HBO Sundays Riding High; 'Dance' Is Oxygen's Most-Watched Debut

HBO's Sunday night lineup continues to perform well for the cable network.

“True Blood” delivered 3.7 million viewers and 5.1 million viewers when counting the 11 p.m. replay. The series is averaging a gross audience of 10.8 million viewers per episode this season, up 38% from its first season average.

At 10 p.m., “Hung” debuted with 2.8 million viewers, HBO's highest series debut in over two years.  The series held on to 76% of “True Blood's” audience. When the midnight replay is factored in, the series premiere attracted 3.7 viewers.

Meanwhile, the series premiere of Oxygen's “Dance Your Ass Off” on Monday night was the network's most-watched series premiere ever with 1.3 million total viewers.

The episode was also Oxygen's most-watched series premiere among women 18-49 and adults 18-49.

The debut garnered 432,000 women 18-49 and 614,000 adults 18-49, while also driving traffic to Oxygen.com. The Web site had nearly 40,000 unique visitors on just Monday. The show site has garnered more than one million pages views since its launch a month ago.

--Vlada Gelman

Rainbow Media Launching Wedding Channel

Rainbow Media, programming arm of Comcast, is spinning off WE TV's wedding programs into a wedding-themed cable channel, Broadcasting & Cable reports.

WE's current wedding lineup includes “Bridezillas,” “Amazing Wedding Cakes,” “My Fair Wedding” and “Platinum Weddings,” which will be used to bolster the launch of the new network.

WE will add more parenting shows to its schedule.

The launch date for the new channel is not known.

--Vlada Gelman

SoapNet Picks Up Two Reality Series, Second Season of 'Erica'

SoapNet is adding two new reality series to its slate.

The network has picked up “Bank of Mom and Dad” from BBC Worldwide Productions and “Holidate” from ABC Media Productions.

“Bank of Mom and Dad,” which is adapted from a BBC format, follows women in their 20s and 30s as their Mom and Dad move in for one week to police their finances.

The 10-episode “Holidate” explores finding love in different cities. Originally a one-hour special, it is slated to premiere July 29.

Additionally, the network has picked up original scripted drama “Being Erica” from BBC Worldwide Sales & Distribution for a second season. The 12-episode second season will premiere in early 2010.

--Vlada Gelman

G4's 'Attack of the Show' Rings in 1000 Episodes With Two-Hour Special

G4's "Attack of the Show" will celebrate its 1000th episode with a live two-hour special on July 9.

The special will look back at memorable moments, skits and present never-been-done-before stunts, as well as surprise in-studio guests and the Top 5 “Around the Net” Viral Videos from the past 1000 episodes.

The special will also feature the show's attempt to create a Guinness World Record for the "Largest Sky-Written Social Networking Message," or "World's Largest Tweet."

--Vlada Gelman

'Sons of Anarchy': The Spirit of 'The Shield' Rides On

By Josef Adalian

It's almost the Fourth of July—and that means it's time to declare your independence from subpar television.

All this week, TVWeek.com is turning the spotlight on some of the small screen's most promising new series, young shows with breakout potential. We'll tell you what the critics are saying, what episode you simply can't miss and what to expect when new episodes return.

We're calling these shows the Buzzmakers. You'll call them signs of intelligent life in a TV universe dominated by summer reruns and reality retreads.

When & Where: Episodes available for download at iTunes. New season bows on FX Tuesdays at 10 on Sept. 8.

Premise: The dark, and sometimes darkly comic, misadventures of the Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club, Redwood Original. Charlie Hunnam, Katey Sagal and Rob Perlman star.

Standout star: This may be a guy-friendly show, filled with lots of violence and explosions. But we agree with TV critic Hal Boedeker of the Orlando Sentinel: Sagal's "ferocious" biker mom, Gemma, owned key parts of season one. She's ruthless in her attempts to protect her son, but she's also not afraid to get physical for more personal reasons (if you see Gemma brandishing a skateboard, you better run).

There's "not a soccer mom out there wishes she couldn’t go a little Gemma on some PTA bitch," says creator/executive producer Kurt Sutter.

The buzz: While some critics were slow to embrace "Sons" when it bowed last September, by the time season one wrapped up, many were downright giddy with enthusiasm for Sutter's creation. Alan Sepinwall of Newark's Star-Ledger raved "the show has improved so much that its continued existence is one of the few things making it easier to accept" the end of "The Shield."

"Sons" has been particularly strong among a demographic that's often elusive to programmers: young men. Season one attracted a cume rating of 1.2 million men 18-34, making it the No. 1 scripted show in basic cable among that group.

"I think 'SOA' makes the fantastic seem attainable," Sutter explains. "The sons are real guys, with real jobs, facing real problems -- with a different kind of solution -- an outlaw solution. Plus, we blow a lot of shit up. Guys like that. I like that. I enjoy large amounts of blood.  On the page, and on the screen."

