http://twitter.com/TVMoJoe/status/11323362325
http://twitter.com/EWAusielloFiles/status/11323327850
http://twitter.com/franklinavenue/status/11323221786

Update: Michael Ausiello of Entertainment Weekly is confirming that pick-up is for a full 22 episodes!
http://ausiellofiles.ew.com/2010/03/30/abc-renews-castle/

That’s good enough for me to take this to the bank!  The news does not come as a surprise, Castle has been on the rise especially of late, but for fans like me it’s reassuring to see it official.

As for its recent surge in ratings, just last week it set a series high 12.2 million and 3.3 demo.  That was topped this week (although final Nielsen numbers could alter it just a bit) by another series high 14.4 million and 3.7 demo.

Who else is excited for Castle?

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It is entirely possible this was a typo, though given its performance the past two seasons, I think that is unlikely.  Last night, it pulled in 4.3 million viewers and a 1.5 demo.  For persepective,  last week a repeat of Modern Family pulled 5.1 million and a 1.7 demo.   To rub salt in that wound, the final episode of Hank which aired on 11/4/09 managed 5.3 million and a 1.4 demo.  Yes, one million more viewers (to be fair, fewer in the demo) cared to watch Hank.  Given all of this perspective, I would say it’s a safe bet that Scrubs on Wednesdays is a burnoff, not a tryout.

Enough of the clock wordplay, however, it’s time to get serious.  Fox and 24 star Keifer Sutherland have been saying publicly for quite some time that the ultimate goal is for the show to transition from a television show to the big screen.  In order for that to happen the show would have to end, it takes a long time to produce this show and logistically it would be difficult to shoot a feature movie around it.  So long as ratings are high, the television show must go on!  However, ratings aren’t so high anymore.   Last night’s episode pulled in a respectable 8.8 million viewers and a 2.8 in the 18-49 demo.   One year earlier (3/9/09) the show clocked in with 11.3 million and a 3.6 in the demo.  Clearly, this season’s ratings are less respectable when you see the dip they have taken.

20th Century will reportedly try to shop the show around to other potential outlets, but given the high price tag and dwindling ratings, that seems unlikely.  If they are serious about turning 24 into a movie, potentially a series of them, it would seem they would want to keep the brand as strong as possible – in other words, why tarnish it by transition to NBC for a 9th season of even weaker ratings?

Here is the press release from CBS:

UNDERCOVER BOSS, which follows high-level chief executives as they slip anonymously into the rank and file of their companies, is the number one new series of the 2009-2010 season, averaging 18.74 million viewers, 8.0/17 in adults 25-54 and 7.1/17 in adults 18-49.

The series premiered following the Super Bowl to 38.7 million viewers, the largest audience for a new series following the Super Bowl. It also ranks as the biggest new series premiere since 1987 and the most-watched premiere episode of any reality series.

“We are thrilled with the overwhelming response to the series and how audiences seem to connect to it on several levels,” said Jennifer Bresnan, Senior Vice President, CBS Alternative Programming. “The wish fulfillment of seeing the top boss perform jobs of the rank and file is universal, and the employees’ stories discovered at each company are often relatable and inspirational.”

Each week, UNDERCOVER BOSS follows a different executive as they leave the comfort of their corner office for an undercover mission to examine the inner workings of their companies. While working alongside their employees, they see the effects their decisions have on others, where the problems lie within their organizations and get an up-close look at both the good and the bad while discovering the unsung heroes who make their companies run.

Stephen Lambert and Eli Holzman are executive producers for Studio Lambert, Ltd.

Here is the rest of Fox’s summer line-up, as announced by the network today.

Monday (starting June 7)

8:00 – Lie to Me
9:00 – The Good Guys

Tuesday (starting June 1)

8:00 – So You Think You Can Dance
9:00 – Glee (season finale June 8, SYTYCD extends to two hours June 15)

Wednesday (starting June 16)

8:00 – Glee (repeats)
9:00 – So You Think You Can Dance

Thursday (starting May 27)

8:00 – So You Think You Can Dance

Thursdays (starting June 10)

8:00 – Hell’s Kitchen

Friday (starting May 28)

8:00 – Past Life
9:00 – House (encores; beginning June 4)

Friday (starting June 18)

8:00 – Bones (encores)
9:00 – House (encores)

Saturday

8:00 – Cops
8:30 – Cops
9:00 – America’s Most Wanted
11:00 – The Wanda Sykes Show
12:00 – Animation Domination (encores)

Sunday (starting June 6)

7:00 – 9:30 Animation Domination (Mix of Simpsons, Family Guy, American Dad, Cleveland Show, and not-so-animated ‘Til Death)
9:30 – Sons of Tucson

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You may recall that after Fringe faltered a bit in the ratings after moving this fall to Thursdays at 9 opposite powerhouses CSI, Grey’s Anatomy, and The Office.  DVR numbers were still good, and when the competition was in repeats, Fringe showed some signs of life.  While ratings are still nowhere near what they were last season in its post-House and Idol slots, Fox does see a chance to gain a foothold on a night where it has long struggled as both CSI and Grey’s are agin shows with declining ratings.  Hopefully viewers check out what is left of season 2, as creatively it is definitely on an upswing.  Who else is excited for some more William Bell?

