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Udaman
05-11-2007, 10:02 AM
To be honest, my wife and I just don't watch that much TV anymore. We used to sit down and watch sitcoms or dramas pretty much every night...but that has faded. Now there are some shows I watch that she doesn't (Battlestar Gallactica, 24, Lost), and just a few we watch together. That being said, of those there are a few that are apparently on the chopping block. Here are the tree I really hope they bring back:

3. Jericho. The first 5 episodes of this were pretty weak. But the writers seemed to figure this out as the season went on. I liked the dynamics of the last few shows - and the realism of one town attacking another simply for their food. Face it - in an apocalyptic world, this kind of thing would happen. I would say the odds of this coming back, though, are about 50/50, if that.

2. Friday Night Lights. I absolutely HATED that they had the team win the championship game this year. It makes the next season pretty much anticlimactic, and the movie was so good mainly because they didn't win. Plus it made it seem like they were real nervous about it getting renewed. But for realism, and great acting, this show is one of the best. The jobs put in especially by the grandmother, and the QB's best friend, were so real you often had to remind yourself that these were in fact just actors. Please bring this show back.

1. How I Met Your Mother. Right now, I think this is the funniest show on TV (The Office is funnier at its peaks, but this season has seen a few valleys for that show). All of the characters have come into their roles, and the writing and acting is excellent. The last few shows (especially the one with Barney and The Price is Right) have been great with really almost no bad scene throughout the episode. I would put this season on par with Friends when it was at its peak (in terms of acting and writing).

Just one person's thoughts....

Dukerati
05-11-2007, 10:37 AM
My three shows would be:

1) Friday Night Lights - Udaman was spot on about the QBs best friend. Simpy put, a dominant actor. I love me some Tyra too as I believe she has the most layers of complexity on the show. News came out today that the show is getting renewed so don't need to worry about this one!

2) How I Met Your Mother - I'd be shocked if this wasn't renewed. Shocked. Barney is the funniest character on TV although I do think both the Office and Entourage are funnier overall. Still, that is some pretty lofty company to be in.

3) Scrubs - As much as I try to stay away from it, I'm a sucker for the off-again, on-again romances, and Scrubs does as good of a job of this as any.

4) Veronica Mars - Ok, I know I was only going to put on three but I had to put this one in, not because I like it that much, but because my girlfriend is obsessed with it and would probably make my life http://www.dukebasketballreport.comhttp://www.dukebasketballreport.comhttp://www.dukebasketballreport.comhttp://www.dukebasketballreport.com for two depressing weeks if it got canceled.

Cavlaw
05-11-2007, 11:29 AM
I've only watched one show with any loyalty over the last 2 years: HBO's "Rome". Great first season; second season not quite as good. Now it's over.

If I have free time in front of the tube, I'll check on the various movie channels, but most often end up watching Discovery HD Theater.

During college football and basketball season, of course, there is a bit more time spent on the couch.

mr. synellinden
05-11-2007, 11:45 AM
This is truly outstanding news because I believe this is the best drama on television - with apologies to Lost which is just a hair below FNL in my opinion because of its inconsitency. I simply don't recall one bad episode of FNL.

Here is the NYT story on NBC's plans for next year's schedule. Scrubs is most likely out as is Studio 60, officially, Crossing Jordan and The Black Donnellys.

Most intriguing of the new shows is Lipstick Jungle based on Candace Bushnell material and sounds very much like Sex and the City, network version - interesting cast though with Brooke Shields and Kim Raver of 24.

I am really relieved that Friday Night Lights made the cut. I just hope they find the right time slot for it and I hope a lot people watch the reruns this summer and get hooked.

OZZIE4DUKE
05-11-2007, 12:04 PM
3. Jericho. The first 5 episodes of this were pretty weak. But the writers seemed to figure this out as the season went on. I liked the dynamics of the last few shows - and the realism of one town attacking another simply for their food. Face it - in an apocalyptic world, this kind of thing would happen. I would say the odds of this coming back, though, are about 50/50, if that.



I was really surprised that Gerald McRaney was killed off this week. It is like losing Bonanza's Ben Cartwright in scope. Perhaps, like we're guessing about Locke, he's not really dead... naw, that won't happen.

I sure hope the show comes back next season. It has really grown in quality since it came back from hiatus.

JasonEvans
05-11-2007, 12:11 PM
If Scrubs does not get picked up by NBC, the word is that ABC will add it to their struggling schedule.

I watch Jericho but think the show gets needlessly over-dramatic and has a lot of valleys for each peak. Still, I'd like to see it get renewed.

How I Met Your Mother has struggled this season in the ratings, though it still does fairly well with 25-49, which is a key demographic. Its viewers also tend to be upscale (like The Office, Lost, and 30 Rock). Still, the head of CBS is not a fan of the show and it could easily be cancelled. It is also possible that CBS would treat it like NBC treats Scrubs and renew it but not place it anywhere on the sked until they find a hole that needs to be filled. There is no question that the show is in trouble though.

-Jason

Tom B.
05-11-2007, 01:30 PM
I've been a huge fan of Scrubs since I ran across it (quite by accident) while channel surfing one night during its first season -- but I'm beginning to wonder if it might not be time to let it end. The show is supposed to revolve around the lives of a group of young doctors as they grow and stumble through their internships and residencies. It's not really a medical show, though -- the hospital is just the backdrop for stories about how people (particularly young professionals) evolve personally and professionally in the years from their mid-20s to their early 30s -- i.e., their first 5-7 years out of school and in the "real world."

The problem for Scrubs is that its main characters are now aging out of that life chapter. They're doing things like getting married, having kids, settling down and making other big decisions about their personal and professional futures. Despite all the goofy humor and random non sequiturs, the strength of Scrubs has always been that there's a certain realism to the challenges and choices that the characters face. The reality now, though, is that their challenges and choices are becoming a lot more "grown up," and they're making the kinds of decisions that signify the closing of one's second adolescence and the beginning of true maturity.

