News

Owen Thiele’s life story is coming to Amazon.

The retail giant/streamer is developing Off Color, a semi-autobiographical comedy created by and starring Theater Camp breakout Thiele.

Off Color is based on Thiele’s unconventional adopted family. The logline reads, “He’s gay and Black, they’re all Jewish, his mom should be on Real Housewives and his cousin’s a former party girl turned Rabbi-in-training. The comedy is about a son who doesn’t want to grow up, a mother who has no intention of letting him, and a dad who’s probably faking a nap in the other room so he doesn’t have to engage.”

Brian Gallivan (Shrinking, The McCarthys) is set to serve as showrunner on Off Color, which is currently in the development stages. Thiele and Gallivan will exec produce alongside former Comedy Central topper Kent Alterman and his top lieutenant turned producing partner,...

Exclusive: ABC has put in development Kim’s Spa, a semi-autobiographical multi-camera comedy from Peter Kim (Curb Your Enthusiasm) and Mad TV alum Bobby Lee, both of whom star, The McCarthys creator Brian Gallivan and CBS Studios.

Written by Kim based on his life, in Kim’s Spa a pragmatic young man (Kim) returns home to work with his brother (Lee) and their lovable group of misfit relatives after their father dies in the hot tub of their family-owned Korean spa.

Kim and Lee are co-executive producers. Artists First’s Peter Principato, Brooke Shoemaker, and Casey Neumeier are executive producers. Gallivan is supervising producer.

Lee is maybe best known for his many years on Mad TV, and his top streaming comedy podcasts, Tiger Belly and Bad Friends. Other television credits include starring in ABC’s Splitting Up Together and NBC’s Animal Practice, as well as guest spots on Game On,...

Exclusive: Former AMC Studios executive Drew Brown is joining Skydance Television as Evp, Physical Production. He replaces Carol Turner, who recently exited to head up production at ABC Studios. It is one of several executive hires and promotions in the indie TV studio’s creative development, global physical production, business affairs and publicity operations as new Skydance TV President Bill Bost is building his team.

Also joining the company are Lucid Road Productions’ Zack Beckman as VP, Creative Development, and Sony Pictures TV’s Jeff Hegedus as Evp Business & Legal Affairs. Katherine Morrison has been promoted to VP, Creative Development; Dawn Lach to Svp,, Marketing and Publicity.

In his new role, Brown will oversee all physical production for comedies, dramas and limited series for the television studio, including production finance and post-production. Both Beckman and Morrison will be responsible for overseeing current series and the development of original and IP-based...

There’s a ridiculous amount of TV content out there waiting to be streamed during your downtime — and a lot of it won’t cost you one shiny penny.

TVLine already offers a premium streaming guide, which delivers a rundown of subscription rates, original series and select library content offered by established, new and forthcoming streamers. We also publish a monthly list of TV shows and movies coming and going on Netflix.

More from TVLineThe Blacklist Creator Explains the Midseason Premiere's Glaring Absence, Teases a Major Secret for [Spoiler]American Idol Video: Will Margie Mays and Jonny West Survive the New 'Duets' Round in Hollywood Week?...

Louie Anderson may have found the purr-fect role.

Variety has learned exclusively that Anderson is set to star in and executive produce the multi-camera comedy “Tigsley” at Fox. The project has received a script commitment with a penalty attached. “Tigsley” is described as an adult comedy about a family dealing with life, love, the pursuit of happiness, and their obnoxious insult-hurling talking cat (Anderson). According to an individual with knowledge of the situation, Anderson will appear onscreen in a cat costume rather than lending his voice to a CGI or puppet character.

Anderson and Mike Sikowitz developed the story for the series together, with Sikowitz serving as writer and executive producer. Anderson’s frequent collaborator Abraham Geisness will also executive produce. Sony Pictures Television and Fox Entertainment will produce, with Sikowitz currently under an overall deal at Sony.

In addition to his work as a stand up comedian, Anderson recently...

How to Get Away With Murder is digging into Asher’s family: Kelen Coleman (Big Little Lies) will recur during the sixth and final season as Asher’s sister, our sister site Deadline reports.

