ABC orders five new series

Pickups include 'Castle,' 'Unusuals,' 'Cupid'

By MICHAEL SCHNEIDER

It felt a lot like May on Monday at ABC, which capped off an unusual pilot season with five series orders. Among the pickups were two comedy-driven, New York-based police procedurals: the Nathan Fillion starrer "Castle" and ensembler "The Unusuals." ABC's romantic comedy "Cupid" redux also earned a pickup.

On the comedy side, the Victor Fresco-penned laffer "Better Off Ted," which had been among the Alphabet web's rumored faves, indeed scored an order, as did the Alyssa Milano sitcom "Single With Parents." Alphabet picked up a handful of new skeins in May -- "Life on Mars" and animated half-hour "The Goode Family," among scripted entries. But the net waited until its roster of pilots -- delayed until summer because of the writers strike -- was delivered in order to round out its series orders. "It was worth taking the time to go through the pilot process to really do it right," said ABC Entertainment prexy Steve McPherson."They're perfect additions to our dominant core slate of shows.

These are the initial pickups, but there are a number of other pilots we feel will also get the go-ahead in some form moving forward." Among projects that weren't yet screened, because of a late shooting schedule: the fantasy-driven "Captain Cook's Extraordinary Atlas" and the Detroit-set "Prince of Motor City." Net has said that other pilots that weren't ordered to series on Monday, such as the Damon Wayans comedy "Never Better," the legal drama from David Hemingson and the dramedy "Good Behavior," could still be picked up at a later date. As for the series that did receive an order, "Castle" stars Fillion as a novelist who helps the NYPD solve homicide cases. Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Susan Sullivan and Stana Katic also star in the comedic procedural from ABC Studios. Andrew Marlowe wrote the pilot and exec produces with Armyan Bernstein, Rob Bowman and Laurie Zaks. "The Unusuals," another comedy-laden hourlong set inside the NYPD, centers on a quirky precinct; Harold Perrineau, Amber Tamblyn, Jeremy Renner, Adam Goldberg, Kai Lennox and Terry Kinney star. Sony Pictures TV is behind the show, and Noah Hawley exec produces. (Peter Tolan's involvement is still to be determined.) "Cupid" exec producer Rob Thomas hopes the second time's the charm for the remake of his late 1990s ABC series.

It again revolves around a man who claims to be Cupid (Bobby Cannavale) and the shrink assigned to his case (Sarah Paulson). Thomas, Danielle Stokdyk, Dan Etheridge, Bharat Nalluri and Jennifer Gwartz exec produce for ABC Studios. Jay Harrington stars in "Better Off Ted" as the title character, an office worker attempting to move up the corporate ladder. Fresco exec produces the 20th Century Fox TV series. Portia de Rossi and Andrea Anders also star. Then there's "Single With Parents," which stars Milano as a woman juggling her family, friends and career. Annie Potts, Beau Bridges and Amanda Detmer also star. ABC Studios is behind the half-hour, which Kristin Newman wrote and will exec produce with Matthew Carlson and DreamWorks TV toppers Justin Falvey and Darryl Frank. Projects will join a midseason bench that also include returnees "Lost," "Scrubs" (new to ABC) and "According to Jim," as well as newcomers "The Goode Family" and the untitled Ashton Kutcher/Tyra Banks reality project. Also to come: reality entry "The Bachelor" and ABC News' "Primetime: What Would You Do?"
http://www.variety.com/ article/VR1117991096.html 

In the current popular culture, female friendships -- at any age -- are generally considered secondary to life's "important" relationships, the romantic bonds between men and women.

Nowhere is this depressing trend more evident than in Hollywood, where story lines putatively about women's friendships tend toward the saccharine (Mona Lisa Smile), the malicious (Mean Girls) or the boy-crazy (take your pick).

