There's no shortage of attention lavished on AMC's original series, but the cable network recently made an unusual move on the programming acquisition front that's noteworthy. Last Sunday, AMC began airing the miniseries "Into the West" at 8 p.m. as a lead-in to its original series "Hell On Wheels." If "West" rings a bell, it's because it first ran on TNT in 2005 with a $50 million budget and the backing of executive producer Steven Spielberg.

It's rare to see a network license programming from a rival and reintroduce it given how sensitive cable channels are about diluting their branding. But Tom Halleen, senior vp of programming and scheduling at AMC, believes the conventional programming wisdom was worth challenging when it came to providing a compatible lead-in to fellow Western "Wheels."

"I don’t think viewers will look at it and say, 'Why is the TNT drama 'Into The West' on AMC?" he said. "I don't think we're borrowing another network's brand, it's about the show’s individual brand."

The gambit worked: "Wheels" tripled AMC's average primetime rating, reaching 1.7 million total viewers.

Halleen wouldn't comment on how much it cost AMC to acquire "West." The network is marketing the miniseries, which last aired on TNT in 2009, as an "AMC premiere."

AMC has always had a soft spot for Westerns, having also licensed classic Western "Lonesome Dove" for its air. Before its slate of original series started clicking beginning with "Mad Men," the network scored with its own original 2006 miniseries "Broken Trail," which starred Robert Duvall.

This is the third in a series of three posts. Read Part 2 if you missed it.

It's not as if CBS is going to go gangbusters from September onward. What few new entries are coming to the schedule are largely question marks: "Vegas" and "Jersey Girl" aren't going to work, and "Partners" will squeak by less on the steam of its own charm than its cushy slot on Monday.

"Elementary" is actually the sleeper of the bunch. Unlike "Vegas," where CBS awkwardly cloaks a procedural inside the trappings of a period piece, this Sherlock Holmes reboot is a pure, unabashed procedural with well-cast leads (Johnny Lee Miller, Lucy Liu). Truth be told, it doesn't even matter that "Elementary" is well done; it's in a Thursday 10 p.m. time slot where NBC and ABC will barely have a heartbeat. Look for "Elementary" to be the most-watched new series of the season, comedy or drama.

But CBS won't truly shine overall until midseason, where the network will have a murderers' row of events all scheduled in a matter of weeks--the AFC championship game, Grammys and Super Bowl--that will pretty much guarantee the Eye wins the 18-49 crown in 2012-13.

But what will truly put the network over the top is the promotional platform these events will provide for new programming for the midseason. A lucky new comedy like "Friend Me" and/or "The Ex Men" is going to get a huge lead-in from "Big Bang Theory," which may very well be ready to hit peak performance, or "Two and a Half Men," which is almost definitely going into its last season. Prediction: "Person of Interest" gets bench time as CBS attempts a new two-hour comedy block on Thursday, taking a strangehold of a night where the most ad dollars await the winning network. 

That's not good news for ABC, which has a promising hour scheduled at 8 p.m. in "Last Resort." It's going to need a better time slot if it's really intended to blossom on the schedule. One hour you can already cross off the list of potential relocation slots is Wednesday at 10 p.m., where country-flavored "Nashville" is going to fit like a glove on a night where ABC will be stronger than ever. One exception: new 8:30 p.m. comedy "The Neighbors," which will wash out quick.

Sunday is truly the night where the most suspense is in store for ABC, and not because "666 Park Avenue" is going to scare up any more viewers than "Pan Am" failed to last season. The question mark there is whether "Revenge" will lose or build on the audience "Desperate Housewives" had before clearing out of the Sunday 9 p.m. time slot, or whether it will regret the risky switch from its previous Wednesday  10 p.m. home. Expect "Revenge" to do just well enough to hang on to its "Once Upon A Time" lead-in but "666" will mean Sunday will still provide a hole that will need filling, though ABC has more than a few hours stockpiled to try in the midseason, like another femme-friendly hour, "Red Widow."

That leaves NBC. Wouldn't it be nice if the comeback story could finally unfold. Unfortunately this fall could be just as troubling as the last one. The new comedy block on Wednesday will be obliterated, and "Guys With Kids" will be the season's first cancellation. New dramas "Revolution" and "Chicago Fire" will get blown out in short order. And Friday will prove so inhospitable to returning half-hours "Community" and "Whitney" that they will pray to inherit the "30 Rock" slot once that series finishes out its run beginning in October.

Bleak as it all sounds, there will be some rays of hope. The pairing of "Go On" and "The New Normal" won't exactly be insta-hits but "Normal" in particular will do decently enough that NBC will do anything to ensure survival, like even cutting back "Voice" a half-hour on Monday to give it the best possible lead-in, or maybe even putting it on at 10 p.m. once "Revolution" clocks out. Then there's the midseason, where NBC will start releasing the first of the arsenal it is building that reboot established icons like "Hannibal," which should be followed by "Dracula," "Cleopatra" and "Munsters" redo "Mockingbird Lane." Just you wait: Watch NBC rebuild its brand on the back of revived iconic characters. 

And there you have it. One can't possibly predict everything that's going to happen over the course of an entire season, but dammit, someone has to try... 

It may have been One Direction's performance at the VMAs yesterday that made me realize I'm out of touch. As the band took the stage at Staples Center last night, several thoughts crossed through my head, including:

Who are these people?

I'm older than them?

Why aren't they singing that catchy "Glad You Came" song?

Oh, that's another British boy band?

They're all wearing skinny jeans?

Why did I get such a big popcorn?

One Direction, or "1D" as the tweeny-boppers call the overseas sensation on Twitter, energetically jumped around on stage, singing lyrics without a hint of a Brit accent. Teens in the crowd wearing what amounted to homecoming dresses wailed with delight, and everyone in my seating section -- and I do mean everyone -- sat quietly or whispered to their plus ones: "I don't know the words."

One audience member to my right even said, "I remember Britney with a snake! What is this?!"

Rihanna's opening performance felt lackluster in the arena, 2 Chainz moment on stage had me counting his necklaces rather than listening to his music, and Taylor Swift's performance smelt of my tenth grade diary.

We all remember Britney with a snake. What are the VMAs now?

The kudos fest used to be synonymous with over-the-top performances featuring ridiculous costumes, impressive dance routines and scandalous moments that America would be discussing the next day. We have seen Diana Ross fondle Lil Kim, Britney and Christina swap spit through Madonna, Kanye butt into other people's business, Rose McGowan sport a fishnet, Gaga drip blood, Fiona Apple hate the world, Tommy Lee and Kid Rock fight over Pam, and oh, Michael frickin' Jackson. Even last year's show and broadcast at the Nokia offered fun bits like Beyonce confirming a Blue Ivy bun in the oven while on stage and Gaga speaking in third person while in drag.

The success of the Video Music Awards comes not from doling out Moonmen (though celebs forcing a surprised reaction when they receive the kudo is always an amusing part of the evening for me), and maybe not even from beautiful performances, but rather from its wild, unscripted antics. Yet, I am realizing that those moments are like lightening in a bottle, derived from an amalgamation of explosive personalities, creative zest and the FCC's nightmare of live broadcasts on MTV.

What was last night's show? Safe. Standard. Celebs arrived, did their work on the red carpet and took their seats at the Staples Center. The loudest cheers of the evening came from boy bands whose members may or may not seem interchangeable to anyone over 22 and from a "Twilight: Breaking Dawn Pt 2" sneak peek that left some in the audience heading out for another drink at the bar. Even Lil Wayne donned his Beats by Dr. Dre headphones, zoning out during the broadcast.

If last night is proof of anything, it's that we've entered a strange lull in pop culture. What's "hot" right now is Taylor Swift's vanilla, catchy pop tracks and whether a member of The Wanted is single or not. Lady Gaga's shock value has worn off, Nicki Minaj can only wear so much glitter, and where is Eminem? I mean really, where is Eminem?

Most stars are over-handled by a team hell bent on dodging bad press, so broadcasts like the VMAs feature bored-looking celebs on their best behavior. No publicist wants another "I'ma let you finish, but..." moment on their hands. But where's the fun in that?

Last night's celebs and performers did not take the VMAs as an opportunity to do with the show what iconic folk from the past have -- use it as a vehicle for irony, sensation, or just pointless ridiculousness. The show's producers probably heaved a sigh of relief at the end of the broadcast, having avoided on-air nudity, fights, and anything else that would require a quick cut to another part of the stage.

Yet, perhaps MTV's relief after a show should be a litmus test for how good the VMAs were that year. Viewers don't really care about who won awards -- this is not the Oscars, after all. Those Moonmen are mere formalities, providing a scheduling framework for the insanity. Viewers want what stresses out handlers and MTV: wild, jaw-dropping moments that leave audiences members nudging each other and saying, "Did you see that?!" Last night came up dry, probably to the joy of those working behind-the-scenes. But producers and handlers, if you're feeling complacent and relaxed during the broadcast, if you're high fiving one another for a seamless job well done, if you're garnering praise for doling out a wholesome show that ruffled no feathers, you may be forgetting what the Video Music Awards are really all about.

This is the second part of a series of posts. Read Part 1 if you missed it.

The "Idol" decline in particular is going to be bad news for Fox, which has a eight-year streak winning the 18-49 demo largely on the back of its supernova franchise. Network chief Kevin Reilly already acknowledged at TCA that Fox will likely cede that demo crown to CBS. Making the unusual move of publicly projecting his own loss isn't going to help ease suspicions that he senses a hole opening underneath Fox--and it will be squarely on him to dig his way out coming fresh off a promotion that makes him both chairman of the network and overseer of an unscripted division that didn't report to him up until now. That means if "Idol" doesn't recover and "Factor" doesn't improve, he'll be the only one to answer for that.

Reilly is also making a risky bet by introducing a new two-hour Tuesday comedy block complete with two new half-hours alongside returning hit "New Girl," which may very well scale new heights in its sophomore season but was a ratings "hit" in its freshman year in the loosest sense of the word. Even if "Girl" props up "The Mindy Project" at 9:30 p.m., the 8-9 p.m. combo of "Raising Hope" and "Ben and Kate" could prove wobbly enough to make Fox regret shipping "Glee" off to Thursday, where the once buzzworthy series is transitioning to a new split-city narrative format. "Goodwin Games" might want to root for "Mindy's" demise just so it has the best possible chance for success.

Elsewhere on Fox's fall sked, it's hard to see where there's any growth opportunities. On the drama side, "Fringe" is almost done, "Bones" is solid but not getting younger, and it's hard to see "Touch" popping on Friday after a ho-hum first season. Look for "Mindy" will be Fox's only fall survivor especially when you take into account drama "The Mob Doctor," which will get crushed instantly in the same brutal time period that walloped "Lone Star" two years ago. Add to that a Monday that will be challenging in the fall to say the least, and you do have the makings of a schedule that could see some serious softening.

Thankfully, there's some good pre-season buzz on midseason drama "The Following," which is going to need to really pop. Regardless, perhaps the biggest unsaid question of the fall is not whether Fox is going to fall--even Reilly sees that coming--but just how far.

Still, even the worst case scenario probably wouldn't put Fox in danger of slipping so far as to lose second place to ABC or NBC. In truth primetime can really be separated into two separate races: the battle for the crown and the battle to stay out of last place. Nevertheless, if the story of the 2012-13 season can be reduced to one sentence, the death of the unscripted competition format may very well end up taking a backseat to the peak of CBS, which seems to not only get stronger with every passing season but spreading the wealth of that strength across its schedule like no other network--certainly not Fox, which is about to find what happens when strength comes from too many eggs in one basket.

More on the other networks' fortunes in Part 3 of this blog post series coming tomorrow.

Primetime prognostication is not for the faint of heart. Picking which of the dozens of new TV shows will succeed, let alone how returning series will fare, is about as easy as filling out March Madness brackets. But someone's got to do it, so here I am with a mix of number-crunching, creative assessment and my trusty gut.

There's no possible way to get everything right, as I discovered last year when for every pick that worked (here's looking at you, "Once Upon A Time" and "Revenge") there were some that didn't (forget "Unforgettable"). There's so much to say about the coming season that this blog post is broken up into three parts, the next two coming Thursday and Friday.

With Nostradamus-like powers, I see into a future where one network will hit its highest highs yet. Another will fall, though not as far as two others, which will put some points on the board, yet not enough to win.

But first let's talk about the beginning of the end for an entire sub-genre.

The 2012-13 season will be remembered as the Reality-TV Recession, specifically the competition series that have long ruled primetime. That shouldn't be a surprise to anyone who saw how poorly the broadcasters fared during the unscripted-heavy summer, when the broadcast networks failed to launch any viable new entries to the genre. Viewers are feeling serious fatigue given too many of these series are too long in the tooth or too similar to each other.

The focus right out of the gate will be on the rival singing contests, Fox's "The X Factor" and NBC's "The Voice" given the latter's move to fall will put a spotlight on their competition. "Factor" will actually probably launch strong given the curiosity over new judge Britney Spears, but this has the makings of a casting stunt that will fade fast. In all her years in the public eye, Spears has never demonstrated much of a personality beyond that of two-dimensional pop icon,  which means she doesn't have the goods to be compelling week in and week out.

For "Voice," it's hard to see how there's more growth in such a cluttered unscripted climate, and double-pumping cycles of the series will only exhaust it earlier than need be. Neither series is going to outright tank, but both will finish slightly below previous seasons. That may hurt NBC harder in the ratings department, but Fox will feel a fiscal crunch given the expense of shelling out for boldface-named judges and Simon Cowell, neither of which will be worth the investment.

