Fall 2007 Television

[meatpie]

So I thought I would start a thread since my Hus gets the pilots and we could chat a bit about new shows, returning shows, etc. A few others here have access to pilots so I would love to hear what they think!!!

NBC

Chuck - Alias-like in that several characters are FBI, CIA, etc. Cute chick that kicks butt, and Chuck (http://imdb.com/name/nm1157048/ - Zachary Levi - is incredibly likeable. I can't wait to set the TiVo for Monday nights and Chuck!!!

Journeyman Pilot was good and very interesting. I'm not sure the main actor is good enough. I just wasn't feeling the love for him. He's Kevin McKidd. But the show is an interesting mix of action, scifi, fantasy and it could be fun to see where it goes. Here is Kevin http://imdb.com/name/nm0571727/

Bionic Woman Hot factor of main actress off the charts. However, can a drop-dead stunner sexpot make the geeks go crazy for the new Bionic Woman? Faithful viewers of this type of show are the ones who frequent that San Diego convention for comics. She may be too hot for them. But the special effects are crazy and from the pilot looks promising.


ABC

Big Shots The return of Michael Vartan...can't even make me like this pilot. hus thought it was OK. He laughed a few times. But I'm tired of the all-white country club membership having, marriage troubles, cheating spouses storylines. I was terribly bored.

Dirty Sexy Money Peter Krause is good. Pilot is pretty. Main incredibly rich family is funny at times. Nothing new and wonderful, but we may watch it. I particularly loved Seth Gabel's character. http://imdb.com/name/nm0181787/ Maybe if you like Brothers and Sisters this is for you.

Carpoolers I really wanted to like it. The pilot was pretty good. Jerry O'Connell is fun. It's Office-like and I like that as well. We'll see if it's funny enough.

Pushing Daisies Apparently the pilot cost like $2 million bucks to make. Seriously, do not know the exact amount, but it's pricey and beautifully shot. http://imdb.com/title/tt0904208/ Barry Sonnenfeld (Men in Black) and Brian Fuller (Heroes) are behind it and it's getting great buzz. It's very interesting. We'll set the TiVo and see what happens. The Hus will watch but I have this weird thing about death in shows. Shows like this give me nightmares. But everyone is looking forward to it.

CBS Have not seen any pilots yet!! But I hear Cane with Jimmy Smits is terrible.

HBO/SHOWTIME
Californication David Duchovney (sp?) is back and he's hard to like, but he's really funny and completely lost. He basically has sex with anything and everyone because he wants his ex and the mother of his 12-year-old daughter back. It's a bit raunchy, but a lot of people love it.

I'll continue later...

[littlebear]

Oh no! I wanted Cane to be good. I dig Jimmy Smits.

Any word on K-Ville on Fox?

[Sophia]

I'm probably going to check out Journeyman--the promos look interesting. I'm not sure how I feel about a new Bionic Woman--I watched the first when I was a kid in the 70s, so there's the whole nostalgia/original thing for me to get over.

[meatpie]

I'll check out K-Ville this weekend.

And a lot of people wanted Cane to be good. But it's not looking like it is...

[littlebear]

Great! Thank you! I'm curious to hear what you think. I really think that I want to watch Pushing Daisies now just to see the expensive pilot.

Did y'all hear about the big controversy with Kid Nation and the child labor laws? CBS is pushing it with that one.

[ginastorm]

I'm ready for some new shows. This summer seems to be particularly bad as far as television shows.

[Rosebud]

A friend is going to loan me a bunch of Fall pilot screeners this weekend, so hopefully I can watch and report back on what I liked. He told me his favorites were "Samantha Who," "Swingtown" and "Chuck."

Also, Ask Ausiello (from TVGuide.com (http://www.tvguide.com/News-Views/Columnists/Ask-Ausiello/default.aspx?columndate=16-May-2007)) listed his picks for new fall shows:

Question: What's your take on the new crop of shows making their way to the tube this fall? Any standouts? Stinkers?— Jeremy
Ausiello: Having watched 98 percent of the pilots, here's my breakdown of the great, the good, the "eh" and the avoid-at-all-costs.

