told Chuck fans what was what on the very first day of upfronts. I'm pretty sure that's the best scheduling move they've made in years.Speaking of NBC sucking (aren't we always?), it's been a pretty sad, sorry few years for the network (thanks a lot, Zucker). This once-prized piece of television real estate has become a tenement where crappy shows find a half-way house between the greenlight and the grave and awesome shows teeter precariously on the brink of cancellation, er... foreclosure. (Yeah, that's it... Hey, when I start a woefully misguided, painfully forced metaphor, I see it through, dammit! (I had to agree to that before they'd give me my English degree.)) Going forward, NBC basically needs to rebuild the entire television line-up (so, you know, no biggie). After the devastation of the past few years, NBC needs to make a fresh start, and with an extra five hours to fill (now that the utterly shameful The Jay Leno Show has been ousted out of primetime--geez, speaking of "painful" and "woefully misguided") and embarrassingly few hold overs from last season, they're going to need a lot of new blood in their line-up.
The network has gained a reputation for treating shows poorly and not giving them enough of a chance and writers have noticed. In a ballsy attempt to stem the tide (or at this point, slow the hemorrhaging), NBC put up some seriously big
bucks to be the home of J.J. Abrams latest creation. There was a lot of competition for new spy drama Undercovers, but NBC, in desperate need of an ace in the hole like Abrams, ponied up the most cash ("...they drove a dump truck full of money up to my house!") Fortunately for NBC, and we poor, abused viewers, it looks like it's going to be pretty awesome. By no means the most original idea I've ever heard, but who doesn't love a good spy show? If it comes down to "spy thriller" or "crime procedural," it's not really a contest in my book. J.J. has a pretty stellar track record and I'm stoked for it. The show has a lot to live up to though, and the weight of the whole network on its shoulders. Here's hoping NBC gives it a chance to shine. ABC hit it big with Alias, and NBC is hoping to hell it can do the same.Every network this year (save CBS) has a pair of bubble shows that are duking it out. NBC's cagematch? Chuck vs. Heroes. For once, things actually turned out as they should.
Without further ado, here's how things stacked up for the not-so-proud peacock...
***SHOWS PICKED UP FOR NEXT SEASON***
Chuck
Chuck and Heroes were really the only two true bubble shows on NBC this year and finally the results are in. CHUCK LIVES! The little show that could actually did. Again. This show has truly had one of the most turbulent television lives. Constantly on the brink of cancellation, somehow Chuck has managed to eek out a
fourth season (initial order of 13, with an option for the back 9). And for those of you thinking to yourselves, "You know, after the past few episodes, I'm not sure it's going to be so good... They seem to be unraveling..." Well, I've noticed as well, but there's actually an explanation for the creative turn for the worse of late. In good news, if you were betting that "It's NBC's fault," well, then you're right. You remember that episode a few episodes ago where Shaw got killed and Chuck and Sarah ended up together in Paris? You know how that felt a hell of a lot like a season (or even series) finale? Well, that's because it was. NBC had ordered a slate of episodes that would have ended there. The show had all it's scripts completed for that initial order and was well into production when NBC looked at all their other shows and decided maybe they needed more Chuck... Henceforth, the writers of the show basically had to tack on another third of a season after their season finale. Knowing that that's how things went down, I'm actually pretty surprised the eps have been as good as they have. It's not easy to come up with a story arc and half a dozen new episodes out of nowhere, you know. Good move, NBC, as always.Parenthood
The pilot for this show was underwhelming to say the least, but the show has gotten much much better. It still has its moments of heavy-handedness and whatnot, but I think the writers realized that the earnestness of the pilot just wasn't really working and have really changed things up. I don't think it's really the writers' fault things started off so shaky. Had Maura Tierney stayed on the show, it would have been a whole different animal. She's so dour and humorless in her acting that it would have changed the tone of the whole show. You wouldn't think one casting change could make such a difference, but believe
me, a dynamic that would work with Tierney is not a dynamic that could work with Lauren Graham at the helm. For instance, the initial set-up had Graham at odds with her daughter on the show. As we learned from season 6 of Gilmore Girls, that just simply doesn't work. At the end of the day, you just can't hate Lauren Graham and I think the writers realized this. She's too warm and funny to play the controlling mother and to the show's credit, they changed gears super quick. In other good news, Crosby and Julia have really grown on me and the writers have done a great job fleshing out the characters in a way that makes me actually care about them now. It's not a top tier contender just yet, but it has really turned into a solid family drama. (Final note: For those of you out there digging the chemistry between Lorelai and Jason Ritter (myself included), don't hold your breath for him to be back. His new pilot got picked up, so his schedule is going to be a little busy. Although, the show is also on NBC (so at least there wouldn't be any network blowback) and from what I've seen and heard, I think it might have a hard time finding an audience, so it might get the axe in time for Ritter to switch back over.)Parks and Recreation, The Office, and 30 Rock
I have officially given up on The Office and was never too enamored of Parks and Rec. All in all, good for them, but I don't really care. I hear Parks and Rec got really good, but it's too late for me. The Office should have ended several seasons ago, but again, NBC has very little choice at this point. Even moderate ratings getters get renewed, no matter how awful they've become. And then there's 30 Rock, which is really good, but is in one of the most overcrowded timeslots on the air. Thanks a lot, NBC. No, really.
