Next fall’s comedy pilots are holding up a mirror to the unraveling economy, with plot lines including a group of friends getting fired on the same day and a Wall Street executive losing his job and being forced to deal…
Employees at media companies are facing layoffs and wage freezes as owners struggle with an economy in recession, an advertising market in decline and new digital competitors, the
Jenna Elfman has been cast as the lead of CBS’ pilot “Accidentally on Purpose,” while Amy Smart will take the top billing in ABC’s pilot “See Cate Run,” the Hollywood Reporter says. Elfman, plays a San Francisco movie critic who…
As producer Lorne Michaels readies the debut of “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon” on March 2, he predicts the show “will be bumpy at first,” Daily Variety reports. Fallon and his team have taped two test shows this week, and…
FremantleMedia has bought a 75% stake in Thom Beers’ Original Prods., the creator of “Deadliest Catch” and “Ice Road Truckers,” after months of discussions, the Hollywood Reporter says. Original CEO Beers and president Philip Segal will continue in their roles,…
NBC Universal has created ads for TurboTax that mention nine of its broadcast and cable shows by name as part of a $20 million campaign, USA Today reports. NBC plans to create 20 campaigns for sponsors this year. “We want…
Time Warner will separate itself from its cable division through a spinoff, Bloomberg reports. The separation is expected to be completed this quarter, Time Warner and Time Warner Cable say, according to the news service. —Jon Lafayette
ESPN will deploy 26 cameras as its covers the Bassmaster Classic fishing tournament, an event owned by the giant sports network, USA Today says. Coverage will appear on ESPN2 for 13 hours, plus additional footage on ESPN360.com, the paper says,…
TLC isn’t interested in a reality show with “Octomom” Nadya Suleman, the single mother who recently gave birth to octuplets, the New York Post reports. Eileen O’Neill, the president of the family-friendly network, said, “TLC is not pursuing any program…
Variety has tapped Brian Gott as publisher, Daily Variety reports. Neil Stiles, who had been publisher, continues as Variety Group president. Meanwhile, Linda Buckley-Bruno was promoted to publishing director for the group, overseeing global sales operations for Daily Variety, Weekly…