And what about critics who sniped the show started too slowly?

"I’d argue that the later episodes were easier to plug into because by then everyone understood the rules of the world and the serialization was in full motion," Sutter says.

Must-see episode: For Sutter, it's "The Pull," the episode in which the Aryans try to make an alliance with the Mayans, and the SAMCRO realizes it's time to go to war.

"It was a big turning point, not only in the season but in the series," Sutter says. "In my mind, it’s the first time Jax kills in cold blood. And he does it for love, not the club. It was especially fun for me blowing Jay Karnes' brains out to make that moment fly. I love Jay."

What we like: "The Sopranos" and "The Shield" may be gone, but FX has found a worthy heir in this exploration of how far men will go to protect what's dear to them. The character on "SOA" don't act the way  many Hollywood characters behave -- and that's why the show is so good.

"My goal is to show the truth of [the] outlaw world," Sutter says. "The rush: Harleys, fun, excitement, sex, drugs and power. [And] the inevitable crash: violence, greed, incarceration and death"

So far, so good.

What's next: In addition to new guest stars Henry Rollins and Adam Arkin, "We pick up season two about a month later," Sutter says. "The emotional ride Jax began in the finale will continue. It won’t be a season of reading his father’s manuscript, it will be a season of trying to put it into action. He and Clay are on a collision course. Sam Crow will become Sam Crow’s worst enemy.

"Plus we’ve got neo-Nazis and porn," Sutter adds. "C’mon, you can’t go wrong with that combination."

Previously: Starz's Party Down, ABC's Better Off Ted

FX Slates 'Nip/Tuck,' 'Sons of Anarchy,' 'It's Always Sunny' Returns

“Nip/Tuck” will return for its final season in October, FX announced today.

The 10-episode season will feature guest stars Vanessa Redgrave, Rose McGowan, Mario Lopez, Barry Bostwick and Gilles Marini.

FX also revealed season premiere dates for “Sons of Anarchy” and “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.” The former will return for its second season on Sept. 8 with 13 episodes. The 12-episode fifth season of “It's Always Sunny” will premiere Sept. 17.

--Vlada Gelman

Michael Jackson Left Behind Nearly Finished Secret 'Dome' Video; 100 Hours of Concert Rehearsal Video

When Michael Jackson died, he had already finished work on a secret video production dubbed the “Dome Project,” the Associated Press reports.

Shot from June 1-9 at Culver Studios in Los Angeles, the production used four sets, including a “Thriller”-like cemetery, a jungle and a construction site.

Meanwhile concert promoter AEG Live has about 100 hours of filmed rehearsals from preparations for Jackson’s 50-concert London comeback that was to have started in July, including the Staples Center run-through on the Wednesday eve of his death, the Hollywood Reporter says. The material could also be mined for a live album.

--Elizabeth Jensen

Record Ratings for BET Awards Jackson Tribute

Ratings for the BET Awards spiked 61% from last year after the show’s last-minute change into a Michael Jackson tribute, the Associated Press says.

Preliminary ratings shows that about 10% of those watching TV Sunday night were tuned to the awards, which featured a moonwalking host Jamie Foxx and an emotional appearance by Janet Jackson, the singer’s sister.

--Elizabeth Jensen

Simon Cowell Offered as Much as $144 Million per Year for New 'Idol' Contract

Simon Cowell has been offered between $100 million and $144 million per year to return to his role as a judge on Fox’s “American Idol,” says the New York Post, citing figures reported by London’s The Guardian.

Cowell currently makes a reported $36 million a year. Fox declined to comment.

--Elizabeth Jensen

Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough: CBS Slots Another Jackson Special in Primetime

The parade of primetime specials devoted to Michael Jackson will continue Tuesday, with CBS deciding to devote another installment of "48 Hours" to the fallen King of Pop.

The network is dropping a planned "48 Hours Mystery" repeat for "Michael Jackson: Picking up the Pieces," a "48 Hours" special which will air at 10 p.m. Tuesday. It marks the second special Jackson edition of the newsmagazine since the singer died unexpectedly Thursday.

CBS has been relatively conservative with its primetime coverage of Jackson, at least compared to ABC and, in particular, NBC.

NBC has devoted at least part of one hour of primetime to the Jackson story every night since he passed away, except for Saturday.

Monday, the network aired a condensed version of a Martin Bashir-produced Jackson special under the "Dateline" banner. Sunday's "Dateline" included a Jackson segment, while the network aired at least one hour of Jackson programming last Thursday and Friday.

Fox has avoided news coverage of Jackson in primetime. It's instead focused on entertainment programming with a Jackson bent, including a repeat of a Jackson-themed edition of "American Idol."

--Josef Adalian