As the main characters evolve farther and farther away from the show's foundational premise, I worry that the writers might start using gimmicky plot devices to keep the show "interesting" (for instance, they just recently killed off a long time supporting character in a story arc that lasted three or four episodes). When that happens, the potential for shark jumpage increases significantly. Perhaps it would be better for the creators and producers simply to recognize the show for what it was, congratulate themselves on a great run and let it end gracefully, much like another memorable show based on a premise that effectively included a built-in termination date -- The Wonder Years.

billybreen
05-11-2007, 01:39 PM
3. Jericho.
2. Friday Night Lights.
1. How I Met Your Mother.


3. Yes! I have something of an eschaton fetish, so this show was perfectly designed for me. Hawkins became such a great character to watch, and his backstory episode was awarded rare 'Keep Until I Delete' status on my TiVo, in HD no less. Great cliffhanger to end the season.

2. Yes! This was our favorite show on television this season. The character development was phenomenal, and it was superbly acted. I agree with the mixed feelings about having them win, but at the same time I think it takes a certain amount of daring for a writing staff. In the same way that Pam/Jim style tension drags on forever because writers are too scared that the post-resolution episodes will be anticlimactic, I'm sure they share your concerns about writing the show next season. But they took the leap and I have faith that they can keep it compelling.

1. I don't watch this show, but anything with Alyson Hannigan is worth keeping on the air.

billybreen
05-11-2007, 01:42 PM
This is truly outstanding news because I believe this is the best drama on television - with apologies to Lost which is just a hair below FNL in my opinion because of its inconsitency. I simply don't recall one bad episode of FNL.

Yay! This is fantastic news.

DevilAlumna
05-11-2007, 03:49 PM
I've only watched one show with any loyalty over the last 2 years: HBO's "Rome". Great first season; second season not quite as good. Now it's over.

"Rome" is done for? That suxxors! The writing and acting were superb; the guy who played Lucius Vorenus needs to be a leading man in some uber-action MI:III-type movie! Then again, I read that each episode cost more than $2M to produce, so I can't say I'm surprised. The lavish look and feel of all the scenery and costumes added immensely to the enjoyment of the show, but darn those silly accountants who say it's too much.

I wanted to like Showtime's "The Tudors" as much as I liked "Rome," but I'm dreadfully disappointed in it. Johnathan Rhys-Meyers is the hottiest hottie out there right now, but even he's not enough to keep me from cancelling my DVR subscription to this one. CGI cut scenes of castles w/ horses out front were really the last straw.

Well, with Sopranos ending, Rome not coming back, and Entourage's season about over, it looks like there goes my HBO subscription as well....

Cavlaw
05-11-2007, 04:05 PM
"Rome" is done for? That suxxors! The writing and acting were superb; the guy who played Lucius Vorenus needs to be a leading man in some uber-action MI:III-type movie! Then again, I read that each episode cost more than $2M to produce, so I can't say I'm surprised. The lavish look and feel of all the scenery and costumes added immensely to the enjoyment of the show, but darn those silly accountants who say it's too much.

I wanted to like Showtime's "The Tudors" as much as I liked "Rome," but I'm dreadfully disappointed in it. Johnathan Rhys-Meyers is the hottiest hottie out there right now, but even he's not enough to keep me from cancelling my DVR subscription to this one. CGI cut scenes of castles w/ horses out front were really the last straw.

Well, with Sopranos ending, Rome not coming back, and Entourage's season about over, it looks like there goes my HBO subscription as well....
I'm a big fan of Kevin McKidd, and he has a lot of projects under his belt across the pond:

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0571727/

In the US, outside of 'Rome' he is probably best known for his role in "Dog Soldiers", playing a pretty badass military man fighting werewolves.

Ray Stevenson, who plays Titus Pullo, is similarly distinguished:

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0829032/

And looks like he's getting a little bit more recognition after 'Rome'.

DevilAlumna
05-11-2007, 05:27 PM
I'm a big fan of Kevin McKidd, and he has a lot of projects under his belt across the pond....

Ray Stevenson, who plays Titus Pullo, is similarly distinguished:


The quality of these 'no-name' actors from Rome, who are pretty common on random British television just make make me wish that BBC America actually showed real BBC TV shows, instead of schlocky "What not to wear" and "Weakest link" reruns. That way, we'd get to enjoy these actors all the more.

I also loved Ciaran Hinds (Caesar; also great in Munich), the ladies who played Atia, Niobe and Cleopatra, and of course, James Purefoy, probably best known over here for his role as Prince Edward in 'A Knight's Tale.'

Mal
05-11-2007, 06:26 PM
As resident booster for all things HBO, I would suggest DevilAlumna not cancel yet. Out of the four or five new shows coming down the pipe from them, at least one or two have to be worth our while. "John from Cincinnati" is from the same guy who came up with "Deadwood," so if you were into that, you might give at least that one a try. They're also supposedly doing a couple two-hour movies to wrap up the open ends from "Deadwood." There's also the "John Adams" miniseries coming.

Not to mention that there's one more season of The Wire at some point. Talk about shows with a ton of amazing actors you never get to see anywhere else!

I never got into Rome all that much. I think its strength was in deconstructing the "Ancient Rome" genre very nicely. I liked that it seemed realistic, and the feeling that it was written by a patchwork team of soap opera writers, political junkies and anthropologists all locked in a room together. But it seemed too spread out, I found it hard to care about any of the characters, and it didn't have any message really.

Cavlaw, I would argue Kevin McKidd is better known in the States for his role in "Trainspotting." At least to me, because I've never heard of "Dog Soldiers." :^)

alteran
05-14-2007, 03:29 PM
I was really surprised that Gerald McRaney was killed off this week. It is like losing Bonanza's Ben Cartwright in scope.

I agree, that was a shocker.

I think Jericho is one of the creepiest shows I've ever seen-- the storyline with New Bern attacking Jericho for their food, or Jericho turning the refugees out because of a lack of food, just gives me the willies. Not to mention the six Americas, the flag with stripes going the wrong way and only 21 stars, the fallout episode, and the food drops with Chinese characters on them.