Which is why it's such a pleasure (and a relief) to encounter movies such as The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2. Like the first Pants movie, it presents its heroines' relationships as complicated, challenging and particularly rewarding, and not simply as a vehicle for finding the perfect boyfriend.

The four stars of Sisterhood are back for this smart, confident second act, based on the novels of Ann Brashares. They're reprising their roles as best friends who share a remarkable pair of blue jeans, which, you'll remember, mysteriously transforms to fit each of them whenever she needs its powers most.

As the movie opens, we find the friends (Carmen, Bridget, Tibby and Lena) at the end of their first year in college; Carmen (America Ferrera, appealing as always), still the group's emotional center, is looking forward to a summer at home surrounded by her best friends, but the others have different plans. Tibby (the enormously talented Amber Tamblyn) is staying in New York to work on her screenplay, and Lena (Alexis Bledel, Gilmore Girls) has signed up for summer classes at a design school. Meanwhile, Bridget (“Gossip Girl" Blake Lively) is off to Turkey on an archaeological dig.

Screenwriter Elizabeth Chandler, who also penned the first Sisterhood installment, wisely hews close to the formula that made the previous movie such a success, and director Sanaa Hamri (Something New) keeps things moving at a good clip. This is an ensemble piece, but the young stars are each entrusted with a complete, largely individual story arc, a challenge they handle with various degrees of success: Tamblyn, whose Tibby is sarcastic and very funny, is the clear standout, imbuing her most brittle exchanges with humor and a tentative warmth. Ferrera, taking a break from the relentless cheeriness of "Ugly Betty," has become a mature, highly nuanced performer. Meanwhile, Lively has by far the most dramatic story line and seems a bit overwhelmed at times, but she turns in several very nice scenes with Blythe Danner, who plays her estranged grandmother. As for Bledel, I can't decide if she's an incredibly subtle actor or if she's capable of only two facial expressions (vague confusion and vague happiness).

And while there's an element of fantasy to much of the movie, serious issues, including teen pregnancy and mental illness, lurk beneath the cinematic sheen.

Like its predecessor, Sisterhood 2 is based on two radical ideas: namely, that young women's stories are about more than the pursuit of men, and that happiness isn't something someone else gives you -- it's something you have to find for yourself.

Copyright 2008 Los Angeles Times

 

“The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2” opens nationwide on August 6, 2008, reuniting Golden Globe Award nominee Amber Tamblyn, Golden Globe and Emmy Award winner America Ferrera, Blake Lively and Alexis Bledel in starring roles. Rachel Nichols also stars as Carmen’s roommate, Rachel Ticotin as Carmen’s mother, Oscar nominee Shohreh Aghdashloo as the archaeologist leading Bridget’s field work and Emmy Award winner Blythe Danner as Bridget’s estranged grandmother.

Directed by Sanaa Hamri from a screenplay by Elizabeth Chandler, based on the novels by Ann Brashares, “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2” is produced by Debra Martin Chase, Denise Di Novi, Broderick Johnson and Kira Davis, with executive producers Andrew A. Kosove, Christine Sacani, Alison Greenspan, Leslie Morgenstein and Bob Levy; and co-producers Steven P. Wegner, Yolanda T. Cochran and Gaylyn Fraiche.

The creative team includes Emmy Award-nominated director of photography Jim Denault, production designer Gae Buckley and editor Melissa Kent. Music is by Academy Award-winning composer Rachel Portman, with music supervisor Julia Michels. Costumes are designed by Emmy Award winner Dona Granata.

Alcon Entertainment presents a Di Novi Pictures / Debra Martin Chase Production, in association with Alloy Entertainment: “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2.” The film will be released worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company. Rated PG-13 for mature material and sensuality.

