TV Bulletin Board (July 21)
07/21/08 07:46
By ED BARK
Emmy's most-nominated drama series, comedy series and miniseries also cleaned up Saturday night at the 24th annual Television Critics Association awards.
AMC's Mad Men, NBC's 30 Rock and HBO's John Adams all received multiple honors while the latter network's Emmy-rebuffed The Wire copped a Heritage Award after its final season.
Mad Men led the way with wins as Program of the Year, Outstanding New Program and Outstanding Achievement in Drama.
30 Rock won for Outstanding Achievement in Comedy and Individual Achievement in Comedy, with star and co-creator Tina Fey recognized.
John Adams took home trophies for Outstanding Achievement in Movies, Miniseries and Specials and for star Paul Giamatti's performance in the title role.
The Career Achievement award went to Saturday Night Live founding father Lorne Michaels, who also is co-executive producer of 30 Rock and brought Conan O'Brien to NBC.
Ken Burns' The War on PBS was cited for Outstanding Achievement in News & Information. PBS' Worldgirl won for Outstanding Achievement in Children's Program.
The Smothers Brothers opened the show with a performance.
***Media Rights Capital, which will be programming Sunday nights for the increasingly little-seen CW network this fall, has announced the four series it will put on.
Surviving Suburbia is a family sitcom starring Bob Saget. No one else has been cast yet.
A one-hour "dramatic comedy," Valentine, is about a family of Greek Gods, the Valentines, "whose purpose is to bring about the rare, strange and often hilarious thing called love." Jaime Murray, who played the evil temptress Lila on Showtime's Dexter, is the biggest name in the cast.
The one-hour Easy Money features Laurie Metcalf and Judge Reinhold in the saga of a family-run high interest loan business.
And the reality series In Harm's Way will spotlight "brave individuals who risk their lives in a multitude of life-threatening jobs."
Perhaps you're asking, "Why bother?" Good question.
***NBC Universal-owned Sci Fi Channel plans to present 36 made-for-TV action movies next year. That's 11 more than this year.
Titles include Malibu Shark Attack (with former LaFemme Nikita star Peta Wilson); Hellhounds (directed by Rick Schroder); Lost Treasure of the Grand Canyon (co-starring Shannen Doherty, who also will guest star on CW's new 90210 series); Phantom Racer (with Greg Evigan) and Lake Placid 3.
***The Oxygen cable network, also now owned by NBC Universal, says it's going to launch Dance Your Ass Off next year.
The reality-competition series will feature "talented, full-figured contestants who struggle with their weight and dance to unleash their inner thin," Oxygen says. "Losing weight has never been sexier or more fun."
Um, let's just leave it at that.