ABC wraps up its all-new Tuesday night with LUCKY 7, a wish-fulfillment (and probably a “be careful what you wish for”) drama about a group of 7 blue-collar workers at a Queens gas station who hit the lottery for $45M.  It’s set to air against Chicago Fire on NBC and whatever CBS is planning […]

  The first day of network Upfront presentations features a doubleheader, with NBC followed by FOX.  That means another stack of trailers (unlike NBC, FOX also released the materials for its midseason shows), so let’s take a look.  Reminder:  it’s patently unfair to judge a TV series based on a 3-4 minute trailer, except that […]

  According to Advertising Age, advertisers have begun to buy time on the broadcast networks for the 2014-15 TV season, which is the whole reason the hoopla of the “Upfronts” exists in the first place.  There are two basic components to each of these sales (although they can become quite intricate):  the rate that buyers […]

  By CBS standards, the network is making a large number of moves with its 2013-14 schedule.  Changes are in store for Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday–including finally pulling the trigger on a 4-sitcom Thursday.  Let’s run through it. MONDAY 8PM:          HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER 8:30PM:     WE ARE MEN 9PM:          2 BROKE GIRLS 9:30PM:     […]

  Welcome to Upfronts week, when the broadcast networks (or what’s left of them) announce their Fall schedules and attempt to generate billions of dollars worth of excitement from advertisers.  It’s harder than ever to authoritatively analyze the thought process that goes into a broadcaster’s cancellation, renewal and pick-up decisions, because network ad revenues directly […]

  ABC has finally joined its brethren and announced the rollout of its fall schedule.  Although the majority of its shows will premiere during the official September 23-29 opening week, some series will start before and after that. MONDAY SEPT 16 8PM:           Dancing With the Stars FRIDAY SEPT 20 8PM:           Last Man Standing 8:30PM:      The […]

  See Also:  THE SKED’s Pre-Upfront Projected NBC Fall 2013 Schedule                  THE SKED’s Pre-Upfront Projected FOX Fall 2013 Schedule                  THE SKED’s Pre-Upfront Projected ABC Fall 2013 Schedule                  THE SKED’s Pre-Upfront Projected CBS Fall 2013 Schedule   CW (pardon, “The” CW) is technically a broadcast network–and technically is the correct term, because […]

  CW has released a :30 promo and a little more than a minute of REIGN, the teen Mary, Queen of Scots soap that will have the showcase spot on its schedule next fall, Thursday 9PM after The Vampire Diaries.  Here’s what we’ve got: Promo Clip Well, there’s Mary all right, and there’s Francis, whom […]