Hot Off The Press: The Latest TV News and Information - Page 2643

TV Notes
ABC renews 'Revenge,' 'Castle,' 'Once Upon,' 'Grey's,' more
By Lynette Rice and James Hibberd, EW.com's 'Inside TV' Blog - May 10, 2012

ABC finally renewed several of its more successful comedies and dramas in anticipation of its fall upfront presentation in New York on Tuesday.

The alphabet has picked up new seasons of Wednesday night comedies Modern Family, Suburgatory and The Middle.

For dramas, veterans Grey's Anatomy and Castle, along with newcomers Revenge and Once Upon a Time, have also earned full-season orders.

Comedies Happy Endings and Last Man Standing are still expected to get a pickup at some point. Shonda Rhimes' midseason drama Scandal is likely to see a second season, while her Grey's spinoff Private Practice is considered likely to receive a 13-episode order. GCB, Missing and Body of Proof are still on the bubble, while The River and Pan Am are presumed dead.

http://insidetv.ew.com/2012/05/10/ab...-anatomy-more/

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TV Notes
'Dancing,' 'Bachelor,' and a bigger 'Shark Tank' returning to ABC

ABC is renewing its biggest reality shows. The network has picked up long-running competition series Dancing With the Stars and The Bachelor, plus slow-growth success story Shark Tank.

The fourth season renewal of Shark Tank is a particularly compelling story. For the first time, Shark Tank is getting a full season of 22 episodes.

In a rare display of ratings growth from the bottom levels of Nielsen, the business-minded reality series barely squeaked past a renewal its first couple years. But thanks to a great format, ABC's patience and some sharp casting tweaks along the way by executive producer Mark Burnett (such as bringing on entrepreneur and Dallas Mavs owner Mark Cuban), Shark Tank has managed to gain a strong following at 8 p.m. on Friday nights arguably the toughest time slot in primetime. Not bad for a low-key show that's set in a single room, with no celebrities, no studio audience, and rewards everyday people for their business ideas and math skills.

The reality pickups follow ABC renewing several dramas and comedies earlier this evening.

http://insidetv.ew.com/2012/05/10/ab...rs-shark-tank/

TV Notes
Thandie Newton's 'Rogue' Will Be DirecTV's First Original Series
By Alison Willmore, IndieWire.com - May 10, 2012

Satellite service provider DirecTV has nabbed a scripted series of its own -- its first original show. "Rogue" will star Thandie Newton (of "Mission Impossible 2" and "Crash") as a conflicted cop named Grace who thinks she may have brought about the death of her son with her actions, and whose investigation into what happened is complicated by her romantic involvement with the crime boss who may have been involved.

"Rogue" was created by "The Caller" and "Dot the I" director Matthew Parkhill, who'll also serve as the writer. Nick Hamm (of "Killing Bono") will executive produce alongside John Morayniss and Michael Rosenberg for eOne and Steven Marrs from Momentum Entertainment Group.

The suspense show will start shooting in August and is set to air next summer on DirecTV's own Audience Network. While DirecTV hasn't had an original series all its own before "Rogue," it has been dabbling in the area of original programming, subsidizing the final three seasons of NBC's "Friday Night Lights" in exchange for being able to air the episodes first, and keeping the beloved show going when the network probably would have canceled it otherwise. DirecTV also took on two more seasons of "Damages" after FX chose to let the twisty drama go -- the final ten-episode arc will air exclusively on DirecTV starting July 11th.

DirecTV's also been the home to a few acquired series, including Australian crime drama "Underbelly" and the upcoming UK show "Hit and Miss," starring Chloë Sevigny.

http://www.indiewire.com/article/tel...riginal-series

TV Sports/Business Notes
Time Warner Cable stepping up its game in L.A. sports programming
The cable operator, which has already landed Lakers telecasts, is launching English- and Spanish-language sports channels in a bid to circumvent News Corp.
By Joe Flint, Los Angeles Times - May 10, 2012

Already the largest cable television provider in Los Angeles, Time Warner Cable Inc. now wants to become the dominant sports programmer in the region.

On Oct. 1, the New York company will launch two regional sports networks: Time Warner Cable SportsNet and Spanish-language network Time Warner Cable Deportes.

The cable operator has shelled out billions of dollars to snag the Los Angeles Lakers away from Fox Sports West and now has its eye on the Dodgers too.

The company is tired of being held hostage by high-priced sports channels and has decided to stop fighting the competition and begin imitating it. The cable operator, which has about 2 million subscribers in Southern California, is taking steps to cut out the middle man.

That middleman is News Corp., parent of local cable channels Fox Sports West and Prime Ticket and a formidable opponent. Even though Fox Sports West lost the Lakers to Time Warner Cable, that channel still has the Angels and Kings. Prime Ticket has the Dodgers and Clippers. Fox Sports operates 18 other sports networks around the country as well.

If content is king as many in the industry believe sports are the jewels in the king's crown. Advertisers place a premium on sports content because viewers tend to watch it live as opposed to taping games to watch later and skipping ads.

"It's one of the reasons sports continues to hold its value," said Rick Burton, a professor at Syracuse University's David B. Falk College of Sports Management. "It's still a growth stock."

It is also why most local sports have migrated to cable networks such as Fox Sports West. The costs have become prohibitive for over-the-air TV stations. For example, KCAL-TV will no longer carry the Lakers starting next season.

Acquiring sports rights is only half of the battle for Time Warner Cable. It also has to secure distribution deals for SportsNet and Deportes from satellite broadcasters DirecTV and Dish Network Corp., as well as from other cable operators serving the region, includingCharter Communications Inc. andComcast Corp. The two channels are being sold as a package.

Over the next few weeks, Time Warner Cable will open negotiations with other distributors. Already some are expressing concern about being gouged.

"We've got a big problem in our industry with the rising costs of programming, and sports is probably the biggest driver," said DirecTV Executive Vice President Derek Chang. "Any time you introduce a new pricey channel, that's probably not a good thing for subscribers."

Despite the tough talk, it is unlikely a distributor would risk not having the Lakers for long. The hometown basketball team is the premier sports property in Los Angeles. This season, the team's games on Fox Sports West and KCAL-TV averaged more than 300,000 viewers more than the Dodgers, Angels, Clippers, Kings and Ducks combined.

