M&M Diaries

THE END IS NEAR. “THE COLBERT REPORT” ENTERS ITS LAST WEEK OF EPISODES EVER WITH THE FINAL SHOW SET TO AIR ON THURSDAY, DECEMBER 18 AT 11:30 P.M. ET/PT

Guests to Appear Include Seth Rogen (Monday, December 15) Kendrick Lamar (Tuesday, December 16); Phil Klay (Wednesday, December 17); and Stephen’s colleague and lifelong friend Grimmy (Thursday, December 18)

Comedy Central to Air a Collection of Classic “Colbert” Episodes from 10:00 a.m.-11:00 p.m. ET/PT on Thursday, December 18

NEW YORK, December 11, 2014 – Truthiness be told, the Nation will bear witness as Stephen hosts the remaining four episodes of “The Colbert Report” during the week of December 15, with the final show to air on Thursday, December 18 at 11:30 p.m. ET/PT.

Said Colbert, “Our last week of shows are going to be really special, just like every other week.”

Guests scheduled to appear next week include an interview with Seth Rogen promoting his new film “The Interview” (12/15); an interview and musical performance by Kendrick Lamar (12/16); and an interview with veteran and author Phil Klay, discussing Redeployment, for which he won the 2014 National Book Award for Fiction (12/17). The Report’s final guest will be Stephen’s colleague and lifelong friend, Grimmy (12/18).

Comedy Central will air a marathon of classic episodes of “The Colbert Report” from throughout the show’s nine year history from 10:00 a.m.-11:00 p.m. ET/PT on Thursday, December 18.

“The Colbert Report” is produced by Jon Stewart’s Busboy Productions, Inc. in association with Colbert’s Spartina Productions, Inc. Stewart, Colbert and Tom Purcell are the Executive Producers with Meredith Bennett, Barry Julien and Emily Lazar as Co-Executive Producers. The series’ Head Writer is Opus Moreschi and it is directed by Jim Hoskinson.

TNT Orders Sixth Season of “Rizzoli & Isles”

Series Topped Summer Charts as Basic Cable’s #1 Show, With Top 5 Rankings among Key Adult Demos

TNT has ordered a sixth season of the blockbuster hit Rizzoli & Isles, which finished this past summer as basic cable’s #1 series. Angie Harmon and Sasha Alexander star in the drama, which has ranked as one of basic cable’s Top 5 series for five consecutive years, including 2014-to-date. Season five of Rizzoli & Isles is set to return with new episodes in early 2015. TNT has ordered 18 episodes for season six, which is slated to launch in summer 2015. Rizzoli & Isles is produced for TNT by Warner Horizon Television and Bill Haber’s Ostar Productions, with Haber and showrunner Jan Nash serving as executive producers.

Based on characters created by best-selling crime novelist Tess Gerritsen and developed for television by Janet Tamaro, Rizzoli & Isles stars Harmon as Jane Rizzoli, a tough-as-nails Boston police detective, and Alexander as Maura Isles, a smart, impeccably dressed medical examiner from a privileged background. Despite being complete opposites, the two women share an offbeat chemistry, an authentic and deep friendship and a unique working relationship that together, helps them to solve the most complex murder mysteries in the city of Boston.

Rizzoli & Isles also stars Jordan Bridges as Jane’s brother, Detective Frankie Rizzoli Jr.; Bruce McGill as Sgt. Detective Vince Korsak, Jane’s steady old-school Homicide Squad teammate; Idara Victor as crime-scene analyst Nina Holiday; and Lorraine Bracco as Angela, Jane’s meddling mother.

Rizzoli & Isles launched in 2010, finishing its first year as basic cable’s #1 new series. Each year since, it has ranked as one of basic cable’s Top 5 series with total viewers, as well as one of basic cable’s Top 10 series with adults 25-54. The show topped the charts as the #1 series on basic cable this past summer, with 7.6 million viewers in Live + 7 delivery. Rizzoli & Isles was also the #2 series (behind TNT’s The Last Ship) among adults 25-54 and within the Top 5 among adults 18-49 for the summer. When incorporating TNT’s multiple platforms, including live viewing, DVR playback, set-top VOD and digital on-demand, the summer run of Rizzoli & Isles reached a total of 13.6 million viewers per episode.

