Facing the end of its long-running, Emmy-winning hit “The Closer,” TNT has formally ordered the spinoff “Major Crimes” to series.
“The Closer,” starring Kyra Sedgwick, isn’t going anywhere any time soon. TNT still has the seventh and final season of “The Closer” set to air 15 episodes this year and six episodes in the summer of 2012.
Those final episodes of “The Closer” will lead into “Major Crimes,” set in the LAPD and built around Mary McDonnell’s Capt. Raydor. TNT has ordered 10 episodes of “Major Crimes,” which will be executive produced by “Closer” creator James Duff.
As part of Turner’s upfront presentation on Wednesday (May 18), TNT also announced the debut of the The TNT Tuesday Night Mystery, a series of six original movies based on popular books. Premiering in November and December of 2011, the books being developed include Scott Turow’s “Innocent,” Richard North Patterson”s Silent Witness; Sandra Brown”s “Ricochet,” Lisa Gardner”s “Hide,” April Smith”s “Good Morning, Killer” and Mary Higgins Clark and Carol Higgins Clark”s “Deck the Halls.”
Over on the TBS side of the Turner equation, the network has ordered “The Wedding Band” to series. Created by a pair of “South Park” veterans, “The Wedding Band” stars Brian Austin Green, Harold Perrineau, Peter Cambor, Derek Miller and Melora Hardin and focuses on four friends who play in a wedding band in their spare time. TBS has set “The Wedding Band” for a summer 2012 premiere.