FOX Orders Three More Animated Spin-Offs

On the heels of the Stewie announcement, Fox has chosen to expand its cartoon roster further. The network is ordering three more spin-offs based on some of their most famous animated titles. Below is a list of the programs that are slated to debut on the network.

A ten-season renewal has been granted in advance to Bart, a spinoff of the popular Fox cartoon The Simpsons, with a tentative premiere date of September 31, 2028 announced. The series is expected to follow the iconic Bart Simpson (voiced by Nancy Cartwright) as he navigates life as a trouble-making student at Springfield Elementary. Bart will remain a character on The Simpsons despite this, as this spinoff will primarily focus on Bart's time at school.

Teddy, a spinoff of Bob's Burgers, will debut on February 29, 2029. The series will follow Bob's series regular Teddy (voiced by Larry Murphy) in his day-to-day role as a handyman. But as he takes care of business as a one man fix-it shop, he's faced with a personal life that appears broken beyond repair. Struggling with a bitter divorce and a feud with the local mortician, Teddy immerses himself in his work to find solace. But can he find peace before his work-life balance falls apart? A five-season renewal has been granted in advance to the series.

A spinoff of a spinoff is coming to Fox! Rupert (not to be confused with the 1990s Nelvana cartoon of the same name) has been handed a two-season renewal before its parent program (Stewie) gets to air a single episode! Slated to premiere on June 31, 2029 as part of the network's summer block, the series will follow toy bear Rupert as he takes on a life of his own when Stewie Griffin is not around. Seth MacFarlane is set to voice the title character. 

What do you think about this fake news? Would you watch any of these spinoffs? Leave your thoughts in the comment section below.

ABC Halts Plans for Jimmy Kimmel-Produced Sitcom "Guillermo" Amid FCC Pressure

ABC is pushing the pause button on its upcoming straight-to-series sitcom Guillermo, a Jimmy Kimmel-produced project led by his longtime sidekick and security guard, Guillermo Rodriguez. ABC and Disney are reportedly worried by recent threats from the FCC to revoke their broadcasting license if they move forward with expanding the Jimmy Kimmel universe; Kimmel is, of course, a longtime nemesis of director Brendan Carr. The FCC immediately criticized the pickup of the project, but seemingly moved on until President Trump labeled the show "illegal" in a post on Truth Social last week. This prompted an official investigation from the FCC, with the investigation finding the show's planned airing to be in violation of FCC guidelines. The investigation's findings prompted several local affiliates to announce they wouldn't air the show, and would instead air repeats of Shifting Gears in the slot.

It's the second such incidence of Disney backing away from Kimmel amid opposition from the Trump administration. They previously put his long-running talk show on hiatus last September after scrutiny from Carr, which drew national news headlines. This pause is said to be far more serious, with ABC unwilling to risk the revocation of their license just to air the freshman comedy series. Guillermo's "pause" is expected to be permanent. Neither Rodriguez nor Kimmel have commented on the matter this far.

It's another huge financial blow for ABC and Disney, as Guillermo has already filmed four episodes of its thirteen-episode order - episodes that are expected to never be aired in any form. This will be the second such incidence of ABC pulling a series that they've already filmed, after yanking the Bachelorette late last month. ABC ordered the sitcom to series earlier this year in a straight-to-series order, with plans to pair the series with fellow workplace comedy Abbott Elementary in the fall. With those plans falling through, it remains to be seen if ABC will proceed with a planned two-hour comedy lineup. 

The sitcom was set to star Rodriguez as a fictionalized version of himself, showing him balancing his day-to-day family life, his work on Jimmy Kimmel Live, and his attempts to start his own salsa empire. Joining Rodriguez in the principal cast were Charlize Theron as his wife, Rodriguez's own son Benji, Matt Damon, regular Kimmel fixture "Cousin" Sal Iacono, and Kimmel himself. Kimmel writer Molly McNearney, fellow Kimmel personality Chippy Potenza, and Shark Tank's Lori Greiner were set to recur, with many celebrity guests expected to appear over the show's first season. Kermit the Frog, Tom Hanks, Sabrina Carpenter, Quinta Brunson, Ben Affleck, Pedro Pascal, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Jennifer Aniston were among the celebrity guests expected to make cameos over season one, with ABC planning to make the high-profile series a place to promote their upcoming projects and frequent collaborators.

