Arrivals, Returns, & Departures - 02/24/2012

Hello TV Ragers, and welcome to your semi-regular update on all the pilots, renewals, and cancellations that have taken place since the last issue was published. Let's get right to it with:

ARRIVALS (Pilots Ordered)

Extreme Cheapskates, TLC - "TLC today announced that is has ordered a new series, EXTREME CHEAPSKATES, continuing the network's exploration of people who go to remarkable lengths to save money for themselves and their families. Eight half-hour episodes have been ordered, and is currently casting individuals who look for creative ways to cut costs by any means necessary. It is expected to air later this summer."

Living Loaded, FOX - "A hard partying blogger is forced to change careers and go work for his father as a host on National Public Radio. Mike Vogel is set to play the lead role, with Donald Sutherland and The Daily Show's Larry Wilmore in supporting roles." I covered this story more in depth here.

RETURNS (Series Renewals)

Archer, FX, Season 4 - "Set at an international spy agency known as ISIS, Archer is the story of a group of highly trained combatants. Rather than take the global crises they are called up for seriously, the team often use them as opportunities to confuse, betray, and just royally screw each other." This story was previously covered more in-depth by my colleague Sam McPherson here.

Bayou Billionaires, CMT, Season 2 - "The Dowdens are a typical, hardworking and close-knit family of modest means living in Shreveport, La. After discovering their home sits on the fourth largest deposit of natural gas in the U.S., the Dowdens struck it rich and are now ready to experience the finer things that life has to offer. Led by patriarch, Gerald, and matriarch, Kitten, the 30-minute, 10-episode series follows the family as they experience the perks of belonging to a new tax bracket - from joining country clubs and hiring personal trainers, to traveling to places they never imagined they'd go."

My Big Redneck Vacation, CMT, Season 2 - "From the creators of "My Big Redneck Wedding" comes a new series chronicling the adventures of one countrified, loud-mouthed family from the swamps of Louisiana as they take over a $4 million house in the Hamptons of New York. Watch as this mud-slidin', four-wheelin', beer-slingin', dixie-whistlin' crew learns how to live the high-life and show them Yankees how the South gets down. From polo lessons to wine-tasting to a truly Hamptons nuptial, this rowdy bunch is in for a summer they'll never forget on "My Big Redneck Vacation".

DEPARTURES (Cancellations and End Dates)

Nothing new on this front.

And that's all for this edition. Don't forget to keep checking future A,R,&D updates in the coming weeks. The closer we get to the April network upfronts and May sweeps, the more we'll be inundated with shows being dropped, picked up, and brought back. See you next time.

P.S. I don't usually do this, as I like to take the high road, but to the anonymous commenter who called the last edition of AR&D "BOOOOOORING", I'd like to remind you that this feature is intended to be a list of show status updates done purely for informational purposes. It's done to provide a service to any TV Rage readers who don't notice or have time to read every individual news story we post each day. It's not an column or an opinion piece. If you want "excitement", I'll be glad to direct you to one of the many other articles on TVR. Rant over. I apologize if any other readers found that unprofessional, but for some reason that comment really annoyed me.

P.S. #2 Why oh why does TV keep greenlighting redneck shows? Is there really that big a demographic for that?