I was slowly working towards a recap of all the upfronts, but then NBC had to go and blow up its 2006/07 schedule. King of LaPlaca James Dinan gives a pretty good synopsis, but I wanted to take a night-by-night look at the revamp.
Sunday stays the same.
Monday sees Medium get pushed off to midseason so the Peacock can start things off with Deal or No Deal, Heroes, and Studio 60. And while Monday at 10 is an easier set of shows to go against than Thursday at 9 (What About Brian? and CSI:Miami versus CSI and Grey's Anatomy), Studio 60 I can't help but think that having a game show and another new drama as your lead-ins isn't going to bode well. Then again, with the other airing of Deal or No Deal moving into Studio 60's Thursday at 9 slot, this may be the only night it gets any viewers.
Tuesday opens as planned with Friday Night Lights but then double-dips L&O with Criminal Intent and SVU back-to-back. That's a lot of the criminal justice system in one night, and forces a choice between D'Onofrio/Noth and Laurie at 9 pm. That's not fair.
Wednesday swaps the sitcoms and The Biggest Loser, letting the weight loss show take the brunt against Lost and Criminal Minds. Kidnapped moves into the 10 pm slot, and might do OK there if anyone is around to watch.
Thursday only has that Studio 60 for Deal or No Deal. I just get the sense that this is going to be a painful night for NBC regardless.
Friday sees the early return of Crossing Jordan, followed by Las Vegas and L&O: Original Recipie. That might actually do OK versus the CBS shows, though it does feel like L&O is getting the brush-off.
Saturday, really, who cares. NBC isn't trying, and neither is anyone else.
There's a deck chairs on the Titanic feel to all this moving. Sure, Studio 60 gets a better time slot, but given that the other networks have stronger shows in the two hours prior to it, the move doesn't exactly guarantee success. The rest of the moves don't do much for me either way, although it does seem like NBC is cedeing the middle of the week a bit. I'm all for counter-programming, but you still need to offer something reasonably compelling. Just throwing something different up there isn't the best way to find success.
Friday, May 26, 2006
Thursday, May 18, 2006
Upfronts: The CW
So what did the merger of The WB and UPN bring? Mostly what people had speculated on for the last couple of months, but some surprises as well. Rather than try to list shows that were canned, moved, and added, I'll do this recap night by night. It's easier that way.
SUNDAY presents a sitcom block that shows that UPN is gone but not forgotten. Everybody Hates Chris leads off the night, while All of Us, Girlfriends,and The Game rounds things out. The Game is a sitcom about the wives of NFL players, though it being a sitcom means it'll be no Footballer's Wives. Interestingly, it stars Tia Mowry, but not Tamara.
A rerun of America's Next Top Model caps the night.
UPN's "urban comedy" strategy lives on, and may even succeed now that some of the lesser lights have been dimmed.
MONDAY brings a pretty big surprise - the return of 7th Heaven, which aired its series finale this season. Having this established show around will certainly help. It's paired with Runaway, which stars Donnie Wahlberg and Leslie Hope as parents of a family that's on the run until Wahlberg can prove he didn't kill a co-worker. This comes to us from Darren Star, unusual given that his shows are usually sudsier.
TUESDAY gives us a pairing that was talked about quite a bit when the merger was announced - Gilmore Girls and Veronica Mars, which avoided the axe again. I could think of worse things than Lauren Graham and Kristin Bell back-to-back. How this will actually work will be something to see.
WEDNESDAY could be the most vacuous night on TV next season, as the lead hour will be shared by America's Next Top Model and Beauty and the Geek. There's some crossover potential right there. The second hour is taken by One Tree Hill, about which I only know that it stars pretty young people.
THURSDAY brings back Smallville and Supernatural, which were paired on the WB this season with good results.
FRIDAY brings WWE Smackdown! over from UPN. SATURDAY has no network programming, which is probably just as well given the anemic attempts by the other networks to program it. Might as well throw the affiliates a bone.
The other surprise was news that Reba got a last-second reprieve, although it doesn't appear on the schedule. Not sure where it would go at this point, though Monday after 7th Heaven makes sense. They also announced a mid-season show called Hidden Palms about a kid whose family moves to Palm Springs after his father commits suicide. After living there a year, they begin to learn that there are secrets, you don't really know your neighbors, etc. I'm guessing Kevin Williamson is tweaking some Sex, Love & Secrets scripts for this one.
SUNDAY presents a sitcom block that shows that UPN is gone but not forgotten. Everybody Hates Chris leads off the night, while All of Us, Girlfriends,and The Game rounds things out. The Game is a sitcom about the wives of NFL players, though it being a sitcom means it'll be no Footballer's Wives. Interestingly, it stars Tia Mowry, but not Tamara.
A rerun of America's Next Top Model caps the night.
UPN's "urban comedy" strategy lives on, and may even succeed now that some of the lesser lights have been dimmed.
MONDAY brings a pretty big surprise - the return of 7th Heaven, which aired its series finale this season. Having this established show around will certainly help. It's paired with Runaway, which stars Donnie Wahlberg and Leslie Hope as parents of a family that's on the run until Wahlberg can prove he didn't kill a co-worker. This comes to us from Darren Star, unusual given that his shows are usually sudsier.