I agree with Jason that the show sometimes needs a kick in the pants, but the acting is always good. I'd hate to see this one not get renewed.

But now that it turns out that Daniel Benzali (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Benzali) is the leader of the bad guys I think it'd be a tragedy not to renew it-- that guy gives good evil. ;-)

Does anyone know when the actual announcements get made?

alteran
05-14-2007, 03:32 PM
4) Veronica Mars - Ok, I know I was only going to put on three but I had to put this one in, not because I like it that much, but because my girlfriend is obsessed with it and would probably make my life http://www.dukebasketballreport.comhttp://www.dukebasketballreport.comhttp://www.dukebasketballreport.comhttp://www.dukebasketballreport.com for two depressing weeks if it got canceled.

I'm just glad we got three seasons of this show.

If your girlfriend turned you on to this show AFTER the first season, do yourself a favor and rent the DVDs and watch the first season. The show is still good, but the first season was on a totally different level.

BlueDiablo
05-14-2007, 03:39 PM
Does anyone know when the actual announcements get made?

The network's "up fronts"--the full schedules that the networks use to sell advertising--are just coming out now. NBC's was just relased. Some highlights that involves shows mentioned in this discussion:

* Scrubs was picked back up by NBC (some speculated it might jump to ABC), but only for 16 episodes;

* Studio 60 won't be back;

* Friday Night Light's will be back, despite bad ratings;

* Heroes will be back (of course) as well as a Heroes spin-off that will air during the summer called "Heroes: Origins" (or something like that) that will involve news heroes' stories and the audience will have a chance to vote on of these new heroes onto the main show. (Sounds kind of gimmicky, no?)

BlueDiablo
05-14-2007, 03:42 PM
I'm just glad we got three seasons of this show.

If your girlfriend turned you on to this show AFTER the first season, do yourself a favor and rent the DVDs and watch the first season. The show is still good, but the first season was on a totally different level.

I have to say that I'm somewhat disappointed by the state of the show, to the point that I don't really care if it gets cancelled. I still enjoyed it (and this past episode was fun because Paul Rudd is so great), but it's nothing compared to the first two seasons. Season 1 and 2 held together really well, and had great characters and suspense. At this point, the show is just spinning it's wheels (still better than most tv shows, etc.), and leaving loose ends hanging all over the place. I think the folks involved need to just move on to something else. The FBI revamping might have been interesting, but I don't think they'll ever get the kind of support from the CW that the show deserves to really succeed.

JasonEvans
05-14-2007, 05:46 PM
CBS announced today that it is picking up 4 new dramas for 2007-08.

"Viva Laughlin" is based on the BBC murder/mystery/musical show "Blackpool."

"Cane" is about a powerful Latino family who owns a rum company.

"Moonlight" is about a vampire (no word on whether it will star David Boreanaz.

And "Swingtown" is about couples in the 70s who are into swinging (not the dance, the lifestyle).

No word yet from CBS about Jericho, but if they are adding 4 new dramas, that is not a good sign for Jericho.

Still, with the writers strike looming this fall, everyone is going to be racing to get product in the can over the summer. It may be that the networks will order more than they can put on the schedule right away because they know they will need product when the scripts dry up.

-Jason "NBC ordered 35 new half-hours of The Office for 2007-08... WOW!!" Evans

BlueDiablo
05-14-2007, 06:05 PM
CBS announced today that it is picking up 4 new dramas for 2007-08.

"Viva Laughlin" is based on the BBC murder/mystery/musical show "Blackpool."



I saw "Viva Blackpool" on BBC America last year. It was really pretty good, but very odd. It was a crime investigation/working class drama/noir where the characters suddenly broke out into song-and-dance numbers involving recent pop songs. The acting was really good, but I'm just not sure at all that it is something that will translate well to an American audience. Plus, this is something that ran for one season in the UK, which is limited to six episodes. I think it would be a stretch to make this last a whole US season of 20 + episodes.

I'll probably tune in out of sheer curiosity, though.

DevilAlumna
05-14-2007, 06:41 PM
CBS announced today that it is picking up 4 new dramas for 2007-08.

And "Swingtown" is about couples in the 70s who are into swinging (not the dance, the lifestyle).

Are they trying to go after the "curious about alternate states of marriage" audience, a la HBO's "Big Love"?

And Mal, thanks for the reminder of the upcoming new HBO shows -- the John Adams mini-series looks great (reading the book right now); and I'm curious to see what Flight of the Conchords will actually be about. Plus, Big Love is starting up again. I was on-again-off-again about it last season, but there was enough intrigue (and I think the females who play the wives are well-cast) that I'll give the first few episodes another chance.

Any news on whether Showtime's 'Weeds' (snort-laugh-out-loud funny on occasion) will be making another appearance?

Deslok
05-14-2007, 10:58 PM
I saw "Viva Blackpool" on BBC America last year. It was really pretty good, but very odd. It was a crime investigation/working class drama/noir where the characters suddenly broke out into song-and-dance numbers involving recent pop songs. The acting was really good, but I'm just not sure at all that it is something that will translate well to an American audience. Plus, this is something that ran for one season in the UK, which is limited to six episodes. I think it would be a stretch to make this last a whole US season of 20 + episodes.

I'll probably tune in out of sheer curiosity, though.

Didn't we already try Cop Rock? Shakes head(but then, I'm not a fan of the musical genre in any way shape or form).

JasonEvans
05-15-2007, 08:56 AM
Didn't we already try Cop Rock? Shakes head(but then, I'm not a fan of the musical genre in any way shape or form).

Ahhh, Cop Rock-- perhaps the single worst idea in TV history. I wish I could have been there to hear Bochco pitch it... I really wish I could have been in the brain of the TV exec who liked the pitch. WOW!!