The reality rout really started to take on momentum before the summer, when "American Idol" made an alarmingly precipitous decline that began back in January. There's no reason to believe "Idol" isn't going to continue to drop just as dramatically this coming midseason given new judge Mariah Carey and the other names being bandied about aren't going to spark a revival after 10 years. Fox might like us to think that the revolving door at the judges' table is now part of the fun for these shows given the parlor game that comes with guessing who is or isn't in negotiations. But when the dust clears, shows like "Idol" have to stand on their own two wobbly feet.

A big decline may also be in store for ABC's "Dancing With the Stars," which is relying on its upcoming all-stars edition to stave off a decline that's been coming a mile away. The Alphabet could be forced to cut back the franchise to one cycle per year. CBS' "Survivor" could do well to do same, to minimize its own wear and tear.

All in all, we're going to see a lot of "reality is dead" articles and the kind of soul-searching in unscripted development that is way overdue. And the hand-wringing isn't without just case: the biggest unscripted shows take up big chunks of the schedule: 2-3 hours per week, too much of which is bloated pomp that is part of the problem as well. What's worse is that performing weakly doesn't just hurt those shows themselves, but as lead-ins to other content, they have a destabilizing force that can be felt across the entire schedule.

These shows aren't going to leave the air this season. Even in decline they still have some value. But their airtime will be cut back and they'll lose their place as the cornerstone of their respective schedules. Competition shows will take a well-deserved nap for a season or two before one smart network remembers all programming is cyclical, and the genre gets revived all over again. See you in 2015.

The "Idol" decline is going to be particularly bad news for Fox. Read Part 2 for how the network will fare this coming season.

The teaser is short on specifics, i.e. guests, but it will be interesting to see whether O'Brien is going to just extend his chats with the celebrity guests who only get a handful of minutes on his TV couch, or perhaps go for another whole class of newsmakers, like, politicians. O'Brien surely has the chops to handle weightier work, and as Ryan Seacrest is demonstrating these days via his new deal with NBCUniversal, a host can stretch to more substantive fare without giving up his relatively more superficial day job.

So here's a prediction: Watch O'Brien do his thing online for a time until he's ready to get himself a show worthy of putting on CNN, which seems to be entering an experimental phase these days in its weekend lineup with hires like Anthony Bourdain and Morgan Spurlock shaking up a traditional sense of what constitutes 24-hour news programming. Giving O'Brien a side gig on CNN would bring some buzz to that network while giving him another reason to stick around at fellow Time Warner subsidiary TBS as well.

Old Spice Muscle Music from Terry Crews on Vimeo.

Say this much for Terry Crews: The way this guy's career is going, he'll never get pigenholed into any one type of role.

The versatile actor is taking eclectic to a whole new level as the star of a new Old Spice commercial going viral online in which his ample musculature makes for a one-man band like you've never seen.

It's fitting Crews is adding something this nutty to his resume right now given he's ubiquitous these days in many highly different projects: action star in "The Expendables II," reality contestant in NBC's "Stars Earn Stripes" and true thespian on HBO's "The Newsroom." Hurting for work, this guy is not.

Not so sure about why he'd do an ad like this though given the last Old Spice guy, Isaiah Mustafa, has gone from everywhere to nowhere pretty fast. Might not even have remembered his name had he not resurfaced earlier this week as the host of Hulu original series "The Morning After," which surely was his career goal all along.

What the "Muscle Music" ad has to do with selling aftershave, the world will never know. But if you've ever had the urge to manipulate Crews' body like a virtual marionette, your time is now.

For the next week, eBay will serve as a goldmine for TV fans across the nation as it hosts bidding wars for Emmy party tickets, skein memorabilia and studio trips. The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation -- the TV Academy's charitable arm -- is holding the auction from now until August 30 at 4pm PST.

What could you land your hands on should you place the highest bid? Items in the online auction include a behind-the-scenes tour of Warner Bros. Studios (including tickets to a taping of "The Big Bang Theory"), front row seats to the Primetime Emmy Red Carpet Bleachers Arrivals, tickets to the official HBO Emmy after party with car service, invite to the "Leverage" season wrap party and a one-on-one meeting with Cartoon Network Studio veep of casting and talent development, Sharon Lieblein. Tickets are up for grabs for tapings of "The Daily Show," "Conan," "So You Think You Can Dance" and "The Colbert Report," among other shows.

Should your inner TV geek be craving memorabilia, the auction boasts autographed items including a Sue Sylvester track suit from "Glee" signed by Jane Lynch, a Stetson cowboy hat from "Dallas" and a helmet from "Sons of Anarchy."

"Our auctions give TV fans a wonderful opportunity to both support an important cause and bid on truly unique studio experiences and show memorabilia," said Foundation exec director Norma Provencio Pichardo. "We are thankful for the television community's continued support and generous donations."

Proceeds from the online auction will support the Foundation's educational and archival programs, funding scholarships, internships and the Archive of American Television.

Find out more about the items up for grabs and start your bidding engines by visiting www.ebay.com/emmysfoundation. Oh, and good luck!

Radar Online reports – exclusively – that Grant Show and Katherine LaNasa have married.

Why is this significant, TV watchers?

Because Show is a former "Melrose Place" star, and LaNasa played the cop that supervised Jerry's "Melrose Place" lie-detector test on "Seinfeld."

Though her name will be included in the list of the latest cast departures at "Saturday Night Live," there are those who will feel Abby Elliott doesn't deserve to have her name uttered in the same sentence as Kristen Wiig and Andy Samberg.

As Elliott's four-year stint on the show unexpectedly ended earlier this week, not even the most generous assessment of her time on "SNL" would put her anywhere near the league of Wiig, Samberg or Jason Sudeikis, another veteran cast member who has yet to be re-signed despite the fact the new season starts next month.

But Elliott's second-class status is a mystery in more ways than one. Though it's unclear whether she was cut or just cut out on her own accord, it's hard to recall an example of an "SNL" cast member who displayed as much talent as she did on the show yet remained woefully underused. Her parting is all the more confusing considering Wiig's departure may have provided just the opportunity for her to finally make good on her potential. 

It's easy to underestimate just how great a season Elliott had in 2011-12. Despite the fact she was among the least-used cast members in "SNL's" 37th season, according to this handy pie chart by Splitsider, which broke the story of her departure, she came into her own with consistently brilliant impersonations. Her two outings as Zooey Deschanel were among the highlights of the season, as was her Meryl Streep and Rosie Pope. That's not even counting her reliable work as Khloe Kardashian, Rachel Maddow and Angelina Jolie. 

It always seemed like there was a determination made early in Elliott's tenure that she was best consumed in small doses. Yet it's not entirely clear why considering she so effectively made the most of her limited opportunIties. So what went wrong for Elliott on "SNL?"

"SNL" seemed quick to pigeonhole her as an impersonation specialist. That's fine if you're Jay Pharoah, who has shown he's brilliant in that department--but only in that department. Elliott seemed to have broader range but lacked the opportunity to exercise it. She didn't get a single memorable original character off the ground but you have to wonder whether she ever really got the chance.

What probably held back Elliott even more so was that her "SNL" career had the misfortune of coinciding with the tail end of Wiig's reign as comedy queen. She was overused and overshadowed both Elliott and Nasim Pedrad in the process. As admirable as "SNL's" evolution has been in recent years as a female-led troupe in the boys' club that is comedy, Lorne Michaels has always run the tires off his leading ladies, going back to Tina Fey and Amy Poehler.

Elliott may also have sensed competition coming from the newer women. Vanessa Bayer seemed to have leapfrogged her in the pecking order and Kate McKinnon displayed enough early promise to follow suit. With Wiig out of the way, it seemed like there was at least a chance for Elliott to battle Bayer for the honor of being "SNL's" reigning queen.

If it's any consolation to Elliott, history is filled with comedians who didn't let lackluster stints at "SNL" stop them from going on to become stars. As Chris Rock, Sarah Silverman and Tracy Morgan discovered, better things awaited them once they were done with the show. Even Elliott's own father, Chris Elliott, did well for himself before and after his one woeful season on "SNL."

At just 25 years old, Elliott has got plenty of time left to prove herself. Whatever she does next should prove a better fit for her career. 

HBO has extended its output deal with 20th Century Fox, the companies announced Tuesday, kkeeping one of the biggest sources of theatricals to the pay cabler around through 2022.

Existing pact was scheduled to expire in 2015. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, but these are typically massive deals; the Time Warner-owned net paid the studio $1 billion over the course of the 10-year deal they last signed. Perhaps more importantly, it keeps Fox from doing a deal with one of HBO's rivals including Showtime, Starz and Netflix. 

Fox won a concession unprecedented in HBO's output deals: electronic-sell-through rights, according to sources, which also indicated HBO is currently in talks with the other studios about allowing them to retain those rights in their current deals.

Getting EST is key because under the terms of existing output pacts studios can't keep titles up while they are in HBO's pay-TV window on virtual storefronts like iTunes that allow consumers to buy movies. 

HBO and Fox have had an output deal going over 30 years. Warner Bros. and Universal Pictures are HBO's other major output deals, with WB's up next year and Universal's set to expire in 2016. HBO also secured an output deal last year with Summit. 

Starz still has Disney and Sony output deals. Showtime has DreamWorks, Weinstein and CBS while Epix has rights to films from its principals, Lionsgate, MGM and Paramount Pictures.

Re-upping with Fox reflects the continuing importance of theatricals at HBO, which has made original programming such an increasingly prominent part of its programming mix that no output deal is a sure thing for renewal these days. Deal also demonstrates a belief at Time Warner in the long-term viability of the theatrical slate at Fox.

“We couldn’t be happier to announce the extension of our long-standing relationship with HBO, the leading premium pay television service in the United States,” said Mark Kaner, president of 20th Century Fox Distribution. 

Netflix has showed a willingness to go after content in the pay-TV window, having successfully bid last September for the rights to DreamWorks Animation titles that were previously on HBO. However, the DreamWorks deal is nowhere near the scale of the 20th deal.

Netflix also felt HBO's presence in the Scandinavian region Tuesday, when the pay cabler announced HBO Nordic, a joint venture with Parsifal International that will provide multiplatform programming there. The announcement came hours after Netflix disclosed its own launch in the exact same markets where HBO Nordic will be made available--Denmark, Finland, Sweden and Norway--scheduled for the fourth quarter of the year.

HBO hasn't disclosed when HBO Nordic will launch.

By Cynthia Littleton

EXCLUSIVE

David Haslingden will exit his post as prexy and chief operating officer of Fox Networks Group at the end of this year, wrapping his nearly 20-year run at News Corp.

Haslingden's departure is spurred largely by family considerations; he's said to be eager to return to his native Australia with his wife and teenage daughters.

Haslingden's role as the top business exec at the Fox Networks Group -- comprised of Fox Broadcasting Co., Fox Sports Media Group, FX, Fox Intl. Channels and the National Geographic Channels -- was eclipsed last month by the promotion of Peter Rice to chairman and CEO of the division.

Rice's elevation from head of entertainment for Fox Networks Group also spurred the segue of Fox Sports chairman David Hill to a News Corp. advisory role.

Haslingden was the architect of News Corp.'s international channels strategy, having steered the company's aggressive expansion of Fox-branded channels just as overseas TV markets were opening up to new commercial entrants. News Corp. is now expecting the 250-plus FIC channels to generate $1 billion in operating income by 2015.

Haslingden's "leadership in the international television marketplace has uniquely positioned Fox to succeed for years to come in what has quickly become one of the company's fastest-growing business segments," said News Corp. prexy-COO Chase Carey in announcing Haslingden's resignation.

Haslingden served as prexy of FIC from 2001 until he relocated from Hong Kong to Los Angeles in early 2011 to become prexy-COO of Fox Networks Group.

The exec has been with News Corp. since 1993, serving in various capacities in Oz, Asia and Europe as well as the U.S.

Haslingden called his tenure at News Corp. "the most productive and exhilirating experience I could have ever imagined" and but acknowledged that the separation from his family in Australia had taken its toll. "I'm delighted to be on my way home," he said.

By Cynthia Littleton and AJ Marechal

EXCLUSIVE

Producer Thom Beers may be headed to the exec suite at FremantleMedia North America.

Sources say the veteran reality producer is in line to become general manager of Fremantle's Burbank-based U.S. outpost, home to "American Idol," "The X Factor," "America's Got Talent," "The Price Is Right" and other shows. FremantleMedia acquired a majority stake in Beers' Original Prods. in 2009.

Sources familiar with the situation cautioned that Beers' appointment is not yet a done deal. Reps for Fremantle and Beers declined comment.

An exec post for Beers would fill a void at the company that opened in April, when former FremantleMedia CEO Cecile Frot-Coutaz was recruited back to London to run the entire Fremantle operation.

The specifics are still murky but it's expected that Beers would focus on the creative side of the business. Industry observers note that FremantleMedia North America has an experienced chief operating officer in Donna RedierLinsk.

Beers is one of the reality biz's most successful entrepreneurs, having built Original into a powerhouse player with such distinctive shows as Discovery Channel's "Deadliest Catch," History's "Ice Road Truckers" and "Ax Men" and his latest hit, A&E Network's "Storage Wars."

Ryan Murphy's foray onto NBC will begin earlier than "The New Normal's" offish premiere date as the b'cast net will air a two-minute sneak peek of the laffer tonight during Olympics coverage.

"New Normal" has already lit up controversy for its storyline about a gay couple seeking to have a child. One Million Moms, an org created by the American Family Association, has encouraged viewers to boycott the skein, dubbing it "harmful to society." During the TCA sesh for "New Normal," Murphy and the show's cast laughed off the criticism, with Murphy stating, "I find it to be interesting that they would take a position before they've seen it."

