HISTORY

Mudcats premieres on February 9, about a group of men in Oklahoma called “mudcatters”, who have been taught by their fathers and grandfathers the hand-fishing method with the purpose of passing the method down to their children and grandchildren.

Discovery Channel

New show, Beast Tracker, will premiere on Discovery on February 1. The show follows Dr. Andrew West, a marine biologist, as he tracks down exotic animals, including alligators and Burmese pythons that pose dangerous threats to human lives.

TLC

A new fashion reality series will soon premiere on TLC. From the producers of What Not To Wear comes the untitled show featuring a plus-size retail store, Jim and Lisa Dolan, the husband-and-wife team who own and operate it, and the customers who frequent the shop.

Sorority Girls will premiere on January 31. Five sorority girls from the US will be attempting to establish the first sorority in Leeds in the UK. The eight-week series will try to combine the upbeat American culture with traditional British culture.

Two new series are about to debut on TLC about love and royalty. Undercover Princes and Undercover Princesses follow six heirs as they travel to Germany, South Africa, Uganda and India to search for their true loves — anonymously. During their search, they also need to take care of themselves, including cooking their own food and getting real jobs. Undercover Princes premieres on January 31 and Undercover Princesses premieres on February 28.

Animal Planet

• Northwoods Law is a six-episode show about a game warden service in Maine that will premiere in March.

SCIENCE

• A new show premiered on the SCIENCE Channel last January 24. Monster Bug Wars delves deep into the world of insects, their mating, hunting and survival instincts. Dr. Linda Rayor and Dr. Bryan Grieg Fry are the experts who shed the light on these insects.

The CW

• From the writer of HBO’s Sex and the City comes the prequel everybody’s been waiting for. The Carrie Diaries has been picked up by the CW and will feature Carrie Bradshaw’s life before she moved to New York.
• The CW has also ordered a remake of the 1987 television show, Beauty and the Beast. It’ll be set in modern times with a procedural angle.

CBS

• CBS has picked up a comedy pilot from Nick Stoller. The untitled pilot features a guy working in an advertising agency with the woman who broke his heart.
• They also picked up a new drama show, Trooper, about a single mom who becomes a New York State Trooper.

Discovery Channel

• Unchained Reaction is a new series premiering on the Discovery Channel. This six-episode show follows two competing teams who need to build a complicated chain reaction contraption. Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman of Myth Busters are on board as judges.

ABC

• A new one-hour drama series is about to premiere on ABC. Based on the bestselling book by Gabriella Pierce, 666 Park Avenue follows the lives of a Midwestern couple who move to New York and to 666 Park Avenue, as resident managers. Little do they know, all residents of the building have made deals with the devil for their own desires.

NBC

• Comedy pilot, Isabel, has been picked up by NBC. The show will star Marcia Gay Harden and Sophie Schloss.
• NBC has also picked up two drama shows, Country and Chicago Fire. Country is set inside an LA County Hospital and Chicago Fire is set in a Chicago fire department.

Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao, the boxing pride of the Philippines, has proven to fans and critics, in the boxing ring, why he is a boxing champion. A lot of people know about him and his family through media. But few people really know the man behind the champion, his trainer, Freddie Roach. This January, HBO has turned the spotlight on him.

HBO: On Freddie Roach follows the life of Freddie Roach, who owns and operates Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood, CA, and has produced world boxing champions, including the eight-division world champion, Manny Pacquiao, and UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre. A former champion boxer, Roach was forced to quit when he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease and lost five of his last six fights. He retired from professional boxing at 26.

He apprenticed with his former trainer and mentor, Eddie Futch. The first boxer Roach himself trained was Hollywood actor, Mickey Rourke, in 1991. Rourke gave him the gym equipment that Roach would eventually use in Wildcard. Since 1991, Roach has trained Oscar de la Hoya, Virgil Hill and British boxer and former WBA light welterweight World Champion Amir Khan.

On Freddie Roach shows the man behind the success of world boxing and mixed martial arts champions — how he transforms them from boxers to champions, while dealing with Parkinson’s Disease.