About TNT

TNT is television’s destination for drama. Seen in 101 million households and ranking among cable’s top networks, TNT is home to such original drama series as Rizzoli & Isles, Major Crimes, Falling Skies, The Last Ship, Murder in the First, Legends, The Librarians and the international hit Transporter The Series. TNT’s upcoming slate of original scripted dramas includes Public Morals, Proof and Agent X. TNT also features such dramatic unscripted series as Cold Justice, On the Menu and the upcoming Wake Up Call. In addition, TNT is the cable home to popular dramas like Castle, Bones, Supernatural and Grimm, which joins the lineup in early 2015; primetime specials, such as the Screen Actors Guild Awards(R); blockbuster movies; and championship sports coverage, including the NBA and the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship.

TNT is part of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company. Turner Broadcasting creates and programs branded news; entertainment; kids and young adult; and sports media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world.

USA NETWORK AND UNIVERSAL CABLE PRODUCTIONS DEVELOP NEW MODEL TO BRING BACK CRITICALLY-ACCLAIMED COMEDY ‘PLAYING HOUSE’ FOR SEASON TWO IN 2015

Unique VOD Windowing Strategy Creates New Marketing Opportunities For Select Advertisers and Unique Ability to Grow Audience

Series to be Distributed Across On Demand Platforms, Including Xfinity On Demand And USA Now

UNIVERSAL CITY — December 9, 2014 – USA Network today announced the renewal of the critically-acclaimed comedy, PLAYING HOUSE, from Universal Cable Productions, through a new windowing structure, which will allow viewers each week to watch the following week’s episode on Video-On-Demand before it airs on USA. The network will prominently promote the on-demand episodes, driving viewers to watch in the early window. This new approach is designed to offer select advertisers premium placement across millions of multiplatform connected homes, and engage the highly passionate community of PLAYING HOUSE fans across VOD and TV Everywhere platforms. The series, which is executive produced by, written by and stars Jessica St. Clair and Lennon Parham, will return in the second half of 2015 for eight episodes.

“We are so pleased to bring back this beloved series, with the exceptionally talented comedic duo of Jessica and Lennon,” said Chris McCumber, President of USA Network. “Tapping into the increasing power of On Demand, we have the unique opportunity to reward the incredibly devoted fans of PLAYING HOUSE with early access to new content and bring in additional audiences.”

“With the new season of PLAYING HOUSE, we really wanted to give marketers an opportunity to truly follow our video content wherever and whenever the consumer experiences it,” said Linda Yaccarino, President of Advertising Sales for NBCUniversal. “This is a special show in that Jessica, Lennon and the producers will collaborate with our clients to develop custom content in and around the series with this distribution model in mind, as the season develops. It is a prime opportunity for brands to maximize their messaging on different platforms to this highly engaged audience.”

Distributors have seen On Demand TV consumption increase exponentially in recent years, as the platform has grown to become a go-to destination for viewers to catch up and stay current on their favorite shows and discover new ones. NBCU expects to drive over 1.5 billion full episode views On Demand across all platforms in 2014.

“PLAYING HOUSE developed a dedicated audience On Demand and we are excited to work with USA Network to promote the show and to give Xfinity customers the opportunity to catch up on season one and to enjoy season two in a new window,” said Matt Strauss, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Video Services, Comcast Cable. “With nearly three billion hours viewed each year, Xfinity On Demand is a staple in the viewing routines of our customers and has demonstrated the ability to build new audiences, lift ratings, and provide new advertising opportunities.”

Frequently hailed as the new “Lucy and Ethel” or “Tina and Amy,” St. Clair and Parham have emerged as a standout comedic duo. Critics hailed the series as “…next-level hilarious…” and “Punch-You-In-The-Gut Funny,” making it one of USA’s most talked about series of 2014.