Sneak peek will air around 11:17pm tonight after the Olympics Women's BMX Finals. Above is NBC's original preview for "The New Normal," which bows on NBC on Tuesday, September 11 at 9:30pm.

The Paley Center for Media is opening its doors to biz members and general TV viewers alike for the org's annual PaleyFest: Fall TV Preview Parties.

Fest features a week-long screening series of forthcoming skeins on major nets. Public can scope out the autumn contenders for free before their official preem dates at the Center's Beverly Hills location and catch a glimpse of shows' casts and creative teams with interactive Q&A seshes. Here is the PaleyFest: Fall TV Preview Parties sked --

NBC | Wednesday, September

6:00 PM:                Doors open

7:00 PM:                Screening: The New Normal

7:30 PM:               NBC Preview Panel featuring members of the cast & creative team of The New  Normal

8:30 PM:                Screenings: Go On, Revolution, Animal Practice, Chicago Fire, Guys with Kids

CBS  | Thursday,  September 6

6:00 PM:                Doors open

7:00 PM:                Screening: Partners

7:30 PM:                CBS Preview Panel featuring members of the cast & creative team of Partners

8:30 PM:                Screenings: Elementary, Vegas, Made In Jersey

CW  | Saturday,  September 8

4:00 PM:                Doors open

5:00 PM:                CW Preview Screening: Arrow

5:45 PM:                CW Preview Panel featuring members of the cast & creative team of Arrow

6:45 PM:                Screenings: Emily Owens, M.D., Beauty and the Beast

 

FOX  | Monday, September 10

5:00 PM:                Doors open

6:00 PM:                FOX Preview Panel featuring members of the casts and creative teams of Ben and Kate, The Mindy Project, The Mob Doctor, New Girl and Raising Hope

6:45 PM:                Screenings: Ben and Kate, The Mindy Project, The Mob Doctor

 

ABC  | Tuesday, September 11

6:00 PM:                Doors open

7:00 PM:                ABC Preview Screening: Scandal

7:45 PM:                ABC Drama Preview Panel featuring the cast and creative team of Scandal

8:30 PM:                Screenings: Malibu Country, The Neighbors

9:15 PM:                ABC Comedy Preview Panel featuring members of the casts and creative teams of Malibu Country and The Neighbors

10:00 PM:              Screening: Nashville

Event will be held at The Paley Center for Media at 465 N. Beverly Drive. While free, event does require ticket reservations that can be made at www.paleycenter.org.

Yes, it’s that time of year again.

With the NFL now officially underway, HBO returns to the gridiron as well with its seminal reality series "Hard Knocks," which begins Tuesday. The program, which debuted in 2001, took a year off in 2011 when the labor strife eliminated much of the preseason.

HBO and the NFL have enlisted the Miami Dolphins as the under-the-microscope team ready to be get a hard look from TV audiences. The Dolphins, who have not exactly set the pro football world on fire in the last 30 years, could make for a compelling choice.

For "Hard Knocks" director Rob Gehring, what make makes the Dolphins intriguing is what makes any reality show better: A rivalry between contestants or, in this case, quarterbacks.

"This is the first time since the Kansas City Chiefs show (of ‘Hard Knocks’) that we’ve had a quarterback battle," said Gehring. "The NFL is a quarterback league and to have them battle is good TV."

Veteran David Garrard is going up against rookie Ryan Tannehill (above), and viewers who couldn’t have cared less about the Dolphins may want to stick around for all five episodes to see who wins the rights to start on opening day. Drama, whether it be on an island ("Survivor") or a dance floor, is what keeps auds intrigued.

But beyond who’s taking snaps, what has made "Hard Knocks" so intriguing over the years are the unknown players who walk into training camp with a dream of making the team. And that’s what can make a director so enthused about each new season.

"You have an idea on who you want to keep tabs on, but any of the 90 players could be a character," said Gehring, who works closely with the Dolphins in deciding where cameras will be set up, the access each player will have and all that goes into a TV production. "Each day we decide who will we follow today and where is the story. Our assistant director follows those stories and sees what to capture.

"Access is what’s important and you want to be inside with these guys. Teams have a structure of how information is disseminated. This is a show that gives insight you don’t get anywhere else."

What Gehring and HBO are hoping for, besides intel not revealed on blogs, newspapers or sports radio, is someone to break out as a unique character. Maybe it's not the most athletic player, but someone who the camera can’t stay away from. Two years ago, that person never put on a uniform. It was New York Jets coach Rex Ryan, whose foul mouth gave the show more buzz than ever before.

Gehring doesn’t expect that to happen again, of course. Especially as the Dolphins have a rookie coach Joe Philbin (above), who will likely be much more low key that Ryan.

"The Jets were such a terrific show and Rex was a great character, but you won’t have another Rex," Gehring said.

So are the Dolphins ready to be exposed? Gehring said not only are they prepared, they are looking forward to the public scrutiny.

"Teams are very cooperative every year. They know what they’re buying into."

He said he'd be back, and now Arnold is -- on ESPN.

Schwarzenegger is the subject of the first installment of the ESPN Films "30 for 30 Shorts" documentary series that bows next month. Doc short details Schwarzenegger's mandatory Austrian military service that he completed as a young bodybuilder.

The thesp and politician said hearing the word "no" when he was an aspiring bodybuilder made him realize "you can't pay attention to the naysayers. There are lessons in sports that aren't like anything else...I always had a very clear vision: I wanted to come to America, be a bodybuilding champion, be the strongest man in the world. No matter what anyone said, I felt it was possible to reach."

Schwarzenegger noted that learning to ignore the word "no" helped him for the rest of his life, particularly in politics where ideas are often shot down as impossible and not able to be achieved.

He took a few moments during the TCA panel to reflect on his journey to bodybuilding infamy. "My mom," he recalled, "saw pictures on my wall [when I was young] of naked men oiled up and she called the doctor!...'All of his friends have girls, and he has only men oiled up with little briefs on,' she said. So she was worried."

Schwarzenegger also faced challenges outside of his home while living on a military base in Austria. "At the base, there was no [weight-lifting] equipment. So, I had to figure out how to get equipment to the military base...the concept of bodybuilding was so new that it took a lot of effort for me to be heard and for them to pay attention and say, 'Let's get him weights.'"

Turns out his fellow servicemen had his back, however. Schwarzenegger said that he would get in trouble for minor things, more so than other men serving in the military. "They'd send me to the kitchen to peel potatoes," he remarked. In actuality, though, they sent him to peel potatoes so that he could also eat all the meat in the kitchen he wanted. Those kitchen punishments, Schwarzenegger said, contributed to him bulking up with over twenty pounds of muscle during his time in the Austrian military.

"Why did you come here?" one member of the press asked Aaron Sorkin.

The scribe stood surrounded by reporters at the Beverly Hilton. iPhones and mics extended towards his face from every angle, soaking up each word that escaped his mouth.

"I wanted to be able to talk to the press. If what you're saying is that HBO canceled my appearance and I said 'No, reinstate it,' you're right," responded Sorkin. "I don't want to have an adversarial relationship with the press."

Without a doubt, what had transpired moments before had been the most highly-anticipated panel of the summer TCAs. HBO's "The Newsroom" had polarized the journalism community, and at the "Newsroom" TCA panel, Sorkin would come face-to-face with his detractors. Many expected a feeding frenzy. By the time HBO panels were in session at 2pm, it was hard to find an empty seat in the ballroom.

When Jeff Daniels, Alan Poul and Sorkin took the stage, the room was silent. And after a bit of a warm up from some questions, slowly but surely, the press began to pelt Sorkin with criticism about "Newsroom." Topics touched upon included his portrayal of females, his portrayal of the cable news industry, the research that went into the show and rumors of him firing his writing staff. At no other TCA session did I witness a panelist clarify and defend parts of a series scene-by-scene as members of the press continued to lambaste the writer, at times without a mic.

I could go into the details of how Sorkin defended "Newsroom," how he believes he portrays men and women in an equal light, and how he shot down rumors that Corinne Kingsbury was ever his girlfriend. But what I left the panel with, mostly, was a better sense of Sorkin as a person. On stage sat not a man trying to steamroll his nay-sayers, but rather a writer attempting to clarify a vision and repair a strained relationship with the journalism community.

"One of the things I like about Aaron's writing is that all of his characters -- men and women -- have flaws," said Daniels, who interjected after a journalist lobbed another question at Sorkin. "It's interesting because...we're not supposed to brand ourselves like an action star who's always likeable and gets redemption in the end. We come on with these warts...these flaws..."

The scribe said that as someone who likes to write "romantically" and "idealistically," one of the stories he is penning on "Newsroom" is "about a guy who is broken and trying to fix himself...it's a tough needle to thread." And as Sorkin was taken to task by critics, I could not help but notice the parallels between Will McAvoy, the character Sorkin has built, and Sorkin's own journey through "Newsroom." Life, it seems, has begun to imitate art.

Will McAvoy, a man who cares about his ratings, witnesses a staff shakeup in the pilot of "Newsroom." He is faced with the prospect that people -- specifically his staff of journalists -- do not like him, or what he has to say. And he embarks upon a mission to work within the scope of his own journalistic values and repair those relationships. He strives to ignore the cable ratings, ignore the tabloid articles and focus on the quality of his news content and relationships instead.

What we learned at TCAs is that while Sorkin is possibly the most famous screenwriter alive, he still does not ignore the opinions others have of his work. In fact, they can at times consume him. Ratings for "Newsroom" may be solid, but Sorkin's ratings have plummeted with the press and that clearly has had an effect on him.

"I don't like riling people up," Sorkin earnestly told a journalist. "There was bound to be division [because of the show]...but I don't wish to be a rabble-rouser." And then: "I prefer to be liked."

The press has lately enjoyed snaring not just Sorkin's creative shortcomings, but his personal character as well. Many reputable publications reference the scribe's purported "gigantic ego." In the same way that media attacks on Will McAvoy became personal, so too did attacks on Sorkin. The "takedown pieces" that were referenced in "Newsroom" episode "I'll Try To Fix You" crossed over into reality as journalists seemed to find, at times, joy in mocking and criticizing the famed scribe for his newest TV endeavor. Given the imperfect nature of "Newsroom" and its subject matter being the home base of journalists, it was like shooting Sorkin in a barrel.

"I have to be very, very careful," said Sorkin to the huddle of reporters, "because I'm easily knocked around by other voices." He continued: "I have to write the way I write and not write to change people's minds. Because if 999 people like the show and one doesn't, I will abandon those 999 people and try to get the one person to like it."

His words echo the ones he put on paper for the HBO skein. "You don't want ratings to drive content," Reese Lansing says to Charlie Skinner on "Newsroom." Skinner orders Lansing: "Don't break down the numbers for Will."

"Will McAvoy's the biggest ratings whore in the business," says Lansing in Skinner's office. But Skinner reminds Reese, "We're trying something new, and I don't want him getting cold feet...we're going to try to do the news, and see what happens."

Well, Sorkin did try to do the news with "Newsroom." And what happened was that while it took off with viewers, the skein didn't land smoothly with critics. Sorkin is hyper-aware of this, and appeared at the TCAs to perhaps explain himself, perhaps clarify characters, perhaps defend himself, but mostly to build a "cordial" conversation with the press.

Will McAvoy approaches his detractors and the general public with an "Editorial Comment" at the end of one of his broadcasts. "From this moment on we'll be deciding what goes on our air and how it's presented to you based on the simple truth that nothing is more important to a democracy than a well informed electorate." McAvoy continues: "We're not the waiters at a restaurant serving you stories the way you wanted them...I'll make no effort to subdue my personal opinions, and I'll make every effort to expose you to informed opinions different than my own."

At the end of the "Newsroom" panel, Sorkin had not issued an apology for the elements of the series that brought a firestorm of criticism upon him.  He had defended his characters and their intentions tirelessly. He let the press know that he is, at heart, a writer who is at home in theater, and that he feels like an outsider in TV and film. He was candid about the show and himself. But he did let the journalists know he is hiring paid consultants for season two to help inform him about the news industry he will write about. He is bringing on the "informed opinions" of other people. But no, he will not "serve you stories the way you wanted them."

Sorkin and his "Newsroom" project are, like his characters, flawed...but not irreparable. And though Sorkin was quick to state during the panel, "I want to make a clear distinction between me and the characters that are in the show," the line between him and Will may not be as crisp as he once thought. It is not just Will McAvoy who is "trying to fix himself" and his relationships anymore. And while Sorkin has dubbed that story a "tough needle to thread," it seems that given his journey through the reception of season one, Sorkin will place thread through eye of the needle and begin to sew together a stronger "Newsroom" fabric for season two.

It's tempting to interpret the surprise move of ABC vet Jeff Bader to sked-guru duties at NBC as a no-confidence vote in the Peacock's 2012-13 fall schedule.  

Perhaps he'll be called on to revisit some of the decisions NBC made back in May as to where its shows would be scheduled, which prompted much head-scratching. Chief among the questionable shifts was the stunning placement of newsmagazine "Rock Center with Brian Williams" on Thursday at 10 p.m., a time slot historically devoted to some of the best scripted dramas the Peacock has to offer. Then there was the scattering of four different comedy blocks across the week, a ballsy move considering half-hours in primetime are typically protected with a care and tenderness usually devoted to baby chicks.

No doubt Bader's first impulse will be to rearrange that grid of colored tiles scheduling people use to plan primetime with the ferocity of Edward Scissorhands. But there is a logic to NBC's plan he'll need to understand first.

