I'm going to do a mid-term report card on each of the major networks, and perhaps one for cable. This will be a quick look at the state of each network in regards to new and returning dramas, comedies and reality television programs. What's working; what isn't; what the prognosis is before each network launches their mid-season replacements later this year.Grades will be determined based on a mixture of artistic merit and how the show is doing in the ratings. It is after all show business, and both are equally important. I'll have some personal assertions embedded as all grades are at least in part subjective, but equal weight will be given to an interpretation of the ratings for each program. All new shows will be dealt with individually, while I will group the returning shows together by genre.
Next up, NBC.....
Poor NBC. They are mired in last place, and nothing seems to be working for them this year. While each network (except FOX) has cancelled something, these poor schlubs have had to cancel two different shows: The Playboy Club and Free Agents. And they've only launched five shows so far.
Desperate for any kind of hit, I question the logic of holding back both of your most promising new dramas, Awake and Smash, until mid-season. It's not that all their fall shows have been horrible, quite the contrary actually, it's just there is nothing that is grabbing anyone (other than a rabid few) at anytime.
Things are so bad that at this point I wouldn't be surprised if Chuck was once more asked to produce additional shows, even though we have been told again these are Chuck's final 13 episodes.
Just how bad is it?
New Dramas Grade: C-**
The Playboy Club was an awful and misguided show. Promising to be a show about the empowerment of women, it decided to drive home that point by having the demonstrative female lead kill a man with her high heel and then take comfort and solace in the arms of a man. I had to turn it off before the end of the first episode. America agreed, and the show was cancelled after the third airing, making it the first new show to go this fall. GRADE: F (Artistically: F; Ratings Effort: F)
Prime Suspect is a sturdy cop show, with an intriguing leading actress in Maria Bello and a developing sense of humor. I was skeptical after watching the pilot when producer Peter Berg said that they would be dropping the heavy handed gender struggles. I was certain it was a mistake. This was the only thing that was making the show pop out of all the crime and cop shows elsewhere on the dial, and I didn't think that the show needed anything else to make it look like The Closer. Boy, was I wrong. Bello's Jane is still an outsider, but the workplace isn't nearly as hostile, and the guys respect her. The show is stronger for it. Bello's Jane is such a strong and confidant woman that it would be odd for anyone to not admire her. In want of an outward conflict, the show has developed a sly sense of humor, which is fairly appropriate given the dark matters the officers usually face. A recent episode featured three of the characters attempting to copy an crosstown run to blow a suspect's alibi. Jane went first and gave up in less than a block; the first guy to try it didn't do much better. It was fun, funny and totally in character. This show is really very good, but no one is watching it. The show probably would have been cancelled by now, but NBC can't cancel everything, and there is something to be said for quality. It has to move off of Thursdays, though. It is a black hole for ratings, finishing last for the night in its timeslot and 10th overall in total viewer for Thursdays, being beaten by the just cancelled Charlie's Angels. It is however NBC's second highest rated show of the evening. Demographically, it ties Angels for 12th place for the night (only beating The CW's The Secret Circle). GRADE: B- (Artistically: A; Ratings Effort: D+)
Grimm has yet to premiere. It launches Oct. 28, after being pushed back a week. Does NBC smell a stinker here? The "promos" certainly indicate that it may be really awful. And I strongly question the logic of putting this show opposite of the only other supernatural genre shows (Supernatural and Fringe). Won't people already desperate to choose between the two established shows abandon the newbie? Genre fans aren't known for abandoning their stories, even though Fringe is slightly down from last year, and Supernatural is considerably down. We shall see. GRADE: INCOMPLETE** New Comedies Grade: C
Up All Night is a delightful show that suffers from split personality disorder. The home-bound, new-parenting show is funny and good in and of itself. The accompanying workplace comedy needs a bit of work but is developing nicely. The show's two halves are fine, but together there is something lacking. I care about all the characters, and want to see more of them, but they haven't found the right balance yet. I get that Maya Rudolph's Ava is just a grown up baby, but they need to play into that a bit more, and resuscitate her jealous disdain of the infant Amy. Those are some of Rudolph's best beats. The ratings have not been unkind to the show. It is NBC's second highest rated comedy, following only The Office, and it outperforms all the other NBC Thursday comedies by at least 1 million viewers. By NBC standards it's a hit. The only question is does it languor on Wednesdays by itself (trying to establish a comedy beachhead against ABC really strong comedy shows) or does it go to Thursdays to help prop up the still fading (and in The Office's case aging) night? GRADE: B+ (Artistically: A-; Ratings Effort: B)