 

AMBER TAMBLYN, AMERICA FERRERA, BLAKE LIVELY, AND ALEXIS BLEDEL

HOST ABC FAMILY’S PREMIERE PARTY OF ‘SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELING PANTS’ ON AUGUST 3RD

Wrap Arounds Feature Exclusive First Look At
‘Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants 2’

Burbank, CA (July 30, 2008) –ABC Family brings viewers an exclusive first look at Warner Bros. new film “Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2” during an airing of “Sisterhood and the Traveling Pants” on Sunday, August 3rd (7:00 – 9:30 PM ET/PT).
The four actresses join together to host ABC Family’s premiere party that includes wrap around segments with Amber Tamblyn (“Joan of Arcadia”), American Ferrera (“Ugly Betty”), Blake Lively (“Gossip Girl”), and Alexis Bledel (“Gilmore Girls”) discussing their new upcoming film hitting theaters on Wednesday, August 6th. “Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2” continues the story from the first hit movie about four friends growing up.
Part of the Disney-ABC-TV Group, ABC Family, distributed in over 95 million homes, features original movies, series and specials reflecting today’s families and entertaining and connecting with adults through relevant stories about today’s relationships, all told with diversity, dysfunction, passion, humor and heart. ABC Family’s programming is a mix of quality acquired series and theatricals as well as original movies and scripted dramas. ABC Family is also the destination for Holiday events with “13 Nights of Halloween” and “25 Days of Christmas” branded programming events.

Amber Tamblyn has signed on as the female lead in ABC's drama presentation "The Unusuals."

In addition, Morris Chestnut has been cast in ABC's drama pilot "The Prince of Motor City," Stacy Keibler has joined ABC Family's "Samurai Girl," Jane Lynch and Kathleen Rose Perkins have come aboard ABC's comedy pilot "Never Better," and Joy Bryant, Sienna Guillory, Nelson Lee, Omar Metwally and Richie Coster have joined the cast of Fox's two-hour backdoor pilot "Virtuality."

"Unusuals," from Sony, is a dramedy set at a New York police precinct. Tamblyn will play Detective Casey Shraeger, a smart cop who also is the black sheep of her wealthy family. Tamblyn's most recent starring role on the small screen was in CBS' "Joan of Arcadia," also for Sony.

"Motor City," from ABC Studios, is a gothic family soap inspired by "Hamlet" that centers on Billy (Warren Christie), a young Harvard philosophy professor forced to return to Detroit to take over the family's auto company and reconnect with his ex-girlfriend, Meg (Piper Perabo). Chestnut ("The Game Plan") will play Meg's current boyfriend. He is repped by CAA and Kritzer Levine Wilkins.

"Samurai," from ABC Studios and Alloy Entertainment, centers on a 19-year-old Japanese girl named Heaven (Jamie Chung) who sets out to take down her adopted father's evil empire. Keibler will play Heaven's rival and ex-fiancee of her love interest, Jake (Brendan Fehr). "Samurai Girl," a six-hour "special event," airs in September.

Keibler ("What About Brian") is repped by ICM and attorney Brad Small.

"Better," from ABC Studios, centers on Keith (Damon Wayans), a recovering alcoholic trying to be a good husband and father. Lynch is playing Linda, Keith's Alcoholics Anonymous sponsor. Perkins is playing Claire, an AA member who has a contentious relationship with Keith.

Lynch ("Julie & Julia") is repped by Domain. Perkins (TNT's "Truth in Advertising") is repped by Innovative and Trademark Talent.

"Virtuality," from UMS, is set aboard Earth's first starship, which is equipped with advanced virtual reality modules. Bryant is set as Alice Thibadeau, Lee is playing Kenji Yamaguchi, Guillory will portray Rika Goddard, Metwally is set as Dr. Eyal Meyer, and Coster was cast as Jimmy Johnson.

Bryant ("Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins") is repped by CAA and Untitled. Lee ("Blade: The Series") is repped by Stone Manners and attorney Geoffry Oblath.

With unraveled embroidery and fraying hems, the Pants are back for another glorious summer that four now college-aged friends will never forget in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2.