The operative word here is "flow," that mysterious force that supposedly compels an audience to move from one time slot to another. NBC is taking that concept very seriously this year, looking at each night in a consecutive, linear fashion reminiscent of the way a batting order is designed to move runners around the bases. The Sunday audience needs to be induced to return on Monday, which feeds into Tuesday, etc.

With that metaphor in mind, here's the key to understanding NBC in the fall: Sunday-Tuesday is the top of the order, a lineup frontloaded to drive in runs. Wednesday-Friday...not so much, which is why it is littered with comedies NBC has given up on and a newsmagazine with no hope of amassing significant ratings.

Peacock's prime directive was to start where the audience already is and attempt to circulate those viewers to the time slots in closest proximity. That means Job 1 is moving the 20 million-plus who tune into "Sunday Night Football" in the fall to the programming on the very next nights.

Football needs to be an effective promotional platform for the network's most valuable entertainment asset, "The Voice," which will be making its fall debut on Monday and Tuesday. The combination of these two in turn must drive sampling to the new programs on both nights: "Revolution" at Monday 10 p.m., and the comedy pairing of "Go On" and "The New Normal" at Tuesday 9 p.m.

If there was any doubt as to what new programming NBC considers its top priorities, it is the shows scheduled Sunday-Tuesday. This is the nucleus of the schedule, which might seem a little counterintuitive given Thursday has traditionally been NBC's launch pad.

But here's the dirty little secret that no one at NBC is going to be caught dead publicly admitting: Thursday, the night that has represented the cream of the network's crop going back decades, is now essentially fallow ground. Heresy? Yes, but NBC's Thursday planning speaks for itself. It's where a rotation of returning comedies the network has already deemed too narrow in their sophisticated wit will live out the remainder of their days, too weak to support the launch of any new half-hours.

When you come to terms with the fact that NBC has essentially shifted its traditional focus from the back half of the week to the front, then the scheduling of "Center" starts to make sense. By the time Thursday rolls around, there is no momentum left in the audience flow over the course of the week to keep moving to that night's comedies, let alone the hour that follows them.

NBC learned that the hard way last season, when three different scripted hours the network had high hopes for--"Prime Suspect," "The Firm" and "Awake"--were all eaten alive Thursday at 10 p.m., and in a time slot that's not even nearly as competitive as it used to be. And so despite the fact NBC once put iconic shows like "L.A. Law" and "ER" to the time slot, the network isn't about to send another scripted hour in at 10 p.m. to get killed. So let the nice news people hang their hats there rather than disrupt the precious flow the Peacock wants in the first half of the week.

The farther away shows are from Sunday-Tuesday, the less they matter to NBC in the fall. If Thursday feels neglected, Friday is an even bigger afterthought. That's why "Community" and "Whitney" are there, shots in the dark on a night notorious for launching new programming. Somehow NBC defied that gravity at 9 p.m. with "Grimm," which had a modestly successful rookie season in that time slot. My guess is there was a hearty debate over whether the network should move that series to a night earlier in the week to hopefully grow further. But if there is one philosophy that trumps flow, it is a more instinctive truism: If it ain't broke, don't fix it. ("Grimm" will also get some early season exposure on Monday.)

So that's the fall sked for you. Don't expect NBC to hang an "Out to Lunch" sign on Wednesday-Friday, but that's basically what's going on here. Only when the network has improved circulation in that Sunday-Tuesday cluster will they be able to invest more elsewhere in the week.

The TCA sneak peek for HBO's upcoming film "The Girl" could make anyone squirm. Alfred Hitchcock, played by Toby Jones, is seen groping Tippi Hedren, played by Sienna Miller, in the back of a car. He makes lewd, suggestive comments to her, and says she should make herself "sexually available" to him. He forces her to endure take after take for his famed film "The Birds." Sienna Miller's Tippi Hedren, worn down and injured from birds, unravels before your eyes.

And then, the lights come back on at HBO's TCA tour and Tippi Hedren herself takes the stage with a big, fake crow, playfully pecking Toby Jones on his head as they are seated on stage for the panel for "The Girl." The first question launched at the veteran actress led to a response that took the edge off the preview entirely.

"With 'The Girl,' the film," said Hedren, "in an hour and a half there wasn't enough time to give an example of what other experiences were in existence during the Hitchcock-Hedren years. There were times when it was absolutely delightful and wonderful."

An odd way to kick off a panel devoted to a film that detailed the perverse obsession Hitchcock had with one of his famous leading blond ladies. But, Hedren approached each question with a level of candidness about her experience with the helmer that gives more insight to her relationship with Hitchcock than the film may offer.

"He was my acting coach," remarked Hedren. "I hadn't had any acting experience except in commercials...I wasn't afraid of cameras or being on set, but to break down a script, to delve into how you become another character...it was something I didn't know how to do, and of course it was perfect to have someone as brilliant a genius as Alfred to be my drama coach."

"There were times of delight and joy," Hedren explained to the press. "It wasn't a constant barragement of harassment to me. That is the fault of any film, it can't possibly have everything in it."

The thesp noted, however, that if the harassment had been that expansive, she "would have been long gone" from Hitchcock.

Hedren does hope, though, that "The Girl" serves as a cautionary tale to young actresses. "I hope that young women who see this film know they do not have to acquiesce to anything that they do not feel is morally right, or that they feel dissatisfied with simply wanting to get out of a situation. I hope they understand that you can have that strength and you deserve it."

As for where Hedren stands now in relation to the late director, Hitchcock's assistant once told Hedren, "He would have these kind of feelings for his leading ladies, but he never got over you." Hedren told the press, "I don't know if that was supposed to be a compliment...but really, I don't care."

"One of the influences for the second season is the line of sanity -- what is sane, and what is insane?" said Ryan Murphy at June's PromaxBDA conference where he teased season two of "American Horror Story."

Today, we have confirmation that the series will be going nuts. Murphy, who co-created and exec produces the show, announced that season two will be dubbed "American Horror Story: Asylum." "Asylum" will be a new installment of "American Horror Story" and not have continuity with the program's seminal run.

“When we launched the show last year, we kept quiet about the closed-ended nature of the show because we didn’t want to tip off the audience that the characters were not going to survive,” explained  Murphy. “Now that it has been established that each year is a closed-ended story, the time seemed right to reveal what we’re calling the new installment.

Murphy continued: “We picked ‘Asylum’ because it not only describes the setting – an insane asylum run by Jessica Lange’s character which was formerly a tuberculosis ward – but also signifies a place of haven for the unloved and the unwanted. This year’s theme is about sanity and tackling real life horrors.”

Set in 1964, "American Horror Story: Asylum" stars Jessica Lange, Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Lily Rabe, Zachary Quinto, James Cromwell, and Joseph Fiennes and will bow on FX in October.

By the way, Murphy also stated in June at PromaxBDA that though he "enjoys" that there are "impostors" of him on Twitter, he would never sign up for an account himself. "I think me with glasses of red wine and Twitter is a very bad thing. I think I would abuse Twitter!"

Well, send a congratulatory bottle of Merlot to the "Asylum" set, for as of this week Murphy has created an account. No online shenanigans from the producer yet, though he's supplying Gleeks with a steady stream of pics to satisfy them till the debut of the skein's new season. Adam Levine (seen above), who will also appear in season two of "American Horror Story," hammed it up for Murphy's smartphone cam for a pic that Murphy later tweet out to his tens of thousands of followers.

Coffee table? Meet Chuck Lorre.

The prolific TV producer is making the leap from screen to page, signing a deal with a deal with Simon & Schuster for the release of "What Doesn't Kill Us, Makes Us Bitter."

The book will be the first ever print collection of Lorre's cheeky vanity cards seen at the end of hit skeins like "The Big Bang Theory," "Two and a Half Men," "Dharma & Greg" and "Mike & Molly." Lorre has been including the vanity cards at the end of his shows' episodes (for exactly one second!) since '97. Each card offers an inside look to Lorre's thoughts, inspiration and musings for his shows and once could only be consumed through deft pausing with VCR recording or DVR.

"What Doesn't Kill Us, Makes Us Bitter" will be published in October and retail for $100. All proceeds from the sale will go towards the Dharma-Grace Foundation which was established by Lorre in 1999 to support the Venice Family Clinic.

Viewing the cards doesn't require freeze-framing anymore, though, since Lorre has published the vanity cards on his own website. I did some digging and stumbled upon the vanity card that spawned the hardcover coffee book's title, #345:

What doesn't kill us makes us bitter. I used to believe that to be both funny and true. Years later I learned that pain could also be the touchstone for personal growth, which of course points back to the original saying, "what doesn't kill us makes us better." Not funny, but perhaps closer to the truth. Or at least the truth I choose to believe in these days. So, having recently experienced a bit of pain, am I better? Well, let's review: I think I'm fairly immune to name-calling now. I'm not sure I could have made that claim a few months ago. I've also come to see that the things I used to think were big deals, are not. Problems appear to be relative. If you have a big one, it makes all the others seem almost charming in comparison. And finally, when your life takes a path you could never have foreseen, it's humbling. In a good way. It's kind of like a friendly reminder from the universe that while you may think you have the starring role in the movie of your life, you're actually just a bit player trying to grab a quesadilla off the craft services table when no one's looking.

So, to sum up: I now have a thicker skin, I'm less likely to sweat the small stuff, and, perhaps most importantly, I have a renewed sense of humility. All in all, better. That being said, I still try to stay reasonably bitter in order to maintain my eligibility in the Writers Guild of America.

The vanity card ran at the end of "The Big Bang Theory's" episode "The Engagement Reaction" on May 12, 2011, when the Charlie Sheen "Two and a Half Men" fiasco had finally begun to cool off. Vanity cards from the months of the highly-publicized debacle often served as diary entries of sorts for the producer. No word as to whether Lorre will ever write a tell-all about his years in Hollywood and the Sheen meltdown, but "What Does Not Kill Us, Makes Us Bitter's" vanity cards, when taken together, may be as close as we're ever going to get.

Plus, your house guests will probably like reading it.

It's time to start the backlash against…backlash. 

To read the media and technology press this week, the big story out of London is the backlash NBC is facing for its tape-delayed coverage.  But this notion begs a deeper analysis, one that has to consider the vehicle where backlash gets funneled: social media.

When you look at the TV ratings, it's hard to square the undeniable success NBC has had over the first three days--35.8 million viewer average makes London the most watched Summer Olympics to date--with all the supposed dissatisfaction out there.

Is it not reasonable to deduce that: a) if more people are watching the Olympics than ever, then... b) more people are happy with the Olympics than ever... c) doesn't that make the disproportionate amount of coverage about those who are unhappy unwarranted?

That doesn't mean criticism of Olympics coverage doesn't merit any coverage. What's questionable is the sheer volume of this coverage relative to other angles that could be taken.

That's to be expected given its the media's natural inclination to seek out stories framed as conflict--the conventional wisdom has always been that tension makes for the most compelling journalism. It certainly makes for a more interesting read than a headline like "Millions of Fans Pleased With Olympics Coverage."

So here's a deceptively simple question: What is "backlash" exactly? What portion of a population needs to vocalize its discontent to qualify as backlash, a majority or a minority? If it's a minority, does it need to be a significant minority? Or even if just one person complains, is that enough to frame a story as a backlash?

Argue if you will that even a small minority constitutes a backlash. But then what should we make of situations where there is a majority expressing discontent; do we call that a backlash, too? Do we do a disservice to something that gets a truly broadly pervasive backlash when we give that label to something much smaller? 

That just seems wrong.

What seems to be happening here is that a vocal minority of naysayers are drowning out a largely satisfied but silent majority. And for that we have social media to thank, specifically Twitter.

Social media is an incredible tool for getting the word out whether you support or disdain something. But that's also the problem here. Show me something people are talking about on Twitter that doesn't have its detractors. And if everything has detractors, what is backlash really if everything invites somedegree of backlash?

That doesn't mean there is something inherently wrong with Twitter. The blame really resides with the journalists who mistake the mirror-walled echo chamber formed by the Twitter accounts they follow for the larger public. Perhaps they are parroting the groupthink of a congenitally disgrunted, hypercritical lot rather than feeding off a greater diversity of opinion.

And even if every single human with a Twitter account in the U.S. did disdain NBC's Olympics coverage--a population of 140 million by a recent estimate--there's still a majority of Americans whose thoughts on the Olympics aren't being heard.

So the bad news is that social media seems to be distorting any sense of scale in gauging real-time grass-roots reaction. But here's the good news: there's a cottage industry of companies out there engaging in the nascent science of sentiment analysis. They're capable of quantifying who is saying what and in what volume.

Consequently, stories that claim to convey some sense of consumer reaction should require data that supports otherwise wildly unsupportable conclusions. Maybe it's high time journalists looking to gin up a good story put some refined definition to a slippery concept like backlash.

Implicit or explicit in many of these backlash articles is the notion that NBC is deaf/dumb/blind to the backlash because they haven't responded in any demonstrable fashion to this supposed flood of anger coming their way. But isn't it possible that NBC is indeed listening and quantifying feedback from the audience and its lack of a response is proof positive that the scale of the #NBCfail lobby isn't of a significant size.

There's no easy answers here. It's not like if we had the most finely tuned Sentiment-o-meter at our disposal, it would offer hard and fast answers. Is there some magic number that marks "backlash" level? But this is a question of profound importance to media companies who live and die on public perception of their products. If news organizations are going to be the ones raising those questions, maybe it's time we step up our own game in this arena.

The CW's latest action-packed drama "Arrow" will not be Green Arrow's first foray on the small screen...or even on The CW.

