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Tag: Television

  • Shonda Rhimes To Take Over Thursday Nights On ABC

    It’s that time of the year again, upfronts in New York City, where television executives announce their fall primetime schedules for advertisers. It looks like it’s Shonda Rhimes’ world, and we’re just living in it.

    The prolific showrunner and series drama creator will be taking over the valuable Thursday night time slots on ABC starting next fall.

    Rhimes’ three one-hour long dramas will run back-to-back-to-back, starting with Grey’s Anatomy moving up an hour to 8 pm then Scandal at 9 pm followed up by her newest show How to Get Away With Murder at 10 pm.

    ABC president Paul Lee said of Rhimes, “I call her the Charles Dickens of the 21st century. If Charles Dickens was black and a woman.”

    ABC has a lot of catching up to do and are clearly banking on Rhimes to come through on a premium and valuable night from an advertising stand point. The network is expected to finish in fourth place amongst the major networks this season with advertisers in that ever so important demo of 18 to 49.

    Rhimes and the alphabet network are hoping that How to Get Away With Murder will anchor the Thursday night time slot. The crime drama starring Viola Davis is described as, “A sexy, suspense-driven legal thriller about a group of ambitious law students and their brilliant, mysterious criminal defense professor. They become entangled in a murder plot and will shake the entire university and change the course of their lives.”

    Here’s a list of ABC’s Complete Fall 2014-2015 Schedule:

    Monday
    8-10 p.m. — Dancing With the Stars
    10-11 p.m. — Castle

    Tuesday
    8-8:30 p.m. — Selfie
    8:30-9 p.m. — Manhattan Love Story
    9-10 p.m. — Agents of SHIELD
    10-11 p.m. — Forever

    Wednesday
    8-8:30 p.m. — The Middle
    8:30-9 p.m. — The Goldbergs
    9-9:30 p.m. — Modern Family
    9:30-10 p.m. — Black-ish
    10-11 p.m. — Nashville

    Thursday
    8-9 p.m. — Grey’s Anatomy
    9-10 p.m. — Scandal
    10-11 p.m. — How to Get Away With Murder

    Friday
    8-8:30 p.m. — Last Man Standing
    8:30-9 p.m. — Cristela
    9-10 p.m. — Shark Tank
    10-11 p.m. — 20/20

    Saturday
    8-11 p.m. — Saturday Night Football

    Sunday
    7-8 p.m. — America’s Funniest Home Videos
    8-9 p.m. — Once Upon a Time
    9-9:30 p.m. — Resurrection
    10-11 p.m. — Revenge

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Penny Dreadful Makes Strong Showing In Ratings And Reviews

    Penny Dreadful, the latest original series to hit Showtime, has been one of the most anticipated series of the year after its premiere at South by Southwest film festival in March. Now that it has aired, how did the series fare?

    Entertainment Weekly reports that Penny Dreadful got off to a great start as far as ratings are concerned. On Sunday night, the series was viewed by 1.44 million people. It was viewed by an additional 900,000 people early via Showtime On Demand and its mobile app. It’s also noted that 62 percent of its viewership fell within the 18 to 49 age range. This puts it only slightly behind Dexter’s series premiere of 65 percent.

    While strong ratings are a positive sign, will viewers want to come back next week? If the reviews are any indication of public sentiment, that would be a resounding yes. In The New York Times recap, it praises the series’ effective use of scares. The first two episodes are directed by J.A. Bayona, which most will recognize as the director of the masterful The Orphanage, and it seems that his skills as a horror director are not wasted here.

    The Hollywood Reporter also had praise for the series’ ability to use established characters, like Dr. Frankenstein and Dorian Gray, and make them seem new:

    A genre series like Penny Dreadful — really a unique amalgamation — could have gone all kinds of wrong. But [John] Logan, who has written each of the eight episodes, and director J.A. Bayona (who cements the overall look and feel of the series) keep things intriguing and fresh, fearful and entertaining. The characters are so vastly different from one another but mix well.

