Thursday, May 17, 2007

Netlets: Fox and CW present their wares

Editor's Note: I hope no one minds if I skip the programming info for MY, Univision, and Telemundo?

We could almost skip some of FOX, for that matter.....

Fox Unveils 10 New Series; Changes Six Nights
Fox has announced an ambitious new prime-time schedule broken out in three parts: fall 2007, January 2008 and spring 2008.

Keep in mind, of course, that the latter two schedules are subject to change pending the outcome in fourth quarter. Editor's Note: Let's face it....it's ALL subject to change. And FOX is the most A.D.D. of them all when it comes to fickle-finger-of-fate programming decisions, yes? (And all of these delicate machinations fold like a house of cards the minute something doesn't deliver and they have to restart a show earlier to cover the laggards).

Fox will introduce six new series this fall (two dramas, one sitcom and three non-scripted series, including a docu-soap called Nashville), with changes on six of the seven nights. Only Saturday will remain consistent with perennial occupants Cops and America’s Most Wanted. Editor's Note: It doesn't COUNT if you don't change Saturday, if you didn't really program it to BEGIN with.

Included this fall are the return of Prison Break Editor's Note: yay!!! and three shows -- ‘Til Death, Bones Editor's Note: Yay, encore! and King of the Hill -- moving to new time periods.

January 2008 on Fox will feature the return of American Idol and 24, two new dramas (Canterbury’s Law and The Sarah Connor Chronicles), and new time periods for fall-introduced dramas K-Ville and New Amsterdam, plus Bones, King of the Hill and Family Guy.

Effective in the spring will be the return of Prison Break, a new Wednesday 8:30 p.m. comedy called The Return of Jezebel James, and ‘Til Death in a new time period -- Wednesday at 9:30 p.m. A third new comedy, The Rules for Starting Over, is slated in an undetermined time period in midseason.

In total, that makes 10 new series on the map for Fox in 2007-08: four dramas, three sitcoms and three non-scripted series.

Here is Fox’s new prime-time schedule broken out by fall 2007, January 2008 and spring 2008. New shows bolded in caps, followed by the new program descriptions:

Editor's Note: All times EST.

FALL 2007

Monday
8:00 p.m. Prison Break
9:00 p.m. K-VILLE

Tuesday
8:00 p.m. NEW AMSTERDAM
9:00 p.m. House

Wednesday
8:00 p.m. BACK TO YOU
8:30 p.m. ‘Til Death (new time)
9:00 p.m. Bones (new time)Editor's Note: Oh. Good. Now they can be gorier?

Thursday
8:00 p.m. Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?
9:00 p.m. KITCHEN NIGHTMARES

Friday
8:00 p.m. THE SEARCH FOR THE NEXT GREAT AMERICAN BAND
9:00 p.m. NASHVILLE

Saturday Editor's Note: Or as I like to call it "Shutinrepublicantheater."
8:00 p.m. Cops
9:00 p.m. America’s Most Wanted

Sunday
7:00 p.m. The OT (NFL post-game)
8:00 p.m. The Simpsons
8:30 p.m. King of the Hill (new time)
9:00 p.m. Family Guy
9:30 p.m. American Dad

JANUARY 2008

Monday
8:00 p.m. K-Ville (new time)
9:00 p.m. 24

Tuesday
8:00 p.m. American Idol
9:00 p.m. House

Wednesday
8:00 p.m. Back to You
8:30 p.m. ‘Til Death
9:00 p.m. American Idol

Thursday
8:00 p.m. Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?
9:00 p.m. CANTERBURY’S LAW

Friday
8:00 p.m. Bones (new day and time) Editor's Note: so every quarter they shuffle the shows to see if we're paying attention. (Only really ATTENTIVE people can watch FOX!) Or maybe it's a plot to boost subscriptions to TVGuide?
9:00 p.m. New Amsterdam (new day and time)

Saturday
8:00 p.m. Cops
9:00 p.m. America’s Most Wanted

Sunday
7:00 p.m. King of the Hill (new time)
7:30 p.m. American Dad
8:00 p.m. The Simpsons
8:30 p.m. Family Guy (new time)
9:00 p.m. THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES

SPRING 2008

Monday
8:00 p.m. Prison Break
9:00 p.m. 24

Tuesday
8:00 p.m. American Idol
9:00 p.m. House

Wednesday
8:00 p.m. Back to You
8:30 p.m. THE RETURN OF JEZEBEL JAMES
9:00 p.m. American Idol
9:30 p.m. ‘Til Death (new time)

Thursday
8:00 p.m. Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?
9:00 p.m. Canterbury’s Law

