News

As of this writing, there have been approximately 900,000 episodes of TV to have come out of Dick Wolf's long-running "Law & Order" franchise. 

In actuality, that number is closer to 1,400, but that's still nothing to sneeze at. The original "Law & Order" debuted in 1990, and it quickly became one of the most celebrated crime shows on television. After a few years, it also became one of America's most reliable comfort-watches, providing miniature grit-covered criminal melodramas that could be easily consumed in four-to-five-hour binge-watching blocks. "Law & Order," along with its many spinoffs, were all rigidly and predictably structured, letting audiences relax over the sight of dead bodies. 

Characters rotated out of the "Law & Order" shows regularly. There were certainly long-standing fan favorites, but the real main character of "Law & Order" was the criminal justice system itself. In the world of "Law & Order," cops were hard-working and devoted...

“Scrubs” creator and “Ted Lasso” writer Bill Lawrence is set to receive the Writers Guild of America East’s Herb Sargent Award for Comedy Excellence at the 77th annual WGA Awards next month.

Named in honor of legendary “Saturday Night Live” writer and television producer Herb Sargent, who served as Wgae president for 14 years, the WGA East’s Sargent Award is given to a writer who “embodies the spirit, commitment and comic genius of Mr. Sargent, as well as his dedication to mentoring new writers,” per the writers’ union.

Previous recipients of the Sargent Award include writers Paul Simms, Judd Apatow, Tina Fey and Robert Carlock, Steve O’Donnell, Norman Stiles, Lorne Michaels, Paula Pell and James L. Brooks.

The prize will be bestowed upon Lawrence at the 2025 Writers Guild Awards’ New York ceremony for WGA East members on Feb. 15, which is held concurrently with the WGA West’s Los Angeles event.

Exclusive: Emmy-nominated writers-producers Justin Halpern and Patrick Schumacker, executive producers and co-showrunners of Abbott Elementary and co-developers and executive producers of Harley Quinn, have signed a new exclusive overall deal with Warner Bros. Television Group, the studio behind the acclaimed ABC comedy series and the popular Max adult animated series. Details are not being disclosed but the premium pact is said to be for four years.

Under the agreement, Halpern and Schumacker will continue to develop, create, and produce programming through their Wbtv-based company, Delicious Non-Sequitur Productions, including series for Warner Bros. Discovery’s Max streaming platform, external streaming services, the broadcast networks, and cable.

Halpern and Schumacker serve as executive producers and co-showrunners with creator/star Quinta Brunson of Abbott Elementary, which returns for its third season Feb. 7 on ABC.

The duo developed with Dean Lorey and are executive producers of the Warner Bros. Animation-produced Harley Quinn,...

“Rutherford Falls” co-creator Sierra Teller Ornelas has extended her overall deal with Universal Television.

The deal, which was first signed in 2019, made it so Teller Ornelas would develop and create new broadcasts across broadcast, cable and streaming. The extension continues that pact, although the studio (a division of Universal Studio Group) did not share details on the length of the extension.

“I am elated to continue this wonderful partnership with Universal Television,” said Ornelas. “Pearlena [Igbokwe], Erin [Underhill], Jim [Donnelly] and Megan [Macmillan] have all given me immense support and are honestly the most solid humans around.”

In addition to “Rutherford Falls,” which launched its first season in April on Peacock and will soon start Season 2, Ornelas is also working on Alan Yang and Matt Hubbard’s upcoming, still untitled comedy for Apple TV Plus, starring Maya Rudolph. That series is also produced by Universal Television.

“Sierra is an incredibly ambitious and passionate writer...

Sierra Teller Ornelas is staying with Universal Television. The co-creator, executive producer and writer of Peacock’s Rutherford Falls has extended her overall deal with the studio behind the series. Under the new pact, Ornelas will continue to develop new projects for Utv, a division of Universal Studio Group, to live on various platforms.

“Sierra is an incredibly ambitious and passionate writer and producer who brings a sense of purpose and infectious comedic wit to everything she touches,” said Erin Underhill, President, Universal Television. “From her time on Superstore to recently as co-creator of Rutherford Falls, she’s been terrific to work with, and we are grateful and excited to continue our partnership with her at Utv.”

Ornelas is currently working on Utv’s Alan Yang and Matt Hubbard project starring Maya Rudolph for Apple TV+. She will also start on season two of Rutherford Falls with fellow co-creators and executive producers,...

