The Dead, the Mostly Dead, and the Slightly Alive

For some reason I keep thinking it's June next week... Perhaps it's because Burn Notice returns on June 4th (booyah! my god, I love that show), but I just can't seem to acknowledge that May is still very much in existence and means I'll have to wait four more weeks for Michael Weston and company to start blowing things up once again.

Whatever the reason May has fallen of my head, fact is, it's here to stay, and television-wise, it's actually a very important month.

Aside from being a sweeps month and one of the best month's for season finales, it's also upfront season. For those of you unfamiliar with the term, the "upfronts" are the season schedules for each of the networks. It's during this time that viewers get to find out which shows got picked up for next season, which shows got the axe, and what new pilots are in the works.

For a professional television watcher such as myself, the upfronts are kind of like the draft (as I hesitantly dip my toe into a sports metaphor)... Shows get picked up, fired, and traded, the schedules get jumbled, and I have to completely reorient myself. As frightening as it can be at times (what with the vast majority of my shows currently teetering on the bubble), it's also one of the most fun (for someone as pathetic as I am, that is).

For some unknown reason, NBC's upfronts will be on November 5th, while the other networks won't be until the 18th through the 21st. Maybe they're hoping that announcing first will give them some sort of edge? Lord knows they could use the help, but I just don't think it'll do them a whole lot of good. Whatever. Most of my bubble shows are on NBC, so the less time I have to wait, the better.

Anyway, here are the latest details on pick-ups and cancellations (go here for shows that were picked up or axed earlier), and a few predictions about the bubble shows that currently on the endangered TV list.

OFFICIAL PICK-UPS:

• Grey's Anatomy (Every time I see anything about this show, I find myself ever so glad we broke up. Although I'm hearing Izzie is on her death bed these days, so I might just have to tune in for her untimely (in that it should have come three years ago) demise. Although imminent death would be about the only way she could possibly become whinier... Maybe I'll pass after all.)
  
• Private Practice (Oh lordy, I don't watch this show, but I came across this clip and about died. I tell ya what, wow/oy/ugh/seriously?)


• Ugly Betty (which I'm a little surprised at...)


• Lost


• Desperate Housewives
  
• Brothers & Sisters


• Dancing with the Stars (injuring "celebrities" for yet another season)


• The Big Bang Theory (picked up for 2 more seasons)


• How I Met Your Mother (also picked up for 2 more seasons--yay!)


• Heroes (Although the show has been sucking it up lately, it still does very well overseas and with Bryan Fuller back on the team, I've heard that creatively, it's in a much better place than when Heroes and I broke up earlier this year. It was picked up for next season, but only an 18 episode order, as opposed to this season's 24 or 25 (which felt more like 86 or 117)).


• Two and a Half Men (got picked up for the next 3 seasons--gag me)


• 24


• Friday Night Lights (I believe it's another weird, DirecTV something or other, but one way or another, it's alive and kicking (heh, no pun intended))


• Breaking Bad


• The Tudors


• Law & Order: SVU

OFFICIALLY DEAD AS A DEAD DEAD:

• Life on Mars


• Knight Rider


• Chopping Block (the title alone was just begging for cancellation)


• Lipstick Jungle (after about of dozen horror-movie style returns from the dead, I think this one is finally over with)
  
• Trust Me (wasn't a terrible show, but it was kind of painful to watch. You have to try pretty hard to make Erik MacCormack and Tom Cavanaugh unlikeable, but I'll be damned if they didn't succeed with flying colors)
  
• According to Jim

Those were the shows that I've heard official news about. Below are the shows that are still unofficially anything...

GOOD AS DEAD:

• Kings (Well made, ambitious, and had a lot of great elements to work with, but it never found an audience. Also, it was more than a bit of a downer... Seriously, a little levity would have gone a long way. It started on Sundays as NBC's grandiose new drama, then it was banished to the Saturday death slot, then, just when you thought it couldn't get worse, it's been pulled from the schedule entirely. I'm hearing the remaining episodes of its 13 episode order will air this summer. Ouch.)
  
