J.J. Abrams-produced drama Believe, which tells the story of a young girl with special powers she can’t control, will have its own special preview Monday, March 10th at 10:00 behind a new episode of The Voice before moving into its Sundays at 9:00 time period March 16th. That same week, Crisis, starring the likes of Gillian Anderson and Dermot Mulroney, will premiere at 10:00, with reality competition series American Dream Builders premiere Sunday, March 23rd at 8:00. The latter is set to be hosted by Nate Berkus.

Even with all the new premiere dates, NBC still has midseason series without a premiere date, as pirate drama Crossbones and medical drama The Night Shift are awaiting scheduling placement. While one or both of those could eventually be delayed until the summer, more pressing is NBC using the Olympics as heavily as they are in promoting their new comedies, a strategy that didn’t work last season with Go On and Animal Practice. A heavy wave of ads promoting the shows is one thing and something to be expected for every major event like this, but airing episodes after the closing ceremony is risky and something that could easily blow up in the network’s face like it did last time.

Which of NBC’s midseason series will you be watching? Do you think that either Crossbones or The Night Shift will be delayed until summer? Will any of the midseason series become the hit that NBC needs?

The post NBC Sets Premiere Dates for About a Boy, Believe, Crisis, Growing Up Fisher, and More appeared first on TVHackr.

-ION Television has added encores of Burn Notice and White Collar to its programming slate, which includes the likes of Criminal Minds, Psych, and House. There’s no word yet on when they’ll make their channel debuts, however. While Burn Notice is currently in its final season, White Collar returns this fall.

–Person of Interest fans are in for a treat at Comic-Con, as CBS has issued nearly 40,000 limited-edition hotel keycards featuring images from the hit drama. Included are one with Reese and Fitch keeping a watchful eye and one meant as a response to people thinking that the show could be a work of fiction, given recent world events.

-Put into development at Discovery today is an untitled miniseries centering on William Wallace and Robert the Bruce, Scottish patriots who were forced to deal with King Edward I of England taking over Scotland and the discontent this produced among their people.

–Ray Donovan has become the first freshman Showtime series to see a rise in the ratings for its second episode, as it garnered a 15% increase this past Sunday. Thus far in its premiere week, the fixer drama is pacing 49 percent ahead of Homeland‘s freshman season premiere week. Meanwhile, Dexter grew from its highest-rated premiere ever, marking the first time the show has increased its numbers from a premiere to a second episode.

-Former American Idol judge Paula Abdul will guest judge on tonight’s episode of So You Think You Can Dance, which will feature the top 18 battling it out to stay in the competition.

-The entire first season of CBS drama Unforgettable has been made available on CBS.com, the CBS app, and various CBS Audience Network partner sites. The series, which stars Poppy Montgomery, returns for a second season on Sunday, July 28th.

-Syfy and Trion Worlds will be giving fans of Defiance a chance to become further involved in the show, thanks to the “Play the Game. Join the Show.” in-game contest. The ten Ark Hunters who complete the most Major Arkfall events between July 8 and July 30 will compete for a chance to have their  character written onto the show. These ten semifinalists will be fleshed out  with backstories written by the show’s writing staff, which will then be  featured on Facebook, where Defiance fans will choose their five favorites. A member of the Defiance team will then select the winner, who will appear on the show. Season two of Defiance premieres in June 2014.

-NBCUniversal is set to distribute the syndicated talk show of Meredith Viera, which will debut in the fall of 2014. The show will be taped on a set meant to resemble her home and feature a mix of feel-good human interest stories, celebrities guests with stories to tell, and various lifestyle segments.

-Jenna Elfman has officially been cast in NBC’s Growing Up Fisher (formerly The Family Guide), taking over for Parker Posey. The show will premiere this midseason.

-Esquire Network has released an extended look at The Getaway, a new original series that explores the world’s greatest cities through the eyes  of a revolving cast of travel-loving celebrities. Here’s who to expect during the first season and where they’ll be going:

Joel McHale (The Soup, Community) in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Aisha Tyler (Archer) in Paris.
Grammy Award-winning performer-songwriter Eve in  Kingston, Jamaica.
Aziz Ansari (Parks and Recreation) in Hong Kong.
Acclaimed chef José Andrés in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Josh Gad (Book of  Mormon) in New York City.
True Blood‘s Ryan Kwanten in Los Angeles.
Brothers Seth Meyers (Saturday Night Live) and Josh Meyers (MADtv) in  Amsterdam.
Rashida Jones (The Office, Parks and Recreation) in London.
Paul Feig (creator of Freaks and Geeks, director of Bridesmaids) in Boston.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbhXwP6JgcA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvX9Vypq31c

The post News Roundup: Meredith Viera Gets a Talk Show, Person of Interest Key Cards, and Defiance Guest Stars 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.

Growing Up Fisher isn’t the first series to be tinkered with this heavily after getting a pickup at upfronts. The likes of Deception, Ugly Betty, and The Chicago Code all underwent title changes following a series pickup, but Growing Up Fisher also has to deal with a significant recasting that could make or break the chemistry that earned it an order in the first place. The show has a pretty decent timeslot, as it will be squeezed in between The Voice and Jason Katims’ About a Boy adaptation on Tuesdays, and with family comedy making a strong impression in terms of pickups for next season, there’s a chance it could find an audience despite the turmoil.

NBC’s bid for family comedy, born from years of making niche workplace comedies that never attracted a wide audience, may also play a role in Growing Up Fisher‘s success. It make take audiences a while to associate this brand of comedy with NBC and something like Growing Up Fisher, which isn’t the highest priority at the network, could suffer in the interim.

Growing Up Fisher is slated to premiere Tuesdays at 9:00 this midseason on NBC. You can check out the network’s full 2013-2014 schedule here.

Does Growing Up Fisher sound like something you would watch? Is the title change a positive move for the show? Who would you like to see replace Parker Posey?

The post NBC Renames The Family Guide to Growing Up Fisher appeared first on TVHackr.