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Wednesday, May 23, 2007
The Upfronts and the Strengthening of a Clique (Part 2)
Looks like a pretty dry and drastically boring (in the creative department) year for network TV!
COOL. It seems worth DVRing.
Chuck (I usually have a softside for dramedies. This seems to have a chance at fun storytelling.)
Reaper (This was a borderline MAYBE. I’ll put it on the DVR schedule [if it fits] because CW did a good job of the surprising Supernatural and this show just screams crossover sometime late in the season.)
MAYBE. I’ll check out the first few.
Bionic Woman (I saw a teaser trailer for this. Looks dumb, but wtheck right?)
The IT Crowd (Nerds? Okay.)
Journeyman (I HATE TIME TRAVEL STORIES. So why try? It’s in SF, baby!)
Eli Stone (Yes for Marc Guggenheim who is currently helming various critically-raved about comic book ongoings. Yes for San Francisco. Yes for a supernatural kick. No for worry that it’ll be done dastardly badly.)
Miss/Guided (Here’s to hoping she’s hot. Here’s to hoping it represents our counselors and our schools and our kids in fair and new ways.)
Pushing Daisies (This apparently is making some critical raves. Let’s see.)
Kid Nation (Honestly, I’m just curious.)
Swingtime (It’s the 70’s baby! Sex and Soap all the way!)
New Amsterdam (Why this and NOT moonlight? I have a feeling that being on FOX will make this show fashionably campy – probably unintentionally.)
The Sarah Conner Chronicles (Doesn’t this exude a painfully bad translation to tv? Gonna try it anyway, just as long as Arnold never, NEVER, shows up.)
NAH. Seems aiight, but…
Life (Cop drama = not interested)
Lipstick Jungle (soap operas don’t interest me. Teenage soaps? Sure. Jk. *cough* dawson’s creek *cough*)
World Moves (Real dancers competing? What are they thinking? It seems cool to see worldwide break crews battling, but that probably won’t happen here.)
Dirty Sexy Money (The title’s juicy, but law dramas are stuck in the cop dramas section. Hence, no Law & Order [at least, not without Brisco])
Private Practice (Don’t watch Grey’s. Don’t watch ER. Ain’t gonna watch this.)
Sam I Am (Gimmick’s not so bad. Seems troublesome to me though.)
Cane (Nice try to get more diverse. But really, who knows ANYTHING about the rum production business?)
The Return of Jezebel Jones (working title) (Nah.)
Online Nation (Nice idea. I hope CBS is giving VH-1 [it’s family member] some royalties.)
CW Now (Umm. Best Week Ever and the Soup are the best Entertainment gossip based shows out there because they roast the eff out of our favorite celebs. No need for a teen focused “The Insider”)
HELLNAW! What the eff are they thinking!??!
The Spelling Bee (Really?! No, REALLY?!?!)
Big Shots (Not so bad. Seems like regular fare, but male soap operas, no matter how disguised go nowhere. Why bother, right? Black Donnelly’s and Lovemonkey)
Carpoolers (I don’t want to be in traffic as it is. Why watch it? Wait, I had a movie idea for this before! Nevermind.)
Cashmere Mafia (Uh. So, what happened to Six Degrees. At least it had Bridget Moynahan.)
Cavemen (Umm. So, on the bright side, the name of the song that’s playing in the Geico commercial with the Caveman in the airport is “Remind Me” by Royksopp.)
Women’s Murder Club (So, this isn’t a HELLNAW so much for the premise, but this already stinks of potential junk. What about a serial-murdering group of 4 Women on a rampage. Buddy flick/ Road trip flick/ Dark Comedy. Why not? Serial shows don’t fail because they’re serials. Serial shows that fail do so because they suck. Mainly because they focus more either on cliffhanger endings or on stretching out marginal plots to make it “serial”.)
The Big Bang Theory (The IT Crowd? Oh. No? I guess it’s the Chicken or Egg Theory)
Moonlight (You know, before, you couldn’t keep me from anything with vampires. But, after Blade and Dresden Files, I can’t stomach the limitation that writers impose on the genre. On top of that, does this REALLY have a chance with CBS demographics?)
Viva Laughlin! (Let’s say Las Vegas, the show, was about a casino and NOT about the hot girls on the show. But hey, repeat after me: MUSICAL. M-U-S-I-C-A-L.)
Back to You (Hmm. I never saw one episode of Frasier.)
Caterbury’s Law (Law drama? Female law drama… on FOX? Oh. No.)
