Fan Rants

One of our favorite shows here at Fan Rants (no compitition to Fringe but still whips the floor with Sanctuary) is the hilarious Futurama. And Comedy Central just made our day by ordering another 26 episodes!

Press Release from Comedy Central:

Emmy(R) Award-Winning Animated Comedy Series To Premiere Two Seasons Of 13 Episodes Beginning Summer 2012

Entire Original Voice Cast Returns

Upcoming 2011 “Season 6-B” Premieres On Thursday, June 23 At 10 P.M.

NEW YORK, March 28, 2011 — The future is looking bright for Fry, Leela and Bender! COMEDY CENTRAL and Twentieth Century Fox Television have announced today the pick-up of 26 new episodes (Seasons “7-A” and “7-B”) of Matt Groening and David X. Cohen‘s brilliantly subversive animated sci-fi comedy, “Futurama.” The announcement was made today by Twentieth Century Fox Television Chairmen Gary Newman and Dana Walden, and David Bernath, Executive Vice President, program strategy and multiplatform programming for COMEDY CENTRAL. The first installment of 13 new episodes will premiere in the summer of 2012, with the additional 13 new episodes to air the following summer of 2013 on COMEDY CENTRAL.

Seven years after its last original episode aired on Fox, the sixth season premiere of “Futurama” last June led COMEDY CENTRAL to its best Thursday prime ever among young men. The animated sci-fi comedy continued its out-of-this-world winning streak throughout the summer, averaging 2.5 million viewers each week, along with a 1.5 P18-49 rating, a 3.0 M18-34 rating and 3.3 M18-24 rating. In the social media realm, the “Futurama” Facebook fan base has grown from one million “likes” prior to its return last summer to over 11 million “likes” today, making it one of the top television sites on Facebook.

“Successfully bringing the show back last summer was gratifying enough,” said Bernath. “Now, being able to extend the series for two more years is beyond our expectations! The dedicated fans have spoken and we are excited to bring them ‘Futurama’ for the foreseeable future.”

“We’re very grateful to COMEDY CENTRAL and Twentieth Television for this show of support,” said Matt Groening and David X. Cohen. “Our entire staff will celebrate tonight by going out and getting even drunker.”

“Matt and David created one of the most brilliantly subversive animated comedies ever made in ‘Futurama’ and we consider its continued life on COMEDY CENTRAL to be a huge victory for this studio,” commented TCFTV Chairmen Dana Walden and Gary Newman. “This show is a tremendous labor of love for all concerned, from its talented voice cast to the incredible writers and animators who pour so much of themselves into every episode. And its fans are among the most loyal and passionate there are, so we’re especially pleased to be able to promise them many more original episodes to look forward to in the years ahead.”

The show’s entire original voice cast will be returning, including stars Billy West, Katey Sagal, and John DiMaggio. “It is my great honor to be back with all my friends and colleagues,” said West. “There’s nothing better.”

John DiMaggio commented, “Winner, winner, chicken dinner!”

“Futurama” was a staple of Fox’s Sunday night animation block from 1999 to 2003 before ceasing production on original episodes. In June 2006, COMEDY CENTRAL acquired the rights to the existing 72 episodes of the series, which the channel began airing in January 2008 and four recently-produced extended-length “Futurama” adventures: “Bender’s Big Score,” “The Beast with a Billion Backs,” “Bender’s Game” and “Into the Wild Green Yonder,” which enjoyed enormous success both on COMEDY CENTRAL and in DVD release. “Futurama” is only the second series in the history of the medium to go back into production based on the strength of its DVD sales and repeat airings on cable.

“Futurama” focuses on the life of Philip Fry (Billy West), a 25-year-old pizza delivery boy who accidentally freezes himself on December 31, 1999 and wakes up 1,000 years later with a fresh start at life and a “diverse” new group of friends including Leela (Katey Sagal), a tough but lovely one-eyed alien and Bender (John DiMaggio), a robot who possesses human characteristics and flaws. The series aired for five seasons on Fox (1999 to 2003) earning Emmy(R) nominations each season while winning three times, including “Outstanding Animated Program” in 2002.

“Futurama,” created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening and David X. Cohen, is produced by Twentieth Century Fox Television, with Rough Draft Studios, Inc. contributing the animation.

20th Century Fox Television, a division of News Corp, is a leading supplier of entertainment content domestically and around the world.

COMEDY CENTRAL, the only all-comedy network, currently is seen in more than 98 million homes nationwide. COMEDY CENTRAL is owned by, and is a registered trademark of, Comedy Partners, a wholly-owned division of Viacom Inc.’s (NYSE: VIA and VIA.B) MTV Networks. COMEDY CENTRAL’s Internet address is www.comedycentral.com.

