This Is Not a Review

Variety reporter Cynthia Littleton has seen Fringe and is ready to talk about it.


As she notes in her post:

(T)hese are first impressions and not meant as a review or hit-or-miss declaration. Pilots at this stage of the game are still works in progress.

Objects in the Rearview Mirror May Appear Closer Than They Are

We created this site to keep you apprised of series in development as well as changes to returning ones. In doing so, we like to check out what’s being said in the blogosphere about our shows.

As you’ve noticed, we will link to things. This doesn’t automatically mean that what we’re linking to is directly affiliated with Fox productions, or paid for by Fox, or owned and operated by Fox. We might be linking to it because it’s what you all are talking about. Users may jump to conclusions on boards and forums and in comment boxes that we’re behind EVERYTHING. (We get that it feels that way.) Sometimes these viral wild goose chases and secret websites are actually fan-creations and we aren’t involved at all.

But sometimes we might be.

Despite who the evil mastermind really is, hopefully you’re having fun and getting psyched for good television.

Anyhoo, on a technical sidenote: We’ve been working on the site’s comments problems. We’re waiting for American Idol revenue to kick in so that we can pay our interwebs bill to fix it. Kidding! We don’t make any money from Idol.

EW Joins the Campaign Trail

The PopWatch Blog delves into the Save Dollhouse organized effort.

Please do not incur physical harm to network execs when considering “how far would you go to save a show?” There’s a lot of nice people here.

Welcome Back

It’s always nice when an actor we liked from a canceled show (coughWeddingBellscough) gets cast for something new. Michael Landes will play the prosecutor in Paul Attanasio’s “darkly comedic” Courtroom K.

We also got Doc Ock (the fantastic actor, otherwise known on stage and screen as Alfred Molina) to play the judge.

Megan Dodds is the public defender, Jon Bernthal is a veteran police detective who is involved with the defender and Omar Benson Miller will play a social worker who gets into a conflict with Dodd’s character.

Most Fascinating Piece of TV in the History of Radio

I’m Only Happy When it Rains

Scottish singer Shirley Manson from the band Garbage is coming to Terminator. She’s playing “Catherine Weaver,” the CEO of a “cutting-edge high-tech company” (read into that what you will…)

Does this mean we’re getting the musical episode (ala Buffy) that we’ve been secretly hoping for?

Everyone’s a Comedian

At least stay through to Kal Penn’s last line at the end of the clip.

Mr. D’Arcy’s Pride

James D’Arcy has been cast in Ronald Moore’s Virtuality, which is set aboard the Phaeton, Earth’s first starship, on a 10-year journey to explore a distant solar system. To help the crew endure the long trip, NASA equips the ship with advanced virtual reality modules, allowing them to assume adventurous identities and go anyplace they want. D’Arcy plays the ship’s psych officer, who produces the virtual reality shows.

Peter Berg will direct the pilot.

No stranger to the BSG writers’ verse, D’Arcy starred in David Eick’s pilot “Them.”

Name Sound Familiar?

adelledewitt.com

*Here’s some reference

UPDATE: Thanks to Kimi in the comments for the login.

That Gorram Fox

We are a bit surprised that you are already starting a campaign to save a show before it’s even begun. But then again, we are idiots if we underestimate the Whedon fanbase. It’s not like you guys have any reason to think the worst of us.

So, c’mon! Join the surging Brown Coats on Facebook. Now that you can’t collapse mini-feeds, you can spread the love of Dollhouse even easier.

Sidenote: There are some show spoilers here.

The Truest Souls Among Us

38,573,000 Civilians Died

We’re not claiming to know what this company is. Nor do we know this man.

Although, some of these people seem to have an idea.

We Got a Little Something on Our Noses

The Hurwitz ass-kissing continues. And we are not ashamed.

Get a load of the best cast assembled in a comedy. Ever.



Do we have to wait for Spring 2009?

“My father was Dr. Frankenstein?”

Making the Premiere… Maybe?

Hey, NY Magazine

You haven’t looked hard enough.

