'Downton' change causes Emmys to ponder

Downton Abbey, the PBS tale of wealthy and servants within the The First World War era, will compete within the drama category only at that years Emmys. The move of PBS' "Downton Abbey" from miniseries to drama series with this year's Primetime Emmy race may be the impetus for that TV Academy to grow the drama series category to 10 nominees the coming year. So states John Leverence, honours chief in the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, who stressed the earliest any change can happen will be the 2013 Emmy race. "It's a good amount of riches," Leverence told Variety. "Maybe someone will say we must have 10 nominees, such as the movie academy. That argument might be designed for the remarkable abundance of shows. Maybe six is not enough." The Academy of movement Picture Arts and Sciences broadened its best picture category to 10 nominees for that events locked in 2010 and 2011, however moved to some weighted percentage system that produced nine nominees for that Oscar race that wrapped Sunday. The Television Acad has elevated its series nominee slots too recently, growing from 5 to 6 within the drama and comedy groups. Getting "Downton Abbey" switch from miniseries to drama was started through the Academy, not PBS, which carries the most popular British drama included in its "Masterpiece" series. Based on the Emmy rule book, a show is really a miniseries when it's "with different single theme or narrative, that is resolved inside the piece." The proceed to a drama series is precipitated when there's an "ongoing theme, story and primary figures which are presented underneath the same title and also have continuity of production supervision." In a nutshell, Leverence described, "The essence of the miniseries is really a single theme or story that's resolved inside a given year." If this was apparent the sprawling family drama occur pre- and publish-The First World War Britain, might have another season, the nominating committee started to possess discussions about moving it to drama series. "Downton" surprised bizzers last fall if this beat a area that incorporated HBO's high-profile "Mildred Pierce" to win the Emmy for miniseries or movie -- prior to the Brit import ignited about this side of water-feature PBS didn't set up a battle within the category switch. Stated "Masterpiece" professional producer Rebecca Eaton: "We comprehend the Academy's decision. You will find great shows within the drama series category and it'll be exciting to possess 'Downton Abbey' competing together.Inch Also making the change from the longform area up to the more competitive drama series warmth is going to be British import "Luther," which airs on BBC America. Star Idris Elba was Emmy nommed this past year and gained a Golden Globe in The month of january. As the change from small to drama series is unusual, it isn't unparalleled. Leverence listed three other shows which have renedered the switch: In 2005, USA Network small "The 4400" was moved forward towards the drama series category annually later. Also creating a category transformation was Showtime's "Sleeper Cell" in 2007 and USA's "The Starter Wife" in 2008. With both "Downton Abbey" and "Luther" within the drama series mix, the course may have an array of top candidates. Additionally to last year's six nominees, five that will be competing for an additional opportunity to repeat -- "Mad Males" (champion), "Boardwalk Empire," "The Great Wife," "Dexter" and Bet on Thrones" -- you will find several beginners searching for kudos recognition. Newcomer series which will goal to get honours love include Showtime's "Homeland," NBC's "Smash," ABC's "Revenge," HBO's "Luck," AMC's "Hell on Wheels," FX's "American Horror Story," and USA's "Suits." "It's difficult to calculate,Inch stated one network publicist about how exactly the race will have out. "It's type of a unknown quantity at this time. It will be interesting without a doubt." Contact Stuart Levine at stuart.levine@variety.com

Act of Valor Tops Box Office; Paul Rudd's Wanderlust Bombs

It's almost here! The 84th Academy Awards are taking place Sunday. Let's face it: Hollywood's biggest night can be overwhelming, but don't worry! TVGuide.com and TV Guide Network have you covered so you won't miss a single moment.Starting Sunday at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT, you can catch our Academy Awards Preview, featuring interviews with nominees ... Read More > Other Links From TVGuide.com Ali LandryBradley CooperCameron DiazChris RockChristian BaleColin FirthHalle BerryNatalie PortmanTom CruiseKermit the FrogMiss PiggyChris HarrisonMaria SansoneThe MuppetsMarc IstookTabatha Coffey84th Academy AwardsAcademy Awards Preview SpecialAcademy Awards Red Carpet With Chris HarrisonAcademy Awards Red Carpet CountdownAcademy Awards Red Carpet Fashion Wrap

