Daily Marauder

BROADCAST/CABLE

ABC is “going to town” with its pilot approvals, adding the new drama Happy Town and the comedy Cougar Town starring Courteney Cox, both produced by ABC Studios. Happy Town is a small-town murder mystery starring Geoff Stults, Lauren German, Dean Winters, Amy Acker, Sam Neill, John Patrick Amedori, Sarah Gadon, Jay Paulson and Robert Wisdom. In Cougar Town, the series also stars Dan Byrd, Busy Philipps, Brian Van Holt, Christa Miller, Josh Hopkins and Ian Gomez. (Cynopsis 5/18)

Additionally, ABC finalized a deal late Friday to pick up the Warner Bros. TV series V and 20th TV’s The Deep End (formerly titled Associates). Both series will likely get 13-episodes each and The Deep End may be a midseason roll-out. (Cynopsis 5/18)

Also on Friday, ABC picked up the Jerry Bruckheimer drama The Forgotten about a team of amateur detectives who specialize in unidentified victims cases. Another order for ABC went to the drama Eastwick, loosely based on John Updike‘s novel and the feature film The Witches of Eastwick. Two new comedies will hit ABC’s lineup including Hank starring Kelsey Grammer and The Middle headlined by Patricia Heaton. All four series are produced by Warner Bros. TV and Warner Horizon.  Also, the network officially renewed Scrubs for a ninth season and True Beauty produced by Warner Bros. TV and Warner Horizon. (Cynopsis 5/18)

Ben Silverman, the co-chief of NBC Entertainment, came to the network two years ago as a rising star with an eye on a turnaround. But his first programs have not yet produced a hit. Some detractors, rooting for his exit, suggest that he and NBC can’t wait to part company. (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/17/business/media/17silver.html?_r=1 5/16)

FOX gave the comedy Brothers a 13-episode order from Sony/Tantamount. The plot centers on the relationship between two brothers, one a retired NFL player (NY Giants’Michael Strahan) who returns to his hometown of Houston to care for his disabled brother (Darryl “Chill” Mitchell).  FOX is also adding an additional run of summer reality series So You Think You Can Dance this fall, reports THR. (Cynopsis 5/18)

Over the weekend, CBS gave a nod to three drama pilots to begin staffing including the NCIS spinoff, the medical drama Three Rivers and The Good Wife with Julianna Margulies in the lead. (Cynopsis 5/18)

CBS chief Les Moonves can boast of being No. 1 in prime time among total viewers during his remarks Wednesday at his network’s “upfront” presentation to advertisers. CBS insists it is in the catbird seat. “We’re really well positioned,” says sales head Jo Ann Ross. (Iwantmedia 5/18, http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20090517/SUB/305179980 5/17)

Time Warner Cable will no longer carry Mark Cuban’s HDNet television channel in the New York City area, per a statement on the cable provider’s Web site. The two sides are said to have been in talks over the issue for months. HDNet programming includes “Dan Rather Reports.” (Iwantmedia 5/18, http://www.pwnewsnow.com/index.php?subaction=showfull&id=1242532686&archive=&start_from=&ucat=6& 5/16)

(Below) Does this mean automatic internships at the media company? Free copies of the WSJ on campus?

Harvard University, the richest U.S. college with a $28.8 billion endowment, is making several new investments, including 1.47 million Class A shares of Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. The media conglomerate is currently trading at around $10 a share. (Iwantmedia 5/18, http://www.politico.com/blogs/michaelcalderone/0509/Harvard_invests_in_Murdoch.html 5/15)