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[05/15/12 - 11:04 AM]
Lee: Look for All-Star "Dancing With the Stars"; "Hulk" Still in the Works
By The Futon Critic Staff (TFC)

LOS ANGELES (thefutoncritic.com) -- "Why just watch, when you can feel?" will be the question ABC asks its audience during today's upfront presentation. Said tagline was underscored by ABC Entertainment Group President Paul Lee following the announcement of the network's 2012-13 schedule. "That really encapsulates this brand," the executive told reporters. "Everything we do is about an emotional connection: great stories, great characters and real emotion."

Other notable developments from today's press call with the ABC chief:

-- "We're going to do something different this fall, we're going to do an all-star edition of 'Dancing With the Stars,'" Lee confirmed. "We're going to be bringing back fan favorites from the last 14 seasons." When asked about who specifically will return, Lee would only say "we can't talk about the casting yet but I would love to see some of the fan favorites from the last seasons come back. And we have many favorites over the 14 seasons... fingers crossed, we are casting now."

-- "I think it's time for Friday night to be a destination again for broad family entertainment," Lee said about the move of "Last Man Standing" to Fridays. He likewise defended his decision to shift "Happy Endings" and "Don't Trust the B----" to Tuesday night: "Of our shows, those are two of our most passionate audiences so we believe those audiences will move to find those shows."

-- Aside from its comedy plans on Tuesdays at midseason, Lee also revealed that "'Mistresses' is a show that we're going to be launching after 'The Bachelor' franchise, probably in May."

-- On the company's Marvel properties: "We did do some development this season, not just with ourselves but also with FOX... Of course you know 'The Hulk' is in development, it wasn't going to be ready for this season but we hope we'll be ready for next season." Beyond "Hulk" Lee said, "We've got some in development but none that I can talk about at this point." As for "AKA Jessica Jones," which was penned by "Red Widow's" Melissa Rosenberg, the executive indicated it won't be moving forward. "We have other development which probably is further at the front of the queue."

-- Lee also indicated they're open to year-round development. "It's much easier to develop midseason [but] it's difficult to break the mold," he said. "In many ways it's easier in terms of casting and staffing up. It's not impossible that we'll make a couple of moves in the next few months." As for whether any of their current pilots are being rolled, Lee said, "Nothing that comes to mind."

-- The executive likewise confirmed a few episode orders. "The intention is to have 'Revenge' absolutely do 22 episodes," Lee said about the Sunday-bound drama. He also indicated "Body of Proof" indeed has a 13-episode commitment for midseason.

-- As for its rollout plans, Lee said, "We did launch two or three shows right at the beginning of the fall last year, we're probably going to continue to do that." Adding, "Staggering show launches works for us, it's been a successful strategy and I think we're going to continue to do so."

-- After the conference, a network spokesperson confirmed to us that "Million Dollar Mind Game" and "You Deserve It" are indeed canceled. As for "Nightline Prime," we're told the series isn't considered something that is picked up or cancelled in the usual sense as it's possible that title could be used again.

-- And finally, TVGuide.com reports that ABC has picked up "Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition" for a third season of 15 two-hour episodes. The Alphabet made the pickup early - in advance of its season two launch on June 3 - due to the year-long production cycle needed to create the show. Chris Powell will return as host while various show alums will serve as "weight-loss ambassadors" next year. In addition, Walmart has joined as a sponsor.





