New Fall Season Mid-Term Report: ABC

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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.

First up, ABC.....



ABC was in fairly desperate straits going into the 2011 fall season.  Their last breakout hit was Modern Family two seasons ago, and their once successful drama slate (Desperate Housewives, Grey's Anatomy, Lost, Brothers and Sisters) was either showing its age or had already left the network.

They had an aggressive development slate last spring:  13 hour long dramas and 10 half hour comedies.  When all was said and done ABC picked up more than half of the slate:  8 dramas and 5 comedies.  They are launching 4 of the dramas (Pan Am, Charlie's Angels, Revenge and Once Upon a Time, which will debut on Oct. 23) and 3 of the comedies (Suburgatory, Last Man Standing and Man Up, which will debut on Oct. 18) this fall. 

So how are they doing?


New Dramas     Grade:  C**
Revenge is a moderate hit, and is one of the first network dramas to pop in the Wednesdays at 10:00 slot in a while.  Artistically, it's a bit one-note, but many people are responding to the guilty pleasure escapism; it's the show Ringer wants to be.  Emily VanCamp and Madeline Stowe are pretty good, as they should be.  GRADE:  B-  (Artistically:  C+; Ratings Effort:  B)

Pan Am is artistically the strongest of the ABC dramas premiering this fall.  It's witty, and so, so pretty to look at.  The cast is mostly strong, with Christina Ricci and Margot Robbie my favorite of the stewardesses.  It is purely Mad Men-lite, but that's okay.  I sometimes like to not think.  However, Americans don't like what they saw.  After premiering to really good numbers, the ratings have plummeted each week.  A week ago I would have guessed that we would get a full season of the show, but now, I'm not so sure.  GRADE:  B-  (Artistically:  A-; Ratings Effort: D+)

Charlie's Angels was difficult for not only me to watch, but for most Americans.  It was cancelled on Friday.  GRADE:  F  (Artistically:  F; Ratings Effort:  F)

Once Upon a Time is yet to debut.  Reviews and word of mouth have been mostly positive, and there has been a lot of money put into marketing for the show.  But with Desperate Housewives and Pan Am both tanking, I wonder if it stands a chance of catching on.  I know that since the advent of the DVR, we create our own networks, but to hang a high concept show like Once out there essentially on its own is a little disconcerting.  GRADE:  INCOMPLETE**


New Comedies     Grade:  B-**
Suburgatory is a really good show and by far my favorite of the new network comedies.  It's witty, sardonic and well acted by both Jane Levy and Jeremy Sisto, as the newly relocated daughter-father pair.  The show's voice will remind you of the equally good, but much more earnest, MTV comedy Awkward. from earlier this summer.  I'm a big early fan as is America.  Its ratings improve on its lead in, The Middle, and it is ABC second most watched program of the night after Modern Family.  And that's where the show should go, after Modern Family at 9:30.  The ratings warrant it, and I think the show is a tad too risque to be on at 8:30.  I haven't let The Kid watch an episode though I think she would enjoy most of it.  GRADE:  A-  (Artistically:  A; Ratings Effort:  B+)

Last Man Standing is Tim Allen's somewhat triumphant return to series television.  Allen is a bonafide television star, and as such he knows how to handle the enormous task of leading a multi-camera comedy on his manly shoulders.  However, Allen and the inherent premise of the program (how can a man be a man in this female driven world) feel very 1994 to me.  Though I must admit the Merry-Wives-of-Windsor-inspired antlers at the end of each promo make me chuckle each time I see them.  I am working on a piece about the shocking gender whiplash that this new television season is having, and Last Man is indicative of a disturbing trend.  America however isn't as turned off as I am to the show.  The ratings were fairly strong, but not nearly what one would expect Allen to command.  The truth will be in the subsequent airing this week and next.  As ABC saw with Pan Am, numbers can turn south quickly, and being paired with the seemingly DOA Man Up won't help matters too much.  GRADE:  B-**  (Artistically:  C-; Ratings Effort:  A-**)

Man Up has yet to premiere, but word of mouth and the reviews have been almost universally poor.  Only time and Tuesday will tell.  GRADE:  INCOMPLETE**

Returning Dramas     Grade:  C-
Desperate Housewives, now in its final season, is having record low ratings; and even I have given up artistically on the show  (and I rarely give up on a show).   Castle is doing okay business (great numbers in total viewers, but not so great in the 18-49 demo), but can't seem to catch Hawaii 5-0; it needs a jolt in the arm a lackluster season of Dancing with the Stars is not giving it.  Body of Proof is sinking fast as Dancing with the Stars isn't helping it in the least.  Grey's Anatomy is ABC's highest rated drama in the 18-49 demographic, but it is being beaten in both total viewers and target demos by freshman comedy Suburgatory.  Private Practice can't seem to keep even Grey's dwindling numbers.

