And now for Fox:
Returning Shows: there doesn't appear to be any changes for returning Fox shows, and there are no surprises to add from the network's earlier cancellation announcement.
New Shows:
Monday - Originally slated to air sometime this season, Terra Nova will finally bow, leading in House (which is an interesting pairing, to say the least). It's a fairly low-concept show: in 2149, scientists find a way to send humans back 85 million years so they can colonize the planet and prevent the problems that are killing Earth in the show's present. If I had a dime for every show about that...
There was a fair amount of hype over the show last year (what with Steven Spielberg being one of the executive producers and the dinosaurs and whatnot), but the demands of the effects pushed the show back to September. Episodes are apparently running about $4 million a pop, so this could wind up being a very costly cancellation if it doesn't take.
But I imagine the show will do well, at least to start. I know I'll be watching to see how long it takes them to have someone eaten by a dinosaur.
Tuesday - brings us a show that sounds ridiculously derivative, New Girl (that's a working title, as I'm guessing they've run out of ways to name relationship comedies). A woman just off a break-up moves in with three guys, each of whom has some sort of personality quirkiness that will rub off on their new, hopelessly optimistic roomie.
But here's the catch: the main character is played by Zooey Deschanel, who generally does not suck. I have a hard time reconciling how she got drawn into a show that, on its face, doesn't sound that promising. Maybe the writing is terrific. Maybe the other cast members are as fresh and original as the press release says they are. Or maybe she just wants to get paid so she can make more indie films. I'm not that tempted to find out, though I do think tracking down the pilot may be in order just to see how this works.
Wednesday - wait, Simon Cowell has a new show? Why didn't anyone mention this?
OK, if you didn't know that Cowell was bringing The X Factor to the States, you've not been paying attention. Or leaving your house. Cowell is continuing his search for the world's best singing talent, but on this show it can include pre-teens, grandmothers, groups, and so on. Otherwise, there are auditions and call-backs and mentoring and so on. Paula Abdul emerges from the ashes of her own failed reality competition show to reunite with Cowell on the judging panel. Awkward moments ahoy!
Completing the night is the sitcom I Hate My Teenaged Daughter (also a working title, is this a Fox thing?). Two women raising daughters as single parents wind up giving their kids everything they didn't have as teens - money, freedom, etc. - and unwittingly create the mean girls they hated when they were teens.
Jamie Pressly stars as one of the moms, while Kevin Rahm plays one of the ex-husbands, which I think makes him the first person to play a hetero and gay parent at the same time on network TV. Even for that, I'm not interested.
Thursday - here we get the Bones spin-off The Finder, which sprang from a back-door pilot shown earlier this season (which, thanks to the amount of crap on my DVR, I've not seen yet). As you might guess from the title, The Finder is about an Iraqi war vet who can find almost anything. I should call him to find my house keys.
I do like Bones, so I'm willing to this this has promise.
Friday and Saturday - no new shows
Sunday - two new shows for Animation Domination. The first is Allen Gregory, which is about the world's most self-centered seven year old. After years of his father's full devotion, Allen Gregory goes from being homeschooled to attending the local elementary school, and thus has to learn to fit in. There's also his dad's life partner and an adopted sister to contend with.
Interesting vocal cast here - Jonah Hill voices Allen Gregory, while French Stewart voices his dad - and there's certainly more freedom with animation to take episodes in directions regular shows can't or don't go in - but I'm not fully convinced yet. Part of me thinks that Allen Gregory and his dad would be grating after a few weeks. So put this in the maybe column.
The other new show is Napoleon Dynamite, which picks up where the movie left off. The movie's cast is providing voices, which is a very good thing. Jared and Jerusha Hess have creator/executive producer credits, and hopefully they'll be pretty well involved, too. I don't know if Napoleon still has the following he did in 2005, but this may be worth a look.
Not Yet Scheduled - Fox has an interesting selection here with Touch, which stars Kiefer Sutherland as a dad who is trying to connect with his autistic son, whose interest in discarded cell phones leads to the discovery that he is communicating with the outside world - just through numbers. The son apparently sees the connections between random people and how their actions impact each other, and the numbers provide information on what he sees.
There is a potential for this to be a mess - Tim Kring is involved, and with his fingerprints on the overblown Revelations and Heroes you can see why there's room for concern - but it could also be an interesting look at how individuals interact with each other and with society at large. And maybe Sutherland will torture someone for old time's sake.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Upfronts: NBC
Upfront season is upon us again, as the networks introduce next season's lineup to ad buyers, media, and us, the viewing public. First up, NBC, who really hopes you're in the mood for a song. Or a show you may have seen before if you watch PBS or lived in the UK.
Returning Shows - most notable among the changes to returning shows is that Chuck gets moved to Friday, apparently in an attempt to kill it once and for all. That or have its smallish fanbase seem larger given the lower expectations for Fridays.
Both The Sing-Off and The Voice will return, and both will anchor Mondays, the former in the fall and the latter in the spring.
Everything else appears to be coming back to its current time slot, or will return to fill in during the summer (or later as things get cancelled).
New Shows - as usual, we'll take this by night.
Monday - Both new shows here hope to ride someone else's zeitgeist. The fall brings us The Playboy Club, which is set in the early '60s at Chicago's Playboy Club (for those of you who don't know what that is, here's a primer. It's NBC's attempt to get in on the Mad Men gravy train (ironically, one episode of that show involved scenes at New York's club). Hopefully they remember to focus on characters and story rather than history, otherwise this becomes a series version of NBC's insipid The '60s miniseries.
Notable cast includes Amber Heard and Eddie Cibrian. Not a whole lot of wow factor, though Heard seems like a solid choice to play a Bunny.
In the spring we get Smash, which follows the creation and casting of a Broadway show based on the life of Marilyn Monroe. I know it's not set at a school, but I'm calling this a Glee rip-off based on the likely abundance of show-stopping numbers. Otherwise, why cast American Idol finalist Katherine McPhee?