    If you missed out on the premiere, you can check it out online via Showtime on Demand or Showtime’s streaming app. You can also watch the premiere on Hulu here.

    If you’re still not sure about Penny Dreadful, check out the trailer below:

    Image via Penny Dreadful/YouTube

  • Sherri Shepherd Fights Back, Files For Divorce

    Sherri Shepherd is fighting back.

    The View co-host filed divorce papers in a New Jersey court from her estranged husband Lamar Sally. This comes on the heels of Sally filing separation papers on May 2. The couple has been married since July 2011.

    Shepherd and Sally do not have children, however, reports surfaced last week that they are expecting a baby boy via surrogate in July. Sally is reportedly seeking full custody of the baby, visitation rights with Shepherd’s 8-year-old son from her first marriage, and is moving to invalidate the couple’s prenup.

    Shepherd cited irreconcilable differences in her petition for divorce. The popular View co-host is also a successful actress, standup comedian and hosts The Newlywed Game. She is seeking to keep the prenup in play. However, there is no mention regarding custody in her petition.

    A source reportedly close to Shepherd told Radar Online, “Sherri is disgusted by Lamar’s demand for custody of their unborn child. He is trying to leverage a surrogate child for a paycheck… it’s pathetic.” The source also said that Sally is just trying to get as much money out of Shepherd as possible.

    Shepherd has not let her personal life affect her performance on The View. According to a source who reported to People, “She is such a pro. She came to work all week and nobody knew that anything was going on. Nobody knew that she was even expecting with the surrogate. She keeps it so together and professional. People thought she was fine.”

    Although Shepherd has not talked publicly about her personal situation, she has taken to her Twitter page to post about her faith and her value in friendship.

    Image via YouTube Screenshot

  • Netflix’s Daredevil Series To Be Like A ‘Very Large Movie’

    It appears that the creators of the upcoming Daredevil Netflix series are going for something cinematic with the show’s debut season. Marvel CCO Joe Quesada discussed it a little with Comic Book Resources (via The Hollywood Reporter).

    While it will be thirteen episodes, it sounds like they’re approaching it like a film. Just not the Ben Affleck one. Here are a few of Quesada’s comments from the interview:

    One of the advantages is really from the planning stage — obviously it’s much easier to work with a smaller number of episodes than it is with a larger number of episodes. We can sit there and look at 13 episodes and plan it out as a very large movie. It makes seeing the bigger picture a little bit easier.

    You can’t deny that there will be binge-viewing. You know that there are going to be some Marvel fans that when this show premieres, they are going to go on to Netflix, and they are going to sit there for 12 to 13-plus hours, and watch the entire thing all the way through. It’s going to happen. The Netflix model offers us the advantage of being able to construct the show in a manner that is very different than a weekly network TV show. Even the way that you parse out information and reveals within the show can be different than you would on weekly TV. With weekly TV, you sit there and go, “The audience may not want to wait two or three weeks to get this particular bit of information.” Whereas with Netflix, we might be able to hold onto a particular piece of information, because they may just watch it two hours later.

    Netflix announced Daredevil as one of several interconnected Marvel shows it intends to release. Others include shows about the characters Jessica Jones, Iron Fist and Luke Cage. These will combine as one big “epic,” and culminate in a miniseries event, The Defenders. The endeavor will stretch over multiple years, and as the announcement says, take Netflix members “deep into the gritty world of heroes and villains of Hell’s Kitchen, New York.”

    Daredevil will be the first series, and it will debut next year. The release date has yet to be announced. Late last year, Drew Goddard was named as the showrunner. There have been rumors about interest in Six Feet Under’s Michael C. Hall (I’m sorry, it’s just better than Dexter) to play the superhero, but this has not yet moved beyond the rumor phase. Hall has apparently expressed interest though.