Seven top TV animation producers will reveal secrets behind their projects when they join Gold Derby’s special “Meet the Experts” Q&a event with key 2021 guild and Emmy contenders this month. Each person will participate in two video discussions to premiere on Wednesday, May 19, at 5:00 p.m. Pt; 8:00 p.m. Et. We’ll have a one-on-one with our contributing editor Charles Bright and a group chat with Charles and all of the group together.

RSVP today to this specific event by clicking here to book your reservation. Or click here to RSVP for our entire ongoing panel series. We’ll send you a reminder a few minutes before the start of the show.

This “Meet the Experts” panel welcomes the following 2021 guild and Emmy contenders:

“Archer”: Casey Willis

Willis is an Emmy winner among four career nominations.

“Big Mouth”: Mark Levin and Jennifer Flackett

Levin...

Christopher Meloni will return as Law & Order: Svu detective Elliot Stabler in a new Dick Wolf spinoff centered around the New York Police Department’s organized crime unit, Deadline reports.

Meloni played Stabler for the first 12 seasons of Svu, forming one of the most popular detective duos on television with Mariska Hargitay, who continues to star on the show as Olivia Benson. In 2006, Meloni earned an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama for playing Stabler.

While Stabler didn’t fully conform to the “bad cop” archetype,...

Christopher Meloni is set to reprise his “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” character Elliot Stabler for a new series at NBC, TheWrap has learned.

The new series will mark Meloni’s return to the Dick Wolf universe after exiting “Svu” following the show’s 12th season. The series will see Stabler returning to the NYPD as the head of an organized crime unit. “Chicago P.D.’s” Matt Olmstead is being eyed to write the new series and serve as showrunner.

The series falls under the five-year overall deal Wolf signed with his longtime studio home Universal Television last month, which included series commitments for multiple new projects.

Also Read: CBS, NBC Will Get Extra NFL Playoff Game Under Expanded Format

Wolf will serve as executive producer on the project alongside Arthur W. Forney and Peter Jankowski of Wolf Entertainment.

In conjunction with the deal, NBC renewed all four...

Exclusive: Reina Hardesty (The Flash) has been cast as the lead of the CW pilot Maverick. Nandy Martin (The Fosters) and Zainne Saleh (The Night Shift) also have been cast as series regulars in the drama from writer Merigan Mulhern, Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage’s Fake Empire and CBS TV Studios. Larry Teng (Nancy Drew) will direct the pilot as part of his overall deal with CBS TV Studios.

The premise of Maverick is likely to draw real-life parallels: In a present day America that finds itself under authoritarian rule, the President’s daughter, Kit (Hardesty) –- raised to believe her father is moral and benevolent -– has her worldview rocked on her first day at Georgetown. Challenged by her fellow students, and under the watchful eye of Secret Service agents, she’ll have to decide if her loyalties lie with her family or with a growing resistance as she navigates her freshman year.

Exclusive: Newcomer Reagan Rozas, Kyanna Simpson (Chambers), Emma Meisel (American Horror Story: 1984), Lexi Simonsen (2nd), Kevin Rahm (Madam Secretary) and All American‘s Da’Vinchi are set as series regulars opposite Jordana Spiro and Josh Andrés Rivera in Vegas High, HBO Max’s coming-of-age period drama pilot from writer Sarah-Raquel Jimenez, director Gillian Robespierre and Michael Showalter’s Semi-Formal Prods.

Written by Jimenez and directed by Robespierre, Vegas High is inspired by Jimenez’s own experience. It is a 1990s-set coming-of-age story about Laura (Rozas), a girl who’s caught between two worlds: the fast-paced lifestyle of Las Vegas and her strong Mormon faith and community.

Rozas’ Laura Hernandez is a sweet, poetic soul and devout Mormon who lives in Las Vegas with her blended family while attending Vegas High.

Meisel will play Maddie, Laura’s best friend, Maddie is a devout Mormon girl, and is regularly seen attending events with...

In its prime, “American Idol” was a show that made gold from pretty much everything it came in contact with on Fox. At the height of its power, it made household names out of the people sitting in the judges’ chairs and competing every week. It also saw ratings so astronomical that it became a coveted lead-in for a variety of shows. New series, returning favorites, and newly-minted hits all enjoyed the slot right after “Idol” on the Fox schedule, through its various seasons and placements.

“24,” The O.C.,” “Bones,” “Fringe,” “Glee,” and “Empire” all benefited from the “Idol” bump, either at the beginning of their runs or on their own respective ascents. And you could make the argument that shows like “Til Death,” “Lie to Me,” and even “Human Target” — shows that didn’t have mammoth success — still stayed on the air longer than they would have, were it...