Fox News Blasts The Lorax for Pushing Left Wing Agenda and Creating 'Occu-Toddlers'

With Universal's colorful animated tale The Lorax, "the President's liberal buddies in Hollywood [are] focusing on a more youthful demographic using animated movies to market their agenda to children," stated an annoyed Lou Dobbs now on Fox News. Animated movies! A liberal agenda! HOW DARE THEY. What's the reason for permitting this "insidious nonsense" in to the vulnerable minds in our nation's youth? Bad raising a child, obviously. As conservative radio host Matt Patrick bellowed in the commentator pit, "We're creating Occu-small children!" Within the classic Seuss story -- modified right into a 3-D animated adventure which hits screens in a few days -- an enchanting creature known as The Lorax tries to intervene being an industrialist, driven by avarice, ravages a whole ecosystem. This could appear to create The Lorax much more "harmful" than previous Fox concentrate on the Muppets, which required since it's villain a significantly larger and clearly unlikeable capitalist The Lorax is made to show audiences just how much they potentially share using the unwitting forest-killer The Once-ler, and that's why it is so effective to start with. My personal favorite thing about this madness happens when Patrick advocates intentional littering in cinemas as a way of protest from the Obama-brought agenda espoused through the Lorax (and also the Studio Ghibli animated pic The Key Realm of Arriety, that could lead youngsters lower the slippery slope of discussing things). Tossing popcorn containers on the floor would fly when confronted with everything Dr. Seuss's anti-deforestation, professional-atmosphere tale means, however it would also cause you to look absurd before your personal children. I believe the Lorax's face above states everything. Cause the Occu-small children! The Lorax hits theaters on March 2. [Media Matters through the Film Stage]

Fox wins Thursday amid odd aud totals

Though "The Big Bang Theory" continued to trump "American Idol" in the first 30 minutes of primetime Thursday, Fox's singing competition had no problem delivering the network a victory for the night. Each of the broadcast networks remain bedeviled by an overall drop in TV viewing that has occurred most of the week, raising questions about whether something might be going wrong with the Nielsen numbers, but ongoing trends remained much the same. According to preliminary nationals from Nielsen, "Big Bang" (5.0 rating/15 share in 18-49, 15.5 million viewers overall) aped other programs in showing a week-to-week drop, but still outdrew "American Idol" by a 0.4 rating in the demo and 500,000 viewers from 8-8:30 p.m. "Idol" (5.0/13, 16.5 million from 8-10 p.m.) peaked from 8:30-9 p.m., though CBS' 8:30 p.m. sitcom "Rob" (3.2/9, 10.9 million) actually came close to matching its week-earlier numbers. With "30 Rock" (1.4/4, 3.6 million) and "Parks and Recreation" (1.7/5, 3.5 million), NBC barely held off ABC's "Wipeout" (1.5/4, 5.1 million) for third place in the first hour of primetime among viewers 18-49 (at least among English-language networks: Univision's broadcast of Latin music awards special "Premio Lo Nuestro" averaged a steady 2.1/6 in the demo and 5.1 million viewers overall from 8-11 p.m.). CBS slipped to third place in the demo at 9 p.m. with "Person of Interest" (2.9/7, 13.2 million), which fell behind "Idol" and ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" (3.1/8, 8.1 million). NBC was fourth in the hour, with "The Office" (2.2/6, 4.3 million) hitting a series low and "Up All Night" (1.5/4, 3.0 million) still shedding more than 30% of its lead-in. The 10 p.m. trophy for winning viewers 18-49 went to CBS' "The Mentalist" (2.7/7, 13.5 million), which edged ABC's "Private Practice" (2.6/7, 7.1 million) NBC aired the night's only rerun, an episode of "Grimm" (the Friday drama that is serving as a placeholder until "Awake" premieres in March) that was broadcast's lowest-rated offering in the demo (0.7/2, 2.0 million). The CW offered "The Vampire Diaries" (1.3/4, 2.9 million) and "The Secret Circle" (0.8/2, 1.8 million). Preliminary 18-49 averages for the night: Fox 5.0/13, CBS 3.3/9, ABC 2.4/6, Univision 2.1/6, NBC 1.4/4, CW 1.0/3. In total viewers: Fox 16.5 million, CBS 13.4 million, ABC 6.8 million, Univision 5.1 million, NBC 3.1 million, CW 2.3 million. Contact Jon Weisman at jon.weisman@variety.com