CBS Orders Action Drama Target and Workplace Comedy Target to Series for the 2029-30 TV Season

ABC Set To Air Boxing Match Television Event

 

It's billionaire vs. millionaire on ABC. Shark Tank hosts Mark Cuban and Kevin O'Leary are set to settle their political differences in the ring. The two moguls ended up on opposing sides during the 2024 presidential election, with Cuban campaigning for Democratic candidate Kamala Harris and O'Leary backing current president Donald Trump. With tensions rising and egos flaring, the two have agreed to participate in a boxing match television event. ABC will air the big match on Friday, April 32nd at 8/7c, a time slot normally reserved for the hit reality series that the two men star in. The Alphabet Network hopes to capitalize on the wave of attention that last November's Mike Tyson v. Jake Paul fight brought to Netflix. 

What do you think of this fake news? Will you be watching the fight between Mark Cuban and Kevin O'Leary? Leave your thoughts in the comment section below.

Real Housewives of Chicago Gets Straight-to-Series Order at NBC

With NBC's scripted crop in a state of disrepair outside of their crop of sturdy hits from creator Dick Wolf, the network is moving in the direction of unscripted - and they're bringing Wolf along for the ride, just to be safe. The network has tapped into one of NBCUniversal's highest-profile cable assets, the Real Housewives franchise, ordering The Real Housewives of Chicago to series, set for a full twenty-two episode to debut in the fall. Wolf, the mastermind behind the Chicago franchise, co-created and will co-produce the series alongside the mastermind behind the Real Housewives franchise, Andy Cohen. The franchise has not yet set its cast, but with NBC wanting to make a big splash for the series grand debut, they are looking to cast fan favorites from both the Dick Wolf universe and the Real Housewives for the first season of RHOChi, with SVU's Mariska Hargitay and New York housewife Countess Luann both considered early frontrunners to be cast, with Ice-T and Taylor Kinney likely to be cast in a 'friend of' capacity. With the order of this new Housewives offshoot, likely to get the plum post-Voice slot on the fall schedule, plus NBC games coming to the network on Tuesdays, NBC is said to be planning a future without scripted programing, following a disastrous season in the ratings for all of their new and sophomore dramas. Already expecting RHOChi to end up a success, NBC has placed Below Deck: Chicago, Chicagoan Charm, and Married to Chicago Med in early development, as they tap into some of Bravo's other successful franchise. For his part, Wolf has already been floating a second One Chicago night, featuring his three new flagship unscripted series, hoping for RHOChi, Below Deck: Chicago and Chicagoan Charm to form a new Thursday night unscripted block by fall 2027.

CBS Announces Three New NUMB3RS Spinoffs In Development for the 2026-27 TV Season

NBC Greenlights Crime Series ’The Thing About Paramount’ After CBS Axes SWAT and FBI Spinoffs

 The television industry can be a brutal one, right down to how production companies retaliate for cancelling their shows.  Having scored modest success in 2022 with True-Crime series "The Thing About Pam," NBC has ordered "The Thing About Paramount," a series detailing the company's criminal cancellation of Universal and Paramount co-produced spinoffs FBI: International and FBI: Most Wanted.  Universal appears to be a scorned former partner, having greenlit the series before even developing a plot or a core cast.

Jeff Probst to Star in NCIS: Fiji

Iconic Survivor host Jeff Probst is getting into the acting game for CBS, joining the latest offshoot in the network's ever-expanding NCIS franchise, as the network looks to capitalize on Survivor's impressive ratings resilience. The series will film in Survivor's now-permanent filming location of Fiji during Survivor's off-season, and will aptly be titled NCIS: Fiji. Probst has been looking for ways to fill some of the time he on his hands ever since CBS's highest-rated series cut its filming period from 39 days for 26 days. In a cost-cutting measure, NCIS: Fiji will film on many of the same sets used by Survivor. NCIS: Fiji will center on Probst as a veteran member of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service who is tasked with heading the agency's latest unit in the islands of Fiji. While CBS was unsure of how realistic it would be for a branch of the NCIS to investigate crimes taking place in Fiji, they ultimately decided that the premise was no more nonsensical than NCIS: Sydney. CBS is said to be looking at a 16 to 18 episode order for NCIS: Fiji, set to premiere in late 2024. Survivor legend Boston Rob Mariano will star alongside Probst in a supporting role.

In addition to this NCIS offshoot, CBS has also ordered a new Survivor spinoff, also to be hosted by Probst. The series will feature celebrities playing America's most iconic reality-competition show, and is titled Celebrity Survivor: Martha's Vineyard. In the series, twelve celebrities will travel to the tough terrain of Martha's Vineyard, off the coast of Massachusetts, where they will brave the harsh conditions for ten days of tough competition while roughing it on the island's cheapest bed & breakfast. Celebrity Survivor: Martha's Vineyard is due to premiere in midseason 2025.

