The teaser trailer for the Wrestling Retribution Project is now online.

WRP is a professional wrestling television program developed by Jeff Katz. Founded in 2011, the promotion is based on a 13 week serial schedule. Upon completion of production, the program will be distributed by Image Entertainment, and will be available via streaming media and DVD.

Check out wrestlingretributionproject.com for more information.

Also, make sure to check out our interview with the man himself: The Geek Generation – Bonus – Jeff Katz interview

Source: Deadline

The CW’s pilot Arrow, based on the DC Comics property Green Arrow, has found its lead in actor Stephen Amell.

The series will see Amell in the role of Oliver Queen, a Star City billionaire who doubles as a vigilante superhero using his skills in archery, martial arts, and technology to fight crime.

Amell has made recurring appearances on both 90210 and The Vampire Diaries, with other recent appearances on HBO’s Hung and ABC’s Private Practice.

From the official AMC site comes this midseason teaser trailer for The Walking Dead.

AMC has also recently released the first three minutes of the returning episode, titled “Nebraska.”

The Walking Dead returns on Sunday, February 12th at 9:00 PM EST on AMC.

Sources: Deadline, the TV addict

The Green Arrow pilot has officially received the green light from The CW. The name of the series, however, has dropped the “Green”, simply going with the title Arrow.

Sidenote: Marvel was smart enough to preserve brand recognition by making sure Captain America: The First Avenger kept Cap’s name in as many international outlets as possible and it seems to have worked. Why wouldn’t DC be smart enough to maintain the Green Arrow brand??

In addition to the green light, a casting breakdown has made its way online that includes several characters including Oliver and Dinah Lance, better known to comic fans as Black Canary.

OLIVER QUEEN
A 27 year old reformed bad boy, who after having spent five years shipwrecked on a tiny, brutally dangerous island in the South China Sea returns to town a different man. Or to be more specific, a tortured, thoughtful master of the bow with a ferocious determination to make a difference.

DINAH “LAUREL” LANCE
28 years old, smart sexy, Laurel is a legal aid attorney determined to use her life as a one-woman war against the 1% following the death of her younger sister Sara. A sister, who as luck would have it, just so happened to have died aboard Oliver’s yacht.

TOMMY MERLYN
28 years old and devil-smooth, Tommy is a trustafarian like Oliver, a spectacularly rich young man whose life revolves around parties, clubs, liquor and lots of anonymous sex. Unlike Oliver, he can’t seem to understand his former best friend’s sudden change of lifestyle and direction.

MOIRA QUEEN
48 years old, a beautiful woman, Oliver’s mother Moira is a very wealthy woman who is not used to being shaken. Having remarried during the five years that former husband Robert and Oliver were both presumed dead, Moira has had free rein over the Queen billions. Not surprisingly, she’s deeply interested in learning whether or not Robert will also return unexpectedly, to ruin her present marriage and go over the books with a fine-tooth comb.

JOHN DIGGLE
35 years old, African-American, Diggle is really, really big, a former military man who served with the Army Rangers in Afghanistan, and has been a bodyguard for hire for the last four years. Hired by Moira to be Oliver’s chauffeur and protector, Diggle soon finds he is trapped in a battle of wits, as Oliver repeatedly eludes his protection. But in fact, Diggle’s primary conflict is one of loyalty — he has to show that he’s working for Oliver, not Moira, before Oliver will give him a smidgen of trust.

THEA QUEEN
17 years old (suggest 17-22 years), Oliver’s Lolita-esque sister, Thea was a 12 year old girl when he went on his infamous yachting voyage — but now she’s a celebutante who’s testing the boundaries of acceptable behavior. Thea loved her big brother with all her heart, and is delighted to have him back in her life — but she’s spreading her wings, and is unprepared for Oliver to become the Bad Cop in the family, restricting her access to boys and drugs.

Source: PlayStation Blog

In addition to the trailer reveal for Doctor Who: The Eternity Clock, Simon Harris (Executive Producer for BBC Worldwide) has announced the monster line-up for the game: the Silence, Cybermen, Silurians and the Daleks. It was also revealed that two new versions of these monsters have been created as bosses in the game. Apparently, “there is a tiny sight of one of them in our new monster trailer” below…

If you thought you knew all about the Voltron legacy, think again. Writer Brandon Thomas and artist Ariel Padilla take the characters and the “lion knight” in a whole new direction that blends both past and present seamlessly. A must for fans of the 80′s cartoon and the toys of any generation, Dynamite’s Voltron is pull list worthy and will have your megathrusters going. Recommended.

If you’ve ever wondered what Beavis and Butt-head would look like IRL (‘In Real Life’ for non-internettians), wonder no more! Special effects makeup artist Kevin Kirkpatrick put together these prosthetic renditions to satisfy that exact curiosity.

Source: Entertainment Weekly

It looks like The CW is getting some of its superhero action back, as news has surfaced saying the network is heading toward a pilot order for a Green Arrow series.

Like Bruce Wayne and Tony Stark, Oliver Queen is a billionaire with an alternate persona. The “Emerald Archer” gets the job done with an assortment of trick arrows which he fires with the precision of Robin Hood.

Fans of The CW’s last superhero venture Smallville may remember the character as played by Justin Hartley on the series, who became a regular cast member in later seasons. Unfortunately, it would seem that fan favorite Hartley is not involved in this project at all.