On Freddie Roach premiered on HBO on Friday, January 20, at 9:30pm ET/PT.

(U.S. Army photo)

Of the five shows nominated for Best Comedy or Musical, one was from HBO (Enlightened), one was from Showtime (Episodes), two were on Fox (Glee and New Girl), and one – the winner – was on ABC (Modern Family). Of the five nominees, two were on premium networks, which is two more than NBC and CBS combined.

In the category for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy, three of the five were on premium channels, including the winner, Matt LeBlanc for Showtime’s Episodes. In the Actress category, Laura Dern of HBO’s Enlightened beat out the competition from three network shows and one other premium network.

Adding all that up, two of the three winners and 7 of 15 nominees in the big three comedy categories were on channels that most of America don’t get to see. So what is it about these shows that is capturing the attention of the awards-givers? Is it the freedom to do and say things that wouldn’t fly on basic cable? Is it the money being poured into these programs by the cash-heavy premium channels? Or are they just making better shows right now?

At least NBC snuck in a few nominees in the best Actor and Actress categories. Only Johnny Galecki’s wonderful nerdiness on The Big Bang Theory allowed CBS to even get on the board. The Golden Globes don’t actually get to determine what people watch. The viewers will have their say in the end. But last night’s award show was just one more reminder to the once dominant NBC and CBS that the times, they are a’changing.

Premieres

• Premieres have just been announced by the FEARnet network. FEARnet’s first original scripted series, Holliston,  will premiere its first season on April 3, and the second season of Todd & The Book of Pure Evil will premiere on March 13.
• Combat Cash will premiere its four-part series on Discovery Channel on January 18 at 10 pm. Combat Cash follows Bob Thatt and his partner Owen Thornton as they search for military artifacts and collectibles. All Star Dealers will premiere on Discovery Channel on January 24, as they search through trash to find treasures among vintage baseball memorabilia.
• Find Our Missing premieres on TV One on January 18. This ten-part series follows the stories of missing people who have disappeared without a trace. Their stories are being told to show and share with the audience. If they know any information about the missing people, they are encouraged to contact the police or FBI to help find them.
• An eight-episode original series will also premiere on Netflix on February 6 called Lilyhammer. Lilyhammer stars Steven van Zandt, who will play a New York mobster who is sent to rural Norway.
• Braving the Elements will premiere this March on The Weather Channel. Braving the Elements follows the lives of people who work outdoors and how their jobs are affected by weather, seasons and extreme locations.
• On USA Network in March, watch out for the second season premiere of Fairly Legal and the final season premiere of In Plain Sight.
• Get set for a lot of spring premieres on the Bravo Channel. Interior Therapy with Jeff Lewis, Shahs of Sunset (about young Persian-Americans living in LA), Love Broker (about matchmaker Lori Zaslow in New York) and Million Dollar Listing New York will all premiere this March. Around the World in 80 Plates (with Curtis Stone and Cat Cora) will premiere in May, and Don’t Be Tardy for the Wedding (about Kim Zolciak’s wedding to Atlanta Falcons defensive end Kroy Biermann) will premiere in spring 2012. Kathy Griffin’s new talk-show, Kathy, will also premiere in the spring.

Project Runway

The Designers

Anthony Williams (Season 7) is back to entertain us with his designs and stories. Since his last appearance, he has worked as a fashion director for Macy’s, designed freelance, and provided all of Stacey Dash’s wardrobe for the first season of VH1′s Single Ladies.

April Johnston (Season has started her own clothing company called “Mangled Courtesan”, inspired by her own dark and gothic romantic aesthetic. Her “April Johnston for Project Runway” line is also available at Jo-Ann stores nationwide. And she showed her collection at the Charleston Fashion Week in March 2010.

Austin Scarlett (Season 1) was the favorite to become the first-ever Project Runway winner. Despite not winning, he has not let that defeat him. Since the show, Austin has produced couture collections, joined NY-based Amsale as Creative Director of their luxury gown collections, had his designs featured on TLC’s Say Yes To The Dress, designed theatrical costumes for Shen Wei Dance Arts and hosted a reality show with Season 2′s Santino Rice, On The Road With Austin and Santino, that created couture designs from local items.

