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CBS Boss Talks Vampires, Swingers, and CSI Sans Petersen

BuzzSugar — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 12:30:58 PDT

Nina Tassler was the third network executive of the week to take the stage at the TCA press tour today, and she shed some light on the departure of Moonlight, the future of Swingtown, and what CSI will look like sans William Petersen. Some highlights:

To help fill the hole on CSI left by Petersen's departure later this season, Tassler said the producers plan to introduce a new character with "an interesting genetic profile" that is comparable to that found in many serial killers. His character is on something of a journey of self-discovery, she said. But he's not going to be a direct replacement for Petersen's character: "He is an outsider coming into the CSI unit," Tassler said, and he is not (at least immediately) the boss. They're still searching for an actor to play the role.
As for Moonlight, Tassler reminded reporters that she's not anti-vampire. "Everybody knows I love vampires," she said. "Vampires, witches, werewolves, warlocks - I love them all." But she said that while there was a lot of outcry over the show's cancellation, most of it was passion for star Alex O'Loughlin rather than the show as a whole. She said she'd love to find a place for O'Loughlin on another show in the future.
Tassler said CBS supports and believes in Swingtown, but she's "a little disappointed in the ratings." As of now, there's no decision made about whether to renew the show or not - though CBS is at least confident enough to have the cast attend tonight's all-star party.

To see what Tassler had to say about Britney Spears and Sarah Chalke on How I Met Your Mother, just

The CBS Fall Schedule: Five New Series, No Vampires

BuzzSugar — Wed, 14 May 2008 10:35:31 PDT

CBS took its turn at the 2008 upfronts this morning, revealing a slate that boasted five new shows - and the cancellation of a couple of fan favorites. Chief among them: Moonlight, the network's Friday night vampire drama, which in recent weeks had fans organizing a blood drive in its honor. I wonder if stakes and cloves of garlic will soon be arriving at CBS' door?

The schedule also has the network opening up a new comedy night on Wednesdays, with The New Adventures of Old Christine and a new half-hour comedy called Project Gary filling the night's first hour. How I Met Your Mother is indeed back - and keeps its 8:30 p.m. slot on Mondays. As for new shows, they include the Jerry Bruckheimer project Eleventh Hour, the buzzed about drama The Mentalist, and a dramedy called The Ex List starring Elizabeth Reaser, aka Ava/Rebecca/Jane Doe from Grey's Anatomy.

Shark, Cane, Jericho, Kid Nation, and Welcome to the Captain were other series that didn't make the cut for the new season's schedule. Here's the official CBS press release, and to check out the full schedule and descriptions of the new shows, just

