AMC Renews Western Series 'Hell on Wheels'

It's official: AMC has renewed "Hell on Wheels" for a second season.Days after news leaked that the Western starring Anson Mount and Common would earn a pickup, the network has formally announced plans for a sophomore season."Hell on Wheels" stands as the second-highest-rated drama series on the network, averaging 3.2 million total viewers and 1.5 million in adults 25-54 and hails from writer-creators Joe and Tony Gayton.The story of the building of the first transcontinental railroad became AMC's second-highest original series premiere when it launched in November behind the net's zombie hit "The Walking Dead," drawing 4.4 million total viewers, and an impressive 2.4 million in the key adults 18-49 demographic.The Western now marks the fifth of six original series to stretch beyond freshman seasons as AMC continues to find success with scripted fare, joining "Walking Dead," "Mad Men," "Breaking Bad" and "The Killing."The Season 1 finale is set for Jan. 15. The Hollywood Reporter

National football league TV privileges deals extended through '22

CBS, Fox and NBC have formally extended their privileges handles the National football league through 2022. The brand new contracts, thought to possess a combined value in excess of $3 billion yearly (Variety, 12 ,. 6), run for nine years from 2014 -- a long contracts ever between your league and it is broadcast partners. The 2009 season, the National football league and ESPN arrived at an eight-year extension to help keep "Monday Evening Football" on ESPN with the 2021 season. Not surprisingly, one consequence from the new deals is they will let the National football league to grow its Thursday evening package of games around the National football league Network, for an undetermined number. The nine Super Bowls underneath the deal happen to be split evenly between CBS, NBC and Fox. Super Bowl L, arriving 2016, would go to CBS. NBC will prove to add a Thanksgiving evening game to the sked from 2012, 2 yrs prior to the new contracts work, giving the Peacock 19 regular-season evening games (including 17 Sundays and also the season-opening Thursday). The network can also get the choice to exhibit its games on The spanish language-language internet Telemundo, and can replace among its two wild-games having a divisional playoff game. Furthermore, NBC Sports Network will launch a Sunday morning pregame show from 2014. CBS maintains the American Football Conference package it acquired in 1998, while Fox will remain using the National Football Conference package it's held since 1994. The deals also start to expand an element of flexible arranging that started silently this year: the buying and selling of games between CBS and Fox, when there's an discrepancy between your two. On 12 ,. 4, CBS permitted Fox to televise a game title between Colorado at Minnesota. Specifics on flexible arranging continue to be hammered out. Contact Jon Weisman at jon.weisman@variety.com

ICM near to deal for partnership reorg

ICM cake toppers Chris Silbermann and Shaun Berg are near to finalizing an offer using the agency's majority owner, private equity finance shingle Rizvi Traverse, that will permit the tenpercentery to transition to some partner-possessed structure. Particulars from the deal remain murky however it seems that Rizvi Traverse will cede a minimum of a number of its equity curiosity about ICM to be able to allow Silbermann and Berg to reorganize the organization and produce much more of its top agents into equity-owner positions. The offer was indicated by aware sources like a "transfer of possession" towards the new partnership as opposed to a formal management buyout, also it was stressed that nothing will rotate within the transaction. There is speculation the deal may allow Rizvi Traverse to hold onto any a number of ICM's more profitable receivables, for example its packaging-fee gold coin from syndie hits including "The Large Bang Theory" and "Modern Family." At the moment Berg can serve as ICM chairman and Boss, with Silbermann managing day-to-day procedures as prexy. Individuals game titles may change underneath the new partnership structure. Other management roles in the agency will also evolve underneath the new partnership structure, sources stated. Shifting to some partnership structure implies that ICM will more carefully mirror WME, UTA along with other large percenteries. The amount of agents in line for elevation to partner status continues to be unclear (one source stated "a lot more than two and under 100"). The designation includes top gamers from all the agency's key divisions: TV, film, posting, concerts and touring and marketing. Silbermann continues to be leading the charge to overhaul the agency's possession structure for many of the year. ICM associates felt the emergency to do something because the year came to some close and following a string of agents decamped to rival percenteries throughout yesteryear couple of several weeks. It's understood the sides arrived at a handshake agreement around the new structure today but the deal isn't likely to be completed until early the coming year. Contact Cynthia Littleton at cynthia.littleton@variety.com

