The Network Upfronts: My Take on It All

Sometimes you can read the summary of a new television series and tell right away if it will bomb.  Sometimes we're all mistaken (i.e. I thought Heroes would bomb last year and that Studio 60 would be a hit).  Last week the five network s unveiled their fall lineups, and I've decided to give my opinion of the new series that are premiering on all of the networks sans the CW.  My cable provider doesn't offer The CW, and since the cancellation of Gilmore Girls, my all-time favorite television series, I could care less what the fledgling net has to offer.  Shows in green font are the ones that I think will do well.  Shows in red font I think will bomb.  The Shows in blue font are up in the air.  My commentary will be in black.

Dramas
Big Shots (Thursdays at 10) - A story about four male friends who are kings of their lives... until the women get involved.  Starring Dylan McDermott, Christopher Titus, Michael Vartan, and Joshua Malina.  Personally, I think that this will be the network tv version of Entourage, and I’m not all that interested.  However, it may find a core audience and soar.

Cashmere Mafia (will replace either The Bachelor or Dancing) - Four female friends try to balance their busy corporate careers with their social lives. They've created their own little "girls club" to help each other out in their efforts to crash through the glass ceiling. Starring Lucy Liu, Frances O'Connor, Bonnie Sommerville, and Miranda Otto. Darren Star (Sex and the City) and Kevin Wade are among the executive producers.  This is the first mention of two series created by someone who worked on Sex and the City.  They both seem very similar, but I think that with ABC’s more female-centric built-in audience, this show has the upper hand.

Dirty Sexy Money (Wednesdays at 10) - An idealistic lawyer gets drawn in by the temptations and dangers of wealth when he takes over as the personal lawyer to an old-moneyed wealthy family. Stars Peter Krause, Donald Sutherland, and William Baldwin.  I believe this show will do well just because it seems a little seedy.  I do have my reservations about it though.  It doesn’t seem on formula with the shows that ABC has done well with in recent years.

Eli Stone (midseason) - From Greg Berlanti (the guy ABC brought in to save Brothers & Sisters) and Mark Guggenheim (also of B&S). A procedural about a lawyer who starts seeing visions because of an inoperable brain tumor. He tries to deal with the visions and find deeper meaning in his life while trying to stay in the real world. Starring Johnny Lee Miller, Victor Garber, Natasha Henstridge.  This one screams of Ghost Whisperer and I, but is from a solid team.

Private Practice (Wednesdays at 9) - Kate Walsh as Addison Montgomery. Taye Diggs. Tim Daly. Amy Brenneman. Lots of sex. Shonda Rhimes and her Grey's team (Betsy Beers, Marti Noxon, et al) are involved.  Not everyone was wowed by the pilot episode of this show, but I feel that it has a great deal of promise and potential.  It also has a built-in audience of McFans.

Pushing Daisies (Wednesdays at 8) - A show about a guy who brings things briefly back to life with one touch?'  All of the critical reviews that I’ve read say that this will be one of the best shows of the new season.  Though it too seems like Medium and other shows, I think it sounds interesting, and I plan to give it a look.

Women's Murder Club (Fridays at 9) - A detective, a DA, a medical examiner, and a reporter -- band together to solve crimes. Stars Angie Harmon and Laura Harris.   Is this a middle-aged version of Nancy Drew and friends?  I give it two episodes.  It already has a horrible time-slot.

Comedies
Carpoolers (Tuesday at 8:30) - Four people in a carpool. Hilarity ensues. From writer/EP Bruce McCulloch (SNL, Kids in the Hall) to the stars, which include our old buddy Fred Goss (Sons & Daughters), Faith Ford, and Jerry O'Connell.  It could do well, but I see this going the way of Big Day.

Cavemen (Tuesdays at 8) - Meet Joel, his younger brother Jamie, and his best friend Nick, three cavemen living in modern-day . These cavemen continually find themselves at odds with contemporary society as they struggle to overcome their physical appearance and the accompanying stereotypes. It is based on the Geico caveman ads.  The commercials are moderately funny, but to try and base a half-hour sitcom on them is stupid.  I think we’re beyond the days of the outlandish sitcom such as Third Rock from the Sun, Alf, Honey, I’m Home, and Dinosaurs.

