Debuting in 2004 in the US, the show follows Dr. Gregory House (Hugh Laurie. pictured).

The critically acclaimed FOX series has been a fan favourite both on Fox in the US and on Network Ten here is Australia. The series is one of the most watched television programs around the world and has won a number of Emmy and Golden Globe awards.

Despite its decrease in ratings, does the show deserve the push to Friday nights?

All new ‘House’ returns Friday October 14 at 8:30pm on Ten.

Source: Network Ten

Masohn (pictured), best known for her role in ‘Chuck’, now joins Geoff Stults and Michael Clarke Duncan in the spinoff series.

Masohn will play Deputy US Marshall Isabel Zambada, a nuclear-powered cop. 16-year-old newcomer Maddie Hasson will also join the series. With these new cast additions, Saffron Burrows will no longer continue with the series.

The spin-off is based on ‘The Locator’ books written by Richard Greener. It is expected to debut on FOX US in January.

Meanwhile, all new ‘Bones’ returns Sunday 8:40pm on the Seven Network.

Source: Deadline Hollywood

Lynch, best known for her role as Sue Sylvester on ‘Glee’, said: “I am tickled pink to be hosting the Primetime Emmys on FOX,”

“I’m looking forward to singing, dancing and sporting my finest tracksuit,” added Lynch.

The 63^RD Primetime Emmy Awards airs Sunday September 18^th in the US.

Source: Deadline Hollywood

‘American Idol’ finished as the highest-rated show on US television.

According to Deadline, here are the full US ratings figures:

Adults 18-49
FOX:  3.5/10 (-5%)
CBS:  2.9/8 (-9%)
ABC:  2.5/7 (-7%)
NBC:  2.3/6 (-15%)
UNI: 1.5 (+8%)

Adults 18-34
CW: 1.0/3 (-9%)

Total Viewers
CBS: 11.6 million (-3%)
FOX:  9.8 million (-3%)
ABC:  8.5 million (-2%)
NBC:  7.0 million (-16%)
UNI: 3.7 million
CW: 2.0 million (even)

Median Age
CBS: 55
ABC: 51
NBC: 49
FOX: 45
CW: 34

Source: Deadline

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I24kKO8W1_0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdhXyBgN_QU

FOX

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMULuNE8Kyw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xL3aOAryx_c

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scWAETwLojk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQyB5ii4o3Y

ABC

CBS

The CW

The full schedule is:

MONDAY
8:00-9:00 PM    TERRA NOVA (new)
9:00-10:00 PM   HOUSE

TUESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM    GLEE
9:00-9:30 PM    NEW GIRL (wt) (new)
9:30-10:00 PM   RAISING HOPE

WEDNESDAY
8:00-9:30 PM    THE X FACTOR Performance Show (new)
9:30-10:00 PM   I HATE MY TEENAGE DAUGHTER (wt) (new)

THURSDAY
8:00-9:00 PM    THE X FACTOR Results Show (new)
9:00-10:00 PM   BONES

FRIDAY
8:00-9:00 PM    KITCHEN NIGHTMARES
9:00-10:00 PM   FRINGE

SATURDAY
8:00-8:30 PM    COPS
8:30-9:00 PM    COPS
9:00-10:00 PM   ENCORES / AMERICA’S MOST WANTED (specials)

SUNDAY
7:00-7:30 PM    THE OT (NFL post-game)
7:30-8:00 PM    THE CLEVELAND SHOW
8:00-8:30 PM    THE SIMPSONS
8:30-9:00 PM    ALLEN GREGORY (new)
9:00-9:30 PM    FAMILY GUY
9:30-10:00 PM   AMERICAN DAD


FOX MIDSEASON 2012 PRIMETIME SCHEDULE

MONDAY
8:00-9:00 PM    HOUSE
9:00-10:00 PM   ALCATRAZ (new)

TUESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM    GLEE
9:00-9:30 PM    NEW GIRL (wt) (new)
9:30-10:00 PM   RAISING HOPE

WEDNESDAY
8:00-9:30 PM    AMERICAN IDOL Performance Show
9:30-10:00 PM   I HATE MY TEENAGE DAUGHTER (wt) (new)

THURSDAY
8:00-9:00 PM    AMERICAN IDOL Results Show
9:00-10:00 PM   THE FINDER (new) / BONES (spring)

FRIDAY
8:00-9:00 PM    KITCHEN NIGHTMARES
9:00-10:00 PM   FRINGE

SATURDAY
8:00-8:30 PM    COPS
8:30-9:00 PM    COPS
9:00-10:00 PM   ENCORES / AMERICA’S MOST WANTED (specials)

SUNDAY
7:00-7:30 PM    ANIMATION DOMINATION (encores)
7:30-8:00 PM    THE CLEVELAND SHOW
8:00-8:30 PM THE SIMPSONS
8:30-9:00 PM    NAPOLEON DYNAMITE (new)
9:00-9:30 PM    FAMILY GUY
9:30-10:00 PM   BOB’S BURGERS

Source: Deadline

According to Deadline, Fox entertainment president Kevin Reilly stated that production on the new animated series will begin in Fall 2011 for a 2013 premiere.

This series has already generated much hype. However, main concerns are on how the classic series would be interpreted given MacFarlane’s brand of raunchy comedies.

Source: Deadline Hollywood

Plot

Centers on the Shannons, an ordinary family from 2149 when the planet is dying who are transported back 85 million years to prehistoric Earth where they join Terra Nova, a colony of humans with a second chance to build a civilization.

Plot

Alcatraz follows Rebecca Madsen, a police officer (Sarah Jones), and Dr. Diego Soto (Jorge Garcia), a “hippy geek” who is the world’s foremost expert on Alcatraz. Both will investigate the reappearance of twenty wardens and prisoners of Alcatraz in modern day, after their mysterious disappearance fifty years ago.

Executive producer David Shore’s does not have a deal beyond this season, while lead Hugh Laurie only has one more year on his 3-year contract.

Fox’s Entertainment President Kevin Reilly said “From the producers to the incredible writers to the unbelievably talented cast and crew, the House team is fearless in its creativity and I can’t wait to see what they have in store next year.”

Meanwhile, Fox has axed procedural ‘Lie To Me’, drama ‘Human Target’, ‘The Chicago Code’, ‘Traffic Light’ and ‘Breaking In’.

‘House’ and ‘Lie to Me’ air on Network Ten in Australia.

Source: Deadline

The FOX series, created by Seth MacFarlane, follows the dysfunctional Griffins family, including Peter, Lois, Meg, Chris and Stewie.

Fox entertainment president Kevin Reilly said: “For nine seasons, our viewers have been cracked up, delighted, surprised and, at times, gloriously disturbed by the mind of Seth MacFarlane- and they keep coming back for more.”

Meanwhile, ‘Family Guy’ spinoff ‘The Cleveland Show’ has been renewed for a fourth season. The other spinoff ‘American Dad’ recently was also renewed for a seventh season.

‘Family Guy’ and ‘American Dad’ air on 7mate. ‘The Cleveland Show’ airs on Eleven in Australia.

Source: Deadline

President of Entertainment at Fox, Kevin Reilly, said: “Bones is creatively fresh, it’s a rock-solid player every time it airs and this season it has helped us win on Thursday nights for the first time in our history.”

“I’m excited to have it on our air for another stellar season,” Reilly added.

The forensic anthropologist procedural has been a strong performer for Seven in Australia in recent years, helping the network to perform strongly on Sunday and Monday nights this year.

While new episodes are set to return later this year, repeats currently air Monday 8:30pm on Seven.

Source: Deadline Hollywood

Despite low ratings, the Fox series has received a full-season 22-episode order.

The show has recently suffered disappointing ratings and has moved from Thursday to Friday nights in the US.

The J. J. Abrams series premiered in 2008 and stars Australian actress Anna Torv (pictured).

All New ‘Fringe’ will return soon to GO!

Source: Deadline

Sutherland is currently in negotiations with the new FOX drama pilot ‘Touch’, from ‘Heroes’ creator Tim Kring.

‘Touch’ centers on a father (Sutherland) who discovers that his autistic, mute son can predict events before they happen.

Sutherland played CTU agent Jack Bauer in ‘24’ for eight seasons. Currently, Sutherland is starring on Broadway in the revival of Jason Miller’s ‘That Championship Season’. Sutherland also recently confirmed that a ’24′ feature film will soon go into production.

However, Sutherland is still in early negotiations for ‘Touch’ and a deal could fall through due to his schedule on Broadway.

‘Touch’ will be produced by 20th Century Fox TV.

Source: Hollywood Reporter, Deadline

J.J. Abrams

J.J. Abrams’ top-secret Alcatraz project has been given a pilot commitment from FOX. The official logline for the project reads: “A show about mysteries, secrets and the most infamous prison of all time: Alcatraz.”

Via: The Hollywood Reporter

Warner Roadshow Studios

Steven Spielberg’s big budget dinosaur drama ‘Terra Nova’ is set to begin filming in Queensland in October.

“Fox Broadcasting has today confirmed Queensland as the location of choice for ‘Terra Nova’… and once again shows Queensland’s ability to attract first rate productions to the state,” said state premier Anna Bligh.

“My government provided considerable incentives through Screen Queensland to secure this production which, in turn, will generate in excess of AUS$54 million ($50 million) in economic activity and create thousands of jobs.”

80% of the shows cast and crew will be locals.

Production will be based at Warner Roadshow Studios on the Gold Coast, where films such as ‘Peter Pan’, ‘House of Wax’ and the upcoming ‘The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader’ have all filmed.

“We wanted this ambitious series to look like no other on television and Queensland provided the best of all possible worlds,” said executive vice president of production, Jim Sharp.

“Queensland had the right look, climate and terrain, a vibrant production community and attractive economic incentives. We are very excited to be shooting our first production there.”

The series will center on a group of scientists from 2149 who travel back 85 million years to prehistoric Earth to try to save the planet that is dying from development and overcrowding.

The cast will be lead by ‘Life on Mars’ star Jason O’Mara.

FOX will preview the first episode of ‘Terra Nova’ in May before the series premieres the following fall season in the States.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

'Glee' stars Cory Monteith and Lea Michele.

Musical sensation Susan Boyle is set to appear on FOX’s ‘Glee’.

The ‘Britian’s Got Talent’ runner-up will feature in a Christmas-themed episode, playing a high school lunch lady.

Rumours began to circulate earlier this year of Boyle’s appearance, but the news was recently conformed by show’s co-creator/executive producer Ryan Murphy.

Also set to appear next season is Emmy Award-winner Carol Burnett, who’s been tapped to play Sue Sylvester’s adventurous mother.

The comedy legend, who’s only made a couple of TV appearances in recent years (including a stint on ‘Desperate Housewives’), will make her first appearance around October or November in the States.

Meanwhile, the music of Paul McCartney is set to be featured in the growing list of tracks used in the hit musical comedy series.

The former Beatle sent Murphy a couple of CDs a few weeks ago, with a note suggesting some songs be used in the show.

“I thought I was being punked!,” said Murphy.

“It came out of blue in a package, handwritten, and it had two CDs and it said ‘Hi Ryan, I hope you will consider some of these songs for Glee’ … I had heard that he is a fan of the show. I was gob-smacked … so of course we are going to do something with him.”

Finally, the cast of ‘Glee’ are set to lend their voices for the upcoming season premiere of ‘The Simpsons’.

In the episode, entitled ‘Elementary School Musical’, Lisa will attend a performing arts camp where she’ll be joined by fellow campers (voiced by the ‘Glee’ cast).

The episode will go to air September 26 on FOX in the States.

Source: Entertainment Weekly, SMH, Digital Spy

Diablo Cody

Screenwriter Diablo Cody has inked a deal with FOX for an upcoming comedy project.

The network have given a put-pilot commitment to the project, which means they’ll incur substantial penalties should the project not go to air — in other words it’s a virtual guarantee that the project will be picked up for series.

Details on the comedy are being kept tightly under wraps — all that is known is the title of the project, which is ‘The Breadwinner’.

The project will be set up at Warner Bros. Television, with Cody serving as an executive producer alongside frequent collaborator Mason Novick (‘Juno’, ‘(500) Days of Summer’).

Cody, rose to fame after winning Best Original Screenplay at the 2007 Academy Awards for the indie comedy ‘Juno’.

Following her Oscar win, the 32-year old went on to create the Emmy Award-winning dramedy ‘United States of Tara’, which stars Australia’s Toni Collette.

Cody’s upcoming film projects include ‘Young Adult’ — which will be directed by Jason Reitman and star Charlize Theron — and a big screen adaptation of the ‘Sweet Valley High’ novels.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

'Terra Nova' has been pushed back to the 2011-2012 season.