Free Agents was cancelled after the third episode aired. It couldn't keep the growing audience for Up All Night, and had to be let go. I understand that. It's sort of unfortunate as the show was really beginning to find its footing. There should be a place on network television for a romantic comedy, starring mature adults. The show was discovering its voice and Katherine Hahn had taken her role and the show itself far beyond the very degrading promo art they developed for it. NBC OnDemand had the fourth episode the other day, I hope they put the rest on there, as I don't think I'm done with the show, yet. GRADE: C- (Artistically: B; Ratings Effort: F)
Whitney should really be working, but it isn't. It's broad, crass and tonally incongruous with the rest of the NBC Thursday night line up. I finished one episode and haven't been back. I was afraid I was going to have to return because NBC picked up a full season of the show. But then something funny happened. The premiere had big for NBC numbers (nearly 7 million total viewers) , which fell off in the second week by a considerable margin (22% to 5.3 million). The third week the ratings sagged a bit (down another 8% to nearly 4.9 million), as did the rest of the night for NBC. NBC picked up a full season of the show, in part to help soften the blow of cancelling both Playboy Club and Free Agents earlier that week and in part because they rightfully thought they found the bottom rating number for the show. I became upset as I was afraid I might have to watch another episode later this season. Then this past Thursday all of NBC's numbers went up--except for Whitney and Prime Suspect (both dropped another 13%), now NBC has to be afraid of finding what the true bottom rating of the show is. GRADE: D (Artistically: D-; Ratings Effort: C-)Returning Dramas Grade: C+**
Parenthood is is its usual glowing self, with a tighter focus on the inner workings of the family. I like the Crosby/Adam business venture and I am intrigued by the return of John Corbett. The ratings haven't changed much in the last year, which surprises me a bit since it no longer has to go after the same audience as CBS' The Good Wife. Harry's Law has totally revamped its concept, and added a bunch of new cast members including that always excellent Mark Valley. It's also NBC's top show on Wednesday for total viewers (9th overall) but 13th overall in the demographic viewers (with even a Wednesday repeat of Whitney beating it in the demos). Law & Order: SVU seems to be stumbling a bit with the loss of Christopher Meloni's Stabler--down a million total viewers and off a tad in the demos. Chuck will premiere on Friday, Oct. 28 to finish out what they say will be their last 13 episodes, which I would have called a gift because the ratings were so, so low. If an emergency renewal has to come (because NBC is blowing chunks everywhere else), I beg the brass at NBC to let them tell the story they want to tell in the 13 episodes you have ordered. Bring them back next year for more if you have to. The show has suffered artistically the last two years when they got an order for more episodes in the middle of their pre-planned season arc. Those pre-planned arcs have been brilliant--the rest not so much.
Returning Comedies Grade: B
Community has been all over the place this season. The first episode was chaotic and over the top. The next two episodes dealt too much with "storyline" never Community's strong point, but the last episode dealing with the seven alternate realities was one of the strongest of the series, and one of the funniest shows of the week. The ratings however had been dreadful. I don't know how long NBC can keep this cult fave on the air. Quickly approaching cult status and the NBC chopping block is my favorite comedy on television, Parks and Recreation. I desperately want to keep watching this show for a long time, but the ratings have to change to do so. The comic highlights this season: Tammy 1's "help" with Ron's audit, the triangulation of all Ron's Tammys, Ben's gift to Leslie, Ben teaching Tom and Jean-Ralphio about accounting, the people who "worked" at Entertainment 720 including the welcome return of Detlef Schrempf, Leslie's secret origin, the formation of The Swansons and "Treat Yo'self!". The Office hasn't missed a beat since Michael Scott (the brilliant and totally under appreciated Steve Carrell) was replaced with Ed Helm's Andy Bernard character. After several seasons of he and Erin trying to take the Jim and Pam mantle, Andy comes into his own as the new boss, and the writers don't have to change a single storytelling beat; he's as cluelessly self-aware and full of harmless bravado as Michael was.
State of Reality Grade: C+**
Staying as far away from Wednesday and Thursday reality as you can get, NBC has wisely decided to limit their reality programming to Mondays and Tuesdays. They were hoping that they could get an established foothold for The Voice this winter by moving the acapella singing group show, The Sing-Off, from holiday programming to regular programming in the fall. It didn't happen. Audiences are ignoring the singing competition at almost all costs, which is too bad. It's not awful and Ben Folds is a great judge of talent, giving concise and insightful criticism. Last spring, I was shocked that NBC kept two hours of The Biggest Loser on its schedule. I thought for sure it was going to lose an hour. It didn't, though it has lost nearly 25% of its audience from last year. If it weren't for America's Night of Football on Sundays, NBC could just close up shop and walk away. It delivers top of the week ratings week in and week out. And it's football, you either love it or don't. NBC will premiere the news magazine Rock Center on Halloween night. It will feature Brian Williams and, in a news coup, Ted Koppel. I assume it will feature the news as well.
