*** Television Fall 2010 ***

[bicker]

Updated the Fall Schedule message, located at the beginning of this thread, based on the announcement of The CW of their fall schedule. This is the final of the big network upfront presentations, so the schedule is pretty-much completed now. We won't really know what the cable networks will offer on which nights until much later.

The biggest surprise from the CW is the re-pairing of Smallville and Supernatural. Previously, they were both on Thursday. Smallville was moved to Friday this past season; now Supernatural joins Smallville on Friday night.

 

[bicker]

More detail later, but I have some initial impressions of the fall schedule, now that the upfronts are over.

My wife and I see it as a much thinner schedule coming this coming fall, as compared to the last few falls.

Not unexpected, though. I've been saying for about that long that the Golden Age of Broadcast Television is coming to an end. Seriously, we will have to supplement from somewhere. The OTA channels look like they'll feed us 22 hours per week, which would normally be enough, but that leaves us dry on weeks when reruns are broadcast. A typical series will have 4 weeks of reruns from the season premiere through New Years.

Last fall, we set 27 series up to record, watched 23 of them (just ignoring the other 4), and that kept us entertained. So even if every show we record this fall is not only a ratings success but also something we like, we're still going to be short an hour per week. (And that's including the 4 I indicated above are ones we're likely to either not like or likely to be canceled prematurely.)

It's not just a matter of picking up series on cable. We already do that, so figure that that's factored in. And I don't think we can expect that there will be more cable series to pick up this fall, than last fall. From what I can see, this early, cable isn't significantly increasing their offerings, and so we're as likely to take in just as much (if not less) cable this fall than we did last fall.

 

[bicker]

Sunday
10:00-11:00 pm
__________ABC: Brothers & Sisters

It should noted that the renewal of Brothers & Sisters was for only 18 episodes, not a full 22 episodes.

The series was the target of very substantial cost-cutting for this coming year. Word was what they needed to cut at least to major stars' salaries to make ends meet. Rob Lowe helped out, a bit, by leaving the series at the end of this past season. There were rumors that Calista Flockhart was asking to pay a reduced role next season - that could represent another half-salary saved. Patricia Wettig has also been mentioned as another major actor who may not return next season (especially after the events of this past season's finale).

Four fewer episodes next season may seem like it would also help relieve the budgetary gap. However, remember that four fewer episodes means four fewer episodes worth of advertising revenue. Four fewer episodes may translate into a season finale in the April 25 time-frame, i.e., before May sweeps, and that typically indicates that they expect it to be the final season (and they don't expect a big turn-out for the series finale).

 

[bicker]

oops, wrong thread

 

[bicker]

Though it probably will not be presented until winter, Secret Diary of a Call Girl has been renewed for a fourth and final season.

 

[kinntj]

It should noted that the renewal of Brothers & Sisters was for only 18 episodes, not a full 22 episodes.

The series was the target of very substantial cost-cutting for this coming year. Word was what they needed to cut at least to major stars' salaries to make ends meet. Rob Lowe helped out, a bit, by leaving the series at the end of this past season. There were rumors that Calista Flockhart was asking to pay a reduced role next season - that could represent another half-salary saved. Patricia Wettig has also been mentioned as another major actor who may not return next season (especially after the events of this past season's finale).

Four fewer episodes next season may seem like it would also help relieve the budgetary gap. However, remember that four fewer episodes means four fewer episodes worth of advertising revenue. Four fewer episodes may translate into a season finale in the April 25 time-frame, i.e., before May sweeps, and that typically indicates that they expect it to be the final season (and they don't expect a big turn-out for the series finale).

This news is disappointing. At least 18 is better than nothing.

 

[bicker]

CBS has ordered comedy Mad Love, about a quartet of single friends in New York City, as a mid-season replacement. It stars Jason Biggs, Sarah Chalke, Judy Greer and Tyler Labine.

Read more: http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news/2010/06/29/cbs-falls-in-mad-love/20100629cbs02

 

[bicker]

Updated the third message in this thread to reflect the announcement of practically all the season premiere dates for ABC television series.

 

[bicker]

Updated the Fall Schedule at the beginning of this thread to reflect the removal of Love Bites from the fall schedule. Bad sign for that show...

 

[bicker]

Updated the beginning of this thread to reflect NBC's and FX's release of their season premiere dates for fall.

 

[chirurgeon]

Not sure if this is the right place for this but:


http://ausiellofiles.ew.com/2010/07/14/ask-ausiello-spoilers-office-bones-supernatural/

I did post it on the Bones thread. I don't watch the other shows.

Kim

 

[bicker]

I'm not sure I like the idea of [SPOILER (highlight to view)]so much push-pull between Brennan and Booth. I'm a sappy, sentimental 'shipper, I admit -- the only thing worse than Brennan and Booth being "not together" is either of them being with someone else, and that being a fundamental part of the plotline. [/SPOILER]

I do find it interesting, though, just thinking about the series in general, that it is considered one of Fox's mainstays. Not as strong as House, of course, but there is little thought to axing Bones, now. Contrast that to just a year and a bit ago, when there were indications that Fox was ready to exile the show to Friday nights, a just-before-death time-slot.