Community
I am quite pleased that this little gem made it. To NBC's credit,
this show's ratings haven't been spectacular, but they're willing to stick with it. To boot, half-hour comedies are cheap to produce, generally air in pairs, and NBC doesn't have a whole lot else going for it... so... yay!Minute to Win It
...lest you think NBC is actually committed to quality programming or anything. They just aren't used to a ratio of good to crappy that actually does the viewers a favor.
The Marriage Ref
...once again, NBC is trying to turn over a new leaf, but let's not get to ahead of ourselves. They still have an entire slate of crap to cushion any tiny morsels of goodness that might find their way onto the network. (Although, hearing about recent ratings plunges (and the difficulty of the show to produce), odds are it won't be back for long...
The Sing Off
...see above diatribes, mentally copy and paste.
The Biggest Loser
Oh yes, it's back. Sadly, it's one of the net's best performers. At the rate things are going, I'm willing to wager it will be expanded (again, and heh) into a three hour block of random numbers flashing next to people getting weighed (complete with annoying binging sound), ending with the camera freezing on the shocked faces of everyone else as the show goes to commercial for 15 minutes. I think it's pretty clear why this show is such a success. I guess they figure that a lot of the people watching the show might be next year's contestants and aren't really g
oing anywhere all that quickly...Law & Order:SVU
...will also be back. Did "Criminal Intent" get canceled at some point? I don't keep up with any of these, but I noticed that one was conspicuously absent...
Who Do You Think You Are?
I think I'm someone who doesn't watch this show... Well, I'll be damned! I was right! My ancestors didn't watch either!
The Tonight Show with Backstabby J. Totalschmuck
I never watched Leno to begin with because he's painfully unfunny and all, but now I make a concerted effort to avoid the show at all costs. What a douchebag.
***SHOWS THAT HAVE BEEN SENT TO A FARM IN THE COUNTRY WHERE THEY HAVE ROOM TO RUN FREE AND CHASE CHICKENS...***
Heroes
Saints be praised and hallelujah!!!! Ding dong the show that started off pretty good then threw itself off a cliff is finally dead! Oh, Heroes, you won't be missed. I gave up on this show a good long while ago and am continually
reminded of what a good decision that was (you know, ever single time I see a promo for the show). All the "Free Zachary Quinto" lobbyists can relax now. And the world as a whole can go back to pretending that Hayden Panettierre (sp? oh, who really cares) doesn't exist. Her 15 minutes (or in this case, several agonizing years of annoying the hell out of everyone) are finally over. I should have known that a show that included a storyline about saving cheerleaders couldn't be trusted not to suck. Especially when that cheerleader is a whiny waste of space who won't shut the hell up or go away... (On second thought, I'm not sure that narrows it down...) Rumor has it that ideas about a movie to wrap things up or even a miniseries have been floated, but it ain't gonna happen. NBC's fall slate is actually looking pretty solid, so I'd say Heroes is officially dead and gone.Mercy
Apparently NBC didn't have any. This crap pile has finally been put out of its misery. That this show ev
er made it on the air in the first place is a testament to the total lack of smarts at NBC, but at least they had the balls to cancel it.Trauma
This show was pretty misused and abused, so I guess at least it's finally over. For good. No, seriously this time. It was actually a pretty decent show, but it was expensive, and woefully mishandled by NBC (shocking, I know), and thus has made its way to that big ambulance bay in the sky. Poor NBC. Here they try to replace ER with two new medical shows and neither of them survives. Code blue, indeed.
Law & Order
...original flavor will no longer be with us. Odds-makers thought it would certainly get a renewal, but NBC is feeling more and more confident about its fall slate of programming, which spells doom for some of its current programming. It was on point to become the longest running drama ever, but will wrap after 20 long years on the air, tying Gunsmoke's record. It was an institution that I largely didn't watch, but it's still pretty shocking to see it go. Word is, NBC is considering a wrap-up movie event something or other... I'll believe it when I see it. Another rumor has it that showrunner Dick Wolf is pissed at NBC and wants nothing more to do with them. Yeah, get in line...
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