Actor Justin Hartley gave the DC Comics superhero life for seven episodes on the recently-retired CW skein "Smallville," and Stephen Amell will take the reins as the vigilante superhero on "Arrow," which is set to bow October 10.

"Arrow" exec producer Marc Guggenheim, though, doesn't see the character's past on the net as a problem.

"I think audiences are savvy enough to understand there are different iterations of characters," Guggenheim told press at The CW's "Arrow" TCA panel. "Michael Keaton doesn't affect your love for Christian Bale...and look at the 'Bond' franchise." Guggenheim also noted the 5-year spread between the iterations of the 'Spider-man' franchise that featured different leading men.

Guggenheim also discussed the faithfulness of "Arrow" to the DC comic book series. "We're taking a lot of inspiration from the comic books, but we've already taken a fair number of liberties," explained Guggenheim. He stated that while Oliver Queen didn't have siblings in the "Green Arrow" comics, the character has a sister on the show. Also, while both parents are dead in the comic series, Arrow's mother is kept alive on the skein.

"One of the good things about 'Green Arrow,'" said Guggenheim, "is that it has an origin that is subject to a lot of interpretation. There's not as much canon that's precious. We can play around."

"Arrow" is, though, a violent show, and is being promoted during a time when violence in the media is under heavy scrutiny after the movie theater massacre in Aurora, CO. Recently, the Colorado "Dark Knight Rises" shooting has led Warner Bros. to bump "Gangster Squad's" release date to January 2013 in order to give the production crew more time to reconceive a shooting scene in the movie. The WB's toon series "Beware the Batman" is also undergoing format changes to tone down the violence in the skein. Guggenheim weighed in on how violence is approached in "Arrow."

"I think it's incredibly important to be responsible, first and foremost," said the exec producer, who noted the show does not portray "random violence" and that killing has purpose behind it. "There's violence in our culture seeping into our world in incredibly tragic ways...Aurora came up in the 'Arrow' writer's room."

However, Guggenheim sees "Arrow" as a chance to offer new perspective on violence. "I think this show has an opportunity to explore the consequences of violence in a way other shows do not. We're going to be exploring aspects of vigilante-ism...our goal is to provide helpful social commentary."

Horror naturally extends its claws on cable nets where its gruesome imagery can bloom. "American Horror Story" frightens FX viewers, while "Walking Dead" and "True Blood" flaunt gore on AMC and HBO respectively. This fall, however, horror is creeping over to ABC with the premiere of "666 Park Ave." During the show's panel at ABC's TCA press tour, exec producer David Wilcox offered insight as to how he and the skein's creative team bring scares in spite of the limitations of broadcast nets.

"I've been a horror fan for a long time," said Wilcox to the audience at the Beverly Hilton. "It's the kind of genre that has a real, direct connection with the audience. I've thought there could be a show in the horror genre that could work on network TV for a long time because it's so successful theatrically."

From the creative inception of "666's" TV adaptation, however, Wilcox knew his team would face certain challenges within the genre. "I told my writers, we don't have the tool of gore and blood and that kind of spectacle. It has forced us to be a lot more clever in how we tell these stories."

Wilcox and the "666" crew have looked backwards, then, while moving forward with the project. "We looked at Hitchcock films, and how so much of those stories keep playing in your head even when you're not seeing [action] on screen. That was very instructive for us as we were getting into the ['666'] stories."

If fans of the genre are looking for gore, Wilcox knows the new ABC drama may fall short of expectations. "There are people that love to see blood, murder and mayhem," Wilcox remarked. "And there are shows on cable that have freedom to do that."

However, Wilcox is confident in the "666" product. "For us, it's a different kind of horror. It's a psychological horror," he said. "That's not to say there aren't some shocking, visceral moments in the show...But ['666'] is driven by suspense and mystery."

Just because AutoHop is stuck in the courts doesn't mean it can't court consumers.

While Dish Network's controversial new ad vaporizer--mere "skipping" is for bush-league DVRs--isn't mentioned by name in a new ad from the satcaster, its spirit sure seems to be lurking on the billboard pictured at right.

The tagline "Watch shows, not commercials" reads like a not-so-veiled reference to AutoHop's core functionality, which prompted broadcasters to sue Dish for copyright infringement and breach of contract last month. AutoHop allows Dish subs who use its whole-home DVR, dubbed the Hopper, to cut out the commercials in primetime programming recorded the day before with one click of the remote control.

It's ballsy enough to tout a product that Dish may ultimately have to scrap if it doesn't pass legal muster. But distilling AutoHop into a catchphrase for a corporate brand campaign? That may be a whole new level of cojones--which is really saying something for bold execs like Dish CEO Joe Clayton and chairman Charlie Ergen.

Asked about the ad, Dish advertising veep Stephanie Spence noted the "Watch shows, not commercials" billboard is just one execution of a broader campaign encompassing many different marketing messages speaking to everything from the Hopper's multi-room capability to its storage capacity. But Spence acknowledged that the tagline has been used in ads specifically pertaining to AutoHop, though she noted the message could just as easily apply to the Hopper as well.

"Lots of companies define their brand by what their premiere product is," said Spence. "I would say we're glad to associate the benefits of the Hopper with the Dish brand."

As marketing goes, leveraging AutoHop to enhance Dish itself has some logic to it; what better way to attract subs than put the hard sell on a rather seductive technology that differentiates the satcaster in the marketplace. But in the highly possible event that the courts rule in the broadcasters' favor, what then? How wise is it to pitch consumers on a product feature that may not be in existence for much longer after they've signed on for a subscription?

As for the broadcasters, they can't be too amused by this. Then again, they're the ones with the momentum in the ongoing legal battle. Last we saw AutoHop, a federal judge rejected a Dish request to have legal proceedings in New York instead of Los Angeles.

    After Fox’s TCA panel for “The Mindy Project,” I spoke with Chris Messina in the scrum about one of his other TV series that is a world away in both content and channel lineup: “Newsroom.”

    “I was shocked at some of the early response,” said Messina about the negative reception of the skein by critics. Indeed, once screeners hit the desk of journalists across the nation, once the series bowed on HBO, the internet lit up with a cacophony of harsh remarks and misgivings about the dramedy’s writing and storytelling. Sorkin took hits left and right in both short tweets and long form essays. Journalists treated “Newsroom” like a train wreck they could not turn away from.

    I follow primarily fellow journalists on Twitter and watched tweet after tweet (some being my own) flow down my feed criticizing the skein. Out of curiosity, I clicked on the “Newsroom” hashtag link when it was trending during the days after the show’s premiere. Upon scanning the feed, I was, like Messina, surprised by what I saw -- but for a different reason.

    When not filtered, the Twitter feed revealed how broader audiences received “Newsroom.” The verdict? Profound love and respect for the show. Dialogue and soliloquies dubbed “preachy” by journalists were warmly embraced by average viewers. Apparently Sorkin’s scripture, while wince-inducing for those of us working in a newsroom environment, struck a chord with American audiences. The show’s writing, while polarizing for TV critics, resonated with viewers and evidently gave voice to sentiments churning within the American conscience -- or at least within HBO subscribers.

    “The Newsroom is seriously so good”; “It’s my favorite new show”; “Finally, a show with intelligent characters, content and writing.”

    Messina has noticed this discrepency as well. He has found himself being approached by strangers while walking down the street, strangers who praise not only his acting but “Newsroom’s” content in general. Messina referred to Sorkin as “Shakespeare,” and noted that, when it comes to negative reviews, “sometimes people love to build other people up and then drag them down.” Nevertheless, Sorkin is reported to have axed part of his writing staff in preparation for season 2, leading many of the show’s detractors to wonder if the move was a typical restructuring of a writer’s room or, perhaps, a sign that Sorkin has caught on to the inherent flaws in his skein and is making moves to change them.

    Dick Wolf, an equally prolific industry member, stated succinctly during NBC’s “Chicago Fire” TCA panel that “the secret to success on television is writing.” “There’s never been a good show with bad writing,” said Wolf. “And there have been very few bad shows with good writing. Quality tops out...in ‘Chicago Fire,’ the writers are writing about people that you do admire.”

    Wolf is known for bringing viewers into the foreign (and albeit fictional) world of gritty occupations as he does with the “Law & Order” franchise, and "Chicago Fire" will be no exception. But, many in the legal world are quick to note that skeins like “Law and Order” glamorize the practice of law, and that it isn’t as exciting as it is portrayed to be on TV. Even in HBO’s doc “Sex Crimes Unit” that follows the real life “special victims unit” in New York City, the featured D.A. points out that her line of work isn’t as thrilling as it seems on Wolf’s hit NBC series, “Law & Order: SVU.”

    “Newsroom” also brings viewers behind the scenes of an occupation that many know only through tele-prompters and rehearsed camera cues. As the news industry is fictionalized on "Newsroom," journalists are quick to point out that no, we do not have black tie New Year’s Eve parties in the newsroom, and no, we do not have blowout fights with our significant others in the middle of the office. And with the such public means to express distaste for the series, the noisy influx of negative reviews began on Twitter, blogs and publications. Meanwhile viewers of “Newsroom” with a meager number of followers quietly tweeted out: “Hey, I like this,” and hashtagged the show.

    “Series like ‘ER,’ ‘Law & Order,’ and ‘Hill Street Blues’...they’re never being written down to an audience,” said Wolf at the “Chicago Fire” TCA panel. With Sorkin’s rapid fire dialogue on intellectual news events, “Newsroom” certainly isn’t written down to the broad audience that has embraced it on Twitter, either. At the same time, no occupation-based show can be expected to write to the niche that inspired it. Even Nigel Lythgoe emphasized during Fox’s “So You Think You Can Dance” TCA panel that show’s like “Idol” and “SYTYCD” are first and foremost “entertainment shows,” and not aimed solely at the dance and music communities.

    Would members of the medical community, the legal community, and now the fire-fighting community be so quick to point out the discontinuities between the onscreen portrayals of their occupation and their actual jobs? Maybe, maybe not. Mostly, they shrug off the discontinuities: it's television, after all. But Sorkin met the cruel fate of inviting criticism about a fictional news show from an industry that, well, makes the news. This world isn't so forgiving.

    In spite of this, the journalism and media industry has not given up on the skein, even as it continues to lash out at each episode’s flaws. The flurry of negative comments on Twitter each Sunday night is proof that for better or for worse, “Newsroom” offers a certain intrigue that keeps detractors watching. It has managed to romanticize a career in the same way that the “Law & Order” franchise romanticized police and legal work. And while I may know better about the realities of this line of work, I continue to watch Will McAvoy and his team grapple with issues because at the end of the day, when my reporter hat is hung up, I just want to be entertained too.

The Television Critics Assn. summer confab has just begun, yet it might have already peaked with Saturday night’s delicious “Downton Abbey” panel. 

Critics, by nature, are a group that’s hard to impress and gushing is, oh, so unprofessional, yet the sesh in the intimate Beverly Hills Ballroom in the BevHilton was nothing less than a lovefest for the PBS series that has turned a nation that a few centuries ago revolted against the British into a collective group that rushing over the Pond to tour the actual Downton estate.

On a panel led by creator Julian Fellowes and who was joined by actors Hugh Bonneville (Robert Crawley aka Lord Grantham), Joanne Froggatt (Anna), Brendan Coyle (John Bates), Michelle Dockery (Lady Mary), Elizabeth McGovern (Cora Crawley) and newcomer Shirley MacLaine (Cora’s mother, Martha Levinson), the back and forth was infectious.

Before the conversation started, clips were shown of the upcoming third season, which begins Jan. 6. While state secrets have been more guarded than what happens next at Downton, the scenes did reveal that there are bumps on the road to matrimony for Matthew and Lady Mary, the loss of fortune is hitting hard and Maggie Smith’s Violet Crawley will have her hands full when MacLaine’s Levinson arrives from the States.

In painting an overview of what’s to come, Fellowes said, “This season is about the recovery from the war,” and whether aristocracy is still relevant in a nation that both mourns and is quickly changing.

Coyle chatted about everything, from how Bates got his limp (the actor put a brace on his knee and something in his show to figure out how, exactly, the limp should feel like) and that when playing the Facebook game of “What ‘Downton’ character are you?” he readily confessed that he’s Lady Mary.

MacLaine added that she never watched the show before being cast and got schooled on the goings-on of the series by her Malibu hairdressers. And asked if she and Smith had ever worked together, she said they were lovers in a previous life.

Froggatt, who is getting married in October (sadly, not to Coyle; what a darling couple), said she learned of her Emmy nomination while at the post office during a lunch break in shooting last week and then came back to set for a scene with Coyle with redder ears and more a proud glow.

Bonneville said he knew the series was a sensation when a 10-year-old friend of his young son came up to him and said, “You know, I don’t like that Thomas!”

The actor ended the night in hysterical fashion, when, in the midst of answering a question, undid his tie, unbuttoned his dress shirt to show off his undershirt that read, “Free Bates.”

At a post-conference dessert reception, Coyle was one of the star attractions, chatting up his many admirers before walking back to his room upstairs in the hotel. Without the limp.

Leave it to the guys who mastered "the show about nothing" to bring that sensibility to digital platforms.

Jerry Seinfeld's new digital series "Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee" premiered with his former "Seinfeld" creative partner Larry David as the guest on an interview program that positively luxuriates in its own formlessness.

As its title suggests, the conversation is split between a ride together in a car (in the premiere, a 1952 VW Bug) and a sitdown in a coffee shop (Los Angeles' John O' Groats on Pico Blvd.). But calling it a conversation implies some sense of coherence, a logical flow from point A to point B.