Friday
8:00 p.m. Bones
9:00 p.m. New Amsterdam

Saturday
8:00 p.m. Cops
9:00 p.m. America’s Most Wanted

Sunday
7:00 p.m. King of the Hill
7:30 p.m. American Dad
8:00 p.m. The Simpsons
8:30 p.m. Family Guy
9:00 p.m. The Sarah Connor Chronicles

New Show Descriptions:

Dramas
K-VILLE
Set in crime-infested New Orleans two years after Hurricane Katrina, two determined police officers (Anthony Anderson and Cole Hauser) do anything it takes to try to keep order. Editor's Note: Anthony Anderson and Cole Hauser....not exactly people that make you WANT to watch a show. In fact, perhaps the opposite?

NEW AMSTERDAM
A typical looking New York homicide detective named John Amsterdam (Nikolai Coster-Waldau) has one huge advantage: he is immortal. Back in 1642, Amsterdam was a Dutch soldier in the colony of New Amsterdam who was given immorality by a native Indian girl and was told he would not age until he finds true love. Unfortunately, everyone Amsterdam has met eventually leaves him while he remains young. Editor's Note: Depending on how he feels about living forever, he has a perfect excuse to be committment phobic, huh?

CANTERBURY’S LAW (January 2008)
In this new legal drama from Denis Leary and Jim Serpico (Rescue Me), a rebellious female defense attorney puts her career on the line to take on risky and unpopular cases. Linus Roache, Chester Fields and Molly McConnell co-star.

SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES (January 2008)
Based on the heroine from The Terminator theatrical franchise, Sarah (Lena Headey) and her teenage son John (Thomas Dekker) are now fugitives from the law. Alone in a very dangerous, complicated world, the two together must face more enemies from both the present and the future. Their one ally is Cameron (Summer Glau), a student at John’s school. Editor's Note: Ok...Summer Glau. I'll watch.

Comedies

BACK TO YOU
Multi Emmy Award winners Patricia Heaton (Everybody Loves Raymond) and Kelsey Grammer (Frasier) head back to the world of small screen sitcoms in this tale of two squabbling on-air news anchors Editor's Note: So the dramas are targeted to 20somethings and the comedies are targeted to the AARP? Interesting strategy....

THE RETURN OF JEZEBEL JAMES (Spring 2008)
A successful woman (Parker Posey) who seems to have it all lacks one instrumental thing: a baby. But when she finds out she cannot conceive, she proposes a plan for her quirky younger sister (Lauren Ambrose of Six Feet Under) to carry the child.

THE RULES FOR STARTING OVER (Midseason)
A group of newly single friends (Craig Bierko, Johnny Sneed and Shaun Majumder) must start over in their 30s in their quest to find true love. Editor's Note: zzzzzzzzzzz. And since when is Bierko in his 30's?

Non-Scripted

KITCHEN NIGHTMARES
Angry Chef Gordon Ramsay of Hell’s Kitchen fame hits the road, tackling a restaurant in crisis each week and exposing the often stressful realities of trying to run a successful food business.

NASHVILLE
Set in “the biggest small town in America,” this docu-soap from the creative minds Editor's Note: ????!!!! behind Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County will focus on the dreamers and dream-makers in the music industry.

THE SEARCH FOR THE NEXT GREAT AMERICAN BAND
From the producers of American Idol, this new reality/competition will scour the country, seeking groups from all musical genres who think they have what it takes to make it big. The final three acts will compete for a major recording contract and the chance to become music superstars.

The CW Changes Four Nights; Adds Gossip Girl, Reaper
The CW will head into its sophomore season on an aggressive note, with six new prime-time series (three dramas, one sitcom and two non-scripted half-hours) impacting four nights of the week.

The highest profile of the freshman mix, drama Gossip Girl, will air in the network’s protected Wednesday 9 p.m. time period out of America’s Next Top Model.

Former midseason entry Beauty and the Geek has been promoted to the fall and designated as the Tuesday anchor into Buffy, the Vampire-like new drama Reaper.

Monday will feature long-awaited sitcom Aliens in America at 8:30 p.m. out of Everybody Hates Chris and into Girlfriends and surprise returnee The Game.

And Sunday will be completely revamped from 7-9 p.m., with the non-scripted Online Nation and CW Now in the 7 p.m. hour, followed by new drama Life is Wild.

Thursday and Friday will remain unchanged, while encore telecasts of America’s Next Top Model will remain Sunday at 9 p.m.