    Image via YouTube

  • Cancelled TV Shows 2014: Who Got The Axe?

    It’s that magical time of the television year again!

    We’re learning which shows will be back to entertain us with a new season and which shows failed to impress and are now gone forever.

    It can be a bittersweet affair. After all, not all shows that are put on the chopping block are terrible. Sometimes shows are put up against insanely popular rivals on other networks.

    Benefit of the doubt aside….some shows are just terrible.

    So were the shows axed in 2014 the victims of impatience or were their own shortcomings? Let’s take a closer look.

    BELIEVE (NBC)

    This show had J.J. Abrams and Alfonso Cuarón’s names attached to it. How could things have gone so wrong for such a promising show?

    If I had to take a guess, it’s because these executive producers wrote and directed the pilot. They provided a foot in the door. The rest of the writers didn’t exactly walk through so much as fall flat on their faces.

    Instead of impressing in the tradition of Heroes and The Pretender, this show devolved into a watered down Touch By An Angel knock-off with a storyline that dragged.

    THE CARRIE DIARIES (CW)

    I am amazed that this show managed multiple seasons all things considered. I was certain it would go down after a few episodes. I think curiosity kept it afloat for a bit, but now that’s gone and sow is The Carrie Diaries.

    I know this show is based on books about Sex and the City characters, but it was a terrible idea to put it on the CW. This is a network geared at a much younger demographic that SATC’s traditional demographic.

    The original SATC fans expect sex and sensuality. CW’s known for pointless teen dramas. They are trying to up the ante with shows like Reign and The Originals. However, put these CW shows next to your average HBO series and they look absolutely virginal by comparison. It was never going to work.

    ALMOST HUMAN (FOX)

    In my humble opinion, this one is entirely on FOX. Did you know that the entire first season of Almost Human was aired ENTIRELY out of order?

    Yep. Some genius thought, “Nobody watching this show will care about a consistent storyline! Air them in a completely random order!”

    This show, if allowed to build towards the end of the series in a natural order, could have been great. But it wasn’t and now it’s cancelled.

    By the way, this is the second show with J.J. Abram’s name on it that got the plug pulled this season. Yikes.

    Image via YouTube

  • ‘American Dad!’ Season 8 Gets Netflix Release Date

    We’ve learned that the eight season of popular Fox show American Dad! will be hitting Netflix on May 11th.

    In case you’re unfamiliar with the show, here’s Netflix’s description:

    This comedy follows a conservative CIA agent and his eccentric brood, which includes a talking goldfish with the brain of an East German athlete.

    Seasons 1 – 7 are currently available.

    See more recently added titles here.

    Image via Netflix

  • ‘Orange Is The New Black’ Season 3 ‘Officially’ Happening

    In case there was any doubt (was there really?), Netflix has reportedly renewed Orange is the New Black for a third season. Given that the company renewed it for a second season before the first one debuted, it’s not surprising that they’ve renewed it again before the second season debuts, considering how popular and critically acclaimed the show has been.

    Netflix hasn’t put out an official press release on the renewal yet, but actress Laura Prepon posted a list of possible season 3 episode titles on Instagram, sahing, “It’s official!! Season 3!! #oitnb #alexvause #backtothebighouse”.

    TVLine reports that it has confirmed with Netflix that it has indeed renewed the series.

    Prepon followed that pic up with these:

    Actress Danielle Brooks posted this:

    It’s hard to imagine Netflix not continuing this show for the foreseeable future. It’s become such a big part of pop culture that even President Obama managed to work its title into a joke at the White House Correspondents Dinner.

    Season 2 debuts on June 6th.

    Image via Instagram

  • Efrem Zimbalist Jr., Actor, Dies at 95

    Efrem Zimbalist Jr., Actor, Dies at 95

    Actor Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., best known for his roles in the television series 77 Sunset Strip and The F.B.I., passed away at his ranch in Southern California on Friday. He was 95.