“This new programming model is a testament to the quality of PLAYING HOUSE and the brilliance of Jessica and Lennon who turned viewers into loyal fans,” said Jeff Wachtel, President and Chief Content Officer for NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment. “Great content sets the stage for innovation.”

PLAYING HOUSE centers on childhood best friends Maggie Caruso (Lennon Parham, “Parks and Recreation,” “Mad Men”) and Emma Crawford (Jessica St. Clair, “Bridesmaids”), who together have shared countless adventures growing up in the charming town of Pinebrook, Conn. In the first season, Maggie discovered that her husband Bruce (Brad Morris) was having an online affair, so Emma gave up her burgeoning business career in China to stay in their hometown and help Maggie raise her baby. As they prepared for the birth of Maggie’s first child and the fallout of her marriage ending, Emma was also forced to confront the past that she abruptly left behind thirteen years ago: her first love and local cop, Mark (Keegan-Michael Key), her prim-and-proper mother (Jane Kaczmarek) and a small town in which she’s never felt comfortable. Together, they navigated the adventures of raising a baby in the best way they know how – together.

In addition to St. Clair and Parham, “PLAYING HOUSE” is executive produced by Ravi Nandan of A24 Films (“Hesher”) and Scot Armstrong of American Work, Inc. (“Old School,” “Hangover 2”). The series is produced by Universal Cable Productions.

About USA Network
The #1 network in all of basic cable for an unprecedented eight straight years, USA Network is seen in more than 102 million U.S. homes. USA offers a powerful stable of dramatic, comedic and unscripted originals. The network also features spectacular live television, a dynamic portfolio of acquired series and the best in blockbuster theatrical films and entertainment events. A trailblazer in digital innovation and storytelling, USA is defining, driving and setting the industry standard for Social TV. USA is a program service of NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment, a division of NBCUniversal. The award-winning website is located at http://www.usanetwork.com.

About Universal Cable Productions
Universal Cable Productions (UCP) creates innovative and critically acclaimed original scripted and digital content across media platforms for domestic and international distribution. UCP’s content library spans classics such as Emmy-award winning, “Monk,” and cult favorites “Psych,” “Battlestar Galactica” and “Warehouse 13.” In the U.S., UCP’s programming can be seen across various networks including: “Covert Affairs,” “Dig” (March 2015), “Playing House,” “Royal Pains,” “Satisfaction” and “Suits” on USA Network; “Ascension”, “Defiance,” “Dominion,” and “12 Monkeys” (Jan. 2015) on Syfy; “Girlfriends’ Guide To Divorce” (Dec. 2014) on Bravo; “Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome” on Machinima Prime/YouTube, Syfy and DVD/Blu-Ray; and “Side Effects” on Awesomeness TV/YouTube. Universal Cable Productions is a part of NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment, a division of NBCUniversal, one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies. Follow us @UCPisTV.

CONTINUUM CONTINUES: SHOWCASE’S SMASH-HIT ORIGINAL SERIES RENEWED FOR A FOURTH AND FINAL SEASON

Six Suspense-Filled Episodes Wrap Up the Award-Winning Series in 2015

TORONTO, December 8, 2014 – Tonight, in an exclusive sit-down with Continuum star Rachel Nichols, ET Canada confirmed that Showcase’s Canadian original action-drama returns for a fourth and final season of six episodes airing in 2015. Continuum’s time-mending and mind-bending tale continues following a suspenseful third season that reached more than 2.35 million viewers (v2+)* and ended with a cliffhanger finale that won the night as the #1 program in key demos for all of Canadian specialty**.

“All great stories deserve an end. I am excited and grateful to finish Continuum with the riveting conclusion it deserves,” said series star, Rachel Nichols. “This series finale is dedicated to the devoted fans who have loyally supported us since day one.”

“Continuum’s award-winning success on Showcase is a testament to the quality of our Canadian original productions,” said Christine Shipton, Senior Vice President, Content, Shaw Media. “With Executive Producer Simon Barry at its helm, the fourth and final season of Continuum is bound to deliver a heroic conclusion to the futuristic series.”

