'Spartacus' to end next season on Starz

Photo: Liam McIntyre as Spartacus. Credit: Starz.

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Martha Stewart turns up the heat in tweet about Hallmark Channel

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Andie MacDowell to helm Hallmark Channel's first prime-time series

Andie MacDowell is going where actor Dean Cain and craft guru Martha Stewart have gone before: the Hallmark Channel, where she'll helm the network's first prime-time series.

The actress is set to star in "Cedar Cove." It will start with a two-hour movie pilot airing later this year and continue with a 13-episode drama series that is expected to premiere in early 2013 (because "Frasier" reruns can't do it all!).

"Cedar Cove" is based on the book series by Debbie Macomber and will feature MacDowell as municipal court Judge Olivia Lockhart.

The network has seen past success with Macomber's original movies: "Debbie Macomber’s Mrs. Miracle,” “Debbie Macomber’s Call Me Mrs. Miracle” and “Debbie Macomber’s Trading Christmas" — all performing well on the network.

Production on the movie pilot of "Cedar Cove" will start in early June. MacDowell also costars in ABC Family's "Jane by Design," which is wrapping production on the second half of its first season.

— Yvonne Villarreal

Photo: Andie MacDowell attends the '"ud" premiere at Cannes on Saturday. Credit: Andreas Rentz/Getty Images.

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NBC will roll out four nights of comedy in fall

NBC gets more musical with 'The Winner Is'

It ain’t over till the fat lady sings — or until she runs out of singing cattle calls to try out for. NBC is adding yet another such show to its roster with “The Winner Is" -- making it the 256,236th singing-focused show on broadcast TV.

The series is being dubbed as a vocal game show, with singers of all ages competing in head-to-head singing duels. We’re guessing it’s a prolonged version of the battle rounds from the network's other singing series, “The Voice,” which recently wrapped its second season.

Contestants will be judged by a special in-studio panel led by one to-be-announced celebrity judge. And then it gets all "Let's Make a Deal" on us. There will be a “unique twist” in which contestants can negotiate a deal with their opponents. Without knowing the results, participants can choose to leave the competition in exchange for a predetermined cash prize or continue. The deals don't stop there. Contestants will also be able to make a deal after each singing duel.

In the end, eight singers will duel and negotiate until two remain. After the final two perform, each will get the chance to walk away with $100,000, or they can choose to put their fate in the hands of the jury and viewers at home for $1 million.

No premiere date has been set. But we're sure you'll see your share of plucky singers in the meantime -- whether you like it or not.

Upfronts 2012: Watch previews of NBC's 'Go On', 'Animal Practice'

— Yvonne Villarreal

Photo: Paul Telegdy is photographed at NBCUniversal in Universal City on Jan. 26, 2012. He is president of NBC Alternative and Late Night Programming. Credit: Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times

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Did 'Khloe & Lamar' help kick Lamar Odom out of the game in Dallas?

'Keeping Up With the Kardashians' premiere is up and down on E!

The seventh-season premiere of "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" brought in 3 million viewers — down 14% from last year's season finale in which basketballer Kris Humphries proposed to Kim with a $2-million engagement ring. Still, don't expect the empire to crumble just yet.

Nearly 2 million of Sunday's viewers were in the advertiser-coveted 18-to-49 demo. If you're looking at it from E!'s perspective, "KUWTK's" return Sunday was up 16% from the 2.5 million it brought in for its sixth-season launch. And the 3 million premiere is in line with what the series averaged last season, so it's not like America has totally written off Kim and the family for that odd 72-day marriage.

Maybe the slight dip could be attributed to folks out watching — or recovering from watching — the solar eclipse? Or maybe they got a clue of what would unfold in Sunday's episode: Part of it focused on patriarch Bruce Jenner and his feelings of omission (you're just realizing that now, Bruce?), along with the continuation of Khloe's DNA conundrum (leftover from the recent "Khloe & Lamar's" season finale).

