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Tag: Television

  • Seana Gorlick Gets Proposal From “Teen Wolf” Star

    Seana Gorlick has known “Teen Wolf” star Tyler Posey since they were in middle school, and now the couple are looking at spending the rest of their lives together.

    Posey proposed during a vacation in Hawaii and says his bride-to-be made the night everything he’d hoped it would be.

    “I’ve been wanting to ask her to marry me for years now and I finally did it,” 21-year old Posey said. “It’s everything I’ve wanted to do. I finally feel like myself. I didn’t know if I was going to do it — I didn’t have a plan or anything. I was so damn nervous. I just asked her and it was the coolest thing in the world. Her reaction was the sweetest — I can’t even explain it!”

    Posey says he’s been in love with Gorlick since he was 12 and that she inspires him every day.

    “I think she’s the coolest, most raddest person ever. She’s so nice and so cute,” he gushed.

    While many fans of the show are sad to see Posey snatched up, he and Gorlick are so endearing that even the most hardcore fangirls can’t help but be happy for him.

  • Here’s What’s Coming To Netflix Streaming Over The Next Week (Hint: It Includes Titanic)

    Netflix is a revolving door of movie and television content, particularly on the streaming side of things. Though titles often disappear from availability, new ones are also frequently added. Sometimes these come in the form of Netflix original shows or even exclusive access to certain programming, but sometimes it’s just older titles that many find to be still worth watching.

    There’s new (and old) stuff coming to Netflix streaming each week, and it can be difficult to keep up with what’s available all the time. With that, here’s a look at some new additions.

    Note: This is for the U.S.

    Today, the brand new Netflix original show Mako Mermaids made its debut. Thirteen episodes are available, and more are coming in September (along with the Ricky Gervais show Derek).

    Some titles that will be available on Saturday (07/27):

    AE: Apocalypse Earth (2013)

    Adrian Paul, Richard Grieco, Bali Rodriguez, Gray Hawks, Michelle Jones, Steve Bencich

    In this post-apocalyptic sci-fi fantasy, a group of refugees from Earth lands on an exotic planet, where they must fight ruthless aliens to survive. Richard Grieco and Adrian Paul star.

    Hell on Wheels: Season 2 (2012)

    Former Confederate soldier Cullen Bohannon seeks his wife’s killer as post-Civil War America struggles to rebuild its identity. His quest traverses the history of Reconstruction, peopled with railroad bosses, emancipated slaves and immigrants.

    On 7/30:

    WWE for All Mankind: The Life & Career of Mick Foley (2013)

    The first ever comprehensive documentary on the life and career of hardcore legend Mick Foley. Filled with inside commentary on his most brutal matches, career struggles and multi-character evolution. Includes bonus matches and legendary moments from throughout his career.

    On 08/01:

    Alphas: Season 2 (2012)

    A team of individuals gifted with extraordinary neurological abilities is tasked with solving a series of high-profile crimes. Among them are an autistic man whose mind works as fast as a computer and an FBI agent with super strength.

    Fringe: Season 5 (2012)

    As part of Fringe Division, eager young FBI agent Olivia Dunham uses experimental science to unravel the layers of mystery surrounding a series of dangerous — and escalating — paranormal events called the Pattern.

    Munchie (1992)

    Loni Anderson, Andrew Stevens, Jaime McEnnan, Arte Johnson, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Dom DeLuise

    After discovering an odd creature in a mine, young Gage runs home only to learn the “Munchie” has followed him and wants to ward off the bullies who’ve been hassling him at school. But the Munchie’s helpful intentions keep landing Gage into trouble!

    Piranha (1978)

    Barbara Steele, Bradford Dillman, Kevin McCarthy, Keenan Wynn, Heather Menzies

    When a school of mutant piranha is accidentally released into a river — and headed straight for a kids’ summer camp — it’s up to investigator Maggie McKeown and local woodsman Paul Grogan to prevent the potential carnage.