90210, America’s Next Top Model, Gossip Girl, Supernatural, and Vampire Diaries will all be back next fall, meanwhile the fates of One Tree Hill, Smallville, Life Unexpected, and Melrose Place are less clear.  Smallville and One Tree Hill probably comes down to contracts, whereas Life Unexpected could really go either way.  Ratings were decent out the gate but have dipped, granted reruns on Wednesdays are performing well given its a CW rerun.  This show is still very much on the bubble, with the network likely waiting out a few more weeks of ratings data.  As for Melrose Place, it’s far superior to 90210, but not even Heather Locklear could save this one from ratings doom.   Barring a miraculous uptick in the ratings that show it keeping full retention out of 90210, it has no chance at a renewal.  Here’s the full text from the CW press release about the other shows:

THE CW ANNOUNCES EARLY PICKUPS FOR FIVE SERIES

Freshman Hit “The Vampire Diaries,” “Gossip Girl,” “90210,” “Supernatural” and “America’s Next Top Model” To Return Next Season

February 16, 2010 (Burbank, California) – The CW Network has given early pickups to five series for next season, including four signature dramas and the reality hit AMERICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL. All five shows will return in Fall 2010.

The series receiving early renewals include this season’s breakout hit THE VAMPIRE DIARIES, The CW’s most-watched show (4.6 million viewers) and the network’s number one show among adults 18-34 (2.5/8). THE VAMPIRE DIARIES premiere generated the largest audience in network history for a series debut (5.7 million total viewers). THE VAMPIRE DIARIES has improved The CW’s performance Thursday at 8:00 p.m. by 114% among women 18-34 this season. The network also renewed fan favorite SUPERNATURAL, which will enter its sixth season next year. SUPERNATURAL has one of the most loyal audiences of any show on television and does heroic work in a perennially tough time period. It has improved over last season among women and adults 18-34 (29% and 8%, respectively) this season, a remarkable accomplishment for a fifth-year show.

Also given early pickups for next season are The CW’s Monday night sensation GOSSIP GIRL, which is The CW’s number one show among its target demographic of women 18-34, and Tuesday’s trend-setting drama, 90210, which sees some of TV’s largest percent increases from DVR playback, nearly doubling its women 18-34 live-only ratings once live+7 data is included. Wednesday anchor AMERICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL will also be back for cycles 15 and 16 with superstar Tyra Banks and new groups of aspiring models. TOP MODEL continues to rank second in the competitive Wednesday 8:00 p.m. hour among young women 18-34 (3.4/10).

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Following last week’s announcement that NBC would be abandoning its catastrophic decision to strip “The Jay Leno Show” in primetime after only a few months due to overwhelming pressure from its affiliates and the subsequent decision to move Leno back to 11:35, the big question mark has been what will Conan O’Brien do?  NBC seemed to make it clear that they wanted to move “The Tonight Show w/ Conan O’Brien” to 12:05, following Leno’s half hour show which would now air at 11:35.  Whether that is true or a load of peacock crap, we may never know.  Perhaps NBC did want this overcrowded late night menu.  Or, more likely, they wanted to push Conan aside and put Leno back in place on “The Tonight Show.”  Either way, the whole thing stinks.  As a fan of Conan, Jay, and Dave, I just think the whole thing stinks and it was yet another lose-lose situation created by the wrath of Jeff Zucker

Here is the official statement released from Conan O’Brien:

People of Earth:

In the last few days, I’ve been getting a lot of sympathy calls, and I want to start by making it clear that no one should waste a second feeling sorry for me. For 17 years, I’ve been getting paid to do what I love most and, in a world with real problems, I’ve been absurdly lucky. That said, I’ve been suddenly put in a very public predicament and my bosses are demanding an immediate decision.

Six years ago, I signed a contract with NBC to take over The Tonight Show in June of 2009. Like a lot of us, I grew up watching Johnny Carson every night and the chance to one day sit in that chair has meant everything to me. I worked long and hard to get that opportunity, passed up far more lucrative offers, and since 2004 I have spent literally hundreds of hours thinking of ways to extend the franchise long into the future. It was my mistaken belief that, like my predecessor, I would have the benefit of some time and, just as important, some degree of ratings support from the prime-time schedule. Building a lasting audience at 11:30 is impossible without both.

But sadly, we were never given that chance. After only seven months, with my Tonight Show in its infancy, NBC has decided to react to their terrible difficulties in prime-time by making a change in their long-established late night schedule.

