Upfronts are finally over, but the walk-up to the fall 2011–12 lineup has only just begun. Before we start splitting hairs over the really important stuff (why is Jesus starring on a J.J. Abrams show? Can somebody ixnay the silk pantsuits on Charlie’s Angels already?), we have some knee-jerk reactions to what we saw and heard this week in New York.
Most impressive big-event trailer: Fox’s new X Factor trailer. Okay, we get it now — the show is really big with lots of drama — and did you realize contestants fly off to, like, Simon Cowell’s palatial European estate to get berated by him in a whole other country? The Kool-Aid has been successfully ingested.
Strongest déjà vu: Fox pitching Terra Nova. Hey, wasn’t this your big new drama last year, too?
Most deserved cancellation: Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior. No offense to Forest Whitaker — his arc on The Shield still sends shivers down our spines – but if there was one procedural that wasn’t screaming for a spin-off, it was the Joe Mantegna starrer.
Least deserved cancellation: $#*! My Dad Says. Sorry, America, we know you wanted us to say Brothers & Sisters or V, and we hated this $#*! show too (especially having to type the title every week). But it was the highest-rated show of all those that were pink-slipped, averaging a whopping 10.7 million viewers and a 3.1 in the demo once DVR was added — only a tenth of a point lower than The Mentalist. Sure, it was propped up by a strong lead-in (The Big Bang Theory), but so are half the shows on TV.
Least deserved cancellation runner-up: The Defenders. We admit it, we have a soft spot for Jim Belushi, but he and Jerry O’Connell made a winning team, and they suffered after the show was moved to Fridays — and then pulled off the schedule back in February.
Most unexpectedly honest statement by a network honcho on the upfront stage: ”I thank God for The Voice.” — NBC’s Robert Greenblatt
Best comeback to a statement by a network honcho: ”God hasn’t watched NBC since Friends.” — Jimmy Kimmel
Most disappointing show pickup: Actors typically jump for joy whenever their shows get a pickup, but we can’t help thinking Sarah Michelle Gellar may be pouting now that CBS passed on her new drama, Ringer, and the fifth-place network — which used to be the home of Buffy the Vampire Slayer — nabbed it instead.
Worst new show title: The 2-2. This gritty Richard Price cop drama was originally called Rookies, but that was deemed too generic. Now it’s called…the tutu? Not only does the name sound silly, but it’s also supposed to represent the police precinct number of a tough NYC neighborhood. Too bad in real life the 2-2 is the Central Park police. Makes last year’s similarly problematic Detroit 1-8-7 seem elegant (187 is not a homicide code in Detroit, btw).
Most impressive-looking procedural: NBC’s Prime Suspect. We were skeptical that the whole female-detective-fighting-sexist-colleagues angle would still feel relevant, but the trailer featuring a heroic Maria Bello dealing with her thuggish cop brethren had us on her side.
Show we’re most bummed didn’t make it on the schedule (tie): Wonder Woman and Poe. Do we think they would have been hits? No. But we would have been in TV blogger nirvana had we been given more chances to write about them. Let’s face it: Are you going to click on a link to see the costumes on The 2-2? Didn’t think so.
Most exciting show that ad buyers secretly suspect will bomb: ABC’s Charlie’s Angels. Or as we’re calling it: She Spies 2011.
Best scheduling move: Getting CSI off Thursdays and giving a new drama (Person of Interest) a shot. It’s about time.
Worst scheduling move: NBC moving Harry’s Law to 9 p.m. on Wednesdays. The show was barely surviving at 10 p.m.; why give it a promotion to anchor a night?
Best scheduling catfight: Desperate Housewives versus The Good Wife on Sundays this fall.
Most and least impressive statistics: Fox bragged that it has won the broadcast season for a record seven years in a row, and then added that its number of Facebook followers is higher than the populations of several foreign countries.
The Lone Star award — a show that critics might like, but we suspect mass viewers will not: NBC’s Awake. Serious, dark, sad, complicated. It’s perfect — for AMC.
Toughest sell: NBC’s The Playboy Club. There’s a reason period dramas don’t draw high 18–49 ratings — they’re mostly watched by older viewers who are nostalgic for that era. Plus, the Playboy brand, though tame in today’s online pornucopia landscape, could be rough sledding for a broadcast (see: free) network.
Cleverest schedule spackling: NBC slotting a two-hour Sing-Off on Monday nights. Using the winter-hiatus reality show as a placeholder for The Voice isn’t a very heroic way to start your fall lineup, but it will probably draw a healthy number and keep Fox from having the only fall singing competition on the air.
Network in sore need of a new upfront venue: TNT/TBS. There was a major snafu with the video clips on Wednesday, which prompted Conan O’Brien to say, “You know, I love working for TBS.” We think he meant it.
Funniest sitcom trailers: Split decision! James votes for Fox’s New Girl and animated show Allen Gregory, ABC’s Apartment 23, and CBS’ 2 Broke Girls; Lynette opts for Fox’s I Hate My Teenage Daughter and NBC’s Up All Night.
