Network tv for fall 2009 is beginning to look quite interesting. With the bad economy, weakening ad sales, the aftermath of the writers’ strike, lower ratings due to tivo, the internet and life in general, the big 5 are looking to shake things around a lot next season.
This is upfront week, and it’s been very unusual, the networks are doing all in advance, not all of them have announced their full scheds but they have all announced which shows are here to stay, which are gone, and which ones are debuting.
Let me start off with the big shockers.
Over on NBC, Chuck was renewed! though for only a 13-episode run in midseason, taking over Heroes‘s slot. Medium and My Name is Earl were cancelled, but surprisingly Parks and Recreation got a pickup. And their biggest gamble was the 10 o’clock hour, where I’m secretly hoping that Jay Leno’s prime-time show tanks.
CBS cancelled long-running Without a Trace!, though that’s the only big shocker there. This network just keeps going by with its same ol’ same ol’.
FOX kept it cool. Their biggest wtf moments were that they surprisingly renewed super-low-rated Dollhouse and cancelled Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.
The CW did what was expected bringing Melrose Place back to life after their somewhat success with 90210, but the big shocker was that after making a half-backdoor pilot for the Gossip Girl spinoff, they didn’t even order the series.
But the biggest WTFs came from ABC. They’re launching all new shows on wednesdays (again), they moved Ugly Betty to fridays!, they cancelled Samantha Who?!, but they did probably the dumbest move with renewing Scrubs after the stellar season/series finale they gave that show, there is no way they can bring it back with half the cast or a different one and have it succeed.
So we’ll see how it all turns out. As this season is coming to a close, with good/bad season finales (especially bad were the ABC shows, LOST, Brothers and Sisters, Ugly Betty and Grey’s Anatomy all ended like they were going to commercial, not into summer break!), I really look forward to some down time to gear up again for the September juggernaut that will be the 2009-10 television season.
I’ll be back soon with my full-season recap, top 10′s and hopeful Emmy nominees.
Entertainment Weekly‘s Michael Ausiello is reporting that Smallville‘s Kristin Kreuk will have a multiple episode guest starring role in the upcoming season of Chuck. She will play a love interest for Chuck, a woman who loses her big job and ends up working at the Buy More. This marks her first time back on tv after her departure from Smallville last year.