Executive producing and writing duties belong to Greg Berlanti (Brothers & Sisters), Marc Guggenheim (FlashForward), and Andrew Kreisberg (Vampire Diaries, Fringe). Kreisberg has some previous experience with the character, having written on the comic book.

Justin Hartley as Smallville's Green Arrow

Disney XD has announced that the somewhat-delayed Ultimate Spider-Man animated series will premiere April 1, forming the centerpiece of a Marvel programming block that seems similar to Cartoon Network’s DC Nation.

Called Marvel Universe, the block will also include new short-form animated series, live-action interstitials and the return of The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. Iron Man, Hulk, Thor and Captain America will be among the characters featured.

“Iconic Marvel heroes and villains and stories with core values of accomplishment, discovery and growth make Marvel Universe a perfect complement to Disney XD and a destination for parents and kids to experience together,” said Gary Marsh, president and chief creative officer of Disney Channels Worldwide.

Announced in April 2010, Ultimate Spider-Man is inspired by the acclaimed Marvel comic by Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Bagley, and boasts a creative team that includes Joe Quesada, Paul Dini, Joe Casey, Joe Kelly, Duncan Rouleau, Steven T. Seagle and Bendis himself.

The voice cast includes Drake Bell (Drake & Josh) as Peter Parker/Spider-Man, Chi McBride (Boston Public, Pushing Daisies) as Nick Fury, JK Simmons (Spider-Man) as J. Jonah Jameson, Stan Lee as Stan the Janitor, Clark Gregg (Iron Man, Thor, The Avengers) as Agent Coulson and Steven Weber (Wings) as Norman Osborn.

Erica Durance is making use of the Wonder Woman costume originally worn by Adrianne Palicki in David E. Kelley’s TV pilot when she makes a guest appearance on this week’s episode of Harry’s Law.

In the episode, Durance plays a woman on trial for vigilantism that dons the Wonder Woman costume when prowling the streets. For those wondering where the connection comes in, Harry’s Law was also created by David E. Kelley, which apparently made borrowing the costume a bit easier.

Durance is most famous for appearing as Lois Lane in six seasons of Smallville. The episode airs on NBC this Wednesday, January 11th at 9:00 pm.

MTV series Punk’d is returning for an all-new season on Monday, March 19. The series, which became a pop culture phenomenon, is back, revealing the vulnerable and fun-loving side of Hollywood’s A-list celebrities. This season, Ashton Kutcher is passing the torch to a different celebrity host each week, including Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, Kellan Lutz, Bam Margera and Punk’d alum Dax Shepard, among many others, who will punk their unsuspecting famous friends.

“What better way to ring in the New Year than to let our audience know that Ashton and MTV are bringing back Punk’d in a big way”, said Van Toffler President MTVN Music Group, LOGO and Film. “There’s a new generation of unsuspecting suckers just waiting to be Punk’d by their famous friends, and fans will once again have a front row seat to see the shock on the faces of their favorite celebs.”

Punk’d is taken to a whole new level this season, with more complex, hilarious and fun punks than ever before. For the first time in the series’ history, the curtain will be pulled back, giving viewers an inside look at what goes on behind-the-scenes to pull off these elaborate pranks. Get ready for some real outrageously fun moments that you wouldn’t expect from your favorite stars!

Entertainment Weekly has the first preview video of how the HD remastering of Star Trek: The Next Generation is coming along for its blu-ray release. Keep in mind that for the series to be completely remastered in high-definition, a painstaking process is required that involves going back to the original film negatives and re-cutting each episode shot for shot.

While the first season is due out later this year, CBS Home Entertainment has set a January 31, 2012 release date for Star Trek: The Next Generation – The Next Level. This “sampler pack” will include the series pilot, “Encounter at Farpoint,” as well as the fan-favorite episodes “Sins of the Father” and “The Inner Light.”

The NFL has announced that the Super Bowl, Pro Bowl and NBC’s wild-card playoff games will be streamed online and on mobile phones for the first time ever.

The games will be streamed online at NBCSports.com and NFL.com through SNF Extra, which features an HD broadcast, DVR-style controls, additional camera angles, in-game highlights, live statistics and interactive elements.

NBCSports.com and the NFL have streamed games online since 2008 with SNF Extra, NBC Sports’ exclusive video, but this is the first time playoff games have been streamed.

NBC’s streams on Sunday nights typically average 200,000-300,000 viewers, compared with 21 million for the telecasts. The network has seen no evidence it hurts the traditional broadcasts’ healthy TV ratings. If anything, the extra options online may help keep fans glued to the games on their sets.

“We don’t want to limit ourselves to people not in front of the TV,” said Rick Cordella, vice president of NBC Sports Digital Media. “By adding multiple camera angles, HD-quality video, DVR controls along with social interactivity, our online streaming represents a compelling, second-screen experience that nicely complements NBC’s on-air presentation.”

NFL Mobile from Verizon will stream the broadcasts for the first time on a mobile platform, the NFL announced.

“We are pleased to work with our partners NBC and Verizon to bring our fans more ways to watch their favorite sport during their favorite time of the year,” said Hans Schroeder, NFL senior vice president of media strategy and development.

The Super Bowl is Feb. 5 in Indianapolis. The game is annually by far the biggest attraction on television, with last season’s Packers-Steelers matchup drawing a record U.S. audience for any show with 111 million viewers.