Whitney Cummings lands E! talk show

— Yvonne Villarreal

Photo: Kendall Jenner, left, Rob Kardashian, Scott Disick, Kourtney Kardashian, Lamar Odom, Khloe Kardashian Odom, Kim Kardashian, Bruce Jenner, Kris Jenner, Kylie Jenner. Credit: E! Entertainment

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Upfronts 2012: The CW hopes its changes are for the better

NEW YORK --The CW will undergo major alterations come fall.

In a bid to turn around a year of disappointing ratings, the network’s schedule is getting heavily revised with changes coming to every slot except one: Thursdays at 8 p.m., where its hit series “The Vampire Diaries” brings in impressive numbers for the young network. In its presentation to advertisers Thursday at the New York City Center, which included appearances by actors from series such as "Supernatural" and "90210," the CW also announced that it will be sitting out the traditional fall season launch period and delaying its series premieres until October — helping to avoid the big four networks’ September premieres and the conflicts bound to arise with the presidential debates. Two of its five new dramas will get a midseason premiere.

“We thought the [schedule] signified change,” CW President Mark Pedowitz told reporters after the presentation. “And change here is very important …. We think it will be beneficial in the long run.”

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Upfronts 2012: CW's 2012-13 schedule; 'Supernatural,' '90210' move

The CW will usher in five new dramas next season -- and the additions have caused some major rejiggering of the network's schedule, with many series -- including "America's Next Top Model," "90210," and "Hart of Dixie" -- moving to new nights or times.

The final (and reduced) season of "Gossip Girl" will air an hour later, on Mondays at 9 p.m., with "90210" as its lead-in. Tuesdays will be the one place you're sure to find a doctor, with "Hart of Dixie" prepping the viewers for the Mamie Gummer-led series "Emily Owens, M.D."

Wednesdays are full of action and boys with new superhero drama "Arrow" paired with "Supernatural," which moves nights. Meanwhile, "The Vampire Diaries" keeps its Thursday slot to be paired with the "Beauty and the Beast" reimagining. Long-in-the-tooth reality series "America's Next Top Model" moves to Fridays.

For the gals hoping to meet a teenage Carrie Bradshaw next fall, it looks like you'll have to wait until midseason, when the "Sex and the City" prequel series "The Carrie Diaries" makes its debut, along with fellow new series "Cult" (date and time to be determined).

Here's a full look at the CW's 2012-2013 schedule, as provided by the network:

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Upfronts 2012: TNT gets more reality; TBS builds off its reruns

NEW YORK -- Turner Entertainment Networks held its upfront presentation Wednesday at the Hammerstein Ballroom -- squeezing in as one of a couple of cablers in a week of broadcast networks -- and unveiled beefed up slates for TNT and TBS.

The "Dallas" remake might be the highest profile of TNT's new shows set to premiere this summer, with more announced in the works, including a medical drama, "Monday Mornings," and two more unscripted series in addition to its soon-to-be-launched "The Great Escape."

TBS, meanwhile, seems to be the new network offering life support. After giving Conan O'Brien a home for his talk show, the network has now taken in ABC's "Cougar Town."

"It's good to be back on cable," Courteney Cox, star of "Cougar Town," told Show Tracker at Turner's luncheon with reporters. "There's not as much micro-managing. And I think we'll find that "Cougar Town' is a great fit with the network. I definitely wish ABC had paid more attention to us. It's nice to feel wanted." The series will roll out on the network in 2013.

TBS also has a new competition series, "King of the Nerds," built to complement its "Big Bang Theory" repeats; the newly green-lighted "Deon Cole's Black Box," in the vein of "The Soup" and "Tosh 2.0"; and "Who Gets the Last Laugh?" And much was made of the network's success with its repeats of "Family Guy" and "The Big Bang Theory."

Here's an overview of what to expect:

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Upfronts 2012: ABC looks to rebuild Sundays, beef up Fridays

NEW YORK — ABC is hoping the soap doesn’t entirely wash off on Sundays.