If you have never experienced it...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Euk1N0zVyww

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hoCPLTA5wE

-Jason "there are still some people who think it was good (shakes head)" Evans

BlueDiablo
05-15-2007, 10:52 AM
ABC's upfronts:

MONDAY:
8:00 pm Dancing with the Stars
9:30 pm Sam I Am (new comedy series)
10:00 pm The Bachelor

TUESDAY:
8:00 pm Cavemen (new comedy series)
8:30 pm Carpoolers (new comedy series)
9:00 pm Dancing with the Stars the Results Show
10:00 pm Boston Legal

WEDNESDAY:
8:00 pm Pushing Daisies (new drama series)
9:00 pm Private Practice (new drama series)
10:00 pm “Dirty Sexy Money (new drama series)

THURSDAY:
8:00 pm Ugly Betty
9:00 pm Grey’s Anatomy
10:00 pm Big Shots (new drama series)

FRIDAY:
8:00 pm Men in Trees
9:00 pm Women’s Murder Club (new drama series)
10:00 pm 20/20

SATURDAY:
8:00 pm Saturday Night College Football

SUNDAY:
7:00 pm America’s Funniest Home Videos
8:00 pm Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
9:00 pm Desperate Housewives
10:00 pm Brothers & Sisters

Cavemen is a series (I kid you not) based on those Geico commercials. Ugh.

Canceled: What About Brian, George Lopez, Six Degrees, What About Jim, Knights of Prosperity and In Case of Emergency.

LOST starts it's first of three 16-episode pods in February.

JasonEvans
05-15-2007, 12:04 PM
Private Practice is the Gray's spin-off we got a preview of a few weeks ago. I will not be watching.

I may actually check out Cavemen to see if they can pull it off.

Knights of Prosperity will be back as a mid-season replacement show. I tried to watch that for a few episodes, but it really came up short and I gave up on it. I thought it was a gresat concept but they played it really low-brow and stupid. You could have made it funny and made it intelligent but they went the other way.

-Jason "no game shows?!?!?" Evans

Dukerati
05-15-2007, 01:39 PM
I'm just glad we got three seasons of this show.

If your girlfriend turned you on to this show AFTER the first season, do yourself a favor and rent the DVDs and watch the first season. The show is still good, but the first season was on a totally different level.

I did in fact start watching AFTER the first season, and my girlfriend tells me the exact same thing you did where the first season is on a level by itself. However, I honestly don't think I can watch it until I know Veronica is coming back in some form because that would just get me more emotionally involved right before the show got canceled.

I don't know if anyone here ever watched "Sports Night" which was written by Aaron Sorkin but my friend bought me the DVD set about a year ago, and I was legitimately depressed popping in the last disc-- knowing that its time came much too soon. Is there a phrase for that? I mean, we have the whole "jumping the shark" terminology, shouldn't there be something for a show that gets canceled too soon?

On another note, hooray for Scrubs getting renewed! This last season has been subpar but I am confident in a strong turnaround for the end.

JasonEvans
05-15-2007, 04:04 PM
I don't know if anyone here ever watched "Sports Night" which was written by Aaron Sorkin but my friend bought me the DVD set about a year ago, and I was legitimately depressed popping in the last disc-- knowing that its time came much too soon. Is there a phrase for that? I mean, we have the whole "jumping the shark" terminology, shouldn't there be something for a show that gets canceled too soon?

How about saying the show "got knighted" a-la Sports (K)Night? Frankly, SportsNight is the poster child for a show being pulled before its time. There is nothing else I can think of that comes close.

-Jason "the best parts of SportsNight were the episodes that talked about how the evil network bosses wanted to change/cancel the fictional SportsNight" Evans

ehdg
05-15-2007, 04:19 PM
Damn ABC I really did like What About Brian. Granted I was probably in the minority but I found it funny and well done. Also I liked October Road and Traveler looks intriging.

BlueDiablo
05-15-2007, 04:19 PM
How about saying the show "got knighted" a-la Sports (K)Night? Frankly, SportsNight is the poster child for a show being pulled before its time. There is nothing else I can think of that comes close.



Firefly. Fantastic show that didn't last even a single season.

Duvall
05-15-2007, 04:29 PM
Update from Variety (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117964967.html?categoryid=14&cs=1): HIMYM to return, Jericho cancelled. No word yet on Veronica Mars.

ehdg
05-15-2007, 04:37 PM
Damn those SOB's at CBS!! I really was into Jericho!! :mad: I also found Class to be very funny and witty. I swear they just don't get it at times!!

billybreen
05-15-2007, 04:38 PM
Jericho cancelled.

No! That sucks. Here's hoping some enlightened network picks it up, but I doubt it.

JasonEvans
05-15-2007, 05:53 PM
Does anyone think that Jericho would have failed if the show had been given a consistent run, as opposed to taking a massive layoff in the middle?

I am glad HIMYM is sticking around. Barney is awesome. Knowing that Doogie is gay while playing that character makes it all the more fun.

-Jason "Jericho would have been well-served to tell us the back-story on the bombs a lot sooner too" Evans

JDSBlueDevl
05-15-2007, 08:04 PM
I think Jericho's cancellation had a lot to do with CBS not promoting the hell out of it, as opposed to NBC's "Heroes" blitz. Chalk me up as one less CBS viewer. The shows they have proposed for the fall season all look like crap. I hope you like the bottom of the Nielsen ratings, CBS, you deserve it!

Oh, and did I mention how much I LOATHE Survivor and Big Brother? They're either ratings black-holes or require no thought to watch, as opposed to the more brilliantly written series, and yet they survive the cut? Reality TV must die a painful death, but when will it come?

ehdg
05-15-2007, 08:05 PM
I too really like HIMYM. Still upset that CLASS which originally followed it didn't.

Also read tonight when I got home that Crossing Jordan also got the ax from NBC. I'm telling you the way they cancel shows it makes it harder and harder to to invest time into new shows. Just when they get us into it they go and pull the damn plug and not renew them. :mad:

Dukerati
05-16-2007, 10:22 AM
How about saying the show "got knighted" a-la Sports (K)Night? Frankly, SportsNight is the poster child for a show being pulled before its time. There is nothing else I can think of that comes close.

