NEWS: Teens Abandoning TV; Plus, Katherine Kelly Lang, Melissa Leo, Robin Wright, Tiffani Thiessen

American teens are slowly abandoning TV
TV is still the number-one medium where people spend their time. But over the last five years the amount of time Americans aged 12 to 17 spend watching TV has dropped more than 25%, from more than 24 hours at the beginning of 2011 to less than 18 hours at in the first quarter of 2015, according to Nielsen's quarterly Total Audience report as compiled by Statista.

The Bold and the Beautiful offering "Beach Locations Tour" with Katherine Kelly Lang
The B&B Beach Locations Tour begins with a guided backstage tour of CBS Television City and historic Stage 31, home of The Bold and the Beautiful for over 28 years. On the tour you’ll have a chance to see various sets including Forrester Creations, as well as the Wardrobe, Hair & Makeup and Art Departments.

After touring the studio, you’ll board a state of the art, air-conditioned bus, and depart for the SoCal coast. Along the way Lang will present special behind the scenes clips and share B&B insider information.

4th of July TV marathons
E!'s list includes Pivot's Buffy the Vampire Slayer marathon on Saturday, July 4 from 12 p.m.-9 p.m. ET.

Ratings: Extant returns to a new series low
CBS’ retooled Extant opened Season 2 on Wednesday night with 5.2 million total viewers and a 0.7 demo rating, down 46 and 56 percent from last summer’s series launch, off 4 and 36 percent from its freshman finale and hitting series lows on both counts.

Melissa Leo to play Lady Bird Johnson 'n HBO's LBJ movie All The Way
The former All My Children actress will star opposite Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad, Loving) in All The Way, HBO’s adaptation of the Tony-winning Robert Schenkkan play.

First Lady Michelle Obama meets 'House of Cards' counterpart Claire Underwood (Robin Wright)
After Ms. Wright praised Mrs. Obama's work on girls' education and called the first lady, “Inspirer-in-Chief," Mrs. Obama didn't quite return the compliment.

“I’m certainly not taking any inspiration from Claire Underwood,” Obama joked, as she took the stage and talked about her "Let Girls Learn," girls' education initiative.

TV Land has banned re-runs of The Dukes of Hazzard because of the General Lee’s Confederate flag design. Is our ‘banning’ culture out of control?
Write's The Daily Beast's Tim Teeman: What is achieved by activist Bree Newsome scaling the flagpole outside the South Carolina statehouse, and removing the Confederate flag? Everything. What is achieved by TV Land banning reruns of The Dukes of Hazzard? Nothing."

USA's Mr. Robot is a great entry into the Summer TV lineup
"Shot with unsettling wit and verve, Mr. Robot presents contemporary New York City the way its protagonist views it: as a grim, vertiginous dystopia of commerce and deception. Colors are reserved for ads. Honesty is the last resort of suckers."

9 30 Rock predictions that gave come true, including renaming 30 Rockefeller
Over the course of several seasons, Tina Fey mocked Comcast’s acquisition of NBCUniversal. Dubbed Kabletown on the series, the company eventually took over NBC and dubbed 30 Rockefeller the ‘Kabletown Building.’ In July, Comcast announced it was doing the same thing in real life by renaming 30 Rock as the ‘Comcast Building.’

Beverly Hills, 90210 star Tiffani Thiessen welcomes a baby boy
Thiessen nd her husband Brady Smith welcomed their second child on Wednesday, July 1, she announced Thursday on Instagram. Son Holt Fisher Smith joins big sister Harper Renn, 5.

MTV’s Scream has an okay debut
Following months of promotion and built-in name recognition, about 1 million viewers checked out the premiere of the MTV series based on the horror franchise.

Only 4 of 25 Scream Queens characters will survive, and return for Season 2
"It's similar to American Horror Story in that it's anthological but different in that at the end of the first season there will only be four characters out of 25 left," Ryan Murphy told The Hollywood Reporter following a recent press screening. "And those four in season two will go on to a new horror genre — like a sorority is a horror genre to me, it's a place where there were horror movies in the '80s like Sorority Row — and they will go on. That's the format of the show."

'Extant' Season 2 Premiere Preview: Jeffrey Dean Morgan Joins the Cast

Halle Berry and Jeffrey Dean Morgan star in Extant. Photo Credit: CBS

CBS summer drama Extant kicks off its second season tonight at 10 p.m. ET/PT. Jeffrey Dean Morgan joins the cast as JD Richter, a cop and bounty hunter who thrives on solving the unsolvable.

In the Season 2 premiere, "Change Scenario," six months after her life unraveled and dark secrets were revealed, Molly (Halle Berry) is confined to a psychiatric hospital when she learns of bizarre deaths that sound eerily similar to those she witnessed in space. When she escapes to investigate, she crosses paths with JD Richter, a determined cop who just signed on to the case.

