The Fall Season Day By Day

The upcoming TV season looks like it's going to be an interesting match-up between the networks. The 2006-07 season had a lot of interesting shows – in fact may have had more quality that we see most years – but it was also a season when viewers of broadcast TV rejected the new and TV executives were quick – maybe too quick – pull shows out of their line-up. It was the year that rejected the serial as executives found themselves in vicious circle of self-fulfilling prophecy: people were holding off on watching recorded episodes of new shows out of fear that they'd be cancelled and networks were cancelling those shows because people weren't watching (because they were afraid they'd get into a show only to have it cancelled). Even reality shows like The Apprentice took a hit, leading a Canadian TV critic to suggest that the days of the reality completion show are over.

And what of this season? It looks like network executives are finally wising up over things like serials, and hiatuses which kill the momentum of series. CBS is putting on some very "un-CBS" shows and pushing the envelope a bit. NBC is going the soft "sci-fi" route with three of their four dramas. The CW is returning to its roots with a serious youth movement on its schedule. ABC is continuing with its "relationship drama" shows that proved fairly successful last season while having lots and lots of material in reserve. And FOX? Well FOX is giving us a schedule of two halves, thanks in no small part to Baseball and Football.

Let's take a look at the schedule day-by-day (New shows capitalized).

Sunday

	ABC	CBS	Fox	NBC	The CW
7:00-7:30	America`s Funniest Home Videos	60 Minutes	The OT (NFL Post-Game)	Football Night in America	CW NOW
7:30-8:00	America`s Funniest Home Videos	60 Minutes	The OT (NFL Post-Game)	Sunday Night Football	ONLINE NATION
8:00-8:30	Extreme Makeover: Home Edition	VIVA LAUGHLIN	The Simpsons	Sunday Night Football	LIFE IS WILD
8:30-9:00	Extreme Makeover: Home Edition	VIVA LAUGHLIN	King Of The Hill	Sunday Night Football	LIFE IS WILD
9:00-9:30	Desperate Housewives	Cold Case	Family Guy	Sunday Night Football	America's Next Top Model (encore)
9:30-10:00	Desperate Housewives	Cold Case	American Dad	Sunday Night Football	America's Next Top Model (encore)
10:00-11:00	Brothers & Sisters	Shark		Sunday Night Football

CBS is showing their colours when it comes to different sorts of shows with Viva Laughlin, the musical drama based on the BBC series Blackpool (incidentally, Tim Gueguen wondered about Hugh Jackman appearing on TV – slumming as Tim put it; his participation isn't surprising given the fact that he's one of the Executive Producers of this show). I'm not sure how the series will do against the triple threat of heart-warming reality, dysfunctional animated people and football. CBS doesn't have preview reel of this so it's going to be a bit of a surprise. As for the CW, setting aside CW Now and Online Nation for the moment, Life Is Wild (which is shot in South Africa) looks like it is definitely going to be the 7^th Heaven and Everwood sort of family drama that the network likes and will undoubtedly be a favourite of groups like the PTC (not that it's necessarily a bad thing that they like a show). I think it could be a real hit – at least by the standards of The CW.

Monday

	ABC	CBS	Fox	NBC	The CW
8:00-8:30	Dancing With The Stars	How I Met Your Mother	Prison Break	Deal Or No Deal	Everybody Hates Chris
8:30-9:00	Dancing With The Stars	THE BIG BANG THEORY	Prison Break	Deal Or No Deal	ALIENS IN AMERICA
9:00-9:30	Dancing With The Stars	Two and a Half Men	K-VILLE	Heroes	Girlfriends
9:30-10:00	SAM I AM	Rules Of Engagement	K-VILLE	Heroes	The Game
10:00-11:00	The Bachelor	CSI Miami		JOURNEYMAN

Three new comedies on the night and amazingly the most interesting of them may be on The CW. Aliens in America looks far interesting than either the Stacked retread The Big Bang Theory or ABC's Sam I Am. That show sort of sticks out between Dancing with the Stars and The Bachelor. I can't really come up with much enthusiasm for NBC's Journeyman but it should finish second in its time slot. The new drama K-Ville may be the night's rookie success if FOX gives it more than a couple of episodes to show its stuff. NBC is taking an interesting approach to the "hiatus problem" by effectively extending Heroes to 30 weeks with the Heroes: Origins mini-series that focuses on characters not in the main continuity. Are people going to stay tuned to episodes that don't feature characters they know?

Tuesday

	ABC	CBS	Fox	NBC	The CW
8:00-8:30	CAVEMEN	NCIS	NEW AMSTERDAM	Biggest Loser	Beauty & The Geek
8:30-9:00	CARPOOLERS	NCIS	NEW AMSTERDAM	Biggest Loser	Beauty & The Geek
9:00-10:00	Dancing With The Stars	The Unit	House	CHUCK	REAPER
10:00-11:00	Boston Legal	CANE		Law & Order: SVU

Last year ABC threw a number of comedies at viewers and the viewers threw them right back. Their two comedies on Tuesday are effectively "male-bonding" shows with Carpoolers looking less dreadful than Cavemen – but not by much. FOX's New Amsterdam looks vaguely intriguing, but knowing FOX executives, I have the feeling that it's going to be a show that if you blink you'll miss it. I have the same sort of feeling about Chuck – the idea is interesting (and I've always liked Adam Baldwin) but I can't see it thriving against House, the Dancing With The Stars recap show or even The Unit. Expect a fast exit. On the other hand Cane may finally solve the problem CBS has had with the third hour of Tuesday nights since they ended Judging Amy in 2005. In the two years since they've tried six different series (Close to Home, Threshold, Love Monkey, The Amazing Race, Smith and 3 Lbs.) in that time slot and inevitably ended up airing repeats of their procedurals. Cane is a revival of an old format but it just might work.

