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Gold Derby's top news stories for May 1, 2025. Watch the trailer for Sundance hit Sorry, Baby A24 released the trailer for Sorry, Baby, the darkly funny dramedy from debut writer-director-star Eva Victor. The film, about a college professor recovering from a sexual assault, sparked a bidding war at Sundance, where Victor won the Waddo Salt Screenwriting Award. The film is executive-produced by Barry Jenkins, and co-stars Naomi Ackie, Lucas Hedges, and John Carroll Lynch. Sorry, Baby will open in theaters this summer, after it serves as the closing film of the Directors' Fortnight section of the Cannes Film Festival. Sinners is coming back to Imax

Sinners, director Ryan Coogler's horror sensation, wrapped up its initial immersive Imax 70mm run on Wednesday, but by popular demand it will be back very soon. Warner Bros. announced that the film will return to nine select Imax 70mm theaters across North America from May...

One of the best action movies of the last few years continues to prove its greatness, earning a pair of nominations at this year’s Gotham TV Awards. Released by Netflix back in September last year, Rebel Ridge has been both a critical and commercial success for the streamer, with the action thriller having now found itself up for awards consideration and thus cementing itself as one of the best genre features of modern times.

Rebel Ridge is now up for Outstanding Original Film, Broadcast, or Streaming alongside the likes of Peacock’s Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, NBC’s Ladies & Gentlemen…50 Years of SNL Music, HBO’s Pee-wee as Himself, and Hulu’s Sly Lives! (aka The Burden of Black Genius). Not only that, lead star Aaron Pierre is also in contention for Outstanding Performance in an Original Film, finding himself up against Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor in Searchlight Pictures...

The 2025 Gotham TV Awards nominations have been revealed, with Netflix’s Adolescence scoring a leading four nominations.

The four-episode series about a teenage boy accused of murder, which became a much-talked-about phenomenon shortly after its streaming debut last month, landed nods for breakthrough limited series, lead performance in a limited series (Stephen Graham) and two nods for supporting performance in a limited series (Owen Cooper and Erin Doherty).

Meanwhile, Max’s The Pitt, FX’s Dying for Sex and CBS’ Matlock each landed three nods, with a number of projects scoring two nods apiece.

Dying for Sex faces off against Adolescence in the limited series category, where additional nominees are Get Millie Back, Penelope and Say Nothing.

The Pitt and Matlock are nominated for breakthrough drama series, alongside Black Doves, Forever and One Hundred Years of Solitude.

The Pitt‘s Noah Wyle and Matlock‘s Kathy Bates are nominated for...

The new adult animated comedy comes from creators Ramy Youssef and Pam Brady and follows a Muslim family in early 2000s America.

It’s the early 2000s America, and the Hussein family is the talk of the town. From the minds of Ramy Youssef (“Ramy”) and Pam Brady (“South Park,” “Lady Dynamite” comes the brand-new A24 series “#1 Happy Family USA.” The adult animated satirical comedy will debut its full first season this Thursday, April 17 exclusively on Prime Video— watch with [a subscription to Prime Video][Priem Video $]!

How to watch ‘#1 Happy Family USA’ When: Thursday, April 17, 2025 at 3:01 a.m. Et TV: Prime Video Stream: Watch with a 30-day free trial to Prime Video From anywhere: Watch with a subscription to a Vpn. Everything you need to know to stream ‘#1 Happy Family USA’

How to watch ‘#1 Happy Family USA’

What time will ‘#1 Happy Family USA’ air?

Why do we recommend Prime Video for watching ‘#1 Happy Family USA...

Pam Brady is a comedy writer’s comedy writer, her Hollywood career starting in the mid-1990s. If you don’t recognize her name, you know her credits: She was integral to the early years of South Park — she was also co-writer of South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut and Team America: World Police — and she wrote the cult classic Hot Rod and co-created the Maria Bamford sitcom Lady Dynamite. And if all that wasn’t enough, she’s got stories about Robert Evans, the notorious producer and studio head responsible for some of the great American movies of the 1970s, like The Godfather. That’s what she wants to talk about first when we meet up over Zoom.