    In a statement, the actor’s daughter Stephanie Zimbalist and son Efrem Zimbalist III said, “We are heartbroken to announce the passing into peace of our beloved father, Efrem Zimbalist Jr., today at his Solvang ranch. He actively enjoyed his life to the last day, showering love on his extended family, playing golf and visiting with close friends.”

    Zimbalist Jr. was born on November 30, 1918 in New York City to Russian-born violinist Efrem Zimbalist, Sr. and Romanian-born operatic soprano Alma Gluck. The actor attended Yale University in the late 1930’s and then served five years in the United States Army during World War II. He received a Purple Heart for a leg wound sustained during the battle of Hürtgen Forest. A year later, Zimbalist returned to New York and made his Broadway acting debut in The Rugged Path, starring Spencer Tracy.

    Zimbalist’s stint on Broadway segued into a career in Hollywood, and the actor signed a contract with Warner Bros. in 1956. His first lead role came in 1958 as detective Stuart “Stu” Bailey in the popular police procedural 77 Sunset Strip, which ran until 1964. In 1959, Zimbalist garnered the Golden Globe for “Most Promising Newcomer – Male”.

    Here is a clip of the opening credits of 77 Sunset Strip:

    Zimbalist was likely best known for his starring role as Inspector Lewis Erskine on The F.B.I., which ran from 1965 to 1974.

    Zimbalist maintained a strong personal relationship with FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover while the show was in production. Hoover demanded technical accuracy for the series, and that FBI agents be portrayed in the best possible light. Actors who portrayed agents also had to pass a background check, and Zimbalist himself spent a week at the FBI academy at Quantico, Virginia before production of the series began. Hoover later designated Zimbalist as the image for actual FBI agents to model their personal appearances after.

    Fellow actors took to Twitter to offer their condolences:

    In addition to son Efrem and daughter Stephanie, Zimbalist is survived by four grandchildren and several great-grandchildren.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Derek (Of The Netflix Original) Has A New YouTube Guide

    If you’ve watched Derek, the Ricky Gervais Netflix Original, you know that the titular character loves YouTube videos – particularly videos of animals and songs.

    The Ricky Gervais Channel has just released Derek’s Guide to YouTube. It’s over seven and a half minutes long, so it’s extensive. Enjoy.

    Earlier this week, Netflix released a trailer for the second season, which debuts on May 30th (it’s already started on Channel 4 in the UK):

    It looks like it’s being pretty well received in the UK:

    Image via YouTube

  • Netflix Users’ Ability To Watch ‘House M.D.’ And Other Shows Disrupted

    It appears that some popular television shows have gone missing from Netflix for some users, but don’t worry. The company hasn’t lost these shows. It’s just a temporary mishap.

    The company tweeted this:

    Shows some have had trouble accessing appear to include House M.D., Mad Men, Gossip Girl, New Girl, Grey’s Anatomy Dexter, and others.

    Long story short: Calm down. Your show will be back.

    People really don’t like when their Netflix is disrupted.

    Apparently it’s not limited to the U.S.

    Image via Netflix

  • Netflix Releases ‘Derek’ Season 2 Trailer

    Netflix has just released a new trailer for the upcoming second season of Derek, which debuts on the streaming service on May 30th. It premiered on Channel 4 in the UK on April 23rd.

    You can find another clip and a deleted scene plus outtakes here and here respectively.

    This will be the next Netflix Original to have a second season premiere, following Lilyhammer and House of Cards. After Derek, Orange is the New Black is next on the list in June. Hemlock Grove: Season 2 will then debut in July.

    Image via Twitter

  • AT&T Said To Seek DirecTV Acquisition

    First Comcast and Time Warner proposed a merger, which is still going through the regulatory rounds. Now, according to The Wall Street Journal, AT&T is considering acquiring DirecTV in a deal it says would be worth at least $40 billion.