Totally Obsessed
Pushing Daisies (ABC)
Aliens in America (CW)
Reaper (CW)

Solid/Not Quite Spectacular
Journeyman (NBC)
Bionic Woman (NBC)
Dirty Sexy Money (ABC)
Women's Murder Club (ABC)
Sarah Connor Chronicles (Fox)
Back to You (Fox)
Gossip Girl (CW)
Chuck (NBC)
Samantha Who? (ABC)
Return of Jezebel James (Fox)
Private Practice (ABC)

Could Take It or Leave It (Probably Leave It)
Carpoolers (ABC)
Cavemen (ABC)
Life (NBC)

Thanks, But No Thanks
Cashmere Mafia (ABC)
Big Shots (ABC)
Viva Laughlin (CBS)

[southerner]

BuzzSugar has been running a great series about all the new pilots coming out in the Fall:

Cavemen (http://buzzsugar.com/548030)

Bigshots (http://buzzsugar.com/534685)

Aliens in America (http://buzzsugar.com/523621)

Life (http://buzzsugar.com/507674)

New Amsterdam (http://buzzsugar.com/479311)

Moonlight (http://buzzsugar.com/501171)

Bionic Woman (http://buzzsugar.com/464964)

Pushing Daisies (http://buzzsugar.com/446460)

Dirty Sexy Money (http://buzzsugar.com/440237)

Journeyman (http://buzzsugar.com/408627)

Reaper (http://buzzsugar.com/395444)

Gossip Girl (http://buzzsugar.com/361296)

Chuck (http://buzzsugar.com/327429)

K-Ville (http://buzzsugar.com/286496)

Return of Jezebel James (http://buzzsugar.com/289522)

[meganth]

I'm really looking forward to Pushing Daisies, although maybe a little less once i realized that's not Zoey Deschanel!

[Sin Nombre]

Boy, I sure hope the writers of "New Amsterdam" are paying royalties to author Pete Hamill.

The plot appears to be a direct adaptation of Hamill's wonderful New York novel, "Forever".

[Rosebud]

Interesting article from "The Watcher" (a TV blog on the Chicago Tribune's website). She loves Dirty Sexy Money and hates Big Shots.

Fall's best and worst new shows - and why ABC should dump one and hype the other (http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/entertainment_tv/2007/08/falls-best-and-.html)

ABC is making a huge mistake with its fall schedule. The network has given the prime slot following "Grey's Anatomy" to the vile "Big Shots," which is the most inexplicable programming decision in recent memory, given that "Big Shots" is by far the worst new program for fall. This mistake is fixable, however. ABC should give that plum Thursday spot to "Dirty Sexy Money," which is by far the best show that the broadcast networks have come up with for the new season.

But before I get to what "Dirty Sexy Money" does right, it's worth examining the train wreck that is "Big Shots." Actually, the two shows do have a little in common- they both contain many elements of ABC's increasingly inflexible formula, which appears to mandate large ensembles, clandestine scheming, attractive characters who are frequently wealthy, and soapy or semi-soapy elements such as infidelity and unrequited love. The gorgeously made "Dirty Sexy Money" refines and expands on that formula with intelligence and heart. "Big Shots," on the other hand, appears designed to make "Grey's Anatomy" fans reach for a vomit bucket.

There are also a bunch of interesting responses to the article, including this:

If you think that "Big Shots" is the worst new program for the fall, I shudder to think how much worse ABC's "Cavemen" must be. It seems that most people who have seen the fall pilots think "Pushing Daisies" and "Aliens in America" are the best new shows. Some people have been betting that "Viva Laughlin" will be the first new series to get the axe. I would say that ABC is more likely to cancel one of their new shows first ("Cavemen" and "Carpoolers" both look like weak links).

[jmvan74]

When is the fall line-up scheduled to start?

[sdianems]

Interesting thread! I can't stand the premise of Cavemen and am really looking forward to Pushing Daisies.

[carrie9142]

Well, any new show I like is going to be immediately cancelled in favor of some crappy new reality show. :p

[framboise]

Does anyone have any idea whether Journeyman is similar to / based on the book The Time Travelers Wife? That's the impression I have gotten from the handful of commericals that I've seen but I haven't seen or read anything that comes straight out & says it.

[cocoa_femme]

Does anyone have any idea whether Journeyman is similar to / based on the book The Time Travelers Wife? That's the impression I have gotten from the handful of commericals that I've seen but I haven't seen or read anything that comes straight out & says it.
I don't think so. I think the only similarity is the time travel itself. Although, I'm only on page 83 of The Time Travelers Wife so I may be wrong. But, in the book, doesn't he spend time with his wife (and himself) at various times in her/his life?

