ABC FALL 2012: Schedule and Pilot Trailers

Still struggling with Blogger.  Bear with me.

While NBC is clearly the bottom of the Big Four barrel, ABC has been nipping at their heels for some time now.  Last season seemed to be a turn in the tide  though with the successes of Once Upon a Time, Revenge, Happy Endings, Scandal, etc.  As such, they don't have as many shows coming this fall, but they have a hell of a lot slated for midseason (a bridge which will be crossed at a later date). 

In a season where there have been hardly any surprise pick-ups or unjust cancellations, ABC is right in the middle, once again.  The only real note of interest is that Cougar Town was cancelled by ABC, only to be picked up by TBS, which should prove a much better fit.  That said, looking at the horror that is ABC's new comedy slate, they should have held onto Cougar Town with both hands and a foot.  In  terms of scheduling, the biggest news is that Revenge is moving to Sundays.  I think that's a better fit in terms of tone, but in terms of being opposite The Good Wife, I'm less than thrilled.

Here's the full fall schedule:

MONDAY
8/7c Dancing With the Stars/The Bachelor (in January)
10 pm Castle

TUESDAY
8 pm DWTS Results
9 Happy Endings
9:30 pm Don’t Trust the B—– In Apartment 23
10 pm Private Practice

In January
8 pm HOW TO LIVE WITH YOUR PARENTS FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE
8:30 THE FAMILY TOOLS

WEDNESDAY

8 pm The Middle
8:30 pm Suburgatory
9 pm Modern Family
9:30 THE NEIGHBORS
10 pm NASHVILLE

THURSDAY
8 pm LAST RESORT
9 pm Grey’s Anatomy
10 pm Scandal

FRIDAY
8 pm Shark Tank
9 pm Primetime: What Would You Do?
10 pm 20/20

In November
8 pm Last Man Standing
8:30 pm MALIBU COUNTRY
9 pm Shark Tank
10 pm Primetime: What Would You Do?

SUNDAY

8 pm Once Upon a Time 

9 pm Revenge
10 pm 666 PARK AVENUE

NOT RETURNING NEXT SEASON: Charlie’s Angels, TBS-bound Cougar Town, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, GCB, Man Up, Missing, Pan Am, The River and Work It

THE NEIGHBORS 

My Take:  Oh my holy god, are you effing kidding me?!  Wow.  Just wow.  This looks like a really bad idea for a family-friendly Disney made-for-TV movie that somehow got turned into a comedy on ABC.  I… have no words.  Seriously, how on earth is this going to be an ongoing series?  The 2 minute trailer was painful on its own.  I’m sure ABC is banking on Modern Family to buoy the show’s ratings (as they’ve banked on for every other comedy to have debuted in the last 3 years), but I don’t think there’s anything that can save this.  If I had to actually assess the show (and it pains me to do so), I’d say the cast is charmless and the conceit is oppressive.  There is no possible way to have any real heart or story arc in a show that revolves around a family that moved into a neighborhood full of aliens.  The gags employed in the 2 minute trailer will undoubtedly be employed every few minutes during every single episode because there’s really nothing else there.  I can’t believe this got picked up and I really can’t believe ABC is wasting the plum post-Modern Family slot on this.  I’m almost morbidly curious here.  Surely there was something ABC saw in this, right?
Potential-O-Meter:  About 10 points south of “If I had to watch this show on a regular basis, I’d shoot myself”.


NASHVILLE 


My Take:  For as off-putting and unappealing as country music and Hayden Panettiere are, this actually looks like a pretty solid production with a good base conceit and a great cast (cheerleader notwithstanding).  I adore Connie Britton and I have a feeling she could carry just about any show, even if its basic concept doesn’t really speak to me.  It’s a serial, to be sure, so that wins it some points, but again… Hayden Panettiere…  [insert cold shudder]  To be fair, she’s playing an utterly loathsome character, so it shouldn’t be too hard to translate my hatred into even more hatred.  My main concern is that the show will want me to love her at some point and I’m just not sure I can do that.  For the better part of Heroes, I was more than happy with letting the world explode or melt or whatever it was going to do if it meant that we could stop saving the effing cheerleader.  Anyhow, aside from some conceptual aspects that don’t really get me salivating, it looks like it could be an excellent drama.  Again, Connie Britton can pretty much do no wrong and I’m excited to see her back on TV, doing something other than giving birth to a demon.  In my heart of hearts, I’m hoping the approach of this show will be a lot like The Good Wife in terms of focus.  Connie is the star and the rest of the actors are peripheral.  Should they try to skew younger and make Hayden more central, I might just have to tune out.  Given that it will be premiering after the abomination that is The Neighbors, I suspect I won’t be the only one.  That’s a nasty timeslot and I think the show will suffer for it.
Potential-O-Meter:  6.5


LAST RESORT 

My Take:  When the trailer began, I was fully expecting a “we’re the best of the best and we take no prisoners” blah, blah, blah, but it actually turned in a direction I didn’t expect (a fairly ridiculous direction, to be sure, but still different).  It really sounds a bit more like a summer movie than a series at this point, but it really depends on where they take it.  If the show focuses on the reasons behind the attempted sinking of the submarine, looks at the people and the politics that make such decisions, etc, I think this could be more grounded and interesting than the Michael Bay overtones would suggest.  If nothing else, it’s not very often you run across a show about the crew of a submarine, so at least it’s something off the beaten path (although it seems they’ll be creating a new society on an island, or something, so who the hell knows).  The cast is entirely too young and pretty to be believable as nuclear submarine anythings, really, but so it goes in Hollywood.  The cast and production look pretty solid, even if the story is up for grabs.  It all had a not-so-vague resemblance to The Rock, but that’s all part and parcel of the whole action show gig. All in all, I think this one could go either way.  I’m not exactly chomping at the bit, but if the writers really focus on the drama and politics of their situation rather than the promise of explosions and gun play, this could be a viable contender (or total guilty pleasure).
Potential-O-Meter:  5.5

MALIBU COUNTRY

My Take:  Okay, seriously, what the hell is ABC thinking with their new comedies this season?!  Good lord, this looks painful.  I never watched Reba for a number of reasons, and now they seem to have taken all those reasons, multiplied them by 37 and made a new sitcom out of them.  Ugh.  Well, I guarantee that this piece of shit isn’t my cup of tea, but I can see where any number of people might enjoy it.  It’s being paired with Last Man Standing, which is also horrendous, so odds are they’ll share a fair bit of the same kinds of viewers.  It’s a sub-par family sitcom with a painfully abused laugh track that will probably pair splendidly with a show like Last Man Standing.  The only point of interest in the trailer was the nearly unrecognizable Sara Rue, for whom blondness and weight loss seem to be in direct correlation.  At the end of the day, this looks like a low-budget, poorly produced steaming pile of cliché that I’ll be avoiding at all costs.  Surely there were better comedy pilots out there.  Surely.
Potential-O-Meter:  The theoretical temperature at which entropy reaches its minimum value.

666 PARK AVENUE

My Take:  I honestly have no idea what this show is actually about.  At the same time, I think it easily has the most potential of any of ABC’s fall offerings.  My sensibilities tend more toward supernatural than horror, but it looks like this show might have a nice blend.  The trailer doesn’t really tell me much about what to really expect on an episode to episode basis, but I think they’ve left a lot of room for the show to explore and a great basis for their own mythology.  The “haunted house/mansion/hotel” is a mainstay of fiction that doesn’t generally appeal to me much, but 666 Park Avenue has a great look to it and a captivating visual language.  I’m not really sure what I’ll be getting myself into with this one, but I’m pretty intrigued to give it a shot.  Depending on the narrative approach and main focus of the show, it could be a fine or illogical pairing for Revenge, which has been moved to Sundays (aka the day it should have been on all along), but only time will tell.  Even though I have pretty much nothing to go on but a few vague notions, my interest is piqued.
Potential-O-Meter:  7.5

There you have it, kiddies.  It's a pretty mixed bag for ABC.  I don't know who is in charge of their comedy development department, but sweet Jesus, they need to be fired immediately.  The dramas have some potential, but that's about it.  I'm guessing both comedies will come and go quickly, which might be why they have so much in store for midseason.  Fearing the worst.

