[Televisionary]

PBS sets a January return date for the fourth season of Downton Abbey , and announces the return of Call the Midwife and the launch of dramedy Last Tango in Halifax . At The Daily Beast, you can read my latest feature, " Downton Abbey Season 4 Sets PBS Return Date," in which Masterpiece executive producer Rebecca Eaton talks about the return of Downton Abbey , which has (finally) set a U.S. return date in January 2014. American fans of the Crawley clan can finally mark their calendars: Season 4 of Downton Abbey will kick off on PBS' Masterpiece Classic on Sunday, January 5, 2014. Masterpiece executive producer Rebecca Eaton announced the official U.S. airdate for Season 4 of the award-winning period drama Tuesday at the PBS Annual Meeting. Downton's fourth season will run for eight weeks, from January 5 to February 23, 2014, roughly the time timeframe as its third season, which aired in the U.S. earlier this year. (In the U.K., Season 4 will air this autu

Mad Men returns on April 7! I talk with creator Matthew Weiner about what to expect from Season Six of the period drama, from a time jump to Don and Megan’s marriage. Over at The Daily Beast, you can read my latest feature, " Mad Men : Creator Matthew Weiner Shares 10 Facts About Season 6," in which I talk to Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner about what lies ahead for Don Draper and the staffers of Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce in Season Six of AMC's Mad Men. Hold on to your period-appropriate hats: AMC’s Mad Men will return for its sixth season on Sunday, April 7 at 9 p.m. with a two-hour premiere, the network announced today. (The Emmy Award-winning drama will settle into its regular time at 10 p.m. ET/PT the following week, with an episode directed by series star Jon Hamm.) “To be able to continue exploring the stories of these characters for a sixth season is an amazing opportunity,” said series creator and executive producer Matthew Weiner in a statement. “We lo

While fans of NBC's beloved--if low-rated--comedy Community , which went on an indefinite hiatus in December, have had to make due these last few months with casting news (Giancarlo Esposito! John Hodgman! A Law & Order -themed episode!) and ++fan-generated art++ [http://critormiss.tumblr.com/post/17727815698/savecommunity], there is some good news to be had for the loyal followers of the Greendale study group. Community will return Thursday, March 15 at 8 p.m. with the first of twelve all-new episodes. Multiple sources close to the production confirmed the news, first tweeted by Community creator Dan Harmon, that the Sony Pictures Television-produced show would be returning to its old Thursday night stomping ground next month. Read it at The Daily Beast

Warm up a bottle of Tru Blood, because we're heading back to the Louisiana bayou for another season come June. HBO today announced the official launch date for Season Four of the vampire drama, which will kick off its twelve-episode season on Sunday, June 26th at 9 pm ET/PT. The pay cabler also announced return dates for Curb Your Enthusiasm , which will launch its ten-episode eighth season on Sunday, July 10th at 10 pm ET/PT, and the final season of Entourage , which will begin on Sunday, July 24th at 10:30 pm. Glad to finally have a date to circle on your calendar, True Blood fans? You're not the only ones anxious to sink your teeth into the fourth season this summer...

Winter is coming a little earlier than expected... HBO will give Game of Thrones fans a chance to catch 15-minutes of the April 17th series premiere a few weeks early, with a one-time airing on April 3rd at 9 pm ET/PT. The 15-minute teaser, or "exclusive preview" in HBO parlance, will air on HBO's linear channel just once, before it's made available the following day on HBO.com, HBO on Demand, and via the premium cable channel's subscriber-only online service, HBO Go. The series itself, meanwhile, is slated to kick off its ten-episode season on Sunday, April 17th at 9 pm ET/PT. The full press release from HBO can be found below. HBO PRESENTS 15-MINUTE GAME OF THRONES EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW APRIL 3 HBO will present – for the first time – a sneak peek of the first 15 minutes of the first episode of a new series when GAME OF THRONES EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW debuts SUNDAY, APRIL 3 at 9:00 p.m. (ET/PT). Following this one-time-only play, GAME OF THRONES EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW will be

The date we've been waiting for is finally here. HBO today announced a launch date for Game of Thrones , its adaptation of George R.R. Martin's novels. That date? April 17th at 9 pm ET/PT. (The pay cable network also announced the start date for its upcoming Kate Winslet-led miniseries Mildred Pierce , which will air its first installment on March 27th. The sizzle reel they showed made the mini look insanely amazing.) As for Game of Thrones , I watched the 15-minute clip reel that HBO assembled and think that it looks extraordinary. Entire scenes have been reshot since the original pilot I saw last summer and several roles (in addition to the two major ones) have been recast. I also sat down with George R.R. Martin and David Benioff and Dan Weiss earlier today as a few of us joined the author and the series' executive producers for a series of roundtable discussions. More on that to come! Stay tuned.

