Tuning In to TV: Springer leaving

Springer leaving

Jerry Springer says he won’t be returning as host of “America’s Got Talent,” Associated Press reports.

Mr. Springer said Thursday he’s leaving his role as host of the NBC talent contest this summer because of other commitments, including his syndicated talk show and a stage role. He didn’t offer details about the play.

Known for his freewheeling talk show, Mr. Springer got an image makeover in 2006 when he appeared on ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars” and won viewers’ affection with his self-deprecating humor. The stint on “America’s Got Talent” followed in summer 2007. The former Cleveland mayor — who turns 65 on Friday — called his job on the high-rated “Talent” “an amazing ride.” His replacement for the upcoming fourth season wasn’t announced on Thursday, AP said.

More ’Love’ on HBO

HBO will keep “Big Love” in the family for another year.

According to Zap2it.com, the show has been renewed for a fourth season. HBO made the official announcement Thursday morning, saying that production on the new season will begin later this year for a premiere in 2010.

“Big Love’s” current season, which premiered Jan. 18, is averaging about 5 million viewers per episode across multiple weekly airings and on-demand viewing. The show’s Feb. 1 episode drew 1.5 million viewers on its first airing, an improvement on its season premiere despite airing against the Super Bowl, Zap2it.com notes.

’Browns’ extended

TBS has ordered 70 additional episodes of the Tyler Perry-produced comedy series “Meet the Browns,” Multichannel.com reports. The series, a spinoff of Mr. Perry’s popular “House of Payne,” averaged 3.4 million viewers through the first eight installments of its initial 10-episode run, including 4.2 million viewers in its Jan. 7 premiere.

The series, which stars David Mann as lead character Leroy Brown, ranks second only to Fox’s “American Idol” among television’s top series in January among black viewers and households — including adults ages 18 to 34, adults ages 18 to 49 and adults ages 25 to 54.

“Browns” marks the second major episode commitment TBS has made to a Perry-penned series. The network greenlighted an unprecedented 100 episodes of “House of Payne” in 2006 and added another 26-episode run last year.

Mr. Perry’s latest film, “Madea Goes to Jail,” arrives in theaters Feb. 20.

On tap tonight

American Experience: The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln (9 p.m., WETA-Channel 26 and WMPT-Channel 22) With both President’s Day and the 200th birthday of Abraham Lincoln approaching, PBS will be airing a pair of documentaries about our 16th president. The first, “The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln,” examines the events of April 14, 1865, when he was shot at Ford’s Theatre downtown.

Over the next dozen days, the largest manhunt ever mobilized up to that time closed in on his assassin, 26-year-old actor John Wilkes Booth, whose murderous act helped solidify the nation’s admiration for the man he killed. Interviews with Lincoln scholars help chart this tragedy as Will Patton (“Numb3rs,” “A Mighty Heart”) provides Booth’s voice and Oscar winner Chris Cooper (“Adaptation”) narrates the 90-minute film. The second documentary, “Looking for Lincoln,” airs Wednesday.

New series for Paige

Former “Trading Spaces” host Paige Davis has been tapped to emcee “Life for Dummies,” a new syndicated lifestyle-oriented show that’s being developed, Variety reported Friday. Based on John Wiley & Sons Inc.’s popular “For Dummies” how-to book series, the new show will explore a wide range of topics using a combination of interviews, studio demonstrations, field segments and personal testimonials.

• Compiled by Robyn-Denise Yourse from Web and wire dispatches and staff reports