    The report cites people familiar with the situation. WSJ’s Shalini Ramachandran and Thomas Gryta report:

    The approach has come since Comcast struck its Time Warner Cable deal in February, one of the people said. It is unclear whether the companies are in detailed talks, but another person familiar with the situation said that DirecTV would be open to a deal. The satellite TV industry is facing a slowdown in subscriber growth after years of adding customers. The pay television market in the U.S. is now mature, with about 90% of U.S. households with TV now subscribing to either cable, satellite or phone company-delivered television.

    If DirecTV loses NFL Sunday Ticket, that could hurt its subscriber growth even more. The provider struck a deal with the NFL in 2009 with an exclusive contract to last until 2014. The service gives customers access to every game, and is a popular package with fans. The offering alone has no doubt brought many subscribers DirecTV’s way as it’s not been available with any other service.

    AdAge reported in February that DirecTV was close to a contract renewal, but a deal wasn’t yet finalized. The original deal expires at the end of the 2014 season.

    Either way, it seems more likely that a deal between AT&T and DirecTV would be approved if the Comcast and Time Warner deal is, as the two entities would then be on a similar playing field. According to the Journal, AT&T+DirecTV would combine for roughly 26 million subscribers compared to Comcast+Time Warner Cable, which would serve about 30 million.

    Neither company is commenting.

    Image Wikimedia Commons

  • Netflix’s ‘Grace And Frankie’ Gets Director

    Netflix’s ‘Grace And Frankie’ Gets Director

    Last month, Netflix announced a new original comedy series called Grace and Frankie, which is to star Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin. It’s written and created by Friends creator Marta Kauffman along with Howard J. Morris.

    The show has now gained a director, according to a report from Deadline. That would be The Help director Tate Taylor, making his debut in television directing. It’s unclear whether he will be directing the entire thirteen-episode season or specific episodes. He will reportedly also serve as one of the show’s executive producers.

    Taylor, who also wrote the screenplay for The Help, also wrote and directed the film Pretty Ugly People. His most recent directorial credit is the upcoming Get on Up about James Brown.

    Here’s the description Netflix originally gave for Grace and Frankie:

    The single-camera comedy focuses on nemeses Grace (Fonda) and Frankie (Tomlin) facing the last chapter of their lives, though not in the way they expected. When their husbands announce they are in love with each other and plan to get married, the women find their lives both turned upside down and to their dismay, permanently intertwined Eventually, to their surprise, they find they have each other.

    The show comes from Skydance Productions. In addition to Taylor, Kaufman, Morris, Fonda, Tomlin will also executive produce along with Skydance’s David Ellison, Dana Goldberg and Marcy Ross.

    No release date has been set yet, but Netflix said it will debut next year.

    Image via YouTube

  • ‘Metallica Through The Never’ Hits Netflix

    Metallica Through the Never is now available on Netflix’s streaming service in the U.S. This didn’t appear on our most recent list of coming releases, but sure enough, here it is.

    The Netflix description is as follows:

    Veteran heavy metal band Metallica is captured live in 3D in this spectacular concert film, highlighted by a staged accident involving a crew member. Narrative bios of band members and a chronicle of Metallica’s career are also featured in the movie.

    The film came to Netflix’s DVD catalog back in January.

    We’ll have another list of titles coming to Netflix streaming later this week. Personally, I’d like to see Cliff ‘Em All make an appearance.

    Now here’s Metallica playing the song Through the Never in 1992:

    It kind of rocks harder than the studio version.

    Metallica Through the Never is currently the only Metallica title available on Netflix’s streaming service. The DVD service offers nearly 20 (of varying degrees of quality) plus Hesher.

    Image via Netflix

  • Chelsea Handler On Netflix Deal: Everything Is A Lie

    As previously reported, there have been rumors that talk show host Chelsea Handler, who is leaving E!, is close to a deal with Netflix for a new show of an unknown format.