Despite being announced as part of FOX’s 2010-2011 schedule, the network have now pushed the 13-episode $64 million production’Terra Nova’ back to 2011.

The Steven Spielberg produced series will now be part of the network’s 2011-2012 line-up with a special advanced preview scheduled to air in May on FOX.

“Terra Nova will be one of the most visually stimulating and dramatically grand series to air on network television,” said FOX’s President of Entertainment, Kevin Reilly, in a statement.

FOX hopes the May screening will replicate some of the success seen by the network with ‘Glee’ last year.

“[Terra Nova] deserves to have an equally unique launch to distinguish that the show is unlike any other, and the spring promotional platform will give us the perfect opportunity to introduce this bold show to audiences,” said Reilly.

Producers are still undecided on where production for the series will take place, with Australia and Florida both being considered.

Should the Australia secure the project, the studio are eyeing Far North Queensland for exteriors and either the Gold Coast’s Village Roadshow Studios or Sydney’s Fox Studios as the production base.

Location scouts were flown out to Australia in early June to visit potential locations for the series.

‘Terra Nova’ will star Jason O’Mara (‘Life on Mars’) as Jim Shannon, the patriarch of the show’s central family who travel back in time to prehistoric Earth as a small part of a massive experiment to save the human race.

The series will be produced by 20th Century Fox Television, DreamWorks Television, Kapital Entertainment and Chernin Entertainment.

Steven Spielberg, Peter Chernin, Brannon Braga, David Fury, Jon Cassar, Aaron Kaplan, Katherine Pope, Justin Falvey, Darryl Frank, Craig Silverstein and Kelly Marcel will serve as executive producers, with Emmy Award winner Alex Graves (‘Fringe’) as director the first episode.

Source: Fox Broadcasting Company

Amber Tamblyn

Amber Tamblyn has signed on for a multi-episode arc on FOX’s ‘House’.

She will play a brilliant and aggressive medical student, who House (Hugh Laurie) hires to be part of his team, despite her not technically being allowed to practice medicine yet.

The 27-year-old actress will temporarily help fill the void left by Olivia Wilde (Dr. Remy Hadley aka Thirteen), who’s shooting Jon Favreau’s big screen adaptation of ‘Cowboys and Aliens’.

Tamblyn is best known for her title role in ‘Joan of Arcadia’ and ‘The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants’ films.

The seventh season of ‘House’ premieres Monday, September 20 on FOX.

Suurce: TV Guide

Amy Madigan

Amy Madigan (‘Grey’s Anatomy’) is set to join the cast of FOX’s ‘Fringe’.

The 59-year old actress will appear in four episodes of the sci-fi drama, including the third season premiere this September.

Madigan will play Oliva’s (Anna Torv) mother, who is described as a devoted mother with surprising ties to the Bishop family.

Her character may only appear “over there”, which would explain her sudden aliveness and reappearance in Oliva’s life.

Then again, she’s not actually Oliva’s mother — she’s “alternate” Oliva’s mother. Yes, confusing…

Soruce: TV Guide

Hulu Goes Mobile with For-Pay Service

By Harry McCracken

Hulu Plus will cost $9.99 per month and provide full access to entire seasons (current and past) of shows from ABC, NBC, FOX, and other TV networks.

Speaking of browser-based entertainment services that are branching out: Hulu has finally announced its plans for a for-pay version of its extremely popular TV service. Hulu Plus will cost $9.99 a month and providefull access to entire seasons (current and past) of shows from ABC, NBC, FOX, and other TV networks. And it’ll be the first version of the service that’s available on devices that aren’t PCs, including the iPhone 4, iPhone 3G, iPod Touch, iPad, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and TVs and Blu-Ray players from Samsung, Sony, and Vizio. (That helps explain why Hulu has done everything in its power to prevent other companies such as Boxee from letting their users watch Hulu shows.)

Hulu says that the freebie, ad-supported version of the service isn’t going away–it’ll just offer fewer episodes, and won’t be available on a cornucopia of gadgets.

Hulu Plus will debut as a private beta–you can request an invite here. No news yet on when it’ll be available to all comers.

There are two ways to look at a $10/month Internet TV service. If you’re mentally comparing it to free alternatives–be they legal or not-so-legal–paying ten bucks may sound steep. But that same pricetag would be a steal if subscribing to Hulu Plus would let you kiss cable TV goodbye.

I’m inclined to respond in the latter, more optimistic way: If Hulu Plus lives up to its potential, it’ll be the first true Internet-era threat to the big cable and satellite companies. Its mere existence will be good news for consumers, since it’ll put pressure on Comcast and company to provide better services at lower prices.

Will I dump cable the instant Hulu Plus goes live? Maybe not: I’m a news junkie, and news is still something that cable does well, especially for major events. What I really want is some sort of economical plan that gives me multiple all-news channels but lets me skip the Cake Channel and its ilk. But at some point I may decide that over-the-air TV–along with news sites, blogs, podcasts, magazines, and newspapers–can keep me sufficiently well informed.

Source: PC World

Could Hulu be coming to the iPad?

According to Bloomberg, Hulu is in talks with CBS Corporation, Viacom Inc and TimeWarner Inc to offer a paid subscription television service — which could either complement or replace the free version of the website, which is already available to Americans.

The service is expected to arrive on multiple devices and platforms, including Microsoft’s Xbox 360 and Apple’s iPad.

While it has been rumoured for some time now, discussions have been mounting over the last couple of weeks, with some suggesting the service could land as soon as September (when the new US television season kicks off).

20th Century Fox, NBC Universal and Disney all have invested interests in Hulu, so the bring the other studios on board would be a major win for the website, which currently competes with the CBS-owned TV.com.

Since launching in 2008, Hulu has lead the online ad-supported video business, offering free shows from NBC, FOX and ABC, including: ‘The Office’, ‘The Simpsons’ and ‘Grey’s Anatomy’, plus hundreds of feature length movies.

Back in February, Hulu’s international business development director Simon Gallagher revealed that the company were planning to take their service international — with Canada, the UK and Australia all in their sights. The company have yet to make any formal announcements about international launch dates.

Source: Bloomberg

Jason O'Mara

Jason O’Mara has joined the cast of FOX’s upcoming drama series ‘Terra Nova’.

The former ‘Life on Mars’ star will play lead role of Jim Shannon, a man from 2149 who travels through time with a group of settlers to set up a colony in prehistoric Earth in order to save the human race.

“Writing the character of Jim Shannon, we’ve thought of Jason O’Mara as something of an archetype,” said executive producer Brannon Braga. “He has an everyman quality to him, but there’s something dangerous underneath.”

“I’ve always thought that guy was a star,” Fury said “He just hasn’t found the right property yet.”

‘Terra Nova’ will be executive produced by Steven Spielberg (‘Jurassic Park’, “The Pacific”), Peter Chernin, Brannon Braga (’24′, ‘Star Trek: Enterprise’) and David Fury (’24′, ‘Lost’).

The series is set to go into production in the coming months, with filming tipped to take place in Australia.

Source: ComingSoon.net and TV Guide

Now see how the yanks are going to do it.

Gordon Ramsey hosts America’s upcoming series of ‘MasterChef’, premiering Tuesday, July 27 on FOX.

'Glee' will be back for a third season.

All you Gleeks out there can rest easy knowing the future of ‘Glee’ is safe and secure, at least for three seasons.

FOX has given the musical comedy an early third season pick up. So early in fact, the first season hasn’t even finished airing yet.

“Glee’ has been a huge success for the network, becoming the number one new scripted series in the demos 18-49, 18-34 and averaging 8.9 million viewers across the season.

“In just one year, Glee has transcended the television landscape and emerged as a global pop culture phenomenon,” said Fox Networks Group Entertainment Chairman Peter Rice, in a statement.

“Everything about Glee – from the concept to the characters to the marketing – has been innovative and risky,” added Fox Entertainment President Kevin Reilly. “But with [creator] Ryan Murphy tapping into the zeitgeist, the risk has paid off with this truly remarkable series. Glee has one of the most active, devoted fan bases I’ve ever seen, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to give Gleeks a third season of their favorite show.”

No one could be more thrilled than Murphy, who releases the following statement: “It’s been a whirlwind year – from shooting the pilot to performing at the White House to the concert tour that began last week – and yet we all feel like we’ve just begun this amazing musical journey. We think our Gleeks worldwide are going to love what we’ll have in store for them in seasons two and three.”

‘Glee’ wraps its first season on Tuesday, June 8 on FOX.

The series continues with new episodes from 8.00pm Thursday on Network Ten.

Source: Entertainment Weekly

Cancelled

• 24 (Seven)
• Brothers (Nine)
• Dollhouse (Foxtel/Ten)
• Our Little Genius (?)
• Past Life (Nine)
• Sit Down, Shut Up (TEN – TBC)
• Sons of Tucson(TEN)
• ‘Til Death (Nine)

Renewed

• America’s Most Wanted (Foxtel)
• American Dad (Seven)
• American Idol (Foxtel)
• Bones (Seven)
• The Cleveland Show (TEN)
• Cops (TEN)
• Family Guy (Seven)
• Fringe (Nine)
• Glee (TEN)
• The Good Guys (TEN/Foxtel)
• Hell’s Kitchen (Nine)
• House (TEN)
• Human Target (Nine)
• Kitchen Nightmares (Nine)
• Lie to Me (TEN)
• The Simpsons (TEN)
• So You Think You Can Dance (TEN)

New Shows

• Bob’s Burgers (TEN/Foxtel)
• Raising Hope (TEN/Foxtel)
• Lonestar (TEN/Foxtel)
• Mixed Signals (TEN/Foxtel)
• Ride-Along (TEN/Foxtel)
• Running Wilde (Nine)
• Terra Nova (TEN/Foxtel)

Note: Ten and Foxtel have a first  and second option agreement. That means shows marked Ten/Foxtel will screen through both networks. However, depending on the agreement for the particular show, one will air as a  first run window and then screen sometime after that on the other network. This has been done with Better Off Ted (screens first on Foxtel, later on Ten) and Modern Family (screens first on Ten, later on Foxtel). This section will update once an agreement has been reached.

New Series

Bob’s Burgers

Bob's Burgers

“Bob’s Burgers” is a new animated series about a man, his family and a burger joint. A third-generation restaurateur, Bob Belcher (H. Jon Benjamin, “Family Guy”, “Archer”) runs Bob’s Burgers with the help of his wife and their three kids. Bob has big ideas about burgers, condiments and sides, but only a few thoughts on customer service and business management.

Despite his greasy counters, lousy location and occasionally spotty service, Bob is convinced his burgers speak for themselves. Even though business is slow, Bob gets to work with his family. His wife, Linda Belcher (John Roberts, “The Christmas Tree,” “Jackie & Debra”), supports Bob’s dream through thick and thin (but truth be told, she’s getting a little sick of the thin). Their eldest daughter, Tina (Dan Mintz, “Important Things with Demetri Martin,” “The Andy Milonakis Show”), is a 13-year-old hopeless romantic with minimal social skills. Middle child Gene (Eugene Mirman, “Flight of the Conchords,” “Aqua Teen Hunger Force”) is an aspiring musician and a prankster who serves up more jokes than burgers. Their youngest, Louise (Kristen Schaal, “Flight of the Conchords,” “Modern Family”), is the most enthusiastic about her dad’s business, but an off-balance sense of humor and her elevated energy level make her somewhat of a liability in the kitchen.

Beyond the restaurant is a city rich with character. Next door to Bob’s is It’s Your Funeral Home and Crematorium; down the street is Wonder Wharf, the oceanside amusement pier; and a few blocks away is Wagstaff Middle School, where Bob and Linda’s kids go to school. And across the street is Jimmy Pesto’s Pizzeria, Bob’s Burgers’ main competition and the thorn in Bob’s side.

“Bob’s Burgers” is a 20th Century Fox Television production from creator Loren Bouchard and executive prodcuers Loren Bouchard and Jim Dauterive.

Raising Hope

Raising Hope

“Raising Hope” is a new single-camera family comedy from Emmy Award winner Greg Garcia (“My Name Is Earl”) that follows the Chance family as they find themselves adding an unexpected new member into their already terribly flawed household.

At 23 years old, Jimmy Chance (Lucas Neff, “The Beast”) is going nowhere in life. He skims pools for a living, parties every night and still lives at home with his family, including his Maw Maw (guest star Academy Award and Emmy Award winner Cloris Leachman); his mother, Virginia (Martha Plimpton, “How to Make It in America”); his father, BURT (Garret Dillahunt, “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles,” “Damages”); and his cousin, Mike (Skyler Stone, “The Mentalist,” “Dollhouse”).