This next piece of casting will have you seeing red: The CW’s comic-inspired Riverdale has tapped noted redhead Molly Ringwald to play the mother of iconic redhead Archie, TVLine has learned. The Sixteen Candles actress — best known to TV audiences for her five-season run on the then-abc Family drama The Secret Life of the American Teenager — will appear in two episodes, beginning with Season 1’s 10th outing.

VideosRiverdale: Watch the First Trailer

Having left Riverdale two years ago to follow her dreams, Ringwald’s Mary Andrews comes back to town in her family’s hour of need.

Attention, residents of Riverdale: The forecast is calling for dark skies, unearthed secrets and a 100-percent chance of good-looking teenage mischief.

RelatedCW Sets Midseason Dates for The 100, The Originals, Riverdale‘s Premiere, the Legends‘ Big Move and More

The CW on Monday released new stills from the pilot of its Archie Comics-inspired drama, in which beloved characters like Betty Cooper (Surviving Jack‘s Lili Reinhart), Veronica Lodge (newcomer Camila Mendes) and Jughead Jones (The Suite Life of Zack and Cody‘s Cole Sprouse) find themselves at the center of a murder mystery.

And then there’s The CW’s...

Congratulations are in order for a trio of pilots graduating to full-fledged series on The CW’s 2016–2017 schedule.

RelatedSupergirl Moves to The CW for Season 2

The network on Thursday announced official pick-ups for Frequency, a re-imagining of the film of the same name; No Tomorrow, a quirky dramedy about two people tackling their bucket list in the face of an alleged apocalypse; and Riverdale, the Greg Berlanti-produced drama based on the characters from Archie Comics.

The new series’ official loglines, as well as casting details, are below:

Frequency | Logline: “In this reimagining of the New Line Cinema film,...

Another fresh face is calling Riverdale home.

Newcomer Casey Cott — brother of Broadway star Corey Cott (Newsies) — has been cast in The CW’s Archie comics-inspired drama pilot.

RelatedThe CW Renews The Flash, Vampire Diaries, The 100, Reign (!) and 7 Others

Cott will play Kevin Keller, the first openly gay character in the Archie universe, who was introduced in the comic-book series in 2010.

Ep Roberto Aguirre Sacasa (Supegirl, Looking) announced the news via Twitter.

Riverdale, which hails from writer Aguirre Sacasa and über-producer Greg Berlanti, is described as a “subversive” take on the famous characters and the darkness and weirdness bubbling beneath Riverdale’s wholesome façade.

The CW’s Riverdale has found another parental resident in Witches of East End alumna Mädchen Amick.

The actress will play Betty’s mother Alice Cooper in the Archie comics-inspired drama pilot, our sister site Deadline reports.

RelatedPilot Season ’16: Scoop on This Fall’s (Possible) New Shows, Who’s In Them

Local newspaper editor Alice is a steely perfectionist who places exceedingly high expectations on her daughter (Surviving Jack‘s Lili Reinhart).

The potential series, which hails from über-producer Greg Berlanti and writer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa (Supegirl, Looking), is described as a “subversive” take on the famous characters and the...

Marisol Nichols is leaving her Teen Wolf pack behind for a residency in Riverdale.

The 24 alum — who’s currently recurring on the aforementioned MTV thriller — has been cast as Hermione Lodge in The CW’s Archie-inspired drama pilot from Greg Berlanti (Arrow), Deadline reports.

RelatedPilot Season ’16: Scoop on This Fall’s (Possible) New Shows, Who’s In Them

In the potential series, Hermione is the upscale mother to Veronica (played by newcomer Camila Mendes) who returns to the town following her husband’s imprisonment in an attempt to be closer to her daughter.

Nichols, whose résumé also include stints on NCIS and Criminal Minds,...

The CW has finally found the missing piece in its main Riverdale cast. The teen drama, which is based on the iconic Archie comic books, has cast Camila Mendes in the coveted role of Veronica. This comes just days after actor K.J. Apa was cast to play the main character of Archie. Other recent casting additions include Luke Perry as Archie's dad, Ashleigh Murray as Josie of Josie and the Pussycats, and Madelaine Petsch as the villainous Cheryl Blossom.

These new stars join Lili Reinhart (Surviving Jack) playing Betty Cooper and Cole Sprouse (The Suite Life of Zack and Cody) portraying Jughead. In the show, Veronica, Betty's best friend, has just come back to Riverdale after spending some time in New York, in the aftermath of a scandal that sent her father to prison. Much like Betty, Veronica wants to reinvent herself, going from the Mean Girl to cherished friend.