Is it still a spin-off…

…if it airs on another network?

House has cast Michael Weston to play “P.I. Lucas,” a private investigator who is just as intelligent but not quite as abrasive as the infamous Dr. House. The plan is to have him appear in multiple episodes of Season 5. The character could join the show for good, or become the focus of a spin-off series.

NBC Universal produces House for Fox Broadcasting Company. Would they put the new show on NBC instead of on FOX?

Ubuntu Bauer

It’s been way too long since I satisfied my fix of new 24. About a year, in fact. So I love that we get a chance to see the newly divorced Kief in the sweaty, hot, sandy terrains of a South Africa location for the 2-hour prequel that airs November 23. Tight, short-sleeved t-shirts please, Madame Costumer?

It takes place on the day of President Allison Taylor’s inauguration. While that’s happening in DC, Jack is off being the sweetheart/badass that he is in Western Africa. Plus we get two whole hours in a row -– told in real time format. Story-wise, when the new season starts in January, President Taylor will have been in office for months and Jack is… well, Jack is still Jack.

And for those of you who thought that the female president storyline is supposed to coincide with a certain real American election, remember that this was planned to air this past January.

The Buzzing of Millions of TV Watching Bees

“…Beads!?”

So. FOX Upfronts. By now you’ve probably heard that we’ve got a few tiny shows by some little known TV show creators. Some guy named Ahems and some dude named Whesdon? Wheredon? Whedon?

Aaah, you know who I’m talking about. J.J. “Entertainment Thunder” Abrams and Joss “Entertainment Lightning” Whedon. When the gates opened after our Upfronts on Thursday afternoon, the internet went cray-zay. Crazy to the point of breach of contract.

First, let’s not overlook the FOX line-ups for 2008 and 2009. We’re bringing you nine new shows, and several of them from the best minds in the industry (read: Seth MacFarlane’s The Cleveland Show, and Mitch Hurwitz’s Sit Down Shut Up). Take a look at our 2008/09 Upfronts page to see trailers for the new shows and see which of your favorite shows are coming back.

“Bees!”

Fringe and Dollhouse are going to be amazing. I’ve never seen so many fansites light up so quickly once the news and details of these two shows arrived. Video clips for both shows are out in the webiverse now, so go get yourself some Thunder and Lighting pie and tell us what you think.

And then add that our network captain, Peter Liguori, wants to give you Dollhouse and Fringe with FEWER commercials.

There’s so much to say, and so much more to come. I don’t want to burn you out just yet.

“…I don’t think G.O.B.’s on board…”

Fringe Backwards is Egnirf

Fresh off the presses…or fresh out of our digital photo rending and editing system…whatever. Five new posters for the new show Fringe!

Apples and hands and leafs, oh my!


More after the more!

Prison Break Docks at the Port of Rapa

Michael Rapaport (My Name Is Earl) has stepped out of his comedy boots and into his drama sneakers. According to the Hollywood Reporter:

On the 20th Century Fox TV-produced “Prison Break,” Rapaport will play a government agent who has an interesting offer for Michael Scofield (Wentworth Miller) and his brother (Dominic Purcell). Production on the upcoming fourth season begins this month in Los Angeles.

“Interesting offer” is insider code for, “that script hasn’t been written yet.”

Inkubate

Fox Broadcasting and sister studio 20th Century Fox Television announce the creation of “Fox Inkubation,” a a new department focused entirely on animation. We’ve lured Matt Stone and Trey Parker’s executive, Jennifer Howell, to run it and find the next cartoon blockbuster.

Writer/animators will receive funding to produce a set of completed 2-minute shorts. If the material shows promise, they will advance through the production process to make more. They may even be teamed with an experienced producer to bring the idea to pilot and ultimately series. There’s already plans to syndicate and viral market these shorts.

Les Cousins Dangereux

One of the production companies responsible for “Sit Down, Shut Up” is called Tantamount, which is actuallty Mitch Hurwitz’s.

