The CW Upfronts- Gut Reactions

Not much to see here as The CW doesn't have that much programming.

Canceled: A couple of reality shows I never heard of and the new Melrose Place. This was never really any worse than the rest of The CW's dramas, but it got a terrible wrap early. It didn't help that it's actors weren't nearly as good looking as those on 90210, Gossip Girl and the like.

Returning: You got the three sci-fi joints in Smallville, Supernatural and Vampire Diaries. And then there are the four soap dramas. 90210 and Gossip Girl got renewed early but veteran One Tree Hill and newcomer Life Unexpected had to wait til the last minute to get word that they were back for another year. Life Unex had both good ratings (for CW) and good critical reviews, so I'm not sure why it took so long to make that decision.

New Shows

Nothing much here. Another reality show called Plain Jane? Then there is the fourth or fifth remake of Le Femme Nikita, titled Nikita. And finally we have another teen drama, this time about cheerleaders, called Hellcats. None of these sound good.

CBS Upfronts- Gut Reactions

If you've ever read this blog you know that I'm not a fan of CBS scripted shows. Their dramas are all of the CSI procedural model and I could care less about them. The comedies, for the most part, aren't funny. CBS reality, on the other hand, is still at the top. Between Survivor, Big Brother and The Amazing Race, they are at the top of the field. Let's see if next season looks any different.

Canceled: The only one that matters to me (and albeit very little) is the loss of Gary Unmarried. Not only because I liked to make T-time think I liked it more than I really did, but because it actually was entertaining from time to time. Even if it was big and obvious most of the time, the son Tommy and Rob Riggle as brother Mitch did more than their share to keep it funny. Also out are comedies Old Christine and Accidentally on Purpose, long time dramas Numb3rs, Ghost Whisperer and Cold Case, and brand new mistake of a drama Miami Medical. Ho hum. Getting rid of garbage procedurals.

Returning: Four sitcoms, including the only CBS comedy I will be watching Rules of Engagement, are back for the network. The three big gun reality shows are still kicking around, as are a boatload of procedural dramas that I could care less about. That is, except for The Mentalist which is one of the best of its kind due to its stellar cast.

New Shows

With most of their garbage returning because of such high ratings, CBS doesn't have much new programming on its slate. Having said that, there are two that I will give a try. Hawaii Five-O has a bunch of things working in its favor. It has both Scott Caan and Daniel Dae Kim as its leads. It is set in Hawaii. And they used the "Book 'em Dann-o" line in the trailer. CBS is trying Alex O'Laughlin as a tv star for the third time in four years, but it's obvious the other two lead guys will outshine him.

After realizing that The Defenders also intrigues me, it came to my attention that location sways my preference a good deal. It is set in Las Vegas which almost immediately gets me on board. Jim Belushi and Jerry O'Connell star as an almost Odd Couple pair of lawyers. It seems very much like a dramedy-action hybrid and I'll give it a try.

The only other that looks remotely interesting is Blue Bloods starring Tom Selleck. The Criminal Minds spin-off, and comedies Mike and Molly and Sh*t My Dad Says don't look good.

ABC Upfronts- Gut Reactions

ABC came into the year knowing that they were losing one of their most beloved shows, as Lost was in its sixth and final season. There was a good amount of hype around two new serialized science fiction series and neither of them really panned out the way the network wanted. In 2010-11 it seems they are going in different directions. Let's see what is going down.

Canceled: Of course there's Lost, although not canceled is still out of our lives. And then one of the two Lost replacements, Flash Forward also got the axe to the dismay of a few readers of this blog. Long running comedy Scrubs also came to an end as did the short-lived, but critically acclaimed, Better Off Ted. Romantically Challenged, The Deep End, Happy Town and The Forgotten basically were done before they started.


Returning: Well there is the quartet of ladies shows in Grey's, DH, Bros and Sis, and Private Practice that are all back. God help us all. The three sitcoms return, with Modern Family being the only one I consistently watch, but the other two seem to be on the decent side. And to round things out Castle and V are back. Castle seems to be airing this summer though so that's not a good sign, and V isn't on the fall schedule so who knows if it makes it back on the air.

New Shows

I never saw The Shield but have heard good things about Michael Chiklis in it. Him as the head of a superhero family definitely has potential here in No Ordinary Family. Add Rita from Dexter in a role that doesn't seem as annoying and I think we might have something.

