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CBS is looking to expand the NCIS franchise outside the contiguous United States. TVLine has learned that the Eye network is in the early stages of developing a new iteration of NCIS, this one set in Hawaii. This would mark CBS’ third NCIS spinoff and the fourth NCIS series overall, joining the Mark Harmon-headlined mothership, NCIS: Los Angeles and NCIS: New Orleans. A CBS spokesperson declined to comment for this story. Prior to the franchise’s newest entry, NCIS: New Orleans, launching in 2014, CBS was developing NCIS: Red, an offshoot centering on a mobile anti-terrorist unit dubbed the Red Team....

It’s official: ABC has given a 10-episode series order to The Conners (working title), a spinoff of Roseanne, for fall 2018. The spinoff will take over the Tuesday 8 PM slot on the ABC schedule that was vacated when Roseanne was suddenly canceled following a controversial tweet by star and executive producer Roseanne Barr. (Roseanne‘s order had been for 13 episodes.) Barr will have no financial or creative involvement in the new series after reaching a settlement with series producer Tom Werner. The Conners will feature the rest of the Roseanne revival cast, John Goodman (“Dan”), Laurie Metcalf (“Jackie”), Sara...

After canceling the comedy following star Roseanne Barr's racist tweet, the Disney-owned network has found a way to move forward with the original cast, creators and likely crew as 'The Conners.' Weeks after its stunning decision to cancel Roseanne, ABC is officially moving forward with a spinoff of TV's current No. 1 series — without controversial star Roseanne Barr. Following aggressive talks with exec producer Tom Werner, the Disney-owned broadcaster has handed out a 10-episode, straight-to-series order for Roseanne spinoff The Conners (working title). The new take, which will also be a multicamera comedy and premiere in the fall, will...

Darlene to the rescue? Roughly 72 hours after cancelling Roseanne amid controversy, ABC is looking to possibly keep the franchise alive with a spinoff centered on Sara Gilbert’s acid-tongued single mom, TVLine has confirmed. The standalone Darlene series was one of five offshoots proposed by TVLine in the wake of Roseanne‘s spectacular fall on Tuesday. ABC could not be reached for comment. It was three days ago that ABC announced it was scrapping the series’ already-greenlit 11th season after its titular star Roseanne Barr tweeted a racist “joke” about Obama advisor Valerie Jarrett. In announcing the cancellation, ABC president Channing...

Gold Rush fans are used to miners going to great lengths to strike it rich, but in Discovery’s latest spin-off show, White Water, “Dakota Fred” Hurt and his son Dustin are headed deep beneath the water’s surface. In the new reality series, which premieres in January, the father son duo return to McKinley Creek, Alaska, where they’ve enlisted a team of intrepid divers, mountaineers and bush mechanics to search for gold deep in one of Alaska’s wildest creeks. Gold Rush: White Water premieres Jan. 19 at 10 p.m. ET on Discovery.

Grassroots Republican operatives and Movement conservatives are quickly turning against the GOP Establishment in the wake of the party's expensive defeat this election cycle. Republicans we spoke to this week voiced a near-universal disgust with the national Republican Party leaders and Washington political class, who are seen as having put personal financial interest above winning the election. Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/karl-rove-gop-money-civil-war-republicans-2012-11#ixzz2ECkUPpGG

Geek favorites Bryan Fuller and Bryan Singer have been forthcoming about their hopes for bringing Star Trek back to the small screen, after the release of J.J. Abrams’ elusive sequel to his Trek movie reboot next summer. However, it turns out those two aren’t the only ones with big dreams about a new TV series set in that sci-fi universe – Michael Dorn is also taking steps to reprise his signature Trek role on a spinoff, tentatively titled Star Trek: Captain Worf.

WICCOPEE — In a stunning reversal, the frequently lauded and taxpayer-funded SpectraWatt Inc. has told the state it will close its solar cell plant starting in March and lay off 117 workers. The announcement was startling because in the past two months, the company, which had been promised about $8 million in tax dollars, planned to train more workers and changed its work shifts to enable a 24-hour operation. In a news release, the company said it hopes to reverse the situation that led to the decision, but SpectraWatt officials did not respond to requests for details.

The actor Tweeted last month about the possibility of catching up with a new generation of the the Crane family, the New York Post reports. "Maybe it is time for a Frasier reunion," Grammer wrote. "(It's) very interesting to say the least... maybe a Frasier reunion on like a new show seriously thinking about that !!!." Grammer solicited opinions from his Twitter followers about the possibility of a spinoff. "I'm now really thinking maybe a spin-off of Frasier?" he wrote. "How would u feel about that with like my son and (Frasier's fictional brother) Niles' sibling? Cameos by old cast?"

Ottawa's plan to buy 65 U.S.-built F-35 fighter planes is expected to benefit nearly 100 Canadian companies and support thousands of technology jobs. Nine countries, including Canada, funded development of the plane, called the Lightning II, or the Joint Strike Fighter. Toronto-based Magellan Aerospace said Friday that Canada's participation in the aircraft's development has provided a series of "crucial stepping stones to securing greater roles in the current production and upcoming support phases." The Toronto-based company designs and makes engines and structural parts. "This application of new technologies and precision manufacturing processes will transform Magellan Aerospace and other Canadian companies,...

Right about now, Comcast CEO Brian Roberts is likely in his office curled up in the fetal position wondering if Jeff Zucker is going to destroy his $20 billion investment in NBC Universal before the deal even closes. The very private Roberts is no doubt cringing as he watches the late-night fiasco Zucker personally orchestrated play out like a corporate version of "The Biggest Loser" without the weight loss. The media glare generated by Zucker's Machiavellian treatment of Jay Leno and Conan O'Brien, two of NBC's biggest stars, goes against everything that Comcast, a family-run company that rarely lets...

Time Warner unveiled plans Thursday to spin off AOL as an independent company, an end to the massive media media marriage formed in 2001. "We believe that a separation will be the best outcome for both Time Warner and AOL," said Time Warner (TWX, Fortune 500) chief executive Jeff Bewkes, in a prepared statement. The 2001 merger between AOL and Time Warner was applauded at the time as a visionary attempt to meld old media with new media. But synergies between the two never materialized. [Snip] Bewkes said that an independent AOL will "have a better opportunity to achieve its...

OK, I'll make this a short, readable, "vanity" editorial because I know you're all busy. Here's my idea for a good solution to the UAE ports deal that should be a winner for the White House: I don't think partnering with an American company is going far enough to keep the GOP base happy. The UAE needs to do a spin-off of the American port operations into a new company, probably a limited partnership (LP). Then bring a British executive over from P&O Ports to be CEO and bring in somebody like Peter Ueberroth or Billy Payne to be Chairman...

<p>Since the dawn of the space age, both proponents and opponents of the manned space program have used the "spinoff" argument to buttress their respective cases.</p> <p>Many fans of Apollo, and the space shuttle and the International Space Station, and whatever the NASA manned space program happens to be doing at the time, make grandiose claims about the many benefits showered upon our nation because we sent a few people to the moon, or into orbit.</p>