Both new seasons are expected to air in 2015, with production beginning later this year.  Showtime has also recently renewed Matt LeBlanc’s Episodes for a fourth season, thus renewing its entire Sunday night lineup.

Starring William H. Macy, Shameless is currently on track to air its highest-rated season yet.  The drama averages 5.5 million viewers, weekly, across platforms.  House of Lies, starring Don Cheadle and Kristen Bell is averaging 3 million viewers, weekly, and pulled its own highest-rated telecast of the season last week.

These renewals bring House of Lies to its fourth season and Shameless to its fifth.

The post Showtime Renews ‘House of Lies,’ ‘Shameless’ appeared first on TVHackr.

When Shameless returns, the Gallaghers are getting by about as well as they ever have with Fiona still working at Worldwide Cup and the household slightly more empty with Ian still gone and Lip at college. However, Frank is still lurking in the shadows and, should he choose, could end up being the stone that sinks the financial and emotional stability gained by his family in his absence.

House of Lies will pick up after the dissolution of the Pod in the second season finale, with Marty starting his own firm, Clyde moving over to work with Monica, and Doug and Jeannie staying on at Galweather, looking to achieve the type of individual success they never could before. However, there’s a danger that the four of them work best when they’re together and that they won’t be able to match their previous success in their new situations.

Finally, Episodes sees turnover at the network with Merc out of a job and Carol possibly assuming his role as head of the network. Sean and Beverly may have patched things up during last season’s finale, but they still have to maneuver through the emotional minefield that stands between them and marital bliss. Additionally, their working relationship isn’t on the most stable ground, as whoever comes in to replace Merc will be looking to make their mark on the network and a cancellation of Pucks! could be the first step toward the network regaining the respectability they lost this season.

The fourth season of Shameless is set to premiere Sunday, January 12th at 9:00 on Showtime, with the third season premieres of House of Lies and Episodes following at 10:00 and 10:30, respectively.

Will you be watching any of Shameless, House of Lies, and Episodes this season? Do you think that the Gallagher family can finally clear the poverty line and begin their ascent toward middle class? Is Pucks! going to be able to survive now that there’s a new network regime in place?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xysfhP2fPv8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFA93UPxnzQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Sf36WXGPEQ

The post Showtime: Watch the Season Premieres of Shameless, House of Lies, and Episodes Here appeared first on TVHackr.

The production of the upcoming season of this Sitcom will be done by Showtime and co-produced by BBC. Episodes’ Season 3 is all set to premiere in the next year on January 12^th at 10:30 p.m and will be a part or Showtime’s winter schedule, alongside House of Lies and Shameless. The new season of Episodes is going to be aired on Showtime almost after one and a half years, quite a wait for the fans! The previous and the second season of the sitcom was a hit, drawing a viewership of 1.66 million, across different platforms.

In the upcoming season of Episodes, we will see Beverly, played by Tamsin Greig and Sean, played by Stephen Mangan, getting back together and Matt’s (LeBlanc himself) career continues to see downfall, so does his ego. This season’s guest appearances on the show will include the 24 fame, Chris Diamantopoulos and Roger Bart (from Revenge), who will be seen in a total of four episodes, playing LeBlanc’s agent. Also the Revolution fame Tracy Spiridakos will be guest starring as a member of the actress, Morning Randolph’s (Mircea Monroe) family.

For thos who are not aware, Episodes is a creation of David Crane, widely known for his immensely popular comedy series Friends, along with Jeffrey Klarik, known for Mad About You. The award-winning writing duo and executive producers of the show are known to pen down every single episode without a writer room. Jimmy Mulville also joins them as executive producer through his company Hat Trick Productions.

The post Matt LeBlanc comedy Episodes renewed for 4th Season appeared first on TVHackr.

As a result of the scheduling alteration, the seventh season of Californication has been bounced to April, where it will air alongside the sixth season of Nurse Jackie. This will be the David Duchovny’s second major move in its run after going from fall to winter in 2011, where it joined Shameless and then-fledgling comedy House of Lies. Due to the cancellation of The Borgias, a new drama will likely be premiering alongside the two veteran comedies this spring; contenders for this spot include psychological thriller Penny Dreadful, starring Josh Hartnett and Eva Green, and The Vatican, starring Kyle Chandler as the Archbishop of New York.