In announcing a slate of new prime-time shows for next season that includes six dramas and four sitcoms, Paul Lee, president of the ABC Entertainment Group, is looking to rebuild the network schedule on a competitive night, one that recently saw the retirement of long-running nighttime soap “Desperate Housewives.” The third-place network is nearing the end of a season that generated a few breakout hits, such as Sunday-night fantasy drama “Once Upon a Time,” but also more than a few duds, like the short-lived cross-dressing comedy “Work It.”

“It’s a great start, but there’s a lot of work to do,” said Lee, as he presented his lineup to advertisers at Lincoln Center that included appearances by cast members from the hit show “Modern Family” and another stinging monologue from the network’s late-night host, Jimmy Kimmel.

The network is essentially in the same position as last season with its average prime-time audience falling less than 1 percent to 8.4 million, according to Nielsen. But more troubling, its young-adult audience fell 4 percent, making the network fourth in that demo, behind Super Bowl-boosted NBC.

In a schedule he described as “doubling down,” Lee is out to shore up ABC's Sunday lineup by moving its sudser “Revenge” into the 9 p.m. slot, formerly occupied by “Desperate Housewives.” Though Lee praised it as being one of the season's most-buzzed-about shows, “Revenge” registered middling ratings.

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Upfronts 2012: Hey, ABC, why didn't you invite James Van Der Beek?

When we interviewed James Van Der Beek in April leading to the premiere of his TV gig in "Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23," the actor kept going on and on about how excruciating he found it when he was asked to attend the Upfront presentations back when he had flowing hair and appeared as the ultra-sensitive lead on "Dawson's Creek."

"I remember every year for 'Dawson’s,' the WB would want us to go to New York for Upfronts," Van Der Beek said of the period in which network executives present their slate of new shows to advertisers. "I’d roll my eyes — because they want you to basically just stand there. It was always like, ‘Oh, God, in the middle of my hiatus, you want me to go on this dog and pony show in front of advertisers? I really resented it."

Oh, how quickly things changed for the actor, who found a career post-"Dawson's Creek" difficult to come by.

Upfronts 2012: ABC reveals 2012-2013 schedule

"I started doing pilots, hoping and praying to get invited to Upfronts," he added. "In the back of my mind I thought, ‘Isn’t this the way the universe works?’ For every year that I cursed having to go to Upfronts, I’m going to wish to get invited and not get to go."

So when the freshman comedy "Don't Trust the B---- in Aparment 23," in which he stars as a smarmy version of himself, got renewed, we were hoping to see the Beek from the Creek standing tall on stage Tuesday at the Lincoln Center for the network's presentation. Some of his fellow network comrades from "Modern Family," "Revenge" and "Once Upon a Time" made an appearance, but there was no Beek to be seen. Maybe he was invited but couldn't fit into those Beek Jeans?

ABC cancels "GCB," adds more series to lineup

--Yvonne Villarreal
twitter.com/villarrealy

Photo: James Van Der Beek, left, with Kiernan Shipka in "Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23." Credit. ABC.

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ABC renews "Scandal," picks up five new series

Upfronts 2012: ABC star Sofia Vergara promotes Univision

Univision Communications kicked off its upfront presentation to advertisers in New York on Tuesday with an unlikely endorsement from one of ABC's biggest stars.

"I might work someplace else, but this is where I live," Sofia Vergara, wearing a skin-tight leopard-print dress, said at the start of Univision's high-octane show, which unfolded at the New Amsterdam Theatre. "Univision is my home."

The Colombian beauty, star of ABC's hit comedy "Modern Family," told the crowd that she got her start on Univision, co-hosting a show with Fernando Fiore, "Fuera de Serie" (Over the Top), in the late 1990s. The show gave Vergara, a former model, exposure in the U.S. media market. From the stage Tuesday she gave a shout-out to Fiore.

Even now, Vergara said, she goes home at night to watch the telenovelas on Univision.

After Vergara introduced Univision Networks President Cesar Conde, the Spanish-language company unveiled its fall lineups for its three primary television networks: Univision, Telefutura and cable channel Galavision.

Another Univision star -- William Levy -- has similarly spread his wings and taken flight on ABC. Levy also appeared at the Univision presentation Tuesday via satellite from the company's flagship station in Los Angeles, KMEX (Channel 34). These days, Levy has been quick-stepping and foxtrotting as a contestant on "Dancing With the Stars."

