Fresh off the end of his Emmy-nominated show Better Call Saul, series co-producer Vince Gilligan will create his next series with Apple TV Plus, with Saul’s Rhea Seehorn set to star.

Gilligan, who produced AMC’s Breaking Bad and series spinoff Better Call Saul for Sony Pictures, will serve as executive producer and showrunner of the yet-untitled series, which has already received a two-season order from the streaming service. 

Seehorn, who earned a 2022 Emmy nomination for her role in Better Call Saul, will star in the new Apple TV Plus series. Overall Better Call Saul — which ended its sixth and final season this past August — earned seven 2022 Emmy nominations.

Also: ‘The White Lotus,’ ‘Euphoria,’ ‘Squid Game’ Top Emmy Award Winners

In a tweet, Seehorn said she was “over-the-moon excited” about the opportunity to work again with Gilligan.

The series will also reunite Gilligan with Apple TV Plus executives Zack Van Amburg, Jamie Erlicht and Chris Parnell, who, while at Sony Pictures, were behind the development of both Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. ■

Last week's series finale of AMC's Better Call Saul generated a season-high audience of 2.7 million L+3 linear viewers on AMC and "many more" watchers on AMC Plus, the media company said Monday. 

Notably, the Breaking Bad spinoff's 1.8 million-viewer same-day audience performance matched the Season 3 Better Call Saul finale back in 2017 and represented a four-fold audience uptick over the Season Six premiere earlier this year.

Better Call Saul averaged 2.2 million L+3 viewers in its sixth and final campaign. 

AMC also said that Saul has been the top customer acquisitions driver for SVOD service AMC Plus, and that Season 6 was the second most watched series campaign ever for the streaming platform following an unspecified season of The Walking Dead. 

On social, Saul generated 24 million impressions last week and was the No. 1 TV show topic in conversations and search. 

 “We are so proud to have been the home of Better Call Saul for all these years and unforgettable seasons. Now we put this series up on the mantel as a reminder of the excellence we all aspire to every day," said Dan McDermott, president of entertainment and AMC Studios for AMC Networks.

HBO’s Succession was the big winner among a list of Emmy Awards nominations that offered few surprises but a lot of intrigue.

Succession led all shows with 25 nominations, followed by Apple TV Plus’s Ted Lasso and HBO’s The White Lotus with 20 nominations each. HBO Max’s Hacks and Hulu’s Only Murders In the Building drew 17 nominations each, while HBO’s Euphoria garnered 16 nods, according to the TV Academy during a Tuesday-morning online ceremony hosted by J.B. Smoove and Melissa Fumero. 

All of last year’s winners in the major comedy categories will be back to defend their crown. Apple TV Plus’ Ted Lasso will look to fend off challenges from ABC’s Abbott Elementary, HBO’s Barry and Curb Your Enthusiasm, HBO Max’s Hacks, Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building and FX’s What We Do In the Shadows. 

Ted Lasso’s Jason Sudeikis will look to defend against previous category winner Donald Glover (FX’s Atlanta), as well as Bill Hader (Barry); Only Murders In the Building’s Steve Martin and Martin Short; and Nicholas Hoult (Hulu’s The Great).

Hacks’ Jean Smart takes on former category winner Rachel Brosnahan (Amazon Prime Video’s The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), Quinta Brunson (Abbott Elementary), Kaley Cuoco (HBO Max’s The Flight Attendant), Elle Fanning (Hulu’s The Great) and Issa Rae (HBO’s Insecure).

The absence of Netflix’s The Crown, which won 2021 Emmys in most of the major drama categories, provided a wide-open competition for best drama series, led by Succession along with three Netflix series — Ozark, Stranger Things and Squid Game — as well as Better Call Saul, Euphoria, Apple TV Plus’s Severance and Showtime’s Yellowjackets.

Killing Eve’s Jodie Comer and Sandra Oh earned Lead Actress in a Drama Series nods along with Ozark’s Laura Linney, Yellowjackets’ Melanie Lynskey, The Morning Show’s Reese Witherspoon and Euphoria's Zendaya. 

Succession’s Brian Cox and Jeremy Strong lead a best actor in a drama series category that also features Ozark’s Jason Bateman, Squid Game’s Lee Jung-Jae, Better Call Saul’s Bob Odenkirk and Severance’s Adam Scott.

NBC will air live the 74th Emmy Awards on September 12. ▪️

In the Running

Here‘s a partial list of Emmy-nominated shows: 

OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES
Better Call Saul (AMC)
Euphoria (HBO)
Ozark (Netflix)
Severance (Apple TV Plus)
Squid Game (Netflix)
Stranger Things (Netflix)
Succession (HBO)
Yellowjackets (Showtime)

LEAD ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Jodie Comer (Killing Eve, BBC America)
Laura Linney (Ozark, Netflix)
Melanie Lynskey (Yellowjackets, Showtime)
Sandra Oh (Killing Eve, BBC America)
Reese Witherspoon (The Morning Show, Apple TV Plus)
Zendaya (Euphoria, HBO)

LEAD ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Jason Bateman (Ozark, Netflix)
Brian Cox (Succession, HBO)
Lee Jung-jae (Squid Game, Netflix)
Bob Odenkirk (Better Call Saul, AMC)
Adam Scott (Severance, Apple TV Plus)
Jeremy Strong (Succession, HBO)

SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Patricia Arquette (Severance, Apple TV Plus)
Julia Garner (Ozark, Netflix)
Jung Ho-Yeon (Squid Game, Netflix)
Christina Ricci (Yellowjackets, Showtime)
Rhea Seehorn (Better Call Saul, AMC)
J. Smith-Cameron (Succession, HBO)
Sarah Snook (Succession, HBO)
Sydney Sweeney (Euphoria, HBO) 

SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Nicholas Braun (Succession, HBO)
Billy Crudup (The Morning Show, Apple TV Plus)
Kieran Culkin (Succession, HBO)
Park Hae-soo (Squid Game, Netflix)
Matthew Macfadyen (Succession, HBO)
John Turturro (Severance, Apple TV Plus)
Christopher Walken (Severance, Apple TV Plus)
Oh Yeong-Su (Squid Game, Netflix) 

OUTSTANDING COMEDY SERIES
Abbott Elementary (ABC)
Barry (HBO)
Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO)
Hacks (HBO)
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon Prime Video)
Only Murders in the Building (Hulu)
Ted Lasso (Apple TV Plus)
What We Do in the Shadows (FX)

LEAD ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Rachel Brosnahan (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Amazon Prime Video)
Quinta Brunson (Abbott Elementary, ABC)
Kaley Cuoco (The Flight Attendant, HBO)
Elle Fanning, (The Great, Hulu)
Issa Rae (Insecure, HBO)
Jean Smart (Hacks, HBO Max)

LEAD ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Donald Glover (Atlanta, FX)
Bill Hader (Barry, HBO)
Nicholas Hoult (The Great, Hulu)
Steve Martin (Only Murders in the Building, Hulu)
Martin Short (Only Murders in the Building, Hulu)
Jason Sudeikis (Ted Lasso, Apple TV Plus) 

SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Alex Bornstein (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Amazon Prime Video)
Hannah Einbinder (Hacks, HBO Max)
Janelle James (Abbott Elementary, ABC)
Kate McKinnon (Saturday Night Live, NBC)
Sarah Niles (Ted Lasso, Apple TV Plus)
Sheryl Lee Ralph (Abbott Elementary, ABC)
Juno Temple (Ted Lasso, Apple TV Plus)
Hannah Waddingham (Ted Lasso, Apple TV Plus)

SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Anthony Carrigan (Barry, HBO)
Brett Goldstein (Ted Lasso, Apple TV Plus)
Toheeb Jimoh (Ted Lasso, Apple TV Plus)
Nick Mohammed (Ted Lasso, Apple TV Plus
)Tony Shalhoub (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Prime Video)
Tyler James Williams (Abbott Elementary, ABC)
Henry Winkler (Barry, HBO)
Bowen Yang (Saturday Night Live, NBC) 

OUTSTANDING LIMITED ANTHOLOGY SERIES OR MOVIE
Dopesick (Hulu)
The Dropout (Hulu)
Inventing Anna (Netflix)
Pam & Tommy (Hulu)
The White Lotus (HBO)

LEAD ACTOR IN A LIMITED TV SERIES OR MOVIE
Colin Firth (The Staircase, HBO Max)
Andrew Garfield (Under the Banner of Heaven, FX)
Oscar Isaac (Scenes from a Marriage, HBO Max)
Michael Keaton (Dopesick, Hulu) 
Himesh Patel (Station Eleven, HBO Max)
Sebastian Stan (Pam & Tommy, Hulu) 

LEAD ACTRESS IN A LIMITED TV SERIES OR MOVIE
Toni Collette (The Staircase, HBO Max)
Julia Garner (Inventing Anna, Netflix) 
Lily James (Pam & Tommy, Hulu)
Sarah Paulson (Impeachment: American Crime Story, FX)
Margaret Qualley (Maid, Netflix)
Amanda Seyfried (The Dropout, Hulu) 

OUTSTANDING REALITY/COMPETITION SERIES 
The Amazing Race (CBS)
Lizzo’s Watch Out for the Big Grrrls (Amazon Prime Video)
Nailed It! (Netflix)
RuPaul’s Drag Race (VH1)
Top Chef (Bravo)
The Voice (NBC)

OUTSTANDING VARIETY TALK SERIES
The Daily Show with Trevor Noah (Comedy Central)
Jimmy Kimmel Live! (ABC)
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)
Late Night with Seth Meyers (NBC)
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (CBS)

VARIETY SKETCH SERIES
A Black Lady Sketch Show (HBO)
Saturday Night Live (NBC)

The return of two high-profile, Emmy-nominated cable series highlights a busy summer week of original show premieres.