TUESDAY gives us a pairing that was talked about quite a bit when the merger was announced - Gilmore Girls and Veronica Mars, which avoided the axe again. I could think of worse things than Lauren Graham and Kristin Bell back-to-back. How this will actually work will be something to see.
WEDNESDAY could be the most vacuous night on TV next season, as the lead hour will be shared by America's Next Top Model and Beauty and the Geek. There's some crossover potential right there. The second hour is taken by One Tree Hill, about which I only know that it stars pretty young people.
THURSDAY brings back Smallville and Supernatural, which were paired on the WB this season with good results.
FRIDAY brings WWE Smackdown! over from UPN. SATURDAY has no network programming, which is probably just as well given the anemic attempts by the other networks to program it. Might as well throw the affiliates a bone.
The other surprise was news that Reba got a last-second reprieve, although it doesn't appear on the schedule. Not sure where it would go at this point, though Monday after 7th Heaven makes sense. They also announced a mid-season show called Hidden Palms about a kid whose family moves to Palm Springs after his father commits suicide. After living there a year, they begin to learn that there are secrets, you don't really know your neighbors, etc. I'm guessing Kevin Williamson is tweaking some Sex, Love & Secrets scripts for this one.
Upfronts: FOX
While it's a little less confusing than last year, the FOX schedule for 2007-08 is again broken down into fall 2006 and spring 2007 components thanks to baseball and Rupert Murdoch's evilosity. It's not as bad as it sounds.
GONE - To the surprise of absolutely no one, Arrested Development was formally axed. It was also the official end of the road for Bernie Mac, Stacked, Free Ride, and Kitchen Confidential.
MOVED - American Dad and The War at Home swapped time slots. Woo hoo. Nanny 911 goes to Friday, keeping the time slot warm for Bones, which will move there from its Wednesday time slot in January 2007. A couple of the new shows will also move in January, but I'll get to those... now.
And if you see the schedule and can't find your favorite show, don't freak. American Idol, 24, King of the Hill, and The Loop are all back in January.
NEW - Your new offerings:
Vanished - the wife of a US Senator from Georgia goes missing, and in trying to find her a variety of conspiracies and mysteries are encountered, building a web of intrigue that will be familiar to Monday night viewers of Prison Break and/or 24, whose spot Vanished will take for the fall. Monday night, high-concept conspiracy drama and FOX all seem to go together, so I'm not going to bet against this one.
Standoff - A pair of FBI hostage negotiators become involved, and when it becomes common knowledge it changes the way they work and the cases they are assigned. Ron Livingston plays one of the negotiators. It'll be on Tuesdays at 8 in the fall and move to Monday at 8 for 2007. The description is pretty blah, and I don't know how well it will work on Monday unless it turns out one of them is also dating the President as a cover for overthrowing the government.
Speaking of blah descriptions, Justice follows a group of lawyers who handle controversial, high-profile cases. Stars Victor Garber, who will have to do something to keep this from getting lost in the sea of all the other lawyer-based dramas out there. It'll air Wednesdays, moving from 9 to 8 in 2007, though I wonder if Bones will find itself back there before all is said and done.
Thursday throws two new sitcoms at us. 'Til Death is about an idealistic newlywed couple that moves next door to longer-married - and thus cyncial - couple. Brad Garrett and Joely Fisher star (as the older couple, I assume) in this show that, to my eye, is Everybody Loves Raymond with a tweak of relationships.
The other show, Happy Hour, is about two guys - one blinded by love, the other damaged by it. The only thing that makes this stand out is that it's set in Chicago. I've not heard of any of the cast. Adios.
The only announced show to debut in January 2007 is The Wedding Album, which follows wedding photgrapher and his assistant as every week they shoot a new wedding and, I have to assume, encounter a variety of problems, issues, etc. Two surprises in the cast - Connie Stevens and America's Next Top Model cycle 3 winner Eva Pigford. So much for modeling.
This will air after Bones in the projected line-up, which is odd. They don't seem particularly compatible.
New at mid-season will be the sitcom Winner, where Lenny Clarke plays a 40something guy musing on his neurotic past circa-1994. I'll stake a claim here that this will replace Happy Hour. They could then move this and 'Til Death to Friday and lead in for The Wedding Album. Bones would go back to Wednesday, and the Thursday hole can be filled by On the Lot, an unscripted show from Mark Burnett and Steven Spielberg which calls to mind Project Greenlight.
The other new unscripted show is Duets, a singing competition for pairs that will fill spots in the fall as baseball dictates.
Overall, I'm actually a little disappointed in this slate of new shows. Usually FOX has at least one show in the bag that makes you stop and think - either in wonder or incredulity. Vanished might have been that show - in 2003. None of the shows would look out of place on any other network's schedule, which is either a sign of FOX's maturation or a new-found timidity. This doesn't mean that these shows won't turn out well, just that they won't be all that unique.
GONE - To the surprise of absolutely no one, Arrested Development was formally axed. It was also the official end of the road for Bernie Mac, Stacked, Free Ride, and Kitchen Confidential.
MOVED - American Dad and The War at Home swapped time slots. Woo hoo. Nanny 911 goes to Friday, keeping the time slot warm for Bones, which will move there from its Wednesday time slot in January 2007. A couple of the new shows will also move in January, but I'll get to those... now.