Returning Comedies     Grade: B+
Two years ago, and even for most of last season, ABC had the best night of comedy:  Wednesdays.  Modern Family broke out of the gate in the 2009-2010 season, and brought The Middle and Cougar Town along with it mostly.  The other two shows (though oftentimes Family's artistic equal) couldn't measure up ratings wise.  ABC was desperate to find a suitable match both in quality and ratings.  It appears they have found it in Suburgatory.  Modern Family is ABC's crown jewel both in ratings and artistic qualities.  The Middle has been a little more uneven artistically this season, but the ratings seem to have leveled off.  Cougar Town is being held back to mid-season, because, even though it is beloved, it usually lost nearly half of Modern Family's ratings.  ABC thought they had something with Happy Endings, which aired at 10:00 last spring.  It did all right in the ratings, but the buzz was high.  The show has continued to be strong artistically, but it is doing Cougar Town (or worse) ratings.  ABC is now in a real quandary.  They can't keep Cougar Town or Happy Endings behind Modern Family, and neither show would really work at 8:30.  Do they launch a new show there and hope it succeeds where others haven't, or do they move Suburgatory behind Family, and launch a new show at 8:30? 

State of Reality     Grade:  C+
Dancing with the Stars rises and falls with the quality of the stars.  This season is one of the lowest rated seasons in a while.  Oh, well; ABC gives three hours a week to the show.  20/20 does fine but isn't burning any bridges on Friday night.  America's Funniest Videos is in its 23rd season and it has more total viewers each week than every scripted show on NBC except Harry's Law, Law & Order:  SVU and Saturday Night Live.  Extreme Makeover:  Home Edition does even better, but will be moving to Fridays when Once Upon a Time starts in a few weeks.

Reasons to Watch ABC:  Modern Family, Suburgatory, Happy Endings, Pan Am and The Middle

Reasons to Be Hopeful:  Once Upon a Time, and the upcoming mid-season shows The River, Good Christian Belles, The B---- in Apt. 23, Cougar Town

Probable Outcomes by End of Season:

• Cancellations for Desperate Housewives (already done), Pan Am and Body of Proof.
• Private Practice moves to another night, so that something big (The River or GCB) can try to take Thursdays at 10:00 which no network owns outright currently.  
• Both Happy Endings and Cougar Town won't make it out of the season alive.  
• If ratings hold for Last Man Standing, then Allen's show will get a full season, and a pick up for next year; if not, then it will at least get to finish out its order with dignity.  
• Man Up will be cancelled by Christmas and Work It may not even make it to air. 
• Revenge stays on Wednesdays for now, but may clear out temporarily for Scandal or Missing.

New Fall Season Mid-Term Report: CBS

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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, CBS.....

CBS has been television's most watched network for almost a decade.  Millions of viewers flock to almost everything they air.  Their brand is so successful (oftentimes called the Crime Broadcasting System) that it becomes very difficult to get  a new show on their network.  Last spring they greenlighted only 4 dramas and 2 comedies; 5 of these shows premiered this fall.  Oftentimes the shows will come out of the gate as either a hit or a miss.  There is little middle ground.  This fall has proved surprisingly problematic as there's been one hit, one miss, and three that have made little impact.

Their main problem lies in the average age of their viewer.  Their shows (most of which have been on the network for a decade) still attract the viewers they first did.  Meaning their audience ages as their shows do.  In order to have that breakout hit, the network needs to tap into that 18-49 age demographic, which aren't watching most of their programming.  The other inherent problem is that scripted shows cannot run forever--eventually something has to give.  But right now, it's fairly steady as she goes.

So what's what?


New Dramas     Grade:  C+
Unforgettable is as much a hit as the displaced former resident of the Tuesdays at 10:00 slot, The Good Wife.  The new Poppy Montgomery vehicle appears to have leveled off at about the same levels as Julianna Margulies' far more delicious show averaged last year.  That's gotta be a bit discouraging, especially since The Good Wife has lost some viewers in its move to Sunday.  Unforgettable is a show that is absolutely unsurprising.  It's a perfect CBS procedural, taking the same cases we have seen for ten years and dressing them up just a bit differently, with different actors playing the same sort of characters we have come to recognize indelibly as those that solve crimes.  There's absolutley nothing wrong with it, but nothing right with it either.  GRADE:  C  (Artistically:  C; Ratings Effort:  C)

The Gifted Man is at least not a show about crime.  The cast is strong with Patrick Wilson bringing just the right amount of prickishness to the at times overbearing sentimentality to the show.  Hopefully the recent addition of Rachelle Lefevre as the new doc in charge of the clinic will continue to add some acidity to the show which is just one spoonful sugar away from being too much.  I'd also like a bit more humor.  Ratings wise the show isn't burning up the airwaves on Fridays at 8:00, but it isn't doing any worse than anything else that has aired there in recent years (spiritual kin Medium, The Ghost Whisperer).   GRADE:  B-  (Artistically:  B+; Ratings Effort:  C)

Person of Interest was one of my most anticipated shows of the fall.  It stars Jim Cavizel (The Passion's Jesus) and Micahel Emerson (Lost's Ben Linus).  Together they go out to stop crimes before they happen.  The show comes from the minds of Josh Nolan (the most recent Batman movies) and J.J. Abrams (creator of some of my favorite genre television shows:  Alias, Fringe, Lost).  They were going to back off from the mythology and give us a great action/adventure show for adults.  Instead they gave us Person of Interest.  I tried.  I really, really tried.  I think by trying to keep it so accessible it gave us nothing to latch onto.  It is aimless, backing away from making any salient points about the oppressiveness of modern technology in a post-Patriot Act world.  There's so much here that could be really, really cool.  Unfortunately, it's not.   Ratings-wise, the show premiered pretty well, and it looked like CBS had made a smart move.  Since then the ratings have cooled off, and while it still soundly wins the hours in total viewers, it isn't doing the numbers in either total viewers or the 18-49 demographic that CSI did in the time slot last year.  GRADE:  C-  (Artistically:  C-; Ratings Effort:  C-)