Jimmy’s life takes a drastic turn when a chance romantic encounter with Lucy (guest star Bijou Phillips, “Choke,” “Almost Famous”) goes awry once he discovers she is a wanted felon. Months later, when Jimmy pays a visit to the local prison, he discovers Lucy gave birth to their baby, who he is now charged with raising. At home with his new daughter, Jimmy’s family is less than enthusiastic about a new addition to the household. His parents, who had him when they were 15, never knew anything about raising a child and have no interest in trying again. If Jimmy can work up the nerve to ask her out on a date, he might get some help from Sabrina (Shannon Woodward, “The Riches,” “ER”), a sardonic checkout clerk he met at the supermarket. Cousin Mike is only concerned about how the baby is going to affect their social life, and out-of-touch Maw Maw is no help either. But Jimmy is determined to take care of his baby – whom Virginia thinks they should name Hope.

With very few useful skills but their hearts in the right place, will the Chance family be successful when they step into the unpredictable and immensely challenging world of parenting?

“Raising Hope” is a Amigos de Garcia and 20th Century Fox Television production from writer/executive producer Greg Garcia.

Lonestar

Lonestar

From Chris Keyser and Amy Lippman, the creators of “Party of Five”; Marc Webb, the director of “(500) Days of Summer”; and creator Kyle Killen, comes “Lonestar”, a provocative soap set against the backdrop of big Texas oil.

Robert/Bob Allen (newcomer James Wolk) is a charismatic and brilliant schemer who has meticulously constructed two lives in two different parts of Texas. He’s juggling two identities and two women in two very different worlds – all under one mountain of lies. As “Bob,” he lives in Houston and is married to Cat (Adrianne Palicki, “Friday Night Lights”), the beautiful daughter of Clint (Jon Voight, 24, “Midnight Cowboy”), the patriarch of an ultra-wealthy Texas oil family. More than 400 miles away in the suburban west Texas town of Midland, he’s “Robert,” living a second life with his sweet, naive girlfriend, Lindsay (Eloise Mumford, “Mercy,” “Law & Order: SVU”). In Midland, he plays the perfect boyfriend while secretly bilking local investors of their savings. In Houston, he’s a devoted husband, charming Cat and her family to cement his position in the rich family business he aims to clean out.

Bob has lived both lives successfully for years without arousing any suspicions…so far. While one brother-in-law, Drew (Bryce Johnson, “Popular,” “The Mentalist”), admires Bob, his other brother-in-law, Trammell (Mark Deklin, “Nip/Tuck,” “Desperate Housewives”), is suspicious of his motives. Bob begins to fear his secret lives may unravel. With the cons closing in on him, Bob is divided by his love for two women; his loyalty to his father and mentor, John (David Keith, “An Officer and a Gentleman,” “The Class”); and his respect for his father-in-law, Clint.

Now as he tries to hold his two lives together, while fending off angry investors and the suspicions of those around him, Bob puts it all on the line hoping he can beat the odds, leave the schemes behind and keep two separate relationships afloat.

“Lonestar” is 20th Century Fox Television, Depth of Field and Keyser/Lippman production, from creator Kyle Killen.

Mixed Signals

Mixed Signals

“Mixed Signal” is a new comedy series about three longtime friends and their attempts to reconcile the irreconcilable: to balance their relationships with their need for freedom. The series reveals how friendships and romances enhance – and further complicate – the lives of men and the women who love them.

Ethan (Kris Marshall, “Human Target”, “My Family”) is the perpetual bachelor. He loves women, and when he’s in, he’s all in – at least for three weeks. Charming, genuine and hopelessly independent, Ethan is finding out that as he gets older, the pool of women who are willing to take things day by day is rapidly evaporating.

Adam (Nelson Franklin, “The Office,” “I Love You Man”) recently moved in with his girlfriend, Callie (Alexandra Breckenridge, “Family Guy”, and is learning how vastly different “she comes over a lot” and “she lives with me” really are. Adam is discovering there isn’t much “me” time any more, there’s only “us” time.

Mike (David Denman, “The Office”) is a married lawyer still trying to figure out the male-female dynamic. He wants nothing more than to be a good family man to his wife, Lisa (Liza Lapira, “Dexter,” “Dollhouse”), and his infant son, but he’s also trying to carve out a little space for himself. Currently that space is in his car, where he watches action movies in 15-minute chunks while telling his wife he’s stuck in traffic.

“Mixed Signals” is a 20th Century Fox Television and Keshet Broadcasting Ltd. production. The pilot was written by Bob Fisher, who serves as an executive producer along with David Hemingson, Avi Nir, Ran Sarig, Adir Miller, Elad Kuperman.

Ride-Along

Ride-Along

The city of Chicago is a paradox that serves as the setting for “Ride-Along”, a new drama from Shawn Ryan (“The Shield,” “The Unit”). During a ride-along, a civilian spends a shift in the passenger seat of a squad car, observing the work day of a police officer. But in this series, the audience is the passenger, taking an unpredictable ride through the streets of Chicago and navigating crime and corruption with the most respected – and notorious – cops in the city.

Jarej Wysocki (Jason Clarke, “Public Enemies,” “Brotherhood”) is a local legend and larger-than-life veteran of the Chicago Police Department. Like the city of Chicago, Jarek is razor blades and brass knuckles wrapped in politeness and egoless charm – a man who throws away partners the way others throw away tissues. Teresa Colvin (Jennifer Beals, “Lie To Me”, “The L Word”) arrived at the pinnacle of the Chicago Police Department in a short period of time. She’s determined to implement changes before the mud that is Chicago politics clogs her office. As a result of Teresa’s difficult choices, she has made some powerful enemies along the way, including two street gangs, the police officers’ union and a city alderman who proves to be a dangerous adversary.

Jarek’s new partner, Calev Evers (Matt Lauria, “Friday Night Lights”), is a smart and observant young detective who desperately wants to prove himself. He is savvier and more observant than most people give him credit for, and just might make the perfect yin to Jarek’s yang. Also in Jarek’s charge is his niece, Vonda Wysocki (Devin Kelley, “Tease”), a rookie beat cop whose father, Jarek’s brother, was killed in the line of duty when she was young. Jarek keeps close tabs on her and is less than thrilled to discover she’s falling for her partner, Isaac Joiner (Todd Williams, “In Plain Sight,” “CSI”), a charismatic cop who takes unnecessary risks on the job that land him and Vonda in some dangerous situations.

Alderman Ronin Gibbons (Delroy Lindo, “Kidnapped”) is a building-magnate-turned-politician who has ruled his ward with a velvet glove for three decades. Jarek and Teresa are convinced Gibbons and his cohorts, including Liam Hennessey (Billy Lush, “The Black Donnellys”), an Irish tough guy in Gibbons’ construction empire, are dirty to the core, but they’ve never had the evidence to prove it. When a murder investigation leads them to Gibbons, they are determined to bring him to justice and clean up Chicago – if that’s even possible.

“Ride-Along” is a 20th Century Fox Television and MiddKid production, from creator Shawn Ryan and executive producer Charles McDougall.

Running Wilde

Running Wilde

From the Emmy Award-winning creator and the star of the critically acclaimed FOX series “Arrested Development” comes “Running Wilde”, a romantic comedy starring Will Arnett (“Arrested Development,” “30 Rock”) as Steve Wilde, a filthy-rich, immature playboy trying desperately to win (or buy) the heart of his childhood sweetheart, Emmy Kadubic (Keri Russell, “Waitress,” “Felicity”), the uber-liberal humanitarian who got away – all told through the perspective of a 12-year-old girl.

Steve Wilde has never performed a selfless act. But why should he – he’s rich! The son of an oil tycoon, Steve hasn’t had to work a day in his life and has always gotten everything he’s wanted – with one exception: the love of Emmy. The daughter of a former Wilde housekeeper, Emmy is an earnest do-gooder who has spent her adult life trying to save the world. And though Emmy is content living with an indigenous tribe in the Amazon rainforest, her 12-year-old daughter, Puddle (Stefania Owen, “The Lovely Bones”), just wants to be a normal kid experiencing her adolescence in a normal place. And she would speak up except for the fact that she hasn’t spoken in years.

When Wilde Oil’s expansion in the rainforest threatens her adopted tribe, Emmy decides to attend Steve’s self-thrown “Humanitarian of the Year” award ceremony in hopes of convincing him to help her cause…and also maybe because she still has a thing for Steve. But same-old Steve is unwilling to help because fighting Wilde Oil (a/k/a Dad) means putting his meal ticket in jeopardy.

Rather than run the risk of letting Emmy slip away again, Steve pulls out all the stops to win her heart. To do so, he enlists the only other people in his life who can help: Migo Salazar (Joe Nunez, “Superbad,” “Prison Break”), Steve’s employee/sidekick/errand-boy, and Gertie Stellvertretter (Jayne Houdyshell, “Law & Order”), Steve’s nanny-turned-head-of-security as well as the biggest protector of Steve…and her own job. Despite having everything he ever wanted, Steve knows he can’t buy love and happiness, which falls in sharp contrast to Emmy, who has nothing but love and happiness.

So with Emmy committed to doing good for nothing, and Steve being a good for nothing, will this hopelessly mismatched pair ever be able to reconcile their differences?

“Running Wilde” is a Tantamount Studios, Five Hole Pictures, Principato-Young Management, Lionsgate Television production. The series was created by Mitch Hurwitz, Jim Vallely, Will Arnett, who serve as executive producers on the series.

Terra Nova

Terra Nova

From executive producers Steven Spielberg, Peter Chernin, Brannon Braga (24, “Star Trek: Enterprise”) and David Fury (“Lost,” “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”) comes an epic family adventure 85 million years in the making. “Terra Nova” follows an ordinary family embarking on an incredible journey back in time to prehistoric Earth as a small part of a massive experiment to save the human race.

In the year 2149 the world is dying. The planet is overdeveloped, overcrowded and overpolluted. With the majority of plant and animal life extinct, devotion to science has brought mankind to the brink of destruction, but has also provided its only hope for salvation. Knowing there is no way to reverse the damage to the planet, a coalition of scientists has managed to open up a fracture in the space-time continuum, creating a portal to prehistoric Earth.

This doorway leads to an amazing world, one that allows for a last-ditch effort to save the human race…possibly changing the future by correcting the mistakes of the past. The series centers on the Shannon family as they join the tenth pilgrimage of settlers to “Terra Nova”, the first colony of humans in this second chance for civilization. Jim Shannon a devoted father with a checkered past, guides his family through this new land of limitless beauty, mystery and terror. Jim’s wife, Elisabeth Shannon, is a trauma surgeon chosen through a global lottery as a new addition to Terra Nova’s medical team. Josh Shannon is their son, mourning the girl he left behind, as he’s torn between two role models – his father and the charismatic Commander Frank Taylor, the leader of the settlement, and the heroic first pioneer through the time portal. Maddy Shannon, Jim and Elizabeth’s teen daughter, is as independent and adventurous as her parents, but her distrust of authority soon leads her on a dangerous path.

In addition to blue skies, rolling rivers and lush vegetation, “Terra Nova” offers new opportunities and fresh beginnings to its recent arrivals, but the Shannons have brought with them a familial secret that may threaten their citizenship in this utopia. Additionally these adventurers soon discover that this healthy, cptfc vibrant world is not as idyllic as it initially appears. The areas surrounding Terra Nova are filled with dangerous dinosaurs, and other prehistoric threats, as well as external forces that may be intent on destroying this new world before it begins. But perhaps even more threatening than what lies outside the protective walls is the Shannons’ realization that something sinister may be happening inside “Terra Nova” as not everyone on this mission has the same intentions of how best to save mankind.

“Terra Nova” is 20th Century Fox Television, DreamWorks Television, Kapital Entertainment and Chernin Entertainment production. Executive producers on the series include Steven Spielberg, Peter Chernin, Craig Silverstein, Kelly Marcel, Brannon Braga, David Fury, Aaron Kaplan, Katherine Pope, Justin Falvey and Darryl Frank.

New Series Previews

Bob’s Burgers

Raising Hope

Lonestar

Mixed Signals

Ride Along

Running Wilde

FOUR NEW COMEDIES, THREE NEW DRAMAS JOIN SCHEDULE FALL TUESDAY COMEDY BLOCK TO FEATURE

NEW FAMILY COMEDY “RAISING HOPE” AND NEW ROMANTIC COMEDY “RUNNING WILDE” STARRING WILL ARNETT AND KERI RUSSELL

COMPELLING NEW DRAMA “LONESTAR” TO DEBUT IN FALL NEW ACTION-ADVENTURE FAMILY DRAMA “TERRA NOVA” SLATED FOR MIDSEASON

NEW ANIMATED COMEDY “BOB’S BURGERS” AND NEW FAST-PACED DRAMA “RIDE-ALONG” TO PREMIERE MIDSEASON

NEW ENSEMBLE COMEDY “MIXED SIGNALS” TO DEBUT IN SPRING

Special Episode of GLEE to Air Following SUPER BOWL XLV Sunday, February 6, 2011

New York (Monday, May 17, 2010) – Peter Rice, Chairman, Entertainment, Fox Networks Group; and Kevin Reilly, President, Entertainment, Fox Broadcasting Company, today unveiled the FOX primetime schedule for the 2010-2011 television season to the national advertising community during its annual Programming Presentation at The New Beacon Theatre.

