Nick at Nite March 2008 - George Lopez Week; TBS and TNT Upfront 2008- New Sitcoms, Dramas...and Match Game!

Nick at Nite in March 2008 won't have any schedule changes, but they will have one stunt. The stunt will be a big one, too. It will be a "Nothing But George Week" for the week of March 17. It's wall-to-wall George Lopez all-week and all-night long on Nick at Nite the week of March 17! Monday, March 17 through Sunday, March 23 ... Sun-Thur 9pm-6am and Fri-Sat 10pm-6am of that week.
We will try to detail this more when more information comes, but this sounds like a, watch out, whoooooppppaaa week, as George would say! Discuss this month here.

TBS and TNT had its annual upfront yesterday and many original series are in the works for both cable networks.
TBS, television's top-rated comedy network, is ramping up its production of original programming with a slate of primetime comedy series in development, two late-night pilots ordered and three late-night projects in the works. The network, which currently ranks as ad-supported cable's #1 network in primetime delivery of young adults, has enjoyed tremendous success with such original programming as My Boys, The Bill Engvall Show and Frank TV. All three of those series are set to return.
Primetime projects in development include a sitcom adaptation of Jane Ganahl's bestselling memoir Naked on the Page: The Misadventures of My Unmarried Midlife, along with half-hour comedies from Dave Caplan (The Drew Carey Show) and Brian Hargrove (Titus). For late night, TBS has ordered pilot presentations of the animated series Stay Tooned (working title) and a new edition of the classic game show Match Game. TBS is also working on late-night comedies with Robert Townsend, The Jim Henson Company and Mark Wolper.
TNT is planning a significant boost in original programming, with 14 series in development and a plan to change most of the network's weekday, primetime schedule to originals by 2010. TNT's aggressive plan includes a mixture of scripted dramas, unscripted programs and the network's award-winning telecasts of the NBA. Under the new strategy, TNT will continue to showcase popular movies on Friday nights and weekends.
TNT has several new series in development. They join two recently greenlit projects Raising the Bar (working title), from executive producer Steven Bochco (NYPD Blue), and Leverage, from executive producer Dean Devlin (Independence Day). Both projects are expected to premiere in TNT's lineup later this year. TNT is also considering Truth in Advertising, from Greer Shephard and Michael M. Robin, executive producers of The Closer.
Scripted series in development include The Genie Chronicles, a fantasy-adventure from DreamWorks Television, producers of TNT's Into the West; Generations, a family drama from executive producer Robert Redford and writer/executive producer John Sacret Young (The West Wing, China Beach); Technophobia, from executive producer Mark Frost (Twin Peaks); an untitled project from the Hoosiers team of Angelo Pizzo and David Anspaugh; and an untitled drama based on characters created by crime novelist Tess Gerritsen.
For the first time, TNT is also branching into unscripted series, with several projects in development from such talents as Ridley Scott, Tony Scott, Mark Burnett, Mark Wolper, former NBA star Kenny Smith and Gay Rosenthal.
TNT's current original programming successes include ad-supported cable's #1 series of all time, The Closer, starring Golden Globe winner Kyra Sedgwick. That series will return for its fourth season this summer. The network's highly successful Saving Grace, featuring Oscar winner Holly Hunter, also will return for a second season this summer. The show premiered in 2007, claiming ad-supported cable's largest audience of the year for a new series launch.
For full details on each new project with synopsis, click HERE!

