The flailing, failing NBC network just announced their Fall TV schedule. They canceled Life, and renewed Medium (at a reduced episode count because you needed to be psychic to know it was back on), Law & Order, and Law & Order: SVU (because Dick Wolf scares them) and a handful of other shows.
But I'm going to take a look at some of their new shows and offer you, my loyal reader, the opinion of a smug know-it-all about them.
PARENTHOOD- Basically it's a copy of ABC's Brothers & Sisters, but with fewer viewers.
UPDATE: I just saw a report that says that it's a TV series version of the 1989 Steve Martin/Ron Howard film of the same name. Which bring to mind the popular internet saying WTF?
That was already done as a series in 1990, and it failed. I know they're scared of ideas, but what the hell?
TRAUMA- The boost in the ratings for the ER finale appears to have made NBC forgive it for being a dead weight on their schedule for the past 8+ years, because they're going to do it all over again, but this time it'll have more outdoor scenes. At least, they will have more outdoor scenes until the budget get slashed by the network about three episodes before cancellation.
MERCY- Grey's Anatomy with overworked, underpaid nurses instead of oversexed, under-brained doctors. Been there, done that.
DAY ONE- CBS's Jericho meets ABC's Lost which means lots of struggling for survival, with the writers pulling clues for the show's central mystery (why civilization collapsed) out of their ass, because they probably don't know the answer themselves.
100 QUESTIONS- 100 questions-12 episodes max. The premise of the show is a plucky single gal (is there any other kind) looking for love by answering a 100 question form on a dating site, causing flashbacks to past relationships, and wackiness ensues. These sorts of 100 problems/100 episodes kind of premises always seem cursed from the get-go, especially when it's a romantic comedy. Plus, even if it does succeed, to the viewers it's going to look like it's taking this poor woman at least four years to fill out a form.
COMMUNITY- Folks say the pilot, about a lawyer trying to repair a revoked degree by taking classes at a community college has a lot of promise. Hopefully, they didn't blow their load in the pilot, and have enough stories, ideas, and characters to keep the show going. Though the presence of Chevy Chase in a supporting role does weigh heavily upon it.
I'm not holding out much hope for NBC. Especially since cancelling Life has not endeared them to me.
(bastards)
Does this mean that the CW will get to pull ahead of them in ratings and NBC will get to be the butt of your jokes? lol
ReplyDeleteSeriously though, of all those listed, it strikes me how many sound like other shows I've heard of. Mercy sounds almost exactly like "Hawthrone" or "Time Heals" whatever it's called (Jada Pickett Smith stars).
Day One sounds mildly interesting but Lost (and X-files) have taught us that if these mystery shows don't have a set end date, they suck fast. (in fact, now that they have a definite end-point, Lost seems to get better with every episode approaching that end-point)
Can we also have some law that there will be no more Dr or Lawyer shows? I'm so freakin' sick of Dr & Lawyer shows. (the only exception would be a Dr McNinja animated series)
D--
ReplyDeleteLove your blog. Have you heard anything beside the usual PR pablum re: NBC's "Lost & Found"?
I think the idea of a police officer being banished to the "John/Jane Doe" department for bad behavior is interesting, but according to Nikki Finke, the outcome, even though the EP is Dick Wolf, isn't very good.
Thanks.