Then there are a trio of what some may call comedies that look...interesting. Matthew Perry's Mr. Sunshine may have the most potential, if only for Matthew Perry. Better Together has Joanna Garcia in a starring role, and after her stint on Priviliged I don't think I can say no to that. Then there is Happy Endings with Elisha Cuthbert and the guy I couldn't care less about in Flash Forward. From the trailer I couldn't tell if it was supposed to be a comedy or not, but again, it has Elisha Cuthbert.

My Generation looks like a valiant attempt at something quasi-different, but I believe it is a fail. Then there is the garbage that is Detroit 1-8-7, The Whole Truth, Body of Proof and Off the Map. No thanks.

NBC Upfronts- Gut Reactions

Oh NBC, how you are the current laughing stock of John Q. Public. Because of the Jay Leno Show disaster that was the 2009-10 season, the Peacock has a ton of new shows set for next year. Let's take a look at how it all shapes up.

Canceled: Heroes, after a terrific first season, has failed to churn out anything of quality since and has finally gotten the axe. Thank God, because I was too invested to stop watching, and it was killing me to watch such garbage. The original Law and Order is finally off the air, while Mercy and Trauma didn't make it past one season.

Returning: Despite all the trash talk, NBC has a lot of quality programming returning to its lineup. All four Thursday comedies are back for the first time in a while, but Parks and Rec has been sent off to mid-season to leave room for a terrible-looking new sitcom. Chuck is back for what I bet is its last season, while Parenthood will get a second year and Friday Night Lights' final season will get run off some time in the spring.

New Shows

With the multitude of newbies on NBC's plate, there are four that I will give a shot at early on. The Event seems to be the only one that they are showcasing at this point that could be good. It stars Simon Elder from Dirty Sexy Money as the President and is pretty confusing as to what it is actually about. There's an assassination plot, a kidnapping and a CIA cover-up in the trailer so it seems pretty exciting.

I also really like the looks of The Cape. Anything that eerily resembles Batman Begins is worth a look in my book. The main character is framed for murder, fakes his own death and then trains to fight crime as a vigilante in a crime-filled city. Awesome.

And on the comedy side of things, The Paul Reiser Show looks good. I never watched Mad About You, but this Curb Your Enthusiasm-type show shows promise with its trailer. I will also give Perfect Couples a try.  The only notable is Janice from Flash Forward, but the character that likes to leave rooms with his own depressing music seems golden.

Then there are a couple that are in limbo for me. Outlaw is airing on Fridays, but it stars Jimmy Smits as a retired supreme court justice turned renegade so it could be decent. Friends with Benefits seems to be a sort of sitcom starring Kyle from Party Down and Daneel Harris so it could be decent, but the trailer doesn't make it seem that funny.  The Undercovers is a spy show from JJ Abrams.  It is about a married couple a la Mr. and Mrs. Smith.

And then there are a bunch of new shows that don't look good. Love Bites seems to be a mess of a romance show at this point. Another Law and Order, this time in LA. The Chase and Harry's Law are standard cop and law shows, respectively. And then there is Outsourced, which is taking Parks and Rec's spot in the fall and looks absolutely terrible.

FOX Upfronts- Gut Reactions

The network upfronts were a while back, but now that the true tv season is over I have some time to look over what got canceled, what's coming back and what's new at FOX, NBC, ABC, CBS and The CW.

First up is FOX.


Canceled: 24 is the only cancellation of note. After some up and downs the past few seasons, they finally pulled the plug on Jack Bauer and company after eight seasons. Dramas Dollhouse and Past Life also got the axe, while another sitcom attempt by FOX ended terribly. Brothers and Sons of Tucson were both theoretically gone before they got through five episodes. Also the way too long running comedy 'Til Death is out of there.

Returning: The four animated shows are back on Sundays. Other FOX staples American Idol and House, MD are also still kicking around as they digress in quality year after year. Fringe will be in its third season, while Glee and Human Target return for sophomore seasons. Human Target likely won't make it further than that as it is set to air on Fridays this fall.

New Shows

I already reviewed The Good Guys when it aired a preview event this spring, but it still looks promising if for Bradley Whitford alone. Two others that could be good for FOX are Lonestar and Running Wilde. Lonestar seems to be a family drama of the Dallas/Dynasty ilk. The lead guy is somewhat of an unknown, but it has Jon Voight and Adrianne Palicki from Friday Night Lights so it doesn't lack in star power. Running Wilde comes from the creator of Arrested Development and stars Will Arnett as a similar character as he played in the earlier FOX hit.

