Jason Katims

NBC Renews PARENTHOOD; Orders 13-Episode Final Season of 30 ROCK [Updated]

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: May 10th, 2012 at 2:33 pm

Two on-the-bubble NBC shows have officially been given the order for new seasons.  The critical favorite yet ratings challenged drama Parenthood has been renewed for a 15-episode fourth season (per TV Line).  Showrunner Jason Katims is no stranger to ratings issues despite favorable reviews, as he led the stellar Friday Night Lights through five seasons of “will it be renewed?” drama.  I’m a fan of the ensemble and tone of Parenthood, but Katims will most likely have his hands full next season as his medical pilot County is said to be close to a pick up.  That show will star Jason Ritter, who led the doomed The Event and has been a frequent guest star on Parenthood.

Hit the jump for news regarding renewals for The Office and a final season for 30 Rock, as well as speculation about the fate of Community and Parks and Recreation. [Update: The Office hasn't officially been renewed yet, but with deals almost done for the main cast members a renewal is expected]

Peter Berg Provides Update on FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS Movie; Says Story Would Center Around Coach Taylor

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: February 15th, 2012 at 3:17 pm

Friday Night Lights is hands down one of the best television series in history, so when news came that executive producer Peter Berg planned on continuing the story in a new feature film, I was extremely happy. The NBC series was itself a continuation of Berg’s 2006 film, but this new feature will be tied to the characters that we saw in the television show. Berg announced last August that he and executive producer Jason Katims were working on a script and they hoped to begin production this year. Now Berg has provided another update on the movie saying that it’s still in the works, but the difficulty is now getting everyone’s schedules to line up. Hit the jump for more.

NBC Pilot Orders Include a Roseanne Barr Comedy and Dramas from Jason Katims and Dick Wolf

by Dave Trumbore    Posted: January 23rd, 2012 at 6:03 pm

Currently ranked fourth among major television networks, NBC is hoping to find ratings gold in a new batch of pilots they recently ordered. Among them are the comedy Downwardly Mobile, which will mark the return of Roseanne Barr to a television series and additional comedies from writer Scott Silveri (Friends) and writer Scot Armstrong (The Hangover 2). Barr’s project with Eric Gilliland (Roseanne), which she will also write and executive produce, stars the comedienne as an owner of a mobile home park who becomes a surrogate mother to her hard-luck tenants. So far, the network has also ordered the drama County by writer/producer Jason Katims (Friday Night Lights) and the Dick Wolf (Law & Order) action drama, Chicago Fire. Hit the jump for more on each project.

NBC to Adapt Danish Drama Series BORGEN for American Television

by Ethan Anderton    Posted: September 26th, 2011 at 12:04 pm

Since AMC found success with The Killing, their adaptation of the Danish drama series Forbrydelsen, NBC is looking for the same kind of victory as Deadline reports the network will adapt the another Danish series, Borgen (aka Government) for American television. Friday Night Lights executive producer David Hudgins will write the script and also work with Jason Katims (another exec producer on the aforementioned high school football drama series) as executive producer. The original Danish series focuses on the fight for political power and its consequences. It centers on smart and sexy 40-year-old populist party leader Birgitte Nyborg (Sidse Babett Knudsen) who scores a surprise election victory only to discover the biggest challenge of her life is yet to come. Obviously the series, which includes various politicians, members of the media and more key players in politics, will take place in the American government and is already drawing comparisons to The West Wing. While it will certainly be hard to live up to the writing of Aaron Sorkin, the team behind Friday Night Lights, which earned four Emmy nods in its final season, is certainly is up to the task. If you’re interested, you can see a trailer for the original Danish series after the jump.

Peter Berg Confirms FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS Film in the Works, Hopes to Start Production Next Year

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: August 1st, 2011 at 5:18 pm

While NBC’s Friday Night Lights recently came to an end with its series finale airing last month, word quickly came that executive producer Peter Berg had the intention of continuing the series with a feature film. You may recall that the series itself began as a 2006 film (which Berg directed), but this new movie would feature the characters from the TV series. No one would confirm the film’s development at the time, but now Berg has stated that they’ve started work on a script and hope to shoot the film next year. Hit the jump to see what he had to say.

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS TV Series May Continue as a Movie

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: July 15th, 2011 at 2:44 pm

Jason Katims’ critically lauded but ratings challenged television drama series Friday Night Lights is coming to an end with its fifth and final season finale tonight on NBC, but the show may get a chance to live on as a movie…again. The series (which just scored Emmy nominations for Best Drama, Best Actor, and Best Actress) was based on the 2004 film of the same name, which in turn was based on a book. And now it sounds like the characters may return once again in a new feature film with the show’s stars Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton. Hit the jump for the details.

NBC Succeeds In Depicting the Joys of New Series PARENTHOOD

by Brendan Bettinger    Posted: March 1st, 2010 at 8:00 am

As a remake of the 1989 Ron Howard film of the same name, NBC’s new family dramedy Parenthood will live or die by its cast.  But with a playbill this long and fraught with familiar faces-including Lauren Graham, Peter Krause, Dax Shepard, Craig T. Nelson, Erika Christensen, Monica Potter, and Mae Whitman among others-you’re bound to find a reason to check it out.  The talent behind the camera is perhaps even more encouraging, as creator Jason Katims also serves as the guiding force behind one of the best dramas of the last five years, Friday Night Lights.

Find out whether Parenthood lives up to its immense potential after the break.

Ron Howard Interview NBC’s PARENTHOOD

by Sara Wayland    Posted: February 8th, 2010 at 9:05 am

Parenthood started out as a successful film from Academy Award-winners Ron Howard and Brian Grazer in 1989, went on to be a sitcom featuring Leonardo DiCaprio in 1990 and is now returning as a one-hour drama, premiering on NBC on March 2^nd.

From Friday Night Lights executive producer Jason Katims, this new series re-imagines and updates the production to introduce audiences to the very large, very colorful and imperfect Braverman family, played by Craig T. Nelson, Bonnie Bedelia, Lauren Graham, Peter Krause, Monica Potter, Dax Shepard and Erika Christensen, among others.

While at the Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour to promote the series, executive producer Ron Howard explained that he was initially hesitant about revisiting a project that he truly cherishes, but that he realized it’s ultimately about parenting and being part of a family, which is universal to everyone. He also updated the status of the Arrested Development film, which he plans to narrate, as well as the development of the Dan Brown film The Lost Symbol and Cowboys and Aliens.

Check out what he had to say after the jump:

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