Wednesday

	ABC	CBS	Fox	NBC	The CW
8:00-8:30	PUSHING DAISIES	KID NATION	BACK TO YOU	Deal Or No Deal	America's Next Top Model
8:30-9:00	PUSHING DAISIES	KID NATION	`Til Death	Deal Or No Deal	America's Next Top Model
9:00-10:00	PRIVATE PRACTICE	Criminal Minds	Bones	BIONIC WOMAN	GOSSIP GIRL
10:00-11:00	DIRTY SEXY MONEY	CSI New York		LIFE

On general principle I hope that Kid Nation dies a swift and well deserved death and not just because CBS cancelled Jericho after mishandling that series' hiatus (repeat after me – extended hiatus bad). The preview reel seen look horrible and pretentious. In a way that I can't explain it reminds me of that horrible "boot camp" series that ABC had a couple of summers ago. I'm really hoping for good things from the two NBC series – the revival of The Bionic Woman and Life which look like the best new shows the network has this year. ABC is taking a big chance by making Wednesday a night of all new shows. They don't give us much to judge by with their clip for Pushing Daisies, but it's in a fairly weak time slot, before CBS, NBC and FOX deploy their heavy hitters so I don't know what to expect as far as ratings. You could call Private Practice a semi-known quality since we've seen the pilot (badly) integrated into an episode of Grey's Anatomy. On the one hand it's going up against two established shows but on the other hand it is different enough from the other shows that it could find an audience. The same rationale applies to Dirty Sexy Money – different enough from the shows around it to be able to find an audience. I just don't know how well the audience for Private Practice will transition into Dirty Sexy Money.
The CW's Gossip Girl could also find a niche. It's a throwback to the sort of teen angst series that The WB was famous for.

Thursday

	ABC	CBS	Fox	NBC	The CW
8:00-8:30	Ugly Betty	Survivor	Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader	My Name Is Earl	Smallville
8:30-9:00	Ugly Betty	Survivor	Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader	The Office	Smallville
9:00-9:30	Grey`s Anatomy	CSI	KITCHEN NIGHTMARES	30 Rock	Supernatural
9:30-10:00	Grey`s Anatomy	CSI	KITCHEN NIGHTMARES	Scrubs	Supernatural
10:00-11:00	BIG SHOTS	Without a Trace		ER

Thursday is the arguably the most competitive night on TV, but it's also the most stable night; there are only two new shows in the line-up. If we're going to be brutally honest Kitchen Nightmares is just a placeholder until after the baseball playoffs end. The only other change is the return of Without a Trace on CBS in an effort to drive a stake through the heart of ER. Meanwhile with Big Shots ABC is continuing its recent trend of "relationship dramadies" – typified by shows like Men In Trees, October Road, Brothers and Sisters and coming later in the 2007-08 season Cashmere Mafia. The show has a good male cast but the clip on the ABC website doesn't tell us much about the show except for a telling last line: "Men. We're the new women!"

Friday

	ABC	CBS	Fox	NBC	The CW
8:00-9:00	Men In Trees	Ghost Whisperer	THE SEARCH FOR THE NEXT GREAT AMERICAN BAND	1 vs. 100/THE SINGING BEE	WWE Smackdown
9:00-10:00	WOMENS MURDER CLUB	MOONLIGHT	NASHVILLE	Las Vegas	WWE Smackdown
10:00-11:00	20/20	Numb3rs		Friday Night Lights

CBS continues its new trend of doing shows that aren't what we've come to expect from CBS with Moonlight. The story of a vampire detective might have a relatively smooth transition from Ghost Whisperer but is it a good fit for Numb3rs? I have the same feeling about how well Women's Murder Club coming out of Men In Trees. Women's Murder Club may or may not work as a series – the one clip ABC has given us frankly looks a bit lacklustre – but it doesn't seem like a show that will build well off of Men in Trees.
NBC is taking a big risk by moving Friday Night Lights to Friday Night. It is one of the best shows on TV but it doesn't do much good if it can't find an audience. Is the audience younger people – Friday is "date night" for a lot of them – or people who are interested in high school football – who will be at high school football games at least until the end of November. As for FOX, they seem to be hoping they'll hit pay dirt a second time with the American Idol format with their news Search For The Next Great American Band. As for Nashville, the premise might have been good for a drama series but unfortunately this isn't a drama series. I think it will get beaten by the dramas on the Big Three networks and maybe even by The CW's perennial Wrestling show.

Video Links for the New Shows

Later today or tomorrow (hopefully) I'll be writing a night-by-night review of the shows that the US broadcast networks will be rolling out in September. I've got grids and everything, thanks to Microsoft One Note. Of course to properly evaluate a network's chances on a particular night you have to at least have an idea of what their shows, and in particular their new shows, are going to look like.

It is of course hard to evaluate a new show based on a few clips, and the feedback that you get from any comments sections for a particular show – if there is one – is frequently of the "this sucks" or "looks great" variety,. In other words not particularly useful.

Fortunately we have the Internet (and of course none of you wouldn't be reading my meanderings if we didn't) to allow us an advanced look. Each of the five networks has clips available, some more than others. ABC's site has the worst clips (and as the old joke goes, such small portions too) while the clips on Fox are probably the hardest to get to. Here are the links:

ABC Click the title of the show. Each show site has one or two clips for the show.

CBS The network has clips on their InnerTube section but also has links in their Fall Schedule grid. The link here ties to their "Bloggers Toolkit."

FOX Click on "New Series" then click on the title of the show to bring up a page about the show. In most cases there will be a see clips from this show link on the page. The videos start after an ad.

NBC Click on the New Shows tab and then on the show that you want to see clips of. There are clips for Journeyman, Chuck, The Bionic Woman and Life.