The folks over at Screen Rant put together this fantastic infographic depicting all the significant Batsuits over the years from TV, movies, theater, videos games, and of course the comics. [view enlarged version]

Celebrate all things nerdy, geeky and all-out dweeb-y from 2011 with the launch trailer for the all new original special The Nerdist: Year in Review, premiering Saturday Dec. 24 at 9/8c immediately following Doctor Who: Best of the Christmas Specials at 8/7c, only on BBC America.

The Nerdist: Year In Review is the first of BBC America’s five all new Nerdist Specials based on comedian, writer, Doctor Who fan and web pundit Chris Hardwick’s immensely popular Nerdist podcast, the Internet’s Top Ranked Podcast.

This Christmas Eve Special is a one-hour year-end review where Hardwick and his team of nerd experts review the best of the U.S. and the UK’s top nerd moments, gadgets and superheroes of 2011, and geek-tastic reviews of the year’s best moments from Comic Con and Doctor Who.

PLUS Special guests: Nathan Fillion, Wil Wheaton, Kumail Nanjiani (Franklin & Bash), and interviews with David Tennant (Doctor Who‘s 10th Doctor) and Simon Pegg (Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, Shaun of the Dead).

Along with the first details of Obsidian’s upcoming RPG, South Park: The Game, came the list of classes available for a player to select: Wizard, Paladin, Adventurer, Rogue, or one other currently unannounced class… until now. The mysterious final class has been revealed as the ‘Jew’.

Lead designer Matt MacLean made the announcement in a Game Informer interview, describing the class as a “Paladin/Monk type character” designed for “high-risk/high-reward” gameplay. “The closer he is to death, the more powerful his abilities become. So you’re strongest when you are at one hit point, but you’re also just about to die.”

With constant rumors recently circulating and despite denials coming from the man himself, Howard Stern announced this morning that he has officially signed on to replace Piers Morgan as the newest judge on America’s Got Talent.

NBC confirmed the news, as programming exec Paul Telegdy stated, “Howard Stern’s larger-than-life personality will bring a thrilling new dynamic to America’s Got Talent, starting this summer. He’s a proven innovator and his track record in broadcasting is truly remarkable. Howard is very passionate about this show and is fully committed to its future success.”

“I’m going to be Piers [Morgan] on steroids,” Stern told his listeners. “I’m going to be a no-nonsense judge. I’m going to go there as a serious judge. I am very excited.”

Piers Morgan gave his endorsement via Twitter, stating: “Congrats to Howard Stern on landing my America’s Got Talent judging gig. He’ll be outrageous, hilarious, dangerous & brilliant. Can’t wait.”

Fellow AGT judge Howie Mandel, an admitted Stern superfan, also expressed his excitement via Twitter: “I couldn’t be happier. This will be our best year yet.”

Stern will start shooting the next season of AGT this February, traveling the country to do the audition rounds. The show will then be relocated from Los Angeles to New York for the live rounds to accommodate Stern’s radio schedule.

On the positive side, I’m curious and excited to see him kick ass on the show while watching the mainstream’s opinion of him change. On the negative side, now I have to watch America’s Got Talent.

Doctor Who: The Eternity Clock will be the first of a series of Doctor Who console games developed by BBC Worldwide Digital Entertainment marking a significant movement into gaming for this business. The game is being created in full HD for digital download platforms and is set for release in early 2012, initially on Playstation 3, Playstation Vita, and PC.

Doctor Who: The Eternity Clock will immerse gamers in the universe of Doctor Who, allowing them to take on the role of the Doctor and River Song as they travel across time and space to save the Earth. Gamers must learn to master the complexities of time travel with exceptional time based game play. Changes made in one time will impact another, creating multiple possibilities and challenging players to solve puzzles across the centuries.

A wholly new storyline has been developed especially for this new Doctor Who console game franchise, written in collaboration with the BBC Wales team. Photo-real graphics, television quality scenes and highly realistic characters will bring the world of Doctor Who to life immersing fans completely in the twists and turns of an action filled plot. The stars of the series, Matt Smith (the Doctor) and Alex Kingston (River Song), have recorded full voiceovers for their characters and motion capture has been used to create in-game characters that are incredibly realistic.

Two further Doctor Who console game titles are planned to follow this release with details to be announced next year.

BBC has debuted a 90-second prequel to this year’s Doctor Who Christmas special titled “The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe.”

The special is officially described as follows:

“Evacuated to a house in Dorset from war-torn London, Madge Arwell and her two children, Lily and Cyril, are greeted by a madcap caretaker whose mysterious Christmas gift leads them into a magical wintry world…”

Since the initial surprising announcement of South Park: The Game as an RPG in the hands of Obsidian, some new details have come to light. First, and most importantly, this will be the first South Park game in which Trey Parker and Matt Stone will be directly involved in, by writing both the script and the dialogue. They’ve also given the team at Obsidian 15 years worth of assets used during the show and a detailed list of approved textures and colors to help the game match the look of the show.

You will be controlling the ‘new kid’ in town, and your character will be completely customizable, but also voiceless. Cartman will be help players choose their class — between wizard, paladin, adventurer, rogue, or one other currently unannounced class.

The story begins with your character participating in a live action role-playing game that the neighborhood kids started, which eventually evolves into a real adventure. As the ‘new kid’, the main theme of the game is fitting in and being accepted. Your character will carry around a smartphone that acts as the primary game menu, we assume similar to Fallout‘s Pip-Boy, which will also include a Facebook-like app that shows your current number of friends and your standing with various factions of kids.