FOX FALL 2012: Schedule and New Pilot Trailers

Lord help me, I'm going to try to include embedded videos for the new show trailers. Given that Blogger has decided to plumb the depths of craptacularity just in time for Upfront season, I'm not holding my breath here. Come onnnn, HTML editor! You can do it!

Again, not a lot of surprises this year in terms of pick-ups and cancellations. The only shows there were even kind of up in the air were Alcatraz (which I thought might get a Friday night reprieve, paired with Fringe) and The Finder, whose ratings were bad, but whose association with Bones might have given it an edge. At the end of the day, I figured both would be cancelled, and I was right. I thought Touch would get the axe as well, truth be told, but it's been pushed to Friday, so it's only a matter of time. 

Here's the schedule for fall:

MONDAY

8/7c Bones

9 pm THE MOB DOCTOR

TUESDAY

8 pm Raising Hope

8:30 pm BEN AND KATE

9 pm New Girl

9:30 pm THE MINDY PROJECT

WEDNESDAY

8 The X Factor

THURSDAY

8 pm The X Factor (Results Show)

9 pm Glee

FRIDAY

8 pm Touch

9 pm Fringe

SUNDAY

8 pm The Simpsons

8:30 pm Bob’s Burgers

9 pm Family Guy

9:30 pm American Dad

NOT RETURNING NEXT SEASON: Alcatraz, Allen Gregory, Breaking In, The Finder, I Hate My Teenage Daughter, Napoleon Dynamite and Terra Nova.

Scheduling notes: Glee has moved to Thursday, as a result of its ever-decreasing ratings, methinks. Tuesday night is now all comedy (hoping to replicate their success on Sundays, no doubt), with the new shows peppered in between consistent performers. Say what you will about Fox, their scheduling strategies make a lot more sense than most networks. That said, I think Touch is going to die on Fridays right along Fringe's final season.

Here are the new pilots for next season (fingers crossed that this actually works) and a corresponding Potential-O-Meter score regarding how excited I am about it, how well I think it will do, how much longevity I think it has, etc.  (0 being that cross-dressing CBS comedy from last season, 10 being Justified or The Good Wife):

THE MOB DOCTOR

My Take:  You know, at first blush (i.e. the first 20 seconds of the trailer), I was ready to write this off as your typical “I’m a doctor with a bizarre/special/unique/quirky attribute who can save people better than anyone else” kinda show, but as the trailer went on, I actually became somewhat intrigued.  I assumed it would be your standard medical procedural (yawn), but it actually looks to be far more serialized than that and with much higher stakes.  To boot, said stakes are pretty unconventional.  Mobsters in general aren’t my cup of tea (which I literally just wrote “cup o tea” and almost left it that way), but the show seems to have integrated them in a more creative way than usual.  I can’t say I’m over the moon for this one or that I think it has much chance of longevity, but serials get my full attention and are granted the most leeway.  I like Jordana Spiro well enough and think she could anchor the show adequately.  I loathe Michael Rappaport, however, so hopefully he’s a more minor player.  At the very least, he doesn’t appear to be a potential love interest for Spiro, so that wins the show about a million points.  Were they to head in that direction, I’d be heading in the opposite direction.

Potential-O-Meter:  5.5 


BEN & KATE

My Take:  Aside from the innate prejudice I have about couples named Ben and Kate (there are a truly disturbing number out there, it seems), this show looks pleasant.  Not uproariously funny or anything, but pleasant enough.  In terms of comedies out there, it does err on the side of “train wreck guy, high strung girl”, but it seems to have more heart about it.  I can’t say I see where a long term storyline could develop here, but the show seems charming enough that I’m willing to see what they can do.  There’s something appealing about a brother and sister banding together for the greater good and forming an unconventional family for that little girl.  In a world with a hell of a lot of deadbeat dads, I find this angle pretty damn charming, even if I’ll need to see more before judging longevity potential.  So long as the show doesn’t bank on “he’s an idiot” too much, they could really make this work.  From the trailer alone, it looks like they’ll definitely need to flesh out the supporting cast though.  A little girl and an eccentric friend just aren’t going to do it.

Potential-O-Meter:  6 


THE MINDY PROJECT

My Take:  I like Mindy Kaling quite a lot, but I’m not sure I can handle yet another “she’s a disaster looking for love in all the wrong places” comedy.  To be fair, I think Mindy can pull off such a show better than most, but the conceit wore thin about 800 iterations ago.  I’m really torn.  The cast looks great, the writing team can’t be beat, but seriously, the concept is a total turn off.  If her love woes weren’t cliché enough, she’s also a doctor.  I did not see that coming.  My mind is blown.  Ugh.  The trailer had some funny moments, but it had just as many eye-rollingly hackneyed moments as well.  I’ll certainly give it a shot, but I’m definitely on the fence with this one.  I would really have loved to have seen Mindy at the helm of something really fresh and original, but instead, she’s pretty much just playing herself playing every girl I’ve seen in every irritating romantic comedy for the past 20 years.  Not exactly in my wheelhouse…  That said, it’s being paired with New Girl and has enough of an Office pedigree that I think it will do really well.

Potential-O-Meter:  5 


THE FOLLOWING (midseason)

My Take:  Maybe I’ve seen too much TV, maybe I’ve seen too many episodes of Criminal Minds, or maybe I’ve just grown weary of crime shows in general, but in spite of some interesting ideas, a great cast, and the fact that it’s not a story-of-the-week procedural, I just can’t seem to get excited about this one.  It all just seems too familiar to really grab me.  Seriously, this is like every third episode of Criminal Minds plus a healthy dollop of cinematic psychological thriller.  Objectively, it actually looks really good.  Not the most original show I’ve ever seen, but it certainly raises the bar well above its genre competitors.  Kevin Bacon seems well suited to the role and James Purefoy is always great.  I’m not sure I can handle yet another show where all I can think is, “Oh, for hell’s sakes, Winona,” but I’ll certainly try.  The dynamic between Bacon and Winona (aka Natalie Zea) could be interesting… or totally ridiculous… but it’s enough to have me intrigued.  Odds are this won’t bring a whole lot of new facets to an old routine, but in general, I enjoy the old routine well enough to give this one a shot.  Again, it’s a serial (no pun intended), so even if it’s less than unique, I’ll give it some slack.

Potential-O-Meter:  6 


THE GOODWIN GAMES  (midseason)

My Take:  Well, I’ll be damned, I’m intrigued.  Even in spite of the Becky Newton of it all.  Seriously, had I not recently grown to dislike her immensely and shake my head disapprovingly at her acting ability, I think I’d be even more interested in the show than I already am.  Having watched as much TV as I have, I’m a total sucker for a unique concept, and this one comes pretty damn close.  Sure it borrows themes and elements of other shows, but all together, it looks like a charming take on the “kids coming back together as adults” motif (although to be honest, it’s a motif I always really enjoy, so even if it were half as promising, I’d still be interested).  It might just be my love of that episode of Friends where they play Ross’ trivia game about each other in order to win the apartment, but hey, I’ll take it.  It also kind of has a Royal Tennenbaums-y feel to it that I totally dig.  I can see where this could make a series and not just a great pilot, which is always a plus.  All in all, aside from Becky Newton, I’m actually quite looking forward to this one.  Which, of course, automatically means it’s being held till midseason.  Boo.