“FOX has been the No. 1 network for six consecutive seasons not only because our programs are hits, but also because they’re the most engaging shows on television,” said Rice. “We’re very excited to add a full slate of creative, original new series next season that will help us continue to capture imaginations and draw people back to FOX week after week.”

“Last season, we did what FOX does best: we took some risks that paid off. Now we’re going to up the ante with an even more diverse and creative roster of programs for next year,” said Reilly. “With three daring new dramas, a fresh new animated series and three new live-action comedies, we’re positioned to rebuild the FOX comedy brand, introduce the next generation of unique characters and deliver an even more compelling experience for our viewers next season.”

GLEE, the No. 1 new series of this season among Adults 18-49 and key demos, returns for its sophomore season to anchor a new Tuesday comedy block. Premiering this fall is RAISING HOPE, the new family comedy from Emmy Award winner Greg Garcia (“My Name Is Earl”), starring Lucas Neff (“The Beast”), Martha Plimpton (“How To Make It In America”), Garret Dillahunt (“Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles”) and Academy and Emmy Award winner Cloris Leachman (“Malcolm In The Middle”). The sweet, offbeat comedy follows Jimmy Chance (Neff), a well-meaning screw-up trying his best to raise his infant daughter with the help of the eccentric family who did a less-than-stellar job of raising him.

Also debuting this fall is RUNNING WILDE, the new romantic comedy from “Arrested Development’s” Jim Vallely, Mitch Hurwitz and Will Arnett. Starring Arnett (“30 Rock”) and Keri Russell (“Waitress,” “Felicity”), the comedy centers on a lovable, but immature playboy (Arnett) trying desperately to win (or buy) the heart of his childhood sweetheart (Russell), the uber-liberal humanitarian who got away.

LONESTAR, a sophisticated and provocative drama set against the sprawling backdrop of big Texas oil, will premiere this fall. From Chris Keyser and Amy Lippman (“Party of Five”), writer Kyle Killen and directed by Marc Webb (“(500) Days of Summer”), the compelling series stars newcomer James Wolk as a charismatic and brilliant schemer who has entangled himself in a deep, complex web from which he can’t break free. He’s caught between two very different lives and two very different women.

TERRA NOVA, an epic family adventure 85 million years in the making, is the new event drama slated for midseason from executive producers Steven Spielberg (“Jurassic Park,” “The Pacific”), Peter Chernin, Brannon Braga (24, “Star Trek: Enterprise”) and David Fury (24, “Lost”). The action-adventure series follows an ordinary family on an extraordinary journey back in time to prehistoric Earth as a part of a massive expedition to save the human race.

Joining the Sunday ANIMATION DOMINATION lineup in midseason is BOB’S BURGERS, a new animated comedy series from creator Loren Bouchard (“Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist”) about a man, his family and their floundering burger joint. Despite the greasy counters, lousy location and occasionally spotty service, Bob and his lovable and quirky family are convinced their burgers are their ticket to success.

The new drama scheduled for a midseason debut is RIDE-ALONG. From creator Shawn Ryan (“The Shield,” “The Unit”), the fast-paced series, shot on location in Chicago and starring Jason Clarke (“Public Enemies”), Jennifer Beals (LIE TO ME) and Delroy Lindo (“Kidnapped”), will take audiences on an unflinching and unpredictable ride through the streets of Chicago to navigate crime and corruption with the most respected – and notorious – cops in the city.

MIXED SIGNALS, scheduled for a spring premiere, is a new relationship comedy created by Bob Fisher (“Wedding Crashers”) about three longtime friends and their attempts to balance their committed relationships with their desire for freedom. The ensemble comedy stars Nelson Franklin (“I Love You, Man”), David Denman (“The Office”), Kris Marshall (HUMAN TARGET), Liza Lapira (“Dexter”) and Alexandra Breckenridge (FAMILY GUY) and reveals how friendships and romances enhance – and further complicate – the lives of men and the women who love them.

It was also announced that a very special GLEE will air following SUPER BOWL XLV on Sunday, February 6. GLEE, the most award-winning series of the year, will then make its spring premiere Wednesdays following AMERICAN IDOL.

Other FOX series returning in 2010-2011 include: AMERICAN DAD (Season 6), AMERICAN IDOL (Season 10) AMERICA’S MOST WANTED (Season 24), BONES (Season 6), THE CLEVELAND SHOW (Season 2), COPS (Season 23), FAMILY GUY (Season 8), FRINGE (Season 3), THE GOOD GUYS (Season 1), HELL’S KITCHEN (Seasons 7 and 8), HOUSE (Season 7), HUMAN TARGET (Season 2), KITCHEN NIGHTMARES (Season 3), LIE TO ME (Season 3), THE SIMPSONS (Season 22) and SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE (Season 7). Specials returning to the FOX schedule include NEW YEAR’S EVE LIVE and TEEN CHOICE 2010.

Following are the FOX 2010-2011 primetime schedule and synopses of the new series:

FOX FALL 2010 PRIMETIME SCHEDULE

(All Times ET/PT)

MONDAY
8:00-9:00 PM HOUSE
9:00-10:00 PM LONESTAR (new)

TUESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM GLEE
9:00-9:30 PM RAISING HOPE (new)
9:30-10:00 PM RUNNING WILDE (new)

WEDNESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM LIE TO ME
9:00-10:00 PM HELL’S KITCHEN

THURSDAY
8:00-9:00 PM BONES
9:00-10:00 PM FRINGE

FRIDAY
8:00-9:00 PM HUMAN TARGET
9:00-10:00 PM THE GOOD GUYS

SATURDAY
8:00-8:30 PM COPS
8:30-9:00 PM COPS
9:00-10:00 PM AMERICA’S MOST WANTED

SUNDAY
7:00-8:00 PM THE OT (NFL post-game)
8:00-8:30 PM THE SIMPSONS
8:30-9:00 PM THE CLEVELAND SHOW
9:00-9:30 PM FAMILY GUY
9:30-10:00 PM AMERICAN DAD

FOX MIDSEASON 2011 PRIMETIME SCHEDULE (All Times ET/PT)

MONDAY
8:00-9:00 PM HOUSE
9:00-10:00 PM LONESTAR (new) / RIDE-ALONG (new)

TUESDAY
8:00-9:30 PM AMERICAN IDOL Performance Show
9:30-10:00 PM RUNNING WILDE (new) / MIXED SIGNALS (new; spring)

WEDNESDAY
8:00-8:30 PM RAISING HOPE (new)
8:30-9:00 PM AMERICAN IDOL Results Show
9:00-10:00 PM GLEE

THURSDAY
8:00-9:00 PM BONES
9:00-10:00 PM FRINGE

FRIDAY
8:00-9:00 PM HUMAN TARGET
9:00-10:00 PM KITCHEN NIGHTMARES

SATURDAY
8:00-8:30 PM COPS
8:30-9:00 PM COPS
9:00-10:00 PM AMERICA’S MOST WANTED

SUNDAY
7:00-7:30 PM THE SIMPSONS (encores)
7:30-8:00 PM AMERICAN DAD
8:00-8:30 PM THE SIMPSONS
8:30-9:00 PM BOB’S BURGERS (new)
9:00-9:30 PM FAMILY GUY
9:30-10:00 PM THE CLEVELAND SHOW

FOX 2010-2011 PRIMETIME SCHEDULE

NEW SERIES SYNOPSES

The following new comedies will premiere this fall on FOX:

RAISING HOPE

RAISING HOPE is a new single-camera family comedy from Emmy Award winner Greg Garcia (“My Name Is Earl”) that follows the Chance family as they find themselves adding an unexpected new member into their already terribly flawed household. At 23 years old, JIMMY CHANCE (Lucas Neff, “The Beast”) is going nowhere in life. He skims pools for a living, parties every night and still lives at home with his family, including his MAW MAW (guest star Academy Award and Emmy Award winner Cloris Leachman); his mother, VIRGINIA (Martha Plimpton, “How to Make It in America”); his father, BURT (Garret Dillahunt, “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles,” “Damages”); and his cousin, MIKE (Skyler Stone, “The Mentalist,” “Dollhouse”). Jimmy’s life takes a drastic turn when a chance romantic encounter with LUCY (guest star Bijou Phillips, “Choke,” “Almost Famous”) goes awry once he discovers she is a wanted felon. Months later, when Jimmy pays a visit to the local prison, he discovers Lucy gave birth to their baby, who he is now charged with raising. At home with his new daughter, Jimmy’s family is less than enthusiastic about a new addition to the household. His parents, who had him when they were 15, never knew anything about raising a child and have no interest in trying again. If Jimmy can work up the nerve to ask her out on a date, he might get some help from SABRINA (Shannon Woodward, “The Riches,” “ER”), a sardonic checkout clerk he met at the supermarket. Cousin Mike is only concerned about how the baby is going to affect their social life, and out-of-touch Maw Maw is no help either. But Jimmy is determined to take care of his baby – whom Virginia thinks they should name HOPE. With very few useful skills but their hearts in the right place, will the Chance family be successful when they step into the unpredictable and immensely challenging world of parenting?

PRODUCTION COMPANIES: Amigos de Garcia Productions, 20th Century Fox Television

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER/WRITER: Greg Garcia

DIRECTOR: Michael Fresco

CAST: Garret Dillahunt as Burt, Lucas Neff as Jimmy, Martha Plimpton as Virginia, Skyler Stone as Mike, Shannon Woodward as Sabrina

GUEST CAST: Cloris Leachman as Maw Maw, Bijou Phillips as Lucy

RUNNING WILDE

From the Emmy Award-winning creator and the star of the critically acclaimed FOX series “Arrested Development” comes RUNNING WILDE, a romantic comedy starring Will Arnett (“Arrested Development,” “30 Rock”) as STEVE WILDE, a filthy-rich, immature playboy trying desperately to win (or buy) the heart of his childhood sweetheart, EMMY KADUBIC (Keri Russell, “Waitress,” “Felicity”), the uber-liberal humanitarian who got away – all told through the perspective of a 12-year-old girl. Steve Wilde has never performed a selfless act. But why should he – he’s rich! The son of an oil tycoon, Steve hasn’t had to work a day in his life and has always gotten everything he’s wanted – with one exception: the love of Emmy. The daughter of a former Wilde housekeeper, Emmy is an earnest do-gooder who has spent her adult life trying to save the world. And though Emmy is content living with an indigenous tribe in the Amazon rainforest, her 12-year-old daughter, PUDDLE (Stefania Owen, “The Lovely Bones”), just wants to be a normal kid experiencing her adolescence in a normal place. And she would speak up except for the fact that she hasn’t spoken in years. When Wilde Oil’s expansion in the rainforest threatens her adopted tribe, Emmy decides to attend Steve’s self-thrown “Humanitarian of the Year” award ceremony in hopes of convincing him to help her cause…and also maybe because she still has a thing for Steve. But same-old Steve is unwilling to help because fighting Wilde Oil (a/k/a Dad) means putting his meal ticket in jeopardy. Rather than run the risk of letting Emmy slip away again, Steve pulls out all the stops to win her heart. To do so, he enlists the only other people in his life who can help: MIGO SALAZAR (Joe Nunez, “Superbad,” “Prison Break”), Steve’s employee/sidekick/errand-boy, and GERTIE STELLVERTRETTER (Jayne Houdyshell, “Law & Order”), Steve’s nanny-turned-head-of-security as well as the biggest protector of Steve…and her own job. Despite having everything he ever wanted, Steve knows he can’t buy love and happiness, which falls in sharp contrast to Emmy, who has nothing but love and happiness. So with Emmy committed to doing good for nothing, and Steve being a good for nothing, will this hopelessly mismatched pair ever be able to reconcile their differences?