Miss/Guided (midseason) - Created by Ashton Kutcher. Judy Greer (Love Monkey) plays a formerly awkward teenager who returns to her high school as a guidance counselor, thinking her gawky years were behind her. But she finds out every day is high school, no matter where you are.  I think this has a chance to be pretty edgy and fun with Ashton Kutcher behind it.  It could be the How I Met Your Mother of the Alphabet Network.

Sam I Am (Mondays at ) - Christina Applegate is a woman who wakes up from a coma with amnesia, and finds that the person she was before her accident wasn't a very good one. Also stars Jennifer Esposito, Melissa McCarthy, Jean Smart, Tim Russ, and Barry Watson.  I want this show to do well because I like Christina Applegate, and I love Melissa McCarthy (always Sookie in my heart), Jean Smart (Charlene), and Time Russ (Tuvok).  Also, the premise sounds appealing.

Other
Oprah's Big Give (midseason) - The big O's first prime time series, it involves a bunch of people who compete to get a whole bunch of money in order to make a difference in people's lives.  This show will do well because people love feel-good shows like Extreme Makeover:  Home Edition, and there are many members of the Church of Oprah.

Dramas
Swingtown: An ensemble period drama set during the sexual liberation of the 1970s. Look to see open marriages, key parties, and a time slot. Grant Show (Melrose Place), Jack Davenport (Coupling, the good one from the ), Josh Hopkins (Brothers & Sisters), Lana Parrilla (Windfall), Miriam Shor (Big Day), and Molly Parker (Deadwood) star.   This just screams early cancellation, possibly because it can be controversial.

Viva Laughlin: Lloyd Owen (Monarch of the Glen) stars as Ripley Holden. The show is a musical drama about Ripley and his family as they attempt to run a casino in .  . Among the cast you will find Madchen Amick (Freddie), Patrick Fabian (Veronica Mars), Melanie Griffith (Twins), and Hugh Jackman, who also produces the show.   Three words:  Remember Cop Rock.

Moonlight: Formerly known as Twilight, this one centers on a private investigator/vampire.  Alex O'Loughlin stars as the vampire investigator and the story will revolve around his struggles with immortality, feuds with adversaries in the vampire world, and a romance with a mortal. Along for the ride are Amber Valetta (Transporter 2), Rade Serbedzija (24), Lucio (The O.C.), and James Black (All Of Us).  I think this show’s already on Lifetime, and it’s not cool to copy a Lifetime Original Series.

Cane: Jimmy Smits (West Wing) stars in this drama about a Cuban-American family that "explores the American dream, past, present, and future." The story follows two rival families that have built an empire in the sugar and rum industries. Smits will be joined by Hector Elizondo (Chicago Hope) and Rita Moreno.  It kind of makes me think of a Cuban-American Brothers and Sisters. Whether or not it will do well, I don’t know.

Comedies
Big Bang Theory: From Two and a Half Men creator Chuck Lorre, this one follows two theoretical physicists who meet a sexy new neighbor that teaches them about life from a new perspective. Johnny Galecki (Roseanne), Jim Parsons (Judging Amy), and Kelly Cuoco (Eight Simple Rules) star.  Sounds raunchy and already boxed into a hole.

Other
Kid Nation: A reality show from the producers of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. 40 kids, ages 8 to 15 were put in the abandoned town of . Over the course of 40 days the children build a society, electing leaders, passing laws, establishing an economy, etc.  Oh boy!  A live-action Lord of the Flies!  Seriously, this sounds like it’s coming from the CBS I remember from High School.  You know, the one that my grandmothers fell asleep to.

Power of 10: CBS isn't immune to the new game show craze, and this is their entry. Hosted by Drew Carey, the show will have contestants guessing the results of public surveys for a chance to win up to $10 million. The show is set for a summer release.  Welcome to CBS’s Deal or No Deal.

Dramas

Heroes: Origins will be six special episodes of the series, which will air during the show's hiatus. This means the total episode count for the season will be 30.  The Heroes fans seem to be really anticipating this one.  I just have memories of the short-lived Ally McBeal spin-off, Ally, though.

The Bionic Woman:  An updating of the classic ABC show from the 70s. It stars British actress Michelle Ryan.  I think that sci-fi fans will love this.