Related articles

• Hooray For Zoidberg!! Comedy Central Orders 26 More Episodes of FUTURAMA!! (aintitcool.com)
• ‘Futurama’ renewed for two more years! (insidetv.ew.com)

Good news for all you Captain Jack stalkers, he is back in your livingroom this July, courtesy of STARZ!

Press Release from STARZ TV:

STARZ announced today that “Torchwood: Miracle Day” will premiere on Friday, July 8th at 10pm ET/PT. The US installment of the BBC smash hit series will star Mekhi Phifer (“ER,” “Lie to Me”), Bill Pullman (Independence Day, The Grudge) and, in an extended guest role, Lauren Ambrose (“Six Feet Under,” The Other Woman) and is currently in production in Los Angeles.

Bill Pullman, who portrays Oswald Danes, a former school teacher and convicted child killer, and Phifer, join “Torchwood” alumni John Barrowman (Capt. Jack Harkness) and Eve Myles (Gwen Cooper) in the series. Also joining the cast are Alexa Havins (When in Rome, Fat Girls) as Esther Drummond, a deskbound CIA employee who dreams of active duty and who suddenly finds herself running alongside Jack, Gwen and Rex; and Arlene Tur (“Crash,” Eat Pray Love) as Dr. Vera Juarez, a Washington D.C. surgeon, who finds herself on the frontline of medical care on “Miracle Day” advising the government think-tanks on the best course of action for the world’s population.

Torchwood begins with a day when nobody dies. All across the world, nobody dies. And then the next day, and the next, and the next, people keep aging, they get hurt and sick, but they never die. The result: a population boom, overnight. With all the extra people, resources are finite. It’s said that in four month’s time, the human race will cease to be viable. But this can’t be a natural event – someone’s got to be behind it. It’s a race against time as C.I.A. agent Rex Matheson investigates a global conspiracy. The answers lie within an old, secret British institute. As Rex keeps asking “What is Torchwood?,” he’s drawn into a world of adventure, and a threat to change what it means to be human, forever.

WOOT! I am so doing the happy dance. Though it does bare the question as to what FOX has up their sleeve…perhaps they will change it into a reality TV show mid-season.

Press Release from FOX:

FOX RENEWS “FRINGE” FOR FOURTH SEASON � IN BOTH UNIVERSES

FOX has renewed critically acclaimed thrilling drama FRINGE for a fourth season, it was announced today by Kevin Reilly, President, Entertainment for Fox Broadcasting Company.

“FRINGE has truly hit a creative stride and has distinguished itself as one of television’s most original programs. The series’ ingenious producers, amazingly talented cast and crew, as well as some of the most passionate and loyal fans on the planet, made this fourth-season pickup possible,” said Reilly. “When we moved the show to Fridays, we asked the fans to follow and they did. We’re thrilled to bring it back for another full season and keep it part of the FOX family.”

FRINGE co-creator and executive producer J.J. Abrams said, “We could not be happier that the fans of FRINGE (and our most excellent partners at FOX) have allowed us to continue telling stories from the fringe for another season!”

“This early pickup comes at a perfect time as we start production on the Season Three finale,” added FRINGE showrunners and executive producers Jeff Pinkner and J.H. Wyman. “We join the cast and crew in thanking our loyal fans and FOX for allowing us to have this much fun telling stories we love.”

Since moving to Fridays (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) in January, FRINGE is averaging a 2.2/7 among Adults 18-49 and has established itself as Friday’s No. 1 series in the core adult demographic.

The compelling third season continues tonight, Friday, March 25 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT), on FOX. In the “Bloodline” episode, the intensity of life “over there” accelerates as a pregnant OLIVIA (Anna Torv) is kidnapped and finds herself in mortal danger. As the Fringe Division races against time to find her, agent LINCOLN LEE (guest star Seth Gabel) receives some heartbreaking news as WALTER (John Noble) stops at nothing to preserve the new branch of the Bishop family tree.

Created by J.J. Abrams & Alex Kurtzman & Roberto Orci, FRINGE is produced by Bad Robot Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television. Abrams, Bryan Burk, Jeff Pinkner, J.H. Wyman and Joe Chappelle serve as executive producers, while Kurtzman, Orci and Akiva Goldsman are consulting producers. Additionally, Pinkner and Wyman serve as the series’ showrunners. Become a fan of the series on Facebook at www.facebook.com/fringe and follow the series on Twitter at www.twitter.com/fringeonfox (@fringeonfox).

Good news for the fans of the American remake for the BBC show Being Human. Syfy has actually renewed a series (come on, if you like it they usually cancel it).

Press Release:

Supernatural Drama is Syfy’s Most Female-Skewing Scripted Series Ever

NEW YORK – March 17, 2011 – Syfy is ordering a second season of its new hit drama series Being Human, it was announced today by Mark Stern President of Original Content, Syfy and Co-Head of Original Content, Universal Cable Productions. Since the show’s January 17 launch, premiere episodes of Being Human have averaged 1.8 million viewers making it Syfy’s most successful winter season scripted series launch in 6 years. Also, with women comprising 53% of the total audience for premiere episodes, it is the channel’s most female-skewing scripted series ever.