Its Official: DreamWorks Animation Uncovers China Partnership

The offer to produce a new entity, to become known as Oriental DreamWorks, was expected the 2009 week. The program would be to develop and convey original Chinese live-action and animated content for your market and globally. The offer includes provisions for live entertainment, amusement parks, mobile, online, interactive games and consumer items. DWA holds a 45% stake within the venture, that is set to produce procedures in Shanghai this season. Here’s the discharge: GLENDALE, Calif., February. 17, 2012 — DreamWorks Animation SKG, Corporation. (Nasdaq: DWA) today introduced it has agreed to create a partnership with China Media Capital (CMC), with intends to include Shanghai Media Group (SMG) and Shanghai Alliance Investment, Ltd. (SAIL), to determine the key China-focused family entertainment company. Oriental DreamWorks will participate in the expansion and manufacture of high-quality original Chinese animated and live action content for distribution both within China and also to other areas around the world. Additionally to article marketing, the partnership will pursue business possibilities within the regions of live entertainment, amusement parks, mobile, interactive games and consumer items. “We are really proud to determine Oriental DreamWorks alongside CMC, SMG and SAIL within this groundbreaking and historic alliance to produce the key Chinese-top quality family entertainment company,” stated DreamWorks Animation’s Ceo, Jeffrey Katzenberg. “Together with this partners in China, we anticipate creating a first-of-its-kind enterprise to in your area conceive, produce and distribute high-quality creative content and family entertainment encounters not just for anyone of China but in addition for related export marketplaces.” “We share exactly the same vision with DreamWorks Animation to construct a global-class family entertainment company,” said Ruigang Li, Chairman of China Media Capital. “By mixing the help of CMC in investment and operation, SMG on television and entertainment management, SAIL in high-tech R&D, in addition to DreamWorks Animation in creative processes, innovative technology and global network abilities, Oriental DreamWorks come in a distinctive position to produce high-quality content and interactive entertainment items for China and worldwide marketplaces.” China companies holds a big part stake of roughly 55% in Oriental DreamWorks and DreamWorks Animation holds roughly 45%. The enterprise will initially be capitalized with cash and intellectual property worth $330 million. The partnership intends to launch business procedures in Shanghai later this season. DreamWorks Animation has loved an excellent history of success in the box office in China, brought by its blockbuster Kung Fu Panda franchise. Kung Fu Panda was the #1 animated film upon its release into China in 2008 and this past year, Kung Fu Panda 2 grew to become the greatest-grossing animated film ever in the area, grossing roughly $100 million.

Trumbull lights up 'Hypercinema'