"Nobody in Southern California is going to want to be without the Los Angeles Lakers," said Adam Swanson, an analyst at industry consulting firm SNL Kagan.

Time Warner Cable isn't saying how much it wants from distributors. But Vijay Jayant, an analyst with financial consulting firm ISI Group, put the price at $2.50 per month per subscriber. Others in the industry say that figure is low and that the company will demand $3.50 for the two services.

Distributors are already paying Fox Sports more than $5 combined per month per subscriber to carry Prime Ticket and Fox Sports West. Even though the Lakers are no longer on Fox Sports West, Fox is going to try to hold the line on its price, people familiar with the company's thinking said.

Besides the Lakers, Time Warner Cable has also acquired the rights to the Galaxy soccer team and the WNBA's Sparks. The Spanish-language channel will have its own identity and not just be a dubbed version of the English network. Time Warner Cable Deportes will have its own production teams for live sports and will carry boxing, wrestling and international soccer. The two networks will have 120 full-time staffers and some freelancers in El Segundo.

Time Warner Cable tapped former Fox Sports and Creative Artists Agency executive David Rone as president of Time Warner Cable Sports. A corporate lawyer by training, Rone chooses his words carefully and keeps his cards close to his vest. He said Time Warner Cable's motivation in Los Angeles is akin to buying insurance.

"We know what the proposition with the Los Angeles Lakers is for the next 20 years," Rone said.

As for going after the Dodgers, Rone would say only, "If we have the opportunity, we would be very highly desirous of striking a relationship with the new ownership of the Dodgers."

Fox will do its part to make sure that opportunity never comes. Under its current agreement with the Dodgers, which will expire after the 2013 season ends, Fox has an exclusive 45-day window to negotiate with the Dodgers starting Nov. 30 of this year. A Fox Sports spokesman declined to comment.

"If Fox lost the Dodgers it would make it tougher to sustain the two channels, particularly if one of your main distributors is Time Warner Cable," said Lee Berke, president of LHB Sports, Entertainment & Media Inc.

While Rone is trying to get two sports channels off the ground, Time Warner Cable Chief Executive Glenn Britt has expressed concern about the cost of regional sports networks for consumers and distributors. In the midst of a now-resolved fight with the Madison Square Garden Channel in New York, Britt suggested that perhaps such networks should be sold separately so those who aren't fans don't have to pick up the tab. In the sports world, such talk is considered blasphemy.

Rone would not directly address the apparent disconnect between Britt's thoughts and Time Warner Cable's actions except to say, "because of who our parent company is, there's been a lot of rigor that has been brought to the decision-making and analysis of how we price these services."

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-f...,7207903.story

TV Review
'Common Law,' another odd couple of cops
By Diane Werts, Newsday

THE SHOW "Common Law"

WHEN/WHERE Premieres Friday at 10 p.m. on USA.

REASONS TO WATCH Odd-couple cops (again), bickering cute.

VOTE Which of these Fox shows did you watch?

WHAT IT'S ABOUT Police partners who don't get along -- what a concept! This time, it's uptight former lawyer Wes and foster-child-turned-ladies-man Travis, who may or may not be named after a Cabbage Patch doll. As embodied by Warren Kole and Michael Ealy, they couldn't be cuter. They are their captain's "two best detectives" and his "biggest pain in the. . . ."

That taskmaster, played by Jack McGee ("Rescue Me"), exudes his own kind of about-to-burst fireplug cute. If they had their own close-ups, the office desks probably would be cute, too. Travis' personal crib, an Airstream trailer surrounded by neon signs inside a funky warehouse, is super cute.

Anyway, the fireplug has ordered his two young hotheads to attend couples counseling, which serves as this series' really-not-necessary-but-mega-cute hook.

MY SAY One thing you can say for USA: It knows what it's doing. It's got its shtick, and it's sticking to it. Monk and Sharona, Shawn and Gus ("Psych"), Neal and Peter ("White Collar"), et al -- thrown together for a little investigation, some bickering, a dash of wit, that final aha solution. It works -- again here, against a somewhat grittier background of urban L.A. burglar-bars territory more familiar from "The Shield."

There's also the standard dangling of the unresolved back story. Wes yearns to get back with his (ex) wife. Why isn't he a lawyer anymore? How come he's so uptight? Travis grew up in 18 foster homes -- specificity is cute, too -- and thus, so yearns for connection that he sleeps with every woman in sight ("Jericho's" Alicia Coppola makes a devastatingly droll coroner). Is this what makes Travis so, in Wes' words, "anal-explosive?"

Ealy, of course, has been a star-in-the-making forever, since his big-screen steal of "Barbershop," then certifying his mettle in Showtime's "Sleeper Cell" as the take-down-terrorists undercover man. This charmer can keep starring in films like "Think Like a Man" while a short-season cabler like "Common Law" runs for eons. Kole, too, comes into his own here, lobbing the ball back nicely after gigs on "The Chicago Code," "Mental" and "24."

BOTTOM LINE These bicker brothers will be around for a while.

GRADE: B+

http://www.newsday.com/entertainment...cops-1.3706915

TV Notes
Conan to visit Dave for the first time in 13 years
By Gary Levin, USA Today - May 10, 2012

Conan O'Brien will visit friendly rival David Letterman on May 17, the first time in 13 years.

Conan inherited Dave's Late Night on NBC in 1993, but now both are gone from that network on equally bitter terms, so they'll probably be comparing notes on their unplanned exits.

O'Brien, now based in Los Angeles, will be in New York next week for TBS' presentation to advertisers; their last sit-down was in January 1999.

