Tonight at 9 HBO presents close to three hours of material from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony this year. Inductees were Rush, Heart, Public Enemy, Donna Summer, Randy Newman, Albert King, Quincy Jones and Lou Adler. Excellent segment on Newman, with speech by Don Henley and some good Newman performances to open the show. John Mayer does well in his speech for Albert King, and Gary Clark Jr. kicks it for the King performance tribute; funny Cheech and Chong stuff for Adler, VERY funny Dave Grohl/Taylor Hawkins speeches about Rush, fun "Crossroads" jam at the end -- but didn't Donna Summer deserve a more esteemed speechmaker than Kelly Rowland? (Speech isn't that good, either.)

Illustrating the continuity between its original and current coaches lineup, “The Voice” will bring back Christina Aguilera, CeeLo Green, Adam Levine and Blake Shelton for its fifth cycle in fall and will pair Levine and Shelton with Shakira and Usher for the sixth cycle in midseason. Carson Daly will return as host for both cycles.

The announcement was made by Paul Telegdy, President of Alternative and Late Night Programming, NBC Entertainment.

“We locked in a plan several months ago to have the outstanding Christina Aguilera and CeeLo Green rejoin Blake and Adam for cycle 5, and we’re pleased to announce that the original four coaches are going to be back together in the fall,” said Telegdy. “They’re the reason this show was launched so strong for the first three cycles and we owe them a debt of gratitude. And after careful consideration of everyone’s schedules for next spring, we are excited to be returning the current cycle of judges — Shakira and Usher along with Blake and Adam — for cycle 6, which will premiere after the Winter Olympics.”

“We’re very fortunate to have these six incredible artists to weave in and out of the show as their performing and recording schedules permit,” said NBC Entertainment Chairman Robert Greenblatt. “The show has taken off largely due to the rapport and commitment of these great coaches, in addition to the expert hosting of Carson Daly.”

"I am so thrilled that our Voice family has grown from four coaches to six," said executive producer Mark Burnett. This show thrives on the ability of our coaches to continue to balance their enormous music careers with working on The Voice to coach some of the best undiscovered talent in America. The coaching panel of Christina, CeeLo, Adam and Blake was at the heart of this show in its first three seasons and we are so lucky to have found equal success with Shakira and Usher in season four. Our best seasons are ahead of us."

The current cycle of “The Voice” is averaging a 5.2 rating, 14 share in adults 18-49 and 14.5 million viewers overall on Monday nights, making it the season’s #3 primetime series on ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox in adults 18-49, as well as the #2 entertainment series and the #1 reality series, according to “most current” results from Nielsen Media Research. The Tuesday edition is averaging a 4.7/14 in 18-49 and 13.4 million viewers overall, making it the #4 entertainment series on in 18-49. Every telecast of “The Voice” so far this cycle, excluding recap episodes, has won its time period in adults 18-49.

Shelton, Levine, Green and Aguilera were the coaches for the first three seasons of “The Voice,” and helped establish the musical competition series as a dominant ratings force. Shakira and Usher have only built on that, continuing to make “The Voice” a Nielsen hit.

Shakira and Usher will reteam with Shelton and Levine in midseason. The show will receive plenty of promotional pop during NBC’s coverage of the February Winter Olympics from Sochi, Russia.

Aguilera, who served as a coach on “The Voice” for the first three seasons, has sold over 50 million albums worldwide and recorded six #1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Billboard named Aguilera as the top female artist of 2000 and 2003 and Rolling Stone named her one of the 30 best voices of our decade.

In 2013 she was named as one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People in the World.

Green, a highly popular “Voice” coach from the first three seasons as well, is set to release the forthcoming new solo album “Girl Power,” Goodie Mob album “Age Against the Machine” and also recently launched his Las Vegas residency show “CeeLo Green Is Loberace” at the Planet Hollywood Casino and Hotel in Las Vegas. The singer-songwriter-actor is a five-time Grammy Award winner and has also appeared on several television shows, including “Saturday Night Live” and “Parenthood. In addition, he was seen by more than 100 million viewers during the 2012 Super Bowl halftime show with Madonna.

Levine has been a coach on “The Voice” since the show’s debut in April 2011. He is also the lead singer for supergroup Maroon 5, which has sold more than 17 million albums. The group’s third single, “Daylight,” from its “Overexposed” album, recently claimed the #1 spot on both Top 40 and Hot AC radio charts.

In the process, the band set a record for the most #1’s (six in total) by a group in the Top 40 chart’s 20-year history. Their new single “Love Somebody” will debut May 20 on “The Voice.” Together, with his band Maroon 5, Levine has received three Grammy Awards and 11 nominations

Shakira, who will work on her upcoming album before returning to “The Voice” for the sixth season, has sold over 60 million records worldwide and has won numerous awards, including two Grammys, nine Latin Grammys, three American Music Awards and five Billboard Music Awards, to name a few. She is the only artist from South America to have a #1 song in the United States. She has had four of the 20 top-selling hits of the last decade, including 2006’s unforgettable “Hips Don’t Lie,” the biggest-selling single of the 21st century, which reached the #1 spot in an astonishing 55 countries.

Blake Shelton is CMA Awards’ reigning Entertainer of the Year and three-peat Male Vocalist of the Year. With eight consecutive No. 1 singles (13 overall), Shelton is one of the “most versatile of contemporary country singers" (The New York Times). His infectious multi-week No.1 hit “Honey Bee” still holds the record for the fastest-selling digital platinum single for a male country solo artist and his current smash hit, “Boys ‘Round Here,” is his fastest rising single to date.

“To a purist, Mr. Shelton is a savvy student of tradition. To a would-be outlaw, he’s forever adding a wink. He’s a star who is only as explicit as you want him to be,” said Jon Caramanica, The New York Times. Shelton’s passion for country music and his commitment to mentoring his teammates from “The Voice” make him an incredible ambassador for country music. Shelton kicks off his “Ten Times Crazier Tour” July 19 in Virginia Beach, Va. For additional dates, visit: www.BlakeShelton.com

With a busy year ahead, Usher is set to start production on the film “Hands of Stone” and continue working on his eighth studio album, in which he will continue to delve into his creative process through his songwriting and collaborations with other artists.

In “Hands of Stone,” Usher will play boxer Sugar Ray Leonard. The film, which is a biopic of boxer Roberto Duran, is being shot in Panama and co-stars Edgar Ramirez and Robert De Niro.

Usher has been ranked by the Recording Industry Assn. of America as one of the best-selling artists in American music history, having sold over 44 million albums worldwide. He has won numerous awards including seven Grammy Awards and was named the #1 Hot 100 artist of the 2000s decade. Billboard named him the second most successful artist of the 2000s decade, with his career-propelling 2004 album “Confessions” being ranked as the top solo album of the 2000s decade. Usher has attained nine Hot 100 #1 hits (all as a lead artist) and 18 Hot 100 top-10 singles.

The show’s innovative format features four stages of competition: the first begins with the blind audition, then the battle round, the brand new knockouts and finally, the live performance shows.

During the blind auditions, the decisions from the musician coaches are based solely on voice and not on looks. The coaches hear the artists perform, but they don’t get to see them -- thanks to rotating chairs. If a coach is impressed by the artist’s voice, he/she pushes a button to select the artist for his/her team. At this point, the coach’s chair will swivel so that he/she can face the artist he/she has selected. If more than one coach pushes their button, the power then shifts to the artist to choose which coach they want to work with. If no coach pushes their button, the artist is eliminated from the competition.

Once the teams are set, the battle is on. Coaches will dedicate themselves to developing their team of artists, giving them advice, and sharing the secrets of their success along with the help from their celebrity advisers. During the battle rounds the coaches will pit two of their own team members against each other to sing the same song together in front of a studio audience.

After the vocal battle, the coach must choose which of his/her singers will advance to the next round of competition, while the losing artist is available to be stolen by another coach. Each coach has two steals during the battle rounds.

At the end of the battles, only the strongest members of each coach’s roster remain and proceed to the new knockout rounds. The artists will be paired again with a member of their team, but this time they find out only minutes before performing who they are being compared against. The artists each select their own song to perform individually, while their direct competitor watches and waits. They are vying for their coach’s confidence and decision to take them to the live shows. Their coach will choose the winner and the artist not selected will be sent home.

In the final live performance phase of the competition, the top artists from each team will compete each week against each other during a live broadcast. The television audience will vote to save their favorite artists and the two artists with the lowest number of votes will be sent home each week. In the end, one will be named “The Voice” and will receive the grand prize of a recording contract.

Couldn't resist. Spoilers ensue.

On "Big Bang Theory," the major moment for many fans came at the end, when Leonard and Penny said "I love you" to each other. The show could have gone in a lot of other directions from the premise, that Leonard was heading off to work for Stephen Hawking for four months; it could have given Penny second thoughts about their ever-improving relationship, or prompted Sheldon to a breakdown over living alone. But the relative calm that greeted Leonard's news was underscored by the secondary story in the episode, where Raj wanted his new girlfriend to meet the group. She bailed on Raj before doing so, but not before she had a moment with Amy, who was able to make the case for the group being both kind and welcoming. And that was why Leonard could go away: he, Sheldon and Penny all knew that they had the others for a support system. And that was made clear again when Raj had a shoulder to lean on after getting dumped.

Of course, such support is not without consequences. Raj, suddenly able to talk to women, cannot shut up. And Sheldon, with Penny now to help him through Leonard's absence, will undoubtedly be a burden, as the red-zone parking dialogue showed. But it was still a sweet episode and a note about how far the show has come from the days when it was about some nerdy guys and Penny was The Unattainable Girl.

"The Office" was more blatant with its message about love and friendship among co-workers, as it took place a year after the showing of the documentary, as PBS is making a follow-up special. This, along with Dwight's wedding, gave characters a reason to reunite -- and viewers a chance to see that, in most cases, things turned out OK for them.Meredith is mostly sober, Stanley happy in retirement. Toby at episode's end finally gets to be treated as part of the gang. Phyllis and Stanley re-bond, Kelly and Ryan go off on one more mad romantic adventure (and do so in a way that is perfectly selfish yet somehow the means to bring Nellie happiness).

And Michael Scott is a family man -- the thing he always wanted to be, whether by creating an artificial family in his office or, finally, finding a real one. With children.

We knew Michael would turn out OK when we saw his farewell episode, but it was nice to have it reinforced even as Jim and Pam go forward. One of the things had me drifting from the show was the difficulties in the couple, part of the larger sourness inflicting recent seasons, and the show didn't shy away from that; during a reunion panel about the documentary, Pam was grilled about her treatment of Jim. But they, too, worked it out and Pam got to make a Jim-like gesture.

There was much I liked, including the restrained use of Michael's return, and Jim pranking Dwight in a way that was not only kind but in one case healing. On the other hand, I didn't think Dwight and Kevin would ever need healing, and Pam taking the Dunder Mifflin picture off the wall was pretty forced, as was Andy's rebound from disaster. But, on the whole, the finale did what those of us who once loved the show needed the most; it made the return visit worthwhile. The characters had gotten through the trials so deftly presented in old clips, and found some joy in life and in their friends. Even Creed, after all, might be headed to happier climes; he probably knows a way to make jail enjoyable.

Syfy today announced that its long-running flagship series Warehouse 13 will return for a fifth and final season of six episodes in 2014.

A production of Universal Cable Productions, Warehouse 13 will begin filming in Toronto this summer.

Said Mark Stern, President, Original Content, Syfy, and Co-Head, Original Content, Universal Cable Productions: “Warehouse 13 has been an incredible signature series for us.  We are grateful to the loyal and passionate fan base and know that Jack Kenny, his gifted creative team, and outstanding ensemble cast will give them an amazing finale season.”

Warehouse 13 airs on Syfy Mondays at 10PM (ET/PT), following the new hit series Defiance at 9PM (ET/PT).

Warehouse 13 follows a team of government agents who work at a massive, top-secret storage facility in windswept South Dakota, which houses every strange artifact, mysterious relic, fantastical object and preternatural souvenir ever collected by the U.S. government. The Warehouse’s caretaker Artie Nielsen (Saul Rubinek) charges Pete Lattimer (Eddie McClintock), Myka Bering (Joanne Kelly), Claudia Donovan (Allison Scagliotti) and Steve Jinks (Aaron Ashmore) with chasing down reports of supernatural and paranormal activity in search of new objects to cache at the Warehouse, as well as helping him control the Warehouse itself.

Warehouse 13 is produced for Syfy by Universal Cable Productions. Jack Kenny (The Book of Daniel) is executive producer and showrunner.

For close to two years we have been working passionately to bring first run premium content to an online platform with the creation of brand-new versions of the two iconic series, All My Children and One Life To Live. There was no precedent for this effort- we had no history-no barometer for how our fans would respond. We always knew there would quickly be new insights into how audiences would respond to our shows and this new platform, and that our ability to adapt quickly to audience needs would ultimately determine the long-term success of the shows and our mission. This is a new medium, a new time and we have always planned to make changes quickly by listening to you, our fans and customers.

Today it is clear these shows have resonated, as many millions of views have been logged since our April 29th debut, a mere two and a half weeks ago. We’ve consistently been in the top ten shows viewed on Hulu and viewers and critics alike have told us how impressed they are with the quality of both programs. The past two weeks have been invaluable in terms of learning about how you watch and when you watch our shows on this new platform. We have gained enormous insight through our actual viewing data and our research. And our research has revealed the following:

• In the past these shows had their vast majority of views within the first 24 hours. Instead, our shows are primarily consumed on different days then when they originally air. Primarily,fans have been binge viewing or watching on demand, and as a result, we feel we have beenexpecting our audience to dedicate what has turned out to be an excessive amount of time to viewing these shows. (As an example, for the substantial audience only watching on the weekends, we are currently asking them to watch five hours of programming to keep pace with our release schedule).

• On ABC the shows shared a large percentage of their viewers with each other. Yet, the majority of our viewers are watching one show or the other, not both, and they aren’t viewing the shows when they did before. Part of the reason for choosing between the shows may be that the largest viewing takes place either between 12PM and 1PM (when people generally can only fit one episode during lunch time) or between 5PM and 7PM (when the vast majority of competing shows are a half hour long). We are finding that asking most people to regularly watch more than a half hour per day online seems to be too much.

• During their ABC runs, viewers watched only 2-3 episodes on average a week and picked up with whichever day’s episode it was. Our viewers seem to primarily start with the first episode and then continue forward episode by episode. Like with primetime serialized dramas as opposed to the traditional slower pacing of daytime, people feel lost if they miss an episode. People are starting from the beginning; the shows are designed for complete viewing from episode one. Yet starting from the beginning with the amount of episodes we are releasing is asking too much for viewers who need to catch up.

The clear conclusion is that while somewhat mixed, these viewing patterns resemble more closely the typical patterns of online viewing rather than how one would watch traditional television. This leads us to believe we are posting too many episodes and making it far too challenging for viewers to keep up. When it comes to online viewing, most of us are just trying to to find time to watch series comprised of 13 to 22 episodes a season-so asking viewers to assign time for over 100 episodes per show is a daunting task.

Therefore, we have chosen to revise our scheduling model beginning this Monday, May 20th by introducing two new episodes from OLTL and AMC each week- new episodes of AMC will now run on Mondays and Wednesdays, and fresh episodes of OLTL will post Tuesdays and Thursdays. MORE, our behind the scenes series, will run as a single show on Fridays. This allows us to introduce a new episode of quality television every Monday through Friday and gives the audience a chance to catch up as we continue to build awareness and excitement around these new shows.

Because Hulu agrees with our findings, for the meantime they will keep all of
our episodes on Hulu.com for free to give viewers the opportunity to find us and catch up. We know our most dedicated viewers will be upset as they would probably prefer more shows to less (we personally wish there were more episodes of our favorite shows; we would love 50 episodes a year of Homeland, Mad Men or The Simpsons). We apologize to these viewers and ask them to please understand we are trying to ensure our shows succeed and not meet the fate they experienced previously. We need to devise a model that works for all viewers and follows how they want, and are actually watching, online. When it comes to online, as with all new
technology, it’s adapt or fail. We feel fortunate to be an online company and to have such an opportunity to adapt. Of course, we will continue to evaluate all the data that comes in and will be vigilant about revising our strategy as needed.
We want to be clear that this will in no way impact our feverish pace of production - we will be filming new episodes through mid-June, continue editing throughout July and until we go back into production in August. It’s a frenetic schedule but all of us are up for the challenge and excited to continue to deliver great shows.

As a new venture we felt obligated to address the needs of our viewers head on and to make adjustments that we think will work for our viewers. And as always, we thank you for your continued support and encouragement.
Sincerely
Rich Frank and Jeff Kwatinetz

Based on the disturbing murder trial that continues to captivate the nation, Jodi Arias: Dirty Little Secret tells the story of Jodi Arias (Tania Raymonde, Lost), a seductive 28-year-old aspiring photographer recently found guilty of killing her former lover, Travis Alexander (Jesse Lee Soffer, The Mob Doctor), who was found nude in his home shower with a slit throat, 27 additional stab wounds and a bullet to the head.  While investigating the violent killing, Mesa, Arizona police retrieved a digital camera from Alexander’s washing machine, revealing shocking images authorities claim Arias took during their sexual escapades, as well as during and after his murder.  While Jodi pled not guilty and contends she killed Alexander in self-defense, police concluded that when he broke off their relationship, she stalked her ex-boyfriend and seduced him one final time before murdering him in cold blood.  Her subsequent trial has been grand theater, dominating the cable news networks as she testified in her own defense and offered explicit insight into the sex, lies and obsession that led up to Alexander’s murder.

Tony Plana (Ugly Betty) portrays Prosecutor Juan Martinez and David Zayas (Dexter) plays Detective Esteban Flores.

In advance of the movie’s premiere, on Wednesday, May 22, at 10:00pm ET/PT, Lifetime will air the hour-long documentary, Jodi Arias: Beyond the Headlines, providing an in-depth look at Arias’ and Alexander’s tragic relationship and his murder, as told by Arias herself, as well as his sister, brother and close friends.

 Additionally, police detective Esteban Flores and criminologist Lawrence Kobilinsky will explain their take on everything involving the case leading up to Alexander’s gruesome murder on June 4, 2008.  Jodi Arias: Beyond the Headlines will also air on Saturday, June 22, at 10:00pm ET/PT, immediately following the movie’s world premiere.  Jodi Arias: Beyond the Headlines is produced by CBS EYE Productions.

Jodi Arias: Dirty Little Secret is produced by SilverScreen Pictures in association with City Entertainment and Peace Out Productions, with Joshua D. Maurer (Lifetime’s Georgia O’Keeffe, Introducing Dorothy Dandridge, And Starring Pancho Villa As Himself), Alixandre Witlin (Lifetime’s Georgia O’Keeffe, Dodson’s Journey) and Judith Verno (Lifetime’s Drew Peterson: Untouchable, The Craigslist Killer, Natalee Holloway) serving as executive producers.  The film is directed by Jace Alexander (Law & Order, Rescue Me) from a script by Richard Blaney and Gregory Small (Okavango: The Wild Frontier).