    The Adventures of Fish ‘N Chips (2012)

    “The Adventures Of Fish N Chips”, the animated series tells the stories of two antagonistic characters, young impressionable “Fish” and his mischievous, lifelong enemy “Chips” as they tear across both land and sea in these exciting adventures that are sure to have both children and adults laughing.

    The Haunting of Hell House (1999)

    Michael York, Andrew Bowen, Jason Cottle, Claudia Christian, Aideen O’Donnell, Brian Glanney

    This supernatural thriller interlaces the tales of two men tormented by the past: one a college student whose girlfriend died during a botched abortion and the other a university professor haunted by the spirit of the daughter he drove from his home.

    The Pitch: Season 1 (2012)

    The Pitch is an unscripted series from AMC produced by Studio Lambert that goes behind the scenes on the pressure on America’s top creative ad agencies competing to pitch a new account. Each week the two agencies go head-to-head in a presentation known as The Pitch, with only seven days to prepare.

    Titanic (1997)

    Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, Billy Zane, Kathy Bates, Frances Fisher, Gloria Stuart, Bill Paxton

    This cinematic spectacle — winner of 11 Oscars — follows society girl Rose and penniless artist Jack as they fall in love just as tragedy strikes. Rereleased for the 100th anniversary of the Titanic disaster, the stirring romance remains timeless.

    Zack and Miri Make a Porno (2008)

    Elizabeth Banks, Seth Rogen, Craig Robinson, Gerry Bednob, Edward Janda, Nicholas Lombardi, Chris Milan

    When platonic pals Zack and Miri find themselves in financial hot water, they make an adult film with amateur actors — including themselves — to bring in easy money. But their unspoken feelings for each other might threaten the whole enterprise.

    Zodiac (2007)

    Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, Robert Downey Jr., Anthony Edwards, Elias Koteas, Donal Logue, John Carroll Lynch, Dermot Mulroney, Chloë Sevigny

    Based on events in the 1960s and ’70s, this chilling drama recounts the actions of a killer who stalked the streets of San Francisco and left clues in the newspaper, relating the mystery through a cartoonist who became obsessed with the case.

    Finally, I just want to make sure you’ve seen the cover art for Munchie:

    Munchie on Netflix

    Not to be confused with Munchies, which pre-dated it by five years:

    Munchies

    Here, you can see some other recently added titles.

    Image: Titanic (20th Century Fox/Paramount Pictures)

  • Ricky Gervais Discusses Upcoming Netflix Exclusive ‘Derek’ On New Facebook Page

    The Ricky Gervais dramedy Derek, which has already aired on Channel 4 in the U.K., is set to exclusively debut in the U.S. on Netflix in September. The show only recently got an official Facebook page, and Gervais has been using it to talk about Derek ahead of our introduction to it.

    “With only a few weeks now until Derek is available on Netflix, I though I might talk it up a little without spoiling it for anyone who hasn’t seen it yet,” he wrote in a post on Tuesday. He continued:

    Is Derek a comedy or a drama? I get asked that a lot. Even after people have seen it.

    I say, “What do you think it is?”

    They say, “Well I laughed a lot but I cried as well. I’m just not sure if it was a drama with funny bits or a comedy with sad bits.”

    I usually then say, “Derek is whatever you think real life is. Is your life a drama with funny bits or a comedy with sad bits?”

    The answer doesn’t matter really. What matters is if you enjoy it… for whatever reason. Because it made you laugh, because it made you cry, because it made you think or even because it made you angry. Ha ha.

    As long as it made you “something”.

    Here’s what Gervais had to say about Derek on Netflix last year when news broke that it would be getting the show:

    “Netflix is the future. TV habits have already changed drastically over the last 10 years and this is the next phase. People want their favorite shows on demand whether they are homegrown or not. As an artist you want the fruits of your labor to be seen by the largest number of people possible without having to compromise the product. This deal gave me the freedom and the huge potential viewers of the Internet but the production values of film and TV. They also made me an offer I couldn’t refuse. Come on, an artist gotta eat man,” said Gervais.

