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Renewals: Glee, The Middle, Cougar Town, Modern Family
A number of new shows have had renewals in the US, proceeding to their second seasons.
The are Glee on FOX and The Middle, Cougar Town and Modern Family on ABC.
As a result each of our commercial networks gets at least one green light.
Glee will also add three new cast members, which it will solicit from a nationwide talent search. The hunt will include both professional and amateur performers between the ages of 16-26.
The three comedy renewals for ABC contrasts with the cancellation of Hank starring Kelsey Grammer. There is no decision …
Better Off Ted: Rudest Outtakes Ever
WARNING!
Sitcom Better Off Ted (on the Disney-owned ABC Network) recently had an episode where a memo with a glaring typo, encouraged employees to swear insults at each other: “All Employees must NOW use offensive or insulting language in the workplace.”
The episode aired PG-rated lines for broadcast but an online clip of outtakes has appeared that goes way, WAY further.
This stuff is red hot, not to be played near kids, or your boss.
It’s even ruder than Peter Russell Clarke’s classic offenders. See it before it gets pulled.
You have been warned!…
Airdate: Better Off Ted
Better Off Ted, the comedy about a guy who runs research and development at a morally questionable multinational, will debut in September on the Comedy Channel.
The series, from ABC in the US, stars Jay Harrington as Ted, a single dad to a seven-year-old girl who oversees two research scientists Lem and Phil, and a head tester Linda, for whom he has romantic feelings. He’s already had his self imposed “one office affair” with überboss Veronica (Portia de Rossi).
After the company cryonically freezes one of the research scientists, Ted begins to question …
Scrubs gets renewal
Put away the defibrillator. Scrubs has been renewed by ABC.
The move comes as the main cast members who had no deals beyond the current eighth season were secured.
Zach Braff is set to come back for six episodes to transition the show to its new set-up. ABC and creator Bill Lawrence had said they envision the show continuing with a mix of original cast members and some of the interns introduced in its past US season.
The network also renewed Castle, which premieres tomorrow night on Seven, and the comedy Better Off Ted.
Elsewhere, …
ABC renews Housewives, Betty, Grey’s, Brothers & Sisters
America’s ABC has announced renewals for several key series: Grey’s Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, Brothers & Sisters, Ugly Betty, Private Practice, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Wife Swap, Supernanny, Dancing with the Stars, The Bachelor and America’s Funniest Home Videos.
They join Lost, which is set to return for its final season as part of a three-season pickup in 2007.
Housewives creator Marc Cherry told the media and ABC he wanted a similar four-season renewal for his show, but ABC has opted to add on only another year to his current agreement.
Absent from the …
Foxtel rocks into 2009
Foxtel has joined the procession of new programme announcements, with a raft of Australian-produced and international shows, some of which launch as early as December.
The channels owned & operated by Foxtel include FOX8, FOX Classics, Arena, Comedy, Crime & Investigation, History, Biography and the W Channel.
The titles include 15 local productions, starting with An Aussie Goes Calypso in December and reality competition The Phone in January. Both will air on FOX8.
To be presented by Justin Melvey, The Phone sees two hidden mobile phones ringing somewhere in a city. When a stranger …
Local Shear Genius and Contender coming
Amongst the new shows announced for Foxtel in 2009 is a local version of hair-styling reality series Shear Genius. The US version featured Aussie born Tabatha Coffey, whose blunt style won her enough interest for her own series Tabatha’s Salon Takeover. Will Foxtel bring her here for this?
It’s lucky for Foxtel that Nine decided against producing Million Dollar Salon, as it had planned earlier this year.
Andrew Denton’s produced 8 part satirical drama set in the advertising industry is titled 30 Seconds.
There is also the fifth series of FOX8’s Australia’s Next Top …
Dollhouse for FOX8
FOX8 has picked up the rights to Dollhouse, the latest drama from Joss Whedon. Although TEN talked up Dollhouse in May, the program will be aired with fewer ads and could have posed problems for a commercial free-to-air network.
Starring Buffy’s Eliza Dushku it tells the tale of a group of people, known as ‘Actives’ (or ‘Dolls’) who “have had their personalities wiped clean so they can be imprinted with any number of new personas and hired out for particular jobs, crimes, fantasies and occasional good deeds. When not imprinted, the Actives …