The only hole left in the Showtime schedule for next year is their summer programming. Ray Donovan will be returning for a second season, but there’s no word yet on what they’ll be pairing it with. Aside from Penny Dreadful and The Vatican, the network has hour-long The Affair, starring Dominic West and Ruth Wilson, in development, though that series only made its second casting today. Should it be ordered to series, it likely wouldn’t debut until sometime in 2015.

Shameless will return next year to its 9:00 slot, with House of Lies following at 10:00 and Episodes closing at 10:30.

What do you think will happen on Shameless next season? Will the pod ever reform on House of Lies? Is there a chance that Merc’s successor at the network will save Pucks from cancellation?

The post Shameless, House of Lies, and Episodes to Premiere January 12th appeared first on TVHackr.

This week on TVHackr, we talked about the death of James Gandolfini, what”s coming up on Baby Daddy, and the series premiere of Ray Donovan, which was uploaded to Showtime”s Youtube account. Around the web, the subjects ranged from water-cooler TV to genre programming at the Emmys and Scooby-Doo.

Scandal: Scott Foley Promoted to Series Regular for Season 3
Captain Jake Ballard won”t be going anywhere just yet, as Scott Foley has been promoted to a series regular on the Shonda Rhimes drama, which will be entering its third season this fall.

Magic City Season 2 Premiere Recap: You Opened the Door to That Monster
On the season premiere of Magic City, Vera finds out what Ike”s been hiding from her about their financial status, while there”s a plan that could bring Ben Diamond down and let the Evans family start anew – in Cuba.

Family Tree 1.05 Sneak Peeks: Tom Arrives in the United States
Tom meets up with Al and Kitty Chadwick and begins digging into the real reason why Charles moved from the United States to England in the first place. How will Tom react when he finds out a fairly major piece of his family”s history?

Baby Daddy Season 2 Spoilers: Danny Begins Avoiding Riley
Danny begins seeing a psychiatrist who suggests that his recent slump has to do with Riley, while Ben tries to get Emma into daycare and Riley”s mother Jennifer renews her rivalry with Bonnie at their book club.

Defiance 1.09 Preview: Earth Republic Quarantines Defiance
Quentin continues looking into what happened to his mother, a plague hits Defiance, and Amanda has a challenger in the upcoming mayoral election. Who wants to be the one to rule over Defiance and its unsteady relations between humans and Votans?

CBS Announces 2013-2014 Premiere Dates
The Eye has become the first network to unveil its premiere dates for next season, choosing to concentrate most of them in the pre-established network premiere week rather than staggering them out.

The Strain: Oscar Nominee John Hurt Joins the FX Pilot
The series, from Guillermo del Toro, takes place in New York City, where a CDC Canary Team is tasked with investigating (and containing) a mysterious viral outbreak that has hallmarks of vampirism.

The Fosters Recap: A Number, A Decision, A Word, and Plenty of Tears
Brandon has to make a difficult decision regarding his residence, while Callie”s dark past begins coming out in her writing, Lena does her best to help Jude, and Jesus continues to see Lexi.

The Fosters Spoilers: Callie Grows Closer to Wyatt
Coming up on The Fosters, tension between Brandon and Talya bubbles over, Jesus and Lexi face the consequences of their relationship, and Mariana tries to fit in with a cool, edgy crowd.

Ray Donovan: Watch the Series Premiere Here
Showtime made the (edited) series premiere of upcoming drama Ray Donovan available for viewing around two weeks prior to its television debut.

Juan Antonio Bayona to Direct Showtime’s Penny Dreadful
The acclaimed director, most recently of The Impossible, will helm the first two episodes of the period drama, set in Victorian London and featuring several classic literary characters.

News Roundup: T Bone Burnett Won’t Return for Nashville Season 2
The Grammy-winning producer (and husband to Nashville creator Callie Khouri) won”t be returning for a second season as the show”s music supervisor. Buddy Miller will take over for season two, which debuts this fall on ABC.

Hemlock Grove Renewed for Season 2 by Netflix
Netflix officially ordered more of Eli Roth”s Hemlock Grove, with 10 additional episodes in the supernatural mystery set for a 2014 premiere.