-Jason "the best parts of SportsNight were the episodes that talked about how the evil network bosses wanted to change/cancel the fictional SportsNight" Evans

Brilliant. I've already adopted it.

Thank god HIMYM got renewed. It would have been a travesty if that show got canceled. The word on the street is that the show was in trouble solely because one exec in CBS didn't think it was funny. Can anyone confirm this? If that is the case, shouldn't there be rules to protect the viewing public against idiots? CBS, I have a revolutionary idea. How about you let a group of representative people from your targeted demographics ( I think I will call this group a "panel" ) watch the show and decide?

Jfrosh
05-16-2007, 11:05 AM
I may actually check out Cavemen to see if they can pull it off.
-Jason "no game shows?!?!?" Evans

I think a lot of us will be checking out the first episode of Caveman. I predict huge first night ratings followed by a massive dropoff.

I am so bummed about Jerico, and with only 16 new Losts, I have to find something else to do with my Wednesday nights.

BlueDiablo
05-16-2007, 03:37 PM
CBS upfronts:

MONDAY
8:00 How I Met Your Mother
8:30 The Big Bang Theory
9:00 Two and a Half Men
9:30 Rules of Engagement
10:00 CSI: Miami

TUESDAY
8:00 NCIS
9:00 The Unit
10:00 Cane

WEDNESDAY
8:00 Kid Nation
9:00 Criminal Minds
10:00 CSI: NY

THURSDAY
8:00 Survivor
9:00 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
10:00 Without a Trace

FRIDAY
8:00 Ghost Whisperer
9:00 Moonlight
10:00 Numbers

SATURDAY
8:00 Crimetime Saturday
9:00 Crimetime Saturday
10:00 48 Hours: Mystery

SUNDAY
7:00 60 Minutes
8:00 Viva Laughlin
9:00 Cold Case
10:00 Shark

Read about the new shows here
Canceled: Close to Home, Jericho and The Class

Mal
05-16-2007, 04:27 PM
Memo to CBS: Please add more shows about crime and investigations of same. Only 11 of your 21 weekly hours of nighttime programming are dealing with said subject, and that is simply not enough. You still have a few eggs not in the basket.

CBS will be in deep doo-doo when the bottom eventually drops out of the forensic procedural genre.

JasonEvans
05-16-2007, 04:28 PM
I will be watching a grand total of 1 1/2 hours of CBS TV this coming season.

Then again, I am under the age of 60, so I am not in CBS' target demo.

-Jason "CBS sucks!" Evans

billybreen
05-16-2007, 04:30 PM
I, for one, am not sure I want to live in a world where Jericho is canceled and the Caveman show is added.

jimsumner
05-16-2007, 10:26 PM
Add me to the list of folks seriously bummed about the cancellation of Jericho. And talk about leaving us hanging. New Bern invading Jericho, the Army showing up to do what, and who exactly is in charge anyway? Plus, we still don't really know what happened. And they leave it at that!

Seems like they owe the people who watched the show some kind of closure. Not that I'm holding my breath.

Deslok
05-16-2007, 10:35 PM
I will be watching a grand total of 1 1/2 hours of CBS TV this coming season.

Then again, I am under the age of 60, so I am not in CBS' target demo.

-Jason "CBS sucks!" Evans

That's 1 1/2 hours more than I'll be watching of ABC's lineup(and 1/2 an hour more than I will watch of CBS's).

Reisen
05-17-2007, 11:52 AM
Ditto what everyone else said. Seriously, what the frick is up with these idiot execs. I'm tired of investing time and emotion in new series, only to have them pulled out from under me mere months later.

It would be like starting an effing Harry Potter novel, and then having it just end mid-sentence 8 chapters in. Jericho is a perfect example of this. One of the better dramas on TV that had a unique setup, and "poof". I also thought the Class was funny in a creative character-driven way as well (although the wife hated it).

Thank god they renewed How I Met Your Mother, which is probably my favorite comedy on television these days. Seriously, sometimes I wonder what's going on with these ratings and target demographics. With the move to time-shifted viewing, I really wonder how accurate they really are. I time-shift everything, but never miss an episode of Jericho, Heroes, Lost, HIMYM, etc. Now we're just left with a ton of the same old crap, and a bunch of crappy new shows. This is the first year I can remember being bummed about a fall lineup...

JDSBlueDevl
05-17-2007, 10:08 PM
Kid Nation?! You have to be kidding me! The execs at CBS are NUTS!!! From now on I will only watch CBS for football, basketball, and local stuff. That's IT!

Psst, Jason, I hear there's a rumor about TNT trying to get the rights to Jericho. Is there anything to that, or is TNT a completely different department in the Turner empire?

JasonEvans
05-18-2007, 09:18 AM
Psst, Jason, I hear there's a rumor about TNT trying to get the rights to Jericho. Is there anything to that, or is TNT a completely different department in the Turner empire?

Different department, though I know someone who works there. I'll ask him about it. I am skeptical though.

As an aside, I have it on good authority that CBS is aware of fan outrage at Jericho's cancellation and has been talking about a special mini-series to end the Jericho storyline. It will be shot over the summer and will air this fall. If you want to know what happens, here it is...

New Bern's better-armed forces are closing in on the Jericho line of resistance set up at Stanley's farm. All the main characters are there to help in the fight.

Meanwhile, the military is moving in to stop the battle (and look for Robert Hawkins and the bomb).

This is what happens next...

The Jericho guys all die. They are massacred. They did not have a chance against a larger, better-equipped, force that had been training for months to take them out. It is not even close. The military gets there too late and everyone is dead. Meanwhile, one of the stray mortars from New Bern has rocked Hawkins' property. The final shot of the series is the burried bomb reactivating because of the blast and beginning to count down to the nuking of Jericho and all the surrounding community.

It will all be handled in a 5 minute special to air in between the debut of Cane (the drama about the hispanic family that owns a rum farm) and Moonlight (the show about the vampire private detective).