Reasons to Watch NBC: Parks and Recreation, Prime Suspect, Parenthood, Community, Up All Night, The Office
Reasons to Be Hopeful: Awake, Smash, BFFs, Are You There Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea, The Voice
Probable Outcomes by End of Season:
- Prime Suspect will be cancelled before the end of the season.
- Whitney will be tried out on a new night (Wednesdays) and probably still fail, leading to it not being renewed.
- I think we (and I use that pronoun liberally) are watching the last 22 episodes of Community, an oftentimes funny and groundbreaking series.
- Up All Night will be moved to Thursdays where it should have started anyway.
- Make sure The Voice is ready to go as soon as football is over, and hopefully before American Idol hits. If it can be two nights a week programming go for it. Do competition on Mondays and results on Tuesday.
- Be patient with Smash. Smash will follow the Monday episode of The Voice. When millions turn away because it's a very different kind of singing, that will be okay. Quality will out.
- Do an hour of Biggest Loser, and hour of The Voice and Parenthood on Tuesdays.
- Move Harry's Law and Prime Suspect to Fridays. You're going to have real estate open there in the winter months. Let's not waste Awake on Fridays.
- Do a new 2 hour comedy block on Wednesdays. Move Whitney there and pair it with the seemingly compatible Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea. Transplant one other low rated veteran comedy (30 Rock or Parks and Rec) and pair it with Bent for the 8:00 hour.
- Move the other low rated veteran comedy not on Wednesdays (30 Rock or Parks and Rec) to 8:00 on Thursdays and bench Community for a while this spring to give BFFs a shot. Move Up All Night to the post-Office slot and launch Awake at 10:00.
I'm going to do a mid-term report card on each of the major networks, and perhaps one for cable. This will be a quick look at the state of each network in regards to new and returning dramas, comedies and reality television programs. What's working; what isn't; what the prognosis is before each network launches their mid-season replacements later this year.
Hart of Dixie is a delightful little show that rests squarely on the charms of Rachel Bilson (Summer Roberts on The O.C.). It's cute, at times funny and almost always charming. It's not changing the face of television, and that is not its intent. It just wants to have a good time and show off hot, mid-20-somethings playing hot, mid-20-somethings. It's essentially a WB version of Northern Exposure. At times, they have even aped entire plotlines from the far-superior CBS series. This is not a bad thing. I say do more of it. Except for re-runs of Prime Suspect, it is oftentimes the best show on Monday nights. The ratings have not been unkind to it. It regularly builds on lead in Gossip girl in both total viewers and the key 18-49 demographics. GRADE: B (Artistically: B+; Ratings Effort: B-)
Ringer should be a fun, trashy tella novella romp rife with mistaken identities and madcap and ultra campy wickedness. Instead, it is a far too earnest and dour series that wastes the bountiful and audacious talents of Sarah Michelle Gellar. Sigh. I have always had the inkling that the series was could move that direction, and if it does, I may check back into it, but it's definitely not for me right now. Ratings wise, it is doing well: far improving on its 90210 lead in in total viewers, and holding its own in the demographics. GRADE: C (Artistically: C-; Ratings Effort: B-)
The Secret Circle is a promising new show from the creators of The Vampire Diaries done in a very similar style and format as The Vampire Diaries. I love The Vampire Diaries. I could probably love this show as well, but there's only so much teen drama I can watch, so I've given it a pass. Ratings wise, it's doing far worse than Nikita was in this time slot last fall. By the spring Nikita had lost enough viewers that this show is doing a little bit better, but if it too hemorrhages viewers this winter, it will be doing very poorly in comparison. GRADE: C (Artistically: B-; Ratings Effort: D+) 
Here’s a cumulative list of the standings of each of the five broadcast networks, with detailed breakdown/rankings at the on the new shows. Like all grades these are averages over time. And they reflect an equal compilation of an artistic grade (purely subjective) to an interpretation of ratings performance (mostly subjective). If grades were equal, I ranked the artistically scoring one higher.
What a difference a year makes. A year ago I was lamenting the fact that albums were dying on the vine, and that I was spending far more time and money on singles. There was a distinct reversal of that trend in 2011. I own more new (and good) albums from this year than I ever have.