    He also tweeted this:

    The show has already been picked up for a second series, at least by Channel 4. Series 1 hits Netflix on September 12th.

  • Twitter TV Ad Targeting Now Generally Available In The U.S.

    Back in May, Twitter announced new TV ad targeting in beta. Now, the company has announced the general availability of the feature in the U.S.

    Twitter says the results of the beta test period have shown that using Twitter and TV combined have significantly improved campaigns compared to just using TV by itself.

    “In our tests over the last few months with brands like Adidas, Holiday Inn, Jaguar, and Samsung, advertisers using TV ad targeting saw significant improvements to key brand metrics, such as message association and purchase intent (as measured by Nielsen Brand Effect for Twitter),” says Twitter’s Michael Fleischman in a blog post. “During a handful of studies, users that Twitter identified as being exposed on TV and then engaged with a Promoted Tweet demonstrate 95% stronger message association and 58% higher purchase intent compared to users identified as being exposed on TV alone.”

    According to Twitter, advertisers using its TV ad targeting generated 27% higher engagement rates compared to their historical averages.

    Along with the general availability of TV ad targeting, Twitter is also launching a new set of analytics in its TV Ads Dashboard.

    Twitter TV Analytics

  • Lilyhammer Season 2 Release Date Will Be In 2013

    Netflix just released its Q2 earnings report along with a letter from CEO Reed Hastings and CFO David Wells. More on the earnings (and a live interview with the two) here.

    In a section of the letter talking about Netflix original content, the two said they’d be “delighted” to produce another season of Arrested Development if possible. The company has already ordered second seasons of the rest of its original shows (at least the ones that have already come out). They’ve been in talks to get Arrested Development Season 5 off the ground.

    We’ve known that Lilyhammer Season 2 was in production, but now we know it will be out before the year’s end, as Reed and Wells indicated that it remains on the 2013 menu.

    Later this month, we will premiere Mako Mermaids, a series aimed at teen audiences, while for the remainder of 2013 we will launch the Ricky Gervais series Derek and season two of Lilyhammer,followed by Turbo: F.A.S.T.(Fast Action Stunt Team), our first animated Original from DreamWorks Animation. We’re excited about our plans for 2014 and beyond as we premiere season two of House of Cards, Hemlock Grove, and Orange is the New Black, and debut Sense 8, and multiple kids Originals from DreamWorks Animation.

    While Lilyhammer was not nominated for any, Netflix shows have 14 Emmy nominations among them, which is pretty good for the company’s reputation for original programming. The Emmy-related buzz (not to mention the critical acclaim for the new Orange is the New Black) could just get more people to check out Lilyhammer as well, and for those new to it, they’ll have an added bonus of getting the second season fairly quickly.

    Lilyhammer was Netflix’s first original series.

  • Netflix: We’d Be ‘Delighted’ To Produce Arrested Development Season 5

    Netflix would be very happy to produce another season of Arrested Development, the company said in a letter to shareholders today.

    The company put out its quarterly earnings report with the aforementioned letter from CEO Reed Hastings and CFO David Wells. More on that here, where you can also watch a live stream of an interview with the two of them at 6PM Eastern.

    Here’s what the two said about Arrested Development in the letter:

    Over the last six months, our move into Original programming has begun to redefine Netflix in the eyes of consumers. Our first five series — Lilyhammer, House of Cards, Hemlock Grove, Arrested Development Season 4, and Orange is the New Black — have engaged large audiences across our markets and are very different, allowing us to broaden our overall reach with each new Original.

    We assess the success of each Original by looking at viewing-to-date and estimated future viewing, relative to cost. So far, we’ve ordered second seasons of all first season projects, which is quite unusual and exciting for the fans of these shows. We’d be delighted to produce a fifth season of Arrested Development, if possible, given fan reaction.