TrumbullLast week must have been surreal for Douglas Trumbull. On the one hand, he was showered with accolades -- the George Melies Award from the Visual Effects Society, honoring his pioneering vfx work; and the Sawyer Award, an Oscar statuette, from the Academy for his work across a wide range of technological and creative fronts -- but while he was being feted by the industry's movers and shakers, he's still seeking financial backing for those innovations. And while Trumbull got a lot of press for his efforts to upgrade cinema images, few seem to entirely grasp just how revolutionary his efforts could be. Trumbull is not just talking about a better way to present movies. He wants to fundamentally change movies themselves -- some movies, anyway. Working on a stage on his property in Massachusetts, Trumbull is combining high frame rates and 3D on the production side with advanced projection tech and curved screens that get brightness up to 30 foot Lamberts -- more than a full stop above the current standard of 14 foot Lamberts for standard 2D projection, and several stops above the typical brightness at multiplexes for 3D.Trumbull hasn't come up with a formal name for the suite of technologies, but he's calling it "Hypercinema" for now. He told Variety he doesn't want to change all movies over to Hypercinema: "I think 24 frames-per-second movies on normal movie screens is a wonderful, beautiful, long-lasting art form that will go into the future and it is completely appropriate for most films, actually."But the major studios are mostly in the blockbuster business, said Trumbull, and it's blockbusters that stand to benefit from his innovations, which would amp up cinema spectacle and showmanship to new heights. Beyond that, though, Trumbull is aiming at something more profound."No one in the industry has seen a 3D movie at 30 foot Lamberts at 120 frames per second," he said. "What happens when you get into this hyper-real realm of a movie, that seems to be a window onto reality, is that the entire cinematic language begins to change." He wants to make a movie using Hypercinema and move away from the master shots, two-shots, over-the-shoulder shots and close-ups we've all seen thousands of times, to create "an experience of tremendous participation in an alternate world, which I think people will crave and are ready to pay for."If Trumbull is right, then he may have put his finger on a big problem facing the movie industry, bigger even than poor presentation and tired storytelling: What if auds are becoming bored with the very medium itself? Today's audiences are media-saturated, after all. And it's hard to surprise them doing the same old thing. Audiences pony up for novelty and surprise. Videogames have that. Do Hollywood features?Right or wrong, Trumbull is walking a lonely road. Even tech-forward directors like James Cameron, Peter Jackson and Michael Bay tend to use their advanced tech to tell stories in traditional ways. There's little talk of new techniques for new tech."I think I am a complete lone wolf in this area," Trumbull said. "I don't hear anybody that is even thinking about it."He lamented the lack of technology departments at the studios and exhibitors, but he hopes to find investors to move his efforts along. "I have just decided I have got to show (the movie industry) what the result will be if you do all these thing simultaneously and then back up a little bit and see if the industry wants to go there. "I can't make it go there," he said. "I can only lead a horse to water." Contact David S. Cohen at david.cohen@variety.com

Cheers & Jeers: Conan Goes to the Dogs

Carol Burnett, Conan O'Brien Cheers to Conan O'Brien for some doggone good comedy. Want more Cheers & Jeers? Subscribe to TV Guide Magazine. The TBS wag topped Animal Planet's Puppy Bowl with a canine version of his late-night talk show, "Puppy Conan," complete with a miniature version of his set and wig-wearing pooch lookalikes of Conan, sidekick Andy Richter and guest Justin Bieber. The next night, Conan's puppet pal Triumph the Insult Comic Dog appeared to protest his omission from the first annual Golden Collar Awards - and proverbially poop on Jeremy Piven, Kathy Griffin and other worthy targets. Later, Conan practically turned into a puppy dog himself when another carrot-topped comedy icon, Carol Burnett, made her first appearance on his show. The host warmly remembered watching her Saturday-night variety show with his family growing up, praising it as "controlled chaos." Which, come to think of it, is a pretty good description of Conan these days. In the late-night race, he can run with the big dogs. Are you a rabid fan of Conan? Subscribe to TV Guide Magazine now!

Empire's Woman In Black Videblogisode

Exclusive: On set with Daniel RadcliffeYou haven't known fear until you've seen James Watkins' The Woman In Black, which is out in cinemas onFriday. Or, alternatively, until you've seen Empire's exclusive The Woman In Black videblogisode, featuring the film's star, Daniel Radcliffe, as you've never seen him before!*We sent our intrepid videblogisode duo, Chris Hewitt and Sam Toy, to the movie's set last year, where they spoke at length to Radcliffe, Watkins and co-star Ciaran Hinds about the adaptation of Susan Hill's chilling ghost story.And that's not all - we also bagged astonishing on-set footage of Radcliffe getting spooked out by the world's creepiest sets, while he even found the time to... No, you'll just have to watch the whole thing to see.Enjoy - if you dare!(Laugh sinisterly, repeat to fade) *Empire bears no responsibility if you've seen Daniel Radcliffe like this before.