Rosie is Back! And The Conners Cancelled. But There Is a Catch

In May 2018, ABC cancelled Roseanne due to the title star went on a racist rant.  And following Roseanne Barr's firing and the controversial continuation via The Conners featuring the rest of the cast, fans have been polarized after the character Roseanne Conner was killed off.  ABC appears to have decided to change course and revive Roseanne, bringing the character back from the dead.  In order to facilitate this, The Conners is toast, ending in May.  And in its place, ABC shall revive Roseanne for an 11th season.

But there's a change coming.  Instead of Barr, another Rosie shall step into Rosie Conner's shoes.  Meet Rosie O'Donnell, who is recast in the role.  Joining O'Donnell is series alumni John Goodman, Laurie Metcalf, Alicia Goranson and Sandra Bernhard.  Notably absent is Sara Gilbert as showrunners are seeking to distinguish this reboot as Darlene and her family monopolized the majority of screen time on The Conners.

Playing into a familiar trope with the series, Roseanne Conner awakens from a terrible nightmare she's been dead for 6 years with hoards of irritating relatives invading her household.  Dan remarks "what's up with your voice?" to which she remarks "too many told me it sounds like nails on a chalkboard."  Roseanne elaborates after she passed, all the kids swarmed the house with chaos and Dan married Peg Bundy.  Dan corrects her and tells her after their financial troubles, their professor daughter, Becky, bought it and let them stay there.  They work at Jackie's restaurant, and all is well in Lanford.  

Are you excited for Roseanne's return?  It is moving home to its familiar timeslot at 8:00 on Tuesday, September 31.

Elon Musk to Purchase The CW, Rename Network ’The X’

In a major shakeup in the entertainment industry, Elon Musk is set to purchase the CW, following the entrepreneur's offer to purchase the TV network for a staggering $3 million dollars. Nexstar was unable to turn down such a massive offer for their struggling broadcast network that has recently struggled to find a single show to crack the 0.10 mark. Financial analysts have called the move one of the dumbest in business history, stating that Musk is massively overpaying for the network, which has been valued at roughly $27. Despite this, Musk is sticking to his guns and moving ahead with the move, and will take on a massive oversight role at the network, which he will be renaming "The X." Unlike when he controversially rebranded Twitter, this move has gained praise, with experts labeling the CW brand "financially toxic" and "worthless." In addition to serving as owner of the network, Musk will also serve as its head of programming, as well as a content creator. Musk is currently looking to develop some of his biggest successes from X (formerly Twitter) for the network. These will include a Tucker Carlson sitcom titled Tucker!, new risqué reality dating show My Nudes in Bio, a docuseries called Verified (which will center on the lives of various X Premium subscribers), and Bot Wars, a sci-fi drama about a team of investigators who seek to shut down the bot farms that litter the replies of viral X posts. A planned talk show hosted by Don Lemon has been shelved after poor reception to its pilot. Also in development, but not yet ordered to series, is a new live sketch comedy series starring Musk himself, a role he is familiar being in as a former host of SNL. Musk's acquisition is set to become final on May 32, with the full rebranded lineup expected to debut in time for the fall season.

Dr. Oz Returns To Daytime TV, Rebrands Himself as Dr. Ozempic

 

Things haven't been easy for Dr. Oz after his 2022 run for the senate ended in loss. Since his defeat in Pennsylvania, producers of The Dr. Oz Show have been wary about bringing his acclaimed series back to television due to the awkward nature of addressing Oz's overnight transition from Michelle Obama's jump-rope partner to Donald Trump's political protégée. Luckily for fans of his original program, the doctor is coming back to daytime television in a brand-new way. Dr. Oz is set to host an upcoming syndicated talk show under a new moniker. From here on out, Mehmet Oz will be referred to as "Dr. Ozempic". Thanks to a deal that Oz made with Ozempic, he is able to adopt the name of the popular diabetes medication as his own as long as he promotes the drug during each episode of Dr. Ozempic's Corner. Each episode of Dr. Ozempic will feature an interview with a celebrity guest, tips about staying healthy, and multiple breaks to discuss the amazing health benefits that come with Ozempic injections. "Dr. Oz is changing his name to Dr. Ozempic, because he wants to make sure that viewers forget about his senate run," said an anonymous producer on Dr. Ozempic's Corner. "We want to erase that memory out of the minds of fans. We want to bring him back to a place where viewers know him as their helpful TV doctor who can show them what to eat and how to exercise. We are very grateful that Ozempic is partnering with us in our endeavor." Beginning in fall 2024, viewers will be able to catch episodes of Dr. Ozempic's Corner every weekday, so long as their market carries it.

