Shows Planning a Return in 2009

Posted by Veronica Santiago
Categories: Comedy, Drama, Prime Time, Reality, ABC, Bravo, CBS, FX, HBO, Entourage, Renewals

While it’s probably be safe to assume that Fringe and 90210 would both be handed 2009 renewal notices - especially since they’ve already been given full season orders - this television season is still far too young.

Here is, though, what we do know already about next year’s programming calendar:

• Big Brother (CBS) - Season 11
• Entourage (HBO) - Season 6
• Flashpoint (CBS) - Season 2
• Here Come the Newlyweds (ABC) - Season 2
• Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List (Bravo) - Season 5
• My Boys (TBS) - Season 3
• Sons of Anarchy (FX) - Season 2
• True Blood (HBO) - Season 2

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Bravo Announces Top Chef: New York Contestants

Posted by Veronica Santiago
Categories: Prime Time, Reality, Bravo, Cable, News

Although it seems like most reality shows kick off in New York, it’s surprisingly taken Top Chef five seasons to get there.

For the show’s fifth installment, a change of location won’t be the only new thing viewers see. This fall, food critic and author Toby Young (How to Lose Friends and Alienate People) will be joining Padma Lakshmi, Tom Colicchio and Gail Simmons on their culinary rounds.

Other additions to the series will be of the celebrity kind. (It is Bravo after all.) Celebrity guests this season will include Martha Stewart, the Foo Fighters, Rocco DiSpirito, and Natasha Richardson.

Click to continue reading Bravo Announces Top Chef: New York Contestants

Read More | Futon Critic

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Project Runway’s Move to Lifetime Blocked

Posted by Veronica Santiago
Categories: Prime Time, Reality, NBC, News

Despite Lifetime’s plans to unveil Project Runway this January, the reality hit’s future is now a big mystery. A New York Supreme Court judge has just temporarily blocked the reality program’s move to its new network.

This ruling comes months after The Weinstein Company announced it was ending Project‘s run on Bravo after five seasons. Believing the producers had violated a “right of first refusal” agreement, NBC Universal (Bravo’s parent company) filed suit. On Friday, the judge issued the preliminary injunction barring Lifetime from any marketing of the series until after the issue is settled.

Although NBC Universal was pleased by the ruling, the Weinsteins (who have vowed to appeal) also declared a minor victory. “We are glad that the court held that NBC Universal cannot exhibit the program on Bravo and that the court required NBC Universal to post a minimum $20 million bond,” a company statement read.

The season finale of Project Runway’s current season will air on Wednesday, October 15. Meanwhile, production on the show’s sixth installment is scheduled to continue during the ongoing dispute.

Read More | Variety

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Jennifer Lopez Cancels on Project Runway Judging

Posted by Veronica Santiago
Categories: Prime Time, Reality, Bravo, Cable, News

As they say, the show must go on.

The producers of Project Runway had planned to introduce another surprise judge for this season’s upcoming. And thanks to an interesting twist of fate, they now will.

As rumored, fashionista Jennifer Lopez had been scheduled to play guest judge for the show’s Fashion Week finale. (Her appearance would have followed the job done by Victoria Beckham in Season 4.) Unfortunately, a last-minute foot injury forced the style icon to bow out of today’s taping.

It’s not known whether the injury was somehow related to Lopez’ current triathlon training. It also wasn’t made clear why Jennifer couldn’t still judge while sitting down.

Fortunately for the producers, they didn’t have to go far to find a knowledgeable replacement. For the first time in five installments, mentor Tim Gunn will be given his chance to have a say in the final selection.

Now, really—wasn’t this the way it should have been anyway?

Read More | Us Magazine

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Lifetime Delays Project Runway’s Start

Posted by Veronica Santiago
Categories: Prime Time, Reality, Bravo, Cable, News

Lifetime, the future home for Heidi Klum and crew, has just announced that the start of Project Runway’s sixth season will be delayed.

Although Bravo is currently airing its last round of the series, another was scheduled to unfold just months from now. But Lifetime - probably realizing it had to handle this major coup with care - has decided to push their premiere until the beginning of next year.