“I did the animated show Kid Notorious,” she says, referring to the short-lived 2003 Comedy Central sitcom that featured Evans as the swaggering main character. “I had to quit before we even...

From the moment I saw it, I could tell that #1 Happy Family USA was either going to go very right or very wrong. The basic hook of a Muslim-American family living through post-9/11 culture is a solid one for a sitcom, but also one that could easily indulge in harmful, racist stereotypes in the wrong hands.

Thankfully, the hands of stand-up comedian and Poor Things star Ramy Youssef were the right ones; as the series is consistently funny, politically inciteful, and oddly enough, deeply sad thanks in no small part to how compelling and relatable its core cast of characters and their struggles truly are.

#1 Happy Family USA plot

Our story centers on the misadventures of the Hussein family in Hackensack, New Jersey. The eternally cranky grandparents, the father Hussein running his halal cart, the Princess Diana-obsessed mother Sharia working as a dental receptionist, teenage daughter Mona, a closeted lesbian and class presidential hopeful,...

Prime Video has announced the lineup of movies and TV shows that will be available on the service in April. The Prime Video April 2025 lineup includes new Amazon original movies, TV shows, and specials.

Members can look forward to #1 Happy Family USA, America’s Test Kitchen: The Next Generation Season 2, The Bondsman, Étoile, G20, Lol: Se Rir, Já Era, Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX, Spy High, Superboys of Malegaon, and Wear Whatever the F You Want.

G20 Prime Video Originals

The Prime Video April 2025 programming includes the following Originals.

America’s Test Kitchen: The Next Generation Season 2 (2025 – Streaming April 1)

America’s Test Kitchen: The Next Generation is back! Host Jeannie Mai and head judge Dan Souza return to mentor and guide 11 aspiring cooks as they compete for the job of a lifetime.

In the end, one cook will become the newest Atk cast member, receive an option for a cookbook, and win $100,000. Who has what it takes?...

Bold and the Beautiful predictions week include Finn (Tanner Novlan) betraying somebody, Taylor Hayes (Rebecca Budig) raging, and Carter Walton (Lawrence Saint-Victor) scoring.

We have got predictions for Taylor and Brooke Logan (Katherine Kelly Lang), for Finn and Steffy Forrester (Jacqueline MacInnes Wood), for Brooke and Hope Logan (Annika Noelle), for Bill Spencer (Don Diamont) and Liam Spencer (Scott Clifton), and Carter and Daphne Rose (Murielle Hilaire) as well.

Taylor’s Fury: Brooke’s CEO Office Antics Spark Outrage on Bold and the Beautiful

Our very first prediction: Taylor Hayes (Rebecca Budig) rages at what she thinks are skanky antics by Brooke. So, this week’s promo offers some spoilers about a pretty desperate move. Brooke is in the CEO office at Forrester Creations and parades herself out from behind the changing screen in a bra and panties, hoping to surprise Ridge Forrester (Thorsten Kaye).

The door opens, and Brooke’s all excited,...

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Prime Video is ready with an entertainment-packed April this year. The upcoming month will see the return of the beloved Original series Leverage: Redemption and also the release of the much-anticipated horror action series The Bondsman. Just like every month, Prime Video is ready to overload you with great content. So, we’re here to tell you about the best 11 new movies and TV shows coming to Prime Video in April 2025.

Speak No Evil (April 1) Credit – Universal Pictures

Speak No Evil is a psychological horror thriller film written and directed by James Watkins. Based on the 2022 Danish-Dutch film of the same name by Christian and Mads Tafdrup, the 2024 film follows an American family on their dream holiday, which soon turns into a nightmare when a British family invites them to their quaint country estate to spend a weekend with them.

Ramy Youssef is back on television, and he's not steering clear of controversial subject matter. The acclaimed creator and star of Hulu's Ramy is getting a bit more, uh, animated in his next outing, via the comedy #1 Happy Family USA for Prime Video. Because, frankly, it's about time someone made an adult animated series following a Muslim family living in New Jersey in the wake of the 9/11 terror attacks.

