There were some very high profile TV series pickups and cancellations over the last few weeks all leading up to a very important 4 days starting Monday, May 17th.
Next week is upfront week where the broadcast networks present their fall schedules to advertisers and the press. The networks present their lineups including tentative start dates and then advertisers have the opportunity to buy airtime "upfront", months before the fall television season begins. (Here's a nice little summary of the annual event and how new media is shifting it by Ad Age). Usually the nets air clips of their new series and sometimes screen pilot episodes in their entirety.
Here's the schedule:
Monday, May 17: NBC & Fox
Tuesday, May 18: ABC
Wednesday, May 19: CBS
Thursday, May 20: The CW
Television critics seem (at least to me) to be more leery of pronouncing judgments based on scripts, clips or even entire pilot episodes. Back in May 2006, for example, critics were raving about the pilot for The Nine the story of nine strangers linked together when held hostage in a bank robbery gone wrong. Turns out, the pilot was only truly interesting hour of the series. In 2008, the previewed scenes and the leaked script for the unaired pilot of Joss Whedon's Dollhouse impressed with it's morally grey characters and though-provoking meditations on the nature of identity and memory (episode is available on the Season 1 DVD, I highly recommend it). The reshot pilot that eventually aired failed to live up to the early buzz surrounding the series.
They aren't always wrong though. In 2007, many of the critics were raving that Pushing Daisies was amazing, the most original, creative, and charming series they'd seen in years. I spent the entire summer anxiously awaiting this new series that I was sure would be a personal favorite. Last May the critics were lauding the CW's Life Unexpected and thought that the CW was making a mistake by holding the series until midseason (I only hope that decision hasn't doomed the lovely series). The critics are also pretty good at spotting total duds.
I say this all as a disclaimer that much of the entertainment news in the next week needs to be taken with a grain of salt. Schedules get shuffled, pilots are reshot, and series fail to live up to their potential.
Read my thoughts on the pick ups for Chuck & V, the cancellations of L&O, Heroes and Flashforward, the fate of Rex is Not Your Lawyer and more after the jump.
(For the full list of series that have been renewed, canceled, or fate still unknown check out this handy 2010-2011 season scorecard at The Futon Critic.)
Notable Pickups
Chuck (NBC)
I started watching Chuck again this season (after finally quitting House) and really enjoyed it. I still haven't had a chance to go back and watch season 2 though it is on my summer "To Do" list. They were a bit hamstrung by the original half season order which was then extended by a few episodes making it difficult to balance the overarching mythology episodes with the lighter fare but overall the show remains a critical favorite.
It's another 13 episode pick up so it'll be interesting to see if Schwartz & Co plot the season arc for just 13 episodes again or if they'll roll the dice on getting a back nine pickup. Executive Producer Ali Adler has also announced that she is leaving to join ABC's new superhero family drama No Ordinary Family.
V (ABC)
I enjoyed this series when it first aired in November but I wasn't head over heel about it (which I was really hoping for). I don't know why I didn't feel more connected to it. I love the concept, I have fond memories of the miniseries freaking me out as a child, and the cast is amazing.
Anyway, I haven't watched the second half of the season yet. First it was because I was busy and then when there was talk of the show being canceled I wasn't sure it was worth it. Now that the series has been renewed, catching up is also on the summer "To Do" list.
Human Target (Fox)
I watched the first four episodes and episode six. I liked it, largely because of Mark Valley (I've liked him since he was on Days of Our Loves and the criminally overlooked Keen Eddie), Chi McBride, and especially Jackie Earle Haley as the dark and mysterious Guerrero. It was not, however, appointment TV largely because the mythology was so vague and obscure as to be uninteresting.
Given the amount of stunt work, explosions and location shooting I'm frankly very surprised at this pick up. I hope that they will air reruns this summer, the episodes are so self contained that I think it will do well in reruns. Fox would be smart to try to air the show after sporting events or at least heavily promote it during those events because it's basically a different action movie each week.
Lie to Me (Fox)
I've actually never seen this show (quirky male/uptight female partner burnout) but I've heard good things about it. Given that Fox has taken to airing episodes in the summer and the news that EP Shawn Ryan is leaving for his new series Ride-Along, it seemed like only a matter of time before cancellation. But, lo and behold the series managed to squeak out another 13 episode pickup.
