TNT's upfront: the finest broadcast net on cable

TNT has this strange love/hate relationship with the broadcast networks.

Armed with the latest research, the cable network publicly bashes the Big Four relentlessly for losing market share. Yet the network, and its sister network TBS, were built on repeats of syndicated broadcast procedurals and sitcoms (along with sports and movies).

Google "TNT" right now and here's the description: "TNT We Know Drama. TNT is home to great dramatic TV series like Law & Order, NYPD Blue, ER & other television shows."

Even TNT's original series like "The Closer" and "Saving Grace" are basically CBS-style shows airing during the summer when CBS is airing repeats.

They're like some admiring co-worker who tries to dress like you, act like you and talk like you ... then bashes you every chance he gets.

Fox fired back at TNT during its upfront presentation, noting that for all the press of "The Closer," about 75 broadcast shows score higher ratings (that number seems too high to me, but you get the point).

TBS does deserve credit, however, for reviving the so-called "urban" comedy, with shows like "House of Payne" racking up huge ratings after broadcasters largely shrugged off such programming.

At its upfront, TNT announced it's getting more broadcast-y than ever, with new shows from Mark Burnett and JerryBruckheimer, and developing scripted drama projects withthe likes of Steven Spielberg, Steven Bochco, "Roseanne" creatorMatt Williams and the husband-and-wife team of Kyra Sedgwick andKevin Bacon.

Here's THR's Georg Szalai with the details from Turner's upfront.

Turner Entertainment Networks unveiled its upfrontpresentation in New York Wednesday morning.

It will also tell media buyers that TBS is next year launching ananimated series from Fox TV Animation, DreamWorks Animation and itsCEO Jeffrey Katzenberg that will revolve around a family from hell,and is developing a project executive produced by KevinJames.

TNT will launch three new star-powered series this summer, whilebringing back four established original shows.

The new shows are hospital drama "Hawthorne" (Tuesdays, 9pm) withJada Pinkett Smith, police drama "Dark Blue" (Wednesdays, 10pm)from producer Bruckheimer and starring Dylan McDermott, as well as"Wedding Day" (Tuesdays, 8pm) from Burnett and DreamWorksTelevision, which gives deserving couples their dreamwedding.

The returning originals are "The Closer," "Saving Grace," "RaisingThe Bar" and "Leverage."

Meanwhile, the network has ordered a pilot, dubbed "Untitled AlienInvasion Project," from DreamWorks Television and executiveproducer Spielberg for a show set six months after a worldwidealien invasion. A group of everyday heroes must fight for theirsurvival and maintain their humanity, according to a description ofthe concept. "Saving Private Ryan" screenwriter Robert Rodat iswriting the pilot based on an idea he and Spielberg came upwith.

In December, TNT plans to debut new series "Men of a Certain Age,"a character-based drama from Ray Romano and Mike Royce. Romano willalso star along with Andre Braugher and Scott Bakula in the seriesthat will look at a guy approaching mid-life.

Under the working title "Class Action," Bochco and Stephen Godchaux("Spin City") are developing a project featuring a down-on-his-luckattorney fighting for the disenfranchised.

And Bacon/Sedgwick will executive produce the story of a smallTexas border town and its newly elected sheriff under the workingtitle "Zapata, Texas."

Among other development plans, TNT is working on an untitled familydrama from Williams, an untitled Daniel Pyne noir drama set in 1954LA, as well as unscripted dramas "The Mayo Clinic" and "Trip of aLifetime."

"Our networks are continuing to grow as rivals to broadcasters,with original programming that reaches a wide spectrum of viewers,"said Steve Koonin, president of Turner EntertainmentNetworks.

In other Turner news, TBS will in 2010 premiere "Neighbors fromHell," a half-hour animated show about a suburban family thathappens to be from hell. The series comes from Fox TV Animation,DreamWorks Animation and Katzenberg.

TBS is also developing sitcom "The Game of Life,"executive-produced by Kevin James and "King of Queens"collaborators Rock Reuben and Jeff Sussman; the animated "Big Tow"from executive producer Clay Graham ("The Drew Carey Show") about asingle Dad who runs a towing company; and slice-of-life sketchcomedy show "Wee Hours" from Second City TV.

Turner on Wednesday also said it plans to add to the program lineupof its truTV network this year to further attract young men.

Planned shows include an NFL Films project with the working title"NFL Full Contact" that is set to provide a behind-the-scenes lookat pro football - and become the first of what could become a rangeof major sports-themed shows on the channel; "Conspiracy Theorywith Jesse Ventura" that will see the former wrestler and Minnesotagovernor uncover modern-day conspiracy theories; four-part series"Full Throttle" about the world's biggest biker bar; and a look atelite anti-terrorism operations under the working title "U.S.Special Ops: Declassified" from producer Tom DeSanto ("X-Men,""Transformers").

During the TBS portion of Wednesday's program at Manhattan'sHammerstein Ballroom, Katzenberg said he was excited to join thenetwork's comedy lineup. Introducing a trailer for his upcomingshow "Neighbors From Hell," he told the crowd that "you are veryfamiliar with hell -- you are about half-way through upfrontweek."

Other TBS stars taking the stage included Tyler Perry, Bill Engvalland George Lopez, who will debut his own late night show "LopezTonight" in November. "My name is Lopez -- the late is alreadyimplied," Lopez quipped in explaining why the word "late" isn'tpart of the show title. "Some nights I may not even show up." Healso joked that in this recession he has to do three jobs on theshow -- write, executive produce and host it. And he quipped thatTBS has big trust to give a Mexican a show at the height of theswine flu epidemic.

A little video showed the comic with President Obama who said hewants Lopez to bring change to late night TV. And Lopez vowedWednesday to do that by bringing a party atmosphere to late nightand allowing celebrities to be themselves.

Wednesday's upfront presentation brought out many of the big TNTstars, such as Pinkett Smith, Hunter, Bruckheimer and McDermott, aswell as Romano, Braugher and Bakula.

Bruckheimer and McDermott said "Dark Blue" is their first cableproject, with the former saying he enjoys "the creative freedoms"of cable.

Romano, Braugher and Bakula had the media buying audience institches when they hit the stage.

Romano quipped that his father's reaction to the TNT project wassimple: "I guess now we gotta get cable!?"

He added that for his first major project after the end of his hitsitcom "Everybody Loves Raymond" he wanted to make sure that "Imade about 95% less money." He added: "And TNT went above andbeyond."

Turner execs had some serious messages and jokes to share inWednesday's presentation.

David Levy, president of ad sales, distribution and sports, TurnerBroadcasting System, quipped that due to the recession, ABC's"Lost" is now being shot on Staten Island.

But he also called on media buyers to follow consumers who don'tdifferentiate between between cable and broadcast TV shows, butsimply watch what they enjoy. "It's time to erase the line" and adrate discount cable has fought for years, he said. "Just buytelevision."

Koonin made a reference to NBC's decision to put the upcoming JayLeno show into the weekday 10pm time slot. "We are not abandoningthe 10pm hour," Koonin said, adding he sees a "robust" opportunityat that time of evening. "We plan to invest in 10pm."