The siblings have a complicated relationship, so her unexpected appearance leaves Asher and the crew suspicious of her motives. Coleman’s other TV credits include The McCarthys, The Newsroom and The Mindy Project.

More from TVLineThe TVLine-Up: What's Returning, New and Leaving the Week of Sept. 22How to Get Away With Murder Boss Promises Closure-Filled Final Season: 'We Have to Answer All the Questions'TVLine Items: True...

Actor Michael Urie will return to host this year’s Drama Desk Awards, the Broadway, Off Broadway and Off Off Broadway theater awards bestowed by New York critics, journalists, editors and publishers.

The 64th Annual Drama Desk Awards – set for Sunday, June 2 at The Town Hall in Manhattan – will mark Urie’s fourth consecutive time as host. TV’s Ugly Betty and Younger actor most recently starred on Broadway in last fall’s Torch Song by Harvey Fierstein, and last week was announced as a lead in NBC’s Friends-In-Law, a multi-camera comedy pilot from The McCarthys creator/executive producer Brian Gallivan, The Conners executive producer Tom Werner and Warner Bros. TV.

“I’ll certainly be more chill hosting the Drama Desks for a fourth time,” said Urie in a statement. “In fact, this year I’m going to introduce myself to Glenda Jackson!”

Nominations for the Drama Desk Awards will be announced on Thursday,...

Ugly Betty alum Michael Urie, former Wrecked star Zach Cregger, Vella Lovell (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend) and Gil Ozeri (Big Mouth) are set as the leads in Friends-In-Law, NBC’s multi-camera comedy pilot from The McCarthys creator/executive producer Brian Gallivan, The Conners executive producer Tom Werner and Warner Bros. TV.

Written by Gallivan, Friends-In-Law centers on Brian (Urie) and Jake (Cregger), polar opposites who must quickly figure out how to coexist when their respective best friends Margaret (Lovell) and Randy (Ozeri) decide to get married.

Urie’s Brian fears that his best friend Margaret’s (Lovell) potential marriage to Randy (Ozeri) will leave him left out. He forms an unlikely partnership with Randy’s best friend, Jake (Cregger), to disrupt their union.

Cregger’s Jake is handsome and a little too arrogant. Jake has been best friends with Randy since kindergarten, and he rejects the unwanted additions of Margaret and Brian in his life.

NBC's second try at the comedy Friends-in-Law has locked down its core cast.

The pilot from writer Brian Gallivan (Happy Endings, The McCarthys) and Warner Bros. TV has cast Michael Urie (Ugly Betty) and Zach Cregger (Wrecked) in leading roles as two polar opposites who have to figure out how to co-exist when their respective best friends try to get married.

Vella Lovell (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend) and Gil Ozeri (Big Mouth) have also been cast as the couple caught in the middle. 

Friends-in-Law was redeveloped for this pilot season after it was passed over by NBC in 2018. Gallivan, executive producer ...

NBC is taking another pass at the multi-camera comedy “Friends-in-Law.”

The broadcaster has ordered a new pilot for the comedy series after passing on the pilot they ordered last season. In the series, Brian and Jake are polar opposites who must quickly figure out how to coexist when their respective best friends decide to get married.

Brian Gallivan is the writer and executive producer with Tom Werner also executive producing. Warner Bros. Television will produce. The original pilot starred James Davis, Devere Rogers, John Gemberling, and Nicole Parker, none of whom are currently attached to the new pilot.

Gallivan most recently wrote for the ABC series “Imaginary Mary” and “Splitting Up Together.” He previously created the CBS sitcom “The McCarthys.” Werner is an executive producer on the ABC revival of “Roseanne” (now “The Conners”), having served in the same role on the original series. His other executive producing credits include “That ’70s Show,...

Exclusive: Kevin Hart-founded HartBeat Productions, which recently signed a first-look deal with Nickelodeon to produce TV content, has brought on Tiffany Brown as manager of television.

Brown, who will report to Hart and HartBeat film/TV president, John Cheng, comes with a background in comedy having worked on sitcoms like Rules of Engagement, The McCarthys, Welcome to The Family, and My Boys.

Most recently, Brown was a part of the development team at Adaptive Studios where she helped manage the long-form and short form development slate including projects set up at Showtime, AMC, and YouTube Premium.

