News Brief : A lotta number(s) news for shows aired last week

Its numbers time, The Big Bang Theory shows its still the numbers-king, NCIS is still the most watched crime drama procedural. After all the media hype and buzz in the summer, Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. had an impressive series premiere. The Emmys also had an impressive night on sunday night with increase in viewership from last year's event. Cable shows also continues to draw in big numbers, as Dexter goes out with a bang, Ray Donovan and Devious Maids end their first season on a high.

.. Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., the most talked-about new series of the fall, premiered last night to 12.1 million viewers, coming in with a 4.7 rating in the 18-49 demo. That's ABC's largest premiere in three years,and Joss Whedon's largest premiere in the history of the universe. The show premiered last week to impressive ratings, scoring the best debut of a new drama in all of television since 2009’s V.

...  In another numbers news, NCIS pulled in 20.02 million viewers and had its third largest season-opening audience ever. What kind of voodoo magic are those kids practicing that they get that many viewers?

... The Big Bang Theory also returned last week to its biggest ratings ever. 20.44 million viewers tuned in for the Season 7 premiere.

... Congratulations, Emmys! had the biggest audience for the awards show since 2005. Sunday's broadcast on CBS averaged 17.63 million viewers, up a third from last years telecast on ABC.

... More ratings! Dexter's apparently disappointing final episode reached the series' biggest audience yet, with 2.8 million viewers tuning in for the initial airing. Ray Donovan's Season 1 finale also did well, with 2.1 million viewers. That's a Showtime best for a freshman series' season finale. As for Breaking Bad, it continued to be awesome and rise in the ratings even with a lot of competition from Dexter and the Emmys, and hit a series high with 6.6 million viewers. Remember when you had to convince people to try to watch this show? While we're at it, let's just mention that Lifetime's Devious Maids wrapped up its first season on Sunday, and 3 million viewers watched that for a season high.

... FOX's Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Dads both premiered to okay numbers last night (6 million viewers and a 2.5 demo rating, and 5.6 million viewers and a 2.1 demo rating, respectively). This is sort of disappointing for Brooklyn Nine-Nine, which I've heard called the best new comedy of the fall

... FX has concluded that the Season 6 premiere of Sons of Anarchy has become the most-watched FX broadcast of all time. So far, it's accumulated 8.32 million viewers.

Back to other news apart from viewership ratings and numbers

 ... Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., The most anticipated new show of the season debuted to big numbers for ABC, but very mixed reviews. Some people loved it, some people thought it was only mediocre, some people were very confused (and in some cases angered) by the lack of superheroes (which means they didn't read anything that came out before the series premiered). But regardless of what The People thought, it was a strong start for ABC, Marvel, and the Joss Whedon himself.

... James Spade is back on TV and carrying most of NBC's new—and largely mediocre—FBI thriller The Blacklist on his shoulders. But the series is worth a look to just to see the actor (who plays a most-wanted criminal who suddenly surrenders himself to the FBI) chew scenery, cling to every pregnant pause, and let lines like "Well I think you're special," slide out of his mouth.

... Another edition of NCIS again! So another spin-off is in the works. The new series would be set in and around New Orleans, with a backdoor pilot planned for a super-sized spring episode of the original series. NCIS star Mark Harmon would produce, with fall 2014 a likely debut date for what can only be called NCIS: NO.

... A Walking Dead spinoff, AMC announced that it's developing a "companion series" (a.k.a. a fancy term for spin-off) of its zombie mega-hit The Walking Dead. The new series will focus on "an entirely new story and cast of characters," and Robert Kirkman, who created the comics, will serve as a co-executive producer along with Walking Dead EPs Gale Anne Hurd and David Alpert. The series, which doesn't currently have a title, is expected to premiere in 2015.

... Ken Jeong, better known as Chang from Community ( The Hangover triologies), is set to star and produce in a medical multi-camera comedy on NBC. Dr. Ken will loosely be based on Jeong's own experience as a real physician (he was a doctor before he turned to acting). Can't wait for this.

... TNT has canceled its drama King & Maxwell after one season. The series starred Rebecca Romijn and Jon Tenney as secret-service agents who became private eyes.

News Brief : Renewals and Cancellations

.... Lifetime cancels Army Wives after 7 seasons
Lifetime has decided to divorce Army Wives—its longest-running original series—after several mostly happy years together. The show concluded its seventh and now final season this past June.

continue reading.....


