USA, Lansbury in TV deal

Network extends 'Happy Hour'

By JOHN DEMPSEY

USA Networks has signed a series development deal with Michael Lansbury, whose experience encompasses everything from "The Simpsons" and "Married ... With Children" to "Dream On" and "The Pretender."

"We need good ideas across the board and in all dayparts, and Lansbury can really help us," said Angela Mancuso, senior VP of production for USA Networks.

'Happy' extension

The USA Network also extended its commitment to "Happy Hour," a new weekly variety series that will premiere Saturday at 9 p.m.. Instead of six episodes, USA will now take 13 hours of the show.

While the new regime under Stephen Chao, president of programming and marketing for USA Networks, publicly calls for more offbeat and controversial shows like "Happy Hour," Lansbury will give USA and its sibling Sci-Fi Channel grounding in more conventional methods and operations of the TV-production community.

Chuck Larsen, president of October Moon TV, who worked with Lansbury at MTM Entertainment a few years ago, said, "Michael is a down-to-earth guy, and he gets it. He knows how the revenue flows, what people want to watch and how you make money on TV shows." The vacationing Lansbury was unavailable for comment.

'Pretender' programmer

Lansbury was VP of programming for MTM, where he worked on the NBC action hour "The Pretender," and the UPN sitcoms "Sparks" and "Good News," among other series.

Before MTM, Lansbury was VP of series programs for MCA TV Entertainment, where he oversaw the development of such series as "Dream On" for HBO, the half-hour drama anthology "The Hidden Room" for Lifetime, the live-action Saturday morning sitcom "Fudge" for ABC and "Swamp Thing" for USA.

From 1987 to 1991, he worked as a program executive for Fox Broadcasting.