-Jason "wink wink" Evans

ehdg
05-18-2007, 04:01 PM
According to Variety ABC did pick up October Road for 13 episodes. They have moved it to Monday night's and it will air in the winter before giving way to The Bachelor. So hopefully October Road does well and continues.

TheGodfather
05-22-2007, 11:43 PM
Viewers have sent CBS over two thousand pounds of nuts in a bid to get Jericho back on the air. A description of the campaign and a picture of the nuts are at Ain't It Cool News.

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/32748

dukemomLA
05-24-2007, 06:08 PM
I haven't seen any mention of one of my FAVORITE shows.

"Deadliest Catch" on Discovery channel is awesome. I also never miss "Dirty Jobs." Thank God for tivo.

DevilAlumna
05-24-2007, 06:32 PM
I haven't seen any mention of one of my FAVORITE shows.

"Deadliest Catch" on Discovery channel is awesome. I also never miss "Dirty Jobs." Thank God for tivo.

We're big Mike Rowe fans in our household as well. Did you know he used to be an opera singer?

Sig and Edgar are great on Deadliest Catch; the unlikely TV star, Sig, even made it on to The Daily Show.

dukemomLA
05-24-2007, 07:48 PM
Yeah, I knew Mike Rowe sang opera in S.F. (...go figure). I agree that the Hansen's on Deadliest Catch are stellar -- I always root for them. Also, FYI, Sig is one of the executive producers, which means the whole show might have been his idea. Kudos!

billybreen
06-06-2007, 12:12 AM
http://community.tvguide.com/blog-entry/TVGuide-Editors-Blog/Ausiello-Report/Exclusive-Jericho-Verge/800016482

Looks like there's a potential deal in the works that sounds larger in scope than the suggested 'tie up the loose ends' episode.

Reisen
06-06-2007, 12:01 PM
CNN is carrying the story on their front page!

http://www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/TV/06/06/jericho.cancellation.ap/index.html

To me, this is about more than just a TV show, but the trend towards serial dramas and the irritation is causes cancelling them without any sort of followup.

billybreen
06-06-2007, 12:32 PM
I think another major factor is the outdated methods networks use to monitor the ratings of shows. As the CNN article you linked mentions, they don't adjust for online viewing, especially damaging for a show such as Jericho with a tech savvy young adult audience.

Also, DVRs tend to be excluded, and recent studies have shown that global ratings drops are non-existent when DVR viewership is considered (http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070601-nielsen-ratings-drop-nonexistent-when-dvrs-are-accounted-for.html). I'm sure that trend is also more pronounced for Jericho given their demographic.

Reisen
06-06-2007, 01:31 PM
Question: With the growth of digital cable and the introduction of HD television over fiberchannel (ie. Verizon's FIOS TV), isn't it possible for the providers to know EXACTLY what EVERYONE is watching?

The Nielsen system made sense back when you had TV broadcasts that were strictly one-way. Now, with digital cable, it's increasingly normal for the signal to come over a "two-way" channel. Seems it would be very easy for the networks to collect and aggregate "real" viewership ratings that account for trends like time-shifted viewing.

I suspect this would be very relevent for those of us with dual-tuner DVR's, where I consistently watch two big shows (Heroes and 24, for example) that go up against each other.

billybreen
06-06-2007, 01:43 PM
Question: With the growth of digital cable and the introduction of HD television over fiberchannel (ie. Verizon's FIOS TV), isn't it possible for the providers to know EXACTLY what EVERYONE is watching?


Not necessarily. The best case scenario for networks to keep track of these things is through streaming services, direct to the computer, operated either by the networks themselves or by a third party such as Google. They can get a total accounting of viewership in that case.

HD from digital cable or FIOS is a different situation -- the upstream provider is between the user and the network, and they do not to my knowledge have facilities to report viewership back to the networks. In fact, I doubt they can in most cases. The TV experience is not as two way as you may think, with only 'On Demand' or PPV type requests making the trip back to accounting infrastructure at the provider.

Most digital cable is a one way feed tuned exclusively on the user's side. I have a Tivo Series3 with two CableCards, but those cards use the version 1.0 spec that is inherently unidirectional. For that reason, I can't use On Demand or PPV from Comcast through my TiVo. Most of the current infrastructure is like that.

I suspect this will all change (assuming the networks can convince the providers to tackle the significant task of getting true accounting out to the clients) because the need for more granular and accurate accounting will only increase as the TV viewing experience continues to splinter. But for now, the networks don't have much visibility, and it's hurting shows like Jericho.

NOTE: I am in no way professionally educated in this area and reserve the right to be completely wrong on anything I said above.

Patrick Yates
06-06-2007, 03:46 PM
I watch way too much tv, and I follow gossip on E!, TVguide, and other outlets. Unfortunately, many of the decisions that we deride are based on sound economics and rational thinking, as well as long term risk reward thinking.

Jericho: I didn't watch, but mosel tov on getting the 8 eps next year. My understanding is that if it goes well, it could continue indefinitely, so watch.

And I do mean watch. Live. Not on DVR or online the next morning. Frankly, nets don't care if we watch shows, they care about who watches the ads, which is where they make their money.

There is rampant speculation that Nets completely discount DVR viewers because they tend to skip commercials. Ditto for the online viewers. Even if, like me, you go to the Net homepage, where you have to sit through commercials, it is still not good. Apparantly, they only make a few cents on the dollar compared to live airings if you watch it online. This says nothing of those of us who illegally download when all else fails (Smallville, I can only find you on dailymotion.com).

Unfortunately, many of the young, tech savy viewers watch this way. If they are not going to watch commercials, then the nets cannot chase them as viewers.

Reality tv is excrement. Everyone associated with reality TV like bachelor, American Idol, Survivor, etc, should be shot. Not only those who make it, but those who watch it. That would do wonders for the American gene pool.

Also, as much as we hate procedurals, and I hate them with a white hot fiery passion, they make sense.

Both of these excerable types of television have one huge benefit. They are cheap. Extra cheap.

Reality shows have low production costs, almost no writers, and "actors" that are replaceable. Forensic procedurals are the same. The benefits to these type of shows is that the actors cannot negotiate huge raises, because the story is the star, not the actors.