The CW There are a variety of paths from this point. Clicking the Sneak Peek Videos link will take you to the video site and will automatically start the first video for Reaper. Alternatively you can click the Full Schedule link at the bottom of the main image on the page. This will take you to the network schedule (presented in a typically bizarre CW manner). Clicking on the show title will take you to a site for that show which has a Watch Preview link in it (in most cases).

While all of the networks have video clips from their new shows available online there are only two networks – CBS and NBC – that have gone the extra mile to have clips available to be embedded on websites. NBC has put their shows' preview reels YouTube, while CBS has their Bloggers Toolkit section which allows bloggers to embed a link for a show's preview reel (it needs a little modification before it will be acceptable though). I'm including video from two NBC shows and one CBS show that look like they might be worth taking a look at. There's a quid pro quo going on her of course. The networks not only get free promotion for their shows when people like me put their material on our sites, but while we get content the networks that provide the content earn more than a little bit of respect from people using the material.

First up is the preview reel from the new version of The Bionic Woman. There's a very familiar face from another revival of another late '70s classic.

Next something from another NBC show that I'm really enthused about, Life, starring Damien Lewis and Sarah Shahi.

Finally, from CBS comes a preview of Cane, CBS's new drama in the style of Dallas, starring Jimmy Smits and Hector Elizondo.

The CW's Fall 2006

Finally (and I delayed this not because the CW was late in putting it out, but because I was thoroughly exhausted today) we have the CW’s line-up, and yes I know, no Veronica Mars. There’s slight hope for something though...but I wouldn’t hold my breath.

Cancelled: Gilmore Girls, Reba, Runaway, Seventh Heaven, All Of Us, Veronica Mars.

Renewed: Everybody Hates Chris, America's Next Top Model, The Game, Smallville, Supernatural, WWE Smackdown, Girlfriends, Pussycat Dolls: The Search for the Next Doll.

Moved: Beauty & The Geek.

New: Crowned: The Mother of All Pageants, Aliens in America, Gossip Girl, Reaper, Life is Wild, Online Nation, CW Now, Farmer Wants Wife.

In addition One Tree Hill is being held until midseason to allow the producers to make a significant creative change – advancing the storyline by four years. Online blogs and diary postings will keep update fans on the “college years” of the show’s characters leading to the show’s eventual return. Also, while Veronica Mars is listed as cancelled, there were statements from the CW Entertainment president Dawn Ostroff of discussions with series creator Rob Thomas and series star Kristen Bell about doing “something else” but that it seemed unlikely. Michael Ausiello of TV Guide asked about Thomas about it and was told that “No one has talked to me about a new, non-Veronica project. All my writers have been offered jobs elsewhere, and I believe they will now all accept these jobs. Very, very, very sad day around the VM offices. I assume that anything Dawn would be talking about in the realm of a Rob-Kristen project would involve a new from-scratch pilot as they don't have me in a deal, and they'll lose Kristen in a couple of weeks." In other words it sounds as if the show is dead.

Complete Schedule (all times Eastern):

Monday
8:00-8:30 p.m. Everybody Hates Chris
8:30-9:00 p.m. ALIENS IN AMERICA
9:00-9:30 p.m. Girlfriends
9:30-10:00 p.m. The Game

Tuesday
8:00-9:00 p.m. Beauty & The Geek
9:00-10:00 p.m. REAPER

Wednesday
8:00-9:00 p.m. America's Next Top Model
9:00-10:00 p.m. GOSSIP GIRL

Thursday 8:00-9:00 p.m. Smallville
9:00-10:00 p.m. Supernatural

Friday
8:00-10:00 p.m. WWE Smackdown

Sunday
7:00-7:30 p.m. CW NOW
7:30-8:00 p.m. ONLINE NATION
8:00-9:00 p.m. LIFE IS WILD
9:00-10:00 p.m. America's Next Top Model (Encore)

The CW’s one new Comedy is Aliens In America High school student Justin Tolchuck’s (Dan Bird) is a bit of an outsider at his school. When his mother Franny (Amy Pietz) signed her family up for an international exchange student program, she imagined an athletic Nordic teen who would bestow instant popularity on her son. What she got was a Pakistani Muslim named Raj Musharaff (Adhir Kalyan), who doesn’t exactly fit in to Medora Wisconsin. Still the boys form a strong if unlikely friendship. Also stars Patrick Breen and Lindsey Shaw.

The Reaper stars Bret Harrison as Sam, a guy who can’t understand why his mom (Allison Hossack) and dad (Andrew Airlie) went so easy on him while always pressuring his younger brother Keith (Kyle Switzer) to excel. At least not until the day he turns 21, when he meets his new boss – Satan (Ray Wise). Seems Kyle’s parents sold his soul before he was born and now it’s time to give the Devil his due. Kyle’s new job is to find evil souls who escape the Devil and return them to Hell. With the aid of some of his buddies (played by Tyler Labine, Rick Gonzalez, and Valarie Rae Miller) and a different vessel every week to hold the souls of the damned (starting with a Dirt Devil vacuum) Sam actually feels a sense of job satisfaction.

The mysterious blogger Gossip Girl knows everything that goes on amongst the privileged prep schools of the upper east side of Manhattan. So when Serena Van Der Woodsen (Blake Lively) returns from self-imposed exile in a boarding school, Gossip Girl knows. She also knows about the tension that has developed between Serena and her BFF Blair (Leighton Meester) and is determined to find out the source, whether it’s boyfriends, parents, or people on the outer edge of the clique of privileged teens.

CW Now is an Entertainment Tonight style program created to be a source for “everything that's hip, hot and happening right now in the world of young adults” – what the network modestly calls “The CW Generation.”

