CW fall schedule announced -- Upfront Week

The CW just announced their fall schedule, and I have the details at NJ.com. Not surprisingly, "Reaper" wasn't picked up, though there's still the chance of the syndication deal. Click here to read the full post

CBS fall schedule announcment

This morning, CBS was the last of the Big 4 networks to present their fall schedule. (The CW goes tomorrow, but they're the CW.) I have the details, and some quotes and analysis, up at NJ.com. Click here to read the full post

Chuck: Chris Fedak vs. the renewal

I have comments from Ben Silverman and Chris Fedak on the "Chuck" renewal up at NJ.com, including the bizarre moment when Silverman told me "It's because of you" that "Chuck" is back(*). After the jump, the transcript of my conversation with Fedak:

(*) Keep in mind that I was also the first one asking a "Chuck" question. While I wrote my open letter, credit should go to a whole lot of people, including Mo Ryan, Give Me My Remote, Fienberg, Joe Adalian, Chuck TV, and, especially, Wendy Farrington, who came up with the Subway campaign in the first place.

Anyway, on to Fedak...

How you feeling?

Feeling great. Josh (Schwartz) and I and the entire cast and crew are so excited to be coming back. We were so excited to continue this story, keep telling Chuck Bartowski adventures.

How close do you think the show came to not coming back?

I think there was always the chance that we would not show up on the schedule. I'm a neurotic person by nature, and a nervous person by nature. The fact that there wasn't an announcement (at the NBC "infront" earlier this month), there was definitely cause for concern. But I was emboldened by the fact that we had such great critical support, and we had the best fans in the universe.

And they all went to Subway.

That was such a great idea. When it comes to great ideas for promoting the show, that was an excellent idea.

When you did that initial scene where Morgan bought Big Mike the sandwich, did you have any idea it might lead to this?

I don't think we thought that that integration would be one of the lynchpins of us returning for a third season.

How will the expanded sponsorship deal with Subway work?

We're still hashing out the details of how that's going to work. But we're excited. Looking at the last two seasons, we've always had fun with the idea of product integration.

Are we going to see a character working at Subway, like Sarah, or Morgan, if the Benihana thing falls through?

That's a possibility

There were all these reports that the pick-up was going to lead to a tighter budget. Is that going to happen?

I think if you look at TV shows across the board, there's been contraction for most shows. However, for any type of budget cuts we've looked at, Josh and I are committed to delivering the same show. The same level of entertainment you guys saw last season, you'll get next year.

Well, what's the situation with the cast going to be? Will everyone be back? Will they be in every episode?

We look forward to bringing our cast back. Because the episode order is for 13, we need to tell our story in a little different way, so you might not see every one of our castmembers in every episode, but that means when we do see them, they'll get more time in that particular story.

(NOTE: Most of the supporting cast wasn't in every episode for season two, either, so this may not be that big of a change.)

You and Josh had already mapped out season three's storyline when you thought you might be doing 22 episodes. How much does the 13-episode order change that plan?

It doesn't change.

Well, one of the things that was great about this past season was that, while you told a lot of big story arc episodes, you were also able to do standalones like "Chuck vs. Tom Sawyer" that had little to do with anything but were a lot of fun. Will you still be able to do that if you're squeezing things into 13?

Yes, we will have room to do standalone episodes. I think that it doesn't change the overall story, but it does change how we structure the story, but we still will do standalone episodes.

Ben also said there's a chance he might order more than 13 and extend you into the summer. Would you be prepared for that?

We are prepared for that if it happens. It just means that we tell more story.

How concerned are you about being off the air for so long?

Obviously, 10 months is a long time. But it is exciting to come back with the idea of the Winter Olympics as a launching pad. We had a long break because of the strike going into season two, and season two was fantastic. We look forward exceeding everyone's expectations for a mid-season launch.

Ben mentioned a plan to give the show a presence online in the fall. What do you know about that?

We're in very preliminary discussions on that at this point.

Given how vague you were when we talked after the finale, I'm guessing you don't want to say too much more about next season. But given how long we're all going to have to wait, is there anything you can tell the fans about next season that might in some way sate their appetites?

I will say this: Season three will not be lacking in romance. Click here to read the full post

NBC renews 'Chuck,' announces fall schedule - Upfront Week

NBC just put out their schedule release, and "Chuck" is on it -- albeit not airing until March (post-Olympics), Mondays at 8. More details of the whole schedule over at NJ.com. I'm going on the NBC conference call in a few minutes, and I'm going to talk with Chris Fedak after that, so look for one or two more posts on this later today. Click here to read the full post

ABC fall schedule announced - Upfront Week

ABC just announced their fall schedule. I'm jumping on the conference call right now, but you can read all the details at NJ.com, and I'll be back later with quotes and analysis.