“We are so excited to add Tiffany to the HartBeat Team. She has extraordinary taste in material and an expertise in identifying and developing writers,” said Hart. “Tiffany is an exceptional development executive, and her attitude and work ethic fits perfectly within the HartBeat Brand”.

HartBeat, which also holds an overall deal with Universal,...

Exclusive: For its first content acceleration program, Imagine Impact has set a diverse roster of established talent to mentor the first round of aspirants. The mentors will be the Oscar-winning Milk scribe Dustin Lance Black, sitcom vet and black-ish exec producer Stacy Traub, Burn Notice exec producer Ben Watkins, The Last O.G. showrunner Saladin K. Patterson, Gaz Alazraki, whose Nosotros los Nobles was a monster hit in Mexico, and Kate Purdy, co-creator of the upcoming Amazon series Undone. They will be the six “Shapers” who will mentor the first group of “Creators,” meeting with their charges twice per week to create a saleable script, teleplay or presentation. After opening the admissions applications process online recently, Imagine Impact received over 37,000 website views from 102 countries, with over 4,000 Creator applications submitted during the two-week window.

Said Tyler Mitchell, the vet exec recently named head of the Imagine Impact initiative: “We are extremely fortunate...

Joey McIntyre, the youngest member of the pioneering and hugely popular boy band The New Kids on the Block, a.k.a. NKotB, put his longtime family home on a particularly plum and picturesquely tree-lined block in L.A.’s historic Hancock Park ‘hood up for sale at $5.795 million. Mcintyre, who hasn’t had the kind of searing global success as a solo artist he enjoyed with NKotB but has none-the-less released half of a dozen solo albums and appeared in scads of television shows, “The Hotwives of Orlando,” “The McCarthys” and “Return of the Mac” among them, along with a variety of theater performances including, most recently, Stephen Sondheim’s “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” at the Garry Marshall Theatre in Burbank, Calif., acquired the stately, stone-accented residence with his wife Barrett in April 2007 for $4.45 million. The listing, which makes no secret of the home’s celebrity ownership,...

Actor-comedian James Davis, star, creator and executive producer of Comedy Central’s series Hood Adjacent With James Davis, has been cast as the co-lead of NBC’s comedy pilot Friends-In-Law, from The McCarthys creator Brian Gallivan and Warner Bros TV. Written by Gallivan, Friends-In-Law centers on Brian (Devere Rogers) and Jake (Davis) who are polar opposites and must quickly figure out how to coexist when their respective best friends, Margaret (Nicole Parker) and Randy…...

Nicole Parker (MADtv) is set for a lead role opposite Devere Young and John Gemberling in NBC comedy pilot Friends-In-Law, from The McCarthys creator Brian Gallivan and Warner Bros. TV. Written by Gallivan, Friends-In-Law centers on Brian (Rogers) and Jake (tbd) who are polar opposites and must quickly figure out how to coexist when their respective best friends, Margaret (Parker) and Randy (Gemberling), decide to get married. Parker’s Margaret, a sweet, sarcastic middle…...

Tyler Ritter is headed back to The CW, where he recurred on Arrow as Detective Billy Malone.

The actor will headline the network’s dysfunctional-family dramedy pilot Playing Dead, our sister site Deadline reports.

The potential series from writers Rina Mimoun and Josh Reims (Mistresses, Everwood) centers around a mortician and his teenage son whose lives are turned upside down when the woman who abandoned them 15 years ago returns and asks them to fake her death. Ritter, who starred on CBS’ short-lived comedy The McCarthys, will play the wry father/funeral home director.

In other pilot casting news:

* Scandal‘s...

Tyler Ritter is revealing the first portraits of his and wife Lelia Parma’s son, Benjamin Parma Ritter, who was born on June 9. The Arrow star is opening up to Et about life as a dad and how the unexpected surprise of becoming a parent has made him more connected to his late father, acting icon John Ritter, who died at 54 from an aortic dissection.

“Some people had braced me for it, saying, ‘It’s going to be the most beautiful moment of your life and probably the hardest moment of your life knowing your dad’s not here,’” Ritter tells Et about preparing for the moment that he would become a father, nearly 14 years after the death of his own. But any hesitation was wiped away the moment his son was born. “It was actually more affirming to see him born,” he says, wondering “if what I’m feeling now for Benjamin is what my dad...