Potential-O-Meter:  7

Well, there you have it, folks.  Nothing totally disastrous, but nothing I'm salivating over either.  Fox is playing is pretty safe this season.  I hate safe. 

And good lord, Blogger.  This job should not be this hard!  I really hope all that worked above, but I seriously doubt it...  UGH!!!

NBC FALL 2012: Pick-ups, Cancelleds, and Schedule

Whoa, blogger is different!  Hopefully better...  If not, my apologies.  Geez, how long has it been since I blogged that I didn't know about this till now?  Oh, well.  On with the show.  UPDATE:  Oh my holy hell, it is SO MUCH WORSE!  Just when I thought that wasn't possible!!!  Yeah, that picture above?  Hard as hell to move around without screwing up all your text.  If it moves at all.  Kudos, Blogger.  Way to suck.  Yeah, I'm gonna be looking for a new program to use in the very near future, because if pictures are this hard, embedding videos is going to be a blast...

As per usual with NBC over the past 5-10 years, they have more an insane number of new pilots.  Why, you ask?  Because the network is underwater and they cancel nearly everything they pick up.  Seriously, when a fantasy show in the Friday night death slot is the highlight and biggest success of last season’s pilot ventures, you’re truly, truly in trouble.  Here’s the breakdown of pick-ups and cancelleds (only the scripted shows, naturally).

PICKED-UP FOR NEXT SEASON:  30 Rock (final season), Community (wahoo! 13 episode initial order), Grimm (yay!), Law & Order: SVU, The Office, Parenthood, Parks & Recreation, Smash (will be held till midseason), Up All Night, and Whitney.

CANCELLED:  Are You There Chelsea?, Awake, Bent, Best Friends Forever, Chuck, Free Agents, Harry’s Law, The Playboy Club, Prime Suspect, and The Firm.

Along with the largely unsurprising pick-up and cancellation news, some scheduling changes should be noted.  Biggest change?  Community has been moved to Fridays.  This, in and of itself, wouldn’t be a death sentence (if ever a show could survive on a Friday, it’s a show with a niche audience), and quite frankly, not being up against The Big Bang Theory anymore can only be good news, but that it will now follow Whitney is a big problem.  Whitney’s ratings are bad, and the fans aren’t going to follow it to Friday.  I think Community’s base certainly will, but no casual viewer is going to watching Whitney and then stick around.  It’s a terrible lead-in and Community is going to suffer for it.  Ugh.  Other than that, here’s how things are stacking up.

The entries in ALL CAPS are new shows for fall.  The times are all Eastern Time Zone because I was too lazy to adjust for the time zone I actually live in.

NBC FALL 2012 SCHEDULE

MONDAY
8/7c The Voice
10 pm REVOLUTION

TUESDAY
8 pm The Voice
9 pm GO ON
9:30 pm THE NEW NORMAL
10 pm Parenthood

WEDNESDAY
8 pm ANIMAL PRACTICE
8:30 pm GUYS WITH KIDS
9 pm Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
10 pm CHICAGO FIRE

THURSDAY
8 pm 30 Rock
8:30 pm Up All Night
9 pm The Office
9:30 pm Parks and Recreation
10 pm Rock Center with Brian Williams

FRIDAY
8 pm Whitney
8:30 pm Community
9 pm Grimm
10-11 pm Dateline NBC

SUNDAY (Post-football/Winter 2013)
8 pm Fashion Star
9 pm The Celebrity Apprentice
10 pm DO NO HARM

I’ll be posting clips and trailers of the new shows with my knee-jerk reactions in the coming weeks, but for now, that’s what we’re in for.  Having watched the trailers already, I can tell you that there are some absolute disasters coming down the pike, but also a couple of possible contenders. 

Upcoming Premiere Dates

Finally, finally, finally, September is upon us. While network TV is mostly disappointing most of the time, I can't not get excited for the crush of fall pilots. Sure most of them won't survive the year (or even through Christmas), but every year I jump in with both feet and hope for the best. Some years are better than others (2004 and 2007 were particularly good as I recall). This fall is looking pretty mediocre, I must say, but still looks a fair bit more promising than last season. Honestly though, it's midseason that looks promising for new programming. For fall, I'm mostly stoked for returning shows. Three months without The Vampire Diaries, The Good Wife, Nikita, and Castle is simply too damn long. "Well, hello, dead ex-girlfriends!" Fade to black. Meeeean.

Anyway, here's the day by day on when shows are starting. Showtimes are subject to timezones and I'm simply not willing to parse that out here. Please note that times are subject to change, but with the new season starting next week, the September premieres are pretty set in stone. Beyond that, it's hard to be sure.

The list below is kind of daunting, so if you want it in calendar format, our good friend Michael Ausiello has graciously generated one HERE.

***SEPTEMBER***

Tuesday, September 13

• Parenthood (NBC)
  
• Ringer (CW)
• 90210 (CW)
  

Wednesday, September 14

• Survivor (CBS)
• H8R (CW)
• America's Next Top Model (CW)
• Up All Night (NBC)
• Free Agents (NBC)

Thursday, September 15

• The Vampire Diaries (CW) Wooo!
• The Secret Circle (CW)
• It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (FX)
• Archer (FX)

Monday, September 19

• Dancing with the Stars (ABC)
• How I Met Your Mother (CBS, 2 episodes)
• Two and a Half Men (CBS, if you're curious enough to tune in for Ashton)
• 2 Broke Girls (CBS)
• Castle (ABC)
• Hawaii Five-O (CBS)
• The Playboy Club (NBC)

Tuesday, September 20

• NCIS (CBS)
• Glee (Fox)
• The Biggest Loser (NBC)
• Dancing with the Stars results show (ABC)
• NCIS: Los Angeles (CBS)
• New Girl (Fox)
• Raising Hope (Fox)
• Body of Proof (ABC)
• Unforgettable (CBS)

Wednesday, September 21

• The X Factor (Fox)
• The Middle (ABC, one hour)
• Criminal Minds (CBS)
• Modern Family (ABC)
• Harry's Law (NBC)
• CSI (CBS)
• Law & Order: SVU (NBC)
• Revenge (ABC)

Thursday, September 22

• The Big Bang Theory (CBS, 2 episodes)
• Charlie's Angels (ABC)
• The X Factor results (Fox)
• Community (NBC)
• Parks and Rec (NBC)
• Grey's Anatomy (ABC, 2 hour premiere)
• Person of Interest (CBS)
• The Office (NBC)
• Whitney (NBC)
• The Mentalist (CBS)
• Prime Suspect (NBC)

Friday, September 23

• Kitchen Nightmares (Fox)
• Nikita (CW)
• A Gifted Man (CBS)
• CSI: NY (CBS)
• Fringe (Fox)
• Supernatural (CW)
• Blue Bloods (CBS)

Sunday, September 25

• The Amazing Race (CBS)
• The Simpsons (Fox)
• The Cleveland Show (Fox)
• Desperate Housewives (ABC)
• The Good Wife (CBS) Wooo!
• Boardwalk Empire (HBO)
• Family Guy (Fox)
• American Dad (Fox)
• Pan Am (ABC)
• CSI: Miami (CBS)

Monday, September 26

• Terra Nova (Fox)
• Gossip Girl (CW)
• Hart of Dixie (CW)
• Mike & Molly (CBS)

Wednesday, September 28

• Suburgatory (ABC)
• Happy Endings (ABC)

Thursday, September 29

• How To Be a Gentleman (CBS)
• Private Practice (ABC)

***OCTOBER***

Sunday, October 2

• Dexter (Showtime)
• Homeland (Showtime)
• Hung (HBO)
• How to Make It in America (HBO)
• Ken Burns: Prohibition (PBS)
  

Monday, October 3

• House (Fox)

Wednesday, October 5

• American Horror Story (FX)
• South Park (FX)

Thursday, October 6

• The League (FX)

Monday, October 10

• Bored to Death (HBO)
• Enlightened (HBO)

Tuesday, October 11

• Last Man Standing (ABC)

Wednesday, October 12

• Psych (USA)

Sunday, October 16

• The Walking Dead (AMC)
  

Friday, October 21

• Chuck (NBC)
• Grimm (NBC)
• Boss (Starz)

Sunday, October 23

• Once Upon a Time (ABC)

***NOVEMBER***

Tuesday, November 1

• Covert Affairs (USA)

Sunday, November 6

• Hell on Wheels (AMC)
  

Thursday, November 3

• Bones (Fox)
• Burn Notice (USA)

Wednesday, November 23

• I Hate My Teenage Daughter (Fox)

Beyond that, the dates for shows are pretty foggy. Midseason is always kind of up for grabs (depending on how and when other shows get the axe), but here are the shows you can look forward to around January or February of 2012, with some tentative premiere dates included for some... No particular order...