FX’s comedy series What We Do In The Shadows debuts its fourth season July 12 with the first of 10 new episodes for the vampire-themed show. The series, which stars Kayvan Novak, Matt Berry, Natasia Demetriou and Mark Proksch, has already been renewed for a fifth and sixth season, according to the network.

Debuting July 11 is the first of the final six episodes of the Emmy-winning AMC series Better Call Saul. The series, a spinoff of AMC’s Breaking Bad series, will feature appearances from Bad stars Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul. Better Call Saul stars Bob Odenkirk.

Below are video trailers and premiere dates for multiple shows debuting the week of July 11-17 on cable networks and streaming services (for some videos, viewer discretion is advised):

July 11 – Chad (returning series) – TBS

July 11 – Days of Our Lives: Beyond Salem (returning series) – Peacock

July 12 – The Only (documentary) – Paramount Plus

July 13 – Everything’s Trash (comedy) – Freeform

July 13 – D.B. Cooper: Where Are You? (documentary) – Netflix

July 13 – South Park: The Streaming Wars (part 2) – (animation) – Paramount Plus

July 14 – FBoy Island (reality) – HBO Max

July 14 – Hart to Heart (returning series) – Peacock

July 14 – Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight (animation) – Netflix

July 14 – Resident Evil (horror) – Netflix

July 14 – Victoria’s Secret: Angels and Demons (documentary) – Hulu

July 15 – Don’t Make Me Go (drama) – Prime Video

July 15 – The Rehearsal (comedy) – HBO

July 15 – Zombies 3 (movie) – Disney Plus

July 17 – Colosseum (documentary) -- History

Sadly, the time has come for the conclusion of Better Call Saul. It was hard not to love Bob Odenkirk’s bus stop barrister Saul Goodman when he was introduced as a character on Breaking Bad. But as the central character of his own show for the last seven years, Saul/Jimmy/Gene has become a nuanced, compelling figure that you can’t help but root for. The first part of Saul's sixth season came to a shocking conclusion in May when Howard Hamlin (Patrick Fabian) was murdered. The last six episodes of the show will be interesting – and not just because the fate of Rhea Seehorn’s character Kim Wexler must be addressed. No. What makes these last episodes so intriguing is that Better Call Saul’s narrative arc will finally connect with Breaking Bad. Bryan Cranston’s Walter White and Aaron Paul’s Jesse Pinkman each make an appearance in the remaining episodes. How they show up is anybody’s guess.

Moonhaven – Season 1 (July 7, AMC Plus)

Move over Better Call Saul, Moonhaven is AMC’s next hit. (Or at least that's what the network is hoping for.)  From creator/show-runner Peter Ocko (Lodge 49, Elementary) Moonhaven is set two centuries in the future and focuses on a utopian colony situated on the Moon. The colony finds the solutions to the problems that will soon end civilization on Earth. The sci-fi thriller stars Emma McDonald as Bella Sway, who is a skeptic of the lunar community. Sway teams with a local detective (Dominic Monaghan) to stop the forces that want to destroy the Earth. The series also stars Joe Manganiello, Amara Karan, Ayelet Zurer, Kadeem Hardison, and Yazzmin Newell. “The most remarkable thing about Moonhaven is the way it’s able to indulge its creative ambitions on an expansive canvas, all without losing sight of the individuals who make up the tableau. It finds that ultra-satisfying sweet spot between the radical and the familiar, a middle ground where discovery can happen over the course of an entire series and not just its opening chapter,” wrote IndieWire’s Steve Greene.

Black Bird (Apple TV Plus, July 8)

Based on the true crime memoir In With The Devil: A Fallen Hero, A Serial Killer, and A Dangerous Bargain for Redemption, Black Bird stars Taron Egerton as Keene, a man sentenced to 10 years in prison. In exchange for early parole, Keene must move to a more dangerous prison in order to befriend and get a confession out of serial killer Larry Hall (Paul Walter Hauser). How hard could that be? The fact that this series is based on a true story proves that truth is truly stranger than fiction. The six-episode psychological thriller also stars the late Ray Liotta. The actor, who died suddenly on May 26, plays “Big Jim," Keene’s father. Black Bird is the first of Liotta’s remaining television and film projects to debut after his death. Author and screenwriter Dennis Lehane (Mystic River) developed, wrote and executive produced the series.  

Trigger Point (Peacock, July 8)

This British series, which originally aired on ITV in January, focuses on explosives specialists played by Vicky McClure (Line of Duty) and Adrian Lester (Life) who put their lives at risk during a terrorist campaign in the London. As the duo work to diffuse bombs, they start to wonder if the bomber is premeditatedly targeting their unit. The series is produced by Line of Duty creator Jed Mercurio's HTM Television. British audiences and critics have taken a liking to the first season’s six-episodes. “With a reliably strong lead in McClure, the Mercurio brand name and an original premise, there is all the raw material for a solid hit here,” wrote the London Evening Standard’s Katie Rosseinsky.

Supreme Team (July 10, Showtime)

This three-part documentary, which debuted at the Tribeca Festival last month, investigates the origins and impact of the Supreme Team, a Jamaica, Queens' street gang organized in the early 1980s by a group of teenagers. The gang eventually became a multi-million dollar drug empire. Directed by Nasir “Nas” Jones and Peter J Scalettar, the doc features interviews with two of the Supreme Team's leaders, Kenneth “Supreme” McGriff and Gerald “Prince'' Miller.  LL Cool J, Ashanti, Eric Adams are also featured in the doc, which explores the Supreme Team’s effects on politics, entertainment as well as the drug lords' eventual downfall. It's hard to resist a true rise and fall story involving drugs, power, crime and plenty of money.

SkyMed (July 10, Paramount Plus)

It's fair to say that a medical drama set in remote Northern Canada and focused on pilots who fly air ambulances, along with the nurses who work mid-air to save lives, has never been done before. The unique concept for the show was concocted by Julie Puckrin (Nurses), whose sister and brother-in-law fly air ambulances. The nine-episode series is a fresh take on narrative medical programming and the setting alone -- an ambulance 20,000 feet in the air -- is intriguing and surely the catalyst for most of the show's drama. But Paramount is promising not just medical drama, but romantic drama as well. The cast includes Natasha Calis (Nurses), Morgan Holmstrom (Siberia), Praneet Akilla (Nancy Drew) and Thomas Elms (The Order).

Better Call Saul -Season 6: Part 2 (July 11, AMC Plus)

The first seven episodes of the sixth and final season came to a shocking conclusion in May when Patrick Fabian's put-upon Howard Hamlin was abruptly shot dead by surprise homicidal visitor Lalo after delivering Jimmy and Kim a much-deserved late-night comeuppance. The second half of the season will consist of six episodes and, hopefully, plenty of answers. The Emmy-nominated drama series starring Bob Odenkirk as the titular character, is a prequel to Breaking Bad. In the second half of season six, Jimmy's world will collide with Walter White and Jesse Pinkman, which means, yup,  Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul will make an appearance. Since Kim Wexler (Saul’s girlfriend/ actress Rhea Seehorn) is not a Breaking Bad character, can we assume she dies by the end of the season? Assume nothing! 

How To Change Your Mind (Netflix, June 12)

Turns out psychedelics may be all we need. An adaptation of Michael Pollan 2018 eponymous book, this four-part docuseries explores focuses on how psychedelics like LSD, psilocybin, MDMA and mescaline can be therapeutic for several conditions including addiction, depression and PTSD. With Pollan as a guide, the docu looks at the science behind psychedelics and includes interviews with researchers, activists and therapists. The docuseries also include interviews with people who have undergone psychedelic intervention and had mind altering results. Alex Gibney (Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room) executive produced the series, which is directed by Emmy-nominated Alison Ellwood (Laurel Canyon: A Place in Time, History of the Eagles).

Edge of the Earth (HBO Max, July 12)

This isn't your everyday nature documentary. Directors Steve Jones and Todd Jones mix things up by following four groups of elite action-adventure athletes on four never-before-accomplished missions that take place around the globe. Watching athletes face life-threatening challenges against a background that is earth’s most beautiful landscapes makes for jaw-dropping viewing. Taking part in the four-episode docu are snowboarders Jeremy Jones and Elena Hight; skier Griffin Post; kayakers Ben Stookesberry, Nouria Newman, and Erik Boomer; climbers Emily Harrington and Adrian Ballinger; and surfers Ian Walsh and Grant “Twiggy” Baker.

What We Do in the Shadows – Season 4 (Hulu, July 13)

This FX series based on the eponymous feature film directed by Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi, follows vampire roommates Nandor (Kayvan Novak), Laszlo (Matt Berry), Nadja (Natasia Demetriou) and Colin Robinson (Mark Proksch) as they navigate the modern world of Staten Island with the help of their human familiar, Guillermo (Harvey Guillén). The show's first three seasons garnered 10 Emmy Award nominations, including one for best comedy series. FX is evidently confident in the comedy. The network has already renewed the series for Season 5 and Season 6. “Few shows make it feel like anything can happen, yet What We Do in the Shadows just keeps opening doors to fascinating new personal voyages and inventive world-building,” wrote IndieWire’s Ben Travers about Season 4.