    It’s looking more and more likely that fans will get another season of Arrested Development. On multiple occasions, creator Mitch Hurwitz has talked about having ideas of where to take the show next, and Netflix obviously wants to get in on the action. The show is even up for a few Emmys. So far, it is the only one of Netflix’s originals (that have debuted) that has not been ordered for another season.

    Hopefully all the required cast can get together again for another round.

    It’s hard to believe that this is what the current situation is for a show that had such a hard time staying on the air back in its early days.

  • Netflix Releases Trailers For Mako Mermaids, Its Newest Exclusive Show

    Netflix has released a couple of new trailers for its newest exclusive show, Mako Mermaids, which debuts this Friday. The show is a spin-off of the popular Australian teen show H20 – Just Add Water. All thirteen episodes of the first season will be available on July 26th.

    This will be the second exclusive show debuting on Netflix this month following the already-popular Orange is the New Black. According to the LA Times, Mako Mermaids is the result of a deal Netflix struck with Jonathan M. Shiff Productions, giving Netflix the rights to at least 26 episodes, so you can expect a second season, most likely next year. This would further the trend of multiple seasons for all of Netflix’s original series (the rest are official, except for Arrested Development, which they are in talks to get moving forward).

    While its first original series (Lilyhammer) debuted in 2012, this has been the year that Netflix has really been pushing forward with original content, and it seems to be paying off, at least in buzz and critical acclaim. Netflix shows have 14 Emmy nominations among them, and would most likely have more if Orange is the New Black came out a little earlier in the year. The company will release its quarterly earnings report later today, and hopefully we’ll get an idea about how the original programming has impacted the business side of things.

    With Mako Mermaids, Netflix is taking the logical step in branching out with other demographics. If the show proves popular among its target audience, it should fit quite well between the mature content of most of its early original shows and the forthcoming kids content it gets as a result of its big DreamWorks deal, which will include a show based on the movie Turbo, which came out last week. The series, Turbo F.A.S.T. will debut on Netflix in December.

  • “Two And A Half Men” Changing Their Opening Credits

    “Two And A Half Men”, one of the most popular sitcoms on television, has had some major changes over the past year. First came the drama of Charlie Sheen leaving, then the producers replaced him with Ashton Kutcher, and then the “half man”, Angus T. Jones, grabbed headlines when a video of him ranting about the show being “filth” went viral. Now, it looks like Jones–who won’t be featured much in the upcoming season–won’t even be in the opening credits.

    Since Jones released his rant, it’s been widely known that he won’t have much screen time next season, and his upcoming college career has something to do with that. The show has already planned to bring in a female, a young woman who will play Charlie Sheen’s character’s long lost daughter. But cutting him out of the credits is a pretty big deal.

    The show’s producers scrambled to do damage control last November after Jones’ rant was posted and re-posted all over the web.

    “If you watch Two and a Half Men, please stop watching Two and a Half Men,” the actor said. “I’m on Two and a Half Men, and I don’t want to be on it. Please stop watching it, and filling your head with filth…people say it’s just entertainment. Do some research on the effects of television and your brain, and I promise you you’ll have a decision to make when it comes to television, especially with what you watch. Jake from Two and a Half Men means nothing.”

    There’s no word yet on what the new credits will be like, or if they’ll feature the new female character.

  • Netflix Shows Net 14 Emmy Nominations

    History has been made in television land as original shows from Netflix have received a total of fourteen Emmy nominations. This is significant on a historical level, because it marks a new era of TV show consumption – one that stems from the Internet. Original online shows are going head to head with the biggest names in television.

    Of course it’s really about the people involved with the shows more than the medium, but it’s still noteworthy.