read more. All caps = new show (except NCIS and CSI) ** = new time slot MONDAY 8 p.m. The Big Bang Theory 8:30 p.m. How I Met Your Mother 9 p.m. Two and a Half Men 9:30 p.m. WORST WEEK 10 p.m. CSI: Miami TUESDAY 8 p.m. NCIS 9 p.m. THE MENTALIST 10 p.m. Without a Trace** WEDNESDAY 8 p.m. The New Adventures of Old Christine** 8:30 p.m. PROJECT GARY 9 p.m. Criminal Minds 10 p.m. CSI: NY THURSDAY 8 p.m. Survivor 9 p.m. CSI 10 p.m. ELEVENTH HOUR FRIDAY 8 p.m. Ghost Whisperer 9 p.m. THE EX LIST 10 p.m. Numb3rs SATURDAY 8 p.m. CBS Crimetime 10 p.m. 48 Hours Mystery SUNDAY 7 p.m. 60 Minutes 8 p.m. The Amazing Race 9 p.m. Cold Case 10 p.m. The Unit** Midseason: HARPER'S ISLAND, Rules of Engagement Here's how CBS describes the new shows: Worst Week Worst Week is a comedy about Sam Briggs, an entertainment magazine editor who will do anything to please his girlfriend's parents . . . but instead becomes a one-man wrecking crew whenever he's around them. Sam (Kyle Bornheimer, Jericho) and his girlfriend, Melanie Clayton (Erinn Hayes, Kitchen Confidential), have only one hurdle left to clear as they start their life together: breaking the news to Mel's conservative parents that they have a wedding in the works and a baby on the way. Dick (Kurtwood Smith, That '70s Show), a stern Judge, and his wife Angela (Nancy Lenehan, My Name is Earl), are protective of their daughter, and are really trying to let go of the anger they feel toward Sam ... after all, disaster follows whenever he visits their house. But despite his best efforts, every time Sam takes one positive step forward in winning over his future in-laws, he inevitably takes two crushing steps back. But with support and love from Melanie who stands up for him despite his knack for making himself look bad, Sam will hopefully charm his way into her family. Project Gary Project Gary stars Jay Mohr (Ghost Whisperer) and Paula Marshall (Nip/Tuck) in a comedy about Gary Barnes, a recently single painting contractor, and his controlling ex-wife, Allison, who face post-divorce mayhem after 15 years of marriage as they each embark on new relationships. He's the fun parent and she's the strict one. Together, they share custody of their two children - Louise (Laura Marano, Without a Trace), a politically correct and environmentally conscious 11-year-old, and Tom (Ryan Malgarini, How to Eat Fried Worms), their socially awkward 14-year-old son who is nervous around girls. Charming and acerbic, Gary hasn't dated since the split, but finally connects with Vanessa (Jaime King, The Class), a single mother whose condo he was hired to paint. He dreads telling Allison about Vanessa because it doesn't adhere to her belief in their marriage counselor's book, Rules for the Perfect Divorce. However, when Allison tells him that she's engaged to their shrink, all bets are off and Gary decides it's time to move forward. Now, in pursuit of post-marriage happiness, Gary must juggle his eclectic world of an ex-wife, their two kids, their shrink and his gorgeous new girlfriend. The Mentalist The Mentalist stars Golden Globe Award nominee Simon Baker (The Devil Wears Prada) as Patrick Jane, a detective and independent consultant with the California Bureau of Investigation (CBI), who has a remarkable track record for solving serious crimes by using his razor sharp skills of observation. Within the Bureau, Jane is notorious for his blatant lack of protocol and his semi-celebrity past as a psychic medium, whose paranormal abilities he now admits he feigned. Jane's role in cracking a series of tough high-profile cases is greatly valued by his fellow agents. However, no-nonsense Senior Agent Teresa Lisbon (Robin Tunney, Prison Break) openly resists having Jane in her unit and alternates between reluctantly acknowledging Jane's usefulness and blasting him for his theatrics, narcissism and dangerous lack of boundaries. Lisbon's team includes agents Kimball Cho (Tim Kang, Rambo), Wayne Rigsby (Owain Yeoman, The Nine), and rookie member Grace Van Pelt (Amanda Righetti, The O.C.), who all think Jane's a loose cannon but admire his charm and knack for clearing cases. Eleventh Hour Eleventh Hour from acclaimed producer Jerry Bruckheimer follows Dr. Jacob Hood (Rufus Sewell, The Illusionist), a brilliant biophysicist and special science advisor to the government, as he investigates scientific crises and oddities. His jurisdiction is absolute and Hood is dogged in his pursuit of those who would abuse and misuse scientific discoveries and breakthroughs for their own gain. His passion and crusade is to protect the substance of science from those with nefarious motives. He is called in at the eleventh hour and he represents the last line of defense. The Ex List The Ex List is a comedic drama about Bella Bloom (Elizabeth Reaser, Grey's Anatomy) - a single, 30-something, successful business owner who is surprised to learn from a psychic that she's already dated her future husband AND there's a catch: if she doesn't find him in the next year, she'll remain alone forever. During a bachelorette party for her sister, Daphne (Rachel Boston, American Dreams), Bella learns from the psychic she must revisit her past relationships and sort through the mistakes to find her soul mate. Skeptical, Bella begins to analyze every past liaison and failed romance with her close circle of friends, Augie (Adam Rothenberg, Mad Money), an endearing guy who has listened to Bella's love woes since college, Vivian (Alex Breckenridge, Dirt), Augie's long-term girlfriend, and Cyrus (Amir Talai, Campus Ladies), who's chronically unemployed and full of wry observations. Once Bella witnesses proof of the psychic's other predictions, her cynicism disappears and she begins her search. Along her trip down break-up lane, Bella is determined to remain optimistic and receptive, believing that when destiny reopens doors to the past, every relationship can matter in the future. Photos courtesy of CBS