• Shameless (Showtime--January 8th)
• House of Lies (Showtime--January 8th)
• Southland (TNT--January 17th)
• Smash (ABC--February 6th)
• Apartment 23
• Cougar Town
• Good Christian Bitches/Belles
• Missing
• The River
• Scandal
• Work It
• The 2-2
• Undercover Boss
• Alcatraz
• American Idol
• The Finder
• Touch
• 30 Rock
• Are You There Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea
• Awake
• Bent
• Best Friends Forever
• The Firm
• The Voice
• The Frame
• One Tree Hill
• Re-Modeled
  

Fall 2011: Watch, DVR, or Skip?

Now that I've finally, finally, finally posted previews of the new shows coming to network TV this fall, here's the handy-dandy, considerably shorter guide to which new shows are worth watching and which aren't. Bear in mind that these are based on my tastes and preferences, so if you're a hardcore procedural fan, take these recommendations with a grain of salt.

My determinations also had a lot to do with buzz about certain shows. I have yet to see the full pilots, but a number of people in the biz have. Depending on how much I trust their opinions, some shows were moved around a bit. Long story short, my perceptions of the trailer aren't the only factor here. This is a list of what I think is worthy of an audience and what isn't. I've been wrong before and I'll be wrong again, fair warning.

I've been told on numerous occasions that my blogposts are entirely too long, so for those of you who don't care much for readin', I'm including a measure for my level of stoked-edness. The Stokeometer, if you will, ranging from "Not Even Kind of Excited" at 0 to "Can Hardly Contain Myself!" at 10.

-----WATCH---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
These are in no particular order, but I tried to keep the midseason offerings at the bottom. I may have missed on though. Networks seem hell-bent on keeping some of the best options till the dead of winter which is weird, and inexplicable, and hard to keep track of.

• Once Upon a Time
  Of the shows premiering in the fall, this one probably tops my list. From the trailer alone, it looks like it could go either way, but chatter online promises that it may just be the best new show of the fall. Count me in!
  * Stokeometer Level: 9
  
  
• Person of Interest
  If this is even half the show the creative team behind it would suggest it will be, I'm completely stoked. It looks to be a slick thriller with a hell of a cast. Assuming it shies away from being too procedural, this should be pretty amazing.
  * Stokeometer Level: 7.8
  
  
• Ringer
  It's hard to say how excited I'd be if Buffy weren't at the helm, but thankfully, she is, so I can't help but be excited for this one. I may be setting myself up for disappointment here, but when it comes to the Whedonverse, I'm a perrennial optimist (even if not at any other time).
  * Stokeometer Level: 8.5
  
  
• The Secret Circle
  Well, I was skeptical of The Vampire Diaries at first, and look where that ended up (i.e. Awesomeville). I'm more than a little dubious about the cast, and I'm a bit worried that Kevin Williamson will be spreading himself too thin, but I can't help but be excited for any and all projects that are even tangentially associated with Ian Somerhalder.
  * Stokeometer Level: 8
  
  
• Terra Nova
  This is one that, based only on what I've seen (i.e. the trailer and various articles), I probably would have put in the DVR category. What can I say? When I hear that a show will appeal to everyone, ages 9 to 90, I become a bit leery. That said, critics in the biz are singing its praises. It looks to be one of the biggest premieres of the fall and I'll certainly be there to see if it lives up to the hype.
  * Stokeometer Level: 7
  
  
• Pan Am
  On paper, I wasn't all that excited at all. But, based on the trailer and a run down of the creative team, I'm surprisingly intrigued by this one. I'll be starting Mad Men (which is finally on Instant Play) in the coming months, so Pan Am should make for a nice companion piece.
  * Stokeometer Level: 7.3
  
  
• New Girl
  Okay, wow, of all the shows that were influenced by critical reaction online, this one has to be the top of the heap. I'm no fan of Zooey's, but everyone seems to think this show is amazing and that it could be the next big thing. I have my doubts, but I'm actually really hoping to eat my words (which isn't to say that I'm chomping at the bit either).
  * Stokeometer Level: 6.2
  
  
• Suburgatory
  This one isn't so much a "Can't wait!" as a, "This could be something really special". I wouldn't say I'm on pins and needles, but it looks like it has a hell of a lot of potential. I have to admit, I hate the title, but if that's the worst thing I can say at this point, they m
  * Stokeometer Level: 6.9
  
  
• Revenge
  Ooooh, I'm actually very intrigued by this on, even with Emily van Camp at the helm. It looks like the kind of concept that will fall apart after the first season, but that's okay. I'm still looking forward to it, even if not for the long-haul.
  * Stokeometer Level: 7.5
  
  
• Scandal (midseason)
  This was a tough one. The pessimist deep within (and, let's face it, without) is sure that this will be a disaster on par with Shonda's other recent shows, but I can't help but be intrigued. It looks like a step out of the box for her (even if just a toe) and I have to remind myself that, back in the day, I actually really enjoyed Grey's Anatomy. In hopes that she captures that again, I'm excited. Plus, Desmond!!!
  * Stokeometer Level: 6.7
  
  
• Smash (midseason)
  Oh, midseason. Why must you be so far away? This is far and away the show I'm most excited about, but it's hard to maintain that kind of enthusiasm through the next 6 or 7 months. Still, my love of musical theatre combined with my love of TV? Yes, please!
  * Stokeometer Level: 9.5
  
  
• Apartment 23 (midseason)
  This one looks just quirky and snarky enough to be awesome. It combines actors from all sorts of shows that I've adored in the past, so I couldn't really ask for more. Here's hoping they don't blow it, because they really do have a ton of things going for them.
  * Stokeometer Level: 7.4
  
  
• Good Christina Bitches (midseason)
  Or GCB, for short. Or lame. Title notwithstanding, this looks completely awesome and stars our good friend Olive Snook. I hate that it's held till midseason, but hopefully that will give them time to figure out a different title. GCB is not going to work, people.
  * Stokeometer Level: 9
  
  
• Alcatraz (midseason)
  This one is the most perplexing in the "why the hell are they waiting till midseason" category. It's high concept, but it looks to be fairly procedural, stars Hurley, and is produced by JJ Abrams. I'm excited and so is everyone else. Here's hoping that excitement lasts for a very long time because this one is going to be a very long wait.
  * Stokeometer Level: 8.8
  
  
• Awake (midseason)
  With procedurals taking over the airwaves, it's very nice to see a high concept, cerebral show coming down the pike. I'm sure they'll try to throw in a fair bit of weekly one-off storylines as well, but this one is inherently serial, whether viewers like it or not. Me? I like it. A lot.
  * Stokeometer Level: 8

-----DVR---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
When I put these shows into this category, it mainly points to some conflicted feelings. I think they look good enough to give them a chance, but they could also get kicked to the curb after the pilot. Appointment TV? Perhaps not. But they all seem to be worth giving a shot.