Their early days in New Kids on the Block were fraught with conflict and arguments, but more than 30 years later, Joey McIntyre has revealed how his now-close friendship with bandmate Donnie Wahlberg helped bring one of his greatest acting dreams to fruition.

The 44-year-old singer launched his own sitcom, Return of the Mac, on Pop TV earlier this month and credits Wahlberg for helping him bring the project to life following the devastating cancellation of his 2014 CBS comedy The McCarthys.

Exclusive: How Joey McIntyre’s New Series Strengthened His Marriage

“McCarthys was a slice of heaven -- everything about it,” McIntyre tells Et. “When it was canceled, I was like, ‘What next?’ Then I was at a TCAs press thing for Rock This Boat, a show the New Kids did on Pop TV, and I was seeing all these new shows and went, ‘I gotta do something myself. This isn’t brain surgery!’"

“So I had this...

For years, Joey McIntyre has pursued his singing, acting and comedy career while his “awesome” wife Barrett took on being a stay-at-home mom, but the New Kids on the Block singer credits working together on their new show, Return of the Mac, for strengthening their bond after 13 years of marriage.

The couple and their three children are the focus of McIntyre’s new Pop TV sitcom Return of the Mac, loosely based on the 44-year-old musician’s quest to find success as an actor in Hollywood while juggling family life and daddy duties.

Exclusive: Joey McIntyre Goes to Prom and Shares His First Dance With a Starstruck Fan!

“It was fun to share the experience with her, and I think couples can relate -- they both have jobs, they come home after a long day, and it’s all about the kids, then you barely have time to talk about your lives,” McIntyre tells Et...

NBC has put in development 29, a high-concept comedy about three generations of women. The single-camera comedy, based on Adena Halpern’s book, hails from The McCarthys creator Brian Gallivan, Sony TV and studio-based David Entertainment. Written by Gallivan, 29 centers on Ellie Jerome, a young-at-heart 75-year-old who feels she has more in common with her 29-year-old granddaughter, Lucy, than her 55-year-old daughter, Barbara. When she finds herself confronted with a…...

Oliver Queen is, once again, a killing machine.

In a new trailer for Arrow Season 5, the masked hero puts death-by-lethal force back on the table, which is a “a huge step backwards,” in Thea’s opinion.

RelatedFall TV Spectacular: Exclusive Scoop and Photos on 42 Returning Favorites, Including Arrow

While Oliver certainly makes his might known on the streets of Star City, taking out criminals left and right, he can’t do it alone. With Big Bad Prometheus on the streets murdering people, Team Arrow takes in some new recruits, who are put through the ringer by Ol and Dig. And...

When it comes to posters promoting new seasons of returning shows, we always appreciate a fresh, dedicated photo shoot — as The CW’s Arrow has done to tout Season 5.

RelatedMatt’s Inside Line: Scoop on Arrow, Supernatural and More

The dramatic poster released on Wednesday via social media features Stephen Amell in a hero shot, clad in the latest upgrade to Green Arrow’s costume, previewing “His Fight, His City, His Legacy.”

As revealed in the logline for the new season, Oliver — with Diggle and Thea now out of the mix and Laurel no longer with us (R.I.P.

We don’t yet know who’s playing him, but the mystery villain Prometheus looms large in the first set of photos from Arrow Season 5.

There’s also Oliver in a suit that is neither green nor leather, a Speedy sighting and the return of frenemy Anatoly Knyazev (played by David Nykl), who is accompanied by seemingly half the population of Luchegorsk.

RelatedArrow Season 5 Trailer: Oliver Breaks in New Team, Shirtless Bratva Fights

Arrow Season 5 will feature a variety of fresh faces, including Rocky IV opponent Dolph Lundgren (as a Big Bad in the Russia flashbacks), Popular alum Carly Pope...

Arrow is honoring dearly departed Laurel’s legacy in a very big way in a new teaser for Season 5.

Black Canary may be gone, but her memory lives on as Star City unveils a statue of the costumed crimefighter while Oliver contemplatively looks on. (Her portrayer, Katie Cassidy — who is now a series regular across Arrow, The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow — will return in the season opener to spill what Laurel told Oliver before her death.)