South Park The Streaming Wars Part 2 (July 13, Paramount Plus)

South Park: The Streaming Wars Part 2 marks the fourth installment of 14 television movies that South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone will make for Paramount Plus as part of the $900 million deal they made with ViacomCBS last year. The first part of South Park: The Streaming Wars installment debuted in June and focused on a feud between Eric Cartman and his mother, which jeopardized South Park’s existence. Paramount hasn’t revealed much about the second installment, but what is known is that the town is on the brink of disaster due to a drought and Randy Marsh has gone full "Karen.” This year marks the 25th anniversary of South Park, which debuted on Comedy Central back in 1997. The iconic sitcom made its return to Comedy Central earlier this year after a three year hiatus. The show has been renewed on the network through 2027. As a show or a movie, South Park is the gift that keeps on giving.

Carol Burnett will guest star on Better Call Saul this season, playing a character named Marion. The sixth and final season of the AMC drama began April 18. 

Burnett said Better Call Saul is her favorite show. 

Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul, stars of Breaking Bad, will play their Walter White and Jesse Pinkman characters on Saul this season. 

The show returns for its final six episodes starting July 11, concluding August 15. 

Bob Odenkirk plays Jimmy McGill/Saul Goodman. 

The Carol Burnett Show ran 1967 to 1978. 

“I’m thrilled to be a part of my favorite show,” said Burnett. 

Also in the Saul cast are Jonathan Banks, Rhea Seehorn, Giancarlo Esposito and Patrick Fabian. 

The executive producers are Peter Gould, Vince Gilligan, Mark Johnson, Melissa Bernstein, Thomas Schnauz, Gordon Smith, Alison Tatlock, Diane Mercer and Michael Morris. ■

In its final season, Better Call Saul is driving viewing and subscriber signups for the AMC Plus streaming service, AMC Networks said.

Since the season premiere on April 18, episodic viewership on AMC Plus is up 61% over the course of the season, with the midseason finale delivering its highest viewership. The show has generated more viewership on AMC Plus than any series other than The Walking Dead.

Over the first 30 days since the season premiere, the popular prequel for Breaking Bad has been the top driver of subscription acquisitions in the history of AMC Plus. 

AMC doesn’t break out how many subscribers AMC Plus has. Its subscription streaming channels had 9.5 million subscribers at the end of the first quarter, up from 9 million at the end of 2021 on its last earnings call, the company said. AMC said it remained on track to hit its goal of 20 million to 25 million streaming subscribers by 2025.

On AMC’s linear channel, Better Call Saul has averaged 2.2 million viewers according to Nielsen’s live-plus-3 ratings, including almost 900,000 in the 25-54 demographic. For the most recent episodes, viewership grew 87% over the three days after the episode first appears. 

This season Better Call Saul has the third-highest rating among cable dramas during this broadcast season in the 25-54 and 18-49 demos, topped only by Paramount Network’s Yellowstone and The Walking Dead.

Saul has also been big on social media with more than 17 million engagements. It has been trending on Twitter on Monday nights when new episodes appear. 

The final six episodes of Better Call Saul will start to air July 11, with the series finale on Aug. 15. ■

Broadcasting + Cable's Kent Gibbons and Michael Malone chat about AMC's Better Call Saul, HBO's We Own This City, Apple TV Plus's Slow Horses and more.

Also: Why the Traditional TV Season Still (Mostly) Matters

AMC Networks said that the two-episode premiere of the sixth and final season of Better Call Saul drove record signups for AMC Plus.

AMC Plus offers subscribers early, ad-free looks at AMC original programming. The company did not say exactly how many new subscribers signed on, or how many subscribers AMC Plus has.

“It has been a long two-year wait for this final season of Better Call Saul, and the fans of the show met the moment of its return with a response befitting everything this remarkable creative team has delivered,” Dan McDermott, president of entertainment and AMC Studios for AMC Networks, said. “Whether streaming on AMC Plus, watching on our linear ad-supported network or engaging on social media, the fans showed up, and last night was just the beginning of what will be an unforgettable final season of what has become a landmark series for our company and all of television.”

The first episode of the premiere, “Wine and Roses,” became the No. 1 cable drama premiere of 2022, delivering 1.4 million total viewers in Nielsen live/same day ratings and more than 500,000 adults 25-54.

The new season of Better Call Saul also generated considerable social media activity, with more than half a million engagements on the day of the premiere, up 60% from the start of Season 5. The show trended nationally on Twitter for 10 hours and was the top TV drama in social engagement, organic search, conversation and content shares, according to ListenFirst.

AMC Networks ended 2021 with more than 9 million subscribers across its portfolio of targeted streaming services, including AMC Plus, and expects to have between 20 and 25 million subscribers in 2025. ■

AMC launches the final season of a classic drama series while Showtime debuts a new version of a sci-fi classic as part of the lineup of new shows premiering this week. 

AMC's Emmy Award-winning series Better Call Saul will debut its sixth and final season April 18. Bob Odenkirk returns as criminal lawyer Saul Goodman for the 13-episode final season of the Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould-created series, which is a spinoff of AMC's Breaking Bad.

Other high-profile series returning to the small screen this week are FX's Mayans M.C. (April 19), HBO Max's The Flight Attendant (April 21) and HBO's Barry (April 24).

Show premieres this week include Showtime's April 24 debut of The Man Who Fell to Earth, a reimagining of the 1976 sci-fi movie starring David Bowie. The 10-episode series stars Chiwetel Ejiofor and Naomi Harris.

Below are video trailers and premiere dates for multiple shows debuting the week of April 18 to April 24 on cable networks and streaming services (for some videos, viewer discretion is advised):

April 20 – Cypress Hill: Insane in the Brain (documentary) – Showtime

April 20 – Russian Doll (returning series) – Netflix

April 20 – So Dumb Its Criminal Hosted by Snoop Dogg (reality) – Peacock

April 21 – Captive Audience (reality) – Hulu

April 22 – They Call Me Magic (documentary) – Apple TV Plus

April 22 – A Very British Scandal (drama) – Prime Video

April 24 – The Baby (drama) – HBO

April 24 – Billy The Kid (drama) – Epix

April 24 – Gaslit (drama) – Starz

Bob Odenkirk’s Comedy Comedy Comedy Drama details the performer growing up obsessed with sketch comedy, and making a name for himself in that world before shifting to the more serious realm of drama. 

He writes about coming up in the Chicago comedy scene, including Second City: “There was no obvious route to fame, or even a ‘career’ … Every day was just, write something funny today, then see what happens.”

Odenkirk made his way to New York for Saturday Night Live. His time in the writers’ room was not particularly happy, but he does offer intriguing looks at Lorne Michaels, Chris Farley and other key comedy figures. Adam Sandler, he said, “made me see the show, and comedy, in a new and better way, because Adam was having a good time.”

Odenkirk then headed to Los Angeles, where he worked on The Ben Stiller Show and Mr. Show. He also describes what he calls “development heck” — loads of projects and few seeing the light of day. When The Office was being cast, the Michael Scott role was between Odenkirk and Steve Carell. Development heck continued. 

Breaking Bad is not mentioned until page 200, but Odenkirk offers entertaining and enlightening details about it and spinoff Better Call Saul, which saw him master his dramatic chops in playing Saul Goodman. 

Comedy Comedy Comedy Drama is a lively narrative. There are quips on every page, many of them quite funny.

Broadcasting + Cable's Kent Gibbons and Michael Malone chat about the sixth and final season of AMC's Better Call Saul, NBC's premiere of The Thing About Pam, and more Fargo on FX.

Also: Why the Traditional TV Season Still (Mostly) Matters

AMC will launch the final season of its Emmy-nominated drama series Better Call Saul with a two-episode premiere April 18, the network announced as part of its Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour session.

The final season of the series, a spinoff of AMC’s Breaking Bad starring Bob Odenkirk, concludes the complicated journey and transformation of its compromised hero, Jimmy McGill (Odenkirk), into criminal lawyer Saul Goodman. Better Call Saul’s sixth season will roll out in two parts, with the first seven episodes debuting April 18 and culminating with the series’ final six episodes beginning July 11, said AMC. 

Three new original short-form series connected to the world of Better Call Saul will also debut this spring, including the animated series Slippin’ Jimmy; Cooper’s Bar, starring Saul’s Rhea Seehorn; and new episodes of the Emmy-Award winning Better Call Saul Employee Training Video series.

Along with Odenkirk, Better Call Saul also stars Rhea Seehorn, Jonathan Banks, Giancarlo Esposito, Michael Mando and Tony Dalton. The series is executive produced by Peter Gould, Vince Gilligan, Mark Johnson, Melissa Bernstein, Thomas Schnauz, Gordon Smith, Alison Tatlock, Diane Mercer, and Michael Morris. 

“Vince, Peter and Bob took the question, ‘Why would you ever try to follow one of the most celebrated and beloved shows in television history with a sequel,’ and they answered it on every possible level, with truly extraordinary results,” said Dan McDermott, president of entertainment and AMC Studios for AMC Networks in a statement. “Saul Goodman has been a central character on AMC for more than a decade, and he really livens up the place.”