The cast is interesting - Debra Messing plays a writer and Anjelica Huston a producer - and Stephen Spielberg was somehow involved in coming up with the concept. There better be plenty of jazz hands.
Tuesday - no new shows
Wednesday - NBC has a pair of new comedies to start the night, or I suppose we could go with "new" as both tread some common ground. Up All Night is supposed to be an new take on the work/life/baby balance. Lorne Michaels is one of the creators, and it has good leads with Christina Applegate and Will Arnett (and Maya Rudolph as Applegate's still single boss). So perhaps they can find some new wrinkles to this concept.
This is followed by Free Agents, an workplace/romance comedy based on a UK show. Hank Azaria stars as a divorced PR exec who falls into bed with a colleague who lost a finace. They try to straighten out their relationship while Azaria's friends (one played by Buffy alum Anthony Head) work to get him back on the dating scene. I suppose this is better than the bevy of "create three couples and put them in situations" approach to sitcoms we've seen of late, but how much better is an open question.
Thursday - returns 2/3 of last season's comedy block, and wisely puts them back in a 8-10 framework. 30 Rock doesn't return until the spring, and in its place we get Whitney, which follows a happily unmarried couple that's trying to keep the spark alive while all their friends get hitched. Meh. The Whitney in this case is Whitney Cummings, who will also have a show she co-created on CBS this fall. When was the last time one person got cancelled on two networks in the same season?
The new drama at 10 is Prime Suspect, which may sound familiar to you as it's an American version of the much-lauded British series that starred Helen Mirren. The unenviable task of following in Mirren's shoes goes to Maria Bello. I have no idea why this seems like a good time to do this, other than the thought that if we could bring Parenthood back then anything less old is fair game.
I'm also not sure who the target audience is. People who watched the original may not want to see a remake (or at least I don't), and if you didn't watch the original I'm not sure what specifically would interest you in the remake. Heck, NBC may be better off rerunning the original.
Friday - Combine Buffy, murder police shows, and fairy tales and what do you get? You get Grimm, in which the lead, a homicide detective, learns he is actually a member of a family dedicated to protecting humans from supernatural creatures. I do not look forward to the episode where the lead pistol-whips an uncooperative naiad.
Duh, I should have seen the Buffy connection earlier, as this show is coming from one of that show's writers, David Greenwalt. Still, don't care.
Saturday - no new shows
Sunday - the spring brings us The Firm, which is in fact based on the John Grisham book of the same name. Rather than being a straight retelling, we pick 10 years after Mitch McDeere brought down the Memphis law firm for mobsters where he worked. Apparently things get a little boring after 10 years in the witness protection program, as Mitch and his family leave it to live in the open. And guess what? The mob is still a little ticked at him!
The only interest I have in this show is in learning why Mitch thought this would be a good idea.
Not Yet Scheduled - for sitcoms we have Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea, based on Chelsea Handler's book of the same name (but starring Laura Prepon, with Handler playing an older sister), Best Friends Forever, where a newly-divorced woman moves in with her best friend, to the detriment of the friend's live-in boyfriend (WARNING: all of the actors have been in previously-cancelled mid-season romantic sitcoms), and Bent, where a lawyer/divorced mom falls for the shiftless handyman she hired to fix her new downsized house (starring Amanda Peet, who is clearly paying the price for some sort of karmic offense).
There are also three new unscripted shows: Betty White's Off Their Rockers (Punk'd, but with senior citizens pranking youngsters), a Brian Williams news magazine show and Fashion Star, which reads like Project Runway if you allowed any designers - clothes, jewelry, bags, whatever - to compete.
I'm 0 for 6 here. Well done, Peacock.
Returning Shows - most notable among the changes to returning shows is that Chuck gets moved to Friday, apparently in an attempt to kill it once and for all. That or have its smallish fanbase seem larger given the lower expectations for Fridays.
Both The Sing-Off and The Voice will return, and both will anchor Mondays, the former in the fall and the latter in the spring.
Everything else appears to be coming back to its current time slot, or will return to fill in during the summer (or later as things get cancelled).
New Shows - as usual, we'll take this by night.
Monday - Both new shows here hope to ride someone else's zeitgeist. The fall brings us The Playboy Club, which is set in the early '60s at Chicago's Playboy Club (for those of you who don't know what that is, here's a primer. It's NBC's attempt to get in on the Mad Men gravy train (ironically, one episode of that show involved scenes at New York's club). Hopefully they remember to focus on characters and story rather than history, otherwise this becomes a series version of NBC's insipid The '60s miniseries.
Notable cast includes Amber Heard and Eddie Cibrian. Not a whole lot of wow factor, though Heard seems like a solid choice to play a Bunny.
In the spring we get Smash, which follows the creation and casting of a Broadway show based on the life of Marilyn Monroe. I know it's not set at a school, but I'm calling this a Glee rip-off based on the likely abundance of show-stopping numbers. Otherwise, why cast American Idol finalist Katherine McPhee?
The cast is interesting - Debra Messing plays a writer and Anjelica Huston a producer - and Stephen Spielberg was somehow involved in coming up with the concept. There better be plenty of jazz hands.
Tuesday - no new shows
Wednesday - NBC has a pair of new comedies to start the night, or I suppose we could go with "new" as both tread some common ground. Up All Night is supposed to be an new take on the work/life/baby balance. Lorne Michaels is one of the creators, and it has good leads with Christina Applegate and Will Arnett (and Maya Rudolph as Applegate's still single boss). So perhaps they can find some new wrinkles to this concept.
This is followed by Free Agents, an workplace/romance comedy based on a UK show. Hank Azaria stars as a divorced PR exec who falls into bed with a colleague who lost a finace. They try to straighten out their relationship while Azaria's friends (one played by Buffy alum Anthony Head) work to get him back on the dating scene. I suppose this is better than the bevy of "create three couples and put them in situations" approach to sitcoms we've seen of late, but how much better is an open question.