New Comedies     Grade:  C-
2 Broke Girls is the comedy hit that CBS has been looking for since Big Bang Theory made its mark three years ago.  It premiered to huge numbers after Two and a Half Men, and then settled down to still better than its lead-in when it moved to after How I Met Your Mother.  The numbers aren't Modern Family breakout hit, but they are better than Mike and Molly's were a year ago when it was the only new comedy on any network to be renewed.  How's the show?  Well, when it focuses in on Kat Dennings and Beth Behrs, it's pretty good.  They have an off-putting yet warm chemistry that makes the show more than watchable, raunchy but watchable.  When they bring in the other regulars (them that's at the diner) the show is fairly horrid.  Fortunately most of the diner stuff has been relegated to one or two lines a week, other than the frightfully stereotyped Asian boss.  He keeps getting stuff to do, way to much stuff to do.  I haven't committed fully to the show yet, but keep watching as Mondays have become uncharacteristically weak for me. GRADE:  B  (Artistically: B-; Ratings Effort:  B+)

How to Be a Gentleman looked to be a good companion piece to Big Bang Theory.  Turns out that theory was incorrect.  The numbers for the show dropped off at an alarming rate, for more than last year's Shit My Dad Says, and now the show has been relegated to Saturday nights where it will air the rest of the shows that it has made.  It is in effect cancelled.  It was another of those shows that I couldn't get through even the first episode. GRADE:  F  (Artistically:  F; Ratings Effort:  F)


Returning Dramas     Grade:  C+
Hawaii 5-0, like most of the rest of the CBS drama slate, does nothing for me personally, but it is such a pretty show to look at.  The numbers haven't increased a whole lot.  NCIS and NCIS:  LA continue to be two of the most watched television shows anywhere.  It's amazing to think that JAG, a show NBC cancelled in 1996 and CBS picked up the next year, could still be a wise investment, spinning off NCIS in 2003, then NCIS:  LA in 2009, giving CBS three top rated shows for 15 years.  Criminal Minds continues to dominate all other Wednesday night shows, except Modern Family; it has even increased its demo ratings over last year.  CSI, now on Wednesdays with added Ted Danson, is on a creative upturn which is fortunate as the ratings are softer than they were on Thursdays at 9:00.  That said, this was a smart CBS move as the show does better business on Wednesdays than anyone else has in several years.  I liked The Mentalist it's first year, but the CBS crime hegemony quickly overruled its quirky center and the show became yet another CBS-standard fare.  The poor ratings for Person of Interest is doing it no favors, as The Mentalist is losing demo ratings at an alarming rate.  CSI:  New York, a surprise renewal last spring, is proving itself to be more of the same as it's total viewers and demo ratings have barely changed a bit since last year.  The Good Wife, the artistic jewel in CBS' Tiffany Network crown, has had an unfortunate start this fall.  The heavily promoted move to Sunday nights, did not generate audiences.  The numbers are slightly down from where they were last year when the show was on Tuesdays at 10:00, and the demo ratings are significantly lower than previous time slot owner, Undercover Boss.  I could really care less about ratings though as this is a show that has to be made.  CSI:  Miami continues to underwhelm on all fronts.  Though football overruns are not helping either it or The Good Wife.

Returning Comedies     Grade: B+
CBS comedies have been relegated to Monday nights for so many years, that it was shocking that they moved one of their burgeoning hits, Big Bang Theory, to Thursdays last season.  Even more shocking, Big Bang Theory grew in total numbers, and demographics, and are doing their absolute best to kill all NBC Thursday night comedies.  A recent repeat of a Big Bang episode more than doubled the total audience and demographics of a new episode of NBC's Parks and Recreation.  The show is also back on strong creative footing, after last season's horrid descent into sexual depravity; the addition of strong and funny female characters and actresses really saved the show artistically.  On Mondays, the shows aren't faring as well artistically.  Yes, numbers are up over last year for all the returning comedies, but let's call that what it is:  Ashton Kutcher.  He has single-handedly saved Two and a Half Men from what many thought was a certain death after the Charlie Sheen debacle last winter.  It's also watchable to me for the first time.  I don't look forward to it, as I do many other comedies, but I mostly enjoy the time I spend watching it..  How I Met Your Mother has wallowed far too long in it's central "mysteries" and has effectively worn out most of the charm that the series once held.  I still like many of the performances (especially Neil Patrick Harris, Colbie Smulders and Jason Segal), but I want them to stop teasing things and tell a frickin' story.  I checked out of Mike & Molly fairly early on, because I thought it was fairly mean spirited, and relatively meh--not good, not bad, just meh.  I do like Melissa McCarthy, and wanted to give it another shot.  It's smoothed out its rough edges, and she and Billy Gardell are both quite strong.  The show is just meh--not good, not bad, just meh.