The six-part Slippin’ Jimmy animated series follows the misadventures of a young Jimmy McGill and his childhood friends in Chicago, Illinois. Told in the style of classic 70s-era cartoons, each episode is an ode to a specific movie genre — from spaghetti westerns and Buster Keaton to The Exorcist, AMC said. ■

Cooper’s Bar, led by Rhea Seehorn, is a six-episode digital series that follows the antics of character actor Cooper, played by Lou Mustillo (Mike & Molly) and the unique group of LA natives who frequent his neighborhood bar.  

Better Call Saul’s Emmy Award-winning Employee Training Video series will also return this summer and will teach viewers how to make commercials the Better Call Saul way.  The videos will feature cameos from Better Call Saul characters and be penned by Better Call Saul writer Ariel Levine. ■ 

The Paley Center for Media has a full lineup for PaleyFest LA, which returns to an in-person event. It happens April 2-10 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. 

Shows to be featured include This Is Us, Black-ish, Ghosts, Hacks, Cobra Kai and Better Call Saul. 

It is the 39th annual PaleyFest LA, and the first in-person one in three years. Tickets go on sale January 21 at 7 a.m. PT. Paley members and Citi cardholders can get tickets January 18 at 7 a.m. PT. 

“We are thrilled to announce the full lineup for the 39th Annual PaleyFest LA, the can’t-miss spring festival celebrating creative excellence in television,” said Maureen J. Reidy, president and CEO of the Paley Center for Media. “PaleyFest returns in person to the Dolby Theatre for the first time in three years, offering Paley Members and devoted TV fans a once-in-a-lifetime experience with the stars and creative talent behind some of television‘s biggest hits. We thank our friends at Citi, The William S. Paley Foundation, and our studio and network partners, for their continued support in making PaleyFest possible.”

The event kicks off with NBC’s This Is Us April 2, including a preview screening and a Q&A with creator Dan Fogelman, also showrunner and executive producer, and cast members Milo Ventimiglia, Mandy Moore, Sterling K. Brown, Chrissy Metz, Justin Hartley, Susan Kelechi Watson, Chris Sullivan and others. 

The show is in its final season. 

“We are honored to be part of this prestigious festival. Looking forward to talking all things This Is Us with you, one last time," said Fogelman.

Events featuring a preview screening and conversation with producers and cast include The CW’s Superman & Lois and ABC’s Black-ish April 3, CBS comedies Ghosts and The Neighborhood April 6, HBO Max’s Hacks April 7, Netflix’s Cobra Kai April 8, The CW’s Riverdale and AMC’s Better Call Saul April 9, A Salute to the NCIS Universe, celebrating CBS dramas NCIS, NCIS: Los Angeles and NCIS: Hawai’i, and Netflix’s Emily in Paris, April 10. 

“We are honored to bring Cobra Kai to PaleyFest 2022 and look forward to connecting with our devoted and badass fans,” said Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, and Hayden Schlossberg, Cobra Kai creators and executive producers. “Living in these interesting times, we’ve long held one thing paramount — karate will bring us together.” ■

Bob Odenkirk opened up Friday about recently collapsing on the set of AMC's Better Call Saul, saying on Twitter that he "had a small heart attack" and is "going to be ok."

The tweets marked the first time Odenkirk spoke publicly about the Tuesday incident, after which he was admitted to an Albuquerque, New Mexico hospital. 

"I had a small heart attack," he wrote on the social media platform. "But I'm going to be ok thanks to Rosa Estrada and the doctors who knew how to fix the blockage without surgery."

He also thanked fans for the "outpouring of love."

"To my family and friends who have surrounded me this week. And for the outpouring of love from everyone who expressed concern and care for me," he wrote. "It’s overwhelming. But I feel the love and it means so much."

The cause of Odenkirk's Tuesday collapse and subsequent hospitalization was first reported by TMZ, which at the time cited sources as saying Odenkirk had had a "heart related incident."

Odenkirk is currently filming the sixth season of Breaking Bad spinoff Better Call Saul.

Read Odenkirk's full tweets below:

Multichannel News's Kent Gibbons and Michael Malone talk about HBO's Run, AMC's Better Call Saul, the shows that work well during the coronavirus pandemic, and more.

Below are video trailers and premiere dates for several shows debuting the week of March 2 to March 8 on cable networks and streaming services (for some videos, viewer discretion is advised):

March 2 -- Breeders (comedy) -- FX

March 4 -- Dave (comedy) -- FXX

March 4 -- Twenties (comedy) -- BET

March 5 -- Better things (returning series) -- FX

March 5 -- Castlevania (returning series) -- Netflix

March 5 -- Devs (drama/sci-fi) -- FX on Hulu (pictured)

March 6 -- Amazing Stories (drama/sci fi) -- Apple Tv+

March 6 -- Hilary (documentary) -- Hulu

March 6 -- The Most Dangerous Animal of All (documentary) -- FX

March 6 -- ZeroZeroZero (drama) -- Prime Video

March 6 -- The Trade (returning series) -- Showtime 

March 7 -- Love Goals (reality) -- OWN

March 8 -- Ride With Norman Reedus (reality) -- AMC

Below are video trailers and premiere dates for several shows debuting the week of Feb. 3 to Feb. 9 on cable networks and streaming services (for some videos, viewer discretion is advised):

Feb. 18 -- We Are the Dream: The Kids of the Oakland MLK Oratorical Fest (documentary) -- HBO

Feb. 19 -- Year of the Rabbit (comedy) -- IFC

Feb. 20 -- Sacred Lies: The Singing Bones (drama) -- Facebook Watch

Feb. 21 -- Gentefied (drama) -- Netflix

Feb. 21 -- Hunters (drama) -- Prime Video

Feb. 21 -- Star Wars: The Clone Wars (returning series) -- Disney+

Feb. 23 -- Better Call Saul (drama) -- AMC

Feb. 23 -- Ballmastrz: 9009 (animation) -- Adult Swim

Feb. 23 -- The Walking Dead (drama) -- AMC

Feb. 23 -- When Calls The Heart (drama) -- Hallmark

Below are video trailers and premiere dates for several shows debuting the week of Feb. 3 to Feb. 9 on cable networks and streaming services (for some videos, viewer discretion is advised):

Feb. 18 -- We Are the Dream: The Kids of the Oakland MLK Oratorical Fest (documentary) -- HBO

Feb. 19 -- Year of the Rabbit (comedy) -- IFC

Feb. 20 -- Sacred Lies: The Singing Bones (drama) -- Facebook Watch

Feb. 21 -- Gentefied (drama) -- Netflix

Feb. 21 -- Hunters (drama) -- Prime Video

Feb. 21 -- Star Wars: The Clone Wars (returning series) -- Disney+

Feb. 23 -- Better Call Saul (drama) -- AMC

Feb. 23 -- Ballmastrz: 9009 (animation) -- Adult Swim

Feb. 23 -- The Walking Dead (drama) -- AMC

Feb. 23 -- When Calls The Heart (drama) -- Hallmark

AMC will debut the fifth season if its drama series Better Call Saul on Feb. 23, the network announced Thursday.

The 10-episode fifth season will debut on Feb. 23, with a second new episode airing the next night, according to AMC. The Breaking Bad spinoff stars Bob Odenkirk, Rhea Seehorn, Jonathan Banks, Michael Mando and Giancarlo Esposito. 

AMC will premiere a new season of its Emmy-nominated series Better Call Saul in February across two nights, the network said Wednesday.

The series, which stars Bob Odenkirk, will debut its fifth season on Feb. 23, followed by a second new episode on Feb. 24, according to the network. Subsequent episodes will air on Monday nights at 9 p.m.

The television industry put up some lofty audience viewing and content production numbers in 2018 as it continued to adjust to the changing viewing habits of consumers.

In 2018 more scripted shows were available to consumers than at any other time in history, yet it was big sports events like the Super Bowl that drew the most viewers to TV sets during the year, according to Nielsen.

Fox News Channel continued to dominate cable viewing among total viewers, averaging a record 2.4 million primetime viewers and 1.4 million viewers on a total day basis to lead all cable networks.

Here are five interesting TV ratings and audience numbers for the year that was:

104.1M — The biggest audience drawn for any television show in 2018 for NBC’s Feb. 4 Super Bowl LII coverage, according to Nielsen. NBC’s post-game coverage of the Philadelphia Eagles’ upset win over the New England Patriots was the second most watched show of the year with 73.9 million viewers.

19.9 million — The average audience for ABC’s reboot of the 1990s comedy series Roseanne last March, making it the most watched TV series of the year, according to Nielsen. Roseanne was eventually cancelled in May after series star Roseanne Barr posted a racially insensitive tweet. A series spinoff, The Conners, debuted this past fall.

2.4 million — The average number of primetime viewers tuning into Fox News in 2019, making it the most watched cable network in primetime among total viewers for the third consecutive year. Fox News was also the most watched cable network on a 24-hour basis for the third year in a row, according to Nielsen.

495 — The number of scripted series that streaming services along with broadcast and cable networks offered in 2018, according to FX. The number was up from 487 the year prior and nearly double the 266 shows that aired in 2011. Online services such as Netflix and Amazon generated the most shows with 160, while the number of broadcast and basic cable shows dropped in 2018 compared to four years prior, according to FX.

429% — The percentage increase of viewers who tuned in to watch an episode of AMC’s Better Call Saul after the episode’s premiere, which was tops among time-shifting viewer percentages for all cable and broadcast shows, according to Nielsen. 