Cast looking for 'Red Machine'

Scott Glenn, Adam Beach, Michaela McManus and Kelly Curran have rounded the cast of David Hackl's "Red-colored Machine." Thesps join James Marsden, Piper Perabo, Thomas Jane and Billy Bob Thornton within the film from Indomitable Entertainment and Paul Schiff Prods. Pic centers climax estranged siblings (Marsden, Jane) who reconcile on the camping trip using their female friends. Once within the remote backwoods, however, things go horribly awry when they're assaulted and non-stop stalked with a horrifying grizzly bear -- the Red-colored Machine. "Saw V" helmer Hackl will direct from the script by J.R. Reher. Paul Schiff, Tai Duncan and Hadeel Reda will produce. Indomitable's Dominic Ianno and Stuart Pollok professional produce. Contact Rachel Abrams at Rachel.Abrams@variety.com

'Magician' reappears with Forster

Forster Having recently wrapped Par's zombie tentpole "World War Z," director Marc Forster is setting his sights on another battlefront: WWII.Forster is attached to helm an adaptation of bestseller "The War Magician" for Lonetree Entertainment, with Lonetree partners Tony Eldridge and Colleen Camp producing.David Fisher book "The War Magician" tells the true story of British magician Jasper Maskelyne, who adapted the core principles of stage magic to warfare in ways that defied the imagination: Among his achievements, Maskelyne hid the port of Alexandria Harbor, made the Suez Canal disappear and tricked Germany's Gen. Erwin Rommel with a phantom army that didn't exist, a ruse that ultimately led to Rommel's defeat and became a turning point of WWII. Many of Maskelyne's inventions are still being utilized in warfare.Book was originally purchased by Tom Cruise and set up at Paramount, with Cruise attached to star, before the actor's deal with the studio fell through and the option ran out on the book.Project reunites Forster with Lonetree; they're also teaming on Sony's "The Equalizer," starring Denzel Washington. "The Equalizer" is being produced by Eldridge, Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal, Mace Neufeld, Alex Siskin and Michael Sloan.On Wednesday, Lonetree also acquired feature rights to Raymond Benson's retro-superhero book series "The Black Stiletto." Project is currently out to writers.Forster's "World War Z," starring Brad Pitt and based on the graphic novel by Max Brooks, hits theaters this Christmas.Forster is repped by CAA and Management 360. Contact Stuart Oldham at stuart.oldham@variety.com

Fox News rules GOP primary roost

Since the primary season will get warmer, Fox News Funnel is constantly rule the ratings roost. On Tuesday, the net's special 8-10 p.m. coverage averaged 2.74 million audiences, according to Nielsen, greater than the combined shipping of CNN (1.21 million) and MSNBC (1.06 million). FNC also held a considerable lead inside the key news demo of grownups 25-54, drawing 684,000 to 443,000 for CNN and 266,000 for MSNBC. Possibly due to the uneven character in the Florida primary -- Mitt Romney won having a landslide -- viewership on Tuesday would be a little beneath the Sc primary of Jan. 21 (2.75 million), but it's apparent that audiences have grown to be more active in the race for your Republican presidential nominee. FNC wasn't any. 3 cable network round the evening in general audiences, close behind The very best spinner's and USA. Fox News Funnel may also be coming off an easy victory over CNN and MSNBC for that month of the month of january. In primetime lately, FNC averaged 1.94 million audiences, a 78% increase over it is the month of the month of january 2002 average of a single.09 million -- which was really greater than either CNN (841,000) or MSNBC (801,000) came lately. The The month of the month of january victory entails that Fox News remains the cable news ratings leader for 10 years (120 straight several days), getting first surpassed CNN noisy . 2002. "The O'Reilly Factor" remains flagship program for Fox News Funnel, since it has for your network's entire decade of ratings leadership. On Monday each week it accomplished another milestone if the outdrew NBC's 10 p.m. newsmag "Rock Center" (3.42 million versus. 3.29 million) being primetime's most-seen news program. Contact Ron Kissell at ron.kissell@variety.com