Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Meet The McCarthys

Growing up in a suburb of Boston, Brian Gallivan committed a huge sin in the eyes of his sports-crazed, Irish-Catholic family.  It wasn't that he is gay; it’s that he knows nothing about basketball.

In fact, says Tyler Ritter, who plays Gallivan’s alter-ego Ronny on his new CBS sitcom The McCarthys, “The fact that my character is gay isn’t even a driving characteristic.  Our characters are all different but loveable, and the show is about how we learn to get along.”

“The McCarthys is a good combination of traditional family comedy and progressive, edgier stuff,” says former New Kid on the Block Joey McIntyre, who along with Jimmy Dunn and Kelen Coleman were cast as Ronny’s three siblings.  Jack McGee, who plays high school basketball coach and McCarthy patriarch Arthur, speaks from experience when he states that “a lot of Irish families don’t know how to talk to each other – they talk at each other, and it comes out unfiltered.”


It’s that kind of political incorrectness that makes for good comedy, Gallivan says – even if his own real-life family may sometimes bristle at the depiction.  Gallivan’s own clan is bigger – he’s one of six – and of course his own mother isn’t TV royalty as is Mrs. McCarthy, aka Laurie Metcalf.  “But the show is peppered with details from real life.  And so, my family can’t wait to see it,” he explains.  “But then again, every time I go home, they all say, ‘Don’t say anything to him – it’ll end up in an episode!’”

The McCarthys
CBS
Thursdays at 9:30PM
beginning October 30

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

NBC Wants More "Laura"

This morning, NBC announced the first full-season pickup from among its new fall series.  Debra Messing's The Mysteries of Laura has been scoring in the ratings since its debut on September 17, and has helped the network build a female-centric night of crimefighting and action, leading into Mariska Hargitay's veteran Law & Order: SVU and Sophia Bush in Chicago Fire.  See announcement from NBC below.


NBC ORDERS FULL SEASON OF ‘THE MYSTERIES OF LAURA’

Debra Messing Starrer Improves 8 P.M. Wednesday Timeslot by 58% Vs. Last Season

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. — Oct. 28, 2014 — NBC has given a full-season 22-episode order to its 8 p.m. Wednesday drama “The Mysteries of Laura.”

Emmy Award winner Debra Messing stars as NYPD homicide Det. Laura Diamond, who manages to balance her time between being a police officer and that of a harried mom with two unruly young boys.

“Debra has effortlessly infused Laura with a relatability that is captivating audiences,” said Jennifer Salke, President, NBC Entertainment. “We can’t wait to see how Laura will continue to evolve throughout the entire season.”

Through its first six telecasts, “The Mysteries of Laura” has averaged a 1.8 rating, 6 share in adults 18-49 and 10.4 million viewers overall in “most current” figures from Nielsen Media Research. In “live plus same day” results, “The Mysteries of Laura” has improved the Wednesday 8-9 p.m. ET/PT hour by +58% or 3.3 million persons versus NBC’s results in the hour one year earlier.

“The Mysteries of Laura” is the only new drama on the Big 4 networks so far this season to remain with 0.2 of a rating point in 18-49 of its regular-slot debut through its next four telecasts in L+SD results.

The series also stars Josh Lucas, Laz Alonso, Janina Gavankar and Max Jenkins.

Writer Jeff Rake (“Boston Legal”) and director McG (“Supernatural”) serve as executive producers with Greg Berlanti (“Brothers & Sisters”), Aaron Kaplan (“The Neighbors”), Todd Lituchy and Sarah Schechter. “The Mysteries of Laura” is a production of Warner Bros. Television, Berlanti Productions and Kapital Entertainment.

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

CW Announces Full Season Orders for "The Flash" and "Jane the Virgin"

Just a few weeks into the new fall season, it appears as if the CW Network may have two brand-new hits on its hands.  Both The Flash and Jane the Virgin have earned decent ratings and critics' approval, and so this morning, the network announced full-season renewals for each.  The press release is below.


THE CW ANNOUNCES FULL SEASON ORDERS FOR"THE FLASH" AND "JANE THE VIRGIN"
October 21, 2014 (Burbank, CA) — The CW has given full season orders to its two hit freshman series, THE FLASH and JANE THE VIRGIN, it was announced today by Mark Pedowitz, President, The CW.
THE FLASH debuted as the most-watched series premiere ever on The CW, scoring 6.1 million viewers in Live + 3 Day Nielsen ratings, and was the network's highest-rated series premiere among adults 18-49 in more than five years, since THE VAMPIRE DIARIES debuted in 2009.
The most critically acclaimed new series of the season, JANE THE VIRGIN, bowed with The CW's most-watched and highest-rated show in its time period in two years. TV Guide called JANE THE VIRGIN the "#1 Must-See" new show of the season, and named star Gina Rodriguez the "most inspiring young actress on TV today." Tim Goodman of the Hollywood Reporter said JANE was "by far the best network pilot –drama or comedy" this season.
"We have had a fantastic start to our season this year, with THE FLASH launching as our most-watched series premiere ever, and JANE THE VIRGIN recognized as the best new show this season by critics across the country," said Pedowitz. "Over the past three seasons, we have made it our mission to grow and to broaden out our audience, and to keep raising the bar with the quality and impact of our new shows, and THE FLASH and JANE have both exceeded our expectations on all counts. I'm thrilled to announce full season orders for both of these terrific new series."  
THE FLASH is produced by Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with Berlanti Productions and Warner Bros. Television, with executive producers Greg Berlanti ("Arrow," "Everwood"), Andrew Kreisberg ("Arrow," "Eli Stone"), David Nutter ("Arrow," "Game of Thrones") and Sarah Schechter.  This series is based upon characters published by DC Entertainment.
JANE THE VIRGIN is produced by CBS Television Studios and Warner Bros. Television, in association with Electus, with executive producers Jennie Snyder Urman ("Emily Owens, M.D."), Ben Silverman ("The Biggest Loser"), Gary Pearl ("10.5: Apocalypse") and Jorge Granier ("Que el Cielo Me Explique").

Friday, October 17, 2014

More Grist for The Millers

When Sean Hayes got the call from TV legend James Burrows about joining The Millers, “it was probably the easiest ‘yes’ I’ve ever said,” the actor recalls.  Already a fan of the Thursday night sitcom, Hayes relished the chance to reteam with his former Will & Grace director  Burrows (and former W&G  guest star Beau Bridges; papa Tom Miller was once Jack McFarland's dad, too)  and to join friend Will Arnett on screen. 

This season, Hayes’ character Kip becomes Miller matriarch Carol’s new friend – and thus a nascent rival for her son Nathan.  “It’s been really fun turning our friendship into an adversarial relationship,” Arnett says.

“Just the thought of Sean and Margo Martindale as BFFs makes me smile,” adds Millers creator Greg Garcia.  “We’re only getting started, and writing this season’s stories has been a blast.”


The Millers
CBS
Returns Monday, October 20
8:30 PM EST