Showtime has renewed drama series Ray Donovan and Masters Oof Sex for fourth seasons, the network announced during its Television Critics Association Tour session Tuesday.

Both Donovan and Sex, which are currently in the middle of their third season runs, will return next year with 12 additional episodes, the network said.

“Both Ray Donovan and Masters Of Sex are signature series for Showtime,” said David Nevins, president of Showtime in a statement. “They are emblematic of what Showtime stands for – quality, premium programming that you cannot find anywhere else on television.  We’re so proud to continue offering both series across all our platforms.”

In other Showtime TCA news:

-- The network has ordered a one hour comedy pilot from executive producer Jim Carrey focusing on the 1970’s L.A. comedy scene dubbed I’m Dying Up Here, as well as an untitled, coming of age drama executively produced by Lena Waithe (Dear White People) and Common (Selma).

--Showtime will air in November The Spymasters, which will feature interviews with all 12 living directors of the Central Intelligence Agency

--Showtime will air in November The Spymasters, which will feature interviews with all 12 living directors of the Central Intelligence Agency. It also set a Sept. 26 date for the premiere of its documentary American Dream/American Knighrtmare chronicling the live of rap mogul Suge Knight.

--The pay TV service will develop performer Patti Smith’s memoir Just Kids to develop into a limited series and will chronicle the comback from injury of NFL star Victor Cruz in a fall Showtime Sports documentary I Am Giant: Victor Cruz.

--The network will debut on Jan. 17 freshman series Billions as well as the sixth season of Shameless. The network also released a trailer for Billions, which appears below. 

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — The Television Critics Association tour is known for its unusual and often memorable moments as network executives and talent face the firing line of questions from often-cranky critics. While the cable portion of the TCA was relatively tame with regards to a war of words between critics and on-stage personnel, a few notable exchanges occured over the four-day period.

• Starz CEO Chris Albrecht during his July 31 session took writers to task for perpetuating a perceived war of words between his network and HBO regarding their respective sports-related series, Survivor’s Remorse and Ballers. The day before, HBO president of programming Michael Lombardo had said he wasn’t familiar with Survivor’s Remorse when a writer asked him about a Starz press release that claimed TV critics were more enamored with the basketball-themed series than HBO’s football-focused comedy Ballers, starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.

After being asked if he had heard of Ballers, Albrecht quickly shot down any beef between the two networks and chided the writer who initially framed the question to HBO. While admitting that “one of our people was out there pitching shows maybe a little bit too ardently” he warned writers to “behave themselves” when asking questions to the stars of Survivor’s Remorse when then came to the stage later that morning, a request that writers honored.

• During network sessions, series producers, directors and stars often look to the press to help promote their projects. But during Discovery Channel’s session on Racing Extinction, a critic asked the documentary’s showrunners what journalists could do to further get out the show’s message that without a serious focus on conservation, the world faces the potential global extinction of numerous species of animals over the next few decades.

Director Louie Psihoyos (The Cove) wasted no time in urging writers to “join the team” by signing up at racingextinction.com for alerts regarding the film, which will air in December.

“Everybody in this room can reach tens of millions of people. That’s huge. That’s a big advantage,” Psihoyos said. “You can magnify [the message] by getting journalists to write about it, getting it on Discovery. It’s all about scaling up.”

• Most cable and broadcast network series showrunners who address the TCA are excited about their projects and openly thank the networks for supporting them. But some critics were taken aback about the almost giddy enthusiasm several producers and showrunners had about working for over-the-top service Netflix, saying that its liberating to have creative freedom and to not to have to worry about ratings or advertiser and network concerns about content.

Reacting to a question about whether it would be hard to go back to working with a network after her Netflix experience, Grace & Frankie showrunner Marta Kauffman said it would be “difficult” working under the more restrictive parameters of traditional television — parameters that the co-creator of NBC’s 1990s mega-hit Friends is familiar with.

“There is this thing about not having to structure a half an hour in six parts … you can’t tell a story in 21 minutes,” Kauffman said. “So I think going back to that kind of difficult, shortened storytelling would be impossible now that I’ve gotten the opportunity to have almost 10 minutes more and let the story tell us how long it should be.”

