or


[05/16/03 - 12:00 AM]
Studios Keep the Talent Deals Coming
By Brian Ford Sullivan (TFC)

CHICAGO (thefutoncritic.com) - While many say that the era of the big studio deal is over, that hasn't stopped several actors and producers from landing hefty commitments in the past month. Here's a rundown of recent signings:

-- Writer-producers Jim O'Doherty and David M. Israel ("Grounded for Life") have signed a new two-year mid-seven-figure overall deal with Carsey-Werner-Mandabach. The duo is set to serve as executive producers/showrunners on the company's "The Tracy Morgan Show," which has been picked up for a midseason order by NBC. O'Doherty and Israel penned the script for the pilot and executive produced it with Lorne Michaels, Marcy Carsey, Caryn Mandabach, Tom Werner, David Miner and Dave Becky.

-- "Clone High U.S.A." creators Phil Lord and Chris Miller have inked a two-year, seven-figure overall deal with 20th Century Fox Television. The pair will develop and script original live-action and animated material for the company a well as work on the studio's existing comedy projects.

-- "24" co-creator and executive producer Robert Cochran has signed a new two-year overall deal with 20th Century Fox Television to remain as showrunner of the series while also developing new series projects for studio. Fellow co-creator and executive producer Joel Surnow signed a similar deal with 20th earlier this year. The duo, along with fellow writer/producer Howard Gordon, are all set to return to the drama next season.

-- Former "Frasier" writers/producers Christopher Lloyd and Joe Keenan are set to return to the series for its 11th and final season. The pair will share showrunning duties with current executive producer Dan O'Shannon. The news comes as the duo has inked a new, two-year, seven-figure overall production and development deal with Paramount Network Television. In addition to working on "Frasier," they'll create, develop and executive produce series projects for the studio once the comedy wraps next May. Lloyd was an executive producer on the series from its debut until May 2000 while Keenan joined "Frasier" in 1994 and was named co-executive producer in 1997. Keenan left shortly after Lloyd and the duo began developing new projects for Paramount as a team, landing a blind series commitment from CBS for the short-lived comedy "Bram and Alice."

-- Reality mogul Stuart Krasnow ("Weakest Link," "Dog Eat Dog," "America's Most Talented Kid") has signed a a new two-year, seven-figure overall development and production deal with NBC Studios. The pact calls for Krasnow to create, develop and executive produce unscripted projects for NBC while continuing his role as showrunner on "Dog." Krasnow also has several other projects in NBC's hopper: "Average Joe" (with fellow reality producer Andrew Glassman), "America's Most Talented Senior" and a hybrid reality/comedy pilot with Kathy Griffin ("Celebrity Mole") that's in contention for midseason.

-- "Saturday Night Live" head writer Tina Fey has sealed a new two-year deal to remain in that position (which she currently shares with co-head writer Dennis McNicholas) at least through the 2004-05 season. As part of the pact, Fey will develop her own primetime project for the Peacock with any production coming out of that deal would be produced by NBC Studios and "SNL" producer Lorne Michaels' Broadway Video.

-- "J.A.G." star David James Elliott has signed on for another two seasons of the military drama, earning himself a healthy raise in the process. Elliott will pull down about $300,000 per episode to remain with the series (or around $6.5 million per season), an increase of about $100,000 per episode from his previous deal. The pact was signed shortly before CBS' formal pickup this week of the series for its eighth season. CBS executives had expressed reservations about renewing the series before Elliott's deal was in place. Co-star Catherine Bell was previously inked through next season.

-- NBC Studios has signed the cast of "Will & Grace" through the 2004-05 season in keeping with the Peacock's renewal of the series through said season back in March of 2002. Leads Eric McCormack and Debra Messing are set to make $400,000 per episode for the next two seasons with supporting cast members Megan Mullally and Sean Hayes also receiving comparable raises.





  [may 2003]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
    


· 24 (FOX)
· 30 ROCK (NBC)
· AMERICA'S MOST TALENTED KIDS (PAX)
· AVERAGE JOE (NBC)
· BRAM & ALICE (CBS)
· CLONE HIGH USA (MTV)
· DOG EAT DOG (NBC)
· FRASIER (NBC)
· GROUNDED FOR LIFE (WB)
· JAG (CBS)
· MOLE, THE (ABC)
· SEARCH FOR AMERICA'S MOST TALENTED SENIOR, THE (NBC)
· TRACY MORGAN SHOW, THE (NBC)
· WEAKEST LINK, THE (NBC)
· WILL & GRACE (NBC)





[07/21/26 - 12:01 PM]
Netflix Top 10: Week of July 13 - "Little House on the Prairie" Journeys to No. 1 in This Week's Top 10
"The Hawk" - the sports comedy starring Will Ferrell as an infamous golf legend chasing a late-career comeback on the green - debuted in the No. 3 spot on the list, swinging to 4.8 million views.