As the official synopsis puts it:

"From creator Ramy Youssef comes '#1 Happy Family USA,' an adult-animated series following the maniacally upbeat Husseins — the most patriotic, most peaceful, and most definitely-not-suspicious Muslim family in post-9/11 "Amreeka." With satire and absurdity, it redefines finding humor in hardship as they navigate the early 2000s under the watchful eyes of their terrified neighbors."

And we now have a release date — April 17, 2025 — and an official trailer for the series; the latter of...

Going Dutch (Again)

The International Film Festival Rotterdam has appointed Marten Rabarts to the position of head of IFFR Pro, its market strand, effective immediately. Recently, Rabarts served as festival director at the New Zealand International Film Festival. His extensive global career also has significant legacy in the Netherlands, both as head of Eye International (now SeeNL) – where he was responsible for the promotion of Dutch film and film culture worldwide for four years and as artistic director of the Binger Filmlab in Amsterdam for 12 years. Rabarts will work closely with IFFR’s festival director, Vanja Kaludjercic, and report into chief of content, Melissa van der Schoor.

The IFFR Pro remit covers the co-production market CineMart, Pro Hub and talent development programs, including Rotterdam Lab. The festival regards it as nurturing talent and providing them with the tools and networks to develop projects and careers.

The 54th edition of IFFR will take place from Jan.

Forka Film, the renamed company of leading Indonesian indie producer Ifa Isfansyah, is unwrapping a slate with films by newcomer Eden Junjung and veterans Kamila Andini and Riri Riza.

Previously known as Fourcolours Films, the company has recently completed principal photography on Junjung’s “Mad of Madness” (aka “Angkara Murka”), a psychological thriller that explores the struggles of a young mother working in a sand mine after her husband’s mysterious disappearance. Raihaanun stars in the lead role as Ambar, bringing raw emotion to a narrative of survival and sacrifice.

Known for his critically acclaimed short films, Junjung recently pitched the film project at the Naff It Project Market, part of the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival. It is set for completion in early 2025.

Andini, who was in Busan last year as director of the Netflix-backed mini-series “The Cigarette Girl,” is preparing “Four Seasons in Java,” a moving exploration...

Even though it only won one Academy Award, the biggest movie of 2023, Barbie, continues to prove its cultural staying power. And not just because of that Oscar performance from Ryan Gosling, who was nominated for Best Supporting Actor alongside co-star America Ferrera for Best Supporting Actress. Aside from Gosling's scene-stealing Ken, Barbie featured several doll creations Mattel really hoped you had scrubbed from your memory. Many of these maligned Mattel fashionistas are delightfully infamous. There's Allan (Michael Cera), the lone outcast among a sea of Kens, and the "Happy Family" version of Midge (Emerald Fennell), whose pregnant belly recalls the chest-buster scene from Alien more than it does a living human woman.

The NBC sitcom "Night Court" was a satirical take on the zany and chaotic underworld of the midnight shift at the courthouse. With an unconventional, free-loving judge at the helm of this circus, there's no telling what might happen. The series was such a massive hit that it ran for nine whole seasons, featuring a cast of relatively unknown actors that, when assembled, formed one of the most acclaimed ensembles of all time. The show won eight Primetime Emmys and was nominated no less than 32 times. "Night Court" won in a variety of categories, but the actor that ended up taking home the most gold was John Larroquette, who played egotistical D.A. Dan Fielding.

A "Night Court" reboot landed on NBC in 2023. Sadly, few members of the original cast are still around to reprise their old roles, and the show is comprised almost entirely of new characters. Harry Anderson,...

Italian actor Sandra Milo, known for memorable roles in Federico Fellini’s “8½” and “Juliet of the Spirits” as well as her work with Roberto Rossellini, died on Monday at her Rome home. She was 90.