AMC ANNOUNCES NEXT ORIGINAL SERIES, “THE KILLING” TO PREMIERE SUNDAY, APRIL 3rd AT 10PM/ET From Writer and Executive Producer Veena Sud Starring Mireille Enos, Billy Campbell, Joel Kinnaman, Michelle Forbes and Brent Sexton Pasadena, CA – January 7, 2010 – AMC announced today, from the Television Critics Association press tour in Pasadena, California, the premiere of AMC’s next original series, “The Killing,” on Sunday, April 3rd at 10pm ET/PT. From writer, executive producer and series’ showrunner Veena Sud (“Cold Case”), “The Killing” is based on the wildly successful Danish television series “Forbrydelsen.” It tells the story of the murder of a young girl in Seattle and the subsequent police investigation. Season one consists of thirteen, one-hour episodes. “The Killing” ties together three distinct stories around a single murder including the detectives assigned to the case, the victim’s grieving family and the suspects. Set in Seattle, the story also explores local politics a

Fringe fans aren't the only ones concerned by the midseason schedule unveiled this evening by FOX, which includes the move of American Idol to Wednesdays and Thursdays in January . The move means that the reality juggernaut, which has seen its ratings deflated somewhat of late, will now air opposite NBC's cult comedy Community . But it's not time to send in the save our show letters just yet. Creator Dan Harmon, reached by Televisionary on Friday evening, had this to say. "My reaction: We have nothing to worry about," Harmon told me. " American Idol has a totally different audience. They like popular things." So there. Viva Greendale.

Well, Fringe , it was nice knowing you. Fox has today announced that it is moving Fringe to Fridays at 9 pm (sound familiar, Dollhouse fans?) amid a series of scheduling moves that include reality juggernaut American Idol moving to Wednesdays and Thursdays this January. Fringe will make the move beginning January 28th and it's already potentially a sign that the writing is on the wall for the sci-fi drama, now in its third season. Traditionally the death slot for television series, Friday nights often signal that a series is on its way out the door. Whether this proves to be the case for Fringe remains to be seen, but it's not a promising move, even if the series has been underperforming on Thursdays. (Sigh.) The full press release from Fox can be found below. FOX ANNOUNCES 2010-2011 MIDSEASON SCHEDULE “AMERICAN IDOL” MOVES TO WEDNESDAYS AND THURSDAYS WITH TWO-NIGHT SEASON PREMIERE WEDNESDAY, JAN. 19 AND THURSDAY, JAN. 20 FOX TUESDAYS CONTINUE TO SING WITH DEBUT OF NEW E

I just left the first post-merger bureau meeting to learn that NBC had announced its midseason schedule, complete with a few scheduling shifts (cough, Parenthood ), a third hour of comedy on Thursdays (along with a renewal for 30 Rock , when it all goes pear-shaped), and a few missing series as well. ( Love Bites and Friends with Benefits , I'm looking at you.) And, most importantly, a announcement about the long-delayed return of Parks and Recreation , which returns to the schedule on January 20th in a new timeslot of 9:30 pm ET/PT, right after The Office . (About time it got this plum timeslot as well.) I'm off to an interview but I'm curious to know what you think about the new schedule, the musical chairs, and the return to Pawnee. Head to the comments section to discuss. The full schedule can be found below, along with the official press release from NBC. NBC ANNOUNCES NEW MID-SEASON SCHEDULE UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. – November 15, 2010 – NBC today made several mid-seas