"Coffee" is more like dialogue as comedy jazz, and in Seinfeld and David we have two trumpeters who aren't going to stick to the sheet music. It's an overly edited pastiche of non-sequitirs skipping around from one mutual preoccupation to another, including cereal, free-range chicken and boxer briefs. Don't expect a sustained dissection of the Greek debt crisis.

If you miss the minutiae that was the essence of "Seinfeld-ian" humor, "Coffee" will be manna. If you don't, it's not really all that funny, though stick around to the very end of the 13-plus minute premiere episode for an inspired bit on the difference between cigars and cigarettes.

But the problem isn't entirely that "Coffee" isn't particularly humorous. It's that Seinfeld and David are constantly cracking each other up in this episode for no apparent reason. It's nice to see two friends enjoying each other's company but awill viewers enjoy their enjoyment? Not so much.

If anyone was expecting Seinfeld to hatch some brilliant new creation that was going to be digital entertainment's long-sought-after sensation, "Coffee" ain't it. If anything, the series seems an exercise in subverting expectations in its utter disregard for trying to be much of anything, though certainly fans of the A-listers that will join Seinfeld in future episodes will make sure "Coffee" at least isn't ignored.

Better luck next episode, when Ricky Gervais is the guest.

Spider-Man, Doofenshmirtz, Hulk and Ferb all in one special? "Phineas and Ferb: Mission Marvel" will have them all, and more. Details here.

In a packed Comic-Con panel in Ballroom 20, the cast and fans of HBO's "True Blood" got the opportunity to say goodbye to exec producer Alan Ball. Scribe/co-exec producer Mark Hudis will take over as showrunner for the vamp camp after Ball steps down next season.

During the Q&A, Ball has asked about future episodes, and he had to gently inform audience members that he "would not be involved in those decisions."

"Alan Ball never makes you do the same thing again. Just when you film the amazing scene he gives you, you have something even better next time," said star Stephen Moyer. "We must say thank you to Alan Ball."

The soon-to-be-former showrunner received a standing ovation from the cast and the audience.

"Thank you," said Ball. "If I wasn't so old and so beat up, I would do 11,000 more episodes because this job is the most fun I ever had in my career."

The panel included Ball, along with "True Blood" stars Anna Paquin, Sam Trammell, Moyer, Ryan Kwanten, Rutina Wesley, Alexander Skarsgard, Deborah Ann Woll, Kristin Bauer van Straten, Joe Manganiello, and recent cast addition, Christopher Meloni, who talked a little about his former job as Lt. Elliot Stabler.

"What is considered a sex crime on this show is very different," joked Meloni, who recently left his longtime gig on "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit."

When asked if he would ever return to the show, Meloni stated: "I had 12 great years and no bad blood, so we will see what comes."

The cast talked about the upcoming season, but offered very limited info so not to reveal any plot points. Moyer's recent turn as a director was also discussed by the cast.

"I was quite nervous because I love them all, and wanted them to be pleased, so it was terrifying. But I was pleased with it," said Moyer. "It's something I always wanted to do...I was the artistic director in a theater company for ten years back in London. It look 15 years for me to go back to it. I asked Alan in the first season, and he said, 'No.' I asked again, and he said, 'No.'"

"It just didn't make any sense to not let him do it after I let him suffer," said Ball.

The vamp drama is one of the cabler's most-watched shows. The fifth-season preem aired on June 10 to 5.2 million viewers in its initial telecast (6.3 million for two airings).

HBO recently gave a sixth season order to "True Blood."

By Erin Maxwell

Disney is opening its character vault for the new season of "Once Upon a Time."

During it's Comic-Con panel in Ballroom 20 on Saturday, co-creators and executive producers Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz teased fans with a montage of show openers that not only reviewed past plot points, but unveiled possible upcoming Storybrooke residents and storylines. Characters and items in these episode openers included Mulan, Aurora (a.k.a. Sleeping Beauty), a beanstalk (possible Jack reference) and a silhouette of Emma Swan's classic VW bug (Hmmm..."Love Bug," anyone?)

In addition to the episode openers, the panel also showed a teaser trailer featured Captain Hook breaking into Mr. Gold's (Robert Carlyle) pawn shop.

As for other developments, the showrunners did not reveal upcoming storylines, but reassured the Hall H audience that despite the fact that "Magic is Coming," the show will stay true to its fans.

"The show will not change from the show you loved last year. We will continue to go back and forth between the two worlds," said Kitsis.

"I never could have conceived the brilliance of the first few scripts, but as a viewer, it's everything I could have hoped for," said star Ginnifer Goodwin.

It was also confirmed that former "Lost" star Emilie de Ravin will join the show as a series regular.

The duo also revealed that the character of Dr. Whale (David Anders) will get his own backstory, and that auds will find out the identity of Henry's (Jared Gilmore) father.

"It's Sneezy," joked Kitsis. "I told you that Emma had a past."

Moderated by William Keck of TV Guide Magazine, the panel included Horowitz, Kitsis, Goodwin, Jennifer Morrison, Josh Dallas, Lana Parrilla, Meghan Ory, and de Ravin.

"We want to tell you new things and go beyond the stories we grew up with," said Horowitz. "Thanks to you guys, we have the opportunity to tell more stories this year.

"We premiered against football and the World Series. Thanks to you, we are here," said Kitsis.

"Once" is the the highest-rated new-scripted series on ABC and third most-watched drama overall on the net. The fantasy skein drew a 4.1 rating/10 share in the 18-49 demo on Sundays, and 11.8 million viewers overall.

Both Kitsis and Horowitz recently extended their overall deal with ABC Studios. The duo will stay with Disney for another three years.

By ERIN MAXWELL
“Wow, there are craploads of you here,” remarked “The Walking Dead” moderator Chris Hardwick at the Comic-Con presentation of the hit AMC show.

Considering the show’s humble beginning on Room 6 and now the transition to the cavernous Hall H, the packed-to-capacity San Diego Convention Center venue was a perfect fit considering the popularity of the show.

In addition to the news that the upcoming season will launch Oct. 14, auds were also privy to a first look at the trailer as was well as new characters David Morrissey as the Governor of Woodbury and Danai Gurira as Michonne.

“This next season will be fantastic, not just because of a prison location but because we introduce Woodbury and we get the kick-ass Michonne,” said exec producer Gale Anne Hurd.

“We are in the zone on this one. We are really pushing each other,” said exec producer and showrunner Glen Mazzara. “We have to stay true to the comic, but what is good about that is we have the time to do it.”

The cast chatted about the problems filming in a prison (“We all have black lung now,” joked Steven Yeun), odd run-ins with fans (“I only play a home wrecker on TV,” said Sarah Wayne Callies) and the love they have for their fans, especially the ladies.

As for hints on next season, “We open with a scene of We Can’t Tell You and transition to Wait and See,” added creator Robert Kirkman.

By ERIN MAXWELL
Mercedes Becerra, you’re going to space!

In possibly one of the most original giveaways ever at Comic-Com, Becerra won a trip that was, literally, out of this world. The fan from Paso Robles, Calif., was one of about 10 audience members who queried the cast of “The Big Bang Theory.”

Upon asking a question, they were brought to the Hall H stage and each choose an envelope with one containing the golden ticket.

Idea for the giveaway was based on Simon Helberg’s character, Howard, who was flown into space in last season’s finale.

“You can totally wear you spacesuit to Comic-Con next year,” joked co-star Kaley Cuoco.

By Erin Maxwell

For the seventh and final season of "Dexter," the stars and creators of the show took the time at Comic-Con to say goodbye to the fans that made their show an international hit.

"I didn't think anyone would ever put a serial killer on TV and that someone would want to watch it," said star Jennifer Carpenter. "I thought I was only signing up for the pilot."

But while the stars said their farewells, they also introducted new cast member Yvonne Strzechowski. to the show. The former star of "Chuck" talked about her transition from the NBC comedy to the hit Showtime drama.

"I can only talk about so much," she said. "I have never been a guest on any show before. The cast has been very welcoming, but it's a different energy. The energy on 'Chuck' was fun and crazy. I have only spent a few days on the set, so it's hard to say."

On the show, she play as woman named Hannah, a lady with a dark past who helps Dexter on an investigation.

For the most part, mum was the word as far as any upcoming plots and possible outcomes.

"I always wanted the final season to be a series of finales, one right after the other," joked star Michael C. Hall. "Maybe one of them could be a musical episode."

The cast also chatted about staying with a character for such a long stretch of time and how to keep the character fresh to audiences.

"I needed to keep making him conceivable. To still have authentic human responses to things, but still feel the compulsion to kill people," said Hall. "He is self serving but still likeable...when you do something this long you know it on a cellular level."

At the panel, Showtime also announces a "Dexter" art contest for fans, as well as a new series of webisodes about his early years, titled "All in the Family." SDCC auds are also treated to the first few minutes of the debut episode for season seven.

The final season of "Dexter" airs on Sept. 30.

By ERIN MAXWELL

After teasing fans of USA Network show "Psych" for several years with the idea of a musical episode, series creator Steve Franks finally confirmed it was happening — with a twist.

"We have partially written the musical episode ... as a two-hour musical movie," said creator Steve Franks during the "Psych" panel at Comic-Con.

Also announced for "Psych" at the panel was a guest appearance of Jeffrey Tambor, who will appear on the show as the stepfather of Julia (played by Maggie Lawson).

As the first TV panel of the day in Ballroom 20, the fans of the USA Network packed the 2,000-plus-seat theater to maximum capacity. "Psych" star Tim Omundson led the Q&A panel.

USA programming chief Jeff Wachtel, the show's "benevolent god," hinted at a season eight, but would not confirm.

Above: Maggie Lawson reacts at today's "Psych" Comic-Con panel. (Alexandra Wyman/Getty Images Entertainment)

Fox is using tonight's 2012 MLB All-Star Game to kick off a promotional campaign for the new Tuesday comedy block beginning this fall.

As the promo (above) scheduled to run just before the game starts indicates, the network is looking to brand Tuesday with a moniker--"Laugh Your Fox Off"--similar to the "Animation Domination" designation its Sunday lineup carries. The two-hour block features returning series "New Girl" and "Raising Hope" as well as new half-hours "Ben and Kate" and "The Mindy Project."

The new comedy block doesn't kick in until Sept. 25, but Fox likes to use the All-Star Game as a promotional platform for its programming priorities headed into the fall. Last year, "The X Factor" got a special preview the night of the big game.

With Dish Network subscribers still missing channels owned by AMC Networks due to their ongoing contract dispute, AMC is resorting to a little creative marketing ahead of the fifth-season premiere of "Breaking Bad" on July 15th. The cable network just announced a "Breaking Bad" Party Kit will be made available to the first 500 fans who are willing to adopt out-of-luck Dish subs who need a place to watch the series. Popcorn, candy and coasters are a nice way to kill two birds with one stone: come to the rescue of fans who don't have a home to watch their favorite show and impromptu viewing parties to whip the "Breaking" fan base into a proper lather.

It will be interesting to see whether the prospect of subs missing out on such a acclaimed show will put additional pressure on Dish, which has argued that the channels--including WE and IFC--aren't worth what AMC Networks wants to be paid for them. If you want to add to that pressure, visit SwitchFromDish.com. It will also be interesting to see how the ratings for "Breaking" will be impacted given the series will be without a key distributor.

One of the biggest stars in TV history is skipping TV to launch his latest project.

Jerry Seinfeld issued a promo Thursday for "Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee," which will launch July 19th on Sony's digital-only network Crackle. Neither he nor Sony is saying much about it so far, but from the looks of the promo, "Comedians" is pretty much what its title suggests: Seinfeld chatting up fellow comedians including Ricky Gervais, Alec Baldwin and Michael Richards, as they drive vehicles from his vintage-car collection.

"Comedians" isn't entirely surprising considering Seinfeld had been teasing his new project for months via his robust social media presence, though the snapshots of him and other stars gave little sense of what they were actually up to. But the very fact that he was doing anything on his own like this gives a hint of just what a potential gamechanger a production like this could be: rather than buy commercial airtime or court the press, he's able to get the word out to millions at zero expense with zero intermediaries.

But is "Comedians" a gamechanger? At first blush, it would seem so. Here's a huge star who could probably be back on TV easily if he wanted to sidestepping the medium entirely taking a format that could work easily on TV straight to digital platforms. Money is not the point here, though it would be interesting to learn more about just what the arrangement is between Seinfeld and Sony, which has made billions of dollars syndicating his classic NBC sitcom on TV stations and Crackle itself.

But in all likelihood Seinfeld could have gotten a richer deal had he done "Comedians" on TV. The problem with going that route is in return for the big bucks he would have likely lost some degree of creative control. Not even the biggest celebrities are immune to some degree of interference from the networks and distributors who hand them the checks, and surely Seinfeld has gone through enough of that kind of relationship to want to give that up for good.

It will also be interesting to find out whether Seinfeld even bothered to pitch the usual networks with a project like this, and if he did, did any of them want it? Because as reflexively as you might assume that no programmer in their right mind would refuse Seinfeld in any shape or form on their air, a project like "Comedians" might give them some reservations. It's not Seinfeld in the sitcom milieu where he was was so successful, and he's already shown on network TV that he isn't a sure thing given his prominent presence in an unscripted series called "The Marriage Ref" on NBC a few years ago that didn't do too well.

Know this much about network TV shows: it's a lot of time and work if you are playing a significant role on either side of the camera. My guess is at this stage in his life Seinfeld doesn't want to work too hard anymore, and something like "Comedians" affords him the ability to film something that he just happens to be filling his luxurious leisure time with anyway. "Comedians" will likely come across like a lark, the kind of production someone given carte blanche to do what they wanted would do. More power to him--literally.

