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On Television |
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REPORT CARD
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Shows featuring women
were the enduring hits
By DONNA J. PLESH
of TheColumnists.com
The 2011-2012 TV
season is drawing to a close with just a few more weeks to go
in what is likely to be remembered as the season when women made
a major step forward in headlining the casts of comedies and
dramas.
The end of the season also marks the beginning, in a way, of
the next season as later this month ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox and the
CW will announce their 2012-2013 program schedules.
That said, here’s a last look at the shows the five networks
debuted last fall, a final report card if you will.
ABC
The network started the season with three new half-hour comedies,
the Tim Allen headlined “Last Man Standing,” “Man
Up” and “Suburgatory.” Of that trio
“Man Up” is, thankfully, long gone. “Last Man
Standing” and “Suburgatory” are still airing.
The latter has done a little better in the ratings, given that
it is part of ABC’s Wednesday night comedy bloc that includes
the always-entertaining “The Middle”
and the Emmy-winning “Modern Family.” Allen’s
series has a tougher hill to climb on Tuesday nights as it faces
off against time slot rivals “Glee” on Fox and CBS’
highly-rated “NCIS.” I expect “Suburgatory”
to get a second season, but I think “Last Man Standing”
is on the bubble.
On the drama side, ABC is hitting 500, in baseball parlance.
The network premiered four hour-long dramas last fall: “Revenge,”
“Once Upon a Time,”“Pan Am” and "Charlie’s
Angels.” Both “Revenge” and “Once Upon a
Time” have found an audience and are sure things for a second
season, but the “Charlie’s Angels” reboot was
pulled from the schedule so fast most people probably do not
even remember that it was on. And “Pan Am” ended its
run in February, with little chance of seeing a second season.
CBS
Even the network with the highest rated
comedy in “The Big Bang Theory” stubs its toe every
now and then. The network premiered two new comedy series, “2
Broke Girls” and “How To Be A Gentleman.” Suffice
it to say the less said about the latter the better. It just
was just not a good show and it was not funny, whereas “2
Broke Girls,” with breakout stars Kat Dennings and Beth
Behrs, has attracted an audience and often has some laugh out
loud moments. It has been renewed.
Three dramas joined the network’s schedule: “Unforgettable,”
“Person of Interest” and “A Gifted Man.”
The latter has finished its season run and I doubt very much
it will return in the fall, whereas “Person of Interest”
has already been renewed. But the jury is still out on “Unforgettable”
starring Poppy Montgomery.
Fox
The network’s big fall drama was the
big and expensive sci-fi “Terra Nova.” Not even having
Steven Spielberg as one of its executive producers could save
the show from cancellation.
Things didn’t get any better for the network with its comedy
series, with three debuting last fall and only one left standing,
“New Girl,” which has already been renewed for a second
season. The blink-or-you-missed them “Allen Gregory”
and “I Hate My Teenage Daughter” are gone as well.
Simon Cowell’s new music competition series “The X-Factor”
has already been renewed. But for its second season it will have
a new host and two new judges, with first season host Steve Jones
and judges Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger shown the door.
NBC
The once Proud as a Peacock network has
fallen on hard times when it comes to finding an audience for
its shows. And with the new shows the network introduced last
fall none did much to change that, though there were a few bright
spots. The network started the fall season with three new comedies,
and at this writing, only one is left standing, the Christina
Applegate-starring “Up All Night.” (In my opinion the
real reason to watch this show is Maya Rudolph; she’s great).
Gone before you probably even knew it was on was “Free Agents.”
And “Whitney,” starring Whitney Cummings (who is a
co-creator of CBS’ “2 Broke Girls”), is one of
the network’s bubble shows. But I wouldn’t bet the
farm that it will be back.
This leads us to dramas — and the network debuted three.
Of the three, “The Playboy Club” was quickly canceled,
and “Prime Suspect,” a U.S. reboot of the great Helen
Mirren-starring British series of the same name, was gone before
2011 ended. The sole survivor is the fairy-tale-esque “Grimm,”
which the network has already renewed.
The CW
The network premiered four new shows last
fall, three dramas and a reality show. “Ringer” brought
Sarah Michelle Gellar back to the small screen but the drama
has not done well in the ratings and is, at best, a long shot
for renewal. Much more appealing is “Hart of Dixie,”
a fish-out-of-water lighthearted drama starring Rachel Bilson.
It’s an on-the-bubble show that I feel should be renewed.
That leaves “The Secret Circle,” a drama about supernatural
goings on aimed at “The Vampire Diaries” audience.
Though not renewed yet, I expect it will be back on the network
come fall.
And about that reality show… you say you don’t remember
it? Well, you are not alone. “H8R” was gone in a flash.
Obviously the show in which celebrities faced off with people
who hate them and tried to win the “haters” over appealed
to no one.
So much for the shows that premiered last fall. But there have been some late bloomers among the mid-season premieres that have caught the eye of viewers.
For NBC the return of the singing competition
“The Voice” has given the network good ratings and
will return either in the fall or early next year, and “Smash,”
the musical drama about putting together a new Broadway musical
has already been renewed.
For ABC the half-hour comedy “Don’t Trust The B----
in Apt. 23” looks like it will return in the fall, but CBS’
“Rob” may be a long shot. Ditto for CBS’ cop drama
“NYC 22.” Over at Fox the Kiefer Sutherland drama “Touch”
will likely be back come fall, or mid-season, but the network’s
“The Finder” is a likely loser in the fall sweepstakes.
©2012 by Donna J. Plesh. The photos are courtesy of their respective networks. This column first posted May 7, 2012.
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