The first real crack in the wall of silence the networks have so far maintained on their Upfront announcements came from FOX, which has picked up a hefty 9 shows, 5 comedies and 4 dramas.  (We don’t yet know how many of them will be launched in the fall, let alone where they’re being […]

  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 […]

  GOTHAM:  Monday 8PM on FOX THE FACTS:  The hero of this Batman prequel is the pre-Commissioner Detective Jim Gordon (Ben McKenzie), who with his partner (Donal Logue) will attempt to clean Gotham City of a mob boss (Jada Pinkett Smith) and other villains.  Along the way, he’ll interact with the young versions of not […]

  The latest CBS drama pick-up for 2013-14 comes a bit out of left field:  RECKLESS, a legal soap about an illicit romance between a defense attorney (Cam Gigandet) and a prosecutor (Anna Wood) against the background of a police sex scandal.  This doesn’t just sound like an ABC show, it sounds like a specific […]

  CBS was, for the most part, very CBS in its choice of new series for next season, with a pair of spin-offs, some additional procedurals, one retread sitcom and another that fits right into the network’s multi-camera family comedy sweet spot.  The biggest surprise was the omission, at least for now, of How I […]

  We’ve reached the broadcast networks’ Upfront Week… which used to be a lot more central to our television lives than it is now.  Ratings everywhere are down, and there’s no reason to think they’ve hit bottom, which has caused seismic changes in the ways networks make scheduling decisions.  Among other things, with revenues from […]

  HIEROGLYPH:  Midseason TBD on FOX THE FACTS:  Ancient Egyptian fantasy-adventure, given a direct-to-series order by FOX.  The series creator is Travis Beacham, a screenwriter of Pacific Rim and the remake of Clash of the Titans, and let’s pretend that’s something to boast about. WHAT IT’S SAYING:  There will be mystery, magic, palace intrigue and […]

  Fridays aren’t the most exciting night on the broadcast network schedule, but there are some interesting changes coming next fall.  We’re following our predictions for Monday,  Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday with a look at what Fridays have in store.  These projections cover the September 22-December 7 period, before holiday reruns and specials kick in, […]