UPDATE: Take two is now up on NJ.com Click here to read the full post

Upfront Week: Fox's fall schedule

Fox just officially announced their fall schedule, and the alleged mid-season one (though we know that one is always written in pencil and subject to major changes before we get to January). I have both schedules, and the full press release, up at NJ.com. About to start a conference call with the execs from Fox, and I'll likely do a second NJ.com post with quotes and analysis when that's done, so check back there (or here for a link) in an hour or two.

UPDATE: Take two is now up at NJ.com. Click here to read the full post

Get ready for Bizarro Upfront Week

Upfront Week, when the broadcast networks all announce their fall schedules, doesn't begin until Monday(*), but already reports are starting to leak about what shows, both new and old, have gotten pick-ups.

(*) For those wondering, the schedule is Fox on Monday, ABC and NBC (which only did half an upfront earlier this month) on Tuesday, CBS on Wednesday and the CW on Thursday.

I'll deal with the new shows when the upfronts actually start, but what's been really strange -- and very gratifying -- is the number of good but low-rated series that appear to have survived to next season...

ABC has apparently picked up "Better Off Ted," in addition to ordering a ninth season of "Scrubs" (with Zach Braff and Sarah Chalke being in six episodes, Donald Faison, Neil Flynn and John C. McGinley being regulars, and other deals to be hashed out later). Fox picked up "Dollhouse," which may be the lowest-rated network series to ever get renewed. While the CW itself appears to have no place for "Reaper," CW affiliates seem to like the show enough that they'd like to see it go into syndication so they can air it on what it will be their CW-less Sunday schedules. And while no one has actually reported on a "Chuck" pick-up yet, that now sounds like it's simply a matter of hashing out the numbers.

It's like the networks all got together and decided to reward every single Save Our Show candidate, no matter how poorly-rated. At this rate, the only bubble shows that may not come back -- like "Without a Trace" and "Cold Case" on CBS or "My Name Is Earl" on NBC -- won't be due to ratings, but cost.

Mo Ryan suggested yesterday that these pick-ups might reflect a new kind of thinking at the networks, where the broadcast ratings aren't the only factor. ("Dollhouse" gets a significant bump, for instance, once DVR and Hulu viewing is factored in.) But I also wonder if the bad economy, and the splintering TV audience, might also make the networks reluctant to let go of even some of their more marginal performers. Simply put, these shows are the devil they know. "Chuck," for instance, may have drawn mediocre ratings on Monday nights, but "Deal Or No Deal" did dramatically worse in the timeslot a week later. The idea that a new show automatically has a better shot to draw viewers than a marginal returning series may not be the case anymore, and in this scary environment, a steady number is a steady number.

Now, I'm not going to be chasing scoops like Ausiello, or the guys at the trades, since the official announcements are coming soon, anyway. But I'll have the full press releases when they come out, and analysis shortly thereafter.

Should be a very strange week. Click here to read the full post

All TV: Fox upfront

Today's column is a slightly longer look at the Fox schedule. Click here to read the full post

Fox upfront, take one

The conference call with Peter Liguori and Kevin Reilly is in a few minutes, so I have to be really quick. Preliminary thoughts on the Fox sked, plus a full list of both the fall and spring skeds, coming up after the jump...

So, some initial thoughts:

• This is much less convoluted than the average Fox schedule. There are officially only two different skeds: one for the fall, and one for when "Idol" comes back. There's some noodling in the spring with the cartoons, but they're not announcing 87 different iterations of the sked, none of them remotely resembling what will actually happen.
• Not surprisingly, both the J.J. Abrams-produced "Fringe" and the Joss Whedon-produced "Dollhouse" (pictured above) made it onto the schedule, with the former getting the benefit of airing after "House" in the fall and "Idol" in the spring, and the latter getting to be the lead-in to "24." Not sure if either show is compatible with Fox's biggest hits, but you can't say they're not putting them in good timeslots.
• That said, they keep claiming that "Bones" will one day air Fridays at 8 at mid-season, and it hasn't really come to pass yet. Think it will this year?
• Not mentioned below, the "24" prequel movie (setting up the events of the next season) will air on November 23.
• "5th Grader" and "Don't Forget the Lyrics!" do decently on Thursdays despite tough competition from the other networks. By moving them to Friday, Fox could have their first passable Friday schedule since "X-Files" moved to Sundays.
• I know it was announced a while ago, but they're really devoting an entire series to Cleveland from "Family Guy"?
• Other than the continued existence of "'Til Death," this looks a lot more like a Fox schedule than the last few years of CBS-lite stuff they've been doing. Lots of dramas that are either serialized, science fiction, or both, even more animated comedies, and more reality on the official schedule.