It's official: it's the end of the road for the Henrickson clan. HBO today announced that the fifth and final season of Big Love will kick off on January 16th. Yes, you read that correctly: the final season. “It has been an honor and pleasure to work with series creators Mark V. Olsen and Will Scheffer on this unique and provocative series, and I’m happy that they will be able to bring the story to its close the way they always envisioned,” said HBO Programming president Michael Lombardo in a statement. “We look forward with great anticipation to collaborating with Mark and Will on their next venture.” However, don't get angry at HBO. At least according to comments made by Olsen and Scheffer in the official press release, it seems as though the series is reaching a natural ending, as it were... and the duo aren't going anywhere. It appears that a new HBO project for the writing team will be announced shortly. “When we created Big Love in 2002, we had a strong concept

I've found myself extremely distracted this morning. The cause: this gorgeous sizzle reel put together by BBC for their upcoming drama offerings, which include Accused, Aurelio Zen, Christopher and His Kind, The Crimson Petal and the White, Doctor Who Christmas Special, The First Men in the Moon, Hattie, Lip Service, The Nativity, Outcasts, The Shadow Line, Silk, Single Father, The Song of Lunch, South Riding, Toast, Upstairs Downstairs, When Harvey Met Bob , and Women in Love . (Whew.) Look for cameos from Matt Smith, David Tennant, and Christopher Eccleston, which must be the first time the three most recent actors playing the Doctor have appeared in anything together. Even if it is just a sizzle reel. You can view Auntie Beeb's slick and provocative reel below. Just be forewarned: you'll probably want to watch it again and again. Meanwhile, the Beeb also announced upcoming dramas from Sam Mendes, Jane Campion, and Sir David Hare. The full press release from the BBC can b

Welcome to your Monday morning television briefing. Former Friday Night Lights star Zach Gilford has joined the cast of ABC's midseason medical drama Off the Map , from executive producers Shonda Rhimes and Jenna Bans. TVGuide.com's Natalie Abrams reports that Gilford will play Tommy, a physician who travels to a remote medical clinic in South America along with fellow doctors Lily (Caroline Dhavernas) and Mina (Mamie Gummer). (The series' other stars include Martin Henderson, Jason George, and Valerie Cruz.) Gilford's casting comes on the heels of the hiring of Rachelle Lefevre as a regular and the departure of Enrique Murciano, though ABC was quick to point out that Gilford won't be playing the same role that Murciano did, a spoiled and uptight plastic surgeon. [Editor: I'm chuffed to see Gilford--who we all know best as Saracen--head back to primetime.] ( TVGuide.com ) Not a moment too soon: HBO's long-running comedy Entourage will end next year, accord

HBO teased a fifteen-second clip of its upcoming George R.R. Martin series Game of Thrones to critics on the final day of the Television Critics Association Summer Press Tour. At the executive session earlier this afternoon, the pay cabler declined to name an exact launch date for Game of Thrones but indicated that it would premiere in Spring 2011, possibly as early as March. "It's about a quest for power and a quest for the kingdom," said Michael Lombardo, HBO president of programming, about the series, which is based on Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series. "It was an easy answer," said Richard Plepler about picking up the project to series, considering it's a genre that HBO isn't typically known for and which isn't usually a favorite of Plepler or Lombardo. "It wasn't the genre that we responded to, it was the storytelling," he continued. In other HBO-related news: True Blood : Alan Ball's involvement in upcoming drama

And that's a wrap! With a little more than a week or so to go before the start of San Diego Comic-Con 2010, the convention has continued to release its full schedule, day by day. Wrapping up its trend of releasing single-day lineups over four days, the convention has today announced the programming schedule for Sunday, July 25th. Among the offerings on the final day of Comic-Con 2010, Castle, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Sons of Anarchy, Glee, American Dad, Smallville, Supernatural, Merlin, Unnatural History, Scooby Doo , and much more. The full schedule for Sunday can be found below. You can find Thursday's lineup here , Friday's schedule here , and Saturday's full lineup here . Continue reading full story...

