Greg Berlanti And Julie Plec To Remake Classic Nickelodeon USA Series "The Tomorrow People" for The CW Network

From The Hollywood Reporter:

Greg Berlanti, Julie Plec Adapting U.K. Series 'The Tomorrow People' for CW

"Political Animals" writer-producer Phil Klemmer will pen the script for the drama, which reunites the "Dawson's Creek" duo.

The CW is staging a mini Dawson's Creek reunion.

Greg Berlanti and Julie Plec -- who met while working on the then-WB Network series -- are teaming to adapt U.K. drama The Tomorrow People for the CW, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.

The Tomorrow People was created by Roger Price and tells the story of young people around the world who represent the next stage in human evolution who possess special powers, including the ability to teleport and communicate with one another telepathically. Together, they work to defeat the forces of evil.

The original series ran from 1973-79 on ITV with Price producing a revival in for Tetra Films and Reeves Entertainment that ran on Nickelodeon between 1992 and 1995. A third version ran between 2001 and 2007 as a series of audio plays for Big Finish Productions.

Berlanti, whose freshman drama Arrow received a full-season order at the CW earlier this fall, will executive produce alongside The Vampire Diaries co-showrunner Plec. Political Animals writer-producer Phil Klemmer will pen the project, which has received a script commitment at the network. Berlanti Productions' Melissa Kellner Berman will co-executive produce the drama, which hails from FremantleMedia and Warner Bros. Television, where Berlanti is under an overall deal.

Tomorrow People marks a reunion for Berlanti and Plec, who hadn't work together since their time on the 1990s James Van Der Beek/Josh Jackson/Katie Holmes drama. The U.K. series was a favorite program of theirs when they were younger and the duo brought Klemmer on board to pen the script.

The drama continues Berlanti's relationship with Klemmer, who most recently wrote and served as a consulting producer on USA Network's mini Political Animals. Klemmer also is attached to Berlanti's midseason CBS drama Golden Boy.

Tomorrow People marks the latest sale this development season for Berlanti, who has a modern take on Wuthering Heights and family drama Family Affair set up at NBC and an untitled medical drama set up at ABC. He's repped by WME and Felker Toczek.

In addition to Vampire Diaries, Plec also is making her first foray into feature writing with young-adult book Tiger's Curse set up at Paramount. She's repped by WME.

Klemmer, whose credits also include Chuck, Undercovers and Veronica Mars, is with Sloane Offer.

The sale marks the latest high-profile pickup for The CW, which also is teaming with producers Mila Kunis, Reese Witherspoon, J.J. Abrams, Rob Thomas and Bret Easton Ellis for dramas this development season.

Watch a clip from The Tomorrow People, below.

John and Stephen find themselves with two mysteries to investigate-the possibility that Stephen's new teacher Elizabeth M'Boah is a Tomorrow Person and some worryingly accurate paintings of alien planets.

International Songwriting Competition (ISC) Congratulates 13 Judges And Former Winners Among 55th Annual Grammy Awards Nominees

Below is a International Songwriting Competition (ISC) Press Release from PR Web:International Songwriting Competition (ISC) Congratulates 13 Judges And Former Winners Among 55th Annual Grammy Awards Nominees

Tom Waits, Avicci, Nas, Gotye and more nominated for the 2013 Grammy Awards

Nashville, TN (PRWEB) December 06, 2012

The International Songwriting Competition (ISC) is honored have nine of its current judges and four previous winners represented with an astounding combined total of twenty two nominations for the 55th Annual GRAMMY Awards. As the highest accolade in the music industry, the GRAMMY Awards represent a standard of excellence given by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences and annually honor outstanding achievement by composers, songwriters, and artists alike.

The following nominees are current 2012 ISC judges:
Janelle Monáe – Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
Tom Waits – Best Alternative Music Album
Avicii – Best Dance Recording
Anthony Hamilton – Best R&B Song, Best R&B Album
Nas – Best Rap Performance, Best Rap Song, Best Rap Album, Best Rap/Sung Collaboration
Toots and The Maytals – Best Reggae Album
Anoushka Shankar – Best World Album
Ketch Secor (Old Crow Medicine Show) – Best Long Form Music Video
Tegan & Sara – Best Long Form Music Video
The following nominees are previous ISC winners:
Gotye – Record of the Year, Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, Best Alternative Album
Kimbra – Record of the Year, Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
Bill Harley – Best Children’s Album
Gregory Porter – Best Traditional R&B Performance