Notable Cancellations
Law & Order (NBC)
The original series will end its historic 20 year run on Monday, May 24, 2010. The series ties Gunsmoke for the longest running drama series ever. I admit, I haven't watched L&O very often in the last few years, but the few episodes I did catch were enjoyable. L&O: SVU has been renewed for a 12th season and the new spinoff L&O: Los Angeles (LOLA) has been picked up for the fall. Presumably, the decision to end the Mothership's run was based in part on the new series pickup, with the network betting on an SVU type hit. Guess the folks at NBC don't remember previous Wolf flame-outs Law & Order: Trial by Jury or the interminably boring Conviction.
Heroes (NBC)
FINALLY. This show should have ended after season 1. Since then it's been an unmitigated disaster.
24 (FOX)
Another 'finally'. What was once groundbreaking and exciting had become increasingly boring and outlandish.
Flashforward (ABC)
I loved the pilot. I loved many of cast members (especially John Cho, Sonya Walger and Jack Davenport) and I loved the concept. I wanted to love the series but as I watched this show for several months I just could not get into it.
This was a show that was trying to be Lost but in the process they overlooked the principal reason for Lost's success- the characters. Lost may have become a trippy time-traveling tale with mystical (or scientific) mysteries but it only got there because we cared about the characters. Season 1 introduced a few mysteries (polar bears? Adam & Eve? a monster? a hatch?) but at its heart, the show was about a diverse group of individuals reacting to a crisis. Lost earned their mythos.
With Flashfoward, I rarely connected with the characters, especially Joseph Fiennes' wooden portrayal of Mark Benford. The characters felt like little more than pawns on a chessboard, there to serve the plot and nothing more. I also never bought the global scale of the destruction, fear, panic, etc and found it difficult to engage in the 'willing suspension of disbelief' that in a global crisis a group of random FBI agents in LA would be leading the investigations.
And it's too bad, because it is a great concept. I won't miss the series but I mourn for the show it could have been. (And, unfortunately, looking at some of the new pilots that have already been announced, I expect this same mistake to be repeat again.)
Mercy (NBC)
It ranked as one of the worst pilots by most TV critics and the series as a whole didn't seem to get much better. It did draw a decent audience though and with the disaster known as the Jay Leno Show disaster leaving a lot of open primetime real estate meant the series managed to stick it out a full season. I'm hopeful that its cancellation means NBC is really confident in all of the new series they've picked up.
Notably Undecided
Life Unexpected (CW)
This charming series has yet to be picked up but it also hasn't been canceled. It's an old school WB style family drama, more Everwood/Gilmore Girls than Gossip Girl/90210 reboot. I'd really hate for The CW to dump the highest quality original series they've developed since the network was created. Here's hoping they get a pick up, heavy summer promotion, and good lead in!
Notably Passed On
The Rockford Files (NBC)
I've never seen the original 1970's series staring James Garner (I was born just weeks after the series finale) and I've not seen it in syndication, but I've always heard good things about it. I am, however, a bit of cynic when it comes to reboots. For every Battlestar Galactica there are dozen Knight Riders. Then I heard Dermot Mulroney, one of the dullest actors imaginable, had been cast as the lead and I was sure the show would suck. I wasn't expecting it to never make to the air though. This does free up Alan Tudyk. Somebody give that man his own show!
Rex is not Your Lawyer (NBC)
This legal comedy stars one of my favorite actors David Tennant (Doctor Who). The show was considered as a midseason replacement in January but NBC passed. The buzz in April was the show had a real chance to make the fall schedule but Deadline reported last week that Rex was dead. NBC has not officially confirmed this but will presumably address it on Monday. When I first heard the premise, a lawyer suffers from panic attacks so he coaches his clients to defend themselves, I was skeptical, it sounded too silly. But, then Jace over at Televisionary read and reviewed the pilot script and I was heartened by his review. Regardless of happens with Rex, somebody needs to find a way to get David Tennant on my television each week.
So, what do you think about the cancellations/pick ups/passes? Comment below!
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