Now that we're well into May, it's time to figure out as a TV fan, what we can expect from the networks in a few months when the 2011-2012 season starts. Over the last few weeks, networks have started to announce whether they're renewing or canceling the shows currently in their possession. Every day this week, I'll look at the possibilities of those shows on the bubble and try to forecast the network's fall schedule. Going in alphabetical order, let's start with the alphabet network itself, ABC.
ABC's 2010-2011 in review:
After losing its signature drama, Lost, there was a bit of a limbo from the new dramas that debuted in the fall. The first casualty was My Generation, who's premise was solid but never caught on. Weeks later, it was joined on the scrap heap by The Whole Truth, who's big named leads (ER's Maura Tierney and Northern Exposure's Rob Morrow) didn't help its cause. No Ordinary Family struggled to capture the lore of superhero movies, while Detroit 1-8-7 is a police procedural that came in the aftermath of police procedural's heyday. Even though the casts for both are solid, neither wowed in viewership numbers. Rumors have circulated in the last day about No Ordinary Family's official cancellation, but that feels like only a matter of crossing t's and dotting i's.
Likewise, the results of ABC's newest medical drama Off the Map, the third medical soap from Grey's Anatomy's Shonda Rhimes, were more negative than even mixed. It has failed to capture any of the momentum of its predecessors Grey's and Private Practice. Those three dramas have hardly a shot to see a second season and I expect them to be sent to cancellation land.
That does leave the fourth freshman drama for ABC to decide the fate upon: Body of Proof. After it's initial drop between the first and second episodes, it has quickly rebounded. Six of its seven aired episodes have scored in the double digits in millions of voters, and it has a cast led by fan favorite Dana Delany, who has made her bones on ABC with China Beach (1988-1991) and Desperate Housewives (2007-2010). It seems like a safe bet to return for a second season.
ABC, for the first time in quite a while, has developed a couple of signature sitcoms that they can base their schedule around. Modern Family became an immediate hit and was renewed for a third season in early 2011. Its syndication rights have already been sold to USA and some FOX affiliates for 2013. By all rights, ABC should be proud of its newest hit. In Modern Family's shadow, Cougar Town finally started to break into some of the mold that its predecessor Scrubs left behind. Bill Lawrence continues to populate his shows with quirky, tight-knit "families". And despite being taken off the schedule for about three months for Mr. Sunshine, it didn't really lose any of its previous numbers.
Moving on to the new sitcoms, Mr. Sunshine was full of hype with Matthew Perry and Allison Janney heading the cast. However, creatively and production-wise, it never captured most of that hype. It's a longshot to be brought back for a second season. Elsewhere, Better With You felt like the odd man out on ABC's emerging Wednesday night comedy lineup. Its numbers were solid for most of the year, but have tailed off, possibly just due to the feeling of doom that its fans have come to expect. The third new sitcom, Happy Endings, got a late start, coming on in April. They're trying a new unique format, putting it at 10 p.m. and running consecutive episodes weekly. So far, it hasn't exploded, but it hasn't imploded either. Of the three, it seems the most likely to take the spot along with the already renewed Modern Family, Cougar Town and The Middle on Wednesdays.
The network's two reality shows that debuted weren't anything to write home to Mom about. Skating with the Stars felt like a mere placeholder between the fall and spring seasons of sister show Dancing with the Stars. Secret Millionaire was given a chance to shine in Extreme Makeover's spot, and did alright, but it feels like a show that works best as a seasonal replacement.
Established shows that will be back:
To this point, ABC has renewed the following shows: Modern Family, Grey's Anatomy, Castle, Private Practice, Cougar Town and The Middle. Castle, holding down the 10 p.m. Tuesday spot, is a show that jumps up and down in ratings, but is consistent enough to serve as a good third drama for the network behind Grey's and Housewives.
Housewives, which hasn't been renewed yet, should be back for an eighth season. While certainly not a top ten hit like it was in its early years, it still does quite well for a one hour drama. In this day and age of TV, a serial drama that isn't a cult hit like 24 or Lost seems to struggle long-term. The fact that it's still routinely a top 20 show should mean it has a bit more life to it.
That leaves question marks to the show that follows it: Brothers & Sisters. Since the beginning of the season, B&S treated this year as if it was the end. Despite its convoluted plots and jammed top-flight cast, B&S continued to fight strong to avoid going out after five years. It's among the biggest tossups of any network, and certainly the most uncertain on ABC. I have to feel it comes down to the reception the network has for Good Christian Bitches, a pilot that could fill some of the holes that B&S would leave.
New series that might make their way onto your TV
As a result of my feelings and thoughts, I have roughly three hours of broadcasting that ABC has to fill with new shows (four if they do away with Brothers & Sisters). For now, I will assume that they will renew Brothers & Sisters for at least a 13 episode run. So what will be the three shows to watch out for in the fall? Here is a list of five that could make it for dramas:
Charlie's Angels - a remake of the classic 70s ABC series, Charlie's was a show that could've been a replacement this past spring; starring Minka Kelly (Friday Night Lights) and Rachael Taylor (Transformers), it's going to be given every chance to succeed; it's also a show that I think will fail...kind of miserably, but I could be wrong
Good Christian Bitches! - this has been making some noise due to its title since it was put on ABC's pilot radar; based on a book series, Leslie Bibb will attempt to return to her hometown of Dallas and prove she is no longer the mean girl she was in high school; a hint of Desperate Housewives here and there, and you have a show that could be its new young sibling
Hallelujah - Desperate Housewives' Marc Cherry brings this mystical drama about a small town (it feels like we've seen this a lot lately) to life; good vs. evil, light vs. darkness; basically, it's another stab at what Happy Town tried and failed at; but it's Cherry so it might have a clever cynicism about it
Pan-Am - Mad Men has paved the way for several shows with the same motif: the sexy 60s; set in the skies of that time frame, it stars Christina Ricci although most of the rest of its cast is relatively unknown; it could fill your "hot, young people bed hopping" primetime soap quota
Poe - due to the popularity in supernatural storytelling in the last few years, Poe is a show that could easily break out; featuring author Edgar Allen Poe as a detective seemingly ahead of his time in investigating, it has a cult classic label written all over it
Shonda Rhimes has a new show in development but after the failure of Off the Map, I don't think they'll go to that well so fast. The other possibility is fairy tale based Once Upon a Time.... None of the sitcom pilots sound like something to expect until late winter.
My guess at ABC's fall schedule (pure speculation):
Sundays
8:00-9:00 - Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
9:00-10:00 - Desperate Housewives
10:00-11:00 - Brothers & Sisters
Note: If Brothers & Sisters isn't renewed, I expect Pan-Am to go at 10 p.m.
Mondays
8:00-9:00 - Dancing with the Stars
9:00-10:00 - Dancing with the Stars
10:00-11:00 - Castle
Tuesdays
8:00-9:00 - Dancing with the Stars
9:00-10:00 - Charlie's Angels (N)
10:00-11:00 - Body of Proof
Wednesdays
8:00-8:30 - The Middle
8:30-9:00 - Happy Endings
9:00-9:30 - Modern Family
9:30-10:00 - Cougar Town
10:00-11:00 - Poe (N)
Thursdays
8:00-9:00 - Good Christian Bitches! (N)
9:00-10:00 - Grey's Anatomy
10:00-11:00 - Private Practice
Fridays
8:00-9:00 - Secret Millionaire/Wipe Out/Shark Tank *reality show placeholder*
9:00-10:00 - What Would You Do?
10:00-11:00 - 20/20
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