And if you see the schedule and can't find your favorite show, don't freak. American Idol, 24, King of the Hill, and The Loop are all back in January.
NEW - Your new offerings:
Vanished - the wife of a US Senator from Georgia goes missing, and in trying to find her a variety of conspiracies and mysteries are encountered, building a web of intrigue that will be familiar to Monday night viewers of Prison Break and/or 24, whose spot Vanished will take for the fall. Monday night, high-concept conspiracy drama and FOX all seem to go together, so I'm not going to bet against this one.
Standoff - A pair of FBI hostage negotiators become involved, and when it becomes common knowledge it changes the way they work and the cases they are assigned. Ron Livingston plays one of the negotiators. It'll be on Tuesdays at 8 in the fall and move to Monday at 8 for 2007. The description is pretty blah, and I don't know how well it will work on Monday unless it turns out one of them is also dating the President as a cover for overthrowing the government.
Speaking of blah descriptions, Justice follows a group of lawyers who handle controversial, high-profile cases. Stars Victor Garber, who will have to do something to keep this from getting lost in the sea of all the other lawyer-based dramas out there. It'll air Wednesdays, moving from 9 to 8 in 2007, though I wonder if Bones will find itself back there before all is said and done.
Thursday throws two new sitcoms at us. 'Til Death is about an idealistic newlywed couple that moves next door to longer-married - and thus cyncial - couple. Brad Garrett and Joely Fisher star (as the older couple, I assume) in this show that, to my eye, is Everybody Loves Raymond with a tweak of relationships.
The other show, Happy Hour, is about two guys - one blinded by love, the other damaged by it. The only thing that makes this stand out is that it's set in Chicago. I've not heard of any of the cast. Adios.
The only announced show to debut in January 2007 is The Wedding Album, which follows wedding photgrapher and his assistant as every week they shoot a new wedding and, I have to assume, encounter a variety of problems, issues, etc. Two surprises in the cast - Connie Stevens and America's Next Top Model cycle 3 winner Eva Pigford. So much for modeling.
This will air after Bones in the projected line-up, which is odd. They don't seem particularly compatible.
New at mid-season will be the sitcom Winner, where Lenny Clarke plays a 40something guy musing on his neurotic past circa-1994. I'll stake a claim here that this will replace Happy Hour. They could then move this and 'Til Death to Friday and lead in for The Wedding Album. Bones would go back to Wednesday, and the Thursday hole can be filled by On the Lot, an unscripted show from Mark Burnett and Steven Spielberg which calls to mind Project Greenlight.
The other new unscripted show is Duets, a singing competition for pairs that will fill spots in the fall as baseball dictates.
Overall, I'm actually a little disappointed in this slate of new shows. Usually FOX has at least one show in the bag that makes you stop and think - either in wonder or incredulity. Vanished might have been that show - in 2003. None of the shows would look out of place on any other network's schedule, which is either a sign of FOX's maturation or a new-found timidity. This doesn't mean that these shows won't turn out well, just that they won't be all that unique.
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
Upfronts: CBS
Not surprisingly for the most-watched network, there are very few changes in store for next season. It's good to be the king.
GONE - It was a tough year for sitcoms, as Yes, Dear, Still Standing, Courting Alex, and Out of Practice all got cut. Previous drama cancellations Threshold and Love Monkey were also officially put to rest.
MOVED - The most notably changed night is Sunday as CBS will put forward an 8-11 block of The Amazing Race, Cold Case, and Without a Trace. This has potential to take some steam out of ABC.
How I Met Your Mother will lead off Monday at 8, which seems a little early (though I assume it'll move to 9 for 2007-08).
While it's not a move, it was interesting that New Adventures of Old Christine and The Unit made the new schedule. Maybe mid-season really is TV's second-best season.
NEW - Three dramas and one sitcom will debut in the fall:
The Class is the sitcom, about a group of twentysomethings who haven't seen each other since third grade and are reuinited at a suprise party. Meh.
Smith, a drama about a gang of high-stakes thieves, will close Tuesday nights. Cast includes Ray Liotta and Virginia Madsen. Not sure if this will succeed where Heist did not.
Jericho is the new show Wednesday at 10 pm. A mysterious mushroom appears in a Kansas town (Jericho), and the townspeople fear the apocalypse as they lose contact with the outside world. Fungus is the new aquatic alien, apparently. If you ever wondered what happened to Gerald McRaney and Skeet Ulrich, wonder no more! They'll be here - but for long?
Shark moves into Without a Trace's Thursday spot. It stars James Woods as a high-profile Hollywood defense attorney who switches sides to lead a group of inexperienced prosecutors. Jeri Ryan co-stars, so the Trek crowd may help with ratings. Though I don't think we'll see her in spandex. At least until sweeps.
I'm actually more interested in the two mid-season dramas - Three Pounds, about a brain surgeon who is losing function in his own brain, and Waterfront, starring Joe Pantoliano as the mayor of Providence, Rhode Island who is trying to clean up his crooked ways. You know Buddy Cianci is getting paid for this.
Overall, I'm guessing CBS stays on top. The only day I'd be worried about is Tuesday, but I think they'll be able to keep it together one way or another.
