Breaking: First Full-Season Pickup Goes to...
... CW's guilty and pleasurable Gossip Girl!

A network spokesperson confirms that the increasingly addictive Josh Schwartz confection has been greenlit for a full, 22-episode season.

Although its ratings have been only so-so, GG has seen substantial gains once DVR usage is factored in. And buoyed by strong word-of-mouth, the show's two most recent episodes rank among the top 5 downloaded shows on iTunes. Oh, look — a quote from CW head Dawn Ostroff!

"People everywhere are talking about Gossip Girl and we believe this show will continue to build audience as it builds buzz. Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage have created an incredibly heightened-reality world that viewers are locking into while advertisers, affiliates and press have also embraced the show. The series has earned its early pick-up and we look forward to a long run on The CW."

Are you as enthused about GG's pickup as Ostroff? Well, see that pretty white box down there? Use it!

ABC has picked up fantasy dramedy “Pushing Daisies” for a full season.

The back-nine order brings the total order to the Warner Bros. TV-produced freshman series to 22 episodes.

Additionally, ABC has ordered three more scripts from rookie comedy “Carpoolers.”

In its first three airings, “Daisies” has been a solid ratings performer, winning its Wednesday 8 p.m. hour in the adults 18-49 demographic. It also earned the strongest reviews of any new series this year.

“Daisies” is the second freshman ABC series to receive a full-season pickup following the order last week for “Daisies’” lead-out on Wednesday, medical drama “Private Practice.”


“Carpoolers,” which revolves around four guys carpooling to work, hails from ABC Studios, DreamWorks TV and 3 Arts.

Private Practice Gets Full Season!

There will be plenty more pages for Dr. Addison Montgomery, Kate Walsh's character on Private Practice. ABC has picked up the Grey's Anatomy spin-off for an entire season. With an average of 13.4 million viewers, Private Practice is this fall's most watched new show.

CBS' freshman comedy The Big Bang Theory and CW's Gossip Girl were also part of the first batch of new shows to earn a full-season commitment.

Of course, not all the new shows can be winners. Viva Laughlin, CBS' musical TV murder mystery, was yanked after just two airings. Also, cut off was CW's Online Nation.

ABC handed out a full-season pickup to the comedy "Samantha Who?"

The back-nine order Tuesday morning followed a strong third showing for "Samantha" on Monday night when the comedy starring Christina Applegate scored its best rating to date -- 4.9/11 among adults 18-49.

With its strong start behind "Dancing With the Stars," "Samantha" solidified its position as the top-rated new comedy and as ABC's first breakout comedy hit in years.

The series, from ABC Studios, took a big step toward a full-season pickup last week, when it received an order for six additional scripts.

"Samantha," which stars Applegate as a woman with amnesia, joins ABC's dramas "Private Practice" and "Pushing Daisies," which also have full-season pickups.

[11.26.07 - 04:16 PM]
NBC GIVES PICKUPS TO PROMISING FRESHMAN DRAMAS 'CHUCK' AND 'LIFE' FOR NINE EPISODES TO COMPLETE 2007-08 SEASON
Released by NBC

[NOTE: The following article is a press release issued by the aforementioned network and/or company. Any errors, typos, etc. are attributed to the original author. The release is reproduced solely for the dissemination of the enclosed information.]

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NBC GIVES PICKUPS TO PROMISING FRESHMAN DRAMAS 'CHUCK' AND 'LIFE' FOR NINE EPISODES TO COMPLETE 2007-08 SEASON

BURBANK -- November 26, 2007 -- NBC has picked up the freshman dramas "Chuck" (Mondays, 8-9 p.m. ET) and "Life" (Wednesdays, 10-11 p.m. ET) for nine more episodes -- or the balance of the 2007-08 season -- it was announced today by Ben Silverman, Co-Chairman, NBC Entertainment and Universal Media Studios.

"'Chuck' and 'Life' stand out in a crowded TV landscape because they are smart, well-produced series with incredibly talented casts," said Silverman. "Both shows are hitting their stride creatively, have developed loyal audiences and offer unlimited potential to grow throughout the season."

"Chuck" is averaging a 3.4 rating, 9 share in adults 18-49 and 8.4 million viewers overall this season. "Chuck" has been delivering competitive results in the Monday 8-9 p.m. (ET) slot and has increased its adult 18-49 rating from half-hour to half-hour with each of its nine Monday telecasts to date. "Chuck's" average 3.1 rating in adults 18-49 for the November sweep has kept NBC on pace with its rating in the time period during last May's sweep with "Deal or No Deal."

"Life" is averaging a 3.0 rating, 9 share in adults 18-49 and 8.0 million viewers overall for the season to date. With its November 14 telecast, "Life" retained its full adult 18-49 lead-in from "Bionic Woman" for the first time and attracted its biggest overall audience in four weeks. Season to date, "Life" is winning its competitive time period among men 18-34 opposite CBS's "CSI: Miami" and ABC's "Dirty Sexy Money."

From Rand Ravich ("The Astronaut's Wife"), Far Shariat ("Confessions of a Dangerous Mind"), and Dan Sackheim -- who directed the pilot of NBC's "Heroes" -- "Life" is a first-year drama about a detective who is given a second chance. Damian Lewis ("Band of Brothers") stars as complex, offbeat Detective Charlie Crews, who returns to the force after years in prison, thanks to close friend and attorney Constance Griffiths (Brooke Langton), after serving time in prison for a crime he didn't commit.

The cast also includes Sarah Shahi ("Rush Hour 3") as Charlie's skeptical, demanding partner, Robin Weigart (HBO's "Deadwood") as their hard-hitting lieutenant, and Adam Arkin ("Chicago Hope") as former cellmate Ted Early.

"Life" is a Universal Media Studios production. Rand Ravich is executive producer and writer; Far Shariat and Dan Sackheim are executive producers on the series.

From executive producer, Josh Schwartz ("The O.C.") and executive producer-director McG ("Charlie's Angels," "We Are Marshall") comes "Chuck," a one-hour, action-comedy series about Chuck Bartowski (Zachary Levi, "Less Than Perfect") -- a computer geek who is catapulted into a new career as the government's most vital secret agent. When Chuck opens an e-mail subliminally encoded with government secrets, he unwittingly downloads an entire server of sensitive data into his brain. Now, the fate of the world lies in the unlikely hands of a guy who works at a Buy More Electronics store. Instead of fighting computer viruses, he must now confront assassins and international terrorists.

With the government's most precious secrets in Chuck's head, Major John Casey of the National Security Agency (Adam Baldwin, "My Bodyguard") assumes the responsibility of protecting him. His partner is the CIA's top agent (and Chuck's first date in years), Sarah Walker (Yvonne Strahovski, "Gone"). They'll try to keep him safe by trading in his pocket protector for a bulletproof vest. Also starring are Joshua Gomez ("Without a Trace") as Morgan Grimes, Chuck's best buddy, and Sarah Lancaster ("What About Brian?") as Chuck's ever-supportive sister, Ellie.

Josh Schwartz and Chris Fedak wrote, "Chuck," which is produced by College Hill Pictures, Wonderland Sound and Vision, in association with Warner Bros. Television.