.... FX Renews The Bridge for Season 2
I get the feeling that FX wasn't too sure about this one, but the network has gone ahead and ordered a second season of The Bridge anyway. Season 2 will run for another 13 episodes and reclaim the show's status as a summer series in 2014. The renewal comes late in The Bridge's first season.

... ABC Renews Mistresses for Season 2
Mistresses, the trashy summer series will be back for a second season. That's right, Mistresses, the ABC soap starring Alyssa Milano, will be back next year. Apparently, the show was the number-two scripted network drama of the summer behind Under the Dome.
Mistresses left literally dozens of viewers hanging by a thread with a Season 1 finale that was bloated with awesome and full of insane, unresolved cliffhangers. Now we'll finally find out whether Milano's character Savi survived her terrible merge onto the freeway in her sweet ride, we'll see how her white husband reacts to her half-black baby (oopsie!), and we'll learn whether Yunjin Kim's character was shot by a crazy Penelope Ann Miller.

.... HBO renews Boardwalk Empire for Season 5
HBO has put some extra cash in the pockets of organized crime and re-upped Boardwalk Empire for a fifth season, just three episodes into Season 4. The move continues HBO's tradition of quick renewals, and was likely nudged along by Boardwalk's performance at this year's Primetime Emmy Awards: In addition to Bobby Cannavale's surprising win for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama on Sunday, the series also bagged trophies for Outstanding Art Direction for a Single-Camera Series, Outstanding Hairstyling for a Single-Camera Series, Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (One Hour), and Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series. HBO hasn't announced an episode count or target air date for Season 5, but if history is any indication (and shouldn't it be, for a period piece like this one?) "12" and "fall 2014" would be pretty safe bets.
Boardwalk Empire's still-young fourth season is averaging 7.5 million viewers per episode, according to HBO, and the show is almost certainly hoping that it will continue to earn critical recognition now that it's introduced even more potentially award-winning characters in Ron Livingston's Roy Philips and Patricia Arquette's Sally Wheet. Jeffrey Wright's Dr. Valentin Narcisse may even be an Emmy lock. Only three episodes in, the guy is quite an intriguing villain, and a perfect foil to Michael Kenneth Williams' criminally underutilized Chalky White.

... BBC America cancels Copper
I regret to inform you that BBC America has decided to pull the plug on its period drama Copper after only two seasons. The series followed Detective Kevin Corcoran (Tom Weston-Jones) in post-Civil War era New York City as he struggled with his own personal demons and the demons that plagued the slums of Five Points New York. The Season 2 finale on September 22 will now serve as a series finale.

News Briefs : FOX and NBC join the comic craze

In the news; FOX does Gotham with no Batman, while NBC enters the world of magic. The growing trend of American stations and networks of  remaking foreign TV shows instead of coming up with new ideas continues;




... Not wanting to be left out of the superhero genre now that Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has taken over the airwaves, FOX has decided to get in on the genre action with a Batman-adjacent project titled Gotham that will explore Commissioner James Gordon and the bad guys who made the fake city famous.

.. NBC is also jumping on the Comic Book trend with a Constantine series. Based on the DC comics which was adapted some years ago into a Keanu Reeves starrer.

... A&E has secured the rights to the French supernatural drama Les Revenants (which translates to The Returned). The series is set in a small town where people start coming back from the dead without having aged at all, and with no recollection of actually dying. There's a rumor that Carlton Cuse (Lost, Bates Motel) is in talks to adapt the project. But  Sundance Channel recently acquired the rights to broadcast the original series, which will air in the U.S. beginning October 31.

... Damon Wayans Jr. (Second Generation Wayans) is teaming up with FOX for his next project. Man/Child is about two single dads who move in together and struggle to strike a balance being a responsible adult and living a life of debauchery.

... Spartacus vets Aaron Helbing and Todd Helbing are developing a new series for Starz about an Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agent who infiltrates a Mexican drug cartel. The project, titled Gringo, was inspired by the nonfiction book "The Shadow Catcher" by Hipolito Acosta.

... Bones creator Hart Hanson, along with The Secret Circle creator Andrew Miller, will adapt Chris Ewan's book series "The Good Thief’s Guide" for ABC. The story follows Charlie Howard, a charming fellow who travels the world while blogging about his adventures. Oh yeah, and he steals stuff for funsies (and sometimes profit). Each season will be set in a new exotic location and focus on one particular heist

CASTING NEWS

... Scott Wolf (Perception) is heading to NBC's midseason drama The Night Shift as a day shift trauma surgeon engaged to Jill Flint's doctor character.