Costner has already been in Northeast Ohio to shoot scenes for the movie "Draft Day" and will be around some more in June. The official word on the music gig:

The Kent Stage is proud to present country rock band, Kevin Costner & Modern West on Sat. June 22 at 8pm. The concert will coincide with the filming of Draft Day in various locations in Northeast Ohio. Costner stars in Draft Day as a fictional GM of the Cleveland Browns. The concert is a fundraiser for The Kent Stage. Tickets will go on sale Friday at 11 am exclusively at www.kentstage.org and 877-987-6487.

(Tickets, according to the Kent Stage website, start at $50 for SRO and peak at $150, which includes a meet-and-greet.)

In addition to Costner, Modern West is comprised of John Coinman on guitar and vocals,Teddy Morgan on lead guitar, Larry Cobb on drums, Park Chisolm on vocals and guitar, Blair Forward on bass, and a fiddle player, to be announced.

Since 2005, Kevin Costner & Modern West have toured extensively in the US, Canada, and Europe. They record on Universal-South Records and recently released The Angeles Came Down. Costner recently won a Golden Globe for the mini-series Hatfields & McCoys which featured the music of Kevin Costner & Modern West. Visit www.kevincostnermodernwest.com for more information.


 

Tonight is the series finale of the comedy, with an hour-long retrospective special at 8 p.m. followed by a 75-minute closing episode. (In fact, this a brutal night for watching and recording after 9 p.m., with this oddly timed event, "American Idol" scheduled to run from 8 to 10:07 p.m., the season finale of "Scandal" starting at 10:02 and "Elementary" running for two hours -- and no reason to trust that all of these willl air exactly as scheduled.)

At the end of this post is my original review of the series, from 2005, when as a fan of the British office I was mainly concerned about how well it could be Americanized. And, when Carell accepted a Television Critics Association award for individual achievement in comedy in 2006, he reminded everyone how much perceptions of a performer can change by reading from a brutal review he received in 1997. You can still find that review here. One passage:

I  have stood in a freezer full of dead people at the morgue. I have seen a man’s scalp pulled back over his nose. I’ve even seen 35 minutes of Ellen DeGeneres’s “Mr. Wrong.” But I can now honestly say that until Steve Carell’s turn in the premiere of Over the Top, I have never known true horror. 

The review is  noteworthy at this moment because, just as a performer can go from negative to positive receptions, so can it go the other way. And "The Office' rather painfully demonstrated that. I thought that the writing and the ensemble were strong enough to keep it going well after Steve Carell left, but he proved to be show's emotional glue, and the parts didn't seem to bond after he was gone. People seemed more sour, relationships awkward but no longer funny; it was as if Michael Scott, bidding such a touching farewell,  had taken the show's underlying sweetness with him.

Oh, there were some decent tries. And some viewers have insisted that the show has gotten better as the end drew near. But, while I am recording tonight's conclusion, I found myself drifitng away from the show more than a year ago and checking pretty rarely this season. That doesn't make "The Office" any different from many long-running shows. At some point the verve and delights diminish. But I still feel a little wistful about the way "The Office" faded for me, because at one time it was such a joy.I have included the clip above, which Alan Sepinwall used with his more in-depth "Office" look, because it reminded me so much of the affection I felt for these characters.

As for that 2005 column:

No matter what the Nielsens end up saying about The Office, it has already triumphed in one way.
It doesn't stink.
In fact, the NBC sitcom -- which has a preview at 9:30 tonight before moving to 9:30 p.m. Tuesday -- is often very funny. And I say that as one of the many fans of the British series of the same name which inspired this American version.
That gets us into the triumph of The Office. There have been other attempts over the years to retool British shows for U.S. TV and many of them have been resounding failures.
Yes, All in the Family and Sanford and Son were great successes in the '70s. But more recent history, including NBC's, has included Coupling, a disastrously unfunny attempt to Americanize an amusing British comedy of the same name.
Making that even worse was Coupling's obvious roots in Friends -- and that NBC was having to go overseas in its search for a comedy that might succeed that long-running hit. But that was hardly the only Britain-to-U.S. flop. USA Network did not stick with an adaptation of British thriller Touching Evil.
And the Britcom classic Fawlty Towers has led to two different American flops: Amanda's, with Bea Arthur, and Payne, with John Larroquette.
There are plenty of reasons why British shows are so difficult to adapt. Despite the more-or-less common language of England and the U.S., there are still notable cultural differences. British television has long been comfortable with material which is politically incorrect here.
And, for some reason, British actors can say extraordinarily dirty things and sound amusing while American actors saying the same thing just sound, well, dirty.
Viewers also have plenty of chances to make comparisons, since British comedies can be found on public-TV stations and on cable operations like BBC America. (For example, BBC America plans a marathon of the British Office at noon Saturday.) There have also been DVD releases.
So British shows that succeeded here did so by developing their own sensibility. When you look back at All in the Family and Sanford, you find shows that simply used their British forebears as a framework for a singularly American vision. All in the Family was derived from producer Norman Lear's view of its characters and world; Sanford is very much a vehicle for the comedy of its star, the late Redd Foxx.
The Office was fortunate not to have to make such a great leap because it started with a universal notion: a workplace where the boss is a remarkable idiot.
Indeed, one reason the British Office attracted an adoring American fan base is that David Brent (brilliantly played by writer-actor Ricky Gervais) could easily have been a nightmarish American boss. His self-absorption, bureaucratic ineptness and social clumsiness all had echoes in the worst workplaces here.
And in Michael Scott -- played by Steve Carell -- the American Office has found a figure who would be equally frightening and recognizable to British viewers. Still, Scott and Brent and the people around them are carefully kept from becoming cartoons.
Over the run of the British series, it was actually possible to feel pained at Brent's limitations -- and even a measure of sympathy when things did not go his way. The supporting players were also shown as people, not caricatures, so viewers' reactions can spread to emotions other than simple amusement.
The new series, made by the British producers in conjunction with savvy American TV writer Greg Daniels, has the same understanding that we have to recognize Scott and his office team as people we might find at a neighboring desk. Then it spins wonderfully out from there.
Yes, for those of you who love the British series, there are many echoes in the American version. But much the way the British version held up with repeated viewing, the American version works even when it is replicating something from the original show.
There's a rich range of characters, good and bad, in the workplace and issues such as racial sensitivity are given a distinctly American spin. The Office may not have an old idea as its basis. Still, as you can see beginning tonight, it generates lots of new laughs.
And that should be good news for the audience, no matter where it lives.
 

I did look back at the saga of "Star Trek" for today's paper, and you can find that piece online here. One of the things I said there was:

When J.J. Abrams and his team revived the Trek franchise in 2009, they went back and forth in time — showing us the younger versions of Kirk, Spock and friends; bringing back the old Spock, and balancing their elaborate, contemporary special effects with nods to vintage Trek elements like Christopher Pike and the Kobayashi Maru.

The result was at once an adventure young viewers could come to without needing any background, a prolonged “hello, old friends,” to people steeped in Trek lore AND — because its events changed the Trek time line — a guarantee that, even for diehard fans, wonderful surprises could await.

And that all applies to the new film.

"Star Trek Into Darkness" continues what 2009's "Star Trek" began, letting us see how the young Kirk (Chris Pine) and Spock (Zachary Quinto) evolved into the characters played by William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy. Kirk has proven himself to some degree, but he's still a hothead; Spock embraces his logical Vulcan side, but has not figured out how to balance it with his human feelings -- and that perplexes not only Kirk but Uhura (Zoe Saldana), who is romantically entangled with Spock.

We see all those aspects in play during an opening sequence which also invokes the old Prime Directive, but that's mostly prologue to a bigger crisis beginning with a terror attack on a Starfleet facility in London. It soon becomes clear that a powerful new villain (Benedict Cumberbatch) is on the loose, and that he is going to draw Kirk, Spock and the rest of the Enterprise crew into a conflict that echoes strongly in old "Star Trek" history. (I am trying not to spoil things too much for those of you who have managed to avoid the considerable discussion of this movie's surprises.)

There follows a story that is a combination of high adventure (including some space chases that make clear why director J.J. Abrams is also getting the "Star Wars" revival), character development, meditations on both the roots of terrorism and how to respond to it, contemplations of father-and-son relationships, multiple references to old characters and conceits (there's a Tribble!) -- and, through it all, a sense that this is not a retooling of TV and cinematic history but a real freshening of it.

Even when the film reboots specific scenes from older efforts, it does so in a way that gives them new life and energy -- as well as making you think again about the old stuff. If there's anyone seeing this movie who has not dipped into the DVDs and Blu-rays of the older material, "Into Darkness" repeatedly encourages you to do so.

Pine is an able Kirk, but it's Quinto's Spock who is the real foundation of the movie, and the best screen foil for the icily frightening Cumberbatch. There are little flaws; Bones, played by Karl Urban, is more caricature than he was in the previous film, and two jokes about red uniform shirts pop up, and closely together.

But I smiled almost from the first scene, laughed plenty, choked up a little and was kept attentive during the action sequences -- even though the 3D is always a little problematic because I perch the lenses over my regular glasses. Plenty of story is set up for another movie, which I gleefully await. And I give this one 3 1/2 out of 4 stars.

“Klaus, Elijah, and Rebekah, the original family of vampires, have become fan favorites over the past three seasons on ‘The Vampire Diaries,’ and we know viewers will be excited to see more of their story in their new spin-off series, ‘The Originals,’ on Tuesday nights.  And with ‘Star-Crossed’ and ‘The 100’ set for midseason, The CW is poised to keep growing and keep our momentum going.”

The CW will launch its fall season in October 2013.  Premiere dates to be announced at a later time.

Monday nights are the new home for Rachel Bilson as Dr. Zoe Hart of BlueBell, Alabama on HART OF DIXIE from 8:00-9:00p.m., followed by the second season of the epic romance, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, starring Kristin Kreuk and Jay Ryan, from 9:00-10:00p.m.

The CW kicks off its new Tuesday lineup from 8:00-9:00p.m. with the highly anticipated spin-off of THE VAMPIRE DIARIES – THE ORIGINALS – starring Joseph Morgan, Daniel Gillies and Claire Holt as the original vampire family.  From 9:00-10:00p.m., SUPERNATURAL, the fan-favorite drama that saw ratings growth this season, moves to a new night as the Winchester brothers embark on the ninth season of their otherworldly battle against evil.

On Wednesday nights, the breakout action drama ARROW hits its mark again in the 8:00-9:00p.m. timeslot, with Stephen Amell as Starling City’s vigilante archer.  From 9:00-10:00p.m., new action-adventure drama THE TOMORROW PEOPLE stars Robbie Amell as a young man with abilities he is only beginning to understand.

The CW returns to Mystic Falls on Thursday nights with its highest-rated series, the critically acclaimed, social media favorite THE VAMPIRE DIARIES from 8:00-9:00p.m, followed at 9:00-10:00p.m. by the sweeping, romantic and racy new historical drama REIGN, staring Adelaide Kane as the young Mary, Queen of Scots. 

Fridays stay stylish with a new night for THE CARRIE DIARIES, starring AnnaSophia Robb as the young Carrie Bradshaw, kicking off the night from 8:00-9:00p.m.  This season, viewers will see how Carrie and Samantha Jones met and became friends.  From 9:00-10:00p.m., the fierce Tyra Banks and AMERICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL put the finishing touch on Friday nights.

New dramas STAR-CROSSED and THE 100 will premiere at midseason, with dates and times to be announced later, along with the new reality series FAMOUS IN 12.

Following is The CW’s 2013-2014 primetime schedule, a night-by-night breakdown and accompanying details on all the programs.

THE CW’s 2013-2014 PRIMETIME SCHEDULE

MONDAY

8:00-9:00 PM              HART OF DIXIE (New Night)

9:00-10:00 PM            BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (New Night)

TUESDAY

8:00-9:00 PM              THE ORIGINALS (New Series)

9:00-10:00 PM            SUPERNATURAL (New Night)

WEDNESDAY

8:00-9:00 PM              ARROW

9:00-10:00 PM            THE TOMORROW PEOPLE (New Series)

THURSDAY

8:00-9:00 PM              THE VAMPIRE DIARIES

9:00-10:00 PM            REIGN (New Series)

FRIDAY

8:00-9:00 PM              THE CARRIE DIARIES (New Night)

9:00-10:00 PM            AMERICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL

MONDAY

8:00-9:00 P.M.           “HART OF DIXIE”

Rachel Bilson leads a stellar ensemble cast in this fish-out-of-water comedic drama about small-town living, big city attitudes and complicated love triangles.  It’s been nearly two years since Dr. Zoe Hart (Rachel Bilson) moved to BlueBell, Alabama, and shook up life in this small town.  Now Zoe navigates between bad boy Wade Kinsella (Wilson Bethel) and good hearted George Tucker (Scott Porter), while Lemon Breeland (Jaime King) achieves her dream of being a business owner – even if that business is The Rammer Jammer, and her mismatched partner is Wade.  Zoe’s best friend and landlord, Mayor Lavon Hayes (Cress Williams), has finally gotten over Lemon, finding happiness with AnnaBeth (Kaitlyn Black), complicated by the fact that she is Lemon's best friend.  And Zoe’s associate, Dr. Brick Breeland (Tim Matheson), pursues love, but his daughters won't endorse his new fiancée.  Zoe’s love life is still a mess, and she’s not sure what the future holds in store for her, but we know it will be juicy and full of fun.  HART OF DIXIE is from Bonanza Productions Inc., in association with Fake Empire, Warner Bros. Television and CBS Television Studios with executive producers Leila Gerstein (“Gossip Girl,” “Eli Stone”), Josh Schwartz (“Gossip Girl,” “Chuck,” “The O.C.”), Stephanie Savage (“Gossip Girl,” “The O.C.”) and Len Goldstein.

9:00-10:00 P.M.         “BEAUTY AND THE BEAST”

Detective Catherine Chandler (Kristin Kreuk), shaken to the core over the fact that everything she thought she knew about her life has been a lie, is determined to get answers to the secrets that have been revealed about her family.  Cat must also try to navigate her evolving relationship with handsome doctor Vincent Keller (Jay Ryan), who struggles with becoming a terrifying beast when he is enraged, unable to control his super-strength and heightened senses.  Cat and Vincent continue to grapple with the desire to be a normal couple while trying to keep a low profile in order to stay one step ahead of the mysterious organization known as Muirfield, now on the hunt for both of them.  BEAUTY AND THE BEAST is produced by CBS Television Studios in association with Take 5 Productions/Whizbang Films with executive producers Sherri Cooper (“Brothers and Sisters”) & Jennifer Levin (“Without A Trace,” “Felicity”), Gary Fleder (“Life Unexpected,” “October Road”), Bill Haber (“Rizzoli & Isles,” “Thurgood”), Paul J. Witt (“A Better Life”) & Tony Thomas (“A Better Life”), Ron Koslow (“Moonlight”), Frank Siracusa (“The Yard”) and John Weber ("Borgias").

TUESDAY

8:00-9:00 P.M.           “THE ORIGINALS”

Family is power.  The Original Vampire family swore it to each other a thousand years ago.  They pledged to remain together, always and forever.  Now, centuries have passed and the bonds of family are broken.  Time, tragedy and hunger for power have torn the Original Family apart.  When Klaus Mikaelson, the original vampire-werewolf hybrid, receives a mysterious tip that a plot is brewing against him in the supernatural melting pot that is the French Quarter of New Orleans, he returns to the city his family helped build.  Klaus’ questions lead him to a reunion with his diabolical former protégé, Marcel, a charismatic vampire who has total control over the human and supernatural inhabitants of New Orleans.  Determined to help his brother find redemption, Elijah follows Klaus and soon learns that the werewolf Hayley has also come to the French Quarter searching for clues to her family history, and has fallen into the hands of a powerful witch named Sophie.  Tensions between the town’s supernatural factions are nearing a breaking point as Marcel commands his devoted followers and rules with absolute power.  For Klaus, the thought of answering to his powerful protégé is unthinkable, and he vows to reclaim what was once his – the power, the city and his family.  While they wait to see if their sister Rebekah will leave Mystic Falls and join them, Klaus and Elijah form an uneasy alliance with the witches to ensure that New Orleans will be ruled by THE ORIGINALS once again.  The series stars Joseph Morgan (“The Vampire Diaries,” “Immortals”) as Klaus, Daniel Gillies (“The Vampire Diaries,” “Saving Hope”) as Elijah, Claire Holt (“The Vampire Diaries,” “Pretty Little Liars”) as Rebekah, Phoebe Tonkin (“The Vampire Diaries,” “The Secret Circle”) as Hayley, Charles Michael Davis (“Grey’s Anatomy,” “Switched at Birth”) as Marcel, Daniella Pineda (“The Fitzgerald Family Christmas,” “Homeland”) as Sophie, Leah Pipes (“The Deep End,” “Sorority Row”) as Cami and Danielle Campbell (“Starstruck,” “Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Witness Protection”) as Davina.  THE ORIGINALS is from Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with My So-Called Company, Alloy Entertainment, Warner Bros. Television and CBS Television Studios.  Julie Plec (“The Vampire Diaries,” “Kyle XY,” “Wasteland”), Leslie Morgenstein (“The Vampire Diaries,” “Gossip Girl”) and Gina Girolamo (“The Lying Game”) are executive producers.  Plec wrote the pilot episode, which was directed by Chris Grismer (“The Vampire Diaries”).

9:00-10:00 P.M.         “SUPERNATURAL”

The thrilling and terrifying journey of the Winchester brothers continues as SUPERNATURAL enters its ninth season.  Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) have spent their lives on the road, battling every kind of supernatural threat.  Over the years, after dozens of bloody adventures, they have faced everything from the yellow-eyed demon that killed their mother to vampires, ghosts, shapeshifters, angels and fallen gods.  They even came face to face with Lucifer and the Four Horsemen in averting the Apocalypse.  With the help of allies — both human and supernatural — they’ve discovered that every threat they vanquish opens a new door for evil to enter in.  In the show’s eighth season, their supernatural hunting expedition led them directly into an age-old power struggle involving the King of Hell, legions of warrior angels and a series of divine trials to prove themselves worthy of sealing the Gates of Hell forever.  With the help of their protector, the fallen angel Castiel (Misha Collins), Sam and Dean’s lifelong quest to rid the world of evil will take everything they’ve got.  As dawn arrives after their endless struggle and sacrifice to defeat the world’s monsters, they know that, come nightfall, something otherworldly — something supernatural — will claw its way out of the shadows, demanding their attention.  SUPERNATURAL is from Warner Bros. Television in association with Wonderland Sound and Vision, with executive producers McG (“Charlie’s Angels,” “The O.C.”), Robert Singer (“Midnight Caller”), Jeremy Carver (“Being Human”), Phil Sgriccia and Adam Glass.

WEDNESDAY

8:00-9:00 P.M.           “ARROW”

After a violent shipwreck, billionaire playboy Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell) was missing and presumed dead for five years before being discovered alive on a remote island in the Pacific.  He returned home to Starling City, bent on righting the wrongs of his family and fighting injustice.  To do this, he creates the persona of Arrow – a vigilante – and allies himself with former military man John Diggle (David Ramsey) and computer science expert Felicity Smoak (Emily Bett Rickards), while keeping his secret from those closest to him.  Based on characters appearing in comic books and graphic novels published by DC Comics, ARROW is from Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with Berlanti Productions and Warner Bros. Television, with executive producers Greg Berlanti (“Green Lantern,” “Brothers & Sisters”), Marc Guggenheim (“No Ordinary Family,” “Eli Stone”) and Andrew Kreisberg (“Warehouse 13,” “The Vampire Diaries”).  Melissa Kellner Berman (“Eli Stone,” “Dirty Sexy Money”) is co-executive producer.