    Netflix had been campaigning heavily to encourage nominations for House of Cards and Arrested Development, but it appears the company got more than it bargained for. Not only did House of Cards pick up nine nominations and Arrested Development pick up three, but even Hemlock Grove picked up a couple. Had Orange is the New Black debuted a little earlier in the year, I suspect we’d be seeing it on the list a few times too.

    Following are all the Emmys Netflix shows have been nominated for.

    House of Cards

    Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series (Kevin Spacey)
    Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series – (Robin Wright)
    Outstanding Drama Series (House of Cards)
    Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series (David Fincher)
    Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series (Casting directors Laray Mayfield and Julie Schubert)
    Outstanding Cinematography (Director of Photography Eigil Bryld)
    Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing For A Drama Series (Editor Kirk Baxter)
    Outstanding Music Composition For A Series – Original Dramatic Score (Jeff Beal)
    Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music (Jeff Beal)

    Hemlock Grove

    Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music (Nathan Barr)
    Outstanding Special Visual Effects (Chris Jones, Jon Massey, Sean Joseph Tompkins, Sallyanne Massimini, Michael Kirylo, Jacob Long, Chris Barsamian, Colin Feist and Kyle Spiker)

    Arrested Development

    Outstanding Lead Actor In A Comedy Series (Jason Bateman)
    Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing For A Comedy Series (Editors Kabir Akhtar and AJ Dickerson)
    Outstanding Music Composition For A Series (David Schwartz)

    It will be interesting to see how many awards Netflix shows are able to claim. They are facing some pretty top notch competition. I wouldn’t want to compete in any category against Breaking Bad.

  • Google Trying To Get TV Service Off The Ground [Report]

    As Google runs YouTube, increases the premium original programming available on it, expands Google Fiber, and tries to get Google TV on more devices, it only makes sense that Google try to launch a full on alternative to cable and satellite television.

    According to a report from The Wall Street Journal, the company is pretty much trying to do just that. The report says Google has approached unspecified media companies about licensing content for an Internet TV service that would stream traditional TV programming, that it has pitched licensing ideas to these companies over the past copule years, and that Google has even provided a demo of such a service to at least one of the companies.

    Of course Google isn’t commenting on any of this.

    With details as sketchy and few as they are, it’s pretty noteworthy if Google actually already has a product it’s showing these unnamed media companies – presumably those that run popular cable networks. Google has tried to get a concept like this off the ground in the past, but has never been able to win over the networks. Perhaps having an actual product to show will help in the negotiations.

    It’s obviously unclear how such a service would manifest itself, as in would it be a part of YouTube (which already has apps on many popular consumer devices) or a completely new standalone offering?

    Meanwhile, Intel is working on its own TV service, and Apple is said to have been talking to media companies as well.

  • “The Bridge” Pilot Gets Rave Reviews

    “The Bridge” Pilot Gets Rave Reviews

    “The Bridge” premiered last night on FX, and those who watched have positive things to say about it.

    The new drama, which focuses on two detectives investigating a series of murders near the Texas/Mexico border, will have a lot of surprises in the first season. Star Diane Kruger talked recently about the show and about her role in it, which is something we haven’t seen on television before: a lead character with Asperger’s.

    “We decided early on that we were not going to label Sonya’s condition in the show, which I think is very important and very interesting, because we didn’t want her condition to be her defining character trait,” Kruger said. “I thought that was really brave and it’s pretty ballsy in my eyes, because in the first episode… she’s so odd and you don’t really know what it is that’s off. And I think it will be great to get the opportunity for the next 13 episodes to see her [nuances] and her layers and to understand a lot of her back story that has made her the person that she is today.”

    The show has some pretty dark subject matter and is very character driven, focusing on the relationship between Kruger’s character, Sonya, and fellow investigator Marco Ruiz (played by Demian Bichir).