'Chuck's' Zachary Levi: Spike's Gaming Honours Deserve Respect

Theo Wargo/Getty ImagesUma Thurman Uma Thurman remains useful for any major arc on NBC's midseason musical drama Smash. The Oscar-nominated actress will guest star in five cases of the series, playing a personality who's known to love a "famous and somewhat difficult celebrity who flirts with the idea of starring in Marilyn," the musical about Marilyn Monroe. Thurman, most broadly noted for toplining Kill Bill and Pulp Fiction, has recently starred inside the Producers, My Super Ex-Girlfriend, My Zinc Bed mattress and Motherhood, and comes in the arrival Eloise in Paris. Thurman won a Golden Globe for turning up in 2002's television movie Hysterical Blindness. Smash follows the procress of creating a Broadway musical using the information on Monroe, put together by effective songwriting duo Tom (Christian Borle) and Julia (Debra Playing), who influences process of applying a youthful child with husband Frank (John d'Arcy James). Youthful Midwesterner Karen (Katharine McPhee) and theater vet Ivy (Megan Hilty) soon finish up competing for your starring role. Anjelica Huston, Jack Davenport, Jaime Cepero and Raza Jaffrey co-star. The series came from from the concept originated from from Steven Spielberg. The pilot was put together by Theresa Rebeck. David Marshall Grant, Craig Zadan and Neil Meron and Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey work as executive producers. Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, who work as executive producers too, pen the first tunes. The pilot was directed by Michael Mayer. Smash is scheduled to debut carrying out a Voice on Monday, Feb. 6 at 10 p.m. Smash

Lana Del Rey

Presented with the Troubadour Presents. Examined 12 ,. 7, 2011. Artists: Lana Del ReyThe much-anticipated La debut of NY-based hype full Lana Del Rey will be a tepid and mostly awkward affair. Everybody else, though packed for the brim within the Troubadour, was composed mainly of music business personnel who did not have type of real enthusiasm for your artist instead of extended applause or chatter, pockets of silence emerged between tunes since the audience gawked and sized within the Interscope-signed "next large factor." The music activity itself offered becoming an afterthought to Del Rey's lush-lipped, white-colored-gowned image -- a glaringly self-conscious combination of old Hollywood nostalgia and urban modernism. Entering transpires with some oddly upbeat symphonic string arrangement, Del Rey needed control of the mic and launched into new single "Born to Die." The fatalistic title and wordplay clearly go with the aesthetic she's groomed online within the last handful of several days. This is an image drenched with sex, strained unevenly using a lens of noirish intrigue and mystery, though ultimately more Fergie than Faye Dunaway. Del Rey's voice is husky and provocative, too as with the live setting, remarkably potent, otherwise always consistently stylish. "Born to Die" and "JeansInch found some-piece band exploring slow, minimalist R&B territory without adding much if this involves tune or texture. Really, a lot of the 40-minute set was carried out by getting a nearly apathetic sense of ensemble dynamics. The crowd has clearly selected to lean heavily upon Del Rey's Orbison-echoed vocals, but there's a inclination to recede an excessive amount of to the background. There has been a few brief modifications in mood through the concert, most specially the cabaret jazz of "Big Guy" -- an overambitious tune moving rudderless using a misshapen stylistic morass. The ultimate two tunes in the evening were strange stylish-hop-inserted amounts that further departed from Del Rey's key melodic talents: space and subtlety. Sometimes she was almost rapping, since the band pumped out funk rock tempos. A lot of the set just didn't go a lengthy way, nevertheless the apparent exception was "Game Game titles." The slow-burning, lovelorn track that introduced Del Rey to prominence can be a pop masterpiece. Every moment in the song drainage with tension too as with the live setting Del Rey really dug to the vocal and nailed it. For people 4 1/2 minutes it absolutely was almost possible to forgive every other false start or bad reality that take their hands up through the path from the evening. Possibly her stage show can be a work happening, much like her approaching full-length debut seems being. As well as the uncertainty of her future, no less than Lana Del Rey has "Game Game titles." Contact the number newsroom at news@variety.com

'New Year's Eve': Abigail Breslin Talks About Her First On-Screen Kiss (Video)