— R. Thomas Umstead

TCM: Passionate Film-Noir Fans Won’t Cut Class

Zombie shows draw fans in bunches, but film-noir aficionados have more stamina.

That’s one conclusion The Wire drew after hearing the results from a Turner Classic Movies stunt this summer that invited viewers to take an eight-week online course pegged to the channel’s “Summer of Darkness” programming event.

It was the first online course tie-in TCM had tried, general manager Jennifer Dorian explained, and it was a natural one because it fit with an existing Ball State University free course called “Into the Darkness: Investigating Film Noir.” Enrollees on a weekly basis would watch 45-minute videos and educational lectures, read long articles and take quizzes in order to ace the course, administered by Canvas Network. That’s a fair amount of work to obtain a certificate.

The norm for completing what are called massive online open courses is a rate of around 4% or 5%, Dorian said. The “Summer of Darkness” completion rate stands at 14.4% with results still being tallied.

As for zombies: The biggest- ever MOOC was tied in with The Walking Dead, and drew 65,000 enrollees — but only 3% completed it, according to statistics provided by TCM.

Dorian, over iced teas in New York City last week, said she wasn’t very surprised that a relatively high percentage completed the June and July program. “Our fans go deep; they’re committed to their passion for classic cinema,” she said, adding, “I liked the 20,000 people — that impressed me.” Dorian said the TCM programming formula — uncut, commercial-free movies, primarily from the 1900s to 1979, with some “peppering” of more recent films — still worked and won’t be tinkered with or massively modernized. She does want to do more interactive projects like this online course and create “on-ramps” to draw in younger viewers and more casual movie fans.

The “Summer of Darkness” stunt also struck a social-media chord as TCM sent fans a daily dose of two-minute film noir clips and sought their responses on Twitter (#noirsummer). The clips drew TCM’s highest-ever activity Twitter rate, Dorian said, even surpassing the awards-season staple “31 Days of Oscar.”
— Kent Gibbons

FX’s horror series The Strain has been renewed for a third series, the network said as part of several announcements from its Television Critics Association Tour session Friday.

The network greenlit a new comedy series Better Things, co-created and starring Pamela Adlon, who plays a working actor and single mom trying to raise three daughters, said network officials. Adlon was recently nominated for an Emmy award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for an appearance on FX’s series Louie.

In other FX Networks news, FX sister service FXX will debut in 2016 a new animated series Cassius and Clay, which follows the exploits of two bandits looking to survive in a futuristic, post-apocalyptic American South, said network officials. In addition, FXX said it will air the seventh season of animated series Archer. The series moves over from FX, which aired the first six seasons of the spy-themed comedy.

FX announced premiere dates for several of its shows, including freshman drama series The Bastard Executioner (Sept. 15), American Horror Story: Hotel (Oct. 7) and Fargo (Oct. 12)

AMC will continue to ride the western genre with a straight to series order for docudrama The West, AMC and Sundance TV president Charlie Collier said Friday during the network’s Television Critics Association tour session.

The eight-hour series, from Stephen David Entertainment and Robert Redford’s Sundance Productions, will debut in 2016. The series’ premiere will coincide with the final seven episodes of the network’s Western drama Hell on Wheels, said network officials.

Collier also said the network has picked up a second season of Stephen David Entertainment’s Making Of The Mob docudrama, said network officials.

The network also confirmed a 15-order second season of AMC’s series Fear The Walking Dead, weeks before the show’s Aug. 23 freshman season debut.

The announcements come on the heels of an earlier AMC announcement for a second season renewal of drama series Humans.

Starz will make all episodes of the final season of Da Vinci’s Demons and of freshman series Flesh and Bone available online before each show debuts on the channel, Starz CEO Chris Albrecht said Friday at the Television Critics Association tour.

The final 10-episodes of Da Vinci’s Demons will debut on Starz Play and Starz On Demand prior to returning to Starz on Oct. 24, while eight episodes of Flesh And Bone will be offered for binge viewing before its Nov. 8 network debut.