Called “the songwriting competition to take note of” by the New York Times, ISC was established in 2002 and awards more than $150,000 in cash and prizes to amateur and professional songwriters around the globe. ISC is an annual songwriting competition whose mission is to provide the opportunity for both aspiring and established songwriters to have their songs heard in a professional, international arena and is designed to nurture the musical talent of songwriters on all levels and promote excellence in the art of songwriting. Amateur and professional songwriters and musicians are invited to participate. ISC has the most prestigious panel of judges of all the songwriting and music competitions in the world, offering artists exposure and the opportunity to have their songs heard by the most influential decision makers in the music industry.

For more information, please visit http://www.songwritingcompetition.com

2012 ISC JUDGES

RECORDING ARTISTS

Tom Waits; Jeff Beck; Nas; Martina McBride; Bruce Hornsby; Darryl McDaniels (Run DMC); Robert Smith (The Cure); Mark Foster (Foster The People); Keane; Bernie Taupin (Lyricist for Elton John); Simon Le Bon & Roger Taylor (Duran Duran); Derek Trucks & Susan Tedeschi; AVICII; Suzanne Vega; Anthony Hamilton; Los Temerarios; Chris Hillman (The Byrds & The Flying Burrito Brothers); Francesca Battistelli; Anoushka Shankar; James Cotton; Brian Setzer; Wynonna; Tegan and Sara; Craig Morgan; McCoy Tyner; Michael W. Smith; Black Francis (The Pixies); Ketch Secor (Old Crow Medicine Show) Matt Thiessen (Relient K); Gerald Casale (Devo); John Mayall; Bill Evans; Alejandro Sanz; Toots Hibbert (Toots & The Maytals); Robert Earl Keen; Jeremy Camp; Billy Currington; Sandra Bernhard; Janelle Monae; Basement Jaxx

INDUSTRY EXECUTIVES

Monte Lipman (President, Universal Republic Records); Allison Jones (VP A&R, Big Machine Records); Alison Donald (Co-President, Columbia Records, U.K.); Dan McCarroll (President, Capitol/Virgin Label Group); Jonas Nachsin (President, Roadrunner Records); Angel Carrasco (Sr. VP A&R, Latin America Sony Music and President, Discos 605); Ed Vetri (President, Wind-Up Records); Kim Buie (A&R and Artist Manager, Thirty Tigers Management); Bruce Iglauer (Founder/President, Alligator Records); Dan Storper (President, Putumayo World Music Records); Steve Lillywhite (Producer - credits include U2, The Rolling Stones, Morrissey, Peter Gabriel, and more); Jack Vaughn (VP of Comedy Central Records); Albert Schilcher (VP, Talent and Music, MTV International); Anastasia Brown (Music Supervisor, FORMAT); Lori Teig (VP of Talent, VEVO); Cory Robbins (Founder/President, Robbins Entertainment); Brian Malouf (Cookie Jar Recording); Richard Stumpf (President, Imagem Music Publishing); Dr. Demento (Radio Host of The Dr. Demento Show); Jamie Masada (Owner, The Laugh Factory); Doug Cohn (Sr. VP, Music Marketing & Talent of Nickelodeon); Leib Ostrow (Founder/CEO Music For Little People); Steve Smith (VP A&R/Manager, Aware Records & A-Squared Management)

CATEGORIES
Adult Album Alternative (AAA), Adult Contemporary (AC), Americana, Blues, Children's Music, Comedy/Novelty, Country, Dance/Electronica, Folk/Singer-Songwriter, Gospel/Christian, Instrumental, Jazz, Latin Music, Lyrics Only, Music Video, Pop/Top 40, Performance, R&B/Hip-Hop, Rock, Teen, Unsigned Only, and World Music.

SPONSORS

Presonus, Lowden, Marshall Amplification, Grooveshark, Solid State Logic, Berklee College Of Music, Mrs. Fields Cookies, Airplay Direct, DiscMakers, Thayers, SongU.com, The Music Business Registry, Independent Mastering, Indie Venue Bible, George Stein, Esq., Sonicbids, Songtrust, and Taxi

For more information, contact Candace Avery at 615.251.4441 or email
info(at)songwritingcompetition(dot)com

Storms Proved Not To Put A Dampener On Blackpool's 2012 Summer Season

From the Blackpool Gazette:

Storms didn’t put a dampener on season

THEY say every cloud has a silver lining and this summer, one of the wettest on record, has had plenty of clouds.