This is a bit of a cheat as there were two albums from the Black Keys that I fell in love with this year, and they both factor in this "win". El Camino and their 2010 release Brothers. I purchased Brothers early in 2010 after putting "Howling For You" on my end of year singles list. I fell in love with the whole kit and kaboodle, as did much of America. The success of Brothers is felt in every track of El Camino, as the new album is a victory lap of fun for the Ohio based duo, yet there is some complex musical darkness that creeps in as well. I especially like the Kansas-inspired riffs in "Little Black Submarines" as the boys explore a descent into love soaked madness. They and El Camino are truly great, and I am anxious to see them in concert in March.
In my mind there were few albums that were as diverse or rocked nearly half as hard as the most recent collection by the Fighters Foo. In my original review I said that you "come to the Foo Fighters for honesty--honest thoughts, honest feelings and honest rock." And honestly that's what they provide in spades. Genre busting turns that play to sentimental heartstrings are the backbone of rock and roll and few bands get that like the Foo Fighters, and Wasting Light is them at the top of their game.
Wild Flag, a sort of Riot Grrrl supergroup, are the only group to give Foo Fighters a run for their rock and roll money this year. They only fall short because of the unadulterated greatness of Wasting Light. This is not to say that their eponymously titled album Wild Flag isn't great, because it is. Their single "Romance" should have been the song of the summer, and in my mind it was--so there. More squarely a punk sound, the Wild Flag album meanders off into a few other notable directions, while never betraying its experienced rock core. It's a great album that should be cherished by all ages.
I cannot believe that Paul Simon can still create beautiful, worthwhile and meaningful songs after first breaking into the business nearly 50 years ago. I cannot believe that So Beautiful So What is his greatest solo album since Graceland almost 30 years ago. I also cannot believe that Grammy voters could fail to honor this magnificent album and Simon's significant and artistic achievement. It's a travesty.
The Kid hates it because it is low key and haunting, but that's just why I love it. Too often writers use dream-like or magical to describe a piece of art. It has now become hyperbole. However, Build a Rocket, Boys! is like listening to a dream realized. Electronica, children's choruses and electric guitars collide in unusual and intriguing ways--shifting to welcome and surprising musical landscapes that gel together in a fashion that no other album does this year. Sure it may rely heavily on a Sting-influence, but that's not a bad thing at all. A great album for a snowy day or a quiet evening floating in the pool.
Formed by the lead singers of the indie groups Delta Spirit, Dawes and Deer Tick, Middle Brother is a perfect introduction to those other three superior musical groups. Having been a long time fan of Delta Spirit, I was excited to get some similar music this year, and thrilled to then follow up on the excellent 2011 releases by Dawes and Deer Tick. And while I really liked both of those new debut albums (especially Deer Tick's Divine Providence), it's the introductory Middle Brother album I find myself lighting up again and again.
What a fun, take-on-the-man-and-grind-him-under-your-boot album. And it's funny and sexy, too. I don't listen to a lot of country music, but I am glad to have this album. My original review is here.
The only thing I listen to less than country is probably rap, but there is something about The Roots that I cannot deny. undun is possibly their best album ever. It's tragic and beautiful and uplifting and powerful. Not a strict rap album per se, but it does sample a variety of musical forms to tell the story of a young man and what happens after he gets shot. A major shout out to their engaging and smartly produced app that you can download for free. There was a lot of care and love that went into this production and it deserves far more attention than it is getting.
When I first heard this album, I was sure it was a re-release of some long-forgotten Detroit group from the 1970's. Instead it's a vital and thrilling contemporary pump guaranteed to get your juices flowing and your booty shaking. Black Joe Lewis successfully mines the sounds of yesteryear to produce a true gem of an album for today. Buy it now. You won't be sorry.
A fine debut by a fine punk pop band, Celebrasion doesn't uncover any new ground lyrically or thematically but they do attack the music with a primal scrawl that is infectious and fun. Easily the best pop punk album this year in a year when punk seems rather passe.
Okay, so I know there's a big fish missing, and I think my reasoning for leaving the biggest album of the year off this list deserves a bit of explanation. Adele's 21 is a fine achievement and it will receive a lot of awards. A lot. I don't begrudge it, or especially her, anything that may go that way in the next few months. She is an unique and astounding talent that deserves as many accolades as possible. 21, however, is not a great album. Half of it is astounding and worth repeated listens. There are 5 amazing tracks that are some of the best pop music this year: "Rolling in the Deep", "Rumor Has It", "Someone Like You", "Set Fire to the Rain" and the Cure cover "Lovesong". The rest is the sort of pablum they used to make American Idol winners sing on the final night of the competition. Only "Turning Tables" has enough balls to move beyond the white piano and blue back light ambiance of the rest of the album to almost join the other five songs. If I were giving award for Best Half of an Album 21 would certainly get it, but I'm not.