News of Milo’s death was announced on social media by her daughters, Debora and Azzurra, and son Ciro, who said Milo died in her sleep on Monday morning.

Italian deputy culture minister Lucia Borgonzoni mourned the passing of Milo as the loss of a “protagonist of Italian cinema … a great, talented artist with an overwhelming charisma” and “the muse of great directors such as Federico Fellini who won the hearts of millions of Italians.”

Milo, whose work spanned several genres, made her big screen debut in 1955 alongside popular comic actor Alberto Sordi in Antonio Pietrangeli’s “Lo Scapolo” (“The Bachelor”). Other comedies followed such as “Totò in the Moon” (“Totò Nella Luna”), one of...

While many are jetting off for Christmas and New Year holiday getaways, if you find yourself in the ‘stuck-at-home’ club, fret not! We’ve got your back with a curated list of binge-worthy series to turn your holiday into a memorable entertainment extravaganza. Whether you’re nestled with family or enjoying some me-time, these series across diverse genres might keep you hooked and your holiday spirits high, literally!

From gripping crime dramas to heartwarming comedies, this list has something for everyone. So, grab your pop corns & pizzas, cozy up, and let the holiday binge begin! Because who needs a tropical beach when you’ve got the perfect series to escape into?

Scam 2003

This holiday season, delve into the captivating tale of deceit and suspense with ‘Scam 2003: The Telgi Story’ on SonyLIV. Directed by Tushar Hiranandani and co-directed by Hansal Mehta, this Indian financial thriller serves as the second instalment in the ‘Scam’ franchise.

Greta Gerwig's movie "Barbie" is a huge success, becoming the highest-grossing film of 2023 and the first directed by a woman to surpass $1 billion. One of the characters in the movie is a pregnant Midge, who is played by Emerald Fennell and is based on a real doll. The controversial pregnant Midge doll was released by Mattel in 2002 and caused outrage among parents who believed it promoted teen pregnancy.

In Greta Gerwig's smash-hit movie Barbie, Barbieland is populated by all sorts of Barbies and Kens, and even actual discontinued Mattel dolls, like Midge the pregnant Barbie. A pop culture phenomenon the moment it hit theatres, Barbie is currently the highest-grossing movie of 2023, and represents the first film directed by a woman that surpassed the $1 billion mark. The story centers on Stereotypical Barbie (Margot Robbie), who suffers an existential crisis that results in her traveling to the Real World to fix it.

This Barbie article contains spoilers.

We’re looking at cinema through a pair of pink-tinted glasses because Greta Gerwig’s Barbie is everywhere right now. The Margot Robbie-led caper is defying all expectations and looks poised to kickstart a Mattel Cinematic Universe that includes an upcoming Barney movie with Daniel Kaluuya.

This is far from the first Barbie movie we’ve had, but as well as being the first live-action outing, its meta take on the IP is grabbing headlines. With some 64 years of Barbie history to pull from, the script has gotten away with weaving in some of the toy line’s many controversies.

Barbie has faced controversies of its own since its box office-smashing debut, such as an enraged minority of audience members calling out the movie “anti-men” propaganda. While Gerwig’s film continues to enjoy box office success, here are the real-life Barbie doll controversies that...

Prime Video’s Original Series, Happy Family: Conditions Apply continues to win the hearts of the audiences for its humorous storyline and equally hilarious characters. Ever since the release of the episodic-series, the social media is filled with twitteratis gushing over the casting of Raj Babbar as the patriarch of the family. Playing the role of Dadaji aka Mansukhlal Dholakia, Raj Babbar has taken the audience by surprise as he effortlessly aces the comic timing and delivering one liners that burst the audience into laughter.

The veteran actor recently opened up about choosing this role and what made him confident about it. “My character’s name in the series is MansukhLal Dholakia and he’s a unique character. I can’t say if I resonate with him but definitely I’m the voice of the audience and here my character is communicating with the audience. The character is very...

