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Everyone has to start somewhere when they're breaking into Hollywood. These days, "starting somewhere" can mean making videos on YouTube, or serving as a production assistant on a reality TV show, or anything else. The divide between television and film is now so blurred that to work in one medium is not seen as a black mark on a person's career when they want to move to a different medium. But there was a time when those who wanted to make movies would be strongly encouraged to steer clear of TV, because those who worked primarily on the small screen would have an awfully hard time making the jump to the big screen. 

But there are always exceptions to these rules, even before the idea of new media came along to shake up the notion of transitioning from TV to film. The biggest possible exception to any such rule is Steven Spielberg.

To celebrate the release of Columbo: The 1970’s Complete Collection on Blu-Ray available now, we have the Blu-Ray Boxset to give away to a lucky winner!

Peter Falk stars as the cigar chomping, trench coat wearing, police lieutenant Columbo in the series that set the standard for the murder mystery genre. This 20-disc Blu-ray set contains the first 7 seasons of this ground-breaking series, including the 2 original pilot TV movies, now restored and remastered by NBC Universal in 4K. Enjoy once again this classic series that won a staggering 13 primetime Emmys®!

The list of guest stars is endless (many of which appeared in more than one episode in more than one role) and includes Jack Cassidy, Vincent Price, Martin Sheen, Vera Miles, Vitto Scotti, Johnny Cash, Dick Van Dyke, Robert Vaughn, Janet Leigh, Ed Begley Jr., George Hamilton, Leonard Nimoy, Pat Morita, Leslie Nielsen, Patrick McGoohan, William Shatner and Falk...

Fabulous Films have released the Columbo – The 1970s Complete Collection Seasons 1- 7 on Blu-ray in the UK.

Peter Falk stars as the cigar chomping, trench coat wearing, police lieutenant Columbo in the series that set the standard for the murder mystery genre. This 20-disc Blu-ray set contains the first 7 seasons of this ground-breaking series, including the 2 original pilot TV movies, now restored and remastered by NBC Universal in 4K. Enjoy once again this classic series that won a staggering 13 primetime Emmys®!

The list of guest stars is endless (many of which appeared in more than one episode in more than one role) and includes Jack Cassidy, Vincent Price, Martin Sheen, Vera Miles, Vitto Scotti, Johnny Cash, Dick Van Dyke, Robert Vaughn, Janet Leigh, Ed Begley Jr. George Hamilton, Leonard Nimoy, Pat Morita, Leslie Nielsen, Patrick McGoohan, William Shatner and Falk’s second wife Shera Danese who played 6 roles in 6 different episodes.

NBC has ordered a drama pilot from Jenna Bans and Bill Krebs.

The project is titled “Grosse Pointe Garden Society.” The official logline reads, “Four members of a suburban garden club, all from different walks of life, get caught up in murder and mischief as they struggle to make their conventional lives bloom.”

Bans and Krebs serve as writers and executive producers on the pilot. Bans will executive produce under her Minnesota Logging Company banner along with Casey Kyber. Universal Television, where both Bans and Krebs are under overall deals, will produce.

“Grosse Pointe Garden Society” was originally put into development at NBC back in 2022, while the network opened a writers’ room for the series in 2023.

Bans is best known for creating the NBC series “Good Girls,” starring Christina Hendricks, Retta, and Mae Whitman. The show aired for four seasons at the broadcaster. Bans’ other credits include creating the ABC...

The deceptively unassuming figure of Los Angeles homicide detective Lieutenant Columbo (Peter Falk), with his rumpled raincoat, cheap cigars, and seeming absentmindedness, might not call to mind the sprawling existentialist novels of Fyodor Dostoevsky. But Columbo’s ancestry can be traced all the way back to Porfiry Petrovich, the pesky, psychologically attuned investigator in Crime and Punishment.

Like that literary classic, the show that shares Columbo’s name functions as an inverted detective story, not so much a whodunit as a howcatchem. In each episode, we spend time with the murderer, soak up their milieu, and witness the commission of the crime. Only then does Columbo make his entrance onto the scene. From there, it’s an escalating battle of nerves between the dogged detective and the initially arrogant murderer.

While Rodion Raskolnikov, the tortured protagonist of Crime and Punishment, is an impoverished student who kills out of economic necessity...