    These appear to have started with a report in The New York Post. Variety also reported that it was a “done deal,” but not official yet.

    She appeared on Conan O’Brien last night, and said it’s all lies.

    Asked about the rumors, Handler said, “No, I haven’t made any decisions about what I’m doing. Everything that’s printed about me is a lie.”

    She also said, “Everything’s an option. It’s like you leave a job, and other people come to you and say, ‘Do you want to do this or this,’ and I’m like, ‘I don’t know. I want to go to Spain. I want to go, and like live…I want to go to a land…a place where people just don’t…men don’t understand what I’m saying.”

    Netflix has also denied that it has been in talks with Handler. Another rumor has her going to CBS, but that has been shot down as well.

    That one may have had something to do with this Instagram post, which said, “Business meeting. Chunk has been actin like this since I started my tour.”

    A talk show would be a first for Netflix. It would be interesting to see how such a thing might play out, but don’t hold your breath.

    Image via YouTube

  • HBO Lets You Watch ‘Last Week Tonight’ Debut For Free On YouTube

    HBO debuted Last Week Tonight, the new show featuring comedian John Oliver (formerly of The Daily Show).

    They’ve disabled embedding, so you’ll have to go to the actual video page to watch, but here it is.

    The show doesn’t appear to stray too far from the Daily Show format, except that it’s weekly rather than daily, and John Oliver takes on the Jon Stewart role as opposed to the correspondent role he had on the Comedy Central show (though the interview he does is pretty reminiscent of those he did on that show). It should fit well with HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher, in HBO’s news commentary line-up, though it appears on Sundays, while Real Time is on Fridays.

    So what to people think about it? Here are a few samples from the YouTube (or Google+) comments.

    Ralf Haring says, “It’s obviously heavily influenced by the Daily Show, though it didn’t really feel like he was picking through Stewart’s and Colbert’s leftovers with some segments focusing on the Indian election. I expect in the future he’ll be less nervous – the bits proceeded at a breakneck pace – and that it’ll evolve further in its own direction.”

    “I liked it,” added Alok Tiwari. “And I like the breakneck pace as well. Some Americans seem to be put off by the unbleeped cursing, though. (They really mustn’t watch any TV shows from UK.)”

    “If The Daily Show and The Bugle podcast had a baby, this would be it,” said Eric N. Wilson. “And afterwards there would be several “oh, this is awkward” moments when they were in the same room, since mommy and daddy can’t even agree on whether cricket is a sport or a cellphone.”

    Here’s the Twitter conversation:


    Obviously you still have to be an HBO subscriber to watch the show regularly, and they still don’t offer a standalone HBO Go experience. You still have to have cable or satellite.

    HBO does appear to be loosening its grip on its content just a little bit though. Last week, Amazon announced that it gets to stream some of its older content.

    It’s unclear how long HBO will leave the show available on YouTube, or whether there’s even a limit, but if you want to check it out, you’ll probably be better off doing so sooner rather than later.

    In addition to the entire episode, the show’s YouTube channel has a few shorter clips, including Oliver’s interview with General Keith Alexander, former head of the NSA.

    Image via YouTube

  • ‘The Killing’ Season 4 (The Final Season) Gets Netflix Release Date

    ‘The Killing’ Season 4 (The Final Season) Gets Netflix Release Date

    Netflix just released a teaser for the final season of The Killing, and it includes a release date at the end: August 1st. That’s when all episodes will become available.

    The teaser is just that. It doesn’t show any footage, but why bother taking the chance of giving away clues already?

    While The Killing didn’t begin as a Netflix original, it will end as one. As you may know, Netflix saved the show from being prematurely canceled, by acquiring the final season, which will only be six episodes, but better than nothing. It will at least get a conclusion. As Netflix provides the first three seasons, the show as a whole is more valuable to Netflix if it has a real conclusion, because that means people are more likely to watch all the seasons. Who wants to watch a show with no ending?

