NBC - 2009 Upfront Presentation, May 5, 2009
NBC is in a unique situation, as it currently sits at the bottom of all of the broadcast networks in ratings, and it also has made the decision to kill five hours of primetime television to make room in the 10pm timeslot for Jay Leno. This means that shows that would have definitely been renewed in years past, may not make it this time.
Shows already given a renewal by NBC:
- 30 Rock
- Friday Night Lights (in continuing partnership with Directv)
- Heroes
- Law and Order: SVU
- The Office
NBC Shows "On The Bubble", and shows almost definitely canceled:
- Chuck - This show has been listed as a bubble contender lately, even sparking a fan-lead effort to attempt to pursuade NBC to give Chuck another season. In a positive sign, the execs at NBC have publicly said they love this show, and it is currently above the coveted 18-49 average in the demographics for the network, which are two very hopeful signs towards renewal.
- Medium - This is another show that would normally have the ratings to make it to another season, but with the loss of the 10pm timeslot, which Medium currently occupies, it is up in the air as to whether it will make it to a new season.
- Life - Ratings for this show have been terrible.
- Kings - This show has been all but canceled with its terrible ratings (despite being a quality show). It was recently taken off the schedule completely until summer, when it will finish out its first 13 episodes.
- Knight Rider - No need to comment on this one.
- Kath and Kim - No official cancelation yet, but it is expected to be imminent.
Click on the next page link below to go to the Fox renewals and bubble shows.
Um….spell check?
Um….spell check?
I fully expect this year's Upfronts to look like a parade of Mentalist wannabes and shows that will attempt to fill the void in the cult world that Battlestar Galactica vacated. That should tell you how high my hopes are for Caprica. I need to go back to my corner and repeat my mantra, "I believe in Ron D. Moore." a few hundred more times!
Seriously, have there been ANY break-out hits, other than The Mentalist this season?
Not on the networks. I think that "90210" reached its goals but didn't follow it so I'm not sure. It wasn't a breakout hit, though. Cable did okay. The networks want immediate success – if the show doesn't rock its timeslot for the first three weeks, they pull it.
"The Mentalist" is already being repeated with "Lie to Me", which in my opinion is a Mentalist/House/Shark hybrid.
I fully expect this year’s Upfronts to look like a parade of Mentalist wannabes and shows that will attempt to fill the void in the cult world that Battlestar Galactica vacated. That should tell you how high my hopes are for Caprica. I need to go back to my corner and repeat my mantra, “I believe in Ron D. Moore.” a few hundred more times!
Seriously, have there been ANY break-out hits, other than The Mentalist this season?
Not on the networks. I think that “90210″ reached its goals but didn’t follow it so I’m not sure. It wasn’t a breakout hit, though. Cable did okay. The networks want immediate success – if the show doesn’t rock its timeslot for the first three weeks, they pull it.
“The Mentalist” is already being repeated with “Lie to Me”, which in my opinion is a Mentalist/House/Shark hybrid.
90210 has a big enough following that there is a spinoff starting in the fall- it is a prequel, ie Serena's mother Lily as a wild child is the base of it. Kristen Ritter is going to be in it, cannot stand her, ever since she was Gia on VMars.
I think Fringe falls into the breakaway hit category…although it's semi-clone Eleventh Hour tanked.
I am really surprised that Harper's Island isn't doing better in the ratings.
Mad Men, Dexter, Burn Notice and True Blood will all be starting up again soon down there- I am not sure if the new HBO Canada will play the same episodes at the same time, as we are about 6 months behind the US audience (they are shown on Bravo and Showcase aka primetimeporno up here). I need to find some kind soul in the States to record FNL and True Blood for me…hinthint ;)
SPEAKING OF,
*waves frantically* hey KOM, where have you been hiding??
Pix, I have to make a slight correction, Gossip Girl got the spin-off of the young Lily, and I don't think anyone doubts that Gossip Girl is the better show (could it be worse?). Also, for whatever reason, Eleventh Hour has consistently been a top twenty show. I don't get it, I personally tried to watch it, but my interest lagged to things like if I wanted to put a new ceiling fan in my living room. Fringe has gained a cult following, but I would not call it a mainstream hit.
In short, I've found the 2008-2009 TV season to be a HUGE disappointment, and the shows that I have enjoyed, Better Off Ted and Harper's Island, to name the two I have enjoyed the most, are struggling in a big way. I am losing faith in viewers.
There is an episode of Doctor Who where he goes to the future and there are something like 1,000 different channels, each one airing a different Big Brother. That may be a overstatement, that's what Who does best, but it does have a frightening ring of truth, doesn't it?
90210 has a big enough following that there is a spinoff starting in the fall- it is a prequel, ie Serena’s mother Lily as a wild child is the base of it. Kristen Ritter is going to be in it, cannot stand her, ever since she was Gia on VMars.
I think Fringe falls into the breakaway hit category…although it’s semi-clone Eleventh Hour tanked.
I am really surprised that Harper’s Island isn’t doing better in the ratings.
Mad Men, Dexter, Burn Notice and True Blood will all be starting up again soon down there- I am not sure if the new HBO Canada will play the same episodes at the same time, as we are about 6 months behind the US audience (they are shown on Bravo and Showcase aka primetimeporno up here). I need to find some kind soul in the States to record FNL and True Blood for me…hinthint ;)
SPEAKING OF,
*waves frantically* hey KOM, where have you been hiding??
Pix, I have to make a slight correction, Gossip Girl got the spin-off of the young Lily, and I don’t think anyone doubts that Gossip Girl is the better show (could it be worse?). Also, for whatever reason, Eleventh Hour has consistently been a top twenty show. I don’t get it, I personally tried to watch it, but my interest lagged to things like if I wanted to put a new ceiling fan in my living room. Fringe has gained a cult following, but I would not call it a mainstream hit.
In short, I’ve found the 2008-2009 TV season to be a HUGE disappointment, and the shows that I have enjoyed, Better Off Ted and Harper’s Island, to name the two I have enjoyed the most, are struggling in a big way. I am losing faith in viewers.
There is an episode of Doctor Who where he goes to the future and there are something like 1,000 different channels, each one airing a different Big Brother. That may be a overstatement, that’s what Who does best, but it does have a frightening ring of truth, doesn’t it?