"The Loop" is back! "The Loop" is back! More filthy humor! More made-up curse words! More dogs placed in harmful situations! Woo-hoo!
Oh, I'm sorry; are there other elements to the Fox schedule? It's just so rare to see a show I like this much with ratings that bad (the result of a lousy timeslot) not only get renewed, but get placed into an awesome timeslot (after the "Idol" results show). Of course, that didn't exactly save "Arrested Development," but I'll take however much extra "Loop" I can get.
More on the rest of the schedule after the jump, and I should say that the Cone of Silence has been lifted from the first half of the "Grey's" finale (Monday 9-10), last night's "Lost" has taken its place. What can I say? It's been a bizarre week. At least I know who got voted off of "Idol," which I'll get to in a bit. Anyway, onto the sked:
As usual, Fox is going with a two-pronged schedule, without and then with "Idol." And, as usual, I don't expect all of these shows to stay in these timeslots -- or, in some cases, even to air -- but this is allegedly what they plan to do:
THE FALL:Overall, a more stable schedule than Fox usually tries out. I think they've finally realized that they just have to hold tight through all their usual fall problems (baseball pre-empting half the schedule) and wait for "Idol" and "24" to come in and save the day. Some specific thoughts:
MONDAY
8:00-9:00 PM PRISON BREAK
9:00-10:00 PM VANISHED
TUESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM STANDOFF
9:00-10:00 PM HOUSE
WEDNESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM BONES
9:00-10:00 PM JUSTICE
THURSDAY
8:00-8:30 PM ‘TIL DEATH
8:30-9:00 PM HAPPY HOUR
9:00-10:00 PM THE O.C.
FRIDAY
8:00-9:00 PM NANNY 911
9:00-10:00 PM TRADING SPOUSES: MEET YOUR NEW MOMMY
SATURDAY
8:00-8:30 PM COPS
8:30-9:00 PM COPS
9:00-10:00 PM AMERICA’S MOST WANTED: AMERICA STRIKES BACK
11:00 PM-MIDNIGHT MADtv
MIDNIGHT-12:30 AM TALK SHOW WITH SPIKE FERESTEN
SUNDAY
7:00-7:30 PM FOOTBALL OVERRUN (COMEDY ENCORES)
7:30-8:00 PM FOOTBALL OVERRUN (COMEDY ENCORES)
8:00-8:30 PM THE SIMPSONS
8:30-9:00 PM AMERICAN DAD
9:00-9:30 PM FAMILY GUY
9:30-10:00 PM THE WAR AT HOME
JANUARY ON:
MONDAY
8:00-9:00 PM STANDOFF
9:00-10:00 PM 24
TUESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM AMERICAN IDOL Performance Show
9:00-10:00 PM HOUSE
WEDNESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM JUSTICE
9:00-9:30 PM AMERICAN IDOL Results Show
9:30-10:00 PM THE LOOP
THURSDAY
8:00-8:30 PM ‘TIL DEATH
8:30-9:00 PM HAPPY HOUR
9:00-10:00 PM THE O.C.
FRIDAY
8:00-9:00 PM BONES
9:00-10:00 PM THE WEDDING ALBUM
SATURDAY
8:00-8:30 PM COPS
8:30-9:00 PM COPS
9:00-10:00 PM AMERICA’S MOST WANTED:AMERICA STRIKES BACK
11:00 PM-MIDNIGHT MADtv
MIDNIGHT-12:30 AM TALK SHOW WITH SPIKE FERESTEN
SUNDAY
7:00-7:30 PM COMEDY REPEATS
7:30-8:00 PM KING OF THE HILL
8:00-8:30 PM THE SIMPSONS
8:30-9:00 PM AMERICAN DAD
9:00-9:30 PM FAMILY GUY
9:30-10:00 PM THE WAR AT HOME
- "American Dad" after "The Simpsons"? Really? Is that the absolute best they can do? I understand that cartoons always play much better in that timeslot than live-action (the cartoonish "Malcolm" excepted), but "American Dad"? Can't they just leave it behind "Family Guy" so I don't have to pay any attention to it? ("Family Guy" has its moments, but "Dad" is all of Seth's worst tics without the good ones.)
- Not exactly a shock, but "The O.C." returns. And without a significant cast member. The geniuses at "Access Hollywood" sent out a press release yesterday revealing that person's identity right in the subject line. I won't be as inconsiderate, but if you want to know, click here. I also like how Josh has completely backtracked on the "Muppet Babies" quote he gave me and Fienberg back in January.
- Like ABC, Fox is being dumb enough to schedule back-to-back new comedies on Thursday at 8. As much as I worry about how "The Office" might get dinged by "Survivor," I think it and "Earl" are going to wipe the floor with the newcomers, good or not.