Thursday - returns 2/3 of last season's comedy block, and wisely puts them back in a 8-10 framework. 30 Rock doesn't return until the spring, and in its place we get Whitney, which follows a happily unmarried couple that's trying to keep the spark alive while all their friends get hitched. Meh. The Whitney in this case is Whitney Cummings, who will also have a show she co-created on CBS this fall. When was the last time one person got cancelled on two networks in the same season?
The new drama at 10 is Prime Suspect, which may sound familiar to you as it's an American version of the much-lauded British series that starred Helen Mirren. The unenviable task of following in Mirren's shoes goes to Maria Bello. I have no idea why this seems like a good time to do this, other than the thought that if we could bring Parenthood back then anything less old is fair game.
I'm also not sure who the target audience is. People who watched the original may not want to see a remake (or at least I don't), and if you didn't watch the original I'm not sure what specifically would interest you in the remake. Heck, NBC may be better off rerunning the original.
Friday - Combine Buffy, murder police shows, and fairy tales and what do you get? You get Grimm, in which the lead, a homicide detective, learns he is actually a member of a family dedicated to protecting humans from supernatural creatures. I do not look forward to the episode where the lead pistol-whips an uncooperative naiad.
Duh, I should have seen the Buffy connection earlier, as this show is coming from one of that show's writers, David Greenwalt. Still, don't care.
Saturday - no new shows
Sunday - the spring brings us The Firm, which is in fact based on the John Grisham book of the same name. Rather than being a straight retelling, we pick 10 years after Mitch McDeere brought down the Memphis law firm for mobsters where he worked. Apparently things get a little boring after 10 years in the witness protection program, as Mitch and his family leave it to live in the open. And guess what? The mob is still a little ticked at him!
The only interest I have in this show is in learning why Mitch thought this would be a good idea.
Not Yet Scheduled - for sitcoms we have Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea, based on Chelsea Handler's book of the same name (but starring Laura Prepon, with Handler playing an older sister), Best Friends Forever, where a newly-divorced woman moves in with her best friend, to the detriment of the friend's live-in boyfriend (WARNING: all of the actors have been in previously-cancelled mid-season romantic sitcoms), and Bent, where a lawyer/divorced mom falls for the shiftless handyman she hired to fix her new downsized house (starring Amanda Peet, who is clearly paying the price for some sort of karmic offense).
There are also three new unscripted shows: Betty White's Off Their Rockers (Punk'd, but with senior citizens pranking youngsters), a Brian Williams news magazine show and Fashion Star, which reads like Project Runway if you allowed any designers - clothes, jewelry, bags, whatever - to compete.
I'm 0 for 6 here. Well done, Peacock.
Friday, May 13, 2011
Bubble Popped
So we have some early cancellations:
ABC: Brothers & Sisters, Detroit 187, Mr. Sunshine, No Ordinary Family, Off the Map, V
No major surprises here, though I'm hoping we can at least get a V movie to wrap things up. I don't expect one.
Fox: The Chicago Code, Human Target, Lie to Me, Traffic Light
A little surprised that The Chicago Code didn't get another chance, but the ratings pretty much tell the story. A bad year for midwestern cop shows.
NBC: America's Next Great Restaurant, Chase, The Event, Law & Order: Los Angeles, Outsourced, Perfect Couples, School Pride
Good thing the network already announced that Chuck was coming back, otherwise it would have been a long weekend for that show's cadre of fans. I am surprised to not see Parenthood on the list. Perhaps it'll wind up on Thursday at 10, the quirky drama capper to all those quirky sitcoms.
ABC: Brothers & Sisters, Detroit 187, Mr. Sunshine, No Ordinary Family, Off the Map, V
No major surprises here, though I'm hoping we can at least get a V movie to wrap things up. I don't expect one.
Fox: The Chicago Code, Human Target, Lie to Me, Traffic Light
A little surprised that The Chicago Code didn't get another chance, but the ratings pretty much tell the story. A bad year for midwestern cop shows.
NBC: America's Next Great Restaurant, Chase, The Event, Law & Order: Los Angeles, Outsourced, Perfect Couples, School Pride
Good thing the network already announced that Chuck was coming back, otherwise it would have been a long weekend for that show's cadre of fans. I am surprised to not see Parenthood on the list. Perhaps it'll wind up on Thursday at 10, the quirky drama capper to all those quirky sitcoms.
On the Bubble: The CW
Last but not least, the network formerly known as The WB and UPN:
Saved: Hellcats, One Tree Hill
I'm on the fence with Hellcats, whose performance didn't set any records, but which the network may still see as being their chance to tap into the Glee crowd, just with backflips instead of singing. And One Tree Hill is established enough now that it would get chance to have a set final season.
Gone:: Nikita, Plain Jane, Shedding for the Wedding
Nikita never quite clicked, maybe because it's not obviously targeted for 12 year old girls. I can honestly say I've never heard of Plain Jane (apparently because it aired last summer), while Shedding for the Wedding had some incredibly low ratings, even by The CW standards. All toast.
Saved: Hellcats, One Tree Hill
I'm on the fence with Hellcats, whose performance didn't set any records, but which the network may still see as being their chance to tap into the Glee crowd, just with backflips instead of singing. And One Tree Hill is established enough now that it would get chance to have a set final season.
Gone:: Nikita, Plain Jane, Shedding for the Wedding
Nikita never quite clicked, maybe because it's not obviously targeted for 12 year old girls. I can honestly say I've never heard of Plain Jane (apparently because it aired last summer), while Shedding for the Wedding had some incredibly low ratings, even by The CW standards. All toast.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
On the Bubble: CBS
The Eye has a lot of shows still twisting in the wind, many of them familiar faces. Who makes the cut?
