LOS ANGELES (thefutoncritic.com) -- MTV is staying in business with the Simpson family as the cable channel has ordered new seasons of "Newlyweds: Nick & Jessica" and "The Ashlee Simpson Show" as well as a fresh effort tentatively titled "The Nick Lachey Project."
All three moves were announced as part of MTV's latest programming arsenal for 2005, which hopes to move toward 52 weeks of originals in the network's "10 Spot."
"Newlyweds" and "Ashlee" will both return in January, with the former's third season confirmed as the show's last. "Nick," which tracks the actor/singer as he works to get signed on to a new label and record another album, is set to premiere sometime later in the year. The series has an eight-episode order.
Also new in 2005 is "Meet the Barkers," which takes the "Newlyweds" format and applies it to the married life of Blink 182's Travis Barker, a husband and father of two with former Miss U.S.A. Shanna Moakler. Like "Nick," the show has an eight-episode order.
Rounding out the network's 2005 slate are "Damage Control," a new hidden camera prank show; "Trippin,'" feautring Cameron Diaz's travels around the world; "Power Girls," about the life of press maven Lizzie Grubman; and "Wild 'N' Out," an improv comedy competition hosted by Nick Cannon.
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