Through its first nine weeks on Syfy, and including repeat broadcasts, Being Human has been seen by 19.1 million total unique viewers.

“‘Being Human’ has proven to be a winner for Syfy on all fronts,” said Stern. “Using the original format as inspiration, showrunners/writers Jeremy Carver and Anna Fricke – along with a superlative team of writers, cast, and production – have created an amazing, compelling series in its own right. We can’t wait to watch Aidan, Josh and Sally continue their struggle to be human in the second season!”

Being Human stars Sam Witwer, Meaghan Rath, Sam Huntington and Mark Pellegrino and is a Muse Entertainment production in association with Zodiak USA. It is based on the acclaimed series, Being Human, created by Toby Whithouse and produced by Touchpaper Television, part of Zodiak Media Group.

In Being Human, leading everyday lives is a lot harder than it looks for three supernatural roommates – vampire Aidan (Witwer), ghost Sally (Rath) and werewolf Josh (Huntington) – who share their secrets and a Boston brownstone. Together they learn that there are fates worse than death and more to life – and the afterlife – than most “normal” humans could ever imagine.

Executive Producers are Michael Prupas (The Kennedys, Pillars of the Earth), Jeremy Carver (Supernatural) and Anna Fricke (Men in Trees, Everwood) who are both writers/showrunners, and Rob Pursey and Toby Whithouse. Irene Litinsky is series Producer and Adam Kane (The Mentalist, Heroes) is Co-Executive Producer.

Related articles

• “The American Version of Being Human Renewed for Second Season” and related posts (scificool.com)

This looks really good and while my hopes are not maintained due to it being a FOX production, I will support it while it lasts on the air.

Press Release:

NEW EPIC FAMILY ADVENTURE SERIES “TERRA NOVA” TO PREMIERE IN FALL 2011

The new epic family adventure series TERRA NOVA will now launch with its series premiere in fall 2011 on FOX, it was announced today by Kevin Reilly, President of Entertainment, Fox Broadcasting Company.

“TERRA NOVA is one of the most ambitious television series ever produced,” said Reilly. “The cutting-edge visual effects used to create the world of TERRA NOVA, which is of massive scope and scale, require more time to be realized. This aspect of the series is essential, so we are pushing back the special early preview date to give the visual effects team the time needed for their ground-breaking work.”

“The world of TERRA NOVA is visually stunning on multiple levels, and effects play an enormous part,” said executive producer René Echevarria. “Premiering in the fall will give us the proper time to create a world never before seen on television.”

An epic family adventure 85 million years in the making, TERRA NOVA follows an ordinary family embarking on an incredible journey back in time to prehistoric Earth as a small part of a daring experiment to save the human race. In the year 2149 the world is dying. The planet is overdeveloped, overcrowded and overpolluted. With no known way to reverse the damage to the planet, scientists discover a portal to prehistoric Earth. This doorway leads to an amazing world, one that allows for a last-ditch effort to save the human race…a second chance to rebuild civilization and get it right this time.

The series centers on the Shannon family as they join the Tenth Pilgrimage of settlers to TERRA NOVA, the first colony established in this beautiful yet forbidding land led by its founder COMMANDER NATHANIEL TAYLOR (Stephen Lang, “Avatar”). JIM SHANNON (Jason O’Mara, “Life on Mars”), a devoted father with a checkered past, guides his family – wife ELISABETH (Shelley Conn, “Mistresses”); and children JOSH (Landon Liboiron, “Degrassi: The Next Generation”), MADDY (Naomi Scott, “Life Bites”) and ZOE (newcomer Alana Mansour) – through this new land of limitless beauty, mystery and terror. In addition to blue skies, towering waterfalls and lush vegetation, TERRA NOVA offers new opportunities and fresh beginnings to its recent arrivals, but the Shannons have brought with them a familial secret that may threaten their citizenship in this utopia. These adventurers soon discover that this healthy, vibrant world is not as idyllic as it initially appears. The areas surrounding TERRA NOVA are teeming with danger – and not just of the man-eating dinosaur variety. The Shannons will come to suspect that not everyone on this mission has the same idea of how to best save mankind; in fact, there may be forces intent on destroying this new world before it even begins.

TERRA NOVA is produced by 20th Century Fox Television, Chernin Entertainment, DreamWorks Television and Kapital Entertainment. Peter Chernin, Steven Spielberg, René Echevarria, Brannon Braga, Aaron Kaplan, Katherine Pope, Justin Falvey, Darryl Frank, Jon Cassar, Craig Silverstein and Kelly Marcel serve as executive producers. Alex Graves serves as executive producer and directed the series premiere.