“It’s fun to try to do different things with [original] programming because we can,” Albrecht said. “Starz has had a fantastic year with original programming in 2015 and we are rewarding our Starz subscribers with two special opportunities to immerse themselves into quality series and enjoy them on their own schedules."

He added said the premium network would consider implementing the binge-viewing strategy with other shows, although he would not say which if any shows are being considered.

Starz also said it ordered up a fourth season of pirate drama Black Sails and  greenlit a new drama series, Havana Quartet, starring Antonio Banderas.

Overall, Albrecht said that Starz will offer 75 to 80 episodes of original series content in 2015.

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 will air an Amy Schumer stand-up comedy special in October, one of several specials the network announced during its Television Critics Association tour session Thursday.

Amy Schumer: Live From Apollo, directed by Chris Rock, will debut Oct. 17, said HBO president Michael Lombardo during the session.

The network will also launch a Sept. 12 special featuring Will Ferrell dubbed Ferrell Takes The Field, in which the comedian visits five baseball fields during spring training. The special, in which Ferrell plays every position on baseball field for ten different teams in the same day, was dedicated to fight against cancer, said the network.

The network will also air a U2 documentary and concert performance over two consecutive weeks in November, Lombardo said.

Investigation Discovery will team with veteran TV news personality Barbara Walters to create a new series focused on infamous political scandals.

The series, Barbara Walters Presents American Scandals, will premiere Nov. 2, Discovery Group president Henry Schleiff announced during the network's Television Critics Association Tour session Thursday.

“Journalist. Author. Television personality. In our lifetime, there is no other name more associated with headlines and stories that mesmerized readers and viewers than Barbara Walters. Indeed, only the incomparable Barbara Walters could deliver these original interviews and get the subjects to speak to her,” he said.

Schleiff also announced that the network will partner with iHeartRadio to develop a weekly news-driven radio series looking at headline-making cases.

The network will also team with the Southern Poverty Law Center for a new series And Justice For All focused on the diversity group’s case files, according to Schleiff.

National Geographic Channel will return its late night series StarTalk in October, the network said Wednesday during its Television Critics Association tour session.

Also, the network will develop a scripted drama Red Planet from producers Ron Howard and Brian Grazer about man's first trip to mars, according Nat Geo CEO Courteney Monroe.

StarTalk, hosted by astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, will premiere Oct. 25 on the channel. The first guest for the second season will be President Bill Clinton, said Monroe.

In other Nat Geo news, the network will also launch a new documentary Parched, produced by Alex Gibney. The limited series will also be developed into a theatrical release, according to network officials. 

The network also said it has ordered a pilot script dubbed Last Men Out about the last 36 hours of the Vietnam War from executie producers Tom Fontana and Barry Levinson.

Monroe also said she's open to another Killing original movie, but the network has no plans for any additional movies wihtin the franchise. The network's Killing Kennedy, Killing Jesus and Killing Lincoln are among the most watched shows in network history. 

New Daily Show host Trevor Noah says he will bring a different perspective to the late night show, but will not look to make a major overhaul.

Noah, who spoke during Comedy Central’s Television Critics Association press tour session Wednesday (July 29), said he will provide a different slant to stories than his predecessor, Jon Stewart, when he takes over for the longtime Daily Show host, but will not change the focus of the show.

The biracial 31-year old South African comedian said he draws his opinions from his life’s experiences, and perspectives will come through during the show, but he doesn’t plan to make any major changes to the look or the set.

“The way we tackle stories will be different,” Noah said.  “I still want the show to be recognized as The Daily Show.”

Kent Alterman, president of original programming for Comedy Central, told Multichannel News, “He is going to bring his point of view, but not imposing it in some way, but meshing it into the creative staff.”

Alterman said during the panel that the network “will be forever in debt” to Stewart for his stewardship of The Daily Show.

Musical artist John Legend will executively produce WGN’s new drama series Underground, the network announced Wednesday during its Television Critics Tour session.

The series, which will follow plantation slaves that band together to fight for their freedom, will debut next year. Legend’s Get Lifted company will also oversee the score, soundtrack and all music aspects of the series.

