TV Upfronts: Browder’s Hellcats among 2010’s winners

UPDATE: Ben Browder’s manager tells BenBrowderPortal.com that the actor has withdrawn from Hellcats. “After long discussions with the producers, Ben has decided not to do the series as he has a couple of films that he would like to do and if he went ahead with the series, he would not be able to do them. It was a difficult decision, as you can understand.”

As we told you last week, several familiar faces from the Stargate universe are involved in TV shows up for consideration by the big networks for the 2010-2011 broadcast season. This week is “upfronts” week, when ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, and The CW unveil their programming line-ups to advertisers.

So which shows were renewed, which shows were cancelled, and which new pilots got the green light to go to series? All five of the upfronts have been held, and the final word is in. Here we go!

---

HELLCATS
Status: Picked Up!

Ben Browder (“Cameron Mitchell”) plays college football coach Red Irvine in this pilot for the series about the world of competitive cheerleading (story). It will air Wednesdays at 9 p.m. (E/P). Here is the official show description:

HELLCATS is a coming-of-age story about Marti Perkins, a young, pre-law student at Lancer University in Memphis, Tennessee. Marti is cool, hip and alt, but her world flips upside down, literally and figuratively, when she loses her scholarship, and realizes the only way she can stay in school is by reigniting her dormant teen gymnastic skills to win a place on Lancer’s legendary cheerleading team, The Hellcats. Against her every instinct, Marti goes for it and makes the squad, and is thrust into a world of camaraderie, backstabbing and the intersection of sports, backroom academia and big money. Marti’s new roommate, Savannah Monroe, a petite, peppy Texan, is among the diverse cast of athletes, undergrads, family and friends, all set on the sprawling campus of a powerhouse college football program in the deep South. The series stars Aly Michalka as Marti Perkins, Ashley Tisdale as Savannah Monroe, Heather Hemmens as Alice Verdura, Robbie Jones as Lewis Flynn, Matt Barr as Dan Patch, with Sharon Leal as Vanessa Lodge and Gail O’Grady as Wanda Perkins. HELLCATS is from Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with Tom Welling Productions, Warner Bros. Television and CBS Television Studios with executive producers Kevin Murphy (“Desperate Housewives”), Tom Welling (“Smallville”) and Allan Arkush (“Heroes,” “Crossing Jordan”). The pilot was directed by Allan Arkush.

Note that Ben isn’t listed among the show’s main cast. We’re not sure if that means his role is recurring, or if he won’t be on the show past the pilot. But hopefully he will still appear in what is aired as the first episode. (See UPDATE above.)

---

ROCKFORD FILES
Status: Dead

Beau Bridges (“Hank Landry”) appeared in the pilot as Jim Rockford’s father. Deadline Hollywood reports that execs at NBC didn’t care for the pilot. It’s official now that the show has not been picked up, though the network isn’t opposed to seeing another try at the idea next year.

---

V
Status: Renewed

In a move that pleasantly surprised a lot of people, ABC is bringing back the alien invasion series for another 13 episodes next year.  Morena Baccarin (SG-1‘s Adria) co-stars as Anna, the leader of the Visitors. Lexa Doig (“Carolyn Lam”) also has a recurring role as Dr. Leah Pearlman. Look for it to return for midseason (around January).

---

Also of note:

CHUCK has been renewed for a 13-episode fourth season on NBC.  It co-stars Adam Baldwin (SG-1‘s Colonel Dave Dixon) as John Casey.

SANCTUARY isn’t a network show, but of course it was picked up several months ago by Syfy.  Amanda Tapping (“Samantha Carter”), Ryan Robbins (“Ladon Radim”), Christopher Heyerdahl (“Todd”) and the rest of the crew will stay busy with a 20-episode third season, which should premiere this fall.

SMALLVILLE is a go for its tenth (and probably final) season. SGU‘s Alaina Huffman (“Tamara Johansen”) plays the recurring role of Black Canary / Dinah Lance, and Michael Shanks (“Daniel Jackson”) appeared twice this past season as Hawkman. Smallville also films in Vancouver, so familiar faces in guest roles turn up all the time. And the lovely Erica Durance, a.k.a. Lois Lane? Before Smallville she played Teal’c’s cute neighbor in the SG-1 episode “Affinity:” Krista James.

For us fans of science fiction and fantasy, the 2010-2011 broadcast season looks to be a little on the thin side.  LOST, Heroes, Dollhouse, Flash Forward, and the syndicated Legend of the Seeker all exit the schedule, without a whole lot in the genre to replace them on the big five networks.  ABC has picked up superhero drama No Ordinary Family (Tuesdays at 8 p.m.), while FOX has Steven Spielberg’s Terra Nova on tap for midseason.

NBC’s The Cape will be ready for mid-season, but we’ll have to see it before we’re ready to call it a genre show.  It’s about a dad who dresses up as his son’s favorite comic book hero to fight crime.  It co-stars Summer Glau of Firefly, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, and I’ll Watch Anything With Summer Glau.

But Fringe is also returning to FOX for a third season (with John Noble, who appeared as Meurik in Stargate SG-1‘s “Camelot”), and will remain on Thursdays.  The CW stakes out its territory as perhaps the most genre-friendly network this year, with Supernatural and The Vampire Diaries returning, along with Smallville.

(Thanks to Tanith for contributing)