We certainly don’t consider ourselves a dirt sheet, in fact we rarely report on wrestling, but I couldn’t resist making this tweet from the best in the world come to fruition: “Soon to be dirt sheet headline: Punk jumps into volcano.”

THQ has announced that they are collaborating with South Park Digital Studios and Obsidian Entertainment (Fallout: New Vegas, Star Wars:KOTOR II) to develop the next chapter in South Park entertainment: South Park: The Game.

South Park: The Game is an epic role-playing adventure that will allow the user to befriend Stan, Kyle, Cartman and Kenny and explore the quiet little mountain town like never before.

“Our goal is simple: to put creative talent first,” said Danny Bilson, EVP Core Games, THQ. “Matt and Trey are arguably two of the most important comedic talents of their generation. Bringing their vision of South Park to the interactive space is a dream-come-true.”

The first details of South Park: The Game will be revealed in the exclusive cover story in Game Informer’s January issue, shipping to subscribers in early December 2011.

South Park: The Game is scheduled to be available for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Windows PC in the second half of 2012.

Variety is reporting that director David Yates, who directed the last four Harry Potter films, is teaming up with the BBC to bring Doctor Who to the big screen.

“We’re looking at writers now. We’re going to spend two to three years to get it right,” he said. “It needs quite a radical transformation to take it into the bigger arena.” Yates added, “The notion of the time-travelling Time Lord is such a strong one, because you can express story and drama in any dimension or time.”

For those unaware, the Doctor Who series has a long and rich history, originally running from 1963 to 1989, and recently being rebooted in 2005 by writers Russell T. Davies and subsequently by Steven Moffat. The present incarnation of The Doctor has garnered more attention to the series then ever before.

While this all sounds very exciting, Yates went on to make a very controversial comment that has the Who-niverse buzzing with skepticism.

“Russell T. Davies and then Steven Moffat have done their own transformations, which were fantastic, but we have to put that aside and start from scratch,” he said.

If this comment means abandoning 50+ years of canon and the current state of the show, I believe it to be a huge mistake. However, if the movie were simply to begin the story of the next Doctor in line, it could easily serve as a jumping on point for new viewers while respecting the loyal Whovians.

UPDATE [12/2]:

Doctor Who Head Writer and Executive Producer Steven Moffat has chimed in on Twitter to address the news:

To clarify: any Doctor Who movie would be made by the BBC team, star the current TV Doctor and certainly NOT be a Hollywood reboot. David Yates, great director, was speaking off the cuff, on a red carpet. You’ve seen the rubbish I talk when I’m cornered.

Source: Nerdist

BBC America’s General Manager, Perry Simon, has given the green light for five more specials of The Nerdist, based on comedian, writer, Doctor Who fan and web pundit Chris Hardwick’s hit Nerdist podcast. The commission follows the successful and buzzed-about pilot hosted by Hardwick, which premiered in September as part of BBC America’s comedy block the Ministry of Laughs. The Nerdist will continue to be produced by Nerdist Industries and Comcast Entertainment Studios, with Chris Hardwick, Alex Murray, Jay James, Gary Snegaroff and K.P. Anderson serving as executive producers.

The five specials (2×60 mins.; 3×30 mins.) will air throughout the next year, coinciding with big events for the channel. The Nerdist will feature panelists from LA to London, including celebrity guests, comedians, bloggers, and podcasters, in a comedic roundtable discussion. The first special will premiere on December 24, 9:00pm ET/PT, as a one-hour year-end review of all the things that nerds love from pop culture to tech trends and more.

Perry Simon, General Manager, Channels, BBC Worldwide America says: “The Nerdist pilot, which featured The Doctor, Matt Smith, and Craig Ferguson joining the Nerdist team as guests, earned strong buzz and was an excellent pairing with the midseason premiere of Doctor Who. We couldn’t be happier that we will continue working with Chris and are excited that The Nerdist will be a part of our biggest events over the next year.”

Chris Hardwick says: “We had mammoth amounts of fun making The Nerdist for BBC AMERICA earlier this year with Craig Ferguson and Matt Smith and can’t wait to make more nerdy nerd nerdness in the upcoming specials. I thank BBC America for allowing people to further consume our wee podcast with their eyes.”

The Nerdist podcast, named one of the best comedy podcasts by Rolling Stone, is a top 10 comedy podcast on iTunes and has featured guests from Andy Samberg to Jon Hamm to Zach Galifianakis.

The Nerdist joins BBC America’s stable of all-new original programming, including new comedy panel show Would You Rather? with Graham Norton premiering December 3 plus Richard Hammond’s Crash Course and Copper premiering in 2012.

In a landmark deal, all new episodes of the Emmy Award-winning comedy series Arrested Development will be coming exclusively to Netflix for its U.S. members to watch instantly, beginning in 2013.

For the first time in their histories, Twentieth Century Fox Television and Imagine Television will produce original first-run entertainment content for the world’s leading internet subscription service, bringing back the acclaimed series to production on all new episodes five years after its cancellation.

One of Time Magazine’s “100 Best TV Shows of All-TIME,” the tale of the formerly wealthy, deeply eccentric Bluth clan aired for three seasons, 2003-2006, on Fox and was honored with the Emmy award for Outstanding Comedy Series after its first season on the air.

