Mad Men Renewed for Two Seasons! Matthew Weiner has singed on for 3!

Well I'm glad that's over.


After a week with a lot of tension between Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner and AMC, a deal is finally done. Mad Men, AMC's 1960's drama has been renewed for two more seasons (seasons 5 and 6) with a seventh season becoming a strong possibility now that Weiner has signed on through a season 7. 


On the issues: AMC reportedly withdrew its plan to cut cast members while Weiner has compromised to cut an episode's running time from 47 minutes to 45 minutes. There was great worry among the media that these would prevent the show from coming back and/or that Weiner would not come back. But that didn't happen and the show will be back for at least two more seasons.


Matthew Weiner had this to say: “I want to thank all of our wonderful fans for their support. I also want to thank AMC and Lionsgate for agreeing to support the artistic freedom of myself, the cast and the crew so that we can continue to make the show exactly as we have from the beginning. I'm excited to get started on the next chapter of our story.”


Season 5 of Mad Men will premiere in early 2012 (probably March, as some reports suggest). I hope to start watching the show soon so that I will be caught up by the time that comes around. 


Update: Matthew Weiner has apparently told many reputable sources that Mad Men will end after the seventh season. 


Full press release is after the jump.

Parenthood-"Taking the Leap"

Gilliam talks to Sarah about her play on "Parenthood"
Credit: NBC

My review of last night's Parenthood is after the jump.

Body of Proof-"Pilot"

Dana Delaney stars in "Body of Proof"
Credit: ABC

I don't like reviewing shows based on a pilot because they are often improved upon within the next few episodes. I want to give a show a chance to improve in the first one or two episodes after its pilot. Because of this, look for me to formally review this show on Monday (after episode 2 airs on Sunday).

So, for now, I ask what do you guys think of Dana Delaney's new ABC procedural?

Harry Potter-First Deathly Hallows Poster

I know this isn't TV, but I thought that I'd share the first poster for the final Harry Potter movie (*tear*).

It's the beginning of the end, I don't know what to say besides that. The poster is after the jump.

Firefly-"Jaynestown"

Jayne stands in front of his statue on "Firefly"
Credit: FOX

I continue my look back at Firefly with the episode that features our favorite big man "Jaynestown" My thoughts on the episode are after the jump.

Fringe Fans Rejoice! Fringe Renewed for a Fourth Season!

Credit: FOX

Hey everyone,while I was at rehearsal FOX renewed the Sci-Fi drama Fringe for a fourth season. It is for a full season of 22 episodes. 


The news broke when Fringe EP Jowel Wyman tweeted "Fringe was picked up!!!! Thanks Fringedom!"


While Fringe hasn't done well on Fridays, it hasn't done poorly either, improving on previous FOX Friday shows.


This is a show that I hope to catch up on over the summer so I can begin writing about it this fall.


So Fringe fans, how happy are you? Surprised at all? Feel free to discuss in the comments


(Press release from FOX has been added after the jump.

Credit: FOX

Will Your Favorite Shows be Renewed or Cancelled?: 2nd Edition

Tech week for my HS drama club show has prevented me from reviewing any new TV shows this week. To keep the blog going, I thought that I would update the Renew/Cancel post. All changes for the list are marked with an asterisk (*) and all the analysis has been updated as well. It all can be found after the jump.

Pretty Little Liars: "For Whom the Bell Tolls"-An Open Forum

The season finale of Pretty Little Liars aired tonight. I don't watch the show because it doesn't look like the kind of show that will appeal to me but I know that there a lot of fans of the show in my readership. I thought I'd create this post as an open forum for people to discuss the finale and the show in general. Feel free to use the comments as a forum for discussion.

So, what did everyone think of the finale?

Firefly-"Our Mrs. Reynolds"

Christina Hendricks appears in "Firefly"
Credit: FOX

I continue my look back on Firefly with the sixth episode produced and the third to air "Our Mrs. Reynolds". My thoughts on the episode are after the jump.

30 Rock-"Queen of Jordan"

Angie performs her single on "Queen of Jordan"
Credit: NBC

My review of this week's episode of 30 Rock is after the jump.

Community-"Custody Law and Eastern European Diplomacy"

Enver Gjokaj befriends Britta on "Community"
Credit: NBC

My review of this week's episode of Community is after the jump.

Parks and Recreation-"Harvest Festival"

Leslie and Ben watch Li'l Sebastian on "Parks and Recreation"
Credit: NBC

My review of last night's awesome sauce episode of Parks and Recreation is after the jump.

Glee-"Original Song"

The Warblers perform at Regionals on "Glee"
Credit: FOX

My Review of last night's episode of Glee is after the jump.

The Chicago Code-"The Gold Coin Kid"

Jared and Caleb investigate a murder on "The Chicago Code"
Credit: FOX

My review of this week's episode of The Chicago Code is after the jump.

Chuck-"Chuck vs the A-Team"

Rick "Greta" fights Chuck on "Chuck"
Credit: NBC

My review of tonight's episode of Chuck is after the jump.

Firefly-"Safe"

Simon and River are in a sticky situation on "Firefly"
Credit: FOX

As with every Sunday, I continue my look back on Firefly with the episode "Safe". My thoughts on the episode are after the jump.

