Sometimes the little things say the most about the wrongheadedness of network television.
ABC, in its wisdom, changed the name of its most promising one-hour fall comedy, switching from clever and whimsical to overly simple and off-putting, starting the dumbing-down process early.
“Betty the Ugly” was the original title of the series about a homely but endearing young woman (America Ferrera of “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants”), who enters the fashion business. That title captured the story’s mythic grandeur, as well as its telenovela origins. After being pushed through the network wit extractor, the series is now called “Ugly Betty,” a title lacking both humor and truth. A committee of expensive suits watching a focus group has done its work.
So, is the TV schedule half
empty or half full? Thankfully, there are a number of decent pilots on tap this year, even if there’s no single breakout buzz-maker like “Desperate Housewives” or “Arrested Development” of seasons past. Do we let ourselves believe in the possibilities of this crazy business and risk a broken heart? Or do we turn to NetFlix in disgust?
Once again, cockeyed optimism reigns.
As the networks parade their wares in Los Angeles this week in a festival of hype and cocktails known as the TV critics’ summer press tour, the glad-
handing is transparent, the critical grousing predictable. Still, there’s always the chance a minor creative miracle will withstand the grueling development process to become a favorite source of continuing entertainment – maybe even a pop-cultural phenomenon.
Banking on that hope, producers, writers, cast members, studio executives and the network folks who greenlit their projects submit to grillings by reporters in a semi-annual symbiotic dance. Everyone knows the slates will bear many more misses than hits. But one hit can surpass the gross national product of many third-world nations.
A few reasons for hope: James Woods is magnetic as a shark of a lawyer, and David Crane (“Friends”) has written a smart, brilliantly cast new ensemble comedy, “The Class,” about grown members of a long-ago third grade, both on CBS.
“Betty” is agreeable no matter what they call it. ABC also has the most anticipated hour on the schedule: “Brothers & Sisters.” A family soap about grown siblings, it hasn’t been distributed to critics. With Ron Rifkin (“Alias”), Rachel Griffiths (“Six Feet Under”) and Calista Flockhart (“Ally McBeal”) in the cast, it’s the year’s best unseen hope for a hit. Confirming the notion that “Brothers & Sisters” is internally considered the network’s best shot, ABC gave it the post-“Desperate Housewives” timeslot.
NBC has “Friday Night Lights,” inspired by the book and movie, following a Texas high school football team. In January, the network brings us “The Black Donnellys,” Paul Haggis’ drama about four brothers in New York.
A slew of “Lost” wannabes – mysterious, convoluted stories, huge casts and intricate back stories – may turn up a worthy contender. The trend is away from crime procedurals like “Law & Order” and “CSI,” and toward serials like “Lost” and “Prison Break.”
ABC boasts the ensemble soap “Six Degrees” about interconnected strangers in New York, and “The Nine,” about the suddenly linked survivors of a bank heist. CBS pitches “Jericho,” following a small town after an apocalyptic explosion. NBC touts “Kidnapped” starring Timothy Hutton and Dana Delany as parents whose teenage son is abducted. Fox has “Vanished,” exploring the disappearance of a senator’s wife.
On the “Saturday Night Live” deconstruction beat, NBC has two offerings: “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip,” from Aaron Sorkin (“The West Wing”), and “30 Rock,” Tina Fey’s take on the backstage action. Odds are against both surviving.
At least the interviews won’t be dull: Anne Heche will promote her new series, “Men in Trees,” in which she plays a romance specialist with a mess of a personal life; Ted Danson will explain why he needs an undistinguished sitcom like “Help Me Help You” at this stage in his career, and Katie Couric and Charlie Gibson will talk about making the leap from perky morning show hosts to their respective anchor chairs.
Beyond pushing programs, network chiefs can be expected to acknowledge new ways of distributing shows – iPods, laptops, cellphones – and discuss what the evolution means to their business. Questions about indecency and what the federal regulators have in mind will be debated as producers complain of censorship in the wake of Janet Jackson’s infamous reveal.
Two new networks also make their cases. The CW joins the fray with “Runaway,” about a family using fake identities trying to outrun the legal system that unjustly convicted the dad, played by Donnie Wahlberg. And the News Corp.’s MyNetworkTV, for stations no longer affiliated with the defunct UPN or WB, unveils it’s all-telenovela lineup, starting with “Desire” and “Fashion House.”
All we ask is one good series. Until further notice, optimism.
TV critic Joanne Ostrow can be reached at 303-820-1830 or jostrow@denverpost.com.