John Mayer will be the May 17 Late Show musical guest.

http://content.usatoday.com/communit...-in-13-years/1

TV Notes
Fox Renews Family Guy' & American Dad', Postpones Decision On Cleveland Show'
By Nellie Andreeva, Deadline.com - May 10, 2012

EXCLUSIVE: Along with all the action on the live-action side at Fox this week, with the network picking up new series, renewing and canceling existing ones, Fox also has quietly made a move on the animated side. I've learned that within the last few days, Fox has renewed flagship animated comedy Family Guy for an 11th season and American Dad for an eighth. I hear the orders are for 22 epsiodes each. American Dad, which recently returned from hiatus, is in its sixth season on the air, with a full seventh season worth of episodes in the can to begin running in September. The pickups ensure that both Seth MacFarlane series will be on the air at least through the 2013-14 season. By then, Family Guy will have amassed 239 episodes.

Meanwhile, Fox has not picked up the option on a fifth-season renewal for MacFarlane's third animated series, The Cleveland Show, which is finishing its third season on the air. The series is midway in production on a full fourth season worth of episodes for next fall. Because the show is still in production, the network has opted to postpone a decision on a fifth season to see how its schedule shakes out in the fall. The series, a spinoff from Family Guy, has been sold in off-network syndication to Adult Swim for a fall 2013 launch. Of the other Fox animated series, The Simpsons has a two-year renewal, Bob's Burgers third season pickup was announced in January, Allen Gregory has been canceled, and Napoleon Dynamite is still on the bubble.

http://www.deadline.com/2012/05/fox-...leveland-show/

TV Notes
Friday's TV Highlights: 'Magic City' on Starz
By Los Angeles Times' 'Show Tracker' Blog - May 10, 2012

[ALL TIMES LISTED ARE PACIFIC TIME]

JESSICA MARIS stars in a new episode of “Magic City,” a sophisticated drama set in a Miami hotel in the 1950s, at 10 p.m. on Starz.

SERIES

The Martha Stewart Show: The homemaking series ends its run (10 a.m. Hallmark).

Undercover Boss: In the season finale the CEO of MasTec, a giant in the world of building telecommunication and energy systems, experiences a “jolting” revelation when he goes under cover in his own company (8 p.m. CBS).

The Finder: In the season finale George Stults, older brother of series star Geoff Stults, guest stars as the brother of Geoff's character. John Ashton and Annette O'Toole appear with series regulars Michael Clarke Duncan and Maddie Hasson (8 p.m. Fox).

CSI: NY: The New York City-based procedural drama's eighth season ends with a bang, as Mac (Gary Sinise) is shot and floats in a state of limbo as he fights for his life. Sela Ward, Carmine Giovinazzo and Hill Harper also star (9 p.m. CBS).

Supernatural: Sam and Dean (Jared Padalecki, Jensen Ackles) seek out three items they need to defeat Dick Roman (James Patrick Stuart) and the Leviathans in this new episode (9 p.m. KTLA).

Fringe: The season finale concludes (9 p.m. Fox).

Blue Bloods: In the season finale, Frank (Tom Selleck) comes across some information about an impending terrorist attack, but he's missing two critical pieces of the puzzle: where and how it's supposed to happen. Donnie Wahlberg and Will Estes also star (10 p.m. CBS).

Craft in America: The season premiere features woven textiles and story quilts by Faith Ringgold, Randall Darwall, Consuelo Jimenez and Terese Agnew (10 p.m. KOCE).

Common Law: In this fast-paced new detective series, a pair of bickering partners (Michael Ealy and Warren Kole) are sent to couples counseling in the hopes that they can work through their issues and keep putting the bad guys away (10 p.m. USA).

SPORTS

Basketball: The NBA playoffs continue as the Clippers host the Memphis Grizzlies (6 p.m. ESPN).

Baseball: The Angels visit the Texas Rangers (5 p.m. FSN); the Chicago Cubs visit the Milwaukee Brewers (5 p.m. WGN A); the Colorado Rockies visit the Dodgers (7 p.m. FS Prime).

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/show...hlights11.html

TV-on-DVD Notes
'Dark Shadows' Fans Will Hunger for the Ultimate DVD Collection
By Diane Werts, TVWorthWatching.com - May 10, 2012

The massive new 131-disc, 1,225-episode, complete-series box of creepy serial Dark Shadows sets an impressive standard in TV DVD packages.

Notice I didn't say "in TV DVD releases."

Because the show's release pattern is a whole 'nother story one that's got DS diehards flaming on online comments sections.

The same distribution folks who put together this beautifully beefy box it weighs 12 pounds, people! also deliver a lavish assortment of bonus goodies, including the superb "coffin" box design that nicely salutes the immortal appeal of ABC's '60s gothic daytime fave.

But the MPI Video team previously delivered all those goodies in 35 separate releases, too the 26 chronological sets of their Dark Shadows Collection featuring iconic vampire Barnabas Collins (Jonathan Frid, left); the six pre-Barnabas episode sets called Dark Shadows: The Beginning; and three single-disc releases of highlights, outtakes, promos, talk-show appearances, cast reunions and other vintage goodies (Special Edition, Bloopera & Treasures, Reunion).

So it's a classic example of the "double dip" about which DVD collectors continually carp.

It's also assuredly to be expected, an inevitable way of doing business these days, and no reason why MPI shouldn't also create a complete-series set as glorious as this one.

And this is indeed the new state-of-the-art in TV DVD complete-series box sets. Dark Shadows fans not only get every episode of their beloved serial in one package, but a suitably durable package that protects all the content they crave. The 131 discs are safely affixed to hubs inside standard-size keep cases compactly holding five or six discs each. Yes, some of the discs overlap, but they're so tightly held that the likelihood of damage is minimized. None of those stupid cardboard pages, flimsy card-stock sleeves, or accordion paper nonsense. (We mean you, complete-series sets of The Sopranos, The Shield, Battlestar Galactica, The Wild Wild West and I Love Lucy.)

The 22 cases holding those discs come tightly nestled inside a thick, black, coffin-shaped outer box, which is seriously substantial (not like, say, you, Battlestar Galactica or It Takes a Thief). Open the coffin's hefty lid on its strong metal hinges, and you find the cases "stacked" in the 14-by-11-inch coffin with their spines forming a vertical photo of Barnabas Collins in all his undead glory. The spines also list the 1-to-131 numbers of the discs inside, with the back covers of those cases detailing each disc's episode numbers and bonus features, usually interviews of various vintages (not specified). Those total something like ten dozen DS insider recollections from cast, crew, network executives and genre experts.

