And lastly, FOX gives us their new fall lineup (and then some)...
GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
Drive -- 1 Season/6 Episodes/2 Unaired (but scheduled for July 4) -- This was a sad story of a fun show that FOX pulled way too quickly. This serious version of The Cannonball Run had enough action, suspense, drama and humor to keep it going for a full season. I'm not even sure why FOX canned it...I didn't think the ratings were that bad. At least we'll get to see the last two episodes (which I'm sure don't wrap up anything, but at least we can see where things were headed).
Happy Hour -- 1 Season/6 Episodes/2 Unaired -- Anyone other than me remember this? I barely remember this. That's a good thing.
Justice -- 1 Season/13 Episodes/1 Unaired -- Why do networks air all but one episode of a show? Can't they at least give the handful of fans the last drops of joy? Okay...this show wasn't great, but it was good...heck...anything with Victor Garber is good.
The O.C. -- 4 Seasons/92 Episodes -- I know this was popular, but I never even bothered. If they were 8 episodes shy of the magic 100 for syndication there's gotta be something wrong here.
The Rich List -- 1 Season/4 Episodes/3 Unaired -- I blinked and missed it. What was this about?
Vanished -- 1 Season/13 Episodes/4 Unaired (but streamed online) -- This wasn't a bad show, but the concept was kind of all over the place (Kidnapped meets The DaVinci Code by way of The Bourne Identity). Apparently there was enough time after the cancellation announcement to wrap up the plot involving the kidnapped Senator's wife...sort of...It was a fun mess to watch, but a mess never-the-less as the wife escaped and went back to her old boyfriend, but the cabal of evil people running the country is still there (aren't they always).
The Wedding Bells -- 1 Season/7 Episodes/2 Unaired -- Didn't watch it.
Nanny 911 -- 2 Seasons/24 Episodes -- So we've fixed all the bratty kids in the country? Didn't think so.
Trading Spouses -- 3 Seasons/60 Episodes -- Apparently everyone's swapped at this point...at least those who wanted to...I should have been able to come up with something funnier, but it's been a long month.
The War At Home -- 2 Seasons/44 Episodes -- There is a G-d!
The Winner -- 1 Season/6 Episodes -- This weirdly funny show deserved a better chance. Heck, I found the opening of the pilot to be very unfunny and then the show slowly got much funnier...in a creepy kind of way. I'm sure Rob Cordry will get more work...somehow.
The Loop -- 2 Seasons -- I'm unsure of how many total episodes there will be of this show. The second season doesn't start until June, but since Bret Harrison has a new show next season, I don't expect there to be a third season. The first season of 7 episodes is available on DVD and its a pretty funny show. Hopefully, season 2 will be just as funny (and warrant a DVD release as well).
Standoff -- 1 Season/19 Episodes/8 Unaired -- The rest of this show will be burned off this summer. It was a feeble attempt to redo the success of Bones with hostage negotiators. It didn't work.
Like last year, FOX has given us three different schedules, so some days have multiple listings as the shows rotate through the season.
MONDAYS (September to January)
8pm Prison Break -- Back for a third season of logic defying suspense, at least the show can live up to its title again as Michael, former guard Bellick, former FBI Agent Mahoney and psycho T-Bag are now in a Panama prison instead of running all over the country (actually continent...well...hemisphere). Should be fun, but I don't know how much life the premise has in it.
9pm K-Ville -- A cop show set in post-Katrina New Orleans starring Anthony Anderson? Its a good thing there are other hour long shows ready to go and be moved into this slot (I predict The Sarah Connor Chronicles will air much earlier than expected).
MONDAYS (January to March)
8pm K-Ville
9pm 24 -- Back for a seventh season. I think its time to call shennanigans on this show. This current season about to end started with Jack arriving on a plane from China after 18 months of being tortured in a Chinese prison and having to stop more nukes from going off on American soil within two hours of landing. I know when I get off a plane after a six hour flight from visiting family in California, I'm pretty sure the last thing I want to be doing is running around after nuclear terrorists...I usually just want to take a nice long dump in a clean quiet bathroom. I think Jack Bauer needs to do the same.
MONDAYS (March to May)
8pm Prison Break
9pm 24
TUESDAYS (September to January)
8pm New Amsterdam -- FOX gets an award for sheer balls on even airing this show starring a cast of unknowns and created by a foreign art film director. Lasse Hallstrom (My Life As A Dog) brings us a tale of a cop who is immortal. You bet your ass I'm gonna check this one out.