The second season of Good Behavior starts on TNT Oct. 15, and shows Letty and Javier trying to go legit. Letty is a con artist and Javier a killer, but they aim to provide a stable environment for Letty’s young son, Jacob.

Their attempts at wholesome living do not, by multiple accounts, last long. “Ten seconds in, she’s stealing, and he’s killing people,” said Michelle Dockery, who plays Letty.

Creator Chad Hodge said Letty and Javier’s gainful new lives go on a tiny bit longer than 10 seconds. Season two “is all about Letty and Javier trying to make a normal life for themselves,” he said. “That lasts for about 16 seconds.”

Hodge described season two as “sexy, funny, sort of absurd, sad for sure and cathartic.”

Dockery of course played Lady Mary in Downton Abbey. She said more and more people around Good Behavior’s Wilmington, N.C., base see her as Letty, not as the redoubtable Mary. Hodge notes how many Good Behaviorfans are surprised to hear Dockery speak in an English accent off the set.

Hodge described Dockery as a creative whirlwind. “My favorite thing about Michelle is, she tries slightly different things every take,” he said. “It’s such a joy to work with someone who’s willing to take risks.”

Both Dockery and Hodge take some risks in season two.

Still thinking about the shows we adored five years ago, esteemed TV critic Alan Sepinwall has published Breaking Bad 101: The Complete Critical Companion. It’s a review of every episode, along with other musings about the iconoclastic AMC series, and it features a foreword by series fan, and Lost co-creator, Damon Lindelof.

In his introduction, Sepinwall describes being holed up in a hospital room after his appendix burst, where he watched the famed “Ozymandias” episode from season five, which saw Walt and Skyler brawl, Walt take their baby, Hank get killed and the Nazis steal Walt’s barrels of cash. “As it turned out, the meds and sterile hospital atmosphere actually added to the experience,” he wrote.

Last year, Sepinwall and Matt Zoller Seitz published TV (The Book), which ranked the top shows in TV history. Breaking Badfinished fifth.

It’s been four years, almost to the day, since Breaking Bad wrapped. But Sepinwall said plenty of viewers are just finding the series these days. Plus, spinoff Better Call Saulkeeps Breaking Bad top of mind. “A bunch of characters from that world are still out in the zeitgeist,” Sepinwall said.

He’s enjoying Saul and HBO rookie The Deuce, but said not much else on TV has the action, suspense and character that Breaking Bad offered. “There’s not a lot out there,” Sepinwall said, “that’s able to be all the things that Breaking Bad was.”

Delayed viewing was an even bigger factor for TV's most time-shifted shows in 2016, according to Nielsen.

AMC's Better Call Saul saw a 278.7% increase in viewers from time shifting, ranking it first in percentage change. A year ago, Better Call Saul got a 215.2% increase from time shifting, ranking it third. The top show in 2015 was Fargo, which registered a 240.3% increase.

FX's American Horror Story was No. 2 with a 245.5% increase, and The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story, also on FX, was third at 238.6%.

Nielsen said three reality shows made the top 10, up from just one a year ago.

Read more at broadcastingcable.com.

The aftershow genre is drawing more networks eager to offer fans more exposure to their favorite hit series — and on more platforms, too.

Network executives said aftershows — the best-known of which is AMC’s live post-The Walking Dead panel show Talking Dead — are a relatively easy way to create original content that serves the big audiences for hit shows, especially in the fantasy and sci-fi realms, at a fraction of the cost.

Syfy is the latest network to dive in, launching a weekly Tuesday night podcast to support the second season of time-travel drama series 12 Monkeys, which launches tonight (April 18). The Talking Monkeys podcast, to be made available at Syfy.com and in the iTunes Store, will feature series creator and executive producer Terry Matalas and cast members discuss the show’s most recent episode.

The goal of Talking Monkeys is to reach 12 Monkeys fans online, Matthew Chiavelli, senior vice president of Syfy Digital, said.

“The 12 Monkeys audience has proven to be ravenous consumers of any of the ancillary digital content that Syfy has created since the show’s premiere last year -- so we saw this as an ideal series to launch a podcast,” Chiavelli said. “12 Monkeys, being a multilayered show with deep, rich storytelling, is perfect for this medium that allows for longer-form discussion.”

Talking Monkeys joins several other after-show series debuting in April. AMC tonight (April 18) will air a live Talking Saul aftershow following the season-two finale of drama series Better Call Saul. The network first aired Talking Saul, hosted by Talking Dead’s Chris Hardwick, after the show’s second season premiere on Feb. 15.

Speaking of Talking Dead, AMC on April 10 launched the series for the second-season premiere of zombie series Fear The Walking Dead, a spinoff of the cable’s top rated series The Walking Dead. A week prior, the Talking Dead that followed TWD’s season-six finale averaged 7.9 million viewers (on a Nielsen-plus-3-day basis). While that was a big drop-off from the 14.1 million viewers who watched The Walking Dead, it was a big enough audience to make the series the fifth-most-watched show of the week, Nielsen reported.

Crossing platforms again, HBO tapped Grantland founder Bill Simmons to create an on demand aftershow for Game of Thrones. After the Thrones will appear on HBO Now, HBO Go and HBO On Demand the Monday after each new Sunday-night Game of Thrones episode, starting April 25.

Last Thursday (April 14) BBC America launched the first after show based on its hit series Orphan Black. After the Black features hosts Ajay Fry, Morgan Hoffman and Teddy Wilson discussing the plot hints and twists of the sci-fi series’ fourth season.

BBC America president and general manager Sarah Barnett said the aftershow allows the network to superserve its Orphan Black viewer fanbase.

“These shows have a raw, unfiltered feeling of true access to talent both in front of and behind the camera — and given how central TV is to pop culture this fuels the conversation in such an organic way,” Barnett said. “What’s more, it’s the most relevant lead out possible to follow a new episode of Orphan Black.” And, she noted, “it’s relatively cost effective.”

“It’s passion, cloned,” Barnett said, playing off the multiple cloned characters Orphan Black star Tatiana Maslany plays. “It’s a virtuous circle of feeding and fueling fan love for our show.”  

AMC Networks has called for a third season of Better Call Saul from Sony Pictures Television. The network and studio said Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould will be back as co-showrunners for 10 more episodes of the noirish comedy drama, a prequel to Breaking Bad that stars Bob Odenkirk as the man who will become "criminal" lawyer Saul Goodman. The ensemble also includes Jonathan Banks (reprising his role as Mike Ehrmentraut, the "fixer" in Breaking Bad), Michael McKean and Rhea Seehorn.

Thus far in season two -- in which Odenkirk, as Jimmy McGill, tries to adapt to becoming a lawyer at a straight-laced firm in Santa Fe, N.M., while suppressing his natural con-man tendencies -- Saul has averaged 4.4 million viewers per episode over three days' viewing, including 2.7 million adults ages 25-54 and 2.5 million adults ages 18-49, AMC said. That ranks among the top current cable primetime dramas, though it's below the full-season average of 5.9 million viewers set in season one. Saul also received seven Emmy nominations in 2015. 

Better Call Saul,Mr. Robot,Veep and Mad Men are among a bevy of new and veteran shows nominated for 2016 Writers Guild Awards, the Writers Guild of America announced Thursday.

AMC’s Saul and USA’s Mr. Robot will battle Mad Men-- in its last year of eligibility -- along with HBO’s Game Of Thrones and FX’s The Americans in the best drama category, according to the Guild.

In the best comedy series category, Comedy Central’s Broad City will face off against HBO’s Silicon Valley and Veep; Amazon’s Transparent and Netflix’s Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.

The Writer’s Guild Awards winners will be announced Feb. 13, according to the organization.  

A list of Writers Guild Award nominees appears below:

DRAMA SERIES

 The Americans, Written by Peter Ackerman, Joshua Brand, Joel Fields, Stephen Schiff, Lara Shapiro, Joe Weisberg, Tracy Scott Wilson, Stuart Zicherman; FX

 Better Call Saul, Written by Vince Gilligan, Peter Gould, Gennifer Hutchison, Bradley Paul, Thomas Schnauz, Gordon Smith; AMC

 Game of Thrones, Written by David Benioff, Bryan Cogman, Dave Hill, D.B. Weiss; HBO

Mad Men, Written by Lisa Albert, Semi Chellas, Jonathan Igla, Janet Leahy, Erin Levy, Tom Smuts, Robert Towne, Matthew Weiner, Carly Wray; AMC

Mr. Robot, Written by Kyle Bradstreet, Kate Erickson, Sam Esmail, David Iserson, Randolph Leon, Adam Penn, Matt Pyken; USA

COMEDY SERIES

 Broad City, Written by Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, Naomi Ekperigin, Ilana Glazer, Abbi Jacobson, Chris Kelly, Anthony King, Jen Statsky; Comedy Central

Silicon Valley, Written by Amy Aniobi, Alec Berg, Carrie Kemper, Sonny Lee, Dan Lyons, Carson Mell, Dan O’Keefe, Clay Tarver, Ron Weiner; HBO

 Transparent, Written by Arabella Anderson, Bridget Bedard, Micah Fitzerman-Blue, Noah Harpster, Ethan Kuperberg, Ali Liebegott, Our Lady J, Faith Soloway, Jill Soloway; Amazon Studios

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Written by Emily Altman, Jack Burditt, Robert Carlock, Azie Mira Dungey, Tina Fey, Lauren Gurganous, Charla Lauriston, Sam Means, Dan Rubin, Meredith Scardino, Allison Silverman, Lon Zimmet; Netflix