Gotta jump on the call. Here's the schedule(s):

FOX PRIMETIME SCHEDULE: FALL 2008

(All Times ET/PT)

MONDAY
8:00-9:00 PM TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES
9:00-10:00 PM PRISON BREAK



TUESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM HOUSE
9:00-10:00 PM FRINGE



WEDNESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM BONES
9:00-9:30 PM ‘TIL DEATH
9:30-10:00 PM DO NOT DISTURB (wt)



THURSDAY
8:00-9:00 PM THE MOMENT OF TRUTH
9:00-10:00 PM KITCHEN NIGHTMARES



FRIDAY
8:00-9:00 PM ARE YOU SMARTER THAN A 5th GRADER?
9:00-10:00 PM DON’T FORGET THE LYRICS!



SATURDAY
8:00-8:30 PM COPS
8:30-9:00 PM COPS
9:00-10:00 PM AMERICA’S MOST WANTED: AMERICA FIGHTS BACK
11:00 PM-Midnight MADtv
Midnight-12:30 AM TALKSHOW WITH SPIKE FERESTEN



SUNDAY
7:00-8:00 PM THE OT (NFL post-game)
8:00-8:30 PM THE SIMPSONS
8:30-9:00 PM KING OF THE HILL
9:00-9:30 PM FAMILY GUY
9:30-10:00 PM AMERICAN DAD



FOX PRIMETIME SCHEDULE: BEGINNING JANUARY 2009

(All Times ET/PT)

MONDAY
8:00-9:00 PM DOLLHOUSE
9:00-10:00 PM 24



TUESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM AMERICAN IDOL
9:00-10:00 PM FRINGE



WEDNESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM HOUSE
9:00-9:30 PM AMERICAN IDOL Results Show
9:30-10:00 PM TBA Comedy



THURSDAY
8:00-9:00 PM HELL’S KITCHEN
9:00-10:00 PM SECRET MILLIONAIRE



FRIDAY
8:00-9:00 PM BONES
9:00-9:30 PM ‘TIL DEATH
9:30-10:00 PM DO NOT DISTURB (wt)



SATURDAY
8:00-8:30 PM COPS
8:30-9:00 PM COPS
9:00-10:00 PM AMERICA’S MOST WANTED: AMERICA FIGHTS BACK
11:00 PM-Midnight MADtv
Midnight-12:30 AM TALKSHOW WITH SPIKE FERESTEN



SUNDAY
7:00-7:30 PM COMEDY ENCORES
7:30-8:00 PM COMEDY ENCORES
8:00-8:30 PM THE SIMPSONS
8:30-9:00 PM KING OF THE HILL (January) / SIT DOWN, SHUT UP (wt) (spring)
9:00-9:30 PM FAMILY GUY
9:30-10:00 PM AMERICAN DAD (January) / THE CLEVELAND SHOW (wt) (spring)

Click here to read the full post

All TV: CBS Upfront

Today's column goes into the CBS schedule (including "The Ex List," pictured above) in slightly more detail.

I should know all about the Fox schedule -- or, given their usual MO, schedules -- by lunchtime today. Click here to read the full post

CBS upfront, take one

The CBS schedule is out, and you can read the full release here. My initial thoughts coming up after the jump...

So, the major changes:

