The Guessing Game 2009

The Guessing Game 2009 — Renewals and Cancellations

by Alex on April 27, 2009

in Featured Posts,TV Analysis

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Part 1 of 3

    The Upfronts are fast approaching and I need to post what I think will happen (if only to say TOLDJA!).

    Let the Guessing Game begin!

    First, the renewals.

    Lots of shows are on the bubble as always this time of year.
    Ergo, it’s the perfect moment to play the guessing game of what is coming back/getting canceled.

    Some of the educated guesses on here are mainly follow-ups to my durability thinking in the Spec Script 2009 list I gave a couple of months ago.

    Shows that are not on this list have either been already declared canceled (My Own Worst Enemy, Prison Break, etc.), have already been renewed (24, Ugly Betty, Lost, Grey’s Anatomy, etc.), or I don’t care much about/forgot about.

    Since I’m crazy, often wrong, and especially suicidal, here is my guess list:

    Cold Case
    My guess: Canceled
    Why?: This renewal fight is between Cold Case and Without a Trace. Given that Trace has more decent numbers than Cold Case,
    Why not?: The show is the youngest of the two.

    Eleventh Hour
    My guess: Canceled
    Why?: A lot of other, new, procedural-type shows are coming CBS’ way.
    Why not?: Bruckheimer.

    Flashpoint
    My guess: Renewed
    Why?: Epic Friday ratings. Add to that the fact that more and more shows are being co-produced, and Flashpoint is here for the long run.
    Why not?: No real reason.

    How I Met Your Mother
    My guess: Renewed
    Why?: I think it still has one season under its sleeve.
    Why not?: Average ratings for a CBS sitcom, and both The Big Bang Theory & Two and a Half Men have already been renewed for multiple seasons.

    The Mentalist
    My guess: Renewed
    Why?: Duh.
    Why not?: CBS execs have realised it’s a Psych copy-cat.

    The New Life of Old Christine
    My guess: Canceled
    Why?: Has been disposable ever since it was launched.
    Why not?: If the upcoming sitcoms are complete failures, the show might see another day.

    Rules of Engagement
    My guess: Renewed
    Why?: The show is pulling in better numbers than CSI: Miami.
    Why not?: Like Old Christine, the show is fairly disposable and has mostly those ratings thanks two its lead-in.

    Without a Trace
    My guess: Renewed
    Why?: See above regarding Cold Case.
    Why not?: The show is old and expensive.

    Worst Week
    My guess: Canceled
    Why?: Pulled out of sked, low ratings.
    Why not?: Jesus has returned.

    Chuck
    My guess: Renewed
    Why?: Like I previously said, I doubt NBC would leave to die a heavily-promoted show, especially after putting so much money in the 3-D episode, even if the ratings are average.
    Why not?: Everyone and their mothers are saying it’s canned.

    Kings
    My guess: Canceled
    Why?: Thoroughly under-promoted, a lame timeslot followed by an even lamer timeslot followed by the show being pushed back to Summer.
    Why not?: Good question.

    Life
    My guess: Canceled
    Why?: The show was on average pulling worse ratings than Knight Rider or My Own Worst Enemy.
    Why not?: My prayers worked.

    Medium
    My guess: Canceled
    Why?: Because I want it to.
    Why not?: Sundays at 10PM, right doc?

    My Name is Earl
    My guess: Canceled
    Why?: Change is coming and they need to clean out a bit their Thursday lineup.
    Why not?: The ratings, even though average, are still decent compared to the rest of the NBC shows.

    Parks & Recreation
    My guess: Renewed
    Why?: The show pulls in pretty decent numbers…
    Why not?: …despite its very late start.

    Southland
    My guess: Renewed
    Why?: The show pulls in pretty decent numbers despite its very late start.
    Why not?: NBC’s sked is getting smaller and smaller.