• Prime Suspect
  I want to be excited about this one, but it's a remake of a British show (which are almost invariably superior) and the concept just seems dated. It's also a cop show, and more than likely, 80% procedural. That said, the trailer was intriguing and Maria Bello seems to do a lovely job. With reservations, I'll be watching.
  * Stokeometer Level: 5.5
  
  
• The Playboy Club
  I was on the fence about this one after the trailer, but it looks like it could turn into a fun, sudsy, night-time soap drama, which could make for a nice guilty pleasure. That said, if the religious right and the conservative nutjobs of the world have their way, it could get very difficult to actually see this show on the air. This might be a "watch online" venture whether it's awesome or not. Dear Religious Nutballs, In what universe is Law & Order: SVU totally inoffensive, but a show like The Playboy Club isn't? Apparently, in whatever universe that may be, it's just good family fun to see countless women get brutally raped, tortured to death, and dismembered, but seeing them dressed in 1960's bunny girl outfits is simply going to far. Wouldn't want to see people actually enjoying sex, now would we? Bastards.
  * Stokeometer Level: 6
  
  
• Up All Night
  I'm honestly not all that excited for this one, but it has a stellar cast and the trailer had some charm to it. That said, I hate children, so this could easily be a good show that just isn't my cup of tea. At the very least, it should be a quality production with some decent bones to build upon.
  * Stokeometer Level: 4.8
  
  
• The River (midseason)
  This looks like it could be an excellent show, but it just doesn't really strike me as the kind of show I'd really get hooked into. I think this one will get lost in the midseason shuffle and will have a hard time finding a consistent audience. In short, I don't think it's going to set the world on fire or anything.
  * Stokeometer Level: 4
  
  
• Grimm
  Sigh. In theory, I should be uber-excited for this one. Between the creative team, the Whedonverse connections, and the base concept, this sounds like it should be well within my wheelhouse. But, and it's a big but, the trailer was pretty abominable and I have serious reservations about them pulling this off. In the fairy tale royal rumble, my money's on Once Upon a Time.
  * Stokeometer Level: 5.2
  
  
• Free Agents
  Speaking of my Whedonverse allegiances, it's Giles! In short, if the lead couple can create some real chemistry between them, this could be a fun little time killer. If not, it's dead in the water, with or without Giles on board. In many ways, I'm more afraid of this one than not. I hate seeing actors I love in sub-par shows... here's hoping it's better than it looks.
  * Stokeometer Level: 4
  
  
• Hart of Dixie
  I've heard online that this one is actually quite charming. I don't think I'll ever believe Rachel Bilson is a doctor, but if I'm willing to suspend my disbelief for shows like True Blood, surely I can force myself to stretch it even farther and believe that Bilson is anything but Summer Roberts. The creative team has a number of credits that I've adored in the past, so with any luck, they'll make this one work.
  * Stokeometer Level: 5
  
  
• Man Up
  Well, it looks better than some of the comedies coming this fall, so I'll give it a chance. It might be that I watched the trailer for this one right after watching the trailer for Last Man Standing, but this looks pretty decent. I can't say I'm excited, per se, but it looks less awful than some of the others? Low bar...
  * Stokeometer Level: 3.9
  

-----SKIP---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ugh. These are the shows that I might not even screen the pilot. Knowing me, I will, but that's only for the sake of saying I've given it a chance. I can't imagine any of these will defy my expectations and become a show worth watching.

• I Hate My Teenage Daughter
  This looks like one of the many comedies that I don't find comedic at all. If the base concept weren't enough to turn me off, the execution is.
  * Stokeometer Level: 1.1
  
  
• Finder
  Unlike most of the shows on this list, I actually kinda sorta have seen the pilot for this one (the backdoor pilot in Bones), and I was not impressed. Bones is mediocre enough, but this goes one step further. I've heard they're overhauling it in a number of ways though, so maybe they'll be able to make it watchable.
  * Stokeometer Level: 2.2
  
  
• Last Man Standing
  This looks to be the most painfully unfunny, loathsome new show of the fall. Why oh why is anyone giving Tim Allen his own show? And why are they allowing him to play the same unfunny character he played in Home Improvement? Ugh.
  * Stokeometer Level: 0
  
  
• Work It
  Painful. Just painful. If you're one of those people who thought it was hi-larious for the football players to dress up as cheerleaders, however, sign yourself up.
  * Stokeometer Level: 0.8
  
  
• Unforgettable
  Yet another crime procedural. Stupid bent. No, thanks. If I were more of a procedural fan in general, I could be okay with this, but I can only take procedurals in small doses.
  * Stokeometer Level: 2
  
  
• A Gifted Man
  This is a well-made show with a fine cast, but it looks absolutely awful. Sappy, cheesy, melodramatic, and lame, I don't think I'll be signing up for this one.
  * Stokeometer Level: 1.6
  
  
• Charlie's Angels
  This looks pretty awful. From what I've read, it's pretty sub-par, even for people who love this kind of thing. Hell, even the websites that I frequent that are always nice have some negative things to say. Odds are I'll have way more than that. I think this one will open big, then fall off sharply week-to-week.
  * Stokeometer Level: 2
  
  
• Whitney
  I've heard that Whitney Cummings is actually pretty funny, but when watered down to network levels, any and all bite from her comedy routine gets lost.
  * Stokeometer Level: 1.5

CBS Pilots 2011: Volume 1 (dramas)

Say what you will about the majority of CBS's programming, the network does very well for itself, people. Sure 80% of their shows are crime procedurals and spin-offs of other crime procedurals, but ratings point for ratings point, it's the most consistently stable network of the big four, and outside a few notable exceptions (mostly attention-grabbing reality competition shows on other networks), has the overall highest ratings in town. Seriously, when the main problem your network faces is that it simply doesn't have room for new shows (what with all the current shows being so successful), you must be doing something right.

I scoff at a big proportion of their programming, but then I have to give them a pass for sticking with The Good Wife. It's the best network drama on television and CBS knows it. It's ratings aren't on par with the real heavy-hitters on the network, but CBS knows that The Good Wife gives it something no other big four network has: critical acclaim. While cable programming has infiltrated and nearly taken over awards shows (at least in the drama department), The Good Wife stands as the lone hold out. I like to think of CBS as a big movie studio that makes obscene amounts of money on crappy blockbusters so that it can afford to take a modest hit on the quality films.

Whatever the reasons may be, America really seems to love its gory crime procedurals, so when it comes to fall programming, CBS has a delightfully small slate for me to take care of. Hell, ABC and NBC have basically overhauled their entire networks with more new shows this fall than CBS has had in the past five years combined. Ouch.

At any rate, here's the probable schedule for this fall (new shows in all caps):

MONDAY
8/7c pm How I Met Your Mother
8:30 pm 2 BROKE GIRLS
9 pm Two and a Half Men
9:30 pm Mike & Molly
10 pm Hawaii Five-0

TUESDAY
8 pm NCIS
9 pm NCIS: LA
10 pm UNFORGETTABLE

WEDNESDAY
8 pm Survivor
9 pm Criminal Minds
10 pm CSI [new time slot]

THURSDAY
8 pm The Big Bang Theory
8:30 pm HOW TO BE A GENTLEMAN
9 pm PERSON OF INTEREST
10 pm The Mentalist

FRIDAY
8 pm A GIFTED MAN
9 pm CSI: NY
10 pm Blue Bloods

SUNDAY
7 pm 60 Minutes
8 pm The Amazing Race
9 pm The Good Wife [new time slot]
10 pm CSI: Miami

The only truly notable aspect of the new schedule for me is that The Good Wife is moving to Sundays. Many have wondered if CBS is trying to kill the show, but as far as I'm concerned, they're simply putting it on the night it always should have been on. I'm not sure how this is going to impact the ratings, but in terms of tone, I've always thought it should be on Sunday and certainly that it didn't fit with NCIS as a pairing. The Amazing Race gets amazing ratings, so from where I'm sitting, moving the show to it's new slot is a ploy to improve its ratings and keep the show alive for years to come. Here's hoping that's how it actually plays out. If any show is being set-up to slough off this mortal coil, it's CSI, which totally deserves it.