[07/21/26 - 11:02 AM]
The Big Apple Turns Red Hot When "The Real Housewives of New York City" Returns on Tuesday, Sept. 8 at 8 P.M. ET/PT on Bravo
Taking on New York City this season are Sai de Silva, Erin Lichy, Jessel Taank, Carole Radziwill, Hailey Glassman, Erika Hammond and Daisy Toye.

[07/21/26 - 10:01 AM]
Video: "The Undeclared War" Season 2 - Official Trailer - Peacock Original
Set in 2024, "The Undeclared War" returns with a fresh wave of tension and drama as the elite Malware Department at GCHQ grapples with the aftermath of a devastating Russian cyber-attack.

[07/21/26 - 09:36 AM]
"Nirvanna The Band The Show" & "Nirvanna The Band The Show The Movie" Streams on Hulu July 24
"The Show" includes two, eight-episode seasons following Matt and Jay through a series of misadventures as they try to inch ever closer to fulfilling their lifelong dream of playing a show at The Rivoli, a small concert space in Toronto's West End.

[07/21/26 - 09:08 AM]
Amazon MGM Studios Greenlights "Robocop" Series for Prime Video
Peter Ocko, James Wan, Michael Clear, and Ed Neumeier are among the executive producers.

[07/21/26 - 09:03 AM]
The History Channel's "The Mega-Brands That Built America" Returns for Season 4 on Sunday, August 2 at 10/9c
Executive produced by Peyton Manning, the series delves into the surprising origin stories of the trailblazing founders behind some of the world's biggest brands and innovations, and their profound influence on our nation.

[07/21/26 - 09:02 AM]
Video: Official Trailer for "Camp Rock 3" Turns the Music All the Way Up
When Connect 3 loses their opening act for a major reunion tour, they return to their beloved Camp Rock to discover the next big thing.

[07/21/26 - 09:01 AM]
Neon Announces Matt Johnson and Jay McCarrol's Beloved Comedy Series "Nirvanna The Band The Show" to Stream July 24 on Hulu in the U.S. and August 7 on Disney+ in Canada
On Hulu, the release will also be accompanied by the U.S. streaming debut of Matt and Jay's subsequent 2026 feature length film, "Nirvanna The Band The Show The Movie."

[07/21/26 - 09:00 AM]
"NASCAR Americana" - A Three-Part Docuseries Exploring NASCAR's Unique Place in the American Story - Premieres on USA Network August 9 Following NASCAR Cup Series Iowa Corn 350
Each episode homes in on a theme which reveals how a regional pastime evolved into an American cultural phenomenon.

[07/21/26 - 08:03 AM]
HBO and NFL Films Present "Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Seattle Seahawks," Debuting August 4
This will be the first time since "Hard Knocks" launched in 2001 with the Baltimore Ravens that the series will document the defending Super Bowl champion.

[07/21/26 - 08:00 AM]
AMC Global Media Acquires Exclusive U.S. Streaming Rights to Catherine Zeta-Jones Revenge Thriller, "Kill Jackie"
The eight-episode series is slated to premiere this fall, exclusively on AMC+.

[07/21/26 - 07:01 AM]
Video: Apple TV Unveils Thrilling Trailer for Season Two of "Women in Blue" ("Las Azules")
Season two will make its global debut on Wednesday, August 12, 2026 on Apple TV, followed by one episode weekly through September 30.

[07/21/26 - 06:06 AM]
Lost Pan Am Airliner Clipper Endeavor Found After Decades by Air/Sea Heritage Foundation, Eco Minerals, and Discovery Channel's "Expedition Unknown"
This landmark discovery sheds new light on the fate of the aircraft whose tragic legacy forever transformed modern air travel.

[07/21/26 - 05:46 AM]
"20/20 Britain's Most Notorious Crime Investigations" Streams July 30 on Disney+ and Hulu
The new docuseries reopens six of the UK's most high-profile crime cases, bringing the prestige and journalistic power of ABC News' legendary "20/20" brand to an international audience with premium, character-driven true crime.

[07/21/26 - 02:01 AM]
Video: "Umthetho" - Official Trailer - Netflix
To keep their youngest brother alive, an idealistic state prosecutor is forced to become a double agent in her imprisoned older brother's gang.