Lena (Alexis Bledl--"Gilmore Girls") immerses herself in her painting and an intoxicating summer fling, fearing that the moment she forgets about Kostos will be the moment she sees him again. Carmen (America Ferrara--"Ugly Betty") falls under the spell of a sophisticated college friend for whom a theatrical role means everything and the heritage of the Pants means nothing. Bridget (Blake Lively--"Gossip Girl") joins a dig for an ancient city on the coast of Turkey and discovers that her archaeology professor is available in every way except one. And Tibby (Amber Tamblyn--"Joan of Arcadia") leaves behind someone she loves, wrongly believing he will stay where she has left him.

Based on Ann Brashare's novel Forever in Blue.

 

 

 

Howdie Friends,

Remember that crazy poetry show THE DRUMS INSIDE YOUR CHEST, the one you couldn't go to last year because you lived in NotLosAngelesville?  Well now you can own it on DVD!  That's right.  This summer we will be releasing the DVD of this incredible Poetry event, and the trailer is up now:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsftqOmwHsY&feature=email

 

THE DRUMS INSIDE YOUR CHEST 2 will take place this year on August 2nd with a whole new lineup of poets, including hosts Derrick Brown, Rob Zabrecky and Beau Sia.  Full lineup will be released later this month.

MARK YA CALENDARS,  JERKS. 

 

 

Now for those of you who DON'T live in LA and have been asking when I might be coming to your city, Derrick Brown and I are doing a mini tour at the end of this month- The Lazers Of Sexcellence 2!  We will be in the following Cities:

LAZERS OF SEXCELLENCE
Featuring Derrick Brown & Amber Tamblyn

Nashville, TN
Saturday May 17th
103 South 11th Street
Nashville, TN 37206
(Across from 3 crow bar)
All ages  7:30pm

 

Fayetteville, Arkansas
Tuesday May 20th
Nightbird Books
557 South School #103
Fayetteville, Arkansas
72701
All Ages 7pm

 

Oklahoma City, OK
Wednesday, May 21st
Galileo's
3009 North Paseo
All Ages 7:30pm

 

Amarillo, TX
Thursday, May 22nd
The 806
2812 SW 6th Ave
All ages 8pm

 

Phoenix, AZ
Friday, May 23rd
The Pie Facotry
1301 West Grand Ave.
(Down from the old paper heart)
All ages Bar with ID  $10 7:30pm

Actress/poet Amber Tamblyn and Nashville-based performance poet Derrick Brown will present a free afternoon poetry show this Saturday April 5th  at Arrington Vineyards, near Franklin. The  performance gets started at 5 p.m. at Arrington Vineyards, located at 6211 Patton Road in Arrington, just south of Nashville. For more information, call (615) 395-0102.

Amber is currently shooting the noir 1950's remake of "Beyond A Reasonable Doubt", co-starring with  Michael Douglas.
Amber, also  appears in an amazing new documentary on poet-writer Jack Kerouac, "One Fast Move Or I'm Gone" alongside legends Lawrence Ferlinghetti and Tom Waits. You can watch the trailer at http://www.kerouacfilms.com

The doc will likely go to film festivals, followed by a theatrical release. 

Hey Amtamers! New items have been added to the Amtam Press section, so be sure to stop by today and check them out! 

Spiral will be playing select theaters on Feb 8th. The movie which stars Amber Tamblyn, Joel David Moore, and Zachary Levi will also be on DVD February 19th. For more information on pre ordering the DVD visit the Official website at http://www.spiralthemovie.com/ 

Amber's latest film "The Russell Girl" will be available on DVD in Hallmark Gold Crown stores on February 1st. 

 

AMBER TAMBLYN STARS IN "THE RUSSELL GIRL," A NEW "HALLMARK HALL OF FAME" PRESENTATION, TO BE BROADCAST SUNDAY, JAN. 27 ON THE CBS TELEVISION NETWORK