• Better Off Ted (This is a real shame. It's a great show, but Americans have truly, truly, terrible taste (see Two and a Half Men's pick-up status above for reference). I'd like to think that this little gem had a chance of being picked up, but the ratings are pretty abysmal and the show is actually good, so between those two factors, it doesn't stand much of a chance. Bah!)


• Terminator: The Sarah Connors Chronicles (The official word hasn't come down from on high, but multiple sources confirm that the show is dead. I never watched this show, but I hear it was quite good and anything with a Whedon alum on board deserves better than Fox has to offer.)

ON LIFE SUPPORT:

• Dollhouse (She ain't dead yet, but things are looking pretty grim. Joss mentioned in an interview recently that a second season pick-up is entirely possible, but after looking at last Friday's numbers, I'm not holding my breath. Let's just say it was a tough call between putting this show in the category above or this one. I would be thrilled if it got picked-up, but I'm trying not to get my hopes up (read: get any hope at all). It has turned into a pretty kick-ass series and I'll be sad to see it go. Here's hoping for a miracle.)


• Chuck (Although Chuck has always struggled a bit in the ratings department, deep down I think it'll get picked up. The brass at NBC like the show and have shown quite a bit of support in the past. I like to think that the powers that be realize that Chuck is in quite possibly the worst timeslot ever conceived, and that that has a lot to do with its ratings woes. Seriously, it's up against House, Dancing with the Stars, How I Met Your Mother, The Big Bang Theory, and Gossip Girl. Monday at 7 is a very busy time for me... Plus, the grassroots efforts by fans and the show's cast have garnered quite a bit of media attention of late, so I think NBC will keep it, even if just to save face. They don't have a whole lot of successful shows these days, and certainly none with as devoted a following. In short, go to Subway this weekend and help the cause!)
  
• Life (another one of my darlings that has struggled in the ratings department. Honestly, the ratings aren't terrible and given the number of times it's been moved around on the schedule, it's performing better than I would have thought. The overhead on this kind of show usually isn't too insane, and we all know people love their procedurals, so I have a little hope that Life will survive. More than for Dollhouse, but not as much as for Chuck. It's prognosis is somewhere in between, I'd say. Even though season two kind of lost its way here and there, it ended strong and I'm keeping the faith.)
  
• The Unusuals (its ratings aren't terrible, but they've been slipping week-to-week. It's a solid show with a premise that should have mass appeal, but it just isn't finding a huge audience. I'd really like to see this show come back for a second season, but unless the ratings pick up, or at very least, stabilize, it doesn't look too likely).

LOOKING GOOD:

• Castle (I'm very pleased that a pick-up for Castle is looking fairly likely. The ratings aren't insanely spectacular or anything, but they're good and hold steady week-to-week. Also, ABC doesn't really have much else in terms of a procedural, so I think they'll keep Castle around for next year. I sure as hell hope so. What at first struck me as a piece of harmless fluff that could flesh out my second tier shows has quickly become one of my favorite shows on TV, first tier all the way. Finally! A show with Nathan Fillion that might survive! Yay!)


• Eleventh Hour (The ratings are actually quite good (in spite of CBS's ostensible lack of support for the show). I'm hearing Marley Shelton might not be back next year, which for a show with only two series regulars, she's half the show... I think this show could really benefit from an overhaul, so if it gets picked up, here's hoping that make a lot of changes. The show needs a home base and more than two regular characters.)


• Lie to Me (It's really not that good of a show, but I have to admit it's gotten a lot better since its first couple of episodes. It's a third tier show through and through, but it's toned down its "we're these incredible specialists who have the unique ability to spot obvious lying" overtones and that has made it a lot easier to watch. I still fast-forward through parts of every episode though... Anyway, the ratings are pretty good, but could certainly be better. I think Fox will keep this one around, especially with Prison Break ending and 24 getting on in years, it could use another consistent player.)