Saturday marks 96 years since the great Peter Falk was born (9-16-27), which strikes us as a great reason to revisit a detective drama as timeless as it is entertaining. In the whole of television history, few actors have been as identified with a single character than was Falk with Lieutenant Columbo, the eccentric, rumpled, cigar-chomping, trench coat-clad, implausibly wily Los Angeles Police Department homicide detective who always got his man. In the process, Falk and the producers revolutionized what a cop show could be. We’re wishing him a Happy Birthday, even though he left us on June 23, 2011.

It’s been more than a half-century since Falk began portraying the world’s favorite lieutenant as part of the rotating “NBC Mystery Movie” franchise on September 15, 1971. It would grow to become a global phenomenon originally across eight seasons (1971-78), then again sporadically from 1989 to 2003. The series itself would win 13 Emmys.

NBC has canceled its second-year comedy American Auto.

The series, set at a struggling car company, wrapped its second season in April. It was the last scripted show on NBC’s 2022-23 schedule still in limbo; American Auto’s cancellation follows those of Young Rock and Grand Crew a week ago.

NBC has also opted not to go ahead with its lone remaining comedy pilot, Non-Evil Twin, from Amber Ruffin (who also stars) and former Black-ish showrunner Kenny Smith.

Created by Justin Spitzer (Superstore), American Auto follows a group of executives at an automaker who are trying to re-establish the company’s identity in a changing marketplace. Ana Gasteyer, Harriet Dyer, Jon Barinholtz, Humphrey Ker, Michael B. Washington, Tye White and X Mayo star.

The series averaged 2.32 million viewers and a 0.35 rating among adults 18-49 over seven days of viewing (not including streaming) in 2022-23. Those figures were down 15 percent...

NBC has made decisions on two of its three bubble comedies and one of its four pilots.

The network has opted to cancel sophomore series Grand Crew and third-year show Young Rock, leaving fellow comedy American Auto on the bubble. As part of NBC’s comedy moves Friday, the network has handed out a series order to the mockumentary series St. Denis Medical. There is no word yet on the fates of NBC’s three remaining pilots, comedy Non-Evil Twin with Amber Ruffin and dramas Murder by the Book and Wolf.

St. Denis Medical, in the vein of ABC’s breakout Emmy darling Abbott Elementary, is described as a mockumentary about an underfunded, understaffed Oregon hospital where the dedicated doctors and nurses try their best to treat patients while maintaining their own sanity. Wendi McClendon-Covey stars in the Universal TV series, marking her first role after she wrapped a 10-season...

As upfronts week comes to a close, the broadcast networks have announced many of their new series pickups for next season, although, amid a pull away from the traditional pilot cycle and the writers strike, pickup decisions on several pilots are still pending. Additionally, there are more reality series and acquisitions among the 2023-24 freshman class due to evolving business models as well as the work stoppage.

Click on the image above to launch the gallery.

The new series picks include dramas The Irrational and Found, as well as comedy Extended Family for NBC, Kaitlin Olson fronted drama High Potential and Bachelor spinoff The Golden Bachelor at ABC, medical drama Doc and action-drama Rescue: Hi-Surf, from executive producer John Wells at Fox, a reboot of the classic series Matlock and The Good Wife spinoff Elsbeth, along with Damon Wayans and Damon Wayans Jr. comedy Poppa’s House at CBS. The...

NBC’s full scripted originals picture will not come into focus until after next week’s upfront presentations to Madison Avenue ad buyers.

The network on Friday unveiled its fall schedule and announced that it has renewed George Lopez’s father-daughter rookie comedy Lopez vs. Lopez for a second season. But missing from the schedule was news on the network’s three remaining bubble comedies Grand Crew, Young Rock and American Auto. Also yet to be determined are the fates of four pilots — comedies Non-Evil Twin and St. Denis Medical and dramas Murder by the Book and Wolf.

Sources say the network will not decide the fates of the three bubble comedies or its pilots until after next week’s upfront presentations to ad buyers, as NBC continues to shift to year-round programming and weighs the impact of the Writers Guild of America’s strike against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers,...

Exclusive: Elizabeth Yu and Hilda Martin have been added to the cast of the upcoming NBC drama pilot from Jenna Bans and Bill Krebs formerly known as Murder by the Book.

Starring Retta, the story will follow a big city Instafamous book reviewer who takes a page from the murder mystery books she reviews and becomes an unlikely detective to uncover the shocking truths about an eccentric seaside town.