Regardless, will "Comedians" amount to hit programming, pulling the kind of audience Seinfeld could have gotten on TV? Don't be so sure. The obvious comparison to make here is to the groundbreaking experiments in one-man distribution Seinfeld's buddy, Louis CK, is up to but that's not entirely a fair comparison. While Louis CK is taking a product--his stand-up act--that could otherwise run on film or TV more or less unchanged and putting it out there himself online, "Comedians" isn't necessarily the kind of content a TV network would have put on its own air intact (especially if "Comedians' turns out to be a short-form series though several could be bundled into 30-minute form). And let's not forget it's not entirely an either-or proposition given Louis CK eventually sold a second window of his self-distributed performance back to TV, which Seinfeld and Sony could potentially do as well.

What may be even more telling about the intent of "Comedians" is the role that advertising will play in the production, which isn't clear from the promo either. Surely Crackle will sell ads in and around the series, which also airs on YouTube (though interestingly not as a YouTube original channel--now that would have been a huge coup for Google). But given the centrality of both coffee and cars in "Comedians," the brand integration possibilities with blue-chip marketers are endless. A production like this would have fit hand-in-glove with integration (get a sense of how it might have been structured with "Speakeasy," a recent tie-up between Bacardi and Break Media).

Given there's no sign of this in the promo, my prediction is it's not there and if that's true, Madison Avenue should be beside itself. Here's a comedian who has shown a rare interest and talent in creative collaboration with brands like American Express and Microsoft but for some reason didn't do so here. They could have conceivably bankrolled the entire production themselves, and yet it's possible Seinfeld saw fit to keep them out of the equation.

Maybe just as he's tired of the rigors and meddling of traditional TV, he isn't too interested in playing the shill, too. Strange as it might seem that Seinfeld would ignore his TV options, bypassing the brands may be even more remarkable. 

UPDATE: Two weeks later, here's my take on the series now that it's out.

It's to be expected there would be an outpouring of sympathy for Ann Curry given her tearful goodbye Thursday on "The Today Show." Another less obvious outcome of her exit: open hostility via social media for Matt Lauer.

Perhaps it was the on-air departure that many observers felt displayed an awkwardness between Curry and Lauer, whose attempt to land a goodbye kiss didn't quite connect with her cheek. Or maybe it was press reports preceding the televised farewell suggesting Lauer agitated for Curry's ouster in a bid to help "Today" fight off a ratings challenge from rival "Good Morning America."

Either way, a simple Twitter search for Matt Lauer or his Twitter handle, @mlauer, reveals hundreds of tweets--with few exceptions--knocking the anchor with accusations of betraying Curry. 

"Could've been handled so much better...." tweeted @RealPegster. "I really lost all respect for @mlauer...."

And that's just one of the tame ones. "Judas" was a familiar refrain in some of the anti-Lauer tweets, as was a certain pejorative that starts with a "d" but has no business being repeated in a family newspaper website. The tweets also dredged up a flurry of unsubstantiated tabloid reports disparaging the state of Lauer's marriage, which probably doesn't need much help spreading virally in the first place.

Just some temporary venting from a small portion of the audience who may not even remember Curry by next week? Maybe. Or perhaps the beginning of a groundswell being whipped up the way only social media can, delivering the kind of reputation-altering controversy that may come back to haunt Lauer and NBC, which recently re-signed him to a lucrative long-term deal to stay on "Today." The Peacock has been here before, having seen both the company and Jay Leno take a serious beating on Twitter during another tempestuous sign-off at the network involving Conan O'Brien.

Which isn't to say Lauer didn't have some supporters too, though they were far outnumbered by the detractors. 

"Class act from @anncurry this morning. And thanks to @MLauer for being a supportive co-host and friend. Brava," tweeted @RosieBoo65.

NBC is going to have to be careful how the optics play out on air, especially with the eventual crowning of expected replacement Savannah Guthrie and future appearances by Curry on "Today."

It was an on-air goodbye long on emotion but short on explanation (see video above). As widely anticipated, Ann Curry bid adieu to the "Today" program she called a family as she fought back tears. But the five-minute farewell left a mystery as to why she was stepping aside for a new role at NBC News--lackluster chemistry with Matt Lauer was blamed for the franchise's newfound ratings vulnerability--or who was to replace her--Savannah Guthrie is reportedly close to a deal for the co-anchor role.

It was back on March 11, 1997 that Curry first joined the program, as seen below (link).

Here she is celebrating her 10th year on 'Today' (link)

On June 9, 2011, Curry was bumped up to co-anchor. Try not to squirm as Lauer hails the "comfortable fit" she brings to the program (link)

And finally, that promotion also occasioned this Curry career retrospective (link, no embed available).

If you're one of this nation’s more than 100 million cable, satellite and telco customers (and get CNBC and MSNBC as part of your service), here's how you can get approved to watch NBC's 3,500 hours of live streaming Olympics coverage this summer:

1. Go to NBCOlympics.com/LiveExtra.

2. Click the “Click Here & Get Ready” button.

3. Select your cable, satellite or telco provider.

4. Enter the username and password that corresponds with your account.

You'll need to do this for each device you intend to use for Olympics viewing.

Imagine if FX had followed up on shows like "Sons of Anarchy" and "American Horror Story" with..."Dallas." 

That's something akin to the shock coming to viewers who love the network for shows like "Louie" and "Archer" when they encounter the new Charlie Sheen vehicle "Anger Management." As many critics including Variety's Brian Lowry have noted, whether you like the series or not, "Anger" is inarguably nothing like all the edgy, innovative fare that came before it on FX.

True to the network's tagline, "There Is No Box," FX has conditioned its audience to expect programming that defies the conventions of the medium. Going back to "The Shield" and "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia," each and every FX original scripted series screamed: Broadcast TV wouldn't dare try this.

There was more to admire at FX than its consistency; there was artistic integrity.

Which makes "Anger" such a departure, one hard to interpret it as anything different than a move to capitalize on the Sheen's notoriety or the built-in audience he brings over from "Two and a Half Men."

But is there more to "Anger" than just a cynical ratings ploy? A business like FX doesn't get to where it is by letting "Anger" slip through as a casual aberration. Certainly not on cable, where making sure programming adheres to the network brand is religion. 

Surely there's a hidden variable in FX's calculation here. Let's peruse some possibilities.

Consider that FX may be using "Anger" to make a quiet brand pivot, stretching the limits of what constitutes a series on its air. 

Now cable channels adjust their identities all the time, but it's tough to recall an example of one that put a series on its air without deliberately signaling a change in direction. This kind of repositioning is typically accompanied by a marketing campaign explaining and celebrating the shift. 

So why the sneak? Maybe because in pursuing life outside "the box," FX has found itself boxed into an unanticipated corner: series as creatively adventurous may not deliver the size of audience that broader fare has delivered to higher rated competing general entertainment networks like TNT and USA. Critical darlings rarely enjoy widespread appeal. 

But to simply shout, 'Hey, we at FX are selling out and going broad!" would run contrary to the air of artistic integrity the network has cultivated to date. So FX is forced to tiptoe into that direction, marketing a series that really isn't in the spirit of its previous work as if it is, to keep up appearances. 

Yes, some portion of the FX audience who have come to appreciate its distinctive style are going to be confused, but alienated? Perhaps FX feels it has built up enough capital with them to take a flyer on an outlier. Or maybe the network feels it has reached a volume of original programming over its history that even a sharp departure from that history will still be outweighed by the collective tonnage of its past work.

But you could just as easily argue that history is easily outweighed by your most current hit, and "Anger" has the potential to be the highest rated series FX has ever had. Once that happens, a hit can hijack your brand, defining it to the exception of all else.

If that's the case,  FX must be betting the number of new viewers to the network that Sheen will bring will outnumber the number of existing viewers who will be alienated. 

In doing nothing to communicate the disconnect between brand and "Anger," perhaps FX has made the following hedge: If "Anger" somehow failed and ended after 10 episodes (here's more on "Anger's" 10/90 deal), declaring a new network identity at this juncture would make no sense because there would be nothing else on the air to reinforce this broader brand image. FX may even conclude that the brand identity that preceded "Anger" precluded its success, like a body rejecting a mismatched organ donation.

But in the likelier event "Anger" does well and 90 more episodes follow, then FX could be more comfortable adopting a different branding tack. A few more shows like "Anger" would join the schedule in time, the "box" would be no more and years from now a brief moment of brand whiplash would be forgotten.

Or maybe for all of cable's rigidity toward branding and the accepted wisdom of making sure every series is an outgrowth of some marketed identity, the reality of branding is more elastic. Maybe the innovative programming of the past can sit aside the new pablum without pablum tainting the the rest of the network.

Let's not forget that all of FX's scripted original programming efforts to date are confined to the 10 p.m. time period. No matter how much you invest in marketing and programming for that hour, could it really singlehandedly set a network's identity with more power than what's on FX the other 23 hours of the day? 

Those hours are filled with an expensive collection of off-net movies and series, most notably "Two and a Half Men," which just happen to be on at 7 p.m., the last hour before primetime begins. But note that "Anger" is on at 9 p.m., and therein lies what may be really going on here. 

Instead of a brand pivot, "Anger" is something of a brand bridge. It's quite possible that the audience coming to FX to enjoy off-brand sitcoms and blockbusters for most of the day is an entirely different audience than the one looking for on-brand edginess at 10 p.m. Wouldn't it be swell to have a property that could better establish some "flow," to borrow the network programmer's slang of choice, that more effectively moves viewers from one daypart to another? 

And what better property to transition audience from one daypart to the other than to take the star of the show on at 7 p.m. and put him in a new show at 9 p.m., make it sitcom-y enough to grab sitcom fans from the previous hours but just edgy enough to prepare viewer palates for 10 p.m. Carpet-bomb the earlier daypart with "Anger" ads, and voila! You have "flow."

It's really a variation on a strategy Turner networks have been employing for years, taking the stars of the hit series in its syndication rotation and casting them in new originals. But Turner doesn't have the kind of tonal schizophrenia between dayparts that FX may be suffering.

Whatever the case, let's hope the network's sense of its own identity finds itself in time on firmer footing than its current shaky ground.

In the opening episode of HBO's "The Newsroom," Will McAvoy (Jeff Daniels) rants about why America isn't the greatest country in the world anymore and what made it so great decades ago. While a good amount of what he says might be on target, he completely ignored the problems of the country in years past, and some of his lines had holes big enough to drive a network news show through.  Here are the three biggest whoppers:

“If liberals are so fucking smart, how come they lose so goddamned always.”

“It sure used to be (the greatest country). … We never beat our chests.”

“We didn’t scare so easy.”

By the way, HBO is screening the full first episode of "The Newsroom" free to non-subscribers.

Matt Lauer must be feeling his oats these days. Fresh off his new $25 million-per-year contract, he is getting his reported wish of dumping co-anchor Ann Curry in order to help the "Today" franchise fend off a challenge from rival "Good Morning America."

Were it only so simple.

Sure, in the rarefied circles of media insiders, Lauer may have vaulted a few spots on the requisite power lists. But if he and NBC aren't careful, he stands to lose as this tricky transition plays out on the bigger, more treacherous stage of public opinion.

Put yourself in the sensible shoes of the soccer moms who are the foundation of the "Today" fan base, and Curry's departure could come off in a way that isn't too flattering for Lauer. The broad strokes of the media coverage to date appears as: 'Today' is in trouble, Curry is the weak link, and Lauer believes she needs to go.

And that narrative will only get worse on TV where Lauer risks looking caddish as he tosses aside his on-air partner and trades her in for what will probably be a younger, more conventionally beautiful-looking woman, if the reports of the ascendance of Savannah Guthrie and Natalie Morales are to be believed.

Oh, the soccer moms are going to just looove that. 

On an almost primal level, the Lauer-Curry pairing feels uncomfortably close to a bad Lifetime movie. She devoted 15 years of her life to "Today" only to get kicked to the curb to make room for another female. And whether you like Curry or not, viewers have to be feeling for her given the beating she is taking in the press.

You could argue that Lauer is a non-factor in all this because when it comes down to it, she was falling out of favor with an audience who by and large may want to see her go. It certainly can't be as simple as Lauer wanted her out, so now she's out. His belief in the necessity of her departure is no doubt backed by audience research suggesting she was not a good fit opposite him on "Today."

While that's all well and good, Curry couldn't have gotten this far for so long without winning over some significant minority of women who don't mind her robotic mannerisms or bad chemistry with Lauer. And isn't a little odd that for all the years she played a supporting role on "Today" there were no warning signs that she lacked the goods for the top job?

Part of the problem here is that Lauer and NBC have already made an irreversible mistake. When The New York Times first reported the prospect of Curry departing, they would have been wiser to do everything possible to present to reporter Brian Stelter that Lauer not as an agitator for change but a passive observer or even better, someone who actually fought for her to stay because he's that swell a guy.

Audience research showing Curry was falling out of favor should have been leaked, shifting responsibility away from Lauer and more firmly toward the science of research. "We're just doing the bidding of our audience," should have been the subtext of the anonymous quote given to NYT.

Instead, now we have Lauer looking like a $25 million diva who gets what he wants because he has that power. And when that sentiment filters down to the "Today" audience, it's not a good thing.

There will be an opportunity for Lauer to redeem his reputation when the time comes for Lauer to bid his on-air goodbye to Curry. As the consummate pro of either exuding goodwill or faking sincerity, Lauer is going to have to yank tears out of his ducts even if he hates the woman with every cell in his body. 

