Despite Fox announcing last week the traditional Sunday night opening timeslot was saved for staple THE SIMPSONS, the cast has yet to sign on for a 20th season, according to VARIETY.
This means the season could be in jeopardy. Sources close to both the actors and 20th Century Fox are optimistic the new deal is near, production on the next season has been on hold for months, likely meaning a 20 episode season, not 22.
Due to the writers strike, the current season of ABC's LOST will only feature 14 hours instead of the contracted 16 hours, therefore producers and the network have come to an agreement to add one additional hour to both the 2009 and 2010 seasons of the series, reports VARIETY. One of the three hours lost because of the strike is being made up on May 29th when ABC extended Part 2 of the season finale to two hours.
REUTERS and THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER confirm that actor Michael Rosenbaum is leaving the CW's SMALLVILLE after seven seasons playing Superman nemesis Lex Luthor.
He will be replaced by two new villains, but might appear as a guest on the show's upcoming eighth season.
"It is time for me to start the next chapter of my life and career," Rosenbaum said Thursday. "I hope that I gave you some enjoyment over the years and that you found my portrayal of Lex Luthor to be satisfying."
Canadian kids broadcaster Corus Ent. announced that a line-up of seven hit Nickelodeon series, seen exclusively in Canada on YTV and Treehouse, are now available on iTunes. This is one of the first initiatives stemming from a digital partnership with MTV Networks International (MTVNI) announced earlier this year.
As an effort to extend the Corus brands and make them more accessible to viewers, consumers are now able purchase episodes of Nickelodeon favourites seen on YTV and Treehouse at the click of a mouse on the YTV and Treehouse pages on iTunes.
NBC Digital Entertainment announced this week its full slate of content for their summer and fall seasons.
Among the highlights are original webisodes for HEROES, CHUCK and THE OFFICE as well as 30 ROCK 360, a new original digital production: FEARS, SECRETS & LIES and extensive digital features for each new show.
The announcements were made by Vivi Zigler, Executive Vice President, NBC Digital Entertainment.
Cinematheque Ontario's spring season runs from March 27 to May 10, 2008. Advance tickets are on sale to members now.
Cinematheque Ontario's Spring Season treats audiences to a line-up featuring impressive retrospectives, exclusive limited runs and special events. Beginning March 27, the season offers a retrospective on Josef von Sternberg, Richard Leacock in person presenting Norman Mailer's underground classic MAIDSTONE, and a compelling collection of films from Romania.
Cartman's routine tonsillectomy goes horribly wrong in an all-new episode of SOUTH PARK.
Coming off record ratings in season 11 and the now infamous "Imaginationland" trilogy, SOUTH PARK returns for its 12th season with seven all-new episodes beginning Wednesday, March 12 at 10 p.m. on Comedy Central.
Fans will be able to download the uncensored version of each new episode from the 12th season on iTunes, xBox LIVE and Amazon Unbox.
VFX shots in the first half of the strike-interrupted fourth season of Lost played an important -- but supporting -- role. Karen Raugust gets the scoop from VFX Supervisor Mitch Suskin on the abbreviated season.
French animation company Xilam, has signed a slate of broadcast deals for the third season of its animated comedy OGGY AND THE COCKROACHES, they announced Tuesday.
In addition to French pay TV broadcaster Canal +, which is to air season three in fall 2008, other broadcasters signed up for more OGGY include Mediaset (Italy), VRT (Belgium), MTV Oy (Finland) and Noga (Israel).
Warner Home Video (WHV) is releasing THE SMURFS: SEASON 1, VOLUME 1 on DVD Feb. 26, 2008. The two-disc box set contains 19 re-mastered and uncut cartoons from the seriesâ premiere season, along with a special bonus episode, plus a Smurfs music video. The retail price is $26.99.
Nominated for an Emmy in 1982 for Outstanding Animated Program, THE SMURFS followed 543 year-old Papa Smurf, Brainy, Jokey, Smurfette and their entire village as they face the evil Gargamel and his malicious feline, Azrael, who constantly attempt to eat the blue creatures.
The uncensored first season of LIL' BUSH: RESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES will hit stores on March 11, two days before the second season premieres on Comedy Central.
During the inaugural season viewers saw Lil' Bush and Tony Blair become cheerleaders, the Lil' Gang unleash weapons of mass destruction and Lil' Bush make a statement with his Aquaman underpants while facing off against Lil' Kim Jong Il.
