Good Morning, it’s Tuesday, January 16, 2007 and this is your first early morning briefing, from the NATPE Convention in Las Vegas.

Greg Meidel has been named President, MyNetworkTV, reporting to Jack Abernethy, CEO, FOX Television Stations. Most recently, Greg was President/Programming for CBS Paramount Domestic Television, where he oversaw first-run syndicated fare.
 
Tonight’s Premieres:
Fox:  American Idol at 8p
Bravo:  Real Housewives of Orange County at 10p
 

• Laugh Off, from Bunim-Murray Prods and distributed by October Moon Television, is available for a Fall 2007 launch on a cash + barter basis.  The first run 30m comedy/game strip series offers unknown comedians the chance for exposure and success on national television.  Each episode will feature two contestants competing in 3 rounds.
• Program Partners will present Let’s Play Crosswords, from Merv Griffin and the William Morris Agency, as a 30m early fringe strip game series.  Terms are cash only, no barter. The game itself is simple – three players answer questions on a variety of topics, and the one who answers the most right moves on to the lightening round.
• Warner Bros. has given the official go ahead for their new strip 30m entertainment news series TMZ, based on the online AOL/Time Warner website that focuses on celebrity news. Warner Bros. has already cleared the show on the Fox O&O group in a multiyear deal. The show is a 5x week strip series, 30m, sold on a cash + barter (1-1/2m) basis; with a companion weekend 60m show. The show focuses on what celebrities are doing, rather than what they’re promoting, and will hope to appeal to a younger audience. In addition to the show itself, TMZ will provide local stations a TMZ module for the affiliate website, designed to draw in visitors.  Additionally, TMZ will provide a newsfeed function with information available 24/7 for use by the local stations news department.  TMZ is produced by Telepictures Prods, Harvey Levin Prods and paraMedia inc.
• Expected today is the announcement NBC Universal will move forward with the Steve Wilkos daytime talk show project.  You’ll recall Wilkos is best known as Jerry Springer’s bald-headed body guard, but make no mistake – this new show will not be a spin-off of Jerry.  Wilkos has his own thing going on.  More on this once NBC U makes it official.
• Sony Pictures Television‘s three daytime court show strip series have upped their clearance percentages: newbie series Judge David Young has been cleared in 82% of the US including 23 of the top 25 markets. Judge Maria Lopez will return for a second season and thus far has been cleared in 92% of the country, including 23 of the top 25 markets.  And veteran series Judge Hatchett goes into its 8th season with a 97% clearance rate with 24 of the top 25 markets cleared.
• Buena Vista Television has renewed Live with Regis & Kelly and Who Wants to be a Millionaire thru the 2010-2011 season.  Regis & Kelly have been renewed by several stations from the ABC owned station group, as well as Tribune, CBS owned stations, Sunbeam, Hubbard, McGraw-Hill and the Freedom stations.  Millionaire has been renewed by multiple stations from the ABC owned group, McGraw-Hill as well as the Freedom stations.
• Lara Spencer has re-upped with CBS’ Television Distribution‘s syndicated strip series The Insider with a new multiyear deal. She has been with the series since it’s launch in 2004. Scuttlebutt is Pat O’Brien may be leaving the show, but nothing official has been offered by CBS Television Distribution.
• Twentieth Television has reupped its three court shows for 2007-08 season, and an off-net:  Divorce Court now cleared in 73% of the country, Judge Alex cleared in 70%, and Cristina’s Court in 77%. All three have been cleared by the Fox owned & operated station group, among numerous others.  Additionally, Family Guy is now cleared in 82% of the country, most recently adding 12 Sinclair Broadcasting stations to the station list. Family Guy kicks off Fall 2007.
• GNF Entertainment Network has introduced 2 new 24/7 broadcast programming services, GNF Movie Channel and the GNF Game and Music Channel, designed for broadcasters to use on their digital channels.  The content on the movie channel is targeting the 25-54 viewer and includes more than 3000 titles, travel features, profiles and other family content.  The Game & Music Channel includes a variety of music genres and targets the 18-34 male audience.

• A docu-series on the life and times of Paula Abdul – not the on-camera Abdul you see on American Idol, but a personal and up close view of the Idol judge, as a choreographer, a business woman, producer and singer. Hey Paula! is produced by Scott Stern Prods, the documentary will be added to the schedule later on this year.
• The reality competition series Shear Genius, formerly known as Top Hair, has added Jaclyn Smith as host, and Sally Hershberger as been  added as lead judge, all focusing on the high end world of hairstyling. Bravo has ordered 8 episodes and plans to premiere the show this Spring.
• Tim Gunn, whom you know best from Bravo’s series Project Runway, has earned his own show.  Tim Gunn’s Guide to Style has been picked up for a series, in which Gunn will help unskilled people maximize their fashion potential, whether it’s helping with their everyday wardrobe, or preparing for a special event.

• This just in from the planet Mongo … it’s a go for the Flash Gordon (22 episodes) series, which is to be based on Alex Raymond’s 1930s comic strip.  Produced by Reunion Pictures, the series is slated to debut July 2007.  Under an agreement with King Features Syndicate, RHI Entertainment will produce the new series.
• Tin Man (wt) – Alan Cumming is set to star as Glitch, a man with half a brain, in a sci-fi take on Frank L. Baum’s book, The Wizard of Oz.  From RHI Entertainment, Tin Man is set to bow in December 2007 with the first of six episodes.
• Diamond Age – Executive Produced by George Clooney and Grant Heslov of Smokehouse Productions, based on Neal Stephenson’s novel The Diamond Age: Or a Young Lady’s Illustrated Primer. Six episodes have been ordered
• Avery House – Produced by Mark Burnett and Tagline Entertainment’s Kelly Kulchak and Ron West; NBC Universal Television Studio is the production company for this scripted dramedy about a family that moves into house left vacant for years … that’s when strange things begin happening to those living/staying in the house and in town.
• Untitled project from Darren Star and writer Mike Werb (Face/Off), both serving as Exec. Producers, follows four convicts who are given new identities and technologically enhanced bodies. The four wind up working for a covert wing of the US Government.  Produced by Darren Star Productions in association with Sony Pictures Television.
• Revolution follows pioneers in an outpost far out in the galaxy, which comes under siege from their home planet, Earth. CBS Paramount Network Television is producing the series.
• Middletown is an action adventure show about a small town in Middle America inhabited by eccentric characters, and is also the battle ground for Earth when an evil race of aliens arrive. This project is from Fox TV Studios.
• Johnny Midnight is a dramedy about a slacker who becomes a reluctant hero when he finds he has unique powers. 
• Starcrossed – A comedy where the fourth wall comes down to reveal the behind the scenes antics of a long-running sci-fi space soap, from NBC Universal Television Studio.
• Witch School isn’t your daddy’s Hogwarts.  The project is described as a docusoap about Ed Hubbard and his real Witch School.  From Sci Fi Channel and Stick Figure Productions

• BabyFirstTV to premiere Shushybye Dreams
• Magi Nation, a new animated series to be introduced at NATPE

• Granada signs deal with HBO Latin America
• FremantleMedia signs slew of int’l deals for The Martha Stewart Show
• CTV will be exclusive Canadian broadcaster for Mark Burnett and Steven Spielberg’s On the Lot