Hey folks!

We’ve looked forward to next season for the past couple weeks, but before we get into the doldrums of summer, I want to look back to what we have seen since September of 2008. Therefore, over the next week or so I’m going to analyze various shows, probably one a day. I will point out the highs, lows and everything in between of all your favorite programs. The schedule will hopefully be as follows:

Monday, June 1: “Smallville”
Tuesday, June 2: “Lost”
Wednesday, June 3: “Supernatural”
Thursday, June 4: “House”
Friday, June 5: “The Office”
Saturday, June 6: “Fringe”
Sunday, June 7: “24″

Stay tuned!

Of all the networks, CBS’ schedule is the most boring – and it should be to viewers like us. The eyeball network targets most of its shows towards older viewers and I guess since older people like solving crimes, almost all of the network’s programming is nearly identical. However, critics can make fun of CBS’ procedural fixation all they want, but CBS is getting the last laugh by being the only network that had a ratings increase during the tough 08-09 season.

Let’s take a look. Read the rest of this entry »

I know, I know. It’s late, but dumb life keeps getting in the way.

The CW brass sucks. We all know this. The decisions made by Dawn Ostroff are constant reminders of how not to run a major television network, depending on your view of demographic targeting and such.

For me, targeting all your programing towards one small niche market is smart on the surface. At this point, the CW is never going to be that successful in terms of competition with the other big networks, so they might as well act like a cable network targeting a certain demo.

But the thing is, the media and critics are still going to think of the CW as a major network. And maybe they should, considering that the money behind the network is coming from major industry players who have high expectations, or at least I’d imagine so. But nevertheless, the CW continues to target young girls, even though they don’t watch television that much [live, DVR'ed, online or otherwise]. Let’s scope the schedule. Read the rest of this entry »

Ed note: Again, this was a WEEKEND review product, but fits well here too!

This is how a comeback is done folks. Read the rest of this entry »

Ed note: This was originally written for WEEKEND, but not sure if it will run or not. Either way, this is as good a place as any.

It is an over-used label in the television industry, but it must be said: “Friday Night Lights” is the best show you are not watching. Read the rest of this entry »

Ohhhhhhhhh NBC. How you seem to have such promise and then screw it all up on so many occasions. Only time well tell how this schedule, which seems at least somewhat promising, will turn out.

Obviously, the biggest news for NBC was that they decided to bring back “Chuck,” and everything after that was a little less important, at least in the opinion of the internet community.

All that aside, NBC is usually out ahead of the other networks in terms of techniques outside of the creative process of making a good show, and they’re at it again with this new schedule. NBC is going with the split schedule just like Fox, but taking it one step further by dialing back the orders of most of their shows, which allows them to have more shows, even with Jay Leno taking up 10 PM five days a week. Could 13 episode orders of much of its shows help NBC?

Let’s scope the sked. Read the rest of this entry »

Coming into upfronts, ABC had the most work to do. The alphabet network clearly had the most holes in its schedule.

Looking back over the past two years of development, ABC has only three scripted shows that have survived since debuting in the 2007-08 or 2008-09 seasons – “Private Practice,” “Castle” and “Better Off Ted.” That’s sort of pathetic right? Think of all the high-profile failures ABC has had since “Lost” and “Desperate Housewives” brought them back, including “Pushing Daisies,” “The Nine,” “Commander in Chief,” among others [though they weren't necessarily creative failures].

So like I said, ABC has a lot of holes to fill, and with a staggering 11 new programs coming, hopefully the network can do that. Let’s check it out. Read the rest of this entry »

Ed note: This piece appeared in the 05/21 issue of WEEKEND

This week has been all about next season for the television industry. New programs are being introduced and old ones picked up for another season, all in preparation for the network up-fronts (where the major networks present their schedules for advertisers).

But as exciting as it is to get sneak peeks at the new shows coming down the pike, and as nerve racking as it is for fans of shows on the cancelation bubble, the networks curbed all those emotions by making some really dumb choices. Most of those choices deal with a network bringing back a show it would usually have no business renewing. Read the rest of this entry »

[Ed Note: I know I'm late to the party on these, but I want to announce that we'll be releasing podcasts analyzing each schedule in more detail in the coming days -- so be excited for that!]

Aside from maybe CBS, Fox had the least amount of change to their schedule in terms of canceling and renewing programs. The “Dollhouse” pick up was obviously a shocker, but aside from that, no choice that the network made really blew the doors off of things. Let’s take a look via Variety: Read the rest of this entry »

VIC-TOR-Y!

After rumors bubbled up over the weekend, NBC finally confirmed it – “Chuck” will return next season. Read the rest of this entry »