9:00-10:00 P.M.         “THE TOMORROW PEOPLE”

They are the next evolutionary leap of mankind, a generation of humans born with paranormal abilities — the Tomorrow People.  Stephen Jameson stands at the crossroads between the world we know and the shifting world of the future.  Up until a year ago, Stephen was a “normal” teenager — until he began hearing voices and teleporting in his sleep, never knowing where he might wake up.  Now, Stephen’s issues have gone far beyond the usual teenage angst, and he is beginning to question his sanity.  In desperation, Stephen decides to listen to one of the voices in his head, and it leads him to his first encounter with the Tomorrow People — John, Cara and Russell — a genetically advanced race with the abilities of telekinesis, teleportation and telepathic communication.  The Tomorrow People are being hunted down by a paramilitary group of scientists known as Ultra.  Led by Dr. Jedikiah Price, Ultra sees the Tomorrow People as a very real existential threat from a rival species, and the outcast group has been forced to hide out in an abandoned subway station just beneath the surface of the human world. 

Trading in secrets, Jedikiah offers Stephen the chance for a normal life with his family and best friend, Astrid, if he will help in the struggle to isolate and eradicate the Tomorrow People.  On the other hand, Cara, John and Russell offer Stephen a different type of family and a home where he truly belongs.  Unwilling to turn his back on humanity or the world of the Tomorrow People, Stephen sets out on his own path — a journey that could take him into the shadowy past to uncover the truth about his father’s mysterious disappearance, or into an unknown future with THE TOMORROW PEOPLE.  The series stars Robbie Amell (“Revenge”) as Stephen, Luke Mitchell (“H20: Just Add Water”) as John, Peyton List (“Mad Men”) as Cara, Aaron Yoo (“Disturbia,” “Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist”) as Russell, Mark Pellegrino (“Lost,” “Supernatural”) as Dr. Jedikiah Price, and Madeleine Mantock (upcoming “All You Need is Kill”) as Astrid.  THE TOMORROW PEOPLE is from Warner Bros. Television and CBS Television Studios with executive producers Greg Berlanti (“Arrow,” “Green Lantern”), Julie Plec (“The Vampire Diaries,” “Kyle XY”), Phil Klemmer (“Political Animals,” “Chuck”) and Danny Cannon (“Nikita,” “CSI: NY”).  The pilot was directed by Danny Cannon.

THURSDAY

8:00-9:00 P.M.           “THE VAMPIRE DIARIES”

In the tumultuous fourth season of THE VAMPIRE DIARIES, the world of Mystic Falls was turned upside down when the beautiful and compassionate Elena Gilbert (Nina Dobrev) came face-to-face with her worst nightmare – life as a vampire.  While Elena struggled to control her new powers and the overwhelming thirst for blood, the astonishing news that a cure for vampirism may actually exist reached Damon (Ian Somerhalder) and Stefan (Paul Wesley) Salvatore, the two vampire brothers who love her.  Their search for the cure leads the brothers, along with Elena’s brother Jeremy (Steven R. McQueen) and her best friends Bonnie (Kat Graham) and Caroline (Candice Accola), to a horrifying confrontation with the ancient and all-powerful immortal, Silas, who has been entombed with the cure for more than 2,000 years.  But Elena isn’t the only vampire who longs to return to life as a human, and the question of who will take the cure is resolved in the heart-stopping season finale, along with moments of unexpected joy, unspeakable sorrow, and a confession of true love.  The series heads into its fifth season with some characters headed off to college, a newly cured vampire trying to survive as a human, and a shocking Salvatore secret. Based on the series of books by L. J. Smith, THE VAMPIRE DIARIES is from Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with Outerbanks Entertainment, Alloy Entertainment, Warner Bros. Television and CBS Television Studios.  The series was developed by Kevin Williamson (“The Following,” “Scream”) & Julie Plec (“Kyle XY,” “Wasteland”), who serve as executive producers along with Leslie Morgenstein (“Gossip Girl,” “Pretty Little Liars”) and Caroline Dries (“Melrose Place,” “Smallville”).

9:00-10:00 P.M.         “REIGN”

Hidden between the lines of the history books is the story of Mary Stuart, the young woman the world would come to know as Mary, Queen of Scots.  Queen of Scotland since she was six days old, the teenage Mary is already a headstrong monarch �”� beautiful, passionate, and poised at the very beginning of her tumultuous rise to power.  Arriving in France with four close friends as her ladies-in-waiting, Mary has been sent to secure Scotland’s strategic alliance by formalizing her arranged engagement to the French king’s dashing son, Prince Francis.  But the match isn’t signed and sealed, it depends more on politics, religion and secret agendas than affairs of the heart.  Prince Francis is intrigued by the fiery Scot, but like most young men, he resists the idea of settling down into marriage, especially when he has a history with a lady of the court and his own point of view on the wisdom of an alliance with Scotland.  Still, an attraction between Mary and Francis is ignited.  Further complicating things is Bash, Francis’ roguish half-brother, who has a history of his own �”� despite his illegitimate birth, Bash is his father’s favorite.  And now that Bash has caught Mary’s eye, a royal triangle may be forming.  While at French Court, fierce foes and dark forces conspire to sabotage Mary’s marriage to Francis and even threaten her life, until a mysterious shrouded guide becomes her ally.  With danger and sexual intrigue around every dark castle corner, Mary rallies her ladies-in-waiting and steels herself, ready to rule the new land and balance the demands of her country and her heart.  The series stars Adelaide Kane (“Teen Wolf”) as Mary, Toby Regbo (“One Day”) as Prince Francis, Torrance Coombs (“The Tudors”) as Bash, Megan Follows (“Anne of Green Gables”) as Queen Catherine, Alan Van Sprang (“The Tudors”) as King Henry, Celina Sinden (newcomer) as Greer, Caitlin Stasey (newcomer) as Kenna, Anna Popplewell (“The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader”) as Lola, and Jenessa Grant (“Cyberbully”) as Aylee.  REIGN is from CBS Television Studios and Warner Bros. Television with executive producers Stephanie SenGupta (“Hawaii Five-0”), Laurie McCarthy (“The Ghost Whisperer”), Frank Siracusa (“Beauty And The Beast”) and Brad Silberling (“Moonlight Mile”).  The pilot was directed by Brad Silberling.

FRIDAY

8:00-9:00 P.M.           “THE CARRIE DIARIES”

It’s the summer of 1985, and, for the first time, 17-year-old Carrie Bradshaw (AnnaSophia Robb) can call Manhattan home.  After her boyfriend Sebastian (Austin Butler) and best friend Maggie (Katie Findlay) betrayed her, Carrie is happy to accept the offer to spend the summer living in the downtown loft apartment of her Interview magazine boss Larissa (Freema Agyeman).  But as summer turns to fall and Carrie heads into her senior year, she and her friends and family discover that letting go of old loves and embracing new dreams comes with some tough new realities but also incredible new opportunities.  Based on the novels “The Carrie Diaries” and “Summer and the City” by Candace Bushnell, THE CARRIE DIARIES is from Fake Empire in association with Warner Bros. Television, with executive producers Amy B. Harris (“Sex and the City,” “Gossip Girl”), Josh Schwartz (“Hart of Dixie,” “Gossip Girl”), Stephanie Savage (“Hart of Dixie,” “Gossip Girl”), Len Goldstein (“Hart of Dixie”) and Candace Bushnell.

9:00-10:00 P.M.         “AMERICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL”

Cycle 20 of AMERICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL, hosted by Tyra Banks, returns with new prizes and a new twist – men!  The first-ever “Guys and Girls” edition will have eight men and eight women living under one roof to battle it out to earn the prestigious title of “America’s Next Top Model.” This cycle will explore the similarities and differences that male and female models face in the pursuit of their careers, bringing on experts and celebrities to mentor and challenge them each week.  There will be more than a little opportunity for rivalry, flirtation and romance.  The model hopefuls will compete for a career-launching prize package that includes new prize suppliers Next Model Management and GUESS, as well as Nylon Magazine.  The winner will receive prizes including: a $100,000 national ad campaign with GUESS, whose advertising campaigns have launched many modeling careers; a fashion feature in Nylon Magazine, as well as a modeling contract with Next Model Management.  In addition to the panel of judges, which includes Banks, fashion public relations maven Kelly Cutrone, and former boxer and international male supermodel Rob Evans, the public will again be able to have a say in who stays and who goes in the competition.  Famed stylist Johnny Wujek returns as photo shoot creative consultant and top fashion blogger Bryanboy will return as the social media correspondent, mentoring the models and highlighting the scores, comments and video messages from the viewers that will be revealed in the show during judging.   AMERICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL is produced by 10 by 10 Entertainment in association with The Tyra Banks Company.  The executive producers are Ken Mok (“Making the Band”), Tyra Banks and Laura Fuest Silva. The series was created by Tyra Banks and developed by Mok and Kenya Barris.  Currently, “America’s Next Top Model” is under license in over 100 markets around the world and has 20 international versions in production.  “America’s Next Top Model” and the “America’s Next Top Model” format are licensed internationally by CBS Studios International.

MIDSEASON

STAR-CROSSED

When Emery was 6 years old, an alien spacecraft crash-landed in her small town.  Whether they came in peace or with more sinister intentions didn’t matter: a fierce battle erupted as humans fought for control over their new rivals, an alien species called the Atrians.  In the midst of the conflict, Roman, a 6-year-old Atrian boy, found his way to a shed behind Emery’s house, where she protected him from harm, bringing him food, comfort – and friendship.  In their brief time together, Emery and Roman forged a deep bond, but the authorities wasted no time tracking Roman down and capturing him in a violent confrontation.  Emery has grown up believing that Roman was killed that day.  Ten years later, the Atrians have been acclimated to life on Earth, but they are interned in a heavily-guarded camp known as the Sector to keep them separate from humans.  Now, for the first time, a group of Atrian teens will enroll in a suburban human high school, with the goal of testing the feasibility of human/alien integration.  The eyes of the nation and the whole world are fixed on this historical social experiment, an endeavor fraught with suspicion and fear.  In the mayhem of the first day, Emery is amazed to learn that Roman was not killed by the authorities and is, in fact, one of the Atrian students.  Their childhood bond is quickly rekindled – in a school and a society that distrusts everything about the Atrians, Emery and Roman have found each other again.  However, their relationship is threatened by the small-mindedness of their respective communities and the political agendas of people in power.  While the world around them rages with anger and prejudice, their bond becomes increasingly strong and increasingly dangerous.  As an epic Romeo and Juliet romance unfolds, a violent encounter between Roman’s father and Emery’s father occurs in the Sector.  Can Roman and Emery’s love – and peace between the species – survive?  The series stars Aimee Teegarden (“Friday Night Lights”) as Emery, Matt Lanter (“90210”) as Roman, Grey Damon (“The Secret Circle”) as Grayson, Natalie Hall (“Pretty Little Liars”) as Taylor, Malese Jow (“The Vampire Diaries,” “Big Time Rush”) as Julia, Titus Makin, Jr. (“Glee”) as Lukas, Chelsea Gilligan (“How I Met Your Mother”) as Teri and Greg Finley (“The Secret Life of the American Teenager”) as Drake.  STAR-CROSSED is from Ole Productions, Isla de Babel SL and 360 Powwow in association with CBS Television Studios and Warner Bros. Television with executive producers Meredith Averill (“The Good Wife,” “Life on Mars”), Josh Appelbaum (“Life on Mars,” “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol”), Bryan Furst (“Daybreakers,” “Tough Trade”), Sean Furst (“Daybreakers,” “Tough Trade”), Daniel Gutman (“Dance!,” “12 Corazones”), Andre Nemec (“Life on Mars,” “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol”), Scott Rosenberg (“Life on Mars,” “October Road” and Richard Shephard (“Golden Boy,” “Ringer”).  The pilot was written by Meredith Averill and directed by Gary Fleder (“Beauty And The Beast,” “Vegas,” “Runaway Jury”).

THE 100

Ninety-seven years ago, nuclear Armageddon decimated planet Earth, destroying civilization.  The only survivors were the 400 inhabitants of 12 international space stations that were in orbit at the time.  Three generations have been born in space, the survivors now number 4,000, and resources are running out on their dying “Ark” �”� the 12 stations now linked together and repurposed to keep the survivors alive.  Draconian measures including capital punishment and population control are the order of the day, as the leaders of the Ark take ruthless steps to ensure their future, including secretly exiling a group of 100 juvenile prisoners to the Earth’s surface to test whether it’s habitable.  For the first time in nearly a century, humans have returned to planet Earth.  Among the 100 exiles are Clarke, the bright teenage daughter of the Ark’s chief medical officer; Wells, son of the Ark’s Chancellor; the daredevil Finn; and the brother/sister duo Bellamy and Octavia, whose illegal sibling status has always led them to flaunt the rules. Technologically blind to what’s happening on the planet below them, the Ark’s leaders — Clarke’s widowed mother, Abby; the Chancellor, Jaha; and his shadowy second in command, Kane — are faced with difficult decisions about life, death and the continued existence of the human race.  For the 100 young people on Earth, however, the alien planet they’ve never known is a mysterious realm that can be magical one moment and

lethal the next.  With the survival of the human race entirely in their hands, THE 100 must find a way to transcend their differences, unite and forge a new path on a wildly changed Earth that’s primitive, intense and teeming with the unknown.  The series stars Eliza Taylor (newcomer) as Clarke, Paige Turco (“Person of Interest,” “Damages”) as Abby, Thomas McDonell (“Suburgatory”) as Finn, Eli Goree (“Emily Owens, M.D.”) as Wells, Marie Avgeropoulos (“50/50“) as Octavia, Bob Morley (newcomer) as Bellamy, Kelly Hu (“X2: X-Men United,” “Arrow”) as Cece, Christopher Larkin (“Squad 85”) as Monty, Devon Bostick (“Aim High”) as Jasper, with Isaiah Washington (upcoming “Blue Caprice,” “Grey’s Anatomy”) as Chancellor Jaha, and Henry Ian Cusick (“Lost,” “Scandal”) as Kane.  Based on the upcoming book series by Kass Morgan, THE 100 is from Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with Alloy Entertainment, Warner Bros. Television and CBS Television Studios with executive producers Matthew Miller (“Human Target,” “Chuck”), Jason Rothenberg (upcoming “Twilight Zone” feature), Bharat Nalluri (“Torchwood,” “Emily Owens, M.D.”), Leslie Morgenstein (“The Vampire Diaries”) and Gina Girolamo (“The Secret Circle”).  The pilot was directed by Bharat Nalluri.

FAMOUS IN 12

There is a family in the U.S. that has what it takes to become famous — the question is: Can they pull it off in 12 weeks? That’s the challenge in the new unscripted series FAMOUS IN 12, a unique social experiment that tracks the lives of one determined family as they move to the entertainment capital of the world — Los Angeles — and seek fame in a 12-week time frame.  Members of the family will all have unique and varied talents, and they will each get a series of challenges to create a public profile fit for a Kardashian.  The family will be guided by the TMZ machine, which will create a series of opportunities for them.  TMZ and Harvey Levin will help, but it is up to the family to pull it off.  When they succeed at their challenges, they will appear on the TMZ TV show and TMZ.com, which will raise their profile. Family members will exploit all forms of social media to wage a campaign of fame.  In addition to the challenges, the family will circulate day to day … at the gym, restaurants, bars, parties and other places where celebs hang and opportunities call.  Executive-produced by David Garfinkle (“The Surreal Life”), Jay Renfroe (“The Surreal Life”) and Harvey Levin (TMZ), FAMOUS IN 12 is from Renegade 83 and Harvey Levin Productions in association with Warner Horizon Television and Telepictures.

PREMIERE DATE TBD

NIKITA

Season three of this gripping espionage drama saw Nikita (international action star Maggie Q) take over Division, the illegal black-ops program that trained her to kill.  Working alongside her fiancé Michael (Shane West), her protégé Alex (Lyndsy Fonseca) and a team of covert operatives, Nikita vowed to capture all rogue Division agents and shut the place down.  But she got more than she bargained for as Division’s corrupting influence began to tear her family apart. Even worse, Nikita’s nemesis, Amanda (Melinda Clarke), set out to destroy her by teaming with the shadowy global organization known as The Group.  Together, they pulled off a shocking assassination that promises to disrupt the balance of world power forever.  And with the blame for the murder falling on Nikita, she is forced to come full circle and go on the run as a hunted rogue as she attempts to clear her name as well as spare the people she loves.

First, the comedies: USA Network today greenlit its first original half-hour comedies, with series orders for SIRENS from Denis Leary (“Rescue Me”) and Bob Fisher (“WeddingCrashers”) and PLAYING HOUSE from Jessica St. Clair (“Bridesmaids,” “Best Friends Forever”) and Lennon Parham (“Best Friends Forever,” “Accidentally On Purpose”).The network also picked upa new comedy pilot,LOVE IS DEAD.The new series will debut in the first quarter of 2014, and will be strong complements to MODERN FAMILY,the award-winning and top-rated comedy, which premieres on USA Tuesday, September 24 at 8/7c. The announcement was made in conjunction with USA’s Upfront (#USAupfront), which is being held today at Pier 36 in New York.

“This is the right time to be introducing half hour original comedies to the USA audience. With MODERN FAMILY joining our line-up in the fall, we can leverage television’s most popular comedy toserve as a powerful launch pad for new originals in this genre,” said Chris McCumber, Co-President of USA Network. “Our new series come from some of the best comedic talent in the business, and reflect USA’s style – with great characters, strong execution and compelling storytelling,” said Jeff Wachtel, Co-President of USA Network.

From the distinct comedic point of view of Leary and Fisher, SIRENS follows three of Chicago’s best EMTs whose sometimes silly, self-righteous and even self-destructive personalities make them unqualified for sustaining relationships, friendships and most occupations. They are, however, uniquely qualified for saving anyone who winds up in their ambulance. Based on a UK format,SIRENS stars Michael Mosley (“Pan Am”), Kevin Daniels (“Modern Family”), Jessica McNamee (“The Vow”) and Kevin Bigley (“Game Change”). Leary and Fisher co-wrote the pilot and both executive produce the series. Jim Serpico ("Rescue Me") of Apostle, and Hal Vogel, David Aukin (“Hyde Park on Hudson”), and David Leachof Daybreak Pictures also executive produce. Filmed on location in Chicago, the series is from Apostle and Fox Television Studios, in conjunction with Daybreak Pictures.

PLAYING HOUSE is a single-camera buddy comedy about what happens when two best friends come back together, just when they need each other most.  The original half-hour series is inspired by the ultra-close friendship between St. Clairand Parham.  In PLAYING HOUSE, when mother to-be Maggie (Parham) asks her single and career-driven best friend Emma (St. Clair) to return home from her job overseas to attend her baby shower, she has no idea what’s truly in store. Parham and St. Clair co-wrote the presentation and will executive produce the series along with Scot Armstrong (“The Hangover: Part II,” “Old School”) and Ravi Nandan (“Best Friends Forever,” “Animal Practice”) of American Work.  The series is from Universal Cable Productions and American Work.

