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Fox is bringing only two new shows to the schedule for the fall season.

MONDAY
8:00 pm Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
9:00 pm Prison Break

TUESDAY
8:00 pm House
9:00 pm Fringe

WEDNESDAY
8:00 pm Bones
9:00 pm ‘Til Death
9:30 pm Do Not Disturb

THURSDAY
8:00 pm The Moment Of Truth
9:00 pm Kitchen Nightmares

FRIDAY
8:00 pm Are You Smarter Than A 5th grader?
9:00 pm Don’t Forget The Lyrics!

SATURDAY
8:00 pm COPS
8:30 pm COPS
9:00 pm America’s Most Wanted: America Fights Back
11:00 pm MADtv
12:00 am Talkshow With Spike Feresten

SUNDAY
7:00 pm The OT (NFL post-game)
8:00 pm The Simpsons
8:30 pm King of the Hill
9:00 pm Family Guy
9:30 pm American Dad

New Show Descriptions

Fringe
(Drama, Tuesdays 9:00 pm)
From J.J. Abrams (“Lost”), Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, the team behind “Star Trek,” “Mission: Impossible III” and “Alias,” comes a new drama that will thrill, terrify and explore the blurring line between science fiction and reality. When an international flight lands at Boston’s Logan Airport and the passengers and crew have all died grisly deaths, FBI Special Agent OLIVIA DUNHAM (newcomer Anna Torv) is called in to investigate. After her partner, Special Agent JOHN SCOTT (Mark Valley, “Boston Legal”), is nearly killed during the investigation, a desperate Olivia searches frantically for someone to help, leading her to DR. WALTER BISHOP (John Noble, “Lord of the Rings”), our generation’s Einstein. There’s only one catch: he’s been institutionalized for the last 20 years, and the only way to question him requires pulling his estranged son PETER (Joshua Jackson, “Dawson’s Creek”) in to help. When Olivia’s investigation leads her to manipulative corporate executive NINA SHARP (Blair Brown, “Altered States”), our unlikely trio along with fellow FBI Agents PHILLIP BROYLES (Lance Reddick, “The Wire”), CHARLIE FRANCIS (Kirk Acevedo, “Oz”) and ASTRID FARNSWORTH (Jasika Nicole, “Law & Order: Criminal Intent”) will discover that what happened on Flight 627 is only a small piece of a larger, more shocking truth.

Sean’s Take: J.J. Abrams can seem to do no wrong lately, so I’m sure this due well for a while at least.  What is his obsession with planes involved in mysteries, though?

Do Not Disturb (working title)
(Comedy, Wednesdays 9:30 pm)
DO NOT DISTURB (working title) is a hilarious workplace comedy set at one of New York City’s hottest and hippest hotels: The Inn. Named one of the Big Apple’s “10 Best Places to Stay,” The Inn is just that – the “in” place to be, with its chic décor, stylish staff and celebrity clientèle. Behind the scenes, however, the upstairs/downstairs dynamic tells quite a different story. The hotel’s top-notch reputation and sophisticated look is due in large part to NEAL (Jerry O’Connell, “Crossing Jordan”) – at least in his opinion. Although The Inn’s charismatic owner R.J. (guest star Robert Wagner) takes all the credit, Neal is the egotistical, hyper-stylish, detail-oriented general manager who will do whatever it takes to keep the hotel and its employees up to his standards. RHONDA (Niecy Nash, “Reno 911!”) is the head of Human Resources who also keeps Neal’s demands in check. She’s brash, fabulous and brutally honest and runs the HR department from her bullpen downstairs with a set of rules that are all her own. Rhonda does her best to keep the back of the house in line and the front of the house out of trouble. At the front desk handling check-in while wearing 6-inch Manolos is NICOLE (Molly Stanton, “Twins”), an aging model who is svelte, cynical and slightly starving. Fresh from Nebraska is JASON (Brando Eaton, “Zoey 101”), the naïve bellman who would prefer to work behind-the-scenes, but was hired to show off his chiseled face and perfect pecs at the front of the hotel. The downstairs staff includes MOLLY (Jolene Purdy, “Donnie Darko”), a reservations clerk who dreams of pop-singer stardom as much as she craves to be part of the action upstairs; and LARRY (Jesse Tyler Ferguson, “The Class”), the head of housekeeping who spends more time on the phone cleaning up his messes at home than he does cleaning up after the guests upstairs.

