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Renewed: Parks and Recreation
NBC has given Parks and Recreation an early renewal for a third season.
Given the go ahead of other network comedies, a spokesperson insists the early pickup was done strictly to lock in actors’ schedules.
The comedy, originally given a mid-season kiss of life following the demise of Kath & Kim, has lifted from its soft start.
The comedy starring Amy Poehler and Aziz Ansari, has been gaining steam this season both creatively and in ratings.
Seven has been airing the comedy over summer but is now out of schedule.
Source: Hollywood Reporter
Helliar joins Seven
Peter Helliar will host a new weekly AFL footy entertainment program on Channel Seven.
The live one-hour show will feature pre-recorded comedy skits, interviews, match footage, a “heroes and villains” segment and even footy street parties, notes the Herald Sun.
Helliar will be joined by former Richmond player Matthew Richardson. He will not be doing his ‘Strauchanie’ character, instead looking to create new characters.
There will be a ’significant female presence’, but no footy panel.
In a futher coup, the show has Kath & Kim producer Rick McKenna behind it.
Helliar has been a regular on …
Trailer: Episodes
Last October we got news of Episodes, a new Showtime series starring Matt Le Blanc.
He plays a “dumbed down actor” in a comedy that also gets dumbed-down after Americans try to remake the British original.
Just like what they did to Kath & Kim only this time from Britain….
In this trailer, shown recently to US TV critics, Le Blanc even has to audition as Matt Le Blanc. Which shows he gets irony.
Co-produced with the BBC the series is by Friends producer David Crane and writing partner, Jeffrey Klarik.
Just a tad funnier …
TV Tonight Awards 2009: The year of Shaun Micallef
The votes are in.
Readers have spoken on their best and worst television for 2009 in the third annual TV Tonight Awards.
The winners: Shaun Micallef, MasterChef and Packed to the Rafters.
Over 1000 surveys were completed this year, and there were some definite trends. Some choices were clear decisions, others were tight races.
Several “winners” were also “losers” elsewhere, showing a divided audience, and a number of populist shows proved their mettle by staying ahead of underdogs.
Shaun Micallef won both Favourite Male and Most Underrated Performer, while Talkin’ ‘Bout Your …
May 09: Matthew Johns, Karl after the Logies, Eurovision, Bud Tingwell
May:
WIN loses defamation case
The Chaser: Charges? What charges?
Gold Logie: It’s Rebecca!
Gretel’s Logies flop
Search for an Aussie Jerry Springer
Late News returns to Nine
Sam Newman to be ‘tarred and feathered’
ABC’s Eternity Man wins international award
Media Watch: 20 Years: Stuff Ups, Beat Ups & Barneys
Karl Stefanovic, the morning after
Fawlty Towers stars reunite
MASH’s David Ogden Stiers comes out
Gossip Girl spin-off ‘dead.’
Sam Newman put on ‘ACMA watch’
Rex Hunt guilty of road rage
Kiefer Sutherland charged with assault
Idol dumps Monday …
Parks and Recreation for Seven’s summer
Channel Seven has unveiled some of its summer programming, but kept its surprises under wraps.
It will premiere new US comedy Parks and Recreation, the mockumentary that replaced Kath & Kim (US). Written by Greg Daniels and Michael Schur it features Amy Poehler as the deputy director of the Parks and Recreation department in the fictional town of Pawnee, Indiana.
There are new episodes of Band of Brothers, Gary Unmarried, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
In repeat are How I Met Your Mother, 30 Rock, Better Homes and Gardens.
It will air a new episode …
NBC picks up 3 titles
NBC dished out full season pick-ups to three of it titles on Friday: the comedy Community, Mercy and the Kath & Kim replacement, Parks and Recreation. All three have been modest performers, but the order buys them time to potentially improve their ratings.
The network, however, left its other medical drama Trauma off the list.
Community stars Joel McHale as a fast-talkin’ lawyer whose degree has been revoked. With some help from his fellow classmates, he forms a study group who eventually learn more about themselves than their course work. It also features …
Next week: another sketch about absolutely nothing
The Hungry Beast team are still deciding what they will use for this week’s “Coming Up Next Week” sketch for tomorrow night’s episode.
After all, the gag they used last week parodying netballers, caused a right old ruckus.
The uproar was so distracting to some media, including the Daily Telegraph and A Current Affair, that they neglected to acknowledge that there was actually no netball sketch due this week. The sum total of the fictional sketch was aired in its entirety.
In fact the “Coming Up Next Week” gag is a regular feature of …
Industry identity in health fight
Industry identity Sandra Levy, who has been an executive at both the ABC and Channel Nine, is taking leave from her current role as the head of the Australian Film Television and Radio School to battle a benign brain tumour.
According to the Sydney Morning Herald Ms Levy advised staff said she had been diagnosed with ”a non-life-threatening benign brain tumour” and is expected to be on leave for about six weeks.
”I am assured by the surgeon that the location of the tumour is well placed and consequently the complexity of the …
AFI honours Geoffrey Rush
Actor Geoffrey Rush was awarded the AFI’s Raymond Longford Award, before an industry event of 400 people last night in Melbourne.
He is only the sixth actor to receive the AFI’s highest award since it began 41 years ago.
Rush has devoted most of his career to theatre and film including Shine, Lantana, Harvie Krumpet, Munich and Shakespeare in Love.
He recently became the first Australian to win fthree US acting awards, the Academy Award, a Tony Award and an Emmy Award, all on his first attempt. Among a host of other awards, …
All in the Family
The Bradys pipped The Simpsons according to last night’s 20 to 1 list of TV’s top families.
Of course, like most of the lists it’s not ranked on much more than the popular choices of producers, researchers and guests (and any answers that can’t be supported by accessible footage are very likely ditched).
The Sullivans topped the list of Aussie families.
But there are some good names on this list.
1. The Brady Bunch
2. The Simpsons
3. Happy Days
4. The Cosby Show
5. The Sullivans
6. Family Ties
7. Diff’rent Strokes
8. Sylvania Waters
9. The Bold & The Beautiful
10. The …
Whatever Happened to That Guy?
There is a scene in the second episode of Whatever Happened to That Guy? where former Fast Forward star Peter Moon, playing Peter Moon, goes to audition for an advertisement.
When he gets there he finds out it’s an ad for erectile dysfunction treatment.
Seated in the room waiting for their chance to read are John Blackman, Pete Smith, Red Symons, Wilbur Wilde and Michael Veitch.
It’s a moment that sums up the self-irreverant tone of Moon’s new comedy in which he sends himself up mercilessly.
The series opens with Moon in bed laughing at …