Anyway... On with the shows! Of note, there are a lot of things CBS does extremely well, but providing show trailers isn't one of them. They have a tendency to provide weird mash-ups of behind-the-scenes stuff and show clips. Bear with me...

Here are the dramas:

PERSON OF INTEREST

Description: Stars Michael Emerson (Lost), James Caviezel (The Prisoner), Taraji P. Henson (Boston Legal) and Kevin Chapman (Mystic River). From exec-producer J.J. Abrams (Lost/Fringe) and penned by Jonathan Nolan (The Dark Knight).



First Impressions: Well, shit. You can't ask for a better pedigree than JJ Abrams and anyone even remotely associated with The Dark Knight, so to say that this show should be good is an understatement. I think this is going to be one of the biggest hits of the fall. Not only does it have one hell of a creative team at the helm, but it fits with CBS's brand nicely, but improves on it. I think the only head-scratcher with this one is its scheduling. Thursday is a very big night for television, so that's right on the money, but it's lead-ins are a pair of comedies... the one just before it, a new comedy. That... doesn't make a hell of a lot of sense. But, when push comes to shove, I think this show will have enough buzz and momentum that it won't need a snazzy lead-in. I'm guessing CBS knows that. In terms of the actual show, I'm excited, but cautious. My only real apprehension is the tendency for CBS shows to be straight-up procedurals. I'm hopeful this show strikes the kind of balance that The Good Wife has with 60% serial, 40% procedural, unlike the rest of the network which errs on the side of 85% procedrual, 15% serial, if we're lucky. I've been winding my way through all six seasons of Lost over the past few months, so all I could think when watching this preview was that it looked an awful lot like Sayid would show up at any moment wondering who to kill next. Seriously, how do you trust Micheal Emerson at this point? Especially when he appears to be playing a slightly more mainland-y Ben Linus? Speaking of which, the ex-Losties certainly have done well for themselves in the coming pilot season. Just about every show has an alum (which might simply be indicative of the fact that over 6 seasons, every actor with or without a SAG card was on the show). Anyway, this is a high-budget thriller with a hell of a cast and crew and I can't help but to be excited. This show is in line with CBS, but appears to pack more punch than its usual serial-killer fare. Preventing crime isn't the most original bent in the world, but for CBS, a network whose bread and butter is found in the aftermath of horrific crime, it's pretty novel. I'm guessing it'll err on the more action-y, shoot 'em up, guy-centric end of the spectrum, but if it's done correctly, it could make for one of hell of a show. Sign me up.


UNFORGETTABLE

Description: Stars Poppy Montgomery (Without a Trace), Dylan Walsh, Michael Gaston, Kevin Rankin (Justified, FNL), and Daya Vaidya. Ed Redlich (Without a Trace) writes and executive produces alongside EP Sarah Timberman, EP Carl Beverly and writer/co-EP John Bellucci.



First Impressions: This was originally going to be called "The Rememberer", but that was kind of begging to get made fun of. I'm not saying I won't title the full review of the pilot with anything but "The Rememberererererer", but axing that title was a definite step in the right direction. That said, this looks wearily familiar and fits the CBS brand in a bad way. Where Person of Interest ups the ante, Unforgettable puts a very slight and fairly cheesy spin on the old routine. To be honest, I was so distracted by Poppy Montgomery's atrociously bad American accent that I probably missed a lot of the promo. I'm still trying to decide if maybe her character is supposed to be Australian or has a mother who is or something. Seriously, that's one of the worst I've ever heard. Which is strange, because the Aussies usually do a hell of a job. Not here. For what it is, it seems fine, I suppose. After you've seen 104 billion shows just like this, it's hard to be objective. It has all the cliches you'd expect and will cover the same ground, albeit with mostly different names. Kevin Rankin always does a nice job, but I have a sinking feeling he'll be playing second fiddle here, on a show which already looks pretty mediocre. Sad, really. At any rate, I'm not excited for this by any stretch, but it appears to be a competent production of the exact same show that people seem to love. Odds are it will do well, even if critics are bored to tears.


A GIFTED MAN

Description: Patrick Wilson (Little Children) stars as an ultra-competitive surgeon whose life is changed forever when his ex-wife (Jennifer Ehle, The King's Speech) dies and begins teaching him what life is all about. Julie Benz (No Ordinary Family) co-stars, produced by Susannah Grant (Erin Brockovich), Sarah Timberman, Carl Beverly and Jonathan Demme (Rachel Getting Married), who directed the pilot.



First Impressions: Well, first off, any show that starts off the title screen with a definition is already on my bad side (The Mentalist, I'm looking in your direction). Secondly, when it's a word that everyone already knows the definition of, you can officially bite me. Thirdly, if I have to see another show about a heartless surgeon learning to care about the little guy, I might just cry. Fourth (ly?), Julie Benz. Ugh. Fifth, I'm all for high-concept, but this just looks lame. Other than that...! Yeah, so this show isn't really grabbing me. At least not in any good ways. When it doesn't look completely cheesy or cliche, it looks painfully overwrought. The fact that CBS has this slated to anchor the night on Friday suggests that I'm not the only one who's underwhelmed by this one. It strikes me more as a bad Lifetime movie rather than a compelling series. My heart broke just a little bit to see Margo Martindale (aka, the indomitable Mags Bennett) attached to such a show. Oh, Justified. Did you have to kill her off? Yes, you did. But look at the fallout! In short, this looks like a disaster masquerading as a heart-wrenching, compelling drama. CBS struggles hardcore to incorporate shows that don't fit their model, and have had particularly poor results with medical dramas. Three Rivers, anyone? They managed to break into the lawyer genre with The Good Wife, but cops and lawyers are fairly well-connected in the end. Doctors? They really should stop trying. In case I'm being too subtle here, I'm not holding my breath on this one. It could be an amazing shows disguised as a cheesefest, but I'm doubting it.

CW Pilots 2011 (Buffy!)

Oh, sweet, adorable CW. I give you a hard time, but when it comes to pilot season, you bring me nothing but joy. Is that because the shows you select are invariably kickass? Goodness no. I think we all remember Hellcats. But in terms of managing the volume of new shows, I can always count on you to have hardly any at all. Most seasons it's only two. This season, I see you've branched out to three. One small step forward to real networkdom.

Here's the fall schedule (newbs in all caps, Eastern Time):

MONDAY
8 pm Gossip Girl [new time slot]
9 pm HART OF DIXIE

TUESDAY
8 pm 90210 [new time slot]
9 pm RINGER

WEDNESDAY
8 pm H8R
9 pm America’s Next Top Model

THURSDAY
8 pm The Vampire Diaries
9 pm THE SECRET CIRCLE

FRIDAY
8 pm Nikita [new time slot]
9 pm Supernatural

Just look at that. No Sunday. No third hour of primetime. Easy breezy. I could ramble on about what the network needs to do to be a real threat in the industry, but it ain't gonna happen, so I'll save my breath... or typing. Long story short, they're getting their asses handed to them by ABC Family. Why, you ask? Is it because the shows are better? Hell no. I think it boils down to the fact that ABC Family can advertise on all of ABC's other networks, whereas the CW has a more limited pool. You'd think Warner Brothers would have more pull and exposure, but honestly, I see ads for ABC Family all over the place and the CW almost nowhere. Anyway, here's the latest in the CW's desperate attempt to keep their heads above water.