Just one day after casting Luke Perry as Archie's dad, The CW series Riverdale is filling out its main cast, along with a few supporting players as well. Deadline reports that K.J. Apa has come aboard to play Archie, with Ashleigh Murray signing on to portray Josie from Josie and the Pussycats and Madelaine Petsch as the villainous Cheryl Blossom. The last of the four main characters to be cast is Veronica.

These new stars join Lili Reinhart (Surviving Jack) playing Betty Cooper and Cole Sprouse (The Suite Life of Zack and Cody) portraying Jughead. Archie is still a redhead like in the comics, and "boyishly handsome." However, a recent casting report reveals he is "pumped and looking good" after spending his summer working construction with his father. Archie will be dealing with an influx of new interest from several females, while discovering his passion for writing and music, both...

Beverly Hills, 90210 alum Luke Perry has found a new residence in Riverdale.

The CW’s Archie-inspired drama pilot has tapped the actor to play dad to the comics’ titular character, our sister site Deadline reports.

RelatedPilot Season ’16: Scoop on This Fall’s (Possible) New Shows, Who’s In Them

Perry’s Fred Andrews is the owner of a construction firm who hopes his son will someday take over the family business.

The potential series, which hails from über-producer Greg Berlanti and writer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa (Supegirl, Looking), is described as a “subversive” take on the famous characters and the...

The CW's highly-anticipated Archie TV series Riverdale has added yet another cast member. Deadline reports that former Beverly Hills, 90210 star Luke Perry has signed on to co-star as Archie's father, Fred Andrews. Archie and Veronica are still two main characters who have yet to be cast, and it isn't known when production may begin.

Fred Andrews is the owner of a construction company, whose son Archie has been working with him the entire summer before school begins. Fred is described as "usually easy-going," who wants his son to take over the family business one day when he gets older. Luke Perry joins a cast that includes Lili Reinhart (Surviving Jack) playing Betty Cooper and Cole Sprouse (The Suite Life of Zack and Cody) portraying Jughead.

A casting breakdown surfaced in November which revealed new details about the four main characters, who will be quite different from the original comics.

It was recently announced that the CW had picked up the pilot episode for a live-action Archie TV series, Riverdale, and now Deadline reports that two of the most beloved characters have been cast: Jughead Jones and Betty Cooper. According to the site, Former Disney Channel star Cole Sprouse will play Jughead (described as "a heartthrob with a philosophical bent and former best friend of Archie Andrews”), and Surviving Jack actress Lili Reinhart will portray Betty Cooper (“sweet, studious, eager-to-please and wholesome, with a huge crush on her longtime best friend, Archie"). Riverdale will be written by Archie Comics Chief Creative Officer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and produced by Warner Brothers Studios and Berlanti Productions. Expect casting announcements for main characters Archie and Veronics soon.

After recently learning that The CW finally ordered a pilot episode for the subversive take on Archie Comics known as Riverdale, we all knew that casting news would not be far off. While the man himself, Archie Andrews, has yet to be cast, we now know who will play some of his closest friends.

The first role that has been confirmed to have been filled is that of one of Archie’s longtime love interests, Betty Cooper. Lili Reinhart (Surviving Jack, The Kings of Summer) will play the small town’s favorite malt sipping blonde who is described as “sweet, studious, eager-to-please and wholesome with a huge crush on her longtime best friend, Archie. Tired of being the perfect daughter, student, sister, etc., she turns to her new friend, Veronica, for life advice — much to the consternation of her emotionally brittle mother.”

Meanwhile, Jughead Jones, whom Archie Comics recently launched a solo series for,...

Cole Sprouse has joined the CW’s Archie pilot, Riverdale — and no, diehard Suite Life of Zack & Cody fans, this won’t be an "Olsen twins in Full House" situation. Cole, and Cole alone (sorry, Dylan), will play Jughead in the pilot, which comes from superproducer Greg Berlanti, of Flash, Arrow, and Supergirl fame. Riverdale has also cast Lili Reinhart (Fox’s short-lived Surviving Jack) as Betty, while the roles of Archie and Veronica are still up for grabs. The Archie comics just revealed that Jughead is asexual, but did the CW get the memo? Apparently not! The pilot will present a “subversive” take on the idyllic town of Riverdale, with Jughead as a "heartthrob with a philosophical bent" who has just gotten into a big fight with Archie. This could be Cody Martin’s Vanessa Hudgens in Spring Breakers moment. Congrats, if that was something you wanted.