Mumbai, March 20 (Ians) Actor Atul Kulkarni, who is receiving accolades for his work in the recently released streaming series ‘Happy Family: Conditions Apply’, has said that the series brings out the generational differences in a humorous way.

In the series, Atul plays the role of Ramesh Dholakia, a responsible son of Mansukhlal and Hemlata Dholakia, who is always looking out for everyone’s best interests.

The actor said, “I always look forward to working with the new generation of actors, writers, directors and technicians. And I just loved that part of my time on the sets of ‘Happy Family’. The new generation is very empowered today. Information and freedom has given them a lot of confidence. And that’s a great thing. They respect people for who they are, more than just for their age. That’s why I always say that they have an equality complex.”

The series introduces...

DVD Playhouse—September 2011

By Allen Gardner

In A Better World (Sony) Winner of last year’s Best Foreign Film Oscar, this Danish export looks at two fractured families and the effect that the adult world dysfunction has on their two sons, who form an immediate and potentially deadly bond. Director Susanne Bier delivers another powerful work that maintains its drive during the films’ first 2/3, then falters somewhat during the last act. Still, well-worth seeing, and beautifully made. Also available on Blu-ray disc. Bonuses: Deleted scenes; Commentary by Bier and editor Pernille Bech Christensen; Interview with Bier. Widescreen. Dolby and DTS-hd 5.1 surround.

X-men First Class (20th Century Fox) “Origins” film set in the early 1960s, traces the beginnings of Magento and Professor X (played ably here by Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy), and how the once-close friends and colleagues became bitter enemies. First half is slam-bang entertainment at its stylish best,...

Fast money for a racing movie. Fast Five premiered in the Number One spot at the box office this weekend with $83.6 Million. I do not think anyone was expecting such a large take from Fast Five. It seems Universal Studios was right to prep The Fast and the Furious 6. Rio was Second with $14.4 Million for $103.6 Million so far. Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Big Happy Family was Third with $10 Million. Water for Elephants was Fourth with $9.1 Million. Prom premiered in Fifth with $5 Million. Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil (which premiered this weekend), Soul Surfer, Insidious, Hop, and Source Code rounded out the top ten respectively.

Fast Five (also known as Fast & Furious 5 and Fast & Furious 5: Rio Heist) is a 2011 street racing action film directed by Justin Lin. It is the fifth film in the The Fast and the Furious film series. The film stars Dwayne Johnson, Vin Diesel, Paul Walker,...

Weekend Box Office

Fast Five $83.6 millionRio $14.4 millionMadea's Big Happy Family $10 millionWater for Elephants $9.1 millionProm $5 millionHoodwinked Too! Hood Vs. Evil $4.1 millionSoul Surfer $4.1 millionInsidious $2.8 millionHop $2.2 millionScream 4 $2.1 million

It's been a boffo weekend for Fast Five. This big budget car sequel seems to have welcomed the summer blockbuster season into the box office. It managed to crank out a spectacular $83 million. Add in international takes and it's grossed $165 million. This is particularly impressive because this surprisingly well-reviewed crowd-pleaser has managed to top the previous entry in the series which made $71 million on opening weekend.

In other news, Rich Ross of Disney is no doubt tucking his tail between his legs after his first attempt at creating a new franchise bombed big time. Prom was an utter disaster. They had predicted a $9 million opening but instead the tween film debuted to a very disappointing $5 million. It seems this won't be getting the High School Musical...

Predicted Weekend Box Office

Fast Five $75 millionRio $18.5 millionMadea's Big Happy Family $10.7 millionWater for Elephants $10 millionProm 9.4 millionHoodwinked Too! Hood Vs. Evil $8.1 millionHop $7.5 millionDylan Dog: Dead of Night $4.5 millionSoul Surfer $4.3 millionInsidious $3.8 million

I don't know about you, but I'm a little bleary-eyed after getting up at 5:30 Am to watch the royal nuptials. Thusly, I'm not going to any movies tonight, but the rest of America probably isn't feeling quite so tired. So let's see what the Box Office Crystal Ball forecasts for our dear sweet film industry (America's royalty?) this weekend.