K-Ville (Let’s exploit the Katrina victims for a show that will run for, say, 4 weeks. It’s premiering AGAINST Heroes. It’s also in 24’s spot. Let’s leave the Katrina victims alone, FOX!)
Kitchen Nightmares (Unless it’s the ORIGINAL Iron Chef, I’m not down for kitchen shows.)
Nashville (Isn’t there some Nashville Idol show somewhere already?)
The Return of Jezebel Jones (working title) (Nah.)
The Rules for Starting Over (working title) (What I say about Male-targeted soap operas? Wait, is this a sitcom? Same difference.)
The Search for the Next Great American Band (working title) (I’m soured on a once-loved American Idol show. Never cared for Rock Star INXS or Making the Band. Not interested here either.)
Aliens in America(It would be nice if I had any hope that this show could and would be done well, but I highly doubt it. That means: NO.)
Crowned: The Mother of All Pageants (not yet scheduled) (Uh. I think I just.. no wait.. wait.. yes.. just threw up on the keyboard.)
Farmer Wants a Wife (No, wait, there’s some more.)
Gossip Girl (Oh, geez, I thought I was done. Guess not. It’s on my new shoes.)
Life is Wild (Okay, no yak this time, but just like the RUM business, who’s gonna watch a show on the CW that’s based in South Africa if they don’t involve some sort of reruns of this current season’s Real World/Road Rules INFERNO 3?)
The Complete List of New Shows (compiled from TV.com)
NBC
The Bionic Woman
Jamie Sommers is a young woman working as a bartender and raising her teenage sister, Becca. When she is seriously injured in a car accident, her only hope for recovery lies in a top-secret experimental procedure involving bionic body parts!
Chuck
This new "dramedy" tells the strange tale of Chuck, a 20-something computer geek
whose life changes forever when the US government downloads a secret database into his brain and recruits him for undercover missions of espionage!
The IT Crowd
This new NBC comedy, based on the British series of the same name, centers on two misfits who work in the IT department of a large corporation. Though they're blessed with huge brains, Roy and Moss are highly lacking in social skills--but the arrival of a personable new office manager is about to change everything.
Journeyman
A San Francisco reporter suddenly finds himself traveling through time, wreaking havoc on the future and making his present life incredibly complicated.
Life
Damien Lewis stars as a former police officer who, after years of false imprisonment, returns to the force with a decidedly different philosophy.
Lipstick Jungle
The Lipstick Jungle, another hit novel by Sex and the City author Candace Bushnell, is headed for the small screen. While Sex and the City followed the exploits of four single women looking for love in New York, The Lipstick Jungle tracks three powerful career women who are willing to do almost anything for success in the business world. Their thirst for achievement is sure to get them where they want to go--but at what personal cost?
The Singing Bee
In this new competition series, contestants vie to see who really knows all the lyrics to those popular songs that are constantly stuck in our heads. Miss one word and you're out; nail the song and you win big!
World Moves
This new reality competition brings dance teams from around the world to Los Angeles for a chance to strut their stuff in front of America. Viewers will vote for their favorite teams, eliminating one each week until one talented group wins an international touring contract!
ABC
Big Shots
This new drama tells the story of four up-and-coming male executives whose tight friendship gets them through problems both professional and personal.
Carpoolers
This new comedy follows a group of suburban guys on their carpool to work.
Cashmere Mafia
The working mom's answer to Sex and the City, this drama tells the story of four female executives who support one another through the trials and tribulations of work, family, and everything else life in New York City throws at them.
Cavemen
Based on the famous Geico commercials, this new comedy follows three cavemen trying to find success, acceptance, and love in the modern world.
Dirty Sexy Money
An idealistic lawyer finds himself bound to a wealthy New York family with boundless legal (and illegal) demands.
Eli Stone (not yet scheduled)
Greg Berlanti and Marc Guggenheim bring us the tale of a San Francisco lawyer who finds out he has prophetic powers and decide to use them for good.
Miss/Guided (not yet scheduled)
This comedy series follows a woman working as a guidance counselor at the high school she once attended.
Private Practice
Private Practice is a spin-off of the highly popular ABC series, Grey's Anatomy starring Kate Walsh as Dr. Addison Forbes Montgomery, a renowned neonatal surgeon.
Pushing Daisies
This romantic drama shows us the strange world of a man who can bring dead people back to life through the power of his touch.
Women's Murder Club
A series of mystery books by James Patterson was the inspiration for this new series, which tells the story of four women who work together to solve some of the most confounding murder cases out there.
Sam I Am
This single-camera comedy introduces us to Sam, a hit-and-run victim who develops amnesia and must rediscover everything about her life and herself.
The Big Bang Theory
From writers/producers Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady comes a new comedy that shows what happens when two hyperintelligent scientists meet a beautiful woman--and realize they know next to nothing about life outside of the lab.
CBS
Cane
This soapy drama tells the story of the Duques and the Samuels, two multi-generational Latin American families who are rivals in the rum and sugar business.
Kid Nation
Forty over-achieving kids are given free reign to create their own society in this new reality-based offering from CBS. Forty kids are given forty days free of adult supervision in an abandoned New Mexico town to build a new world.
Moonlight
This new drama tells the story of a private investigator who is also a vampire. Watch as Mick deals with the curse of immortality and his doomed love for a mortal woman.
Swingtown
This new period drama takes viewers back to the 1970s for a look at suburban households testing the murky waters of sexual revolution.
Viva Laughlin!
This new musical series, based on the BBC's Viva Blackpool!, chronicles the adventures of a family attempting to run a Las Vegas casino.
FOX
Back to You
Back to You is an upcoming traditional live-audience sitcom starring sitcom veterans Kelsey Grammer and Patricia Heaton as co-news anchors working at a local news station.
Canterbury's Law
Canterbury's Law follows a passionate female defense attorney who pushes the envelope to protect her innocent clients.
K-Ville
This buddy cop drama is set in post- Hurricane Katrina New Orleans, where two police partners have conflicting ideas about how to handle the city's problems.
Kitchen Nightmares
Gordon Ramsay's British series gets made over for America. In this series, Ramsay will hit the road to help many a struggling restaurant find the path to success.
Nashville
This new "docu-soap" follows a group of people as they try to make it big in Nashville's music and social scenes.
New Amsterdam
A New York City homicide detective is blessed and cursed with an immortality that will not cease until he finds his one true love.
The Return of Jezebel James (working title)
Amy Sherman-Palladino, creator of Gilmore Girls, brings us this comedy about two estranged sisters who must forge a new relationship when one agrees to carry the other's baby.
The Rules for Starting Over (working title)
A 35-year-old man is a newcomer to the world of dating when his marriage crumbles after more than 10 happy years.
The Sarah Connor Chronicles
The Terminator franchise arrives on TV with this serial drama. Set a year after the events of Terminator 2: Judgment Day, the series follows Sarah and John Connor as they hide from the authorities and Skynet's army of Terminators.
The Search for the Next Great American Band (working title)
Simon Fuller and friends open up the American Idol-style competition to bands, and all sizes and genres from across the country are welcome to make a play for the spotlight.
CW
Aliens in America
A Wisconsin mom arranges to host a foreign exchange student, believing the visitor will help her shy son become more popular. When the student turns out to be a Muslim teenager from Pakistan, her plans go awry--and everyone is likely to learn a little lesson about life.
Crowned: The Mother of All Pageants (not yet scheduled)
Crowned is an eight episode reality program where mother-daughter teams compete to win a beauty pageant title.
Farmer Wants a Wife
This new reality series brings ten city girls together to compete for the love of one hunky American farm boy.
Gossip Girl
Based on the popular book series of the same name, this drama gives viewers a peek into the world of wealthy teenagers who attend New York's most exclusive private schools.
Life is Wild
A New York veterinarian moves his large blended family to a South African game reserve, where they find that life in the wild is harder than they'd ever imagined--and also surprisingly rewarding.
Online Nation
Ever wish you didn't have to spend hours on the internet, searching for one gem of a two-minute video? Starting now, The CW will do the work for you and broadcast the best user-submitted entertainment the Web has to offer!
Reaper
A twenty-something slacker finally scores a job as the devil's bounty hunter, collecting the souls of those who haven't fulfilled their part in a deal with Satan.
CW Now
The CW's own entertainment news series will cover all the hottest trends in music, fashion, film, technology and more--with a dash of Hollywood gossip for good measure!
The Upfronts and the Strengthening of a Clique (Part 1)
So far, as I've seen from the reports of the upfronts, there really aren't many new shows next year that are all that interesting.
What will be getting removed:
Veronica Mars (due to cancellation).