Last year, The CW announced their new series Riverdale, which brings characters from the iconic Archie comics back to life in live action. While the network still hasn't announced a series premiere date, Deadline reports the first two cast members have been added, with Lili Reinhart (Surviving Jack) playing Betty Cooper and Cole Sprouse (The Suite Life of Zack and Cody) portraying Jughead. The two main characters still yet to be cast are Archie and Vernonica.

Back in November, a casting breakdown revealed new details about the four main characters, who will be quite different from the original comics. Lili Reinhart's Betty Cooper is a high-school sophomore, described as a pretty blonde with "self-esteem issues and an affinity for Adderall." She has had a longtime crush on Archie, but after deciding she's tired of pleasing everyone else in her quest for perfection, she turns to her friend Veronica Lodge for advice.

The cast of The CW’s Archie comics-inspired Riverdale is looking suite.

RelatedRiverdale Exclusive: Meet The CW’s Buff Archie, Scandal-ized Veronica and the Rest

Former Disney Channel star Cole Sprouse — best known for playing Cody Martin in The Suite Life of Zack and Cody (2005–2008) and The Suite Life on Deck (2008–2011) — has been cast as Jughead, our sister site Deadline reports. Riverdale’s Jughead Jones is Archie’s former best friend; their de-friending remains a sore subject between them.

(There’s no word yet on whether Riverdale‘s Judghead will be asexual, as revealed in a recent Archie comic,...

Exclusive: Riverdale has cast two of its four main characters. Lili Reinhart (Surviving Jack) is set to play Betty Cooper, while former Disney Channel star Cole Sprouse (The Suite Life Of Zack & Cody) will play Jughead Jones in the CW pilot based on Archie Comics. Set in present time, Riverdale, from producer Greg Berlanti, is a subversive take on Archie, Betty, Veronica and their friends, exploring the surrealism of small-town life — the darkness and weirdness bubbling…...

Cole Sprouse ("The Suite Life of Zack and Cody") and Lili Reinhart ("Surviving Jack") have scored the key roles of Jughead Jones and Betty Cooper in The CW's upcoming Archie comics-inspired series "Riverdale".

In the "Archie" comics, Jughead Jones is Archie's former best friend; their de-friending remains a sore subject between them. More recently the character came out as asexual, and an initial character breakdown for the series version suggests he might be hearing-impaired.

Betty Cooper is an all-American gal with a crush on the pilot's yet-to-be-cast leading man. When Betty grows tired of being so perfect, she turns to her also still uncast best friend Veronica for help.

Greg Berlanti is producing the project which is described as a "subversive" take on the comics, exploring the seemingly idyllic town of the characters.

Source: TV Line...

Detective Elliot Stabler “resurfaced” Wednesday night in the Law & Order: Svu season finale, in an unexpected and arguably jarring way.

(Big spoiler ahead, for those who have yet to watch….)

RelatedLaw & Order: Svu Finale Shocker: [Spoiler] Not Returning for Season 17

At episode’s end, Detective Amaro (played by exiting cast member Danny Pino) revealed to Benson (Mariska Hargitay) that, having been a hot-headed magnet for inter-department controversy (and after barely dodging, but not, a bullet in a courthouse shootout), he has decided to resign from the NYPD and relocate to California, to “start over.”

As a shaken Benson processed the news,...

Last week, in the wake of Eddie Huang's complaints that he felt ABC's "Fresh Off the Boat" was distorting and softening his childhood experiences, this column examined how hard it is for any biographical or autobiographical sitcom to be true to the life of its source and still be a crowd-pleasing primetime network entertainment. You'd think, after decades of trying, TV writers and network programming executives would be aware of this.

Nonetheless, according to The Hollywood Reporter, the networks have no fewer than ten such sitcom pilots in production, as the first episodes of potential 2015-16 primetime series. Some are based on the lives of already famous entertainers, some on the self-referential stand-up comedy routines of not-quite-famous comics, and some on memoirsts who've lived interesting lives.

Here's a rundown of these pilots, with a look at who these shows are about, who's starring in them, what the series might be like,...

Emily Hampshire is getting into the Monkey business full-time.

Syfy’s 12 Monkeys has promoted the actress, who portrays math whiz Jennifer Goines, to a series regular for its recently announced second season.

PhotosExclusive 12 Monkeys First Look: Cassie Dies (Duh) — But Who’s There With Her?

Hampshire’s character — a parallel to the part originated by Brad Pitt in the 1995 film — currently recurs on the show. Season 2 is slated to air sometime in 2016.

In addition to 12 Monkeys, Hampshire appears on Pop TV’s freshman series Schitt’s Creek and recurs on Rookie Blue.