GONE - It was a tough year for sitcoms, as Yes, Dear, Still Standing, Courting Alex, and Out of Practice all got cut. Previous drama cancellations Threshold and Love Monkey were also officially put to rest.
MOVED - The most notably changed night is Sunday as CBS will put forward an 8-11 block of The Amazing Race, Cold Case, and Without a Trace. This has potential to take some steam out of ABC.
How I Met Your Mother will lead off Monday at 8, which seems a little early (though I assume it'll move to 9 for 2007-08).
While it's not a move, it was interesting that New Adventures of Old Christine and The Unit made the new schedule. Maybe mid-season really is TV's second-best season.
NEW - Three dramas and one sitcom will debut in the fall:
The Class is the sitcom, about a group of twentysomethings who haven't seen each other since third grade and are reuinited at a suprise party. Meh.
Smith, a drama about a gang of high-stakes thieves, will close Tuesday nights. Cast includes Ray Liotta and Virginia Madsen. Not sure if this will succeed where Heist did not.
Jericho is the new show Wednesday at 10 pm. A mysterious mushroom appears in a Kansas town (Jericho), and the townspeople fear the apocalypse as they lose contact with the outside world. Fungus is the new aquatic alien, apparently. If you ever wondered what happened to Gerald McRaney and Skeet Ulrich, wonder no more! They'll be here - but for long?
Shark moves into Without a Trace's Thursday spot. It stars James Woods as a high-profile Hollywood defense attorney who switches sides to lead a group of inexperienced prosecutors. Jeri Ryan co-stars, so the Trek crowd may help with ratings. Though I don't think we'll see her in spandex. At least until sweeps.
I'm actually more interested in the two mid-season dramas - Three Pounds, about a brain surgeon who is losing function in his own brain, and Waterfront, starring Joe Pantoliano as the mayor of Providence, Rhode Island who is trying to clean up his crooked ways. You know Buddy Cianci is getting paid for this.
Overall, I'm guessing CBS stays on top. The only day I'd be worried about is Tuesday, but I think they'll be able to keep it together one way or another.
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
Upfronts: ABC
It's worse than I thought: ABC will spring 15 new shows on us next season, with some sort of change every night of the week.
GONE - It might be easier to list the shows that didn't get canned. Notables here include Monday Night Football, Commander in Chief, Less than Perfect, Invasion, and Primetime Live (somewhat surprisingly, though I assume it could return to fill holes).
MOVED - Grey's Anatomy to Thursday at 9 is the biggie. I can't even begin to predict how this will play out, between CSI, NBC's Studio 60 and the CW's Supernatural, which is expected to land here as well. I tend to think Grey's Anatomy will do OK on its own - it's turned out to be better than the increasingly cartoonish Desperate Housewives - but it's a crowded night.
What About Brian survived the cut (shades of Jake in Progress?) and will team up with Supernanny, Wife Swap, and for reasons unknown to science, The Bachelor to make up for the loss of testosterone on Monday.
Dancing With the Stars will lead off Tuesday and Wednesday nights, while George Lopez and According to Jim will move together to lead off Wednesdays after the dancing ends. That's a hell of a way to repay J. J. Abrams.
NEW - Speaking of Abrams, he'll have a new show on Thursday at 10. Six Degrees follows six New Yorkers who are brought together again after an initial meeting. The reunion is under strange circumstances (of course), and they become friends. Cast includes Hope Davis, Bridget Moynihan, and Campbell Scott. This whill hopefully move a little faster than Lost while retaining its mystery.
Speaking of Lost, it will lead out to The Nine, a show about people who experience a "twist of faith" related to being held hostage during a failed bank robbery. Lots of familiar faces here - Chi McBride, Timothy Daly, and Scott Wolf.
OK, I'll never get through all of these at this rate. The shorter version:
Brothers & Sisters should not be confused with Sons & Daughters, though I can't keep them straight. Calista Flockhart headlines this drama about a family dealing with the loss of its matriarch. It gets to follow Desperate Housewives, which suggests it'll be around for at least a whole season.
Let's Rob... is a sitcom based around a guy (Donal Logue) who plans a heist to get money so he can open a bar. Mick Jagger is guesting in the pilot, which is about the best thing I can say about it at this point. It runs Tuesday at 9, and is followed by Help Me Help You, marking Ted Danson's re-return to sitcoms. It sounds like Dear John, but from the shrink's point of view.
Thursday 8-9 is the home of Big Day - a show about planning a wedding starring Wendie Malick and Marla Sokoloff. It is followed by Notes from the Underbelly, wherein a woman who doesn't want kids becomes pregnant - and she and her husband decided to keep that fact hidden from their friends. Expect the secret to get out one way or another around February sweeps - assuming the show makes it that long (ditto for its lineup-mate).
Betty the Ugly kicks off Friday - it's a show about a woman hired as an assistant to a guy based on the idea that she's unattractive enough that he won't hit on her. I'm sure that sounded better when it was pitched. It is followed at 9 by Men in Trees, which stars Anne Heche as a relationship coach who decides to stay in Alaska when she's snowed in after finding out her fiance cheated on her. So I take it I'm not supposed to thank God it's Friday anymore?
There's a whole slew of midseason shows, too, most of which haven't been positioned yet (though you can guess where they might go - hello Friday!). They include:
Daybreak, starring Taye Diggs as a policeman who has to prove that he did not shoot the state's attorney.