... Laura Benanti (Go On), who can next be seen on NBC's upcoming live Sound of Music special, is dropping by Elementary! She'll play a nanny who quickly becomes the main suspect in her employer's death

... Hey, Game of Thrones book fans, the role of Hizdahr zo Loraq has finally been cast for the upcoming fourth season of the TV show. This means nothing to those of us who are still trying to finish Book 1, but the role has gone to British actor Joel Fry (10,000 BC). Hizdahr plays a role in Daenerys Targaryen's story.

... David Milch's new project, The Money, has scored another big-name actor in Nathan Lane. He'll join Brendan Gleeson in the series about an American media mogul's dynastic family, playing Gordon McCarren, a reporter for the New York Herald who hasn't had a byline in weeks and is desperate for a good story to come along.

... Jack Coleman (remember Heroes?, Castle, Burn Notice), has landed a recurring role on ABC's Scandal. The details of his character, however, are being safely guarded by Shonda Rhimes' minions. But we can tell you that his first appearance will happen sometime in October.

... The casting for Syfy's new pilot Dominion has really gotten under way. Anthony Stewart Head, who played Rupert Giles on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, has been cast as David Weel, the power-hungry president of the Senate of Vega. Also new to the project are Roxanne McKee (Game of Thrones) as Claire Rysen, the closest thing Vega has to a princess; Luke Allen-Gale (Ripper Street), who'll play William Weel, the son of David and the Head of the Church of the Savior; and Shivani Ghai (Bride & Prejudice) as Arika, a lead diplomat sent from Helena, a mysterious and militant matriarchal society. They join the previously announced Christopher Egan and Tom Wisdom.

... Lucy, the socially awkward lady friend of Raj's who dumped him in The Big Bang Theory's May finale, might be experiencing a change of heart with regard to Koothrappali. Actress Kate Micucci will reprise her role in the November 14 episode.

... Warehouse 13 vet Joanne Kelly has booked a major recurring role on CBS's thriller Hostages. She'll play Vanessa, an ambassador and the sister of the first lady.

News Brief : Post 'Breaking Bad' era or Creator and actor

Breaking Bad Creator and actor move on to other projects, E! has started their own scripted series,Robert De Niro replaces the late James Gandolfini , more people join The Mindy Project and more......




... Breaking Bad may not be over until Walt says it's over—or at least until this Sunday—but series creator Vince Gilligan has lined up his next TV gig. CBS has ordered Battle Creek, a drama about two detectives with differing views and attitudes in Battle Creek, Michigan, to series for the 2014-2015 TV season. Along for the ride are House creator David Shore, who will serve as showrunner, and Breaking Bad alum Mark Johnson, who'll executive-produce alongside Gilligan.

... The CW is developing Red, a sci-fi Western drama from The Mentalist creator Bruno Heller and executive producer Tom Szentgyorgyi. The project is about the first human settlement on Mars and centers on the relationships between the town’s female sheriff, a doctor, and a criminal.

... Robert Zemeckis has partnered with Clifton Campbell (The Glades) for Billy Ray, which has a put pilot commitment from FOX, is about a family whose world is turned upside-down when their child who was kidnapped as a baby returns home to them at the age of 16 after being raised by a wackadoodle.

CASTING NEWS

... Bryan Cranston, much like Vince Gilligan, is keeping busy. He'll be reprising his role as Ted's former boss on How I Met Your Mother for one episode in the final season.

... HBO has finally given the go-ahead to Criminal Justice, a miniseries that James Gandolfini had been set to star in prior to his death. Robert De Niro will take over Gandolfini's role. Criminal Justice is about a New York attorney who's just a bit too ambitious in taking on a case involving a Pakistani accused of murder.

... The legendary Vanessa Redgrave has joined ABC's The Black Box, a new drama about a world-renowned neuroscientist played by Kelly Reilly who appears to have her crap together on the surface, but is struggling with a mental illness. Redgrave will play her psychiatrist.

... Martin Freeman, who you may recognize from the hit BBC series Sherlock, or from his roles in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and something called The Hobbit, has landed the lead role in FX's limited event series Fargo. He'll play Lester Nygaard, William H. Macy's character in the 1996 Coen brothers film of the same name. The series will feature an all new "true crime" case.