RelatedArrow Boss Previews Season 5’s ‘Gritty’ Flashbacks, ‘Badass’ Dolph Lundgren

As the reminder of his friend’s sacrifice looms, the archer must...

“I must break… Oliver Queen.”

Rocky IV opponent Dolph Lundgren has booked a recurring role on Season 5 of The CW’s Arrow, it was announced on Thursday at the Television Critics Association summer press tour.

“In our flashbacks, which are set in Russia this season, we are going to be bringing in Dolph Lundgren as a Big Bad,” showrunner Wendy Mericle said.

RelatedThe Flash and Supergirl Teaming Up for Musical Two-Parter

In addition to his iconic turn as Rocky Balboa’s Russkie rival Ivan Drago, the 6-foot-5 Swede’s credits also include the Expendables action franchise, The Punisher and Masters of the Universe.

It’s time to get the band back together — or, form a new one! — as Arrow opens Season 5.

As seen in the trailer for the CW series’ new run, Oliver (begrudgingly) takes Felicity’s advice to break in a new battalion of wannabe heroes, in the wake of Diggle and Thea quitting the team.

Team Arrow 3.0 (4.0?) includes that faux Canary, Evelyn Crawford; a toughie named Wild Dog; and even tech whiz Curtis (who needs some help with the salmon ladder!).

Earlier this month, Stephen Amell said, “The villain that we are introducing is a direct result of things that Oliver...

Having first stepped into Cody Rhodes‘ professional playground some 11 months ago, Arrow‘s Stephen Amell announced that the former WWE grappler will have a chance to return the favor, with a guest spot on the CW series.

RelatedArrow Casts Popular Alum Carly Pope as Coast City Reporter in Season 5

During a joint “Wrestling Rivals” appearance at the Heroes & Villains FanFest held Saturday at the Meadowlands Exposition Center in Secaucus, N.J., Amell told the crowd that Rhodes (born Cody Runnels, and who parted ways with the WWE in May) will guest-star in the third episode of Season 5.

Details on...

Carly Pope wants the dirt on Oliver Queen.

Arrow has tapped the Popular actress to recur in Season 5 as Susan Williams, a journalist from Coast City, TV Insider reports.

RelatedArrow Season 5: Faux Canary to Return as New Archer Hero, Artemis

Susan — who makes her debut in Episode 3 — comes to Star City and targets the new mayor for a big story. In the DC Comics, the reporter is married to Jim Jordan, the little brother of Coast City’s resident hero Green Lantern, aka Hal Jordan.

Pope joins a growing list of Season 5 newbies that also includes Chicago P.D....

Star City Pd is staffing up in the wake of Captain Lance’s firing.

Arrow has booked Tyler Ritter (The McCarthys) to join the Season 5 cast in the recurring role of Detective Malone, Scpd’s newest cop, TVLine has confirmed.

RelatedThe CW Fall Premiere Dates: Supergirl, The Flash, Arrow, Tvd and More

Ritter joins a growing list of Season 5 newbies that also includes Chicago P.D.’s Josh Segarra (in the series-regular role of D.A. Adrian Chase aka Vigilante), Reaper alum Rick Gonzalez as the DC Comics character Wild Dog and The Walking Dead‘s Chad L. Coleman as new villain Tobias Church.

Pray for us sinners... English comedian and actor, Tom Stourton, has been cast as a series regular in the Hail Mary TV series pilot for ABC. The pilot comes from The McCarthys' Brian Gallivan, with The Goldbergs‘ Seth Gordon, and Tariq Jalil. The McCarthys was cancelled after one season on CBS. Gordon will direct the pilot.

Per Deadline, Stourton is set as Inspector Matteo, described as, "...a dry-witted, confident emissary from the Vatican who has come to this small town to investigate a sighting of the Virgin Mary." The Hail Mary cast also includes Casey Wilson and Gareth Reynolds.

Read More…...

UK actor, writer and comedian Tom Stourton has booked a series regular role on ABC's single-camera comedy pilot Hail Mary, from Sony TV and ABC Studios. Written by The McCarthys creator Brian Gallivan and directed by Julie Anne Robinson, Hail Mary centers on Mary Wolf (Casey Wilson), a young small-town mayor who has dysfunctional siblings, a dying father, disgruntled citizens, a nearly bankrupt town and the mafia breathing down her neck. Only a miracle can help her. So…...