RINGER

Description: Stars Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Kristoffer Polaha (Life Unexpected), Ioan Gruffudd (Fantastic Four), Nestor Carbonell (Lost), and others. Eric Carmelo and Nicole Snyder (Supernatural) will executive-produce the project.



First Impressions: Buffy! That's right, folks. Sarah Michelle Gellar is finally returning to television. Probably not on the network she had in mind ("I've been behhrnt by you before!"), but a return nonetheless. Word is, CBS was considering picking up the show, but opted out. This is far and away the most mature, off-brand show the CW has ever had. Rather than a teeny-bopper fantasy or a supernatural genre piece, this looks to be a surprisingly adult drama. The promo above doesn't really do it justice methinks. I've seen a couple of clips of the show and the trailer doesn't do much to explain the premise. From what I've seen, I'm very excited and intrigued. Buffy plays identical twins, which always leads to certain problems, but it looks like they'll be pulling it off well. Hopefully it'll be as astounding as Nina Dobrev's turn as Elena and Katherine. Honestly, when Katherine first appeared on the scene, I was a bit worried that it would feel like The Parent Trap or something, but Dobrev does a wonderful job. I never have to wonder who I'm looking at, unless of course that's part of the plan. Anyway, this looks to break out of the CW's mold which is wonderful, but also problematic. Are junior high schoolers who drool over 90210 really going to stick around for a serious psychological drama? I have my doubts. The real saving grace will be if the Whedonverse turns out in droves. That legion may be tiny, but it's dedicated. Plus, what meager numbers they put up would be cancel-worthy on another network, but on the CW? They'll probably fit right in. This looks like an interesting concept with a great cast. If they can pull off the ins and outs of twins, it should be a winner. "Numfar do the dance of joy!"


THE SECRET CIRCLE

Description: Stars Britt Robertson (Life Unexpected), Thomas Dekker (Heroes), Gale Harold (Queer as Folk), Phoebe Tonkin as Fay Chamberlain, Jessica Parker Kennedy as Melissa, Shelley Hennig as Diana Meade, Louis Hunter as Nick, Ashley Crow as Jane Blake and Natasha Henstridge as Dawn Chamberlain. From executive producers Kevin Williamson (“The Vampire Diaries,” “Scream,” “Dawson’s Creek”), Andrew Miller (“Imaginary Bitches”), Leslie Morgenstein (“The Vampire Diaries,” “Gossip Girl”) and Gina Girolamo.



First Impressions: Okay, peeps, seriously mixed feelings about this one. One the one hand, it's from Vampire Diaries genius Kevin Williamson. On the other hand, it's from Vampire Diaries genius Kevin Williamson. You see, it's always lovely when you come across a show from someone you love, but when that someone is currently working on something else, it's bittersweet. More often than not, the showrunner in question gets spread a little thin and one or both of the projects suffer as a result. I'm hoping to hell that's not the case here, but I'm cautious. Another bone of contention is that this stars that obnoxious brat from Life Unexpected. Ugh. Not a good sign. The cast in general leads to some concerns, but along with the wild cards are some solid players. Um, Brian Kinney? Yes, please. In terms of concept, the whole, "person discovers he or she (usually she) has powers" is entirely overdone, but if anyone could pull it off, it's Williamson. The book series that this show is based on is from the same author as TVD. From what I've heard from readers, the series is rather divergent than the books. As Secret Circle starts off, I'm guessing it'll be pretty true to the source, but as with TVD, I'm guessing it blazes its own path. This show has a definite The Craft vibe to it that I'm not sure does it any favors, but it also has a rather Harry Potter-ish generational storyline that I'm intrigued by. I like that the parents all have a history together at the same time that their kids are building their own history. I can't say it'll be a home run, but I'll definitely be tuning in. Be forewarned, if it's anything like TVD (and it should be), it may start of slow and vaguely juvenile, but that's probably not where it'll end up.


HART OF DIXIE

Description: Stars Rachel Bilson (The OC), Scott Porter (FNL, The Good Wife), Jaime King, Wilson Bethel, and Cress Williams. From executive producers Leila Gerstein (“Gossip Girl,” “Eli Stone”), Josh Schwartz (“Gossip Girl,” “Chuck,” “The O.C.”), Stephanie Savage (“Gossip Girl,” “The O.C.”), Len Goldstein and Jason Ensler (“Gossip Girl,” “Chuck”).







First Impressions: Well, first off, we have the major problem of believing for even one iddy biddy second that Rachel Bilson is a surgeon. I like Bilson a lot, but no. Then there's the problem of the voice-over. Hopefully that's short-lived. Beyond all that, we have the concept. Sigh. Look, I'm a huge fan of the Schwartz/Savage pairing, but this just feels incredibly old hat. And not even a very good hat. The whole fish out of water, city slicker moves to a small town has been done way too many times to seem fresh. That said, I loved Everwood... I'm doubting Hart of Dixie will rise to that level, but I'm trying to keep an open mind. It'll be nice to see Jason Street back in action (what with his recent stint on The Good Wife making me want to beat him to death with Kalinda's bat), but I can't say he's my favorite actor. Jaime King actually seems to be the most at home with the show so far, but will predictably bring the evil harpy dressed in chiffon to fruition. In case I'm being too subtle, of the CW's offerings, this one has me the least excited. I'm holding onto hope that the creative team is one that I love and that even if this doesn't look great on the surface, it will likely have a quirky humor to it that I can appreciate. I'll certainly give it a shot, but on paper, it's just not my cup of tea. Here's hoping it's better in execution than conception.

Fox Pilots 2011: Volume 1 (dramas)

After slogging through the entirely new network that NBC will be, I'm switching gears to Fox, which only has enough real estate for two volumes. Truth be told, NBC actually has some midseason comedies in store, but none of them was promising enough or horrific enough for mention. On the off-chance that they actually make it to air, I'll be sure to mention them.

Anyway, on to Fox. I'm still bitter about The Chicago Code getting the axe, especially in light of aging shows like House and Bones jumping one shark after another and relative newbie Glee sucking it up in its second season. From a financial standpoint, I guess I get it, but House is hemorrhaging viewers and actors (Lisa Edelstein jumped ship and I can't says I blame her). Odds are this coming season will mercifully be its last. I broke up with it after the first episode of this season, so it only really matters to me in terms of other shows getting canceled. Code ended its run in fine fashion, and, while not a perfect show, had a lot of room to grow and seemingly infinite storylines to explore. House, Bones, and even Glee? They're pretty tapped out. Caterwauling aside, Fox has a pretty interesting slate of new shows for the coming year, so if nothing else, at least they have some potential winners to throw into the mix of aging dinosaurs. Actually, they have some dinosaurs to throw in as well... Along with the potential winners, of course, we have even more animation and a competition show of some sort that I already don't care about. Even worse, the most promising new show of all is being held till midseason, you know, because all the cool networks are doing that for some reason... Boo.