... Comedian and all-around awesome guy Patton Oswalt is following up appearances on Justified and Parks and Recreation with a guest-starring tole on FOX's Brooklyn Nine-Nine. He'll play a fire marshall who butts heads with Andy Samberg's Detective Peralta.

... Revenge has hired current Devious Maids star Ana Ortiz. She'll guest-star as Bizzy Preston, a public relations specialist hired by Conrad. This role should come as no surprise considering all the crap the Graysons have gone through in the public eye over the course of two seasons.

... Alanna Masterson is joining the cast of The Walking Dead for Season 4. Right now we don't know much about her character, but she'll recur this season, with an option to become a series regular in the future. She'll play a new survivor who first appears midway through the season.

... Loretta Devine has joined USA's new series Sirens. The series follows "three Chicago EMTs whose self-righteous and self-destructive personalities make them unfit for long-term relationships and most occupations. Devine will play the no-nonsense church-hugging mother of one of the characters, and will appear in two episodes.

... Bethany Joy Lenz of One Tree Hill (she played Haley) has landed the lead role in E!'s scripted series pilot Songbyrd. The drama follows a songwriter named Lauren Byrd (Lenz), who has a small group of employees who help her with her unusual songwriting process. And then there's love problems and all that, of course.  Rumer Willis has joined as the sister of Lauren.

... Kendra Wilkinson will appear on FOX's The Mindy Project this season because every single celebrity is legally required to guest-star on this show at some point. The former Playmate and Girls Next Door star won't be playing herself.

... Army Wives' Sally Pressman is dropping by Scandal for a few episodes this season. Her role is being kept under wraps because this is a Shona Rhime's show (that woman is so secretive), Look for her in November.

... D.B. Sweeney will appear on Two and a Half Men this season as the boyfriend of Courtney Thorne-Smith's character Lyndsey. He's only due on one episode as of now.

Five Promising New Fall TV Shows

It's that time of year. The time when there are a whole bunch of new TV series debuting within just a few weeks of each other - far more than most people could possibly keep up with.

So what sticks out as being worth your time? I've listed five of the most promising new series below, based on what we've seen, heard and what we know so far. There are some shows that nearly made this list -- Sleepy Hollow, Trophy Wife and The Blacklist among them -- that show signs they could soon turn into something strong as well. And it's very possible a couple of shows with outright poor pilots could quickly turn themselves around, as has happened in the past; just as it's possible a show with a promising start could quickly falter. But right now, as the TV season begins, here's five to keep your eye on...

.... Brooklyn Nine-Nine

 

Premiered September 17th, Tuesday on FOX.

Parks and Recreation creator Michael Schur and his fellow Parks alum Dan Goor have a simple but highly effective scenario here, imprinting the style of comedy Schur honed on Parks and The Office onto a cop show. Andy Samberg and Andre Braugher are a great wacky guy/serious guy pairing, surrounded by a strong group of supporting characters. It's important to remember that neither The Office or Parks and Recreation started all that strong, taking several episodes to really find themselves. Brooklyn Nine-Nine is all the more impressive for feeling very solid in its premiere, indicating the show could quickly find itself among the best comedies on TV these days.
Available in Nigeria early Wednesday mornings.


.... Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

 Premieres September 24th, Tuesdays on ABC.

Look, everyone is going to at least give this one a shot. But the good news is, it's worth your time. Joss Whedon and Marvel already hit pay dirt (to say the least) with The Avengers, so the anticipation for this series -- the first show to tie into the Marvel cinematic universe -- is sky high. But take away the Marvel connection and you'd still have plenty of interest in this show simply because it's Whedon returning to the medium he's kicked so much ass in. The pilot is very fun and exciting, setting a great tone for what's to come.
 Available in Nigeria early Wednesday mornings.

.... Masters of Sex

Premieres September 29th, Sundays on Showtime.

Showtime takes a look at the real life story of Masters and Johnson, the research duo who would become pioneers in the field of sexual response and how the human body responds during intercourse. The eyebrow-raising scenario is added to by the period setting, as William H. Masters and Virginia E. Johnson face considerable obstacles looking into a subject matter that wasn't exactly widely discussed in the 1950s. Masters of Sex is clever, funny, and, yes, provocative, with Michael Sheen and Lizzy Caplan expertly portraying the way ahead of their time duo at the center of the story.
 Available in Nigeria early Monday mornings.

.... Almost Human

Premieres November 4th, Monday on FOX.