Others that I might give a try include Mixed Signals and Terra Nova. Nova has no trailer out so I'm not quite sure what it's about, but heard it was from Steven Spielberg so that has to be a plus. Mixed Signals is another sitcom, this one starring Roy from The Office.

Bob's Burgers, Raising Hope and Ride-Along all get the pass-aroo vote from me.

CW Upfronts- Gut Reactions

What's Gone
Privileged, Reaper, The Game, Everybody Hates Chris

--Although I've never seen Reaper, I've heard great things. The biggest loss here is Privileged. A great show with a great star. There was a lot of room to grow and it's a shame it's getting dumped to take a chance on a new Melrose and a Vampire show.

What's Back
Smallville, Supernatural, Gossip Girl, 90210, One Tree Hill, America's Next Top Model

--The sci-fi twins return. The Gossip crew heads off to college, while the new kids in Beverly Hills make it to season two. It's a shame they're giving Ethan (Dustin Milligan) the boot, because he was one of the highlights of 90210. One Tree Hill does themselves a favor by letting Chad and Burton hit the road for better things. They were two of my least favorites on the show. Adding Julian (Austin Nichols) to main character status will help the cause.

What's New
Melrose Place, Vampire Diaries, The Beautiful Life, Parental Discretion Advised

--Melrose, a reboot of the original, will be worth a try, and I might check out this Vampire joint as well. No thank you to Micha Barton and The Beautiful Life and whatever this other thing is.

CBS Upfronts- Gut Reactions

What's Gone
Without a Trace, The Unit, Worst Week, Eleventh Hour, The Ex-List

--Nothing to talk about here. Only thing I watched was Worst Week, and that was sub-par at best.

What's Back
Big Bang Theory, How I Met Your Mother, Two and a Half Men, CSI: Miami, NCIS, Mentalist, Criminal Minds, New Adv. of Old Christine, CSI: NY, CSI, Ghost Whisperer, Numb3rs, Cold Case, Amazing Race, Survivor, Gary Unmarried, Rules of Engagement, Flashpoint

--Surprisingly I watch a good amount of shows on my most hated network. Great move sticking with Gary Unmarried and I'll be tuning in for the Race, Survivor, Rules and Mentalist. How many CSIs does CBS really need?

What's New
Accidentally On Purpose, Three Rivers, The Good Wife, NCIS: LA, Miami Trauma, The Bridge, Undercover Boss, Arranged Marriage

--No thank you to all of them.

What's Switched
Medium

--So NBC cancels Medium and CBS decides to pick it up and put it on Friday nights. The funny thing is that because it's on CBS it will now do well. It's a shame that everything does well on CBS but great shows like Chuck struggle to do well on NBC.

FOX Upfronts- Gut Reactions

What's Gone
Do Not Disturb, King of the Hill, Prison Break, Sit Down Shut Up, Terminator

--Worst move of this season's upfronts was canceling Terminator: TSCC. Not only was it a great show, but it kept getting better and better as it went on. I'm glad to see Sit Down Shut Up and Do Not Disturb gone.

What's Back
24, American Dad, American Idol, Bones, Dollhouse, Family Guy, Fringe, House, Kitchen Nightmares, Lie To Me, Simpsons, Til Death, So You Think You Can Dance

--Really? Dollhouse and Lie to Me were better than Terminator? Interesting. 24 is back so I'm assuming Jacky B makes it through that experimental stem cell surgery. Either that or Renee Walker takes over as the woman that saves the world...no thank you.

What's New
Brothers, Cleveland Show, Glee, Human Target, Past Life, Sons of Tucson, Wanda Sykes Show

--Not much promise for the future of FOX. I'll check out Brothers and Cleveland Show, and maybe give Glee another try, but nothing excites me here.

--Brothers is a sitcom starring Michael Strahan (New York Football Giants) as Mike Trainor, an ex-NFL star that has spent all his money and moves back home. Daryl Mitchell (House Party, 10 Things I Hate About You) plays Mike's brother, a handicapped restaurateur, and Carl Weathers (Rocky, Happy Gilmore) is the father.

--The Cleveland Show is the Family Guy spin-off starring the Griffin's neighbor, Cleveland. That's pretty much it. I'll watch because all Seth MacFarlane's stuff is good.