State of Reality     Grade:  B+
CBS thankfully doesn't let reality program dictate its schedule, unlike chief competitor FOX.  The shows it airs are artistic leaders of the industry and mostly joys to watch.  Survivor is the mac daddy of reality competitions.  It it hadn't broken out 12 years ago, the television landscape would like quite different.  For all the new bells and whistles the show has stayed true to its strong and vibrant core.  And that's a good thing.  The move to Wednesdays last season softened the ratings a bit, but there has been no indication of the show stopping anytime soon.  The Emmys have given an award for Best Reality Competition programming or 8 years now; seven of those years, The Amazing Race has won the Emmy.  It is still the standard by which all other reality shows should model.  The ratings may not be as strong as other shows of its ilk, but they never have been terribly low, either.  It's doing fine.  60 Minutes isn't the ratings powerhouse it once was, but it is still the best televised news magazine in the business.  48 Hours Mystery still does solidly enough for CBS on Saturday nights to keep it renewed for the last 20 years. 

Reasons to Watch CBS:  The Good Wife, Big Bang Theory, Survivor, The Amazing Race, A Gifted Man and sometimes How I Met Your Mother and Two and a Half Men

Reasons to Be Hopeful:  2 Broke Girls

Probable Outcomes by End of Season:

• Cancellations for Person of Interest, either CSI:  New York or CSI:  Miami and possibly A Gifted Man.
• 2 Broke Girls or Mike & Molly may move to Thursdays to be paired with Big Bang Theory.

DVR Guide--It's Almost Over

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Most of the new fall network shows and even most of the cable shows have made their debuts.  Some shows have hit pretty well and some have totally missed the mark with 5 shows already being cancelled:  The Playboy Club, Free Agents, H8r, Charlie's Angels and How to Be a Gentleman.

I am doing mid-term report this week on what's happened and happening on each network.  I'm going alphabetically:  Saturday was a look at ABC; Sunday was CBS.  Coming soon Fox, NBC and The CW.  If I get a chance, I will also do a quick look at the cable channels, but there's lots of fish to fry.

This week (and next) there are just a few new shows premiering.  I'll discuss those at length below, but the rest of the post is going to be a highlight list of what's coming up.

So let's get on with it:

Monday, October 17
How I Met Your Mother, 8:00 on CBS
Ted and the gang debate whether it's better to Google a date beforehand or treasure the mystery.  This was funny when Sex and the City did it 8 years ago.

Terra Nova, 8:00 on FOX
The folks in the compound encounter a runaway, which means my least favorite part of this series (the Sixers) will be the focus.


2 Broke Girls, 8:30 on CBS
To make me feel really old, the Girls throw a 90's party.

Two and a Half Men, 9:00 on CBS
To make me feel really inadequate, Ashton Kutcher throws a party for Ducky.

Tuesday, October 18
Last Man Standing, 8:00 on ABC
I got nothing.


Man Up, 8:30 on ABC
ABC's last comedy to premiere this fall.  This show examines interpersonal relationships at different stages, kinda like last year's Perfect Couples on NBC.  Yeah, but this show illuminates the relationship dynamics by filtering the comedy through a male perspective, kinda like last year's Traffic Light.  Yeah, but this is got Terri Polo.  Okay, but I'd rather have more episodes of Perfect Couples (which turned into a pretty funny show).  Oh, well.

Parenthood, 10:00 on NBC
Cee Lo Green guest stars as he checks out Adam and Crosby's new recording studio.

Wednesday, October 19
The Middle, 8:00 on ABC
The Hecks have a messy house, so they consider selling it.  Just like the Johnsons....


Up All Night, 8:00 on NBC
Flashback to the birth of the baby.

Suburgatory, 8:30 on ABC
Tessa's teenage age neighbors including "Scarlett Johansson.  Dead." move in after a Shirley Temple doll is stolen from their house.


Modern Family, 9:00 on ABC
Phil and Hailey visit colleges just like Tony and Meadow but probably with less killing.

Happy Endings, 9:30 on ABC
Jane wants everyone to create Vision Boards, and while I'm not sure what those are, I can't wait to see Penny's.

Thursday, October 20
The Vampire Diaries, 8:00 on The CW
The kids start their senior year.  That's right, they go to this thing called "school".


Big Bang Theory, 8:00 on CBS
Sheldon's ultra-religious mom visits and wants to spend time with Sheldon's friends.  Not Sheldon.  I am assuming that he creates something to destroy them all.


Parks and Recreation, 8:30 on NBC
It's repeat night on the Peacock network, but this episode, featuring Ron and his three Tammys, started the show on a great three episode roll.

Friday, October 21
Supernatural, 9:00 on The CW
Cordelia and Spike play married witches who go all War of the Roses on Sam, Dean and unsuspecting small town.

Boss, 10:00 on STARZ
Kelsey Grammer comes to pay cable in a show about the mayor of Chicago who is running for Governor.  This is a dark and twisty drama, which allows Grammer to show a side of himself as an actor that few have got to witness.  I've been a fan of Grammer's for a long time, especially liking his non-Frasier Crane work.  Here he gets to really sink his teeth into a meaty role, and thankfully he doesn't ham it up.  The show itself is rife with the kind of political intrigue that people often liken to Shakespeare.  It's not that good, but it has the potential to be as good as HBO's Boardwalk Empire.  STARZ believes in the show so much that they renewed it for a second season a month before the first episode even aired.

