quote:

Originally posted by Jay:
With Fox and CW announcements still pending, CBS has got to have the safest, most conservative schedule going into the fall. The top-ranked net will likely see its advantage over ABC and Fox decline next season. Perhaps CBS should stock up on midseason shows – they may need them.

Among the questionable decisions, why bench Old Christine in favor of the new Big Bang Theory? CBS has had success the past two seasons launching shows in midseason (both Christine and Rules of Engagement), so why not try to make it three in a row.

The soapy Cane could have worked better as a lead-out of the declining CSI, especially since CBS got years of mileage out of soapy Knots Landing in the time period during the 1980s/90s. Returning Without a Trace to Thursdays isn’t doing anything to prepare the next generation of CBS hits. The net would have done well to switch it with Cane on Tuesdays, as some have mentioned. NBC fiddled for years with mediocre sitcoms (Union Square, Boston Common, Jesse, etc.) that were produced in-house instead of creative or (dare I say?) funny. As a result, the net has tumbled to fourth place on a night it once commanded, even in reruns. Is CBS poised for the same fate with long-running hits CSI and Survivor seemingly past their peak?

The big question about Viva Laughlin isn’t why it airs on Sunday, but why it is on the air, period. Does CBS think that this series, despite Hugh Jackman’s involvement, will succeed where classic shows like Cop Rock famously failed? Perhaps allowing the mid-season entry Swingtown to compete against the similar-themed Brothers & Sisters on ABC at 10:00 p.m. would have been better.

The big loser from CBS’s upfront appears to be Jerry Bruckheimer. Not only are his three hit series – the CSI franchise – beginning to decline, but the network cancels his Close to Home and holds off on his Amazing Race. Not only does the network hold back Race but replaces it with Kid Nation, which sounds like a reality reject from Fox. If CBS were smart, and serious about protecting its dominance, it would have Race and Survivor share a Thursday slot and only run one “cycle” each regular season. If Survivor sees declines similar to the ones from the Cook Islands season vs. the Fiji season, the upcoming China cycle will only attract around 10 million viewers. Such a development will be bad for the series, the night, and the network.

Unless CBS comes up with a great schedule next spring, the Tiffany network could see its dominance challenged in 2008-09 by ABC or Fox (depending on its fall plans).

I more or less agree, Jay.

I see, with this schedule, CBS probably weakening, year-to-year, on each night except Thursday (and Saturday).

Monday and Tuesday they now have to deal with "DWTS", which has hurt Monday particularly hard; Wednesday they will now have to deal with "Private Practice" on ABC and a strengthened line-up on NBC; on Friday, "Moonlight", it's detective-slant notwithstanding, would have a limited appeal and weaken the time period I think, given how low-rated "Angel" was through it's run and the lack of success of other vampire network fare in the past, plus tougher competition from the stronger female line-up on ABC and the newly Tom Selleck-infused "Vegas" on NBC; and Sunday will show an overall weakening, with "Viva: Laughlin!" having genre-specific problems (anyone remember "Cop Rock" or "Rags to Riches"?),and "Shark" weakening its slot as well, unlikely to match what "Without a Trace" achieved here this past season.

(xwiseguyx: I like the idea of VL, and I'll probably check it out, but I don't know if it can succeed on the broadcast nets. At least CBS is trying something different for a change!)

Dramas

CANE
Former L.A. Law/NYPD Blue star Jimmy Smits returns to the regularly scheduled series grind as the immigrant heir to a family fortune, who must battle to keep his place in the rum and sugar trading business in South Florida.

[Gone by January]

MOONLIGHT
In this new twist on the traditional vampire type of story telling, an “undead” private investigator named Mick (Alex O’Loughlin) uses his acute vampire senses to help the living instead of feeding on them.

[Gone by Halloween]

VIVA LAUGHLIN
In this musical mystery/drama based on the BBC series Viva Blackpool, a man who opens a casino in the desert oasis of Laughlin, Nevada quickly realizes that life as a casino owner is no easy feat.

["Tick tock, the cancellation clock is already ticking"]

SWINGTOWN (midseason)
After a new family moves into an affluent Chicago suburb it soon discovers that all is not quiet in suburbia with open marriages, wife swapping, couple swapping and wild parties.

[Dreadful]

---------------

Comedy

THE BIG BANG THEORY
Two brainy best friends (Jim Parsons and Roseanne star Jonny Galecki) and the remaining members of their “geek” squad” try to fit into the social world at the coaching of their sexy new neighbor (Kaley Cuoco of 8 Simple Rules fame). Chuck Lorre (Two and a Half Men) is the creator.

[Sounds dumb, but then most sitcoms do sound dumb to me]

--------------------

Non-Scripted

KID NATION
Forty over-achieving kids between the ages of 8 and 15 will have 40 days to build a new world without any parental supervision in a deserted town in Bonanza City, New Mexico.

[Voila! "Lord of the Flies" as a reality show]

POWER OF 10 (midseason)
In this high-stakes new game show, contestants are challenged to guess the behaviors, opinions and lifestyle choices of the American public for a chance to win $10 million. Drew Carey is the host.

["Nobody ever went broke underestimating the test of the American public"]

In sum, one of the most uninspiring crop of new shows I can remember.

quote:

Hopefully when someone actually has viewed the Viva Laughlin pilot, can this silly Cop Rock comparison be put to rest.

Good Luck with That.

I still don't understand why Close to Home was cancelled. It got decent numbers. They could at least have put the show on Saturdays. I hate it when a network cancels a decent performing show.