People are buzzing that today's take for Fast Five, the 4th sequel to The Fast and the Furious, could reach $30 million or so. Wow. I guess moviegoers are starved for some summer movie action after a few long weeks of animated movies dominating the top spot. If that information tracks, it looks like the film is poised to make at least $75 million over the weekend.

DVD Playhouse December 2010

By

Allen Gardner

America Lost And Found: The Bbs Story (Criterion) Perhaps the best DVD box set released this year, this ultimate cinefile stocking stuffer offered up by Criterion, the Rolls-Royce of home video labels, features seven seminal works from the late ‘60s-early ‘70s that were brought to life by cutting edge producers Bert Schneider, Steve Blauner and director/producer Bob Rafelson, the principals of Bbs Productions. In chronological order: Head (1968) star the Monkees, the manufactured (by Rafelson, et al), American answer to the Beatles who, like it or not, did make an impact on popular culture, particularly in this utterly surreal piece of cinematic anarchy (co-written by Jack Nicholson, who has a cameo), which was largely dismissed upon its initial release, but is now regarded as a counterculture classic. Easy Rider (1969) is arguably regarded as the seminal ‘60s picture, about two hippie drug dealers (director Dennis Hopper...

Emmy winner Christine Baranski is set to join Jennifer Love Hewitt, Alyson Hannigan and Ed O'Neill in ABC's upcoming comedy series In the Game. Game, from Touchstone TV and Handprint Entertainment, centers on an up-and-coming sports producer (Hewitt) who unwittingly becomes an on-camera reporter on a sports TV show. Ed O'Neill co-stars as the show's executive producer. Hannigan will play Hewitt's character's best friend, while Baranski will play the senior reporter on the show. Baranski, an Emmy winner for her role on CBS' sitcom Cybill, most recently co-starred in the NBC comedy Happy Family. She's repped by UTA and Viking Entertainment's Lisa Loosemore.

NBC has given a cast-contingent pilot order to Lies and the Wives We Tell Them To, a comedy project from writer-producers David Guarascio and Moses Port, creators/executive producers of the network's short-lived comedy Happy Family. The project, produced by NBC Universal TV, centers on four married best friends and explores the secrets and lies that keep marriages and friendships happy. Guarascio and Port, who are under an overall deal at NBC Uni TV, also served as exec producers on NBC's Just Shoot Me. The duo, who started their careers on another NBC comedy, Mad About You, is repped by UTA and attorney Jeanne Newman.

Christine Baranski and Barry Bostwick have been tapped to co-star in Fox's midseason comedy pilot Spellbound. Spellbound, from Warner Bros. TV, centers on a modern-day male witch (Dave Annable) who falls in love with a mortal woman (Maggie Lawson). Baranski and Bostwick will play the male witch's parents, also witches. Baranski, an Emmy winner for her role on CBS' sitcom Cybill, most recently starred on NBC's comedy Happy Family. She is repped by UTA and Viking Entertainment's Lisa Loosemore. Bostwick is best known for his role as the gaffe-prone Mayor Randall Winston on ABC's long-running comedy Spin City. He is repped by Paradigm and Vanguard Management's David Guc.

Veteran sitcom helmer Pamela Fryman has been tapped as the primary director of CBS' comedy Two and a Half Men. She will direct the bulk of the episodes of the Warner Bros. TV comedy, which returns for a second season in the fall. Fryman, whose extensive work on NBC's Frasier earned her three DGA nominations, most recently served as director/executive producer on NBC's Happy Family. She also directed and executive produced NBC's Just Shoot Me, for which she landed another DGA nomination. Fryman, whose long list of directing credits also includes NBC's Friends and the pilot for CBS' The King of Queens, is repped by BWCS.