Day 82: WGA's Strike; TNT Acquires Bones Reruns; Barry Williams' Blog Launches

It is day 82 of the strike. Leading independent filmed entertainment studio Lionsgate is the latest company to sign an interim agreement with the Writers Guild of America. The company is one of the largest independent producers and distributors of motion pictures, television programming, home entertainment, family entertainment and video-on-demand content.
The agreement is similar to the deals the WGA has recently announced with United Artists, Worldwide Pants, Spyglass Entertainment, MRC, Jackson Bites, Mandate Films, and Sidney Kimmel Entertainment.
Lionsgate produces various TV shows that include Weeds (Showtime, fourth season), Mad Men (AMC, second season), and Fear Itself (NBC, debut season). So it seems Weeds and Mad Men at least will go back into production! Fear Itself is a scripted horror series coming to NBC this summer.
Also, Marvel Studios, a subsidiary of Marvel Entertainment, Inc., and the Writers Guild of America (WGA) announced that they have reached an interim comprehensive agreement that will put writers immediately back to work on the Marvel Studios development slate.
Meanwhile, ABC just announced the Feb. 11 airing of Dance War will also be 90-minutes. So it does seem the number one new sitcom Samantha Who? starring the sexy Christina Applegate, won't return until Dancing with the Stars returns, which is March 17...but remember the first two weeks or so the show is two-hours. The sitcom has three episodes left, and if the strike ends soon, we could get more and all in a row from this plan...so it could be good! The Dance War finale is Feb. 18 and will likely be two-hours. Then ABC has the world premiere event of A Raisin in the Sun on Feb. 25 and a two-hour special on The Royal Family on March 3. No idea yet what March 10 has in store, but Dancing with the Stars returns March 17. So, if I were to GUESS when Samantha Who will return, I'd guess March 31 at 9:30pm. Stupid strike.

TNT has acquired the exclusive cable rights to the hit drama series Bones. TNT will start airing the show this Tuesday (Jan. 29), airing it each Tuesday at 10pm. TNT will get five-days-a-week play starting in Fall 2009.
Bones stars Emily Deschanel as the forensic expert and David Boreanaz as an FBI agent. The self-contained episodes frequently play on the sexual tension between the two. The show is a modest hit on Fox. Boreanaz's other series, Angel airs weekday mornings on TNT.

Remember when Barry Williams' staff were looking for blog writers for Barry's blog? Well now the site has launched! And of our buddies is writing for Barry! Eric of JustMyShow.com! Eric tells us the coolest thing about the site is probably the interactive nature of it. There's lots of opportunity to leave comments (which Barry has been responding too), share photos and join The Greg Brady Project Community (which is what the blog is called). The community is set up through MyLifeBrand, which is a cool site that helps you bring all your social/business networking together in one place.
He also says, of course the blog is the main element of the site. Barry's been writing there with more and more frequency. There's definitely plenty on there to keep Brady Bunch fans happy, but Barry is trying to keep it contemporary as well. The site also has lots of photos, video and an online store.
I believe one of our other good friends, Wendy of Brady World, is also a part of this, so it must be good as she is a die-hard fan of the show. To view this interesting blog, click HERE!

TNT September 2007 Schedule; Boston Legal Premiere Date on ABC

TNT this September will make some minor schedule changes. But let's first talk about their original series. The megahit cable drama The Closer will have its season finale on Monday, September 10 at 9/8c. The series will return for a fourth season, TNT announced yesterday. Rookie hit Saving Grace will have its first season finale on Monday, September 17 at 10/9c.
Moving on to the actual schedule. On Labor Day (Monday, Sept. 3), TNT will present a marathon of The Closer from 10am-9pm, leading into a new episode from 9-10pm. Then starting September 4 a new schedule will start. Drama Las Vegas which airs Wednesdays at 12 midnight, will now also air 5 days week at 7am and 12 noon. A second episode of Angel was at 7am, but now that will be 5am, so the series will air 5am and 6am. Charmed, ER will remain with back to back episodes from 8am-12pm. At 12 noon before we had Without a Trace, now that moves to 1pm replacing Judging Amy, which will be leaving the line-up. The rest of the line-up will remain the same. No idea yet if October will have any changes or if this is indeed the fall schedule. We will let you know.
Stay tuned for more September/Fall line-ups in the coming days...we still have ION Television, Nick at Nite, WPIX in NY, and more!

Boston Legal fans take note! The ABC legal comedy-drama will have its season premiere on Tuesday, September 25 at a special time of 9:30pm, following a 90-minute Dancing with the Stars Performance Show. Boston Legal will also be a special 90-minute episode. Denny Crane!

Still early, so if we have more news we will post it. Come on back!