Current look at 8pm On Sundays

FOX - House (New rumored Scheduled)
ABC - EM: HE
NBC - Football
CBS - Viva Laughlin

Now, of those 4 shows, which will get the lowest ratings?
Which will be cancelled 1st.
Which has NO chance of Seeing November?

Football, House and EM:HE all get big ratings and do well in the demo. There will be nothing left for a 4th show.

BTW, when CBS has Football runover, VL will then have to compete with DH.

Viva Laughlin will handily beat EM: HE. Hugh promised me it would.

anyone know what night Amazing Race will be on when it comes back?

Ausiello's Take on CBS Upfront:

Live CBS Upfront Coverage3:46: CBS' Upfront starts in 15 minutes and I'm lost. Does anyone out there know how to get to Carnegie Hall!? Ba-dum-bum.

3:48: I've got an awesome seat right in the center. Some might say I have a birds-eye view of the stage. Ba-dum-bum.

3:53: CBS is young and hip — and they've got a DJ spinning records in front of the stage to prove it!

3:57: You haven't lived until you've heard CBS' NFL theme song remixed with "We Will Rock You."

4:00: Showtime! Oooh, we're starting with a musical number! A reggae group is welcoming a song about the Upfronts.

4:05: Ladies and gentleman, make way for Les Moonves!!

4:10: "For the fifth year in a row, CBS is America's most watched network," Les proclaims.

4:15: Moonves introduces a You Tube clip that a fan compiled featuring David Caruso's endless one liners from CSI: Miami. Funny stuff.

4:16: Someone in row 12 smuggled a freakin' laptop in here! No fair! She should have to Blackberry-blog like me!

4:19: Obligatory highlight reel from the 2006-07 season. This is my favorite part. Really.

4:21: Nina Tassler takes the stage to introduce the network's "daring" new fall lineup. She's referring to that vampire cop show (Moonlight), I think.

4:26: Starting with Monday night, Nina describes How I Met Your Mother as the show that "gets the assistants buzzing in the halls." Read between the lines, people.

4:35: New Monday sitcom Big Bang Theory is being billed by CBS as the season's "smartest new comedy." If you're an idiot. Seriously, this show looks heinous.

4:36: Onto Tuesday, NCIS is TV's "quietest" hit. That's funny. And I think you know why.

4:37: Jimmy Smits' Sopranos-esque family drama Cane looks so-so. Smits comes onstage and describes himself as a "50-year-old Upfront virgin." All those years on NYPD Blue and L.A. Law and he never attended an Upfront? Hmmm….

4:45: The new Wednesday reality show Kid Nation is like Deadwood-meets-Romper Room. Fun concept. But if I wanted to listen to a bunch of kids screaming and yelling I'd fly coach.

4:48: On to Thursday: Nina props up Survivor by tearing down timeslot rival Ugly Betty, claiming its down 40 percent since it's premiere. Hey, don't you go messin' with my Betty!

4:50: Close to Home's Friday night replacement Moonlight has bite. Ba-dum-bum. Seriously, this one has potential. Nina refers to the show's star, Alex O'Loughlin, as "scary handsome."

5:00: Viva Laughlin — it's Las Vegas-meets-Cop Rock! Exec producer Hugh Jackman is beamed in via satellite from Sydney, where he's shooting the new Baz Luhrmann film, Australia, with Nicole Kidman. Wow, that had to cost some serious moolah.

5:07: Mid-season soap Swingtown? Count. Me. In.

5:15: OMG, it's over! Wow, shortest Upfront ever.

5:20: Headed to Tavern on the Green for the after party. Got questions for David Caruso? Now's your chance!!!

Viva Laughlin — it's Las Vegas-meets-Cop Rock!

This Cop-Rock comparison has already killed the show for me...

Viva Laughlin is based on Blackpool, a six episode mini-series on the BBC (2004).
The short series ran as Viva Blackpool on BBC America in 2005.

The British show was a Veronica Mars-like murder mystery arc, with the characters
breaking into choreographed song and dance routines a la Drew Carey.

The songs are not original, but are well known classic rock numbers.

The American version seems destined for an extremely short life-span.

What is CBS planning?

I'm kind of happy TAR has been pushed to midseason. It creates more buzz and anticipation. Plus, I hope the producers will take the time out to think of better challenges and teams, because the last couple of seasons have been a bit lackluster.

But, a lackluster season of TAR is still better than alot of the product out there.

I hope it gets a good timeslot, too.

So this means that Rules of Engagement is a 22 episode order? Also, I think The Big Bang Theory is going to turn out like The Class, haven't they figured out that the 8:00pm/8:30pm hour isn't going to change? Unless, of course, you put a hot show there like 2.5 Men!!!

What happened to that Zombie show? It was testing well with focus groups & I was kinda looking forward to it

quote:

Originally posted by Justin:
FINALE WATCH::: THIS WEEK:

Thursday:
The Office (NBC) at 8:00pm
Scrubs (NBS) at 9:00pm
Smallville (The CW) at 8:00pm
CSI: (CBS) at 9:00pm
Grey's Anatomy (ABC) at 9:00pm
ER (NBC) at 10:01pm
Supernatural (The CW) at 9:00pm

UGLY BETTY too

quote:

So this means that Rules of Engagement is a 22 episode order? Also, I think The Big Bang Theory is going to turn out like The Class, haven't they figured out that the 8:00pm/8:30pm hour isn't going to change? Unless, of course, you put a hot show there like 2.5 Men!!!

2.5 Men didn't do so well in the 8:30PM slot. What makes you think it'll do better in the 8:00PM slot?