The pilot to this one is good, but not great, yet still, there's a lot to be hopeful about here, especially given Almost Human's pedigree. For those of us who loved Fringe, getting a new sci-fi show from J.J. Abrams and J.H. Wyman so soon after that show ended is something to be excited about, as is seeing Karl Urban (Star Trek, Dredd) take the lead in the series. Urban and Michael Ealy are a good pairing as a cop 35 years in the future and his android partner. And keep in mind, Fringe started out just okay too. All of which is to say, let's see where Almost Human takes us...
 Available in Nigeria early Tuesday mornings.

.... Mob City



Premieres December 4th, Wednesday on TNT.

This is the one show on this list that is listed completely due to expectations, since it hasn't been sent out to press yet. Frank Darabont returns to TV following his unceremonious departure from The Walking Dead, with the Shawshank Redemption/Green Mile director tackling cops and mobsters in 1940s-50s Los Angeles. A couple of The Walking Dead cast alum are along for the ride, including Jon Bernthal and Jeffrey DeMunn, plus folks like Neal McDonough (Justified), Robert Knepper (Prison Break) and Milo Ventimiglia (Heroes). It all sounds pretty damn cool, no? We'll have to wait until late this year to see for ourselves, but there's certainly a lot to have us intrigued...
Available in Nigeria early Thursdays mornings.

News Briefs fot the week : True Blood to end with next year's 7th season, LeBron James now delving into TV show productions..

....Well, guys, it's official. HBO has confirmed recent rumors that True Blood's seventh season, set to air next summer, will mark the show's True Death. The news shouldn't really come as a shock; the clock has been ticking on Bon Temps for quite some time.

News Briefs : Coach 'might be' back on New Girl, Gay character on 'Two and the Half Men, Ziva leaving NCIS, Sci-fi shows Cameo-star Summer Glau coming on Arrow

BATTLE OF THE FEMALE HEADLINES NEWS

... Oh no! Ratings powerhouse NCIS is losing one of its most beloved characters as it heads into its butt-kickin' eleventh season. Cote de Pablo, who plays fan-favorite agent and delightful butcherer of the English language Ziva, is leaving the CBS hit... soon. De Pablo will appear in Season 11 for an unknown number of episodes, to wrap up her story and then move on with her career.

... Oh yay! Sci-fi sweetheart Summer Glau will be joining the second season of The CW's Arrow. She'll play Isabel Rochev, the vice president of a company looking to execute a hostile takeover of Queen Industries. And if she's like the Isabel Rochev from the DC Comics universe, she won't be too fond of Oliver Queen.

Shows: Canceled, Ended Renewed or Unknown

This is a sesasonal cumulative list of recent changes (not a full year).
However, please feel free to continue discussing and or posting/sharing information. If you see a show information page with outdated information (48 hours or more), please post it in the comments.

======================================================
Canceled, Ended, or Not Renewed
======================================================

1600 Penn
30 Rock
666 Park Avenue
90210
Alphas
Animal Practice
Beavis and Butt-head (The last episodes aired in December 2011 and there hasn't been any
...word about making more. I'm calling it Canceled)
Ben And Kate
Body Of Proof
Buckwild (Canceled one week after Shain Gandee's death)
Burn Notice (Final season to premiere June 2013)
CSI: NY
Cult
Damages
Deception
Dexter (final season to premiere June 2013)
Do No Harm
Don't Trust The B---- in Apartment 23
Emily Owens, M.D.
Eureka
Fairly Legal
Family Tools
Fringe
Futurama (the 13 remaining episodes will air summer 2013)
Go On
Golden Boy
Gossip Girl
Guys With Kids
Happy Endings
How To Live With Your Parents...
Last Resort
Made In Jersey
Malibu Country
Office, The
Partners
Private Practice
Red Widow
Rock Center with Brian Williams
Rules of Engagement
Smash
Southland
Spartacus
Star Wars: The Clone Wars
The Cleveland Show
The Mob Doctor
The New Normal
The Secret Life of the American Teenager
Touch
Tyler Perry's House of Payne
Up All Night
Vegas
Wedding Band
Weeds
Whitney
Zero Hour