    “I think that the two characters, Demian — Marco Ruiz and Sonya Cross, are an unusual combination of detectives. The show’s not your usual cop show. It’s a very character driven show, and you think the show’s about one thing and then it goes in directions that will be quite unexpected,” she said.”The setting between Mexico and America is unique and I don’t think [it] has been done on television before. And I think the backdrop of the unsolved crimes as the missing girls from Juarez, the relationship between America and Mexico, is very interesting to see and shine a light on.”

    From what viewers are saying on Twitter today, it seems like the pilot was a bit laid back compared to what we’ll see in later episodes.

  • ‘Orange Is The New Black’ Is Now Available On Netflix

    Now that the hype has been building for weeks, if not months, Netflix has finally made its latest original series, Orange is the New Black, available for streaming. The company is making sure members know it’s here too. I got this email in my inbox this morning, as I’m sure many others did:

    Orange is the new black now on netflix

    The whole thirteen-episode first season is available. The titles are as follows: I Wasn’t Ready, Tit Punch, Lesbian Request Denied, Imaginary Enemies, The Chickening, WAC Pack, Blood Donut, Moscow Mule, F*cksgiving, Bora Bora Bora, Tall Men with Feelings, Fool Me Once and Can’t Fix Crazy.

    If you want a taste of what you’re in for, check out the trailer, and this featurette.

    If you enjoy the show, you’ll be happy to know that it has already been renewed for a second season. Netflix has already said that production begins this summer, and we can expect to see it in 2014.

  • Waltons Actor, Joe Conley, Dies At 85

    Waltons Actor, Joe Conley, Dies At 85

    Joe Conley, who played store owner Ike Godsey on “The Waltons”, has died. He was 85 years old.

    Conley had suffered from dementia in his last days and was living in an assisted care facility at the time of his death, but up until 2002, he was still appearing on television and in films. His biggest recent role was as Joe Wally in “Castaway”, alongside Tom Hanks.

    Conley was a New York native who started his acting career in the ’50s. He appeared on popular shows like “Lassie”, “Make Room For Daddy”, and “Dragnet” before landing the role on “The Waltons”.

    Many of Conley’s former costars have taken to social media to share their grief; Ronnie Claire Edwards, who played Corabeth on the popular ’70s television show, said on Facebook, “It was one of the greatest pleasures of my television career to play Corabeth opposite Joe because he made me so much better. I share all of your grief and appreciate your many condolences. He will be greatly missed but, thankfully, we may enjoy his work for years to come in the many reruns of The Waltons.”

    Conley is survived by his wife Louise and their four children.

  • Netflix Extends CBS Deal, Gets More Titles

    Netflix and CBS announced this morning that they have extended their multi-year licensing agreement, which allows Netflix to continue streaming select programs from the CBS library.

    The deal includes titles that are already available on Netflix, such as: Jericho, Medium, Flashpoint, Star Trek (all generations) and Twin Peaks. Also included are new titles like L.A. Complex, 4400, and CSI: NY.

    “We are very pleased to build on this long-term partnership that continues to recognize the tremendous value of CBS’s catalog of content,” said Scott Koondel, Chief Corporate Content Licensing Officer for CBS. “Netflix is a key programming partner that is additive to our overall business, and we look forward to working with them in the years to come.”

    “We are delighted to be bringing these much-loved series to our members in the U.S.,” said Ted Sarandos, Chief Content Officer for Netflix. “Our goal is to give Netflix members a broad mix of engaging shows to watch, and we look forward to adding even more high-profile titles from CBS in the near future.”

    Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

    While Netflix makes a name for itself on the orignal programming scene, the company continues to make important deals to make sure it has plenty of content in its streaming library that people already know and love. Last week, the company also announced an extension of its deal with PBS, netting exclusive streaming rights to a couple of shows. Netflix also announced an exclusive deal to stream reruns of the Fox comedy New Girl.

    As far as the original programming goes, Netflix’s next potential hit is set to debut this Thursday. Orange is the New Black has already been receiving very positive reviews from critics, and Netflix is so confident in its success that it has even renewed the show for a second season ahead of its debut.