Traveler, about two guys who pull off some sort of rollerblading stunt in a NYC museum and are arrested as terrorists when the museum is bombed shortly thereafter. If that makes sense to you, you can be an ABC programming exec. Stephen Culp makes us all wish he was still playing Rex van de Camp by appearing in this.
In Case of Emergency, where friends from high school are reuinited - in the ER. Lots of recognizable names here - Lori Loughlin, David Arquette, Kelly Hu, Jonathon Silverman. That may cut both ways.
There are also three unscripted replacements, of which I'll specifically mention Set For the Rest of Your Life, where a couple plays to win regular checks for life... but at what amount? This will replace Dancing With the Stars on Tuesdays when that show ends, thus effectively stranding Boston Legal.
Do you get the feeling ABC will be trotting out 15 new shows for 2007-08? OK, it's not all that bad - Six Degrees, The Nine, and Brothers & Sisters all have a chance, thanks to some good time-slotting. The Tuesday night comedies may prove durable, as both Logue and Danson kept Grounded for Life and Becker going longer than anyone expected.
But there's still a lot of suck, much of it at the start of hours. That doesn't help the later shows at all. Friday is pretty much a lost cause, and Monday is uninspiring.
All in all, a more interesting schedule than what NBC presented yesterday, but with more risk.
GONE - It might be easier to list the shows that didn't get canned. Notables here include Monday Night Football, Commander in Chief, Less than Perfect, Invasion, and Primetime Live (somewhat surprisingly, though I assume it could return to fill holes).
MOVED - Grey's Anatomy to Thursday at 9 is the biggie. I can't even begin to predict how this will play out, between CSI, NBC's Studio 60 and the CW's Supernatural, which is expected to land here as well. I tend to think Grey's Anatomy will do OK on its own - it's turned out to be better than the increasingly cartoonish Desperate Housewives - but it's a crowded night.
What About Brian survived the cut (shades of Jake in Progress?) and will team up with Supernanny, Wife Swap, and for reasons unknown to science, The Bachelor to make up for the loss of testosterone on Monday.
Dancing With the Stars will lead off Tuesday and Wednesday nights, while George Lopez and According to Jim will move together to lead off Wednesdays after the dancing ends. That's a hell of a way to repay J. J. Abrams.
NEW - Speaking of Abrams, he'll have a new show on Thursday at 10. Six Degrees follows six New Yorkers who are brought together again after an initial meeting. The reunion is under strange circumstances (of course), and they become friends. Cast includes Hope Davis, Bridget Moynihan, and Campbell Scott. This whill hopefully move a little faster than Lost while retaining its mystery.
Speaking of Lost, it will lead out to The Nine, a show about people who experience a "twist of faith" related to being held hostage during a failed bank robbery. Lots of familiar faces here - Chi McBride, Timothy Daly, and Scott Wolf.
OK, I'll never get through all of these at this rate. The shorter version:
Brothers & Sisters should not be confused with Sons & Daughters, though I can't keep them straight. Calista Flockhart headlines this drama about a family dealing with the loss of its matriarch. It gets to follow Desperate Housewives, which suggests it'll be around for at least a whole season.
Let's Rob... is a sitcom based around a guy (Donal Logue) who plans a heist to get money so he can open a bar. Mick Jagger is guesting in the pilot, which is about the best thing I can say about it at this point. It runs Tuesday at 9, and is followed by Help Me Help You, marking Ted Danson's re-return to sitcoms. It sounds like Dear John, but from the shrink's point of view.
Thursday 8-9 is the home of Big Day - a show about planning a wedding starring Wendie Malick and Marla Sokoloff. It is followed by Notes from the Underbelly, wherein a woman who doesn't want kids becomes pregnant - and she and her husband decided to keep that fact hidden from their friends. Expect the secret to get out one way or another around February sweeps - assuming the show makes it that long (ditto for its lineup-mate).
Betty the Ugly kicks off Friday - it's a show about a woman hired as an assistant to a guy based on the idea that she's unattractive enough that he won't hit on her. I'm sure that sounded better when it was pitched. It is followed at 9 by Men in Trees, which stars Anne Heche as a relationship coach who decides to stay in Alaska when she's snowed in after finding out her fiance cheated on her. So I take it I'm not supposed to thank God it's Friday anymore?
There's a whole slew of midseason shows, too, most of which haven't been positioned yet (though you can guess where they might go - hello Friday!). They include:
Daybreak, starring Taye Diggs as a policeman who has to prove that he did not shoot the state's attorney.
Traveler, about two guys who pull off some sort of rollerblading stunt in a NYC museum and are arrested as terrorists when the museum is bombed shortly thereafter. If that makes sense to you, you can be an ABC programming exec. Stephen Culp makes us all wish he was still playing Rex van de Camp by appearing in this.
In Case of Emergency, where friends from high school are reuinited - in the ER. Lots of recognizable names here - Lori Loughlin, David Arquette, Kelly Hu, Jonathon Silverman. That may cut both ways.
There are also three unscripted replacements, of which I'll specifically mention Set For the Rest of Your Life, where a couple plays to win regular checks for life... but at what amount? This will replace Dancing With the Stars on Tuesdays when that show ends, thus effectively stranding Boston Legal.
