Upfronts: The Recap

While I'm tempted to list the winners and losers of upfronts, I'm having a hard time decided who the losers really are thanks to the relatively mediocre line-ups we've been handed. It may be enough to say that networks lost by not trying to win. 

That's with the exception of CBS, whose schedule shake up puts them in a position where they could win every night (well, maybe not Saturday, but no one really cares about Saturday). They won't, at least on a regular basis, but they could. That's more than any other network can say.

As far as individual shows go, there is no show that makes me think that I really want to see what it's about. The closest I get is interest in how CBS revives Hawaii 5-0. There is some potential out there - Outsourced could be the last piece NBC needs for Thursday nights, and I'll admit some interest in No Ordinary Family - but there's not much else out there that really grabs me.

The only other thing of note that I have is that there's obvious knock-off shows this year. There isn't the usual rush by all networks to find the next Lost or Grey's, and we don't have multiple networks mining the same specific topic (like the year there were three separate alien invasion shows). That would normally be a good thing, but this year, I think I'd have at least found more humor in the attempt.