The Gang also went on a panty raid against an Al Qaeda training camp and attempted to speed up global warming.
The second season of MICKEY MOUSE CLUBHOUSE is coming to Canada on Playhouse Disney Feb. 10 at 9:00 am.
Toei Animation's animated series DIGIMON DATA SQUAD launched on RTL2 in Germany on Friday, marking the fifth season for Toei's popular DIGIMON property, reports KIDSCREEN. The series has sold worldwide with licensing deals in more than 40 countries, including in Europe, North and South America and Asia. Toei is presently looking toward a marketing licensing program for the series' latest installment. To date, the fifth season has generated $72 million in merchandising sales in its native Japan.
The season that began with apologies to Jesse Jackson, ended with Abe Lincoln and featured the "Imaginationland" trilogy has earned Comedy Central's SOUTH PARK its best ratings since 1998.
Spurred on by "Imaginationland," which will be released by Comedy Central Home Ent. and Paramount Home Ent. in March 2008, the 11th season of SOUTH PARK was watched by 3.6 million total viewers (P2+), up 4% from last year's 10th anniversary season. It was also the most-watched season among total viewers since 1998.
GameTap launched today "A Complicated Woman," the final episode in the premiere season of its new animation series REVISIONED, which features story and art from legendary comic book illustrator Jim Lee of Wildstorm/DC Comics.
TV-Loonland today announced that its acclaimed brand LITTLE PRINCESS (65x11) has secured a raft of deals on the TV and home entertainment side.
Thomas J. McLean reports on vfx upgrades and improvements to Heroes, Smallville, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and Stargate Atlantis.
This month, VFXWORLD turns its attention once again to TV, and we begin with two features from Tara DiLullo Bennett. First, in our exclusive sneak peek of BATTLESTAR GALACTICA'S fourth and final season next year, she chats with VFX Supervisor Gary Hutzel about the challenges of doing the work in-house. And then Tara reports on whatâs hot in terms of VFX for new fall season series, including THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES, PUSHING DAISIES, CHUCK and JOURNEYMAN.
Bill DesowitzEditor
Tara DiLullo Bennett chats with VFX Supervisor Gary Hutzel about the fourth and final season of Battlestar Galactica and the challenges and opportunities of doing the vfx in-house.
The second season of Aaron McGruder's series, THE BOONDOCKS, will premiere Monday, Oct. 8th at 11:30 pm on Adult Swim. Produced by Sony Pictures Television, 15 new episodes of the Peabody Award-winning series are set to air through January 2008.
J.J. Sedelmaier and Robert Smigel's AMBIGUOUSLY GAY DUO helped launch SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE's 33rd season on September 29, ending a five-year hiatus. Even though the popular superhero team hosted the BEST OF TV FUNHOUSE special last year, they haven't appeared in their own cartoon since the 2002 season. The new episode, "First Served, First Come," was the 11th original installment and was a groundbreaker of sorts by featuring topical content, which is usually reserved for the FUN WITH REAL AUDIO series.
French public channel France 3 has acquired the broadcast rights to BRB's new hi-def 3D series ANGUS & CHERYL (104x2). The dialogueless program co-produced by BRB Internacional, Screen 21, Televisió de Catalunya and Tuba Entertainment will also be available for download from the channel's kids website at www.toowarm.fr. Broadcast of the first season will begin worldwide fall 2007. The second season will be presented, along with plans for games and interactive features, this week at Cartoon Forum in Girona, Spain.
The epic third season of the hit series AVATAR and Bill Cosby's half-hour animated children's series LITTLE BILL will both return in Nickelodeon's fall lineup, the top-rated children's network announced.
The fourth season of the Emmy Award-winning original animated broadband series, OFF-MIKES, produced by Animax Ent., has just launched on ESPN.com.
FOX has set the fall premiere dates for its new and returning series. Its five new shows -- K-VILLE, NEW AMSTERDAM, BACK TO YOU, KITCHEN NIGHTMARES and NASHVILLE -- join returning animated (five) and live-action favorites on the fall primetime schedule.
Animated series premiering on Sunday, Sept. 23 are THE SIMPSONS at 8:00-8:30 pm, KING OF THE HILL at 8:30-9:00 pm and FAMILY GUY with a one-hour season premiere from 9-10:00 pm.
