The Fates of Network TV Shows in 2017-2018

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

The Upfronts are something I look forward to much more than the average person. In fact, I should probably explain to the average person that the Upfronts are a series of presentations in New York where television networks (both cable and broadcast) showcase what they plan to air the following season. Sometimes new pick-ups are announced, but in recent years those stories tend to break before the official event. It's the hard line where shows are renewed or canceled. (well, except when it's not...cough cough Timeless...)

Many new shows tank every year. I've seen many a laughable pilot that is kicked to the curb after a second episodes. Networks have been more generous in the past few years, but pulling things mid-season and then burning them off during terrible programming time still is not uncommon. There are trends that tend to help understand if a show will be pulled in subsequent years, but surprises still slap me in the face.

What returner slapped me in the face this year? Scorpion's cancellation. The ratings had gone down, but if it hadn't been on CBS (which houses some really well-performing dramas), it's fate might have been different.

What rookie slapped me in the face this year? The Brave's cancellation. It wasn't my favorite new show, but I was always happy to see a new one pop up on the DVR. Three military dramas premiered this season, so the competition was steep. The Brave aired right after The Voice, and I'm not sure if that programming choice was ideal to retain viewers. Not only will I be sad to not find out what was going to happen next, I'll also be sad that the actors won't be appearing alongside one another again, as I felt the casting for that series was a strong point.

Moving on, here are other first-season cancellations that I find worth noting. (and by "worth noting," I mean I had some sort of vested interest in them at the start of the season.)
Kevin (Probably) Saves the World was good but not great. It was always the last thing I'd catch up on while surfing my DVR.
Ten Days in the Valley was really tough for me to get into, as I had to watch the first two segments of the pilot three times before I figured out what was going on.
9JKL had horrible writing at times.
Wisdom of the Crowd started off strong for me but after five episodes or so I had lost interest in the concept.
Living Biblically was good for two or three episodes. I was mainly upset about how far it strayed from the book, but also found the episodes pretty lackluster.
I truly enjoyed what was aired of Me, Myself, and I, both in writing and in concept, but its super-short lifespan (only six episodes aired) also made it nearly forgettable by now.
Rise was terrible and not realistic, so no tears were shed here.

And, interestingly, I ended up deciding not to check out The Crossing, and found LA to Vegas absolutely horrendous, so gave that up early. (well, that one technically isn't canceled yet, but the ratings are abysmal. 5/22 Update: yep, it was canceled.)

Renewals for a second season that I'm happy to share...

The Good Doctor will return, and I can't get enough of how good Freddie Highmore is in that!
Young Sheldon will give us more insight into the captivating Cooper.
We'll continue to see the crazy drama that is Dynasty.
We'll get to see Nic's reputation restored on The Resident.
More ridiculousness will occur in Mr. Griffin's A.P. Bio class.
I found the return of Will & Grace superior to that of Roseanne, but still look forward to both continuing next season.

I really didn't care for The Gifted, and probably won't tune in for the second season. Similarly, I found Ghosted so terrible that I deleted the series recording after about four airings. I forgot about Good Girls (I mean, a 2/26 premiere? c'mon!), so that and The Mick are two things I need to catch up on this summer.

While there is a lot of shake-ups there, series that I was continuing this season did very well for the most part. We all knew going in that it would be the final season of The Middle (HOLY COW! Flashback to the first episode I ever saw!), but otherwise nothing I watch is actually ending (aside from the aforementioned Scorpion)! That's right, here's the renewal list for what I watch:
for a third season: Speechless (I love Minnie Driver SO MUCH), American Housewife (this is so realistic I can't stand it), This Is Us (counting down already!), Man with a Plan (it's lighthearted comedy if nothing else)
for a fourth season: Superstore (it's so different from everything else that it works)
for a fifth season: Black-ish (it's getting rough, though...), Fresh off the Boat (this is also getting stale), How to Get Away with Murder (it's getting out of control), Jane the Virgin (it'll be the final season, and I'm ready for that)
for a sixth season: The Goldbergs (I can't believe it's been on this long already!)
for a seventh season: Last Man Standing (which was canceled by ABC a year ago but is going to air new episodes over on FOX next season)
for a ninth season: Bob's Burgers (I'm kinda surprised this is still going)
for a twelfth season: The Big Bang Theory (I like it but I no longer look forward to it)

