Originally posted by filmkr27: I think everyone should not miss Grey's anatomy season finale this Thursday -- I thought last week's episode was it's best episode EVER.
No way any new episodes are as good as the original 2 seasons.Not with ghosts.
FOX's animation domination is really low. It's lost a lot of steam this year. FOX really has to figure out a way to bring viewers back to the night.
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Originally posted by ConanSimpson: That's all-time lows for The Simpsons and SDSU, maybe even AD and KOTH. The Simpsons lost 1.5 million compared to last Sunday, does anyone have an idea why?
I think if they were gonna get rid of sheridan they should have made it more of a mystery for the whole season a whodunit -- just like the first year. There is no driving force to make it must see tv because nothing is really going on right now.
I agree about the lack of driving force -- plainly said, the "magic" that made DH special is gone, and was largely gone after the first season. Viewers stuck around for a while to see if it would be recaptured, but it has not. Most people forget (or don't know) that Desperate Housewives was supposed to be a 'limited series' only lasting one season. But it became a smash hit and the producers and network improvised by turning it into a soapy comedy after the mystery of the first season was revealed/solved. After season 1, DH simply turned into a better version of the daytime soaps, when many season 1 viewers were addicted by season 1's unqiue combo of Twin Peaks meets Dynasty meets suburbia. I have tried to tune in for short spans since then, but to me it no longer resembles the same show.
Move the Animation block to Thursdays next fall. It would do better than its doing on Sundays.
Move Bones to 8pm Sundays, after The OT and a new show to follow.
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Originally posted by WlcmLAPD: FOX's animation domination is really low. It's lost a lot of steam this year. FOX really has to figure out a way to bring viewers back to the night.
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Originally posted by ConanSimpson: That's all-time lows for The Simpsons and SDSU, maybe even AD and KOTH. The Simpsons lost 1.5 million compared to last Sunday, does anyone have an idea why?
Originally posted by KSO: Ouch DH and the season finale of B&S. B&S especially for it's finale.
ABC's old hits are fading fast.
To me this seals the fact that ABC needs to revamp its Sunday lineup (and in fact its entire Fall lineup). If shows like Flash Forward, V, Capt Cook's Extraordinary Atlas and Eastwick don't become at least moderate hits this Fall (with at least one of them needing to be a smash hit), I fear ABC may suffer a similar meltdown to its post-Who Wants to be a Millionaire debacle.
When you think about it, it's a very similar trend: Who Wants to be a Millionaire was extremely domimant for two seasons, then moderately successful for a couple more. Then, the bottom fell from under it, and in those 4 seasons ABC did not manage to launch a single hit from it. Likewise, Desperate Housewives, LOST, and Grey's Anatomy came in and immediately dominated their first two seasons, then the last couple of seasons they slowly turned from untouchable to 2nd-tier hits, not in the same ballpark as American Idol or Dancing with the Stars.
ABC's only chance if that DWTS remains even this Fall, Grey's continues its recent trend of better stories, LOST is re-energized from its final season, and one of the new dramas, particularly Flash Forward or V, catches lightning in a bottle.
The development does look really good -- if ABC schedules aggressively, it just might avoid such a similar collapse as post-Millionaire. But the signs are definitely there that the window is closing, and this Fall is the last chance before an imminent collapse...
FOX's animation domination is really low. It's lost a lot of steam this year. FOX really has to figure out a way to bring viewers back to the night.
FOX is actually doing pretty well with The Simpsons and Family Guy. American Dad is underperforming, but not too badly. SDSU is a complete and utter (and very predictable) failure. King of the Hill has just reached the point where the characters can't grow any more, and can't just ignore reality the way The Simpsons and Family Guy do. It had to go.
They're going to have 90 minutes of Seth McFarlane and 30 minutes of Matt Groening next season. They need to find some fresh blood--talents like McFarlane and Groening are not easy to find.
Frankly, I think McFarlane is spreading himself far too thin--and Groening and his people are probably more interested in the next Simpsons movie.
It's a problem, but they're making a lot of money, so it's not such a problem.
Originally posted by WlcmLAPD: I think those ratings guarenteed CC another 13 episodes at least. It almost beat DH in the ratings.
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Originally posted by Seth Plate: I Hope can CBS bring CC for another year...
