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TV Mid-Season '09: The Complete Review – What is coming back

As we know, who says new year, says new schedule.

Time for The Complete Review’s awesome second part about the mid-season.
Let’s get it on and start things off with what is coming back.
I am not here talking about shows that premiered in fall, rather shows from last year that we have all been waiting for (or not?).

They’re back again. With a full stomach.


– Flashpoint – Season 2 (premieres Jan. 9): As previously reported, including the last 4 episodes from Season One, the second season should be comprised of 22 fresh episodes. Can it still be the hit it was last year? Only time (and Nielsen) will tell.


– Friday Night Lights – Season 3 (premieres Jan. 16): The season that has already been shown on DirecTV. I’m waiting for the HD release to watch it. Has it refound its Season One epicness?


– Scrubs – Season 8 (premieres Jan. 6): If you still haven’t heard, don’t be confused; Scrubs has moved to ABC due to shitty programming by NBC (amongst other things). If you want to get spoiled on the season/series-finale, there’s an interview with Bill Lawrence (the show’s creator) talking about that and what will happen once he and Zach Braff leave at the end of this year (yes, the show will probably continue in some form).
– Lost – Season 5 (premieres Jan. 21): They got off it. Now how do they go back?


– 24 – Season 7 (premieres Jan. 11): 24: Redemption was crap, and so were the first 15 minutes of the Season 7 premiere. Mix that with Tony Almeida coming back from his grave as a villain, and you’ve got another crappy 24 season on your hands. Or perhaps not?


– Reaper – Season 2 (premieres March 17): Cool first season, although I preferred Chuck to it.


– Big Love – Season 3 (premieres Jan. 18): Never saw the point of this show.
– Flight of the Conchords – Season 2 (premieres Jan. 18): I am told it is awesomely great.


– The L Word – Season 6 (premieres Jan. 18): Haven’t watched the show since Season 3 so can’t really comment on it.

The Big Unknown
The Tudors – Season 3 (Spring): How can a historical show continue to reinvent itself? By changing History.


– Battlestar Galactica – Season 4 (or rather 5) (premieres Jan. 16): This show has disappointed me so much since the third season, I just want to get it over with.


– Damages – Season 2 (premieres Jan. 7): The first season was epic and the second is supposed to begin where we last left off our awesome characters. Unfortunately it is quite probable that this second season will be less formidable than the first, though still quite entertaining nonetheless.

The Big Unknown
Rescue Me – Season 5 (Spring): The latest season was just okay with completely useless mini episodes. Let’s hope Rescue Me can wake up (I was about to do a Rescue Me play on word but waaaaay too easy). Michael J. Fox is coming back to TV with a role as Janet’s new love interest.

Now that we’ve seen new seasons, we’ll get a good look at the fresh new shows coming our way for this mid-season.
My guess is: awesomeness is coming.

Is NBC reviving television?

Is NBC reviving television?

Okay, so we know that the people running NBC are the reincarnation of the Devil and/or are morons.
But is what they are doing such a bad thing?
You’re probably pulling hair out of your head right now.

And this leads me to my second shocking question of the week:
Is NBC reviving television?

Or rather: Are Dumb and Dumber indirectly boosting creative content?

As I pointed out yesterday, the 10PM slot is begging to be changed.
Well, not really “begging”.
CBS’ Les Moonves himself declared the other day that “Taking a third [broadcast] competitor out of the marketplace will make us even stronger”, though he said that for different reasons (“‘CSI: Miami’ on Monday at 10 o’clock will beat Jay by a lot. Remember that. By a lot.”).
The Leno-move should not be without consequences for the 10PM slot on the other nets.
I am not talking about drastic schedule changes here (even if I’m guessing it’ll unfortunately come to that — affiliates anyone?).
I am talking here more about quality changes.
We have in one corner C.S.I., and in the other Jay Leno.
Bring on the alternative!

And if there isn’t any alternative on the Big Five, then we sure as hell will tune to other content-providers.

Like Cable.

Less network series means more cable series.
More cable series means (generally) more quality-content, more creative control and more options.
And all this leads to more cable channels taking chances on new talent.

We have already covered in much details the cable scenario though, so I won’t repeat here.

An Nth movie channel by Paramount, MGM and Lionsgate is even in the works.
How long before they are making their own original content?

And don’t forget the Internet!

Leslie declared that CBS has “about 12 different ways” to monetize “their content” after its first run.
Wait…
I thought that no money could be made off the Internet?
Or was that only during the strike?
I’m confused.

Anyway, there’s plenty of opportunities over the Internet.
A new wave of entertainment is arriving.

Let us sum up everything neatly with this great metaphor:
Basically Jay Leno moving to primetime is like the wings of a butterfly flapping in Central Park, causing an earthquake in Asia/Television.
Wait.
This metaphor is clearly not the right one as it far from represents this duality that all the various repercussions from the Jeno-move (will) have on the entertainment industry.
But whatever.

Congrats to NBC on a coup that will for sure change the industry.
Or at least make everyone in the Biz crazy right now.

Is NBC killing television?

Is NBC killing television?

Yesterday’s Leno-primetime announcement shakeup led to various online articles on the subject.
Such as an article by the co-writer of Leno’s autobiography (yes, I know that doesn’t make much sense) on “how Leno won again.”
EW is also explaining the 101 on why NBC is doing the move.

Still, the move is clearly a gut-punch to fellow TV writers as Shawna points out.
Temp X has also a post up explaining how NBC is actually run by aliens.
Don’t be fooled by their moronic attitude!

Meanwhile, ABC is also considering merging TV divisions.

This leads me to this shocking question:
Is NBC killing television?

Or rather: Are Dumb and Dumber slowly destroying original content?

The merge-move and Leno in primetime makes perfect sense business-wise.
After all, it cuts cost, and the show will most likely do better than what is currently on at 10PM.
But is it a good entertainment-move?
Me think not.
Is NBC really going to destroy the 10PM slot because of their failed shows from this fall?
Sure, “E.R.” will be gone soon, and so will be “L&O:SVU”. “Enemy” is out and the rest of the shows are sadly pointless.

But stop blaming all your problems on crappy shows.
And stop replacing said crappy shows by even worse shows!

Making new with old is good for some stuff, but faking new with old is far from creating “new” content.

Be original for frak’s sake!

If everyone would pull a Zucker, and every network would simply remove dramas from the 10PM slot, original primetime content would be swallowed by clones of clones of clones of shit.

How did CBS become number one?
By making “The Golden Girls 2: Touched by a David Letterman”?

No, by banking on some island-reality-show and a revolutionary procedural.
I’m not saying find the next great cash cow or cool reality hit.
This craze is gone.

Don’t hang on to the past, look towards the future.
For instance, find original stuff that can successfully make the bridge between TV and the Internet.
Don’t just dump money on “Nude Dance Competition with Your Pets XI”.

To be honest, The Leno Show will probably do well, but don’t think that means we want more talk-shows in primetime instead of solid drama.

Think with your brains, not with your wallet.

I have faith that CBS will pull out “CSI: My Ass”.
I’m hoping though that FOX/ABC will wake the fuck up and seize this great opportunity to be the underdog; bringing alternative, groundbreaking content to this 10PM slot.

Don’t ruin this for us, guys.
Please.