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[07/13/06 - 12:00 AM]
HBO Sacks 'Rome,' Delays 'Sopranos' Until March, More
By Brian Ford Sullivan (TFC)

LOS ANGELES (thefutoncritic.com) -- HBO has firmed up its plans for the coming year as the network outlined its programming highlights for the 2006-07 season at the TCA Summer Press Tour on Wednesday.

The biggest news: the second season of "Rome" will likely be its swan song, despite solid ratings for its freshman go around. HBO chairman and CEO Chris Albrecht indicated its production budget - reportedly as high as $100 million - will be the biggest factor in its decision. The network currently shares the cost with its production partners, the BBC and Italy's RAI, who are only signed through its second season, which will launch on Sunday, January 7. Nevertheless, Albrecht said it's very possible the show could continue, telling reporters: "we may decide that the food in Rome is so good and figure out a way [to continue]."

Also announced:

-- HBO will try shifting movie premieres from Saturdays to Sundays this fall, ending a 15-year tradition. Said fall package, which includes "Fantastic Four," "Doom" and "Domino," will bump the fourth season of "The Wire" - set to begin on September 10 - from 9:00/8:00c to 10:00/9:00c. Albrecht however said the movie schedule will likely revert back to normal once "Rome" bows in January.

-- Also being tested: new episodes of "The Wire" and the revived "Russell Simmons' Def Comedy Jam" will be available six days before their premieres on the network's HBO on Demand service.

-- Production on the final "The Sopranos" episodes has been delayed a few weeks to accommodate co-star James Gandolfini's knee surgery. Said development will push the installments from a January to a March start.

-- January is being targeted as the return date for "Extras," whose new season includes cameos David Bowie, Orlando Bloom and Ian McKellen while next summer will see the return of "Big Love." Joining "Big Love" in June will be "sexLife," a new relationship drama from Cynthia Mort. Beyond the summer, HBO is close to giving series orders to David Milch's "John From Cincinnati" and Alan Ball's "True Blood," based on Charlaine Harris's "Southern Vampire" book series. No launch date however was given for the back half of "Entourage's" third season.

-- Albrecht also noted that a sixth season of "Curb Your Enthusiasm" is "pretty close" to being a done deal with the new season being targeted for late 2007.

-- Saturday, February 3 will see a new concert featuring pop star Kelly Clarkson, live from Wembley Arena in London.

-- And finally, HBO has teamed with Cingular Wireless to offer full-length episodes - segmented into chapters - of early episodes of "Entourage," "Sex and the City," "Curb Your Enthusiasm" and "Dane Cook's Tourgasm." Original mobisodes of "Entourage," focusing on Kevin Dillon's character, are also on tap, acted, written and produced by the cast and crew of the regular series.





  [july 2006]  
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· BIG LOVE (HBO)
· CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM (HBO)
· DANE COOK'S TOURGASM (HBO)
· ENTOURAGE (HBO)
· EXTRAS (HBO)
· JOHN FROM CINCINNATI (HBO)
· ROME (HBO)
· RUSSELL SIMMONS PRESENTS: DEF COMEDY JAM (HBO)
· SEX AND THE CITY (HBO)
· SOPRANOS, THE (HBO)
· TELL ME YOU LOVE ME (HBO)
· TRUE BLOOD (HBO)
· WIRE, THE (HBO)





[12/12/25 - 01:46 PM]
ID Sets January Return for "People Magazine Investigates," Featuring More Ripped from the Headlines Cases That Captivated the Nation
The new season premieres Monday, January 12 at 9:00/8:00c on ID, with new episodes airing weekly.

[12/12/25 - 01:31 PM]
Hallmark Expands the Universe of "When Calls the Heart" with Prequel Series "Hope Valley: 1874" Starring Bethany Joy Lenz, Benjamin Ayres and Jill Hennessy
The eight-episode series begins production next week in Vancouver, BC and will premiere in March 2026 exclusively on Hallmark+.

[12/12/25 - 10:05 AM]
Meet the 14 Contestants Competing on "Fear Factor: House of Fear," Premiering Wednesday, January 14th at 9/8c on FOX
Dropped into an unforgiving, remote location, a group of strangers will live together under one roof, and face mind-blowing stunts, harrowing challenges and a twisted game of social strategy where trust is fleeting - and fear is a weapon.

[12/12/25 - 10:01 AM]
Video: What's Coming in Early 2026 - "Shrinking," "Monarch," "Hijack" & More - Apple TV
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[12/12/25 - 09:06 AM]
Crave Greenlights "Heated Rivalry" Season 2, While Global Momentum Continues
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[12/12/25 - 09:01 AM]
Video: "Best Medicine" Season 1 Official Trailer (Starring Josh Charles) - FOX TV
Dr. Martin Best leaves his career as a Boston surgeon to become the general practitioner in the quaint East Coast fishing village where he spent his childhood summers.

[12/12/25 - 08:09 AM]
HBO Max Rolls Out In-App Curated Channels for Fan-Favorite Series and Genres in the U.S.
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[12/12/25 - 06:01 AM]
Apple TV Announces Season Two for Acclaimed Thriller "Down Cemetery Road"
Season two reunites Zoƫ Boehm (Emma Thompson) and Sarah Trafford (Emma Wilson) chasing down another twisted mystery.

[12/12/25 - 05:00 AM]
Video: HBO Max Brand Spot Teases 2026 Original Programming Slate with Never-Before-Seen Footage and First Looks
Including exclusive first looks on HBO Max social accounts, the spot underscores HBO Max's commitment to delivering high quality, must-see stories that inspire, entertain, and spark conversations around the globe.

[12/11/25 - 03:15 PM]
ABC News' "Nightline" Ranks No. 1 in All Key Target Demos
The series also saw gains on the same week last year in Adults 25-54 and Adults 18-49.

[12/11/25 - 11:58 AM]
Lifetime to Kick Off 2026 with Three New "Ripped from the Headlines" Movies
Kate Beckinsale, Scott Eastwood, Katie Cassidy, Luke Humphrey, Chloe Lanier, Dillon Casey, and Maddy Hillis are among the featured talent.

[12/11/25 - 11:22 AM]
A&E's New Series "Crime in Progress" Follows the Evolution of Investigations Told Exclusively Through Raw Footage Premieres January 1 at 10pm ET/PT
The story of each crime is woven together through raw, unfiltered video from the point of view of officer body cam and surveillance footage for a first-hand look at justice in action.

[12/11/25 - 11:01 AM]
New Netflix Doc Series About Jonestown Dives Into One of the Deadliest Mass Murders in American History
From Emmy-nominated director J.M. Harper comes a three-part documentary series about the events and ideas leading up to the Jonestown massacre.

[12/11/25 - 10:32 AM]
Lola Petticrew Will Join the World of "Assassin's Creed" Alongside Toby Wallace in the New Live-Action Series Adaptation of Ubisoft's Best-Selling Video Game Franchise
Netflix confirmed the news on social media this morning.

[12/11/25 - 10:31 AM]
Video: "Breakdown: 1975" - Official Trailer - Netflix
This documentary explores how a turbulent era gave rise to iconic movies like "Taxi Driver," "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" and "Network."