HBO renews "Entourage"

from mediaweek

HBO Reups Entourage, Rejects Lucky Louie
Anthony Crupi

A day after deciding not to renew its multi-camera sitcom Lucky Louie,
HBO announced it has picked up Entourage for a fourth season, ordering
12 episodes.

While it hasn’t been a runaway hit, averaging about 2.5 million
viewers for its Sunday premieres this summer, Entourage is a critics’
darling, drawing raves from outlets like Time and Entertainment
Weekly. And while the series was up nearly 30 percent over last
season, as a premium service, HBO does not put a lot of stock into
ratings.

Pumpkin Escobar...

Best news of the day. Now what they need to do is extend to show to 60
minutes.

Vocalize...

- - -
I really enjoy the show, but at the core, there's really not a lot there.
This is one that plays better in a shorter form that leaves you wanting
more.

"Weeds" is a bit richer in character depth and storyline possibility, but
even so, I think it also is best served by a half hour.

Milhouse Van Houten...

And 52 weeks a year. I'm sure they could handle it.

Daniel Damouth...

What does mediaweek mean by this? That HBO will keep around a low-
rated show because of its PR value, to attract more viewers? The
networks do that, too.

-Dan Damouth

A final run of eight episodes wrapping season three will debut early
next year, most likely leading out of the final episodes of The
Sopranos in the Sunday 10:00 p.m. slot.

As for Lucky Louie, HBO decided to call it a day after the half-hour
comedy drew about 1.3 million viewers per week in its 12-episode
summer run, a loss of more than a million viewers from its Entourage
lead-in. HBO Entertainment chief Carolyn Strauss said the network
wasn’t necessarily parting ways with series creator and star Louis
C.K., saying that HBO “look[s] forward to other projects with Louis in
the future.”