Online Nation is another response to the “CW Generation’s” habits – this time the posting of blogs and user generated materials. As the press release puts it, “This fun, irreverent weekly series features everything and anything that has captured the attention of the online world, from the most popular sites to the addictive viral videos being shared by millions, to insights from the digital tastemakers. Born of the internet and tailored specifically for this generation, this series also features an innovative interactive element as viewers will be able to see what others are saying and communicate with them live on the air. The CW is turning mouse potatoes into couch potatoes by putting all the greatest internet clips in one ready-to-use package.”

When Danny Clarke (Brett Cullen) decides to leave his comfortable New York veterinary practice to spend a year at the ramshackle Blue Antelope Lodge in South Africa, his blended family – second wife Jo (Judith Hoag) daughter Katie (Leah Pipes), son Chase (K'sun Ray), stepson Chase (Andrew St. John) and stepdaughter Mia (Mary Matilyn Mouser) – are appalled. But there’s more to Danny’s decision than just wanting to work with South Africa’s wildlife – Danny’s first wife grew up at the Blue Antelope Lodge and her reclusive father Art (David Butler) still lives there.

Crowned: The Mother of All Pageants is a reality-competition series focussing on mother-daughter teams preparing to participate in a beauty pageant. Each week the teams face challenges preparing them for the final pageant in which the mother-daughter team that wins will “receive a valuable prize package, including a $100,000 cash award, and, of course, a fabulous pair of tiaras.”

In Farmer Wants Wife, which is based on a British show of the same name, brings a hard working farmer who has everything except a little romance in his life together with ten city women who have had it (they think) with the hustle and bustle of city life – not to mention the bad dates. But is farm living the life for them?

Comments:
Aliens In America seems emblematic of the youth oriented direction The CW is taking in its programming. It’s inevitable that the Tolchuks wouldn’t get a “Nordic teen” who would make Justin popular – that wouldn’t be funny. The question is whether the network will be brave enough to deal with the post-9/11 reaction to Muslims and people who look like they could be Muslims. I’m betting that they aren’t going to deal with the subject much, if at all.

The first reaction a lot of people seem to have had to Reaper is to remark about how much it resembles an older series, Brimstone, which aired on FOX. This is undoubtedly true – I never saw Brimstone and I picked up on the connection almost immediately – but since so many people loved the original, is that such a bad thing? Maybe it is since The CW seems to be playing it “light and youthful” on this one too.

Gossip Girl seems to be another one of those efforts to take something trendy and make it the basis for a series. At its heart a low order mystery – why are Serena and Blair on the outs – it seems like a series like Beverly Hills 90210 or a Dawson’s Creek where the mystery of Serena and Blair, not to mention “Gossip Girl’s” true identity is merely an excuse to inhabit the world of Manhattan’s privileged youth culture.

CW Now is the model for everything the CW wants to stand for - hip, hot and happening. I just wonder if they can pull it off. I doubt it.

Online Nation is a show that I’m rather intrigued by. Not that I’m the target demographic of the show or that interested in a lot of the things that this show is trying to examine. I’m just fascinated that the CW is willing to try the sort of thing that is more likely to be found on some obscure cable channel somewhere (think G4). Of course given the CW’s relative ratings position, they’re probably grasping at any straw they can get their hands on.

Life Is Wild is quite clearly The CW’s effort to put a sensitive family drama on the air in light of the ending of 7^th Heaven. The obvious comparison though is to Everwood – a man moves his family to a remote area because of the death of his wife. Whether it can draw enough viewers to become the sort of hit (even in CW terms) is the big question.

I’ve never liked beauty pageants. Crowned: The Mother of All Pageants not only deals with beauty pageants but with beauty pageants that deal with kids which takes it even lower on my list of things to watch.

Framer Wants A Wife. Here’s an idea for a series: a farmer meets, falls in love with and marries a woman from the city who finds it difficult to adapt to life in the country. You could run it as a comedy or a drama or even a “dramedy.” Instead The CW is making it a reality show in the style of ABC’s The Bachelor. I won’t be watching.

FOX's Fall 2006

Here's what FOX is doing with their schedule this year. As always, remember that FOX's line-up is (how shall I put this) schizophrenic. Things change in January with the end of football and the debut of 24 and American Idol. Beyond that FOX seems to be a number of series on a short term basis, with the end of the short term occurring in January. And of course all of the changes go by the wayside come the first cancellation of the year. Which since this is FOX will undoubtedly come quickly.

Cancelled:
The Winner, Standoff, Drive, The War at Home, The O.C., Justice, Happy Hour, The Rich List, Vanished, The Wedding Balls, The Loop.

Renewed:
Prison Break, American Dad, American Idol, Family Guy, House, The Simpsons, 24, King Of The Hill, `Til Death, Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader?

Moved:
Bones (come January)

New: (Shows debuting in January are marked with a 'J') The Sarah Connor Chronicles (J), K-Ville, New Amsterdam (J), Back To You, Kitchen Nightmares, The Search For The Next Great American Band, Canterbury's Law.

Also, FOX has yet to announce the status of Trading Spouses and Nanny 911. The Return of Jezebel James, Anchorwoman, and The Rules for Starting Over were also announced but without a definite time slot.