Sunday, October 23
Once Upon a Time, 8:00 on ABC
The first of two network series to feature fairy tales as a storytelling backdrop, Once Upon a Time splits time between re-telling the classic stories, and following their modern day counterparts who have no idea that they are under the spell of an evil queen.  It's Lost meets Fables.  Jennifer Morrison (House), Ginnifer Godwin (Big Love), Lana Parilla (Boomtown, Swingtown) and Josh Dallas (Thor) star in this twisty tale of good versus evil.  They are playing up the family show angle a little too strongly, as I would have guessed this was a more adult oriented entertainment.  We shall soon know, as The Kid is beyond excited.

The Good Wife, 9:00 on CBS
The always creepy and always excellent Dylan Baker guest stars as a convicted killer that Alicia must ask for help in a case.


The Walking Dead, 9:00 on AMC
Rick and that thing that happened in the last minutes of the premiere find a farm house filled with characters that will become very important to the series.

Homeland, 10:00 on Showtime
Brody starts to crack further under pressure of being a media darling, and Carrie continues to "watch" him.

Monday, October 24
How I Met Your Mother, 8:00 on CBS
The gang realizes that they are dating their parents, which isn't really that creepy.

Hart of Dixie, 9:00 on The CW
Dr. Hart starts to uncover the dark and twisty secrets of Bluebell--wait who am I kidding--it'll just make you smile and feel good.


Prime Suspect, 10:00 on NBC
NBC is going to strip all the episodes of Prime Suspect this week at 10:00 on each night.  This vote of confidence smacks a bit of desperation to get people to watch this terrific new show, but I am heartened that they care and are doing their best to make this deserving show a hit.

Wednesday, October 26--LET THE HALLOWEEN EPISODES BEGIN
The Middle, 8:00 on ABC
It's the Halloween episode with Sue and Mike on what makes boys tick after her costume fails to hit with the guys at school.

Suburgatory, 8:30 on ABC
In the continuation of an ABC theme, Tessa's Halloween costume stirs up the locals in fairly inappropriate ways.


Happy Endings, 9:30 on ABC
The gang goes to a warehouse Halloween party, but here none of the costumes are working the way they're supposed to.

Thursday, October 27
Big Bang Theory, 8:00 on CBS
Sheldon tries to scare the guys.

Community, 8:00 on NBC
The study group takes on scary stories as Britta thinks there's a psychotic in the group.  Really?  You think?


The Vampire Diaries, 8:00 on The CW
Ghosts invade Mystic Falls.  Don't worry the Scooby Gang 3.0 are on the case.

Parks and Recreation, 8:30 on NBC
April and Andy throw a Halloween party at their house and don't tell their roommate, Ben.  Uh, oh.  Batman's mad.

Friday, October 28
Chuck, 8:00 on NBC
The final season (this time they mean it) begins with Chuck and Sarah out of the CIA and forming their own crew for hire spy business.  Chuck may be Intersect free, but don't worry now Morgan's got the mojo.  We have been promised that this is Chuck's final chapter, but I wonder if when the ratings come in for the show and they are unspectacular but solid, if NBC won't reconsider, yet again.  For the last two seasons, NBC bought a specific number of episodes, but once the season commenced, and so many of their other shows tanked, they asked Chuck for more episodes.  This should be a win-win.  But the folks behind the scenes carefully plot out every story beat and have never failed to deliver a satisfying story for when they were first told their season would end.  Once the season goes over that original allotment, Chuck suffers.  The stories meander around, occasionally misfiring totally.  Not to say there isn't brilliance to be found within a few of them, but in general there a coda that goes on to long.  If NBC needs to bring Chuck back, and that would make me happy, then I would prefer for them to wait until next season, rather than extend this one further.  Let them tell their story, dammit.

Grimm, 9:00 on NBC
The original promos for this show looked dark, dense and destined for one season.  Recently, they have lightened up a bit and made the show look more intriguing.  Still, the show is the show, and it all seems a little desperate.  I'm not sure that network television can support 2 fairy tale based series.  This one is masked in a monster hunting/crime procedural format, but isn't that what Supernatural is?  And isn't in on at the same time?  It is.  And aren't most genre fans watching/recording Fringe?  Sigh.

Fringe, 9:00 on FOX
Peter's back but no one remembers him.  Fortunately he remembers everything about the shape shifters.  And is Nina Sharpe Olivia's mother figure?  Creepy and wonderful.

Sunday, October 30
The Simpsons, 8:00 on FOX
Treehouse of Horror XXII:  Parodies of 127 Hours, Avatar and Night of the Hunter?

Once Upon a Time, 8:00 on ABC
Kristin Bauer (True Blood's secret weapon Pam) guest stars as Maleficent, Sleeping Beauty's baddie.

Allen Gregory, 8:30 on FOX
Allen is a precocious 7 year-old (voiced by Moneyball's Jonah Hill) raised by his doting father (voiced by Third Rock From the Sun's French Stewart) and his mortal enemy, his father's life partner.  He has done a lot of things, but now he must tackle public school, fortunately he finds himself hopelessly smitten by the 68-year-old principal.  Sounds wacky and bizarre, and will either work beautifully like Bob's Burgers or be a horrible misfire like Sit Down, Shut Up.  I'm hoping for the former, as FOX needs to look outside the Seth McFarlane animation house.