• Samantha Who? (I was honestly a little surprised that Ugly Betty got an early pick-up and Sam Who? didn't... I think it still has a good chance of being picked up, but the early pick up announcement made it a little uncertain. It's a decent show, but I only caught the first few episodes. The concept doesn't leave room for much longevity, so I can see where ABC might be on the fence with this one...)


• Scrubs (strange as it may sound, it's looking more and more like Scrubs might get picked-up for another season... The real contingency is which actors would be willing to come back to the show. If enough regulars agree to come back, it'll most likely get picked up, if not, it's much less likely.)
  
• Southland (It has only aired a couple of episodes so far (which is the only reason I didn't put it in the "Definite Pick-Ups" category), but the numbers are solid and NBC has been pushing hard for it. With ER over and buried (finally), they've been looking for a new drama to fill that slot and it appears they may have found it. The show doesn't really do it for me, but it's well made and I can see where it could find a sizable audience. Another good sign, now that Kings has been yanked and sent to the Summer Cemetery, reruns of Southland are airing in its place. Bad for Kings, good for Southland. It's nice to see Ryan Atwood getting work...)
  
• Privileged (shockingly enough, the little show that could might actually make it. The CW doesn't really have a whole of shows to hang on to, and with most of their returning shows getting older and more ridiculous, Privileged may very well be picked up. I've been hearing good things about its possible return lately, so although I don't really care one way or the other and have never seen a full episode, good for them...)

DEFINITE PICK-UPS:

• The Mentalist (although official word hasn't come down yet, this mediocre show was this year's breakaway hit for some unknown reason. Oh wait, Americans really love bad television. This show isn't a total disaster, but that's about the best I have to say. It's watchable, but it'll never break out of its third tier distinction unless it really starts bringing its A-game (assuming such a thing exists). Have no fear Mentalist fans, Simon Baker will be back next year, smarmily pompous as ever, along with Robin Tunney's dead eyes and hollow head. Yay...)
  
• Fringe (again, nothing official, but Fringe is pretty much a lock for next year. I didn't survive past the first 6 or 7 episodes, but I hear the show has really hit its stride these days. The ratings are solid, and Fox has shown considerable faith in the show. I'm confident of a pick-up and will be pretty surprised if it gets the axe (even though this is Fox we're talking about and nothing should shock me at this point)).

These lists are of course not comprehensive. Shows like House, the CSI trifecta, and the glut of reality crap like American Idol and The Bachelor will surely be back, so I didn't focus on them. Once the upfronts are officially announced, I'll post a comprehensive list for each network (including new pilots for next fall), but until then, it's the shows that have uncertain fates that get the attention.

Anyway, I'll keep you posted. Till then, I'll just be sitting here, on pins and needles, hoping to hell my shows come back next year... Sigh.

TV Roundup--Meh

I watch a lot of TV, and given that I have no life, not all my shows constitute my absolute favorite viewing options. I have a tiered system for ranking my show loyalties. In the top tier are my favorite shows; the ones I look forward to week-to-week and refuse to miss. The second tier consists of shows that I'm committed to and enjoy, but that don't exactly have me giddy with anticipation. The third tier is home to the shows I keep up with, but could totally live without. This system is ever-changing, and the new fall line-up has led to a serious shake-up.

SHOWS THAT HAVE MADE THEIR WAY TO THE SECOND TIER:

• HEROES: What can I say? Last season was pretty hard on all of us. I swear, if I'd had to watch one more episode of mind-numbing nothingness (read: Maya and her brother whining (and oozing) their way from Central America to the states for 8 episodes) and Hiro gallivanting around feudal Japan, I think I would have dropped the show entirely. When you start wishing that they had just let the cheerleader fend for herself in season one so the world would have ended (yipee!), that's just not a good sign.
  
  It was with much apprehension and more than a few NoDoze tablets that I sat down to watch the premiere (a few days late, mind you). I would have watched it when it aired, but the thought of enduring a 3-hour event was just exhausting to even think about. Solution? Axe the hour-long "Countdown to Feudalism" and then watch the fast-forwarded version of the two-hour premiere.
  