Most polite applause during an upfront presentation: ABC screening the trailer for Work It, its Bosom Buddies-like cross-dressing comedy.
Most impressive-looking soap: Pan Am. Looks amazing. We also expect this to last about two months (see: Toughest Sell, above).
Most frequently asked question: ”What do you think about Ashton?” Answers varied wildly, because nobody could make up their minds about whether Demi Moore’s husband will be a game changer on Two and a Half Men.
Most impressive-looking genre show: ABC’s The River. Have you seen the trailer? It feels familiar — you could call it Lost Paranormal Anaconda Activity – but we’re in.
Least impressive-looking genre show: Grimm is right; looks more like a Syfy series. And if the show is good enough to get ordered for fall, shouldn’t it be good enough to not start on Friday nights?
RELATED:
FINAL: Fall 2011-12 primetime TV schedule chart
NEW SHOW TRAILERS: ABC, Fox, NBC, CBS, CW
EW’s 2011 Upfronts coverage
Whoever green lit “Work It” should be fired and chased out of Hollywood
“Work It” looks like the worst pick-up since “Caveman”
Hopefully it will be canceled by the end of the first episode. It looks awful. ABC should have given either Better With You or Mr. Sunshine a second season before they picked Work It up.
Liz – I totally agree with you. I loved both of those shows and they were laugh-out loud funny. ABC has really made some stinker decisions lately and I’m through with them.
Remember this is the network that dumped Better Off Ted. What did you expect?
Agreed. They had so many other shows to choose from but–lets go with the cross-dressing sitcom, that’s smart.
I agree 100%. ABC and Rebecca Mader should know better.
I’ll bet Amaury Nolasco wishes he hadn’t left “Southland.” God, his new show looks awful.
You are WRONG about Awake getting the Lone Star award. PLAIN WRONG!
Totally agree. Awake and it’s amazing trailer has generated far more buzz online with internet commenters than almost any other new show this year. Plus, Lone Star NEVER had buzz online from anyone other than critics, and the premise was unappealing. Awake, on the other hand, has a similar premise to Inception, a huge blockbuster movie. There is NO comparison.
AWAKE has the best trailer and seems like the best bet. Prime Suspect looks like garbage – outdated, irrelevant, just watch the original instead
Awake is definitely the show I am most excited to see. I think it’s funny that you’re giving the Lone Star award to Kyle Killen, creator of Lone Star.
Well Community, Chuck & Fringe all have HUGE online followings…..yet the ratings kind of suck.
But Heather, those shows have also managed to not get cancelled a few episodes in. The Lone Star award is still null and void.
I think Awake should get the Dollhouse award in which the concept would be better as a movie.
With “Ringer” as a close second, I suspect.
You know Syfy is doing something wrong to sci-fi fans, when the WORST INSULT that the author can come up with for a genre show is “Grimm is right; looks more like a Syfy series.” LOL
i cant believe you picked ringer for most dissapointing pickup. its one of the MOST anticipated in online chatter AND according to your polls. It will also have a much hgigher chance of sucess at the cw.
I think the point of that was saying that SMG is probably not as happy that its on the CW as she would be if it was on CBS even though she admitted to being a Gossip Girl fan and said she’s “glad to be on a network she actually watches.”
Honestly, she should be glad it’s on the CW. I am happy she’s back and will gladly watch Ringer, but I don’t think the numbers would be there since CBS gets such high viewers… It has a much better chance to grow and survive on a channel with lower expectations. Also, Buffy was on the CW (well, UPN at the time). Plus, the CW usually keeps their shows for an entire season instead of axing them right after a few episodes.
What Captain said. SMG wanted a film career. Then she wanted to do an HBO series. Now she tried a CBS series and wound up in exactly the place she started more than a decade ago. I hope it’s a good show, and if it proves to be successful, SMG will of course be pleased. But there’s no way this was in her ideal game plan.
I got the impression she decided she was to good for genre and it’s geeky fans and wanted “main stream” success. As I a geeky buffy fan who I’m glad her plan didn’t work out.
I agree with that. Since it as something that was pitched to CBS and then got relegated to CW, I think it will be of higher quality than other CW shows, which will- maybe- bring in more viewers. I don’t know, the CW audience is kind of unpredictable. I think the fact that it has Sarah Michelle Gellar in it will be a draw to viewers. It sounds like a fun show, I know I’ll be watching.
why doesnt another network pick up bleep my dad says – with 10 million viewers , that would be a hit on nbc!…Personally most of the shows seem stupid…My friends dont even watch tv…and ig uess im the only sick of the xf hype but i guess it will do well; hopefully it willc annibalize idol. despite its ratings and hooopla, i found idol this year to be very boring -t he top 3 is awful and the judges think everyone is peachy6 creamy
Two hobo’s fighting over a piece of ham for 30 minutes would draw 8 million viewers on CBS with BBT as its lead in. Bleep My Dad Says would be a huge failure on any other network besides CBS>
Exactly. I don’t know why but for some reason crappy shows like Two and a Half Men always seem to do very well for CBS. If they were on any other network, they’d bomb.