Looking for a specific episode? Consult the 100-page guide booklet, which helpfully outlines the plot of each ABC half-hour, and each disc's extras, with lots of juicy black-and-white photos. The booklet also explains why two dozen episodes appear here as kinescope film copies rather than the original videotape (which can't be found). So why no cast listing, tracking which actors play which characters? Or crew credits, saluting behind-the-scenes players? Only a quibble. (But still.)

Another collectible goodie comes inside this current Limited Edition series box, released April 10 in a numbered lot of 2,500. It's a black-and-white postcard-size Barnabas photo autographed by star Frid, who sadly died last month, after filming a cameo in the new Dark Shadows feature film that provides such a handy peg for this box release. Frid seems to have signed in either silver ink (my review set) or blood-red (some lucky online boasters). And, of course, there's that edition number, on a sticker affixed to coffin-bottom.

The Limited Edition is officially sold out, though one or two pop up sporadically online. (Might not hurt to check local retail outlets, either, just in case.) The list price was $600; eBay auctions have been heading north of $1,000.

But if you don't need an autograph and a numbered sticker, MPI will be reissuing the same box without those two elements, on July 10, again at $600. It's already available for pre-order at Amazon, discounted to around $420.

Now to the double dip issue. Fans hate the practice, forcing them to pay twice (or more, if it's, say, Star Trek) to get all the bonus goodies. Distributors love it, since it maximizes their revenue. The good news with Dark Shadows, at least, is that if you've been an assiduous collector, you've already got all these episodes and extras in the three dozen previous separate volumes. There are no fresh on-disc bonus features that could make a complete-series purchase de rigueur.

Still, they've asked you to buy initial sets individually, never hinting that the whole shebang might be available down the road in one fell swoop.

Would it be better if the whole-series box came out first? With segmented volumes then following, for those who can't bite the complete-series cost bullet? That's been done with shows like The Man From U.N.C.L.E. and The Six Million Dollar Man, offering a more obvious choice. And yes, for consumers, that's probably preferable. But do distributors make as much money that way? And would they continue to release the more obscure shows we also want to see shows on which there isn't even enough interest to double dip in the first place without the bucks-bang provided by surefire smashes like this?

Not making excuses here. Just explaining a situation that's exceedingly unlikely to change.

Sort of like fans' hunger for Dark Shadows. If you've gotta have it like Barnabas' thirst for blood at least it's there for the taking. And in this case, it couldn't be more tasty.

http://www.tvworthwatching.com/BlogP...px?postId=1906

^^^ So, now that the Tim Burton movie is out (and not doing well), will this expensive set come down to Earth in price? :-)

TV Notes
Where Are NBC's The Office', Parks & Recreation' And Up All Night' Renewals?
By Nellie Andreeva, Deadline.com - May 10, 2012

While Fox wrapped its new series pickups and existing series renewals within a couple of hours yesterday, for NBC, whose upfront presentation is on the same day as Fox, it has become a week-long ordeal. After early series pickup of comedy Go On and renewals of Grimm and Smash last month, the network began its orders/renewals in earnest on Monday morning. Four days later, it's still nowhere near done.

NBC's highest-rated comedy series, The Office, is yet to get a renewal. (With stars Ed Helms, John Krasinski and Jenna Fischer poised to return that now appears imminent.) The fate of NBC's second most watched drama series, Harry's Law (8.8 million viewers, only a fraction behind the Voice-boosted Smash with 9.0 million), is hanging in the balance. There's no word on Parks & Recreation, Up All Night and Whitney. The Office, Parks & Recreation and Up All Night are all fully expected to return, and I hear their renewals may be done in one fell swoop. Buzz is also encouraging on Harry's Law, which I hear is eyed for a potential 13-episode midseason order. The multi-camera Whitney is on the fence but not dead as the sole multi-camera comedy series picked up for next season so far, newbie Guys With Kids, is still looking for a companion.

Which brings us to the NBC pilots. Word is the network has not officially released those that haven't been picked up despite speculation that it is pretty much done with its orders. That includes two of NBC's highest-testing and well-received pilots, the multi-camera comedies Daddy's Girls and Lady Friends, which had been in limbo but presumed dead. (Will ABC make a play for them?) On the drama side, none of the pilots that have not been picked up already seem to be in contention anymore. Two of them, Jason Katims' medical drama County and the Peter Traugott-produced mystery Midnight Sun had been garnering early buzz. But NBC opted to go with its other medical drama pilot Do No Harm, instead handing Katims a renewal for his dramedy Parenthood. Trougott also is well off in his first year as a solo producer as his other NBC pilot, Do No Harm, was picked up to series. (Note: For those asking in the comments about the fate of the remaining Fox pilots, it is addressed in the Fox story linked in the first graph as well as here.)

http://www.deadline.com/2012/05/wher...ight-renewals/

I've said all along that Last Man Standing should have been a Friday night show all along. It's in the same vein as Family Matters and some of the other shows that dominated Friday nights on ABC for years.

TV Notes
Best tube bets this weekend
The top draws in broadcast and cable and in sports
By Louisa Ada Seltzer, Media Life Magazine - May 10, 2012

FRIDAY

Best bet on broadcast: CBS, "Blue Bloods," 10 p.m. Season finale. Frank tries to stop an attack on the city while keeping information about it from his family.

Best bet on cable: USA, "Common Law," 10 p.m. Series premiere. A pair of police detectives are forced into couples therapy.

Top sporting event: ESPN, "NBA Basketball," 9 p.m. Game six between the Grizzlies and Clippers, with Los Angeles up 3-2.

SATURDAY

Best bet on broadcast: NBC, "Saturday Night Live," 11:30 p.m. Former cast member Will Ferrell hosts and singer Usher performs.

Best bet on cable: Nickelodeon, "iCarly," 8 p.m. Sam becomes a co-worker of Freddie's, which ruins the job for him.

Top sporting event: NBC Sports Network, "NHL Hockey," 7:30 p.m. Huge game seven between the Rangers and Capitals, with the winner advancing to the conference finals.

SUNDAY

Best bet on broadcast: ABC, "Desperate Housewives," 9 p.m. Series finale. Two-hour series-ender promises to include plenty of surprises.

