June 4, 2007
After a string of episodes of On the Lot, which have garnered poor ratings, Fox has decided to address the declining series. But instead of abruptly pulling the plug on the reality program, which premiered on May 22, 2007, Fox has decided to reduce its airtime to one episode per week.
Originally, Fox has intended for On the Lot to broadcast weekly, comprising of a 1-hour episode where movies are screened followed by a half-hour results show the next day, just like American Idol’s format. However, the network has now announced that On the Lot will just air one hour-long weekly episode beginning June 5, Tuesday at 8 pm ET/PT.
May 29, 2007
Tonight we get our first On the Lot live results show of the season. Of the 18 filmmakers, three will be going home tonight. The show is an hour long, and I'll be on hand to give live updates throughout the hour.
The show is starting a few minutes late tonight. Why? Well, it could have something to do with the fact that this is On the Lot's first live show. Perhaps Adrianna is nervous and can't go on. Lord, I hope not. Would it hurt to fire Julie Chen and replace her with Adrianna Costa? Who wouldn't be happy about this?
May 29, 2007
FOX likes its reality shows Idol-ized. After last week's On the Lot premiere episodes that saw the directors culled from 50 to 24, viewers expecting more of the same (pre-taped judging, interesting filmmaking tasks, tight editing, etc.) were in for a (possibly) unpleasant surprise. It seems as if FOX pulled the plug on at least two in-the-can episodes and sped directly ahead to the Movie Premieres of the final 18. Yes, 18. Not 24, as On the Lot left off with last week.
Somewhere over the long weekend, FOX decided to skip the part where they cut six filmmakers. No worries. It's not like America enjoys watching behind the scenes, pre-filmed segments. We craze live studio audience action. We need to vote. Right?
May 18, 2007
In anticipation of the Mark Burnett/Steven Spielberg reality show On The Lot, it might be a good time to take a look at the stranglehold that Burnett has on reality television. The perception, in some circles, is that Burnett star has been fading with some of his recent television series waning in popularity. Clearly, this has been the case for a couple of his productions. This week, NBC did not announce any future plans with The Apprentice. The Donald's show may return to the air at some point, but ratings have been dwindling for some time. Burnett's Rock Star: Supernova was more or less a failure in the ratings. Not an epic flop by any means, but it still wasn't what CBS wanted it to be.
May 14, 2007
On the Lot, the new reality show from Mark Burnett and Steven Spielberg, is set to premiere on May 22. The first two episodes will be of the audition rounds, and from there the field will be pared to fifty and, soon after, down again to 18 finalists, where the real fun will begin. Those final 18 head to “Hollywood Boot Camp”, a stage featuring various challenges, all presided over by the distinguished panel of judges, consisting of Carrie Fischer (“Princess Leia” and noted Hollywood script doctor), Brett Ratner (director of the “Rush Hour” films), and Jon Avnet (“Risky Business”).
FOX has released the top 50 semi-finalists for On the Lot and, if you want to know those filmmakers identities, here is the list of names, including age and profession:
May 11, 2007
Mark Burnett and Steven Spielberg are about to make one aspiring film maker’s dream come true with the innovative reality series “On the Lot”, which is set to debut Tuesday, May 22nd at 9:00pm ET on Fox. 12,000 potential contestants submitted audition reels for a chance to compete, and fifty semi-finalists were chosen to kick things off. In the end, one filmmaker will walk away with a feature film contract. Series Creator Mark Burnett and judge Carrie Fisher held a conference this morning to discuss the show, here are some of the high points of what the two had to say about this amazing experiment.
May 4, 2007
The Fox Network’s latest reality series, On The Lot, has given out the names of the four judges who will be involved in selecting the finalists for the show. On the Lot is the first collaborative effort between producer Mark Burnett and award-winning director Steven Spielberg. The show will premiere in two parts, both highlighting the audition process of the 50 semifinalists, whose personal submissions stood out among the 12,000 videos that were sent in for the show. The first part will be shown on May 22nd, while the second part will air on May 24th.
February 9, 2007
On the Lot is a reality show created by Mark Burnett and Steven Spielberg. The program showcases undiscovered filmmakers who combat each other for a chance to win a million dollar DreamWorks studio developmental deal.