This move will reportedly give the channel more time to promote Project. It will also allow the network a chance to overexpose the reality hit. (If that hasn’t been done already.) A spokesperson told EW the January 2009 debut will officially kick off twice a year installments of the program.

Assuming the pending lawsuit doesn’t screw up matters up altogether, production on the show’s upcoming season will be split between New York and LA.

Read More | Entertainment Weekly

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Project Runway’s Season 5 Cast and Judges

Posted by Veronica Santiago
Categories: Prime Time, Reality, Bravo, Cable, News

While it may be hard for Project Runway to land style icons bigger than Sarah Jessica Parker or Victoria Beckham, the producers will always try to outdo themselves.

Here are the list of celebrity names we should expect to see on the reality show’s last season on Bravo: Diane Von Furstenberg, Sandra Bernhard, Apolo Ohno, Brooke Shields, LL Cool J, RuPaul, Rachel Zoe, Cynthia Rowley, and Francisco Costa.

Click to continue reading Project Runway’s Season 5 Cast and Judges

Read More | Futon Critic

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This Week on TV (7/14-7/20)

Posted by Veronica Santiago
Categories: Comedy, Drama, Games, Music, Prime Time, Reality, ABC, BBC, Bravo, Cable, CBS, FOX, MTV, NBC, TNT-HD, Degrassi

(You can view TV Envy’s Summer Television Programming Schedule here.)

MONDAY (7/14)

• Top Gear (BBC, 8pm):  Season premiere. “A game of car soccer is played.” No wonder kids are too fat these days. They can’t even get out of their car to actually kick a ball!
• American Gladiators (NBC, 8pm):  “In the ladies tilt, a student tries to make the grade against a future figure skater.” As we’ve learned from Dancing with the Stars, figure skaters come with an unfair advantage.
• The Closer (TNT, 9pm): Season 4 premiere. “Fritz and Brenda’s new duplex forbids the presence of pets, but that doesn’t stop Brenda from keeping Kitty on the premises.” If Kitty is the pet, what’s Fritz?
• Saving Grace (TNT, 10pm):  Season 2 premiere. “Grace gets busy on her day off: She works to unlock the secrets of her her haunted past, but instead ends up apprehending a criminal on the FBI’s Most Wanted list.” And I’ll bet she doesn’t get paid for doing all that work on her own time.

Click to continue reading This Week on TV (7/14-7/20)

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Real Housewives Takes on Atlanta

Posted by Veronica Santiago
Categories: Prime Time, Reality, Bravo, Cable, News

Apparently ‘real housewives’ exist everywhere…

An announcement made by Bravo today had me intrigued yet thoroughly confused at the same time. Just two months after teasing us with news about The Real Housewives of New Jersey, the cable channel has already made plans to dissect the ladies of another city: Atlanta. Does this mean Jersey is no longer a go?

According to the network’s press release, the series will follow “five women from Atlanta’s social elite from NBA and NFL wives to sassy single moms as they juggle their burgeoning careers and busy home lives with the whirl of the south’s hottest city.”

Click to continue reading Real Housewives Takes on Atlanta

Read More | Futon Critic

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Top Chef Appeals to Youth

Posted by Veronica Santiago
Categories: Food & Home, Kids, Prime Time, Reality, Bravo, Cable, Editorial, News

So how has Bravo chosen to fill their upcoming Project Runway void? By strangely choosing to expand into the kids’ market.

The cable network has just announced plans to develop a spinoff of its popular cooking show, Top Chef. Sometime in the future, followers of the channel will be assaulted with a fresh-faced version of the reality hit. With Top Chef Junior, Bravo aims to “teach and test the skills of younger aspiring chefs and appeal to the whole family.”

Click to continue reading Top Chef Appeals to Youth

Read More | E! Online

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Bravo Announces Project Runway’s Summer Return

Posted by Veronica Santiago
Categories: Prime Time, Reality, Bravo, Cable, News

Bravo TV loyalists - mark this date on your calendar. Project Runway’s last run at its original home begins in just a matter of weeks. It’s just been announced that Season 5 will begin on Wednesday, July 16th.

Come November, the hit reality show will not only make a move to Lifetime - it will split its time between Los Angeles and New York.

In other words, make sure to ‘watch what happens’ before all the changes start a-coming…

Read More | Bravo

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