The Philanthropist

Aside from the usual stinker categories like D-list celebrity reality shows, and crappy doctor/lawyer/cop procedurals, NBC seems to have taken a shine to mythology-driven narrative programs. As evidenced by their commitment to an outrageously expensive Kings, premiering this weekend, the network wants to collect the rabid fan bases of shows like Battlestar Galacticia and Lost, who will keep coming back week after week. The Hollywood Reporter’s Live Feed blog has the skinny this afternoon on the premiere dates of some brand new nerd-fest shows that might take up such an obsessive-fan mantle. First up is Merlin, already produced by Shine Television for the BBC, a re-imagining of the Arthurian legend. The 13-part series (very HBO, don’t you think?) will air June 21, taking over for the aforementioned Kings, a move that will supposedly give a strong lead-in to the spankin’ new Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien.

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Bigtime TV writer/producer Tom Fontana is a mensch -- he does well by doing good! All the time. If he's not making hundreds of Xmas wish-lists for kids come true, he's hosting benefits and contributing big bucks to rebuild houses for Hurricane Katrina victims. His incredible new TV show's close to his home. I'll let him tell you: What's the Opposite of Bernie Madoff? by Tom Fontana Immediately after the great American tragedy which was (and is) Hurricane Katrina, I had an impulse to get on a plane, travel to New Orleans and rebuild houses. The problem is: I can't hammer straight...
Susan Braudy

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The constantly-brewing Scream IV may have to go ahead without the character at the center of the original Scream Trilogy.
Since today has already been a day filled with Twitter-fueled news, series scribe Kevin Williamson sent out the following distress call via the 140-characters-or-less networking site this evening:
"Trying to figure out a Sid-less scenario. She won't do it. This sucks."
So, how much does this stall the plans for a new trilogy? Time will tell, but since Neve Campbell is starring in the new NBC series The Philanthropist and has a couple of movies on-deck, it's not like Miss Prescott is hurting for work.
no-reply@fangoria.com (James Zahn)

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