Day: May 14, 2019

Cable this fall: Lots of new shows, LOTS of “Simpsons”

It’s easy to get lost inside the sprawling Disney empire.
Today (May 14), many of Disney’s cable networks announced their plans for next season. There was big news – which would have seemed bigger, except it was at the same time as the fall-schedule news from Disney-owned ABC … and the news that Disney is buying full control of Hulu. Once you get past that, key news included:
— “The Simpsons” will have a three-network home – Fox and FX and now Freeform. FX’s John Landgraf said he had a nine-year deal with the show; after using it for five years to propel the FXX channel, he was ready for a sub-lease. Read more…

ABC’s fall plan: Fewer new shows, but more “Conners”

ABC will jump into the fall with a less-is-more plan. Except for “The Conners,” for which more is more.
Last year at this time, the network was announcing seven new fall shows, plus four more for mid-season. It was too much, new programming chief Karey Burke said this morning; she has just four new fall shows (one a familiar reboot), with three for mid-season.
She will, however, have more “Conners” (shown here), the show that powers Tuesdays. It had only 11 episodes this season and nine (as “Roseanne”) the previous one. Now Burke expects to be “very close to a full season,” which would be about 22. Read more…

Best bets for May 16: By-bye “Big Bang”

1) “The Big Bang Theory” finale, 8 and 8:30 p.m., CBS. Television’s best comedy is finally ending after 12 seasons — a record for situation comedies done in front of an audience. The show has drawn huge laughs, but it’s also made us care deeply about its weird-but-good-hearted characters. As the end nears, we’ll see how their lives turn out. Will Sheldon and Amy (shown here) win the Nobel Prize? Will Penny change her mind about not having kids? Will Raj’s fiance return? We’ll root for them. Read more…