  • Here’s A Closer Look At Netflix’s Upcoming ‘Orange Is The New Black’

    A new featurette for Netflix’s upcoming Orange Is The New Black has been released. It features interviews with cast and crew, who provide insight into the plot, prison life and the show’s dynamic, as well as some new clips from the show.

    The video includes some NSFW language and scenes of a sexual nature, so be warned of that. Among those appearing to talk about the show are executive producer Jenji Kohan, actor Uzo Aduba, and Piper Kerman, who wrote the original memoir upon which the show is based.

    Netflix released a new, much shorter clip last week ahead of the holiday. Here’s that in case you missed it.

    The show has received overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics with early access. The rest of us will get to watch it starting July 11th. The entire first season will be available on that date. The show has already been renewed for a second season.

    [via ContactMusic]

  • Netflix Extends PBS Deal, Gets A Couple Exclusives

    Netflix just announced an expanded multi-year agreement with PBS Distribution, which the company says will make a “wide variety of great PBS programming” available to Netflix members in the U.S. and Canada.

    This comes just after a bunch of PBS titles just expired in Netflix’s streaming catalog, and Amazon added some to its Prime Instant Video library. Amazon, by the way, now has exclusive streaming rights to the hit Downton Abbey.

    “PBS programming is both entertaining and enriching, a combination that Netflix members really appreciate,” said Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos.

    “While PBS stations will always be the first place to see our programming, this agreement with Netflix exposes our shows to new audiences and further expands PBS’s presence across all media platforms,” said Jason Seiken, General Manager, PBS Digital.

    Beginning this fall, Netflix users will get exclusive subscription streaming access to to all seasons of The Bletchley Circle and Super Why! The former is a UK murder mystery drama, and the latter is a show for preschool kids that teaches them about reading.

    Netflix will also feature Wild Kratts, Caillou and Arthur, documentaries from celebrated filmmaker Ken Burns including Prohibition and Central Park Five, and past seasons of popular non-fiction series like Nova and Secrets of the Dead.

    A number of Ken Burns and Nova documentaries were among those that just expired. Some of these are also part of Amazon’s deal.

  • Netflix Releases New ‘Orange Is The New Black’ Clip

    Netflix has released a new short clip from the upcoming Orange is the New Black.

    The show, which hits Netlix on July 11th, is already gotten rave reviews from the few who had early acces. Alison Willmore at IndieWire even went so far as to say that it’s Netflix’s “strongest original series to date.”

    That’s a pretty bold statement given that this includes House of Cards, which the company has high Emmy hopes for.

    Netflix is certainly confident in OITNB’s pending reception. Last week, the company announced that it would renew the show for a second season. Again, it doesn’t even come out until July 11th. It must be good.

  • Yahoo Partners With Academy Of Television Arts & Sciences On Emmy Coverage

    The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences announced today that Yahoo will be its official digital partner for red carpet and behind-the-scenes content surrounding the 65th Primetime Emmy Awards.

    “Yahoo! is the Television Academy’s official online destination to live stream the red carpet and offer the Academy’s Backstage LIVE companion program, as well as deliver exclusive streaming content after the live coast-to-coast television broadcast airing Sunday, September 22, 2013, on CBS,” a spokesperson for Yahoo tells WebProNews.

    “As television viewing habits evolve and people are consuming content across multiple platforms, it is imperative that the Television Academy meet the demands of the public,” said Maury McIntyre, Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Vice President of Digital. “Yahoo! is the ideal digital partner with a reach unlike any other to bring the Primetime Emmy red carpet and Backstage LIVE — and all of the Academy’s year round events — to television fans far and wide.”

    Yahoo is the first digital partner for the academy outside of the broadcast networks. By partnering with Yahoo, it has the potential to reach 700 million of the company’s users.