Complete Schedule: (Changes in January as noted)

Monday
8:00-9:00 p.m. Prison Break (January: Prison Break/K-VILLE)
9:00-10:00 p.m. K-VILLE (January: 24)

Tuesday
8:00-9:00 p.m. NEW AMSTERDAM (January: American Idol)
9:00-10:00 p.m. House

Wednesday
8:00-8:30 p.m. BACK TO YOU
8:30-9:00 p.m. `Til Death
10:00-11:00 p.m. Bones (January: American Idol)

Thursday
8:00-9:00 p.m. Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader
9:00-10:00 p.m. KITCHEN NIGHTMARES (January: CANTERBURY'S LAW)

Friday
8:00-9:00 p.m. THE SEARCH FOR THE NEXT GREAT AMERICAN BAND (January: Bones)
9:00-10:00 p.m. NASHVILLE (January: NEW AMSTERDAM)

Saturday
8:00-8:30 p.m. Cops
8:30-9:00 p.m. Cops
9:00-10:00 p.m. America`s Most Wanted

Sunday
7:00-8:00 p.m. The OT (NFL Post-Game) (January: The Simpsons followed by King of The Hill)
8:00-8:30 p.m. The Simpsons (January: Family Guy)
8:30-9:00 p.m. King Of The Hill (January: American Dad)
9:00-9:30 p.m. Family Guy (January: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES)
9:30-10:00 p.m American Dad

K-Ville is a new cop drama set in New Orleans two years after Hurricane Katrina. Centered around the NOPD's Felony Squad, the series follows Detective Marlin Boulet (Anthony Andrews) a tough brash in your face cop who stayed at his post during the hurricane while his former partner deserted. Boulet's new partner is Trevor Cobb (Cole Hauser) a veteran of the war in Afghanistan before he joined the police. He has trouble with Boulet's rule-breaking style, but he has his own dark secret which drew him to New Orleans seeking redemption. Also stars Maximiliano Hernandez, Blake Shields, Tawny Cypress and John Carroll Lynch.

New Amsterdam was the Dutch name for what eventually became New York City and it's fitting for this new series. John Amsterdam (Nikolaj Coster Waldau) was a Dutch soldier in the town of New Amsterdam in 1642 when he stepped in from of sword to save the life of an Indian girl. In return she used an ancient spell to confer immortality on him until he "finds his one true love" which has turned out to be a blessing and a curse as he becomes increasingly isolated. Amsterdam's one confidant is club owner Omar (Stephen Henderson) who has a few secrets of his own. Then one day Amsterdam experiences what looks to just about everyone to be a fatal heart attack – a sign that his true love is near. Zuleikha Robinson and Alexie Gilmore also star.

Kelsey Grammer and Patricia Heaton return to TV in Back To You as Chuck Darling and Kelly Carr, a local TV news team who had real chemistry on screen even if off-screen he was an egotistical womanizer and she was an uptight know-it-all. Eventually Chuck got the call to move out of the Pittsburgh market to a bigger town, but after a tirade then wound up on the Internet he found himself back in Pittsburgh hoping to revive the old onscreen magic with Kelly. Josh Gad, Fred Willard and Ty Burrell co-star.

Kitchen Nightmares keeps Gordon Ramsay on American TV screens. This is an American version of Ramsay's British hit where he attempts to revive ailing restaurants. Expect to hearthe phrase "Get off your lazy arses!" at least once per episode.

The Search for the Next Great American Band pretty much says what it is in its title – unknown bands from a variety of genres compete to make it big.

Nashville is described as a "high-stakes, high-drama docu-soap set in 'the biggest small town in America.'" According to the press release the diverse young cast is "perched on the cusp of achieving their greatest successes in a town that can make you or break you.... Behind every song there's a story waiting to be told, and there are many such stories in Nashville."

Julianna Marguilies stars in Canterbury's Law, a series created by Dennis Leary and Jim Serpico, as Elizabeth Canterbury, a rebellious female defense attorney willing to bend the law and put her career on the line to protect the wrongly accused. After relocating to Providence Rhode Island with her Law professor husband Matthew (Linus Roache) following the disappearance of their young son, Elizabeth's work frequently provides a stark reminder of the justice that is missing in her life. Also stars Ben Shenkman, Jocko Sims and Trieste Dunn.

The story of Sarah Connor after the events in Terminator 2 are told in The Sarah Connor Chronicles. Sarah and her 15 year-old son John take the offensive against the evolving technological enemy bent on destroying the world. John finds himself drawn to Cameron (Summer Glau) who soon assumes the role of John and Sarah's fearless protector. Richard T. Jones appears as James Ellison, a tough intelligent FBI agent who is pursuing the Connors but is also an ally.

Comments:
K-Ville sounds like it has some dramatic potential although there's something a little uncomfortable about doing a series about a city that has been devastated by a natural disaster.

New Amsterdam has more than a bit of a fantasy-science fiction air to it, although the premise has a cop-romance angle to it. How much do you want to bet that (a) there'll be flashbacks to his life before the present day in most episodes in the style of Highlander and that (b) his true love will turn out to be the female doctor who discovers his heart attack?

Back To You looks like it could be a real winner thanks to an absolutely amazing cast. It does have an Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy feel to it, but is that necessarily a bad thing since it has Kelsey Grammer and Patricia Heaton instead of Will Ferrell and Christina Applegate?

I'm a Gordon Ramsay fan, and if Kitchen Nightmares is anything like the British show it was based on it should at least give us a more balanced perception othe guy. My big problem with the show is that FOX seems to be basically throwing it away on a night they can't win.

The Search for the Next Great American Band? American Idol redux. And haven't other networks tried this already?

Nashville: a "docu-soap?" Here's an idea – why not do a nighttime soap with real actors and plotlines that you can control based on the premise that you're trying here? Oh wait, that's what Robert Altman did in his Nashville. You know, the one that's light years better than this is going to be.

In reading the plot summary for Canterbury's Law I can't help feeling as though I've seen this all before. It has a touch of In Justice about it but there's another quality that I can't put my finger on that makes it a bit different. Could work.

I'm not sure we really need a series set in the world of Terminator although it's always nice to see Summer Glau in a show. The difficulty as I see it is that we're seeing the middle of the story trapped between Terminator 2 and Terminator 3 meaning that there's no real hope that John and Sarah (and Cameron and James) can have any effect on the eventual outcome – can win any real victory. I won't be accepting bets on whether "Cameron" turns out to be some new version of a Terminator sent by John to protect himself and his mother in this period.