Well, technically there's still fates to be decided for Trial & Error, which doesn't even premiere its second season until July, and Code Black, which I was surprised to see even get a third season (of which only four episodes have aired to date). (5/24 update: yep, it was canceled.)

What about you - any slaps in the face? Anything you can't believe is still on the air? Should I share what I watch on cable these days?

2017-2018 Network Prospects: Why Not?

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Where have I been? Well, around the time of the last post, I excitedly became pregnant. Later that month I signed a large contract for my other occupation that kept me very busy, from that point until about five months after the babies were born. Then, we moved across the country, and I have been filling my days with everything that goes along with navigating a new area (while learning to parent twin toddlers).

I'm not entirely sure what my blogging plans are at this point (I'm not sure if I have any press contacts left out there), but I've been looking forward to the new television season for several months now, and want an outlet to talk about the prospects. I didn't really ease up on my viewing, and have largely stayed up-to-date with all of the series I followed before (both broadcast network and cable). I actually even began a post last year, planning to discuss those pilots, but I never got around to finishing/publishing it.

Anyway, let's dive in. Expect my thoughts to be scatterbrained, as I'm rather out of practice at this point, and am more in the mindset of having fun than editing.

First, here are the pilots that interest me on each of the big five networks:
ABC: The Good Doctor, Kevin (Probably) Saves the World, Ten Days in the Valley, The Crossing, Deception.
CBS: 9JKL, Young Sheldon, Wisdom of the Crowd, By the Book, Me, Myself, and I.
The CW: Dynasty.
FOX: The Gifted, Ghosted, The Resident, LA to Vegas.
NBC: The Brave, Good Girls, Rise, A.P. Bio, and the return of Will & Grace (not really a pilot, per se).

That's 5 each on ABC, CBS, and NBC, with 4 on FOX and 1 on The CW. Technically, that makes perfect sense, when you look at the total airtime of each of those networks. It's actually not as simple as that, as the networks didn't all offer the same number of pilots, but moving on...

Looking at the programming schedule, those shows (save the ones that will begin in 2018) air as follows:
Sunday: 3
Monday: 5
Tuesday: 1
Wednesday: 2
Thursday: 1

I historically have huge conflicts with Monday shows, but generally don't have a lot on Sundays, so that's rather interesting. However, let's look at it in the scope of the returning network shows I'm tuning in to watch:
ABC: Fresh off the Boat, American Housewife, The Middle, Speechless, The Goldbergs, Black-ish.
CBS: Man with a Plan, Trial & Error, How to Get Away with Murder, Code Black, Scorpion, The Big Bang Theory.
The CW: Jane the Virgin.
FOX: Bob's Burgers.
NBC: Timeless, This is Us, Superstore.

Low on FOX, very heavy on CBS and ABC (I've been particularly drawn to ABC's programming as long as I can remember), average for NBC and The CW.

Add in the fall returns by day:
Sunday: 1
Monday: 1
Tuesday: 4
Wednesday: 3
Thursday: 3
Friday: 1

This is where I really start to get fired up and want to talk about the season! If we didn't have the technology to record multiple shows at once or to access them outside of the original broadcast, I'd be doomed. Not looking specifically at the different timeslots within primetime, I could be in some trouble. Four on Sunday night is weird (while four on Thursday night is expected), and six on each of Monday and Tuesday is insane! Five more on Wednesday means I would constantly be struggling to keep up at the water cooler by Thursday morning, but at least a measly one on Friday night would make it easier to plan movie nights to go see the latest soon-to-be-blockbuster. However, we're fortunate enough that we can watch three "hours" of television in just about two, thanks to the magic of fast-forwarding. And, in my own case, I don't see movies on their opening nights anymore; the amount of coordination that takes doubles when factoring in childcare!