What do you think of this fake news? Will you be watching Dr. Ozempic's Corner? Leave your thoughts in the comment section below.

ABC Orders Jardiance: The Musical: The Series

 

It's the little pill with a big story to tell, and it's making its way to primetime TV! ABC has ordered "Jardiance The Musical: The Series" straight-to-series in an attempt to capitalize on the popularity of the ad campaign. Throughout 2024, Jardiance has carried out an impressive ad campaign that features a riveting song-and-dance number about lowering your A1C. Deanna Colón will reprise the role she plays in the commercial, serving as the main protagonist who struggles with type 2 diabetes. Colón has previously appeared on the primetime cooking series MasterChef, so she is no stranger to working on the small screen. Danny DeVito has been enlisted to voice the talking Jardiance pill who will follow Colón's character around and give her daily advice in the vein of an imaginary friend. DeVito, as the Jardiance pill, will be by her side in the office, at the gym, and in the park where musical numbers are often held. "We are very excited to work with Jardiance," said an unnamed ABC executive. "This little pill really does have a big story to tell, and that's why we are giving it the chance to tell its story in a weekly, hour-long format." Critics have been vocal about their disdain for what they see as an "hour-long drug commercial", while others are intrigued by the idea of turning a minute-long commercial into a full-length series.

What are your thoughts on this fake news? Will you be tuning in to watch "Jardiance: The Musical: The Series"? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.

NBC Orders Wife Swap Island to Series

 

Following the success of Deal or No Deal Island, NBC is doubling down on its commitment to island-themed reality TV reboots. They have ordered a reboot of a classic ABC reality series, with Wife Swap Island set to premiere on the network next season. The original Wife Swap centered on women trading their homes and families for two weeks, as the women and families get used to one another's differing ways of life and traditions. In this reboot, the wives will swap families before embarking on a thrilling two-week island vacation with their new, swapped families, allowing them the ability to experience both the joys of island luxury  and the misery of traveling with a bunch of strangers. Filming locations for the first season will include Hawaii, Tahiti, the Philippines, Acadia National Park, and Key West, Florida. Wife Swap Island is set for a midseason 2025 debut, assuming the post-Voice time slot of Deal or No Deal Island, which will move to another night if renewed. Beyond this news, NBC has also put Supernanny Island, Undercover Boss Island, Fear Factor Island, The Biggest Loser Island and Cash Cab Island into development, with plans to air a different Island-themed reality show at 10 PM each night.

What do you think of this fake news? Would you tune in for Wife Swap Island? Let us know in the comments!

(April Fools) ABC Cancels General Hospital on Its 61st Anniversary

Drama is perennial, though apparently not in daytime.  In a cruel taste of irony, ABC decided to cancel General Hospital on its 61st anniversary, having launched on the joke of a day April 1, 1963.  Citing low viewership and unfathomable production costs, ABC cancelled the series with a November 31, 2024 finale marking the longest-running televised soap opera to grace broadcast television.  Former soap Guiding Light did span 72 years, but only 57 televised and leaving GH as the current record-holder of televised soap seasons.  While this loss is embittering to longtime daytime fans, ABC has opted to replace the beloved show with Tori Speeling's new series, "Money Wise," as a talkshow solution which she lectures the audience a la Dr. Phil about balancing finances.  

Biden Good Melons: Meet the Latest FOX Single Cam Sitcom for Fall 2024

So many have accused the POTUS of being asleep on the job.  Unbeknownst to the public, when Joe Biden has been perceived asleep at the wheel, he has been sequestered in the Oval Office fulfilling one more life adventure: writing and starring in his own sitcom.  And he is taking his on the job experience to address fresh imports, having mistaken a rebuilt woman's assets when feeling around for produce which hasn't merged south.  After a well-deserved slap, Joe is inspired to assemble a farmer's market self titled "Biden Good Melons" on the streets of Washington DC in a demonstration he is working to counter inflation.

Peacock to be Renamed Cock

 

Warner Bros. Discovery Pulls All Programming from HBO Max, to Begin Pulling Shows from Unrelated Streamers

Fresh off pulling all original programming from the company's signature streamer HBO Max, Warner Bros. Discovery head David Zaslav has a new plan in mind: getting tax write-offs for his company by pulling shows he doesn't even produce from rival streamers. Zaslav has not yet detailed how he plans to receive a payout for his company by pulling shows from other streaming services, nor has he expressed how he will compel the other streamers to pull their shows for his company's own financial gain, but we're sure he'll figure it out. He has, however, set out a list of shows he plans to pull, which includes Netflix's Wednesday, Apple TV+'s The Morning Show, Hulu's The Handmaid's Tale, and Disney+'s The Mandalorian, all of which are expected to provide heavy write-offs once they are pulled. Zaslav has also set his sights on original movies, such as Hocus Pocus 2 and Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. A full list of shows on rival streamers that Zaslav plans to pull can be seen here. If all goes as planned, the titles will be removed from their respective streaming outlets on April 31st.