The Good Wife, 9:00 on CBS
Parker Posey guests as Eli's ex-wife, which will finally reunite the former Josey and the Pussycat stars.

The Walking 7.3 Million

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I'm not a huge ratings follower.  I used to be, but anymore I just keep up on what's hitting with the masses and what isn't.  Sometimes it's just to know if I should stick with a show or if it will be cancelled out from under me (Pan Am, Prime Suspect, I am very worried.).  I frequent the exhaustively wonderful site TV by the Numbers and at times The Futon Critic.  They are two comprehensive resources for the number and TV geek in us all.

However, some recent ratings news gave me pause.  The second season premiere of AMC's The Walking Dead raised 7.3 million viewers during its first airing Sunday night.  If you add in the second showing (which aired immediately following) the numbers climb to 11 million total viewers.  And this doesn't include anybody that watches the show on DVR later this week.

For comparison's sake, more people watched the first showing of The Walking Dead than watched the last new scripted episode of:

• Happy Endings, Charlie's Angels, Private Practice, Pan Am on ABC
• A Gifted Man, How To Be a Gentleman on CBS
• Terra Nova, House, Raising Hope, Fringe, The Simpsons, The Cleveland Show, Family Guy, American Dad on FOX
• everything on NBC
• everything on The CW

If you count the whole 11 million that watched both showings on Sunday, then the only broadcast shows (scripted or not) that beat it are:

• Dancing With the Stars, Last Man Standing, Modern Family on ABC
• Two and a Half Men, Mike & Molly, NCIS, NCIS:  LA, Unforgettable, Criminal Minds, Big Bang Theory, Person of Interest, The Mentalist, Blue Bloods, 60 Minutes on CBS
• America's Night of Football on NBC

In the coveted 18-49 demographic, it outperformed:

• Every broadcast show on Sunday night, except Football Night in America on NBC
• Every broadcast show on Friday night.
• Every broadcast show on Thursday night, except Big Bang Theory.
• Every broadcast show on Wednesday night, except Modern Family; it tied with Criminal Minds.
• Every broadcast show on Tuesday night, except NCIS
• Every broadcast show on Monday night, except HIMYM, 2 Broke Girls, Two and a Half Men and Mike & Molly.

Surely these numbers will cool off, but I'm not sure by how much.  The season premiere episode was mostly stunning, and I can't help to think that people won't be back after that cliffhanger.  I may do a full review later, because I was wiped out after the show aired.

New Fall Season Mid-Term Report: FOX

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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, FOX.....

Since American Idol moved out of summer and onto the winter television schedule in 2003, FOX has been the top network in demographic viewing.  Once, in 2007-2008, when House was at its height and the writers' strike curbed most of the rest of the winter television season, it was also the most watched network.

Historically, FOX has had lots of scheduling problems in the fall.  They have signed a long-term playoff contract with Major League Baseball which keeps most of the October schedule in a constant state of flux.  They never know for sure when a game is going to air (there have been two rain out games so far this season), so they cannot effectively schedule their regular programming.  And the serialized nature of some shows, for example 24, does not allow for month-long pre-emptions.  For several years they wrote off the early fall and premiered their tier one shows in November, which often led to the "Treehouse of Horror" episode of The Simpsons airing long after the Halloween decorations were down.

Then came Glee.  Glee took off like a shot two years ago, and last fall, it was the number one rated show in the demos for a tiny bit.  For Glee's many issues, it did show FOX that they could do some serious business in the fall.  This year, FOX said we are going to try to win the fall as well as the winter months.  The developed The X Factor and premiered the long anticipated dinosaur drama, Terra Nova from producer Steven Spielberg.

So how they doin?


New Dramas     Grade:  B
Terra Nova is being billed as a family show, and it delivers on that premise surprisingly well.  It's The Kid's favorite new show.  The animation is pretty good, and the show is beautifully shot.  The characters, though, seem to have come out of central casting and most of the plotting is straight out of the third season of Lost without the benefit of the first two seasons to lead you there.  It's more than a little hackneyed and overstuffed.  But let's be clear, we come for the dinosaurs (the higher the dinosaur content the more we like the show), and little else (though I do think Stephen Lang is terrific as Taylor, the militaristic leader of the time flung colony).  The show did not premiere to huge ratings but it did fine.  The most interesting thing was that it slightly grew during the course of its two hour premiere, and then the following week it matched its previous numbers in both total viewers and the demos.  Not too many folks were turned off by it.   GRADE:  B  (Artistically:  B; Ratings Effort:  B)

New Comedies     Grade:  A-**
New Girl is a perfect showcase for the quirky and charming talents of its star Zooey Deschanel.  She pops off the screen and into American's hearts.  The show is an unqualified hit, improving on the ratings of Glee and helping to boost the ratings of Raising Hope.  For several weeks it and CBS' 2 Broke Girls have been flip flopping the title of TV's highest rated new comedy.  Little is said though about the quality, because New Girl is the superior show by far.  Not to say it doesn't have a few flaws:  most notably the bumbling of Daman Wayans, Jr.'s character, Coach, after the pilot and an over-reliance on Deschanel singing all some of her dialogue.  They really should have re-cast the role of Coach after Wayans' other show, Happy Endings, got picked up for a second season.  The abrasiveness of the character added a necessary balance to the potentially simpering congeniality of the show.  By dropping the character entirely and introducing someone new, the rhythm of the pilot has been totally thrown off.  But their biggest challenge looms as there won't be a new New Girl episode for three weeks while baseball plays out.   GRADE:  A-  (Artistically: A-; Ratings Effort:  A-)