CBS's Fall 2007

Here's what CBS has done with its schedule. Of all the networks this is likely the one with the least need to be adjused short of some slight tinkering.

Cancelled:
3 LBS., Smith, King Of Queens , Close To Home, Jericho, The Class, Armed & Famous

Renewed:
Survivor, 48 Hours Mystery, 60 Minutes, CSI, CSI Miami, CSI New York, Criminal Minds, Ghost Whisperer, How I Met Your Mother, NCIS, Numb3rs, Two and a Half Men, The Unit, Cold Case, Rules Of Engagement

Moved:
Shark, Without a Trace

New:
Viva Laughlin, The Big Bang Theory, Kid Nation, Moonlight

In addition Amazing Race, New Adventures of Old Christine, and a new series Swingtown are being held as mid-season replacements.

Complete Schedule: (New shows in Capitals, except NCIS)

Monday
8:00-8:30 p.m. How I Met Your Mother
8:30-9:00 p.m. THE BIG BANG THEORY
9:00-9:30 p.m. Two And A Half Men
9:30-10:00 p.m. Rules Of Engagement
10:00-11:00 p.m. CSI: Miami

Tuesday
8:00-9:00 p.m. NCIS
9:00-10:00 p.m. The Unit
10:00-11:00 p.m. CANE

Wednesday
8:00-9:00 p.m. KID NATION
9:00-10:00 p.m. Criminal Minds
10:00-11:00 p.m. CSI: New York

Thursday
8:00-9:00 p.m. Survivor
9:00-10:00 p.m. CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
10:00-11:00 p.m. Without A Trace (Moved)

Friday
8:00-9:00 p.m. Ghost Whisperer
9:00-10:00 p.m. MOONLIGHT
10:00-11:00 p.m. Numb3rs

Saturday
8:00-9:00 p.m. Crimetime Saturday (Reruns)
9:00-10:00 p.m. Crimetime Saturday (Reruns)
10:00-11:00 p.m. 48 Hours: Mystery

Sunday
7:00-8:00 p.m. 60 Minutes
8:00-9:00 p.m. VIVA LAUGHLIN
9:00-10:00 p.m. Cold Case
10:00-11:00 p.m. Shark (Moved)

The Big Bang Theory is a comedy about a group of brainy but socially awkward CalTech whiz kids, centered on Leonard (Johnny Galecki) and Sheldon (Jim Parsons) whose world is turned upside down when their new neighbour moves in. Her name is Penny (Kaley Cuocco) a newly single screenwriter/waitress who doesn't know anything about quantum physics. Produced by Chuck Lorre who is also the producer of Two And A Half Men.

An epic family saga Cane is the story of the Vega's, a wealthy Cuban-American family. Pancho Duque (Hector Elizondo) built the family sugar and rum business into an empire and when his chief rival offers to buy up the family cane fields allowing the company focus on the rum business, his natural son Frank (Nestor Carbonell) is enthusiastic while his adopted son Alex (Jimmy Smits) is suspicious. Also stars Eddie Matos, Rita Moreno, Michael Trevino, Lina Esco, Sam Carman, Alona Tal, and Polly Walker.

Kid Nation is a reality based show featuring kids between the ages of 8 and 15. Forty kids will spend forty days building their own society in a 19^th Century ghost town, including cleaning their own outhouses, hauling their own water and even running their own businesses – like the saloon (selling root beer). Four leaders will be elected to pass laws, set bedtimes and generally guide the group through their adventure. Every episode will feature a town meeting where issues will be discussed. There are no eliminations but any kid can decide to quit at any town meeting just by raising their hand. From producer Tom Forman who created Extreme Makeover Home Edition.

Created by movie producer Joel Silver, Moonlight is the story of a private detective named Mick St. John, who just happens to be a vampire. Converted 60 years ago by his new bride Coraline (Amber Valletta) Mick is disgusted with what he's become and has made the conscious choice to help the living with the aid a few undead confidantes, some of whom – like Josef (Rade Serbedzija) – can't be entirely trusted. At the same time he has fallen in love with reporter Beth Turner and fears that if he reveals his true nature to her she will see him as a monster.

Based on the BBC series Blackpool (known in the United States as Viva Blackpool for reasons known only to Americans), Viva Laughlin is described as a drama with music. Freewheeling businessman Ripley Holden (Lloyd Owen) is on the verge of making a killing but only if his not nearly finished casino in Laughlin Nevada opens. When his financing falls through though he is forced to make a deal with his enemy Nicky Fontana (Hugh Jackman). And when the body of his former business partner is found at his club, Ripley becomes embroiled in a police investigation. And that doesn't even touch on what's going on at home with his wife (Madchen Amick), his daughter (Ellen Woglom) and his son (Carter Jenkins).

Swingtown, which is being held as a midseason replacement, is a period piece set in the 1970s. When Susan (Molly Parker) and Bruce (Jack Davenport) move to an affluent Chicago suburb their expectations of get-togethers with their new neighbours over the barbecue are definitely expanded! They quickly discover – thanks to their new neighbours Tom and Trina Decker (Grant Show and Lana Parilla) that people in this neighbourhood share more than a view of Lake Michigan, all of which is way too much for Susan's conservative best friend Janet (Miriam Shor), although her husband Roger (Josh Hopkins) may be way more interested than he cna let his wife know.

Comments:
Does the plot synopsis of Cane sound vaguely familiar? As in substitute oil fields for sugar cane fields and you suddenly have Dallas familiar? That said the show looks to have a great cast and may plug a hole on Tuesday nights that has been hurting CBS since Judging Amy went off the air. It all depends on whether it can draw an audience from Law & Order SVU and Boston Legal.