“Arrested Development is one of the finest American comedies in TV history and its return through Netflix is a perfect example of how we are working closely with studios and networks to provide consumers with entertainment they love,” said Ted Sarandos, Netflix Chief Content Officer.

“It’s also a perfect example of how broad and successful our relationship has become with Fox as we work together with their film, television, international and digital divisions on several exciting initiatives,” he added.

“Netflix’s bold entrance into original programming presents an exciting new opportunity for our two companies” commented Peter Levinsohn, Fox Filmed Entertainment’s President of New Media & Digital Distribution. “Bringing a classic show back to production on new episodes exclusively for Netflix customers is a game changer, and illustrates the incredible potential the new digital landscape affords great content providers like Twentieth Century Fox Television and Imagine.”

Commented 20th Century Fox TV Chairmen Dana Walden and Gary Newman, “We build brands at this studio which are so distinctive that audiences still clamor for them years after they go off the air. ‘Arrested Development’ is a great example of that—it has stood the test of time. This innovative deal with Netflix represents a new business model that is extremely exciting and opens the door for a wide range of new collaborations.”

“We also pride ourselves on breaking the rules at this studio, and after bringing back two canceled series – ‘Family Guy’ and ‘Futurama’—to enormous success, we are bullish on the prospects for this brilliant series. We can’t wait to get back to work with Mitch, Ron and Brian on bringing the Bluths back to America’s living rooms,” they added.

Said Imagine Entertainment co-founders Ron Howard and Brian Grazer, “Of all the projects we’ve been involved with over the years, we probably get more questions about Mitch Hurtwitz’s brilliant ‘Arrested Development’ than any other– everyone, ourselves included, seems to feel like the Bluths left the party a bit too soon. Bringing a series back from cancellation almost never happens, but then, ‘Arrested’ always was about as unconventional as they get, so it seems totally appropriate that this show that broke the mold is smashing it to pieces once again.”

Added Howard, “After a long hiatus, I’m dying to finally get back to the narrator’s microphone…’It’s Arrested…Development.’”

The Emmy-winning comedy had its final broadcast on February 10, 2006 and concerned Michael Bluth (Jason Bateman) and his eccentric family comprised of his son George Michael (Michael Cera), his father George Bluth Sr. (Jeffrey Tambor), his mother Lucille (Jessica Walter), his brothers George Oscar Bluth II (Will Arnett), Buster Bluth (Tony Hale) and sister Lindsay Funke (Portia de Rossi), and Lindsay’s husband Tobias (David Cross) and their daughter Maeby (Alia Shawkat).

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

SyFy has ordered a TV pilot based on the DC Comics superhero Booster Gold. Fringe‘s Andrew Kreisberg will pen the script and share an executive producer credit with Greg Berlanti (Brothers & Sisters, No Ordinary Family, Green Lantern).

The story will center on Booster Gold, a washed-up athlete from the future who travels back to the present in hopes of becoming the greatest super hero of all time. Instead of chasing criminals, however, his main priority is chasing fame and money. But Booster Gold discovers that being a hero takes more than just a megawatt smile, and that the future doesn’t happen without first protecting the present.

Booster Gold has appeared on the small screen before as part of the cartoon series Justice League Unlimited and was most recently depicted in live-action during an episode of Smallville‘s final season.

Host: Bryan Lipsitz
Co-host: Kent Holle

Graphically Speaking – Issue #012 – Community
[See post to listen to audio]

[download] [subscribe in iTunes] [e-mail comments and feedback]

Show notes:

In a very special Issue we veer from the usual show topics to talk about the TV show “Community” and why it’s consistently one of the most clever and funny shows on TV.

• show premise and characters
• top 10 favorite episodes each
• favorite character pairings
• discussion of how YOU can help save the show
• also some controversial bashing of some other show that airs at the same time (all in good fun)

Watch the brand-new, just-released exclusive trailer for the 2011 Christmas Special, Doctor Who: The Doctor, The Widow and the Wardrobe, premiering this Christmas only on BBC America.

Evacuated to a house in Dorset from war-torn London, Madge Arwell and her two children, Lily and Cyril, are greeted by a madcap caretaker whose mysterious Christmas gift leads them into a magical wintry world.

Showtime has ordered two more seasons of its award-winning, top-rated drama series Dexter, starring Golden Globe award-winning actor Michael C. Hall. On the heels of Hall and Showtime closing a new, two season deal for Hall to return to the series, production will begin on season seven in 2012 in Los Angeles. Seasons seven and eight will consist of 12 episodes each.

The Emmy-nominated Dexter opened its sixth season in October and continues to earn impressive ratings, most recently delivering its fifth consecutive week of growth. Season-to-date, the series is averaging 5.12 million weekly viewers on all platforms (including On Demand, replays and DVR), making it the highest rated season yet.

“Dexter ‘s enormous success is a real tribute to the great achievements of its cast, producers, and the powerhouse performance of Michael C. Hall,” said Showtime’s President of Entertainment David Nevins. “The series is bigger than it’s ever been in its sixth season, both in terms of audience and its impact on the cultural landscape. Together with Michael, the creative team on the show has a very clear sense of where they intend to take the show over the next two seasons and, as a huge fan, I’m excited to watch the story of Dexter Morgan play out.”