PRODUCTION COMPANIES: Tantamount Studios, Five Hole Pictures, Principato-Young Management, Lionsgate Television

CREATORS/WRITERS: Mitch Hurwitz, Jim Vallely, Will Arnett

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Mitch Hurwitz, Jim Vallely, Will Arnett, Eric Tannenbaum, Kim Tannenbaum, Peter Principato, Paul Young, Anthony Russo, Joe Russo

DIRECTORS: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo

CAST: Will Arnett as Steve Wilde, Keri Russell as Emmy Kadubic, Stefania Owen as Puddle Kadubic, Joe Nunez as Migo Salazar, Jayne Houdyshell as Gertie Stellvertretter

The following new drama will debut this fall on FOX:

LONESTAR

From Chris Keyser and Amy Lippman, the creators of “Party of Five”; Marc Webb, the director of “(500) Days of Summer”; and creator Kyle Killen, comes LONESTAR, a provocative soap set against the backdrop of big Texas oil. ROBERT/BOB ALLEN (newcomer James Wolk) is a charismatic and brilliant schemer who has meticulously constructed two lives in two different parts of Texas. He’s juggling two identities and two women in two very different worlds – all under one mountain of lies. As “Bob,” he lives in Houston and is married to CAT (Adrianne Palicki, “Friday Night Lights”), the beautiful daughter of CLINT (Jon Voight, 24, “Midnight Cowboy”), the patriarch of an ultra-wealthy Texas oil family. More than 400 miles away in the suburban west Texas town of Midland, he’s “Robert,” living a second life with his sweet, naive girlfriend, LINDSAY (Eloise Mumford, “Mercy,” “Law & Order: SVU”). In Midland, he plays the perfect boyfriend while secretly bilking local investors of their savings. In Houston, he’s a devoted husband, charming Cat and her family to cement his position in the rich family business he aims to clean out. Bob has lived both lives successfully for years without arousing any suspicions…so far. While one brother-in-law, DREW (Bryce Johnson, “Popular,” “The Mentalist”), admires Bob, his other brother-in-law, TRAMMELL (Mark Deklin, “Nip/Tuck,” “Desperate Housewives”), is suspicious of his motives. Bob begins to fear his secret lives may unravel. With the cons closing in on him, Bob is divided by his love for two women; his loyalty to his father and mentor, JOHN (David Keith, “An Officer and a Gentleman,” “The Class”); and his respect for his father-in-law, Clint. Now as he tries to hold his two lives together, while fending off angry investors and the suspicions of those around him, Bob puts it all on the line hoping he can beat the odds, leave the schemes behind and keep two separate relationships afloat.

PRODUCTION COMPANIES: 20th Century Fox Television, Depth of Field Productions, Keyser/Lippman Productions

CREATOR/WRITER: Kyle Killen

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Kyle Killen, Kerry Kohansky, Paul Weitz, Chris Keyser, Amy Lippman

DIRECTOR: Marc Webb

CAST: James Wolk as Robert/Bob Allen, Eloise Mumford as Lindsay, David Keith as John Allen, Adrianne Palicki as Cat Thatcher, Mark Deklin as Trammell Thatcher, Bryce Johnson as Drew Thatcher, Jon Voight as Clint Thatcher

The new animated comedy joining the FOX schedule in mideason is:

BOB’S BURGERS

BOB’S BURGERS is a new animated series about a man, his family and a burger joint. A third-generation restaurateur, BOB BELCHER (H. Jon Benjamin, FAMILY GUY, “Archer”) runs Bob’s Burgers with the help of his wife and their three kids. Bob has big ideas about burgers, condiments and sides, but only a few thoughts on customer service and business management. Despite his greasy counters, lousy location and occasionally spotty service, Bob is convinced his burgers speak for themselves. Even though business is slow, Bob gets to work with his family. His wife, LINDA BELCHER (John Roberts, “The Christmas Tree,” “Jackie & Debra”), supports Bob’s dream through thick and thin (but truth be told, she’s getting a little sick of the thin). Their eldest daughter, TINA (Dan Mintz, “Important Things with Demetri Martin,” “The Andy Milonakis Show”), is a 13-year-old hopeless romantic with minimal social skills. Middle child GENE (Eugene Mirman, “Flight of the Conchords,” “Aqua Teen Hunger Force”) is an aspiring musician and a prankster who serves up more jokes than burgers. Their youngest, LOUISE (Kristen Schaal, “Flight of the Conchords,” “Modern Family”), is the most enthusiastic about her dad’s business, but an off-balance sense of humor and her elevated energy level make her somewhat of a liability in the kitchen. Beyond the restaurant is a city rich with character. Next door to Bob’s is It’s Your Funeral Home and Crematorium; down the street is Wonder Wharf, the oceanside amusement pier; and a few blocks away is Wagstaff Middle School, where Bob and Linda’s kids go to school. And across the street is Jimmy Pesto’s Pizzeria, Bob’s Burgers’ main competition and the thorn in Bob’s side.

PRODUCTION COMPANY: 20th Century Fox Television

CREATOR: Loren Bouchard

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS/WRITERS: Loren Bouchard, Jim Dauterive

DIRECTOR: Anthony Chun

VOICE CAST: H. Jon Benjamin as Bob Belcher, John Roberts as Linda Belcher, Kristen Schaal as Louise Belcher, Eugene Mirman as Gene Belcher, Dan Mintz as Tina Belcher

The two new dramas slated for midseason debuts are:

TERRA NOVA

From executive producers Steven Spielberg, Peter Chernin, Brannon Braga (24, “Star Trek: Enterprise”) and David Fury (“Lost,” “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”) comes an epic family adventure 85 million years in the making. TERRA NOVA follows an ordinary family embarking on an incredible journey back in time to prehistoric Earth as a small part of a massive experiment to save the human race. In the year 2149 the world is dying. The planet is overdeveloped, overcrowded and overpolluted. With the majority of plant and animal life extinct, devotion to science has brought mankind to the brink of destruction, but has also provided its only hope for salvation. Knowing there is no way to reverse the damage to the planet, a coalition of scientists has managed to open up a fracture in the space-time continuum, creating a portal to prehistoric Earth. This doorway leads to an amazing world, one that allows for a last-ditch effort to save the human race…possibly changing the future by correcting the mistakes of the past. The series centers on the Shannon family as they join the tenth pilgrimage of settlers to TERRA NOVA, the first colony of humans in this second chance for civilization. JIM SHANNON, a devoted father with a checkered past, guides his family through this new land of limitless beauty, mystery and terror. Jim’s wife, ELISABETH SHANNON, is a trauma surgeon chosen through a global lottery as a new addition to Terra Nova’s medical team. JOSH SHANNON is their son, mourning the girl he left behind, as he’s torn between two role models – his father and the charismatic COMMANDER FRANK TAYLOR, the leader of the settlement, and the heroic first pioneer through the time portal. MADDY SHANNON, Jim and Elizabeth’s teen daughter, is as independent and adventurous as her parents, but her distrust of authority soon leads her on a dangerous path. In addition to blue skies, rolling rivers and lush vegetation, TERRA NOVA offers new opportunities and fresh beginnings to its recent arrivals, but the Shannons have brought with them a familial secret that may threaten their citizenship in this utopia. Additionally these adventurers soon discover that this healthy, cptfc vibrant world is not as idyllic as it initially appears. The areas surrounding Terra Nova are filled with dangerous dinosaurs, and other prehistoric threats, as well as external forces that may be intent on destroying this new world before it begins. But perhaps even more threatening than what lies outside the protective walls is the Shannons’ realization that something sinister may be happening inside TERRA NOVA as not everyone on this mission has the same intentions of how best to save mankind.

PRODUCTION COMPANIES: 20th Century Fox Television, DreamWorks Television, Kapital Entertainment, Chernin Entertainment

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Steven Spielberg, Peter Chernin, Craig Silverstein, Kelly Marcel, Brannon Braga, David Fury, Aaron Kaplan, Katherine Pope, Justin Falvey, Darryl Frank

RIDE-ALONG

The city of Chicago is a paradox that serves as the setting for RIDE-ALONG, a new drama from Shawn Ryan (“The Shield,” “The Unit”). During a ride-along, a civilian spends a shift in the passenger seat of a squad car, observing the work day of a police officer. But in this series, the audience is the passenger, taking an unpredictable ride through the streets of Chicago and navigating crime and corruption with the most respected – and notorious – cops in the city. JAREK WYSOCKI (Jason Clarke, “Public Enemies,” “Brotherhood”) is a local legend and larger-than-life veteran of the Chicago Police Department. Like the city of Chicago, Jarek is razor blades and brass knuckles wrapped in politeness and egoless charm – a man who throws away partners the way others throw away tissues. TERESA COLVIN (Jennifer Beals, LIE TO ME, “The L Word”) arrived at the pinnacle of the Chicago Police Department in a short period of time. She’s determined to implement changes before the mud that is Chicago politics clogs her office. As a result of Teresa’s difficult choices, she has made some powerful enemies along the way, including two street gangs, the police officers’ union and a city alderman who proves to be a dangerous adversary. Jarek’s new partner, CALEB EVERS (Matt Lauria, “Friday Night Lights”), is a smart and observant young detective who desperately wants to prove himself. He is savvier and more observant than most people give him credit for, and just might make the perfect yin to Jarek’s yang. Also in Jarek’s charge is his niece, VONDA WYSOCKI (Devin Kelley, “Tease”), a rookie beat cop whose father, Jarek’s brother, was killed in the line of duty when she was young. Jarek keeps close tabs on her and is less than thrilled to discover she’s falling for her partner, ISAAC JOINER (Todd Williams, “In Plain Sight,” “CSI”), a charismatic cop who takes unnecessary risks on the job that land him and Vonda in some dangerous situations. ALDERMAN RONIN GIBBONS (Delroy Lindo, “Kidnapped”) is a building-magnate-turned-politician who has ruled his ward with a velvet glove for three decades. Jarek and Teresa are convinced Gibbons and his cohorts, including LIAM HENNESSEY (Billy Lush, “The Black Donnellys”), an Irish tough guy in Gibbons’ construction empire, are dirty to the core, but they’ve never had the evidence to prove it. When a murder investigation leads them to Gibbons, they are determined to bring him to justice and clean up Chicago – if that’s even possible.

PRODUCTION COMPANIES: 20th Century Fox Television, MiddKid Productions

CREATOR/WRITER: Shawn Ryan

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Shawn Ryan, Charles McDougall

DIRECTOR: Charles McDougall

CAST: Jason Clarke as Jarek Wysocki, Jennifer Beals as Teresa Colvin, Matt Lauria as Caleb Evers, Devin Kelley as Vonda Wysocki, Todd Williams as Isaac Joiner, Billy Lush as Liam Hennessey, Delroy Lindo as Alderman Ronin Gibbons

The following new comedy will premiere in the spring:

MIXED SIGNALS

MIXED SIGNALS is a new comedy series about three longtime friends and their attempts to reconcile the irreconcilable: to balance their relationships with their need for freedom. The series reveals how friendships and romances enhance – and further complicate – the lives of men and the women who love them. ETHAN (Kris Marshall, HUMAN TARGET, “My Family”) is the perpetual bachelor. He loves women, and when he’s in, he’s all in – at least for three weeks. Charming, genuine and hopelessly independent, Ethan is finding out that as he gets older, the pool of women who are willing to take things day by day is rapidly evaporating. ADAM (Nelson Franklin, “The Office,” “I Love You Man”) recently moved in with his girlfriend, CALLIE (Alexandra Breckenridge, FAMILY GUY), and is learning how vastly different “she comes over a lot” and “she lives with me” really are. Adam is discovering there isn’t much “me” time any more, there’s only “us” time. MIKE (David Denman, “The Office”) is a married lawyer still trying to figure out the male-female dynamic. He wants nothing more than to be a good family man to his wife, LISA (Liza Lapira, “Dexter,” “Dollhouse”), and his infant son, but he’s also trying to carve out a little space for himself. Currently that space is in his car, where he watches action movies in 15-minute chunks while telling his wife he’s stuck in traffic.

PRODUCTION COMPANIES: 20th Century Fox Television, Keshet Broadcasting Ltd.

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Bob Fisher, David Hemingson, Avi Nir, Ran Sarig, Adir Miller, Elad Kuperman

DIRECTOR: Chris Koch

WRITER: Bob Fisher

CAST: Alexandra Breckenridge as Callie, David Denman as Mike, Nelson Franklin as Adam, Liza Lapira as Lisa, Kris Marshall as Ethan

A complete Australian guide to the 2010/2011 Upfronts.

The ‘Upfront’ presentations from America have now concluded.

An ‘Upfront’ is an opportunity for each broadcast network (ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC and The CW) to present its new and returning shows for the upcoming television season to media and advertisers.

These are important to us here in Australia as well because they showcase what our local networks have coming up this year and next.

TVAUSCAST has a comprehensive guide to every single American primetime program that has been cancelled, renewed or is newly upcoming. Here is that list named by each Australian network.