Best bet on cable: Food Network, "Next Food Network Star," 9 p.m. Season premiere. Fifteen new wannabes are split into three teams of five.

Top sporting event: NBC, "PGA Golf," 2 p.m. Final round of the Players Championship, won in a playoff last year by K.J. Choi.

http://www.medialifemagazine.com/art...end-may-11.asp

Time Warner Cable Loves L.A., Launching SportsNet, Deportes In SoCal
Friday, May 11, 2012 at 02:47AM
Special to LosAngelesSportsJournalism

May 11, 2012: Time Warner Cable Sports has unveiled plans for the launch of two regional sports networks designed to serve Southern California-area sports fans.

Time Warner Cable SportsNet and Time Warner Cable Deportes are scheduled to debut in HD on Oct. 1. Programming will feature more than 120 live sports events, anchored by being the exclusive local stations of the NBA's Los Angeles Lakers, WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks and the MLS Los Angeles Galaxy.

Time Warner Cable Sports is supporting the launch with a marketing push that offers, "Soon the buzz will turn into a roar. 10.01.12. Your teams. The L.A. sports destination."

Time Warner Cable Sports currently operates local channels in Rochester, Buffalo, Syracuse and Albany, NY; Kansas City, MO; Wisconsin and Texas.

Time Warner Cable said it reaches more than 14 million customers nationwide via five geographic areas: New York State (including New York City), the Carolinas, Ohio, southern California (including Los Angeles) and Texas.

Beginning with the 2012-13 NBA season, the Souther California-based networks' exclusive game coverage will include full seasons of Lakers, Galaxy and Sparks games, as well as California Interscholastic Federation high school regular season and playoff contests.

Time Warner Cable said the networks would be available to all satellite, cable and telco distributors in the Lakers' territory, which includes all of Southern California, Nevada and Hawaii.

In addition, Time Warner Cable Sports said it would create a "daily programming schedule to give local sports fans comprehensive in-depth coverage, fresh opinions and behind-the-scenes insight into their favorite local teams and personalities."

Time Warner Cable Deportes will be the nation's first Spanish-language regional sports network, according to the company. Time Warner Cable Deportes will broadcast all local Lakers and Galaxy games entirely in Spanish - also called a first.

Time Warner Cable Deportes will feature separate production teams, Spanish-speaking talent, a distinct graphics package and a staff that will oversee the production of original programming including daily local sports news, a daily soccer news show and coverage of such sports as boxing and lucha libre.

We are building Time Warner Cable SportsNet and Time Warner Cable Deportes from the ground up to be the new homes for Southern California sports fans."

We are building Time Warner Cable SportsNet and Time Warner Cable Deportes from the ground up to be the new homes for Southern California sports fans, David Rone, president of Time Warner Cable Sports, said in a statement. Our networks are created around live coverage of some of the region's signature franchises and represent a 24/7 commitment to give fans more access and insight than they have ever seen before.

According to Mark Shuken, svp and GM for Time Warner Cable Sports Regional Networks, Because Southern California is home to some of the most intensely loyal fans in the country, we're developing these networks from the fans' perspective and investing in the technology and talent needed to respect that passion. Whether in their living rooms or on the go, fans will always be able to follow their local teams with our multi-platform coverage.

http://nysportsjournalism.squarespac...lPosition=2166

Did Southland ever get renewed?

Yes, 10 episodes again.

Somebody hasn't checked HOTP on a daily basis... tsk, tsk, tsk!

Business/Legal Notes
CBS Sues ABC Over 'Big Brother'-Like Reality Series
By Tim Kenneally, TheWrap.com - May 10, 2012

CBS has filed a lawsuit against ABC, claiming that the latter's upcoming series "Life in a Glass House" pays a little bit too much of an homage to its own hit "Big Brother."

In the suit, filed in U.S. District Court in California Thursday, the network claims that "Glass House" shares numerous similarities to "Big Brother" -- perhaps not surprising because, according to the suit, 19 former "Big Brother" producers and cast members are currently working on "Glass House."

"If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then CBS should take pride in ABC's latest reality television project, 'Life in a Glass House' ('Glass House')," the suit begins.

Among the many similarities that two shows share, according to the suit: "(i) both series involve, among other things, approximately 14 contestants living in a large house, isolated from the outside world, who are filmed continuously; (ii) both series involve interactive features, through which viewers are able to have input into aspects of the show, such as challenges in which the participants compete; (iii) in both series, contestants are voted off and the last contestant standing wins."

The suit goes on to allege that the former "Big Brother" staffers "are actively disclosing CBS's trade secrets and confidential information to ABC and its affiliates in violation of broad and binding non-disclosure agreements they signed in connection with their work on 'Big Brother.'"

According to the suit, the non-disclosure agreements call for a $500,000 fine if they're violated.

ABC denies that its "Life in a Glass House" is a copycat series.

We believe there is no merit to this lawsuit," the network said in a statement provided to TheWrap. "The differences between 'Glass House' and 'Big Brother' are both fundamental and obvious, ranging from 'Glass House'’s interactive elements and audience participation to its deployment of cutting edge technologies.

The suit claims copyright infringement, trade secret appropriation, unfair competition, conspiracy, and breach of contract, among other grievances. The Walt Disney Company, Keep Calm and Carry On Productions and the former "Big Brother" staffers are also named as plaintiffs in the suit.

CBS is asking that ABC and the other defendants be enjoined from using CBS' confidential information and surrender all copyrighted material and trade secrets they may have. The network is also asking for $500,000 each from the former "Big Brother" employees for allegedly breaching their confidentiality agreements, plus undisclosed damages, attorneys' fees and court costs.

Pamela Chelin contributed to this report.

http://www.thewrap.com/tv/article/cb...y-series-39406

TV Sports
Jason La Canfora supplants Charley Casserly at CBS
By Michael Hiestand, USA Today - May 11, 2012

Charley Casserly had an authoritative tone on CBS' NFL pregame show. Unfortunately, he could sound like a doctor calmly explaining terrible results from your medical tests which seemed jarring in the often-breathless world of NFL TV reporters.

