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[10.10.07 - 10:42 PM]

NBC, CBS STAND BY THEIR NEWCOMERS
By The Futon Critic Staff (TFC)

LOS ANGELES (thefutoncritic.com) -- NBC is sticking by its entire freshman class - "Bionic Woman," "Chuck," "Life," "Journeyman" - while CBS is keeping "Cane's" seat warm.

All five series have received the go ahead to pen additional scripts - four in the case of "Cane," three each for the Peacock entries.

Said scripts will keep writers humming as production closes in on the end of their initial 13 episode orders. Industry insiders also suggest the scripts have the added bonus of stockpiling material in case a WGA strike comes to pass at the end of the month.

Additional orders - for scripts and potentially actual episodes - are expected for several other shows by the end of the week.

To date only one series - The CW's "Gossip Girl" - has received a full season pick-up.

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[10.23.07 - 01:28 PM]
ABC PICKS MORE 'DAISIES,' SCRIPTS ADDED TO 'CARPOOLERS,' 'MOONLIGHT'
By The Futon Critic Staff (TFC)

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LOS ANGELES (thefutoncritic.com) -- ABC's "Pushing Daisies" has received a full season order while newcomers "Carpoolers" and "Moonlight" have been asked for additional scripts.

Said news comes as the broadcast networks enter the last full week before the November sweeps period begins - a critical time for those series still awaiting word about their respective futures.

"Daisies" has handily won its Wednesday, 8:00/7:00c time period among adults 18-49 in each of its airings, making the back nine order not much of a surprise.

Meanwhile, "Carpoolers" remains a modest third-place option on the Alphabet's Tuesday schedule, retaining all of or building on lead-in "Cavemen's" audience in each of its broadcasts.

As for CBS's "Moonlight," the Friday entry pulled in front of ABC's "Women's Murder Club" in the key demographic last week, a sure sign the series may be here to stay.

To date only four series have gotten the go ahead for a full season - the aforementioned "Daisies," "Private Practice," The CW's "Gossip Girl" and CBS's "The Big Bang Theory" - while "Cane," "Moonlight" (four each); "Carpoolers," "Chuck," "Journeyman," "Bionic Woman," "Life" (three each); and "K-Ville" (two) have all landed script extensions.

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'Samantha' Snags Six Scripts

ABC comedy takes step toward full-season pickup
October 25, 2007

Christina Applegate of 'Samantha Who?'ABC hasn't committed to a full season of "Samantha Who?" just yet, but it may not be too long.

The network has ordered six additional scripts for the show, which has earned some of the the highest ratings of any new show this fall and is by far the top new comedy. The showbiz trade papers report that a full-season order is not far off.

"Samantha" stars Christina Applegate as a woman who wakes from an eight-day coma with retrograde amnesia. As she tries to piece together the details of her former life, she discovers that she was not a nice person and sets out to make amends.

Over its first two airings, the series is averaging about 14.6 million viewers. The lofty figure is due in no small part to its having "Dancing with the Stars" as a lead-in, but "Samantha Who?" is doing a better job retaining the "Dancing" audience than any other show ever has.

It also improved its adults 18-49 rating in week two (from 4.5 to 4.6), a rarity this season.

"Samantha Who?" currently airs at 9:30 p.m. ET Mondays and will move back to 9 p.m. in late November when "Dancing" completes its fall run.

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ABC Wants More 'Dirty Sexy' Scripts

'Reaper' also gets order for extra teleplays

October 26, 2007

With a possible writers strike now less than a week away, networks are continuing to hedge their bets on their new shows.

The latest shows to get a little extra love, but not a full-season pickup, are ABC's "Dirty Sexy Money" and The CW's "Reaper." Both shows have received orders for six additional scripts, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

"Dirty Sexy Money," which stars Peter Krause as the lawyer for a super-rich New York family headed by Donald Sutherland, is averaging a shade under 10 million viewers a week thus far this season. It's also drawing a 3.6 rating among adults 18-49, finishing second in its timeslot (to CBS' "CSI: NY") in both measures.

The well-reviewed "Reaper," meanwhile, is bringing in about 3.25 million viewers and a 1.5 adults 18-49 rating. It stars Bret Harrison ("The Loop") as a young man forced to work as a bounty hunter for the devil (Ray Wise).

Only a handful of shows -- ABC's "Private Practice" and "Pushing Daisies," CBS' "Big Bang Theory" and The CW's "Gossip Girl" -- have earned pickups for the full year (FOX has also ordered another season of its reality show "Kitchen Nightmares"). And on the flip side, networks skittish about not having much original programming in the event of a strike have only cancelled two series: "Nashville" (FOX) and "Viva Laughlin" (CBS).

Meanwhile, more than 10 series have now been given script orders, which give the networks a chance to see what's coming without having to pony up the cost for the production of full episodes.

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