More Upfront Coverage:

NBC announcements / NBC Upfront Gallery
FOX announcements / FOX Upfront Gallery
ABC announcements / ABC Upfront Gallery
CBS announcements / CBS Upfront Gallery
The CW announcements / The CW Upfront Gallery

Seven Network

Cancelled/Ending

• 24
• FlashForward
• Gary Unmarried
• Ghost Whisperer
• Happy Town
• Heroes (negotiating telemovie)
• Lost
• Mercy
• Scrubs
• The Jay Leno Show (prime time)
• Trauma
• Ugly Betty

Renewed

• 30 Rock
• American Dad
• Bones
• Brothers and Sisters
• Castle
• Criminal Minds
• Cougar Town
• Dancing with the Stars
• Dateline NBC
• Desperate Housewives
• Family Guy
• Grey’s Anatomy
• How I Met Your Mother
• Minute to Win It
• Parenthood
• Parks and Recreation
• Private Practice
• The Amazing Race
• The Marriage Ref

New Shows

• Body of Proof
• The Cape
• Detroit 187
• The Event
• Law and Order: Los Angeles
• Love Bites
• My Generation
• No Ordinary Family
• Off the Map
• Outlaw
• Outsourced
• Perfect Couples
• Untitled Criminal Minds Spin-Off

Nine Network

Cancelled

• Brothers
• Cold Case
• Eastwick
• Hank
• Miami Medical
• New Adventures of Old Christine
• Past Life
• Romantically Challenged
• Shark Tank
• Supermanny
• The Forgotten
• ‘Til Death

Renewed

• 20/20
• America’s Funniest Home Videos
• Chuck
• Community
• CSI
• CSI: Miami
• CSI: New York
• Fringe
• Gossip Girl
• Hell’s Kitchen
• Human Target
• Kitchen Nightmares
• Primetime
• Southland
• Survivor
• The Bachelor
• The Bachelorette
• The Big Bang Theory
• The Mentalist
• The Middle
• The Vampire Diaries
• Two and a Half Men
• V
• Who Do You Think You Are?

New Shows

• Better Together
• Bleep My Dad Says
• Chase
• Happy Endings
• Harry’s Law
• Hellcats
• Mike & Molly
• Mr. Sunshine
• Nikita
• Secret Millionaire
• The Paul Reisner Show
• The Whole Truth
• Undercovers

Network Ten

Cancelled

• Accidentally on Purpose
• Better off Ted
• Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution
• Law and Order (negotiating telemovie)
• Melrose Place
• Numb3rs
• Sit Down Shut Up
• Sons of Tuscan
• The Beautiful Life
• The Deep End
• Three Rivers

Renewed

• 48 Hours Mystery
• 60 Minutes
• 90210
• Cops
• Friday Night Lights
• Glee
• House
• Law and Order: Criminal Intent
• Law and Order: Special Victims Unit
• Lie to Me
• Life Unexpected
• Medium
• Modern Family
• NCIS
• NCIS: Los Angeles
• One Tree Hill
• Rules of Engagement
• Smallville
• So You Think You Can Dance
• Supernatural
• The Biggest Loser
• The Cleveland Show
• The Good Wife
• The Office
• The Simpsons
• Undercover Boss

New Shows

• Blue Bloods
• Friends with Benefits (with Foxtel)
• Bob’s Burgers (with Foxtel)
• Defenders
• Hawaii Five-O
• Lonestar (with Foxtel)
• Mixed Signals (then Foxtel)
• Raising Hope (then Foxtel)
• Ride Along (with Foxtel)
• Terra Nova (with Foxtel)

Note: Ten and Foxtel have a first  and second option agreement. That means shows marked Ten/Foxtel will screen through both networks. However, depending on the agreement for the particular show, one will air as a  first run window and then screen sometime after that on the other network. This has been done with Better Off Ted (screens first on Foxtel, later on Ten) and Modern Family (screens first on Ten, later on Foxtel). This section will update once an agreement has been reached.

Foxtel

Cancelled

• Blonde Charity Mafia
• Dollhouse
• High Society
• Hitched or Ditched
• The Sing Off

Renewed

• American Idol
• America’s Most Wanted
• America’s Next Top Model
• Celebrity Apprentice
• Extreme Makeover: Home Edition

New Shows

• Friends with Benefits (with TEN)
• Bob’s Burgers (with TEN)
• Lonestar (then TEN)
• Mixed Signals (with TEN)
• Raising Hope (with TEN)
• Ride Along (then TEN)
• Terra Nova (with TEN)

2010/2011 Season Australian Network Unknown

• School Pride
• Find My Family (US)
• Running Wilde

Finally….

Not Screened in Australia or No Network Confirmation

There is a bunch of shows that have aired in America, where I don’t have the information as to which network (if any) actually owns these shows. Unfortunately the networks were not that helpful is providing confirmation about these shows. If you know for certain which networks own these shows then flick me through an email:

• Fly Girls
• There Goes the Neighbourhood

Some new pilots are already turning heads.

We’re barely half-way through the US pilot season, but some rough cuts of new projects are already starting to turn heads at networks.

Over at NBC, where they’re pretty much looking to fill their entire drama slate, things are looking very rosy for J.J. Abrams’ ‘Undercovers’, which is getting some serious rave reviews — “looks great, with gorgeous leads”.

The remake of ‘The Rockford Files’ from ‘House’ co-creator/showrunner David Shore is also considered a near-lock.

CBS are already on board with the remake of ‘Hawaii Five-O’, starring Australia’s Alex O’Loughlin, thanks to an extremely positive pilot screening. Meanwhile, there are mixed reviews on the ‘Criminal Minds’ spinoff starring Forest Whitaker, but is still expected make it on air.

At Fox, the U.S. Marshalls drama ‘Breakout Kings’ is continuing to generate buzz. As does the “beautifully shot” Texas-set con-man drama ‘Midland’.

Steven Spielberg’s prehistoric time-travel drama ‘Terra Nova’ is also very likely to get a pickup, however it may not be announced until after the upfronts in May.

ABC are keen on both the Detroit-set crime drama ’187′ and ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ creator Shonda Rhimes’ latest medical drama ‘Off the Map’. The Dana Delany-starring medical-crime drama ‘Body of Evidence’ and the superhero drama ‘No Ordinary Family’ starring Michael Chiklis are also considered stand outs.

‘Wright Vs. Wrong’, starring Debra Messing as a Republican pundit, is one of the only comedy pilots ABC are keen on. The network are even considering ordering some more comedy pilots, because they’re so unhappy with the turn out this season.

Finally at The CW, the ‘La Femme Nikita’ remake “Nikita” starring Maggie Q is looking very strong, alongside the new supernatural drama ‘BeTwixt’, which the network are very excited about.

Here’s a full list of pilots reported to be generating some buzz for next season:

NBC

Dramas:

• ‘Undercovers’
• ‘The Rockford Files’
• ‘Kindrids’
• ‘Love Bites’
• ‘Chase’

Comedies:

• ‘This Little Piggy’
• ‘Friends With Benefits’
• ‘Next’
• ‘Outsourced’
• ‘Perfect Couples’

CBS

Dramas:

• ‘Hawaii Five-O’
• ‘Criminal Minds’ spinoff’
• ‘Chaos’
• ‘Defenders’

Comedies:

• ‘Bleep My Dad Says’ (aka ‘Shit My Dad Says’)
• ‘Mike & Molly’
• ‘True Love’

ABC

Dramas:

• ’187′
• ‘Off the Map’
• ‘Body of Evidence’
• ‘No Ordinary Family’

Comedies:

• ‘Wright Vs. Wrong’
• ‘Mr. Sunshine’

FOX

Dramas:

• ‘Breakout Kings’
• ‘Midland’
• ‘Ride Along’
• ‘Terra Nova’

Comedies:

• ‘Security’
• ‘Keep Hope Alive’
• ‘Most Likely to Succeed’

The CW

Dramas:

• ‘Nikita’
• ‘BeTwixt’

For more info on these pilots, visit The Futon Critic and stay tuned for our 2010/2011 Upfronts coverage next month.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter, The Futon Critic

The 'Glee' girls express themselves.

According to Entertainment Weekly, ‘Glee’ fans could be in for another hour of Madonna power.

Series creator Ryan Murphy today confirmed that he’s in discussions with Madonna’s team to bring another episode to the screen early next season devoted to the Queen of Pop.

“Madonna and her people are into it and want it to happen,” said Murphy.

The announcement of a follow-up episode comes hot off the heels of last night’s highly anticipated Madonna episode, which attracted 13.5 million viewers on FOX.

The “Power of Madonna” EP, which features cast recordings from the episode is currently No. 1 on the US iTunes store, with two of the singles charting in the top 20.

You can pre-order the EP on the Australian iTunes store now, it’s set to be released tomorrow!

‘Glee’ returns next Thursday on Ten.

Source: Entertainment Weekly

Kyle Chandler

According to Entertainment Weekly, Kyle Chandler has been approached by FOX to star in their upcoming big budget drama ‘Terra Nova’, which see’s a family from the future travelling back in time to the prehistoric age.

The ‘Friday Night Lights’ star, who’s currently shooting the fifth and possibly final season of ‘Lights’, has reportedly been offered a “very lucrative offer” to headline the new series from Steven Spielberg.

In February, it was rumoured that FOX were moving forward with a series commitment for ‘Terra Nova’, bypassing the traditional pilot process altogether — due to the high costs associated with developing and constructing sets for the dinosaur project.

It’s now believed that FOX have fully committed to a 13-episode order for next season.

Brannon Braga (‘FlashForward’) has been brought in to serve as executive producer/showrunner on the series, alongside executive producers Spielberg and Peter Chernin.

‘Terra Nova’ was written by Craig Silverstein and Kelly Marcel, based on a story idea by Marcel. Fox Television Studios will produce the show.

Source: Entertainment Weekly

The cast of 'Fringe'.

Monica Breen and Alison Schapker, who stepped down as showrunners on ABC Studios’ ‘Brothers and Sisters’ in November, have joined staff of Warner Bros. Television’s ‘Fringe’.

The move reunites them with J.J. Abrams, whom they worked with on ‘Alias’ and ‘Lost’ prior to joining the ABC family drama.

Breen and Schapker will serve as co-executive producers on ‘Fringe’. In addition the duo will develop new projects for the studio, most likely through Abrams’ Warner Bros. TV-based Bad Robot.

‘Fringe’, which is exec produced by Abrams, showrunner Jeff Pinkner, Bryan Burk and J.H. Wyman, was recently renewed for a third season by FOX,

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

"Glee: The Music - The Power of Madonna EP" out April 16.

The upcoming fifteenth episode of ‘Glee’ is set to be a musical spectacular, paying tribute to Queen of Pop.

The episode, which is set to air on April 20 on FOX, was directed by series creator Ryan Murphy.

Murphy describes the episode as “big…huge”, saying “it’s got like 10 numbers in it, and the production value is very big. We adore her and worship her, so when I’m directing, I’m always like, ‘Do it for Madonna.’”

The singer granted ‘Glee’ the rights to her entire catalogue of music, ten of which were covered by the ‘Glee’ team for the highly anticipated episode.

Sony Music Australia will release seven of the tracks as an EP, which is set to be released on April 16.

“Glee: The Music – The Power of Madonna EP” track-listing:

1. Express Yourself
2. Borderline / Open Your Heart
3. Vogue
4. Like A Virgin
5. 4 Minutes
6. What It Feels Like For A Girl
7. Like A Prayer

‘Glee’ returns with all new episodes in April on Network Ten.

Kiefer Sutherland

Late last week it was reported that US network FOX and production company 20th Century Fox Television were nearing a mutual decision to end the long running action drama ’24’ with its eighth season finale this May.

Declining ratings and rising production costs were cited as major reasons for its cancellation.

“Some writers are already leaving to do other shows — It’s more possible than ever that this is the end” says show-runner Howard Gordon.

Contracts for both Gordon and star Kiefer Sutherland are also set to expire following the current season.

Entertainment Weekly now reports that 20th Century Fox have approached rival network NBC to pick up the series, should FOX ultimately decide to pull the plug.

It’s been tipped as a very long shot, considering the high production costs, but “there’s definitely some interest,” says an insider close to the talks.

A move to NBC would likely delay 20th Century Fox’s plans to bring Jack Bauer to the big screen, which won’t take place while the series is still on the air.

Gordon expects to bring a ’24’ movie to the big screen within 18 months of the series’ conclusion.

“I think the fans could wait a year or a year and a half for the movie, but not much longer than that.”

All new episodes of ’24’ air 8.30pm Tuesdays on 7TWO.

Source: Entertainment Weekly, The Star

Neil Patrick Harris

Neil Patrick Harris has been confirmed for a guest-starring role on 20th Century Fox TV’s musical comedy ‘Glee’.

Harris is no newcomer to the musical genre. The 36-year old appeared on Broadway in 2001 as Tobais Ragg in ‘Sweeny Todd’, as Emcee in ‘Cabaret’ in 2003 and starred in Joss Whedon’s Emmy Award-winning musical web series, ‘Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog’ on 2008.

