The weird week that was – Sharknados, Bearnados, and Cownados

Cows, bears, and sharks – oh my! If one were to turn on the TV last week, you saw a lot of weird. And Comic-Con hadn’t even begun yet. Here’s the rundown…Rhode Island residents were given tips… on what to do when you come in contact with a bear; cows invaded a Tallahassee, Fla. news set; while computer-generated sharks invaded […]

The Grab Bag: “Extra” renewed through ’17

But several others get the ax, including “America’s Most Wanted” and “Scooby Doo, Mystery Incorporated” – Warner Bros. has renewed syndicated entertainment news magazine Extra through 2017, covering 85 percent of the country, including WMAQ-Ch.5 here, who airs the series weekdays at 4 p.m. The deal includes WMAQ and seven other NBC-owned stations, in addition to outlets in the CBS, […]

Tribune signs on for new action hour

Station group plotting future without off-network fare in key time periods? Tribune Broadcasting announced last week it has cleared a new weekend scripted hour series from Trifecta Entertainment titled Rescue 3, created by former Baywatch showrunner Gregory J. Bonann. Clearances include WGN-TV Chicago, WPIX New York, KTLA Los Angeles, WPHL Philadelphia and KDAF Dallas. As first reported by Broadcasting & […]

Chicago syndie schedules get dramatic makeover

Local stations, syndicators shuffle the deck As we enter year two in the post-Oprah era, things are finally changing in the syndication marketplace, as five new syndicated talk shows – the most in 17 years – make their debut. As for off-network sitcoms, the pickings are rather slim – just two new entries this year, compared to five in 2011. […]

NBCUniversal at TCA: We’re Number 3! We’re Number 3!

NBCUniversal held its TCA presentations for its broadcast and cable platforms on Tuesday and Wednesday. Here are the highlights: – NBC executive session: On Tuesday, NBC chief Robert Greenblatt addressed the media and touted the upcoming Summer Olympics, which opened in London on Friday – not to mention the brand new series he gets to peddle during the Games. The […]

T Dog’s Think Tank: Dan Harmon, “Community”, their fans, and you

As you know by now, Community creator and executive producer Dan Harmon was fired by the studio who produces the show (Sony Pictures Television) on the evening of Friday May 18. I’m sure you’ve read the reasons why he was fired, including from Harmon himself. Fans of Community took to social media and the Internet to express their outrage over […]

The Upfronts Selection Show

The week before the upfronts are always crazy: you have networks canceling shows and picking up pilots to series for either this fall or for midseason. Welcome to The Upfronts Selection Show, where choices are made and bubbles are burst. Call this the television business’ version of March Madness. All of this hubbub this place before the big show kicks […]