Tyler Ritter has joined the cast of “Young & Hungry” for Season 4, TheWrap has learned. The actor, who previously starred on CBS’ “The McCarthys,” has joined the Freeform comedy’s recently announced upcoming season in a recurring guest role. Ritter will play Adam, who is described as a handsome and funny man who is nursing a broken heart after being left at the altar. He and Gabi (Emily Osment) bond over their similar relationship problems and the fact that they are both budding entrepreneurs. Also read: Jerry O'Connell, Cheryl Hines Guest Star in 'Young & Hungry' Sneak Peek (Exclusive Video) “Young & Hungry,...

Go On alumna Sarah Baker has been cast opposite Casey Wilson in ABC's single-camera comedy pilot Hail Mary, from Sony TV and ABC Studios. Written by The McCarthys creator Brian Gallivan and directed by Julie Anne Robinson, Hail Mary centers on Mary Wolf (Wilson), a young small-town mayor named who has dysfunctional siblings, a dying father, disgruntled citizens, a nearly bankrupt town and the mafia breathing down her neck. Only a miracle can help her. So … she fakes one…...

Happy Endings alumna Casey Wilson is reuniting with the network and studio behind the cult ensemble comedy series. Wilson is set for the lead in ABC’s single-camera comedy pilot Hail Mary, from Sony TV. Hail Mary, a half-hour adaptation of the hourlong Austrian series Braunschlag, was written by The McCarthys creator Brian Gallivan and directed by Julie Anne Robinson. It centers on a young small-town mayor named Mary Wolf (Wilson) who has dysfunctional siblings, a dying…...

Netflix has added several actors to its Kevin James action comedy True Memoirs Of An International Assassin. Zulay Henao (The Single Moms Club), Andy Garcia (Kill the Messenger), Maurice Compte (Narcos), Kelen Coleman (The McCarthys), Andrew Howard (Taken 3), Rob Riggle (22 Jump Street), Leonard Earl Howze (Memphis Beat), Yul Vazquez (The Lottery) and Kim Coates (Sons Of Anarchy) have join the pic directed by Jeff Wadlow. James stars as a mild-mannered would-be author who…...

ABC has ordered the TV show pilot for Hail Mary, a single camera comedy, based on the Australian TV series, Braunschlag. The pilot is from Brian Gallivan, creator of The McCarthys -- which was cancelled by CBS after one season -- with The Goldbergs' Seth Gordon and Operation Repo's Tariq Jalil.

While David Schalko's Aussie original series was an eight-episode one-hour program, Deadline says Hail Mary is a half-hour adaptation.

Read More…...

Oh, brother.

NCIS‘ Tony Dinozzo (played by Michael Weatherly) has an unenviable task in the Jan. 5 crossover with NCIS: New Orleans, as revealed in the trailer below.

Coming directly to the fans, here's an exclusive first look at the #NCIS & #Ncisnola 2-hour crossover event! https://t.co/BgYH88yMa3

— NCIS (@NCIS_CBS) December 17, 2015

RelatedRatings: NCIS: New Orleans, Limitless Hold Steady vs. Voice Finale

As the teaser gets underway, Tony has to arrest Abby’s (Pauley Perrette) heretofore never-seen adult brother, Luca, played by guest star Tyler Ritter (The McCarthys). Worse, at the end of the clip, Abby is tasked to...

The upcoming feature film Dirty Thirty from Lionsgate already stars YouTube celebrities Grace Helbig, Hannah Hart, and Mamrie Hart. Now, these three Camp Takota actresses have some new co-stars joining the production. Fellow YouTube stars Anna Akana, Flula Borg, and Chester See are among many of the new digital-hailing cast members announced for Dirty Thirty.

Written by Mamrie Hart and actress Molly Prather, Dirty Thirty tells the story of three women at a 30th birthday party that goes horribly wrong. Akana joins the film as Ashley, the arch-nemesis of Helbig, Hart, and Hart’s characters. Borg and See will play party attendees, alongside Josh Levya (also known as YoMuscleBoii), CollegeHumor’s Adam Lustick, Katherine Hughes (Me and Earl and the Dying Girl), and YouTuber Mikey Murphy.