But that has not put a dampener on the fun to be found in Blackpool and the resort has had a bumper year according to tourism chiefs.

Millions of holidaymakers flocked to The Tower and took in the sights of the Golden Mile during a bumper summer of events in the resort.

Visitor numbers were boosted as the Fylde coast played host to a number of huge events including The Open golf championship at 
Royal Lytham, and a concert by Sir Elton John to launch the Tower Festival Headland.

Iain Hawkins, head of Blackpool’s Merlin attractions which include The Tower and Madame Tussauds, said: “It has been an interesting year for us because it was the first time we had all eight Merlin attractions open for the whole year.


“The summer has been hampered by the rain, but we are lucky in that our attractions are indoor ones so we have done well. For example visitor numbers have been up at Madame Tussauds by 20 per cent, the Sea Life Centre by 15 per cent and The Tower Circus up by six per cent.

“In Blackpool the tourism groups have set up things such as the Big Ticket and the Resort Pass and both have done really really well. It is to provide guests with a good value package to the attractions like they do in Florida.

“Big Ticket for our eight attractions has gone down a real storm.

“It makes people go to all the attractions and gives them options. It keeps visitors in the town for longer and brings them back because it is valid for three months.

“We get a lot of visitors from places like Manchester and when they come for the day and get a Big Ticket they go home, tell their friends and come back again later.

“It is good for the town, and it is family focussed.

“In the past there has been an imbalance towards stag and hen dos and drinking.

“They have their place but we have all been trying to regain the balance and with the initiatives at the Zoo and the Pleasure Beach's Nickelodeon Land we are all doing our bit.”

Blackpool Pleasure Beach said the second half of the year had been better.

A spokesman for the park added: “The attraction was affected by the bad weather during the first few summer months, but has enjoyed a better August and autumn season.

“Once again, our seasonal shows have proved to be successful, with more guests being able to experience Hot Ice, children enjoying Dora the Explorer Live, and new shows including High Jinx and the amazing Wow! Show.

“Nickelodeon Land has increased the popularity with families and, with Wallace and Gromit’s Thrill-O-Matic ride next year, we are looking forward to the 2013 season.”

Blackpool Zoo said it had its busiest season on record.

Marketing manager Della Belk added: “We are delighted despite the unpredictable weather we have enjoyed our busiest season on record during our 40th anniversary year.

“We believe this is a reflection of the continued investment as well as positive word of mouth, ever increasing membership numbers and innovative marketing.

“People have been particularly intrigued to visit the new Wolf Ridge enclosure as well as meet our other striking additions, the giant anteaters.”

John Child, manager of the Sandcastle Water Park, said visitor numbers were up by about eight per cent compared to last year, with revenue up about 15 per cent. He said the £2.5m investment which saw two new Aztec-themed rides open in February, had helped the park.

The tourism chief added: “Our admission numbers are up and spend per head is up.

“Every day in the summer we reached our capacity and we had to start opening earlier and closing later.”

The complex is now closed until the February half-term while new boilers are fitted.

But the bad weather hit some operators severely.

Suzzana Edge, who has three donkey pitches on Blackpool beach, told The Gazette: “The season was a complete write off because every time we went out it rained.

“On top of that we have to deal with the tides, and often when the weather was good, the tide was in so we still couldn’t go out.

“We’ll be back next year though – the donkeys are so much a part of Blackpool.”

Click here to read more on this story:

BLACKPOOL'S BUMPER SEASON

Nickelodeon USA To Premiere "Supah Ninjas" Season 2 During Early 2013!

Breaking Nickelodeon News - Leo Chu, who is the Creator, Executive Producer, a writer and producer on Nickelodeon's original action-comedy series "Supah Ninjas" has announced the Nick News on his official Twitter profile page (@leochu88) that Nickelodeon USA will start to premiere and show brand new episodes from the all-new second season (season 2) of "Supah Ninjas" on the network during early 2013 (transmission (TX) date and time to be announced), as part of "2013 on Nickelodeon"!:

Breaking News! The new season of Supah Ninjas is set to premiere early 2013!! Stay tuned for day and time!!