“We are thrilled that John Legend will lend his impressive talents to Underground, a story that chronicles the compelling journey of brave individuals whose fight for freedom still inspires us today,” said Matt Cherniss, President and General Manager, WGN America and Tribune Studios Cherniss.  “We look forward to John, Mike and Ty’s creative imprint on this series that we believe will be both provocative and captivating.”

Cherniss said that network will offer four scripted series in 2016 including freshman series Underground and The Outsiders, as well as sophomore series Manhattan and Salem. 

Netflix has come a long way since the 2013 launch of House of Cards, with the over-the-top service set to offer 475 hours of original programming this year, Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos said.

Speaking during Netflix’s Television Critics Association tour session Monday, Sarandos said the OTT service, which only began offering original programming some 30 months ago, will have as many as 16 scripted shows, 12 documentary shows and 17 kids-targeted series on-air in 2015.

Sarandos talks about the value of original programming at #TCA15 in an original "MCN One Question for..." video.

Netflix’s original programming has been nominated for 34 Emmy awards, he added.

Netflix’s decision to build on its originals slate rather than on acquisitions of established shows (similar to Hulu’s recent acquisition of Seinfeld) provides the company with more flexibility in scheduling and international distribution, he said.

Sarandos would not reveal viewership numbers for any of the company’s original shows, although he said its comedy series Orange Is the New Black – the first to be Emmy nominated in both the comedy and drama categories – is the most watched original on the service.

Netflix is still bullish on its four-film deal with Adam Sandler despite the soft opening of his latest theatrical film, Pixels, Sarandos said, adding that Sandler’s appeal is very strong internationally.

Sarandos also opined on other Netflix original content:

--He said there’s still an opportunity for Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen to appear in the OTT service’s Fuller House comedy series. The series re-unites most of the cast from the 1980’s Full House series except for the Olsen twins, who have previously said they would not appear in the reboot.

--Netflix will roll out a Marvel-themed series approximately every six months, including new seasons of current shows. The service has already announced a second season of Daredevil and will debut Jessica Jones later this year.

--Sarandos called “unfortunate” and “unfair” the controversy surrounding the filming of the Sandler-produced original movie Ridiculous 6 in which several Native American extras walked off the set due to what they felt as culturally insensitive script writing.  

“I think when people see Ridiculous 6 they’ll see the show speaks for itself in terms of its treatment of American Indians.” he said.

Netflix has set a Sept. 10 date for a new season of former A&E drama series Longmire, the streaming-video service said during its Television Critics Association presentation Tuesday.

The Western-themed cop drama, which was canceled by A&E in 2014, will debut its fourth season with 10 episodes, said network officials.

Netflix also said it will debut an original documentary based on the life of veteran Rolling Stones member Keith Richards. The doc, Keith Richards: Under The Influence, produced by Morgan Neville (20 Feet From Stardom) will debut Set. 18, according to the network.

Netflix also said it has renewed its animated series BoJack Horseman for a third season and has set a Nov. 6 date for the new Aziz Ansari comedy series, Master of None.

Ted Sarandos talks about the value of original programming at #TCA15 in a new 'MCN One Question For ...' video.

Actors Ian Ziering and Tara Reid will return for a third battle with killer sharks in Syfy’s Sharknado 3 originalfilm set to debut later this July.

Ziering and Reid will reprise their roles from the first two Sharknado sci-fi films, according to network officials. Man-eating sharks will terrorize Washington D.C. in the third installment of the Sharknado series, which will be produced by The Asylum studio.

Sharknado 2: The Second One which aired last July set a Syfy original movies audience record with 3.9 million viewers.

Over-The-Top service Crackle has renewed Jerry Seinfeld’s hit series Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee for a sixth season, the company said during its Television Critics Association Winter Tour event Tuesday.

The sixth season of the series, which showcases Seinfeld’s candid interviews with such stars as Jason Alexander, Aziz Ansari, Fred Armisen, Alec Baldwin, Mel Brooks, Howard Stern and Jon Stewart, will debut later this Spring, according to Crackle officials.