I Hate My Teenage Daughter has yet to premiere.  It launches Nov. 30, after being pushed back a week, and out of November sweeps.  Does FOX smell a stinker here?  The "promos" certainly indicate that it may be really awful. GRADE:  INCOMPLETE**

Allen Gregory is the promising new animated show that will debut on October 30.  GRADE:  INCOMPLETE**

Returning Dramas     Grade:  C**
House is showing its age.  He started this season in prison; there are now more new people on his team; Foreman is in charge.  It makes me sad.  House has been declining in the ratings in recent years, and this season it is losing a great portion of Terra Nova's audience.  I think Glee is doing its best to find some strong storytelling footing.  I actually like the humbling of Rachel and Kurt as they see that they are really not that special out of their own high school.  It's still far from a great show but it is much stronger than it was last season, even if I find the musical numbers to be far less inspired.  The show is down about 20% off last year's numbers in the demographic.  It's not the phenomenon it once was for sure.  Bones has yet to premiere, but it's coming November 3.  Fringe has been doing really well this season artistically.  They re-launched the show with a new premise that makes the show very accessible to long time viewers.  It's been funny, chilling and filled with plenty of heart.  It's such a strong show, I wish others were watching it.  I am thankful to FOX for giving us this probable final season, because last year's rating (and this year's so far) didn't merit it.

Returning Comedies     Grade: C+
Raising Hope has really found its artistic footing this fall.  The stories are focused and really funny.  Ratings are up over what they were in the spring, thanks in large part to New Girl's success.  Though, when an episode followed X-Factor recently, Hope's numbers fell.  The Simpsons is The Simpsons.  When it hits, it's really, really funny; when it doesn't, it doesn't.  The rest of the current slate of Animation Domination (The Cleveland Show, The Family Guy and American Dad) leaves me cold, though certainly the Seth McFarlane house of animation has its fans.  The shows are down in the ratings some, but Sunday night football has done the young male leaning series no favors. The Kid and I are anxiously awaiting the return of Bob's Burgers.

State of Reality     Grade:  Incomplete**
FOX wants to be your one stop reality talent competition shop.  They want you to know that year round you can come to FOX and see competitions on Wednesdays and result shows on Thursdays.  To that end they have American Idol in the winter/spring months, So You Think You Can Dance in the summer and now The X Factor in the fall.  The X Factor is in a strange ratings position:  it's not doing American Idol numbers at all, but it's well out performing both SYTYCD and anything FOX has ever aired in the fall.  So it's far from a flop, but it's still not doing Idol numbers and that has got to chap Simon Cowell's ass.  I am ready to start checking into the show as I find the FOX audition phase of all of these programs to be mean-spirited if not cruel.  GRADE:  INCOMPLETE** (Artistically:  Incomplete;  Ratings:  A-)

Cops is Cops.  I can only guess it costs next to nothing to produce as it is shows no signs of gaining or losing viewers or of being cancelled any time soon.


Reasons to Watch FOX:  Fringe, Raising Hope, New Girl, and sometimes Terra Nova and The Simpsons

Reasons to Be Hopeful:  Alcatraz, Bob's Burgers

Probable Outcomes by End of Season:

• We are surely watching the last seasons of House and Fringe.  I think FOX would renew House, but Hugh Laurie won't go for another round, and don't see how they could renew Fringe again.
• I don't think FOX will back away from The X-Factor, but Simon might as soon as he can.
• We will only see 13 episodes of Terra Nova this season, but I don't know if they would bring it back next season.  If they do, I think they will air it in the winter 2012-2013 though, not in the fall.

Ann Curry was weak on cooking segments. KILL HER!

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Ann Curry was weak on cooking segments!

That’s the horsehit explanation Steve Capus, the idiot president of NBC News gave for why they had to unceremoniously dump Ann Curry as co-host of THE TODAY SHOW.

Yeah. That was the problem. America tuned out in droves because Ann wasn't enthusiastic enough about whipped potatoes.  It wasn't the guests.  It wasn't that NBC's primetime lineup had become a national afterthought?  No, sir.  It was those damn potatoes!  Turn in your apron, Ann.   We can't allow you to bring down the National Broadcasting Company any longer.

Attention journalism schools: Forget international relations. Ditch Political Science. Teach cooking!

You tell me what’s worse -- A top executive of a major television network publicly humiliating a lifelong loyal employee by saying something hurtful and unconscionable or not being excited enough when corn muffins come out of the oven?

Ann Curry didn’t deserve that.  Jeff Zucker didn’t deserve that. Well… maybe Jeff Zucker. But not Ann Curry.

So why was she fired… excuse me – “re-assigned to exciting new challenges?”

THE TODAY SHOW ratings have declined. GOOD MORNING AMERICA is nipping at their heels. Robin Roberts apparently can baste.

Ann Curry is 55. Savannah Guthrie (her replacement) is 40.

This was NBC’s plan all along. Ann was just a placeholder while Savannah got more seasoning. Her goose was already cooked, to use metaphors that obviously have great priority at NBC News.