LOVE IS DEAD (pilot order): This single-camera comedy is set at a unique company that specializes in breaking-up romantic relationships-- rationally, compassionately, thoroughly -- on behalf of those who are willing to pay to not be around when it happens.  It’s the unconventional romantic comedy that asks:“Why, if love is so fickle, do we keep coming back for more?”  Written and executive produced by Zev Borow (“Chuck”), the pilot is from Universal Cable Productions and Gaumont International Television. Katie O’Connell, Elisa Roth, Sidonie Dumas and Christophe Riandee executive produce for Gaumont International Television.  The pilot is based on the award-winning French short film of the same name, written and directed by Eric Capitaine and produced by Carole Lambert and Carine Ruszniewski of De Films Aiguille.

New dramas news: Continuing to build on the network’s strength of signature original series, USA announced today a powerful new drama slate of upcoming development from high-profile auspices and homegrown series producers. The network also announced that it will start production on HORIZON,a period genre project from Executive Producer Gale AnneHurd (“Walking Dead”). USA’s newest original series GRACELAND, from WHITE COLLAR creator Jeff Eastin, will kick off the network’s summer slate of original dramas, featuring SUITS, BURN NOTICE, ROYAL PAINS, COVERT AFFAIRSand NECESSARY ROUGHNESS. The announcement was made in conjunction with USA’s Upfront (#USAupfront), which is being held today at Pier 36 in New York and emceed by the cast of SUITS.

“We have an incredibly strong pipeline of new drama in development from a collection of top writers in the industry, many of whom have enjoyed a successful track record at USA,” said Jeff Wachtel, co-president of USA Network. “Our drama development slate represents a broad range of themes, and ensures USA will continue to have a powerful mix of its dynamic originals as we plan for the future,” said Chris McCumber, co-president of USA Network. 
HORIZON is a period genre drama set at the height of World War II.  At a time when many American women took more significant roles in the workplace than ever before, a secretary at the FBI begins a secretive investigation into files that have been stamped with the codename “horizon.”  This mysterious project provides links to the death of her husband and the disappearance of a young girl, and has also - unbeknownst to her - aroused the interest of undercover Nazi spies working in the US. From Universal Cable Productions, Hurd will executive produce through her Valhalla Entertainment, with writer and co-executive producer Bridget Tyler (BURN NOTICE).  The pilot will go into production this summer.

USA’s drama slate includes:

THE ARRANGEMENT (Pilot Under Consideration)-From "Numb3rs" creators Cheryl Heuton and Nicolas Falacci this one-hour drama pilot is inspired by a short story from the Elmore Leonard anthology “When The Women Come Out To Dance.”  THE ARRANGEMENTtells the story of Lourdes Nieves (Stephanie Sigman, “Miss Bala”), a Columbian woman who trades her tragic and mysterious past for a fresh start in Miami by entering into a marriage with Billy Whitley (Bryan Greenberg, “How to Make It In America”), a well-meaning and ambitious politician.  In a union of political expediency, Lourdes and Billy manage a delicate dance of romance and clear-eyed pragmatism as she leverages her experience and contacts to help her husband battle the blood sport that is local Florida politics. From Universal Cable Productions and executive producers Doug Liman and DavidBartis of Hypnotic (SUITS, COVERT AFFAIRS), the pilot also stars Amanda Schull and Manolo Cardona.

THE EDGE – From Universal Cable Productions and Executive Producer John Legend’s Get Lifted Film Co. (“Get Lifted”), THE EDGE, written and executive produced by Adam Hoff and Justin Herber,is a thriller that explores one idealistic man’s journey after he leaves an NGO to join the world’s top venture capital firm. Jeff Cross believes he landed his dream job working with an elite team of progressive thinking investors who fund socially conscious projects to better the planet.  As he rises through the ranks, hediscovers a morally bankrupt workplace that perpetuates shadowy agendas to control governments, industries and global leaders to fill the firm’s coffers. If he goes up against this financial goliath, Jeff risks his soul and the lives of those closest to him.Mike Jackson and Ty Stiklorius of Get Lifted Film Co. also executive produce.

COMPLICATIONS – The story of an ER doctor whose life changes after he is involved in a gang shooting when he is forced to explore how active a doctor can be in treating the cause of his patients' medical problems. From Fox TV Studios, COMPLICATIONS is written and executive produced by BURN NOTICE creator Matt Nix.

BANK –After an unconventional act of heroism gives her the opportunity to choose her next assignment, a young FBI agent surprises everyone by choosing the bank crimes division in Los Angeles.  The city of LA is the epicenter of bank robberies in the U.S. with three to six banks robbed every day, representing 30% of all bank robberies in the country.  It takes a special kind of person to confront such an unrelenting tide of crime, leaving her peers suspicious of her intent. From Universal Cable Productions, writtenand co-executive producedby Nora Zuckerman and Lilla Zuckerman (“Fringe,” “Human Target”) and executive produced by Doug Liman and David Bartis of Hypnotic. 

BLANCO COUNTY – Based on a series of books by Ben Rehder, BLANCO COUNTY follows the story of John Marlin, a worldly pro baseball player who would rather spend his down time traveling the world than return to his small Texas hometown. After the death of his father, Marlin returns home to find a lot has changed since he left. The place is now booming with rich ranchers and tourists and there's an uneasy alliance between the locals and the nouveau rich. Believing the local cops to be inept, Marlin runs for sheriff and surprisingly wins. A man who spent his entire life running away from his roots must now adapt to a newway of life. From Tom Welling Productions and Rob Thomas Productions in association with Warner Horizon Television, BLANCO COUNTY is written by Rob Thomas (“Veronica Mars”) and executive produced by Thomas, Tom Welling, Danielle Stokdyk and Dan Etheridge.
DON’T TURN AROUND - A haunting limited series set on a beautiful but remote island. As the summer draws to an end and the vacationers/weekenders have all left the island, the young staff left behind is ready to finally let loose before they pack up as well. When an unexpected storm rolls across the island during the party, several people mysteriously vanish and turn up dead. Trapped on the island with no means of escape, the remaining group struggles to survive– against whatever is out there … and each other. From Grady Girl Productions in association with Warner Horizon Television, DON’T TURN AROUND is written by J.R. Orci, who executive produces with Dawn Olmstead.
HUNGRY – From ROYAL PAINSexecutive producer Michael Rauch and restaurateur Joe Bastianich, HUNGRY is an inside look at the opening of a New York City hot spot, inspired by Bastianich'slife and his New York Times bestseller “Restaurant Man.” Well versed in the toll that restaurant life can take on one’s relationships, the son of a famous chef nevertheless tries to open his own eatery. He juggles negotiating with teamsters, working the front of the house with high-end clientele, managing a large staff and finding time to follow his passion: cooking. He is monomaniacal in his pursuit of the perfect restaurant, at a steep cost to himself and those he loves. From Universal Cable Productions, HUNGRYis written and executive produced by Rauch and executive produced by Bastianich.

SHADOWCOUNSEL­ A legal thriller centered on Ethan, a former Army JAG attorney now working as a criminal lawyer in NY who is recruited by the FBI to crack an ongoing investigation.Ethan serves as a shadow counsel - a secret lawyer who operates behind the scenes and completely off the record to circumvent existing roadblocks (hired attorneys, interrogators, etc) in classified cases. Reluctantly agreeing to take the case, Ethan’s life rapidly descends into chaos as he finds himself on the run, unsure of who his friends are or who he can trust.  From Universal Cable Productions, SHADOW COUNSELis written and executive produced by Barry Schindel ("Castle") and executive produced by David Semel ("Hemlock Grove," "American Horror Story").

 Digital cross-platform plans: – USA Network today announced it is redefining how consumers watch and interact with TV by unifying the viewing experience - both visually & functionally - across all devices.  Using responsive design technology, USA has created a seamless experience for the fan, where content and engagement will be available across all screens, from the TV to the web to mobile.  USA is also refreshing its brand look and feel to complement its screen unification strategy. The announcement was made in conjunction with USA’s Upfront (#USAupfront), which is being held today at Pier 36 in New York.

Each digital touch point will offer TV Everywhere, gamification, and real-time social TV to amplify the viewers’ experience. With this new offering, USA’s marketing partners will have the unique opportunity to participate in branded experiences, extending their reach and directly connecting with fans. The new capabilities will start to go live on June 6, as USA’s summer of originals launches with BURN NOTICE and GRACELAND that night starting at 9/8c.

“As part of USA’s digital evolution, we are embracing this multiplatform world by marrying all of the screens for stronger two-way engagements with our compelling content,” says Alexandra Shapiro, executive vice president, USA Network. “We have eliminated the walls between TVs and mobile devices to give brands a unified and fluid fan interaction, organically extending their presence everywhere the consumer is.”
This new functionality will offer the unique ability for brands to live across any screen, going beyond traditional commercials to include transmedia storytelling experiences and streamed episodes. Using cutting-edge technology, USA will link on-air snipes and lower thirds graphics with their mobile device or desktop, enabling brands to engage on a deeper level with fans on every screen. Social media capabilities are integrated into the fabric of the site bringing people and brands together around live shows and extensions.
“USA Network's move to utilize a responsive design approach to create a consistent experience across devices that integrates video, interactivity, and social networking offers fans multiple attractive destinations in which to engage with their favorite content," said Greg Ireland, research manager, IDC, a leading market intelligence firm. "Television networks increasingly need to make content available to fans no matter where those fans are and what devices they are using, and seamless digital environments enable fan engagement with both content and brands."

USA partnered with key technology leaders to power its unification strategy, including Bunchball, Echo, Empathy Lab, RebelMouse, and Watchwith.
 

– USA Network today announced it is redefining how consumers watch and interact with TV by unifying the viewing experience - both visually & functionally - across all devices.  Using responsive design technology, USA has created a seamless experience for the fan, where content and engagement will be available across all screens, from the TV to the web to mobile.  USA is also refreshing its brand look and feel to complement its screen unification strategy. The announcement was made in conjunction with USA’s Upfront (#USAupfront), which is being held today at Pier 36 in New York.

Each digital touch point will offer TV Everywhere, gamification, and real-time social TV to amplify the viewers’ experience. With this new offering, USA’s marketing partners will have the unique opportunity to participate in branded experiences, extending their reach and directly connecting with fans. The new capabilities will start to go live on June 6, as USA’s summer of originals launches with BURN NOTICE and GRACELAND that night starting at 9/8c.

“As part of USA’s digital evolution, we are embracing this multiplatform world by marrying all of the screens for stronger two-way engagements with our compelling content,” says Alexandra Shapiro, executive vice president, USA Network. “We have eliminated the walls between TVs and mobile devices to give brands a unified and fluid fan interaction, organically extending their presence everywhere the consumer is.”

This new functionality will offer the unique ability for brands to live across any screen, going beyond traditional commercials to include transmedia storytelling experiences and streamed episodes. Using cutting-edge technology, USA will link on-air snipes and lower thirds graphics with their mobile device or desktop, enabling brands to engage on a deeper level with fans on every screen. Social media capabilities are integrated into the fabric of the site bringing people and brands together around live shows and extensions.

“USA Network's move to utilize a responsive design approach to create a consistent experience across devices that integrates video, interactivity, and social networking offers fans multiple attractive destinations in which to engage with their favorite content," said Greg Ireland, research manager, IDC, a leading market intelligence firm. "Television networks increasingly need to make content available to fans no matter where those fans are and what devices they are using, and seamless digital environments enable fan engagement with both content and brands."

USA is incorporating natural user experiences from mobile devices into the core architecture, making it easy for fans to engage and drill down into more immersive experiences. To facilitate viewing on all devices, the network is moving the digital navigation tools to the bottom of the screen, putting the content front and center for fans and placing the interactivity bar within a thumb’s reach.

USA partnered with key technology leaders to power its unification strategy, including Bunchball, Echo, Empathy Lab, RebelMouse, and Watchwith.

“Live from the Los Angeles basin, it’s Fridays!” For the first time ever on DVD, ABC’s cult hit Fridays is here! Shout! Factory will release The Best Of Fridays on DVD on August 6, complete with an introduction written by Co-Creator / Director John Moffitt, and a slate of bonus features that include a cast and writers reunion, “The Andy Kaufman Incident”: What Really Happened?, behind-the-scenes photos, and more!

Featuring Mark Blankfield, Maryedith Burrell, Darrow Igus, Brandis Kemp, Bruce Mahler, John Roarke, Fridays presented a hilariously twisted view of the early ‘80s to adventurous viewers on a weekly basis. Their outrageous characters – from the paranoid Drugs R Us Pharmacist to the rabbinical action heroes of Matzoi! to the laid-back Nat E. Dred, “The Rasta Gourmet” – left audiences laughing long into the wee hours of the night.

Originally airing from 1980 to 1982, these sixteen episodes showcase the edgy and subversive sketch comedy that helped launch the careers of Melanie Chartoff (Parker Lewis Can’t Lose), Larry David (Curb Your Enthusiasm), Michael Richards (Seinfeld), and more.

With vintage musical performances, including Devo, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Cars, The Clash, KISS, Graham Parker and The Rumour and more, as well as the show’s infamous guest appearances by stars such as Andy Kaufman, Billy Crystal, Valerie Harper, and William Shatner, Fridays proved that late-night live comedy wasn’t just for Saturday night.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

Cast And Writers Reunion

“The Andy Kaufman Incident” What Really Happened?

Behind-The-Scenes Photos

And More!

TNT and TBS, two of cable’s most successful brands, have unveiled an extensive slate of series being developed with some of the industry’s best storytellers. The slate reflects the network’s programming strategies, which were laid out by network executives during TNT and TBS’s annual Upfront presentation today in New York. Among the many high-profile storytellers developing new projects for TBS and TNT are Steven Spielberg, Steve Carell, Diablo Cody, Denis Leary, Sylvester Stallone, Dick Wolf, Nicholas Sparks, Marcia Clark, Dee Johnson, Walt Becker, Jamie Foxx and James Duff, to name a few.

“For a decade, we’ve been beating the drum the loudest – that cable is as good as broadcast,” said Steve Koonin, president of Turner Entertainment Networks, which includes TBS and TNT, as well as truTV and Turner Classic Movies (TCM). “Now, our industry has reached a tipping point. From creative strength to ratings power, cable has emerged as the leader in television. I’m proud of the role we’ve played at TNT and TBS. Today, we’re looking toward the next horizon – becoming a multiscreen video company serving multiple audiences.”

Koonin highlighted some of TBS and TNT’s successes in the multiscreen world, like inviting fans to re-create an entire episode of TBS’s CONAN through crowd-sourcing and fostering the creation of “Rizzles,” an online community of Rizzoli & Isles devotees who create fan fiction centering on their favorite TNT drama. Using a new, multi-dimensional research tool called ATHENA (Advanced Tool for Harnessing and Evaluating Network Audiences), TBS and TNT have begun to measure viewer engagement with the networks through social media and other digital platforms.
Koonin closed his remarks with the announcement that this summer, TBS and TNT will become the industry’s first national entertainment networks to offer live streaming of their on-air lineups 24/7.

David Levy, president of sales, distribution and sports, Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., spoke about the benefits TNT and TBS offer the advertising community. “We have a strong understanding of our audience and how they consume Turner’s brands and content across multiple screens, and we’re leveraging that to the advantage of our advertising partners,” Levy said. “With brands like TBS and TNT, the Turner portfolio consists of leading television networks, plus digital and mobile platforms. We are committed to creating great content that viewers want and that allows for advertisers to connect with our audience across multiple screens.”

Michael Wright, president, head of programming for TBS, TNT and Turner Classic Movies (TCM), rolled out TNT and TBS’s programming strategy and original series lineups for 2013-14. “This is a time of great changes in our business – new technologies, new distribution platforms, new creative voices,” Wright said. “But with all that exciting change, one thing remains constant: Great stories are the centerpiece of our business. And great stories come from great storytellers. Fortunately for us, some of the best, most talented storytellers in television are bringing their gifts to Turner.”
TNT and TBS’s new development slates mark extended relationships with Steven Spielberg, Dick Wolf and James Duff, who currently have projects with the networks. Other creative partners currently working with the networks include Frank Darabont, Jerry Bruckheimer, Mark Burnett, Michael M. Robin, Greer Shephard, Bill Lawrence, Vince Vaughn, Peter Billingsley, Rob Long, Jamie Tarses, David Baldacci, Michael Bay, Howard Gordon, Conan O’Brien, CeeLo Green, Dwayne Johnson, Howie Mandel and Funny Or Die, to name a few.

“We aim for creative distinction by giving our talented storytellers clear direction, then getting out of their way and encouraging them to tell their stories in their own unique voice,” Wright said. “TNT viewers can rely on us to consistently deliver accessible content, told by unique, powerful voices, and brought to life by distinctive onscreen talent – all working together to deliver that quality mainstream viewing experience.”

TNT has nine original series on tap this summer, including the return of such hit series as Rizzoli & Isles, Falling Skies, Major Crimes, Perception and Franklin & Bash. TNT will also launch the new crime drama King & Maxwell, starring Jon Tenney and Rebecca Romijn, and three new unscripted series, The Hero, a competition series headlined by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson; 72 Hours, a race-against-the-clock competition hosted by Brandon Johnson; and Cold Justice, an unscripted procedural from Law & Order producer Dick Wolf.

Coming later in the year to TNT are the new series Lost Angels, an eagerly anticipated scripted drama from Frank Darabont; S.O.B. (Save Our Business), an unscripted makeover series featuring entrepreneur Peter Jones; and Marshal Law: Texas, an unscripted procedural from Jerry Bruckheimer. In 2014, TNT will launch two new scripted dramas: The Last Ship, starring Eric Dane and executive-produced by Michael Bay, and Legends, starring Sean Bean and executive-produced by Homeland‘s Howard Gordon. TNT will also roll out the unscripted series Life Flight, an in-depth look at heroic air-ambulance teams; Nashville Confidential, a docudrama set in the country music capital; and Inside Job, which puts executive job candidates through a unique screening process.

In addition, TNT has two pilots currently under consideration: an untitled bounty-hunter drama starring Oscar® winner Geena Davis and executive-produced by Dean Devlin, and Murder in the First, a new crime drama from Steven Bochco starring Taye Diggs and Kathleen Robertson.

Turning to TBS, Wright talked about the network’s “smart with heart” strategy. “‘Smart with heart’ means we look for projects from funny writers with strong voices who tend to create shows that are inherently optimistic and big hearted, giving them the accessibility of broadcast comedies – and equally importantly – making them a great fit with The Big Bang Theory, one of the most accessible comedies in recent memory,” he said.

TBS’s slate of original programming includes three sitcoms that successfully launched out of The Big Bang Theory: Men at Work, currently in its second season; Sullivan & Son, which returns for its second season in June; and Cougar Town, which returns for its fifth season in 2014. The lineup also includes unscripted and alternative fare like the hit King of the Nerds, which returns for its second season in 2014, as well as the upcoming Deon Cole’s Black Box, starring CONAN writer and actor Deon Cole; Deal With It, a hidden-camera competition series hosted by Theo Von and executive-produced by Howie Mandel; Bam’s Bad Ass Game Show, an over-the-top competition series hosted by Jackass star Bam Margera; and Trust Me, I’m a Game Show Host, a new series from Mark Burnett and featuring D.L. Hughley and Michael Ian Black as deceitful hosts.