Sean’s Take: I really not sure what to make of this one, but I’m going with “flop”.  It just doesn’t seem to be a strong premise to me.

eh… it’s Fox, what do you expect from them?

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Since there are no upfront presentations today, I thought I’d score myself on how I called last season’s predictions.

ABC

Samantha Who? (formerly “Sam I Am”)

Sean’s take: Sam I Am stars Christina Applegate… anyone remember “Jesse”? Yeah… exactly my point. In sandwiching this between Dancing With The Stars and The Bachelor makes NO sense. And could someone tell me how The Bachelor keeps finding this many desperate women?

It survived, and actually got decent reviews and ratings.

Caveman and Carpoolers

Sean’s take: No one, NO ONE, is upbeat about Caveman. I have no clue how it even made the schedule. And Carpoolers? A sitcom set… in a car… yeah, okay.

Both flopped.

Pushing Daisies, Private Practice, Dirty Sexy Money

Sean’s take: All three sound like crap basically. I don’t like Grey’s Anatomy, so Private Practice holds no interest for me. Dirty Sexy Money is just a silly name, and Pushing Daisies… look, it’s Dark Angel season 2! Private Practice may last, the other two won’t.

Well, I ended up loving Pushing Daisies, and all three went on to second seasons. Wow did I blow this line-up.

Big Shots

Sean’s take: Is it just me, or does Big Shots sound like a drama version of the earlier discussed Carpool?

This never even made it to air. I’ll count it in my favor!

Women’s Murder Club

Sean’s take: I like James Patterson, so Women’s Murder Club may be okay, but, sucky time slot.

It got the ax.

ABC Score: 4 out of 8

CBS

Big Bang Theory

Sean’s take: Big Bang Theory could be mildly amusing, but it won’t last. It’s a one or two joke show, better as a movie… that’s already been done to death.

I ended up watching it and liking it, and it got a second season. Though I was right about it only being one or two jokes.

Cane

Sean’s take: Cane might be okay, but, again, it sounds like the plot of a movie, not a series. That always spells trouble to me.

Cancelled.

Kid Nation

Sean’s take: … um… Kid Nation sounds really, REALLY god awful. This description prompted me to email the friend who got me the show descriptions and ask her if she had made this one up.

It got in all sorts of legal trouble and won’t be getting a second season.

Moonlight

Sean’s take: OH WOW! Angel is back on the air!

Cancelled.

Viva Laughlin

Sean’s take: I enjoyed the British original, Viva Blackpool, but it was also only six episodes long, not twenty-two. This will go over about as well as Cop Rock did, which is sad. Cop Rock sucked… Viva Blackpool didn’t.

I was wrong… it went over WORSE than Cop Rock. However, it still counts for me!

CBS Score: 4 out of 5

Fox

K-Ville

Sean’s take: For a “drama”, the description for K-Ville sure mentions “comedy” a lot.

Cancelled.

New Amsterdam

Sean’s take: I give New Amsterdam six episodes. It’s Highlander as a cop. Who cares?

Canceled… after eight episodes. You have to give me points for being darn close!

Back To You

Sean’s take: If Back To You was on any other network, I’d be pumped. I love Kelsey Grammer. But, it’s on Fox, so my expectations drop dramatically.

Axed.

Kitchen Nightmares

Sean’s take: I love the British version of Kitchen Nightmares, also hosted by Ramsay, but not sure how the American audience at large will take to this.

Second season in the works.

Search For The Next Great American Band and Nashville

Sean’s take: Well… American Band is just CBS’ Rockstar with a loose connection to American Idol. And Nashville sounds like a snoozer to me.

Both got the ax.

Fox Score: 5 out of 6

NBC

Journeyman

Sean’s take: Journeyman? I liked this show when it was called QUANTUM LEAP! If it survives the season, I’ll be shocked

Well, it was better than I expected, but I was correct in that it got axed at episode 13.

Chuck

Sean’s take: Chuck won’t make it. Stupid name, format is wrong for TV.

bzzt, it got a second season.

Bionic Woman and Life

Sean’s take: Bionic Woman will flop… badly. Life sounds like a movie, not a series.

