My biggest takeaway from the upfronts this year is now many series and programs I am blissfully unaware of. As I read the summaries and descriptions, it makes me kind of sad to see the medium of television is still so bland and formulaic after all these decades. There are a few standout shows and original concepts, but never for very long as the cookie-cutter knock-offs always follow.
I know some people don’t trust the invasion of privacy involved in companies actually tracking what we watch, but I cannot help but wonder whether we would have a very different slate of new shows if networks weren’t still dependent on the viewing habits of Nielsen families. On Tue, May 14, 2019 at 12:12 PM Mark Jeffries <[email protected]> wrote: > Under rumors that the new regime at the Alphabet (including former Fox > chief Dana Walden, who came with the purchase of 20th) weren't happy with > the development slate left them by Channing Duguey, so only three new > scripted series are up for fall, including all of those single-cam family > sitcoms that Marc Berman hates (which he would love if they were > multi-cam). The schedule from the Wrap--I've all-capped the new shows: > > MONDAY > 8:00 p.m. “Dancing with the Stars”--what may be the last paso doble for > the aging franchise, unless "The Voice" continues to experience the ratings > woes its current cycle is having. > 10:00 p.m. “The Good Doctor” > > TUESDAY > 8:00 p.m. “The Conners” > 8:30 p.m. “Bless This Mess” (new time) > 9:00 p.m. “MIXED-ISH”--The second spinoff from "black-ish" ("grown-ish" is > on Freeform) follows the mixed-race family childhood of Tracee Ellis Ross' > Rainbow character from the parent series. Arica Himmel is Rainbow as a > child, with Ross narrating similar to Jim Parsons on "Young Sheldon." Of > course, series creator Kenya Barris is now at Netflix and won't be directly > involved with the shows. In-Mouse House, which is now known collectively > as Disney Television Studios (although ABC Studios, 20th-Century Fox > Television and cable shingle Fox 21 Television Studios will retain their > identities--ABC's cable shingle ABC Signature seems to have been merged > with one of the other labels). > 9:30 p.m. “black-ish” (new time) > 10:00 p.m. “EMERGENCE”--Police chief Allison Tolman finds a little girl > near a mysterious accident who has no idea what happened. Bring on the > conspiracy theories. Donald Faison and Clancy Brown are also in the cast, > the pilot was made for NBC but turned down probably because it was made by > ABC Studios instead of Universal Television. > > WEDNESDAY > 8:00 p.m. “The Goldbergs” > 8:30 p.m. “Schooled” > 9:00 p.m. “Modern Family”--The last season for the Pritchetts, Dunphys and > Tuckers before a long and healthy syndication and streaming life (one of > the few one-camera sitcoms that has succeeded in syndication). > 9:30 p.m. “Single Parents” > 10:00 p.m. “STUMPTOWN”--The graphic novel series (not from Marvel) comes > to television with Robin Spar--uh, Cobie Smulders playing a hardass private > eye in Portlandia taking care of her brother while catching heat from both > the bad guys and the cops for her unconventional style. Camryn Manheim's > in the cast, but Mark Webber isn't after being in the pilot, claiming that > ABC canned him for not being handsome enough. In-Mouse House. > > THURSDAY > 8:00 p.m. “Grey’s Anatomy” > 9:00 p.m. “A Million Little Things”--An encroacher in Shondaland--but she > is now at Netflix. > 10:00 p.m. “How to Get Away with Murder” > > FRIDAY > 8:00 p.m. “American Housewife” (new day) > 8:30 p.m. “Fresh Off the Boat” (new time)--Despite the protests of > Constance Wu. > 9:00 p.m. “20/20” (two hours)--For all intents and purposes, ABC's > newsmagazine is now another true crime wallow, just like "48 Hours" and > "Dateline." > > SATURDAY > 8:00 p.m. “Saturday Night Football” > > SUNDAY > 7:00 p.m. “America’s Funniest Home Videos” > 8:00 p.m. “KIDS SAY THE DARNDEST THINGS"--The second reboot of the > trademark segment of "Art Linkletter's House Party," last on CBS from 1998 > to 2000 and hosted by someone named Cosby, with Tiffany Haddish now in > charge of getting the little darlings to say things that will get them in > trouble with their parents on the way home from the studio. Haddish will > probably get flack from the right for doing this show because she curses in > her act and in the movies--and oh yes, because she's black. From CBS, the > owner of the "House Party" IP, using that term being ironic considering > that one of the show's other segments featured Linkletter going through > audience members' purses. > 9:00 p.m. “Shark Tank” > 10:00 p.m. “The Rookie” (new day)--The one thing keeping Sunday from being > all-unscripted. > > Speaking of unscripted, "Idol" will be back mid-season (although ABC may > want to replace panelists or even Seacrest for people who will work > cheaper), the "Bachelor" franchise shows will appear in the normal slots > and the summer game show lineup is down one ("The Gong Show") and up three > (the "Card Sharks" and "Press Your Luck" reboots and the mini-golf game > "Holey Moley"--they're also including the reality comp "Family Food Fight" > under the "Summer Fun & Games" brand). As for mid-season: > > DRAMA: > > "THE BAKER AND THE BEAUTY"--Cuban working-class baker Victor Rasuk gets > swept off his feet by fashion mogul Nathalie Kelley and drops right into a > culture clash. Based on an Israeli series and part-owned by Israeli net > Keshet with Universal and ABC Studios. > > "FOR LIFE"--Based on a true story and seemingly a black male "Proven > Innocent," about a man convicted of a crime he didn't commit who becomes a > lawyer, except that he doesn't have Frasier Crane trying to put him back in > jail. Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson is trophy producer, with "The Hate U Give" > director George Tillman, Jr., directing the pilot. From Sony and ABC > Studios. > > COMEDY: > > "UNITED WE FALL"--This multi-cam family sitcom about married couple Will > Sasso and Christina Vidal trying to navigate their family lives is > described by ABC as "profoundly realistic," as if we all spent our time > sitting on the living room couch in flat lighting having 200 people > laughing at you every 15 seconds (with the assistance of "I Love Lucy" or > Red Skelton audience tapes). At least Jane Curtin's back on television as > Sasso's live-in mother. From Sony and ABC Studios. > > CBS without Les tomorrow. > > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "TVorNotTV" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To view this discussion on the web visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/tvornottv/c9803afa-20d7-4550-9a64-b7c30e2a3175%40googlegroups.com > <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/tvornottv/c9803afa-20d7-4550-9a64-b7c30e2a3175%40googlegroups.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> > . > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. > -- Kevin M. (RPCV) -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "TVorNotTV" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/tvornottv/CAKgmY4DX5yW6%3D0Qh_6MvMELW3hj3v9ZdHRifAc-SqaURYoFo%2BQ%40mail.gmail.com. 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