Do you get the feeling ABC will be trotting out 15 new shows for 2007-08? OK, it's not all that bad - Six Degrees, The Nine, and Brothers & Sisters all have a chance, thanks to some good time-slotting. The Tuesday night comedies may prove durable, as both Logue and Danson kept Grounded for Life and Becker going longer than anyone expected.
But there's still a lot of suck, much of it at the start of hours. That doesn't help the later shows at all. Friday is pretty much a lost cause, and Monday is uninspiring.
All in all, a more interesting schedule than what NBC presented yesterday, but with more risk.
Upfronts: ABC (Prologue)
Apparently, the people at ABC hate us. They'll be premiering 12 new shows in the fall (and have at least three more on tap for later in the year), and none of them will be replacing According to Jim. The horror.
I've only seen the press release on this, so I'll have a fuller post later. The big news is that Grey's Anatomy is moving to Thursday at 9, putting a shot across the bow of CBS.
A fuller report is coming.
I've only seen the press release on this, so I'll have a fuller post later. The big news is that Grey's Anatomy is moving to Thursday at 9, putting a shot across the bow of CBS.
A fuller report is coming.
Monday, May 15, 2006
Upfronts - NBC
It's that time of year again - the networks present their 2006/07 lineups in the hopes of generating good buzz and ad sales. NBC led off with a presentation this morning.
GONE - You knew that The West Wing and Will & Grace were done, but joining them will be several other shows, with no big surprises: Joey, Inconceivable, Surface, Conviction, Teachers, Heist, The Book of Daniel, Most Outrageous Moments, E-Ring, and Three Wishes.
MOVING - My Name is Earl and The Office will move up to the lead hour on Thursday while Law & Order: Criminal Intent moves to Friday at 10 pm. Scrubs, Crossing Jordan, and The Apprentice will all return at mid-season (Trump will highlight NBC's Sunday coverage after NFL coverage ends, meaning we only get one dose a year, thankfully).
NEW - Seven new shows on tap. They are:
Heroes - ordinary people learn that they've developed superpowers. It stars Adrian Pasdar, Milo Ventimiglia, and a host of people I've never heard of. It airs Monday at 9, and might work well with Medium. Deal or No Deal starts the night (and will only be on twice a week, nice restraint NBC).
Friday Night Lights - based on the book and/or movie, it's about a central Texas town and the high school football team it loves a little too much. Kyle Chandler plays the head coach. Let's hope this stays closer to the source material and doesn't veer into Varsity Blues territory.
That will air Tuesday at 8, and will be followed by Kidnapped, which is not based on the Stevenson novel. Rather, it follows a kidnapping case from start to finish. Cast includes Dana Delany, Timothy Hutton, Jeremy Sisto, Delroy Lindo, and Mykelti Williamson. Think Murder One meets Without a Trace.
Wednesday gives us a new sitcom block with 20 Good Years and 30 Rock. NBC goes back to the well with John Lithgow in 20 Good Years as he and Jeffrey Tambor star as two guys who figure they only have "20 good years" left and plan to live life accordingly. I assume part of that plan is egregious over-acting.
30 Rock stars Tina Fey as the head writer of a sketch comedy show who has to deal with a tempermental star and difficult executive producer. Similarities to SNL or Kilborn-era Daily Show are likely intentional.
Personally, I think this show might go better with The Office and 20 Good Years could pair up with My Name is Earl for some life-changing fun. We'll see.
The SNL appropriation continues on Thursday with Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, a drama about life behind the scenes of a sketch comedy show. The cast is chock full of familiar faces: Matthew Perry, D. L. Huglhey, Amanda Peet, Steven Weber, and Brad Whitford among them. The real question: with a sitcom and a drama about sketch comedy on tap, will people be burned out before getting to watch NBC's actual sketch comedy show?
ER continues in its Thursday at 10 slot (it was rumored to be moving), but will be replaced at mid-season by The Black Donnellys, a drama about four brothers and their deepening involvement with organized crime. Paul Haggis is involved, so hopefully this will be more like EZ Streets and less like the crap he did earlier in his career. ER will return late in the season.
The two other new shows will show up on Sunday once football is over. Preceding Trump will be America's Got Talent, a variety show competition set in Las Vegas that will find the country's best singer or dancer or juggler or something. I smell a Shields and Yarnell comeback!
Post-Trump we have Raines, which is sadly not about Audrey or her dead husband from 24. Instead, Jeff Goldblum goes all Ghost Whisperer on us and partners up with a murder victim to find the killer. Luis Guzman is involved, and while he's very funny, the TV shows he appears on tend to get canned. I'm going to bet on that here, too.
Oh, almost forgot The Singles Table, which will show up at midseason to help fill holes. It's about a bunch of singles who are put at the same table at a wedding. They become friends, yadda yadda yadda, and then the show gets cancelled.
From my limited vantage point, the only shows that really pique my interest are the SNL-derived ones. And even then, I don't think I'd be interested in more than one of them.
GONE - You knew that The West Wing and Will & Grace were done, but joining them will be several other shows, with no big surprises: Joey, Inconceivable, Surface, Conviction, Teachers, Heist, The Book of Daniel, Most Outrageous Moments, E-Ring, and Three Wishes.