• "Moonlight" and "Shark" both failed to make the cut among the bubble shows, while "The Unit" did (and is moving to Sundays at 10). When I asked Nina Tassler if the "Jericho" experience had made her gunshy about listening to the, um, vocal fans of fringe shows like that and "Moonlight," she said, "It was a factor, obviously... It was a passionate fanbase, and that's not a bad thing. It's just hard to translate that into numbers."
• Speaking of "The Unit," Nina said they're going to take the female characters off-base more, and that there won't be quite as much focus on the military missions. Both ideas came from Shawn Ryan and David Mamet, and not from the network, apparently.
• "How I Met Your Mother" survives and stays where it is; the sense I get is that renewal was never in doubt after the first Britney episode, and that some CBS execs just don't want to announce all their pick-ups ahead of time.
• "New Adventures of Old Christine" not only survives, but gets to lead off a night, as the network tries, once again, to set up a comedy bloc on Wednesdays. It'll be paired with "Project Gary" (pictured above), with Jay Mohr and the lovely and talented but undeniably show-killing Paula Marshall.
• "The Ex-List," with Elizabeth Reaser (Jane Doe from "Grey's Anatomy") goes Fridays at 9, which, coincidentally, was the same timeslot (Fridays at 9) for the last show created by Diane Ruggiero, "That's Life." (In between, she was Rob Thomas' lieutenant on "Veronica Mars.") And Simon Baker's new show, "The Mentalist," gets the same timeslot (Tuesdays at 9) as his first CBS show, "The Guardian."
• Tuesdays at 10 has been a snakebit timeslot ever since "Judging Amy" went away (among its victims was "Smith," featuring Simon Baker and whatever happened to Ray Liotta's face), and so the network's putting old reliable "Without a Trace" there.
• "Amazing Race" gets two seasons; prepare, once again, for the fall edition to be disrupted a lot by football overruns.
• "Rules of Engagement" will be back at mid-season.

Beyond that, what strikes me is that, last year at this time, CBS was talking about how they were ready to try new and edgy shows -- a musical! a mob serial! a vampire thriller! a period drama about swingers! -- and this year they've gone back to being CBS. Probably better for everyone; I haven't watched "Swingtown" yet (because of the strike, it won't debut until next month), but "Viva Laughlin," "Cane" and "Moonlight" were all pretty awful.

I'll have a more formalized analysis of all this up hopefully later today. "Reaper" review is going to have to wait, maybe until tomorrow, as I didn't get to see it yet and don't think the computer in our New York office is optimal for streaming video. Click here to read the full post

All TV: ABC, CW upfronts

CW's schedule announcement is official (including the "90210" remake, pictured above), and I have details on both that and the ABC upfront in a column over at NJ.com. Click here to read the full post

ABC upfront, take one

Between the number of shows picked up months ago, the minimum of new shows on the schedule (most of ABC's shows in development haven't shot pilots yet) and all the leaked news about stuff like the "Scrubs" move, not a big Wow factor to the ABC schedule announcement. Thoughts and breakdown coming right up...

I'll have the full fall schedule at the end, but the highlights, such as they are:

• "Scrubs," as we all knew, is moving to ABC, but won't be on the schedule until sometime in mid-season.
• "Boston Legal" comes back for a final season (looks like only 13 episodes); Steve MacPherson didn't say anything about cast changes.
• "Boston Legal" returning was part of the deal to pick up the "Life on Mars" remake (pictured above), since David E. Kelley was attached to produce at one point; he reportedly gave up his stake in the show in exchange for his other show coming back. The "October Road" producers will be running "Life on Mars" now; it gets the network's best timeslot (sort of; expectations are obviously much higher) after "Grey's Anatomy."
  
• Only other new show on the fall schedule is an Ashton Kutcher-produced game show, "Opportunity Knocks."
• "Eli Stone" comes back but doesn't get the traditional Monday at 10 timeslot that ABC generally gives to low-rated dramas it unexpectedly renewed. That goes to "Boston Legal," while "Eli Stone" goes to Tuesdays at 10.
• The Wednesday lineup -- "Pushing Daisies," "Private Practice," "Dirty Sexy Money" -- not seen since the strike, returns intact.
  
• "Lost" back at midseason, with an extra episode to make up for one of the ones lost by the strike.
• "According to Jim," somehow still not dead. Why?!?!??!?!!?!?!?!
  

Fall schedule, night by night:
DAY TIME SERIES

MONDAY: 8:00 p.m. “Dancing with the Stars”
9:30 p.m. “Samantha Who?”
10:00 p.m. “Boston Legal”

TUESDAY: 8:00 p.m. “Opportunity Knocks”
9:00 p.m. “Dancing with the Stars the Results Show”
10:00 p.m. “Eli Stone”

WEDNESDAY: 8:00 p.m. “Pushing Daisies”
9:00 p.m. “Private Practice”
10:00 p.m. “Dirty Sexy Money”

THURSDAY: 8:00 p.m. “Ugly Betty”
9:00 p.m. “Grey’s Anatomy”
10:00 p.m. “Life on Mars”

FRIDAY: 8:00 p.m. “Wife Swap”
9:00 p.m. “Supernanny”
10:00 p.m. “20/20”

SATURDAY: 8:00 p.m. “Saturday Night College Football”

SUNDAY: 7:00 p.m. “America’s Funniest Home Videos”
8:00 p.m. “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition”
9:00 p.m. “Desperate Housewives”
10:00 p.m. “Brothers & Sisters”

Fire away with any questions. Click here to read the full post

Upfront Watch: CW, take two

They finally issued the press release, which you can read here. When I'm done with the Fox call and my early print deadline, I'll try to come back with some thoughts.