The CBS audience is prone to falling a sleep in front of the TV.
“Two Hobos and a Ham”?? I’m in!!!
I am rooting for “Harry’s Law”. I like Kathy Bates but I have a crush on Brittany Snow!
Me too. And I am so happy it’s not on opposite Hawaii Five-0 and Castle anymore. Mondays at 10 were jam packed this last season, my DVR is greatful for this move.
The me too was about rooting for Harry’s Law, not the crush on Brittany Snow.
Me too–I’m rooting for Harry’s Law, PLUS I have had a soft spot for Snow since American Dreams. The show isn’t perfect, but I’m glad it’s going to have another season to grow. Everyone seems to forget that a lot of shows (Parks, 30 Rock, Office) were terrible in their first seasons!
Wow, I was so ready to hate Prime Suspect…and yet, I can’t say I wasn’t riveted by that trailer. The original is such a wonderful show in every aspect, that I wasn’t expecting too much from an American version…but damn, it looks decent. Color me surprised.
It’s going to be a pretty bad year for tv
I doubt worse than this year. You know how many freshmen show survived this year? 8 out of 33. That’s not a very good track record. This year is MUCH stronger creatively than last. Perhaps too ambitious on ABC and NBC’s part, but it should be more interesting. At least for a couple months until stuff gets canceled. haha.
No way it can be worse than the 2010-11 season.
They should add a category: Worst Shafting of an Already Underappreciated Show: Cougar Town and it’s weird, mysterious midseason, apparently new night timeslot.
Exactly! I’m afraid it’s headed for cancelliation which would be incredibly unfair.
Least Deserving Cancellation should’ve gone to either Human Target or The Chicago Code. Just sayin’…
Should have gone to Breaking In. It was beating ABCs Cougar Town in viewers and matching it in demo ratings when it was on opposite it. Fox put the nail in it coffin when they abruptly moved the Finale up a day opposite DWTS with little notification.
I second the Breaking In… it was a travesty that it was canceled!
I agree about “Pan Am.” The moment I saw the one-minute promo, I thought “I’m gonna love this until it gets canceled.” Not that I’m a big Jennifer Love Hewitt fan, but because I love the setting –Pan Am in the 60s was the ultimate in style for travelers. Very cool.
Jennifer Love-Hewitt is in Pan Am? I thought it was Christina Ricci.
It is .
The biggest reason “Playboy” will fail is not because of the concept, although it’s dated and old. It’s because it features Mr. ratings poison Eddie Cibrian.
He was on Third Watch that averaged 10 million viewers throughout it’s entire run.
Right, but that was before the whole LeAnn Rimes ‘scandal.’ I don’t think he is respected or well-liked by the public.
Third Watch had a large well rounded cast that did not solely rely on Cibrian. That show ans entire cast was great. Sorely missed.
I hope it does well. It looks really good to me!
Ewww…maybe this is where he’ll meet his next fiancé
I find it fitting that The Ringer should be on CW. As one who grew up with Buffy, it just sits in brain that you turn to channel 11 (CW) for Sarah. I know it isn’t the greatest network, but at least they’re moving with a show starring someone on the other side of high school. Maybe this is a step in a new and better direction?
Supernatural, from the “Pilot” didn’t feature people in high school and it’s the greatest show on the network. This gives me high hopes for Ringer.
Two and Half Men has been on TV for almost a decade. What are they expecting Ashton Kutcher to bring to the show?
He’s basically that guy who guides the airplane the last 10 feet to the gate?
I still think Worst Scheduling Move goes to CBS for moving “The Good Wife” to Sundays.
Especially considering it will get bumped/delayed because of football all fall.
Actually it may be great that it gets bumped in the fall. It’ll start around 9:30. Personally, I’ll probably watch half of DH and then all of The Good Wife now that Brothers & Sisters is done.
If the lockout doesn’t go away, football won’t be much of a problem for other tv shows this fall.
considering Sunday Night football airs on NBC and not CBS and the good wife’s demographics aren’t really football watching males, i don’t think it will be a problem for them.
folks, the football will be in the afternoon on cbs, and when it runs over – so do the network’s shows that evening.
I’d be surprised if such a tremendous portion of The Good Wife’s fanbase are also always watching football on Sunday nights. Then again, I’m particularly sport illiterate, so I speak out of ignorance.
Does DVR/TiVo still count for ratings?
What football? There’s a lockout that won’t go away.
The lockout will be settled. At the very least we’ll get half a season.
The problem isn’t that the audience will be watching football. It’s more that with CBS showing football in the afternoon, it is likely the games will run over, making The Good Wife’s actual start time very unpredictable. (If football comes back.)
Good Wife is a good runner-up, I agree, though there’s really no safe place to put a show on the schedule nowadays …. I also agree with the commenter below who’s bummed about Reconstruction — I’ve been wanting to see a network reinvent the Western. Until then, we still have Justified…
Most disappointing new series non-pick-up: “Reconstruction”. I was really hoping to finally see a new western series on network tv.