Martin will play Young Hazel, while Yu will portray Young Maggie. Young Maggie and Young Hazel are big murder mystery book nerds and best friends, spending time having fun, reading and sleeping over at each other’s houses. Eventually, Maggie’s murder will send Hazel on her own hunt for a killer.

They join a cast that includes Tituss Burgess, Tommy Dewey and Siobhan Williams.

Related: 2023 NBC Pilots & Series Orders

The untitled project, which landed a pilot order in January after...

Exclusive: Another Good Girls alum has joined NBC’s Jenna Bans/Bill Krebs (fka Murder By The Book) drama pilot. Michael Weaver has been tapped to direct the pilot from Good Girls creator Jenna Bans under her Universal Television-based production banner Minnesota Logging Company. Good Girls executive producer Bill Krebs will pen the script with Bans.

Starring Retta, the story will follow big city Instafamous book reviewer takes a page from the murder mystery books she reviews and becomes an unlikely detective to uncover the shocking truths about an eccentric seaside town.

The project, which had received a put pilot commitment in September, reteams Good Girls alums Retta, Bans, Krebs and Weaver, who served as director and executive producer on all four seasons of NBC’s crime comedy-drama.

Murder by the Book hails from Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, under the Minnesota Logging Co. production banner.

The People’s Choice Awards are feeling a little bit a lot country.

The PCAs franchise is expanding by way of the first-ever People’s Choice Country Awards, to air in September across NBC and Peacock, live from the world-famous Grand Ole Opry stage in Nashville.

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Exclusive: Tituss Burgess, Tommy Dewey and Siobhan Williams have been cast in NBC‘s upcoming drama pilot from Good Girls creator Jenna Bans and executive producer Bill Krebs.

The pilot, which was previously titled Murder By the Book, stars Retta as Hazel, a big city Instafamous book reviewer who takes a page from the murder mystery books she reviews and becomes an unlikely detective to uncover the shocking truths about an eccentric seaside town.

Burgess will play Andre, Hazel’s loveable, charming and directionless younger brother. For the time-being, he’s Hazel’s publicist/manager/hype-man because he’s been fired from every other job he’s ever had.

Dewey will play Pete, a cheerful homicide detective who somehow has a gorgeous second home overlooking the bay on a government salary. Williams joins as Lori, an employee at the bookstore who proves to be an invaluable, if sometimes off center,...

What was the last film to have three of its stars all win Oscars? How long has it been since Steven Spielberg has won an Oscar? Who was the first posthumous nominee? These questions are answered, along with more fun facts, tidbits and trivia.

“Everything Everywhere All at Once” would be just the third film to earn three Oscars in the acting categories. Michelle Yeoh is the favorite to win best actress, as is Ke Huy Quan in the supporting actor race. And Jamie Lee Curtis or Stephanie Hsu ould pull out a win as supporting actress. The first time that happened was at the 1952 ceremony when Vivien Leigh, Karl Malden and Kim Hunter won for “A Streetcar Named Desire,” followed 25 years later with Peter Finch, Faye Dunaway and Beatrice Straight winning for “Network.”

Steven Spielberg has been nominated 22 times including three this year for “The Fabelmans”: best picture,...

Zachary Quinto could be headed back to NBC.

The former Heroes star has joined the cast of the network's upcoming one-hour medical drama pilot, Wolf, Deadline reports.

The potential series is inspired by the books The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and An Anthropologist on Mars by Oliver Sacks.

"It follows a revolutionary, larger-than-life neurologist, Dr. Oliver Wolf (Quinto), and his team of interns as they explore the last great frontier, the human mind, while also grappling with their own relationships and mental health," the outlet's description reads.

Dr. Wolfe is described as an "obsessive genius" who is drawn to people society has deemed as "other."

His aim is to help them find hope and purpose and "embraces differences rather than suppressing them."

NBC is searching for a new medical drama after the conclusion of New Amsterdam, which wrapped its five-season-run earlier this year.

The network also has Chicago Med,...

Exclusive: NBC has commissioned writers rooms for two hourlong projects, Grosse Pointe Garden Society, from Good Girls creator Jenna Bans and her frequent collaborator, former Good Girls executive producer Bill Krebs, as well as The Hunting Party, a high-concept crime procedural from JJ Bailey and The Endgame co-creator Jake Coburn. Universal Television, where Bans, Krebs and Bailey are under overall deals and Coburn has a first-look deal, is the studio on both.

