BBC caught out by 3lbs

The medical drama 3 Lbs, purchased by the BBC, has been cancelled by CBS after three weeks.

The Corporation paid £300,000 per episode for the Stanley Tucci drama.

So far eight episodes of the show have been made but production has been now shut down.

No back nine for the Nine

ABC have pulled The Nine, the highly acclaimed drama that was purchased by Channel Five, has been struggling in the ratings.

ABC have said the show will return later in the season, but like Six Degrees it's clearly doomed.

Kim Raver, Scott Wolf and Tim Daly are among the stars of the Nine, which comes from Without A Trace creator Hank Steinberg.

Heroes on the BBC

The BBC has bought Heroes for terrestrial screening.

It will air first on the Sci-Fi Channel in February and then head for BBC2.

Heroes, which tells the story of ordinary people who discover they possess special powers, has become one of the biggest hits of the season on NBC.

The Sci-Fi Channel managed to nab the show when all the main UK broadcasters passed on it at early screenings.

Former Doctor Who star Christopher Eccleston is set to appear late in the first series.

SKY One Schedule

All the SKY One attention is on Lost right now but there are a raft of premieres set for January. Nip/Tuck which made way for Lost will now start on Monday January 8th. It was announced this week that Joely Richardson is leaving the show as a result of family illness.....There are two big new starters on Tuesday January 9th with The Lost Room starring Peter Krause and Julianna Marguiles on at 9pm with the new series of Rescue Me debuting at 10pm. The Dennis Leary drama was due to return next week but has been pushed back......The highly anticipated third season of Battlestar Galactica begins on Wednesday January 10th at 9pm.....meanwhile FX will premiere Dexter in January along with the fourth series of NCIS.

In other news Dr Who Christopher Eccleston is set to join Heroes, don't know for how long though, it comes to Sci-Fi Channel in February......The Class has been picked up for some more episodes by CBS buy maybe not a full 22. Good news for Channel 4 who picked this up anticipating big things from it.

Bits and pieces

Gilmore Girls season six will air in the UK but not on Hallmark, Nickleodeon will air the penultimate run instead. They had the first two seasons of the show before Hallmark nabbed it. Still no terrestrial run though......Heroes will debut on Sci-Fi in February......NBC have picked up Friday Night Lights for a full season, its heading for ITV.

Back in the House

Channel Five will premiere the third season of House on Thursday January 18th. David Morse will guest star in six episodes as a cop who crosses our man.......Channel will debut the new season of CSI on January 30th......Justice has been cancelled. The Victor Garber show from producer Jerry Bruckhemner has been battered around the schedules and now appears to have been banished by FOX. Living will air it in the New Year.....While JJ Abrams seems to have struck out with Six Degrees, better news for What About Brian, which has had its second season extended to 22 episodes. Watch out for it on E4

Axes and pickups

Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip has been picked up for a full season of 22 episodes. Despite disappointing ratings, NBC have kept to their promise to nurture the show. The series which stars Matthew Perry, Bradley Whitford and Amanda Peet, will debut in the UK on Channel 4 and More4 next year......Bad news for ITV. After much hype about Six Degrees being its first primetime US show in many years, its future looks bleak. ABC have pulled the show from their Thursday schedule and say it will return in January to burn off its seven remaining episodes, a rare flop for JJ Abrams......It will be replaced on that night by Men In Trees which stars Anne Heche and will be shown here by Living in the New Year......The rumour is that the much hyped series The Nine is set to follow Six Degrees, thats been picked up by Channel Five for 2007.

Lots of newsy stuff

NBC are now about to pick up Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip for a full 22 episode run. Contrary to all the gossip, rumours and speculation, they are going to stick with it and see how year one plays out, but it will have to increase its numbers to return next Fall......Nip/Tuck has been picked up for a fifth season by FX, season four starts on SKY One in January.....Channel Five will premiere the new season of Prison Break in January while Channel Four are set to air the third series of Desperate Housewives and the brand new Ugly Betty....Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia, now airing its second season on Bravo, will return for a third 15 episode run.

Showtime pick up Dexter and Weeds

Showtime have picked up Dexter for the a second season. The show about a serial killer who kills others who have done wrong stars Michael C Hall, formerly of Six Feet Under. It premieres here on FX in the New Year.

Additionally Weeds is about to get the nod for a third season. Mary Louise-Parker' show is about to complete its second run which will air here on SKY One in January.

News on Channel Four shows

NBC's Kidnapped which was sent out to die at the weekends, has now been pulled completely. The network will air the remaining eight episodes exclusively on nbc.com. Channel Four will probably end up screening it in the small hours now.

Better news for the network is the success of ABC's "Brothers and Sisters". Having added Treat Williams to the already stellar cast, news comes now that Rob Lowe is also due to arrive. The former West Winger will be a love interest for Calista Flockhart. Lowe will play a Republican senator(different party, similar role then), who meets Flockhart's character when he's a guest on her talk show. Will he be named Sam?

Studio 60 fights on

NBC are pledging to keep hold of Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip despite poor ratings

The fact that Friday Nights Lights garnered a million more viewers in the same time slot this week won't help.

It looks like the dreaded 'vote of confidence', which is swiftly followed by the axe.

Watch this space