  It was actually much better (read: it kept me awake) than I had expected. I had heard that the producers and writers recognized that season 2 was kind of painful and were committed to not repeating those mistakes. It seems to have worked pretty well. The essential flaws of the show remain, but at least the history lesson/bizarre, kind of uncomfortable love story is over, right? Oh, and Peter isn't trying to be Irish anymore and I think we can all raise a pint to that sparkling development. Wow, the horrible story arcs of last season are really starting to come back to me now... I had all but forgotten the wealth of bad accents that accompanied Peter's momentous journey out of a box and into a pub... for 8 episodes... again...
  
  As I was saying, the essential flaws are still alive and kicking and that is what has moved Heroes into my second tier.
  
  Flaw #1) It's a HUGE ensemble cast (they tried to squeeze in 8 more faces on that cover, but what can ya do?). When a show has literally over a dozen series regulars, there just isn't enough time in the hour to devote more than a couple of minutes to each plotline, let alone allow for much character development (assuming they make it into the episode at all). There are some character arcs that are more interesting than others, and with this huge a cast, way too much time gets devoted to people I really don't care about (Mohinder and Maya--Boring as Hell, party of two). It's times like those when I get really irritated and a little fast-forward happy... Oh, how I love my DVR! (Oh, geez, and do we remember that girl with the muscle memory or whatever? She won't be missed... Man, last season sucked...)
  
  Flaw #2) Everyone is spread out. It seems like at the end of every season, all the characters have finally met up, but by the beginning of the next season, everyone has split up again. That would be fine, I suppose, but its the interaction between characters that really makes the show interesting. As is, there are subsets of characters who interact with one another, but there isn't any overarching cohesion to the group. Don't get me wrong, it should only be a few more episodes before the Petrellis have been revealed as sharing DNA with everyone on the show, but that's not exactly the kind of interaction I had in mind. Seriously though, they're going to start giving the Bristows a run for their money...
  
  Flaw #3) Same basic plot, new season. The premiere seemed rather disconcertingly familiar as the horrible future to come is forewarned and Peter tries to make it alllll better... Yeah, I'm pretty sure we've been there... But, here we go again. With all new good guys and baddies! As near as I can tell, the only difference is that everyone is switching teams. I guess that'll be good?
  
  Anyway, that's just the short list of flaws, but the show makes me kind of weary, so I'm going to leave it at that.
  
  Bottom Line: I enjoyed the premiere more than I expected, but it still kind of felt like a chore to watch it. Which is a shame, really. It's a good show and I'll totally keep up with it, but it doesn't have me bouncing off the walls or anything. I'm hopeful this season really redeems it and bumps it back up to the first tier, but I'm not holding my breath. So far, so good (by which I mean, "It's about damn time Sylar got his powers back!")
  
  
• GREY'S ANATOMY: Awww, yet another entry in the "Last Season was Demoralizing" Hall of Lame. Okay, so with Grey's, it was really the season before last that was the killer, but last season spent so much time recovering that it still wasn't spectacular. Vaaaastly improved, but still kind of "meh." And another commonality between our first two entries, I totally didn't watch them at the time they were on. Anytime a show gets relegated to "Well, I guess I could watch Program X, since nothing else is on..." territory, that's bad.
  
  But, yet again, the premiere was better than anticipated. Izzie can still go die in a ditch (and take Meredith her), but overall, it was a pretty satisfying episode for the peeps at Seattle Grace. No one made me really want to throw something at the TV (although Meredith tried and tried, by which I mean, whined and whined) and the overall storyline was cohesive and effective, albeit a bit heavy-handed and schmaltzy at times. The parallels between patients' conditions and doctors inter-personal relationships was a bit too far from subtle for comfort, but it wasn't completely oppressive, so I let it slide.
  
  As per usual, Christina is the reason I watch the show. I'm sick to death of the Derek and Meredith of it all and will happily dig a ditch for Izzie to fall in, but Christina kind of makes it all worth it for me. The past two seasons have showcased a very different Christina and it's really nice to see her getting her mojo back. It's a shame that her new love interest in military, though. We all know that's an insurmountable obstacle (a pre-existing condition, as it were), but the fact that Kevin McKidd is actually from the UK takes the edge off.
  