TBS just recently announced series pickups for Ground Floor, a workplace comedy with a romantic twist from Cougar Town executive producer Bill Lawrence, and The CeeLo Life (working title), an unscripted series that will follow Grammy winner CeeLo Green as he works his way through jam-packed days and nights. And this November, TBS will launch a new late-night series hosted by comedian and podcast superstar Pete Holmes and set to air following CONAN.

The following is a rundown of new and returning series on the slate for TNT and TBS, as well as descriptions of scripted and unscripted series being developed for the networks.
TNT Original Series Lineup
The Hero – Series Premiere: Thursday, June 6, at 8 p.m. (ET/PT)
72 Hours – Series Premiere: Thursday, June 6, at 9 p.m. (ET/PT)
Falling Skies – Two-Hour Season 3 Premiere: Sunday, June 9, at 9 p.m. (ET/PT) – Regular Timeslot: Sundays at 10 p.m. (ET/PT)
Major Crimes – Season 2 Premiere: Monday, June 10, at 9 p.m. (ET/PT)
King & Maxwell – Series Premiere: Monday, June 10, at 10 p.m. (ET/PT)
Franklin & Bash – Season 3 Premiere: Wednesday, June 19, at 9 p.m. (ET/PT)
Rizzoli & Isles – Season 4 Premiere: Tuesday, June 25, at 9 p.m. (ET/PT)
Perception – Season 2 Premiere: Tuesday, June 25, at 10 p.m. (ET/PT)
Cold Justice – Series Premiere: Tuesday, Sept. 3, at 10 p.m. (ET/PT)
Lost Angels – New Series: Late 2013
S.O.B. (Save Our Business) – New Series: Late 2013
Marshal Law: Texas – New Series: Late 2013
Dallas – Season 3: Early 2014
Life Flight – New Series: Early 2014
Nashville Confidential – New Series: Early 2014
Boston’s Finest – Season 2: Early 2014
Inside Job – New Series: 2014
The Last Ship – New Series: 2014
Legends – New Series: 2014
TBS Original Series Lineup
Men at Work – Season 2: Thursdays at 10 p.m. (ET/PT)
Who Gets the Last Laugh? – New Series: Tuesdays at 10 p.m. (ET/PT)
Deon Cole’s Black Box – New Series Premiere: Wednesday, June 12, at 10 p.m. (ET/PT)
Sullivan & Son – Season 2 Premiere: Thursday, June 13, at 10 p.m. (ET/PT)
Deal With It – New Series Premiere: Tuesday, July 16, at 10 p.m. (ET/PT)
Trust Me, I’m a Game Show Host – New Series: Late 2013
Untitled Pete Holmes Late Night Show – New Series: November 2013
Cougar Town – Season 5: Early 2014
King of the Nerds – Season 2: Early 2014
Bam’s Bad Ass Game Show – New Series: 2014
Ground Floor – New Series: 2014
The CeeLo Life (working title) – New Series: 2014
TNT Scripted Development
Portal House
This project is the story of a group of young scientists who, while investigating what they believe to be a haunted house, stumble upon a portal into the time-space continuum. Things then take a turn for the worse when one of their own vanishes into the portal.
– Executive Producers: Steven Spielberg, Justin Falvey, Darryl Frank, Scott Rosenberg (writer), Jeff Pinkner (writer), Josh Appelbaum (writer) and Andre Nemec (writer)
– Production Company/Studio: Amblin Television
Peter Gunn
This re-imagining of the classic post-modern Blake Edwards-Craig Stevens’ series centers on a gentleman private eye who is not above getting his bespoke suit and tie dirty, if that’s what it takes to bring down the bad guys, save his hometown and win back the love of the gal he left behind.
– Executive Producers: Steven Spielberg, Justin Falvey, Darryl Frank, Julie Andrews, Lou Pitt, Scott Rosenberg (writer), Jeff Pinkner (writer), Josh Appelbaum (writer), Andre Nemec (writer)
– Production Company/Studio: Amblin Television
The Last Cop
Life can seem to pass in the blink of an eye, but for LAPD cop Mick Branigan it actually did in this project based on the hit German series. After almost 20 years in a coma, Mick awakens to a changed world – his loving wife has moved on, his teenage daughter doesn’t know him, and his old police force bears no resemblance to the one he knew in the ’90s.
– Executive Producers: Sylvester Stallone, Kevin King, Mikkel Bondesen, Chris Fedak (writer) and Kristen Campo (co-executive producer)
– Production Company/Studio: Fuse Entertainment, Fox Television Studios
A Bend in the Road
This character drama based on Nicholas Sparks’ book is set in a resort town. Sheriff Miles Ryan is known for his keen ability to solve crimes and his deep understanding of the town’s citizens. But what Miles doesn’t realize is just how many secrets are buried beneath the very streets he walks – the most unsettling having to do with the unsolved murder of his wife.
– Executive Producers: Nicholas Sparks, Theresa Park and Brandon Camp (writer)
– Production Company/Studio: Nicholas Sparks Productions, Warner Horizon Television
Guilt by Association
Based on the debut novel by Marcia Clark, lead prosecutor in the O.J. Simpson trial, this project centers on Rachel Knight, a gutsy Deputy District Attorney in the Special Trials Unit of the D.A.’s office for L.A. County. She works closely with a tough-as-nails female LAPD detective named Bailey Keller and a stylish female prosecutor named Toni LaCollette, both of whom routinely crash at Rachel’s place.
– Executive Producers: Marcia Clark (writer), Dee Johnson (writer) and Nelson McCormick (director)
Lew Archer
Based on the title character from Ross McDonald’s popular novels, this project from The Closer creator James Duff and Close to Home creator Jim Leonard follows the sleuth many consider to be “the original P.I.”
– Executive Producers: James Duff, Jim Leonard (writer) and Steve N. White.
– Production Company/Studio: Warner Horizon Television.
Crushed
This primetime soap focuses on two rich lovers: Caz, whose father, Jeremy owns Terra Winery, and Daphne, Jeremy’s young wife. When Jeremy announces that he has amended his will to leave them each 50% of the business, their rivalry gets the better of them. They make a unique bet to determine who has the best seductive powers.
– Executive Producers/Writers: Sara Parriott and Josann McGibbon
– Production Company/Studio: Prospect Park, Universal Cable Productions

TBS Scripted Development
Bad Parents
Between sexting and house parties, flashing and crushing on teachers, it’s hard to figure out who the kids are and who the adults are in this half hour comedy centered on four couples who must navigate the responsibilities of parenthood while holding on to the last bastions of their youth.
– Executive Producers: Walt Becker, Andrew Panay and Brent Golberg (writer)
Tribeca (working title)
The brainchild of Steve and Nancy Carell, Tribeca is a comedy anchored by heroine Angie Tribeca ,a 10-year veteran of the LAPD’s elite RHCU (Really Heinous Crimes Unit). The show explores an eccentric but brilliant group of people who investigate crime, reveal way too much personal information about themselves and refuse to rest until justice has been served. These dedicated men and women are more than counter-intuitive; they are non-intuitive.
– Executive Producers: Steve Carell and Nancy Carell
– Production Company/Studio: Carousel Television
Dad, Stop Embarrassing Me
Every teenager is embarrassed by his/her parents. But what if your dad decided to descend upon your life in every way? Inspired by Jamie Foxx’s relationship with his 18-year-old daughter, this comedy explores the dynamic between a parent and a child and all the embarrassment that comes with it.
– Executive Producers: Jamie Foxx and Jaime King
– Writer: Marsh McCall & Jamie Foxx
– Production Company/Studio: Foxx/King Entertainment
Dream House (working title)
When a young guy has the chance to buy the house of his dreams, he quickly discovers that the owner, a seemingly feeble old man, is actually a grifter who manages to sell the house and become his roommate.
– Executive Producers: Elizabeth Banks and Max Handelman
– Writers: Dottie Zicklin and Eric Zicklin
– Production Company/Studio: Warner Horizon Television
Clipsters
Written by the creators of Will & Grace, this ensemble workplace comedy revolves around an eclectic cast of stylists working in a barbershop in the Boston suburb of Worcester, Mass.
– Executive Producers/Writers: David Kohan and Max Mutchnick
– Production Company/Studio: KoMut Entertainment
TNT Unscripted Development
Burn
From executive producer Denis Leary, Burn is an action-packed docudrama told through the eyes of Detroit firefighters, who are charged with the task of saving a city that many have written off as dead. Burn will take viewers closer than ever to the fires and the lives of the men and women who fight them, exploring human struggles, hope and personal courage in the face of overwhelming odds.
– Executive Producers: Denis Leary, Tom Putnam, Brenna Sanchez and Jim Serpico
– Production Company/Studio: Apostle Pictures, Inc. and Callbox
Cop Swap
From legendary producer Dick Wolf comes a unique unscripted format. Each week, two law enforcement officials from diverse backgrounds and departments immerse themselves in each other’s lives and jobs in an effort to learn something that will make them better officers, partners and citizens of the law. When all is said and done, the cops reflect on their mutual journeys, and reveal new perspectives on what it means to protect and serve.
– Executive Producers: Dick Wolf, Tom Thayer and Rasha Drachkovitch
– Production Company/Studio: Wolf Films, 44 Blue Productions
Monopoly
From the iconic toy and game company Hasbro comes the reality version of the popular game. Eight two-person teams will play a game of real-world Monopoly with a huge cash prize at stake. Just like the iconic game, the ultimate goal is to amass as much property and wealth as possible in this game that requires strategy, business acumen, people skills and chance.
– Executive Producers: Stephen J. Davis, Kevin Belinkoff, Dan Cutforth and Jane Lipsitz
– Production Company/Studio: The Magical Elves, Hasbro Studios
The Big Deal
From the producers of The Biggest Loser and MasterChef comes the biggest treasure hunt America has ever seen. Teams of antique and collectible enthusiasts from across the country compete in an epic scavenger hunt for the chance to win thousands in cash.
– Executive Producers: Eden Gaha and Paul Franklin
– Production Company/Studio: Shine America
TBS Unscripted Development
Me Time with Diablo Cody
Oscar®-winner Diablo Cody, the creator of United States of Tara and Young Adult, brings her signature charm and style to the screen as host of her own show. Tailored around Diablo’s unique perspective on all things pop culture and told in her very own tongue-in-cheek way, Me Time with Diablo Cody will reveal a side of Hollywood and celebs that the public very rarely gets to see.
– Executive Producers: Mark Cronin, Courtland Cox and Diablo Cody
– Production Company/Studio: 51 Minds
Cheeseheads (working title)
Green Bay, Wis., is home to the World Famous Green Bay Packers and their fans: The Cheeseheads. These citizens don’t just bleed green and gold; they eat victory for breakfast. For them, being a Cheesehead is more than just being a fan. It’s a way of life. This show will take viewers into the hilarious subculture through the eyes of a group of proud Wisconsinites as they navigate life in the only way they know how – loud, proud and with lots of beer. For these folks, there is no off-season.
– Executive Producers: Jason Carbone
– Production Company/Studio: Good Clean Fun








































 

"Starting this summer, subscribers will be able to watch TBS and TNT live – anytime, anywhere, on multiple devices," Steve Koonin, president of Turner Entertainment Networks, told the Upfront audience. "Tablets and smartphones become television sets, bringing new opportunities for us and for advertisers."

TNT and TBS will begin their live streaming just as both networks are in the midst of the their summer programming, which for TNT includes returning series Rizzoli & Isles, Falling Skies, Major Crimes, Perception, Franklin & Bash and newcomers King & Maxwell, The Hero, 72 Hours and Cold Justice. TBS's summer lineup includes the second season of the hit sitcom Sullivan & Son and the new series Deon Cole's Black Box, and Deal With It. Also available through live streaming will be TNT's award-winning coverage of the NBA, including the regular season, playoffs and All-Star Weekend; TBS's regular-season and playoff coverage of Major League Baseball; and both network's coverage of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship.

The TNT and TBS live streams will be available through http://www.tntdrama.com and http://www.tbs.com, as well as through the networks' newly created iPhone/iPad apps, with additional platforms added by the end of the year. The free Watch TNT and Watch TBS apps will be made available just prior to the live-streaming launch. To watch the live streams, viewers will be required to log in using their cable/satellite-provider account information.

Complete details about TNT and TBS's live streaming plans, including the launch date, will be announced in the coming weeks.

CBS will finish the current season as the top-rated network in viewers for the 10th time in 11 seasons, #1 in the adults 25-54 demographic and #1 in adults 18-49 for the first time since the 1991-1992 season.

For next fall, the Network is increasing its comedy lineup with four new comedies, expanding its comedy block on Thursdays from 8:00-10:00 PM and creating an encore hour for comedy broadcasts on Saturdays.

The new comedies are THE CRAZY ONES, a single-camera comedy from executive producer David E. Kelley starring Robin Williams and Sarah Michelle Gellar; THE MILLERS, a multi-generational family comedy from executive producer Greg Garcia starring Will Arnett, Margo Martindale, Beau Bridges and JB Smoove; MOM, an edgy family comedy from executive producer Chuck Lorre starring Anna Faris and Allison Janney; and WE ARE MEN, an ensemble single-camera comedy starring Tony Shalhoub, Kal Penn, Chris Smith and Jerry O’Connell. 

Two new dramas have been scheduled for Mondays at 10:00 PM.  HOSTAGES, the serialized suspense thriller from executive producer Jerry Bruckheimer starring Toni Collette and Dylan McDermott, premieres in the fall, building to a season finale in January.  Soon after, INTELLIGENCE, a high-octane action drama starring Josh Holloway, Marg Helgenberger and Meghan Ory, moves into the time period for the remainder of the season.  

The freshman series will be joined by 20 returning shows including NCIS, the season’s most watched show; THE BIG BANG THEORY, the season’s #1 comedy in viewers and demos; 60 MINUTES, the season’s #1 news magazine; and ELEMENTARY, the season’s #1 new drama.

The other returning series include: HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER, 2 BROKE GIRLS, NCIS: LOS ANGELES, PERSON OF INTEREST, SURVIVOR, CRIMINAL MINDS, CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION, TWO AND A HALF MEN,  UNDERCOVER BOSS, HAWAII FIVE-0, BLUE BLOODS,  48 HOURS, THE AMAZING RACE, THE GOOD WIFE  and THE MENTALIST.

In addition, the proven hit returning comedy MIKE & MOLLY, starring Academy Award nominee Melissa McCarthy and Billy Gardell; the new steamy legal drama RECKLESS; and the new romantic comedy FRIENDS WITH BETTER LIVES are set for mid-season.

The new 2013-2014 schedule is:

On Monday, the veteran comedy HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER begins its climatic final season at 8:00 PM, providing a strong lead-in for the new single-camera ensemble comedy WE ARE MEN at 8:30 PM. The top-rated comedy of the night, 2 BROKE GIRLS, is at 9:00 PM, seamlessly leading into the new Chuck Lorre comedy MOM at 9:30 PM.  At 10:00 PM, HOSTAGES will launch in the fall, building to a season finale in January.  Soon after, INTELLIGENCE will take over the time period for the season.   

On Tuesdays, CBS makes a key scheduling move at 10:00 PM, creating a powerhouse lineup in which the three top-rated dramas on television now air on the same night. The most-watched series on television, NCIS, returns at 8:00 PM, followed by the #2-rated drama NCIS: LOS ANGELES at 9:00 PM. The #3-rated drama and fastest-growing series, PERSON OF INTEREST, caps the night at 10:00 PM. 

On Wednesday, CBS’s strong lineup returns with the popular reality series SURVIVOR kicking off the night at 8:00 PM. The highest-rated drama of the night, CRIMINAL MINDS, returns at 9:00 PM, followed by the time-period-winning CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION at 10:00 PM. 

On Thursday, CBS is expanding its comedy lineup from 8:00-10:00 PM. The #1-rated comedy, THE BIG BANG THEORY, returns at 8:00 PM, giving a powerful lead-in to the new Will Arnett comedy THE MILLERS. THE CRAZY ONES, featuring the return to series television of the legendary Robin Williams, opens the new comedy hour at 9:00 PM, followed by the return of the #2-rated comedy on TV, TWO AND A HALF MEN, at 9:30 PM. The #1-rated new drama, ELEMENTARY, caps the night at 10:00 PM. 

On Friday, CBS moves an established drama to the middle of the lineup to strengthen a winning night. At 8:00 PM, the Emmy Award-winning and time period leader UNDERCOVER BOSS returns. The popular drama HAWAII FIVE-0 establishes a new beachhead at 9:00 PM, leading perfectly into BLUE BLOODS, the top-rated series of the night, at 10:00 PM.   

On Saturdays, CBS has another hour of comedy. COMEDYTIME will feature encore broadcasts of the Network’s hit comedies at 8:00 PM, followed by the popular CRIMETIME programming at 9:00 PM, and the night’s top-rated broadcast 48 HOURS at 10:00 PM. 

On Sunday, CBS’s critically acclaimed lineup returns intact with the top-rated, award-winning news magazine 60 MINUTES  at 7:00 PM, followed by Emmy Award winner THE AMAZING RACE at 8:00 PM, the critical favorite THE GOOD WIFE at 9:00 PM and THE MENTALIST at 10:00 PM.

The Comedies:

WE ARE MEN is a single-camera comedy about four single guys living in a short-term apartment complex who unexpectedly find camaraderie over their many missteps in love.  Carter (Chris Smith), the youngest and most recent addition to the group, moved in after being ditched at the altar mid-ceremony, and is now eager to re-enter the dating scene and get on with his life with some guidance from his “band of brothers”:  Frank Russo (Golden Globe and multiple Emmy Award winner Tony Shalhoub), a successful middle-aged clothing manufacturer and four-time divorcée who still fancies himself a ladies man; Gil Bartis (Kal Penn), a small business owner who was caught having the world’s worst affair; and Stuart Strickland (Jerry O’Connell), a speedo-wearing OB/GYN who’s hiding his assets until his second divorce is settled.  Jill (Rebecca Breeds) is Frank’s charming and attractive daughter, who stands as the one positive remnant from his failed relationships. Armed with a hot tub, pool-side barbeque and plenty of questionable advice, these losers in the marriage department take Carter under their wing to impart their own brand of wisdom about the opposite sex.  Emmy Award winner Rob Greenberg, Eric Tannenbaum and Kim Tannenbaum are executive producers for CBS Television Studios. Rob Greenberg directed the pilot.

MOM is a comedy from executive producer Chuck Lorre starring Anna Faris as a newly sober single mom raising two children in a world full of temptations and pitfalls, and multiple Emmy Award winner Allison Janney as her critical, estranged mother.  Christy (Faris) is a waitress at a posh Napa Valley establishment who is four months clean and doing her best to be a good mom and overcome a history of questionable choices. Her sobriety is tested when Bonnie (Janney), her recovering alcoholic mom, reappears chock-full of passive-aggressive insights into Christy’s many mistakes. Bonnie joins Christy’s already complicated circle of relationships: her handsome, married boss – and lover – Gabriel (Nate Corddry); the restaurant’s hot-tempered chef, Rudy (French Stewart); her pretty, 16-going-on-25-year-old daughter, Violet (Sadie Calvano); her sweet but overly honest son, Roscoe (Blake Garrett Rosenthal); her irresponsible ex-husband and Roscoe’s father, Baxter (Matt Jones); and Violet’s clueless boyfriend, Luke (Spencer Daniels). Christy tries to remain positive as she pursues her new path in life, but she faces an uphill battle, surrounded by a dubious support system – and a copious amount of dysfunction. Chuck Lorre and Eddie Gorodetsky (“Two and a Half Men” and “The Big Bang Theory”) are executive producers for Chuck Lorre Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television. Pamela Fryman directed the pilot. Gemma Baker co-wrote the pilot with Lorre and Gorodetsky.