1 for 2 here, Life is going on, Bionic Woman crashed and burned.

The Singing Bee

Sean’s take: The Singing Bee? Really… do I need to say anything?

Eh, it stuck around longer than I thought it would, but it’s missing from the new schedule.

Lipstick Jungle

Sean’s take: Lipstick Jungle could go either way. Depends on how different from Sex And The City it is. If they try doing a sanitized version of it, with nothing original, MAJOR flop.

Well… hmmm, I guess I was sorta 1/2 right.

NBC Score: 3.5 out of 6

The CW

Aliens In America

Sean’s take: Aliens In America… I want to see some footage. I’m very neutral to the material for now.

Cancelled.

Reaper

Sean’s take: The Reaper… hello “Brimstone” from the Fox 1998 schedule! Wait… it’s a comedy?!? Um… yeah… again, I’ll have to see footage.

Renewed. It was so-so.

Gossip Girl

Sean’s take: Yay! I don’t have to go anywhere near channel 385 on Wednesday’s! YAY!

Renewed.

Online Nation, CW Now, Life Is Wild

Sean’s take: Well… yet another “Watch videos from the web!” show, and a show that will make teenagers attention spans even shorter as they are force fed a line of what someone in office has deemed “cool and hip”. Yeah… won’t be watching. Life Is Wild… isn’t this based on yet another British series? Do we have NO original ideas left in America?!?

Did any of these even make it to air?!? Oh well, they aren’t on the upcoming schedule.

The CW Score: 4 out of 6

So, my final score is somewhere around 20.5 out of 31, depending on how you define some things. Not a bad over all score, but it also helps I am extremely harsh on everything I guess.

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CBS has announced their lineup for the fall season. Look… more shows from England! New shows are in bold.

MONDAY
8:00 pm The Big Bang Theory
8:30 pm How I Met Your Mother
9:00 pm Two And A Half Men
9:30 pm Worst Week
10:00 pm CSI: Miami

TUESDAY
8:00 pm NCIS
9:00 pm The Mentalist
10:00 pm Without A Trace

WEDNESDAY
8:00 pm The New Adventures of Old Christine
8:30 pm Project Gary
9:00 pm Criminal Minds
10:00 pm CSI: NY

THURSDAY
8:00 pm Survivor
9:00 pm CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
10:00 pm Eleventh Hour

FRIDAY
8:00 pm Ghost Whisperer
9:00 pm The Ex List
10:00 pm Numb3rs

SATURDAY
8:00 pm Crimetime Saturday
9:00 pm Crimetime Saturday
10:00 pm 48 Hours Mystery

SUNDAY
7:00 pm 60 Minutes
8:00 pm The Amazing Race
9:00 pm Cold Case
10:00 pm The Unit

New Show Descriptions

Worst Week
(Comedy, Mondays 9:30 pm)
WORST WEEK is a comedy about Sam Briggs, an entertainment magazine editor who will do anything to please his girlfriend’s parents … but instead becomes a one-man wrecking crew whenever he’s around them. Sam (Kyle Bornheimer, “Jericho”) and his girlfriend, Melanie Clayton (Erinn Hayes, “Kitchen Confidential”), have only one hurdle left to clear as they start their life together: breaking the news to Mel’s conservative parents that they have a wedding in the works and a baby on the way. Dick (Kurtwood Smith, “That ’70s Show”), a stern Judge, and his wife Angela (Nancy Lenehan, “My Name is Earl”), are protective of their daughter, and are really trying to let go of the anger they feel toward Sam … after all, disaster follows whenever he visits their house. But despite his best efforts, every time Sam takes one positive step forward in winning over his future in-laws, he inevitably takes two crushing steps back. But with support and love from Melanie who stands up for him despite his knack for making himself look bad, Sam will hopefully charm his way into her family. Emmy Award winner Adam Bernstein (”30 Rock”) directed the pilot. Matt Tarses (”Scrubs”) and Jimmy Mulville (”Whose Line Is It Anyway?”) are the executive producers for Universal Media Studios and CBS Paramount Network Television.

Sean’s Take: This show was pretty amusing in the British version, but it worked because each season (there were only two, and the second had the wife being pregnant) was only 6 or 7 episodes.  This will, as so many other British conversions, suffer from the length of our seasons.