Saved: 48 Hours Mystery, 60 Minutes, Blue Bloods, Criminal Minds, Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior, CSI, CSI: Miami, CSI: New York, The Good Wife, Hawaii 5-0, The Mentalist, Mike & Molly, NCIS: Los Angeles, Rules of Engagement
I think I'm most likely to miss here with one of the CSI spin-offs. There was talk of New York getting cut, but it's seen a bump thanks to the (Friday adjusted) success of Blue Bloods, so I'm now thinking that Miami is the more likely casualty if one does indeed get cut.
Gone: Bleep My Dad Says, Chaos, The Defenders, I Get That a Lot, Mad Love
Bleep My Dad Says is an interesting case, given how it went from significant buzz at this point last year to getting hustled off the schedule as soon as possible. Apparently you can't write a TV show 140 characters at a time.
I suppose there's a chance that The Defenders comes back, though the drop-off in viewers as the season went on, combined with the lack of performance on Fridays, make it a very slim chance. But that may be all a show set in Vegas needs.
Saved: 48 Hours Mystery, 60 Minutes, Blue Bloods, Criminal Minds, Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior, CSI, CSI: Miami, CSI: New York, The Good Wife, Hawaii 5-0, The Mentalist, Mike & Molly, NCIS: Los Angeles, Rules of Engagement
I think I'm most likely to miss here with one of the CSI spin-offs. There was talk of New York getting cut, but it's seen a bump thanks to the (Friday adjusted) success of Blue Bloods, so I'm now thinking that Miami is the more likely casualty if one does indeed get cut.
Gone: Bleep My Dad Says, Chaos, The Defenders, I Get That a Lot, Mad Love
Bleep My Dad Says is an interesting case, given how it went from significant buzz at this point last year to getting hustled off the schedule as soon as possible. Apparently you can't write a TV show 140 characters at a time.
I suppose there's a chance that The Defenders comes back, though the drop-off in viewers as the season went on, combined with the lack of performance on Fridays, make it a very slim chance. But that may be all a show set in Vegas needs.
On the Bubble: ABC
ABC appears to have the most shows not yet renewed, so settle in.
Saved: 20/20, AFV, Body of Proof, Dancing With the Stars, Desperate Housewives, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Primetime, Saturday Night College Football, Secret Millionaire, Shark Tank
Lots of reality, not surprisingly, with some of these poised to take over for failed new shows. I don't think Body of Proof is strong enough to anchor a night, but it could work to complete a night (Wednesday or Sunday at 10, perhaps)?
I also half-expect to see special Sunday editions of Saturday Night College Football if the NFL owner's lockout drags into the season.
Gone: Better With You, Brothers & Sisters, Detroit 187, Happy Endings, Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution, Mr. Sunshine, No Ordinary Family, Off the Map, V, Wife Swap
As much as I think these will all go, ABC may surprise by keeping a couple of them. I could see them poaching one of the sitcoms to fill the one empty slot in the Wednesday lineup. Happy Endings seems more likely, as I think it'd be easier to keep a mid-season show (and it seems more in line with the family/relationship comedies than Mr. Sunshine).
The other obvious question is Brothers & Sisters, which I've put on here thanks to the revolving door for cast and producers alike. The current season finale could sub as a series finale, and the ratings jump it received may convince ABC to try to squeeze one more season out of it.
On a personal note, I'll be sad to see Detroit 187, as despite the awful name it wound up being a pretty good show. I'm more ambivalent about the potential loss of V. The season finale shook things up quite a bit, but I think it's too little too late.
Saved: 20/20, AFV, Body of Proof, Dancing With the Stars, Desperate Housewives, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Primetime, Saturday Night College Football, Secret Millionaire, Shark Tank
Lots of reality, not surprisingly, with some of these poised to take over for failed new shows. I don't think Body of Proof is strong enough to anchor a night, but it could work to complete a night (Wednesday or Sunday at 10, perhaps)?
I also half-expect to see special Sunday editions of Saturday Night College Football if the NFL owner's lockout drags into the season.
Gone: Better With You, Brothers & Sisters, Detroit 187, Happy Endings, Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution, Mr. Sunshine, No Ordinary Family, Off the Map, V, Wife Swap
As much as I think these will all go, ABC may surprise by keeping a couple of them. I could see them poaching one of the sitcoms to fill the one empty slot in the Wednesday lineup. Happy Endings seems more likely, as I think it'd be easier to keep a mid-season show (and it seems more in line with the family/relationship comedies than Mr. Sunshine).
The other obvious question is Brothers & Sisters, which I've put on here thanks to the revolving door for cast and producers alike. The current season finale could sub as a series finale, and the ratings jump it received may convince ABC to try to squeeze one more season out of it.
On a personal note, I'll be sad to see Detroit 187, as despite the awful name it wound up being a pretty good show. I'm more ambivalent about the potential loss of V. The season finale shook things up quite a bit, but I think it's too little too late.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
On the Bubble: Fox
And your bubble predictions for Fox:
Saved: America's Most Wanted, The Chicago Code, Cops, Kitchen Nightmares
I can't imagine a world where Fox doesn't show America's Most Wanted and Cops, so I'm saying they're both back. Kitchen Nightmares I could do without - it's a pale imitation of the BBC original - but Fox has hitched its wagon to Gordon Ramsey pretty firmly, and carrying this show will certainly help keep him happy and making Hell's Kitchen (and, I suppose, MasterChef).
The Chicago Code is kind of a wild card for me. It doesn't seem any more likely to make the cut than the other shows on the bubble, but as the newest show of the dramas on the bubble it gets a chance to prove itself where the others have tried and not succeeded.
Gone - Breaking In, Human Target, Lie to Me, Million Dollar Money Drop, Traffic Light
I would not be surprised to see Human Target and/or Lie to Me make the cut, though as I said before I think these shows have had a chance to build an audience but haven't done enough. The other shows seem more solid, though if Fox saw fit to keep Bob's Burgers and Mobbed why not take a chance with Breaking In? Or why not clear the decks of all of them?