Contrast this with a show like Lost. Even though Lost seems willing to kill off recurring characters, Evangeline Lilly, Fox, and the actor who plays Boone are not going anywhere. They are absolutely necessary for the show to play out, and their agents will proceed accordingly.

Look at HIMYM. I love this show. Barney is legend...wait for it....dary. He is the key component to the show, along with Ted. You could replace the others, (Robin moreso than than Ted's roomies) but not Ted or Barney. Thus, if the show continues beyond next year, it will get expensive. Year 4 is when shows go through the roof. Getting to year 4 means syndication, and potential big time $. Salaries skyrocket accross the board.

For instance, Friends lost a lot of money its last 2-3 years. But, it was a tentpole that NBC could use to launch new shows, so NBC ate it, knowing that they would at least break even in syndication and dvd's. When a show is a definite hit, Nets know they will make $, even if it is not a lot of $. For HIMYM, not a huge hit, it gets dicier. If CBS commits to the show, Ted or Barney could essentially hold the show hostage, secure in the knowledge that the show dies without them. CBS would have to poney up big time or lose everything.

Fact is, CBS, and Fox really, have gotten fat off low cost shows. A few years ago, a couple of CBS stars on CSI had a sick out. CBS fired them, and then rehired them after handing out a miniscule raise. Fox's two big scripted shows are House and 24. On 24, only Jack is sacrosanct, with maybe Audry. House, well, only House. Both shows do not have to give raises, cause the other actors are easily replaced. The sole stars become producers, essentialy profit sharers. 24's production values are large, but if it underperforms, like this year, it gets overhauled.

Jericho was rumored to be ruinously expensive. Same with my beloved Firefly. It a show is expensive its first year, without being a definite hit, then Network execs get worried. I am of the school that early on CBS decided that Jericho would be popular enough to renew, but that it might never be a huge hit and would continue to be a money pit. Thus, they killed it. Also, keep in mind that CBS has not had to really market a show (a la Heroes), in nearly half a decade. I am sure they looked at the cost, vs simply throwing a CSI whereever, and kvetched. Hard. They saw all this money going out, and none coming in, and said no. Also, as viewers got invested in various actors on Jericho, their asking price would skyrocket. Fie on that they said.

I like scripted serials. Heck, I love them. But they are very expensive. The very nature of the shows requires that actors and show runners must be kept in place long-term, and that is pricey. From a network's perspective, cheap, successful shows are good. Pricey, moderately rated shows are nightmares. (Flops are easy, kill them and move on)

As much as I love VM, when under 2 million are watching, it has to go.

It is fun to gripe, but Nets are not evil, nor are their execs. This is a numbers game, and profits have to be made, regardless of quality. Walk around out side and look at the people populating this country. Many are mentally incapable of following a serial. Those of us that are tend to be too busy to regularly watch TV. Thus we are doomed to a dearth of quality TV. Nets aren't to blame. The viewing public is at fault. Give the people what they want.

Patrick Yates

also, it is about timing. With Sports Night (tied for gone before their time with Futurama for best ever), look at the time frame. ABC got Fat off of the dirt cheap Millionaire, and didn't need this show's borderline numbers. Two years later, when their entire lineup crashed and burned, you better believe Eisner would have sacrificed his first born son to get Sportsnight's numbers.

DevilAlumna
06-06-2007, 04:02 PM
It is fun to gripe, but Nets are not evil, nor are their execs. This is a numbers game, and profits have to be made, regardless of quality. Walk around out side and look at the people populating this country. Many are mentally incapable of following a serial. Those of us that are tend to be too busy to regularly watch TV. Thus we are doomed to a dearth of quality TV. Nets aren't to blame. The viewing public is at fault. Give the people what they want.

Patrick Yates


Thanks for that insight.

Thanks also for reminding me why I still pay for HBO -- because I'm willing to pony up for its smart, serial shows, and not have to worry (so much) about those shows competing for airtime with the favorites of the general/"So you think you may be smarter than Dirt"-loving network-viewing public.

billybreen
06-06-2007, 04:08 PM
Reality tv is excrement. Everyone associated with reality TV like bachelor, American Idol, Survivor, etc, should be shot. Not only those who make it, but those who watch it. That would do wonders for the American gene pool.

You just condemned to death a large portion of the off topic board community. I don't necessarily disagree with you (maybe not the killing, but definitely the scorn). ;)

alteran
06-06-2007, 04:20 PM
It is fun to gripe, but Nets are not evil, nor are their execs. This is a numbers game, and profits have to be made, regardless of quality. Walk around out side and look at the people populating this country. Many are mentally incapable of following a serial. Those of us that are tend to be too busy to regularly watch TV. Thus we are doomed to a dearth of quality TV. Nets aren't to blame. The viewing public is at fault. Give the people what they want..

Interesting post.

For my money, I never really thought CBS was evil for canceling Jericho, I was just disappointed. I was actually fairly impressed that CBS immediately started making noises about figuring some way to finish the Jericho story, rumored to be by TV movie or miniseries, because it's hard to imagine it wouldn't be a money-losing proposition.

I love "highly serialized" drama, and have just learned to deal with cancellation. Murder One, Angel, VM, Firefly, I could go on. Jericho was unusual in that the fans were left in a complete and total lurch-- almost akin to canceling "Dallas" after the first half of "Who Shot J.R.?"

Probably the "safest" place to watch serialized drama is HBO because their economics are so different and it's hard to imagine them canceling something without a denouement.

Your theory is the first decent one I've heard to explain why CBS put Jericho against Idol after having it start with such respectable numbers-- because it was expensive. But this begs the question-- why okay the pilot in the first place, then? My only guess is that okayed it with the understanding that they'd keep it only if it was a Hero's-like smash, which seems a pretty poor strategy.