Ready for more of today’s newsy nuggets?...

After dramatic turns as a mermaid and an astronaut’s wife, JoAnna Garcia Swisher‘s new gig will bring her back to her comedic roots.

The Reba alum has joined a CBS multi-cam comedy pilot written by and starring comedian Tommy Johnagin, TVLine has learned.

Related Pilot Season ’15: Your Guide to This Fall’s (Possible) New Shows, Who’s In Them

Swisher will play Michelle, a successful pediatrician married to Johnagin’s character, Tommy. The pair have a daughter named Ashley.

The potential series, about a standup comic raising a family in the Midwest, will be co-written by Justin Halpern...

The Good Wife is getting funnier in 2015. Rachael Harris has signed on to guest star in the 12th episode of the hit CBS series as Franny, E! News can exclusively reveal. The character, an aide to the mayor of Chicago, butts heads with Governor Peter Florrick (Chris Noth). Harris, who recently starred opposite Christopher Meloni in the short-lived Surviving Jack, has also popped up on Suits, New Girl, Bad Judge, Modern Family and The Office. On the big screen, Harris has had roles in The Hangover, Night at the Museum and Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Harris joins other The Good Wife season six guest stars including Ana Gasteyer, Kyle MacLachlan, Carrie Preston, Michael J. Fox, Taye Diggs, Stockard Channing, David Hyde Pierce...

Christopher Meloni needs to stay far away from Eva Green. Earlier this year in Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, he co-starred opposite Green as a square-jawed detective easily corrupted by her ample charm. Meloni now finds himself once again under the actress’s spell in the indie feature White Bird in A Blizzard. In the Shailene Woodley headlined film, Meloni stars as Brock – the mild-mannered husband to Eva Green’s sultry Eve. It’s a loveless marriage, Eve never hesitating to remind Brock just how worthless and disappointing a man he truly is. When Eve suddenly disappears one morning, Brock naturally becomes a suspect in his wife’s vanishing. But could somebody so weak-willed be capable of such a monstrous act? Meloni, sporting a burly mustache and some wretched polo shirts, counters his naturally intimidating appearance to fully embody Brock’s emasculated demeanor. It’s a fine turn...

Stand-up comic Tommy Johnagin may soon have his own prime-time sitcom series.

The Last Comic Standing finalist has landed a half-hour pilot order from CBS. The “multi-camera”-style show from Warner Bros. TV is inspired by Johnagin’s own life as a standup comic raising a family in a small Midwest town. Johnagin will star in the project, and he’ll co-write it along with Justin Halpern (I Suck at Girls, $#*! My Dad Says) and his writing parter Patrick Schumacker (Surviving Jack). Executive producers include Halpern, Schumacker, Bill Lawrence and Jeff Ingold.

This fall another young standup, John Mulaney, is...

Bill Lawrence is elevating one of his charges from the writers room to the Ground Floor.

Stand-up comic Emily Heller, who served as a scribe on Lawrence’s short-lived Fox comedy Surviving Jack, is joining Ground Floor in Season 2 in a recurring role, TVLine has learned exclusively.

Heller will play Lindsay, a cute girl from the same small town as Jenny (Briga Heelan). Fresh out of business school, she is hired as an associate to work upstairs at Remington Trust. Lindsay is literally a genius, but is completely awkward socially and rough around the edges — partially a product of her...

Up-and-coming actress Lili Reinhart (“Surviving Jack”) has been cast in Amazon Studios’ pilot “Cocked,” an individual familiar with the project has told TheWrap. Amazon did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Sam Trammell (“True Blood”) will star as Richard Paxson, a Washington D.C. management consultant who enters the family business of manufacturing guns. Also read: Fox Previews ‘Gang Related,’ ‘Surviving Jack,’ More (Video) Brian Dennehy is in negotiations to play his estranged father, while Reinhart will play Trammell's liberal daughter, who stands out within her right-wing family. Dreama Walker will co-star as Dennehy's illegitimate daughter, who works...

I interviewed "Undateable" executive producer Bill Lawrence and Adam Sztykiel at a noisy bar in Pasadena shortly before a press conference in mid-April. Going back and transcribing the 35-minute interview is bittersweet. At the time, Lawrence had two shows in limbo -- TBS' "Cougar Town" and Fox's newly premiered "Surviving Jack," which he EPed along with creators Justin Halpern and Patrick Schumacker. While Lawrence wasn't directly involved with "Enlisted," he has a close relationship with "Enlisted" and "Cougar Town" creator Kevin Biegel, whose comedy was newly shelved. Since that time, "Enlisted" and "Surviving Jack" were both cancelled. "Cougar Town" was renewed for a final season on TBS. At the time, Lawrence also wasn't feeling especially confident about "Undateable." The multi-cam sitcom, which features Chris D'Elia as seemingly cocksure ladies man Danny, who mentors the less confident Justin (Brent Morin) and his group of allegedly "undateable" friends. "Undateable" had been...