THE MILLERS stars Will Arnett as Nathan Miller, a recently divorced local roving news reporter looking forward to living the singles’ life until his parents’ marital problems unexpectedly derail his plans. After Nathan finally breaks the news of his divorce to his parents, Carol (Emmy Award winner Margo Martindale) and Tom (Emmy Award winner Beau Bridges), his father is inspired to follow suit and stuns the family when he leaves his wife of 43 years.   Already in shock, Jack is even more aghast when his meddlesome mom decides to move in with him. Meanwhile, his absent-minded dad imposes upon Nathan’s sister, Debbie, her husband Adam and their daughter Mykayla (Eve Moon). Nathan’s best friend and news cameraman, Ray (JB Smoove), was excited to be Nathan’s wingman in the dating scene, but Carol manages to even cramp his style. Now, as Nathan and his sister settle in with their truly impossible parents, they both wonder just how long the aggravating adjustment period is going to last. Greg Garcia (“Raising Hope” and “My Name is Earl”) is the executive producer of THE MILLERS for CBS Television Studios. Emmy Award winner James Burrows directed the pilot.

Academy Award winner Robin Williams returns to series television in THE CRAZY ONES, a single-camera workplace comedy about a larger-than-life advertising genius whose unorthodox methods and unpredictable behavior would get him fired… if he weren’t the boss.  Simon Roberts (Williams) is the head of a powerful agency, with the biggest clients and brands in the world, but even more important to him is that his daughter Sydney (Sarah Michelle Gellar) is by his side. As his partner, Sydney is Simon’s exact opposite – focused, organized and eager to make a name for herself, but also too busy parenting her father, which she’d resent if he wasn’t so brilliant at what he does.  Joining them in the firm are the dashing and talented Zach (James Wolk); art director Andrew (Hamish Linklater), who’s as hard-working as he is neurotic; and the beautiful and deceptively smart assistant Lauren (Amanda Setton).  With his team and his daughter behind him, Simon continues to set the advertising world on fire, and it looks like they are definitely buying what these crazy ones are selling.  Emmy and Golden Globe Award winner David E. Kelley (“Ally McBeal” and “The Practice”), Bill D’Elia, Emmy Award winner Jason Winer (“Modern Family”), Dean Lorey, John Montgomery and Mark Teitelbaum are executive producers for Twentieth Century Fox Television. Jason Winer directed the pilot.

The Drama:

HOSTAGES, from executive producer Jerry Bruckheimer, is a high-octane suspense drama starring Emmy Award winner Toni Collette as a premiere surgeon thrust into a chilling political conspiracy when her family is taken hostage by rogue FBI Agent Duncan Carlisle (Dylan McDermott). Dr. Ellen Sanders (Collette) and her family are held captive in their home by Carlisle, a desperate man doing the wrong thing for the right reasons, who orders her to assassinate the President (James Naughton) when she operates on him.  His  highly  skilled  accomplices  include his brother-in-law Kramer (Rhys Coiro), whose loyalty to Carlisle will be tested; quick-tempered and intimidating Archer (Billy Brown), an ex-military man with a razor-sharp tongue; and the only woman involved, Sandrine (Sandrine Holt), a mysterious last-minute replacement to the team.  With her family’s life in peril, Ellen faces an incomprehensible moral dilemma in order to save her overbearing husband Brian (Tate Donovan), her secretive daughter Morgan (Quinn Shephard) and her not-so-innocent son Jake (Mateus Ward). In this high-stakes standoff between Ellen and Carlisle, fraught with tremendous national and personal consequences, the choices between right and wrong become even more blurred. Jerry Bruckheimer, Jonathan Littman, Jeffrey Nachmanoff, Rick Eid, Omri Givon, Rotem Shamir and Chayim Sharir are executive producers for Jerry Bruckheimer Television in association with Warner Bros. Television.

Mid-Season:

INTELLIGENCE is a dramatic thriller starring Josh Holloway as a high-tech intelligence operative enhanced with a super-computer microchip in his brain. With this implant, Gabriel (Holloway) is the first human ever to be connected directly into the worldwide information grid and have complete access to Internet, WiFi, telephone and satellite data.  He can hack into any data center and access key intel in the fight to protect the United States from its enemies. Leading the elite government cyber-security agency created to support him is Director Lillian Strand (Marg Helgenberger), a straightforward and efficient boss who oversees the unit’s missions. Strand assigns Riley Neal (Meghan Ory), a Secret Service agent, to protect Gabriel from outside threats, as well as from his appetite for reckless, unpredictable behavior and disregard for protocol.  Other skilled members of the Cybercom team include Chris Jameson (Michael Rady) and Gonzalo “Gonzo” Rodriguez (James Martinez), two resourceful federal investigators. The brains behind the design of the chip is Dr. Shenendoah Cassidy (John Billingsley), whose son, Nelson (PJ Byrne), is jealous of Gabriel’s prominent place in his father’s life. As the first supercomputer with a beating heart, Gabriel is the most valuable piece of technology the country has ever created and is the U.S.’s secret weapon. Michael Seitzman, René Echevarria, Tripp Vinson, and David Semel (for pilot) are executive producers for ABC Television Studios in association with CBS Television Studios.

RECKLESS is a sultry legal drama set in Charleston, S.C., where a gorgeous Yankee litigator and a charming Southern attorney must hide their intense mutual attraction as a police sex scandal threatens to tear the city apart. Jamie Sawyer (Anna Wood) is enviously cool, confident and armed with south-side-of-Chicago street-smarts as she takes on the good ol’ boys in the South. Her handsome courtroom rival, Roy Rayder (Cam Gigandet), a divorced father of two, embodies the Old South and is the newly minted City Attorney, thanks to his influential former father-in-law, Dec Fortnum (Gregory Harrison). When disgraced cop Lee Anne Marcus (Georgina Haig) hires Jamie to represent her in a lawsuit against the police department, Jamie and Roy discover that Lee Anne is at the epicenter of a sinister case with dire implications for the members of the Charleston P.D.  Heading that department is Deputy Chief Holland Knox (Michael Gladis), a family man who radiates integrity.  Working under him are Terry McCandless (Shawn Hatosy), a cocky and corrupt detective, and Preston Cruz (Adam Rodriguez), Jamie’s well-respected boyfriend who might not be all that he appears. Helping Jamie is her confidante and paralegal, Vi (Kim Wayans), an expert at digging up case-winning information. As Jamie and Roy spar in and out of the courtroom, dark secrets simmer behind every door and threaten to tarnish the genteel facade of seductive Charleston. Ian Sander, Kim Moses, Dana Stevens, Corey Miller and Catherine Hardwicke are executive producers for CBS Television Studios. Catherine Hardwicke (“Twilight”) directed the pilot.

FRIENDS WITH BETTER LIVES is a romantic comedy about six friends at different stages in their lives – married, divorced, newly engaged and single – who are outwardly happy, but secretly questioning if their friends have it better.  Andi (Majandra Delfino) and Bobby (Kevin Connolly) are happily married with two kids but at times long for the days they had less responsibility and more fun; Will (James Van Der Beek) is newly single and preaching the bachelor lifestyle, but still pining for his ex-wife; Jules (Brooklyn Decker) and Lowell (Rick Donald) are high on their passionate new relationship; and Kate (Zoe Lister Jones) has a successful career but may take a swan dive into the L.A. River when she finds out her last remaining single friend, Jules, just got engaged.  When it comes to relationships, these six friends are finding it a challenge to look at each other without wondering… who really has the better life?  Dana Klein and Aaron Kaplan are executive producers for Twentieth Century Fox Television.  Emmy Award winner James Burrows directed the pilot.

CBS TELEVISION NETWORK

2013-2014 PRIME TIME SCHEDULE

(N=New, NT=New Time, all times ET/PT)

MONDAY

8:00-8:30 PM              HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER

8:30-9:00 PM              WE ARE MEN (N)

9:00-9:30 PM              2 BROKE GIRLS

9:30-10:00 PM            MOM (N)

10:00-11:00 PM          HOSTAGES (N)

INTELLIGENCE (Mid-Season) (N)

TUESDAY

8:00-9:00 PM              NCIS

9:00-10:00 PM            NCIS: LOS ANGELES

10:00-11:00 PM          PERSON OF INTEREST (NT)

WEDNESDAY

8:00-9:00 PM              SURVIVOR

9:00-10:00 PM            CRIMINAL MINDS

10:00-11:00 PM          CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION

THURSDAY

8:00-8:30 PM              THE BIG BANG THEORY

8:30-9:00 PM              THE MILLERS (N)

9:00-9:30 PM              THE CRAZY ONES (N)

9:30-10:00 PM            TWO AND A HALF MEN (NT)

10:00-11:00 PM          ELEMENTARY

FRIDAY

8:00-9:00 PM              UNDERCOVER BOSS

9:00-10:00 PM            HAWAII FIVE-0 (NT)

10:00-11:00 PM          BLUE BLOODS

SATURDAY

8:00-8:30 PM              COMEDYTIME SATURDAY (N)

8:30-9:00 PM              COMEDYTIME SATURDAY (N)

9:00-10:00 PM            CRIMETIME SATURDAY

10:00-11:00 PM          48 HOURS

SUNDAY

7:00-8:00 PM              60 MINUTES

8:00-9:00 PM              THE AMAZING RACE

9:00-10:00 PM            THE GOOD WIFE

10:00-11:00 PM          THE MENTALIST

“We are taking some big swings with groundbreaking shows this season, and staying close to our roots with smart and sophisticated storytelling. ABC is known for its combination of innovation and stability, and our new schedule reflects that. We’re bringing back the shows that viewers have embraced and enhancing the lineup with a slate of exciting new series,” said Lee.

New series for the 2013-14 season are “Back in the Game,” “Betrayal,” “The Goldbergs,” “Killer Women,” “Lucky 7,” “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,” “Mind Games,” “Mixology,” “Once Upon a Time in Wonderland,” “Resurrection,” “Super Fun Night,” “Trophy Wife” and new alternative series “The Quest.”

“America’s Funniest Home Videos,” “The Bachelor,” “Castle,” “Dancing with the Stars,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Last Man Standing,” “The Middle,” “Modern Family,” “Nashville,” “The Neighbors,” “Once Upon a Time,” “Revenge,” “Scandal,” “Shark Tank,” “Suburgatory,” “The Taste” and “20/20” will return.

“Dancing with the Stars” will now air from 8:00-10:00 p.m., on Mondays, integrating the performance show and results show into one night and making each episode action-packed event television.

ABC has also picked up Pixar special “Toy Story of Terror,” starring the original voice cast from the hit film.

A balanced slate of new series and returning hits delivered strong results for ABC in the 2012-13 season. ABC claims 6 of the Top 20 broadcast dramas for the season in Adults 18-49, with “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Once Upon a Time,” “Revenge,” “Scandal,” “Castle” and “Nashville.” ABC is the No. 1 network on Friday nights this season in Adults 18-49, growing 13% to deliver its top rating on the night in 4 years– since the 2008/09 season.

Photos of the new pilots are available to download at www.abcmedianet.com.
Video will be available on these two websites starting at 1:00 p.m. PT/4:00 p.m. ET:
www.ABCmedianet.com/Specials/Upfront13/index.shtml
www.DisneyABCVideo.com/Upfront2013
Fall premiere dates will be announced at a later time. Please note shows picked up but not listed on the schedule will debut later in the 2013-14 season.

ABC’s fall primetime schedule is as follows (all times listed are Eastern):

MONDAY: 8:00 p.m.  “Dancing with the Stars”
10:00 p.m. “Castle”

TUESDAY: 8:00 p.m. “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”
9:00 p.m. “The Goldbergs”
9:30 p.m. “Trophy Wife”
10:00 p.m. “Lucky 7”

WEDNESDAY: 8:00 p.m. “The Middle”
8:30 p.m. “Back in the Game”
9:00 p.m. “Modern Family”
9:30 p.m. “Super Fun Night”
10:00 p.m. “Nashville”

THURSDAY: 8:00 p.m. “Once Upon a Time in Wonderland”
9:00 p.m. “Grey’s Anatomy”
10:00 p.m. “Scandal”

FRIDAY: 8:00 p.m. “Last Man Standing”
8:30 p.m. “The Neighbors”
9:00 p.m. “Shark Tank”
10:00 p.m. “20/20”

SATURDAY: 8:00 p.m. “Saturday Night College Football”
SUNDAY: 7:00 p.m. “America’s Funniest Home Videos”
8:00 p.m. “Once Upon a Time”
9:00 p.m. “Revenge”
10:00 p.m. “Betrayal”

NEW FALL AND MIDSEASON SERIES:

DRAMA

“BETRAYAL”
A chance meeting between photographer Sara Hadley (Hannah Ware) and Attorney Jack McAllister (Stuart Townsend) leads to an instant and undeniable attraction. Sarah’s husband, Drew (Chris Johnson), is a successful prosecutor with political aspirations, while Jack is married to Elaine (Wendy Moniz), the daughter of his boss, Thacher Karsten (James Cromwell). When Karsten’s brother-in-law Lou is murdered, all evidence points to Karsten’s son, T.J. (Henry Thomas). Jack, the company’s lead counsel, will have to defend him, but for Sara’s prosecutor husband, Drew, this is the kind of high-profile murder case that can secure his political future. Just as Sara and Jack’s affair is starting, the lovers find themselves in an impossible situation -- on opposite sides of a murder investigation.
“Betrayal” stars Hannah Ware (“Shame,” “Boss”) as Sara, Stuart Townsend (“The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen”) as Jack, James Cromwell (“Babe,” “American Horror Story”) as Thacher Karsten, Henry Thomas (“E.T.,” “Gangs of New York”) as T.J. Karsten, Chris Johnson (“The Vampire Diaries”) as Drew, Wendy Moniz (“Guiding Light,” “The Guardian”) as Elaine, Elizabeth McLaughlin (“The Clique”) as Val and Braeden Lamasters (“Men of a Certain Age”) as Vic.

“Betrayal” was written by David Zabel (“ER”) and directed by Patty Jenkins (“The Killing,” “Monster”) and is executive-produced by David Zabel, Rob Golenberg (“Red Widow”) and Alon Aranya. “Betrayal” is produced by ABC Studios.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/BetrayalABC
Twitter: www.twitter.com/BetrayalABC
Hashtag: #Betrayal

“KILLER WOMEN”
Of all the notorious lawmen who have ever patrolled the violent Texas frontier, none are more storied than the Texas Rangers. But being the only female ranger in this elite squad isn’t going to stop ballsy, badass Molly Parker (Tricia Helfer). Molly is committed to finding the truth and seeing justice served. While she’s surrounded by law enforcement colleagues who want to see her fail, including Police Lieutenant Guillermo Salazar (Vic Trevino), the Rangers have her back, led by Company Commander Luis Zea (Alex Fernandez). Molly has also got her brother, Billy (Michael Trucco), and his wife Becca (Marta Milans). On the verge of getting divorced from her smarmy husband, Jake (Jeffrey Nordling), Molly begins an affair with sexy DEA Agent Dan Winston (Marc Blucas).

“Killer Women” stars Tricia Helfer (“Battlestar Galactica”) as Molly Parker, Mark Blucas (“Buffy the Vampire Slayer”) as Dan, Marta Milans (“Shame”) as Becca, Alex Fernandez (“Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen”) as Luis and Michael Trucco (“Battlestar Galactica”) as Billy.
“Killer Women” was written by Hannah Shakespeare and is executive-produced by Sofía Vergara (“Modern Family”), Martin Campbell, Ben Silverman, Luis Balaguer, Electus, Latin World Entertainment. The pilot was directed by Larry Trilling. “Killer Women” is produced by ABC Studios.
Facebook: www.facebook.com/KillerWomen
Twitter: www.twitter.com/KillerWomen
Hashtag: #KillerWomen

“LUCKY 7”
In Astoria, Queens, a group of seven gas station employees have been chipping into a lottery pool for months, never thinking they’d actually win. Money could solve problems for each of them: Matt (Matt Long) could get his girlfriend and two kids out of his mother’s house; Matt’s brother, Nicky (Stephen Louis Grush), an ex-con, could pay off a dangerous debt; Samira (Summer Bishil), a second-generation Pakistani immigrant, could afford to go to Juilliard; Denise (Lorraine Bruce), a plucky cashier, could focus on rebuilding her crumbling marriage; Leanne (Anastasia Phillips), a young mother, could help her daughter realize her dreams; Bob (Isiah Whitlock, Jr.), the store’s manager, could finally retire; and Antonio (Luis Antonio Ramos) could give his wife and kids a whole new life.

“Lucky 7” stars Isiah Whitlock, Jr. (“The Wire”) as Bob Harris, Matt Long (“Private Practice”) as Matt Korzak, Stephen Louis Grush (“Detroit 1-8-7”) as Nicky Korzak, Lorraine Bruce (“Eden Lake”) as Denise, Anastasia Phillips (“Stoked”) as Leanne, Summer Bishil (“Towelhead”) as Samira Rajpur, Luis Antonio Ramos (“The Ruins”) as Antonio Clemente and Christine Evangelista (“The Joneses”) as Mary.

Written by David Zabel (“ER”) and Jason Richman (“Detroit 1-8-7”), “Lucky 7” is executive-produced by Steven Spielberg, Darryl Frank, Justin Falvey, David Zabel and Jason Richman. The pilot was directed by Paul McGuigan. “Lucky 7” is produced by ABC Studios and Amblin Television.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/Lucky7ABC
Twitter: www.twitter.com/Lucky7ABC
Hashtag: #Lucky7

“MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D.”
Clark Gregg reprises his role of Agent Phil Coulson from Marvel’s feature films, as he assembles a small, highly select group of Agents from the worldwide law-enforcement organization known as S.H.I.E.L.D. Together they investigate the new, the strange and the unknown around the globe, protecting the ordinary from the extraordinary. Coulson’s team consists of Agent Grant Ward (Brett Dalton), highly trained in combat and espionage; Agent Melinda May (Ming-Na Wen), expert pilot and martial artist; Agent Leo Fitz (Iain De Caestecker), brilliant engineer; and Agent Jemma Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge), genius bio-chemist. Joining them on their journey into mystery is new recruit and computer hacker Skye (Chloe Bennet).

“Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,” Marvel’s first television series, is from executive producers Joss Whedon (“Marvel’s The Avengers,” “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”), Jed Whedon & Maurissa Tancharoen, who co-wrote the pilot (“Dollhouse,” “Dr.Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog”). Jeffrey Bell (“Angel,” “Alias”) and Jeph Loeb (“Smallville,” “Lost,” “Heroes”) also serve as executive producers. “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” is produced by ABC Studios and Marvel Television.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/AgentsofSHIELD
Twitter: www.twitter.com/AgentsofSHIELD
Hashtag: #AgentsofSHIELD

“MIND GAMES”
Clark (Steve Zahn) and Ross (Christian Slater) Edwards are brothers and partners in a unique agency committed to solving clients’ problems using the hard science of psychological manipulation. Clark is a former professor and a world-renowned expert in the field of human behavior. But he has a checkered history due to bipolar disorder, which sometimes results in quirky, manic episodes. Older brother Ross is a slick con man who has spent time in prison. Each in their own way knows what makes people tick. Drawing from the most cutting edge research in psychology, they can a tailor a plan to influence any situation. It’s a little bit science, a little bit con artistry, plus a smattering of Jedi mind tricks. The brothers, along with their team of master manipulators, are offering clients an alternative to fate.