Buzz News Roundup, 4/2

BuzzSugar — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 14:30:16 PDT

Joel McHale and Quantum Leap actor Scott Bakula will join Matt Damon in Steven Soderbergh's comic thriller The Informant, writes Hollywood Reporter.
ComingSoon reports that Brad Pitt will produce and maybe star in The Lost City of Z, about "the search for a lost city in the Amazon."
30 Rock, Project Runway, and The Colbert Report were among the shows honored with Peabody Awards for excellence in broadcast, reports Broadcasting and Cable.
According to Variety, Dave Annable (Justin on Brothers and Sisters) has a role in Julie and Julia, the Julia Child movie starring Meryl Streep and Amy Adams.
This is pretty genius: According to Zap2it, fans of the vampire drama Moonlight are organizing a blood drive to help save their show, with 3,000 folks already pledging a pint.
The School of Theatre, Television, and Film at San Diego State University will open a Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film, writes Variety.
The Hollywood Reporter has news that Ben Stiller will produce and possibly star in a film adaptation of graphic novel The Return of King Doug.
Hayden Panettiere will star in the film adaptation of the book Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List, ComingSoon writes.
People reports that Jay Leno has issued an apology for his comments to Ryan Phillippe that many perceived as anti-gay.

Source and source

Pushing Daisies Wins a Full Season

BuzzSugar — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 13:02:30 PDT

Dandelion high-fives all around for this news: Pushing Daisies has become the newest series to get a full-season order! It joins Gossip Girl, Private Practice, and the Big Bang Theory as the only series guaranteed to stick around for the whole TV season.

With the threat of a writers' strike looming, I expect we'll be hearing about more pickup orders in the coming weeks. Here are some of the series that may be well on their way:

Carpoolers has just gotten an order for three more scripts, and CBS asked for four more scripts from Moonlight.
There have been reports that Reaper and Aliens in America will be picked up soon.
All of NBC's new series and Cane on CBS received script orders a while back.

How psyched are you about Daisies? And which other series should get to stick around?

TV Tonight: "Moonlight"

BuzzSugar — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 07:30:00 PDT

One of the most mysterious series of the fall is "Moonlight," which premieres tonight on CBS. I even put it on my list of five toss-up shows simply because it's been thoroughly overhauled since we first heard about it at the upfronts back in May. The only constants: star Alex O'Loughlin and the basic plot, about an immortal vampire-slash-private eye.

I finally got the chance to check out the first episode of "Moonlight," and in a word, it's ridiculous. In fact, it's "New Amsterdam"-style ridiculous. Like "New Amsterdam," though, "Moonlight" has the potential to be kind of fun, in that "hey, I'm not doing much on Friday night; let's open some wine and poke fun at this show'" kind of way.

Two reasons to watch for real: O'Loughlin, who's pretty easy on the eyes, and Jason Dohring - late of "Veronica Mars" - who has some of the best scenes in the first episode. To check out a brief "interview with the vampire," just

Fall TV Preview: Five Total Toss-ups

BuzzSugar — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 06:30:00 PDT

All summer long, I've been giving you my first impressions of the networks' new shows. Now, with fall TV upon us, it's time to tell you which shows are deserving of space on your TiVo and which ... well, aren't. Yesterday, I told you about five shows I'll be skipping this fall, and on Monday, I'll be revealing my top five picks for the season. But today, I'm focusing on the shows that could go either way, just as likely to become megahits as they are to sink like stones.