    In January, we learned that the final season would add Oscar-nominated actress Joan Allen to he cast.

    The rest of the show is currently available on Netflix if you want or need to get caught up before the new one starts. You should have plenty of time.

    Image via YouTube

  • Bachelorette Contestant Eric Hill Dies

    Eric Hill, a contestant on the popular ABC marriage-game reality show The Bachelorette has passed away due to injuries he’d sustained during a paragliding accident. Hill had been cast as a gentleman caller vying for the affections of Andi Dorfman, the star of the upcoming season of the reality series. Hill was seriously hurt after his parachute collapsed and he crashed into a hillside.

    In a statement, ABC producers commented, “We are deeply saddened to hear about the tragic passing of our friend, Eric Hill. Eric inspired us every day with his passion, his courage and his adventurous spirit, and for that we are very thankful. On behalf of our cast, crew and producers, we send our love, our thoughts and our prayers to Eric’s family during this difficult time.”

    The Bachelorette host Chris Harrison commented on Hill’s passing via Twitter:

    After his parachute failed, Hill was medevaced from the scene to a Utah hospital and put into a medically-induced coma, where he later died. Utah’s Unified Fire Authority Battalion Chief Brian Anderton told US Weekly, “Due to the slope of the hill, we had a difficult time getting the patient down, so we called in a technical rescue team and some technical medical specialists.”

    Hill’s sister Tracy announced his death via Facebook, writing, “Eric shared his final journey with us this morning as all his immediate family were able to be at his side when he passed away. Thank you to all of your love and support and prayers and fasting. … He gave us such a gift of a life fully lived and fully shared, and allowed us all to be a part of his last adventure here on earth. It is hard to think of life without his bright spark, but we know he is on to new adventures. We look forward to carrying on his legacy here and greeting him joyfully again someday. I love you so much, little brother!”

    Image via YouTube

  • Netflix Signs ‘Arrested Development’ Creator Mitch Hurwitz For More Shows

    Netflix and Arrested Development creator really haven’t made any secret for their fondness of one another. After all, Netflix was the one to finally bring back the beloved show after years of false hopes. Both parties have suggested that they’ll be working together on more Arrested Development. We just don’t know when it will come.

    The two have partnered up again, however, with Netflix giving Hurwitz a multi-year deal for the creation and production of new original shows for the company through The Hurwitz Company. According to reports, Hurwitz will also work with other creators in an executive producer role on some projects.

    Hurwitz’s previous writing credits include episodes of Running Wilde, Sit Down Shut Up, The Ellen Show, The John Larroquette Show, and The Golden Girls.

    Here are quotes from Netflix content chief and Hurwitz respectively (via Deadline):

    “We are lucky to be in business with Mitch Hurwitz, a true genius with one of the most distinctive voices in comedy today. Mitch’s inventive approach to Arrested Development — one of the top TV comedies of this generation — was ahead of its time, and we’re fortunate to have him on our team.”

    “It is incredibly inspiring to get to produce for Netflix, a company that not only doesn’t resist change but is leaps and bounds ahead of everyone in forging it. The fact that I’m also getting one month of their streaming right to my TV or Xbox free … well, it really takes the sting out of buying that Xbox.”

    The news was not brought up when Netflix released its earnings report and letter to shareholders on Monday, nor was it mentioned on the earnings call. It’s unclear when we might actually see any fruits from the deal.

    The letter did, however, give a broad overview of what to expect the rest of this year, and into next.

    May 30th will see the launch of Derek: Season 2, followed by Orange is the New Black: Season 2 on June 6th. Hemlock Grove: Season 2 will come on July 11th, and then on unspecified dates, we’ll see BoJack Horseman and the final six episodes of The Killing debut this summer.

    2015 will see more kids series from Netflix’s partnership with DreamWorks Animation, and new shows like Marco Polo, a psychological thriller from the creators of Damages, Daredevil, Sense 8, and Narcos.