Grosse Pointe Garden Society, which had a put pilot commitment, was one of two sales at NBC this development season for Bans and Krebs through Universal TV. Their other script, Murder By the Book, with Good Girls‘ Retta attached to star, was picked up to pilot. It also originally had a put pilot commitment.

NBC has split its drama slate between the two models, with two pilots, Murder By the Book and Wolf, and two writers rooms for a straight-to-series consideration.

“Non-Evil Twin,” a comedy written by and starring Amber Ruffin, has received a pilot order at NBC.

The multi-cam follows a woman who is forced to step in to her sister’s role as the leader of a Fortune 500 company despite knowing little about business and even less about the way her sister has been running the corporation.

Ruffin is best known for hosting “The Amber Ruffin Show,” a late-night talk show on Peacock that she created after years of writing and occasionally appearing on NBC’s “Late Night With Seth Meyers.” Her other writing credits include “A Black Lady Sketch Show,” the 75th Tony Awards, the 76th Golden Globe Awards, the 66th Emmys and “Detroiters,” which she also acted in.

Ruffin is currently under an overall deal at Universal Television alongside Jenny Hagel via their production company, Straight to Cards. Writing “Non-Evil Twin” alongside Ruffin is Kenny Smith, who...

NBC is looking for its own Abbott Elementary.

The network has ordered a comedy pilot titled St. Denis Medical whose description is like a version of ABC’s breakout, albeit set in a different workplace. The project, NBC’s first comedy pilot order of the season, comes from American Auto and Superstore creator Justin Spitzer and Eric Ledgin, a writer and producer on both shows.

The logline for St. Denis Medical is as follows: “A mockumentary about an underfunded, understaffed Oregon hospital where the dedicated doctors and nurses try their best to treat patients while maintaining their own sanity.”

NBC’s sibling studio Universal Television, where Spitzer has an overall deal, is producing the pilot. Spitzer and Ledgin will executive produce with Simon Heuer, a co-ep on American Auto.

St. Denis Medical joins a pilot slate at NBC that also includes dramas Murder by the Book and Wolf. Like other networks,...

NBC has ordered a pilot for a hospital mockumentary with “Superstore” creator Justin Spitzer, Eric Ledgin and Simon Heuer attached to executive produce.

The comedy pilot, currently titled “St. Denis Medical,” which follows a hospital in need of more resources and help to keep its employees sane, hails from Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group.

The official logline is as follows: “A mockumentary about an underfunded, understaffed Oregon hospital where the dedicated doctors and nurses try their best to treat patients while maintaining their own sanity.”

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In addition to executive producing, Spitzer and Ledgin are attached to write the pilot.

NBC recently ordered a pilot pickup for Murder By the Book,” a new crime drama series starring “Good Girls” and “Parks and Recreation” star Retta, who will also executive produce.

The network also announced it...

NBC has given out a pilot order for a medical drama titled “Wolf,” Variety has learned.

The potential series is inspired by the books “The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat” and “An Anthropologist on Mars” by Oliver Sacks. Per the official logline, the show “follows a revolutionary, larger-than-life neurologist and his team of interns as they explore the last great frontier, the human mind, while also grappling with their own relationships and mental health.”

Michael Grassi is attached to write and executive produce the pilot, with Lee Toland Krieger onboard to direct and executive produce. Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, and Leigh London Redman executive produce via Berlanti Productions. Henrik Bastin and Melissa Aouate of Fabel Entertainment also executive produce along with Jonathan Cavendish, Andy Serkis, and Will Tennant of The Imaginarium. Warner Bros. Television is the studio. Berlanti Productions, Grassi and Krieger are all under overall deals at Wbtv.

How’s this for an unlikely pairing: Andy Serkis and Greg Berlanti are teaming to bring the life and work of famed neurologist Oliver Sacks to NBC.

The broadcast network has handed out a pilot order for Wolf, a drama that is inspired by Sacks’ life and books The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and An Anthropologist on Mars.

Michael Grassi, who previously worked on Berlanti Productions’ Riverdale, Katy Keene and Supergirl, will pen the script for the drama pilot and exec produce alongside Lee Toland Krieger. The latter will direct the pilot. Berlanti Productions partner Sarah Schechter and head of TV Leigh London Redman will exec produce for the company. Fabel Entertainment’s Henrik Bastin and Melissa Aouate will exec produce. Serkis and his The Imaginarium banner’s Jonathan Cavendish and Will Tennant will also exec produce for the company.

The project had been in the...