Yeah, kudos for the fans for getting CBS to change it's mind. Heck, maybe they ought to build this into the the marketing: "Famine, Disease, Nuclear Bombs, even Network Cancellation-- Nothing Can Stop Jericho."

billybreen
06-06-2007, 04:27 PM
Heck, maybe they ought to build this into the the marketing: "Famine, Disease, Nuclear Bombs, even Network Cancellation-- Nothing Can Stop Jericho."

Alteran for the win!

BlueDiablo
06-06-2007, 04:37 PM
Frankly, nets don't care if we watch shows, they care about who watches the ads, which is where they make their money.

There is rampant speculation that Nets completely discount DVR viewers because they tend to skip commercials. Ditto for the online viewers. Even if, like me, you go to the Net homepage, where you have to sit through commercials, it is still not good.

Actually, it's not quite that simple, though you're on the right track. The networks count as many of these people as they can. It's the *advertisers* who don't want to count DVR users. There are several different versions of TV ratings, and some that specifically take DVR "time-shifted" viewers into account. Advertisers would like to pay for only "live" viewers, but networks believe that DVR viewership (live plus seven days, for people who record and watch the show within the first week after it airs) should also be taken into account. The current compromise seems to be to use "live plus 3" as the standard measure of viewership for ad purposes. Networks also like to point out that some shows have a viewership that skews into the higher income demographics (for example, "Lost" and "The Office") and use that as a bargaining chip.

A recent report in an industry publication stated that recent data suggests that 40% of all DVR viewers do, actually, watch the ads (that figure seems unbelievably high to me, but that's what the report said).

This is a huge issue for the networks, and I can see them having to move to another paradigm at some point.

DevilAlumna
06-06-2007, 05:28 PM
A recent report in an industry publication stated that recent data suggests that 40% of all DVR viewers do, actually, watch the ads (that figure seems unbelievably high to me, but that's what the report said).

I have been known, on occasion, to stop FFwding to catch an ad. I even FF on a slower pace in order to ad-skim. I stop for the mac/pc ads, if I haven't a new one, TV news blurbs, and movie trailers primarily. Hey, if it's relevant to me, I don't mind watching it. (My husband, OTOH, thinks this is sacrilege.)

JasonEvans
06-06-2007, 05:35 PM
Contrast this with a show like Lost. Even though Lost seems willing to kill off recurring characters, Evangeline Lilly, Fox, and the actor who plays Boone are not going anywhere. They are absolutely necessary for the show to play out, and their agents will proceed accordingly.

Uhhh, Boone?!?! He is dead.

I am guessing you meant Locke. Or did you maybe mean Ben?

Frankly, the only unkillable characters on Lost right now are Kate and Jack because we have seen the flash-forward with them alive. Aside from those 2, everyone else is subject to being offed... though I would really mourne some characters.

In order: Locke, Ben, Sayid, Hurley, Sawyer Desmond. After those folks everyone else can bite the dust and I won't be all that upset. Yes, Claire, I am talking to you!


Look at HIMYM. I love this show. Barney is legend...wait for it....dary. He is the key component to the show, along with Ted. You could replace the others, (Robin moreso than than Ted's roomies) but not Ted or Barney. Thus, if the show continues beyond next year, it will get expensive. Year 4 is when shows go through the roof. Getting to year 4 means syndication, and potential big time $. Salaries skyrocket accross the board.


"Legend...wait for it....dary" -- brilliant post!! I actually really want the show to get rid of Ribin. I hate her character. I think the season finale certainly implied that she could be written off with ease.

billybreen
06-06-2007, 08:37 PM
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/showtracker/2007/06/its_official_th.html#more

jimsumner
06-06-2007, 09:13 PM
This week's sign that the apocalypse is upon us.

"A recent report in an industry publication stated that recent data suggests that 40% of all DVR viewers do, actually, watch the ads"

I don't even watch the ads when I'm not using the DVR. That's why Al Gore invented the remote control. :)

JasonEvans
06-06-2007, 10:06 PM
Jericho has officially been renewed. 7 episodes at mid-season with an eye toward continuing the series in the future.

CBS execs and Skeet Ulrich both seem to awknowledge that the younger demographic is not properly measured by Nielsen and that this show hit a nerve with the people who live in the online world.

Here is the story (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/showtracker/2007/06/jericho_its_ren.html).

As an aside, if they ever figure out how to accurately measure online viewing and folks who watch on DVRs and the such, ratings for Lost and The Office will go thru the roof!!

-Jason "I am so in mourning that we have until Feb for Lost" Evans

ehdg
06-06-2007, 10:34 PM
Tks for the update Jason. Very happy to hear that CBS came to their senses finally!! I wished the WB or CW what ever they call that channel now had done this with Everwood last year too!!

Dukerati
06-07-2007, 10:39 AM
I have been known, on occasion, to stop FFwding to catch an ad. I even FF on a slower pace in order to ad-skim. I stop for the mac/pc ads, if I haven't a new one, TV news blurbs, and movie trailers primarily. Hey, if it's relevant to me, I don't mind watching it. (My husband, OTOH, thinks this is sacrilege.)

Haha. I tried to do that once (during an episode of How I Met Your Mother) and was roundly booed. My girlfriend actually threw a carrot at me. Suffice to say, ads are not very popular in my house.

Exiled_Devil
06-07-2007, 11:24 AM
Patrick Yates wrote:
I like scripted serials. Heck, I love them. But they are very expensive. The very nature of the shows requires that actors and show runners must be kept in place long-term, and that is pricey. From a network's perspective, cheap, successful shows are good. Pricey, moderately rated shows are nightmares. (Flops are easy, kill them and move on)


And this is how MBA's have killed television. And movies. Possibly sports. Definitely music.

Don't get me wrong - I teach MBA's regularly. They are good people. But the MBA is the icon of the economic philosophy which puts profit margin as the highest good. With the current obsession with quarterly numbers, this model dooms art that doesn't pander to quick, easy money. Ugh. Hopefully longtail economics will catch on in Hollywood and we can enjoy our smart, engaging, challenging TV.

Exiled
Patrick - you do know that Futurama is coming back, don't you? not sure of the date, but the news blasted through the web last summer.