Elisa Jimenez (Season 4) is a freelance fashion designer and teacher and has designed costumes for Disney’s High School Musical 3 and The Killing Room.

Gordana Gehlhausen (Season 6) has moved her boutique, GOGA by Gordana, from Charleston,South Carolina to San Diego, California.

Jerell Scott (Season 5) is still freelance designing and has created custom designs for Katy Perry, Christina Milian, Nicki Minaj and Selma Blair. He has also designed wardrobes for Rachel Bilson on Hart of Dixie and Nicole Scherzinger on The X-Factor.

Kara Janx (Season 2) has opened her own clothing studio, Kara Janx, in New York City. She designs ready-to-wear clothes, bridal gowns, and special occasion dresses for both everyday women and celebrities, including Emma Watson and Olivia Palermo.

Kenley Collins (Season 5) has opened her own clothing studiowhich is sold in local shops and from her website. She is also the lead singer for Jetblack Bullseye.

Michael Costello (Season has been working hard to promote his namebrand and his business. He has since opened a showroom to showcase his collections.

Mila Hermanovski (Season 7) launched MILA and her Spring/Summer 2011 collection at the LA Fashion Week. Her clothes have since been sold in stores all over Los Angeles, CA. She still designs costumes for TV and film, with latest projects including Tim Burton’s Dark Shadows and Glee.

Mondo Guerra (Season has become an HIV/AIDS education and awareness advocate and has spoken for UnAIDS in Washington, D.C. on World Aids Day as well as for AIDS Walk New York. He showed his Fall/Winter 2011 collection at the El Paseo Fashion Week with Project Runway alums, Michael Costello and Christopher Collins.

Rami Kashou (Season 4) has made custom designs for Her Majesty Queen Rania of Jordan as well as for celebrities Heidi Klum and Rihanna. He is also working with a famous mall chain to design and sell bridal, bridesmaids’ and cocktail collections. Rami is also filming a pilot for a new reality show.

Sweet P (Season 4) created a limited-edition collection with her husband, artist Sage Vaughn. She also made a big decision to attend make-up school and she is now also working as a make-up artist for film and TV.

Project Runway All-Stars is now showing on Lifetime every Thursday at 9pm/8c.

http://www.mylifetime.com/shows/project-runway-all-stars

His second mission is to give aspiring models a reality check, a kick in the a**. And Paul Fisher is “the KICK” and “the A**”. He’ll tell it like it is and he’ll say it to your face, whether you’ll make it or not. And he’s not afraid to tell agencies what kind of models they should get to succeed. In Remodeled, he’ll show the transformation of an aspiring model to full-fledged professional model ready to compete with the best.

Remodeled brings you Paul Fisher’s newest venture called The Network. The Network aims to change what people know about the modeling industry starting with the little ones.

Remodeled premieres on The CW on Tuesday, January 17, 9/8c.
http://www.cwtv.com/shows/remodeled

About Paul Fisher

Paul Fisher is a modeling industry veteran of about twenty years. He’s worked with Naomi Campbell, Nicky Hilton and Kimora Lee Simmons. He started out in the modeling business when his grandfather gave him $10,000 to make a beginning. Paul has never looked back ever since. He went on a ten-year hiatus before coming back two years ago and founded The Network.

Best Television Series – Drama

Nominees:

Boardwalk Empire (HBO)
Game of Thrones (HBO)
American Horror Story (FX)

American Horror Story is the latest brainchild of creative team, Ryan Murphy and Brad Fulchuk (Glee, Nip/Tuck). A family moves to Los Angeles from Boston to forget their troubles. What they don’t know is that the house they’re moving into is haunted. American Horror Story stars Dylan McDermott and Connie Britton as married couple, Ben and Vivien Harmon. Taissa Farmiga plays their daughter, Violet, and Jessica Lange plays Constance, their neighbor.

