Alan Frutkin
Game of Shows: How Did the Studios Do in the Upfront?
Convergent TV
For the new series set to appear on broadcast networks this fall, the odds of survival are grim. Thanks to a highly fragmented audience comprised of increasingly fickle and distracted [...]
Lionsgate TV Taps Frankel for Reality Development
Convergent TV
Lionsgate TV, producer of AMC’s Mad Men and Showtime’s Nurse Jackie, is facing reality with a two-year deal with nonscripted producer Eli Frankel. Formerly an svp of development at Top [...]
ABC Takes More Medicine
Convergent TV
Like CBS and its crime procedurals, ABC has latched on to medical dramas as its go-to theme, and it’s not letting go. Case in point: the medical examiner-based series Body [...]
Facing Long Odds, Paul Reiser Tries for a Comeback
Convergent TV
It’s been more than a decade since Paul Reiser had a network TV show. But with the April 14 launch of The Paul Reiser Show, the comic returns to his [...]
The Horror: Chiller Expands Original Slate
Convergent TV
NBCU’s fledgling Chiller network is hoping to put the fear into a wider audience with three new projects scheduled to premiere in the third and fourth quarters. Of course programming horror [...]
Cougars, Dancers, Housewives to Round Out Lackluster ABC Season
Convergent TV
Perhaps hoping to end its TV season with as little fanfare as possible—a season which at least ratings-wise has been anything but stellar—ABC announced its finale dates for the 2010-11 [...]
TV Land Greenlights Divorced, Exes Pilots
Convergent TV
When it comes to the production of old-fashioned, multicamera sitcoms, the folks at TV Land believe they’ve found their sweet spot. The Viacom-owned cable network has greenlit two new pilots [...]
Special Effects Blasting Holes in Show Schedules
Convergent TV
The increasing reliance on over-the top special effects is starting to wreak havoc on network scheduling. Case in point: the Steven Spielberg-produced sci-fi series Terra Nova. Part western, part family [...]
Special Effects, Effect
Convergent TV
The increasing reliance on over-the top special effects is starting to wreak havoc on network scheduling. Case in point: the Steven Spielberg-produced sci-fi series Terra Nova. Part western, part family [...]
Losers of New Game Show Could Be Shot Out of Cannon
Convergent TV
To what extent are game show contestants willing to degrade themselves for $50,000? ABC is about to find out. The Disney-owned network has just ordered 101 Ways to Leave a [...]