As the end of the television season draws near, viewers are clearly making a point to tune in for a last look at a handful of veteran primetime series in their waning weeks on the air. NBC's Friends hit its highest marks since January with its third-to-last episode last week, which also marked the first fresh episode of Friends since Feb. 26. NBC's Frasier notched a three-month high last week -- and nearly doubled its weak Happy Family lead-in -- as its May 13 swan-song episode approaches. ABC's The Practice delivered its highest adults 18-49 demo rating since November last week as David E. Kelley's legal drama prepares to morph next season into a spinoff led by James Spader and Rebecca De Mornay. Even ABC's NYPD Blue seems to have gotten a ratings bounce ever since ABC announced that the coming 2004-05 season would be its last. For the week, NBC was No. 1 in adults 18-49 (4.1/12), followed by Fox (3.8/11), CBS (3.2/9) and ABC (2.6/8). The WB Network had an up week, averaging a 1.6/5 in its target demo of adults 18-34, compared with a 1.0/3 for UPN.

President George W. Bush's decision to hold a news conference at 8:30 p.m. EDT tonight has forced the major broadcast networks to hastily revamp their primetime lineups. Fox had to postpone this week's regular editions of American Idol by one night and relocate drama 24 to 9 p.m. Sunday. Tonight's regularly scheduled edition of Idol will run at 8 p.m. Wednesday, while the live results show moves to 8 p.m. Thursday, where it will compete against CBS' Survivor: All-Stars. NBC had to bump tonight's planned season finale of 8:30 p.m. sitcom Happy Family to next week, but Frasier and the rest of the shows in the peacock's lineup were already scheduled to be reruns. ABC and CBS also replaced original series episodes with repeats.

NBC has picked up its new Tuesday comedies Whoopi and Happy Family for a full season. The network also has ordered five additional scripts of freshman dramedy Miss Match. "(Whoopi and Happy Family) have fulfilled our goal of opening Tuesday night for us in a way that we haven't been able to do in years," NBC entertainment president Jeff Zucker said. "In the face of extremely abnormal competition, these two shows have given us tremendous stability and important comedy building blocks."...

In a vote of confidence for its new comedies, ABC has ordered four additional scripts each from Hope & Faith, I'm With Her, It's All Relative and Married to the Kellys. Meanwhile, after a promising ratings spike Tuesday, NBC has ordered five additional scripts from freshman comedies Whoopi and Happy Family. CBS has ordered six additional scripts from new drama Joan of Arcadia, and Fox has ordered three additional scripts from its upcoming midseason drama series Still Life. The script orders bode well for the freshman shows as they often are a precursor to additional episode pickups. If ABC gives back-nine orders to Hope & Faith, I'm With Her, It's All Relative and Married to the Kellys, it would mark the second year in a row that ABC has picked up all its new comedies for a full season.

There's no Michael Jackson special yet, but with less than three weeks until the November sweep, networks are again jockeying over scheduling moves. And rivals are paying special attention to ratings leader NBC, which is contending with some weak spots in its fall lineup. A combination of "supersized" comedies and extra Fear Factor episodes, along with previously announced specials, will likely spell at least some pre-emptions for the new peacock comedies Coupling, Whoopi and Happy Family. While NBC says it's pleased with all three shows, none looks poised to emerge as a breakout hit. Meanwhile, sources say ABC is expected to book the special one-hour return of 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter -- the first minus star John Ritter, who died last month -- for either Nov. 4 or the following week. The sitcom saw healthy ratings for the first three episodes this season, which were shot before Ritter's death. That track record, plus curiosity over how the writers will deal with the death of the Ritter character, would seem to ensure a large rating for the show's return.

Fans of the late John Ritter turned out in force Tuesday for the sophomore-season premiere of his ABC sitcom 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter. On a night chock full of season premieres, 8 Simple Rules drove ABC to victory in the adults 18-49 demo, according to Nielsen Media Research. Indeed, the heat of 8 Simple Rules undoubtedly put a dent in the opening-night turnout for CBS' JAG spinoff, Navy NCIS; the season premiere of the WB Network's Gilmore Girls; and the third-week numbers for NBC's new comedies Whoopi and Happy Family. But NBC still tied CBS for the night in total viewers and was No. 2 in 18-49 thanks to the hourlong premiere of Frasier and the relocated Law & Order: SVU at 10 p.m.