Last Thursday, NBC executives told me they intended to move the Tonight Show to 12:05 to accommodate the Jay Leno Show at 11:35. For 60 years the Tonight Show has aired immediately following the late local news. I sincerely believe that delaying the Tonight Show into the next day to accommodate another comedy program will seriously damage what I consider to be the greatest franchise in the history of broadcasting. The Tonight Show at 12:05 simply isn’t the Tonight Show. Also, if I accept this move I will be knocking the Late Night show, which I inherited from David Letterman and passed on to Jimmy Fallon, out of its long-held time slot. That would hurt the other NBC franchise that I love, and it would be unfair to Jimmy.

So it has come to this: I cannot express in words how much I enjoy hosting this program and what an enormous personal disappointment it is for me to consider losing it. My staff and I have worked unbelievably hard and we are very proud of our contribution to the legacy of The Tonight Show. But I cannot participate in what I honestly believe is its destruction. Some people will make the argument that with DVRs and the Internet a time slot doesn’t matter. But with the Tonight Show, I believe nothing could matter more.

There has been speculation about my going to another network but, to set the record straight, I currently have no other offer and honestly have no idea what happens next. My hope is that NBC and I can resolve this quickly so that my staff, crew, and I can do a show we can be proud of, for a company that values our work.

Have a great day and, for the record, I am truly sorry about my hair; it’s always been that way.

Yours,

Conan

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A nice show of confidence for those sitcoms.  Personally ecstatic about “Modern Family,” which is my favorite new show of the season.  “Cougar Town” is growing on me, meanwhile “The Middle” dropped off my DVR list faster than “Hank,” and that’s saying something.

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CBS Daytime president Barbara Bloom says on the CBS daytime website, “It’s extremely difficult to say good-bye to a long-running series that’s been close to our hearts for so long.  The almanacs will show AS THE WORLD TURNS as a pioneer of the format, a hallmark for quality with its numerous Emmy’s, the launching pad for many television and film stars and a daytime ratings powerhouse for parts of three decades. But, the true legacy of AS THE WORLD TURNS will be the fictional characters and stories of a small Midwest town that resonated every day with millions of viewers over multiple generations, becoming a treasured daytime institution in the process. We thank our partners at Procter & Gamble for the privilege of hosting this beloved series…the actors, writers, producers and crew who worked so hard and shared their amazing talents to bring this series to life…and, of course, the viewers who shared the journey on our network.”

In a statement on the the CBS Soaps in Depth website, Brian T. Cahill, senior vice president and managing director of TeleNext Media, Inc promises, “We are proactively seeking a new outlet to carry the show, and we are open to exploring innovative formats and relationships that will enable the future success of ATWT.”

Ask GL fans how that search worked out for them.  There were rumors, how true they may or may not have been we’ll never know, that GL was on the verge of being saved by Lifetime. Yesterday in his Soapgeist for TV Guide Canada, Nelson Branco reported that a former GL director told him had GL been canceled a month earlier, a deal could have been worked out.  “The main problem was that Lifetime had already cemented their fall lineup, but they wanted it.”  The following is mostly dreaming on my part, but if Lifetime truthfully wanted GL and if the welcome mat could possibly be extended to ATWT, how about a sort of soap hybrid at the very least?  GL ended with a flashforward of one year, and ATWT will be wrapping up at that one year mark.  Just saying…

I actually started watching ATWT earlier this summer, in part because I’m a glutton for punishment at the time of GL’s demise, ATWT was rumored to be next to go; and in part because I wanted to see Lynn Herring who played Lucy Coe on Port Charles/General Hospital. Despite the fact that I’m a newbie to this show in particular, I’m a soap fan, and I saw PC through from day one through its final episode, and I watched Sunset Beach end earlier as well.  Given that these shows air day in and day out, losing one isn’t easy.  Making it even harder to swallow, when these shows drop, they aren’t being replaced with new soaps:  When they’re gone, they’re gone.  Rumors that One Life to Live is next to go may or may not prove to be true, but the sad reality is, come next June when ATWT wraps, OLTL will be the last soap standing in New York City.

In the meantime, let’s take a minute to remember ATWT and the history that came with it.  By the time it leaves the airwaves, it will have spanned 54 years and over 13,000 episodes.   James Earl Jones, Meg Ryan, and Parker Posey, among others all appeared on the soap in the past.  More importantly, a number of veterans continue to on the show to this day, Eileen Fulton and Don Hastings have both appeared on the show as Lisa Grimaldi and Dr. Bob Hughes for 49 years.  But it’s Helen Wagner, the last remaining original cast member who’s Nancy Hughes spoke the first words that launched the show back in 1956.  Hopefully if those exhaustive efforts to save the show don’t pan out, she’ll be allowed to bring the World to a halt in 2010.