The CW has also announced four series in midseason, including reality/competitions Farmer Wants a Wife and Crowned: The Mother of all Pageants, and the return of One Tree Hill and Pussycat Dolls Present.

Missing from the lineup (in addition to the already announced departures of 7th Heaven and Gilmore Girls) are three-year-old sitcom All of Us and the critically acclaimed, but ratings-starved Veronica Mars.Editor's Note: I am very sad. But given the rest of the CW line-up, VM doesn't really fit. (too classy, too smart). Sure wish there were another net or cable net to pick this up. I especially liked the rumor I heard that, if the show had been picked up, they were going to skip ahead 5 years and have Veronica set up in her own PI biz. Ah well.....no good show goes uncancelled.

Here is The CW’s fall 2007 prime-time schedule with new shows bolded in caps, followed by the new program descriptions:

Editor's Note: oooo....Guess What?!!! All times EST!

Monday
8:00 p.m. Everybody Hates Chris
8:30 p.m. ALIENS IN AMERICA
9:00 p.m. Girlfriends
9:30 p.m. The Game

Tuesday
8:00 p.m. Beauty and the Geek (new day and time)
9:00 p.m. REAPER

Wednesday
8:00 p.m. America’s Next Top Model
9:00 p.m. GOSSIP GIRL

Thursday
8:00 p.m. Smallville
9:00 p.m. Supernatural

Friday
8:00 p.m. Friday Night Smackdown!

Sunday
7:00 p.m. ONLINE NATION
7:30 p.m. CW NOW
8:00 p.m. LIFE IS WILD
9:00 p.m. America’s Next Top Model (repeats)

New Program Descriptions

Dramas

GOSSIP GIRL
Based on the series of young adult novels of the same name, the lives of a privileged, but dysfunctional group of prep school teens on Manhattan’s Upper West Side is the focus. Being super-rich and super-popular are not necessarily synonymous with finding true happiness. Editor's Note: Subtitle? Life's a Bitch, and no one cares? The cast includes Penn Badgley, Chace Crawfrod, Blake Lively, Leighton Meester, Taylor Momsen, Matthew Settle and former Melrose Place star Kelly RutherfordEditor's Note: Kelly Rutherford is someone's MOM, no doubt? A guidance counselor. Poor dear..

LIFE IS WILD
A blended family living in New York City relocate to spend a year at a broken-down lodge in a game reserve deep inside South Africa. Outsiders at first, the family begins to appreciate the breathtaking scenery, the enchanting locals, and the vibrant culture surrounding them. Brett Cullen (Friday Night Lights) leads the ensemble cast.Editor's Note: Sounds interesting. Like one of those cable shows for tweens you stumble across on Saturday mornings.

REAPER
When a 21-year-old slacker (Bret Harrison) learns that his parents sold his soul to the devil before he was even born, he must now serve as a bounty hunter, tracking down evil souls that have escaped and returning them to Hell. With his friends and trusty vessel-of-the-week at his side, Sam is ready to face his destiny as the Reaper.

Comedy

ALIENS IN AMERICA
A sensitive, nerdy 16-year old (Justin Tolchuk) trying to make it through high school with the help of his well-meaning family finds his world turned upside down when a Pakistani exchange student of the same age (Adhir Kalyan) arrives. The cast includes Amy Pietz (Caroline in the City), Patrick Breen (Kevin Hill) and Lindsey Shaw as popular sister Claire.

Non-Scripted

CW NOW
In this adult 18-34-targeted newsmagazine, the focus is on the hottest fashions, the coolest music, the A-list movies, and the best in technology. Editor's Note: Phew! For a minute there I was worried they were going to try to give REAL news to 18-34 year olds. (Thank goodness THAT's not the case).

ONLINE NATION
Scouring the endless number of websites, blogs and user-generated materials on the Internet, Online Nation will feature everything and anything that has captured the attention of the online world. Viewers, in addition, will be able to communicate with each other live on the air.

CROWNED: THE MOTHER OF ALL PAGEANTS (midseason)
In this eight-episode competition judged by Carson Kressley (Queen Eye for the Straight Guy) and former Miss U.S.A. Shanna Moakler, teams of mothers and daughters are pitted against each other in a no-holds-barred beauty pageant. Editor's Note: Good. More witchy skinny people off the streets!

FARMER WANTS A WIFE (midseason)
In this reality sounding hybrid of Green Acres and The Bachelor, a group of 10 women fed up with bad dates in the big city will compete for the hand of a charming, hard-working farmer.

Editor's Note: Kinda sounds like the CW got the pick of pilots no one else wanted? I think Telemundo even passed on a few of them. Yuck.

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