Project Gary
(Comedy, Wednesdays 8:30 pm)
PROJECT GARY stars Jay Mohr (”Ghost Whisperer”) and Paula Marshall (”Nip/Tuck”) in a comedy about Gary Barnes, a recently single painting contractor, and his controlling ex-wife, Allison, who face post-divorce mayhem after 15 years of marriage as they each embark on new relationships. He’s the fun parent and she’s the strict one. Together, they share custody of their two children - Louise (Laura Marano, “Without a Trace”), a politically correct and environmentally conscious 11-year-old, and Tom (Ryan Malgarini, “How to Eat Fried Worms”), their socially awkward 14-year-old son who is nervous around girls. Charming and acerbic, Gary hasn’t dated since the split, but finally connects with Vanessa (Jaime King, “The Class”), a single mother whose condo he was hired to paint. He dreads telling Allison about Vanessa because it doesn’t adhere to her belief in their marriage counselor’s book, “Rules for the Perfect Divorce.” However, when Allison tells him that she’s engaged to their shrink, all bets are off and Gary decides it’s time to move forward. Now, in pursuit of post-marriage happiness, Gary must juggle his eclectic world of an ex-wife, their two kids, their shrink and his gorgeous new girlfriend. Ed Yeager (”Still Standing”) and Ric Swartzlander (”8 Simple Rules”) are the executive producers for ABC Studios and CBS Paramount Network Television.

Sean’s Take: Nice premise for a simple comedy film… not a series.  This will become repetitive very quickly, and once the wife runs off with the shrink, what’s the point?  He can just live his life, so much for the “juggling” angle.  Sounds pretty weak.

The Mentalist
(Drama, Tuesdays 9:00 pm)
THE MENTALIST stars Golden Globe Award nominee Simon Baker (”The Devil Wears Prada”) as Patrick Jane, a detective and independent consultant with the California Bureau of Investigation (CBI), who has a remarkable track record for solving serious crimes by using his razor sharp skills of observation. Within the Bureau, Jane is notorious for his blatant lack of protocol and his semi-celebrity past as a psychic medium, whose paranormal abilities he now admits he feigned. Jane’s role in cracking a series of tough high-profile cases is greatly valued by his fellow agents. However, no-nonsense Senior Agent Teresa Lisbon (Robin Tunney, “Prison Break”) openly resists having Jane in her unit and alternates between reluctantly acknowledging Jane’s usefulness and blasting him for his theatrics, narcissism and dangerous lack of boundaries. Lisbon’s team includes agents Kimball Cho (Tim Kang, “Rambo”), Wayne Rigsby (Owain Yeoman, “The Nine”), and rookie member Grace Van Pelt (Amanda Righetti, “The O.C.”), who all think Jane’s a loose cannon but admire his charm and knack for clearing cases. Bruno Heller (creator of “Rome”) is creator/executive producer, and Emmy Award winner David Nutter (”Band of Brothers”) is the executive producer for Warner Bros. Television.

Sean’s Take: So… it’s a cop show with some faked mental powers thrown in?  Wasn’t this already done on Psych?  This description just sounds amazingly weak and repetitive of so many cop shows that it just holds no appeal at all.

Eleventh Hour
(Drama, Thursdays 10:00 pm)
ELEVENTH HOUR from acclaimed producer Jerry Bruckheimer follows Dr. Jacob Hood (Rufus Sewell, “The Illusionist”), a brilliant biophysicist and special science advisor to the government, as he investigates scientific crises and oddities. His jurisdiction is absolute and Hood is dogged in his pursuit of those who would abuse and misuse scientific discoveries and breakthroughs for their own gain. His passion and crusade is to protect the substance of science from those with nefarious motives. He is called in at the eleventh hour and he represents the last line of defense. Based on the British miniseries by acclaimed science-fiction writer Stephen Gallagher, the series is executive produced by Bruckheimer (”CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” “Pirates of the Caribbean”), Jonathan Littman (”CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” “Cold Case”), Danny Cannon (”CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” “CSI: Miami”), Cyrus Voris (”Bulletproof Monk”), Ethan Reiff (”Sleeper Cell”), Mick Davis (”Wake of Death”), and Paul Buccieri (”Fashion House”) for Jerry Bruckheimer Television in association with Warner Bros. Television.