Here's how the schedule is stacking up for the coming year (new shows are in caps and the times are Eastern Time):

***FALL SCHEDULE***

MONDAY
8/7c TERRA NOVA
9 pm House

TUESDAY
8 pm Glee
9 pm NEW GIRL
9:30 pm Raising Hope

WEDNESDAY
8-9:30 pm THE X FACTOR
9:30 pm I HATE MY TEENAGE DAUGHTER

THURSDAY
8 pm THE X FACTOR (Results Show)
9 pm Bones

FRIDAY
8 pm Kitchen Nightmares
9 pm Fringe

SUNDAY
7:30 pm The Cleveland Show
8 pm The Simpsons
8:30 pm ALLEN GREGORY
9 pm Family Guy
9:30 pm American Dad

***MIDSEASON SCHEDULE***

MONDAY
8/7c House
9 pm ALCATRAZ

TUESDAY
8 pm Glee
9 pm NEW GIRL
9:30 pm Raising Hope

WEDNESDAY
8-9:30 pm American Idol
9:30 pm I HATE MY TEENAGE DAUGHTER

THURSDAY
8 pm American Idol (Results Show)
9 pm FINDER/Bones (Returning in Spring)

FRIDAY
8 pm Kitchen Nightmares
9 pm Fringe

SUNDAY
7:30 pm The Cleveland Show
8 pm The Simpsons
8:30 pm NAPOLEON DYNAMITE
9 pm Family Guy
9:30 pm Bob’s Burgers

So yeah, Fox's schedule is always kind of a chore to read because it's so chopped up, but in theory, that's what it'll look like at some point in time.

Here are the new dramas:

ALCATRAZ

Description: Stars Jorge Garcia (Lost), Parminder Nagra (ER), Robert Forster (Heroes), Sam Neill (Jurassic Park) and Sarah Jones (Sons of Anarchy). JJ Abrams will produce.



First Impressions: Color me intrigued, but cautious. In spite of the craptacularity of JJ Abrams' last project (Undercovers, the show so boring even NBC wouldn't keep it), it's impossible not to be excited for a project of his. With Lost, Alias, and Fringe under his belt, he's allowed a misstep or two. This show looks like it has a hell of a lot of potential, depending on what direction they take things... If this is a complex supernatural, psychological, historical mystery, I'm so in. If this turns into a old-prisoner-of-the-week cop procedural? I'm considerably less in. Based on what I've seen and heard so far, I'm hopeful that this show will spend more time exploring the mystery of how these men disappeared, where they've been, and why they're back rather than a caper of the week. JJ generally avoids such CBS-style trappings, so it should be good. The concept is intriguing no matter what direction they take. This is truly a story I've never really seen before, and for someone who watches as much TV as I do, that's a very welcomed change. In terms of cast... Hurley! I love him, and as much as I'd love to see Jorge Garcia play the exact same character again, I'm hopeful they give him something different to explore with this show. From the trailer alone, it's looking very Hurley-ish, but even if that ends up being the case, I'll take it. Beyond him, I'm less thrilled. I hadn't made the connection to her previous work at the time, so it was just kind of a knee-jerk reaction, but Sarah Jones, the blonde, is instantly off-putting. Seriously, the second she showed up on the screen, I groaned. How much of that has to do with the fact that she appears to be playing your stereotypical female lead for a "cop show" and how much of it is leftover from her detestable role in Sons of Anarchy is up for grabs, but whatever the motivation, I'm predisposed to hate her. Hopefully she'll grow on once I see the full pilot/series, but off the bat, she is far from the actress I'd want anchoring my show. Beyond her, we have Sam Neill, who's pleasant enough, even if he didn't knock my socks off in the trailer, and Parminder Nagra, who I try to love, but often fail. She always just seems a bit wooden to me. Or, when she's trying not to be wooden, she's whiny, which is even worse. All that said, high-concept shows generally suffer the most from being whittled down to trailer length (there's only so much character depth that can be imparted in 3 minutes), so I'm going to force myself to have an open mind and casually forget everyone's previous roles. Won't be easy with an all-star cast, but I'm certainly going to try. All in all, I'm very excited, in spite of my reservations about some of the casting choices. My only other concern is that JJ has a tendency to make kick-ass pilots, then hang on for a few episodes, then abandon a project. I don't know who the permanent showrunners are, so that's a definite factor if JJ takes a backseat along the way. This is one of the most intriguing trailers of the new pilot season, so naturally, the show is being held till the dead of winter. I don't know why all the nets are doing this, but it's already frustrating me and it's only June. Sigh.


TERRA NOVA

Description: Stars Jason O'Mara (Life On Mars), Stephen Lang (Avatar), Mido Hamada (24) and Christine Adams (The Whole Truth). Steven Spielberg (Jurassic Park), Jon Cassar (24) and Brannon Braga (Star Trek: Enterprise) are among the executive producers.



First (or Third) Impressions: That's right, folks. The pilot we in the industry (heh) have been hearing about for the past, oh, 85 million years or so, is finally going to air. After having been bumped back several times, I was starting to wonder it if would ever see the light of day. It's easily the most ambitious series premiering in the fall, and that's not just because all the good stuff is being held till midseason. This is clearly an expensive show to produce and I'm a little worried that with a week-to-week budget rather than a pilot budget, the special effects and overall look may suffer. Even its regular budget must be huge, however, so for this show to stay on the air, its ratings need to be pretty damn high and then need to stay there. I'm intrigued by the show, but after hearing things like, "It'll appeal to everyone. From age 9 to 90, there's something for everybody," I'm considerably less enthused. Shows that appeal to everybody ultimately appeal to nobody, particularly me. That said, from the trailer, I'm hopeful that the Fox exec who said that (I can't remember who and I'm too lazy to look it up) is painting with a broader brush than is actually warranted. It does look like the writers sat down and made a list of all the things a show could possibly have ("Action! Adventure! Mystery! Family drama! A love story! A war story! A survival story!") and then tried to include as many of them as possible in the show, but given the scope of the concept, I can see where it could all work. I have a feeling that the show will be casting too broad a net in terms of viewers, but on rare occasion, mass appeal can equal quality. The cast and production team are solid and the concept really opens the door for them to do just about anything they want in terms of story, so if they play their cards right, even the family-friendly dinosaur adventure that this appears to be could be a winner. This is the kind of show that just about everyone will be tuning into at some point to see what all the fuss is about, a la Lost, so if you don't want to be out of the loop, it's certainly worth looking into even if the concept leaves you uninspired. I'm intrigued and hopeful, but reserved. If they can find a true voice and focused direction for the series, it could be absolutely amazing. Fingers crossed.


FINDER

Description: Ugh. Does that count as a description? No? Okay, this one stars Geoff Stults (October Road) and Michael Clarke Duncan (The Green Mile). Hart Hanson (Bones) will executive-produce.



First Impressions: Yeah, so this is one of the few shows that I am totally fine with it being held till midseason. In fact, how about it never airs at all? Man alive, Hart Hanson is a hack. Bones has only ever been mid-level, even at its best, so how about we pick up a new show, that's eerily like the old show, and hope no one notices! On top of that, let's cancel The Chicago Code so that drivel like this can see the light of day. Deal? No deal, Fox Network execs. Having already seen the "backdoor pilot" that aired as a Bones episode last season, I'm not impressed. Procedurals in general aren't exactly my bread and butter and this one looks lamer than most. He... finds(?) things? That's it? He's the world's foremost authority on finding things... Am I supposed to be enthralled by that? Maybe I'm just too jaded and have seen too many procedurals, but I just don't think I can bring myself to watch him track crap down week-to-week. Perhaps if the lead actor were more appealing or the concept were more unique, but as is, no thanks. Michael Clarke Duncan is always a treat, and Saffron Burrows has left the show, so that's all good, I suppose, but at the end of the day, I just don't care. The main character appeals to me in no way whatsoever, and I don't mean strictly physically. As I recall from the backdoor pilot, he's a former soldier or something and an insufferable no-it-all with his uncanny "finding" abilities. He has neither the depth nor the panache to engage me and the thought of him anchoring a show is fairly laughable. Bones lost what little luster it once had several years ago and Hart Hanson's attempt at reinvigorating his career appears to have fallen flat. If I had only seen the trailer, I'd be more on the fence, but I've seen the pilot and deduced that this show, in its current incarnation, is not worth my time. I'll probably check out the first episode of the fall to see what kind of creative changes have been made, but I can think of few ways to salvage this concept. Midseason can have you, Finder. I don't mind.