The OTT service also announced several stars for its original movie Joe Dirt 2: Beautiful Loser.  Christopher Walken (Catch Me If You Can, Pulp Fiction), Dennis Miller (Dennis Miller Live, Thank You For Not Smoking), Brittany Daniel (The Game, Sweet Valley High) will join David Spade (Rules of Engagement) in the movie, which will debut on the service later this Spring.

Crackle also announced it will debut movies The Throwaways on Jan. 30 and Dead Rising: Watchtower on March 27, said company officials. 

Showtime said at the Television Critics Tour that it will pick up the new series Happyish, starring Steve Coogan (in the role initially intended for the late Philip Seymour Hoffman), Kathryn Hahn and Bradley Whitford. Shooting in New York, the comedy will debut on April 26 at 9:30 p.m. with Nurse Jackie as a lead-in at 9 p.m. and followed by the season-two premiere of Penny Dreadful. (Nurse Jackie kicks off its final season on April 12.)

Showtime had picked the show up as a 10-episode series a year ago but had not fully re-committed to it after Hoffman's death. In October, Coogan (Philomena) was cast to replace Hoffman in the pilot. He plays a 44-year-old man whose life is upended by the arrival of a new, young boss. Ellen Barkin, Carrie Preston, Molly Price and Andre Royo will guest star.

The creator, writer and executive producer is Shalom Auslander, a regular contributor to This American Life. “Shalom has a unique comedic voice," Showtime Networks president David Nevins said in a release. "He is smart, provocative and thoughtful. I know he’s going to make viewers laugh, but he’s also going to push a few buttons while doing it.” 

Showtime also said it has ordered a sixth season of Shameless, which began its season-five run this past Sunday. The sixth season will have 12 episodes and begin production later this year.

The CBS-owned premium network also said Kyle MacLachlan will reprise his role as FBI Agent Dale Cooper in Showtime's upcoming limited series version of Twin Peaks. It goes into production this year aiming for a 2016 premiere.

Showtime scheduled its documentary Kobe Bryant's Muse for a Saturday, Feb. 21 (9 p.m. ET/PT), premiere. (Trailer can be seen here.)

Click here for more of MCN's coverage of the 2015 Television Critics Association winter press tour from Pasadena, Calif.

'Mad Men' Final Episodes Debut April 5 #TCA15

Pasadena, Calif.--AMC will begin airing the final seven episodes of its drama Mad Men April 5, the network announced during its Television Critics Association winter tour presentation here Saturday.

Read more here.

Starz's Albrecht: No Stand-Alone Service Planned #TCA15

Pasadena, Calif. -- Starz has no interest in offering its premium content directly to consumers but would consider streaming its product through third-party distributors, according to Starz CEO Chris Albrecht.

Read more here.

'Game of Thrones,' 'Veep' Returning April 12 #TCA15

Pasadena, Calif. -- HBO will return its hit drama series Game Of Thrones for a fifth season April 12, the network announced during its Television Critics Association press tour presentation Thursday. Read more here.

Nat Geo Channel To Launch Late Night Talk Show #TCA15

Pasadena, Calif.--National Geographic Channel will develop its first ever late-night series in April hosted by astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson. Read more here.

Sarandos: No Netflix Ratings For Original Shows #TCA15

Pasadena, Calif. -- Netflix has no intentions of releasing viewing statistics for its original shows, which do not reflect the success or failure of its original programming, according to the OTT service’s chief content officer Ted Sarandos. Read more here.

Pasadena -- Comedian Larry Wilmore said he will not shy away from any controversial topics as part of his new Comedy Central late night series The Nightly Show, which will feature a mix of scripted content and panel discussions.

Wilmore, who spoke during Comedy Central’s Television Critics Association Winter tour presentation Saturday, said that all topics are fair game on his show, although some subjects have to be addressed more carefully than others.

“In my mind there are never any taboo subjects but you have to be respectful of certain things that maybe tough to talk about and how you talk about them,” he said. “It not the subject itself that would be off limits but the manner by which we approach and talk about it.”

The Nightly Show, which will take over timeslot vacated by The Colbert Show begining Jan. 19, will feature scripted content and panel-based segments, according to Wilmore. The first part of the show will be a scripted comedy format where Wilmore will discuss the events of the day, followed by a panel session with guests.