Sean’s Take: I’ve heard of the British version, but never seen it.  It sounds mildly intriguing, and Bruckheimer does “okay” stuff, so this one may be worth one or two looks, but I expect it to be pretty “procedural crime drama” in its take.

The Ex List
(Drama, Fridays 9:00 pm)
THE EX LIST is a comedic drama about Bella Bloom (Elizabeth Reaser, “Grey’s Anatomy”) - a single, 30-something, successful business owner who is surprised to learn from a psychic that she’s already dated her future husband AND there’s a catch: if she doesn’t find him in the next year, she’ll remain alone forever. During a bachelorette party for her sister, Daphne (Rachel Boston, “American Dreams”), Bella learns from the psychic she must revisit her past relationships and sort through the mistakes to find her soul mate. Skeptical, Bella begins to analyze every past liaison and failed romance with her close circle of friends, Augie (Adam Rothenberg, “Mad Money”), an endearing guy who has listened to Bella’s love woes since college, Vivian (Alex Breckenridge, “Dirt”), Augie’s long-term girlfriend, and Cyrus (Amir Talai, “Campus Ladies”), who’s chronically unemployed and full of wry observations. Once Bella witnesses proof of the psychic’s other predictions, her cynicism disappears and she begins her search. Along her trip down break-up lane, Bella is determined to remain optimistic and receptive, believing that when destiny reopens doors to the past, every relationship can matter in the future. Diane Ruggiero (”Veronica Mars”) and Jonathan Levin (”Charmed”) are executive producers for Twentieth Century Fox Television.

Sean’s Take: So, it has a set limited time span… that could backfire.  If you know the guy will be her husband, and you know she has to find him within a year… what do you do after she finds him?  Examining the past relationships might be amusing, but it sounds like they’ve painted themselves into a corner from the start to me.

I think these new shows just let us know that CBS is fairly happy with their course, and there is no real need to change things up.  I will say their slate is the most encouraging yet, but that isn’t saying a whole heck of a lot.

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I don’t actually watch anything on The CW currently, but since people actually seem to be enjoying these announcements, why not throw them in. New shows are in bold.

MONDAY
8:00 pm: Gossip Girl
9:00 pm: One Tree Hill

TUESDAY
8:00 pm: 90210
9:00 pm: Surviving The Filthy Rich

WEDNESDAY
8:00 pm: America’s Next Top Model
9:00 pm: Stylista

THURSDAY
8:00 pm: Smallville
9:00 pm: Supernatural

FRIDAY
8:00 pm: Everybody Hates Chris
8:30 pm: The Game
9:00 pm: America’s Next Top Model (repeat)

New Show Descriptions

Here are the descriptions of each new show with my take.

90210
(Drama, Tuesdays 8pm)
An edgy, contemporary spin-off of the iconic drama “Beverly Hills, 90210,” the new 90210 looks at life through the eyes of Annie Mills (Shenae Grimes, “Degrassi: The Next Generation”) and her brother Dixon (Tristan Wilds, “The Wire”), whose first day at West Beverly Hills High School leaves no doubt they’re not in Kansas anymore. The Mills family, including dad Harry (casting TBD) and mom Debbie (Lori Loughlin, “Summerland”), has relocated to Beverly Hills to keep an eye on Harry’s mother Tabitha (Jessica Walter, “Arrested Development”), a feisty-but-faded former television star and a charter member of the Betty Ford Clinic. For Annie and Dixon, the awkwardness of being the new kids is made worse by the fact that their dad has taken a job as the high school principal. The school is one big culture shock for Annie, a sweet and friendly girl with a passion for the theater, and Dixon, a star athlete and scholar who was adopted by the Mills family after they took him in as a foster child. Annie and Dixon have a close sibling relationship, which they’ll need to help them cope with all the new cliques and classmates, including Naomi (AnnaLynne McCord, “Nip/Tuck”), a hot, spoiled, rich girl; Ethan (Dustin Milligan, “Runaway”), a popular jock whose abilities rival Dixon’s; Navid (Michael Steger, “The Winner”), an aspiring reporter who heads up the school’s daily newscast; and Silver (Jessica Stroup, “Prom Night”), a rebel who produces and stars in a YouTube-type video series. Even the faculty seems hip and sophisticated at WBHHS, such as smart and funny teacher Ryan Matthews (Ryan Eggold, “Dirt”) and beautiful guidance counselor Kelly Taylor (guest star Jennie Garth, the original “Beverly Hills, 90210”). The Mills family has just begun to realize how much their lives are about to change. 90210 is produced by CBS Paramount Network Television with executive producers Gabe Sachs & Jeff Judah (“Freaks & Geeks”). Mark Piznarski (“Gossip Girl”) is the director and executive producer of the pilot.

