from MediaWeek:
HBO Reups Flight of the ConchordsAUGUST 20, 2007 - Just days after HBO announced that it would not bring back John From Cincinnati for a second season, the premium net said it has renewed its other new summer series, Flight of the Conchords, for 2008.
HBO will also bring back Entourage next year for a fifth season, said Carolyn Strauss, president, HBO Entertainment. Both Conchords and Entourage will wrap their current seasons on Sept. 2.
Earlier this year, Entourage broke through the velvet rope with seven Emmy nominations, including outstanding comedy series and a nod apiece for two for supporting actors Kevin Dillon (Johnny Drama) and Jeremy Piven (Ari Gold).
While comedy looks to be a growth industry at HBO, its latest drama launch did not meet expectations. Earlier this week, HBO said that last week that the David Milch surfing drama John From Cincinnati would not return for a second season, although the premiere cable net said that it plans to extend its development deal with Milch, the creative force behind Deadwood.
A trippy hash of metaphysics, longboards, drugs and one magical parakeet, JFC fell precipitously from its June 10 debut, when it lured 3.42 million viewers. All told, the 10 original premiere episodes averaged around 1.5 million viewers.
Meanwhile, on the development front, HBO is bringing Ben Karlin back into the TV fold after inking a multiplatform deal with the former executive producer of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and The Colbert Report.
Under the terms of the deal, Karlin will develop series, specials and new-media projects for HBO. He gave up his posts at The Daily Show and The Colbert Report in December 2006.
Labels: conchords, fotc, HBO, tv
