Leaving so soon? Here we are, barely four weeks after the official start of the new television season, and one heavily promoted new series already has gotten the ax. Inevitably, other executions will follow.
This year, nothing has bolted out of the starting gate the way “Desperate Housewives” did two autumns ago. A handful of bright, shiny contenders are either living up to – or defying – expectations, but far more already look terribly tarnished. The jury’s still out on what their fates will be.
Here’s a scorecard on what’s hot and what’s not.
Hottest newcomer – “Ugly Betty”: Its Sept. 28 debut reeled in 16.3 million viewers, and though it since has lost a couple of million, it’s still considered a hit. “Betty,” which has been finishing second in its time slot (behind CBS’ “Survivor: Cook Islands”) is helping to make ABC a competitive force on Thursday nights.
Lesson learned: Watching a sweet, earnest and slightly overweight girl outwitting scheming, pencil-thin fashionistas appeals to the average viewer.
More to come – “Heroes”: In its third outing this past Monday, the superhero drama drew 13.3 million viewers, and finished in first place among adults 18 to 49. NBC already has picked up the “back nine” episodes, making “Heroes” the first of this year’s new series to get a full season of 22 episodes.
Lesson learned: Ordinary people discovering they have extraordinary powers also holds great appeal for viewers.
The bleakest hour – “Jericho”: Despite the predictions, Skeet Ulrich’s new CBS venture has staved off annihilation, at 7 p.m. Wednesdays. And, as expected, CBS announced on Thursday that it was giving the show a full-season order.
Lesson learned: There is an audience, after all, for a depressing, dreary-looking drama about nuclear disaster.
Outta here – “Smith”: CBS has pulled Ray Liotta’s series from the schedule, and media observers are calling it cancellation – the first of the new season.
Lesson learned: Series about thieves are not stealing viewers’ hearts. Hollywood should have realized this after the failures last spring of NBC’s “Heist” and FX’s “Thief.”
Almost a cold case – “Kidnapped”: After its first two episodes averaged 7 million viewers, and ratings dipped even lower its third time out, NBC decided to wrap up production on the serialized drama after the filming of Episode 13.
Series creator Jason Smilovic reportedly also will wrap up the abduction story line. The network is committed to showing all 13 episodes, but will burn the remaining ones off at 7 p.m. Saturdays, starting this week. Lesson learned: The networks should have listened this summer when TV critics questioned the ridiculously high number of new serialized dramas, which require greater commitment on the part of viewers.
Fading fast – “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip”: As ratings sink, week by week, for this Aaron Sorkin series set behind the scenes of a “Saturday Night Live”-like comedy, you have to wonder how long NBC will stick with this expensive, and surprisingly humorless drama.
Lesson learned: Perhaps “West Wing” creator Sorkin, who also struck out with his TV-studio-
workplace dramedy “Sports Night,” should stick to politics.