UPDATE: As I mentioned in the "Veronica" post below, Rob Thomas said all his writers are accepting job offers from other shows. It's over. Meanwhile, full CW schedule and a few thoughts after the jump...

MONDAY
8:00-8:30 PM EVERYBODY HATES CHRIS
8:30-9:00 PM ALIENS IN AMERICA (New Series)
9:00-9:30 PM GIRLFRIENDS
9:30-10:00 PM THE GAME

TUESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM BEAUTY AND THE GEEK
9:00-10:00 PM REAPER (New Series)

WEDNESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM AMERICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL
9:00-10:00 PM GOSSIP GIRL (New Series)

THURSDAY
8:00-9:00 PM SMALLVILLE
9:00-10:00 PM SUPERNATURAL

FRIDAY
8:00-10:00 PM FRIDAY NIGHT SMACKDOWN!

SUNDAY
7:00-7:30 PM CW NOW (New Series)
7:30-8:00 PM ONLINE NATION (New Series)
8:00-9:00 PM LIFE IS WILD (New Series)
9:00-10:00 PM AMERICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL (Encore Presentation)

So, a few thoughts:

• I can't let myself get too angry about the death of "Veronica." Dawn gave it three seasons when it arguably only deserved one. They put it after UPN's highest-rated show. Then they put it on after the most-compatible series on either UPN or the WB. People didn't want to watch.
• Kevin Smith directs the "Reaper" pilot, and while I love the guy's work, he's not someone I'd hire in a director-only capacity. Writer-only, sure. But not the other way. Also, since "Reaper" stars Brett Harrison, "The Loop" is dead after its upcoming 10-episode (or less, depending on ratings) run on Fox.
• I'll give "Gossip Girl" a look out of Josh Schwartz loyalty, but unless one of the pilots unexpectedly wows me, I don't know that I'll be watch much of the network next season. I'm technically still in their demo, but just barely.

What does everybody else think?

Click here to read the full post

Upfront Watch: Fox

Gotta do this one quick, as the press call with Peter Liguori is in about a half-hour and I have an early deadline overall. Fox's press site is password-protected from the jump, so I can't link to the press release, but I'll plug in the usual three-pronged schedule (fall, January and spring) below, along with brief descriptions of the new shows (bolded to break up the clutter) and my own thoughts:

FALL
MONDAY
8:00-9:00 PM PRISON BREAK
9:00-10:00 PM K-VILLE (cop drama set in post-Katrina New Orleans, with Anthony Anderson and Cole Hauser)

TUESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM NEW AMSTERDAM (immortal Manhattan cop)
9:00-10:00 PM HOUSE

WEDNESDAY
8:00-8:30 PM BACK TO YOU (Kelsey Grammer and Patricia Heaton as bickering local news anchors)
8:30-9:00 PM 'TIL DEATH
9:00-10:00 PM BONES

THURSDAY
8:00-9:00 PM ARE YOU SMARTER THAN A 5th GRADER?
9:00-10:00 PM KITCHEN NIGHTMARES (remake of Gordon Ramsay's UK show, hosted by him)

FRIDAY
8:00-9:00 PM THE SEARCH FOR THE NEXT GREAT AMERICAN BAND (working title)
9:00-10:00 PM NASHVILLE (working title) (docu-soap reality show about country music wannabes)

SATURDAY
8:00-8:30 PM COPS
8:30-9:00 PM COPS
9:00-10:00 PM AMERICA'S MOST WANTED: AMERICA FIGHTS BACK
11:00 PM-MIDNIGHT MADtv
MIDNIGHT-12:30 AM TALK SHOW WITH SPIKE FERESTEN

SUNDAY
7:00-8:00 PM THE OT (NFL post-game)
8:00-8:30 PM THE SIMPSONS
8:30-9:00 PM KING OF THE HILL
9:00-9:30 PM FAMILY GUY
9:30-10:00 PM AMERICAN DAD

JANUARY/SPRING
MONDAY
8:00-9:00 PM K-VILLE (January)/PRISON BREAK (Spring)
9:00-10:00 PM 24

TUESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM AMERICAN IDOL
9:00-10:00 PM HOUSE