5. "Bionic Woman" - "Bionic" has seen quite a bit of upheaval since the pilot I saw was filmed. One supporting part (the bionic woman's younger sister) has been recast and reconceived, and - just within the past couple of weeks - one of the executive producers left the show. In the version of the pilot I saw, lead actress Michelle Ryan didn't seem to have the sort of fearless toughness you'd want in an action star, and the whole thing seemed surprisingly low-energy. But now, "Friday Night Lights" producer Jason Katims will be consulting on the show, and NBC has ensured a steady stream of publicity by hiring Isaiah Washington for a guest spot. I'm still not confident about this remake, but I think it has an equal chance of being a breakout hit and a flop.

4. "Carpoolers" - I'm really of two minds about "Carpoolers." On the one hand, the whole idea of inane car banter is why I try not to catch rides with casual acquaintances. On the other hand, this pilot made me laugh surprisingly hard, and I'm finding myself rooting for it. The writing may not be completely there yet, but the comic timing from funny guys like Jerry O'Connell, Jerry Minor, Fred Goss, and potential breakout star TJ Miller gives me hope - as does that Phil Collins video. I'm not sure if I see it getting more than a "Knights of Prosperity"-sized following, but if enough people give it a chance, maybe it will be a small hit.

Three more tossups - plus a brand-new clip of the first few minutes of one of them - so

read more 3. "Moonlight" - "Moonlight" is a toss-up in the truest sense of the word because it's gone through so many changes. Virtually everyone except lead actor Alex O'Loughlin has been recast since the spring, and I haven't seen either the old or the new versions of the pilot. I generally suspect this will be a cheesy mix of vampire myth and cop drama, and its Friday night timeslot tells me CBS doesn't have a ton of confidence in it either. On the other hand, CBS has had a good sense of humor in promoting the show - witness this "Interview with a Vampire" clip and the creepy vs. sexy video - and I think there are legions of "Angel" and "Buffy" fans who might latch on to this show.
2. "Aliens in America" - Of all the pilots I watched for the fall, this one about a friendship between a small-town Wisconsin kid and his family's Pakistani exchange student, left me the most conflicted by far. On the one hand, it made me laugh harder than any other comedy pilot, and the two young actors in the lead roles are charming and perfectly cast. On the other hand, many parts of the pilot made me squirm because I wasn't sure if I was supposed to be offended or amused. I have no idea where the show will go from here, and - more than that - I have no idea how people will react. Will they think it's sweetly hilarious or blatantly over the line?
1. "Private Practice" - So far, this show is nothing but a giant question mark. It's the only pilot the general public has seen, and so we've all had almost four months to rip the very special episode apart - and nobody's been shy about doing that. Some critics who have seen the proper first episode of the series say the show has gotten itself together, while others say it's even more inane than we feared. For me, the whole point of Kate Walsh's Addison on "Grey's" was to be sassy, complicated, and tough-as-nails; on the snippets of "Private Practice" I've seen, she seems gigglier and girlier, without the backbone that made her such a gem. Creator Shonda Rhimes has said this show won't be "Grey's 2.0" - but it's too early to tell whether "Private Practice" will be able to capture any of the magic that made that show a hit. Just for good measure, here's the newest preview clip:
"Private Practice" and "Carpoolers" photos copyright 2007 ABC, Inc.. "Moonlight" picture courtesy of CBS "Aliens in America" photo courtesy of The CW "Bionic Woman" photo Source "Moonlight" photo courtesy of CBS

First Look: "Moonlight"

BuzzSugar — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 13:28:12 PDT

So far, "Moonlight" is winning the award for most retooled pilot. Nearly every main character - except for lead vampire/private eye Alex O'Loughlin, one of this fall's supernatural crime solvers - has been recast since the show was announced in May. As a result, CBS didn't send out an early screener of the pilot, so I can't give you a proper Pilot Watch on the show. But I can share a couple of clips from the network - including an "interview with the vampire" (yuk yuk) with O'Loughlin in character as Mick St. John.

