Monday, May 16, 2005

Boob Tube To Get Saggier

Currently, I make time for "Arrested Development", "The Simpsons" (still), "Family Guy", "Gilmore Girls", "The Office", and "Scrubs". If I have nothing better to do and if PBS is not airing a program on the lemurs of Madagascar, I'll watch "The Apprentice", "The OC", or "ER". "Grey's Anatomy" has held my attention the two times I've tuned in.

While writing those sentences, I racked my brain trying to think of any other network TV shows that I watch, because the number I came up with seemed so small. The more I think about it, though, if you take away the various reality shows that I'm not into, add them to the 3 or 4 "Law and Order"s, take into account the 3 "CSI"s and the various newsmagazines - well, when you add it all up, you're left with a couple family sitcoms that are of no interest to me. So this is network television, 2005. Nice work, everyone. Let's see what the networks, save for CBS, have in store for me next season:

"Earl" is described as an offbeat vehicle starring Jason Lee as a low-rent crook who decides to make amends with his victims after he wins the lottery. "Thick and Thin" stars Jessica Capshaw as a woman who struggles to grow into her new svelte lifestyle after losing a lot of weight. "Four Kings," from "Will & Grace" creators David Kohan and Max Mutchnick revolves around four men in New York who have been friends since childhood.


On the comedy front, ABC likes "Hot Properties," about four women who work in a real estate office; "Freddie," which stars Freddie Prinze Jr. as a man who finds himself unexpectedly living with the women who raised him; "Crumbs," which stars Fred Savage and Eddie McClintock as brothers who are forced to work together; "Emily's Reasons Why Not," starring Heather Graham as a professional woman who's unlucky in her love life; and "Sons and Daughters," about grown siblings and their families.


At the WB, new dramas on tap include "Pepper Dennis," a midseason offering starring Rebecca Romijn; "Supernatural," about two brothers who travel the country looking for other-worldly beings; "The Bedford Diaries," about students and teachers at a small Manhattan college; "Related," about four sisters; and "Just Legal," starring Jay Baruchel as the protege of a jaded defense attorney played by Don Johnson.

Comedies getting the nod include "Misconception," starring Jane Leeves; and "Twins," about sisters from "Will & Grace" creators David Kohan and Max Mutchnick. At Fox, the pickup picture was still a little fuzzy, but sources said the Pamela Anderson midseason entry "Stacked" has been picked up for next season.

Among this year's comedy pilot crop at Fox -- which just underwent a management shift as former FX chief Peter Liguori took the entertainment division reins from five-year Fox veteran Gail Berman, who moved across town to Paramount Pictures -- sources said the green light has been given to the domestic comedy "The War at Home" and to "Kitchen Confidential" about a hip chef.

Making the cut on the drama side were "Bones," about a forensic anthropologist; "Head Cases," about an odd-couple pairing of lawyers; the ensemble "Reunion," which follows six close friends from high school through their 20-year reunion; and the crime procedural "Deviant Behavior."


Can you guess the one show I, the choice demographic networks go nuts for, am mildly interested in?

There is a brief point of good news from that last link:
...[Fox] was closing in on a deal to bring back its Emmy-winning "Arrested Development" for a third season, sources said.

6 comments:

Floyd said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Floyd said...

I'm going to guess "Earl", because Jason Lee has done funny things in the past, and done properly, this sounds like it could at least have some funny moments.

The other possibility is "Related", because you seem to like sister shows, and the description is so vague the possibility remains that it might not suck.

Gav said...

I'm going to say "Bones", because any crime solving show that does it using anthropology has got to be the most retar... I mean awesomist thing I've ever seen.

Actually, I'll bet on "Crumbs" just because I still have a soft spot for Fred Savage. Shoot I'd even take Ben Savage in another sitcom if I could get him.

dn said...

"Earl" is correct. Jason Lee has been funny - perhaps he will be again.

Anonymous said...

Is it too late to guess Freddie?
Ed

dn said...

For the sake of being complete:
http://www.cnn.com/2005/SHOWBIZ/TV/05/19/tv.new.season.ap/index.html

There was some question whether Fox would even renew the Emmy-winning comedy "Arrested Development," given that few viewers have made it a habit. Not only did Fox bring it back, it moved the show to Monday, alongside two new series.

-- "Prison Break," a drama about a man on death row. His brother is
convinced he's innocent and robs a bank to get in the same prison,
where he comes armed with an elaborate escape plan.


-- "Bones," a sort of "CSI" for REALLY dead people, is a drama about a team of forensic anthropologists who study bones to solve crimes.


-- "Head Cases" stars Chris O'Donnell as a lawyer who gets kicked out
by his wife and suffers a nervous breakdown. He meets Rachel Leigh Cook to help him get on his feet again.


-- "Reunion," sort of the inverse of "24," the series follows six
friends over the course of 20 years. Each episode is set in a different year.


-- "The Gate," set in San Francisco, is a drama about a detective in
the police department's deviant crime unit.

-- "The War at Home" is a comedy about once-rebellious parents of
now-rebellious kids.


-- "Kitchen Confidential" is a comedy about a once-hot cook stuck
slinging pasta at a restaurant chain because of his boozing lifestyle. He's given one chance at a job at a top restaurant but has 48 hours to impress 300 people -- including the food critic at The New York Times, a jilted ex.