FX Acquires Kelsey Grammer/Martin Lawrence Comedy From Lionsgate TV
The series stars Grammer and Lawrence as Chicago lawyers who become unexpected friends and colleagues.

James Gandolfini Dies at Age 51
The Sopranos star and three-time Emmy winner passed away while in Italy attending a film festival.

2013 Imagen Award Nominations Announced
Switched at Birth, Dallas, and Private Practice scored 2013 Imagen Award nominations, founded to recognize positive portrayals of Latinos in the media.

Agents of SHIELD, Once Upon a Time, and Wonderland Coming to Comic-Con
ABC”s 2013 Comic-Con lineup includes Joss Whedon”s Agents of SHIELD and two fairy tale dramas.

Episodes: Tracy Spiridakos to Guest Star in Season 3
The Revolution actress will be playing a family member of Morning”s on the Showtime comedy.

Hit the Floor 1.05 Sneak Peeks: Jelena Introduces German to Derek
Will Jelena succeed in driving Ahsha and German apart on the next episode of Hit the Floor?

Mistresses 1.04 Preview: Sam Won’t Let Karen Go
Savi begins looking into paternity tests, while Joss grows closer to Alex and Karen continues her obsession with Sam Grey.

Defiance 1.10 Preview: Nolan and Tommy Discover a Body at the NeedWant
Kenya”s former husband is found in the walls of the NeedWant and raises questions about several people in Defiance.

NBC Announces Fall 2013 Premiere Dates
When will the likes of Parks and Recreation, Chicago Fire, and Grimm begin their next seasons?

AMC Delays Hell on Wheels Season 3 Premiere to August 10th
Due to extreme weather, AMC has delayed the start of the western one week and will make the new premiere two hours.

Warner Bros. Announces Comic-Con Lineup
Among the Warner Bros. shows making the trek to Comic-Con are Arrow, Supernatural, and The Vampire Diaries.

TV NOW: How Important is the “Water-Coolerness” Factor for Today’s Television? (The TV Addict)
The TV Addict looks at spoilers, television binge watching, and the new norms of the modern digital world.

Your Summer Roundup of Reality-TV Ridiculousness (Vulture)
Enjoy ridiculous reality television? Vulture has compiled the most outrageous-seeming programming hitting the air this summer. Prepare yourselves accordingly.

 (Hitfix)
Should genre television have a bigger presence at award ceremonies like the Emmys? Hitfix argues that it should.

Meddling Kids Sidekick Mysteries = Series: 13 Hanna-Barbera productions that recycled the Scooby-Doo format (The A.V. Club)
The A.V. Club looks at cartoons that looked to ape the success of Scooby-Doo with a similar format and whether or not they were able to stand out in a crowded cartoon landscape.

Traditional TV is unstoppable. Can YouTube ever beat it? (Slate)
Is there a chance of Youtube ever overtaking broadcast television? Slate looks at the possibility.

The TV Isn”t Dying–Americans Still Overwhelmingly Unwind in Front of the Tube (National Journal)
On an average day in 2012, adults 15 and older spent six hours in front of the television, up from 5.76 hours the year before. The share of free time spent playing games or using a computer for fun fell from just over 52 minutes to just under it.

Majority of Americans Don”t Trust Newspapers and Television News (U.S. News and World Report)
Confidence in television news is tied with newspapers this year at 23 percent, which is slightly up from last year”s all-time low of 21 percent.

The post The Week in Television Wrap June 15-21 appeared first on TVHackr.

When we last left Episodes, whose second season finale aired in August 2012, Sean and Beverly had reconciled after spending a season torn apart due to her fling with Matt and issues with the network. Carol was confronted with the opportunity of a lifetime when she was offered the job of network head, although she’d have to choose between staying loyal to Merc and advancing her career. With Merc’s dismissal, the future of Pucks is now in doubt, as the show lost its (initial) major champion in Merc and now its ratings woes can’t be covered up by pride. It’ll have to stand on its own if there is to be a second season and thanks to Sean and Beverly working things out, there might be a fighting chance for them to right the ship. And for the first time, that’s something that they both want to happen.