In honor of Mother’s Day, EW asked celebs visiting our video studio to name their favorite TV mom. The answers ranged from the wonderfully predictable to the hilariously unexpected.

To give you a chance to guess who went traditional and who went subversive, we’ll list the names of the celebs who played along and all their picks. How many can you match correctly? [Helpful hint: Dallas' Linda Gray selected two mothers.]

The celebs:

Surviving Jack’s Christopher Meloni

Crisis’ Gillian Anderson

Once Upon a Time’s Jennifer Morrison

NCIS’ Rocky Carroll

Ghetto Klown’s John Leguizamo

Chicago Pd’s Sophia Bush

Dallas’ Josh Henderson and Linda Gray...

With the NFL Draft providing significant competition, for the Big 4 on Thursday it was a primetime with a couple of endings — one permanent. After just more than a month on the air, Fox put Surviving Jack (1.2/3) out of its ratings misery yesterday as one of a group of comedy cancellations. and its short run wrapped with a 20% jump up from last week’s rating in adults 18-49. Maybe news of the cancellation got Jack some juice as did the 7% rise American Idol (1.6/5) saw last night with its live half-hour result show as the lead-in. Fox’s night started off with Gordon Ramsay’s Hell’s Kitchen (1.5/5), which dipped 6% from its May 1 show.

Related: ESPN’s NFL Draft Scores Record Ratings

Two And A Half Men (2.1/6) finished its 11th season last night with a wedding and the usual sitcom shenanigans that accompany such a TV event. The Chuck Lorre series was...

Rejoice, fellow TV addicts! Every critic out there (including this one) absolutely despised Fox’s new comedy Dads, and the ratings weren’t great either. Now, the network has decided to pull the plug on the series, which solely consisted of Seth Green and Giovanni Ribisi spouting racist/sexist/ageist garbage to unfortunate co-stars Brenda Song, Martin Mull and Peter Riegert.

Also dead are comedies Surviving Jack and Enlisted. The former, which starred Chris Meloni, focused on a father-and-son pair in the 1990s. It never gained much traction in the ratings, despite so-so reviews, and the fault for that lies more with Fox than the show. The network slotted it in front of American Idol, which has been pulling in terribly low ratings in recent weeks.

Enlisted, a comedy set in a military base, was given an even worse time slot by Fox, landing on Friday nights. The show, which starred Geoff Stults,...

News

Hgtv was planning on airing a new house-flipping show, Flip It Forward. However, following a revelation by Right Wing Watch that the proposed show’s hosts had a history of religious bigotry, stalking an abortion doctor and anti-gay activities like protesting pride celebrations. Hgtv has cancelled the show.

Let’s start with the good news. Despite rumors that Fox might give in to the powerful influence of producer Seth MacFarlane, Fox has decided to cancel the offensive, unfunny Dads. Unfortunately, there’s also bad news — the promising and endearing Enlisted (also the Chris Meloni sitcom Surviving Jack, which inspired strong feelings in few people). In worse news for comedy, the network also passed on two promising-sounding pilots, Dead Boss and Fatrick. Fatrick reunited Ray Ford with Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23 creator Nahnatchka Kajhan. Dead Boss was a remake of a British comedy with Jane Krakowski and Amy Sedaris.

First, on behalf of snicks, let me apologize for there being no Briefs yesterday. We’re going through a massive upgrade on our system, and it’s been … difficult. We hope to return to normal shortly.

Nintendo dodges same-sex marriage in Tomodachi Life, Charlie Crist left Republican Party because it was anti-gay, military wedding proposal takes web by storm

The proposal that almost broke the internet will melt your heart. “When we as service members ask our partner to become our spouse, we’re also asking them to commit to being a part of the military family. Lance has sacrificed a great deal for me and the Navy. He moved from his comfort zone and family in rural Western North Carolina to the metropolitan D.C. area. He will sacrifice even more for his country in November as we move halfway around the world to the Island of Guam for three years.

NBC isn't letting go of the Law & Order franchise. The network has renewed Law & Order: Special Victims Unit for a 16th season on the network.

