| It's that time again, even if Fox once again jumped the gun on the season's start. Or I suppose you might blame it on NBC and the NFL. Sunday Night Football is the reason the Emmys weren't in their customary third Sunday in September slot this year; NBC didn't want to break the momentum on their third week. Like a lot of decisions this year, I get it and sometimes agree with it from a business sense, but the television fan and historian in me does not like it.
It's the year the sitcom has been, once again, declared dead. Not including animated series or midseason adds, we've got 18 sitcoms on the slate. For comparision, 48 sitcoms were on the four-network sked in the Fall of 1990.
This is the year of the serialized mystery, a genre that had been frowned upon due to its less-than-desirable ability to be run in syndication. Now that all of the networks have cable outlets, DVD sets, the Internet, etc., it has clearly become a non-issue.
New sitcoms: 8. New dramas: 18. A low total count, and that's including midseason add on my grids.
We've said goodbye to two netlets and um, hello to two networks. Huh? UPN and WB's parents, CBS and Warner Bros. decided to fold their best shows and affiliates into one, seemingly stronger network. Six shows from UPN, five from the WB and two just-for-the CW kick off this new skein. (By the way, I never liked "The WB" and I equally dislike "The CW" and, well, don't even start me off on "My Network TV.") Speaking of My, it was created because Fox had a bunch of former UPN affiliated O&Os (owned-and-operated stations) with nothing to show during primetime. We're no longer in an era where independent stations can thrive in anything but the largest markets.
My is trying something different, which is always commendable in an industry that's mantra could be "Make it the same, but different, but not too different." English-language telenovelas. For those who don't know, a telenovela, is essentially the staple of primetime on Spanish-language networks, Univision and Telemundo. They are shown nightly, like daytime soaps, and quite campy and melodramatic. My is hoping they'll catch on here. I don't think folks will want to devote a whole week to viewing, even with a recap on Saturday.
I forget who said it during the Emmys, but he was right: this is the new Golden Age of television. While I only cover the Fall Preview on the broadcast networks, there are some amazing shows on basic and pay cable such as Battlestar Galactica, Monk, The Sopranos, Weeds, Entourage, The L Word, Deadwood, Nip/Tuck, Rescue Me, and Entourage to just name a few. Combine that with the amount of decent shows on broadcast television and you've got an amazing selection of great material. Don't get me wrong, there's also plenty of crap out there.
Nothing has really jumped out at me being really bad, which is kind of odd. There are some clunkers out there, but not like last year. The few I'm looking forward to are Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, Jericho, and Six Degrees. Two of the three are from my two favorite writer/producer/director/geniuses.
Without any further ado, there's plenty to read inside. No need to remove your shoes, but you might want to head to the bathroom first and grab a snack; there's a lot to absorb. I'm dedicating, for what it's worth, this preview to Bindi and Bob Irwin, The Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin's kids.
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| Jay Rubin
Los Angeles, CA
September 2006 |
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