Sean’s Take: Why? Are we so out of ideas for new shows that we now have to go back and revisit the already bad ones? What’s next? My Mother The Car 2008? Oh wait… NBC already has that with the new Knight Rider. My bad. This show is just a bad, bad idea… which means it will probably go for several seasons.

Surviving The Filthy Rich
(Drama, Tuesdays 9PM)
Twenty-three-year-old Megan Smith (JoAnna Garcia, “Reba”) has a Yale education, a relentlessly positive attitude and a plan to conquer the world of journalism, despite the fact that she is currently slaving away at a tabloid rag. Megan’s plan is thrown off course when, in one whirlwind day, she gets fired, meets cosmetics mogul Laurel Limoges (casting TBD) and becomes the live-in tutor for Laurel’s twin teen granddaughters in the heady Palm Beach world of wealth and power. The girls, Rose (Lucy Kate Hale, “Bionic Woman”) and Sage (Ashley Newbrough, “The Best Years”), are beautiful, rebellious and less-than-thrilled with their new tutor, but Megan is determined to win them over as she enjoys the perks of her new job, breathtaking private suite, gorgeous convertible and live-in chef Marco (Allan Louis, “Stomp the Yard”). Even the neighbors are fabulous in Palm Beach, and Megan quickly catches the eye of Will (casting TBD), the wealthy and extremely hot dilettante who lives on the estate next door and just happens to be dating Megan’s estranged sister Lily (casting TBD). Completing this romantic quadrangle is Megan’s best friend Charlie (Michael Cassidy, “Smallville,” “The O.C.”), who is secretly in love with her. Despite her own complicated romantic and family relationships, Megan is committed to making a difference in the lives of her two headstrong charges as she navigates the treacherous waters of high society in Palm Beach. SURVIVING THE FILTHY RICH is based on the Alloy Entertainment book “How to Teach Filthy Rich Girls” by best-selling author Zoey Dean (“The A-List”). The series is from Alloy Entertainment in association with Warner Bros. Television and CBS Paramount Network Television with executive producers Rina Mimoun (“Gilmore Girls,” “Everwood”), Bob Levy (“Gossip Girl”) and Leslie Morgenstein (“Gossip Girl”).

Sean’s Take: This sounds like just about any romantic comedy movie that comes out, so, much to my chagrin, this will probably have at least a season or two of life IF (notice the big “if” there) it is handled correctly and isn’t just screamingly obvious in its writing.

Stylista
(Reality, Wednesday 9pm)
If “The Devil Wears Prada” were a reality show, it would be STYLISTA. Eleven aspiring fashion enthusiasts vie for a much-coveted editorial job with Elle magazine. They work as assistants to Elle’s Fashion News Director, Anne Slowey, a demanding but well-respected fashion icon. The competitors will carry out an assistant task and a fashion editorial assignment in each episode. Each week, in consultation with Elle’s Creative Director, Joe Zee, Anne fires one person, until the last assistant standing gets “promoted” to the coveted real-life job opportunity. The grand prize includes a paid editorial position at Elle magazine, a paid lease on a great apartment in Manhattan, and a clothing allowance at H&M, all for one year, valued at $100,000. STYLISTA is from 10 by 10 Entertainment, Inc. and Bankable Incorporated in association with Magic Molehill Productions, Inc. and Warner Horizon Television Inc. with executive producers Tyra Banks, Ken Mok, Eli Holzman, Desiree Gruber and Jane Cha.

Sean’s Take: Eh, it’ll do okay probably. I never thought America’s Next Top Model would do well, and they’re going into their 10th “cycle” I think.