[framboise]

I saw the commercial again this morning and remembered the specific thing that reminded me of The Time Traveler's Wife. There was a quick blurb of a scene where the guy saw a girl & said "Olivia?" She turned around and said "do I know you?" and he said "not yet". That interaction made me think of TTTW and exactly what cocoa femme said about the time traveler & the future-wife meet up while she's young.

[jrdhbunny]

Boy, I sure hope the writers of "New Amsterdam" are paying royalties to author Pete Hamill.

The plot appears to be a direct adaptation of Hamill's wonderful New York novel, "Forever".
There's an article on cnn.com that talks about how Pete Hamill is pretty amused/annoyed about the way "New Amsterdam" is so similar to "Forever". The producers are saying that they had never read "Forever" and that "New Amsterdam" is their idea; any similarities are purely coincidental. Hamill seems to be taking it in stride and won't sue.

Here's the article (http://www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/TV/08/30/theimmortalidea.ap/index.html).

[Rosebud]

AOL (http://television.aol.com/feature/fall_tv/best-worst-new-shows) weighs in on their picks for best new shows of Fall:

1. Pushing Daisies
2. Bionic Woman
3. Gossip Girl
4. Chuck
5. Dirty Sexy Money

Seems pretty much in line with what others are saying...

[meatpie]

I also hated Big Shots. The Hus thought it was funny at times. I don't think it will do well aftrer Grey's. Some of the acting and characters are just plain bad. Plus, I think it's a show geared more toward men, and that's not the case with Grey's. We'll see.

Journeyman Was similar in the pilot (I thought so anyway...). But I'm not real familiar with the book. From what I know of the book it's similar in how he travels. Meaning he has no control over when and where he is going to leave and his wife has to deal with his absences. But there is also a first love in the show (different from that of the book), who we think dies, but also appears in the pilot not dead. It's interesting to say the least. I really enjoyed the pilot.

[Rosebud]

Some premiere dates for new shows:

Dirty Sexy Money- Sept. 26- 10pm/9c (ABC)
Pushing Daisies- Oct. 3- 8pm/7c (ABC)
Chuck- Sept. 24- 8pm/7c (NBC)
Aliens in America- Oct. 1- 8:30pm/7:30c (CW)
Gossip Girl- Sept. 19- 9pm/8c (CW)
Bionic Woman- Sept 28- 9pm/8c (NBC)
Journeyman- Sept. 24- 10pm/9c (NBC)
Samantha Who- Oct. 15- 9:30pm/8:30c

[MsPeachy]

I have to say I'm not 100% sold on most of the new shows. I only make room for a new show if it fits in my existing show schedule.

Here is a list of the returning show premieres I'm anticipating. Unfortunately I watch a lot of Fox and have to wait until after Baseball is done to get my shows.

Nip/Tuck - FX, Tues Oct 23 10pm
Smallville - WB, Thurs, 9/27 8pm
Supernatural - WB, Thurs, 10/4 9pm
Bones - Fox, Tues 9/25 8pm (soooo glad they moved this show back to Tuesdays!)
House - Fox, Tues 9/25 9pm
Criminal Minds - CBS, Wed 9/12 9pm

I want to check out Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares (Fox, Wed 9/19 9pm) and also New Amsterdam which I heard was going to be on Fridays but coldn't seem to find an actual premiere date/time.

[Rosebud]

also New Amsterdam which I heard was going to be on Fridays but coldn't seem to find an actual premiere date/time.

I couldn't find a date for that one either! They must have chosen something by now, though.

[mgrace]

I, apparently, have been in a cave because I haven't heard of 3/4 of these. I am looking forward to Back To You. Anyone know when that starts?

[mmm0708]

Here's a list...