Everything NBC does this year revolves around its Olympic coverage. The Olympics will bring back millions of viewers who fled because of WHITNEY, THE PLAYBOY CLUB, etc. NBC is trying to maximize that coverage to promote its shows. So they want the new TODAY SHOW line-up already in place.  Pity because Ann is really a whiz on the mesquite grill and would absolute kill it on the 4th of July party segment, but alas, she’ll never get the chance.

Look, if they wanted to replace her it's their prerogative.  But they could have handled this matter sooo much better. And there’s a good chance it will backfire on them. Remember Deborah Norville, Mr. Capus? For years, the co-host of THE TODAY SHOW was Jane Pauley (pictured: right). The audience took to her. She asked knothead questions at times but made a mean strudel. After 13 years it was announced that she was being “re-assigned to exciting new challenges” and replaced by Deborah Norville, who was a rising star at NBC (and younger than Pauley). The audience perceived Norville to be a backstabber who squeezed Pauley out and they just hated her. Ratings plummeted and Norville was gone in five months.  Savannah beware! 

Ann Curry may not be flashy, may no longer be 40, and might not give a fuck how you make blintzes, but she’s the consummate professional, intelligent, sincere to a fault, and even in what has been described a “public execution” she has handled herself with dignity and grace.

Just compare these statements:

Ann Curry to the viewers of TODAY: “I have loved you and I have wanted to give you the world. And I still do.”

And:

The President of NBC News: “We gave her a year to prove herself, and ultimately we came to the conclusion that she had played at the highest level she could. When you’re in the major leagues of our profession, you’ve got to continue to be at peak performance in order to stay there.”

Here is Ann's final sign-off from THE TODAY SHOW. I offer her nothing but gratitude and wish her nothing but enormous success and happiness. For Steve Capus, I hope in three years he's covering a neighbor dispute over sprinkler heads for some Public Access channel.

Bill Cosby: mentor?

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This post is along the lines of Sunday's.

I’ve always been a big fan of Bill Cosby. Loved his comedy albums as a kid, took my wife to Las Vegas to see his stand-up act (more like a sit-down act. He just sat in a chair, smoked a cigar, and held a giant audience in the palm of his hand), and admired THE COSBY SHOW (at least when it started). He was a true original and his comedy came out of reality. You laughed because you related.  He was also a damn good spokesman for Jello. So I respect his work. We’re clear on that, right?

Recently, WRITTEN BY, the WGA’s monthly magazine did an article where they referred to Bill Cosby as a writer’s mentor. I think they were being a little overly generous. I wouldn’t call him a mentor.

I’d call him an egotist who worked his writers as if they were pack mules.

I know. You say potato and I say potato.

There’s no question that there was much to be learned from Bill Cosby, and those writers who survived did take lessons that helped them in their future work. But what a cost.

The article explains how the process worked on THE COSBY SHOW. The staff worked out a very rough story area on Wednesday, then wrote an entire script over the weekend. Cosby would shit on it at the table reading on Monday. If there were lines he didn’t like he would read them in funny voices. Rather rude to the writers who killed themselves all weekend to service you. Then would come the hours of notes, Cosby would tear the whole script apart.  Often, with his big cigar, he would literally blow smoke into the writers' faces.  And then the staff went back to now write a completely new script and cough. Those rewrites, even in the article, were termed grueling.

And this went on week after week. Hundred hour weeks were common. Month after month. At least he didn't smoke $2 Tiparillos.

Oh, and did I mention, at the end, Cosby ad libbed stuff?  I’m sure it was funny but why put everybody through that just to ultimately do it yourself?

Talented showrunners would understandably bolt after a season or even a few weeks of this. One writer was so fried after she quit that she spent six months working at the Coney Island Aquarium.

Are there shows with long hours? Absolutely. Is it difficult to write for a comedian who has a very strong voice? You betcha. But you know that going in.

However, to have a star just arbitrarily toss out draft after draft and force his staff to write around the clock for seven months is unfair and highly disrespectful.

I don’t know why the staff bothered to do anything for the table draft. Why work hard crafting jokes and scenes and moments when everything's just going to be dismissed? Just write down the first thing that comes to your mind and head for the train. The fact that the staff didn’t do that (and never did that) says something about how admirable and professional they were.

Fact: Writers burn out. Fact: Writers do not do their best work at 4:00 AM after being in the room for fifteen hours. How would an actor like it if he were asked to strenuously rehearse every day from 7:00 AM until 11:00 PM and then an audience would be brought in and he'd be asked to perform NOISES OFF for two hours?

The fact that Cosby established this grueling schedule and maintained it shows, to me, a lack of consideration and compassion. Yes, the show was a smash hit, and he was the 800 pound gorilla, but I will never be convinced it would have been any worse had the writers not spent 70% of their time writing material that everyone knew was gong to get thrown out. I could however, make an argument that the shows would have been even better had the staff not been walking zombies.  And if some of the better writers had not quit.

But that’s the way they did it. A number of people made fortunes of money (including sweater manufacturers). And the show is a classic.

Call Cosby brilliant, call him the man who saved sitcoms, call him a game-changer, a visionary, a titan in the world of comedy. But mentor? I was fortunate that I had mentors who didn’t send me screaming to an aquarium.