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· BACHELOR, THE (ABC)
· BACHELORETTE, THE (ABC)
· BODY OF PROOF (ABC)
· DANCING WITH THE STARS (ABC)
· DON'T TRUST THE BITCH IN APARTMENT 23 (ABC)
· EXTREME WEIGHT LOSS (ABC)
· HAPPY ENDINGS (ABC)
· INCREDIBLE HULK, THE (ABC)
· LAST MAN STANDING (FOX)
· MARVEL'S JESSICA JONES (NETFLIX)
· MILLION DOLLAR MIND GAME (ABC)
· MISTRESSES (ABC)
· NIGHTLINE PRIME (ABC)
· RED WIDOW (ABC)
· REVENGE (ABC)
· YOU DESERVE IT (ABC)





[05/12/26 - 05:22 PM]
Fandom Takes Center Stage as Disney's Sports, TV and Film Powerhouses Command the North Javits Center
Energized by on stage appearances from more than 100 notable figures, the presentation underscored Disney's position at the forefront of the global media industry and its ambitious path ahead, driven by the powerful intersection of fandom, storytelling, innovation, and creative culture redefining the future of the industry.

[05/12/26 - 04:01 PM]
Video: "Human Vapor" - Official Teaser - Netflix
A legendary Toho film is rebooted with a brand-new story.

[05/12/26 - 02:29 PM]
CFP Contenders and Non-Conference Clashes Headline ESPN's Industry-Leading, Early-Season College Football Schedule Reveal at Disney Upfront
Nine of ESPN.com's Way-Too-Early Top 25 are featured in the schedule release, including No. 1 Ohio State, No. 5 Texas, No. 7 Miami, No. 8 Texas Tech, No. 9 Ole Miss and No. 11 LSU.

[05/12/26 - 02:29 PM]
The Grammy Awards Set to Take Place Sunday, Feb. 7, 2027, and Will Air Live on ABC and Stream on Disney+ and Hulu
The upcoming ceremony marks a historic shift for the organization as the 2027 Grammy Awards will be the first ceremony to air on ABC since 1972, ushering in a new era for the most celebrated night in music.

[05/12/26 - 02:29 PM]
Disney and the Country Music Association Extend Relationship Through 2032
As part of the new agreement, the CMA Awards will stream live on Disney+ for the first time ever, alongside its traditional broadcast on ABC, kicking off with "The 60th Annual CMA Awards" on Wednesday, November 18, 2026.

[05/12/26 - 02:24 PM]
ESPN's "College GameDay Built by The Home Depot" Kicks Off 40th Season in Baton Rouge with 500th Show on the Road
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[05/12/26 - 02:06 PM]
Paul Anthony Kelly Joins Cast of FX's "American Horror Story" Installment 13 Coming This Fall to FX and Hulu
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[05/12/26 - 01:55 PM]
Disney+ Becomes the Exclusive Home of the Banana Bowl This October
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[05/12/26 - 01:42 PM]
The 99th Oscars Reunites Host Conan O'Brien and Executive Producers Raj Kapoor and Katy Mullan
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[05/12/26 - 01:38 PM]
Savannah Bananas' Jackson Olson Slides Into the Ballroom for "Dancing with the Stars" Season 35
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[05/12/26 - 01:32 PM]
ESPN Sets the Stage for Super Bowl LXI With Week Long Expansive Broadcast and Fan Experience on Santa Monica Beach
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[05/12/26 - 12:05 PM]
Oscar Isaac, Betty Gilpin, Alec Baldwin, and David Costabile Will Star in "The Roman"
A high stakes modern casino drama series from the creators of "Billions" and executive produced by Martin Scorsese.

[05/12/26 - 12:01 PM]
Netflix Top 10: Week of May 4 - The Critters of "Swapped" Soar to No. 1 in This Week's Top 10
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[05/12/26 - 11:31 AM]
CNN FlashDoc "The Last Laugh: Stephen Colbert" to Stream on Friday, May 15 on the CNN App
The special will also air Sunday, May 17 at 8pm ET on CNN, just days before the highly anticipated finale of "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert."

[05/12/26 - 11:13 AM]
BET Greenlights Manny Halley Productions' "Lot Patrol," A Star-Studded Mockumentary Comedy Series
A mismatched squad of eccentric security guards patrols the chaotic backlot of a major Hollywood studio, where they wrangle unhinged actors, rogue crew members, and their own wildly dysfunctional personal lives.