NBC's new comedies Whoopi and Happy Family got off to a promising start Tuesday. Viewers flocked to sample Whoopi (15.1 million viewers, 4.9 rating/16 share among adults 18-49) at 8 p.m. and Happy Family (14.8 million, 5.1/15) at 8:30 p.m. The shows dominated their time slots and ranked as the top programs for the night in total viewers and adults 18-49, according to Nielsen Media Research data. Meanwhile, the growth story of Fox's new drama The O.C. (9.1 million, 4.3/12) continues as the teen-oriented soap posted its best numbers yet in total viewers and all key demographics. The solid start of the freshman Tuesday comedies is good news for NBC, which has struggled keeping the lights on from 8-9 p.m. Tuesday. The 18-49 rating for Whoopi was NBC's best with regular programming in the time period in three years, while Happy Family hit the highest demo mark with regular programming since March 2002.

Casting veteran Dawn Steinberg has been appointed head of casting at Sony Pictures Television. Steinberg will oversee all casting on Sony's series and longform TV productions for network, cable and first-run syndication in her role as senior vp talent and casting. She reports to Russ Krasnoff, SPT's president of programming and production. Steinberg succeeds Mark Saks, who has left SPT after a two-year stint as senior vp casting. "Throughout her career, Dawn has displayed both a sharp eye and discriminating taste when it comes to finding talent," Krasnoff said. "She's not afraid to make bold choices, and the diverse and original casts she's put together reflect that spirit." Steinberg has spent the past two years working as a consultant to NBC Studios, where she helped assemble the casts for the Peabody-winning drama Boomtown, featuring Donnie Walhberg and Mykelti Williamson, and the peacock's upcoming comedies Happy Family and Coupling. Before that, Steinberg served stints as head of casting at Artists Television Group and at Big Ticket Television. At Big Ticket, Steinberg's casting discoveries included Mo'Nique, the star of the UPN sitcom The Parkers. A native of New York, Steinberg began her career casting off-Broadway productions.

Canadian broadcasters Friday flew home from the Los Angeles Screenings after buying fresh U.S. shows to complete their fall TV schedules. In what many considered a buyer's market with no break-out hits, the Canucks finished their annual spring migration having bought an unusually large number of new sitcoms and crime-solving dramas, as the pendulum shifted this year back to scripted fare. CanWest Global Communications Corp., the largest foreign buyer of U.S. network fare, bought two new Warner Bros. series for Monday nights, the Charlie Sheen starrer Two and a Half Men and the Jerry Bruckheimer executive-produced Skin, as well as NBC Studios' Las Vegas. For Tuesdays, CanWest picked up two comedies, Paramount's JAG spinoff Navy CIS for its CH network and NBC Studios' Happy Family, to be followed by Warner Bros.' hour drama Fearless. For Wednesday night, CanWest snagged David E. Kelley's new drama The Brotherhood of Poland, N.H., the Randy Quaid starrer from Twentieth Century Fox Television that will go up against rival CTV's long-standing hit at 10 p.m., Law & Order.

Canadian broadcasters flew home from the Los Angeles Screenings on Friday after snapping up fresh U.S. shows to complete their fall TV schedules. In what many consider a buyer's market with no break-out hits, the Canucks finished their annual spring migration having bought an unusually large number of new sitcoms and crime-solving dramas, as the pendulum shifted this year back to scripted fare. CanWest Global Communications Corp., the largest foreign buyer of U.S. network fare, bought for Monday nights two new Warner Bros. series, the Charlie Sheen-starrer Two and a Half Men and the Jerry Bruckheimer executive-produced Skin, and NBC Studio's Las Vegas.For Tuesdays, CanWest picked up two comedies, Paramount's JAG spin-off Navy CIS for its CH network and NBC Studios' Happy Family, to be followed by Warner Bros.' hour drama Fearless,...