Will Sacha Baron Cohen Be Banned within the Oscars?

Downton Abbey, Maggie Cruz and Hugh Boneville The Summer Season 2 finale of Downton Abbey on PBS came an impressive 5.4 million audiences within the first airing to write the network's finest audience in nearly three years. The Two-hour closer was PBS' most-seen program since the 2009 premiere of Ken Burns' Character and appeared to become greater than double average prime-time PBS viewership. Shirley MacLaine joins Downton Abbey"PBS and our member stations are very pleased that this kind of large audience is experiencing this phenomenal work from Masterpiece," PBS leader and Boss Paula Kerger mentioned in the statement. "From viewing parties to Twitter mentions, Downton Abbey is riding a wave of public enthusiasm, which is been wonderful to find out many people finding public television just like a place to choose programming that's smart, distinctive and entertaining."Overall, Season 2 was up by 25 percent inside the first season.Season 3, which will feature new cast member Shirley MacLaine, is presently being created in England which is scheduled striking stateside early next season.

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Stephen Colbert The Colbert Report takes an unforeseen break. "Due to unforeseen conditions, the show will air repeat episodeson Wednesday, February 15 and Thursday, February 16," Comedy Central mentioned in the statement. VIDEO: Steven Colbert and Jon Stewart vow not to coordinate, poke fun at Super PAC Right before Wednesday's tape, audience people received your final-minute email proclaiming that their reservations must be canceled. No further particulars were provided. Will you miss Colbert Report now?

WB taps Davies, del Toro for 'Beast'

Del ToroWatsonDavies Guillermo del Toro will direct "Animal," a completely new undertake the "Beauty as well as the Animal" tale that Warners has attracted on "Bridget Jones's Diary" scribe Andrew Davies to produce.WB's "Harry Potter" star Emma Watson is at final discussions to topline time pic. Del Toro was aboard only to produce. DiNovi Pictures' Denise Di Novi and Alison Greenspan will produce with del Toro, who expects to create cure that Davies works. Del Toro, who's presently filming "Off-shoreline Rim" for WB and Legendary Pictures, is credited just like a co-author on of WB's approaching "Hobbit" movies. He recently professional produced Universal's "Mama" and DreamWorks Animation's "Rise in the Parents."Getting wrapped her extended-running role as Hermione Granger inside the "Harry Potter" photos, Watson will next reteam with "Deathly Hallows" director David Yates. She co-stars in "My Week With Marilyn" and may soon be viewed in Summit's "The Perks to become a Wallflower."Davies, who written "Bridget Jones's Diary" which is 2004 follow-up, most recently composed "The Three Musketeers" and "Brideshead Revisited."WME reps both del Toro and Watson, that are also correspondingly repped by Exile Entertainment and U.K.-based Markham, Froggatt and Irwin. Davies is repped by CAA. Contact Rob Sneider at rob.sneider@variety.com

'Care Bears' line get reboot via TV

'Care Bears'With popular toys in the eighties like Transformers, ThunderCats and also the Smurfs getting reboots as entertainment projects, American Greetings is searching to relaunch its Care Bears. But American Greetings has bigger plans for that latest reboot. The colorful figures using the belly badges that first bowed like a minute card line almost 30 years ago is going to be reintroduced to kids via a new animated Television show this sumline of merchandise, including plush bears that Hasbro will produce the coming year. The gradual rollout may come as the concern Bears are honoring their 30th anniversary. American Greetings is searching to focus on 2- to 7-year-old women using the rejuvenated figures, and fasten with parents who have been fans of the trademark themselves while becoming an adult. "The Concern Bears are not only a bit of the popular culture fabric, however their messages of caring and discussing are as relevant today because they were once the property was initially introduced," stated Gabrielle Oliff, marketing director for American Greetings Qualities, that is presenting its Care Bear plans only at that week's Toy Fair in NY City. Clients are borrowing in the same relaunch strategy it put behind its Strawberry Shortcake brand, which received an identical reboot last year and introduced characters before new toys. "For all of us, TV may be the anchor," Oliff stated. "We glance at each consumer touchpoint we are able to create for that brand. From TV comes DVD, consumer items, posting along with a huge presence online. Entertainment really helps kids learn to play the using the toys." American Greetings already relaunched the concern Bears in 2002, through new toys and also the straight-to-homevid films "Care Bears: Journey to Joke-a-lot," "The Concern Bears' Large Wish Movie," and "Care Bears: Oopsy Will It,Inch which assisted sell 85 million plush bears worldwide within the first 3 years, and most 8 million Dvd disks in the last ten years, keeping the company alive with kids. Lionsgate can serve as American Greeting's homevid partner. Since 2002, the concern Bears have produced a lot more than $2.6 billion worldwide from licensed items. The organization includes a type of apparel for teens and tweens which include classic art in the franchise. A line for infants has additionally released. Following the new animated series, American Greetings will market Care Bears to everybody from kids to grown ups, having a considerable plush line hitting stores in 2013. Company also intends to re-release the initial "Care Bears" movie from 1985 on homevid. While American Greetings has yet to reveal which funnel will air the brand new Care Bears series, Hasbro's kids cabler the Hub may be the likely home. Hasbro is making plush product for that Care Bears brand, and also the Hub already airs "Strawberry Shortcake's Berry Bitty Adventures" along with other shows around American Greetings-possessed figures Twisted Whiskers, Maryoku Tasty and TinPo. The brand new series will introduce a brand new Care Bear character towards the classic type of six core bears which include Tenderheart Bear, Funshine Bear and Birthday Bear. You will find no current plans to make a theatrical feature, although new direct-to-homevid game titles are required to carry on. "You want to obtain a couple seasons under our belt first," Oliff stated. Because of the bears' appeal through the years, even with no heavy push at retail through the years, American Greetings thinks there's still strong interest in the concern Bears. "Care Bears never really disappeared,Inch Oliff stated. "They have been within the consumer's vision. There isn't a lot of buzz for that brand now, however in a decreasing kids market, the sales continue to be strong." There is certainly interest using their company companies to try and relaunch the figures, with Canada's Cookie Jar Group and France's MoonScoop Group trying to purchase the bears from American Greetings in 2009 and 2008. Contact Marc Graser at marc.graser@variety.com

Syfy orders third season of 'Being Human'

Syfy has ordered a third season of scripted skein "Being Human." Four episodes into the second season, ratings for the series are up 27% in the 18-49 demo and 15% in total viewers compared to the first season. The show is also the cabler's biggest scripted series ever among female viewers. Show, about three roommates who strive to keep their supernatural secrets among themselves and not letting the general public aware, stars Sam Witwer, Meaghan Rath and Sam Huntington. Showrunners Jeremy Carver and Anna Fricke are exec producers along with Michael Prupas, Adam Kane, Rob Pursey and Toby Whithouse. Pursey and Whithouse were the creators of the original U.K. series. Series is produced by Muse Entertainment and Zodiak USA. Contact Stuart Levine at stuart.levine@variety.com