Launch begins 9/15. From the upfront press release:
“NBC has established itself as the place to go for the hottest, highest quality programs on television, and now we’re ready to take it to the next level,” said Ben Silverman, Co-Chairman NBC Entertainment and Universal Media Studios. “All the elements are in place to make this an unforgettable year for NBC, its affiliates, its advertisers and its viewers.”
I say: NBC seems like it has the most dramatic (in terms of change, not content) upcoming season, as they revealed in their unprecedented “52-week schedule” which was released this spring. There are a handful of new shows being launched throughout the year intermingled with returning favorites. NBC finished last season in second to last, and clearly they are doing everything they can to change that for ‘08-‘09, taking risks with their scheduling as well as programming. I do believe NBC will be my favorite network by season’s end, ratings be damned, but this has more to do with their current shows than their slate of newbies.
The good: The Office, 30 Rock, and Friday Night Lights are three of my absolute favorite shows on television, so there’s that right off the bat. Heroes sucked last season, but the execs know it and own their mistakes, and they seem to be doing a lot to turn things around for season three, “Villians.” It was announced this week that NBC has already ordered a FULL season two for Chuck, which is fantastic news— I can’t wait to see what that show can do with 20+ episodes, and it shows that NBC is (rightfully) behind one of its strongest shows. The only new show I’m checking out, though, is My Own Worst Enemy, starring Christian Slater as a dude with two personalities. Intriguing!
The bad: None of the other new shows (at least the ones for the fall) sound that great. Knight Rider? No thanks. Kath & Kim has negative advance word of mouth, and no one really knows what to make of Crusoe, but I’m dubious. And even though I love Friday Night Lights, I think this whole DirecTV deal is going to eliminate any chance of a season four since everyone’s just going to watch it illegally in the fall… so I’d say that was a bad call (but without it, would we even have a season three? Hard to say). Too bad the new Amy Poehler Office-like show isn’t coming sooner.
Overall thoughts: Despite the not-so-great ratings and my general dislike of Ben Silverman, NBC does have a strong slate of shows that should give it some power going into the new season. It’s too bad the new stuff they’re bringing to the plate isn’t more attention-grabbing, but you never know what shows are going to surprise you (30 Rock started off kind of weak, and look where it is now). I’ll be watching the shows I already enjoy while keeping an open mind, and I encourage everyone to do the same. NBC deserves to be ahead of at least CBS, and I’d like to see that happen this year.
Launch begins 9/1. From the upfront press release:
“Broadcast television needs a jolt. We feel it’s our responsibility, as the No. 1 network for the last four seasons, to provide that electricity,” said Liguori. “The goal of our business is entertaining viewers; they’re our lifeblood, and it’s incumbent upon us to make sure their first and favorite entertainment destination is FOX.”
I say: FOX is in an interesting position, having one of the most buzzed-about fall pilots in Fringe (not to mention it’s one of the only pilots critics have actually seen), as well as one of the most anticipated new shows of the season (Joss Whedon’s Dollhouse, coming in winter ‘09). This, coupled with the fact that FOX was the number one TV network of 2007-2008, says to me that the network has a lot to prove, but shouldn’t have trouble staying at the head of the pack— even with dreck like The Moment of Truth.
The good: Fringe has promise, even if the pilot wasn’t all that awesome, and I have to believe that Dollhouse is going to be worth the wait. But FOX’s real strength is in its returning shows: House comes back on the heels of that AMAZING season finale that was without a question the best TV of last season altogether, and American Idol will undoubtedly be the juggernaut it always is come winter. Solid performers like Bones, Terminator and Prison Break round out a surprisingly decent season lineup for a network with a reputation like FOX.
The bad: For every engaging drama and occasional reality hit, FOX has an equally cringe-worthy reality show to balance things out. Just when you’re ready to tip your hat to the network, they go and bring back that schadenfreude-tastic Moment of Truth and add Japanese YouTube sensation rip-off Hole in the Wall (winter’s Secret Millionaire sounds less cruel but not much more promising). Plus, newbie sitcom Do Not Disturb has some fairly bad pre-launch press, making it a great match for the unfunny ‘Til Death. Stick with the sci-fi and dramas, FOX!
Overall thoughts: FOX doesn’t seem like it’s going to lose its good ratings anytime soon. It has proven to be a contender with a few standout dramas and that American Idol show everyone keeps talking about. Given that, it still baffles me that they fill half their lineup with reality shows that make you question the integrity of the human population, but then again… without those shows, would this really be the FOX we all know and love (or love to hate)?
Launch begins 9/1. From the upfront press release:
“With shows that everyone is talking about, from ‘Gossip Girl’ and ‘America’s Next Top Model’ to our upcoming ‘90210,’ our new lineup has the best Monday-Friday schedule flow we have ever had at The CW,” said Ostroff. “We are zeroed in on our target demo of young women 18-34 with both new and returning series, and each programming block provides a strong promotional platform for the following night. We’re confident that the quality of our shows for the fall season will make The CW the destination for young women.”
I say: Unfortunately, I won’t be watching a single show on the CW this season. Which is really fine, because women 18-34 is the name of the CW demo game.
The good: From what I hear, Gossip Girl is an awesome show, and it only looks to be getting better (I seriously dig the new ad campaign, which uses “bad” reviews from the Parents Television Council as proof of why you should be watching— brilliant). Curiosity will probably get the better of me and I’ll check out the 90210 pilot, just to see how things turn out (I like to stay informed, okay?). Oh, and Rina Mimoun of Everwood fame is handling the new show Priveleged, so maybe that’ll turn out alright, despite tepid early reviews. Reaper also returns for a second season, and Top Model adds a tranny this cycle to spice things up a bit.
The bad: The 90210 pilot isn’t being shown to ANYONE, even my friends who WORK at the CW, so take that for what you will. Also, while outsourcing Sundays to MRC might save the CW some pressure and money, it is not doing the public any favors; all of the new Sunday shows look and sound like they will be clunkers. Otherwise, you know what you’re gonna get when you turn on the CW, and I’m sure you already have decided whether or not this is a good thing for you personally. (For me, not so much.)
Overall thoughts: The CW’s strategy for the fall is simple: “Gossip Girl worked reasonably well for us last year, so… let’s just do that a whole bunch!” I’m pretty sure the success of this year’s fall launch, and of the network as a whole, actually, hinges completely on the 90210 reboot. I don’t feel qualified to say whether or not it’s going to be a hit, since as far as I’m concerned, the CW has done absolutely everything right for Gossip Girl, and the ratings for that are still really, really bad. Then again, the built-in 90210 fanbase might prove more loyal and powerful than the fans of the Gossip Girl books. We’ll see in a week, eh? But I won’t be surprised if the ‘09-‘10 TV season doesn’t even have a CW to speak of.
Premieres late 2008. From the TNT website:
The series follows a team of thieves, hackers and grifters who act as modern-day Robin Hoods, taking revenge against those who use power and wealth to victimize others.
I say: Dude, Leverage is awesome. I liked it so much that I’m writing about it now even though it’s not coming out until midseason. Raising the Bar grossed me out with its awfulness, and TNT is advertising the hell out of it, so I just wanted to post this to remind myself and everyone else that there are still some good things ahead for the cable network.
The good: The cast rocks (a big welcome back to Christian Kane, whom I last saw and enjoyed very much on Angel), and the show strikes a careful balance between action, humor and drama. It never takes itself too seriously, which is thankful because there’s a ton of fun to be had here (see: the flashbacks that introduce each character).
The bad: There were a few off moments, but honestly— I was smiling the whole way through.
Watch it in the winter?: Heck yes. This show made me nostalgic for Alias, in a good way. Spy capers, actors that gel, and twisty plotlines… what else can you ask for in the doldrums of winter?
Premieres 9/7 at 9PM. From the HBO Website:
Thanks to a Japanese scientist’s invention of synthetic blood, vampires have progressed from legendary monsters to fellow citizens overnight. A sexy, scary new drama from ‘Six Feet Under’ creator Alan Ball, ‘True Blood’ delves into the meticulously-crafted world of novelist Charlaine Harris
I say: I had a hard time getting a read on this one. It’s an interesting idea for sure, and fans swear by the books, but something about the execution was just lacking for me. Even coming from Alan Ball, this did not feel at all like Six Feet Under, so people going in expecting something like that will have to have a seriously open mind.
The good: The show’s premise is its strongest asset— the idea that vampires are now integrated into society, experiencing prejudice and intolerance like any other judged American subculture. It takes a matter of fact “this is just how things are now” approach, not trying to explain or justify the setting, and it really helps the viewer get “into” the world of the show. And the not-so-great actress from the pilot was recast (I haven’t seen the updated version), so at least improvements are being made.
The bad: The southern accents were uniformly terrible, at least in the original version pilot I saw, and Anna Paquin grated a bit with her “perfect little me!” routine. Some of the more HBO-ish aspects of the show (um, vampire sex?) felt a little like they were thrown in just to make things seem edgier.
Watch it in the fall?: If you get HBO, at least give the first episode a shot and see how you feel. I’m going to give it two or three episodes to win me over. There is definitely stuff to be excited about here, I’m just not sure if Ball can pull it off. That is a weird-sounding sentence.
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