First thoughts on the Fall TV schedules

by David Blackwell

The Fall TV show schedules have been announced as some promising shows and not so promising shows make the schedule while other interesting shows didn't get picked up. I will lay down some of my thoughts on the planned Fall schedules (please remember Fall schedules can change at the whim of the people who control the programming of these networks, so watch some shows and don't worry about cancellation- just enjoy the show).

I'm glad Tru Calling is coming back, but this upcoming Fall season isn't a happy place for sci-fi shows. The WB didn't pick up the new LOST IN SPACE series (supposedly they couldn't find the right showrunner even though the pilot tested well) and the new DARK SHADOWS revival (grrr. I wanted to see another series of Dark Shadows). The plots of the new shows that did get picked up by the WB don't interest me at all (JACK & BOBBY and THE MOUNTAIN- meh!)

ALIAS gets bumped to mid-season (ouch!), but J.J. Abrhams' new series LOST is on the ABC schedule against Smallville on Wednesday nights.

This Fall TV schedule so far looks to be the worst for ne and innovative shows so far, but maybe the new shows will prove me wrong (or not).

ABC has NYPD BLUE on it's 12th and final year on Tuesdays. It will play with very few repeats and end by early March to make way for a new Steve Bochco drama called BLIND JUSTICE about a blind cop (wouldn't it just be better to have a remake of SECOND SIGHT?!). I don't know whether DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES will make it on Sundays at 9 pm ET, but I won't be surprised if ABC pairs ALIAS up with LOST on Wednesdays (only if LOST is still around) if DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES is a hit. THE PRACTICE: FLEET STREET (the spin-off series of THE PRACTICE) may end up as a dud with audiences. The mid-season series, EYES, sounds interesting. EYES is about a P.I. firm that makes their clients' problems go away quietly. The show stars Tim Daly. MERCY HOSPITAL (mid-season) might be D.O.A. with audiences because there is too much competition on Mondays and there hasn't been a successful hospital drama for years besides E.R.

CBS has a problematic schedule. Besides their strange strategy of wanting to put CSI: NEW YORK against LAW & ORDER on Wednesdays, they have decided to forsake their Saturday audiences and continue the erosion of finding a good show to watch on that night even harder.

FOX will have TRU CALLING return this fall on thursdays with The O.C. as a lead-in. I hope that strategy works for both shows. 24 returns in Jan 2005 with 24 episodes airing over 21 weeks on Mondays (a 2 hour premiere, 2 hour mid-season event, and 2 hour season finale). HOUSE sounds like the only interesting new show where THE INSIDE sounds too much like 21 JUMP STREET REDUX.

MEDICAL INVESTIGATION holds my interest most for new shows where I may check out HAWAII (the new cop show) and LAX on NBC. NBC mid-season does look interesting with new dramas such as MEDIUM, REVELATIONS and LAW & ORDER: TRIAL BY JURY.

UPN moves ENTERPRISE to Fridays for the show's fourth season. VERONICA MARS looks like the only interesting new show from UPN period.

FINAL ANALYSIS: This upcoming Fall season looks to be the weakest for promising new shows. Whether any show is a hit or a loser is up to the viewing public. Hopefully next year will bring some new shows on the horizon.

this article is (c)6-8-2004 David Blackwell and this article cannot be reprinted without permission. send all comments to lord_pragmagtic@hotmail.com  and look for additional content (and site updates) at http://www.livejournal.com/users/enterlinemedia