Last season I gave a lot of shows a try, and many of them were canceled quickly (such as Smith on CBS and The Nine on ABC), tauntingly taken away then brought back then taken away again (Standoff on Fox and Six Degrees on ABC), or allowed a deserving full season and then canceled anyway despite ending the season finale on a cliffhanger (the beloved Jericho on CBS).
So, I'm keeping a lot of new shows on the back burner until I know whether they're worth it or not. I want to learn more about them and read more buzz from sources like TV Guide and Entertainment Weekly before I bother investing the time to watch shows that may last only a half-dozen episodes.
From the buzz I've read online, Pushing Daisies on ABC is supposedly the next big thing. I'm really looking forward to seeing if the remake of Bionic Woman on NBC works as well as the remake of Battlestar Galactica did on Sci-Fi Channel. And, Private Practice seems to have potential, thanks to having an impressive all-star cast and being a spin-off of Grey's Anatomy.
From the clips and previews I've seen at TVWeek.com, the show I'm now most anticipating is, shockingly, a reality show. CBS is premiering Kid Nation, a show about 40 kids from 8 to 15 years old inhabiting an abandoned Old West town and forming their own society without the help of adults. They have to have council meetings, they have to have leaders, their performance in challenges determines who is designated with certain societal class distinctions for the next three days, and the head committee of the council must decide every three days who gets a gold star--a heavy 5-point star made out of real gold and worth $20,000 (an excellent start to a kid's college fund). The preview alone looked intriguing, exciting, entertaining, frustrating, inspirational, and nearly tear-inducing, all in one. In my book, *this* show is the next big thing.
Going on just the information I have so far, the lists below show how I plan to program my TiVo in the fall. Things may change as I find out more about certain shows. Surprisingly, I have no three-way conflicts so far and very few two-way conflicts. Luckily, I have a dual-tuner TiVo, so a two-way scheduling conflict is a moot point, which is why some time slots have two shows divided by a slash.
Personal Interest Rating System
[5] = Established Favorite (will definitely watch)
[4] = Established Honorable Mention (will definitely watch)
[3] = New Show, High Curiosity (will definitely try)
[2] = New Show, Moderate Curiosity (will possibly try)
[1] = Low Interest or Need More Info (might watch if bored)
Bold: Returning Shows
Italics: New Shows
s#: # = Season Number
SUNDAY
08:00 PM -----
09:00 PM -----
10:00 PM [5] Battlestar Galactica (s4, Sci-Fi) / [4] Brothers & Sisters (s2, ABC)
Possibilities:
* 08:00 PM [1] Life Is Wild (CW)
* 08:00 PM [1] Viva Laughlin (CBS)
MONDAY
08:00 PM [5] Prison Break (s3, Fox)
09:00 PM [5] Heroes (s2, NBC)
10:00 PM [2] Journeyman (NBC)
Possibilities:
* 08:30 PM [1] Aliens in America (CW)
* 09:00 PM [1] K-Ville (Fox)
* 09:30 PM [1] Sam I Am (ABC)
TUESDAY
08:00 PM [4] Beauty and the Geek (s4, CW)
09:00 PM [5] House (s4, Fox) / [2] Chuck (NBC)
10:00 PM [5] Boston Legal (s4, ABC)
Possiblities:
* 08:00 PM [1] New Amsterdan (Fox)
* 10:00 PM [1] Cane (CBS)
WEDNESDAY
08:00 PM [3] Kid Nation (CBS) / [3] Pushing Daisies (ABC)
09:00 PM [3] Bionic Woman (NBC) / [2] Private Practice (ABC)
10:00 PM [4] South Park (Comedy Central)
Possibilities:
* 10:00 PM [1] Dirty Sexy Money (ABC)
* 10:00 PM [1] Life (NBC)
THURSDAY
08:00 PM [4] Ugly Betty (s2, ABC) / [4] Survivor: China (CBS)
09:00 PM [4] Grey's Anatomy (s4, ABC)
09:30 PM [5] Scrubs (s7, NBC)
10:00 PM -----
Possibilities:
* 10:00 PM [1] Big Shots (ABC)
FRIDAY
08:00 PM [5] Men In Trees (s2, ABC)
09:00 PM [2] Women's Murder Club (ABC) / [2] Moonlight (CBS)
10:00 PM -----
Note: Stargate: Atlantis automatically takes precedence over the other 9:00 shows if Sci-Fi Channel keeps it at 9:00 on Fridays and premieres its 4th season in the fall.
3 comments:
If there is anything that the FOX network has proven this year, it is that they will axe a show unmercifully and save a buck any chance they can. Standoff has survived with little support froom the network. Oddly, we see indications that FOX wants to see what this show can do. The pairing of Bones re-runs with Standoff on Fridays this summer is one positive. Fans of both shows can appreciate them being on the same night. New viewers will be found this way too. FOX HAS NOT announced Standoff as cancelled. This indicates that they are reluctant to give up on this show.
Remember, FOX has brought back shows that critics were on the "cancelled wagon" preaching about long before they had the name of a source.
Standoff is well worth your time, especially if you are happy about not having to pick a phone up and vote about anything. It's drama/romance for adults with minds of their own and who enjoy being entertained by a cast that is OH SO easy on the eyes.
P.S. If you still think you have the inside scoop on this show and it's fate, then listen to a cast member himself- Michael Cudlitz interview in the Chicago Tribune last Sunday will blow you away-
read here:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/tv/chi-mxa0603tvcloseupjun03,1,3656559.story
Thanks for the response, Amy.
I agree with you about Standoff. TheTVShowBlog.com is one of several websites I check every morning, and I saw that they had listed new and returning shows that will air during the summer. I was happily surprised to see Standoff on the list.
In fact, when I made a comment on that blog entry, mentioning Standoff specifically, several others responded with positive things to say about that show. They agree that it's got a great mix of drama, comedy, romance, suspense, and action. I think it's smartly written, and I like the characters and the casting. Even the theme song and opening credits are cool.
Oh, and you said Fox has proven they'll axe shows unmercifully *this* year. Trust me, this is a decade-long trend for Fox. They also did it to Alien Nation, Brimstone, Drive, Firefly, John Doe, and Kindred: The Embraced, all of which got cancelled before they had a chance or were cancelled after their 1st season finale ended on a cliffhanger. And, that's just the shows that I watched and liked. They also did it to others, such as Reunion (watched it but was disappointed) and Wonderfalls (never saw it), just to name a couple more.
I agree totally. Standoff is such a wonderful show that needs to be given a chance. I'm hoping enough people will tune in this Friday at 9pm on FOX to see what this show is all about. It's great.
Post a Comment