  Bottom Line: I'll be sticking with Grey's, but if a show needs to get the axe, this one won't be too far from the blade. I'm just kind of over it... I saw a preview for next week's episode and apparently Noah is the newest patient at Seattle Grace and he brought the flood with him. Heh, speaking of arcs... Sorry, that was shameless. You see! You see what the show is doing to me?! Horrible puns! What's next? Rimshots? Oy.
  
  
• THE OFFICE: Okay, please don't hate me! I really do still love the show (honest!), but it just isn't quite the same... It's starting to feel like the 10th season of The Simpsons. I knew it was still good, but it just wasn't living up to the greatness of previous seasons. I think the first two seasons of The Office set the bar incredibly high, and while the latest episodes have been quite good, it's just not connecting with me the way it once did.
  
  The beauty of the show in its early years was that everyone who had ever worked in an office could so completely relate to the show that it was painfully funny. We all know those characters because we work with those characters. The mundaneness of working in an office was itself a character on the show, and I dare say, the most important character. Only in the mind-numbing boredom of an office could such menial projects (like toturing Dwight or organizing the Office Olympics) provide so much entertainment. The banality of it all and the co-workers we all suffer through are what people related to, and I think those things have kind of fallen by the wayside...
  
  The office atmosphere has changed. In recent episodes, they hardly spend any time at all in the office. There always seems to be something crazy going on or some wacky hijinx ensuing, and while those things are enjoyable, it kind of takes the show away from its roots. The same goes for the characters, or should I say caricatures... Jan went insane, Ryan became a cocaine addict and went to jail, Angela somehow became a saucy little minx, Kelly is, well, Kelly, and so on and so forth. There really isn't anyone to play the straight man (and I mean that in terms of comedic setup, not sexual orientation) anymore. I enjoy the craziness and the whimsy, but I kind of miss that dull aspects of their time in the office that were always so hilarious.
  
  Bottom Line: I still love the show and probably always will. But, can anyone really tell me that they think last season or the latest season premiere can hold a candle to greatness of the first two seasons? The show is still great, but I'm a little nostalgic for the even greaterness of yore... Oh, and Jim and Pam actually getting together isn't helping the situation... The tension is gone, and so goes my interest.
  

Casting Update: Kristen Bell apparently has some pull over at Heroes...

Here's a tidbit of deliciousness that I ran across during my travels today, and I'm quite intrigued and excited! Looks like the Heroes casting couch has decided to tap the Veronica Mars well once again for new baddies...

• Now here's a Heroes newcomer I can get behind — if only because it could offer Veronica Mars fans a very special reunion. Francis Capra, aka the toughie 'Ron (and Mars viewers) loved to hate, is joining the NBC hit this fall in the recurring role of Jesse.Who or what is Jesse? Not much (including his power) is being revealed, of course, but thus far I've found out two things: One, TV's former Weevil is playing evil, and two, his villainous storyline will find him crossing paths with Peter Petrelli.Capra's arrival of course promises to reunite him with Veronica herself, Kristen Bell, who is rumored (though not yet confirmed, drat!) to be reprising her own Heroes role this season.
  
• Per Kristin: Sources confirm that Francis Capra has been cast on Heroes. I've also exclusively learned that Veronica and Weevil—I mean, Elle and Jesse, do share at least one scene. Francis Capra and Kristen Bell together again? Hallelujah! My sources tell me Francis is doing a three-episode guest arc as villain Jesse Murphy, a thug who runs with a gang of two-bit criminals. However, Jesse is more than just a meathead. He does have a power. When and where will it be deployed? You'll have to watch to see.

I would absolutely LOVE to see some Veronica/Weevil interaction again. They made for such a great pair of frienemies and both actors always bring a lot to the table. I'm hopeful that Francis Capra is doing better (I heard rumor that during the last season of VM he had had some medical issues). Given this casting news, I can only assume he's alive and well and will be sparring (or teaming?) with Elle in the coming season. Yeehaw!