    Better Off Ted
    My guess: Canceled
    Why?: In the same rating-zone as Pushing Daisies and Dirty Sexy Money once were.
    Why not?: No reason why it should get renewed, Better Off Dead.

    Castle
    My guess: Canceled
    Why?: Lackluster ratings (and reviews) and ABC needs to shed some shows to make room for the new.
    Why not?: I don’t want Nathan Fillion to be jobless.

    Cupid
    My guess: Canceled
    Why?: No time for third chances.
    Why not?: Why not, not?

    Scrubs
    My guess: Canceled
    Why?: Everyone has moved on.
    Why not?: It would be a good prank to renew it.

    The Unusuals
    My guess: Canceled
    Why?: Very late start and mediocre ratings.
    Why not?: ABC might take pity on Harold Perrineau.

    Bones
    My guess: Renewed
    Why?: Decent to good ratings.
    Why not?: Don’t you want to continue be bored?

    Dollhouse
    My guess: Canceled
    Why?: All those reasons.
    Why not?: All these reasons.

    Fringe
    My guess: Renewed
    Why?: “By the writers of Star Trek comes the new season of Fringe.“
    Why not?: In one of the many parallel universes out there, the show gets canned.

    House M.D.
    My guess: Renewed
    Why?: Best. Ratings. Ever.
    Why not?: The Upfronts will be on April Fool’s Day 2010.

    Lie to Me
    My guess: Renewed
    Why?: Also has great ratings and a known star.
    Why not?: I would be lying if I said it was gonna get canceled.

    The Sarah Connor Chronicles
    My guess: Canceled
    Why?: More or less the same reasons as Dollhouse. The ratings are bad and FOX isn’t happy.
    Why not?: Send back an army of viewers in time to watch the show.

    Sit Down, Shut Up
    My guess: Canceled
    Why?: The poor ratings are tanking FOX’s Sunday night.
    Why not?: The ratings the show would pull next year would be (sadly) funnier than the show itself. Yes, I’m harsh.

    The next Guessing Game will be about the pilots that are going to get picked up, so stay tuned.


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    The Guessing Game 2009 — Pilots

    by Alex on May 4, 2009

    in Featured Posts,TV Analysis

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    Part 2 of 3

      Wow, just as I’m about to post my list of Pilots that I think are gonna get picked up, NBC announces 6 shows that are getting picked up.

      Anyway, the Guessing Game still continues with this time the list of Pilots that will get picked up (says me, and I’m always right wrong).

      In the interest of full disclosure I have kept here untouched what I thought the NBC pick-ups were gonna look like.

      Here goes everything:

      Comedies

      The Karenskys
      What: A woman reunites with her eccentric family.
      When: Mondays.
      Why: You need your annual comedy that is gonna get canned ASAP.

      Accidentally on Purpose
      What: A San Fran movie critic becomes pregnant of a much younger man with whom she had a fling.
      When: Wednesdays.
      Why: Jenna Elfman.

      Dramas

      Three Rivers
      What: A medical procedural about organ donation told through the points of views of the doctors, the donors, and the recipients.
      When: Sundays.
      Why: It’s a procedural, and we’re talking about CBS here.

      Back
      What: A man reported missing for eight years after 9/11 comes back home to his family.
      When: Sundays.
      Why: Cry Out Loud Sundays.

      Washington Field
      What: Experts travelling around the world to protect the U.S. national interest.
      When: Thursdays.
      Why: Come on, “Experts travelling around the world to protect the U.S. national interest.”

      NCIS Spin-Off
      What: NCIS 2.0
      When: Coupled with NCIS (Tuesdays).
      Why: It’s an NCIS spin-off.

      Comedies

      100 Questions for Charlotte Payne
      What: The story of Charlotte Payne, a young woman in the New York dating scene with her friends.
      When: Thursdays.
      Why: It might be good? (LOL)

      Community
      What: …College.
      When: With 100 Questions.
      Why: Joe and Anthony Russo from Arrested Development. And Chevy Chase (fresh off his Chuck stint).

