Potentially good news for My Name is Earl Fans
“My Name Is Earl” might live on.
TBS is in preliminary talks to order 13 new episodes of the single-camera comedy from 20th Century Fox TV, sources said.
The news comes a couple of weeks after NBC pulled the plug on the 4-year-old series starring Jason Lee in what became one of the highest-profile cancellations of the upfront season.
Ever since “Earl” was put on the bubble for renewal at NBC in the spring, rumors began circulating that the series, which has won five Emmys, might look for another home. Early speculation included 20th TV’s sister network Fox, whose entertainment president Kevin Reilly launched “Earl” while at NBC, and ABC, which has been open to acquiring series that have aired on other networks.
“Earl” would make a good fit at TBS, which will run repeats of the offbeat comedy beginning in the fall as part of an off-network syndication deal with Twentieth TV inked in 2007.
More at The Hollywood Reporter
I’m glad to hear for the My Name is Earl fans, but I’d certainly hope that the writers take time to evaluate just where the show was going – ever since it returned from the strike, it wasn’t quite the same, quality wise. I won’t miss it on Thursday nights, especially with the promise that Community shows, and how Parks & Recreation improved over its first 6 episodes – and the talent behind the show is hard to top.
If true and if it happens then that will be 2 shows claimed off the NBC discard pile for other networks. I wonder when the last time that happened, if ever, in television history? hmmm…
According to The Futon Critic, it’s happened 26 times for shows airing on a broadcast network between 1999 and 2008 (the actual switch happened before 1999 for a few of them).
http://www.thefutoncritic.com/rant.aspx?id=20081008
The most successful example is JAG, which was canceled after one season on NBC, picked up by CBS and went on for another 9 seasons.
And then JAG spun off NCIS and now NCIS:Los Angeles (or whatever they end up calling it!)
my name is earl = as funny as suddenly susan
Hi,
I sure hope this happen I am a big fan of the show. I really hate it when they say to be continued and don’t tell the rest of the story.
I’m an Earl fan, but the quality has really dropped seriously in season 4. I’m not quite sure what happened, but if things don’t change I’d rather they don’t make more.
As an Earl fan I’m glad to see it have a chance to continue even tho I don’t have cable… We’ll have to rent the season latter
I didn’t get my hopes up this time, so with lowered expectations comes no disappointment.
It had a good run. I’m sorry it didn’t get the ending it deserved.
@Holly: Nice to know the wider numbers on that and a place to reference them. I did know about JAG and NCIS and NCIS: LA (thanks, Connman, for the info nonetheless
) but not about some of the others. Stargate: SG1 looks like another success, though, with original, Atlantis and another one on the way plus movies.
The other one (outside the range of the years listed for the show leap in the link) that I knew of that was successful in jumping ship, if you will, was Baywatch but that went into syndication, not to a network. Still, it went worldwide, ran for a long time, and made tons of fans and cash for the folks involved (even though the plot lines seemed like little more than scribbles on the back of an Outback Steakhouse napkin sometimes).
Well, I guess it’s wait-and-see time for Earl. If they do bring it back, I hope they bring it to a wrap up with a fitting ending, at the least. Show that has run as long as Earl, it should have the chance to conclude properly.
Forgot to add… if Earl is successful on TBS (if matters get that far) then I wish it a good second life.
According to Ethan Suplee it’s not going to happen.
Julia, that really sucks to hear. Maybe a movie could be produced to wrap things up.
no! put this show out of its misery!