Tales from a Canadian trapped in Hollywood

First of the new shows canceled was Ashton Kutcher’s “The Beautiful Life.” It’s ratings were just super low.  I didn’t watch it because I really don’t care about models and their lives.

Eastwick - I thought this would just be a Charmed like reboot and wasn’t really looking forward to it at all. Because of it’s time slot (when nothing else is on), I decided to give it a chance. And I liked it. It had good comedic timing, it was interesting and mysterious. Even when it was a little predictable they pulled it off in a charming way.

Flash Forward - VERY interesting concept. Everyone (save a few) passes out and sees what’s going to happen 9 months later. This episode was extremely depressing and futile. If in the next week or so we don’t see that they can change their futures, I will also delete this show from the tivo cue.

Grey’s Anatomy – normally I like this show, but this episode felt WAY too predictable. Other than the curve ball at the end of the show, which seems like a desperate way to inject new life into the series. I think if it continues down this path I may just delete it in a couple weeks.

Smallville – sadly I don’t remember what happened – OH WAIT – yeah a bunch of mushy stuff. My biggest beef is that Superman now looks like Batman. It was just meh. Sadly I thought the last season of this show would be a little more – epic.

Mercy - was trying WAY to hard to be Grey’s Anatomy, except wasn’t as well written or acted.  Especially when they take the heroine and make her a cheating biatch in 1 episode.  Networks – WE NEED PEOPLE TO ROOT FOR!! We need to know them and love them before you throw major stones at them or get them stuck in a tree.  I have deleted it from the tivo.

I hear Dexter was awesome. We netflix the show, so we won’t get to see the new season until January. It is a fairly dark show, but has amazing writing.

Sam will update you on NCIS, NCIS LA and Numb3rs if you are interested. I went to sleep for those.

So far I’ve watched:

Vampire Dairies – which was awful.  It was slow, boring, slow, torturous, had awful music edits and I won’t be watching it again.

Glee – which I LOVE the concept for, but the over produced music is driving me INSANE.  It’s Glee club, I want to hear them sing for REAL.  I do not want to hear over dubbed, over layered, and effected CD tracks.  Then I would just listen to iTunes or a CD.  I also find that they are trying to cram too many story lines into 1 episode.  I’m not sure if it’s because they have too many cooks in the kitchen (aka too many people giving notes) or if it’s because the head honchos are just green. We will see if they can fix it or not, but I might only have a couple more episodes in me before I delete it out of sheer frustration.

Bones – premiere came back fairly strong.  The story had a good mystery, no real twists and continued sexual tension between Bones & Booth. Deep down I wish they would just hook up already, but I know that’s usually the kiss of death for a tv show. The overall cast just has such a great chemistry it’s always worth watching to see what will happen next.

Fringe – also came back strong.  An interesting start, good setup for the rest of the season,

Community – was a nice surprise.  Starring Joel McHale & Chevy Chase I wasn’t sure if this would be a hit or a miss.  It was funny though and not too over the top, staged, or preachy feeling.  Within 22 minutes you got a good feel for the main characters and there are quite a few to root for.  My favorite line of the episode was McHale’s character Jeff Winger”…either I’m God, or truth is relative. Either way Boo-Yah.” I’m looking forward to more of Community!

Have any of you caught anything I missed that you think I should tune in for??

A special congratulations to everyone on Intervention that won an Emmy last weekend!! I’ve worked with a few of them, and they are truly deserving of the award.

***EDIT*** MOVED to Friday, September 25th – 9 PM – Fox “Dollhouse”

Hi everyone! Sorry it’s been so long.  Sam and I are expecting and have just 4 months left until we have our first born child.  It’s a boy.  So much to do and so little time!!

The fall tv season is approaching at breakneck speed. Hopefully this will help you set your @tivo schedule better.

New Shows

The only new show on Monday nights is at 9pm on NBC Trauma. It’s a Paramedic show and the fall promos seem half decent.  With ER off the air, most of the networks are trying to replace it. We will see if this one sticks.

Tuesday night has a few new shows.  ABC at 8pm has Shark Tank (which honestly looks like a crappy local tv reality show – you try to convince millionaires to invest in you). At 10pm ABC has The Forgotten (interesting concept, they are trying to figure out who 40,000 dead people were, but is this just another Christian Slater flop?).   CBS has NCIS: LA at 9pm and at 10pm the The Good Wife.  It is starring Julianna Margulies as a mom who has to take control of her family when her husband goes to jail after a very public sex scandal.  I think I will pass on this one.

