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Same old, same old | May 21, 2007

So, did you hear, the Upfronts were last week? I'm sure you couldn't have missed it. Best overall coverage is still available at TV Guide.com. But my colleague over at my other blog wrote a great piece on how it's another year, but it's the same batch of tired TV formulas. Mostly true.

But, I'm not here to judge ... yet. For now, I just want to help you find everything you're looking to find out. So, with that said, I present my magnificent Guide to the Upfronts (or the very, very preliminary fall TV schedule):

ABC: The full fall schedule is available on ABC's site, but here's MY breakdown. Pass on Christina Applegate in the amnesia comedy. * Don't even turn your TV on when Cavemen is on for fear you might catch a split second of it. Seriously. Shows should NOT be made out of silly commercials. * I don't know about you, but I don't want to watch a show about guys carpooling, even if one of those guys is Jerry O'Connell. * Watch the EVEN SOAPIER (if that's possible) spinoff of Grey's Anatomy, if you're into that kind of thing. * Dylan McDermott, Joshua Malina and Michael Vartan just might be enough reason to watch a show about country clubbers. Hey, it's better than a show about carpoolers, right? * But Angie Harmon is NOT enough reason to watch another crime investigator show. * So, the two can't-miss shows on ABC's lineup come fall? Those would be Dirty Sexy Money (You've got Peter Krause, Donald Sutherland and Berlanti; plus, ABC liked it so much, there are TWO clips for your enjoyment) and Pushing Daisies (no stars, but a very cool concept: Guy loves girl, who will DIE if he ever touches her).

CBS: Full schedule is available. Cane is a virtual rerun of Kingpin, which was ... not so much a hit. Plus, if you can't compile a three-minute clip that interests me, your chances of being good aren't great. * The Big Bang Theory is a stereotypical blond meets stereotypical geeks stereotypical comedy. * Viva Laughlin is the U.S. version of British musical hit Viva Blackpool. * Vampire cop show Moonlight could be cool, though (and it stars that new strike team guy from The Shield). * But the CBS show I'm most looking forward to is Kid Nation, which is like Lord of the Flies meets Extreme Makeover: Home Edition or something. In other words: Insanity meets saccharine. Goodness could ensue. Seriously, watch that clip and tell me you're not at least a little bit intrigued.

CW: When the centerpiece of your online fall preview is a returning show (Everybody Hates Chris), you know development hasn't been too kind. And when one of your new offerings is the poor man's Entertainment Tonight/Access Hollywood, well, that's just sad. That said, the netlet has one comedy and one drama that have some potential (emphasis very firmly on some).

Fox: You can find their fall schedule here. Amid the cop shows (setting it in New Orleans and shooting it with handhelds does not make it original) and detective shows ("original" concept? He's immortal!), law shows (They take on risky cases! Why, oh, why is Denis Leary involved in this?), reality/talent shows (rock stars? I think we've seen this somewhere called ... uh, yeah, "Rockstar") and traditional sitcoms (Kelsey Grammer and Patricia Heaton? This isn't even trying to be original), there are some promising signs. OK, ONE promising sign in the form of (don't judge it by the title) The Return of Jezebel James. Don't even judge it by the clips. Look at the pedigree: Parker Posey. Lauren Ambrose. PALLADINO. And geeks everywhere will delight in the Sarah Connor show, whether it's because they love Summer Glau or Terminator

NBC: The online fall preview offers several clips for every show. There aren't many offerings, but most show some potential (even if they lack originality): Life appears to be the U.S. version of the Brit hit Life on Mars. It could be good, although you'd enjoy the original more. * I can't imagine people will want to watch both that AND Journeyman, though, as it's a time-traveling drama, too. It's pretty different than Life, though: It's about a happily married man who gets an opportunity to go back and save his dead former fiancee. Could be good. * Another remake, Bionic Woman has the potential to be horrible. But then, so did Battlestar Galactica and this is from the same people. So, I'll give it a shot. * But my favorite is Chuck, computer geek-turned-forced government operative. Fun times are sure to ensue!

Posted by deann in New shows| News | permalink