Veep, Written by Simon Blackwell, Jon Brown, Kevin Cecil, Roger Drew, Peter Fellows, Neil Gibbons, Rob Gibbons, Sean Gray, Callie Hersheway, Armando Iannucci, Sean Love, Ian Martin, Georgia Pritchett, David Quantick, Andy Riley, Tony Roche, Will Smith; HBO

NEW SERIES

 Better Call Saul, Written by Vince Gilligan, Peter Gould, Gennifer Hutchison, Bradley Paul, Thomas Schnauz, Gordon Smith; AMC

Bloodline, Written by Jonathan Glatzer, Carter Harris, Glenn Kessler, Todd A. Kessler, Addison McQuigg, Arthur Phillips, Jeff Shakoor, Daniel Zelman; Netflix

The Last Man On Earth, Written by Andy Bobrow, Liz Cackowski, Erik Durbin, Will Forte, Kira Kalush, Matt Marshall, Tim McAuliffe, David Noel, Erica Rivinoja, John Solomon, Emily Spivey; Fox

Mr. Robot, Written by Kyle Bradstreet, Kate Erickson, Sam Esmail, David Iserson, Randolph Leon, Adam Penn, Matt Pyken; USA

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Written by Emily Altman, Jack Burditt, Robert Carlock, Azie Mira Dungey, Tina Fey, Lauren Gurganous, Charla Lauriston, Sam Means, Dan Rubin, Meredith Scardino, Allison Silverman, Lon Zimmet; Netflix

LONG FORM ORIGINAL

 American Horror Story: Hotel, Written by Brad Falchuk, John J. Gray, Todd Kubrak, Crystal Liu, Ned Martel, Tim Minear, Ryan Murphy, Jennifer Salt, James Wong; FX

 Flesh and Bone, Written by Bronwyn Garrity, Jami O’Brien, Adam Rapp, Moira Walley-Beckett, David Wiener; Starz

 Saints & Strangers, Written by Seth Fisher, Walon Green, Chip Johannessen, Eric Overmyer; National Geographic Channel

Sons of Liberty, Written by Stephen David, Kirk Ellis, David C. White; History Channel

LONG FORM ADAPTED

 Fargo, Written by Steve Blackman, Bob DeLaurentis, Noah Hawley, Ben Nedivi, Matt Wolpert, Based on the film Fargo; FX

 The Red Tent, Written by Elizabeth Chandler, Anne Meredith, Based on the book The Red Tent by Anita Diamant; Lifetime

 Show Me A Hero, Written by David Simon, William F. Zorzi, Based on the book by Lisa Belkin; HBO

SHORT FORM NEW MEDIA – ORIGINAL

 “Back to Reality” (Weight), Written by Daryn Strauss; weighttheseries.com

 “Born This Way” (Anyone But Me), Written by Susan Miller; hulu.com

SHORT FORM NEW MEDIA – ADAPTED

“Chapter Two: Phoebe” (Heroes Reborn: Dark Matters), Written by Zach Craley; nbc.com

 “Part 8” (Fear The Walking Dead: Flight 462), Written by L. Signorino & Mike Zunic; amc.com

 “The Summer of Love, Part 1: Meet Charlie” (Aquarius), Written by Mike Moore & David Reed; nbc.com

ANIMATION

“Gayle Makin’ Bob Sled” (Bob’s Burgers), Written by Lizzie Molyneux & Wendy Molyneux; Fox

 “Halloween of Horror” (The Simpsons), Written by Carolyn Omine; Fox

 “Hank After Dark” (BoJack Horseman), Written by Kelly Galuska; Netflix

 “Housetrap” (Bob’s Burgers), Written by Dan Fybel; Fox

 “Sky Police” (The Simpsons), Written by Matt Selman; Fox

 “Walking Big & Tall” (The Simpsons), Written by Michael Price; Fox

EPISODIC DRAMA

 “Explosivos” (Narcos), Written by Andy Black; Netflix

 “International Assassin” (The Leftovers), Written by Damon Lindelof & Nick Cuse; HBO

 “Mind’s Eye” (The Good Wife), Written by Robert King & Michelle King; CBS

 “Mother’s Mercy” (Game of Thrones), Written for Television by David Benioff & D.B. Weiss; HBO

 “Person to Person” (Mad Men), Written by Matthew Weiner; AMC

 “Uno” (Better Call Saul), Written by Vince Gilligan & Peter Gould; AMC

EPISODIC COMEDY

 “Alive in Tucson” (The Last Man On Earth), Written by Will Forte; Fox

 “Connection Lost” (Modern Family), Written by Megan Ganz & Steven Levitan; ABC

“Joint Session” (Veep), Teleplay by Simon Blackwell & Georgia Pritchett, Story by Armando Iannucci & Simon Blackwell & Georgia Pritchett; HBO

 “Racegate” (Maron), Written by Dave Anthony; IFC

 “Rock, Paper, Scissors, Gun” (black-ish), Written by Peter Saji; ABC

 “Sand Hill Shuffle” (Silicon Valley), Written by Clay Tarver; HBO

COMEDY / VARIETY (INCLUDING TALK) – SERIES

 Conan, Writers: Jose Arroyo, Josh Comers, Andres du Bouchet, Jessie Gaskell, Michael Gordon, Brian Kiley, Laurie Kilmartin, Rob Kutner, Todd Levin, Levi MacDougall, Conan O'Brien, Matt O’Brien, Andy Richter, Frank Smiley, Brian Stack, Mike Sweeney; TBS

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, Writers: Dan Amira, Steve Bodow, Travon Free, Hallie Haglund, Elliott Kalan, Matt Koff, Adam Lowitt, Dan McCoy, Jo Miller, Zhubin Parang, Owen Parsons, Daniel Radosh, Lauren Sarver, Jon Stewart, Delaney Yeager; Comedy Central

 The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Writers; Michael Brumm, Nate Charny, Aaron Cohen, Stephen Colbert, Cullen Crawford, Paul Dinello, Eric Drysdale, Rob Dubbin, Ariel Dumas, Glenn Eichler, Gabriel Gronli, Barry Julien, Jay Katsir, Daniel Kibblesmith, Matt Lappin, Opus Moreschi, Tom Purcell, Jen Spyra, Brian Stack; CBS

 Real Time with Bill Maher, Writers: Scott Carter, Adam Felber, Matt Gunn, Brian Jacobsmeyer, Jay Jaroch, Chris Kelly, Bill Maher, Billy Martin, Danny Vermont; HBO

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Writers: Jonathan Adler, Patrick Borelli, Gerard Bradford, Luke Cunningham, Mike DiCenzo, Mike Drucker, Jess Dweck, Dicky Eagan, Caroline Eppright, John Haskell, JR Havlan, Arthur Meyer, A.D. Miles, Chase Mitchell, Dan Opsal, Gavin Purcell, Jon Rineman, Albertina Rizzo, David Young; NBC

COMEDY / VARIETY – SKETCH SERIES

 Inside Amy Schumer, Head Writer: Jessi Klein Writers: Hallie Cantor, Kim Caramele, Kyle Dunnigan, Jon Glaser, Kurt Metzger, Christine Nangle, Dan Powell, Tami Sagher, Amy Schumer; Comedy Central

Key & Peele, Written by Colton Dunn, Rebecca Drysdale, Keegan-Michael Key, Phil Augusta Jackson, Jay Martel, Jordan Peele, Ian Roberts, Alex Rubens, Charlie Sanders, Rich Talarico; Comedy Central

Saturday Night Live, Head Writer: Colin Jost, Rob Klein, Bryan Tucker Writers: James Anderson, Jeremy Beiler, Megan Callahan, Michael Che, Mikey Day, Steve Higgins, Zach Kanin, Chris Kelly, Erik Kenward, Dave McCary, Dennis McNicholas, Lorne Michaels, Claire Mulaney, Mike O’Brien, Josh Patten, Alison Rich, Katie Rich, Tim Robinson, Natasha Rothwell, Nick Rutherford, Meredith Scardino, Sarah Schneider, Pete Schultz, Streeter Seidell, John Solomon, Kent Sublette; NBC

COMEDY / VARIETY – MUSIC, AWARDS, TRIBUTES – SPECIALS

 The 69th Annual Tony Awards, Written by Dave Boone; Special Material by Adam Goldman, Carol Leifer; CBS

 2014 Kennedy Center Honors, Written by Lewis Friedman, Sara Lukinson, Nell Scovell, George Stevens, Jr., Michael Stevens; CBS

 2015 Film Independent Spirit Awards, Written by Benji Aflalo, Wayne Federman, Marika Sawyer, Frank Sebastiano, Erik Weiner; IFC

 Amy Schumer: Live at The Apollo, Written by Amy Schumer; HBO

 Jimmy Kimmel Live: 10th Annual After The Oscars Special, Written by Jack Allison, Tony Barbieri, Jonathan Bines, Joelle Boucai, Greg Dorris, Gary Greenberg, Josh Halloway, Sal Iacono, Eric Immerman, Jimmy Kimmel, Bess Kalb, Jeff Loveness, Molly McNearney, Danny Ricker, Joe Strazzullo, Bridger Winegar; ABC

 Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary Special, Written by James Anderson, Fred Armisen, Tina Fey, Steve Higgins, Chris Kelly, Erik Kenward, Rob Klein, Seth Meyers, Lorne Michaels, John Mulaney, Paula Pell, Jeff Richmond, Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer, Tom Schiller, Sarah Schneider, Marc Shaiman, Michael Shoemaker, Robert Smigel, Emily Spivey, Kent Sublette, Jorma Taccone, Bryan Tucker; NBC

QUIZ AND AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION

 Hollywood Game Night, Head Writer: Grant Taylor; Writers: Michael Agbabian, Alex Chauvin, Ann Slichter, Dwight D. Smith; NBC

Jeopardy!, Written by John Duarte, Harry Friedman, Mark Gaberman, Deborah Griffin, Michele Loud, Robert McClenaghan, Jim Rhine, Steve D. Tamerius, Billy Wisse; ABC

DAYTIME DRAMA

 The Bold and the Beautiful, Head Writers: Bradley P. Bell, Michael Minnis Writers: Rex M. Best, Shannon Bradley, Adam Dusevoir, Tracey Ann Kelly, Patrick Mulcahey, Mark Pinciotti, Michele Val Jean; CBS

General Hospital, Writers: Ron Carlivati, Anna Theresa Cascio, Andrea Archer Compton, Suzanne Flynn, Kate Hall, Elizabeth Korte, Daniel James O'Connor, Elizabeth Page, Jean Passanante, Katherine Schock, Scott Sickles, Chris Van Etten; ABC

CHILDREN’S SCRIPT – EPISODIC AND SPECIALS

 “Endless Night” (Gortimer Gibbon’s Life on Normal Street), Written by Gretchen Enders & Aminta Goyel; Amazon Studios

 “Girl Meets I am Farkle” (Girl Meets World), Written by Mark Blutman; Disney Channel

“Gortimer and the Surprise Signature” (Gortimer Gibbon’s Life on Normal Street), Written by Garrett Frawley & Brian Turner; Amazon Studios

 “Gortimer vs The Relentless Rainbow of Joy” (Gortimer Gibbon’s Life on Normal Street), Written by David Anaxagoras and Luke Matheny; Amazon Studios

 “Ranger vs. The Fabled Flower of Normal Street” (Gortimer Gibbon’s Life on Normal Street), Written by Laurie Parres; Amazon Studios

CHILDREN’S SCRIPT – LONG FORM OR SPECIAL

 “Descendants,” Written by Josann McGibbon & Sara Parriott; Disney Channel

DOCUMENTARY SCRIPT – CURRENT EVENTS

 “American Terrorist” (Frontline), Written by Thomas Jennings; PBS

 “Gunned Down: The Power of the NRA” (Frontline), Written by Michael Kirk & Mike Wiser; PBS

DOCUMENTARY SCRIPT – OTHER THAN CURRENT EVENTS

 “Firestone and the Warlord” (Frontline), Written by Marcela Gaviria; PBS

 “The Forgotten Plague” (American Experience), Written by Chana Gazit; PBS

 “The Great Math Mystery” (Nova), Written by Daniel McCabe; PBS

 “Secrets, Politics and Torture” (Frontline), Written by Michael Kirk & Mike Wiser; PBS

TV NEWS SCRIPT – REGULARLY SCHEDULED, BULLETIN, OR BREAKING REPORT

 “Cuba” (60 Minutes), Written by Scott Pelley, Nicole Young, Oriana Zill de Granados, Andy Court and Robert Anderson; CBS News

 “Yogi Berra Tribute,” Written by Gerald Mazza; CBS Newspath

TV NEWS SCRIPT – ANALYSIS, FEATURE, OR COMMENTARY

 “The Storm After the Storm” (60 Minutes), Written by Sharyn Alfonsi, Michael Rey and Oriana Zill de Granados; CBS News

The wise owl in the classic 1970 "How Many Licks?" TV commercial declared it took three to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop. At least that's how many it took before he bit into it.

Netflix wanted to know how many episodes of a TV show it takes before viewers bite into the whole season, and found that in most cases it takes at least three.

The OTT service analyzed global streaming data for the inaugural seasons of more than 20 shows -- Netflix originals and licensed fare -- across 16 markets between January and July and detected a pattern: an episode emerged from each show after which 70% of viewers went on to complete the entire first season.

Netflix calls that the "hooked" episode.

"It turns out that when commercial breaks and appointment viewing are stripped away and consumers can watch an entire season as they choose, you can see fandom emerge," the company said.

Among the cable and OTT shows sampled in the study, viewers were generally hooked by episode 4:

2 Episodes In
--Bates Motel
--Breaking Bad

3 Episodes In
--House of Cards
--Orange Is the New Black

4 Episodes In
--Better Call Saul
--Grace and Frankie
--Pretty Little Liars
--Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

For newly christened Best Drama Emmy winner Mad Men, it took six episodes for viewers to get hooked.

Click here for the full-sized graphic pictured.

"Given the precious nature of primetime slots on traditional TV, a series pilot is arguably the most important point in the life of the show," Ted Sarandos, chief content officer for Netflix, said. "However, we found that no one was ever hooked on the pilot. This gives us confidence that giving our members all episodes at once is more aligned with how fans are made."

International Variations
The "hooked" episode remained fairly consistent across worldwide markets, Netflix said, but some slight geographic differences emerged:
--The Dutch tend to get hooked the fastest, one episode ahead of most countries.
--Brazilians fell for Jimmy McGill in Better Call Saul one episode sooner than Mexicans.
--Australians and New Zealanders hold out longer than viewers in other countries, generally getting hooked one to two episodes after everyone else.

As for the original question, the Tootsie Pop commercial ultimately concluded "the world may never know" how many licks it takes to get to the chocolatey center, but three groups of student researchers have tried, with less consistency in the results than Netflix's study.

AMC will bring back its drama series Humans for a second season, the network announced Friday prior to its Television Critics Association tour session.

 Humans, a co-production between AMC and Britain’s Channel 4, will return for eight new episodes, with production starting next year, according to network officials.

The artificial intelligence-fused series is averaging 2 million viewers and 1 million adults 25-54 through its first four episodes in live+3 ratings, according to AMC.

“We’re so pleased to announce a second season of Humans and extend our terrific partnership with Channel 4,” said Joel Stillerman, president of original programming and development for AMC and Sundance TV. “As one of the year’s top new cable series, Humans has been embraced by fans and critics across the U.S. and UK. We’re looking forward to continuing this very captivating story and further exploring the show’s parallel, Synth-filled world that hits so disturbingly close to home.”

AMC Friday also released  photos from the set of  Better Call Saul (pictured). The series, which is currently shooting its second season in Albuquerque, NM,  is set to debut early next year on AMC.

HBO took home the lion’s share of Critics’ Choice Television Awards during Sunday night's live telecast.

HBO won seven awards to lead all cable shows, followed by FX with four wins, according to the Broadcast Television Journalists Association (BTJA). Amazon, AMC, Comedy Central and Fox also took home multiple awards with two each.

Olive Kitteridge (HBO) was most honored program with three wins including best limited series. AMC’s Better Call Saul, HBO’s Silicon Valley and Amazon’s Transparent won two awards each, according to the BTJA.

FX’s The Americans won the award for Best Drama Series, while Silicon Valley (HBO) won Best Comedy Series. HBO’s Bessie took top honors in the best movie made for television category. 

Best actor in a drama series went to Bob Odenkirk (Better Call Saul), while Jeffrey Tambor took home top honors for best actor in a comedy series for his role in Amazon’s Transparent.

The Best actress in a drama series was awarded to Taraji P. Henson for her role in Fox’s Empire, while the best actress in a comedy series nod went to Amy Schumer (Comedy Central’s Inside Amy Schumer.)

The 2015 Critics’ Choice Television Awards were hosted by Cat Deeley (So You Think You Can Dance) and aired live on A&E

The Complete list of Critics’ Choice Television Awards is as follows:

Best Drama Series: The Americans (FX)

Best Actor in a Drama Series: Bob Odenkirk, Better Call Saul (AMC)

Best Actress in a Drama Series: Taraji P. Henson, Empire (FOX)

Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series: Jonathan Banks, Better Call Saul (AMC)

Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series: Lorraine Toussaint, Orange Is the New Black (Netflix)

Best Guest Performer in a Drama Series: Sam Elliott, Justified (FX)

Best Comedy Series: Silicon Valley (HBO)

Best Actor in a Comedy Series: Jeffrey Tambor, Transparent (Amazon)

Best Actress in a Comedy Series: Amy Schumer, Inside Amy Schumer (Comedy Central)

Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series: T.J. Miller, Silicon Valley (HBO)

Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series: Allison Janey, Mom (CBS)

Best Guest Performer in a Comedy Series: Bradley Whitford, Transparent (Amazon)

Best Movie Made for Television: Bessie (HBO)

Best Limited Series: Olive Kitteridge (HBO)

Best Actor in a Movie or Limited Series: David Oyelowo, Nightingale (HBO)

 Best Actress in a Movie or Limited Series: Frances McDormand, Olive Kitteridge (HBO)

Best Supporting Actor in a Movie or Limited Series: Bill Murray, Olive Kitteridge (HBO)

Best Supporting Actress in a Movie or Limited Series: Sarah Paulson, American Horror Story: Freak Show (FX)

Best Reality Series: Shark Tank (ABC) 

Best Reality Competition Series: Face Off (Syfy)

Best Reality Series Host: Cat Deeley, So You Think You Can Dance (FOX)

Best Talk Show: The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (Comedy Central)

Best Animated Series: Archer (FX)

Critics’ Choice LOUIS XIII Genius Award: Seth MacFarlane

With no live college or pro football games to compete against, USA Network emerged as the most watched cable network in primetime during the month of February.