======================================================
Renewed
======================================================
2 Broke Girls
American Dad
Arrow
Banshee
Beauty And The Beast
Blue Bloods
Bob's Burgers
Bones
Castle
Chicago Fire
Community
Cracked
Criminal Minds
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Defiance
Elementary
Family Guy
Glee
Grey's Anatomy
Grimm
Hannibal
Hart Of Dixie
Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
How I Met Your Mother
Last Man Standing
Law and Order: Special Victims Unit
Mike & Molly
Modern Family
Nashville
NCIS
NCIS: Los Angeles
New Girl
Nikita (short season)
Once Upon A Time
Orphan Black
Parenthood
Parks and Recreation
Person Of Interest
Raising Hope
Revenge
Revolution (2012)
Saving Hope (Dropped by NBC, continuing on CTV)
Scandal
Suburgatory
Suits
Supernatural
The Big Bang Theory
The Carrie Diaries
The Following
The Good Wife
The Mentalist
The Middle
The Mindy Project
The Neighbors (2012)
The Simpsons
The Vampire Diaries
Two and a Half Men
Vikings

======================================================
Not Canceled or Renewed Yet
======================================================

Borgias
Duets
The Blue Rose

Pilots We Hope Don't Get Picked up

Picking out 20 pilots we want to see get made was a breeze, but wile sorting through the list of potential new network shows, we also noticed that a lot of DO NOT WANT options were piling up.

Of course, these selections are based on loglines and casting and not a single frame of actual footage, so there is a one-thousand-percent chance that I am wrong here.

Leave comments on which show u would like to get series order for next season.
---- King John
Network: ABC
Genre: A multi-camera John Leguizamo comedy about John Leguizamo
Starring: John Leguizamo (Spawn), John Leguizamo (Ice Age), John Leguizamo (Moulin Rouge), and John Leguizamo (ER). From John Leguizamo.
What it's about in one sentence: It's based on John Leguizamo's life as a guy from the Bronx who makes it big, and focuses on how he stays grounded with his family by staying true to his roots.
Why we don't want to see it: Nothing against Leguizamo, but watching shows from aging actors and comedians making multi-camera comedies about their lives doesn't sound like a fun way to spend our evenings. (See also: Jim Gaffigan's pilot at CBS.)
Potential saving graces: How about some good exterior establishing shots of New York!

---- Westside
Network: ABC
Genre: A "Romeo and Juliet... TODAY!" drama
Starring: Jennifer Beals (Flashdance!), Bruce Greenwood (Star Trek), Odette Annable (House)
What it's about in one sentence: Two rival families battle for control of California's Venice Beach, but when a forbidden romance emerges between members of the warring factions, uh-oh!
Why we don't want to see it: This has bland soap written all over it, and the fact that it isn't set in a very interesting place or era (really? Present-day Venice Beach?) doesn't bode well for the show's creativity unless Venice's bodybuilders and those guys who paint themselves gold and stand really still mix it up.
Potential saving graces: A good soap is all about its characters, so it's impossible to tell how rich Westside's roster will be from just a boring logline. If the characters are good, it doesn't matter where the action takes place. But we're really praying for bodybuilders.

---- Untitled Tad Quill project
Network: CBS
Genre: Multi-camera comedy stopover for Broadway stars
Starring: Matthew Broderick (Ferris Bueller), Kristin Chenoweth (Pushing Daisies)
What it's about in one sentence: A widowed father balances getting back into the dating pool and raising his 12-year-old son.
Why we don't want to see it: Well this doesn't sound too good, does it?
Potential saving graces: Broderick and Chenoweth, both Tony-award winners, could spontaneously burst into song at any moment and fill our hearts with joy. But they'll more likely fill our mouths with vomit.

---- I Suck at Girls
Network: Fox
Genre: A comedy from the guy who brought you Sh*t My Dad Says
Starring: Christopher Meloni (Law & Order: SVU), Alex Kapp Horner (The New Adventures of Old Christine)
What it's about in one sentence: Why don't you try to make sense of this official logline: "Based on Justin Halpern's book I Suck at Girls, it's a story about a boy becoming a man, and a man becoming a father, in a time before coming of age was something you could Google."
Why we don't want to see it: Halpern is the same man who gave us the Twitter feed "Sh*t My Dad Says," which was turned into the CBS series that made us all think "Sh*t CBS makes." Do we give the guy a second chance?
Potential saving graces: Ummm... hey look over there! *runs away*

---- Delirium
Network: Fox
Genre: "Love stinks" sci-fi drama
Starring: Emma Roberts (Julia Roberts' niece, and more importantly, Eric Roberts' daughter), Darren Kragasoff (The Secret Life of the American Teenager), Billie Campbell (The Killing)
What it's about in one sentence: In the future, love is outlawed and a medical procedure can remove a person's ability to go goo-goo-eyed over someone, but one girl falls head over heels just months before she's due to be de-loved!
Why we don't want to see it: Like, gag me with a spoon, right? This is going to be The Ending to the Fifth Element: The Series, isn't it? As a huge supporter of love, I'll need a BIG reason to believe in a society that outlaws the emotion, and if that reason doesn't suffice, it will be a fatal flaw.
Potential saving grace: Maybe the de-loving procedure will be particularly gruesome?