With pregame shows under more pressure to sound newsy in a media world that chews on the NFL year-round, CBS on Thursday dropped Casserly for Jason LaCanfora, who'll join CBS on July 1 after his NFL Network deal ends.

"Charley was terrific," says CBS Sports Chairman Sean McManus. "But when I watched Jason, I was amazed at the information he developed. I was looking to be more aggressive seven days a week." La Canfora also will work on the CBS Sports Network cable channel and cbssports.com. CBSSN, says McManus, "will relatively shortly be doing greatly expanded NFL programming" with a Sunday pregame show "a possibility." As for La Canfora's role on CBS' pregame show, "we haven't decided yet. We're not locked into anything."

NFL Network spokesman Dan Masonson, saying NFLN recently "doubled the number of reporters" covering the league (which also happens to be their employer), says NFLN will look at "potential opportunities" for Casserly, who is already on NFLN draft coverage.

And La Canfora said Thursday he doesn't think his new job "will be drastically different" than his old one and isn't sure "what my final weeks (at NFLN) will hold for me."

Wired golf: Finally, a five-foot-long helicopter has a role in TV golf. And it's not surprising that it's at The Players Championship, the PGA Tour's flagship event where NBC (and NBC-produced Golf Channel) coverage is about as wired as TV golf gets.

"The big-time events are where you roll out your toys," says NBC producer Tommy Roy, who'll use the camera-carrying chopper on NBC's U.S. Open. And why not? "It's quiet and can fly under tree limbs," says Roy, who only uses the device created for real estate marketing flyovers for taped shots because, for now, it isn't equipped to shoot live ones.

NBC's touches include TV golf's tallest camera crane 125 feet and a cable-cam zipping on wires between the 16th and 17th holes. The stadium course's famous 17th hole, with an island green, is under intense surveillance with 12 cameras comparable to what an NFL game gets 33 microphones and two periscope cameras in the water operated via joystick from the production truck. Plus, there's a camera operator who each day rows out to the island for solitary shots. Says Roy: "The star of any show needs special treatment."

Not everything works out. Roy once used a cable-cam "that supposedly flew 60 miles per hour to follow the ball. It couldn't keep up."

Oyy: An easily-forgotten footnote from 9/11's immediate aftermath were the vows across media to quit using war analogies bomb, blitz, it's a war! to describe sports.

That's easily forgotten because, well, everybody seemed to forget about them. But maybe this is doable: Don't compare sports to 9/11.

Seems obvious. But not to Canadian NHL broadcaster Ron MacLean who opened Wednesday's New York Rangers-Washington Capitals playoff game by noting the teams came from cities that were 9/11 targets and their players "are like police officers. They are like firefighters. The pain these men have faced. The price they keep on paying." And they do it on skates!

Twitter, no surprise, went nuts. Thursday, MacLean put out the inevitable clarification, explaining someone who "plays like a firefighter or a policemen would instantly conjure the traits an athlete most desires, especially in New York and Washington." Whatever.

Dream Team loss: TNT/NBA TV's ChrisWebber remembers it as a chance to "play against our idols. We all wanted to see how we could do against the guy on the walls in our dorm rooms." What happened will finally air: Webber and other college players beating the 1992 Olympic Dream Team albeit in a practice scrimmage.

The Dream Team, debuting June 13 on NBA TV, includes footage shot by USA Basketball of the college guys beating the newly-assembled Dream Teamers in La Jolla, Calif. Webber recalls it as a "bittersweet" time because "that was the year we would have been Olympians" but, for the first time, NBA players were used. In the scrimmage, "we took it like a championship game" and won 62-54. "But after we won, those guys kept us up all night we didn't know what was going on and we didn't even score a point in the next day's scrimmage."

Whither Beadle: Michelle Beadle, co-host of ESPN2's SportsNation, which understandably gets nearly a zero rating because it's a daytime cable sports talk show, is an online It Girl especially now with her contract up at ESPN. Thursday, sportsbybrooks.com reported Beadle was definitely going to NBC, followed by thebiglead.com tweeting Beadle had texted that report was "not accurate."

Thursday, NBC declined comment, while ESPN's Josh Krulewitz said "we are in talks with Michelle." It's easy to see why Beadle-to-NBC makes sense, given the NBC Sports Network cable channel needs at least semi-known faces and Beadle, in return, might get exposure on NBC's Olympic coverage and maybe a shot at show biz TV on the NBC-owned Access Hollywood.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/colum...age/54890050/1

Well, they may love LA, but they must absolutely loathe San Diego. We haven't seen a Padres game all season (a blessing in disguise?) because they won't get off their encounter-suited butts and negotiate with the new local Fox RSN (Fox Sports San Diego).

^^^ Didn't you get the memo? Physical media is dead. Long live physical media!

THURSDAY's fast affiliate overnight prime-time ratings -and what they mean- have been posted on Analyst Marc Berman’s Media INsight's Blog

TV Notes
Fox holds off CBS on third Thursday of sweeps
Averages a 2.9 in primetime to CBS's 2.8
By Toni Fitzgerald, Media Life Magazine - May 11, 2012

It was very close, but Fox prevailed over CBS on the third Thursday of the May sweeps.

Fox averaged a 2.9 adults 18-49 rating and 9 share in primetime, according to Nielsen overnights, slightly ahead of CBS's 2.8/8.

As usual, "American Idol" provided the winning edge for Fox, finishing as the night's No. 2 show with a 3.9 average at 8 p.m. That was flat to last week.

CBS had the night's top show, the season finale of "The Big Bang Theory," which averaged a 4.2, down from a 4.7 last week. All of the network's shows last night were season finales.

ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" was the night's top drama with a 3.4 at 9 p.m., its best rating in 13 weeks.

On a night heavy with finales, NBC's "The Office" averaged a 2.2, well down from last season but easily the network's top-rated show of the night. The show is expected to be renewed for a ninth season sometime today after key cast members including Ed Helms signed to return earlier this week.

Two of NBC's other key Thursday comedies, "Community" and "30 Rock," were already renewed this week.