MOVING - My Name is Earl and The Office will move up to the lead hour on Thursday while Law & Order: Criminal Intent moves to Friday at 10 pm. Scrubs, Crossing Jordan, and The Apprentice will all return at mid-season (Trump will highlight NBC's Sunday coverage after NFL coverage ends, meaning we only get one dose a year, thankfully).
NEW - Seven new shows on tap. They are:
Heroes - ordinary people learn that they've developed superpowers. It stars Adrian Pasdar, Milo Ventimiglia, and a host of people I've never heard of. It airs Monday at 9, and might work well with Medium. Deal or No Deal starts the night (and will only be on twice a week, nice restraint NBC).
Friday Night Lights - based on the book and/or movie, it's about a central Texas town and the high school football team it loves a little too much. Kyle Chandler plays the head coach. Let's hope this stays closer to the source material and doesn't veer into Varsity Blues territory.
That will air Tuesday at 8, and will be followed by Kidnapped, which is not based on the Stevenson novel. Rather, it follows a kidnapping case from start to finish. Cast includes Dana Delany, Timothy Hutton, Jeremy Sisto, Delroy Lindo, and Mykelti Williamson. Think Murder One meets Without a Trace.
Wednesday gives us a new sitcom block with 20 Good Years and 30 Rock. NBC goes back to the well with John Lithgow in 20 Good Years as he and Jeffrey Tambor star as two guys who figure they only have "20 good years" left and plan to live life accordingly. I assume part of that plan is egregious over-acting.
30 Rock stars Tina Fey as the head writer of a sketch comedy show who has to deal with a tempermental star and difficult executive producer. Similarities to SNL or Kilborn-era Daily Show are likely intentional.
Personally, I think this show might go better with The Office and 20 Good Years could pair up with My Name is Earl for some life-changing fun. We'll see.
The SNL appropriation continues on Thursday with Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, a drama about life behind the scenes of a sketch comedy show. The cast is chock full of familiar faces: Matthew Perry, D. L. Huglhey, Amanda Peet, Steven Weber, and Brad Whitford among them. The real question: with a sitcom and a drama about sketch comedy on tap, will people be burned out before getting to watch NBC's actual sketch comedy show?
ER continues in its Thursday at 10 slot (it was rumored to be moving), but will be replaced at mid-season by The Black Donnellys, a drama about four brothers and their deepening involvement with organized crime. Paul Haggis is involved, so hopefully this will be more like EZ Streets and less like the crap he did earlier in his career. ER will return late in the season.
The two other new shows will show up on Sunday once football is over. Preceding Trump will be America's Got Talent, a variety show competition set in Las Vegas that will find the country's best singer or dancer or juggler or something. I smell a Shields and Yarnell comeback!
Post-Trump we have Raines, which is sadly not about Audrey or her dead husband from 24. Instead, Jeff Goldblum goes all Ghost Whisperer on us and partners up with a murder victim to find the killer. Luis Guzman is involved, and while he's very funny, the TV shows he appears on tend to get canned. I'm going to bet on that here, too.
Oh, almost forgot The Singles Table, which will show up at midseason to help fill holes. It's about a bunch of singles who are put at the same table at a wedding. They become friends, yadda yadda yadda, and then the show gets cancelled.
From my limited vantage point, the only shows that really pique my interest are the SNL-derived ones. And even then, I don't think I'd be interested in more than one of them.
Thursday, May 11, 2006
Not Surprising, Surprising, Most Surprising
Not Surprising - Sara getting the boot on America's Next Top Model. We knew she was toast when Nigel actually said Jade looked like a model. Pair that with Sara's continued awkwardness and it wasn't that much of a stretch.
(As an aside, Tyra made more comments about Danielle's accent, and next week the girls film a Cover Girl spot. Perfect set-up to engineer a Joanie-Jade final. Bastards. I'm still not sure how they expect Danielle to change how she's talked her whole life in the space of a few weeks. Clearly, there aren't any linguists or speech therapists on the judging panel.)
Surprising - Chris Daughtry getting the boot on American Idol. Considering I had him going out sixth this shouldn't have been that surprising, but after Katherine McPhee forgot some lyrics the night before, I think everyone (including her) thought she was going home.
This is probably a winning by losing scenario, as Chris is probably more suited to fronting a band than going solo. Especially with the twaddle the winner usually has to record.
The McPhee-Hicks final is still possible, though if it comes to pass I think it'll be a coronotation for the twitchiest Idol yet.
Most Surprising - the DVR didn't tape the last minute or so of Lost (thanks, Comcast!), so I didn't get to see if Libby ratted out Michael or not. I've been brought up to speed, though I'm sure it'll get shown in the previouslies next week.
(As an aside, Tyra made more comments about Danielle's accent, and next week the girls film a Cover Girl spot. Perfect set-up to engineer a Joanie-Jade final. Bastards. I'm still not sure how they expect Danielle to change how she's talked her whole life in the space of a few weeks. Clearly, there aren't any linguists or speech therapists on the judging panel.)
Surprising - Chris Daughtry getting the boot on American Idol. Considering I had him going out sixth this shouldn't have been that surprising, but after Katherine McPhee forgot some lyrics the night before, I think everyone (including her) thought she was going home.