Premiere Dates


September 6th ~ Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? (FOX)


September 9th ~ Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO)


September 8th ~ Cops (FOX)


September 11th ~ The Biggest Loser (NBC)


September 14th ~ NASHVILLE (FOX)


September 15th ~ MADtv (FOX)


September 17th ~ Deal or no Deal (NBC)
Prison Break (FOX)
K-VILLE (FOX)


September 18th ~ Beauty and the Geek (CW)


September 19th ~ KID NATION (CBS)
America's Next Top Model (CW)
GOSSIP GIRL (CW)
BACK TO YOU (FOX)
Til' Death (FOX)
KITCHEN NIGHTMARES (FOX)


September 20th ~ Survivor:China (CBS)


September 23rd ~ 60 Minutes (CBS)
Cold Case (CBS)
Shark (CBS)
The Simpsons (FOX)
King of the Hill (FOX)
Family Guy (FOX)


September 24th ~ Dancing With the Stars (ABC)
The Bachelor (ABC)
How I Met Your Mother (CBS)
THE BIG BANG THEORY (CBS)
Two and a Half Men (CBS)
Rules of Engagement (CBS)
CSI:Miami (CBS)
CHUCK (NBC)
Heroes (NBC)
JOURNEYMAN (NBC)


September 25th ~ Dancing With the Stars (ABC) (performance)
Boston Legal (ABC)
NCIS (CBS)
The Unit (CBS)
Bones (FOX) -- New Time
House (FOX)
CANE (CBS)
REAPER (CW)
The Singing Bee (NBC)
Law & Order: SVU (NBC)


September 26th ~ Dancing With the Stars (ABC) (results)
PRIVATE PRACTICE (ABC)
DIRTY SEXY MONEY (ABC)
Criminal Minds (CBS)
CSI:NY (CBS)
BIONIC WOMAN (NBC)
LIFE (NBC)


September 27th ~ Ugly Betty (ABC)
Grey's Anatomy (ABC)
BIG SHOTS (ABC)
CSI (CBS)
Without a Trace (CBS)
Smallville (CW)
My Name is Earl (NBC)
The Office (NBC)
ER (NBC) .


September 28th ~ Ghost Whisperer (CBS)
MOONLIGHT (CBS)
Numb3rs (CBS)
Las Vegas (NBC)


September 29th ~ 48 Hours Mysteries (CBS)


September 30th ~ Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (ABC)
Desperate Housewives (ABC)
Brothers & Sisters (ABC)
American Dad (FOX)


October 1st ~ Everybody Hates Chris (CW)
ALIENS IN AMERICA (CW)
Girlfriends (CW)
The Game (CW)


October 2nd ~ CAVEMEN (ABC)
CARPOOLERS (ABC)


October 3rd ~ PUSHING DAISIES


October 4th ~ Supernatural (CW)
30 Rock (NBC)


October 5th ~ Friday Night Lights (NBC)


October 7th ~ America's Funniest Home Videos (ABC)
LIFE IS WILD (CW)


October 12th ~ 20/20 (ABC)
WOMEN'S MURDER CLUB (ABC)
Men In Trees (ABC)


October 15th ~ Samantha Who? (ABC)


October 18th ~ VIVA LAUGHLIN (CBS)


October 25th ~ Scrubs (NBC)


November 27th ~ CASHMERE MAFIA (ABC)

[mmm0708]

Shows on hold until mid-season...

24
Lost
One Tree Hill
Jericho
Cashmire Mafia
Lipstick Jungle
Miss/Guided
According to Jim
Eli Stone
The New Adventures of Old Christine
The Amazing Race
The Shield
Medium
American Idol
Return of Jezebel James
Sarah Connor Chronicles
Unhitched
The Apprentice
New Amsterdam
Canterbury's Law
Heroes: Origins
Law and Order
October Road
The Wire
Swingtown

[BeachBum]

Thanks for that list!

[Sazoo]

Yeah, thanks! :) I'm excited for all of my shows to start up again. Yay!

Still undecided about which new shows to check out, though...hmmm...

[Michelle]

That list is fantastic! Thank you! Tonight I am going to pull it up when I'm sitting in front of the TV start setting my DVR!

[mmm0708]

I think the only new shows I'm going to tune into are Women's Murder Club, Dirty Sexy Money, and The Big Bang Theory. With two little kids and the "old" shows I watch, I don't have time to watch too many. I hate investing time in new shows that end up cancelled anyway. LOL

[Michelle]

I hate investing time in new shows that end up cancelled anyway. LOL

That's me this year! I don't want to watch new shows and risk them getting cancelled. I'm still mourning the loss of Six Degrees and Reunion. I'm looking forward to my favorites coming back though!

[Janey]

Tivo & Amazon are allowing downloads of 4 of the new NBC pilots from the "Amazon Unbox" service. It took kind of a long time to download them (I asked for them last night and they were still downloading this morning!), but I think it's kind of nice that they're doing that. I'll be glad to watch them before all the shows hit at once.