Boss (Starz)

Kelsey Grammer stars in Boss as Chicago Mayor Tom Kane, the boss in the center of a world full of deceit and power with the people. As long as he gets them what they want, no matter who he steps on or deceives, they will look the other way. But now, a degenerative brain disorder is preventing him from doing his job efficiently. And now he can’t trust anyone, even himself. Boss also stars Connie Nielsen as his wife, Meredith, Kathleen Robertson as Kitty, his advisor, and Hannah Ware as Emma, his estranged daughter.

Homeland (Showtime)

Homeland stars Claire Danes as maverick CIA agent Carrie Mathison, who has vowed to prevent any further terrorism from happening because she failed to recognize the signs and stop the 9/11 attacks. When MIA Marine Sgt. Nicholas Brody is found in Afghanistan, after disappearing for eight years and having been reported dead, Mathison is convinced Brody has been turned by Al Qaeda and will launch another attack at America. Homeland also stars Damian Lewis as Marine Sgt. Nicholas Brody and Mandy Patinkin as Saul Berenson, CIA Middle East Division Chief and Mathison’s mentor in the CIA.

Best Television Series – Comedy or Musical

Nominees

Episodes (Showtime)
Glee (FOX)
Modern Family (ABC)
New Girl (FOX)
Enlightened (HBO)

From Mike White, the writer of School of Rock and Freaks and Geeks, comes a new comedy about learning who you are, who you want to be and what people can stand about you. Laura Dern stars as Amy, a health and beauty executive who has returned  after three months’ meditation in Hawaii, following a public meltdown. And she’s now ready to reshape the world she left behind. Enlightened also stars Diane Ladd as Amy’s mother, Helen, the recipient of all her unwanted advice, and Luke Wilson, as her ex-husband, Levi.

What do you think of the nominees? Who do you think will win? Catch the awards live on Sunday, January 15, 2012, at 8pm EST/5pm PST on NBC.

Howie Mandel

For one hour, Howie Mandel shows you every step of the way, from rehearsing the routines, figuring out and fine-tuning speeches, to the actual performance itself. Flash mobs have announced a wife’s pregnancy to her husband, an applicant’s getting a job offer, and even a marriage proposal.

In the first episode, a separated father, Ion, wants to make amends with his teenage daughter, Meagan, who got left behind when Ion  abandoned the family. Ion left when he couldn’t deal with the aftermath of his son’s death. But now, Ion  wants to make it up to Meagan, apologize to her and recreate the bond they had in the past. And he’s doing all of that with a flash mob.

About the Host

Howie Mandel has been in show business for over 30 years. He is probably best known for his hosting stint on Deal Or No Deal and as a judge on America’s Got Talent with Sharon Osbourne and Piers Morgan. He’s also the best-selling author of his no-holds-barred memoir, Here’s The Deal: Don’t Touch Me, which spent several weeks on the bestseller list. He currently lives in Los Angeles, CA with his wife, Terry, and their three children.

Catch the premiere of Mobbed on January 4, 2012 at 7 –9/8c on FOX.

http://www.fox.com/mobbed/

All we know for sure is that Community isn’t going to be a part of NBC’s Thursday night lineup when the rest of the shows return from their mid-season hiatus. When, or if, it will ever return is the subject of conflicting information. Although the ratings have been less-than-stellar, Community has stronger than average support from the viewers it does have. The result of this combination is a show that the network doesn’t like enough to keep but likes too much to cancel.

Based on the first two seasons of themed episodes, I’d say it is a show worth saving. Based on the shortened third season, in which the writers abandoned the genre-spoofing in favor of straight forward situational comedy, I’d say the show’s time has come. So by a 2-1 split decision, I’m hoping the show returns — maybe as a summertime fill-in. Stay tuned. And let the letter-writing begin.

At the same time that the Peacock sends Community off to TV limbo, another Thursday night comedy is shuffling off to a more well-defined future. Whitney, which has been an odd duck among the Thursday night flock, is moving to 8:00 on Wednesday nights. Which is a little bit like moving to batting ninth in baseball – you’re still on the team, but you’re one move away from being benched.