from the Chicago Sun-TimesMay 18, 2001
August 14, 2006
Howard mentioned today he's stopped working on "Doomsday"
from the Chicago Sun-Times
May 18, 2001
Sidebar:
--snips--
Although it's been two years since the show was first proposed and it still hasn't hit the air, UPN claims the Howard Stern-produced cartoon "Doomsday" isn't dead.
--snips--
from aintitcoolnews.com
January 16, 2001
Over at UPN, there’s a pilot script being written based on the comic book character "Thor" which the suits there bought because Thor looks sorta like a wrestler. I kid you not. Then there’s a possible series based on Stephen King’s "The Dead Zone" because clearly audiences miss "The Sentinel" so much. (Don’t remember "The Sentinel"? You’re not alone. Some of us joke UPN ought to have a contest where the viewer who can name what other shows we air besides "Voyager" and "Smackdown" wins some sort of grand prize... like a TV without our network on it.)I’m sure many people are wondering what’s the status of the new "Star Trek" series. Those people are the crew working on "Voyager" who right now wonder what their next gig will be. Here’s the deal. You’re hearing that because of potential show business strikes starting in May the next "Star Trek" show is on hold. That’s not the reason. The truth is it’s because the starship UPN is so shaky. There are cups of cottage cheese that have shelf lives longer than the dumb place. For Paramount not to give its own network the next "Star Trek" show would be perceived as a fatal blow to UPN, but the studio doesn’t want to risk continuing the franchise on a network which might only last two or three years tops. They want every "Star Trek" show to run at least seven years not just for syndication but also so whatever Vulcan character on the ship has a shot at getting laid at least once.
There’s supposedly a script for the next "Star Trek" show that’s been written but no one at UPN has read it. They always guard this stuff like top government secrets but the simple truth is NOBODY CARES ABOUT STAR TREK ANYMORE!!! Thanks to producer Rick Berman and his tired bunch of writers -- millions of former Trekkers have finally gotten a life. Either that or they watch "Farscape" instead. Paramount itself started a rumor that both NBC and Fox were interested in the next "Trek" and they exaggerated the meaning of the word" interest" to make it all seem more important than it really was. (Incidentally, the guy who was potentially "interested" in the new "Trek" show at NBC was already fired. Since he was the dude who put "Titans" on I think that says how totally out of it he was to still be into Trek.)
Wonder what some of the suits here think of Rick Berman? Surprisingly they agree with a lot of AICN readers. They seem jealous of all the money he’s made and often talk about how much weight he’s put on over the years, especially in the bank account. If Gene Roddenberry meant "Star Trek" to be his "Wagon Train To The Stars" then to Berman it’s been "Gravy Train To Financial Security." Sadly, he ain’t planning to let this gravy train go anytime soon and those dilithium crystals are almost dry now.
Speaking of "Trek", a really good writer was Tracy Torme who wrote some really cool episodes of "Next Gen" before graduating from the Starfleet Writing School unlike all the others who’ve been repeating their courses and failing ever since. He sold an animated series here awhile back called "Doomsday" which you probably read about from Howard Stern productions. Thanks to the suits at UPN, everything got messed up and they’re starting officially from scratch with a brand new writer.
The top guns at UPN think they know comedy and still believe "The Secret Diary Of Desmond Pha-feiffer" and "Shasta McNasty" were good shows despite the fact you could have bombed Iraq with those cassettes.
"Doomsday" is about post-apocalyptic America in the future; which will happen sooner rather than later with George W. Bush in office. It needs to be smart and satirical to work but if the suits knew how to do a show like that then the place wouldn’t be the bottom of the barrel like it is. Then again, it's actually lower than that.
What’s worse is they think Howard Stern’s audience is mostly morons. They’re also very condescending when talking behind the King Of All Media’s back. Publicly they called him and kissed his ass saying how great they thought his cable show "Son Of The Beach" was but privately they both thought it was TERRIBLE! (They have a tendency to do that a lot. They bad mouth their own shows if you can believe it, which was the case for something called "The Beat". Even the producers heard about it and confronted 'em for bad mouthing THEIR OWN SHOW!)