Kid Nation sounds like a kids' version of Survivor and it sounds absolutely horrible. For this they cancel Jericho?! Hopefully the plug will be pulled quickly on this one and we can get The Amazing Race back sooner rather than later.

Setting aside the double entendre title, The Big Bang Theory looks to be another solid addition to the CBS comedy line-up, a line-up that's strong enough to be able to sit a relatively successful show like New Adventures of Old Christine out until mid-season. The premise vaguely resembles the Pamela Anderson comedy Stacked with the difference that rather than casting an over inflated blow-up doll they have the blonde daughter from Eight Simple Rules which might be enough to make the difference.

There's a sense of déjà vu in Moonlight for anyone who remembers the old CBS "Crimetime after Primetime" series Forever Knight. The lead character's age is a bit different but there are a lot of similarities including a deceitful potential ally (Josef in Moonlight, La Croix in Forever Knight). I just hope they inject a bit of the humour that the other vampire detective show – Angel – had.

The British have always been willing to try something different. Blackpool was different in its use of music as part of the drama. It was popular on BBC America as Viva Blackpool but it only ran for six episodes and a single 90 minute special as a sequel. I'm not sure how American audiences will react to a musical drama that runs 13 weeks – let alone 22. And for my friend Jaime Weinman, music clearances on this are going to be a cast-iron bitch.

I have no real opinion on Swingtown... but I imagine the PTC will. I imagine this one will make a quick exit from the schedule if only because it's a period piece that isn't played as a comedy. Remember American Dreams?

ABC's Fall 2007

Here's what ABC has done with its schedule for 2007-08. A number of new shows, with several shows debuting later in the season (Lost) or being held in reserve.

Cancelled:
According To Jim, Big Day, Day Break, Extreme Makeover, George Lopez Show, Great American Dream Vote, Help Me, Help You, In Case Of Emergency, Knights of Prosperity, Show Me The Money, Six Degrees, What About Brian?

Renewed:
Saturday Night College Football, Supernanny, Wife Swap, America`s Funniest Home Videos, Boston Legal, Brothers & Sisters, Desperate Housewives, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Grey`s Anatomy, Lost, Ugly Betty, Notes From the Underbelly, October Road, 20/20

Moved: Men In Trees

New: Carpoolers, Cavemen, Sam I Am, Big Shots, Cashmere Mafia, Dirty Sexy, Money, Private Practice, Pushing Daisies, Women's Murder Club, Miss/Guided, Eli Stone,
Oprah's Big Give

In addition Cashmere Mafia, will debut and Notes From the Underbelly, October Road will return to the line-up once Dancing With The Stars, and The Bachelor complete their Fall 2007 run. Lost is scheduled to return in January. Miss/Guided, Eli Stone, and Oprah's Big Give do not currently have debut dates.

Complete Schedule (Fall 2007):

Monday
8:00-9:30 p.m. Dancing With The Stars
9:30-10:00 p.m. SAM I AM
10:00-11:00 p.m. The Bachelor

Tuesday
8:00-8:30 p.m. CAVEMEN
8:30-9:00 p.m. CARPOOLERS
9:00-10:00 p.m. Dancing With The Stars (Results)
10:00-11:00 p.m. Boston Legal

Wednesday
8:00-9:00 p.m. PUSHING DAISIES
9:00-10:00 p.m. PRIVATE PRACTICE
10:00-11:00 p.m. DIRTY SEXY MONEY

Thursday
8:00-9:00 p.m. Ugly Betty
9:00-10:00 p.m. Grey`s Anatomy
10:00-11:00 p.m. BIG SHOTS

Friday
8:00-9:00 p.m. Men In Trees (moved)
9:00-10:00 p.m. WOMEN'S MURDER CLUB
10:00-11:00 p.m. 20/20

Saturday
8:00-11:00 p.m. Saturday Night College Football

Sunday

7:00-8:00 p.m. America`s Funniest Home Videos
8:00-9:00 p.m. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
9:00-10:00 p.m. Desperate Housewives
10:00-11:00 p.m. Brothers & Sisters

Carpoolers is about four guys from diverse backgrounds and viewpoints who enjoy a bit of male bonding on their daily commute to and from work. The cast includes Fred Goss, Jerry O'Connell, Jerry Minor and Tim Peper as the guys, with Faith Ford and Allison Munn.

Based on the Geico commercials, Cavemen deals with three outsiders trying to fit in. In this case the outsiders are thirty something cavemen Joel (Bill English), Nick (Nick Kroll) and Jaimie (Dash Mihook). Also stars Kaitlin Doubleday and Stephanie Lemelin.

After awakening from a coma Samantha Newly can't remember anything in Sam I Am. As she delves into her past she finds that far from being honest, good hearted and loving she was – essentially – a self-absorbed, narcissistic bitch and must resist the temptation to go back to what she was. Christina Applegate stars along with Jennifer Esposito, Kevin Dunn, Melissa McCarthy, Tim Russ and Jean Smart.

Big Shots is about four high powered CEOs are at the top of their game – at least they are before the women in their lives come join them at which point they become more than a little dysfunctional. Michael Vartan, Dylan McDermott, Christopher Titus and Joshua Malina are the guys while the women in their lives include Nia Long, Paige Turco, Peyton List, Wendy Moniz, Jessica Collins and Amy Sloan.

Dirty Sexy Money is about an idealistic lawyer (Peter Krause) who is catapulted into the life of the extremely wealthy but somewhat less than idealistic Darling family following the suspicious death of his father. The cast include Donald Sutherland as the family patriarch, Jill Clayburgh as his wife, and William Baldwin, Glenn Fitzgerald and Natalie Zea.