When Conde asked how his ABC gig was going, Levy responded: "I want to go back to novelas."

Levy's and Vergara's appearances -- on the same day that ABC staged its presentation to advertisers -- demonstrated the growing alliance between the Walt Disney Co., owner of ABC, and Univision. Last week the two companies announced that they were forming a joint venture to create a 24-hour English-language cable news channel that is expected to launch next year.

Conde described the collaboration with ABC News as "groundbreaking." And, for the sharp-elbowed TV industry, sharing big stars on upfront day was something of a groundbreaking achievement in itself.

ABC renews "Grey's Anatomy," "Revenge," "Once ..." and more

-- Meg James and Yvonne Villarreal

Photo: Sofia Vergara Credit: Justin Lane / EPA

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ABC renews "Scandal," picks up five new series

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Upfronts 2012: ABC unveils 2012-13 schedule

ABC is adding four comedies and five dramas to its slate next season, including the soap "Nashville," which is set in the capital of country music.

ABC executives will officially unveil the network's fall prime-time schedule Tuesday afternoon in New York City. Here is a look at the lineup:

(All times are Eastern/Pacific, and new shows are in bold)

MONDAY:

8 p.m. “Dancing with the Stars”

10 p.m. “Castle”

TUESDAY:

8 p.m. “Dancing with the Stars, the Results Show”

9 p.m. “Happy Endings”

9:30 p.m. “Don’t Trust the B---- in Apartment 23”

10 p.m. “Private Practice”

WEDNESDAY:

8 p.m. “The Middle”

8:30 p.m. “Suburgatory”

9 p.m. “Modern Family”

9:30 p.m. “The Neighbors”

10 p.m. “Nashville”

THURSDAY:

8 p.m. “Last Resort”

9 p.m. “Grey’s Anatomy”

10 p.m. “Scandal”

FRIDAY:

8 p.m. “Shark Tank”

9 p.m. “Primetime: What Would You Do?”

10 p.m. “20/20”

In November:

8 p.m. “Last Man Standing”

8:30 p.m. “Malibu Country”

9 p.m. “Shark Tank”

10 p.m. “20/20”

SATURDAY:

8 p.m. “Saturday Night College Football”

SUNDAY:

7 p.m. “America’s Funniest Home Videos”

8 p.m. “Once Upon a Time”

9 p.m. “Revenge”

10 p.m. “666 Park Avenue”

ABC renews "Grey's Anatomy," "Revenge," "Once ..." and more

Photo: The cast of ABC's new fall show "Nashville." Credit: Craig Sjodin / ABC

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Upfronts 2012: NBC aims to look beyond music

NEW YORK -- NBC is not going to turn into one big musical.

The troubled network relaunched its hit “The Voice” this year after the Super Bowl. That helped bring in big numbers for the show’s early episodes and made it a nice lead-in for the network’s heavily hyped midseason musical drama “Smash” — which, though by no means a ratings powerhouse, pulls in solid numbers.

So it makes sense that music from both shows was rampant at NBC’s upfront presentation to advertisers held at Radio City Music Hall on Monday.

“Smash” stars Katharine McPhee and Megan Hilty performed the ballad “Let Me Be Your Star,” before being joined onstage by “The Voice” judge s— Adam Levine, Cee Lo Green and Christina Aguilera — in their signature red revolving chairs (which will get more air time when the series returns in the fall).

Advertisers were even shown a clip, introduced onscreen by “30 Rock’s” Tina Fey and late night host Jimmy Fallon — imagining what the upcoming season might look like if it went through the “Smash” machine: with a montage showcasing actors from “Parks and Recreation,” “The Office,” “Law & Order: SVU” and even “Grimm,” belting out mid-scene.

Then there was a performance by “The Voice” winner Jermaine Paul. And yet another performance by Katherine McPhee.

But there’s no need to break out the headphones.

“I’m not hijacking the network and turning it into a musical,” Greenblatt assured.

Twitter: @LATshowtracker