---- Bad Teacher
Network: CBS
Genre: Single-camera second-chance for a bad movie
Starring: Ari Graynor (Fringe), Ryan Hansen (2 Broke Girls, Party Down, Veronica Mars), David Alan Grier (In Living Color), Sara Gilbert (Roseanne), Kristen Davis (Sex and the City)
What it's about in one sentence: Based on the 2011 Cameron Diaz film of the same name, a potty-mouthed divorcee gets a job as a teacher in order to find her next husband and what? That doesn't even make sense. Is she trying to marry school kids? If so, then okay. Great plan.
Why we don't want to see it: Who's the genius who thinks a bad movie will make a good television show?
Potential saving graces: We actually like the cast, particularly Hansen and Davis. And we're curious to see what Grier is up to these days.

---- Welcome to the Family
Network: NBC
Genre: Culture clashin' single-camera comedy
Starring: Mike O'Malley (Glee), Mary McCormack (In Plain Sight), Ricardo Chavira (Desperate Housewives), NOT Rob Schneider
What it's about in one sentence: A Caucasian family and a Latino family are bonded after kids from each clan fall in love and get preggers.
Why we don't want to see it: Oh this again?
Potential saving graces: It's Modern Family with just the Jay and Gloria part, and I guess I'm being generous by saying that.

---- Untitled Greg Daniels/Robert Padnick comedy
Network: NBC
Genre: Single-camera comedy about being single
Starring: Mike Castle, Adhir Kalyan (Aliens in America), Eric Andre (Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23).
What it's about in one sentence: One of those "group of single friends trying to survive the labyrinth of mind games and human suffering that is dating in your early 20s" comedies, and yes, that's from the actual logline.
Why we don't want to see it: Aside from Happy Endings and maybe How I Met Your Mother, can you think of another Friends-ish comedy that's worked? This is a tough gig.
Potential saving graces: Eric F[censored]ing Andre! Also, The Office's Greg Daniels is behind it, so maybe it's one of those rare 20-something dating friends shows that works.

---- Reign
Network: The CW
Genre: Period piece young adult romance
Starring: Adelaide Kane (Power Rangers RPM), Toby Regbo, Torrance Coombs
What it's about in one sentence: Historical fiction about 15-year-old Mary Queen of Scots as she's betrothed to a prince and keeps her BFFs in her court.
Why we don't want to see it: This is more of a business decision than a statement on quality. The CW is on the verge of being a genre network, and this just wouldn't fit in with its current offerings. Unless Mary Queen of Scots had superpowers! Think about it, CW.
Potential saving graces: Maybe this will get kids interested in history again! No? Okay. Nevermind.

---- I Am Victor
Network: NBC
Genre: John Stamos
Starring: John Stamos (Full House)
What it's about in one sentence: It's been described as House but with a divorce attorney played by John Stamos instead of a doctor.
Why we don't want to see it: John Stamos and NBC... not sure which one is more desperate. This is basically Harry's Law with a male lead who happens to be John Stamos. Also, the whole "House but..." pitch is tired.
Potential saving grace: Possible Full House reunion for the former cast members who can drag themselves out of their beds. Also, John Stamos!

PRIMETIME PILOT PANIC: The Latest Buzz

It’s pilot screening time. CBS just started viewing its pilots, with the other networks slated to follow over the next few days. Feedback from the screenings and extensive focus group testing inform the networks’ series pickup decisions and are capable of catapulting a pilot from an also-run to frontrunner status overnight, as it happened with CBS’ "Blue Bloods" three years ago. Here is what I hear as of this weekend, with information still missing on a few late pilots.



