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[01/14/05 - 12:00 AM]
TCA 2005 Winter Press Tour: Friday's Notes
By The Futon Critic Staff (TFC)

LOS ANGELES (thefutoncritic.com) -- The Television Critics Association began its winter press tour this week in which the various broadcast and cable networks talk about their upcoming plans to the nation's top critics and entertainment reporters. It's during these sessions the networks roll out most of their midseason plans as well as look back at the highs and lows of the new season.

Here's some additional notes from the panels that weren't covered in their respective press releases:

A&E

MI-5 - A fourth season is in the works of the popular U.K. drama. New episodes are set to be completed for a January 2006 premiere. Season three of the drama bowed earlier this month.

ORIGINAL MOVIES - A&E confirmed both its previously announced Hillary Clinton biopic and its mini-series inspired by the New York power blackout are still in the works. Next out of the gate following "See Arnold Run" (Sunday, January 30) however will be the John McCain biopic "Faith of My Fathers."

The cable channel is moving forward with six new original series:

BEING (New!) - Mick Jagger is the executive producer of this new biography series, full details of which weren't available.

CRISS ANGEL (New!) - Illusionist Criss Angel is the focus of this series, which features unannounced on-the-street performances and public demonstrations. The project is set up at First Television and Angel Productions.

INKED - The backdoor pilot, which originally aired last August, has been given a series order. Fox TV Studios and Foglight Entertainment are behind the project, which revolves around the owners of the Hart & Huntington Tattoo Co., the first to operate out of a Vegas casino.

INTERVENTION (premieres Sunday, March 6) - The reality series, which compels people to confront their inner demons, will be the first of the group out of the gate.

KNIEVEL'S WILD RIDE (premieres Tuesday, April 5) - A new reality series about Robbie Knievel, son of daredevil legend Evel Knievel. Said project will be paired with "Dog the Bounty Hunter," which launches its second season the same night at 10:00/9:00c.

ROLLER GIRLS (New!) - The lives of women's competitive roller derby skaters are set to be the focus of this Austin, Texas-based series, which comes from Go Go Luckey Productions ("Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County").

A&E is also developing five other projects, not surprisingly all of which are reality series:

LITTLE RED MAN (New!) - Granada Television is behind this project, in which a literal little red man is unleashed on unsuspecting people during inopportune moments who have forgotten something important - from a birthday to owing money to a friend - until their memory comes back.

MARRIED IN VEGAS (New!) - The day-to-day of the Viva Las Vegas Wedding Chapel is the focus of this project, from Lighthearted Entertainment.

SINGLE AGAIN (New!) - This project, from True Entertainment and Endemol U.S.A., gives a couple that's been together for years a chance to relive the single life by moving them out, dividing up all their belongings, and forcing them to spend a month apart to see if their relationship is meant to last.

SPYING ON MYSELF (New!) - Scott Sternberg Productions is behind this series, which lets willing participants find out what people really think of them by sending them in disguise to find out.

WHIPPED (New!) - City Lights Television is shepherding this project, in which spouses are challenged to get their significant others to do their bidding for 48 straight hours and catch it on hidden cameras.

Lifetime

YOU'RE NOT THE MAN I MARRIED (New!) - The cable channel announced it has ordered 13 half-hour episodes of a new reality series in which neglected wives have their husbands compete in comedic challenges - such as approaching complete strangers at the boardwalk in Atlantic City, N.J., to tell them why they love their wife - to prove they really are the men their wives married. David Franzke ("Punk'd") and Optomen Productions are behind the project. No premiere date however was given.

Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters





  [january 2005]  
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T
W
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· BLACKOUT (A AND E)
· CRISS ANGEL: MINDFREAK (A AND E)
· DOG THE BOUNTY HUNTER (A AND E)
· FAITH OF MY FATHERS (A AND E)
· HILLARY'S CHOICE (A AND E)
· INKED (A AND E)
· INTERVENTION (A AND E)
· KNIEVEL'S WILD RIDE (A AND E)
· LITTLE RED MAN (A AND E)
· MARRIED IN VEGAS (A AND E)
· MI-5 (BBC AMERICA)
· NEWPORT HARBOR: THE REAL ORANGE COUNTY (MTV)
· PUNK'D (BET)
· ROLLERGIRLS (A AND E)
· SEE ARNOLD RUN (A AND E)
· SINGLE AGAIN (A AND E)
· SPYING ON MYSELF (A AND E)
· WHIPPED (A AND E)
· YOU'RE NOT THE MAN I MARRIED (LIFETIME)





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