Chuck is about a computer geek who becomes a spy (somehow). It's produced by Josh Schwartz.  What I’ve seen of this show, it could draw in even more Sci-Fi viewers in the Heroes crowd.  Even though I’m not a fan of action-series, I may have to take a look at this one.

Journeyman sounds a lot like a 21st century version of Quantum Leap. It stars Kevin McKidd from and is produced by some of the people behind The West Wing.  Since I work at an NBC affiliate, I have to say that everyone who has seen this pilot seemed taken with it.  I think it will work well with the Heroes crowd too.

Life: A drama about a detective who spends years in jail for a crime he didn't commit and is given a second chance. It stars Damian Lewis from Band of Brothers.  I think we’ve had too many detective series on air in recent years, but I love Damian Lewis.  I hope this one does well.

Lipstick Jungle:  from Candace Bushnell, who did Sex and the City, and sounds similar. It stars Brooke Shields and Kim Raver, from The Nine.  Another series from someone behind the scenes at Sex and the City.  This and Cashmere Mafia will compete for viewers.  ABC has a bit of an upper-hand with female-friendly series such as Desperate Housewives, Grey’s Anatomy, Ugly Betty, and etc.

Comedies

The IT Crowd :  A new comedy that focuses on the lives of tech people.  If fans of The Office and 30 Rock like it, it’ll soar.  However, it seems like a knock-off.

Other
The Singing Bee: The Singing Bee challenges contestants to accurately sing the lyrics to popular songs — when the band stops playing! Scored like a spelling bee, there is no middle ground for partially correct answers. Contestants must be perfect, or they’re out.  As much as I don’t want to watch this, it will probably do well because it reeks of American Idol and America’s Got Talent.

World Moves :  A hip-hop competition, and is produced by American Idol's Randy Jackson. I just don’t see this show working out.  It makes me think more of You’re the One That I Want, and we know what a ratings grabber that wasn’t.

Dramas

K-Ville: A drama about cops working in post-Hurricane Katrina New Orleans. I can see people tuning into this show for the first few episodes because it’s based in .  However, I still think that we’re suffering from cop-show-fatigue.  It does have a better chance on Fox than the other networks though.

New Amsterdam: A sci fi/drama about a homicide cop who is secretly hundreds of years old is tired of being alive.  This has an interesting premise, but will still be a cop show.

The Sarah Connor Chronicles: Lena Headey stars as 'Sarah Connor', as in the character from the Terminator movies. The action/drama is about Connor's attempts to prevent the Terminator robots from killing her son. More often than not, television shows based on movies bomb.  The success of this show depends entirely on the cult factor.  Can it sustain fans of the movie franchise?

Canterbury's Law: Stars Julianna Margulies as an aggressive defense attorney who "is willing to bend the law in order to protect the wrongfully accused."  I can see this being aired with Bones.  I think it stands a better shot of lasting than Justice did, but it will still be tricky to get around the plethora of lawyer-shows on the air.

Comedies

Back to You: A sitcom starring Kelsey Grammer, Patricia Heaton, and Fred Willard. Grammer and Heaton are reunited as anchors on a news desk.  Put this show up next to Till Death and watch the former Everybody Loves Raymond stars and Kelsey Grammer shine.

Return of Jezebel James: A comedy about a woman who asks her estranged sister to carry her child. Stars Parker Posey and Lauren Ambrose.  This show comes from the creator of my favorite television series of all time, Gilmore Girls.  This is a half-hour comedy with a laugh track, but it still has the snappy, witty writing that only Amy-Sherman Palladino can drum up.

Rules for Starting Over: The Farrelly Brothers' comedy about a man who returns to the dating scene after a number of years in a relationship. Co-stars Rashida Jones, who plays 'Karen' on The Office. Fox promises a spring premiere, but currently does not have it on the schedule.  I think this one will be picked up because it has a solid premise.

Other
Kitchen Nightmares: Gordon Ramsey returns, this time he's not harassing wanna-be chefs, but he is trying to help failing restaurants survive.  I think the day of the Reality Show is slowly reaching it’s sunset.

: Unscripted show about young people pursuing musical dreams in . From the producers of .  Yawn.  Didn’t ABC and MTV try this ten years ago with Making the Band?

The Search for the Next Great American Band: Same as American Idol, but with bands.  As much as I loathe reality television, this will do well because people who like for music to be a little edgier than Idol ‘s  pop will get into this one.