Meanwhile, with Fox and CBS out well ahead for the night, ABC placed third for the night at 2.2/6. NBC and Univision tied for fourth at 1.4/4, the CW was sixth at 0.8/2 and Telemundo seventh at 0.4/1.

As a reminder, all ratings are based on live-plus-same-day DVR playback, which includes shows replayed before 3 a.m. the night before. Seven-day DVR data won't be available for several weeks. Forty-four percent of Nielsen households have DVRs.

At 8 p.m. Fox was first with a 3.9 for "Idol," followed by CBS with a 3.5 for "Bang" (4.2) and "Rules of Engagement" (2.7). NBC was third with a 1.4 for "Community" (1.4) and "30 Rock" (1.5, up 7 percent from last week) and Univision fourth with a 1.2 for "Una Familia con Suerte." ABC and the CW tied for fifth at 1.1, ABC for "Missing" and CW for "The Vampire Diaries," and Telemundo was seventh with a 0.4 for "Una Maid en Manhattan."

ABC moved to first at 9 p.m. with a 3.4 for "Grey's," while CBS remained second with a 2.6 for "Person of Interest." NBC and Fox tied for third at 2.0, NBC for "Office" (2.2) and "Parks and Recreation" (1.7) and Fox for the recently renewed "Touch." Univision was fifth with a 1.5 for "Abismo de Pasion" and CW and Telemundo tied for sixth at 0.5, CW for "The Secret Circle" and Telemundo for "Corazon Valiente."

At 10 p.m. CBS led with a 2.4 for "The Mentalist," with ABC second with a 2.0 for "Scandal." Univision was third with a 1.6 for "La Que No Podia Amar," NBC fourth with a 0.9 for "Awake" and Telemundo fifth with a 0.4 for "Relaciones Peligrosas."

CBS was first for the night among households with a 7.5 average overnight rating and a 12 share. Fox was second at 6.7/11, ABC third at 5.1/8, NBC fourth at 2.0/3, Univision fifth at 1.9/3, CW sixth at 1.2/2 and Telemundo seventh at 0.7/1.


http://www.medialifemagazine.com/art...-high-note.asp

Well, part of the reason is that the title should really read,

"TWC Loves L.A. Money, Launching SportsNet, Deportes In SoCal".

Thanks. I don't know how I missed it.

TV Notes
ABC's Scandal' Renewed, GCB' Canceled
By Nellie Andreeva, Deadline.com - May 11, 2012

ABC's two bubble midseason drama series are heading in opposite directiosn. Shonda Rhimes' Scandal is being renewed for a second season, while GCB is being canceled. (ABC's third midseason drama River, has been dead for awhile.)

Veteran Private Practice also is expected to get a renewal for what will likely be the series' final season though that is not official yet. I hear complicating the negotiations is the fact that Mark Gordon, who produces the series, is also behind the drama pilot Americana, which is at the center of heated talks after word got out that ABC was passing on it. Yesterday, NBC renewed the Dick Wolf-produced veteran crime drama Law & Order: SVU along with a series pickup of the producer's pilot Chicago Fire.

http://www.deadline.com/2012/05/abcs...second-season/

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TV Notes
ABC Picks Up To Series Last Resort', '666′, How To Live', Nashville', Neighbors', Zero Hour', Penoza' & Red Man Van'

And we're off with ABC's new series pickups. Picked up so far are frontrunner Nashville, comedies The Neighbors (aka untitled Dan Fogelman) and Family Tools (aka Red Man Van) and drama series are from as Red Widow (form. Penoza) and Zero Hour. Word is that Americana, which was hot, then cool, than hot again, is not going, at least not right now, though last-minute conversations are still ongoing. All five newly-picked up series are from ABC Studios. UPDATE: I hear the remaining ABC Studios pilots are not going forward. That includes Devious Maids.

UPDATE: It looks like ABC is done with its sister studio and moving to picking up pilots from outside suppliers. The network just picked up Warner Bros. TV's spooky drama 666 Park Ave and 20th TV comedy How To Live With Your Parents For The Rest Of Your Live. Rounding out the freshman ABC class is Sony TV's Last Resort, which also got a pickup.

2ND UPDATE: Remaining in contention at ABC is the Reba McEntire comedy pilot Malibu Country. The rest is pretty much dead, though there are last-ditch efforts to get Americana picked up and there has been talk about possibly redeveloping American Judy.

http://www.deadline.com/2012/05/abc-...a-red-man-van/

TV Notes
NBC cancels 'Awake (and 3 others)
By Lynette Rice, EW.com's 'Inside TV' Blog - May 11, 2012

Time to close your eyes for good, Awake: The Jason Isaacs drama did not earn a pickup for fall after a lackluster first season. It only averaged 5.07 million.

NBC also said ta-ta to Are You There, Chelsea (3.34 million), Best Friends Forever (3.34 million), and Bent (3.05 million), three other comedies that failed to gain any traction this season.

The cancellations weren't exactly a surprise, but then again NBC just picked up another season of Whitney so Isaacs or Chelsea Handler could have received a stay of execution. To see all the shows that canned for fall along with those that earned a pickup check out our updated Death Watch chart.

NBC will present its fall lineup to advertisers on Monday in New York.

http://insidetv.ew.com/2012/05/11/nb...-and-3-others/

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TV Notes
'Harry's Law' canceled by NBC
By James Hibberd, EW.com's 'Inside TV' Blog - May 11, 2012

Too bad Harry's Law wasn't a comedy.

While NBC's half hours are getting picked up left and right despite modest ratings, the David E. Kelley legal drama is now officially canceled. Sad news today, Bates tweeted. Harry's Law will not be renewed for a 3rd season. We are all terribly sad. Many thanks for all your support. Kelley will have a new show on NBC's schedule next season, Chicago Fire.