Watch a sneak peek below:

CBS Renews 'Under The Dome' and 'Extant', Cancels 'Reckless'

CBS announced today that the hit series Under The Dome and Extant will return for broadcast in summer 2015. Both from Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Television, Under The Dome returns for its third season, and Extant for its sophomore season.

"We're committed to delivering our viewers and advertisers year-round programming with a wide variety of storytelling," said Nina Tassler, Chairman, CBS Entertainment. "We continue to see summer as a great place for unique concepts, innovative business models and passionate television audiences."

Molly Comes Face-to-Face with Her Offspring on 'Extant' at a Special Time

Extant airs at a special time this week.  Photo Credit: CBS

When Molly finally comes face-to-face with her offspring, she realizes she may be the only one who can stop the coming danger. Meanwhile, Julie uncovers grave secrets about Odin, On Extant, Wednesday, September 10 (10:14-11:15 p.m. ET/PT) on CBS.

The start and end times for this episode ("Before the Blood") have changed. The new start and end times are tentative, due to coverage of the President's address.

Extant stars Halle Berry as Molly Woods, Goran Visnjic as John Woods, Pierce Gagnon as Ethan Woods, Hiroyuki Sanada as Hideki Yasumoto, Michael O'Neill as Alan Sparks, and Grace Gummer as Julie Gelineau.

'Under The Dome' & 'Extant' Score Big Live+7-Day Playback Lift for the Week of July 7

The premiere episode of Extant was the week's most-watched program, while the second episode of Under The Dome was the week’s highest-rated program in adults 18-49 and adult 25-54, according to Nielsen Live +7-day ratings for the week of July 7.

Extant (P) added +2.99m viewers (12.57m from 9.58m, +31%), +0.8 rating points in adults 18-49 (2.4 from 1.6, +50%) and +1.0 rating points in adults 25-54 (3.4 from 2.4, +42%) live plus 7-day lift from live plus same day on Wednesday, July 9. Extant was the week's top program in viewers.

Under The Dome added +4.38m viewers (12.08m from 7.70m, +57%), and +1.2 in adults 18-49 (2.9 from 1.7, +71%) and +1.6 rating points in adults 25-54 (3.9 from 2.3, +70%) live plus7-day lift from live plus same day on Monday, July 7. Under The Dome was the week's top program in adults 25-54 and adults 18-49 and posted the week's top lift in viewers, adults 25-54 and adults 18-49.

NEWS: Could Susan Lucci Host 'The View'? Plus, Laura Wright, Eric Martsolf, Jill Larson, Brandon Routh, Joshua Morrow

Susan Lucci dishes 'Devious Maids,' 'Deadly Affairs' and hints at joining 'The View'
In the Devious Maids season finale, there are "shockers, and there are cliffhangers. All of it is so fabulous, so well done, well written, clever, funny, hilarious, sexy and shocking!"

"I will finish shooting Deadly Affairs in September, and gosh, that’s just the time that The View goes back on the air."

'General Hospital' Star Laura Wright Teams Up With ASPCA For 'We-Care' Campaign
Starting June 17, Wright is serving as the face of a unique online partnership between ASPCA and we-care.com, a handy browser app that will donate a portion of shoppers’ online purchases from their favorite shopping destinations to the ASPCA at no extra cost to the shopper. Wright is encouraging the public to take the small step of signing up for we-care to help make a big difference for animals in need.

Halle Berry's 'Extant' Brings a Big (Older) Audience
CBS' big summer drama rakes in 9.4 million viewers, though it makes a considerably smaller impression among adults 18-49, dropping from its Big Brother lead-in.

NEWS: Nazanin Boniadi Joins SCANDAL; Kinky Sex on B&B; Mixed-Race Families on TV; EXTANT Adds Annie Wersching

Nazanin Boniadi joins SCANDAL for major Season Three arc
The actress, perhaps best known for playing FBI analyst Fara Sherazi on the third season of Showtime's HOMELAND, will recur in the final eight episodes of SCANDAL's third season. Details about her character are being kept under wraps. Boniadi previously played Leyla Mir on GENERAL HOSPITAL.

Don Diamont Gets Kinky on THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL
Diamont's Bill Spencer is about to get kinky with, of all people, psycho-villain Quinn Fuller (Rena Sofer)!

"We're not cable but we certainly take it as far as we can — and I don't think there's ever been anything like it in daytime," Diamont says, noting that the sex-with-whips action drew lots of attention at the CBS studio. "Suddenly, our crew seemed to double. I was, like, 'Who are all these people?'"

Where Is My Family on TV?
According to a 2012 Census Bureau report, mixed-race Americans, while still a small minority, are one of the fastest-growing demographic groups in the country, driven by immigration and an uptick in intermarriage. Yet while there are some very public examples of seemingly stable mixed-race families — the de Blasios of New York or even Kim, Kanye and sweet baby Nori come to mind — they are remarkably absent from our screens. (Our biracial president does get his share of screen time, of course.)