What the Potential NFL Labor Strike Means for TV

You might not have heard that yesterday the NFL players union decertified. This means that it no longer represents the players in collective bargaining. More importantly however, it means that the NFL could head into it's first labor dispute since 1987. The owners could call a lockout as soon as Monday. A lockout could have a major affect on the league, who's 2011 Super Bowl had 111 million viewers watching. NFL games bring in huge ratings, and this could have a huge affect on the TV landscape. After the jump, find out what the labor issues could means for the networks who broadcast the NFL.

Terra Nova Delayed Until Fall

Personally I'm not surprised by this. Press release after the jump.

Will your Favorite Shows be Renewed or Cancelled?

Because everything is in repeats, I thought I would take a stab at predicting which shows are renewed or cancelled. I do check the ratings daily, so I have a good idea of what's in good shape and what isn't (I don't cover the ratings because there are many sites who do it very well). If I say your favorite show is being cancelled, it's nothing personal, I'm going about this from an objective standpoint. After the jump are the classifications I will be using, a list of all scripted shows plus some reality mixed in, and my predictions on whether the shows will be renewed or not. There is also some analysis of the network as a whole and some reasoning for my predictions.

Glee-"Sexy"

Holly Holiday returns to teach people about sex on "Glee"
Credit: FOX

My review of last night's episode of Glee is after the jump.

The Chicago Code-"O'Leary's Cow"

Teresa tries to get help from a businessman to help solve a case.
Credit: FOX

My review of tonight's episode of "The Chicago Code" is after the jump.

The Event-"And Then There Was More" and "Inostranka"

My review of the return of the Event that aired last night is after the jump.

Duh Not Winning! Charlie Sheen Fired from Two and a Half Men

Credit: The AV Club

Today, Warner Bros. Television made a unsurprising move and fired Charlie Sheen's sorry ass from "Two and a Half Men". They sent him a letter today formally terminating him from the show and making sure that he will never work again on that show.

They released the following statement:

 "After careful consideration, Warner Bros. Television has terminated Charlie Sheen’s services on 'Two and a Half Men' effective immediately."

When I wrote about this in the past  I said that I was certain that the show will never make another episode again with him. He has gone on many, many news shows and bashed the creators, WB, and CBS for stopping the show and there's no way that any boss would tolerate statements like this. It's clear that don't want to continue the show with Sheen, so now they are going to figure out if they are going to retool the show (possibly around a new lead, like John Stamos).

Expect Sheen to sue, he does have one year left on his contract, and expect him to lose the lawsuit.

Sheen had the following to say about his termination:

“This is very good news. They continue to be in breach, like so many whales. It is a big day of gladness at the Sober Valley Lodge because now I can take all of the bazillions, never have to look at whatshiscock again and I never have to put on those silly shirts for as long as this warlock exists in the terrestrial dimension.”

This situation is a complete mess, but yet it's a complete gift to the entertainment media.

What does everyone else think of this? Do you think the show will go on?

 

Firefly-"Shindig"

Mal and Inara dance on "Firefly"
Credit: FOX

I continue my look back on Firefly with the 4th episode produced and the  "Shindig". My thoughts on this fantastic episode are after the jump.

Winter is Coming: HBO to Preview 15 Minutes of Game of Thrones.

On April 3 HBO will play a 15 minute preview of the series. It will air at 9PM on that Sunday and will be followed by Mildred Pierce Part 3. After it plays on HBO, it will be availible on HBO.com, HBO Go, and the next day on HBO On Demand.

This is easily one of the most anticipated shows of the season. I'm reading the George RR Martin book right now and it's fantastic. It has the perfect makings for a TV series. Expect a lot more coverage of the show as we get closer to its premiere on April 17 at 9PM on HBO.

(full press release after the jump)

Pilots 2011-What's Interesting? What could be good? What looks awful?

Pilot season is upon us again. This is where the broadcast networks decide on the shows that they will air next year by making one episode of a show and seeing what that makes. The pilots are casting now, I see notices daily. I thought I'd take repeats of NBC comedies as an opportunity to share my thoughts on the best and worst of pilot concepts and casting. 


There seem to be some outside-the-box shows that are being developed, look in the list for specific examples. I'm glad that some of these shows are being developed and I'm glad that the networks are taking these risks.


You can find them after the jump. (This post will be updated with more information as pilots are cast and development continues).


Disclaimer: This is based purely on the concepts and early casting. I have not read any scripts and footage doesn't exist for these pilots so I cannot judge based on the actual content, only the concept, casting, and what other people have said. These judgements are very loose and can change easily when I see an episode of the show. Also, the pilots I discuss are not the only pilots in contention, just what in my mind are the most notable. And finally, these are pilots, not full fall commitments so some, if not most, of these shows will not make it onto network schedules.

American Idol-Top 13 Open Forum

This week American Idol announced its top 13. Again, I don't watch the show but I know a lot of people do. I thought I'd make a post to give people the opportunity to discuss anything about these singers or the show in general. A press release with the top 13 is after the jump and as is the comment form.

Modern Family-"Two Monkeys and a Panda"

My review of last night's episode of Modern Family is after the jump.

Parenthood-"Qualities and Difficulties"

NBC didn't have a picture from this week's episode so you guys get this one of the cast.
Credit: NBC

My review of last night's episode of Parenthood is after the jump.

How I Met Your Mother-"A Change of Heart"

My review of last night's episode of How I Met Your Mother is after the jump.