"Moonlight," which is set to air Fridays at 9 p.m., also stars Jason Dohring (most recently of "Veronica Mars"), Shannyn Sossamon (of "Dirt") and Sophia Myles. To watch the clips,

read more Photo and video courtesy of CBS

Supernatural Crime-Solvers Are So Hot Right Now

BuzzSugar — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 15:47:36 PDT

Back when I was trying to guess which fall pilots would get picked up by the networks, I was smart enough to see that cop shows and paranormal phenomena were among the year's major trends. Too bad I didn't realize they were going to smoosh together into one big trend: the supernatural crime-solver show. Four such series are already in the pipeline for the new TV season, and this week, NBC bought the rights to a fifth.

This new one doesn't have a title yet, but it apparently ignited a fierce bidding war between networks who wanted to claim the spooky dramedy for themselves. Variety calls it "a police procedural with a hilariously horrifying twist that follows a team of regular cops dedicated to busting vampires, zombies and other criminal demons." Hmm, sounds a whole lot like "Reaper," if the guy from "Reaper" were a cop.

In addition to those two, we also have:

"Moonlight," a CBS drama about a vampire-slash-private investigator who uses his powers to work outside of the law.
"New Amsterdam," the Fox show - which recently got bumped to midseason - about an immortal detective who uses his numerous lifetimes worth of experience to solve murders.
"Pushing Daisies," the ABC procedural-with-a-twist about a guy who can bring people back from the dead long enough to learn what they remember about their killers.

Yep, NBC's new purchase means all five networks will have a supernatural crime show in the pipeline for the new TV season. It's almost enough to make me long for the good, old-fashioned, and downright earthly detective work of "CSI" or "Law & Order."

Photos courtesy of CBS, The CW, ABC, Inc. and Fox

Buzz News Roundup, 7/27

BuzzSugar — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 16:15:31 PDT

According to Variety, Heathers writer Daniel Waters will reunite with Winona Ryder for the Starz movie Sex and Death 101.
The CBS show "Moonlight" has already recast most of its major roles, and now its executive producer is leaving, writes the Hollywood Reporter.
A track from the Madonna-Justin Timberlake collaboration was leaked online, and then promptly taken down, NME reports.
Val Kilmer will appear on the season premiere of "Numb3rs," and the Futon Critic has the details.
Eddie Izzard has replaced Jeremy Piven in the cast of actors lending their voices to the Igor movie, ComingSoon reports.
Lorelei's dad on "Gilmore Girls," Edward Hermann will guest-star on "Grey's Anatomy" for at least three episodes this season, Zap2it reports.
Warner Bros. has announced that they will release the definitive director's cut from Ridley Scott's sci-fi hit movie Blade Runner on December 18, says Variety.
A British newspaper reporter is petitioning for an "Arrested Development" Christmas special, the Associated Press reports.

Source

Get a Sneak Peek of the New CBS Shows!

BuzzSugar — Thu, 17 May 2007 18:05:36 PDT

CBS is joining ABC and NBC by giving us video previews of its new fall shows. Some info on the new series is over at the network's fall preview site, but I've got all the clips and photos right here - including a special look at Hugh Jackman singing in the first episode of "Viva Laughlin"! Check it out:

One more "Viva" clip, plus clips from the other shows and a ton of pictures, so

read more "Viva Laughlin" This clip features Ripley (Lloyd Owen) singing "Viva Las Vegas" as he dances around his casino. "Cane" This show starring Jimmy Smits seems like a slightly more wholesome version of "The Sopranos," if the Sopranos were in a legal business. "The Big Bang Theory" "The nerds are taking over" is this show's claim. I didn't expect to find this amusing, and yet I kind of did. "Kid Nation" If you crossed Lord of the Flies with "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," I imagine it would look a lot like this. "Moonlight" "Being a vampire really sucks," says the narrator of this vampire/detective series. Hmm ... "Swingtown" This show looks retro, fun, and way too racy for CBS! "Cane"

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"Viva Laughlin"

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"The Big Bang Theory"

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"Moonlight"

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"Kid Nation"

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All photos courtesy of CBS