Network Upfront Week (2008-09 Network Schedules)
 

It's the official cut week for network TV. Always interesting.

Monday, May 12 -- NBC
Tuesday, May 13 -- ABC, CW
Wednesday, May 14 -- CBS
Thursday, May 15 -- FOX

NBC already announced their schedule last month, so I'm not exactly sure what they are announcing today. Here is that schedule:

I posted this in the Life on Mars thread, but it looks like ABC has renewed Boston Legal and picked up Life on Mars.
http://www.zap2it.com/tv/news/zap-ab...,1833165.story

I wonder what kind of shake-up Boston Legal will have in store for next season?

On the one hand, I think this season would've been plenty. On the other, I'd be interested to see what kind of storylines DEK comes up with if Obama wins.

Here's the latest buzz according to Kristen over at EOnline...

NBC: Most of the major announcements were made at Ben Silverman’s early bird quasi-upfront last month, but today we’ll also learn that:


* Jimmy Fallon is taking over for Conan O’Brien.
* Ryan Seacrest is launching a new reality dating series called Momma’s Boys, in which overprotective mothers find a bride-to-be for their son.


ABC (announcements to be made Tuesday):

* Boston Legal will return, but with a significantly scaled down cast. (Reminiscent of The Practice’s cleaning and firing of six castmembers in 2003, which led to spinoff Boston Legal.)
* Eli Stone will get picked up and may possibly move into Boston Legal’s spot on Tuesday.
* Women’s Murder Club is gone.
* Miss/Guided is likely to be picked up.

CW (announcements to be made Tuesday):

* Jury’s still out on Reaper. It may return midseason. I may go insane waiting for the official word.
* Aliens in America is gone.
* 90210 has been picked up, with special guest appearances by Jennie Garth and likely Tori Spelling.
* How to Teach Filthy Rich Girls has become Surviving the Filthy Rich and has been picked up.
* Stylista, a new reality series from Tyra Banks and Ken Mok, has been picked up. Contestants compete for an editorial job at Elle magazine.
* Returning series: Gossip Girl, Smallville, Supernatural, One Tree Hill, Everybody Hates Chris, The Game, America’s Next Top Model.
* Pussycat Dolls and Beauty and the Geek have been canceled.

CBS (announcements to be made Wednesday):

* No official word yet on How I Met Your Mother, but sources connected to the series say they are expecting a fourth-season pickup, thanks in part to the recent ratings uptick and media attention over Britney’s guest spot.
* The Unit is very likely to receive a pickup.
* Moonlight is likely to receive a pick-up.
* The Mentalist (Simon Baker), Eleventh Hour (Jerry Bruckheimer) and Game Show in My Head (reality competition from Ashton Kutcher) all picked up.
* Geena Davis’ drama pilot Exit 19 has not been picked up.

FOX (announcements to be made Thursday):

* J.J. Abrams’ pilot Fringe, which reportedly cost $10 million to produce, has been picked up to series. In the vein of the X-Files, the series will feature weekly freaky-deaky investigations.
* Joss Whedon’s Dollhouse will premiere midseason, perhaps in a Monday time slot.
* Arrested Development reunion! This fall look for a new animated series, Sit Down, Shut Up, from AD creator Mitch Hurwitz. Based on a live-action Australian sitcom, the U.S. version is centered around the lives of seven high school teachers in the Northeast and will be voiced by the likes of Jason Bateman, Will Arnett and Henry Winkler.
* Peter Berg—you know, the guy behind Friday Night Lights—has been asked to direct the two-hour backdoor pilot for Ronald D. Moore’s new space exploration drama Virtuality.
* According to Deadline Hollywood Daily, the network is said to be enthusiastic about the Bernie Mac drama Starting Under, but it needs a new show runner.
* Back to You has been canceled, but rumor has it that CBS, which produces the show, is looking at it for a pickup.
* New Amsterdam will also not be returning, as we previously reported.
* ‘Til Death will be back

I wouldn't be surprised to see a wholescale turnover except for the Big-4 on BL - like they do almost every year - the supporting characters are written to be expendable. Having a bunch of unknowns probably helps keep production costs down since between Spader, Shatner, Bergen, and Larroquette, their actor payroll is probably the highest on TV.

Frankly, I'm a bit surprised that BL is getting a S5. Like I said - it's probably one of the more expensive shows on TV. It's also getting very stale - DEK shows generally have a shelf-life of 3-4 years. It's ratings are only okay.

I'm just waiting to hear the details of the Office spinoff.

Oh and maybe NBC can find a way to cancel Studio 60 again...

I'm glad to see Miss/Guided might come back. That was one of the best sitcoms I have seen in years.

:banana:

I wish they would get rid of Larroquette. His character adds nothing to the series. I much preferred the characters they got rid of to make way for him. I have not enjoyed the series as much since he came on.

DeadlineHollywood.com has some great, up to the minute postings on whats getting picked up and whats not. So far everything I watch is getting picked up or close to it.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080512/.../tv_ugly_betty


Chris

Sucks for all the people that will now need new jobs. Not only that, all the other businesses that sells props, lumbers, etc just lost a huge amount of income.

I thought it was already shot in NYC. :lol:

Nope, the pilot was then the show was moved to Los Angeles.

Me too. :lol:

I'm also pleased to hear that Miss Guided may receive a pickup. As some have mentioned this is probably the best and freshest sitcom I have seen in a long time. Judy Greer and the supporting cast were a delight to watch. Hopefully they will at least give it 13 episodes.

Obviously Ugly Betty's moves benefits NYC since there are very few productions being shot there and it's going to create more jobs. Vanessa Williams is probably ecstatic since she already lives there. But, I've always heard that it costs studios a fortune to shoot in NYC or any other city outside of LA. I don't really understand the tax credit and how it benefits the studios.

The good:
Pairing Dollhouse with 24 could make for MIGHTY STRONG Monday for FOX. No more word on PrisonBreak? Not that I'm returning for S4....

What took so long? Anything that fell into the old Veronica Mars slot automatically gets my venom.

FOX has already renewed Prison Break for its 4th season. I don't think the number of episodes have been decided but I think they have the option of ordering up to 23 episodes. Production is being moved from Texas to Los Angeles. I'm wondering how that will affect the storyline...will they rebuild the Sona set or just forget about it totally?

Don't say things like that. My head may just explode from the awesomeness of that possibility.

-pray-

CBS

Mythological X (CBS/20th Century Fox TV) drama receives a series order, but it's unclear if it's for fall or mid-season. It will be re-titled The X List.
The Mentalist (WBTV) drama ordered to series.
Untitled Ed Yeager (ABC TV Studios) comedy pilot ordered to series.
11th Hour (WBTV/Jerry Bruckheimer TV) drama ordered.
Jon Turtletaub's Harpers Island (CBS Paramount) drama ordered for mid-season.

ABC

Eli Stone renewed for 13 episodes.
October Road cancelled.
Life On Mars (20th Century TV) received series order for 13 episodes.

I just Fox doesn't put "Dollhouse" up against "Heroes."

Only an out-of-towner would think that. ;)

This could be good, but only if each week the son is revealed to be gay and the season finale ends in group sex.