Details of Harris’ role have yet to be released, but the Emmy nominated actor has only confirmed for the one episode.

Early reports linked Harris to director Joss Whedon’s upcoming episode of ‘Glee’, but that has yet to be confirmed.

‘Glee’ returns in April on FOX and Network Ten.

Source: TVGuide.com

Will Arnett

While the ‘Arrested Development’ movie is still far from completion, a reunion project at FOX is inching closer to reality.

‘Arrested Development’ creator/executive producer Mitch Hurwitz, co-star Will Arnett and co-executive producer Jim Vallely are awaiting a pilot order on a new comedy series for FOX.

The untitled half-hour comedy was originally based at Sony Pictures Television, who have since pulled out. However, Lionsgate Television (the producers of ‘Mad Men’ and ‘Weeds’) have now stepped to take over the project.

Deals are yet to be finalised, but are looking positive now that the studio issues have been resolved.

The comedy stars Arnett as a rich Beverly Hills jackass who falls in love with a charitable tree-hugging woman who can’t stand his lifestyle or values.

Arnett will serve as a producer on the pilot, which he co-wrote the pilot with Hurwitz and Vallely. Hurwitz and Vallely will serve as executive producers alongside Eric Tannenbaum, Kim Tannenbaum, Peter Principato and Paul Young.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

Press Release

GLEEKS REJOICE! FOX PICKS UP SECOND SEASON OF “GLEE”

NATIONWIDE OPEN CASTING CALL FOR “GLEE” BEGINS FEBRUARY AND WILL AIR AS MULTI-PART SPECIAL THIS FALL ON FOX

Series Returns with All-New Episodes Tuesday, April 13, on FOX

FOX has ordered a second season of the genre-defying comedy GLEE, it was announced today by Kevin Reilly, President, Entertainment for Fox Broadcasting Company. GLEE has become a bona fide cultural phenomenon boasting winning ratings, critical acclaim, a rabid fan base of “GLEEks,” two certified Gold albums and more than 4 million song downloads. The series has received four Golden Globe nominations, including one for Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy; a Screen Actors Guild nomination for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series; two Directors Guild of America Award nominations; and a Writers Guild of America nomination for Best Comedy Series and Best New Series. Additionally, the American Film Institute named GLEE one of the Top 10 TV Programs of the Year, and the series also recently won a People’s Choice Award for Favorite New TV Comedy.

“We’ve loved GLEE ever since it was a pilot script, so it’s been an incredible thrill to watch the show take root and see audiences embrace these characters in such a huge way this season,” said Reilly. “The show is a true and rare gem in television. We couldn’t be more proud of what Ryan Murphy and the GLEE team have created so far, and can’t wait to see what they come up with for Season Two.”

GLEE has also launched the acting and singing careers of its young, talented cast, and turned them into international sensations. Replicating and expanding on the process used to discover the stars from Season One, the series’ executive producers will begin a nationwide casting search this February to fill three new roles that will be added to the show’s second season.

Building upon the show’s incredibly supportive community of GLEEks and with the hope of bringing fans even closer to the series, auditions will be open to amateur individuals as well as professionals between the ages of 16-26, and all hopefuls will be able to submit auditions online. Additional details to be announced soon, please check www.fox.com/glee for updates.

This unique casting search and process will be chronicled in a multi-part special that will air leading up to the premiere of the series’ second season in fall 2010 on FOX, and the new cast members will be revealed in the premiere episode.

“GLEE has always been about finding new fresh exciting voices. Our second season search for young talent will be in the vein of our first season. We launched a nationwide search for talent for our first season with great unexpected results, and Season Two expands that search in an even bigger way,” said executive producer and creator Ryan Murphy. He added, “Anybody and everybody now has a chance to be on a show about talented underdogs. No matter who you are – a Broadway talent or a struggling singing waiter with a dream in the Midwest – you now have an opportunity to make that dream come true by posting your talent video and showing us what you can do. ALL the roles will be chosen from the video audition process, which is exciting and unprecedented. We want to be the first interactive musical comedy on television, and the search is ON.”

“GLEE is the hottest new show of the season, and it’s amazing to look back at the audition tapes of those stars as they were being discovered,” said Mike Darnell, President of Alternative Entertainment for FOX. “Just like GLEE, there’s never really been an unscripted program like this on television before. The stakes are real, and it’s going to be incredibly compelling to watch the lives of these unknowns transformed before our eyes.”

GLEE returns with all-new episodes on a new night beginning Tuesday, April 13 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX.

GLEE follows an optimistic teacher who – against all odds and a malicious cheerleading coach – inspires McKinley High’s Glee Club to conquer the world one singing competition at a time. GLEE stars Dianna Agron, Chris Colfer, Jessalyn Gilsig, Jane Lynch, Jayma Mays, Kevin McHale, Lea Michele, Cory Monteith, Matthew Morrison, Amber Riley, Mark Salling and Jenna Ushkowitz.

GLEE is produced by Ryan Murphy Television in association with 20th Century Fox Television. Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan are co-creators of the series. Murphy, Falchuk and Dante Di Loreto serve as executive producers, while Ian Brennan serves as co-executive producer.

Source: FOX Broadcasting Company

The cast of 'New Amsterdam', coming soon to GO!

GO! have just announced that the short-lived drama series ‘New Amsterdam’ will screen over the summer.

The series stars Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (‘Wimbledon’, ‘Kingdom of Heaven’, ‘Virtuality’) as the brilliant NYPD homicide detective John Amsterdam, who also happens to be immortal.

The 8-episode run will begin 9.30pm Wednesday, December 30 on GO!.

Watch a preview of ‘New Amsterdam’ below:

Kevin Connolly

FOX are looking into a new sketch comedy project after the long-running late nighter ‘Mad TV’ ended earlier this year.

However unlike ‘Mad TV’, ‘Inside Jokes’ (working title), is said to be putting a new spin on the sketch comedy genre as well as shifting gears to primetime.

“We’re reinterpreting the genre,” said Merv Griffin Entertainment president Roy Bank. “There’s a troupe of actors, but it’s not as sketchy as a lot of those other shows. It’s pure comedy, straight jokes. Imagine cutting up a sitcom into a million different pieces. It’s like a clip show,” he added.

Bank will executive produce the pilot through Merv Griffin Entertainment alongside ‘Entourage’ star Kevin Connolly, Ted Brunetti, Ron Ward and John Moffitt.

The cast includes a troupe of unknown actors, including Carrie Wiita, Lauren Lewis, Jay Phillips, Cameron Bender, Paul Schackman and Mary Scheer.

The pilot is already in production, under the direction from Gerry Cohen (‘The Drew Carey Show’).

Source: Variety

Brendan Hines, Tim Roth, Monica Raymund, Mekhi Phifer and Kelli Williams star in FOX's 'Lie to Me'.

FOX have ordered the back-nine episodes of the Tim Roth drama, ‘Lie to Me’.

The pick-up comes just a month after the network ordered three additional scripts of the second year drama.

Under the hand of the new showrunner, Shawn Ryan, ‘Lie to Me’ has become as solid performer for FOX in the post-’House’ time slot.

This past week, ‘Lie to Me’ averaged 7.3 million viewers overall, with a 2.7 rating in adults 18-49. A 60% retention of its ‘House’ demo lead-in.

Other dramas less fortunate include Joss Whedon’s ‘Dollhouse’ — which has already been cancelled — and J.J. Abrams’ ‘Fringe’ — which will go on a 7-week hiatus in February.

Source: Fox Broadcasting Company

Monday, Jan. 4:
7:30 pm-CC ET – TOSTITOS FIESTA BOWL (LIVE)

Monday, Jan. 18:
8:00-10:00 pm – 24 (2-Night / 4-Hour Season Premiere, Part 2)

Mondays, beginning Jan. 25:
8:00-9:00 pm – HOUSE
9:00-10:00 pm – 24 (Time Period Premiere)

Tuesday

Tuesday, Jan. 5:
7:30 pm-CC ET – FEDEX ORANGE BOWL (LIVE)

Tuesday, Jan. 12:
8:00-10:00 pm – AMERICAN IDOL (Season Premiere, Part 1)

Tuesdays, beginning Jan. 19:
8:00-9:00 pm – AMERICAN IDOL (Time Period Premiere)
9:00-10:00 pm – OUR LITTLE GENIUS (Time Period Premiere)

Tuesdays, beginning April 13:
8:00-9:00 pm – AMERICAN IDOL
9:00-10:00 pm – GLEE (Time Period Premiere)

Wednesday

Wednesday, Jan. 13:
8:00-9:00 pm – AMERICAN IDOL (Season Premiere, Part 2)
9:00-10:00 pm – OUR LITTLE GENIUS (Series Premiere)

Wednesdays, beginning Jan. 20:
8:00-9:00 pm – AMERICAN IDOL
9:00-10:00 pm – HUMAN TARGET (Series Premiere)

Thursday

Thursdays, beginning Jan. 14 (no change to lineup):
8:00-9:00 pm – BONES (All-New Episodes)
9:00-10:00 pm – FRINGE (All-New Episodes)

Thursday, Feb. 4:
8:00-9:00 pm – BONES
9:00-10:00 pm – FRINGE (Winter Finale)

Thursday, Feb. 11:
8:00-10:00 pm – PAST LIFE (Two-Hour Series Premiere)

Thursdays, beginning Feb. 18:
8:00-9:00 pm – BONES
9:00-10:00 pm – PAST LIFE (Time Period Premiere)

Thursdays, beginning April 1:
8:00-9:00 pm – BONES
9:00-10:00 pm – FRINGE (Time Period Premiere)

Friday

Friday, Jan. 1:
8:00 pm-CC ET – ALLSTATE SUGAR BOWL (LIVE)

Fridays, beginning Jan. 8:
8:00-9:00 pm – BONES (Encore Episodes)
9:00-10:00 pm – DOLLHOUSE (All-New Episodes)

Friday, Jan. 22:
8:00-9:00 pm – BONES (Encore Episode)
9:00-10:00 pm – DOLLHOUSE (Series Finale)

Fridays, beginning Jan. 29:
8:00-9:00 pm – HOUSE (Encore Episodes)
9:00-10:00 pm – KITCHEN NIGHTMARES (Season Premiere)

Saturday

Saturdays (no change to lineup):
8:00-8:30 pm – COPS
8:30-9:00 pm – COPS
9:00-10:00 pm – AMERICA’S MOST WANTED
11:00 pm-Midnight – THE WANDA SYKES SHOW
Midnight-12:30 am – SIT DOWN, SHUT UP

Sunday

Sunday, Jan. 10:
8:00-8:30 pm – THE SIMPSONS (450^th Milestone Episode)
8:30-9:30 pm – THE SIMPSONS 20^TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL: IN 3-D! ON ICE!
9:30-10:00 pm – THE CLEVELAND SHOW

Sunday, Jan. 17:
4:00 pm-CC ET – NFC DIVISIONAL PLAYOFF (LIVE)
8:00-9:00 pm – HUMAN TARGET (Series Preview)
9:00-11:00 pm – 24 (2-Night / 4-Hour Season Premiere, Part 1)

Sunday, Jan. 24:
6:00 pm-CC ET – NFC CHAMPIONSHIP GamE (LIVE)

Sundays, beginning Jan. 31 (no change to lineup):
8:00-8:30 pm – THE SIMPSONS (All-New Episodes)
8:30-9:00 pm – THE CLEVELAND SHOW (All-New Episodes)
9:00-9:30 pm – FAMILY GUY (All-New Episodes)
9:30-10:00 pm – AMERICAN DAD (All-New Episodes)

Sunday, March 14:
8:00-8:30 pm – THE SIMPSONS
8:30-9:00 pm – SONS OF TUCSON (Series Premiere)
9:00-9:30 pm – FamILY GUY
9:30-10:00 pm – THE CLEVELAND SHOW (Time Period Premiere)

* All times ET/PT except as noted

Media Release

FOX ANNOUNCES 2009-2010 MIDSEASON SCHEDULE

FOX is announcing premiere dates of new and returning series as well as revisions to its 2009-2010 midseason schedule. FOX also has ordered a full season of the sophomore drama LIE TO ME.

January starts off on a high note when the ninth season of AMERICAN IDOL, television’s No. 1 series, begins with a two-night premiere Tuesday, Jan. 12 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) and Wednesday, Jan. 13 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT). Immediately following AMERICAN IDOL on Jan. 13 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT), FOX unveils the not-to-be-missed series debut of OUR LITTLE GENIUS, a new unscripted series that features America’s most gifted kids as they are tested with some of the most challenging and difficult questions that only a remarkable little genius could answer.