--I turned the Glee pilot off halfway through because it was pretty awful. I am only hearing good things about it so I might give it one more try this fall.

ABC Upfronts- Gut Reactions

What's Gone
Samantha Who, Cupid, Unusuals, In the Motherhood, According to Jim

--I don't watch any of these shows but I'm glad to see According to Jim go off the air. How does that show stay on tv so long?

What's Back
Lost, Castle, Scrubs, Better Off Ted, Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice, Ugly Betty, Dancing w/ Stars, Supernanny, Extreme Makeover: HE, Desperate Housewives, Brothers & Sisters, Bachelor, Wife Swap, True Beauty

--Wow ABC has kept a lot of shows. Lost heads into its final season come January. Housewives and Grey's need to end their runs as soon as possible and Ugly Betty moves to the dead zone (Friday). I've been hearing good things about Better Off Ted so I might give it another try.

What's New
Cougar Town, Hank, The Middle, Modern Family, Flash Forward, Eastwick, Shark Tank, Forgotten, V, Happy Town, Deep End

--I will pass on the attempts at comedy that are Courgar Town and The Middle, as well as Forgotten, Deep End and Shark Tank. Althought I will give Eastwick, Flash Forward and Hank a look, here are the three new ABC shows that get me buzzing.

--V is a reboot on the 80s miniseries in which earth has its first encounter with aliens that call themselves the Visitors. Although they seem friendly, it seems a divide occurs between humans that feel they are here for good and those that think they are here for evil. With a stellar trio of Elizabeth Mitchell (Lost, Santa Clause 2), Morris Chestnut (Like Mike, Boyz N the Hood) and Scott Wolf (Double Dragon, Party of Five) it seems like a good one.

--Modern Family is a sitcom about three different couples. One is a newly married Ed O'Neil (Married With Children, Little Giants) and Sofia Vergara (Knights of Prosperity). The second is Ty Burrell, who killed it on Back To You a year ago, and Julie Bowen (Lost, Happy Gilmore) who have a bunch of kids. And last but not least we have a gay couple, one of which is fat. It doesn't get much more comedic than that.

--Watching Harper's Island gets me kinda excited for Happy Town. It's a show about a run of the mill town, Haplin, where everything seems to be hunky dorry. That is, until a serial killer named the Magic Man gets started. With Dennis Duffy (Dean Winters), the dude who plays video games with Vince Vaughn in The Break Up (Geoff Stults), Mr. Friendly from Lost (MC Gainey), and the Jurassic Park guy (Sam Neill), Happy Town is getting a watch from me.

NBC Upfronts- Gut Reactions

Well the best news coming from the NBC upfronts was that Chuck WILL be returning next season. It will be cut down in episodes and air in the spring at it's regular 8:00 timeslot on Mondays. Heroes moves to 8 in the fall and will also be a shortened season.

What's Gone
Life, Medium, My Name Is Earl, Kath & Kim, Kings, Knight Rider

--I'm sad to see Earl and Kath & Kim go, but only because they're much better than Parks & Recreation and SNL Thursday Update (which will be on Thursdays this fall)
--Everything else I'm glad to see is gone.

What's Back
Heroes, Chuck, Biggest Loser, SVU, SNL Update, Park & Recreation, Office, 30 Rock, Law & Order, Southland, Celebrity Apprentice, Friday Night Lights

--Pumped that Chuck is back and hope Heroes can try to turn something around. I was hoping L & O had kicked the bucket and do we really need two hours of Biggest Loser? Of course the classic comedy hour of Office and 30 Rock are back in action. With Friday Night Lights airing in the summer, I'll probably download them while they air on DirectTV this fall.

What's New
Trauma, Parenthood, Community, Day One, 100 Questions, Mercy, Marriage Ref

--I will pass on your regular old hospital shows, Trauma and Mercy, and I will definitely not catch 100 Questions with how bad the preview looks. You should check out Parenthood, Community and Day One.

--Parenthood looks like a dramedy about families taken from the first tv series and movie before it. It has Peter Krause (Dirty Sexy Money, Sports Night) and Craig T. Nelson (Coach, Blades of Glory) so sign me up.

--Community is a comedy about life at a community college and it stars Joel McHale (E's The Soup) and Chevy Chase (Vacation, Caddyshack) so I am obviously game.

--Now I feel Day One could be hit or miss. A global event devastates the world and Day One tells the story of those survivors that try to rebuild society and figure out why the event occurred.