This is probably a winning by losing scenario, as Chris is probably more suited to fronting a band than going solo. Especially with the twaddle the winner usually has to record.
The McPhee-Hicks final is still possible, though if it comes to pass I think it'll be a coronotation for the twitchiest Idol yet.
Most Surprising - the DVR didn't tape the last minute or so of Lost (thanks, Comcast!), so I didn't get to see if Libby ratted out Michael or not. I've been brought up to speed, though I'm sure it'll get shown in the previouslies next week.
Sunday, May 07, 2006
Meanwhile, on The Apprentice
I've been pretty happy with this season of The Donald's "interview" for a new apprentice. I'm not thrilled with the number of marketing-related tasks (perfect for product placement, but boring), but there does seem to be a return to more moments in the suite, which is good to see the contestants outside of tasks and boardroom. The rewards are still pretty useless to see; I don't think I needed to watch a song get written by committee for Burt Bacharach, who is probably still trying to sort out how he got roped into doing it.
The firings have been pretty satisfying, especially the one for dictator-in-training Andrea. I suppose there's the positive that Andrea knew she was a bossy boots, but on the other hand her constant passive-agressive approach to things and her "surprise" whenever someone said something negative about her were pathetic. I'm sure if she read this she'd comfort herself by noting that her net worth is higher than mine. She seemed to find comfort in that at times.
Next week we have a reshuffling that gets the teams back to men versus women. Based on past experience, the task will be something "manly" - selling power tools or beer or something - that they'll screw up in amazing fashion.
I should also take this opportunity to note that the use of Ivanka and Donald Jr. as assistants rather than George, Bill, or Carolyn has actually gone pretty well. We've only seen Jr. once, and Ivanka two or three times, but they fit in pretty well. Neither are as acerbic or witty as George and Carolyn, but they can hold their own. It was also kind of cute to see them interact with their dad after Andrea's firing. Just another loving family cutting loose dead weight.
The firings have been pretty satisfying, especially the one for dictator-in-training Andrea. I suppose there's the positive that Andrea knew she was a bossy boots, but on the other hand her constant passive-agressive approach to things and her "surprise" whenever someone said something negative about her were pathetic. I'm sure if she read this she'd comfort herself by noting that her net worth is higher than mine. She seemed to find comfort in that at times.
Next week we have a reshuffling that gets the teams back to men versus women. Based on past experience, the task will be something "manly" - selling power tools or beer or something - that they'll screw up in amazing fashion.
I should also take this opportunity to note that the use of Ivanka and Donald Jr. as assistants rather than George, Bill, or Carolyn has actually gone pretty well. We've only seen Jr. once, and Ivanka two or three times, but they fit in pretty well. Neither are as acerbic or witty as George and Carolyn, but they can hold their own. It was also kind of cute to see them interact with their dad after Andrea's firing. Just another loving family cutting loose dead weight.
Mutilation! Part 2
Finally saw the episode of America's Next Top Model where Danielle goes back to the dentist to get her gap closed. It didn't get closed all the way, so it kind of worked out for Danielle. She still has a bit of a gap, but now the judges can't harp on the gap as why she can't be a top model. Instead, they're harping on the way she talks. Which is somewhat understandable, but also unfair. I don't think you can expect someone to change the way they talk at the drop of a hat.
Also unfair is that they've now sent Nnenna and Furonda home while keeping Jade around. I assume that's for TV purposes, but she's pretty much worn out her welcome. There are only so many weeks in a row you can see someone that conceited proclaim their humility before you hope they get hit by a bus. Or, as they're in Thailand now, stepped on by an elephant (sadly, the photo shoot involving elephants did not result in this).
Somewhat related, is it me or do all of the "My Life as a Cover Girl" spots involve Nicole's time at Fashion Week? Wasn't that a while ago? I suppose it's better than when Naima went to that Walgreens.
Also unfair is that they've now sent Nnenna and Furonda home while keeping Jade around. I assume that's for TV purposes, but she's pretty much worn out her welcome. There are only so many weeks in a row you can see someone that conceited proclaim their humility before you hope they get hit by a bus. Or, as they're in Thailand now, stepped on by an elephant (sadly, the photo shoot involving elephants did not result in this).
Somewhat related, is it me or do all of the "My Life as a Cover Girl" spots involve Nicole's time at Fashion Week? Wasn't that a while ago? I suppose it's better than when Naima went to that Walgreens.
Thursday, May 04, 2006
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot
OK, James Heller driving into the Pacific, I can see that. Sort of. But last night's Lost ending? That came from way out of left field. It was the sort of ending that made the weeks of slowness almost worth it. Almost.
That and they had the Hanso Foundation commerical, complete with phone number. I just tried calling it (1-877-HANSORG, if I remember right), and it was busy. Or is that part of the game?
That and they had the Hanso Foundation commerical, complete with phone number. I just tried calling it (1-877-HANSORG, if I remember right), and it was busy. Or is that part of the game?
This is Why I Don't Gamble (Much)
Two weeks in a row, my American Idol prognostication comes a cropper. Not that I'm upset; I'd much rather have Elliot and Chris in than Paris or Pickler.
I still think it's going to be a McPhee-Hicks final, but I'd not put any money on it.
I still think it's going to be a McPhee-Hicks final, but I'd not put any money on it.
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