In addition to her role on the NBC post-apocalyptic drama, which moves to Wednesdays at 8:00 next season, Spiridakos has appeared on the likes of Being Human, Hellcats, and Tower Prep. She’ll join Chris Diamantopoulos in being new characters on Episodes, with the actor portraying the new head of the network now that Merc has been fired.

The nine-episode third season of Episodes is currently in production in London and will begin shooting in Los Angeles next month for an early 2014 premiere. Given that Showtime’s January 2014 lineup is already set (Shameless, House of Lies, and Californication), it will likely be pushed to April for a presumed pairing with Nurse Jackie and an hour-long drama to be named later.

Will you be watching Episodes next season? How do you think Spiridakos will be introduced into the world of Episodes? Who else would you like to see appear on the show?

The post Episodes: Tracy Spiridakos to Guest Star in Season 3 appeared first on TVHackr.

New feature alert! We here at TVHackr want to give you a weekly recap of our activity, as well as a few choice links from around the web of TV blogging. Every Friday, we’ll be posting a roundup of everything we published during the past seven days and selecting a handful of interesting links from various websites. Hope you enjoy.

Family Tree 1.03 Sneak Peeks: Tom Looks Into the Life of His Grandfather
Tom continues his look into his family history by tracking down information on his grandfather, a boxer who competed in the 1948 Austerity Games.

The Killing Season 3 Sneak Peeks: Sarah Linden’s Blast from the Past
Though she thought she was out of the force for good, a case that Holder works brings Sarah Linden back into the fold. Just how much of a connection does an old case she thought was closed have to his current dilemma?

Dominic West To Star in Showtime’s The Affair
The show follows two married couples and one affair that has major reverberations for all involved.

We’ll Be Live from the ATX Festival Later This Week! Arrested Development Featured Opening Night
TVHackr will be at Austin’s ATX Festival and provide you content, including pictures and articles about panels we attend.

Episodes: Chris Diamantopoulos To Guest Star in Season 3
The Office alum is set to play the new head of the network, meaning that Merc doesn’t get rehired and Carol refuses the opportunity.

Critics’ Choice TV Awards Name Most Exciting New Series
The honorees include Ray Donovan, Masters of Sex, and Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

The Fosters Series Premiere Recap: You’re Not Worthless
What happened during the first episode of ABC Family’s The Fosters?

The Secret Life of the American Teenager Takes an Awkward Bow Out
The ABC Family drama aired its series finale this past Monday.

Mistresses Series Premiere Recap: All I Wanted to Do Was Hold Him
During the first episode of the ABC soap, someone cheated, someone died, there was an illegitimate child, and someone thought about hooking up with the same gender.

The CW Releases Full Trailers for The Originals, Reign, The 100, and The Tomorrow People
Two weeks after its upfront presentation, the network released extended previews for four of its five upcoming dramas.

Magic City: Watch the First 5 Minutes of Season 2 Here
The second season of Magic City premieres Friday, June 14th at 9:00 on Starz.

Devious Maids: Lifetime to Release the Series Premiere Early
This marks the first time that a series premiere has been released early in two different languages.

America’s Next Top Model Cycle 20 to Premiere August 2nd on The CW
The 20th cycle will feature both male and female models for the first time.

NBC Renames The Family Guide to Growing Up Fisher
Growing Up Fisher will premiere sometime this midseason.

J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot to Develop Rod Serling’s Final Screenplay Into Miniseries
The Stops Along the Way has yet to have any details released about its plot or characters.

Magic City Redband Trailer: You’ve Got One Move Left
At the end of this season of Magic City, will Ben Diamond or Ike Evans be the King of Miami?

The Borgias To End After This Season
The series finale of the period drama will air Sunday, June 16th.

Californication: Mercedes Masohn to Guest Star in Season 7
The actress, who recently starred in ABC’s canceled supernatural soap 666 Park Avenue, will play a TV actress who puts Hank in an uncomfortable position.

Hit the Floor 1.03 Sneak Peeks: Sloane Thinks Pete Told Ahsha Her Secret
Now that Ahsha knows who her father is, how will she handle herself?

