News Briefs: ABC Is Now Limiting Online Streaming of its Shows

IN HOW NOT TO RUN A NETWORK NEWS

... ABC would like to wish you a happy new year by limiting next-day availability of their shows. The network, which used to be one of the best regarding accessible online content, has announced that beginning Monday, January 6, fans wishing to view their favorite ABC shows will have to verify their cable subscription before being granted access to the most recent episode. For some of you, this might just be an inconvenient step on the way to watching the newest episodes of Scandal and Revenge, but for others, it's going to limit the way you watch TV. 

If you don't have a cable subscription you can, A) risk being spoiled and wait a week until the episode is available without logging in, B) watch via your Hulu Plus subscription, C) find some friends that will let you "borrow" their login information, or D) call one of the following TV providers and pay up: AT&T U-Verse, Cablevision Optimum, Charter, Comcast XFINITY, Cox Communications, Google Fiber, Midcontinent, Verizon FiOS. For more information, visit the Watch ABC portal. [TVLine]

BUSINESS TIME

... Sherlock's long-awaited third season premiered last night in the U.K. to a record 9.2 million viewers. And if you think I read any more and risked being spoiled for the January 19 U.S. premiere, then you're a crazy person. [The Guardian]

... R.I.P. SOAPnet! The network signed off forever on New Year's Eve after 13 years of sudsy melodrama. In recent years, as the number of soaps dwindled, the network aired more and more reruns of shows like the classic Beverly Hills, 90210, Gilmore Girls, One Tree Hill, and more. I guess I'll never know if Lucas and Peyton ended up together. (J/K, obviously I already know that they do.) [The Wire]

... New Girl has released a new poster for the rest of Season 3, and this one includes Damon Wayans Jr. We knew Coach was sticking around for the rest of the season, but this poster makes us sad, as Coach is partly to blame for the less-than-stellar first half of the season. Do you like the poster? Cece's foot looks weird, right? It's not just me? [Zap2It]

... Bruce Springsteen is headed to CBS to promote his new album. No, I don't mean a concert special; The Boss is using CBS.com and The Good Wife to market his new album High Hopes, which will be released January 14. Beginning January 5 at 7pm, the album will be available to stream online as part of a tie-in with the January 12 episode of The Good Wife, which features Will and Alicia sparring off as "each represent one half of a couple accused of smuggling drugs." The episode, titled "We, the Juries," will feature new tracks "High Hopes" and "Hunter of Invisible Game," and a re-recorded "The Ghost of Tom Joad." I'd say this was all really weird, but more Springsteen is never, ever a bad thing. [Rolling Stone]

... Viral marketing stunt for The Mindy Project or creepy fan? Either way, someone is maintaining a Mindy Kaling Tinder profile and that's just weird. But if it does turn out to be a publicity stunt, you'd think Fox would have waited until the show's April return date, no? [The Daily Beast]

... The Doctor Who Christmas special "The Time of the Doctor" was BBC America's highest-rated program in 2013. It brought in 2.472 million viewers, up 72 percent from last year's special. When you add in the encore airings, the Live+Same Day numbers jump to 3.02 million. This isn't terribly surprising given the positive reception of November's 50th anniversary special "The Day of the Doctor," and that "The Time of the Doctor" was Matt Smith's final performance as the Doctor. It's just too bad the episode itself was kind of a let down. [BBC America via press release]

... If you've missed any of Mary's struggles on Reign, John's shirtless scenes on The Tomorrow People, or Klaus' murderous rampages on The Originals, now would be the time to stop skimming news briefs and actually start reading. The TV Guide Network will be airing marathons of each show later this month so you have no reason to be behind on any of them. Beginning Saturday January 4 at 2pm, you can catch up on that other Amell by watching every episode of The Tomorrow People. The Originals marathon will begin at 2 pm on Saturday January 11, and you can travel back in time on January 18 at 2pm to catch up on Reign. [TVGN via press release]

CASTING NEWS

... Laurie Metcalf (HBO's Getting On) has been cast opposite Jack McGee and Joey McIntyre in CBS' new half-hour pilot The McCarthys, a comedy about an Irish Catholic family in Boston. Metcalf replaces Jacki Weaver, who played the role in the original pilot. The project is being retooled as a multi-camera comedy after initially filming a single-camera pilot last season. [Deadline]