I Hope so.
Marc, any news about upfront? V, Eastwick...
It seems like everybody's got a different story about leading contenders for Fall. Variety's info sounds realistic, but if they are correct about Scrubs and Better off Ted being renewed while making no mention of V, it could indeed be another disappointed lineup from ABC. Two of my least favorite projects, Inside the Box and Empire State are described as having good odds:
Who's got the wind at their back as the Big Four and CW begin the seven-day countdown to upfront week? The hot sheet of pilot contenders as of the weekend included projects featuring Alyssa Milano (ABC's "Romantically Challenged"), Kim Raver (ABC's "Inside the Box"), Courteney Cox (ABC's "Cougar Town"), Julianna Margulies (CBS' "The Good Wife), Jenna Elfman (CBS' "Accidentally on Purpose"), Alex O'Loughlin (CBS' "Three Rivers") and Jackie Earle Haley (Fox's "Human Target").
Also, several bubble shows were closer to earning a reprieve from their respective networks over the weekend, as "Ghost Whisperer" scored a renewal at CBS, and "Scrubs" continued to look good for another year at ABC.
The Alphabet net, which presents its fall '09 slate to advertisers on May 19, has already been getting down to business, handing out a pickup on Friday evening to drama "Flash Forward," from ABC Studios and scribes Brannon Braga and writer-helmer David S. Goyer. Joseph Fiennes leads an ensemble cast in the time-bender centering on what happens after everyone in the world blacks out for two minutes and 17 seconds.
That reps the second new series order for the Alphabet net, which had also picked up the comedy "Modern Family" last week.
Beyond that, insiders continue to suggest that "Scrubs," which wrapped its season last week with an episode that could have easily doubled as a series finale, will be back after all.
Also among Alphabet's bubble shows, "Better Off Ted," which has developed a following among TV critics, is looking good to return.
On the drama side, Jerry Bruckheimer is poised to land a skein about amateur gumshoes ("The Forgotten") , while the TV news drama "Inside the Box," starring Raver as an aggressive femme producer in D.C., has been gaining steam.
It doesn't hurt that "Box," written by former ABC News producer Richard Robbins, is exec produced by Shonda Rhimes.
Also considered strong contenders are murder mystery "Happy Town"; "Eastwick," an adaptation of "Witches of Eastwick"; and the untitled legal ensemble from writer Dave Hemingson. "Empire State," from "Grey's Anatomy" exec producer Mark Gordon, is seen as a dark horse.
Comedy-wise, Cox's "Cougar Town" is hot, as are Milano's "Romantically Challenged" and Cedric the Entertainer's cop comedy "The Law."
The Kelsey Grammer starrer "Awesome Hank" is still in the mix, with some predicting an order. Lauren Graham starrer "Let It Go" was said to have mixed reviews but shouldn't be counted out. Same goes for Patricia Heaton starrer "The Middle."
CBS has had strong buzz for more than a week for its "NCIS" spinoff (which aired as a planted two-part pilot seg on April 28-May 5) starring LL Cool J, which many predict will air on Tuesdays in the fall, alongside the "NCIS" mothership with "The Mentalist" moving to 10 p.m.
Also earning strong marks at CBS is "Good Wife," the femme defense attorney drama starring "ER" alum Margulies.
The verdict looks promising for another legal-driven vehicle, the untitled U.S. Attorney drama starring Melissa George and Jason Clark. Former "Moonlight" star O'Loughlin could be back on the Eye next season in "Three Rivers," about organ transplant donors and recipients. The poll numbers for "House Rules," which follows the frosh class of Congress as they acclimate to D.C., were moving in the right direction during the weekend. Also mentioned on some lists: "Eastmans."
The Eye's finally tally of drama pickups will hinge on its renewal decisions. It's understood that CBS on Friday reached an agreement to bring "Ghost Whisperer" back for a fifth season, after speculation that the show might be on the move. CBS vet "Cold Case" is expected to return, but "Without a Trace" remains up in the air, and "The Unit" looks unlikely to squeak out another season.
Among comedies, CBS' likes and dislikes were characteristically hard to read. It's an open secret that execs are smitten with Elfman starrer "Accidentally on Purpose," about a femme film critic who accidentally gets pregnant after a one-night stand with a younger man.