The Fosters 1.02 Sneak Peeks: Jesus Covers for Mariana
While Jesus may be doing the honorable thing in protecting his sister from a likely severe punishment, what will not taking his pills mean for his health?

Twisted Series Premiere Sneak Peeks: Natural Born Killer?
Danny Desai’s past comes back to haunt him when he’s accused of a crime that he didn’t commit. Or did he?

Orange Is the New Black Trailer: Netflix Goes to Prison
Netflix released the first trailer for comedic drama Orange Is the New Black, adapted by Weeds showrunner Jenji Kohan.

Nurse Jackie Renewed for Season 6 by Showtime
The dramedy will return for a sixth season in 2014, with production beginning in New York this fall.

Twisted: Spoilers for the First Three Episodes
What is supposed to happen during the first three episodes of ABC Family’s Twisted?

HBO Announces Premiere Dates for Boardwalk Empire, Eastbound & Down, and Hello Ladies
While Boardwalk Empire’s fourth season premieres September 8th, it won’t be joined by two comedies until September 29th.

FXX Picks Up First Original Series in Animated Comedy Chozen
The show tells the story of a gay white rapper who emerges from prison with newfound motivation to do good in his life.

Family Tree 1.04 Sneak Peeks: Tom Goes to a Derbyshire Farm
Tom, Bea, Pete, Keith, and Luba go to the Chadwick alpaca farm in Derbyshire and family truths are revealed in the process.

Mistresses 1.02 Preview: Savi Looks for Guidance from Karen and April
How should Savi proceed after what happened with Dominic? Karen and April have two very different opinions of what she should do.

ABC Gives Straight-to-Series Order to Bryan Singer’s The Black Box
The series, written by Mystic Pizza‘s Amy Holden Jones, follows a neuroscientist who struggles with mental illness – and the secret’s she’s keeping from her family.

NBC Releases Official Siberia Trailer
Premiering July 1st, Siberia centers on a reality show taping gone horribly wrong.

The Best of Streaming: What You Should Watch on Netflix, Hulu, and Other Sites (Vulture)
Bored online? Here are suggestions of what you could be watching.

Government’s data-mining was anticipated by TV dramas (Hitfix)
Television forewarned about events like the recent NSA controversy.

Embrace the mystery: Is repeat viewing the best way to approach complex TV? (The A.V. Club)
The A.V. Club talks complex television and which manner of watching is most conducive to understanding, appreciating, and enjoying it.

4 Shows from Norway’s crazy, successful slow TV experiment (The Week)
Among the highlights of Norway’s unusual TV craze are programs about a single interview and a sea cruise.

The post The Week in Television Wrap June 1-7 appeared first on TVHackr.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Chris Diamantopoulos has signed on for a season-long arc on Showtime’s Episodes. The Office alum is set to play Caster Soto, the new head of the network and Merc Lapidus’ successor. Last season on the Matt LeBlanc-starring showbiz comedy, Merc was fired due to a tanking fall schedule and not picking up a show that went on to become a blockbuster at a rival network.

While Pucks has been a disappointment for the network, it had a decent supporter in Merc and wasn’t in a whole lot of cancellation danger under his watch. It was his decision to bring Sean and Beverly to Los Angeles to adapt their show and he was going to stick with the series, if only for pride’s sake (and until upfronts, when it could have been quietly axed). However, without him around, the show is in a much more precarious position, with Soto looking to make a mark on the network and not having the ties to Merc’s pet projects that could keep Pucks safe for another season. If it doesn’t improve from its recent slide from an already underwhelming premiere, there’s a chance that Sean and Beverly might find themselves without a show on the air and with tarnished creative reputations. As much as they didn’t like the notes from the network and the constant interference from Merc, could the two find themselves missing him, should Sotto show that he doesn’t care about their show?

In addition to his role as boom operator Brian on the final season of The Office, Diamantopoulos has appeared on the likes of Arrested Development, Community, and Up All Night.

Episodes returns for a nine-episode third season in early 2014.

Will you be watching Episodes next season? How do you think Caster will perform at running the network? Is Pucks in more trouble than ever now that it’s champion has been shown the door?

The post Episodes: Chris Diamantopoulos To Guest Star in Season 3 appeared first on TVHackr.