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May Upfronts 2007Sunday, May 20, 2007—Last week, the main television networks—NBC, ABC, CW, Fox, and CBS—held their “upfronts,” in which they officially unveiled their fall 2007 lineups. Yuddy’s got the scoop on which TV shows are staying, which are leaving, and which new ones (promising and sketchy alike) are being picked up. *Disclaimer* These “lists” are not exhaustive as there are simply far too many television shows out there; however, most of the major series are mentioned. First, on the NBC, one of the hottest networks out there, plenty of fan favorites are fortunately sticking around, among them Heroes, Friday Night Lights, ER (okay, seriously, is ER ever going to die?), My Name is Earl (Jason Lee), Scrubs (Zach Braff), The Office (Steve Carell), and Law & Order: Criminal Intent. And despite rumors that 30 Rock, starring Tina Fey, might be finished (or at least Alec Baldwin’s role as Jack), the show was picked up, and as far as Yuddy can tell, Baldwin—who made recent headlines with his phone tirade to 11-year-old daughter Ireland and the ongoing custody battle with ex-wife Kim Basinger—will be back, too. Cancelled NBC shows include The West Wing, Will & Grace (which starred Debra Messing and Eric McCormack), The Apprentice—although Donald Trump reportedly says the network can’t fire him because he quit!—Crossing Jordan, and, as we all suspected, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, co-starring Matthew Perry and Amanda Peet, is done, done, done.
NBC has a handful of new shows in the works, none of which are sitcoms, including a Heroes spin-off (Heroes: Origins), Chuck, and Lipstick Jungle, a Sex and the City-esque drama. Yuddy has already reported on the ABC fall lineup, but to reiterate a bit, Grey’s Anatomy (of course it’s back—that crazy season finale left plenty a Grey’s fan itching for the new season), Desperate Housewives (can’t argue with those solid ratings from hotties Eva Longoria, Teri Hatcher, Marcia Cross, Nicolette Sheridan and Felicity Huffman ), the critically acclaimed newbie Ugly Betty (starring America Ferrera), Lost, and Dancing with the Stars. ABC nixed George Lopez and According to Jim, among others. ABC is also welcoming a grand total of 11 new shows come the new season, the most anticipated of which is probably the Grey’s spin-off, Private Practice, starring Kate Walsh, Taye Diggs, and Tim Daly. Cavemen, based on the Geico Insurance ad, looks ridiculous, and Cashmere Mafia, featuring Lucy Liu, also seems to be a Sex and the City wannabe. Viewers who only watched the fledgling new CW network this past season for its stellar Tuesday night lineup—with Gilmore Girls and Veronica Mars—may either have to switch to another night (Smallville and Supernatural on Thursdays, anyone?) or give up all together. While every Gilmore Girls fan is now mourning the loss of the now-defunct dramedy, which co-starred Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel, the hit detective show Veronica Mars, starring Kristen Bell in the title role, is also kaput, despite vague comments from CW president Dawn Ostroff that it “might” come back in some other form. Ironically, in the “Save One Show” campaign that went down awhile back, Gilmore Girls came out on top, with Veronica Mars in a close second. A lot of good that did. Other CW-cancelled series include 7th Heaven (finally—and this time it looks like it’s for real), All of Us, and Reba, starring Reba McEntire. So what’s sticking around? Besides Smallville and Supernatural, the CW’s got Everybody Hates Chris (based loosely on the youth of comedian Chris Rock), One Tree Hill (which will reportedly fast-forward four years, allowing the main characters to act closer to their actual ages), and Tyra Banks’ America’s Next Top Model. New shows include Gossip Girls, Reaper, Life is Wild, and Aliens in America. And what’s happening on Fox? The network’s staples American Idol, House, Prison Break, 24, The Simpsons, and Family Guy are all secure in place for at least another season as no major shows, save for The O.C. and The War at Home, were cancelled. There are also a number of interesting newbies in the works for Fox next season, most notably the comedy Back to You (co-starring Kelsey Grammer and Patricia Heaton), The Rules for Starting Over, and an American Idol spin-off that will involve an American band search. Amy Sherman Palladino’s The Return of Jezebel James, starring Parker Posey and Lauren Ambrose, seems a little too…Gilmore Girls-ish. CBS shed Jericho and King of Queens, will it is keeping the CSI trio, Criminal Minds, and Ghost Whisperer. CBS is introducing a handful of new shows that seem promising, including Kid Nation, Swing Town, and Moonlight. —Carla Lowe
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