Huzzah! With less than two weeks to go before the start of San Diego Comic-Con 2010, the convention has continued to release its full schedule, day by day. Continuing its trend of releasing single-day lineups over four days, the convention has today announced the programming schedule for Saturday, July 24rd. Among the offerings on the third day of Comic-Con 2010, Chuck, The Event, V, Fringe, Nikita, Vampire Diaries, Family Guy, The Cleveland Show, Harry Potter/Green Lantern/Sucker Punch, The Venture Bros., Futurama, Sanctuary, The Simpsons, Let Me In, The Guild, Community, No Ordinary Family, Warehouse13/Eureka, Paul, Cowboys & Aliens, Attack of the Show, Aqua Teen Hunger Force/Squidbillies/Tim & Eric Awesome Show Great Job!/Mary Shelley's Frakenhole , and much more. The full schedule for Saturday can be found below. Be sure to come back tomorrow for Sunday's lineup... (and you can find Thursday's lineup here and Friday's lineup here .) Continue reading f

Huzzah! With less than two weeks to go before the start of San Diego Comic-Con 2010, the convention has continued to release its full schedule, day by day. Continuing its trend of releasing single-day lineups over four days, the convention has today announced the programming schedule for Friday, July 23rd. Among the offerings on the second day of Comic-Con 2010, The Walking Dead, Bones, Terra Nova, Falling Skies, True Blood, Being Human, Stargate Universe, Bob's Burgers, Caprica, Skyline, The Big Bang Theory, Super, The Cape, Spartacus, The Other Guys, The Green Hornet, Archer , Joss Whedon, Entertainment Weekly 's Girls Who Kick Ass panel, TV Guide Magazine 's 2010 Hot List, and much more. The full schedule for Friday can be found below. Be sure to come back tomorrow for Saturday's lineup... (and you can find Thursday's lineup here .) Continue reading full story...

Welcome to your Friday morning television briefing. According to Entertainment Weekly 's Michael Ausiello, HBO's drama pilot Miraculous Year , from executive producer Kathryn Bigelow just got even more miraculous. The project, which is described as "an examination of a New York family as seen through the eyes of a charismatic, self-destructive Broadway composer," just signed a slew of stars to round out its cast, including former Pushing Daisies star Lee Pace, Linus Roache ( Law & Order ), and Stark Sands ( Generation Kill )... who will join the already high-wattage cast of Eddie Redmayne, Hope Davis, Frank Langella, and Patti LuPone. ( Entertainment Weekly 's Ausiello Files ) E! Online's Megan Masters spoke to former Lost showrunners Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse about the ABC drama's Emmy nominations now that the series has wrapped up its six-season run... and why they chose to break their radio silence. "Every year after the finale we'v

Huzzah! With just two weeks to go before the start of San Diego Comic-Con 2010, the convention has finally begun to release its full schedule. Continuing its trend of releasing single-day lineups over four days, the convention has today announced the programming schedule for Thursday, July 22nd. Among the offerings on the first day of Comic-Con 2010, Tron: Legacy, Caprica/Battlestar , Charlaine Harris, Burn Notice, Salt, Battle: Los Angeles, White Collar, Psych, JJ Abrams/Joss Whedon, Transformers Prime, The Expendables, Look Around You, Children's Hospital, Dexter, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World , and much more. The big ticket event will likely be Entertainment Weekly 's JJ Abrams and Joss Whedon nerdvana panel, likely to be one of the toughest sessions to gain admission to. It's now officially set for 3:30-4:30 pm in Hall H. The full schedule for Thursday can be found below. Be sure to come back tomorrow for Friday's lineup... Continue reading full story...

Welcome to your Wednesday morning television briefing. Hugh Laurie's contract on FOX's medical drama House will expire at the end of next season, according to Entertainment Weekly 's Michael Ausiello, who talks to Laurie about the crossroads coming up. He claims that he's "open" to working past Season Seven but also feels that there's an ideal time to end a series and he hopes that moment becomes clear ahead of time. "I only hope we’ll know when the time is right [to close up shop]," said Laurie. "When people blunder on for five years after [they should have called it quits]… it gets taken out of your hands. Someone will say, 'That’s it.' But for now, I’m immensely proud of the things we did this season." ( Entertainment Weekly 's Ausiello Files ) Loads of casting on HBO's upcoming comedy pilot Tilda , which may or may not be based on the life of infamous Hollywood blogger Nikki Finke. (Ahem.) Jason Patric ( The Losers