A special extended primetime event on Sunday, Jan. 17 kicks off with the NFC DIVISIONAL PLAYOFF (4:00 PM-CC ET live/1:00 PM-CC PT live), which leads into the explosive series preview of HUMAN TARGET (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT), the new full-throttle, action-packed drama about a unique private contractor (Mark Valley) who will stop at nothing – even if it means becoming a human target – to save his clients. The special primetime event concludes with the first installment of the pulse-pounding two-night, four-hour premiere of 24 (9:00-11:00 PM ET/PT). The season premiere of 24 clocks in for two more hours of action Monday, Jan. 18 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT), and the season premiere of HUMAN TARGET airs Wednesday, Jan. 20 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) following AMERICAN IDOL (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT).

On Sunday, Jan. 10, FOX presents a special SIMPSONS event beginning with the animated series’ milestone 450^th The Simpsons 20^th Anniversary Special: in 3-D! on Ice! (8:30-9:30 PM ET/PT). The documentary special examines the global phenomenon that is THE SIMPSONS and serves as the momentous conclusion to the “Best. 20 Years. Ever.,” a year-long global celebration of THE SIMPSONS that launched in January 2009. episode, “Once Upon a Time in Springfield” (8:00-8:30 PM ET/PT), in which BART (Nancy Cartwright) and MILHOUSE (Pamela Hayden) try to help KRUSTY (Dan Castellaneta) regain his popularity after network executives force him to restructure the format of his television show by hiring a female sidekick, PRINCESS PENELOPE (guest voice Anne Hathaway). Then, Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Morgan Spurlock (“Super Size Me,” “30 Days”) will present

Chef Gordon Ramsay steps out of his own kitchen to serve up a new season of KITCHEN NIGHTMARES on Friday, Jan. 29 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT). Each week, Chef Ramsay will try to help turn around some of the most unsanitary and unsuccessful restaurants in New York, New Jersey, Florida and California on the verge of closing their doors forever.

PAST LIFE, a new drama series inspired by the book “The Reincarnationist” about detectives who investigate the world of the unexplained, will bow with a two-hour series premiere Thursday, Feb. 11 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) and will make its time period premiere Thursday, Feb. 18 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT).

SONS OF TUCSON, the new family comedy from Emmy Award winner Todd Holland (“Wonderfalls”) about three young brothers who hire a charming, wayward schemer to stand in as their father when their real one goes to prison, debuts Sunday, March 14 (8:30-9:00 PM ET/PT).

AMERICAN IDOL sings on Tuesdays (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) when it makes its time period premiere Jan. 19 followed by the time period premiere of OUR LITTLE GENIUS (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT), and 24 syncs up for its time period premiere Monday, Jan. 25 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT).

After its fall finale Wednesday, Dec. 9 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT), GLEE returns from its interlude with a score of all-new episodes on a new night beginning Tuesday, April 13 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT). FRINGE delves into its winter finale Thursday, Feb. 4 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) and then resurfaces with new cases beginning Thursday, April 1 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT). Joss Whedon’s DOLLHOUSE goes out with a bang with its series finale Friday, Jan. 22 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT).

Note: ‘Lie to Me’ and ”Til Death’will return return in Spring with return dates yet to be released. ‘The Cleveland Show’ will occupy the post ‘Family Guy’ slot.

Source: Fox Broadcasting Company

'Dollhouse' star Eliza Dushku.

According to Entertainment Weekly, FOX has informed Joss Whedon that they will not be ordering additional episodes of his drama series ‘Dollhouse’ beyond its current 13-episode order.

The struggling drama has been averaging a paltry 3 million viewers this season, down from a mere 4.7 million viewers last season.

“I’m extremely proud of the people I’ve worked with: my star, my staff, my cast, my crew,” said Whedon.

“I feel the show is getting better pretty much every week, and I think you’ll agree in the coming months. I’m grateful that we got to put it on, and then come back and put it on again.”

“By the time the last episode airs, you’ll know what my next project is. But for now, there’s a lot of work still to be done, and disappointment to bear. Thank you all for your support, your patience, your excellent adverts. See you again,” added Whedon.

The network still intends to air the remaining episodes from December.

Source: Entertainment Weekly

‘Fringe’ exclusive: J.J. Abrams on ‘bad’ ratings, good vibes, and the show’s future

by Michael Ausiello

'Fringe' stars Joshua Jackson and Aussies Anna Torv and John Noble.

It’s hardly a secret that Fringe is having a tough go of it on Thursday night this season. Last week, the sophomore drama’s audience shrunk to just 5 million viewers — an all-time low. Sure, two weeks of pre-emptions due to baseball didn’t help, but the fact remains: Fringe is struggling.

On the bright side, everyone seems to be in agreement that Fringe has never been better creatively. And inside sources say Fox, although not thrilled with the ratings, remains committed to the show — a fact corroborated by the drama’s boss, J.J. Abrams.

“The mood on set and in the writer’s room is as good as the ratings are bad, which is to say, wonderful,” Abrams tells me. “Luckily, Fox has been insanely supportive, for which we are deeply grateful.”

Abrams is encouraged by the show’s “strong” DVR numbers as well as the glowing reviews from critics. “But given that we’re on one of the hardest [nights] on television, we’re just focusing on making the best show we possibly can,” he says. “What else can we do?”

Bottom line: Fringe is in no immediate danger of going “over there” (a.k.a. TV graveyard). The key word there being immediate.

What do you think? Worried about Fringe’s future? Got a theory why more people aren’t watching? Should Fox move it to a less-crowded night — and, if so, which one? Sound off below!

Source: Entertainment Weekly

Melissa George

Melissa George has landed a recurring role on FOX’s crime drama ‘Lie To Me’.

The former ‘Home and Away’, ‘Alias’ and ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ star will play Clara Martin, an Anna Nicole Smith-type, who will face off with Dr. Cal Lightman (Tim Roth).

Clara Martin is the sassy wife of an older billionaire who has been murdered. After being exonerated in a high-profile murder trial, she assumes control of her husband’s empire. Lightman sees himself in her — naughty, fearless, strategic, and always game for the next adventure.

George will make her first appearance in the eleventh episode .

‘Lie To Me’ airs 9.30pm Tuesdays on Network Ten.

Source: Entertainment Weekly

'American Dad'

Seth MacFarlane’s work load does not seem to be getting any shorter with news that his animated sitcom ‘American Dad’ has been renewed for a sixth season by the FOX network.

Having to prepare animated shows further in advance ‘American Dad’ has been given an early renewal that will see it guaranteed to be on air through to the 2010- 2011 ratings season.

The show regularly achieved numbers between six to eight million viewers this season against tough competition and has strong results in the demographics with men aged 18-49 and adults 18-34.

‘American Dad’ now joins Seth MacFarlane’s ‘Family Guy’ spin off,’ The Cleveland Show’ as being renewed for next season.

Source: TV By the Numbers

The season finale of 'MasterChef Australia' ranks as one of Australia's most-watched programs in a decade.

FOX have picked up the ‘MasterChef’ cooking show format for next season, with Gordon Ramsay set to co-produce and star.

“['MasterChef' is] a huge reality format that works great in other countries plus Gordon Ramsay guarantees success,” said FOX’s president of alternative programming, Mike Darnell. “Gordon is like our ‘CSI.’ ”

While details are still being worked out, the network are believed to be basing their US edition on Australia’s overhauled version, which amped up the drama in the kitchen.

The show will join FOX’s other Ramsay projects, ‘Hell’s Kitchen’ and ‘Kitchen Nightmares’.

“‘Hell’s Kitchen’ is about finding a head chef that can work in a restaurant,” Darnell said. “['MasterChef'] is about creating the perfect dish, and the contestants can be plucked from anywhere.”

FOX are ordering a relatively small amount of episodes (between 12 and 15) compared to Australia’s edition, which aired six nights a week. The format will be restructured to suit FOX’s schedule.

“Hell’s Kitchen” is FOX’s second-most-popular reality series behind mega storm ‘American Idol’. However, it’s a much more solid performer, with the network changing its time slot multiple times, yet continuing to performs competitively.

“Because we’ve had such success with cooking reality, we’re the best place to make this into a big show,” said Darnell.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

Gregory Itzin is set to reprise his role as ex-president Charles Logan on '24'.

Gregory Itzin is returning to the series to reprise his role as the slightly psychotic ex-preisdent Charles Logan.

Itzin’s love-to-hate character will resurface towards the end of Day 8 when President Allison Taylor (Cherry Jones) reluctantly recruits him to assist with an escalating diplomatic crisis.

Jones and Itzin’s face-off “was simply too compelling to pass up,” said ’24′ exec producer Howard Gordon.

Ex-president Logan was last seen in season 6, where he was almost killed after being stabbed by his former equally psychotic wife Martha.

At the time, 24’s then-executive producer Jon Cassar revealed that the initial script called for Logan to die. “I did everything I could not to kill him,” he said. “I wanted to give us the [option] to potentially bring him back.”

’24′ returns with its two-night, four-hour premiere January 17 and 18 on FOX.

Day 8 is expected to commence on 7TWO early next year.

Source: Entertainment Weekly

Eliza Dushku as Echo and Dichen Lachmen as Sierra in Joss Whedon's 'Dollhouse'.

As most of my favourite shows from the states go on hiatus for a week – in place of sports, I thought I would just give a few reviews on shows I have kept in my viewing rotation this fall.

Despite the pre-season buzz surrounding ‘Dollhouse’ after the fantastic finale, unaired episode, ‘Epitaph One’ and the Comic-Con, the sophomore season of ‘Dollhouse’ has somewhat been an anti-climax. Similar to season one, season two of ‘Dollhouse’ has seen more boring episodes than engaging ones but this week’s episode ‘Belonging’ illustrates the potential of the show.

Ironically, the best episode since ‘Epitaph One’ had more of Sierra/Priya (Dichen Lachman) and less of Echo (Eliza Dusku). ‘Belonging’ continued on from last season’s ‘Needs’ where it hinted that Sierra was perhaps sold to the ‘Dollhouse’ rather than volunteering like the others. It also demonstrated how adaptable Dichen Lachman is when given different roles. We flashback one year ago, where Priya is a normal citizen working as a craftswoman when Nolan (Vincent Ventresca) approaches her. Nolan does everything he can to seduce her, giving her a painting gallery, even hiring both Victor and Echo to convince her he is the right man. But when she decides “Nothing in this world could ever make me love you,” we cut back to the present day where the two are hugging and kissing like they are a couple.

We later discover, in an attempt to seduce her, Nolan drugs her, making others believe that she is a schizophrenic, has her institutionalized, and uses his connections with the dollhouse to “help” her by making her a doll. Then he hires her for repeat engagements as his love interest.

Back in the Dollhouse, Echo senses some discomfort with Sierra and decides to show Topher Sierra’s disturbed paintings, who is surprisingly shaken. Topher’s transformation from an arrogant smartarse (season one) to a sympathetic character must also be highlighted. His conversation with Adele (Olivia Williams), after finding out how Nolan is treating Sierra emphasizes the lack of control the supposed boss has over the dollhouse. It is unethical head honchos like Harding (Keith Carradine) who run the show.

Nolan then demands he wants Priya permanently imprinted with his preferred personality and Priya returned to him for good leads to some cool scenes. Topher imprints Sierra with her original Priya which leads to the murder of Nolan and the gruesome hacking and dissolution of his body.

Finally as many of you know, Fox has done a back flip with their November sweeps schedule, after announcing they would stick with ‘Dollhouse,’ they will be airing repeats of Bones and House during November, then will burn off a further six episodes during December by airing episodes back to back. This leaves the remaining three episodes in limbo and who knows with Fox, these episodes might not even reach the airwaves and will eventually be on DVD. I suppose, we fans can only treat this second season as a bonus as this show should’ve ended in May given the ugly ratings.

We can play the blame game all we want, but both Fox and Whedon should cop the blame for the show’s soft ratings, Fox for wanting more stand alone episodes in season 1 and giving it an unfavourable Friday slot and Whedon (who had free rein this season) for bland early episodes. The bottom line is the relationship between Whedon and Fox is no longer as tight – I know Fox is giving Whedon a chance to redeem himself in ‘Glee,’ where he will write an episode or is this just some sort of justification to put ‘Dollhouse’ on hiatus during November? Nevertheless, Whedon and Fox should part ways which will be a win-win for both parties.

Other Notable Quotes:

• Adele to Nolan – after discovering Nolan’s dark events with Sierra: “I would no sooner allow you near one of our other actives as I would a mad dog near a child… given that you’re a raping scumbag one tick shy of a murderer.”
• Harding reminds Adele of her morals “Miss Lonelyheart”
• Sierra to Nolan: “I love him so much more than I hate you.”
• Sierra: “This secret we have… can you keep it?” Topher: “I can keep it, but I don’t know I can live with it.”

4 out of 5 stars