Anyway, for having a short bubble list I do think Fox has one of the least predictable ones. They could bring back all of these shows and not surprise me. Well, except for Million Dollar Money Drop.
Saved: America's Most Wanted, The Chicago Code, Cops, Kitchen Nightmares
I can't imagine a world where Fox doesn't show America's Most Wanted and Cops, so I'm saying they're both back. Kitchen Nightmares I could do without - it's a pale imitation of the BBC original - but Fox has hitched its wagon to Gordon Ramsey pretty firmly, and carrying this show will certainly help keep him happy and making Hell's Kitchen (and, I suppose, MasterChef).
The Chicago Code is kind of a wild card for me. It doesn't seem any more likely to make the cut than the other shows on the bubble, but as the newest show of the dramas on the bubble it gets a chance to prove itself where the others have tried and not succeeded.
Gone - Breaking In, Human Target, Lie to Me, Million Dollar Money Drop, Traffic Light
I would not be surprised to see Human Target and/or Lie to Me make the cut, though as I said before I think these shows have had a chance to build an audience but haven't done enough. The other shows seem more solid, though if Fox saw fit to keep Bob's Burgers and Mobbed why not take a chance with Breaking In? Or why not clear the decks of all of them?
Anyway, for having a short bubble list I do think Fox has one of the least predictable ones. They could bring back all of these shows and not surprise me. Well, except for Million Dollar Money Drop.
On the Bubble: NBC
With upfronts coming next week, here's my guess as to what shows that are on the bubble will get saved and which will get the hook. This is based on this listing at The Futon Critic, with many thanks.
Saved: The Apprentice, Dateline NBC, Harry's Law, Law & Order: Los Angeles, Law & Order: SVU, Minute to Win It, Saturday Night Live
The reality pickups make some sense given the low cost to produce. The scripted show most likely to not actually get picked up is Law & Order: Los Angeles, whose mid-season reboot hasn't exactly led to an influx of new viewers.
Also, if I'm right, Harry's Law will be the only first year show to get renewed. That is not a feather in the network's cap.
Gone: America's Next Great Restaurant, Chase, Chuck, The Event, Outsourced, Parenthood, Perfect Couples, School Pride
The bar for keeping reality shows is lower than scripted shows, but the two reality shows here don't clear it. As far as the scripted stuff goes, I don't expect many of the shows on the list would be a surprise. I do expect the usual gnashing of teeth for Chuck, and it may just stave off cancellation given the lack of anything else to show. I wonder if we'll get a similar reaction for The Event, but as no one seems to know exactly what that show's about I doubt it. I do hope that its demise finally puts an end to the idea that you can put a show on ice for three or four months and have it succeed.
I'm expecting the loss of Outsourced and Perfect Couples to lead to the end of the three hour comedy experiment. I'd go with a lineup of Community, Parks and Rec, 30 Rock and The Office and a drama at 10.
Saved: The Apprentice, Dateline NBC, Harry's Law, Law & Order: Los Angeles, Law & Order: SVU, Minute to Win It, Saturday Night Live
The reality pickups make some sense given the low cost to produce. The scripted show most likely to not actually get picked up is Law & Order: Los Angeles, whose mid-season reboot hasn't exactly led to an influx of new viewers.
Also, if I'm right, Harry's Law will be the only first year show to get renewed. That is not a feather in the network's cap.
Gone: America's Next Great Restaurant, Chase, Chuck, The Event, Outsourced, Parenthood, Perfect Couples, School Pride
The bar for keeping reality shows is lower than scripted shows, but the two reality shows here don't clear it. As far as the scripted stuff goes, I don't expect many of the shows on the list would be a surprise. I do expect the usual gnashing of teeth for Chuck, and it may just stave off cancellation given the lack of anything else to show. I wonder if we'll get a similar reaction for The Event, but as no one seems to know exactly what that show's about I doubt it. I do hope that its demise finally puts an end to the idea that you can put a show on ice for three or four months and have it succeed.
I'm expecting the loss of Outsourced and Perfect Couples to lead to the end of the three hour comedy experiment. I'd go with a lineup of Community, Parks and Rec, 30 Rock and The Office and a drama at 10.
The Last Shall Be Last?
I was just looking over the schedule for next week's upfronts, and was surprised to see that The CW gets a day to itself. Granted, it's the morning of the last day (Thursday, I suppose to give everyone an extra half day to schmooze), but I find it odd that NBC and Fox have to double up on the first day. Then again, The CW might just pass NBC if they don't have Sunday Night Football to shore up their ratings, so perhaps a day to themselves is justified, even if it's just to announce that they're putting vampires on five nights a week.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Not Shocking
As much as I was disappointed to see Casey Abrams get the book on American Idol, it wasn't surprising. This is about the time where a talented but not Top 40 enough contestant might bow out (think Jennifer Hudson or Chris Daughtry), and Casey's jazz-inflected stylings fit that bill perfectly. I do look forward to seeing what he comes up with for his first album, which he will hopefully have a fair amount of control over.
As far as what this means for who will win, we're on quite the run of pleasant mediocrities taking the title, so I suppose this paves the way for Scotty, Lauren or Haley, all of whom are likable enough but not that exciting. I am holding out hope for James Durbin, but he may be too close to Daughtry territory to hang on. I have almost no hope for Jacob Lusk, who has reigned himself in too much for my taste. He needs to unleash his inner diva again.
As far as what this means for who will win, we're on quite the run of pleasant mediocrities taking the title, so I suppose this paves the way for Scotty, Lauren or Haley, all of whom are likable enough but not that exciting. I am holding out hope for James Durbin, but he may be too close to Daughtry territory to hang on. I have almost no hope for Jacob Lusk, who has reigned himself in too much for my taste. He needs to unleash his inner diva again.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
And It Stoned Me
While we only watched the first season of Top Chef Masters (the second season aired at a bad time for us to commit DVR space), I was somewhat interested in catching the new season until I saw that it was now being hosted by Australian chef Curtis Stone. While not a huge fan of former host Kelly Choi, I think I'd prefer her somewhat robotic demeanor to Stone, who I only know through his TV ads.