Let me tell you something - I’m a Stern fan and listen to him every morning. I think "Son Of The Beach" is great and I also think Stern’s a genius who would do a better job running UPN than these dudes here ever will. He knows more about comedy and also probably "Star Trek" , and they’re gonna keep "Doomsday" in development because the suits are real afraid the mighty Howard will start dumping on them and let loose his wrath on his radio show. I wish he would, because it’s time he found a new "Pig Vomit" to yell about.
I look forward to whatever Stern’s next show is after "Beach" and hope it’s on a better place than UPN -- which means just about ANYWHERE ELSE! And in case you guys are wondering - no, I’m not a lesbian.
VIACOM GIRL
from E! Online News and YAHOO!
January 14, 2001
Whatever the case, Doomsday is trying to avoid a pre-apocalyptic meltdown. The Smackdown Network says Stern's cartoon TV project, announced back in 1999 and originally slated to debut this season, isn't quite ready for prime-time. Yet.
Billed as a "post-apocalyptic odyssey," Doomsday was supposed to revolve around the Bradley family, a clan that travels in a souped-up RV searching for a new home. Stern was expected to team with animators from King of the Hill and The Simpsons, as well as the son of the late Mel Tormé, to produce and star in the sci-fi series.
However, UPN chief Dean Valentine told the New York Daily News that the first batch of writers turned in a "decent" script, "but it wasn't great and if you do this kind of show, a show about the aftermath of nuclear war, it has got to be great. And it's got to be incredibly funny, and it just fell short."
UPN Entertainment President Tom Nunan also elaborated on their troubles, but he emphasized that the network remains committed to the series.
"We went through one set of writers last season, which is sort of a slow and laborious process. And we just recently hired a new writer who has just gotten started," Nunan told reporters at the Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour in Pasadena. "Howard has been remarkably patient through the process. And you know, so far so good. We haven't given up on it yet."
Doomsday was one of several forays into TV planned by the King of all Media, whose production company partnered with Film Roman and Michael Ovitz's ATG to develop the series. Stern was slated to play the family dog, Orinthal.
Meanwhile, Stern has other projects to worry about, now that his company has already scored a mildly successful hit with the raunched-out Baywatch parody, Son of the Beach, for FX. The cable network picked up another season of the jiggly comedy, starring Tim Stack, and new episodes, currently in production, are expected to debut in March.
And there's always radio. Last month, Stern signed to keep his morning gig with Infinity Broadcasting (as well as its E! television counterpart) alive for at least another five years.
from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
July 26, 2000
By: Rob Owen, TV Editor
--snips--
Howard Stern's animated comedy "Doomsday" has been delayed until fall 2001. The next "Star Trek" series will likely premiere at the same time, but there's no guarantee it will air on Paramount Network. It could go the syndicated route or even end up on sister-network CBS, but Valentine said he's confident he'll retain the "Star Trek" franchise.
--snips--
from the Associated Press
December 6, 1999
The network has signed shock-jock Howard Stern as lead voice and executive producer of "Doomsday," an animated science-fiction series scheduled to debut next fall.
Stern will provide the voice of a dog named Orinthal as the series follows the motor-home meanderings of the Bradley family across a post-apocalyptic America, in search of traditional values and a new home.
Stern describes "Doomsday," as "edgy, funny and network-acceptable."
from: UltimateTV.com
"Doomsday", which was created and developed by Tracy Torme, will be produced by Film Roman ("The Simpsons," "King of the Hill") in association with Artists Television Group. Three-time Emmy Award winner Eric Radomski will serve as supervising director.