Michael C. Hall added, “On behalf of the entire Dexter family, we relish the invitation to delve ever deeper into Dexter’s world.”

One of the most acclaimed shows on television, Dexter stars Hall, who has earned multiple Emmy nominations as well as a SAG award for his role as a complicated and conflicted blood-spatter expert for the Miami police department who moonlights as a serial killer. The show has received multiple Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for best television drama series, as well as a prestigious Peabody Award in 2008, and was twice named one of AFI’s Top Ten television series. The series also stars Jennifer Carpenter, Desmond Harrington, C.S. Lee, Lauren Vélez, David Zayas, and James Remar.

Featuring a luminous 24″ LCD screen with full HD 1080p 3D presentation, the PlayStation 3D Display delivers an incredible high-definition stereoscopic 3D experience, offering best-in-class visuals in both 2D and 3D for all of you gamers. The 3D Display is enhanced for gaming with SimulView, a special feature that allows you to view individual, unique, full-screen images of gameplay in two-player mode.

Trey Parker and Matt Stone have reached a new deal with Comedy Central to extend cable’s longest-running animated series, South Park. The deal for three additional seasons ensures the top-rated Emmy and Peabody Award-winning series will remain in original episodes through 2016 and a milestone 20th season. Parker and Stone will continue to write, direct and edit every episode of South Park, as they have since the premiere of the series in 1997.

“The collective genius of Matt and Trey knows no bounds,” said Comedy Central President Michele Ganeless. “Week after week and season after season they continue to surprise and delight ‘South Park’ fans, and that includes all of us here at Comedy Central. We’re thrilled that the adventures of Stan, Kyle, Kenny and Cartman will continue through 2016.”

“Comedy Central has been our home for 15 years and we love working there,” said Parker and Stone. “‘South Park is a blast and we can’t wait to make more.”

Recently voted “The Greatest Animated TV Series” in a poll conducted by Entertainment Weekly, South Park, which wraps its 15th season tonight, averaged over 3.5 million viewers per episode during its most recent season, in which it was the #1 show in all of television among Men 18-24 in Wednesday Prime and the #1 show in cable among Adults 18-49, Adults 18-34, Adults 18-24, Men 18-34 and Men 18-24 in Wednesday Prime. The series has also accumulated 35 million fans on Facebook, making it the most-liked series in cable and the #3 series in all of television.

To hear all our stories from New York Comic Con 2011, listen to The Geek Generation Podcast – #058 – NYCC 2011.

Watch 6 full minutes of footage from this Friday’s premiere of Green Lantern: The Animated Series. The one-hour special airs on November 11, at 7/6c on Cartoon Network.

Source: CNN

Andy Rooney at his desk in 1978, his first year as a commentator on 60 Minutes.

Legendary CBS News commentator Andy Rooney, known to millions for his witty essays on mundane topics, died Friday night in New York. He was 92.

He had been hospitalized after suffering complications following minor surgery last month.

“It’s a sad day at ’60 Minutes’ and for everybody here at CBS News,” said Jeff Fager, chairman of CBS News and the executive producer of ’60 Minutes.’ “It’s hard to imagine not having Andy around. He loved his life and he lived it on his own terms. We will miss him very much.”

Rooney made his last regular weekly appearance on 60 Minutes on Oct. 2. A few weeks later, CBS announced he was in a hospital.

Rooney’s colleague and longtime 60 Minutes correspondent Morley Safer told CNN Saturday that Rooney worked to the very end and that he would not have wanted it any other way.

In his last regularly scheduled appearance on 60 Minutes, Andy Rooney says, “I’ve done a lot of complaining here, but of all the things I’ve complained about, I can’t complain about my life.”

Source: Deadline

New Regency has acquired the rights to Jim Henson’s Fraggle Rock with intentions of developing the property into a feature film. It will be produced by The Jim Henson Company and the Montecito Picture Company.

The series premiered on HBO in 1983, ran for five seasons and was broadcast in over 80 countries. It revolved around puppet characters Gobo, Wembley, Mokey, Boober and Red, who lived in Fraggle Rock. They interacted with humans who thought they were aliens.

It’s being reported that New Regency was seeking another family-friendly franchise after the success of the recent Alvin and the Chipmunks movies.

Former Two and a Half Men star Charlie Sheen will return to television in summer 2012 on FX in Anger Management, a new sitcom loosely based on Revolution Studios’ 2003 hit comedy feature of the same name.

FX has ordered 10 episodes of Anger Management from Lionsgate-owned distributor Debmar-Mercury, led by Co-Presidents Mort Marcus and Ira Bernstein. Production on the sitcom will begin in early 2012 with comedy veteran writer-producer Bruce Helford (George Lopez, The Drew Carey Show) as executive producer and showrunner. It will be produced by Lionsgate Television, led by Television Group President Kevin Beggs and COO Sandra Stern; Joe Roth and Revolution Studios’ Vince Totino; Sheen manager Mark Burg’s production company, Evolution Management; and Ramon Estevez and Estevez Sheen Productions.

In success, FX will pick up an additional 90 episodes under a unique syndication model crafted by Debmar-Mercury for multiple Tyler Perry sitcoms and Revolution’s and Ice Cube’s Are We There Yet? The series will air exclusively on FX until the off-network episodes start airing in broadcast syndication in fall 2014.