If you're a longtime reader (not sure if any of those are left, honestly), you know that I always try out a large number of new shows in the fall, so a dozen does not scare me, but an additional 13 returning series really start to twist my mind a bit. 25 series to watch at least 2-3 episodes of (not factoring in which are sixty minutes rather than thirty!) makes for a bit of a daunting October (the fact that it's taking forever for shows to start is an entirely separate issue...). And that doesn't factor in which shows my husband will choose to watch with me (of the returning fall series, he's only a fan of Scorpion, Superstore, How to Get Away with Murder, Man with a Plan, and Bob's Burgers), and which he'll need time to view on his own (he really only picks three or four pilots each year, but they're generally different from my own choices).

Fortunately, my boys are phenomenal sleepers, so between their almost-three-hour nap and the eleven hours they sleep at night, I think I can fit it all in. I guess only time will tell.

Comic-Con 2015: Thursday's CBS Block

We are at Comic-Con for the fifth year in a row! Last night was spent getting exclusive merchandise from Exhibit Hall and catching some of the Warner Bros. pilots, but now we're diving right into the good stuff!

Thursday we're starting off with a large block of CBS programming, including panels and previews for Extant, Limitless, Scorpion, Under the Dome, and Zoo.

These run from 12pm-3:30pm (PT) so it's a huge chunk of time for essentially one panel, whereas in the past it's been clear that 12-12:30 was Show 1, 12:30-1:30 was Show 2, etc. It also means that there will either be no swag or a large swag bundle, which is an interesting change from years past. Speaking of swag and changes, the Fulfillment Room is now being called Programming Premiums... though I don't think that'll catch on among veterans anytime soon.

Of this block of shows, I am most thrilled to see more Scorpion, which had a good showing last year and is easily my favorite drama from last season's premieres. I could care less about the highly discussed Extant, but Halle Berry will, of course, be a highlight. I've been on the fence about Zoo since it began its promotion cycle, but maybe this will turn me into a fan. I have not been enjoying Season 3 of Under the Dome, but it has such a peculiar following that I'm intrigued to hear what sorts of questions the audience in the room may pose. Limitless is the least publicized series on this mega-panel, so it's a bit of a mystery as to what they'll showcase there...

Stay tuned for posts as often as we can do them, or pop over to Twitter and Facebook for more updates! They are cracking down on electronic devices during panels this year, so if you see large chunks of time go by without anything, it's because we're being treated to special goodness!

2014 Comic-Con: Thursday's TV Panels

So, we had initially planned our Thursday TV panels to start in the Indigo Ballroom, but when the line for Ballroom 20 was super-short at 8am, we headed into that instead. So, rather than see Betty White and the USA Dig panel, we were treated to 24 with Kiefer Sutherland, Under the Dome with a good chunk of the cast, and a screening of CBS's new drama, Scorpion. Not sticking around for Reign, we headed out and about to do all sorts of fun Comic-Con things before hitting an evening panel on the Psychology of Cult TV Shows. Included below are some highlights from these four events - look for more in-depth articles in the future. And, be sure to follow us on SmugMug, on Twitter or on Facebook for the latest throughout Comic-Con!

24, with Kiefer Sutherland and Jon Cassar.
- filming in London was very different. Sutherland talked about how many rules there are when it came to having weapons on the set, but onlookers were permitted to crowd outside the scenes and watch filming! At one point, 2,000 people watched a scene, then crossed the street for the next one!
- Sutherland wrote the backstory for Jack to become more aggressive and have less to fight for... so he didn't have to cover up his tattoos anymore.
- Sutherland likes Boardwalk Empire and Ray Donovan.
- Sutherland once jumped out of a car to help an elderly woman being mugged in Los Angeles. But, being Jack Bauer didn't work out... he interrupted a student film! 
- If Sutherland was cosplaying, he'd be a stormtrooper.
- He and his father never talk about work, even though they just made a movie together!