Wednesday nights is a whole new sitcom night for ABC including old stars in new shows. Kelsey Grammer is starring in Hank, Patricia Heaton in The Middle, Ed O’Neil aka Al Bundy in a very funny new show called The Modern Family and Courtney Cox is in Cougar Town.  CW is going for Gossip Girl in the high fashion world with The Beautiful Life: TBL at 9pm. Pass! NBC also looking to steal ER’s audience with the nurse drama Mercy at 8pm. Let’s say maybe on that one, wait and see what the buzz is.  One show I am looking forward to this fall and that has GREAT potential is Fox’s new show Glee at 9pm.

Thursday nights for ABC has FlashForward at 8pm.  This is where the whole world blacks out and sees what happens 6 months from that day. FlashForward has a great promo campaign, and I will be tivoing it to see what it’s like.  CW is trying to use True Blood and Twilight’s buzz  to release Vampire Dairies at 8pm.  Although VD has the WORST advertising campaign EVER – we don’t want to see 2 teens just sitting around and WRITING. UGH. AWFUL.  I won’t watch it unless it gets AMAZING buzz.  So let me know if you guys watch this and like it.

Friday, Saturday and Sunday has nothing new/notable.  For all the shows including the old ones go here for a full breakdown.  I’ve not mentioned Melrose Place because it doesn’t count as new, just recycled.

Premiere Dates

Tues. Sept. 8
8 PM – CW “90210″
9 PM – CW “Melrose Place”

Wed. Sept. 9
8 PM – CW “America’s Next Top Model”

Thurs. Sept. 10
8 PM – CW “The Vampire Diaries”
9 PM – CW “Supernatural”

Mon. Sept. 14
8 PM – CW “One Tree Hill”
9 PM – CW “Gossip Girl”
10 PM – NBC “The Jay Leno Show” with Jerry Seinfield as guest

Tues. Sept. 15
8-10 P.M. – NBC “The Biggest Loser”

Wed. Sept. 16
8 PM- Fox “So You Think You Can Dance”
9 PM – Fox “Glee”
9 PM – CW “The Beautiful Life: TBL”

Thurs. Sept. 17
8 PM – Fox “Bones”
9 PM – Fox “Fringe”
8 PM – NBC “Saturday Night Live Weekend Update Thursday”
8:30 PM – NBC “Parks and Recreation”
9 PM – NBC “The Office”
9:30 PM – NBC “Community”
8 PM – CBS “Survivor: Samoa” (19th installment premiere)

Fri. Sept. 18
8 PM – Fox “Brothers”
8 PM – Fox “‘Til Death”

Mon. Sept. 21
8 PM – Fox “House M.D.”
8 PM – NBC “Heroes” (Two Hours)
8 PM- ABC “Dancing with the Stars” (Two Hours)
10 PM – ABC “Castle”
8 PM – CBS “How I Met Your Mother”
8 PM – CBS”Accidentally on Purpose”
9 PM – CBS “Two and a Half Men”
9 PM – CBS “The Big Bang Theory”
10 PM – CBS “CSI: Miami”

Tues. Sept. 22
10 PM – ABC “The Forgotten”
8 PM – CBS “NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service”
9 PM – CBS “NCIS: Los Angeles”
10 PM – CBS “The Good Wife”

Wed. Sept. 23
8 PM – NBC “Parenthood”
9 PM – NBC “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”
9 PM – ABC “Modern Family”
9:30 PM – ABC “Cougar Town”
10 PM- ABC “Eastwick”
8 PM – CBS “The New Adventures of Old Christine”
8 PM – CBS “Gary Unmarried”
9 PM – CBS “Criminal Minds”
10 PM – CBS “CSI: NY”

Thurs. Sept. 24
8 PM -ABC “Flash Forward”
9 PM – ABC “Grey’s Anatomy”
9 PM – CBS “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation”
10 PM – CBS “The Mentalist”

Fri. Sept. 25
8 PM – CW “Smallville”
8 PM – NBC “Law & Order”
9 PM – NBC “Southland”
8 PM – CBS “Ghost Whisperer”
9 PM – CBS “Medium” (network debut)
10 PM – CBS “Numb3rs”
*** MOVED TO HERE *** 9 PM – Fox “Dollhouse”

Sun. Sept. 27
8 PM – Fox “The Simpsons”
8 PM – Fox “The Cleveland Show”
9 PM – Fox “Family Guy”
9 PM – Fox “American Dad”
7 PM – ABC “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” (Two Hours)
9 PM- ABC “Desperate Housewives”
10 PM – ABC “Brothers & Sisters”
7 PM – CBS “60 Minutes”
8 PM – CBS “The Amazing Race”
10 PM – CBS “Cold Case”