ABC ---- Drama "Lucky 7" may live up to its name. The blue-collar ensemble about gas station employees who win the lottery seemed a little off brand for ABC and its glitzy dramas. But I hear the project based on a British format, which hadn’t drawn much attention, came in above expectations, making it a contender in what’s shaping to be a very tight race. It’s tight because two slots have already been penciled in for "Marvel‘s S.H.I.E.L.D". and the "Once Upon A Time" spinoff, whose early footage I hear ABC brass liked. Also boosted by corporate synergy is major contender "Big Thunder", based on the Disney ride. Word is ABC may choose one of its two soapy pilots, "Westside" and "Betrayal", with "Westside" having the edge at the moment. (However, "Betrayal‘s" David Zabel has two irons in the fire as he is also behind "Lucky 7".) The gothic soap "Gothica" has cooled off a bit while high-concept "The Returned", about deceased coming back to life as their old selves, is heating up after another great pilot directing performance by Charles McDougall. Among the character procedurals, "Murder In Manhattan", "Doubt", "Killer Women" and "Influence" all seem in the mix.
"Bad Management", the untitled Adam Goldberg project, and "Back In The Game" (Cullen Bros.) are still getting solid traction on the comedy side, along with female starring vehicles "Trophy Wives" (Malin Akerman) and Rebel Wilson’s "Super Fun Night". I hear "Super Fun Night" is not exactly where ABC brass want it to be and will likely require tweaking but the network isn’t ready to pass up the opportunity to have hot Wilson on its air. Most of ABC’s comedies seem to be still in contention, including "Spy", "Mixology" and "Middle Age Rage", with John Leguizamo’s "King John" holding down the fort on the multi-camera side.



NBC ---- NBC appears very pleased with their comedy pilots, including the pilot for the Michael J. Fox project, which already has a 22-episode order. I hear the network brass feel their half-hour development is so strong, they may bet heavily on new series and hardly keep any of the existing comedy series (besides "Parks & Recreation", of course). Among the NBC comedy pilots that are hot are "About A Boy", "Welcome to The Family", "Family Guide" (D.J. Nash); Greg Daniels’ "Mr. Robinson" starring Craig Robinson, the Sean Hayes starrer "Sean Saves the World"; "Assistance" starring Krysten Ritter and Alfred Molina; and Bill Lawrence’s "Undateable". "The Gates" is a wild card, with the late John Mulaney pilot garnering promising early buzz.
"The Blacklist" continues to be super-hot on the drama side, with the untitled Rand Ravich in contention, along with JJ Abrams’ "Believe". Despite bumpy production, which saw the departure of executive producer Katie Jacobs, "I Am Victor" seems to have a shot, maybe competing with another starring vehicle, "Ironside". Also in the mix are the comic book-driven "The Sixth Gun", the "Chicago Fire" cop drama spinoff, medical drama "After Hours" and the modern day "Hatfields & McCoys".

FOX ---- No major changes in the pilot standings at Fox. Dude police/Army comedies Goor/Schur and Enlisted as well as Assistants and Friends And Family are going strong, with I Suck At Girls as a wild card. Rake, Gang Related and Human are still solid on the drama side. Sleepy Hollow and Delirium may go head to head, with Sleepy Hollow slight ahead at the moment.

CBS ---- CBS is once again hard to read, with many projects in contention for very few slots. Beverly Hills Cop still seems like a frontrunner, with Hostages, The Advocates and the NCIS: LA spinoff in the running and Second Sight, Intelligence, The Surgeon General, The Ordained and Backstrom in the mix. On the comedy side, Chuck Lorre’s Mom continues its march to the fall schedule. Greg Garcia has two horses in the race, a multi-camera comedy which is getting stronger buzz, and single-camera Super Clyde. On the multi-camera side, Friends With Better Lives continues to track well. On the single-camera side, the Robin Williams starrer The Crazy Ones is going strong, with the untitled Rob Greenberg in the mix, along with Bad Teacher and Rottenberg/Zuritsky.

CW ---- The CW already kicked off the new series pickup season on Friday with an order to The Vampire Diaries spinoff "The Originals". Vying to join it are two futuristic/sci-fi dramas, "The Tomorrow People" and "The 100", and royal teen soap "Reign". Just-renewed "Beauty And The Beast" has a potential new companion in another drama about an unlikely pair of star-crossed lovers, the human-alien romance "Oxygen". For now, "The Selection" 2.0 seems to be following the trajectory of the original pilot unless it gets a last-minute boost.

TNT ---- Along with its broadcast brethren, TNT also is getting ready to green-light new series as early as this week. Both pilots in consideration, "Legends" and "The Last Ship", look hopeful to get the nod.

AMC ---- Over at AMC, "Turn" is turning up the heat.