He's apparently hosted a show on TLC and has popped up on a variety of reality shows (most notably a season of The Celebrity Apprentice, which gives you an idea of just how much of a "celebrity" chef he is, at least by US terms), so I suppose he's qualified to host a cooking show on basic cable. Probably moreso than competing, given that who the two winners have been. I mean, I don't know how skilled he is in the kitchen, but it's a short list of people who could top Rick Bayless or Marcus Samuelsson.
Anyway, I find Stone to smug by half and will likely sit this season out. I'll also admit to not being thrilled by the contestant lineup, featuring a dozen chefs I don't recognize by name (I never claimed to be that deep into chefs).
He's apparently hosted a show on TLC and has popped up on a variety of reality shows (most notably a season of The Celebrity Apprentice, which gives you an idea of just how much of a "celebrity" chef he is, at least by US terms), so I suppose he's qualified to host a cooking show on basic cable. Probably moreso than competing, given that who the two winners have been. I mean, I don't know how skilled he is in the kitchen, but it's a short list of people who could top Rick Bayless or Marcus Samuelsson.
Anyway, I find Stone to smug by half and will likely sit this season out. I'll also admit to not being thrilled by the contestant lineup, featuring a dozen chefs I don't recognize by name (I never claimed to be that deep into chefs).
The Shondaverse: No One Gets Out Alive
I've think I've made passing reference to the abnormally high body count for main and supporting characters in Shonda Rhimes' shows, but having just seen the episode of Private Practice where Bizzy's kills herself after her new wife dies from a blood clot in the lung I'm left kind of amazed at how no character in her shows gets to leave standing upright... except for Izzy Stevens and Preston Burke. I assume they made it part of their exit package not to have their characters bumped off.
I was especially irritated with the decision to kill Bizzy off, given that her character seems to be of sterner stuff. I suppose you can argue that she wasn't able to see her way past losing her one true love, but I still don't see Bizzy choosing to OD. I would expect her to live a long and bitter life, making sure to remind Addison at every turn about how she's such a disappointment. That seems more in line with Bizzy as she was presented.
I was especially irritated with the decision to kill Bizzy off, given that her character seems to be of sterner stuff. I suppose you can argue that she wasn't able to see her way past losing her one true love, but I still don't see Bizzy choosing to OD. I would expect her to live a long and bitter life, making sure to remind Addison at every turn about how she's such a disappointment. That seems more in line with Bizzy as she was presented.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
When Did American Idol Become a Sausagefest?
In case you missed it, Pia Toscano got sent home from American Idol tonight. As surprising as that was, it did further this season's trend of sending women home. The only male finalist to be up for elimination has been Casey Abrahms, who was saved by the judges and hasn't been in trouble since. Other men have been in the bottom three, but all have survived.
This is actually part of a larger trend, which has only seen one woman, Crystal Bowersox, make the finale since Jordin Sparks won the whole thing in season six. So what's the problem with the ladies? I have three theories.
1. Too many teen and tween girls voting. It's an assumption - it's not like we get demographic data about the voters - but given the popularity of the show among younger viewers, it's not an unreasonable assumption. It's also an assumption that they'd vote primarily for guys, but I think that's also a safe assumption (you don't hear any of those Twilight fans talking about a Team Bella, do you?).
2. The women are boring. A value judgement, but maybe a good one? The guys have either interesting styles (Jacob's theatrics, Paul's rasp, etc.) or interesting stories/looks (Casey's beard and attitude, James' disabilities, etc.). The women? All fairly normal. I don't even think we have a mom in the group this year. The women also seem more pigeon-holed stylistically, which also limits their appeal. Pia did go out after doing her first up-tempo number, but she ended it with one of those glory notes she'd been tacking onto songs all season, which was getting old.
3. Gender-inappropriate mentoring? - I'm kind of making this one up as I go along, but all of the mentoring this season has been done by men. Jimmy Iovine, Rodney Jerkins, Don Was, and so on, there's not been a women in the house except for Mary J. Blige's walk-on while Jacob Lusk was in the studio. We did get Gwen Stefani to help the women - with their outfits. It's not like the men have never worked with women, but I would think having some women to help out might help, if even just psychologically.
Now as to why the only women left are Lauren and Haley... I don't think I can answer that.
This is actually part of a larger trend, which has only seen one woman, Crystal Bowersox, make the finale since Jordin Sparks won the whole thing in season six. So what's the problem with the ladies? I have three theories.
1. Too many teen and tween girls voting. It's an assumption - it's not like we get demographic data about the voters - but given the popularity of the show among younger viewers, it's not an unreasonable assumption. It's also an assumption that they'd vote primarily for guys, but I think that's also a safe assumption (you don't hear any of those Twilight fans talking about a Team Bella, do you?).
2. The women are boring. A value judgement, but maybe a good one? The guys have either interesting styles (Jacob's theatrics, Paul's rasp, etc.) or interesting stories/looks (Casey's beard and attitude, James' disabilities, etc.). The women? All fairly normal. I don't even think we have a mom in the group this year. The women also seem more pigeon-holed stylistically, which also limits their appeal. Pia did go out after doing her first up-tempo number, but she ended it with one of those glory notes she'd been tacking onto songs all season, which was getting old.
3. Gender-inappropriate mentoring? - I'm kind of making this one up as I go along, but all of the mentoring this season has been done by men. Jimmy Iovine, Rodney Jerkins, Don Was, and so on, there's not been a women in the house except for Mary J. Blige's walk-on while Jacob Lusk was in the studio. We did get Gwen Stefani to help the women - with their outfits. It's not like the men have never worked with women, but I would think having some women to help out might help, if even just psychologically.
Now as to why the only women left are Lauren and Haley... I don't think I can answer that.
