Universal Television


Will and Grace reboot talk intensifies

Will and Grace is returning to TV, according to one of its stars. Leslie Jordan told radio station KPBS that US broadcaster NBC had ordered a reboot, eleven years after the sitcom ended. “It’s back; NBC has ordered it,” added Jordan, who claimed the commission was for ten episodes, and would be ready to go […]

Awesomeness staffs up Verizon content venture

The upcoming AwesomenessTV and Verizon mobile content venture has drafted in the former drama department head at Universal Television. Russell Rothberg (pictured) has been named senior VP, creative for the currently unnamed service. He exited NBCUniveral’s production arm earlier this year, following president Bela Bajaria out of the door. Bajaria recently resurfaced at another digital […]

Netflix hires ex-Universal TV exec as content VP

Netflix has appointed former Universal Television president Bela Bajaria as its vice-president of content. Bajaria will lead the team at Netflix responsible for licensing content from the major US studios, including her former employer NBCUniversal, and agreeing coproduction deals with the major US networks. She will also oversee a new team developing original unscripted programmes […]

Pretty Little Liars ending, Grimm axed

Pretty Little Liars and Grimm have been cancelled by US channels Freeform and NBC respectively. Cable broadcaster Freeform confirmed Pretty Little Liars would come to an end after its seventh season, which will begin airing in April 2017. The finale will be a two-hour special, and be followed by the premiere of new series Famous in […]

Sons of Anarchy, Modern Family popular on Shomi

Sons of Anarchy and Modern Family are among the most-watched titles on one-year-old Canadian SVOD platform Shomi. The Rogers Media-owned service released data on its first birthday, which revealed its ten most popular titles, that it currently offers subscribers 17,698 episodes of programming, and that it had more than 143 million total video plays. Comedy, […]

Breaking Bad alumnus sells drama to ABC

Breaking Bad star Aaron Paul has sold a one-hour drama to US broadcast network ABC. Paul’s Lucid Road will produce Blackmail in association with Universal Television, which produces his Hulu drama, The Path. The series will follow a young married couple who threaten to reveal the infidelity of a man responsible for an accident that […]

SMILF, Mating pilots attract Showtime

US premium cable channel Showtime has ordered a pair of racy comedy pilots. The greenlights of SMILF and Mating (WT) were among a number of announcements that came from the network’s TCA tour event yesterday. SMILF is based on Frankie Shaw’s semi-autobiographical short film of the same name and comes from Showtime and ABC Signature, […]

Vampire Diaries dead, Bates Motel shut

The Vampire Diaries and Bates Motel will end after their respective final seasons. The CW’s Vampire Diaries will stop after its eighth season, while Bates Motel will turn off the lights for the final time after five seasons on A&E. Vampire Diaries, based on L.J. Smith’s book series of the same name, debuted in 2009, […]

Universal TV drama EVP exits

Changes at Universal Television continue, with executive VP of drama development Russell Rothberg the latest to leave the US-based NBCUniversal prodco. Rothberg’s departure comes after that of Bela Bajaria, who exited as president earlier this year. Pearlena Ibgokwe, who was EVP of drama programming, stepped up to replace her. Rothberg is credited with developing A&E’s […]

NBC poaches Fox exec to fill drama post

US broadcaster NBC has poached 20th Century Fox Television’s Lisa Katz to fill the role Pearlena Igbokwe vacated when she was promoted to president of Universal Television. Katz will become NBC’s executive VP, drama development on July 11, and will report to NBC Entertainment president Jennifer Salke. She replaces Igbokwe, who recently took over at […]

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