“So it will have a nice balance of both of those types of things, the scripted element and unscripted element,” he said.

Wilmore also said he changed the name of the series from The Minority Report With Larry Wilmore because it conflicted with a Fox pilot pickup based on the 2002 film The Minority Report.

“The Minority Report … we loved that title. It’s very provocative and it starts getting you thinking about things. That can work for you or against you,” he said. “Sometimes you have to undefine what that is already meaning to people, and that can be a hurdle. The Nightly Show doesn’t really cause that problem. The show gets to define what it is.”

Pasadena -- BBC America will return its hit series Orphan Black for a third season April 18, network officials said during its Television Critics Association Winter press tour presentation Saturday.

The series stars Tatiana Maslany who was recently nominated for Screen Actors Guild Award for her multiple staring roles.

BBC America also announced that it will debut this Spring a new original mini-series set during the Napoleonic Wars.

The series, Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, stars Eddie Marsan (Ray Donovan) as reclusive magician who battles a young novice magician Bertie Carvel (Restless) in 1806 England. The seven part miniseries is based on Susanna Clarke’s bestselling novel, according to the network.

 The series will debut on the network in 2015, said network officials.

On the non-fiction side, the network will premiere on Jan. 26 a car competition show Mud, Sweat and Gears. The series features two car afficionados who go head to head to transform everyday vehicles.

Pasadena--AMC will begin airing the final seven episodes of its drama Mad Men April 5, the network announced during its Television Critics Association winter tour presentation here Saturday.

“Mad Men is the show that put AMC on the map. Period. It is impossible to overstate the impact it has had on AMC, and I would argue, this era of television,” said Charlie Collier, AMC president in a statement.

The network also announced it will partner with BBC for the development of a new miniseries, The Night Manager. The series will star Hugh Laurie (House) and Tom Hiddleston (The Avengers, War Horse, Midnight in Paris) will star in the mini-series, a television adaptation of John le Carré’s novel of the same name.

AMC will also chronicle the roots of the mob with a special mini-series Making of The Mob: New York. The miniseries, produced by Stephen David Entertainment (The World Wars, The Men Who Built America) will consist of eight, one-hour episodes premiering in second quarter 2015.

Pasadena -- TV One will offer a package of monthly original films beginning in February, said network officials during TV One's Television Critics Association Winter press tour presentation Friday.

The network’s first film, White Water, debuts Feb. 7 and will explore the experience of a child’s first encounter with racial tension during the civil rights era. On March 14 the network will debut Hear No Evil, which chronicles the experience of a hearing-impaired teenage girl who hears voices beyond most people’s comprehension, according to network officials. 

“Increasing our rollout of original movies to an unprecedented number for the network provides us with the opportunity to offer our audience thoughtful and engaging content while working with talented filmmakers and actors,” said D’Angela Proctor, senior vice president of programming and production. “Our upcoming slate will showcase our talented Hollywood Divas, build upon our signature brand Unsung with biopics and deliver films that will have theatrical releases in the near future.”

The network also announce it will develop a scripted drama series Born Again Virgins.

Pasadena, Calif. -- Starz has no interest in offering its premium content directly to consumers but would consider streaming its product through third-party distributors, according to Starz CEO Chris Albrecht.

Albrecht, answering questions during Starz’ Television Critics Association Winter press tour, said that the network has no interest in offering its content through a stand-alone streaming service, but would consider partnering with other distributors offering a package of content over the web.

“We’re interested in talking to those people and there might be discussions,” Albrecht said. “We want to make sure we’re packaged and priced correctly.”

In other announcements, the network said it will embark on its first original movie, The Dresser.

The movie, based on Ronald Harwood’s classic play of the same name, follows the exploits of a dresser for British actor/manager Sir Donald Wolfit during World War II. The Dresser stars Anthony Hopkins (Noah, Thor, Silence of the Lambs) and Ian McKellen (The Hobbit franchise, X-Men franchise, Lord of the Rings franchise).

Pasadena -- Lifetime will add two additional episodes to its limited series The Lizzie Borden Chronicles and A&E Networks announced start dates for two of its scripted series as part of A+E Networks’ Television Critics Association Winter press tour presentation.