TBS 30 Rock returns to the NBC schedule on Jan. 12, but for those annoyed with the wait, Alec Baldwin delivered a fairly accurate impression of one of his co-stars on Monday night's Conan. After regaling the host in his cartoonish accents of a cab driver, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and a "dinosaur flying over Narnia" that sounded an awful lot like Jimmy Stewart, Baldwin turned his attention to Tracy Morgan. "He's a man-child, is -- I guess -- the most generous way I could put it," said Baldwin. "He's very sweet and very sensitive." Baldwin then described a memory of one of his interactions with Morgan during the first season of 30 Rock. He walked in on the tired star watching old videos of Michael Jackson and looking discouraged. Watch exactly what took place near the 10:25 mark: Alec Baldwin Tracy Morgan Conan O'Brien 30 Rock

Larsen promoted at Comedy Central

Comedy Central has knocked up Jonas Larsen to senior V . p . of talent special deals. Former V . p . of special deals can lead to talent development and relations, additionally to controlling the roast and stand-up special deals, additionally to "Evening of Lots Of Stars." "Jonas steered the wild tiger, also known as the Charlie Sheen roast, getting a sure hands by possessing its tail. For the alone, he warrants this promotion," mentioned Kent Alterman, mind of original programming and production also to whom Larsen reviews. Right before coming at Comedy Central, Larsen produced such shows as "Celebrity Fit Club," "Tabatha's Salon Takeover" and "1 versus. 100." Contact Stuart Levine at stuart.levine@variety.com

Seventh Art takes Winograd's 'Wedding'

BUENOS AIRES -- Niche distrib Seventh Art Delivering has acquired United States privileges to Argentine helmer Ariel Winograd's "My First Wedding." Deal was sealed Sunday at Ventana Sur by Seventh Art principal Udy Epstein and Ricardo Freixas, among "Wedding's" producers. Seventh Art plans a restricted U.S. theatrical release, mid-to-late 2012, Epstein stated at Ventana Sur, where "Wedding" made its market debut. Patricio Vega, scribe of Daniel Szifron's hit private-eye TV series "The Pretenders" and "Siblings and Detectives," authored the script. Winograd's follow-as much as Jewish country club-set "Cheese Face," "Wedding" is definitely an upbeat wedding-day romantic comedy. Daniel Hendler ("The Lost Embrace") toplines with Natalia Oreiro ("Francia"). Freixas, a longtime producer of Juan Jose Campanella ("The Key of the Eyes"), created "Wedding" with Tresplanos founder Nathalie Cabiron and Axel Kuschevatzky, mind of cinema at broadcaster Telefe. Following on "Secret" and "Chinese Take-Away," "Wedding" joins a group of Argentine movies that actually work as classy mainstream products in your own home -- launched in Argentina by BVI at the begining of September, "Wedding" has offered a proper 60,000 tickets -- and also have art-house breakout potential abroad. "Wedding" is really a The spanish language-language pic, but Seventh Art will not concentrate on the U.S. Hispanic marketplace. "Obviously, films that will get specialized, boutique arthouse releases are arthouse, not for special interest groups," Epstein stated. Seventh Art will premiere "Wedding" at U.S. festivals for critical acclaim before its commercial city-by-city rollout. VOD can come close to the finish of "Wedding's" theatrical run, he added. Brazil's Art Films bought "Wedding" at Ventana Sur. Still it needs to strike a telemarketer deal, Freixas stated. Contact the range newsroom at news@variety.com

Ticketmaster to Issue Refunds to Customers Who Purchased Tickets Over Last 12 Years

Ticket buyers who used Ticketmaster between Oct. 21, 1999 and Oct. 19, 2011, expect a refund next year.our editor recommendsAEG Takes On Ticketmaster With New ServiceTicketmaster Now Selling Tickets at Walmart In a proposed class action settlement, the ticket website is being asked to refund $1.50 for each ticket order -- up to 17 orders -- to customers because Ticketmaster profited off the dubious "processing fees," Business Insider reports. This won't stop the website from profiting off the ticket orders; all Ticketmaster has to do is indicate on its website that they are doing so. The original claim, filed Oct. 21, 2003, also says UPS' price for expedited delivery of tickets is not truthful. Customers who fall under the UPS part of the lawsuit will also receive a $5.00 credit for each ticket. The settlement could cost Ticketmaster a large amount. If less than $11.25 million is redeemed by customers, Ticketmaster will give the rest to charity. Additionally, lawyers plan to request up to $16.5 million in attorneys' fees and expenses and $20,000 to the two plaintiffs who originally brought on the class action suit. Credits will not be given before April 15, 2012 and should take place within 30 days of the settlement approval, which is set to take place May 29, 2012. Related Topics Ticketmaster