Overall The CW has problems. They are actually going to be leasing out their Sunday night programming to another company, so that tells you how well they’re doing. The return of 90210 is going to bring them some much needed publicity, but we’ll see if it does them any good.

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ABC is back with their upfront presentation for the 2008/2009 television season, and they didn’t change a whole lot of anything. New shows are in bold.

MONDAY
8:00 pm: “Dancing with the Stars”
9:30 pm: “Samantha Who?”
10:00 pm: “Boston Legal”

TUESDAY
8:00 pm: “Opportunity Knocks”
9:00 pm: “Dancing with the Stars the Results Show”
10:00 pm: “Eli Stone”

WEDNESDAY
8:00 pm: “Pushing Daisies”
9:00 pm: “Private Practice”
10:00 pm: “Dirty Sexy Money”

THURSDAY
8:00 pm: “Ugly Betty”
9:00 pm:”Grey’s Anatomy”
10:00 pm: “Life on Mars”

FRIDAY
8:00 pm: “Wife Swap”
9:00 pm: “Supernanny”
10:00 pm: “20/20″

SATURDAY
8:00 pm: “Saturday Night College Football”

SUNDAY
7:00 pm: “America’s Funniest Home Videos”
8:00 pm: “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition”
9:00 pm: “Desperate Housewives”
10:00 pm: “Brothers & Sisters”

New Show Descriptions

Here are the descriptions of each new show with my take.

“LIFE ON MARS”
(Drama, Thursdays 10pm)
“Life on Mars” is based on the BBC series created by Matthew Graham, Tony Jordan and Ashley Pharoah. The series revolves around Sam Tyler, a modern-day police detective who, after a car crash, mysteriously finds himself transported back to 1973 and still working as a detective.

“Life on Mars” stars Jason O’ Mara as Sam Tyler, Rachelle LeFevre as Annie Cartwright, Colm Meaney as Gene Hunt, Stephanie Jacobsen as Maya, Lenny Clarke as George Randall, Patrick Wenk-Wolff as Colin Raimes and Richard Benjamin as Milton Kornboll.

The series is produced by Twentieth Century Fox Television and ABC Studios. Josh Applebaum, Andre Nemec, Scott Rosenberg, Jane Featherstone, Stephen Garrett and David E. Kelley are the executive producers. The pilot episode of “Life on Mars” was executive-produced by David E. Kelley, Tommy Schlamme, Bob Breech, Jane Featherstone and Stephen Garrett, and was produced by David E. Kelley Productions in association with 20th Century Fox Television.

Sean’s Take: The British version was quite intriguing, but seeing as it only ran for two seasons, a total of 16 episodes, or less than one American television season. It was the perfect length, and fitting, so trying to run this for 22 episodes, let alone multiple seasons is going to be tricky, and more than likely not work.

“OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS”
(Drama, Tuesdays 8pm)
“Opportunity Knocks” is a new show that breaks the mold of typical game and reality shows. We will be showing up on America’s doorstep and testing how well they know their family. Our mobile team will arrive at “Anywhere, America” in a semi-truck that is full of flat screen TVs, new furniture and big cash prizes that the family can win right there. We will take the action of a game show directly into our contestants’ homes, setting up shop in a family’s front lawn. The instant our host, JD Roth, knocks on the front door, the game will begin. Hollywood will invade a suburban neighborhood, and each week one lucky family will play the game of a lifetime in front of all their friends and neighbors.

The host poses trivia questions to family members based directly on their lives, each other and articles found in and around their home. If they’re able to prove they know their family inside and out, they’ll win the prizes of their dreams.

Executive producers for “Opportunity Knocks” are Ashton Kutcher, Jason Goldberg, Karey Burke, J.D. Roth and Todd A. Nelson. “Opportunity Knocks” is produced by Katalyst Films and 3 Ball Productions.

Sean’s Take: ugh… this sounds painful and annoying. No thank you. However, considering this network pulls off Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, it’ll probably do well.

ABC is doing well, and there was no reason to mess with success at this time. Only changing up the lineup a little, while adding two new shows, was probably the right way to go. They also had already gotten rid of the majority of their dead weight in the season just now wrapping up (Carpoolers and Cavemen jump immediately to mind)