“We think that Bruce Helford, Joe Roth and Charlie Sheen have come up with a wonderful, hilarious vehicle for Charlie’s acting talents – and a character we are very much looking forward to seeing him play,” said John Landgraf, President and General Manager, FX Networks. “Two and a Half Men has been an outstanding component of FX’s schedule for the past 14 months, and we have every confidence that Anger Management will soon be as well.”

Sheen will retain a significant ownership stake in the series inspired by the film, in which an anger management therapist, who may need more counseling than his patients, wreaks havoc on the lives of his patients through his unconventional methods.

“I have been fortunate to work with Charlie Sheen on six hit films,” said Roth. “Now to have Charlie, the number one comedy star on TV, doing Anger Management, feels like a perfect fit. And I could not be happier than being back at Fox with John Landgraf and Chuck Saftler.”

“We were very gratified by the high level of interest in Anger Management from across the industry,” commented Marcus and Bernstein. “Ultimately, we felt FX’s track record for airing daring and distinctive shows would provide the perfect home for a sitcom headlined by one of the most successful sitcom stars of all time and produced by Joe Roth.”

Beggs said, “The FX brand epitomizes creative excellence and risk-taking combined with entrepreneurial business acumen. Partnering with them on Anger Management is a no-brainer and we are thrilled to bring Charlie Sheen, Bruce Helford and this amazing creative team to the FX family of original series.”

“Charlie and I are thrilled to be in business with FX and look forward to producing this series for years to come,” said Burg.

Charlie Sheen, who has starred in more than 40 feature films, catapulted to fame in such critical and commercial hits as Platoon and Wall Street. His other feature film credits include Major League, Red Dawn, Lucas, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Eight Men Out, Young Guns, Hot Shots!, Hot Shots! Part Deux, The Three Musketeers, The Chase, Money Talks, Being John Malkovich, Scary Movie 3 and Scary Movie 4. He also appeared in the television movies Rated X and Good Advice.

Sheen became known to television audiences through his Golden Globe Award-winning lead role in Spin City. In 2003, Sheen was cast as Charlie Harper in the CBS sitcom Two and a Half Men, which was loosely based on Sheen’s bad boy image. The role garnered him an ALMA Award and four Emmy Award nominations, as well as two Golden Globe Award nominations for Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series.

In 2011, Sheen set a new Guinness World Record for Twitter as the “Fastest Time to Reach 1 Million Followers,” adding an average of 129,000 new followers per day.

Two snaps up! An updated version of the groundbreaking FOX sketch comedy series In Living Color, will air as two half-hour specials in the spring of 2012. Exact dates to be announced.

The specials will be hosted and executive-produced by original series creator/executive producer Keenen Ivory Wayans. This is a modern-day take on the hit sketch comedy show that will feature a new cast of fresh, young talent, as well as musical performances by special guests.

In Living Color aired from 1990 to 1994 on FOX. Starring Keenen Ivory Wayans and Damon Wayans, the show launched both of their careers, as well as those of siblings Shawn, Marlon and Kim, not to mention featured players Jim Carrey, Jamie Foxx, David Alan Grier, and “Fly Girl” Jennifer Lopez.

The iconic series put a hip, edgy spin on popular culture and featured characters and sketches that became part of the American vernacular, such as “Men on Film,” starring flamboyant film critics Blaine Edwards (Damon Wayans) and Antoine Merriweather (David Alan Grier); Homey D. Clown (Damon Wayans), a dour urban kiddie entertainer whose catchphrase was “Homey don’t play that!”; streetwise scam artists “The Home Boys” (Keenen Ivory and Damon Wayans); and Fire Marshall Bill (Jim Carrey), a disfigured safety expert.

In Living Color is executive produced by Ivory Way Productions in association with Fox 21, a production company housed within Twentieth Century Fox Television devoted to making creatively ambitious scripted series for the cable television market, as well as bold and distinctive unscripted shows for both cable and broadcast networks.

CBS has announced that two of its new series, Unforgettable and Person of Interest, have both been picked up for a full season.

Unforgettable, the season’s #1 new drama in viewers, is averaging 14 million viewers, 4.2/10 in adults 25-54 and 3.0/08 in adults 18-49. Unforgettable has improved the Tuesday (10:00-11:00 PM) time period by +3% in both viewers and adults 18-49 and by +5% in adults 25-54 versus last season. Unforgettable wins its time period in all key ratings measures.

Person of Interest, the #2 new drama in viewers, is averaging 13.97 million viewers, 4.6/11 in adults 25-54 and 3.3/08 in adults 18-49 in its Thursday (9:00-10:00 PM) time period.

Unforgettable stars Poppy Montgomery, Dylan Walsh, Michael Gaston, Kevin Rankin and Daya Vaidya. Carl Beverly, Sarah Timberman and Ed Redlich are executive producers for Sony Television Studios in association with CBS Television Studios.

Person of Interest stars Jim Caviezel, Michael Emerson, Taraji P. Henson and Kevin Chapman. J.J. Abrams, Bryan Burk, Jonathan Nolan and Greg Plageman are executive producers for Bonanza Productions Inc., in association with Bad Robot Productions and Warner Bros. Television.