“Mind Games” stars Steve Zahn (“Treme”) as Clark, Christian Slater (“True Romance”) as Ross, Megalyn Echikunwoke (“CSI: Miami”) as Megan, Cedric Sanders (“The Social Network”) as Latrell, Gregory Marcel (“The Good Shepherd”) as Miles and Wynn Everett (“The Newsroom”) as Claire.

Written and executive-produced by Kyle Killen, the series is also executive-produced by Keith Redman. “Mind Games” is a 20th Century Fox Television production. Miguel Sapochnik directed the pilot.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/MindGamesABC
Twitter: www.twitter.com/MindGamesABC
Hashtag: #MindGames

“ONCE UPON A TIME IN WONDERLAND”
In Victorian England, the young and beautiful Alice (Sophie Lowe) tells a tale of a strange new land that exists on the other side of a rabbit hole. An invisible cat, a hookah smoking caterpillar and playing-cards that talk are just some of the fantastic things she’s seen during this impossible adventure. Surely this troubled girl must be insane, and her doctors aim to cure her with a treatment that will make her forget everything. Alice seems ready to put it all behind her, especially the painful memory of the genie she fell in love with and lost forever -- the handsome and mysterious Cyrus (Peter Gadiot). But deep down Alice knows this world is real, and just in the nick of time the sardonic Knave of Hearts (Michael Socha) and the irrepressible White Rabbit (John Lithgow) arrive to save her from a doomed fate. Together the trio will take a tumble down the rabbit hole to this Wonderland where nothing is impossible.

“Once Upon a Time in Wonderland” stars Sophie Lowe (“Beautiful Kate”) as Alice, Michael Socha (“This Is England”) as Knave of Hearts, Peter Gadiot (“The Forbidden Girl”) as Cyrus, Emma Rigby (“Hollyoaks”) as Queen of Hearts and John Lithgow (“3rd Rock from the Sun”) as the voice of the White Rabbit.

“Once Upon a Time in Wonderland” was written by Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz (“Once Upon a Time”), who serve as executive producers. Steve Perlman and Zack Estrin also serve as executive producers, and the pilot was directed by Ralph Hemecker. “Once Upon a Time in Wonderland” is produced by ABC Studios.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/OnceWonderland
Twitter: www.twitter.com/WonderlandOUAT
Hashtag: #Wonderland

“RESURRECTION”
The people of Arcadia, Missouri are forever changed when their deceased loved ones suddenly start to return. An 8-year-old American boy (Landon Gimenez) wakes up alone in a rice paddy in a rural Chinese province with no idea how he got there. Details start to emerge when the boy, who calls himself Jacob, recalls that his hometown is Arcadia, and an Immigration agent, Martin Bellamy (Omar Epps), takes him there. The home he claims as his own is occupied by an elderly couple, Harold (Kurtwood Smith) and Lucille Garland (Frances Fisher), who lost their son Jacob more than 30 years ago. While they look different, young Jacob recognizes them as his parents. Those closest to the family try to unravel this impossible mystery, including Sheriff Fred Garland (Matt Craven), whose wife Barbara drowned 30 years ago while trying to save Jacob. But this boy who claims to be the deceased Jacob knows secrets about his own death that no one else knows -- secrets that Fred’s daughter, Gail (Devin Kelly), will begin to investigate and discover to be true.

“Resurrection” stars Omar Epps (“House”) as Martin Bellamy, Matt Craven (“Crimson Tide,” “A Few Good Men”) as Fred, Devin Kelley (“Chernobyl Diaries,” “The Chicago Code”) as Gail, Frances Fisher (“Titanic”) as Lucille, Kurtwood Smith (“That ‘70s Show”) as Harold, Sam Hazeldine (“The Raven”) as Abel, Samaire Armstrong (“Entourage,” “The O.C.”) as Elaine, Nicholas Gonzalez (“Off the Map”) as Connor, Mark Hildreth (“Dragon Ball Z”) as Tom and Landon Gimenez as Jacob.

Written by Aaron Zelman (“Damages,” “The Killing”), “Resurrection” is executive-produced by Aaron Zelman, JoAnn Alfano, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Jon Liebman, Brillstein Entertainment and Plan B. The pilot was directed by Charles McDougall. “Resurrection” is produced by ABC Studios.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/Resurrection
Twitter: www.twitter.com/Resurrection
Hashtag: #Resurrection

COMEDY

“BACK IN THE GAME”
Terry Gannon Jr. (Maggie Lawson) was an All Star softball player until life threw her a few curve balls -- a baby, a lost college scholarship and a loser for a husband. After striking out on her own, Terry and her son, Danny (Griffin Gluck), move in with her estranged father, Terry Sr., aka “The Cannon” (James Caan). The Cannon is an opinionated, beer-guzzling, ex-athlete who never quite made the cut either as a single father or professional baseball player. As hard as Terry tries to keep Danny away from the sports-driven lifestyle of her youth, Tommy wants to play Little League. His stunning lack of baseball skills (he doesn’t even know which hand the mitt goes on) makes him the laughing stock of the baseball field and of his grandfather’s living room. When Danny and a group of other athletically-challenged hopefuls fail to make the team, Danny’s disappointment forces Terry to face her past. So when a wealthy neighbor volunteers to finance a team for the rejected kids, Terry reluctantly offers to coach the team of misfits.

“Back in the Game” stars Maggie Lawson (“Psych”) as Terry, Jr., James Caan (“Las Vegas”) as Terry “The Cannon” Gannon, Sr., Lenora Crichlow (“Being Human,” “Fast Girls”) as Gigi, Griffin Gluck (“Private Practice”) as Danny, Ben Koldyke (“Big Love”) as Dick, Kennedy Waite (“I-Doll”) as Vanessa, J.J. Totah (“Jessie”) as Michael and Cooper Roth as David.

“Back in the Game” was written by Mark and Robb Cullen (“Lucky,” “Las Vegas”), who also executive-produce along with directors John Requa and Glenn Ficarra (“Bad Santa,” “Crazy, Stupid, Love”) and Aaron Kaplan (“The Neighbors”). “Back in the Game” is from 20TH Century Fox Television/ Kapital Entertainment.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/BackInTheGameABC
Twitter: www.twitter.com/BackInTheGameTV
Hashtag: #BackInTheGame

“THE GOLDBERGS”
Before there were parenting blogs, trophies for showing up and peanut allergies, there was a simpler time called the ‘80s. For geeky 11-year-old Adam (Sean Giambrone) these were his wonder years, and he faced them armed with a video camera to capture all the crazy. The Goldbergs are a loving family like any other, just with a lot more yelling. Mom Beverly (Wendi McClendon-Covey) is a classic “smother,” an overbearing, overprotective matriarch who rules this brood with 100% authority and zero sense of boundaries. Dad Murray (Jeff Garlin) is gruff, hot-tempered and trying to parent without screaming. Sister Erica (Hayley Orrantia) is 17, hot, terrifying and not one to mess with. Barry (Troy Gentile) is 16, a grade-A spaz with classic middle child syndrome. Adam (Sam Giambrone) is the youngest, a camera-wielding future director who’s crushing on an older woman. Rounding out the family is beloved grandfather Al “Pops” Solomon (George Segal), the wild man of the clan, a shameless Don Juan who’s schooling Adam in the ways of love. When Pops buys a new sports car and offers his Caddy to middle child Barry, it’s enough to drive this already high-strung family to the brink of chaos.

“The Goldbergs” stars Wendi McLendon-Covey (“Bridesmaids”) as Beverly, Jeff Garlin (“Curb Your Enthusiasm”) as Murray, George Segal (“Don’t Shoot Me”) as Pops, Hayley Orrantia (“The X Factor”) as Erica, Sean Giambrone as Adam and Troy Gentile (“Good Luck Chuck”) as Barry.

“The Goldbergs” was written and executive-produced by Adam F. Goldberg (“Breaking In,” “Fanboys”) and also executive produced by Doug Robinson. The pilot was directed by Seth Gordon (“Identity Thief,” “Horrible Bosses”). “The Goldbergs” is from Adam Sandler’s production company, Happy Madison, and is produced by Sony Pictures Television.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheGoldbergsABC
Twitter: www.twitter.com/TheGoldbergsABC
Hashtag: #TheGoldbergs

“MIXOLOGY”
One bar. One night. Ten single people. Welcome to Union, a high-end bar in Manhattan’s trendy meat-packing district. Recently dumped by his fiancée, Tom (Blake Lee) hasn’t been out on the town in a decade. His best friends, handsome, confident Cal (Craig Frank) and fast-talking Bruce (Andrew Santino), are throwing Tom back into the dating pool whether he likes it or not. Tom’s first encounter is with Maya (Ginger Gonzaga), an attorney who’s as beautiful as she is brutal; before long, Tom is in tears. After that, it only gets worse. Rounding out Union’s chic crowd is Maya’s engaged-for-now friend, Liv (Kate Simses); aggressive single mom Jessica (Alexis Carra); her younger, naive sister, Janey (Sarah Bolger); bubbly cocktail waitress Kacey (Vanessa Lengies); dark, mysterious bartender Dominic (Adan Canto); and failed internet entrepreneur Ron (Adam Campbell), who’s having the worst night of his life.

“Mixology” stars Blake Lee (“Parks and Recreation”) as Tom, Andrew Santino (“Punk’d”) as Bruce, Kate Simses (“What’s Your Number”) as Liv, Adam Campbell (“Epic Movie”) as Ron, Craig Frank (“8.13”) as Cal, Vanessa Lengies (“Glee”) as Kacey, Alexis Carra (“Incredible Girl”) as Jessica, Sarah Bolger (“Once Upon a Time”) as Janey, Ginger Gonzaga (“Legit”) as Maya and Adan Canto (“The Following”) as Dominic.

“Mixology” was written by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore (“The Hangover,” “21 and Over”), and is executive-produced by Lucas, Moore, Ryan Seacrest, Nina Wass and Adam Sher. It’s directed by Larry Charles (“Seinfeld,” “Entourage,” “Borat”), and is produced by ABC Studios.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/MixologyABC
Twitter: www.twitter.com/MixologyABC
Hashtag: #Mixology

“SUPER FUN NIGHT”
Junior attorney Kimmie Boubier (Rebel Wilson) and her two best friends, Helen-Alice (Liza Lapira) and Marika (Lauren Ash), have had a standing date every Friday night for the last 13 years. They even have a motto for what they call “Friday Night Fun Night”: “Always together! Always Inside!” However Kimmie’s recent promotion throws a monkey wrench into the tradition. Not only is she now working with her idol, “Lady Lawyer of the Year” Felicity Vanderstone (Kelen Coleman), but she meets a dashingly handsome British attorney, Richard Lovell (Kevin Bishop), who invites her to his party at a trendy club. Determined to spend time with Richard and heed Felicity’s advice to network, Kimmie sets out to convince her friends to take Super Fun Night on the road.

“Super Fun Night” stars Rebel Wilson (“Pitch Perfect,” “Bridesmaids”) as Kimmie, Lauren Ash (“Lars and the Real Girl”) as Marika, Liza Lapira (“Don’t Trust the B— in Apartment 23”) as Helen-Alice, Kelen Coleman (“The Newsroom”) as Felicity and Kevin Bishop (“Star Stories”) as Richard.

“Super Fun Night” was written by Rebel Wilson who also serves as co-executive producer. Executive producers are Conan O’Brien, Jeff Ross, David Kissinger and John Riggi (“30 Rock”), who also directed the pilot. “Super Fun Night” is produced by Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with Conaco and Warner Bros. Television.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/SuperFunNight
Twitter: www.twitter.com/SuperFunNight
Hashtag: #SuperFunNight

“TROPHY WIFE”
They say the third time’s the charm, and reformed party girl Kate (Malin Akerman) is hoping that’s true when she becomes Pete’s (Bradley Whitford) third wife. She fell into his arms (literally) at a karaoke bar, and a year later Kate’s got an insta-family, complete with three stepchildren and two ex-wives. Diane (Marcia Gay Harden) is ex-wife number one, an intense, over-achieving doctor and the mother of twin teenagers Hillary (Gianna LePera) and Warren (Ryan Scott Lee). Diane is quick to convey her withering disapproval of Kate’s barely tapped maternal instinct. Ex-wife number two, Jackie (Michaela Watkins), is mother to adopted son Bert (Albert Tsai), and can pull Pete’s strings with her special blend of neurotic, new-ageyness. Juggling all this baggage is uncharted territory for Kate, who finds support with her best friend Meg (Natalie Morales), a party-hearty singleton and the only woman Kate knows who has less experience with kids than she has.

“Trophy Wife” stars Malin Akerman (“Suburgatory”) as Kate, Bradley Whitford (“The West Wing”) as Pete, Marcia Gay Harden (“Into the Wild,” “Damages”) as Diane, Michaela Watkins (“Saturday Night Live”) as Jackie, Natalie Morales (“90210”) as Meg, Ryan Scott Lee (“Super 8”) as Warren, Albert Tsai (“How I Met Your Mother”) as Bert and Gianna LePera (“Modern Family”) as Hillary.

“Trophy Wife” is written and executive-produced by Emily Halpern & Sarah Haskins, executive produced by Lee Eisenberg & Gene Stupnitsky (“The Office”), produced by Malin Ackerman. The pilot was directed by Jason Moore (“Pitch Perfect,” “Avenue Q”). “Trophy Wife” is from ABC Studios.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TrophyWifeABC
Twitter: www.twitter.com/ABCTrophyWife
Hashtag: #TrophyWife

ALTERNATIVE SERIES

“THE QUEST”
“The Quest” is a new reality adventure that takes 12 lucky contestants on the journey of a lifetime when they enter the world of “Everealm.” For “The Quest,” the producer of the blockbuster movie franchise “The Lord of the Rings” has joined forces with the creators and producers of “The Amazing Race” to conjure a land of magic and malevolence, where mythical creatures lurk in the woods, agents of darkness stir in the shadows, and mystical beings infiltrate the keep. For 12 lucky souls, a fantastic world will come alive in a unique competition series where players will engage in epic challenges. Fantasy meets reality when one player emerges as a real-life hero.

“The Quest” is from executive producers Bertram van Munster and Elise Doganieri (“The Amazing Race,” Profiles Television), executive producers Mark Ordesky and Jane Fleming (Court Five), and executive producers Rob Eric and Michael Williams (Green Harbor Productions).

SPECIALS

“TOY STORY OF TERROR”
From Disney•Pixar comes a spooky new tale featuring all of the favorite characters from the “Toy Story” films. What starts out as a fun road trip for the “Toy Story” gang takes an unexpected turn for the worse when the trip detours to a roadside motel. After one of the toys goes missing, the others find themselves caught up in a mysterious sequence of events that must be solved before they all suffer the same fate in this “Toy Story of Terror.”

The cast of “Toy Story of Terror” includes Tom Hanks as Woody, Tim Allen as Buzz, Joan Cusack as Jessie, Carl Weathers as Combat Carl/Combat Carl Jr., Timothy Dalton as Mr. Pricklepants, Don Rickles as Mr. Potato Head, Wallace Shawn as Rex and Kristen Schaal as Trixie.

“Toy Story of Terror” is produced by Galyn Susman and directed by Angus MacLane. The special, from Disney•Pixar, will premiere on ABC in October 2013.

RETURNING SERIES:

DRAMA

“CASTLE” (Season 6)
When viewers first met Richard Castle, a famous mystery novelist, he was creatively blocked. But when the NYPD questioned him about a series of murders staged to imitate crime scenes from his books, Castle found inspiration in NYPD Detective Kate Beckett, a bright and aggressive homicide detective. Though they instantly clashed, sparks of another sort began to fly, leading both to danger and a hint of romance. They continued to investigate strange homicides in New York -- combining Castle’s writer intuition and Beckett’s creative detective work. Then, after four seasons of “will they” or “won’t they,” Castle and Beckett finally gave into their feelings towards each other as a couple this past season. For Season 6, the fun and conflict for this crime-solving dynamic duo will continue to escalate as they navigate new chapters in their lives.

“Castle” stars Nathan Fillion as Richard Castle, Stana Katic as NYPD Detective Kate Beckett, Tamala Jones as Medical Examiner Lanie Parish, Jon Huertas as NYPD Detective Javier Esposito, Seamus Dever as NYPD Detective Kevin Ryan, Penny Johnson Jerald as NYPD Captain Victoria Gates, Molly Quinn as Alexis Castle with Susan Sullivan as Martha Rodgers.

“Castle” is produced by ABC Studios. Andrew Marlowe is the show’s creator/executive producer, along with executive producers Rob Bowman, David Amann and Armyan Bernstein.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/Castle
Twitter: www.twitter.com/Castle_ABC
Hashtag: #Castle

“GREY’S ANATOMY” (Season 10)
Recipient of the 2007 Golden Globe Award for Best Drama Television Series and nominated for multiple Emmys, including Outstanding Drama Series, “Grey’s Anatomy” is considered one of the great television shows of our time. The medical drama, moving into its tenth season, follows the personal and professional lives of a group of doctors at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital in Seattle as they deal with the lives of their patients and their relationships with each other.

“Grey’s Anatomy” stars Ellen Pompeo as Meredith Grey, Patrick Dempsey as Derek Shepherd, Sandra Oh as Cristina Yang, Justin Chambers as Alex Karev, Chandra Wilson as Miranda Bailey, James Pickens, Jr. as Richard Webber, Sara Ramirez as Callie Torres, Kevin McKidd as Owen Hunt, Jessica Capshaw as Arizona Robbins, Jesse Williams as Jackson Avery and Sarah Drew as April Kepner.

“Grey’s Anatomy” was created and is executive-produced by Shonda Rhimes (“Scandal”, “Private Practice”, “Introducing Dorothy Dandridge”). Betsy Beers (“Scandal”, “Private Practice”, “Casanova”), Mark Gordon (“Saving Private Ryan”), Rob Corn (“Chicago Hope”), Tony Phelan, Joan Rater (“Law & Order: Trial by Jury”) are executive producers. “Grey’s Anatomy” is an ABC Studios production.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/GreysAnatomy
Twitter: www.twitter.com/GreysABC
Hashtag: #GreysAnatomy

“NASHVILLE” (Season 2)
Set against the backdrop of the Nashville music scene, “Nashville” follows Rayna Jaymes, a star at her peak, and Juliette Barnes, who is on the rise. When their record label sends them out on tour together after a hit single, both women face personal and professional challenges as they navigate their paths as artists and individuals. Surrounding them and often complicating their lives are their family, friends and, in some cases, lovers, as well as the up-and-coming performers and songwriters trying to get ahead in the business.

“Nashville” stars Connie Britton as Rayna, Hayden Panettiere as Juliette, Powers Boothe as Lamar, Charles Esten as Deacon, Eric Close as Teddy, Clare Bowen as Scarlett, Jonathan Jackson as Avery, Sam Palladio as Gunnar and Robert Ray Wisdom as Coleman.