photo: Jonathan Bredemeyer

Under the Dome, with Mike Vogel, Dean Norris, Rachelle LeFevre, Alexander Koch, Colin Ford, Eddie P. Cahill (not Mackenzie Lintz), and Neal Baer.
- They just finished filming the season six days ago.
- 16 characters died in the first season. The second won't be quite as high, but once they start to fall, they'll fall fast! But, they can still make appearances, as ghosts and the like.
- It was hinted at that maybe a character will break out of the dome this season... and as Barbie appears to fall into a deep cave at some point in the near future, maybe it's him!
- Speaking of Barbie, his backstory is coming - we'll both meet his father AND learn that he turned away from life as a trust-fund baby!
- A fan asked each of the panel members to state who they would choose to have with them if they had to live under a dome. Vogel chose Chuck Norris, Norris chose Britney Spears, LeFevre chose Clive Owen, Koch said Dean Norris, Ford said his best friend, and Cahill said his wife.
- Viewers WILL find out what was in Melanie's locker when Angie died. 

photo: Jonathan Bredemeyer

Scorpion, with Walter O'Brien, Elyes Gabel, Robert Patrick, Katharine McPhee, Nick Santora, Nicholas Wooten, Alex Kurtzman, Robert Orci, and Justin Lin.
* we will be reviewing the pilot in a future post.
- Walt may have a nemesis in the show, but the real O'Brien no longer does.
- McPhee talks about filming a tough scene by explaining that the car wasn't moving at all but they had to pretend there were high speeds, traffic, etc.

photo: Jonathan Bredemeyer

The Psychology of Cult TV Shows, with Janina Scarlet, Travis Langley, Ali Mattu, and Billy San Juan.
- TV shows can be educational and healing in ways folks don't normally think about. We learn messages like persistence along with the characters.
- The representation of war on TV makes audiences more compassionate and knowledgeable.
- When two people share a fandom (like a television show), they can become fast friends.

** find more pictures of these panels, plus others, the exhibit floor, and off-site events at our SmugMug site!

Fall 2014 Network Viewing Schedule

So, now that we've looked at all of the network pick-ups for the 2014-2015 season, how does our nightly schedule look? We have 13 shows to factor in: six in the fall, and seven six later on... plus we have old favorites coming back as well. Of course, this doesn't include the many cable series we adore, but most of their seasons don't run the same way, so there's a variety of overlaps. For now, it looks like we have a total of three Monday series, one on Tuesdays, four Wednesdays, two Thursdays, and a Friday.

New Series:
The McCarthys (Thursdays, 9:30pm, NBC)
Black-ish (Wednesday, 9:30pm, ABC)
Manhattan Love Story (Tuesdays, 8:30pm, ABC)
How to Get Away with Murder (Thursdays, 10pm, ABC)
Red Band Society (Wednesdays, 9pm, FOX)
Scorpion (Mondays, 9pm, CBS)

Returning Series:
The Big Bang Theory Mondays, 8pm (CBS) [later Thursdays]
2 Broke Girls Mondays, 8pm (CBS) [after TBBT moves]
The Middle, Wednesdays 8pm (ABC)
The Goldbergs, Wednesdays, 8:30pm (ABC)
Last Man Standing, Fridays, 8pm (ABC)

Popping up later:
The Odd Couple
Fresh Off the Boat
Hieroglyph [FOX canceled this project on 6/30/14]
Weird Loners
Mission Control
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Members Only
and, the returning Bob's Burgers

2014-2015 Season: CBS Drama

I'm not a huge fan, but I watch Under the Dome. I tried out Elementary a couple seasons ago. I gave Intelligence a chance. I actually liked the short-lived Miami Medical and Made in Jersey. But, otherwise, I just don't get into CBS's dramas. Longtime readers know that I've preferred comedy since 2007 or so, so it is tougher to get me into drama, but CBS just can't really get there. Of their six pickups for the next season, there's one that catches my eye, though I don't know how it'll do. The numbers show that people like CBS drama... but somehow I'm just not in that demo... are you?