How THE WALKING DEAD Breaks Every Rule We Know About TV Hits
To simply chalk up the success of THE WALKING DEAD to the viability of the horror genre is to misunderstand the show. It's never been some splatterpunk thrill ride like the “Saw” film franchise; there’s actually just as much an arthouse sensibility to TWD as there is to other AMC shows like MAD MEN and BREAKING BAD. And as Sunday night's episode indicated, the series doesn't adhere to conventional storytelling. Then there’s the tone of TWD, which is so bleak it practically thumbs its nose at mass appeal. Throw in the fact the show hasn’t minted any true breakout stars and attracts zero awards buzz, and these gaudy ratings are even more inexplicable.

CBS Summer Series EXTANT Starring Academy Award Winner Halle Berry Began Production Today

Production commenced today in Los Angeles for CBS's new summer series EXTANT, starring Academy Award winner Halle Berry and produced by Steven Spielberg's Amblin Television and CBS Television Studios. Acclaimed director Allen Coulter is directing the first episode.

EXTANT, which premieres Wednesday, July 2 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on CBS, is a mystery thriller about a female astronaut trying to reconnect with her family after returning from a year in outer space. Her mystifying experiences in space lead to events that will ultimately change the course of human history.

EXTANT also stars Emmy and Golden Globe Award winner Camryn Manheim, Goran Visnjic, Grace Gummer, Michael O'Neill, Pierce Gagnon and Hiroyuki Sanada.

EXTANT is a co-production of CBS Television Studios and Amblin Television. Steven Spielberg, Greg Walker, Mickey Fisher, who wrote the script, Brooklyn Weaver, Justin Falvey and Darryl Frank are executive producers. Halle Berry is a co-executive producer. The series will be distributed domestically by CBS Television Distribution and worldwide by CBS Studios International.

CBS Announces Premiere Dates for Summer Series UNDER THE DOME and EXTANT

CBS today announced premiere dates for its two scripted summer event series—UNDER THE DOME and EXTANT, both produced by Steven Spielberg's Amblin Television.

UNDER THE DOME returns for its sophomore season on Monday, June 30 (10 p.m. ET/PT). The premiere episode will be written by Stephen King, whose bestselling novel the series is based on. UNDER THE DOME was last summer's #1 program, averaging 15.06 million viewers and 3.9/11 in adults 18-49, ranking as the most-watched scripted summer series in 21 years.

Camryn Manheim Cast as Series Regular in CBS Drama EXTANT

Photo Credit: CBS

Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning actress Camryn Manheim has been cast as a series regular in the new CBS drama series EXTANT from Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Television and CBS Television Studios. Manheim will play Sam Barton, Molly’s (Halle Berry) best friend and closest confidant. The series will premiere in Summer 2014.

The serialized drama starring Halle Berry is a mystery thriller about a female astronaut trying to reconnect with her family when she returns after a year in outer space. Her experiences lead to events that ultimately will change the course of human history.

Manheim's credits include PERSON OF INTEREST and GHOST WHISPERER, as well as THE PRACTICE and ALLY MCBEAL

EXTANT is a co-production of CBS Television Studios and Amblin Television. Steven Spielberg, Greg Walker, Mickey Fisher, who wrote the script, Brooklyn Weaver, Justin Falvey and Darryl Frank will serve as executive producers. Halle Berry will serve as a co-executive producer. The series will be distributed domestically by CBS Television Distribution and worldwide by CBS Studios International.

NEWS: LUCKY 7 Canceled; Susan Lucci Returning To HOT IN CLEVELAND; Dick Christie To BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL; Halle Berry To Topline New CBS Drama

LUCKY 7 canceled: Fall's first axed show
LUCKY 7 has won the Fall 2013 TV lotto to become the first canceled show.

The ABC drama was axed after only two episodes — and 12 days into the broadcast season — which is pretty fast in the era of heavy DVR playback, with networks typically wanting to wait at least three weeks to receive seven days of viewing data from Nielsen. But LUCKY 7 premiered to 4.4 million viewers and a lowly 1.3 adults 18-49 rating last week, making it ABC’s lowest-rated drama premiere in years despite the evening launching with mega-rated AGENTS OF S.H.I..E.L.D.

Halle Berry To Topline CBS Series EXTANT
After snagging one of the biggest commitments this season, a 13-episode straight to series order from CBS for next summer, the project has landed Oscar winner Halle Berry (ex-Debbie, KNOTS LANDING) as the lead in her first series regular role.

CBS Orders EXTANT For Broadcast in Summer 2014

CBS has given a straight-to-series order for 13 episodes of EXTANT, a serialized drama from Steven Spielberg's Amblin Television and CBS Television Studios. The series will be broadcast during summer 2014.

EXTANT is a futuristic thriller about a female astronaut trying to reconnect with her family when she returns after a year in outer space. Her experiences lead to events that ultimately will change the course of human history.