Dee Johnson (“Boss,” “The Good Wife”), R.J. Cutler (“The September Issue,” “The War Room,” “A Perfect Candidate”), Callie Khouri (“Thelma & Louise”) and Steve Buchanan are executive producers of “Nashville.” The series is produced by Lionsgate, ABC Studios and Opry Entertainment.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/NashvilleABC
Twitter: www.twitter.com/Nashville_ABC
Hashtag: #Nashville

“ONCE UPON A TIME” (Season 3)
Master storytellers Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz (“Lost,” “Tron: Legacy”) invite everyone to Storybrooke, Maine, a small town that probably won’t show up on one’s GPS. To ensure that no one in fairytale land – especially Snow White – had anymore “happily ever afters,” Evil Queen Regina cast a curse which trapped the fairytale characters, frozen in time, and brought them into our modern world. Although still alive, they had no knowledge of their former selves and were sleepwalking through life – ageless -- for 28 years, until their savior arrived in the form of Emma Swan. Unbeknownst to Emma, she was the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming who whisked her out of fairytale land and into our world as an infant to save her from the curse. Abandoned as a baby, Emma’s life was anything but magical. When her 10-year-old son, Henry, whom she gave up for adoption years ago, appeared on her doorstep with a book of fairytales and told her a crazy story about how she’s the prodigy of fairytale characters who are all trapped in a town called Storybrooke, she thought he was nuts. But curiosity got the better of Emma, and she brought Henry back to the town and soon found out that Storybrooke was more than it seemed. Regina, ever the control freak, had placed herself as Mayor of the town and was Henry’s adoptive mother. Over time Emma began to see through the cracks of the curse, believed that the stories were true and was finally able to break it. Reality and myth merged as the fairytale characters began awakening once the curse was lifted and remembered who they were. But to their dismay, they weren’t transported back to fairytale land. To make matters worse, Rumplestiltskin – aka Mr. Gold – decided to gain the upper hand in his power struggle with Regina and introduced magic into the town. But this is our world, and magic has a tendency to have unfathomable implications.

“Once Upon a Time” stars Ginnifer Goodwin as Snow White/Mary Margaret, Jennifer Morrison as Emma Swan, Lana Parrilla as Evil Queen/Regina, Josh Dallas as Prince Charming/David, Emilie de Ravin as Belle, Colin O’Donoghue as Hook, Jared S. Gilmore as Henry Mills and Robert Carlyle as Rumplestiltskin/Mr. Gold.

Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz are creators and executive producers. Steve Pearlman is also executive producer. The show is from ABC Studios.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/OnceABC
Twitter: www.twitter.com/OnceABC
Hashtag: #OnceUponATime

“REVENGE” (Season 3)
Emily Thorne (Emily Van Camp) is the newest arrival in the Hamptons. By all appearances, she’s a friendly and sophisticated “girl next door,” but the exclusive world she’s immersed herself in is tied to a dark family history, and Emily is anything but what she seems. After her father was framed for a horrific crime by neighbors he trusted and was sentenced to a life in prison, Emily never saw her father again and spent her childhood consumed by rage, loss and betrayal. Years later she returned to the Hamptons under an assumed identity with one endgame—REVENGE, every social overture a carefully planned chip at the foundation of her sworn enemies until their lives come crashing down around them. Now she must face the consequences of her actions and the havoc she has wreaked on those around her as she continues her fight to avenge her father’s death.

“Revenge” stars Madeleine Stowe as Victoria Grayson, Emily VanCamp as Emily Thorne, Gabriel Mann as Nolan Ross, Henry Czerny as Conrad Grayson, Nick Wechsler as Jack Porter, Josh Bowman as Daniel Grayson, Christa B. Allen as Charlotte Grayson, and Barry Sloane as Aiden Mathis.

“Revenge” is executive produced by Sunil Nayar, Marty Bowen and Wyck Godfrey (“Twilight”). The series, created by Mike Kelley, is produced by ABC Studios.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/RevengeABC
Twitter: www.twitter.com/Revenge
Hashtag: #Revenge

“SCANDAL” (Season 3)
From the creator and executive producers of “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Private Practice” comes a drama revolving around the life and work of a professional fixer and her staff. A former media relations consultant to the President of the United States, Olivia Pope (Kerry Washington) dedicates her life to protecting and defending the public images of our nation’s elite. After leaving the White House, the power consultant opened her own firm, hoping to start a new chapter -- both professionally and personally -- but she can’t seem to completely cut ties with her past, specifically her secret relationship with the President. But Olivia isn’t the only one with a secret; her staff, who specialize in fixing the lives of other people, can’t quite fix the ones closest at hand -- their own.

“Scandal” stars Kerry Washington  as Olivia Pope, Columbus Short as Harrison Wright, Guillermo Diaz as Huck, Darby Stanchfield as Abby Whelan, Katie Lowes as Quinn Perkins, Tony Goldwyn as President Fitzgerald Grant, Jeff Perry as Cyrus, Bellamy Young as First Lady Mellie Grant and Joshua Malina as David Rosen.

The series was created by Shonda Rhimes (“Grey’s Anatomy,” “Private Practice”). Shonda Rhimes, Betsy Beers (“Grey’s Anatomy,” “Private Practice”) and Mark Wilding (“Grey’s Anatomy,” “Private Practice”) are executive producers. “Scandal” is produced by ABC Studios.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ScandalABC
Twitter: www.twitter.com/ScandalABC
Hashtag: #Scandal

COMEDY

“LAST MAN STANDING” (Season 3)
Tim Allen returns for a third season in “Last Man Standing” as traditional manly man “Mike Baxter,” who continues to be surrounded by forces seeking to challenge his ideals on just about everything in which he believes. Mike is often the odd man out in a home dominated by his loving wife, Vanessa, and their three daughters -- Kristin, a 24-year-old single mom who recently moved out of her parents’ home with her 6-year-old son, Boyd; the outspoken Mandy, 19, who has taken a romantic interest in Kyle, Kristin’s former boyfriend; and 15-year-old Eve, who has her father’s blessing to be in Junior ROTC. Assorted friends and neighbors also seem to be interested in expressing their strong points of view to Mike on a variety of issues, ranging from politics, holiday celebration etiquette and the environment to how his grandson should be raised.

“Last Man Standing” stars Tim Allen as Mike Baxter, Nancy Travis as Vanessa Baxter, Molly Ephraim as Mandy Baxter, Kaitlyn Dever as Eve Baxter, Amanda Fuller as Kristin Baxter, Christoph Sanders as Kyle Anderson, Flynn Morrison as Boyd Baxter and Hector Elizondo as Ed Alzate.

The series was created by Jack Burditt and is executive-produced by Tim Doyle, Tim Allen, Marty Adelstein, Becky Clements, Shawn Levy, Richard Baker, Rick Messina, Kevin Abbott and Kevin Hench. “Last Man Standing” is from Twentieth Century Fox Television.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/LastManStandingABC
Twitter: www.twitter.com/LastManABC
Hashtag: #LastManStanding

“THE MIDDLE” (Season 5)
Two-time Emmy winner Patricia Heaton stars in this warm and witty single-camera comedy about raising a family and lowering your expectations. Middle-aged, middle class and living in the middle of the country in Orson, Indiana, Frankie Heck is a harried wife and mother of three who uses her wry wit and sense of humor to get her family through each day intact. Having been fired as the least successful sales woman at the town’s only surviving car dealership, Frankie re-evaluated her career path and is now working as a dental assistant. Her unflappable husband, Mike, is manager at the local quarry and her sardonic partner in the daily grind that is raising their average – yes, most definitely average – family.

“The Middle” stars Patricia Heaton as Frankie, Neil Flynn as Mike, Charlie McDermott as Axl, Eden Sher as Sue and Atticus Shaffer as Brick.

“The Middle” was created and is executive-produced by Eileen Heisler and DeAnn Heline. The series is from Warner Bros. Television.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheMiddle
Twitter: www.twitter.com/TheMiddle_ABC
Hashtag: #TheMiddle
“MODERN FAMILY” (Season 5)
ABC’s groundbreaking and multiple Emmy Award-winning hit comedy series, “Modern Family,” takes a modern and hilarious look at the complications that come with being a family today. Jay Pritchett, with his younger wife Gloria, her son Manny and their baby, sits as the patriarch of a large blended family that includes his grown daughter Claire, who has three kids of her own with her husband Phil, and a grown son Mitchell, who adopted a daughter from Vietnam with his gay life partner Cameron. These three families are unique unto themselves, and together they give us a window into the sometimes warm, sometimes twisted embrace of the modern family.

“Modern Family” stars Ed O’Neill as Jay, Sofía Vergara as Gloria, Julie Bowen as Claire, Ty Burrell as Phil, Eric Stonestreet as Cameron, Jesse Tyler Ferguson as Mitchell, Sarah Hyland as Haley, Ariel Winter as Alex, Nolan Gould as Luke, Rico Rodriguez as Manny and Aubrey Anderson-Emmons as Lily.

The series is produced by Twentieth Century Fox Television in association with Picador Productions and Steven Levitan Prods. Steven Levitan and Christopher Lloyd are the creators/executive producers. Danny Zuker, Dan O’Shannon, Bill Wrubel, Paul Corrigan, Brad Walsh, Abraham Higginbotham and Jeffrey Richman also serve as executive producers.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ModernFamily
Twitter: www.twitter.com/ModernFam
Hashtag: #ModernFamily

“THE NEIGHBORS” (Season 2)
Marty Weaver just wanted the best for his wife, Debbie, and their three kids, and moving from an apartment in Bayonne to Hidden Hills, New Jersey, a gated community complete with its own golf course, was a step in the right direction. Of course, the fact that the entire community is comprised of aliens from the planet Zabvron, and that the Weavers are the first humans who have lived amongst them, presents some challenges. But as the Weavers and the aliens face the struggles of everyday life together, they discover that some things – the ups and downs of marriage, the desire to be a good parent and connect with your children – are universal… intergalactic even. Despite the fact that they’re not even the same species, both humans and Zabvronians had a lot to learn from each other. The Weavers realize they’ve found an ally in the family next door... even if they do cry out of their ears.

“The Neighbors” stars Jami Gertz as Debbie Weaver, Lenny Venito as Marty Weaver, Simon Templeman as Larry Bird, Toks Olagundoye as Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Clara Mamet as Amber Weaver, Tim Jo as Reggie Jackson, Ian Patrick as Dick Butkus, Max Charles as Max Weaver and Isabella Cramp as Abby Weaver.
“The Neighbors” was created by Dan Fogelman (“Cars,” “Tangled,” “Crazy, Stupid, Love”), who is also an executive producer with Aaron Kaplan (“GCB,” “Terra Nova”) and Chris Koch (“Workaholics,” “Modern Family”). “The Neighbors” is from ABC Studios.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/theneighborsABC
Twitter: www.twitter.com/TheNeighborsABC
Hashtag: #TheNeighbors

“SUBURGATORY” (Season 3)
Single father George only wants the best for his 16-year-old daughter, Tessa. So when he finds a box of condoms on her nightstand, he moves them both out of their apartment in New York City to a house in the suburbs. But all Tessa sees is the horror of over-manicured lawns and plastic Franken-moms. Being in the ‘burbs can be hell, but it also may just bring Tessa and George closer than they’ve ever been. Tessa (Jane Levy) and George (Jeremy Sisto) have been on their own ever since Tessa’s mom pulled a “Kramer vs. Kramer” before Tessa was even potty trained. So far George has done a pretty good job of raising Tessa without a maternal figure in their lives, but suddenly he’s feeling a little out of his league. So it’s goodbye New York City and hello suburbs.

“Suburgatory” stars Jeremy Sisto as George Altman, Jane Levy as Tessa Altman, Carly Chaikin as Dalia Royce, Rex Lee as Mr. Wolfe, Allie Grant as Lisa Shay, Alan Tudyk as Noah Werner, Cheryl Hines as Dallas Royce, Ana Gasteyer as Sheila Shay and Chris Parnell.

Emily Kapnek (“Hung”) is executive producer. It is produced by Warner Bros. Television.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/SuburgatoryABC
Twitter: www.twitter.com/SuburgatoryABC
Hashtag: #Suburgatory

ALTERNATIVE

“AMERICA’S FUNNIEST HOME VIDEOS”
“America’s Funniest Home Videos” begins its 24th season by flaunting what has made it the longest running primetime entertainment show in ABC history -- videos that are genuinely funny. Host Tom Bergeron is back with an abundant supply of fresh clips that will have families laughing from coast to coast. There have been many imitators, but there is only one “America’s Funniest Home Videos.”

In its 24 seasons to date, “America’s Funniest Home Videos” has given away over $12 million in prize money and evaluated more than half a million videotapes from home viewers. Viewers wishing to submit home videos to “America’s Funniest Home Videos” should visit www.ABC.com for details.

Vin Di Bona is executive producer. Todd Thicke and Michele Nasraway are co-executive producers.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/AFV
Twitter: www.twitter.com/AFVOfficial
Hashtag: #AFV

“THE BACHELOR”
ABC’s “The Bachelor” is the original primetime romance reality series that offers one lucky man and 25 lucky women the unique opportunity to find true love. This season the hit series will feature its 17th edition with the new Bachelor getting to know 25 women via a series of social gatherings and exotic, romantic dates – some in groups, some individually. He will introduce some of the women to his family and will visit their hometowns for a slice of their lives in an effort to determine the woman with whom he is most compatible. At the end of the journey, filled with drama and surprises against the backdrop of spectacular international settings, the Bachelor may quite possibly have found true love. But the big question is: After all of this, will he pop the question, and will she say yes?

“The Bachelor” is hosted by Chris Harrison and produced by Next Entertainment in association with Warner Horizon Television. Mike Fleiss and Martin Hilton are executive producers.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheBachelor
Twitter: www.twitter.com/BachelorABC
Hashtag: #TheBachelor

“DANCING WITH THE STARS”
Hosted by Tom Bergeron (“America’s Funniest Home Videos”) and Brooke Burke-Charvet (“Dancing with the Stars” Season Seven Champion), the celebrities perform choreographed dance routines which will be judged by renowned Ballroom judge Len Goodman and dancer/choreographers Bruno Tonioli and Carrie Ann Inaba.

“Dancing with the Stars” is the U.S. version of the international smash hit series, “Strictly Come Dancing.” Produced by BBC Worldwide Productions, Conrad Green serves as executive producer. Ashley Edens-Shaffer and Joe Sungkur are co-executive producers. Alex Rudzinski directs.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/dancingwiththestars
Twitter: www.twitter.com/DancingABC
Hashtag: #DWTS

“SHARK TANK”
The critically-acclaimed business-themed show, “Shark Tank,” is back for a fifth season, with the Sharks continuing the search to invest in the best businesses and products that America has to offer. The show received a nomination for a Producers Guild Award in 2013. In 2012 “Shark Tank” received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Reality Program and a nomination for a Critics’ Choice Television Award for Best Reality Series. The Sharks -- tough, self-made, multi-millionaire and billionaire tycoons -- will once again give budding entrepreneurs the chance to make their dreams come true and potentially secure business deals that could make them millionaires. They are: billionaire Mark Cuban, owner and chairman of AXS TV and outspoken owner of the 2011 NBA championship Dallas Mavericks; real estate mogul Barbara Corcoran; “Queen of QVC” Lori Greiner; technology innovator Robert Herjavec; fashion and branding expert Daymond John; and venture capitalist Kevin O’Leary.

Mark Burnett, Clay Newbill and Phil Gurin are the executive producers of “Shark Tank,” which is based on the Japanese “Dragons’ Den” format created by Nippon Television Network Corporation. The series is produced by Sony Pictures Television.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/SharkTank
Twitter: www.twitter.com/ABCSharkTank
Hashtag: #SharkTank

“THE TASTE”
One blind spoonful could change everything on ABC’s alternative series, “The Taste,” an exhilarating one-hour cooking competition that puts 16 culinary competitors – from pro chefs to home cooks -- to the fire with four of the world’s most notable masters of the food world who will judge their creations based on a blind taste test. This pressure-filled contest features no-holds barred chef Anthony Bourdain, British food star Nigella Lawson, expert chef/author Ludo Lefebvre and chef/restaurateur Brian Malarkey. These four culinary superstars and mentors will each coach a team of four competing pro and amateur cooks chosen from a nationwide casting call, as they vie to create the best tasting dish in a state of the art kitchen. In each episode the groups will face team and individual challenges with a variety of culinary themes through various elimination rounds. At the end of each episode, the mentors will have to judge the competitors’ dishes blind -- with no knowledge of whose creation they’re sampling, what they’re eating, how it was prepared or whom they could be sending home.
“The Taste” is from Kinetic Content and is executive-produced by Chris Coelen, Matilda Zoltowski, Emma Conway, Anthony Bourdain and Nigella Lawson. Brian Smith is the director.

ABC NEWS

“20/20”
The ABC News primetime news magazine “20/20” has distinguished itself as one of the most esteemed programs in broadcast journalism. Celebrating its 35th anniversary this season, “20/20” continues to combine hard-hitting investigative reports, newsmaker interviews and compelling human interest and feature stories. The program is anchored by award-winning journalists Elizabeth Vargas and David Muir. For over three decades “20/20” has offered viewers reports and stories that have changes lives.









 

The "How I Met Your Mother" season finale last night finally let us see the titular mother -- on her way to Farhampton, yellow umbrella in hand. Here's the official word from CBS about her:

In the very last scene of last night’s eighth season finale of HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER, viewers finally got to meet the titular “Mother” as she purchases her train ticket to Farhampton, where she will eventually meet Ted.  Broadway star Cristin Milioti (“Once”) plays “The Mother.”

Shot on March 27 at the Twentieth Century Fox lot in Los Angeles, Milioti’s casting and filming of her scene was kept in strict secrecy in order to preserve the surprise for the audience.

“It was a pretty big umbrella to fill, casting the title role in a series that's been on the air for eight years,” says Carter Bays, Executive Producer and Co-Creator of HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER.  “And yet Cristin Milioti is, against all odds, exactly what we were looking for. She made us laugh on “30 Rock,” she made us swoon in “Once,” and her ukulele skills are no joke. We're thrilled to welcome her to the HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER family, and look forward to getting to know her – and the character she plays – much better in the coming final season.  And to all the fans, on behalf of all of us writers, cast and crew: Thank you for sticking with us on this wild journey. Our ninth season will tell the epic story of the longest wedding weekend ever. We hope you like it. Next stop, Farhampton...”

Cristin Milioti just concluded her star turn as “Girl” in the Broadway smash hit musical “Once,” for which she received a Grammy Award as well as a Tony Award nomination for Lead Actress. Milioti will soon be seen playing opposite Leonardo DiCaprio in the upcoming Martin Scorsese feature film, “The Wolf of Wall Street,” due out later this year.  Her previous television credits include “30 Rock,” “The Sopranos,” “The Good Wife” and “Nurse Jackie.”

HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER returns this fall to CBS for its ninth and final season.  HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER is produced by Twentieth Century Fox Television.  Carter Bays, Craig Thomas, Pamela Fryman, Chris Harris, Stephen Lloyd, Chuck Tatham and Kourtney Kang are Executive Producers.