But even if cries a river, how the circumstances for her departure is going to be explained on the air is absolutely crucial. That's why it's essential that NBC figure out an alternative role for her within the organization that doesn't feel like a demotion. The network would also look bad because given Curry's supposed preference for serious journalism, the network doesn't want to be seen turning away someone capable of substantive reporting.

Whether she stays or goes is largely up to her new representative, Robert Barnett. The big question is whether he's having conversations with other networks about Curry carrying on elsewhere. At the end of the day, Barnett is going to weigh whatever NBC's consolation-prize deal is against outside offers and make a decision.

For Lauer's sake, he might best hope she sticks around.

'Newsroom' creator/writer Aaron Sorkin at Wednesday's premiere.

As TV critics pick apart the new HBO drama series "Newsroom" (here's the Variety review), there's no shortage of shortcomings being cited. But for me it came down to its parallels to another riveting drama about the news business currently playing out at Time Warner. 

CNN finds itself at a fascinating, perhaps tragic moment in its existence. Primetime ratings dipped to record lows in April, far below arch rivals Fox News Channel and MSNBC. Those woes have triggered publicly voiced disappointment from Turner Broadcasting CEO Philip Kent and speculation that CNN chief Ken Jautz could find himself replaced.

Maybe the network should replace the news with "Newsroom," which follows Will McAvoy a cable-news anchor and self-described "ratings whore" played by Jeff Daniels, as he attempts to take his primetime program in a new direction. He's prodded along by Charlie Skinner (Sam Waterston), the news-division chief who orchestrates the reawakening of McAvoy's conscience by hiring MacKenzie McHale (Emily Mortimer) to be his producer and moral muse.

It's a nifty dynamic for drama, especially considering McHale also happens to be McAvoy's ex-girlfriend. But let's get real. In this day and age, would CNN or any news operation have the luxury of believing that getting ratings is nice and all, but restoring integrity is a higher priority? 

The notion that a news-division chief would decide to overhaul an otherwise successful primetime cable news program in the spirit of restoring good ol' fashioned journalism while disregarding the ratings is so divorced from what actually happens in the media business that "Newsroom" loses an authenticity it otherwise strives to achieve.

The more realistic dilemma to depict is essentially a reversal of the "Newsroom" equation: Instead of brushing aside ratings concerns to pursue integrity, isn't journalists compromising integrity to chase ratings a more common occurrence?

That's not meant to be an indictment of anyone working in TV news today, just an acknowledgement of the irreconcilable dual goals of serving both the public interest and stockholders in the company that employs them. As long as eyeballs are being converted into advertising dollars, news programs are under immense pressure to amass an audience using methods they wouldn't bother with were they not-for-profit enterprises.

CNN has resisted those same pressures by not pandering to partisan interests the way Fox and MSNBC have done for conservatives and liberals, respectively, which only serves to keep an already polarized country further apart.

But perhaps taking that high road has taken too high a toll at CNN, which finds itself at a crossroads. Can its business recover as long as it sticks to the traditional principles of objectivity? Is it time for CNN to change its ways and try a programming approach that indulges in sensationalism or partisanship--though what would the latter even look like given the country's political parties already have news networks to call their own?

If Sorkin ran CNN, my guess is he'd argue that as long as the news was reported with passion and a distinct point of view, everything would be just ducky. As long as modern-day Murrows deliver the news, viewers would lap up un-sexy subjects from overseas wars to financial reform.

That's the rather pat piety at the foundation of Sorkin's fantasy of What News Should Be, at least if the first four episodes of "Newsroom" are any indication.

But that means the show is ignoring the examination of what could be an uglier truth: TV news has become the watered-down pap it largely is today not because the broadcasters unilaterally dumbed it down, but because viewers by and large don't flock to quality coverage the way Sorkin himself does.

That's a reality that could be staring CNN in the face right now. And that's what makes the way Sorkin romanticizes audience receptivity to news a bit jarring if you've followed CNN's travails over the past decade. Like Will McAvoy and Charlie Skinner, the network tried to do the right thing. But it didn't do CNN any good.

There's an inevitable comparison to be made between the fictional cable news network in "Newsroom" and the real one owned by Time Warner. And that's just the problem: There's such a fundamental disconnect between the two given where CNN is at right now that "Newsroom" suffers by comparison.

Evidence of the Twitter-ization of television is everywhere you look these days, from customized hashtags in the corner of the screen during a TV show ("Fringe") to voting on episodic singing contests via social media ("The X Factor"). But the MTV series "Made" is taking the trend to a whole new level.

The long-running unscripted series opened up its 12th season on Monday with a curious name change. The series is now called "Made #DreamBigger." It's the first instance of a TV program actually changing its name to incorporate a hashtag, which even shows up in the cable/satellite electronic program guides.

The rationale is obvious enough: The hope is viewers will tweet about the series with the hashtag, which could help spread the word on Twitter enough to invite more viewers to sample "Made." But the notion that a network would go so far as to change the name of a show to extend a strategy typically reserved to a small on-air bug in the lower right corner--that really tells you something about how the TV industry views the power of Twitter.

An MTV spokeswoman confirmed that the name change is intended to increase engagement of viewers on Twitter but also made clear the title changes reflects a creative change to this season, which focuses on older subjects exploring more adult life choices (here's a press release announcing the new season).

That said, there's little evidence, at least at this early stage, that incorporating a hashtag in the title is whipping up some kind of grass-roots phenomenon for "Made." Searching on Twitter for #dreambigger reveals there's been maybe a few dozen mentions of the hashtag as it relates to "Made." While the phrase they've chosen to hashtag speaks to the aspirational nature of the show, MTV may have been courting confusion by picking a phrase that also happens to be the name of an upcoming show on Ashton Kutcher's new YouTube channel, Thrash Lab. Many mentions of #dreambigger on Twitter relate to Kutcher's show. (Small world: Kutcher is currently in business with MTV given the recent resuscitation of his series "Punk'd.")

Another strategic quibble: If you're going to change the name of your show on TV to court the Twitter crowd, wouldn't it also make sense to change the name of the show's Twitter account, which remains @MTVsMade.

And maybe the "Made" hashtag would have been better off with something more direct, like #watchmadepleasepleaseplease?

Check out the trailer for the new season of "Made" below.

If you can't wait for "Saturday Night Live" to return in the fall, Lorne Michaels has given some of its cast members and writers a summer home.

The "SNL" executive producer's production company, Broadway Video, quietly launched a YouTube channel last week with episodic comedic shorts that have featured Bill Hader ( "The Front Desk"), Abby Elliott ("The Assistant") and Kenan Thompson ("Cool Kids' Table"), and there's more of their colleagues on the way if the highlight reel above is any indication.

Broadway Video and NBC declined to comment on what exactly the Above Average Network is because it is currently in beta, with an official launch expected later this summer.

It's tempting to assume given the timing of the AAN launch so closely on the heels of the departure of Andy Samberg that "SNL" might be plotting something that could take the place of his "Digital Shorts" segments. It might be smart for "SNL" to cross-pollinate with a digital-native franchise considering the Internet has been not only a key driver of the series' revitalization in recent years by re-circulating sketches for viral consumption online but a home for sketches that get cut from the broadcast. Hell, Samberg's "Lazy Sunday" sketch has been credited for helping put YouTube on the map.

But sources explained AAN is an entirely separate venture from "SNL" and not a breeding ground for ideas or talent that could end up on the late-night series. "Digital Shorts" could conceivably continue without Samberg as well.

That said, it's not like AAN is somehow being setting up to compete with "SNL," either. Some of the segments are even being cross-promoted on NBC.com because the network is entitled to exhibit anything with the "SNL" talent per NBC's contractual agreements with the show's cast members.

Also on the way is a parody of USA Network dramas called "Hooker Lawyer," which shouldn't take much imagination to understand its premise, and "Puppet High," which as you might expect, features puppets in high school. Michaels' calls in talent from other shows produced by Broadway Video as well, including John Lutz from "30 Rock," who appears in "Front Desk." So far AAN segments have the kind of absurdist tone of the skits "SNL" usually puts on after 12:30 a.m. when they aren't interested in getting a third performance out of their musical guest.

Broadway Video has dabbled online before. Hader starred in a terrific series of shorts called "The Line" in 2008. More recently, "SNL" writer Mike O'Brien hosted his own talk show featuring celebrity guests chatting with him inside a closet called "7 Minutes in Heaven."

Lorne-ologists might recall that Above Average was the name of the production company he started in the late 1970s to launch extra-curricular programs like Beatles parody "The Rutles." The title of the network could offer some hint that Michaels knows from his own experience how difficult it can be to break new ground in comedy outside "SNL." When he left the series he founded for a five-year spell beginning in 1980, he tried to launch another NBC sketch program, "The New Show," that lasted only nine episodes.

For all the hype that surrounds the launch of nearly everything at the intersection of media and technology, it's rare to hear a post-mortem that looks back in the cold, hard light of reality. Which is why it was such a treat to watch (via livestream) Albert Cheng, executive VP of digital media and chief product officer at Disney-ABC Television Group, speak Wednesday at the Banff World Media Festival.

Since his division has been at the leading edge of many of the trends transforming the digital video world, his remarks offered a welcome retrospective on everything from being TV's first entry on Apple's iTunes to the first companion app synchronizing content and TV, for ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" (which was preceded by a trial for short-lived 2010 series "My Generation").

The latter example proved particularly interesting considering that the social-TV craze that followed the companion app might want to heed some of the reservations Cheng expressed about the space, which he characterized as currently being in a "frothy experimental stage." Though he's bullish on the future of this technology, he said there's a currently a limited audience.

"From the data we have seen so far, we are addressing a small percentage of people who are sort of, you know, reaching out for these sort of things," he said. "It is not exactly a widely adopted behavior."

In lieu of a truly mass audience, the real appeal of second screen is attracting marketers to an opportunity to extend their buys beyond the 30-second spot.

Speaking particularly of the "Anatomy" app, Cheng said ABC learned that scripted programming doesn't lend itself as well to companion apps as live events like the Oscars.

"Overall when you asked them whether it added to or enhanced the overhaul experience, in part, yeah, kind of neutral on that," he said. "In some cases it distracted them from watching the show. Audio cues come up during a major scene, you look down and you realize that you missed a key piece of (dialogue)."

Part of the problem also is on the cost side. ABC wanted the writers of "Anatomy" to be involved in supplying the extra content that flowed through the app, but the expense doesn't justify the return, particularly when you factor in the cost of scaling up to more than one show.

"For scripted, I would say we still have more work to do," said Cheng. "I don't think we cracked the code on that. There may be a model out there that will work, maybe during commercials. Definitely not synchronous while you are watching the show."

Cheng believes mobile devices like the iPad represent a unique opportunity for traditional media companies like ABC to recapture the mind share they lost in the PC era, first to portals like Yahoo and then social networks like Facebook. Given these categories haven't extended their dominance (at least yet) on tablets, where content companies' expertise in video and advertising can give them an edge in re-establish their primacy in the media ecosystem.

I do think media companies have an opportunity to really drive a lot of the lion share of that in the mobile space," he said. "I would argue for the broadcaster, for the cable network, for the content company, this is a place where we know. We have always been in the business of programming, content -- it is in our DNA. In order to capture that market, let's make sure that we are deploying technology."

But for all the importance of tablets to Cheng, don't look for ABC anytime on Android-powered devices--even though they might outnumber iOs-centric wireless screens. Fragmentation across Google's myriad versions of its operating system is something he's currently not prepared to service.

"There will be some devices left out because we can't get to them," he said. "That will be a disadvantage, I think, for Android users down the line. Google can figure out how to wrangle some standards in place that we can actually develop content on."

Wireless devices represent an opportunity to rethink the traditional mode of video delivery--namely, that post-dinner period of relaxation known as "primetime"-- and reinvent it for programming all together new viewing opportunities that are far afield from conventional TV.

"What digital has done has created a lot more variety of use cases," he said. "If we can figure out that, then we actually have a huge growth of opportunity before us."

By Cynthia Littleton 

Appropriately enough for a season finale the overriding theme of “Mad Men” seemed to moving on — which is often something easier said than done.

I was expecting more fireworks overall, based on the show’s track record during its last two season closers. But I was not disappointed in “The Phantom,” written by Jonathan Igla and Matthew Weiner and directed by Weiner.

For the second season in a row, the “Mad Men” world goes out on a will-he-or-won’t-he cliffhanger. In 2010 the question was whether Don Draper would go through with his impetuous plan to marry Megan. This time around, we are left to wonder whether he’ll return to his old philandering ways.

After thinking about it for all of 15 minutes, I believe the answer is no. I think Don Draper has done a lot of maturing through his marriage to Megan and through the course of this season. The provocative question “Are you alone” doesn’t mean what it once did to Don. I think that was the point of the storyline of Don having the horrible toothache. After living with the pain, he finally broke down and went to the dentist to have it pulled, in the nick of time. (Out goes the tooth, out go the hallucinations about his dead brother Adam.)

The scene I most enjoyed was the meeting of Peggy and Don in the theater. It was another classic use of a candid conversation with Peggy to allow Don to process something – this time how to move forward on the issue of Megan’s career. (And we saw just how much Megan wants to jumpstart her thespian career by her willingness to screw over her actress friend by muscling in on her effort to land the role in the shoe commercial.)

And it allowed for a bit of closure between Peggy and Don at the same time planting the seeds that maybe she could be back in the Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce (wonder if they’ll change the name?) picture one day. Certainly, the agency misses her and her feminine touch.