USA, in ending ESPN's football-fueled, five-month run at the top spot, rode the return of its drama series Suits (pictured) as well as its WWE Monday Night Raw franchise to an average of 1.9 million primetime viewers during the period of Jan. 26 to Feb. 22 to best all cable networks, according to Nielsen.

Fox News and Disney Channel tied for second place with with 1.8 million viewers, while TBS and Discovery tied for fourth with 1.7 million viewers.

AMC (1.6 million viewers); History (1.5 million), HGTV and TNT (tied with 1.4 million) and ESPN (1.3 million) round out the top 10 most watched networks for the month.

Nickelodeon, Adult Swim and Disney Channel finished in a virtual tie for first place over a 24-hour basis, with all three networks averaging 1.2 million viewers. Fox News’ 1.1 million viewers and USA’s 1.0 million viewers followed closely behind.

Episodes from AMC’s The Walking Dead and Better Call Saul represented half of the top 10 most-watched shows for the month, with Discovery-based shows Gold Rush and Alaskan Bush People occupying three slots and TNT’s NBA All-Star Game coverage dunking the final two positions on the list, according to Nielsen.

AMC’s Breaking Bad prequel Better Call Saul –benefiting from a huge Walking Dead audience lead in and the legacy of its predecessor-- set all-time ratings highs for a cable premiere in key demos, AMC said Monday.

Better Call Saul averaged 6.9 million total viewers and set premiere records within the 18-49 (4.4 million) and  25-54 (4.0 million viewers) demos, said network officials.  The 18-to-49 delivery surpassed the 4 million for USA's The Dead Zone, which bowed in 2002, while Saul matched the 4 million with the older group generated by the Anthony Michael Hall-starrer.

The series bow no doubt was aided by big lead-in from cable’s top rated series, The Walking Dead, which pinned down 15.6 million viewers for the second half of the zombie-themed series' fifth season.

The network’s post Walking Dead talk show series Talking Dead aftershow delivered 2.8 million viewers and 1.9 million 18-49 viewers, according to network officials.

“In a competitive environment that sometimes gets as much press as the shows themselves, it is gratifying to deliver programming that breaks through and reaches passionate audiences,”said AMC president Charlie Collier.

The second part of Saul's premiere event is scheduled for 10 p.m. on Monday, so AMC will get a better read on the popularity of the Breaking Bad prequel. Following a rundown of Breaking Bad's final season throughout Monday, last night's Saul pilot will air at 9 p.m. ahead of the series' second installment.

Taking a page from the show's opening scene, AMC and Cinnabon, Inc. have cooked up a partnership behind the network’s newest drama series, Better Call Saul.

As part of the joint effort, Cinnabon bakeries, one of which Saul Goodman (Bob Odenkirk) is seen working in the opening scene of last night's pilot episode, is hosting a giveaway of a MiniBon at participating U.S. locations Feb. 9 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Moreover, the Cinnabon bakeries will feature Better Call Saul promotional materials, including the show logo and key artwork, through March 3.

Both companies are promoting a Twitter sweepstakes granting the winner a chance to win free Cinnabon for a year. Better Call Saul, a prequel to AMC's Emmy-winning drama Breaking Bad,  debuted last night as part of a two-night television premiere event, the second part of which bows tonight at 10 p.m. (ET/PT).From Feb. 9 through March 3, visitors to any Cinnabon location can tweet a “selfie” picture of themselves at Cinnabon using the hashtag #SaulSelfie to enter the sweepstakes. One grand prize winner will win free Cinnabon for one year and three first prize winners will receive a $100 Cinnabon gift card. 

Cinnabon was first featured on Breaking Bad’s penultimate episode, “Granite State,” when Saul Goodman contemplated his future and new identity outside of Albuquerque. “If I’m lucky, in a month from now, best-case scenario, I’m managing a Cinnabon in Omaha,” he said.

“Cinnabon is an all-American brand that requires no explaining -- that fact appealed to us greatly.  We loved the idea of our Saul Goodman character taking on a secret identity as the manager of a mall bakery, making a delicious product that's well-known to everybody everywhere.  And fortunately, the nice folks at Cinnabon allowed us to make that happen,” said Better Call Saul creators and executive producers Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould.

“This has been such a sweet collaboration for AMC and we are thrilled that Cinnabon is working with us to give something special back to the ‘Saul’ fans. Vince and Peter have crafted an incredible and cinematic opening sequence for ‘Saul’s’ first episode and we are so excited to bring even a small part of that to life through this partnership,” said AMC executive vice president of marketing Linda Schupack.     

Noted Cinnabon senior vice president of marketing Kristen Hartman: ”Being part of a partnership where each brand has a beloved cult following is tremendous.  And it provides an incredible opportunity to connect and share all the new things that are happening at Cinnabon."

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Fans of AMC’s Breaking Bad know Saul Goodman as the wise-ass private consigliere, played by Bob Odenkirk, to accidental drug kingpin Walter White, played by Bryan Cranston. Saul also counseled White’s longtime drug-dealing sidekick Jesse Pinkman, played by Aaron Paul.

This prequel shows us how a young lawyer (real name Jimmy McGill) developed the skills that made him the ultimate sleazy shyster who can quietly fi x any problem, for the right price, while also advertising his name all around Albuquerque.

It stars Odenkirk, who does fear, funny and empathetic equally well and can carry any scene. It also stars Jonathan Banks, as Mike Ehrmantraut, the ex-cop-turned-fixer and cleaner par excellence in Breaking Bad. Other familiar characters also play a part.

It doesn’t star Cranston or Paul, so it will be interesting to see how the audiences for the two series compare.

Certainly, any Breaking Bad fan should sign up without hesitation. Beyond that will depend on how compelling the action and story and direction are.

The first episode (three were reviewed) starts out with a stylish look, set in the present day after the events of Breaking Bad, and director-writer Vince Gilligan sets the mood brilliantly. The timeline then jumps back six years, segueing through a slowly-building courtroom set piece that introduces Jimmy McGill as a finely-tuned orator, though in a completely futile cause.

Jimmy is about as down on his luck as you can be, collecting tiny fees from the state for public defender work. Ambitiously, he spots opportunities and goes after them: a public official who’s made the papers because more than $1 million goes missing. He has trouble sealing the deal, though. When it looks like he might have hit bottom, he turns it around into another opportunity, via a modest scam that’s maybe just this side of a shakedown. Naturally, things go very wrong, and Jimmy is gradually drawn into the world of thieves and psychopaths.

There’s another path to a potential payday through his brother, Charles, a skilled lawyer recently suffering through some troubles, played by Michael McKean, but that’s another source of frustration.

It’s all well-written, played and directed, with lots of nice Gilligan visual and musical touches, dark humor and Rockford Files-like efforts to mostly do the right thing. By episode three, it’s very sleuthy, with a bit of a Big Lebowski vibe. Odenkirk is great and Banks, whose Ehrmentraut starts out here as just a grumpy guy, and McKean bring what they bring. Saul also has a female (legitimate) lawyer friend, Kim Wexler, played by Rhea Seehorn. AMC is playing the first two episodes on succeeding nights.

As we welcome in all the promise of the New Year, some viewers are preparing to bid farewell to their favorite series and stars.

A number of marquee shows have already announced they will end their successful runs over the next 12 months. Arguably the most celebrated series departing, after a stellar seven-season run, is AMC’s Mad Men. The Matthew Weiner-produced drama chronicling a 1960s advertising agency has received nearly universal critical acclaim for its storytelling, historical authenticity and style — not to mention terrific acting led by series star John Hamm.

The series has also brought home a ton of hardware — 15 Emmy awards and four Golden Globe Awards since its launch in 2007. The final seven episodes of the series will air this spring.

Other shows also saying goodbye in 2015 include TBS’ Courteney Cox starrer Cougar Town, which debuts its sixth and final season Tuesday (Jan. 5); Showtime’s Nurse Jackie — led by multi Emmy winner Eddie Falco’s portrayal of conflicted emergency room nurse Jackie Peyton — which ends its seventh season later this year; and FX’s critically-acclaimed drama Justified, starring Timothy Olyphant as no-nonsense lawman Raylan Givens. That series will begin its sixth and final season on Jan. 20.

Certainly the loss of these and other quality scripted shows will somewhat diminish what many observers believe is a “golden age” of scripted programming on cable television. Fortunately for the industry and viewers, a number of new series are coming that hope to reach the same lofty heights as those shows leaving the air.

E! and Pivot will both jump into the scripted ring in 2015 with dramas The Royals and Fortitude, respectively; newly branded Pop will roll out comedy Schitt’s Creek; A&E will tap the supernatural genre with Returned; Netflix will ride the superhero wave with Marvel's Daredevil; and AMC will debut the much anticipated Breaking Bad prequel Better Call Saul in the new year, just to name a few.

Some of these shows, along with a slew of other new and returning scripted, reality and limited series, will be showcased over the next few weeks during the upcoming Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour in Pasadena, Calif.; the cable portion of the tour begins Wednesday (Jan. 7).

While viewers will be sad to see a number of cable series mainstays leave their TV schedules, they should be encouraged to know that more than enough new series are launching to keep them entertained throughout the New Year.