Also joining the cast of Dirty Thirty is vlogger Drew Monson (aka mytoecold), who will play Hannah Hart’s co-worker Rufus. Kelen Coleman (The McCarthys...

The Writers Guild of America announced some of its nominees for its 2015 awards on Thursday, including television, new media, and radio, and among the TV nominees are series both new and old, and all beloved.

In the comedy series category, freshman Netflix show "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" scored a nomination for best series, as well as an overall best new series nod. "The Last Man on Earth" also landed in that latter category, and was singled out for its pilot episode writing, too.

On the drama side of the equation, lauded "Breaking Bad" spinoff "Better Call Saul" also got best series and best new series nominations, in addition to a an episode writing nod. Newly-minted Emmy winner "Game of Thrones" also scored a best drama citation, as well as an episodic writing nomination.

The full list of nominees released this week are below. Nominations in the theatrical and documentary categories will...

A half-hour adaptation of the hourlong Austrian series Braunschlag has landed at ABC with a script commitment plus significant penalty. The untitled single-camera project, from Sony TV and Tariq Jalil’s Intrigue, is written/executive produced by The McCarthys creator Brian Gallivan and executive produced by Seth Gordon (The Goldbergs), who will direct the potential pilot if available. In the ABC version, a young small-town mayor named Emma Wolf has dysfunctional siblings…...

It certainly didn't look good when CBS dropped their sitcom The McCarthys from the schedule. Today, we learned that the TV series has been cancelled, leaving four episodes unaired.

The McCarthys revolves around sports-crazed family from Boston. Athletically-challenged and gay son Ronny (Tyler Ritter) plans to finally move away to start his own life. Those plans are thrown into turmoil when his basketball coach dad (Jack McGee) offers him a job as assistant coach -- much to the dismay of Ronny's siblings. The sitcom also stars Laurie Metcalf, Jimmy Dunn, Joey McIntyre, and Kelen Coleman.

(more…)...

Last week, in the wake of Eddie Huang's complaints that he felt ABC's "Fresh Off the Boat" was distorting and softening his childhood experiences, this column examined how hard it is for any biographical or autobiographical sitcom to be true to the life of its source and still be a crowd-pleasing primetime network entertainment. You'd think, after decades of trying, TV writers and network programming executives would be aware of this.

Nonetheless, according to The Hollywood Reporter, the networks have no fewer than ten such sitcom pilots in production, as the first episodes of potential 2015-16 primetime series. Some are based on the lives of already famous entertainers, some on the self-referential stand-up comedy routines of not-quite-famous comics, and some on memoirsts who've lived interesting lives.

Here's a rundown of these pilots, with a look at who these shows are about, who's starring in them, what the series might be like,...

Fresh on the heels of the Two Bellmen release, Marriott Content Studio has another short film ready to make its debut. The hotel chain’s digital studio has announced its newest project, a romantic mystery dubbed French Kiss, will premiere on multiple platforms on May 19, 2015.

French Kiss stars Tyler Ritter (of The McCarthys fame) as Ethan, a work-obsessed American set to speak at an innovation conference at Marriott’s Champs Élysées hotel. Ethan’s secret admirer Margaux (French model and actress Margot Luciarte) tricks him into following a string of clues across the city of Paris to discover all its wonders, but whether or not Margaux is real or just a figment of Ethan’s imagination is a mystery.

Marriott’s romantic flick was the result of a deal struck in October 2014 between the content studio and producers Ian Sander and Kim Moses of Sander/Moses & Slam. Sander and Moses...

Should we feel bad for Eddie Huang? The restaurateur whose memoir about his childhood inspired the current ABC sitcom "Fresh Off the Boat" went on a multi-post Twitter rant after this week's episode, complaining that, since the pilot, the show has drifted far from the reality of his own experience, to the point where "it got so far from the truth that I don't recognize my own life."

That's certainly unfortunate, even for a guy who received a tidy sum for the TV rights to his autobiography. No one wants to see his or her experience distorted and broadcast to millions. Then again, what did he expect? It's a network sitcom. It's generally going to avoid any bleak reality that can't be resolved in 22 minutes.