The heat for Jason Biggs starrer "Happiness Isn't Everything," written by Mitch Hurwitz and Jim Vallely, was easing up a bit during the weekend while a different buddy comedy that also has Hurwitz as an exec producer (but not writer), "Waiting to Die," has begun to get some traction.
At Fox, the chatter over the weekend was the sudden push for "Brothers," starring former NFL player and Fox gridiron commentator Michael Strahan.
Laffer "Sons of Tucson," about a hustler who becomes dad to three rich brothers after their real father is sent up the river for a white-collar crime, remains a cinch for a spot on the sked, as does comicbook-derived fantasy drama "Human Target," according to insiders. Drama "Past Life" has its fans at the net but is still considered a lukewarm contender.
Fox's drama needs are especially light because it already has Ryan Murphy's "Glee," which will be sneaked after "American Idol" on May 19, ordered for next season. On the comedy side, Fox has the animated laffer "Cleveland" set for fall, while "'Til Death" is also returning -- but might sit on the bench until being called for active duty.
Fox also has a number of other animated projects at various stages of development; net probably won't make a decision on those until summer.
At CW, the surprise last week was the cooling heat behind the 1980s-set "Gossip Girl" spinoff "Lily," which airs tonight. Insiders insisted the spinoff is still a contender, but not as much of a sure thing as the "Melrose Place" redo, which is considered a lock.
CW is also expected to bite into the vampire genre by greenlighting drama "Vampire Diaries." The net is expected to order at least one more new drama, and "Lily" is facing strong competish from the male-models-in-NYC vehicle "A Beautiful Life."
Finally, word is that NBC is looking to add at least one more comedy, possibly an overhaul of the Bradley Whitford/Romany Malco buddy-cop entry "Off Duty." NBC got a head start on its 2009-10 pickups of four dramas and two comedies with its "infront" presentation to advertisers last week (Daily Variety, May 5).More than one option(Co) Daily Variety Filmography, Year, Role (Co) Daily Variety
Over at the Alphabet, the "Flash Forward" greenlight wasn't a surprise; the network has been teasing the show via a series of viral marketing spots during "Lost."
That's led most to assume that "Flash Forward" will bow in the fall to satisfy "Lost" fans as they wait for that show to return in January.
I agree. I wonder if this means Samantha Who will be back, too.
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Originally posted by mushu_jj: ABC must not have much faith in their new stuff if Scrubs is coming back. Ditto for Better off Ted, which they don't even own.
Originally posted by robert: What on Earth it's happening with DH?
IMHO Desperate Housewives is still one of the best written series on TV; and unless I'm missing something, it still was the #1 viewed show for the evening. Everything is relative; it's more appropriate to compare it to what else is on that nite, than to what it was last year, considering the fact that many shows are so accessible to other means of viewing, be it online or dvr. FYI, Cold Case and many CBS shows are not available online, whereas every ABC and NBC show is, I think.
I think if they were gonna get rid of sheridan they should have made it more of a mystery for the whole season a whodunit -- just like the first year. There is no driving force to make it must see tv because nothing is really going on right now.
I agree about the lack of driving force -- plainly said, the "magic" that made DH special is gone, and was largely gone after the first season. Viewers stuck around for a while to see if it would be recaptured, but it has not. Most people forget (or don't know) that Desperate Housewives was supposed to be a 'limited series' only lasting one season. But it became a smash hit and the producers and network improvised by turning it into a soapy comedy after the mystery of the first season was revealed/solved. After season 1, DH simply turned into a better version of the daytime soaps, when many season 1 viewers were addicted by season 1's unqiue combo of Twin Peaks meets Dynasty meets suburbia. I have tried to tune in for short spans since then, but to me it no longer resembles the same show.
Twin Peaks???? I must've seen another show. Are you talking about DH?
DH still is among the best shows on TV, maybe not as good as the first season, i agree, but still a good show. The forward trick clearly didn't work at all. DH was never supposed to last only one season, no show is gonna get canceled as long as it gets great numbers. I never saw DH as a soapy show, GA is one. Maybe that's the problem for DH. Not being soapy now you can't pull a wedding stunt in order for the ratings to go up