Private Practice is the Grey's Anatomy spin-off that was introduced recently in a backdoor pilot on that show. The cast is essentially the same as in the pilot as Addison Forbes Montgomery ditches McDreamy and McSteamy. According to the press release the show is about "a woman unafraid of change and willing to begin a new life."

Barry Sonnenfield and Brian Fuller bring us Pushing Daisies. Described as "an unprecedented blend of romance, crime procedural and high-concept fantasy in a forensic fairytale about a young man with a very special gift." Ned (Lee Pace) has a special gift – he can touch dead things and bring them back to life. He uses his ability as a private detective, bringing murder victims back to life to ask them what happened. Things get complicated when he touches his childhood sweetheart "Chuck" (Anna Friel – American TV isn't that liberal yet). She encourages him to use his power to help others. There's just one fairly major problem; if Ned touches Chuck again she'll die again – this time for keeps. Also stars Chi McBride, Swoozie Kurtz and Kristin Chenoweth.

Based on the novels by James Patterson, Women's Murder Club is about four women - a detective, a district attorney, a medical examiner and a reporter – who pool their abilities and expertise in investigations and their personal lives. Stars Paula Newsome, Aubrey Dollar, Tyrees Allen, Angie Harmon, Laura Harris, Elizabeth L. Ho and Rob Benedict

What if you went back to your old high school, this time as a teacher only to find that the old rivalries and crushes hadn't changed as you got older? That's the concept behind Miss/Guided, as Rebecca Freely (Judy Greer) becomes the guidance counsellor at her old high school and develops a crush on Spanish teacher Tim (Kristoffer Polaha) only to have Lisa (Brooke Burns), the former cheerleader and leader of the cool kids who was her nemesis in her unpopular high school days, return to the school as the new English teacher.

Cashmere Mafia is about four high powered, ambitious and sexy women who try to balance their glamorous and exciting careers with their glamorous and exciting personal lives. Stars Lucy Liu, Frances O'Connor, Miranda Otto and Bonnie Somerville.

Eli Stone is about a lawyer (Jonny Lee Miller) who is a rising star at one of the top law firms in San Francisco. He only represents biggest and richest corporations and makes it his business to screw the little guy. At least he does until a series of hallucinations caused by an aneurysm leads him to try to find a deeper meaning in life – hopefully while keeping his job and his relationship with the boss's daughter (Natasha Henstridge).

Oprah's Big Give is the first primetime series from Oprah Winfrey's Harpo productions. In this eight episode "alternative series" contestants will be giving away millions of dollars to make a difference in people's lives across the United States in an effort to become "The Biggest Giver." Besides Winfrey the executive producers include Bertram van Munster and Elise Doganieri who created The Amazing Race.

Comments:
Carpoolers: This just doesn't seem overly exciting to me. It sounds a lot like a number of other shows that are about the battle of the sexes.

Cavemen: I've read at TVSquad that the pilot for this show is quite a mess. I like the commercials, but the commercials are only thirty seconds long. I'm pretty sure they won't work over thirty minutes (with commercials).

Sam I Am: I'm guessing that this show traces its lineage back to the recent Drew Barrymore movie 50 First Dates but for some reason I keep being reminded of Emily's Reasons Why Not when I read about this. Still Applegate is enough of a pro that she might be able to carry this one off.

Big Shots: Male bonding, this time with a more dramatic slant than with Carpoolers. I have to say that it bears at least a casual resemblance to a male version of ABC's own Cashmere Mafia and NBC's Lipstick Jungle but maybe I'm just projecting that model onto it.

Dirty Sexy Money: Depending on how this is played it could be great. An absolutely spectacular cast including one of the nuttier Baldwin brothers means that this could be played as a serious drama or as a dramedy or even a one hour comedy as the title seems to imply. I don't think the time slot will be that good for it though as I really like the look that I've had of the new NBC series Life, and I doubt if CBS will be cancelling or moving CSI: New York

Private Practice: I reviewed the backdoor pilot a while ago. I think the pilot suffered from being so thoroughly integrated into an episode of Grey's Anatomy. The episodes of JAG that introduced NCIS are how a backdoor pilot should be done. The pedigree of this show, coming out of Grey's Anatomy and having one of the show's more popular characters are definitely in the spin-off's favour though.

Pushing Daisies: I don't hold out much hope for this show. I guess they're trying to go for the same sort of vibe as Heroes but I find the subject matter a bit morbid while at the same time the description reminds me of other shows where the protagonist is sent out to use his special powers to help people.

Women's Murder Club: I don't know the books so I don't know how much is mystery solving and how much is female bonding. It sounds like it could have potential, and Friday is a weak night for TV but it's up against at least one and possibly two series that are established in the time slot (depending on whether CBS renews Close to Home tomorrow).

Miss/Guided: The description of this one reminds me of nothing short of Square Pegs all grown up. Do people really carry the prejudices and qualities they had in high school into their post-college adult work lives? Or do they go out, get drunk and reconcile their differences?

Cashmere Mafia: Where have I seen this idea before – oh yes, yesterday in the NBC upfronts, and again – this time with men instead of women – in the description of Big Shots. With the show appearing at midseason (once Dancing With The Stars and The Bachelor their runs) I don't hold out much hope for it despite a decent cast.

Eli Stone: Life changing experience causes someone to re-evaluate his life and turn over a new leaf. Surely we've seen this one before, numerous times. Given that it has yet to find a spot on the ABC schedule I doubt that it will last more than a handful of episodes given the track record this season of shows like Day Break, 3 Lbs. Drive and The Black Donnellys.

Oprah's Big Give: Philanthropy as a reality competition? I guess it could work and if anyone can make it work it's probably Oprah. I just wonder if it's going to be The Philanthropic Apprentice?