9pm House M.D. -- The cranky doctor returns for a 4th season of cantankerous fun.
TUESDAYS (January to May)
8pm American Idol -- The juggernaut that is dumbing down music even more than Brittany Spears returns for a 7th round. It amazes me that more people vote for the winner of this show than do in our Presidential elections. Maybe next season should pit Rudy, Hillary, Barack and the gang against each other?
9pm House M.D.
WEDNESDAYS (September to January)
8pm Back To You -- Kelsey Grammar and Patricia Heaton star as an on air news team with little off air chemistry. Toss in Fred Willard and how can you go wrong? I hope they don't, but one would have said the same thing about a show starring John Lithgow and Jeffrey Tambour.
8:30 Til Death -- While I'm a bit shocked this show starring Brad Garrett as a hen pecked husband got a second season, I think its nice that FOX has let it grow a bit over the first season. I may try again in the fall. It wasn't bad, just typical.
9pm Bones -- The grossest show on TV returns for a third season. Its still fun to watch the chemistry between the leads.
WEDNESDAYS (January to March)
8pm Back To You
8:30 Til Death
9pm American Idol
WEDNESDAYS (March to May)
8pm Back To You
8:30 The Return Of Jezebel James -- Parker Posey and Lauren Ambrose as sisters. Could be worth a viewing based on the talent...luckily, we've got some time to think it over.
9pm American Idol (Results Show)
9:30 Til Death
THURSDAYS (September to January)
8pm Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? -- If you made it through the public education system past the 5th grade and are watching this show, probably not.
9pm Kitchen Nightmares -- The chef of Hell's Kitchen takes his show on the road as he goes to restaurants in trouble and offers them his brand of help. Whatever.
THURSDAYS (January to May)
8pm Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?
9pm Canterbury's Law -- Executive producers Dennis Leary and Jim Serpico tackle the courtroom drama with Juliana Margulies as a lawyer who is missing justice in her own life as her young son disappeared a few years ago. Do we need another courtroom drama?
FRIDAYS (September to January)
8pm The Search For The Next Great American Band -- Not being content with finding one new singer, the creators of American Idol are now looking to put together a whole group of musicians to work together. Good luck.
9pm Nashville -- The creators of Laguna Beach are apparently going south...in more ways than one. Ugh.
FRIDAYS (January to May)
8pm Bones
9pm New Amsterdam
SATURDAYS
8pm Cops -- Starts a 20th Season in the fall.
9pm America's Most Wanted -- Starts a 22nd Season of righting wrongs and bringing criminals to justice.
SUNDAYS
7pm The OT -- Finally! FOX just went ahead and officially gave the whole fucking hour to the NFL instead of teasing us who don't care with "episodes already in progress" of our favorite animated families. Let's just hope they don't go over the hour.
8pm The Simpsons -- Going out of its 18th Season into a Feature Film and into its 19th Season is an amazing feat. Doing it with style, grace and barely a loss of wit and humor is something else all together. Here's to more features and 19 more seasons. D'oh!
8:30 King Of The Hill -- This show will be starting its 12th season in the fall. Its like Coach only animated. You're amazed its still on, but its barely changed and still entertains a few people on occassion.
9pm Family Guy -- The TV show that refused to die returns for a 6th rip-roaring, pop-culture reference filled season. Woo Hoo!
9:30 American Dad -- What started off a bit shaky has gotten better, but still has a ways to go. Maybe the third season will get even better.
SUNDAYS (January to May)
7pm King Of The Hill
7:30 American Dad
8pm The Simpsons
8:30 Family Guy
9pm The Sarah Connor Chronicles -- Ever curious what happened between Terminator 2: Judgment Day and Terminator 3: Rise Of The Machines? Didn't think so. But here's where you'll find out. Could be good...we'll see.
MIDSEASON
The Rules For Starting Over -- The Farrelly Brothers bring us this sitcom about a group of late 30 somethings who find themselves single again and starting life over. Meh.
Anchorwoman -- This unscripted "reality" series is about a news director who brings in a WWE hottie to be his new anchorwoman...much to the dismay of his current one. I have no idea what to think of this monstrosity beyond staying far far far away.
Well...that's all for the five major TV networks. I'll be back tomorrow with a round up of everything and a look at how we'll be scheduling our Tivo & two cable DVRs in the fall.
Be seeing you.
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