This sort of biographical distortion has been an issue for sitcoms since the dawn of television, since the format simply doesn't lend itself easily to...

Nearly four months after his mother passed away, Joey McIntyre admits he's still in the process of grieving. The McCarthys star and New Kids on the Block singer paid tribute to his late mother, Katherine Bowen McIntyre, at Wednesday's 23rd Annual "A Night at Sardi's" to Benefit the Alzheimer's Association. From the red carpet of the Beverly Hilton Hotel, McIntyre tells People that "Mourning is a process, and I have to take my time with it."After he posted a touching tribute to his mother on Instagram on Dec. 1 - one day after she died - McIntyre, 42, said that the next few weeks were trying.

Looks like Laurie Metcalf may soon have some extra time on her hands. The actress' CBS show, The McCarthys, has been essentially cancelled. Now, her Getting On series has been renewed for a third but final season on HBO.

Based on a UK series of the same name, Getting On follows the staff at the Billy Barnes Extended Care Unit of Mt. Palms Hospital in Long Beach, CA. They attend to the needs of female patients who are often “getting on” in years. The comedy stars Metcalf, Alex Borstein, Niecy Nash, and Mel Rodriguez.

(more…)...

It looks like The McCarthys will be moving to TV heaven. Hey, maybe they'll live next door to The Millers? CBS has yanked The McCarthys, the freshman drama starring Laurie Metcalf and Joey McIntyre, from its schedule early. According to The Futon Critic, the show was set to air on Thursday, Feb. 5 and Thursday, Feb. 12, but has been replaced by The Big Bang Theory reruns. The comedy as set to hit the bench on Thursday, Feb. 19 to make way for the Two and a Half Men finale with the new Thursday schedule being The Big Bang Theory, The Odd Couple, a Big Bang Theory rerun and Mom. The McCarthys was created by Brian Gallivan and also starred Tyler Ritter, Kelen Coleman, Jimmy Dunn and Jack McGee. The series...

CBS hasn't cancelled The McCarthys but fans aren't going to be able to find any new episodes on the schedule.

The McCarthys revolves around sports-crazed family from Boston. Athletically-challenged and gay son Ronny (Tyler Ritter) plans to finally move away to start his own life. Those plans are thrown into turmoil when his basketball coach dad (Jack McGee) offers him a job as assistant coach -- much to the dismay of Ronny's siblings. The sitcom also stars Laurie Metcalf, Jimmy Dunn, Joey McIntyre, and Kelen Coleman.

(more…)...

CBS continues to look for new hit sitcoms. Last year's The Crazy Ones, Bad Teacher, We Are Men, and Friends With Better Lives were all cancelled while Mom and The Millers survived. How will The McCarthys stack up in the ratings? Will it be cancelled too or renewed for a second season? We'll have to wait and see.

The McCarthys revolves around sports-crazed family from Boston. Athletically-challenged and gay son Ronny (Tyler Ritter) plans to finally move away to start his own life. Those plans are thrown into turmoil when his basketball coach dad (Jack McGee) offers him a job as assistant coach -- much to the dismay of Ronny's siblings. The sitcom also stars Laurie Metcalf, Jimmy Dunn, Joey McIntyre, and Kelen Coleman.

The ratings are typically the best indication of a show's likelihood of staying on the air. The higher the ratings...

Despite attracting poor ratings, CBS has ordered two more episodes of The McCarthys. This brings the first season tally to 15 installments.

The McCarthys revolves around sports-crazed family from Boston. Athletically-challenged and gay son Ronny (Tyler Ritter) plans to finally move away to start his own life. Those plans are thrown into turmoil when his basketball coach dad (Jack McGee) offers him a job as assistant coach -- much to the dismay of Ronny's siblings. The sitcom also stars Laurie Metcalf, Jimmy Dunn, Joey McIntyre, and Kelen Coleman.

While two more episodes is good news for fans of the series, the show is still very likely to be cancelled by spring. It's currently averaging a 1.4 rating in the 18-49 demographic with 6.53 million viewers. The McCarthys is the network's lowest-rated sitcom by far and has numbers well below those of The Millers -- a...