      Parenthood
      What: A mother uproots her kids to return to her hometown.
      When: Fridays.
      Why: Great cast.

      Dramas

      Day One
      What: Jericho meets Survivors, in Van Nuys.
      When: Mondays, eventually coupled with Heroes.
      Why: Post-apocalyptic show and seems like a good replacement for Heroes in the long run.

      Legally Mad
      What: A partner at his Chicago law-firm working with his daughter.
      When: Mid-Season and Sundays at 9PM.
      Why: It’s a David E. Kelley procedural.

      Lost & Found
      What: John and Jane Does at the LAPD.
      When: Wednesdays, in replacement of Law & Order?
      Why: Dick Wolf.

      Trauma
      What: An emergency medical procedural taking place “out in the field”.
      When: Sundays?
      Why: Sounds to me like the perfect E.R replacement.

      Comedies

      Cougar Town
      What: Courtney Cox at 40 and on the prowl.
      When: Scrubs’ timeslot.
      Why: ABC seemed to love Scrubs so much that it literally bought it back to life. Why not another Bill Lawrence project?

      No Heroics
      What: The daily lives of fail super-heroes.
      When: Mondays.
      Why: Because it’s so original that it’s actually inspired by a U.K. show of the same name (and content).

      The Bridget Show
      What: A self-help guru that can’t follow her own advice.
      When: Wednesdays.
      Why: Barry Sonnenfeld, Lauren Graham and Jeffrey Tambor.

      The New Twenty
      What: Two friends, one who just had a baby, the other whom’s wife just left him.
      When: Mid-Season.
      Why: Eric McCormack and Tad Quill.

      Dramas

      Flash Forward
      What: Take a look at all those posts.
      When: Wednesdays at 10PM and then coupled with Lost.
      Why: ABC has been talking about the show for months, and are promoting it like it has already been picked up. Also, it’s replacing Lost.

      Empire State
      What: Romeo & Juliet set in modern days.
      When: Until it gets canned.
      Why: Too much of a great cast to let it slip away.

      See Kate Run
      What: Jack & Bobby meets Commander in Chief.
      When: Wednesdays at 8PM.
      Why: Hilary Clinton will be so proud.

      Eastwick
      What: TV adaptation of the 1987 movie.
      When: Mid-Season 2010.
      Why: Witches in primetime, why not?

      V
      What: Remake of the 80s mini-series.
      When: Wednesdays at 8PM.
      Why: Because they’re pushing it already.

      Happy Town
      What: Twin Peaks 2.0, from the guy that made the U.S. version of Life on Mars.
      When: Wednesdays at 9PM (until Lost).
      Why: Because I want to see Amy Acker back on TV sooner than later.

      Comedies

      AbFab
      What: U.S. adaptation of the cult British show.
      When: Sundays.
      Why: They want to try to emulate the iconic British success.

      Brothers
      What: A retired football player returns to his hometown.
      When: Sundays (hey, it’s FOX).
      Why: Mitch Hurwitz meets CCH Pounder.

      Dramas

      Human Target
      What: Based on the DC Comic, a bodyguard that impersonates his clients.
      When: With Dollhouse if it gets renewed, if not, with 24.
      Why: Why would FOX not take a chance on an “edgy” SF-action drama?

      Maggie Hill
      What: A schizophrenic heart surgeon.
      When: Thursdays.
      Why: Alfre Woodard & Brian Grazer.

      All done.
      Once the Upfronts are done I’ll check back on both posts to count the points!

      Until then, as usual, Wait & See…


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      The Guessing Game 2009 — Rundown

      by Alex on May 26, 2009

      in Featured Posts,TV Analysis

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      Part 3 of 3

        Now that I’m (almost) fully caught up on the Upfronts, time to make a rundown of The Guessing Game 2009.