The Lizzie Borden Chronicles, based on the network’s hit move Lizzie Borden Took An Ax, will add two episodes to its six-episode mini-series lineup. The series, staring Christina Ricci as the notorious murder suspect, will debut April 2015, according to network officials.

A&E on March 9 will return its horror/drama series Bates Motel for its third season, as well as debut its new supernatural drama series The Returned, said network officials.

Pasadena--HBO will return its hit drama series Game Of Thrones for a fifth season April 12, the network announced during its Television Critics Association press tour presentation Thursday.

Game Of Thrones will be joined by season two of dramedy Silicon Valley, and the fourth  season of the Emmy-winning comedy Veep, said network officials.

The network also announced it will return talk show Real Time With Bill Maher for a 14th and 15th season. HBO will also premiere on Feb. 8 Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst and on May 4 Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief and Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck, said network officials. Other projects include Night Will Fall (Jan. 26); Rosie O'Donnell: A Heartfelt Stand Up (Feb. 14); It's Me. Hilary: The man Who Drew Eloise (March 23); Living with Lincoln (April 13); Tales Of The Grim Sleeper (April 27); Southern Rites (May 18); and The Lion's Mouth Opens (May 25).

On the original movie front, the network has tapped actress/performer Queen Latifah to star in Bessie, which chronicles the iconic blues singer Bessie Smith. The film, director by Dee Rees (Pariah) will debut this Spring, according to HBO. The network will also air the Edward Snowden documentary film CitizenFour on Feb. 23.

Finally, HBO will produce a special featuring comedian Tig Notaro.

Pasadena, Calif. -- Discovery Channel will look to develop as many as two scripted series in 2015 as the network eyes a more family-friendly and inclusive brand, said recently named network president Rich Ross.

Ross, speaking during Discovery’s Television Critics Association press tour presentation here Thursday, said he wants to stress authenticity and inclusiveness in the network’s original programming, although he did not give specific examples of new shows.

He did say Discovery will ramp up its scripted programming lineup, possibly launching two historical-based series in 2015. “We have a huge opportunity [in scripted],” he said.

Ross also said the recent hire of veteran documentary producer John Hoffman as the network’s executive vice president of documentaries and specials signals the network’s desire to develop quality and authentic non-fiction fare.

“The most important thing is authenticity,” he said. “It’s really important that we look into the brand and make sure that’s what we stand for.”

Looking to build on its Nielsen momentum in the new year, Investigation Discovery is teaming with a number of name brands during 2015.

As part of Discovery Communications session at the 2015 TCA winter press tour, Investigation Discovery, which saw its primetime audience grow 13% to an average of 909,000 watchers in 2014 to finish 24th overall, said it is working with journalist Chris Hansen on a new six-part series.

In Killer Instinct with Chris Hansen, the former Dateline NBC investigative reporter, will go into the field to take an in-depth look at some of America’s most horrific crimes, talking to people closest to the crimes that have shocked a nation. Killer Instinct, a co-production between Investigation Discovery and ITN Productions, is slated to debut in the third quarter.

ID, the fastest-growing network among cable’s top 25 in primetime last year, is also tapping into the staff of Vanity Fair to help shed light on some of the era’s most intriguing and salacious crimes and murders. The first of a dozen hours of Vanity Fair Confidential, created by Emmy-winning True Entertainment, will bow on Jan. 19 at 9 p.m. (ET).

The network has also commissioned In the Line of Fire from Atlas Media. The special will focus on some of the most captivating stories of heroic law enforcement in the face of insurmountable odds. Scheduled to bow this spring, In The Line of Fire will be presented by CBS News legal analyst and former trial attorney Rikki Klieman.

http://www.multichannel.com/news/content/2014-tough-ratings-year-cables-...

Pasadena, Calif.--National Geographic Channel will develop its first ever late-night series in April hosted by astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson.

The series, StarTalk – based on Tyson’s popular podcast – will feature celebrities, comedians and scientists discussing the latest developments in science, said Courteney Monroe, CEO, National Geographic Channels during the network's Television Critics Association press tour here Wednesday.