Continuum is created by Executive Producer Simon Barry (The Art of War) while DGC Award winner Patrick Williams (Shattered, Smallville) is Executive Producer and Director. Reunion Pictures partners Tom Rowe, Lisa Richardson and Matthew O’Connnor are Executive Producers. Additional casting details will be announced in the coming weeks.

Filmed on location in Vancouver, B.C., Continuum is developed and produced by Reunion Pictures. International distribution is handled by Endemol. The series is now seen internationally in over 132 countries.

Watch the full interview with Nichols at www.etcanada.com and catch-up on the first three seasons of #Continuum at www.showcase.ca. Continuum’s season four broadcast dates will be announced next year.

Showcase is available on a National Free Preview from January 1-31, 2015. See local listings for more information.

*Source: Numeris (BBM Canada) PPM Data Total Canada CUME REACH Ind2+ 3/16/14-6/01/14
**Source: Numeris (BBM Canada) PPM Data Total Canada AMA 6/01/14 confirmed (A25-54, M25-54, A18-49, M18-49)

FXX ORDERS SEVENTH AND FINAL SEASON OF THE LEAGUE

13- Episode Final Season to Run In Fall 2015

LOS ANGELES, December 9, 2014 – Shivakamini Somakandarkram! FXX’s hit comedy series THE LEAGUE will return for its seventh and final season with 13 episodes in the fall of 2015, it was announced today by Nick Grad and Eric Schrier, Presidents of Original Programming, FX Networks and FX Productions. THE LEAGUE, which just completed its sixth season, was created by the husband-and-wife team of Jeff Schaffer (Curb Your Enthusiasm, Seinfeld) and Jackie Marcus Schaffer (Disturbia, Eurotrip) who serve as executive producers and directors. The series is produced by FX Productions.

“Our gang can burn a beach house like Calvin Johnson on a secondary but I shudder to think what they’ll do in the final battle for the Shiva,” said Grad. “The real studs here are the fans who have remained so loyal to the show over the years, including the move to FXX, and for them we are going out on top.”

“We are incredibly excited to work with our amazing cast for another season, especially because I can now announce that I finally won the fantasy football league that we play in with them,” said Jeff Schaffer.

“Whatever, I’ve won it twice,” Jackie Schaffer said. “Most players in the NFL don’t make it seven seasons, and most TV shows even less so. We want to thank FX Networks and all our Eskimo Brothers and Sisters – NFL teams would be lucky to have fans as diehard as ours.”

“Spoiler alert – We already know how it will all end – with credits and the theme song,” added Jeff Schaffer.

THE LEAGUE has proven its strength as a stand-alone show. Even without a lead-in from It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia, which it had for its first five seasons, THE LEAGUE’s Season 6 ratings were in line with the previous season (through 11 episodes) in both P18-49 and Total Viewers. Additionally, among all 84 scripted comedy series in basic/pay cable this year, Season 6 of The League ranks in the Top 20 among all key male demos.

THE LEAGUE follows a group of old friends in a fantasy football league who care deeply about one another – so deeply that they use every opportunity to make each other’s lives miserable. THE LEAGUE features an ensemble cast of rising actors/comedians. Stephen

Rannazzisi (Paul Blart: Mall Cop) is “Kevin,” a happily married father and commissioner of the league. Katie Aselton (Black Rock) plays “Jenny,” Kevin’s wife and his better half – especially when it comes to Fantasy Football. Mark Duplass (Tammy) plays “Pete,” the perennial league champ who is struggling to become an adult. Jon Lajoie is “Taco,” Kevin’s little brother, a part-time musician and full-time stoner with little interest in fantasy other than hanging with his buddies (whom he struggles to remember). “Andre,” played by Paul Scheer (NTSF:SD:SUV), has continued to be the punching bag of the group since their high school days – a fact that hasn’t changed despite the fact he is now a successful plastic surgeon. Nick Kroll (Kroll Show) plays “Ruxin,” who believes he is the smartest of the group but can’t figure out how exactly the other guys are screwing him over.