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A&E renews Simmons

A&E has said yes to a third season of "Gene Simmons: Family Jewels," upping its order to 24 half-hour episodes from last season's 20 installments.

According to Variety, the decision was an easy one: "Jewels" is A&E's second-highest-rated series ever in the 18-to-49 and 25-to-54 adult demographics, behind only "Dog the Bounty Hunter." "Jewels" did even better in its second season than in its first, leaping by 15 percent in total viewers to a 1.5 million average and climbing by 11 percent in adults 18 to 49 and by 8 percent in adults 25 to 54.

A&E's relationship with Mr. Simmons started with a one-shot "Biography" hour of the rock legend and Kiss frontman. That "Biography" episode scored so well in the Nielsens that A&E negotiated with Mr. Simmons and "Jewels' " executive producer Leslie Grief to create a 13-episode weekly half-hour series that would delve into the rock star's life with his common-law partner, former Playboy Playmate Shannon Tweed, and their teenage son and daughter.

Unlike the stars of MTV's "The Osbournes," the model for reality shows built around a dysfunctional rock performer and his family, Mr. Simmons and his household "are highly functional, intelligent and witty," says Rob Sharenow, senior vice president of nonfiction and alternative programming for A&E and a co-executive producer of "Jewels." "They're in constant motion, and Gene is always working on dozens of projects. It's more like a scripted series than a reality show," Mr. Sharenow told Variety.

While reruns of "CSI Miami" and "The Sopranos" are harvesting lots of viewers for A&E, "Jewels" is one of the weekly first-run series that have propelled A&E into the ranks of the 10 highest-rated cable networks. The others are "Dog the Bounty Hunter," "The First 48," "Intervention" and "Criss Angel: Mindfreak." During the first quarter, A&E shot up by 54 percent in total viewers and more than 40 percent in the three key adult demos (18 to 49, 25 to 54 and 18 to 34), Variety said.

Family approved

The upcoming prime-time dramas "Chuck" and "The Bionic Woman" on NBC and "Life Is Wild" on the CW have earned the seal of approval from the Family Friendly Programming Forum, which is marking two milestones in the fall, Hollywood Reporter notes.

The 2007-08 season will mark the first time ever that the FFPF -- a coalition of blue-chip advertisers that helps fund the development of family-oriented programming for the broadcast networks -- has secured at least one family-friendly programming option in prime time each night of the week.

In addition, the upcoming season will feature more shows funded through the FFPF's Script Development Fund than in any season since the coalition was founded in 1998. Eight FFPF-supported series will be on the broadcast networks' schedules next season -- three more than the previous high of five. They include five returning shows: ABC's "Ugly Betty," "Brothers & Sisters" and "Notes From the Underbelly"; NBC's "Friday Night Lights" and the CW's "Everybody Hates Chris."