    Image via YouTube

  • ‘House Of Cards’ Season 3 In No Danger From Maryland Tax Situation, Says Netflix

    Earlier this year, reports came out that the production of House of Card: Season 3 was being held up as two bills in Maryland would affect tax breaks, which have been a key in the show being produced in the state.

    Based on what transpired earlier this month, things aren’t looking too great for the show’s future in Maryland, and that could mean more delays, and potentially a later release date for the third season that fans have grown accustomed to. The Washington Post reported on April 8th:

    Maryland sets aside $7.5 million annually to reward film production companies that choose to film in the state. But that annual allocation has not always been enough to meet the needs of big-name productions, including “House of Cards,” which has received $26.6 million in tax credits so far. The show’s producers expected as much as $15 million for filming Season 3.

    Media Rights Capital, the maker of “House of Cards,” told Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) and House Speaker Michael E. Busch (D-Anne Arundel) in January that if the money did not materialize, production crews would “break down our stage, sets and offices and set up in another state.”

    The report says the Governor’s office is working with the show to reach an agreement.

    The situation was brought up on Netflix’s earnings call on Monday. Here’s what content chief Ted Sarandos had to say:

    Keep in mind the relationship is fairly complicated there. You have the production company, who receives the benefit of a tax incentive from the state of Maryland to keep the show in Maryland, and there have been ongoing negotiations between MRC, who produces the show for us, and the state of Maryland, but I would anticipate that these are overcome-able issues, and it’s a very competitive world out there in terms of attracting production. The tax incentives in place for House of Cards in Maryland have resulted in hundreds and hundreds of jobs, and not just for actors, but for carpenters, and waitresses, and hotel workers. The amount of hotel nights and meals that the production of a television series brings to a state is staggering. So I think this has been one of those really interesting, kind of political volleyballs in Maryland, but Maryland’s been really great to the show, and we love being there, and we’re hoping that MRC and the state work that out. But investors and fans are not at risk in any way.

    He didn’t comment on whether or not fans may see the season released later in the year (in 2015) than usual, but they really haven’t shown any regularity with any other shows so far.

    Image via YouTube

  • Netflix Talks ‘House Of Cards’ Performance

    Netflix Talks ‘House Of Cards’ Performance

    Netflix held its Q1 earnings call on Monday talking about plethora of topics from pricing changes to Comcast and Time Warner Cable. Naturally, its original series House of Cards and Orange is the New Black came up. The former’s second season was released during the quarter, and the latter’s will debut in June.

    The company is often asked about and criticized for the way it measures the success of its shows, or doesn’t provide much in the way of specifics, but the company is clearly pleased with the performance of both shows so far.

    “We’re getting more sophisticated about how how we measure it,” said Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos of House of Cards. “I think that what we see is a hungry audience for season 2 versus a curious audience in Season 1. In Season 1, subscribers had no idea what a Netflix original series would be like, so there was some curiosity, but certainly not a lot of excitement going in. In Season 2 there was a lot of pent up demand. We saw a lot of very early front-weighted viewing for the launch, which kind of told us that America was ready for more, and dug in right away…We’ve been absolutely thrilled so far with the show from the early launch relative to how you’d measure television – any show on basic cable or premium cable.”

    “We’re committing to larger budget shows, and the same show is more expensive to make year on year,” he said. “We’re looking at – the kinds of shows that we’re competing with – we’re still only competing with kind of the top end of cable for those shows. So think about it like a sports team, where the bidding can get quite high on a couple of key pieces of talent, but the overall salaries stay kind of in check.”

    Asked about the upcoming season of Orange is the New Black, he said, “We had said before Orange is the New Black has been our most watched show, so we’re pretty excited to see what an even bigger mob looks like, who is hungry for Season 2 starting June 6th.”

    The first real trailer was released last week.

    House of Cards: Season 2 will come out on DVD and Blu-ray on June 19th.

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