 

[LuvCuteBoys]

CBS has ordered comedy Mad Love, about a quartet of single friends in New York City, as a mid-season replacement. It stars Jason Biggs, Sarah Chalke, Judy Greer and Tyler Labine.

Read more: http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news/2010/06/29/cbs-falls-in-mad-love/20100629cbs02

I absolutely adore Judy Greer and cannot figure out why she isn't a household name.

So aggravated that they moved 90210 to Mondays. Ugh. Guess I'll have to watch it online

And just for the record (not that anyone cares), I think $#!* My Dad Says is a stupid title for a tv show. They should have just changed it to a word that you can actually say on TV.

Some of the new stuff looks good... and is it childish that the one I'm kinda looking forward to is that show on TBS about going off to college in the 80s? LOL.

 

[bicker]

And just for the record (not that anyone cares), I think $#!* My Dad Says is a stupid title for a tv show. They should have just changed it to a word that you can actually say on TV.

Of course, with the FCC being soundly spanked this past week for its incessant overreaching of its authority regarding censoring of television content, we're likely to see a distinct relaxation of the stifling control the FCC has tried to assert for the last eight or nine years. (The courts called the FCC's actions, "chilling".) I think the FCC has finally gone too far, and in doing so undercut their credibility enough that they won't be able to credibly assert even reasonable application of standards, for years to come.

Regardless, it's interesting seeing how each different news outlets handle the title of Shatner's series. Some of them won't show the actual name of the series, replacing "$#!*" with "(bleep)". As a matter of fact, "$#!*" was actually not the original symbolic in the title. It was originally a different set of characters, that much more closely resembled the vulgar word symbolized.

Some folks have suggested a better name for the series would have been "Shat My Dad Says", alluding to the star of the series.

Some of the new stuff looks good... and is it childish that the one I'm kinda looking forward to is that show on TBS about going off to college in the 80s? LOL.

I try to be up-beat about what television offers, and for the last decade of so, it hasn't been hard to do so. We've truly lived through what is really the "Golden Age of Television" - that 1950's stuff was crap compared to the wonderful dramas that have been offered to us in recent years.

However, I think 2010-2011 will come to be known as "the first year after the Golden Age of Television". While there is some good stuff, surely, I'm seeing a lot less good stuff being offered than last year. It seems like the downward trend (inevitable for several reasons often-discussed in the forums) has begun.

That doesn't mean we can't enjoy the good stuff that is still offered.

 

[LuvCuteBoys]

I remember reading the comments about that ruling and I don't think I commented on the thread because it was so... weird. LOL. I have no problem with the word itself, so I wouldn't care if they used it. But since (at least at this point) they aren't allowed to, I wish they would have titled it differently. 'Shat' would have been a great solution! The show sounds funny, but the title irrationally annoys me.

Shows are so much more sophisticated these days. Even the bad ones, it seems. The crazy thing is, I absolutely adore Mad Men and cannot wait until next week when it comes back. But I don't think anyone would have appreciated the show if it actually was around during the timeframe it took place. If that makes any sense at all.

I need a nice mix of good drama and complete fluff. Who knows what kind of mood I'll be in when I get home from work So I appreciate that there are people willing to make TV shows that aren't always about DNA evidence and vampires!! College in the 80s might make me feel nostalgic, which is an emotion I tend to enjoy.

And frequently, the shows that stick around are the ones that I'll read the blurb about and think "ugh, stupid!" I agree that the new crop of shows doesn't have the same pull that they have had in years past. A lot of them seem like they were already done. Should be interesting.

 

[bicker]

Caprica will return with what will essentially be its second season (although by production codes, it is just the second half of its first season) in January, essentially paralleling how many other cable series are handled, with something close to ten to twelve episodes per year, as opposed to the originally-anticipated 19. I'll be looking forward to its return in the winter.

 

[bicker]

Updated the beginning of this thread to reflect the announcement of CBS' season premiere dates.

As with the other major networks, CBS has packed practically all their premieres into that one week, September 20-26. However, CBS has a few extended premieres, so a couple of these programs (The Good Wife, and CSI: Miami) will premiere a week later.

 

[gometros]

Updated the beginning of this thread to reflect the announcement of CBS' season premiere dates.

As with the other major networks, CBS has packed practically all their premieres into that one week, September 20-26. However, CBS has a few extended premieres, so a couple of these programs (The Good Wife, and CSI: Miami) will premiere a week later.

I probably missed it, but was Heroes definitely canceled, since I don't see it on the fall schedule?

 

[bicker]

That's correct. There have been rumors of some kind of wrap-up television movie, but most of those rumors were started by fans. There have been no serious negotiations yet.

It seems to me that it is if there ever is a wrap-up, that it will be missing significant portions of the cast and crew, since trying to get them all back together, at this point in time, for something that is not even very likely to help any of their careers, is going to be very difficult. More specifically, I would figure that the members of the cast who are going on to successful careers are the ones most unlikely to sign-up for a wrap-up. Think about a wrap-up without Claire, for example.

 

[bicker]

As with the other major networks, CBS has packed practically all their premieres into that one week, September 20-26. However, CBS has a few extended premieres, so a couple of these programs (The Good Wife, and CSI: Miami) will premiere a week later.

NBC has now changed a few premieres, so that they're not all packed tightly together any longer. The beginning of this thread has been updated to reflect those changes.