In news that everyone expected but still hoped against, FOX announced today that Dollhouse is officially cancelled. However, Joss will get to air all 13 episodes of his troubled, but mostly well-received drama. Again, this isn’t a shocker. S1 had pitiful ratings and the numbers for S2 were even worse. FOX yanked it from the sweeps schedule. But there was a sliver of hope out there for Whedonites and just general fans of the show like myself.

Alas, it was not to be. Surely the second half of S2 will continue the spike in quality seen since mid-way through S1 and fans will get a satisfying ending in a sense.

Oh, and Hank was axed today by ABC too. Clearly this is just as big as news as the other cancellation.

Image courtesy of TV Guide

According to TV Guide, it is – this week’s episode, “Fight Club,” got 8.54 million viewers. It’s surprisingly stacking up pretty well with CBS’s other Monday Night Comedy line-up Read the rest of this entry »

With this blog being operated by college students, there is always that one time each semester when things get a little slow. Sadly, that has been the last few weeks (thanks midterms!) but hopefully things will pick up here at least until finals come to whip our assess.

Anyway, while we were all busy, a number of stories developed (all mostly related to NBC of course), but I still wanted to give my two cents anyway.

Southland picked up by TNT

Right after NBC heinously axed the gritty cop drama Southland last month, fans were clamoring for it to be picked up by a cable network and most had TNT in mind. Well, it seems TNT had a similar thought, as the cable net officially picked up the program on Monday. The deal is for all 13 episodes (seven for S1 and the six un-aired ones from S2) and TNT will start airing them, in order on January 12 — opposite Jay Leno. Drama. Ausiello also spoke with star Michael Cudlitz who said TNT might add in a few cut scenes from the S1 episodes to make them even better. Though this is great news, TNT has NOT ordered any more “new” episodes of the program. It looks as though the net will wait and see with the agreement that if the ratings are good enough, more episodes will be ordered. All actors are being kept under contract. Read the rest of this entry »

Image courtesy of IGN

In a sort of surprising move (at least to me I guess), HBO has picked up Bored to Death for a second season. Not that I don’t like the show, it’s solid, but there really hasn’t been that much buzz about it. Critics were either marginally impressed or marginally disappointed with the initial offerings, but looks like HBO is willing to let the program grow.

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After years of waffling, speculation and somewhat douche-y behavior from Michael Cera, it looks as though the Arrested Development movie is pushing forward. Today, creator/executive producer Mitchell Hurwitz and co-executive producer James Valley revealed they are working the screenplay that will serve as follow-up to one of television’s most respected programs of all time.

How excited are you for this news? Will the content/format transition well to the big screen? And will this seriously happen this time?

Image courtesy of SFUniverse

I really hate that I’m having to do this already. This is only the first day of week 2 of the new television season and I’m having to whip up a piece lambasting the CW.

But when the network is this awful, it’s impossible not to comment. Read the rest of this entry »

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After only two fairly successful episodes against weaker competition, Glee has been given a full, 22-episode season order by FOX today, according to various sources.

After a 3.5 rating in the 18-49 demographic in week one, the ratings only dipped 9 percent in week two. Good news, but we’ll see how things go when there is a little more competition in coming weeks.

Nevertheless, Glee is awesome and hopefully it gets to stay in this timeslot through the season, so it can then follow American Idol in 2010.

The video above will allow you to watch the full premiere episode of The Jay Leno Show.

But you probably don’t want to, because for as much as NBC and Leno wanted us to think that there would be more different between the new program and the old program than the 95 minute-earlier timeslot, they lied. The Jay Leno Show is just like The Tonight Show with Jay Leno minus a desk. Read the rest of this entry »

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Ed note: This is the centerpiece to WEEKEND’s fall TV preview issue, written by me.

More doctor drama and Leno humor: These stories won’t go away

Every new season should bring new story lines, but over the past few years, we keep hearing about the same issues from the television industry – declining ratings, hemorrhaging audiences and the lack of break-out content.

But nearly two years removed from the start of the Writer’s Guild of America strike that disenfranchised audiences and crippled programming development for the 2008-09 season, this year’s slate of newbies marks a noticeable improvement over last year.

And though ratings will continue to drop due to the excess of streaming applications and outlets available, the industry is coming around to alternative measuring metrics, meaning networks will be more reluctant to cancel shows.

Thus, many of the main points in the television industry’s story remain, but there are indications of change. These five issues might re-write how the industry’s story plays out for years to come. Read the rest of this entry »

Speculation has run rampant about who would replace Paul Abdul after her exit from AMERICAN IDOL this summer, but FOX curbed that talk with a number of guest judges like Katy Perry, Victoria Beckham and and Mary J. Blige.

But tonight FOX stopped all speculation and probably created a whole new wave of discussion by hiring none another than Ellen DeGeneres.

Permanently. Read the rest of this entry »