The series will be produced by National Geographic Studios and will be taped in front of a studio audience at the American Museum of Natural History’s Hayden Planetarium, where Tyson serves as director.

Tyson most recently hosted the Fox broadcasting miniseries Cosmos: A SpaceTime Odyssey this past summer.

“After the global success of Cosmos as one of the most watched series in our history, we are thrilled to be partnering with Neil again on Star Talk — his wildly popular podcast that transcends science and crosses over into pop culture — once again satisfying the audience’s passion for adventure and exploration,” Monroe said.

Monroe also announced the network will bring back the long-running nature series Explorer later this year.

The network also announced the summer debut of a new special, Dino Autopsy, and the Fall 2015 premiere of miniseries History Of The World.

Pasadena – ESPN will tap actress Eva Longoria and Marvel Entertainment to help boost its short films output, the sports network announced Wednesday during its Television Critics Association press tour presentation.

The Longoria-produced series, Versus, explores moments of inspiration when the world of sports transcended the action on the field, said network executives. Longoria will direct the series’ first short Go, Sebastian, Go!, which will profile nine year old singer Sebastian de la Cruz, who was the target of hateful comments after singing the national anthem in a mariachi charro suit during Game 3 of the 2013 NBA Finals.

A second short, Queen Vee, will profile Violet ‘Vee’ Palmer, the first female referee in the NBA.

ESPN Films has also partnered with Marvel Entertainment to create a short film series and a full-length documentary that connects super heroes with great athletes, said network officials.

The 1 of 1 – Origins short film series will launch this summer on SportsCenter and across ESPN’s digital platforms simultaneously and will focus on a single athlete who has a defining story of the origin of their powers in the sports world, said network officials.

A full length documentary, 1 of 1 – Genesis currently available on Digital HD through select digital retailers, explores the connections between Marvel Super Heroes and today’s athletes.

Finally, ESPN announced it will launch in February a Friday Night Movie Night segment within its 6 p.m. SportsCenter telecast featuring a short film from one of ESPN Films’ popular documentary series. The first short will debut Feb. 6 with the Spike Lee-produced film Ray Allen/AKA-Jesus Shuttlesworth, said network officials.

The series is the first of several movies from Spike Lee’s Lil’ Joints, which showcases narratives revolving around African-American stories that are not widely known.

"We’re thrilled to provide a showcase for these fantastic films, and we’re confident that fans will be dazzled by the ingenuity and insight in every story," said Rob King, Senior VP, SportsCenter and News.

Pasadena, Calif. -- Netflix has no intentions of releasing viewing statistics for its original shows, which do not reflect the success or failure of its original programming, according to the OTT service’s chief content officer Ted Sarandos.

Sarandos, speaking at Netflix’s Television Critics Association press tour presentation here Wednesday morning, said that unlike cable and broadcast networks, Netflix has no business reasons to be measured or release audience numbers. The streaming service doesn’t have to rely on ratings to generate advertising or secure carriage deals with cable distributors, so Sarandos said there’s no need to provide audience information to justify its success.

He added that the television industry’s heavy emphasis on ratings has hurt the overall creative process.

“For us, primetime viewing is no more valuable than 3 a.m. viewing – we want our subscribers to watch on their time table,” he said. “While other network track live +3 or live +7, it has no impact on our business whatsoever. We’re going to stay away from it as long as we can.”

On Netflix’s decision not to stream The Interview: Sarandos would not directly comment on Netflix’s decision not to distribute Sony’s controversial movie The Interview, but noted that the movie’s digital performance – Sony has reported that the movie has drawn $31 million in digital sales  – bodes well for the future of digitally distributed movie programming.

“It’s been a great  example of what can happen with a big budget movie if you give people distribution choices,” Sarandos said. “You can create a lot of revenue.”

On the resurrection of canceled shows: Sarandos said the company will look at shows “opportunistically” adding that its decision to bring back A&E’s recently cancelled drama Longmire was based on adding new viewers to Netflix. Later this year, Netflix will stream the fourth season of the western drama, which A&E cancelled late last year after three seasons. 

“The show had a very loyal audience base … it will work great on Netflix,” he said.