Harry's Law was very much on the bubble until the last minute, but despite averaging a relatively healthy 8.8 million viewers, the drama only had a 1.4 rating among adults 18-49 (in other words, it didn't attract enough young viewers). Earlier, NBC axed Awake and three other shows, but has renewed most of its comedies.

http://insidetv.ew.com/2012/05/11/harrys-law-cancelled/

TV Notes
CW Orders 'Carrie Diaries,' 'Arrow,' 'Beauty and the Beast,' 'First Cut,' 'Cult' to Series
By Tim Molloy, TheWrap.com - May 11, 2012

A young Carrie Bradshaw, a DC Comics archer, and a beauty and beast are among the new faces you'll see on the CW next season: The network announced five new dramas Friday that include the "Sex and the City" prequel "The Carrie Diaries," "Arrow," and an update on the CBS drama "Beauty and the Beast" starring "Smallville" veteran Kristin Kreuk.

The network's other two new shows are the medical drama "First Cut" and "Cult," about a dark TV show that draws legions of violently obsessed fans.

ABC has not yet announced whether it will greenlight a rival "Beauty and the Beast" pilot to series. That show is also called, perfectly enough, "Beauty and the Beast." Let the game of chicken commence.

Still uncertain is the fate of the "Hunger Games"-esque pilot "The Selection," which follows a young girl chosen to compete for the hand of a prince in a war-torn nation.

The series orders come as the young, female-skewing network tries to bounce back from a ratings slide this season. The CW argues that many of its fans watch its shows online, which has hurt it with Nielsen ratings.

Here are descriptions of all five new shows, as provided by the CW: [CLICK LINK BELOW TO READ THESE]

http://www.thewrap.com/tv/article/cw...t-series-39541

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TV Notes
'Gossip Girl,' 'Nikita,' 'Hart of Dixie' Renewed by CW; 'Ringer' and 'Secret Circle' Canceled (Update)
By Tim Kenneally, TheWrap.com - May 11, 2012

"Gossip Girl" will give people something to buzz about yet again, and "Nikita" will be back to seek vengeance for another year.

The network renewed its hit, scandal-prone series for a sixth season.

In March, an individual close to the production told TheWrap that the series would likely be back for a final sixth season that would be shortened, much like the final season of the network's "One Tree Hill." However, it has not yet been determined whether the upcoming season will be "Gossip Girl"'s last, or how many episodes it will consist of.

So far this season, the series has averaged a .8 rating in the advertiser-coveted 18-49 demographic.

The CW has also renewed "Nikita" for a third season, adding to a roster that will include new entries such as "Arrow" and "The Carrie Diaries," as well as returning series such as "Supernatural" and "90210.

"Nikita," which debuted in 2010, stars Maggie Q as the title character, a woman who escaped from the secret government organization called Division, and sets out to take Division down after a three-year hiding period. "Nikita" has averaged a .6 in the demo season-to-date.

The network has also renewed the Rachel Bilson drama "Hart of Dixie," which is preparing to wrap up its maiden season, which has averaged a .7 in the demo

On the downside, the freshman series "Ringer" and "Secret Circle" will not be returning for second seasons."Ringer," which starred Sarah Michelle Gellar in dual roles, averaged a .8 in the demo, while "Secret Circle," which followed a group of teenagers with supernatural powers, averaged a .9.

http://www.thewrap.com/tv/article/go...newed-cw-39566

TV Notes
ABC Renews Happy Endings For Season 3
By Michael Ausiello, TVLine.com - May 11, 2012

And now for some truly a-mah-zing news: ABC has (as expected) renewed Happy Endings for a 22-episode third season.

The news follows Thursday night's pickups of Grey's Anatomy, Castle, The Middle, Modern Family, Suburgatory, Revenge and Once Upon a Time.

http://tvline.com/2012/05/11/happy-endings-renewed/

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TV Notes
ABC Cancels GCB, Pan Am, Missing & The River

ABC has officially passed on ordering second seasons of GCB, Missing, The River and Pan Am.

Earlier this evening, ABC greenlit the new dramas Nashville (fronted by Connie Britton), Zero Hour, Red Widow, the Shawn Ryan submarine thriller Last Resort, and the supernatural spooker 666 Park Avenue (with Losts Terry O'Quinn).

Current ABC dramas set to return in the fall include Castle, Grey's Anatomy, Once Upon a Time, Revenge and Scandal.

http://tvline.com/2012/05/11/gcb-can...ing-the-river/

TV Notes
NBC’s ‘Parks & Recreation’, ‘Up All Night’ And ‘Whitney’ Renewed
By Nellie Andreeva, Deadline.com - May 11, 2012

NBC has resumed the renewal of comedy series with the pickups of Parks & Recreation and Up All Night for season five and two, respectively. There is talk that freshman Whitney also is getting renewed but no confirmation on that yet. And still no renewal for NBC’s flagship comedy series The Office. Up All Night co-executive producer, Everybody Loves Raymond veteran Tucker Cawley, is expected to be upped to executive producer/showrunner on the family/workplace comedy for Season 2, succeeding Jon Pollack, who left to join new NBC comedy series Go On as co-executive producer. Cawley is with CAA.

UPDATE: Whitney now has also been officially picked up. The order for Parks & Rec is for a full-season 22 episodes. No definitive word on the size of the orders for the two freshmen shows yet, but they may be for 13 episodes in line with Community. UPDATE: Up All Night star Christina Applegate indicated on her Twitter feed that the show’s order is indeed for 13 episodes.

http://www.deadline.com/2012/05/nbc-...-up-all-night/

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TV Notes
ABC Renews ‘America’s Funniest Home Videos’ And ‘Wife Swap’

ABC is picking up this morning where it left off last night. After renewing reality series Dancing With The Stars, The Bachelor and Shark Tank last night, this morning the network continued with the pickups of two other long-running reality series, America’s Funniest Home Videos and Wife Swap. The 13-epsisode order to Wife Swap includes both regular and Celebrity Wife Swap episodes.

Now in its 22th season, AFHV has been a solid anchor for ABC on Sunday, providing lead-in support to breakout hit Once Upon A Time. Last Sunday, it shot up 33% week-to-week to a 2.0/7 demo rating to dominate the 7 PM hour and rank higher than any series on NBC that night. Wife Swap has been on ABC since 2004 and introduced a celebrity version earlier this season.

http://www.deadline.com/2012/05/abc-...and-wife-swap/[/quote]

I hope someone involved with "Awake" will explain where the show was going and what was really going on. Also, I hope someone involved with "Alcatraz" will explain that show.