Fox Nation To Revive Bordertown

 

Fox Nation is expanding its programming library on the first of the month!

Photo Credit: FOX

After being off the air for seven years, animated sitcom Bordertown will return for a second season on the streaming service Fox Nation. The Seth MacFarlane comedy originally aired on the Fox network in spring 2016 but only lasted a single, 13-episode season. MacFarlane is slated to have no involvement with this reboot and reportedly sold the rights to the series for $500. Bordertown takes place in the fictional town of "Mexifornia" where grumpy Border Patrol agent Bud Buckwald often butts heads with his happy-go-lucky Mexican neighbor Ernesto Gonzalez. 

Bordertown will undergo a "hard reset" for this reboot due to the network change and long hiatus it dealt with. For one, the entire voice cast will be replaced with Fox News personalities in an attempt to boost the status of the series. On top of being the program's showrunner, Tucker Carlson will be taking over the voice of Bud Buckwald, a character originally voiced by Hank Azaria. Ernesto Gonzalez will be voiced by Greg Gutfeld, a move that is sparking controversy online due to the exaggerated Mexican accent that Gutfeld will be using. Laura Ingraham will voice Bud's wife Janice, Ernesto's wife Maria, Bud's older daughter Becky, Bud's younger daughter Gert, and an assortment of other female characters. Jesse Watters will voice Pablo Barracuda, the biggest drug lord in the program's fictional town. Sean Hannity is set to play Ernesto's son Ruiz, Ernesto's undocumented father Placido, and Mexican trickster El Coyote. 

Outside of the voice cast shake-up, the series is expected to undergo a "conservative makeover". New showrunner Tucker Carlson intends to depict Bud's plight in a more sympathetic light and has reportedly disparaged the Fox entertainment network's animation lineup. When called for comment, Carlson said, "Liberal propogandist Seth MacFarlane wants us to view Bud as a racist who hates Mexican people. That could not be further from the truth. Bud is a hard-working patriot who stands up for his country. He is a loyal family man with true respect for the law and an impeccable border patrol agent who keeps America safe. We intend to make him the hero of this story. This is not going to be an insulting, perverted mess like Bob's Burgers or Family Guy. This will be a show all Americans who have love for their country can enjoy."

This marks the first time that Fox Nation has acquired a scripted series, indicating that the streaming service may be trying to become more competitive in the arena of online content. The second season will debut on June 31st with the season premiere "Biden Patrol". In the episode, Bud finds himself arrested after filming a viral video where he calls out Joe Biden for allegedly creating a border crisis. Episode two "Pronoun Palooza" will focus on Bud's refusal to call his daughter Gert by "she/they" pronouns. A total of 13 episodes are slated to be created for season two and will be released on a weekly basis. Production will be handled by the new animation studio American Art instead of Bento Box Entertainment. 

Former President Trump to Guest Star on Law & Order

Former President Donald J. Trump, no stranger to television, is set to make his long-awaited return to NBC in an upcoming episode of the Law & Order revival. Many credit Trump with the show's grand return to television after a decade-plus off the air, as bringing back Law & Order was a major theme of the ex-POTUS's two presidential campaigns. Dick Wolf is giving the former president thanks by giving him a guest starring role. NBC remains tight-lipped about the details of the appearance, but set leaks indicate that Trump will be flexing his acting muscles and suspending disbelief by playing a powerful politician accused of campaign finance violations. Production of the episode is said to have run into some early hurdles, as Trump famously resigned his SAG-AFTRA union membership in 2021, but negotiations between NBC and SAG-AFTRA to allow the Trump appearance are said to have gone well. The former President isn't the only member of his administration to appear in an NBC Universal program this year, as former Vice President Mike Pence was recently announced as a cast member on season two of Peacock's The Traitors, a casting decision that Trump was said to have heavily lobbied for.

The Simpsons Moves to Disney Plus

 

Just how much money does one little mouse need to make?  Citing declining profits and licensing difficulties, Disney has announced the Simpsons will move exclusively to Disney Plus in the fall at the start of their 35th season.  Despite this drastic change, series creator Matt Groening has remained optimistic and hinted good things are coming: