Mike McC
05-16-2010, 02:05 PM
It is that time again. Time for us as a notion to start thinking about what we want to watch in the fall. That's right, it's time for the Upfronts, where networks unveil what new crap they're gonna shove down our throats, along with the potential new golden nugget.
First up, with an early Sunday upfront, is NBC. As you may have noticed, NBC did not do well this past year. In fact, they did quite badly. Catastrophically so. The dread combo of Jeff Zucker, who has the television programming sense of a broken toaster, and Jay Leno, who has a sense of humor that makes Dane Cook seem hilarious, completely blew up thier ratings will the immensely ill-advised Te Jay Leno Show, which had ratings so bad it killed the lead-in for the local 11/10 o'clock news, forcing affiliates to threaten to replace Jy Leno with something that would draw in higher ratings (like that terrible show based on the terrible Terry Goodkind books). This also lead to... well, that's been covered to death already. If you really want to relive it, just Google "CoCo" and let the Internet tell you that harrowing tale.
So, Jeff Zucker, profoundly bad and stupid decisions last year. Will they be repeated this year?
Law & Order has been canceled before it could have its record breaking 21st season.
Well, that's... not the best of starts.
Heroes has been canceled after four seasons, only the first of which could actually be described as 'good'. It will likely receive a two or four hour special to tie up its cliffhanger ending.
Better, better. Also on the cancellation docket are Mercy and Trauma, two shows I know nothing about except that they were medical or something and probably won't be missed.
Those are the only four cancellations announced, which means all the other shows, and yes, this includes their Thursday night comedy block and also includes Chuck, will be returning. Granted, they already had 5 empty hours of programming to fill after they flushed the turd that was Jay Leno out of primetime, so they already had lot of shows to get.
Well, anyway, here's the tentative schedule (subject to be changed later today/tomorrow/whenever):
MONDAY
8:00: Chuck
9:00: The Event
10:00: Chase
TUESDAY
8:00: The Biggest Loser
10:00: Parenthood
WEDNESDAY
8:00: Undercovers
9:00: Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
10:00: Law & Order: Los Angeles
THURSDAY
8:00: Community
8:30: 30 Rock
9:00: The Office
9:30: Outsourced
10:00: Love Bites
FRIDAY
8:00: Who Do You Think You Are?/School Pride
9:00: Dateline NBC
10:00: Outlaw
SATURDAY
Repeats
SUNDAY
7:00: Football Night in America
8:15: NBC Sunday Night Football
SUNDAY (beginning March 2011)
7:00: Dateline NBC
8:00: Minute to Win It
9:00: The Celebrity Apprentice
MIDSEASON
Parks and Recreation
The Cape
Friends With Benefits
Perfect Couples
Harry's Law
The Paul Reiser Show (formerly "Next")
The Apprentice
The Marriage Ref
America's Next Great Restaurant
What are these new shows? Well...
The Event looks to be a serial drama about one man searching for his missing fianc?e and slowly uncovering a MASSIVE GLOBAL CONSPIRACY. Chase looks to be a more actiony crime drama from Jerry Bruckheimer, following US Marshals as they track down some of the Most Wanted and dangerous criminals.
Undercovers is a Spy drama from J. J. Abrams, who previously did Alias, which follows two retired and married spies called back into service (is this a named trope yet?). Law & Order: Los Angeles is --- Well, if you need a description of what it is you've probably got brain problems. Its abbreviated name is LOLA. Urgh.
Outsourced is gonna be a WaAaAaAaAcKy culture clash about a manager at a novelties manufacturing company (think Whoopee Cushion, and then die a little on the inside) being sent over seas to India where the company's call center is now located o help the new call center be... something... something... something that I can't continue with because honestly? This premise makes my insides cringe with What the FUCK Jeff Zucker.
Eh-hem.
Love Bites will be a romantic comedy anthology series. that about says it all for that.
Outlaw is where NBC emplows Conan O'Brien again, but only as an executive producer (it's through his company Conaco). The show itself follows a Supreme Court Justice who leaves his post to enter private practice again, and uses his inside knowledge of the system to help his clients. It stars Jimmy Smits.
And, for the Mid-season replacements? Well...
The Cape is about a cop, framed for murder, who then disappears from society, leaving behind his family, to become Batman (in reality, the favorite superhero of his son, the eponymous The Cape). Friends With Benefits sounds like it wants to be this one old show (called Friends) sooo bad. Perfect Couples is more of the same romantic comedy sitcom or something or other I can't be bothered to actually care about. The Paul Reiser Show is a sitcom that stars... Paul Reiser as... Paul Reiser. Yeah. Harry's Law is about a group of people looking for a fresh start starting up their own legal practice in a run-down shoe store. It is made by David E. Kelley, and is very likely to be awesome.
The other two shows I don't know jack shit about, but look like reality show garbage so I'm content with not knowing shit about them.
Edit: America's Next Great Restaurant will star Bobby Flay. So, it'll probably be like taking Kitchen Nightmares, removing the awesome Gordon Ramsay, and replacing it with 100% douchey douchebaggary. Also making it a reality competition probably. School Pride looks to be Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, only with schools.
.... tomorrow is Fox. Let's see what they place in the few slots not eaten up by reality show competitions! (Here's a preview: The American version of Torchwood is nowhere in sight! Fox passed on it, yay!)
First up, with an early Sunday upfront, is NBC. As you may have noticed, NBC did not do well this past year. In fact, they did quite badly. Catastrophically so. The dread combo of Jeff Zucker, who has the television programming sense of a broken toaster, and Jay Leno, who has a sense of humor that makes Dane Cook seem hilarious, completely blew up thier ratings will the immensely ill-advised Te Jay Leno Show, which had ratings so bad it killed the lead-in for the local 11/10 o'clock news, forcing affiliates to threaten to replace Jy Leno with something that would draw in higher ratings (like that terrible show based on the terrible Terry Goodkind books). This also lead to... well, that's been covered to death already. If you really want to relive it, just Google "CoCo" and let the Internet tell you that harrowing tale.
So, Jeff Zucker, profoundly bad and stupid decisions last year. Will they be repeated this year?
Law & Order has been canceled before it could have its record breaking 21st season.
Well, that's... not the best of starts.
Heroes has been canceled after four seasons, only the first of which could actually be described as 'good'. It will likely receive a two or four hour special to tie up its cliffhanger ending.
Better, better. Also on the cancellation docket are Mercy and Trauma, two shows I know nothing about except that they were medical or something and probably won't be missed.
Those are the only four cancellations announced, which means all the other shows, and yes, this includes their Thursday night comedy block and also includes Chuck, will be returning. Granted, they already had 5 empty hours of programming to fill after they flushed the turd that was Jay Leno out of primetime, so they already had lot of shows to get.
Well, anyway, here's the tentative schedule (subject to be changed later today/tomorrow/whenever):
MONDAY
8:00: Chuck
9:00: The Event
10:00: Chase
TUESDAY
8:00: The Biggest Loser
10:00: Parenthood
WEDNESDAY
8:00: Undercovers
9:00: Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
10:00: Law & Order: Los Angeles
THURSDAY
8:00: Community
8:30: 30 Rock
9:00: The Office
9:30: Outsourced
10:00: Love Bites
FRIDAY
8:00: Who Do You Think You Are?/School Pride
9:00: Dateline NBC
10:00: Outlaw
SATURDAY
Repeats
SUNDAY
7:00: Football Night in America
8:15: NBC Sunday Night Football
SUNDAY (beginning March 2011)
7:00: Dateline NBC
8:00: Minute to Win It
9:00: The Celebrity Apprentice
MIDSEASON
Parks and Recreation
The Cape
Friends With Benefits
Perfect Couples
Harry's Law
The Paul Reiser Show (formerly "Next")
The Apprentice
The Marriage Ref
America's Next Great Restaurant
What are these new shows? Well...
The Event looks to be a serial drama about one man searching for his missing fianc?e and slowly uncovering a MASSIVE GLOBAL CONSPIRACY. Chase looks to be a more actiony crime drama from Jerry Bruckheimer, following US Marshals as they track down some of the Most Wanted and dangerous criminals.
Undercovers is a Spy drama from J. J. Abrams, who previously did Alias, which follows two retired and married spies called back into service (is this a named trope yet?). Law & Order: Los Angeles is --- Well, if you need a description of what it is you've probably got brain problems. Its abbreviated name is LOLA. Urgh.
Outsourced is gonna be a WaAaAaAaAcKy culture clash about a manager at a novelties manufacturing company (think Whoopee Cushion, and then die a little on the inside) being sent over seas to India where the company's call center is now located o help the new call center be... something... something... something that I can't continue with because honestly? This premise makes my insides cringe with What the FUCK Jeff Zucker.
Eh-hem.
Love Bites will be a romantic comedy anthology series. that about says it all for that.
Outlaw is where NBC emplows Conan O'Brien again, but only as an executive producer (it's through his company Conaco). The show itself follows a Supreme Court Justice who leaves his post to enter private practice again, and uses his inside knowledge of the system to help his clients. It stars Jimmy Smits.
And, for the Mid-season replacements? Well...
The Cape is about a cop, framed for murder, who then disappears from society, leaving behind his family, to become Batman (in reality, the favorite superhero of his son, the eponymous The Cape). Friends With Benefits sounds like it wants to be this one old show (called Friends) sooo bad. Perfect Couples is more of the same romantic comedy sitcom or something or other I can't be bothered to actually care about. The Paul Reiser Show is a sitcom that stars... Paul Reiser as... Paul Reiser. Yeah. Harry's Law is about a group of people looking for a fresh start starting up their own legal practice in a run-down shoe store. It is made by David E. Kelley, and is very likely to be awesome.
The other two shows I don't know jack shit about, but look like reality show garbage so I'm content with not knowing shit about them.
Edit: America's Next Great Restaurant will star Bobby Flay. So, it'll probably be like taking Kitchen Nightmares, removing the awesome Gordon Ramsay, and replacing it with 100% douchey douchebaggary. Also making it a reality competition probably. School Pride looks to be Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, only with schools.
.... tomorrow is Fox. Let's see what they place in the few slots not eaten up by reality show competitions! (Here's a preview: The American version of Torchwood is nowhere in sight! Fox passed on it, yay!)