WEDNESDAY (January)
8:00-8:30 PM BACK TO YOU
8:30-9:00 PM 'TIL DEATH
9:00-10:00 PM AMERICAN IDOL

WEDNESDAY (Spring)
8:00-8:30 PM BACK TO YOU
8:30-9:00 PM THE RETURN OF JEZEBEL JAMES (working title) (Amy Sherman-Palladino-created sitcom with Parker Posey and Lauren Ambrose as sisters who are so distant they're more like mother and daughter; flipside of "Gilmore Girls")
9:00-9:30 PM AMERICAN IDOL Results Show
9:30-10:00 PM 'TIL DEATH

THURSDAY
8:00-9:00 PM ARE YOU SMARTER THAN A 5th GRADER?
9:00-10:00 PM CANTERBURY'S LAW (Julianna Margulies in a Denis Leary-produced defense lawyer show)

FRIDAY (Spring)
8:00-9:00 PM BONES
9:00-10:00 PM NEW AMSTERDAM

SATURDAY
8:00-8:30 PM COPS
8:30-9:00 PM COPS
9:00-10:00 PM AMERICA'S MOST WANTED: AMERICA FIGHTS BACK
11:00 PM-MIDNIGHT MADtv
MIDNIGHT-12:30 AM TALKSHOW WITH SPIKE FERESTEN

SUNDAY (Spring)
7:00-7:30 PM KING OF THE HILL
7:30-8:00 PM AMERICAN DAD
8:00-8:30 PM THE SIMPSONS
8:30-9:00 PM FAMILY GUY
9:00-10:00 PM THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES (what happened to Sarah and John after "Terminator 2")

Brief thoughts:

• After seeing Anthony Anderson as Antwon Mitchell, I've been itching for him to get the lead in a drama, so I'm hopeful about "K-Ville."
• Between "New Amsterdam" and CBS' "Moonlight," do we now have a trend of immortal detective shows, or do we need a third?
• I've said before that Fox is trying to turn into CBS circa 2001, and now they've paired two different sitcoms starring "Everybody Loves Raymond" actors. On the other hand, "New Amsterdam" and "Sarah Connor Chronicles" both seem like the sort of thing that Gail Berman or one of her half-dozen predecessors might have tried.
• This one gives me less of a headache to explain than the usual triple-layered Fox lineup, so that's something.

Gotta write, then see if Peter Liguori has anything interesting to say.

Click here to read the full post

Upfront Watch: No CW yet, but 'Veronica Mars seems dead

I couldn't attend the CW's upfront in person, and my attempt to watch a streaming video feed of it made me feel like I was using a TRS-80, and they have yet to send out an actual press release yet (even though Fox sent theirs a half-hour ago, and I'll get to it shortly).

For readers of this blog, though, the obvious interest is in the fate of "Veronica Mars," and I'm told that in a chat with reporters afterwards, Dawn Ostroff said, basically, that the show was we know it (i.e. the college years) is dead, they're still considering some kind of spin-off (i.e., Veronica: FBI), but that she didn't think it was going to happen. As Rob has been saying in some other interviews, they technically have until mid-June to make a decision, but I don't see it happening, especially with Kristen Bell as the narrator for "Gossip Girls."

UPDATE: Rob said all the writers are accepting job offers from other shows. It's over.

Back with Fox in a few... Click here to read the full post

Upfront Watch: CBS

No egg-tossing required (and I was in an ideal position to do so, as Les Moonves sat at my table), as "HIMYM" made the schedule as rumored yesterday. You can read the press release here, but schedule breakdown and my thoughts to follow...

MONDAY
8:00-8:30 PM HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER
8:30-9:00 PM THE BIG BANG THEORY (N)
9:00-9:30 PM TWO AND A HALF MEN
9:30-10:00 PM RULES OF ENGAGEMENT
10:00-11:00 PM CSI: MIAMI
TUESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM NCIS
9:00-10:00 PM THE UNIT
10:00-11:00 PM CANE (N)
WEDNESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM KID NATION (N)
9:00-10:00 PM CRIMINAL MINDS
10:00-11:00 PM CSI: NY
THURSDAY
8:00-9:00 PM SURVIVOR
9:00-10:00 PM CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION
10:00-11:00 PM WITHOUT A TRACE (NT)
FRIDAY
8:00-9:00 PM GHOST WHISPERER
9:00-10:00 PM MOONLIGHT (N)
10:00-11:00 PM NUMB3RS
SATURDAY
8:00-9:00 PM CRIMETIME SATURDAY
9:00-10:00 PM CRIMETIME SATURDAY
10:00-11:00 PM 48 HOURS: MYSTERY
SUNDAY
7:00-8:00 PM 60 MINUTES
8:00-9:00 PM VIVA LAUGHLIN (N)
9:00-10:00 PM COLD CASE
10:00-11:00 PM SHARK (NT)

Also, "Amazing Race" and "New Adventures of Old Christine" will be back at midseason, along with "Swingtown," a period drama about the sexual revolution in suburban Chicago in the mid-'70s (think "Ice Storm: The Series").