"Being in business with Howard Stern is another bulls-eye for UPN in attracting young male viewers," said Tom Nunan, Entertainment President, UPN. "Howard and his creative partners have created a hilarious futuristic landscape which will be wild, uncharted territory for an animated show."
"'Doomsday' is the kind of animated TV project I want to produce," said Stern. "It's edgy and funny and network acceptable. My only regret is there are no lesbians in the story. It has always been my ambition to work alongside Urkel. I know we can make UPN household letters and really put 'em on the map."
from: yahoo.com
Stern, who hosts one of the country's more popular and controversial radio programs, has agreed to produce an animated science-fiction comedy series, "Doomsday," for the UPN network, premiering in the fall.
Stern will hold the title of executive producer and also lend his voice to the show's lead character, a dog named "Orinthal," the network said.
According to UPN, "Doomsday" follows the adventures of a family traveling by motor home across a post-apocalyptic America "in search of family values and a new home."
"'Doomsday' is the kind of animated TV project I want to produce," Stern said in a statement. "It's edgy and funny and network acceptable. My only regret is there are no lesbians in the story."
Tom Nunan, president of UPN, said the network has committed to 13 episodes of the show.
The concept was created by Torme. Howard Stern will also play an integral role in the development of the script and in the production of the series. The announcement was made Wednesday by Film Roman President of Television Programming Mark Lieber, who described the sci-fi/comedy series as an original and innovative television concept that will redefine prime-time animated television.
A well-known cast of celebrities will be invited to voice the characters of "Doomsday," joining Howard Stern, who has agreed to voice a special character for the series. Stern will also be inviting a number of his celebrity friends to appear as special guest voices on the show.
"Doomsday" tells the story of the Bradley family, who travel in a motor-home across a post-apocalyptic United States in search of a new home and traditional family values. The Bradleys face a world turned upside down, where danger and stupidity lurk behind the remains of a civilization destroyed by a cataclysmic burst of radiation.
"We're thrilled to be teaming up with Howard and Tracy and are excited about the unlimited creative possibilities and fun our staff will have with the series," stated Lieber. "With its unique characters, changing settings and evolving storylines, 'Doomsday' has all the ingredients for success in the competitive prime-time marketplace."
He added: "This is the first of many announcements Film Roman will be making over the next several weeks that we believe will begin to position our company as a major supplier of original animated and live-action programming."
Even though the series takes place as a post-apocalyptic animated odyssey, Torme insists, "This is a true story ... it just hasn't happened yet." On working with Stern, Torme adds, "It's an honor to work with Howard. His sense of humor is so bold and uncompromising it fits perfectly with what we're doing."
Howard Stern Productions is represented by Don Buchwald and Richard Basch of Don Buchwald and Associates. F.M. de Marco, Stern's Development Director, brought the project to the company.
Currently, Film Roman is producing the mega-hit shows "The Simpsons" and "King of the Hill" for 20th Century Fox Television, "The Downtowners" for Warner Bros. Network, and is in post-production on "Johnny Tsunami," a live-action movie for The Disney Channel currently scheduled to air in July. Additionally, Film Roman has a number of live-action and animated feature films and television programs in active development.
Peabody Award-winning writer/producer Tracy Torme began his career as a staff writer at "SCTV" and "Saturday Night Live" and has since gone on to write and produce for a variety of television series including "Sliders" and "Star Trek: The Next Generation," which he also created and executive-produced for three seasons. He has also written and produced the feature films "Spellbinder," "Fire in the Sky" and "Midnight Sky." Torme currently operates his own production company, Cheyenne 7 Productions.
This news release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Such forward-looking statements are related to, among other things, the success of "Doomsday" and the company's other programs in development. These forward-looking statements are based largely on Film Roman's current expectations and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, risks that the new series may not be produced, the episodes may not air in the number or time period contemplated, or at all, the company may not be successful in implementing its growth strategies and other risks described in Film Roman Inc.'s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended Dec. 31, 1998, and other SEC reports and filings. The company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
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