Midseason is a time of promise.
Quirky, smart new shows debut away from the rush of September, favorites return, and television seems fresh again.
But first, the pink slips.
This year, it seems, more marginal fare is hanging on while the networks introduce fewer new projects in January through early spring.
Bye-bye
Fox nixed “Head Cases” and “Reunion,” and curtailed production for “Kitchen Confidential” and, lamentably, “Arrested Development.”
NBC yanked “Inconceivable” and “Three Wishes” and won’t continue Martha Stewart’s “Apprentice.” In January, the disappointing “Joey” will be pulled at least until after the Winter Olympics in February. (Might as well put it out of its misery now.)
ABC canceled “Night Stalker” and “Hot Properties” and put “Alias” and “Supernanny” on hiatus.
CBS axed “Threshold” and pulled “Out of Practice” out of the lineup for the forseeable future.
The WB jilted “Just Legal.” UPN dumped “Sex, Love & Secrets.”
The best explanation for the continuation of middling performers like the WB’s “Related” and NBC’s “E-Ring” is that keeping them going is safer and cheaper than launching something new. In today’s intensely competitive entertainment environment, networks favor a known quantity.
The race for demographics is so tight, nobody wants to mess with modest success.
There are sometimes extenuating, political reasons why undistinguished shows stick around. CBS’ “Close to Home” is such a case. As a product of the Jerry Bruckheimer factory, it’s not going away.
At this point, it’s safe to assess the trends of the season: There were no breakout hits on the order of “Lost,” procedural dramas are losing steam, reality TV is in decline (finally), and cable’s original series (“Rome,” “Weeds,” “Sleeper Cell,” “The Triangle”) continue to draw viewers away from the broadcast networks.
Except for ABC, the commercial broadcast networks are down in audience numbers. NBC in particular is losing viewers. UPN has a good story to tell, especially versus the WB. Broadcast TV in general has hit a plateau. While part of the audience watches cable, another must be hibernating with Netflix until January when “Dancing With the Stars,” “American Idol” and “24” return.
Now then. If we can just get past the forced, pretaped merriment and prefabricated styrofoam snow of TV’s holiday “specials.”
Hello
Midseason will bring four new CBS series: “Love Monkey,” with Tom Cavanagh (“Ed”) as a single 30-something record executive in New York, and a Jenna Elfman comedy, both in January. “The Unit,” a David Mamet action drama with Dennis Haysbert, and a Julia Louis-Dreyfus comedy, “The New Adventures of Old Christine,” are slated for March. (CBS is also working with Al Sharpton on a sitcom, tentatively titled “Al in the Family,” with no premiere date set.)
NBC will debut “Book of Daniel,” starring Aidan Quinn as a pill-popping Episcopalian priest, and the comedy “Four Kings,” about four guys who were childhood friends, now toying with adulthood (from the creators of “Will & Grace”). “Book of Daniel” will launch with back-to-back episodes on Friday, Jan. 6, and go through Feb. 3 as a “limited run” series. It will be benched during the Olympics but a strong following would ensure the drama’s return. “Four Kings” starts Jan. 5. “Scrubs” returns, not a moment too soon, on Jan. 3.
ABC is readying the Monday night comedy “Emily’s Reasons Why Not,” starring Heather Graham. “In Justice,” a procedural drama starring Kyle McLachlan, begins Jan. 6; “Crumbs,”a Fred Savage comedy about estranged brothers, with Jane Curtin and William Devane, begins Jan. 12.
Fox has a promising comedy for March called “The Loop,” about a recent college grad in Chicago who, unlike his pals, has a job.
And in March the WB will introduce a bright, likable drama called “Pepper Dennis.” Remember this name: Rebecca Romijn (pronounced “Romaine,” like the lettuce). She plays the show’s title character, a TV news reporter.
TV critic Joanne Ostrow can be reached at 303-820-1830 or jostrow@denverpost.com.