So, quick thoughts:

• Clearly, "HIMYM" was never in that much danger, as CBS still trusts it to lead off the night. For whatever reason, Les likes to make producers sweat until the last minute.
• "Viva Laughlin" (musical gangster story, remake of BBC's "Viva Blackpool," rumored to be Rob Thomas' landing spot if/when "Veronica Mars" gets canceled tomorrow), "Moonlight" (vampire private eye, with some "Buffy" and "Angel" alums as showrunners) and "Cane" (Cuban-American "Godfather") are all significant departures from what CBS usually does.
• "Without a Trace" and "Shark" swap places. "Trace" will probably do better in its old timeslot than "Shark" did, and Thursday's a more valuable night than Sunday's because of movie and car advertising. (None of the new dramas were considered for this timeslot because they all have some serial elements, and CBS wants a night that will do well across the board all season; the Bruckheimer shows repeat much better than serials.)
• "Kid Nation," a sort of reality "Lord of the Flies" where 40 kids are put in a town with no real adult supervision (aside from all those camera guys and sound men and producers, of course) could be interesting. If nothing else, it doesn't sound like any current reality concept, and the new ideas tend to be the ones that pop the most.
• "Swingtown," wherever it debuts (10 o'clock timeslot mandatory, they said), will run straight through; CBS learned their lesson from the fast fade of "Jericho" after the winter hiatus.

Gotta write my official story now for the paper. I had hoped to watch "Veronica Mars" using my Slingbox, but my iBook currently hates me (it thinks it's New Year's Eve, 1969, and even after I changed the date back, it has a tendency to start freezing up and presenting weird light displays, so I'm afraid to touch it until I get to an Apple Store), and the computer I'm using at our New York office doesn't have the proper software to watch anything on the CW's website. Sorry. Cone of Silence remains.

Click here to read the full post

Upfront Watch: ABC

I'll get to last night's "HIMYM" and "Heroes" in a bit, but ABC just wrapped up their upfront press conference, so I'll do some quick analysis of that. If you have a PDF reader, you can read the whole press release here, but I'll put in the basic schedule after the jump...

MONDAY: 8:00 p.m. “Dancing with the Stars”
9:30 p.m. “Sam I Am” (new comedy series)
10:00 p.m. “The Bachelor”

TUESDAY: 8:00 p.m. “Cavemen” (new comedy series)
8:30 p.m. “Carpoolers” (new comedy series)
9:00 p.m. “Dancing with the Stars the Results Show”
10:00 p.m. “Boston Legal”

WEDNESDAY: 8:00 p.m. “Pushing Daisies” (new drama series)
9:00 p.m. “Private Practice” (new drama series)
10:00 p.m. “Dirty Sexy Money” (new drama series)

THURSDAY: 8:00 p.m. “Ugly Betty”
9:00 p.m. “Grey’s Anatomy”
10:00 p.m. “Big Shots” (new drama series)

FRIDAY: 8:00 p.m. “MEN IN TREES”
9:00 p.m. “Women’s Murder Club” (new drama series)
10:00 p.m. “20/20”

SATURDAY: 8:00 p.m. “Saturday Night College Football”

SUNDAY: 7:00 p.m. “America’s Funniest Home Videos”
8:00 p.m. “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition”
9:00 p.m. “Desperate Housewives”
10:00 p.m. “Brothers & Sisters”

“Cashmere Mafia,” “Notes from the Underbelly” and “October Road” will premiere after “Dancing with the Stars” and “The Bachelor” conclude their fall seasons.

So, some initial thoughts:

• Once again, ABC is throwing a ton of new product on in the fall, despite being one of the stronger networks. It shows how much of their strength is concentrated in a handful of shows, primarily on Sunday, Monday and Thursday. Programming three original dramas on the same night -- even if one of them is a "Grey's Anatomy" spin-off -- is a really risky move.
  
• Of all ABC's pre-existing comedies, who woulda thunk that "Notes from the Underbelly" would be the only survivor? McPherson said "Knights of Prosperity" came close to renewal, but they couldn't find a place for it. On the plus side, "According to Jim" is now dead, dead, DEAD. With the much better "King of Queens" having gone off the air last night, is this the last we'll see of the "Fat oaf with hot wife" sitcom?
  