    The content itself will be showcased on a hub within Yahoo TV. This will include live coverage leading up to the awards beginning with the nominations announcements on July 18th. It will extend after the awards, and will also feature a live stream from the Red Carpet before the show, backstage coverage during the show, and from the Governors Ball after the show.

    Yahoo will also offer interviews with key players, photo galleries, analysis of the vote, and features on fashion as well as the “best Emmy moments”.

    For months after the show, Yahoo will offer a series called “An Evening With…” This will include discussions with creators and stars of various shows.

  • Early ‘Orange Is The New Black’ Reviews Are Quite Positive

    It looks like Netflix is on a roll, as it just may have another hit on its hands. Already.

    Late last week, Netflix announced that it has renewed its upcoming original series Orange is the New Black for a second season. The announcement was something of a surprise considering that the show has not even debuted yet.

    “Jenji and her team have produced a phenomenal series and we’re eager to get a second season to our viewers,” said Cindy Holland, Vice President of Original Content at Netflix.

    Some early reviews have started coming out from those who got early access to the show (via The Atlantic Wire).

    The Hollywood Reporter’s Tim Goodman writes, “Series creator Jenji Kohan (Weeds), has crafted a dramedy based on the popular memoir of the same name from Piper Kerman and infused it with an unpredictable flow of laughs, seriousness, an impressive and measured reveal of character backstories, and enormous potential.”

    Emily Nussbaum at The New Yorker says, “Smart, salty, and outrageous, the series falls squarely in the tradition of graphic adult cable drama; were you pitching it poolside in Beverly Hills, you might call it the love child of ‘Oz’ and ‘The L Word.’”

    Alison Willmore at IndieWire, who calls the show Netflix’s “strongest orignal series to date,” says, “‘Orange is the New Black’ has neither the intricate construction of the fourth season of “Arrested Development” nor the high gloss of prestige of “House of Cards” (though it does have Jodie Foster as an episode director), but in its tart, empathetic narrative it manages to have more vitality than both put together.”

    These are some pretty strong words, and it seems likely that the show will quickly find a loyal fan base. Even Netflix’s Hemlock Grove, which opened to reviews pretty much on the other side of the spectrum from these, found its fan base quickly, and has also been renewed for a second season. So far, Arrested Development is the only Netflix original that has yet to be picked up for another season, but there’s certainly demand for it.

    All thirteen episodes of Orange is the New Black Season 1 will appear on Netflix on July 11th.

  • Gabrielle Union to Star in BET Original Series

    Gabrielle Union has starred in side roles in movies such as Bring It On and Bad Boys II. Now, the actress has landed the starring role in her very own TV series.

    Union will star in the upcoming BET original series Being Mary Jane. She will take on the role of Mary Jane Paul, a single talk show host who strives to balance her professional life and her struggling love life. The drama premieres Tuesday, July 2 on BET.

    Union’s fans have been getting impatient for the series and have been tweeting about the show all day. Union herself has taken to retweeting a few of her choice mentions:

  • Netflix Lands Exclusive Deal To Stream ‘New Girl’

    Netflix announced today that it has signed an exclusive multi-year streaming deal with Twentieth Century Fox Television to stream the Fox comedy New Girl, starring Zooey Deschanel.

    The first season of the show hits Netflix today, and Netflix will get each season after it airs on TV.

    “New Girl has proven to be the biggest breakout sitcom hit of the season and we are thrilled to be able offer it so quickly to our U.S. subscribers,” said Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos. “We know our members love comedies and that they’ll enjoy watching all the current and future episodes of New Girl whenever and wherever they want.”

    “We are delighted that Netflix viewers will now have the opportunity to enjoy this remarkable comedy,” said Gina Brogi, Executive Vice President, Worldwide Pay Television and Subscription Video on Demand, Twentieth Century Fox Television Distribution. “As a leader in digital distribution, Netflix is an important partner for us. We are thrilled to continue building our relationship with them.”

    Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

    New Girl has already been renewed for a third season on Fox.