- So not only is "Vanished" another season-long kidnapping serial (ala NBC's "Kidnapped"), but it comes fresh with its own stultifying conspiracy story (ala "Prison Break"). If I take the No-Doz now, will it still keep me awake by the time I have to watch the pilot?
- "Standoff" has a bunch of actors I like (Ron Livingston, Gina Torres) and a premise that's going to need perfect execution (hostage negotiation partners are secretly, then overtly, dating).
- Eva Pigford, working actress: the former "Top Model" winner has a small supporting role on "The Wedding Album."
14 comments:
That's funny. I wrote the same thing on my blog(only yours was more concise) about being excited that The Loop is coming back! YEY!
I wrote this on Feinberg's blog but I think Schwartz likes to fuck around with the press. Didn't last year he say that Oliver was coming back? And this year that they shot 5 endings. Or is he has no idea what he's doing. Either way that show is toast next year in its new timeslot.
FOX really flushed that thing down the toilet this year putting it against CSI and Earl/Office. Now they're draining the sewer. Too bad - it was starting to get really good again. They seem to only like cop shows now.
I may also express my amusement about the return of The Loop at some point (a friend who knows such things says that while Ligouri was cautious to talk about fired cast members, the gals are on their ways out). But I'm even more likely to blog on how mindboggling boring this schedule is. You used to be able to count on weirdness from Fox. Sigh...
FOX is the new CBS. And the post-Idol slot goes to... a show that got like a 1 rating? Huh? Is their comedy development that bad? Whoever said above they only like cop shows -- HOUSE, BONES, 24, PRISON BREAK, the hostage show, a show about wow lawyers, a real time kidnapping show -- everything is testosterone fueled action except that weird show about the wedding photographer (see if that makes the schedule - apparently they're recastng the frickin' LEAD!) and the OC which as someone above said - they've fed to the wolves.
ABC and NBC are at least taking chances. The CW is a joke. CBS is CBS although Shark and Jericho sound cool. But FOX is duller than CBS. I mean what an uninspired lineup...
"'Family Guy' has its moments, but 'Dad' is all of Seth's worst tics without the good ones."
What are the good ones?
Alan, thanks for cluing me in to the Loop. I never would've started watching it if not for you mentioning it in the blog, and now it's my 2nd favorite comedy, after the Office.
Speaking of which, do you think NBC might wind up keeping Earl and the Office at 9 PM? Because I don't really see how they can keep Studio 60 in that slot, and there aren't any other comedies there.
I have to admit -- your constant cheerleading for "The Loop" has in the past tempted me to watch it. But each time, that temptation has been quashed by painfully unfunny promos. If "The Loop" really is as good as you say it is, FOX's marketing department is doing it no favors.
Thing is, they can't just flip-flop Earl/Office and S60 for two reasons:
1. Allegedly, part of the contract on the pick-up is that it gets a 9 or 10 PM timeslot M-Th.
2. I don't think a show which features the line "If you put the camera on two people masturbating, it would be among the least embarassing things on your network." is going to fly at 8 PM.
Monday at 9 or 10 seems the sensible choice to me, but NBC is apparently reluctant to sacrifice Heroes or Medium to the slaughterhouse slot on Thursday.
Jim, I think Seth's love of old music is always fun, and I like the interaction between Stewie and Brian the dog. When the show moves away from the pointless pop culture digressions South Park was making fun of, it can be pretty good -- funnier, in fact, than The Simpsons is these days.
Anonymous, The Loop isn't a great comedy, certainly not in the class of The Office or Arrested, but it has a real flair for outrageous humor, and the best gags don't cut down well for a promo, because they're so elaborately set up.
matt: Friends, at 8, featured material at least as racy as the masturbation line. Hell, an entire B-Plot revolved around the boys' zombie-like addiction to free porn.
Alan, there is a discrepancy in your column.
According to your column today, "Lox with Les" was a phrase "dubbed" by "some reporters."
Lisa de Moraes, however, writes today: "Lox with Les -- so named by Newark Star-Ledger TV critic Alan Sepinwall -- is, for the press, the highlight of Upfront Week, in which all the networks pitch next season's prime-time schedule to advertisers."
So which is it?
Lisa first heard it from me so she thought I had invented it. I'm not sure who did. All the candidates I thought might have coined it have also said they heard it elsewhere, and I know the people at CBS first heard it from me, too, so it didn't begin internally. It's a mystery.
For some reason, you can get away with a whole lot more with a sitcom in the "family hour" than you can with a drama, especially a newly launched drama in the era of Brent Bozell et al.
Fox used to be my "favorite network." Now...zzzzzzzzzzzzz. Other than House and The O.C. there isn't another show on Fox that is appointment TV for me anymore (and I HATE The O.C, I just can't seem to quit watching). I have officially given up Prison Break, and I only casually watch American Idol and The Loop. None of the new shows sound that exciting either.
Oh well. At least this will make my Tivo juggling easier.
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