Monday, March 14, 2011
I Thought it was Fake
As a watcher of 30 Rock, I always assumed that Liz Lemon's home town of Whitehaven, Pennsylvania was fake, a commentary on white flight or the banality of the suburbs. Well, I was wrong.
Turns out there is an actual town of White Haven, located not that far from Wilkes-Barre. Between the location and the size (fewer than 1200 people, making it unlikely to have a high school that Liz could attend a reunion for), I'm guessing it's a coincidence. But I would really like Tina Fey to address this. Here. In an exclusive. Call me!
Turns out there is an actual town of White Haven, located not that far from Wilkes-Barre. Between the location and the size (fewer than 1200 people, making it unlikely to have a high school that Liz could attend a reunion for), I'm guessing it's a coincidence. But I would really like Tina Fey to address this. Here. In an exclusive. Call me!
Two Thirds the Luck of the Irish
Versus is celebrating St. Patrick's Day by showing three of Notre Dame's most memorable football games. Two make sense - a 1992 win over Penn State and the 1993 "Game of the Century" win over Florida State. What doesn't make sense is the 2005 game against USC, where the Irish missed a major upset when Reggie Bush pushed Matt Leinart into the end zone for the winning score.
I know the NCAA made USC vacate their win for the whole Reggie Bush pay fiasco, but I don't know if that makes the game something that the Irish could celebrate
I know the NCAA made USC vacate their win for the whole Reggie Bush pay fiasco, but I don't know if that makes the game something that the Irish could celebrate
Monday, February 28, 2011
Big F!$%ing Deal
I really don't care that Melissa Leo dropped the f-bomb during last night's Oscars broadcast. It was bleeped in time and provided something of interest during a dull show. And to whether or not it was done intentionally, who cares? It was better than the tedious list of thank yous that dominate the winners' speeches.
As a telecast, last night was a snooze - no real upsets, no interesting speeches, and no dresses that looked like waterfowl. Kirk Douglas was fun to watch, even he went a little long at the end of his shtick, and was a nice counterpoint to the incredibly vapid "remembrance" that Halle Berry gave for Lena Horne. This also may have been the least competently directed shows in memory - how many times did you see people walking around in the back of a shot? - which was funny given the announcement that ABC will be the home of the Oscars through 2020.
I'll pass on commenting on the hosting, other than to say I think the best solution is to have no host at all. The time given over to an opening monologue and stupid bits in the middle could be put to better use.
Three things I could have done without:
1. The historical bits linking yesterday and today. If this ceremony was about making things younger, why keep referencing the past? Especially when it's done in a clunky way that doesn't really link things together. Take Tom Hanks talking about how Gone With the Wind was the first of a handful of films to win three specific artistic awards - only to have the chance of that happening this year dashed by the time he left the stage. Why bother with that factoid at all if there's no way to build up drama?
2. Presenters talking directly to nominees. Thinking here specifically of Jeff Bridges and Sandra Bullock's presentations. It was creepy.
3. Award winners presented without speaking. I don't particularly care if there's a separate ceremony for honorary Oscars and the Thalberg Award, but why then bring the winners out for an ovation? If they're going to be on stage, let them speak. I'd have much rather heard Coppola or Wallach speak than witness Franco and Hathaway's awkward opening.
Anyway, like most Oscar shows, it wasn't perfect. At least there's not so much talk about it being too long (though I'd prefer if it started at 8; I don't know why we need 90 minutes for the fatuous gasbags who work the red carpet).
As a telecast, last night was a snooze - no real upsets, no interesting speeches, and no dresses that looked like waterfowl. Kirk Douglas was fun to watch, even he went a little long at the end of his shtick, and was a nice counterpoint to the incredibly vapid "remembrance" that Halle Berry gave for Lena Horne. This also may have been the least competently directed shows in memory - how many times did you see people walking around in the back of a shot? - which was funny given the announcement that ABC will be the home of the Oscars through 2020.
I'll pass on commenting on the hosting, other than to say I think the best solution is to have no host at all. The time given over to an opening monologue and stupid bits in the middle could be put to better use.
Three things I could have done without:
1. The historical bits linking yesterday and today. If this ceremony was about making things younger, why keep referencing the past? Especially when it's done in a clunky way that doesn't really link things together. Take Tom Hanks talking about how Gone With the Wind was the first of a handful of films to win three specific artistic awards - only to have the chance of that happening this year dashed by the time he left the stage. Why bother with that factoid at all if there's no way to build up drama?
2. Presenters talking directly to nominees. Thinking here specifically of Jeff Bridges and Sandra Bullock's presentations. It was creepy.
3. Award winners presented without speaking. I don't particularly care if there's a separate ceremony for honorary Oscars and the Thalberg Award, but why then bring the winners out for an ovation? If they're going to be on stage, let them speak. I'd have much rather heard Coppola or Wallach speak than witness Franco and Hathaway's awkward opening.
Anyway, like most Oscar shows, it wasn't perfect. At least there's not so much talk about it being too long (though I'd prefer if it started at 8; I don't know why we need 90 minutes for the fatuous gasbags who work the red carpet).
Friday, December 10, 2010
Horror!
So I now see that Amelia Shepherd is a regular character on Private Practice. Because what medical practice focused on treating the whole person doesn't need a neurosurgeon? And don't get me started on how Charlotte can apparently be the chief of surgery at St. Ambrose and run her sex practice at the same time. I'm beginning to think that St. Ambrose is kind of a crappy hospital.
Newish on TV: Outsourced, The Event, The Walking Dead
OK, a little behind on talking about new shows I've been watching, so a quick run-through.
Outsourced is NBC's sitcom set at an Indian call center for an American novelties company. It's not particularly brilliant, but it mines the cultural differences relatively well (compared to the horror show I was expecting). No serious concerns about the acting, though a number of the characters are one-note. I do find the two female Indian characters, Asha (Rebecca Hazlewood) and Madhuri (Anisha Nagarajan), to be the most interesting of the bunch. They probably do the most to demonstrate cultural differences (Asha is planning to have an arranged marriage, Madhuri supports her entire family with her job).
