Morning Fix: ‘Community’ dodges death; ‘Transformers’ box office controversy

After the coffee. Before figuring out whose July 4 party to crash.

The Skinny: This is the last Morning Fix before the July 4 holiday so savor it. I’m taking a little break and willl be back in action July 7. Tuesday’s roundup includes debate over how much the new “Transformers” movie made in its opening weekend. Also, Gail Berman forms a production partnership with the Fox Networks Group and “Community” dodges death one more time.

Daily Dose: Comcast Chief Executive Brian Roberts has signed another one-year deal to stay at the helm of the cable and entertainment giant. Of course, the company was founded by his father and the family is in control of the voting stock so this was not really a big surprise.

Homecoming. Gail Berman, a former Fox Broadcasting entertainment president, is coming back ... sort of. Berman has signed a wide-ranging production deal with Fox Networks Group, the TV unit of 21st Century Fox. Berman, who also briefly headed Paramount Pictures, will develop TV shows for all the Fox outlets including Fox Broadcasting and FX. Berman most recently had been a production partner with former Disney TV executive Lloyd Braun. More on Berman’s deal from the Los Angeles Times and Variety.

Not so fast. On Sunday, Paramount trumpeted that “Transformers: Age of Extinction” hit the $100-million mark in its debut weekend in North America. But did it? On Monday, the buzz around town among rival studios and box office analysts was that Paramount distribution brass may have made some generous assumptions and the weekend take came in just under $100 million. Either way, it was still a huge opening and the movie is a smash. The Wall Street Journal on whether the numbers are funny.

More than “Sharknado.” Syfy, once best known for “Battlestar Galactica,” has spent the last few years focusing more on reality and camp. But now the NBCUniversal-owned channel is diving back into science fiction drama with several big projects coming to fruition. “Everybody’s rooting for us to get back to that stuff,” Syfy Executive Vice President of Programming Bill McGoldrick tells the Los Angeles Times.

A new community. Call it the sitcom that just won’t die. After NBC passed on another season of the cult hit “Community” (although even that phrase is a stretch) and Hulu couldn’t come to terms with producer Sony on a new season, it appeared that the bell had finally tolled for the critical darling. But at the last minute Yahoo swooped in with a deal for another season. Someone get those change of address forms ready so viewers will know where to find “Community.” More on the deal from the New York Times.

It’s that time again. If it’s July it must be time for fireworks. No, we’re not talking Independence Day. We’re talking the Allen & Co. retreat in Sun Valley that gathers top media and tech moguls as well as politicians and investors from around the globe. There will also be a group of reporters yelling, “any deals happening” at anyone who walks by them. A preview from Reuters.

Inside the Los Angeles Times: If you are bored over the holiday weekend, here’s a guide to find all your favorite old TV shows.
Follow me on Twitter and declare your independence from lame tweets! @JBFlint.