Red titles I'm not interested in. Green titles I'm going to try out. "Who" covers actors, writers, creators, etc. "Where" covers the location of the series. "What" describes the basics of the premise.

First, the fall premieres: 
 

Scorpion
Who? Katharine McPhee (American Idol season 5, Smash)
Where? not quite sure. Not Los Angeles, as far as I can tell. McLemore/MacLemmer/something airfield is the only geographical clue and I can't quite find one...
What? An international network of geniuses work together to fight crime, funded by an eccentric billionaire who has been hacking since he was a child. Now, they're going to help Homeland Security.
My Thoughts: For being inspired by a true story, I'm suspicious. The preview makes for a great movie trailer, but as a drama series, I'm inclined to look away. However, I'm also a sucker for super-smart people solving problems, so I'll take a peek.

Madam Secretary
Who? Tea Leoni (Nora on The Naked Truth), Tim Daly (Joe on Wings), Bebe Neuwirth (Lilith on Cheers, Frasier), Geoffrey Arend (Christina Hendricks' husband, Ethan on Body of Proof)
Where? Washington, DC
What? When the Secretary of State dies unexpectedly, a professor is asked by the President to take on the role.
My Thoughts: From the text, I'd immediately pass, due to my lack of interest in political anything. From the video snippets, I enjoy the humor but would rather see Tea Leoni as a college professor, given the personality of the character. Regardless, I'm passing on this one.

Stalker
Who? Dylan McDermott (Bobby on The Practice), Mariana Klaveno (Lorena on True Blood)
Where? Los Angeles, California
What? Cops preventing and investigating stalking of all types, as it has tripled with all of the forms of social media available these days.
My Thoughts: I tend to shy away from shows that are clearly dated, and this series seems to focus an awful lot on trends that have been growing over the past decade. It's also a bit procedural for me, and the preview alone is too creepy for me to regularly watch.

NCIS: New Orleans
Who? Scott Bakula (Quantum Leap, Star Trek Enterprise), Lucas Black (the kid from The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift), C. C. H. Pounder (Dr. Hicks on ER, Claudette on The Shield)
Where? New Orleans, Louisiana
What? The same drama that’s been on for years now, just with new actors in a new place. A couple episodes of this past season's NCIS set it up.
My Thoughts: Are people really desiring yet another incarnation of this series? I love New Orleans, but not enough to warrant even giving this a second look. These franchises are one of my big problems with CBS... but that's for another day. 

And, the mid-season replacements:

CSI: Cyber
Who? Patricia Arquette (Allison on Medium)
Where? Quantico, Virginia, in the future
What? Technology has advanced to the point that criminals are nearly faceless. Someone still has to solve the crimes. This is a step away from the forensic-style crime-solving found in the previous three CSI series.
My Thoughts: I don't care about crime shows, I don't like dark stuff, and I'm not impressed with the futuristic premise, so there's nothing for me to sink my teeth into here. I also question CBS's attitude toward this show... airing the backdoor pilot so much earlier than the actual series debut and releasing so little information about the cast and premise certainly doesn't seem like a recipe for success to me. Still, I'm sure some people will tune in for the cyber draw.

Battle Creek 
Who? Josh Duhamel (Danny McCoy on Las Vegas), Dean Winters (Detective Brian Cassidy on Law and Order: SVU, Dennis on 30 Rock, Johnny on Rescue Me), Kal Penn (House, Harold & Kumar)
Where? Battle Creek, Michigan
What? Two very different police officers are buddied up in an underfunded unit, where they still manage to get advanced technology as needed.
My Thoughts: First of all, the premise sounds more like a comedy than a drama. I know that CBS struggles with anything outside of fighting crime, but when do you draw the line? Now we've got technology but no money and that's worthy of yet another police procedural?