[lauren f s]

I'm excited for Journeyman, but I think it's mostly because I loved Kevin McKidd on Rome.

[Aimee]

We just watched K-Ville and I was underwhelmed, unimpressed, and downright insulted. Beyond the bad accents (the "Waterboy" accent made it's debut at the 36 minute mark), the bad geography, and oversaturation of local "details" that attempted to make it seem authentic, but came off as disingenuous, and, downright mocking at times, it didn't reflect what things are really like post-Katrina. It completely overexaggerated things, making them look much, much worse than they are. Not a good thing, considering that there are people who a.) think New Orleans is still under water and/or b.) think it shouldn't be rebuilt because it's a lawless, horrible place that's just going to flood anyway. We get all the negative press we can handle, just because that's how things are; we don't need anything else to fuel the fire or negativity.

Hopefully this one won't be around long.

[ajb524]

I watched journeyman through tivo unbox last night. At first it was kind of slow and I didn't really think I would like it, but later on it picked up and the ending definitely made me want more :). I downloaded the Bionic woman as well, but haven't watched it yet.

[Janey]

We've watched Bionic Woman and were unimpressed. I'll give it 3 more eps but if the writing doesn't get better... we're out. (It's cool that Starbuck is in it though - I like her!)

We watched Chuck and really liked it. :)

[littlebear]

Huh...we loved K-Ville. I certainly didn't take it as a realistic portrait of post-Katrina New Orleans. I thought it was gritty, and it certainly kept us watching to the end.

[Rosebud]

So far we've watched:

Dirty Sexy Money (loved it-- our clear favorite so far)
Chuck (found it amusing but not totally sold on it yet)
Journeyman (kinda interesting, but I didn't get particularly attached to/invested in the characters)

This week we're planning to see:

Pushing Daisies
Aliens in America

Those two have both gotten really good reviews, so I'm hopeful that we'll like them.

[jesseybell]

I have finally caught up from the week:

Chuck - I liked it - not sure where it will be going from here - how many images are in his head of things that haven't happened yet
Journeyman - It was okay - I'll keep watching it
Bionic Woman - So-so
Dirty Sexy Money - Definitely liked it!
Hot Shots - It that what it is called - with Dylan McDermott - Pretty bad, but I'll watch it for the week or 2 it will last

[MsPeachy]

I watched both K-Ville and Reaper this week. They were both decent entertainment. DH & I liked Reaper a lot but probably won't stick with it since it airs in the same timeframe as House, MD.

[Rosebud]

We saw Aliens in America tonight and thought it was really cute and funny. I think this one will be a keeper for us, as well. Anyone else see it?

[cynder]

We saw Aliens in America tonight and thought it was really cute and funny. I think this one will be a keeper for us, as well. Anyone else see it?

Yes! I saw it and really liked it. I was intrigued because I am from WI and Indian. I thought it was funny and I loved the sound effects when the mom kept freaking out. I don't have cable so this is a keeper for me on Monday nights after How I Met Your Mother.

[LeslieR]

Did anyone watch Hot Shots? Wow, was that bad. I was ready to turn it off within the first 5 minutes. I don't even think we made it half way through before we both agreed that it was horrible.

[Rosebud]

I heard Hot Shots was terrible.

Having seen most of the new shows now, my favorites are Pushing Daisies, Dirty Sexy Money and Aliens In America.

In looking at the ratings, it seems that Pushing Daisies and Private Practice are doing the best of the new shows right now. Bionic Woman opened to really good numbers but then lost a quarter of its viewers on the second episode. :eek: Dirty Sexy Money is doing well. Nashville has already been canceled for poor numbers and Gossip Girl seems to be struggling a little bit. Journeyman also isn't doing very well. Looks like most of these new shows are probably going to hang in there and be around for a while, though.

[Janey]

Are you guys talking about Big Shots? Or is there another show called Hot Shots in addition to Big Shots?

[Rosebud]

Janey- You're right, it's Big Shots. Whooops! :D

[Janey]

I Tivo'ed that just to see what it was like. I don't know who that show is supposed to appeal to. Men won't like it because it's too soapy, and women won't like it because it's way too much from the man's perspective (and these guys aren't exactly "Sensitive").

[cynder]

They have to got to find a better show for Michael Vartan!

[lauren f s]

I hope Journeyman does better! I loved Kevin McKidd in Rome and enjoy seeing him on a weekly basis again.

DH & I both loved Pushing Daisies.