Source: AMC

AMC announced today the renewal of The Walking Dead for a third season. Season two continues to deliver the strongest telecasts for any drama in basic cable history against adults 18-49 shattering a basic cable record set nearly 10 years ago for a single drama telecast (The Dead Zone). The Walking Dead is based on the comic book series written by Robert Kirkman and published by Image Comics. Glen Mazzara serves as series’ showrunner. Kirkman, Gale Anne Hurd, David Alpert and Frank Darabont are executive producers. Greg Nicotero is a co-executive producer.

“Today we are pleased to announce that the ‘dead’ shall live as we proudly renew ‘The Walking Dead’ for a third season on AMC and, globally, with our terrific partners at Fox International Channels,” said Charlie Collier, AMC’s President. “We are thankful for everyone’s contribution in front of and behind the camera as we continue to make ‘The Walking Dead’ a unique television experience. And, we are so proud as it continues to set viewership records around the world.”

The Walking Dead secured a 2010 Golden Globe nomination for Best Television Series – Drama and won the 2011 Emmy Award for Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup. The series tells the story of the months and years that follow after a zombie apocalypse. It follows a group of survivors, led by police officer Rick Grimes, who travel in search of a safe and secure home.

The Walking Dead received rave reviews from countless critics, both domestic and international, who heralded the series as “above all else, The Walking Dead hasn’t lost the most important ingredient in its strangely successful recipe: it’s thrilling” (The Hollywood Reporter), “…with Dead’s riveting cast of characters, the personal dynamics are almost as potent as the gory thrills” (Us Weekly), “The Walking Dead is a feast. Dig in.” (The Guardian, UK), “It doesn’t even take three minutes to realize that this series is setting standards” (Der Tagesspiegel, Germany).

Source: Deadline

FOX is developing a series based on The Punisher from ABC Studios and former Criminal Minds showrunner Ed Bernero. The show is described as an hour-long procedural and would feature a slight twist on the character. In this version, Frank Castle is a rising star detective with the New York Police Department who dons the identity of the Punisher to seek justice and right the wrongs that the system can’t.

At a panel taking place at New York Comic Con, Vice President of Marvel Television, Jeph Loeb, announced several Marvel properties that are currently in development for television. Live-action series include A.K.A. Jessica Jones, The Hulk, Cloak and Dagger, and Mockingbird. Animated series include Ultimate Spider-Man and Hulk: Agents of S.M.A.S.H.

A.K.A. Jessica Jones

Coming to ABC is A.K.A. Jessica Jones, a series based on the Brian Michael Bendis comic Alias. For obvious reasons, the name needed a change for television. Jessica Jones is a private investigator living in New York City and trying to put her life together. Both Carol Danvers (Ms. Marvel) and Luke Cage (Power Man) would appear in the series as well.

The Hulk

Also coming to ABC is The Hulk. The series will primarily focus on the relationship between Bruce Banner and Betty Ross. While not mentioning him by name, Loeb made reference that Guillermo del Toro is set to produce. As far as visual effects go, Loeb said that The Avengers movie provided what was necessary in terms of research and development costs for getting a CGI Hulk onto the television screen.

Cloak and Dagger

Coming to ABC Family is Cloak and Dagger, which centers around two super-powered teens in a post-Katrina New Orleans. This differs from the comics slightly as Cloak and Dagger primarily operate in New York City.

Mockingbird

Also coming to ABC Family is Mockingbird, which Loeb described as “Alias meets Felicity.” The basic idea of the show is “freshman college student by day, S.H.I.E.L.D. secret agent by night.”

Ultimate Spider Man

Set to hit Disney XD next year, Ultimate Spider-Man will feature plenty of humor, including Spidey often breaking the fourth wall. Peter Parker/Spider-Man will be voiced by Drake Bell. His mentor in the series, Nick Fury, will be voiced by Chi Mcbride. Reprising his role from the Marvel movies, Clark Gregg will voice Agent Coulson, who also doubles as the principal of Peter’s school. Stan Lee is set to voice Stan the Janitor, who also shares the look of his real-life counterpart. Finally, J. Jonah Jameson will be voiced by J.K. Simmons, who reprises his role from the Sam Raimi Spider-Man movies.

Hulk: Agents of S.M.A.S.H.

Set to hit Disney XD in 2013 is Hulk: Agents of S.M.A.S.H. The team consists of Hulk, Red Hulk, Skaar, A-Bomb, and She-Hulk. According to Loeb, the series will consist of the team “taking on the biggest threats in the Marvel universe, bigger than you can possible imagine.”

Warner Bros. Animation unveiled the one-hour debut episode of Green Lantern: The Animated Series in a world premiere screening during the show’s panel session at New York Comic Con on Saturday, October 15. The one-hour special premiere airs Friday, November 11, on Cartoon Network, but fans can catch an exclusive sneak peek of the complete first scene right here.

Green Lantern comes to television in an all-new CG animated action series from world-renowned producer, artist and animator Bruce Timm (Batman: The Animated Series, Justice League). Based upon the DC Comics super hero, Green Lantern: The Animated Series follows Earth’s Green Lantern, Hal Jordan, who is used to being in dangerous situations — but he’s never faced anything like this! Set in the farthest reaches of deep space, the series finds Hal on the Guardian Frontier, where he must face down an invasion from the Red Lantern Corps. Powered by pure rage, the evil Red Lanterns have sworn to destroy the Green Lantern Corps and everything they stand for. Dispatched on the experimental spacecraft The Interceptor, Hal is soon joined by an all-new group of heroes on a mission to protect Guardian Space — and the Green Lantern Corps itself!