• "Private Practice" is still a lousy title, but no worse, I suppose, than "Boston Legal."
  
• I'm not as big a Bryan Fuller fan as some (I've liked his work on other people's shows, like the "Company Man" episode of "Heroes," but "Wonderfalls" and "Dead Like Me" both felt like they were trying too hard), but "Pushing Daisies" sounds cool. And I'll watch anything Chris Titus does at least once (except maybe "Killer Klowns from Outer Space"), which means "Big Shots" will be near the top of my pilot pile when it arrives.
• Either the scathing Ain't It Cool? review of "Cavemen" was way off, or this is a situation where McPherson feels the name recognition is too great to not try. Of course, that way lies "Emeril."
  
• I like Christina Applegate, but neither "Help Me Help You" nor "Big Day" did well airing after "Dancing" in the fall. I don't know that reality shows are good lead-ins to comedies -- but then, ABC has no returning comedies on the fall schedule to use as lead-ins.
  

Talk amongst yourselves. Gotta write up the two "H" shows. Click here to read the full post

Upfront Watch: NBC

NBC's first in the rotation to announce their schedule during Upfront Week. You can read the full release here, but I'll post the basic schedule and some quick thoughts after the jump, before I have to hop on a conference call with Reilly and Zucker...

NBC PRIMETIME SCHEDULE FOR FALL 2007-08

*New programs in CAPS (with the exception of "ER")

MONDAY
8-9 p.m. "Deal or No Deal"
9-10 p.m. "Heroes"
10-11 p.m. "JOURNEYMAN"

TUESDAY
8-9 p.m. "The Biggest Loser"
9-10 p.m. "CHUCK"
10-11 p.m. "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit"

WEDNESDAY
8-9 p.m. "Deal or No Deal"
9-10 p.m. "BIONIC WOMAN"
10-11 p.m. "LIFE"

THURSDAY
8-8:30 p.m. "My Name Is Earl"
8:30-9 p.m. "30 Rock"
9-9:30 p.m. "The Office"
9:30-10 p.m. "Scrubs"
10-11 p.m. "ER"

FRIDAY
8-9 p.m. "1 vs 100"/"THE SINGING BEE"
9-10 p.m. "Las Vegas"
10-11 p.m. "Friday Night Lights"

SATURDAY
8-9 p.m. "Dateline NBC"
9-11 p.m. Drama Series Encores

SUNDAY (Fall 2007)
7-8 p.m. "Football Night in America"
8-11 p.m. "NBC Sunday Night Football"

SUNDAY (January 2008)
7-8 p.m. "Dateline NBC"
8-9 p.m. "Law & Order"
9-10 p.m. "Medium"
10-11 p.m. "LIPSTICK JUNGLE"

Some initial thoughts:

• While I'm glad they renewed "Friday Night Lights" (I think; see my concerns in the season finale post), a Friday timeslot is a guarantee the show won't ever expand its audience. A lot of teenagers are out in general, and fans of high school football in particular are out at actual high school football games. So dumping the show here -- and at a fairly late hour for what's, for the most part, a family show -- is a self-fulfilling prophecy. Maybe this was the only way Reilly could get permission to bring it back, by putting it in a timeslot where nothing's expected of it.
• I love the Thursday comedy bloc, but it's been in the tank for months, and the only real change is the swap of "30 Rock" and "The Office." Les Moonves is gonna have a field day with this at the CBS upfront.
• Also, they're doing 30 total half-hours of "The Office" (including five one-hour episodes), 25 "My Name Is Earl"s and a combined 30 episodes of "Heroes" and a quasi spin-off called "Heroes: Origins" designed to introduce new characters outside the flow of the regular storylines. An interesting way to combat reruns, but I worry that the creative teams on these shows are going to burn themselves out doing so many. ("The Office" has shown that there's close to an hour of material in a regular episode anyway, so it's the additional half-hour episodes I'm concerned about, I guess.)
• "Law & Order" gets saved for mid-season, even though they ordered 22 episodes, and there's no word on where "Criminal Intent" will air after its initial runs on USA -- or what the casts of both the mothership and "CI" will look like.
• I've heard good things about "Chuck" (plus it's Josh Schwartz, so I'm kind of obligated to watch), and I'll watch anything with Damian Lewis in it, so "Life" will go to the top of the Pilot Watch pile when it arrives. "Bionic Woman" could be interesting, though how much of the genius of "Battlestar Galactica" is Ron Moore (not involved here) and how much is David Eick?

What does everybody else think?

Click here to read the full post