Mon. Sept. 28
8 PM – Fox “House M.D.”
9 PM – Fox “Lie to Me”
9 PM – NBC “Trauma”

Tues. Sept. 29
8 PM – Fox “Hell’s Kitchen”
9 PM – Fox “So You Think You Can Dance”

Wed. Sept. 30
8 PM – ABC “Hank”
8 PM – ABC “The Middle”

Sun. Oct. 4
9 PM – CBS “Three Rivers”

Thurs. Oct. 8
8 PM – NBC “Community”

Fri. Oct. 9
8 PM – ABC “Ugly Betty” (Two Hours)

Thurs. Oct. 15
9:30 PM – NBC “30 Rock”

Fri. Oct. 16
8 PM – ABC “Supernanny”

Sat. Nov. 7
11 PM – Fox “The Wanda Sykes Show”

Hopefully nothing will change too much more.  If it does, I will let you know!

So? What will you be watching this fall??

It’s pilot season here in LA, but pilot season isn’t what it used to.  Pilots are now being scattered throughout the year.  It’s bad for crews that expect lots of extra work this time of year, although good for keeping more people steadily employed through out the year.

It’s also Upfront Season.  That’s where the networks sell their fall schedules to advertisers, trying to drum up investments for the fall.  This means networks DO have to have their fall schedules fairly locked down. Locked down is not necessarily the exact day/time, but it is what shows are coming back for sure or not.  The big thing right now is for casts & crews if their show is “on the bubble.” That means their ratings aren’t quite good enough to get an early green light, so they may or may not be canceled still.

Yesterday Sam and I bought Footlong Subway Sandwiches trying to help save the “on the bubble” show Chuck.

Here’s a run-down of which Network shows are and are not on the bubble. Please be advised, network people may have inside information I do not, this is just looking at the ratings and what has already been published in places like Variety and the Hollywood Reporter.

CW has already canceled Valentine and Easy Money.  CW Shows On the Bubble include Everybody Hates Chris, The Game, Privileged, and Reaper. Show’s coming back for sure are 90210, Gossip Girl, One Tree Hill, Supernatural, and Smallville.  The Game may come back as a dramedy, but the jury is still out.

On the bubble for ABC is In The Motherhood, Better off Ted (which has a lower rating than Pushing Daisies had before they pulled PD’s plug), The Unusual, Cupid, and… /wipes tear from her eye/ Castle. Already canceled is According to Jim, Eli Stone, Pushing Daisies, Dirty Sexy Money, Scrubs (although talks are in the works for this moving to another network or ABC changing their minds), Boston Legal, and Life on Mars. Safe shows are Ugly Betty, Grey’s Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, Lost, Brothers & Sisters and Private Practice. The probably safe two are Samantha Who? and Surviving Suburbia.

Fox isn’t announcing too much. The only ones for sure safe are: Simpsons, American Dad, 24 and Til Death. I think Fringe, House, Lie to Me, Family Guy and Bones are safe because they post high enough ratings in key demos. Final Seasons of Prison Break and King of the Hill are currently airing. Do Not Disturb is the only show officially axed already. On the bubble are: Sarah Conner Chronicles (which can go, I don’t think many people will notice/care), Dollhouse (Joss fans will be heartbroken AGAIN), and Sit Down Shut Up (which I haven’t seen anything about at all).

With NBC moving Leno to the 10pm hour, they are loosing a lot of original programming. It’s kind of sad. The only shows renewed so far are Office, Heroes, Law & Order: SVU and 30 Rock. Like I predicted, Crusoe, Lipstick Jungle and My Own Worst Enemy are all canceled. ER aired it’s final season and is also gone. Kings, Life, Knight Rider, Kath & Kim and Chuck are all on the bubble. NBC can cancel them ALL, but hopefully not CHUCK!!! (As far as I care.)

The shows that are probably safe, but still on the bubble are Law & Order, My Name is Earl, Medium, Parks & Rec, and Southland.

CBS is the hardest one to predict because they’ve released very little so far. The only 2 shows renewed/safe are The Big Bang Theory and Two and 1/2 Men. The only show canceled is The Ex List. Meaning everything is officially on the bubble. I will guess CSI, CSI Miami, Rules of Engagement, How I Met Your Mother and The Mentalist are safe.

I will try to keep you updated as more news comes out.

All four gone -

Lipstick Jungle (only one I don’t care about)

Pushing Daisies

Dirty, Sexy, Money

Eli Stone

  I’m sad. Nuff said.