        Like I said previously, what was the most surprising for me weren’t the actual pick-ups, but the schedules the networks made for this fall (and mid-season).

        First, CBS.
        I gladly called 3 of the new shows as well as their new timeslots save for Accidentally on Purpose which goes on Mondays.
        The NCIS spin-off is now called NCIS: Los Angeles.
        Ground-breaking.
        We also have the renewals.
        It wasn’t Cold Case that got canned, rather Without a Trace. Meanwhile, Old Christine also got renewed. NBC’s Medium jumped ship, joining the Eye on Fridays.
        So that’s 6 out of 9 guesses correct for renewals.

        Some previews:

        Most of the CBS previews are unfortunately kinda nuked.
        Not that much of a loss though.

        On to NBC.
        Now here starts the weird stuff.
        I already posted the various previews for those of you interested.
        Again, not a lot of surprises regarding the picks for the new shows, and as for the renewals, well, I’ve been waiting since several months to say that but: I frakkin’ called it for Chuck getting renewed! Hell yes.
        As for the rest of the renewals, I think I can get half a point for Medium at least, making 6.5 out of 7 guesses correct.
        Now, the strange part comes with the actual schedule.
        Trauma is put right after Heroes on Mondays, a slot I would have thought Day One was gonna be put in. But no, Day One is mid-season after the 2010 Olympics and coupled with a 13-episode Chuck season. Perhaps too soon to tell, but I’m thinking neither Heroes not Chuck will live past the 2009–2010 season.
        Community has been put on Thursdays whilst 100 Questions was as well pushed for mid-season.

        Moving on to ABC and probably the strangest schedule yet and its 11 (!) new shows.
        Some of the drama picks surprised me (like Copper), but overall pretty straight-forward choices with V, Happy Town, Cougar Town, and Eastwick.
        Regarding the renewals however, there we have a few strange moves, not the least of which were the renewals of Better Off Ted, and also Scrubs, getting a ninth season (a disappointing renewal for me). Castle also gets a second season and keeps its slot, making 2 of my 5 guesses the right ones.
        Time to talk a bit about the scheduling.
        What the frak?
        First, you’re putting what might possibly be your next new SF hit (Flash Forward) before Grey’s Anatomy, on Thursdays, and moving Ugly Betty on Fridays.
        Then, you’re trying to imitate NBC’s old Thursdays, but on Wednesdays, putting 4 comedies followed by a drama.
        This is madness!

        And now, time for FOX.
        Pretty surprised AbFab wasn’t taken, as for the rest, we’ll see.
        Regarding the renewals, the biggest surprise on my part was Dollhouse, although I guess they succeeded in cutting the budget. The other picks were again somewhat obvious, so that is 6 out of 7 guesses correct.
        FOX’s schedule, like the other nets this season is peculiar to say the least.
        Dollhouse was obviously put on Fridays, but behind ‘Til Death and Brothers. I don’t really see the point of picking up Brothers and Dollhouse if you’re just gonna throw them out to die.
        Another really strange move is not only changing Fringe’s timeslot, putting it behind Bones, but putting it on Thursdays head-to-head against C.S.I., The Office, and Grey’s Anatomy, making this in my opinion one of the dumbest moves this season.
        Human Target on the other hand gets a nice push by being put in mid-season just behind American Idol. I’m not sure though the audience will stay given that Target is sandwiched before and after its run by Glee. And let’s just say I doubt the audience for Glee and Target share much similarities.

        Previews as usual:

        Brothers

        The Cleveland Show

        Human Target

        Past Life

        Sons of Tucson

        To sum up:
        CBS — 6 out of 9 guesses correct
        NBC — 6.5 out of 7 guesses correct
        ABC — 2 out 5 guesses correct
        FOX — 6 out of 7 guesses correct

        All done.
        Not bad for a first timer, right?

        As for the actual shows, we’ll see this fall how all those crazy moves, pick-ups, and schedules, play out.
        It should definitely be an interesting season…


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