LOS ANGELES (thefutoncritic.com) -- The latest development news, culled from recent wire reports:
CANDID CAMERA (PAX) - Tribune Entertainment has purchased the off-network rights to all 137 episodes (plus three one-hour specials) of the "Camera" revival, which ran on CBS from 1998-2000 and has been on PAX from 2001 onward. The company plans to pitch the series to local stations across the country beginning this week at the annual NATPE convention. As for cable, ABC Family, TBS and Comedy Central are understood to be among Tribune's target channels.
DRAWN TOGETHER (Comedy Central) - The cable channel has quietly announced season two of the animated comedy will premiere Wednesday, October 19 at 10:30/9:30c. The second half of "South Park's" ninth season will also resume that same night at 10:00/9:00c.
FARSCAPE (Syndication) - Debmar Studios has sold repeats of the show's four season run to local stations in eight of the top 10 markets bringing its overall clearance rate to 50% of the country. Among those signing on were the Fox owned-and-operated stations in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago as well as Viacom stations in Philadelphia and Seattle. Said stations, each of which signed two-year deals, will begin airing episodes on weekends beginning this fall. The pacts however weren't for cash, but rather seven minutes of ad time per hour for national ad sales by Debmar.
INSIDE EDITION (Syndication) - Deborah Norville has signed on to continue hosting the syndicated newsmagazine for two more years. The news was announced by distributor King World Productions at the industry's annual NATPE convention in Las Vegas this week.
MONK (USA) - 5.51 million viewers tuned into the show's first new episode of 2005. Among adults 18-49, "Monk" earned a solid 1.7 rating/5 share. Said numbers were on par with its average from its nine-episode run this past summer (5.1 million).
NATPE 2005 OFF-NETWORK ROUNDUP - For those interested, here's a breakdown of this year's off-network offerings at the 2005 NATPE convention, which began this week - Fall 2005: "24" (Twentieth), "Alias" (Buena Vista), "The Bernie Mac Show" (Twentieth), "Candid Camera" (Tribune Entertainment), "Da Vinci's Inquest" (Program Partners), "Farscape" (Debmar), "Girls Behaving Badly" (Sony), "My Wife and Kids" (Buena Vista), "One on One" (Paramount), "Sex and the City" (Warner Bros.), "Smallville" (Warner Bros.), "South Park" (Debmar), "Star Trek: Enterprise" (Paramount) and "Stargate Atlantis" (MGM); Fall 2006: "According to Jim" (Buena Vista), "CSI: Miami" (King World), "Everwood" (Warner Bros.), "The George Lopez Show" (Warner Bros.), "Reba" (Twentieth) and "Scrubs" (Buena Vista); Fall 2007: "Cold Case" (Warner Bros.) and "Eight Simple Rules" (Buena Vista); Fall 2008: "CSI: NY" (King World) and "Two and a Half Men" (Warner Bros.). Note that this list does not mean each series will be sold into syndication, it just means their respective distributors are looking to sell it for the targeted dates.
PEEP SHOW (FOX) - Johnny Galecki ("Roseanne"), Josh Meyers ("MADtv") and Amanda Holden ("Mad About Alice") have joined the cast of the comedy pilot, about two average guys who form a modern day "Odd Couple." Meyers, who had a talent holding deal at the network, will play one of the lead roles, an aspiring musician, as will Galecki. Holden then will play a co-worker of Galecki's character. Jeff and Jackie Filgo ("That '70s Show") are behind "Peep," which comes from the Carsey-Werner studio.
THE SHIELD (FX) - Michael Pena ("Million Dollar Baby") is the latest addition to the cable drama's fourth season, which launches Tuesday, March 15 at 10:00/9:00c. Pena, who's signed to appear in at least 12 episodes, will play a former Marine reservist who is pursuing a career in law enforcement. He'll be partnered with Walton Goggins' character following the disbanding of the Strike Team.
THE TONY DANZA SHOW (Syndication) - The show's second season has now been cleared by Buena Vista Television on almost 100 stations, bringing its national clearance rate from 60% to 70% for the 2005-06 season. The company however has yet to firmly commit to a sophomore year for the talk show.
THE TWILIGHT ZONE (Syndication) - New Line Television has cleared repeats of the short-lived UPN series in four key markets - Boston, Cleveland, Phoenix and Nashville - for the 2005-06 season.
THE TYRA BANKS SHOW (Syndication) - 19 of the 25 FOX owned-and-operated stations have cleared the freshman talk show for a fall 2005 launch. The news means the series, which comes from Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution, is a go in more than 70% of the country including stations in the New York; Los Angeles; Chicago; Boston; Dallas; Washington, D.C.; Atlanta; Detroit; Houston; Minneapolis; Phoenix; St. Louis; Cleveland; Orlando, Fla.; Baltimore; Birmingham, Ala.; Memphis, Tenn.; Greensboro, N.C.; and Austin, Texas markets. Additional clearances, which would likely push it up to 90% of the country, are expected to come during the 2005 NATPE convention, which began on Tuesday.
THE WAR AT HOME (FOX) - Michael Rapaport ("Boston Public") has been cast in the Warner Bros. Television/Acme Productions comedy pilot, about hypocritical parents who struggle to maintain dominance over their kids. He'll play the father of a dysfunctional brood in the project, which comes from writer Rob Lotterstein, who will executive produce alongside Acme principals Mindy Schultheis and Michael Hanel. Rapaport's involvement lifts the cast-contigency on the pilot's production. The actor previously had a talent holding deal at the network.
Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters
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