Guy.

In the episode titled “Not All Dogs Go to Heaven,” the Griffin family heads to the annual Quahog Star Trek convention but Stewie “blows a fuse” when he doesn’t get a chance to ask The Next Generation cast any questions.  He devises a plan to build a transporter and manages to beam the entire Enterprise crew - Patrick Stewart, Levar Burton, Gates McFadden, Michael Dorn, Wil Wheaton, Denise Crosby, Marina Sirtis, Brent Spiner and Jonathan Frakes - into his bedroom so they can spend a fun-filled day together in Quahog.

The Star Trek-themed episode is set to air on March 29.

CBS
Craig Ferguson and Paris Hilton host the evening with all new episodes of The Big Bang Theory, How I Met Your Mother, Two and a Half Men and the season premiere of Rules of Engagement.  The comedies begin at 8pm ET and are followed by an all new episode of CSI: Miami at 10pm ET.

NBC
All new episodes of Chuck (8pm), Heroes (9pm) and Medium (10pm). Then, If you care to stay up late, you can catch Jimmy Fallon’s debut as host of Late Night.  Jimmy’s guests tonight are Robert De Niro and Justin Timberlake. Late Night begins at 12:35am ET.

ABC
The season finale of The Bachelor followed by the After the Rose special. It all kicks off at 8pm ET.

Fox
2 hour all-new 24 at 8pm ET.

The CW 
Repeats of Gossip Girl and One Tree Hill.

ABC Family
All new Secret Life of the American Teenager (8pm) and Kyle XY (9pm).

EW’s Michael Ausiello is reporting that Gilmore Girls star Alexis Bledel will guest star on the two-hour finale of ER on April 2.  Bledel will play a new intern named Julia Wise in the final episode of the series, which chronicles a 24 hour shift at County General.  This will be the first major TV role for Bledel since Gilmore Girls ended two years ago. 

In other casting news, Melissa George, who just left her role as intern Sadie on Grey’s Anatomy, has been cast as the female lead in the CBS drama pilot US Attorney. She will play Susan, ADA and ex-wife to the section chief (Michael Lange). Attorney centers around a team of federal prosecutors in the U.S. Attorney’s office in Manhattan.  Lennie James and Jason Clarke have also been cast in the show.

Jessica Capshaw, who has guest-starred on five episodes of Grey’s Anatomy this season as pediatric surgeon Dr. Arizona Robbins, has signed a contract to remain with the show through the end of this season. Her character is a potential love interest for Dr. Callie Torres.

Oscar winner Anjelica Huston will be coming back to Medium to reprise her role as Allison’s ex-boss, Cynthia Keener later this season. Arrested Development star Jeffrey Tambor will also guest star in an episode this May as a mysterious man who shows up at the Dubois house.

Ed Asner will make an appearance on CSI: NY in April as a clockmaker who’s trying to keep a lid on his mysterious past. Asner is, of course, most famous for his role as Lou Grant on The Mary Tyler Moore Show.

Oz star Dean Winters is busy this season.  He has upcoming guest appearances slated for 30 Rock, Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles, Life on Mars and Rescue Me. He has also been cast in the ABC drama pilot Happy Town.

Bill Lawrence’s real-life wife, Christa Miller, will join the cast of his ABC comedy pilot, Cougar Town. Courteney Cox, Dan Byrd and Busy Phillips will also star.

Neil Hopkins, who played Charlie’s heroin-addicted brother Liam in LOST, will play Sean McNamara’s believed-dead sibling Brendan on Nip/Tuck.  He is slated to be introduced at the end of the show’s sixth season which will premiere in 2010.  Hopkins’s character will be a recovering methamphetamine addict who has been living on a nature preserve.

The following shows won’t be coming back for the 2009-10 television season.  These are only the ones we have had official word on, so if you don’t see your favorite show here, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s safe.  I’ll try to keep this post updated as more cancellations are announced:

• Boston Legal (ABC) 
• Charlie Jade (SCI FI)
• Dirty Sexy Money (ABC)
• Do Not Disturb (FOX)
• Easy Money (The CW)
• Eli Stone (ABC)
• ER (NBC) 
• The Ex-List (CBS)
• In Harm’s Way (THE CW)
• King of the Hill (FOX) 
• Kyle XY (ABC Family)
• Lipstick Jungle (NBC) – NBC  hasn’t fully committed to this one being canceled, but it seems Lindsay Price has signed on for a new show, so it’s not looking good.
• The Money and the Power (MTV)
• My Own Worst Enemy(NBC)
• Opportunity Knocks (ABC)
• Prison Break (FOX)
• Pushing Daisies (ABC)
• The Starter Wife (USA)
• Swingtown (CBS)
• Valentine (The CW)

Wondering if your favorite show is coming back for the 2009-10 television season?  Here’s a list of what I have found so far.  These are only the ones who have been officially renewed.  If you don’t see your favorite here, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s not coming back.  I’ll try to keep this updated as more shows are renewed. 

ABC Family
Greek
Lincoln Heights
The Secret Life of the American Teenager

A&E
The Cleaner

AMC
Mad Men

BBC America
Primeval

CBS
Flashpoint
Survivor (2 season renewal)

Read the rest of this entry »

Gwen Stefani and the rest of No Doubt are slated to make an appearance on the May 11 episode of Gossip Girl.  They will perform a cover “Stand and Deliver," a song made famous by 80’s pop star Adam Ant.

Their Gossip Girl appearance is part of the band’s return from an extended hiatus.  They will also embark on a 45 city summer tour - their first in more than five years. The tour kicks off on May 3 at the Bamboozle Festival in East Rutherford, New Jersey, and runs through August 1 in Irvine, California.

The group has also been working on a follow up to their 2001 release, “Rock Steady” for the past year.  No release date for the new album has been announced, but it would be customary for such a release to coincide with a tour.

Gossip Girl can be seen on the CW on Mondays at 8 p.m. ET.

A new National Geographic Channel special will give viewers an inside look at the life of the largest creatures on Earth, the Blue Whale. 

Narrated by Emmy award-winning actor Tom Selleck,  Kingdom of the Blue Whale takes viewers on a journey with some of the world’s preeminent experts to explore the little-known wintering grounds of these elusive gentle giants, chart their migratory paths and identify where this population produces their young.  This information is vital information to the protection and survival of the species.  The team even hopes they will be the first ever to film an infant calf underwater.

Filmed during sea voyages off the coasts of California and Costa Rica, Kingdom of the Blue Whale follows a watery trail of clues over hundreds of nautical miles, as scientists unravel answers to ancient mysteries hidden in the darkest depths of the oceans. Back closer to shore, we investigate the traumatic deaths of four blue whales in one season — far greater than the one expected every few years. Is man to blame, and what can be done to prevent the loss of additional whales?

Kingdom of the Blue Whale airs Sunday, March 8, 2009, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on the National Geographic Channel.  Check your local cable or satellite listings for channel.  National Geographic Magazine will also have coverage of this landmark expedition in its March 2009 issue. 

Have I mentioned that I love these NGC specials?  My kids enjoy them, they’re educational, and it’s something we can all watch as a family without worrying about the content.  Be sure to check them out!