The crime drama is NBC's fourth-highest rated scripted series, currently averaging a 1.8 rating in the 18-49 demographic with 6.82 million total viewers. It's one of the few network shows to be up year-to-year.

Law & Order: Svu follows an elite squad of detectives who investigate sexually based crimes in New York City. This season, the cast includes Mariska Hargitay, Ice-t, Dann Florek, Richard Belzer, Danny Pino, and Kelli Giddish.

What do you think? Are you glad to hear that Svu will be returning next season? Now that Surviving Jack has been cancelled, should they find a way to bring Christopher Meloni back?...

Fox hasn't had much ratings success with new sitcoms this season. How will Surviving Jack fare? Will it be cancelled or renewed for a second season? Stay tuned.

Surviving Jack revolves around Dunlevy family. A no-nonsense father (Christopher Meloni) starts tough-love parenting his teenage kids (Connor Buckley and Claudia Lee) while his wife returns to college (Rachael Harris). Others in the cast include Kevin Hernandez and Tyler Foden.

The higher a show's ratings (particularly the 18-49 demo), the better its chances for survival. This chart will be updated as new ratings data becomes available -- typically the following morning, around 11:30am Est/8:30am Pst. Refresh to see the latest.

How are your shows doing? Check the season rankings: ABC | CBS | The CW |Fox | NBC

5/7 update: This series has been cancelled after one season of...

Christopher Meloni had a long run on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit but his Fox sitcom didn't last. Surviving Jack has been cancelled after one season.

Surviving Jack revolves around Dunlevy family. A no-nonsense father (Christopher Meloni) starts tough-love parenting his teenage kids (Connor Buckley and Claudia Lee) while his wife returns to college (Rachael Harris). Others in the cast include Kevin Hernandez and Tyler Foden.

The series was originally supposed to have 13 episodes this season but the network cut the order down to eight installments. That's never a good sign.

Surviving Jack has been drawing poor ratings on Thursday nights, following American Idol. The six episodes that have aired so far have averaged a 1.1 rating in the 18-49 demographic with 4.35 million total viewers.

The series finale is scheduled for next Thursday, May 15th.

The upfront storm has hit, and has taken four early casualties down with it. Unfortunately, it's time to say goodbye to Enlisted, a pretty great show that never got a fair shake! And also Dads (Seth Green, Giovanni Ribisi), Surviving Jack, and Rake after just one season each. While the Seth Macfarlane-produced Dads suffered from some horrible reviews and questionable jokes, the other three shows were fairly well-received. A few TV critics have regularly taken to Twitter to broadcast their undying love for Enlisted, which starred Geoff Stults, Parker Young, and Chris Lowell as brothers on a military base. Surviving Jack starred Chris Meloni and Rachael Harris and was based on the book I Suck At Girls by Justin...

Fox has canceled three freshman comedies, including the most critically bashed sitcom of the season.

The network confirms that Seth MacFarlane’s Dads is dead. This is actually a bit surprising. The industry tom-toms began to drum in recent weeks that the series starring Giovanni Ribisi and Seth Green was, against the odds, looking very likely for a renewal. Recently, however, the caustic comedy’s fortune suddenly reversed. The axing is win for the critics — Dads only averaged a score of 15 of of 100 on Metacritic.

In addition, Surviving Jack is canceled too — that’s firmly not a surprise. The single-camera...

Conan O'Brien has gotten to the bottom of this "Best Ass in Primetime" boast Christopher Meloni has been on! The comedian mentioned Meloni's television wife, Rachel Harris spending half of her segment time talking about his butt and how it's the best male rear end she'd ever seen. We can't blame her—have you seen that backside? After all, the Surviving Jack actor has often showed fans his award-winning behind on Twitter. When addressing why he's been bragging, the man with the behind to watch said "Dude, there was a national vote," adding, "I just jumped on the bandwagon." O'Brien asked if this was something he was born with or if he works...

"Enlisted," one of this TV season's best new comedies — and easily its most star-crossed — has been in limbo for more than a month. The last new episode of the military sitcom aired in late March, and though Fox promised that the remaining four episodes would air at some point, possibly in a more favorable timeslot, it's not anywhere on the schedule for May — meaning that they'll air after Fox has already made its decision about what shows to renew and cancel. While the show's creator, Kevin Biegel, awaits its fate (and also that of TBS' "Cougar Town," which he co-created), he figured out a way to make the four missing episodes available early to at least some fans. Those four will get their world premiere at the Atx Television Festival, which will take place in Austin, Texas from June 5-8.(*) The series had a very successful debut at last year's Atx,...