You may also remember that name from Arrested — Tantamount Studios was where Maeby Fünke served as the “third youngest movie executive in Hollywood.”

Terminator is Casting?

At least according to Ask Ausiello:

The show is hunting for a couple of new regulars: Becky, a hot teenaged hipster, and Catherine, an unusually earthy business bigwig in her early forties. Which leads me to believe that young John is about to get a girlfriend. Because of the new teenager, I mean, not the 40-year-old female Bill Gates. Although, now that I mention it, he does have some mother issues.

UPDATE: Since Fox hasn’t officially announced this, we merely linked to the rumors…

Fans Play Journalists

Our friends at Dollverse have been manning the phones (and emails) to investigate what the real premiere date of Dollhouse will be. Are they right or does the HR have it? Fall or mid-season?

One more week and we’ll all have confirmation, people!

Fox announces its pickups and new schedule on Thursday, May 15th at 4pm EST.

We’ll point you to the official Fox schedule and show previews once we’ve got the webpage ready.

Let the Speculation Begin

While we have heard various grumblings, the new Fox schedule is not set in stone yet. But here is what the HR is reporting about pickups:

Over at Fox, J.J. Abrams “Fringe” looks like a lock after an enthusiastic response from the network’s brass during the weekend. Fox already has given its blessing for staffing to begin on the Warner Bros. TV-produced sci-fi drama.

“Fringe,” which has the scope of Abrams’ “Lost,” is rumored for a fall launch as a key weapon in Fox’s effort to shake off its fourth-quarter ratings blues. It could be paired with “Prison Break” or “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.”

Fox’s other high-profile new entry, Joss Whedon’s “Dollhouse,” which is still in production, is eyed for midseason. Meanwhile, the Bernie Mac starrer “Starting Under,” which also was delivered to the network during the weekend, looks good to join Fox’s multicamera comedies “Back to You” and ” ‘Til Death.”

Also set to be hot at Fox are comedies “Outnumbered” and “Spaced.”

Inter-Show Nerd Fight

IGN TV: With Joss Whedon coming to FOX with Dollhouse, is there a little part of you that thinks he’s coming to take Summer Glau back?

Josh Friedman, EP of Terminator: (laughs) Yes! I will say that some of my more uncomfortable moments as executive producer of this show involve me, Joss Whedon, and Summer Glau at Comic-Con standing together. I felt like I’d gotten into the middle of a very intense relationship that I shouldn’t be a part of. So I just had to walk away.

And referring to the other guys with new potential shows at Fox (Whedon, JJ Abrams, Ron Moore, Shawn Ryan):

Josh Friedman: Those guys, certainly more than I do, have a brand that brings with it a group of fans. I only hope that a year from now we will all be grouped together on the cover of Entertainment Weekly. Though I’ll be the guy in the back bringing coffee. “Not Pictured: Josh Friedman.”

She’s the One with the Big Heart

Megan Dodds has been cast as the female lead in Paul Attanasio’s “Courtroom K,” a comedic drama set in a Milwaukee Superior Court that revolves around a judge, a prosecutor and a big-hearted public defender (Dodds). The Russo Brothers direct the pilot.

The Nine-Figure Range Man

“Cleveland” is in development now. From Variety:

“Family Guy” creator Seth MacFarlane has sealed an overall deal with 20th Century Fox TV, keeping him in business with the studio through 2012.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but should MacFarlane’s properties, which also include “American Dad” and upcoming “Family Guy” spinoff “The Cleveland Show,” hit all their financial goals, the value of the pact could ultimately enter the nine-figure range.

I Can Do That

Think you’ve got the chops to write the next Simpsons, Seinfeld or Friends*? The New York Television Festival and Fox Broadcasting Company invite you to enter your original comedy TV pilot for the opportunity to win $25,000 and a development deal with Fox Broadcasting Company.

*Remember: Matt Groening and Jim Brooks and Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David and Marta Kauffman and David Crane are all very rich people.

Eligibility, rules, deadlines and submission info are all here.