I'm not taken with the show quite yet, but I'm still watching.
The Event is the latest entry in the serial conspiracy drama genre. It apparently involves aliens who have some sort of control over space and time and a guy who's been pulled into the middle of this thing when his girlfriend was kidnapped by people (aliens?) plotting to kill the President by crashing a plane into an event (not THE event) he was attending. The plane disappears into thin air in the first episode's - and the series - biggest moment.
Moreso than other, similar shows, this one isn't asking us to think too hard about the details. Instead, please be distracted by our car chases and gunfire while we move what we're calling a plot along incrementally! It also doesn't help that each episode spends a significant time in flashbacks, often several years before current time.
So yeah, not a great show, but I'm willing to give it some time to develop.
And while it's now completed its first season, I should mention The Walking Dead, AMC's zombie apocalypse drama. I enjoyed it much more than I thought I would, especially as several of the characters annoy me (hello Shane, Lori, and Andrea!) and two that I'm interested in, Merle and Morgan, were absent for much of the season. I'm hoping that gets rectified in the second season, which sadly doesn't start until next October.
Outsourced is NBC's sitcom set at an Indian call center for an American novelties company. It's not particularly brilliant, but it mines the cultural differences relatively well (compared to the horror show I was expecting). No serious concerns about the acting, though a number of the characters are one-note. I do find the two female Indian characters, Asha (Rebecca Hazlewood) and Madhuri (Anisha Nagarajan), to be the most interesting of the bunch. They probably do the most to demonstrate cultural differences (Asha is planning to have an arranged marriage, Madhuri supports her entire family with her job).
I'm not taken with the show quite yet, but I'm still watching.
The Event is the latest entry in the serial conspiracy drama genre. It apparently involves aliens who have some sort of control over space and time and a guy who's been pulled into the middle of this thing when his girlfriend was kidnapped by people (aliens?) plotting to kill the President by crashing a plane into an event (not THE event) he was attending. The plane disappears into thin air in the first episode's - and the series - biggest moment.
Moreso than other, similar shows, this one isn't asking us to think too hard about the details. Instead, please be distracted by our car chases and gunfire while we move what we're calling a plot along incrementally! It also doesn't help that each episode spends a significant time in flashbacks, often several years before current time.
So yeah, not a great show, but I'm willing to give it some time to develop.
And while it's now completed its first season, I should mention The Walking Dead, AMC's zombie apocalypse drama. I enjoyed it much more than I thought I would, especially as several of the characters annoy me (hello Shane, Lori, and Andrea!) and two that I'm interested in, Merle and Morgan, were absent for much of the season. I'm hoping that gets rectified in the second season, which sadly doesn't start until next October.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Annoying
I know I'm several weeks behind Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice due to our DVRing habits, but I did want to mention that I find myself unusually irritated by Amelia Shepherd. I don't know if it's the character, the actress, or an overall annoyance with the combined Grey's universe. I'd say it's 60 percent character (she has an unfortunate combination of brattiness and ego), 10 percent actress (Caterina Scorsone, who I think I've only previously seen in the UPN by way of CBC hockey drama Power Play), and 30 percent the show universe (which seems to favor whinier, needier characters over people I'd rather not see get hit by buses).
It may also be that I'm annoyed with Private Practice in general, as it's given up pretty much any pretense at being a medical drama. I'm pretty sure they only see patients who are lost or looking for a bathroom or something. There is part of me that expects that the show won't end until all the main characters have had sex with each other, which we're about one good sweeps episode away from seeing. Get working, writers!
It may also be that I'm annoyed with Private Practice in general, as it's given up pretty much any pretense at being a medical drama. I'm pretty sure they only see patients who are lost or looking for a bathroom or something. There is part of me that expects that the show won't end until all the main characters have had sex with each other, which we're about one good sweeps episode away from seeing. Get working, writers!
Tuesday, November 09, 2010
Conan. Very Funny.
I'll admit to not watching late night talk shows much anymore - I'm old, lame, have to commute, got a kid, etc. - but I did want to see how Conan O'Brien would do on his new show, which debuted last night on TBS. And I have to say I enjoyed it.
There was a good energy to the show, perhaps almost manic at times. Things moved along briskly, most notably (to me at least) the guests. Getting focus in a late night interview is often besides the point, but it seemed like people just got into the chair and Conan whipped them through their stories. Don't know if this was due to having more intro material on the first night, longer commercial breaks (TBS was probably earning a premium) or by having Jack White play (with Conan sitting in) and do a quick spot on the couch.
But I'm not really complaining, as the mood was good and the jokes funny. Having Andy Richter back helps, too, as he adds both in his repartee with Conan and in his own asides, which are easy to miss if you're not listening for him. Conan also noted during his monologue that there's no separation between himself and the audience, which I think helped his energy as he did interact with a couple of audience members, albeit quickly.
All in all, I'm looking forward to watching tomorrow's show. Now I just have to keep myself from falling asleep on the couch.
There was a good energy to the show, perhaps almost manic at times. Things moved along briskly, most notably (to me at least) the guests. Getting focus in a late night interview is often besides the point, but it seemed like people just got into the chair and Conan whipped them through their stories. Don't know if this was due to having more intro material on the first night, longer commercial breaks (TBS was probably earning a premium) or by having Jack White play (with Conan sitting in) and do a quick spot on the couch.
But I'm not really complaining, as the mood was good and the jokes funny. Having Andy Richter back helps, too, as he adds both in his repartee with Conan and in his own asides, which are easy to miss if you're not listening for him. Conan also noted during his monologue that there's no separation between himself and the audience, which I think helped his energy as he did interact with a couple of audience members, albeit quickly.
All in all, I'm looking forward to watching tomorrow's show. Now I just have to keep myself from falling asleep on the couch.
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