Still in the crew:
Battlestar Galactica
LOST
Bones
Heroes
Smallville
Supernatural
(and for the sitcoms: how i met your mother, scrubs, entourage, south park, 30 rock, and the office)
(and the reality shows: beauty and the geek, ghost hunters, real world, inferno)
Losers of the season (either by default, cancellation, or my own lack of interest):
Studio 60
Black Donnellys
Robin Hood
Notes from the Underbelly
The Nine
Daybreak
Painkiller Jane
The Dresden Files
Friday Night Lights
Man, I really dated around this season. My DVR and my own place (plus HDTV) gave me great confidence to date around. Hmm. Sounds like another column.
What I hope for summer:
Eureka (SciFi, S2 premiere: July 10)
Cleaning up of Studio 60 final episodes
Catching up to the 4400, Deadwood, and diving into the Wire.
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia marathons leading up to the new season
Otherwise…
Last summer I tried Blade (canceled and relatively disengaging), The Closer (TNT), and some other TNT show. I had a bunch of The 4400 shows on DVR that I never got around to. It looks like it’ll be a A’s heavy summer (that’s not a bad thing).
Oh, TV.com’s got a brief overview of some new shows. Lemme check that out.
The Cool Crowd: Bones Season 2 Final Episodes
Bones is one of my favorite shows. Really. I think I get as many laugh out loud moments with Bones as I do with The Office. Okay, maybe not ROFTL, but still.
Nevermind the formula. I understand the pitfalls of that. Nevermind the somewhat (unwanted) teasing of an (unwanted) romance between the two leads. Everything else in this show is entertaining.
As I said earlier, I love the leads. I love the supporting cast. I wish I had jumped on sooner. Oh well, when the S2 DVDs come out, I'll finally be excited for something on Netflix!
The last episodes wrapped up some of the personal narratives. Namely: Brennan and her father. Angela and Hodgins. Zack has a dangerous yet great career developing opportunity. And the obligatory Male and Female Lead romance drama (bleh).
Go S2 DVDs! And I can't wait for Season 3. I just hope that it doesn't conflict with any of my ongoings.
The Cool Crowd: Heroes Volume 1: Final Chapters
I was wondering what the hell that Eclipse meant in the scheme of things.
What?
Nevermind.
I was on a fever pitch last night to CATCH UP with Heroes, you know, maybe knock down two or three episodes since I was still on ".07 Percent", and hopefully finish Season 1 by the end of the week. I wanted to be able to discuss the show in case it came up.
What ended up was me staying up later than I had desired or expected as I finished ALL 5 episodes that wrapped up the season.
Despite some minor details that are irkish (I'll get to those later), the writers really pushed the pace and intensity forward - and it was utterly enjoyable. Finally grounding some of the floundering stories (like Niki/Jessica, DL, and Micah and the abrupt addition of Eric Roberts) within the more enjoyable parts/characters was much appreciated.
Because Tim Kring, the producer, has been saying all along that each new season/volume would reboot stories of sorts, it was expected to lose many of the Specials along the way. The last 5 episodes had you expecting it to the point that anyone, no matter how popular, was fair game.
Many of our villains "found their ways" and atoned for their prior evil. Our Heroes came together for some great whoopass. Almost no scene was wasted.
I can't wait for next year. Weird that it still is a "chore" to watch the show - unlike Smallville or LOST which I'd throw on as soon as I can. Let's hope that the momentum they've built won't get held up in a beginning of the season exposition/foundation laying snoozefest.
The minor details that didn't totally sit well with me in terms of Powers and continuity:
Couldn't DL have pushed Niki/Jessica out of the way and still phased in time to let the bullet pass through? I guess that would take away the romantic part of it and Jessica's submission to Niki. On the same boat, couldn't DL have phased to let the bullet pass through his body after he was shot? I'm sure it would've been better for his health. What about doing the same for Matt?
And... I... hate... time travel writing. Didn't Austin Powers explain it best when he couldn't explain it at all? There are way too many inconsistencies, too many rules that are set and broken, and basically writing about time travel can get convoluted. Hiro writing is not any different. But, I let it go since it's obvious that the POWERS of HEROES (the show) are more 3rd party cast members (and that's good). But really, he KNEW where Sylar would be when he saved Ando. Why couldn't he just snap back 2 seconds earlier and stab the bastard? Really?!
Finally, when Sylar jumped the truck that Ted was in, why didn't Ted go sub-nuclear to protect himself? Just because he had a broken bone? It would seem that survival instinct would kick into gear.
Okay. That's it.
