2008-09
television season offers hope
The
Hollywood Reporter has an article
today that questions if the recent writers strike will have a permanent
effect on how networks select new shows or if it’s just a one-shot
interruption. Besides less amount of time to put together a fall schedule,
THR points out “that every network is doing things differently”
in their approaches. The shortened pilot season has also, on face-level
at least, caused the networks to stick with what they are best known
for, with CBS going for procedurals, FOX with genre shows and The CW
(still struggling but apparently now focused on an identity) picking
up “female-oriented teen soaps.” What’s interesting
to me, however, is that three of FOX’s pickups are created by
innovative and critically-acclaimed producers—J.J. Abrams (Fringe),
Joss Whedon (Dollhouse) and the It’s Always Sunny
in Philadelphia trio of Rob McElhenney, Charlie Day and Glenn Howerton
(Boldly Going Nowhere)—and were apparently given the
green light based on the “creative” reputations of those
producers as much as the pitched project. While FOX likes to market
itself as “cutting-edge,” it too often relies on reality
shows and quality-weak scripted series (with a few exceptions). Could
next season transform FOX from simply “cutting edge” to
intelligent/thought-provoking “cutting edge”? Here’s
hoping.
The
Hollywood Report has two other articles posted today that also
offers hope for fans of quality television. The animated FOX comedy,
Sit Down, Shut Up, was created by Arrested Development
mastermind Mitch Hurwitz and just cast Jason Bateman, Will Arnett and
Henry Winkler to do voice roles. And Veronica Mars creator
Rob Thomas, who had been working on The CW’s new Beverly Hills
90210 spinoff, had to minimize his involvement in that project
as he has not one, but two pilots picked up by ABC: Good Behavior,
an adaptation of the New Zealand series Outrageous Fortune,
and a remake of his late-90s show Cupid. The 2008-2009 television
season is shaping up to be a good one, with the returns of J.J. Abrams,
Mitch Hurwitz, Rob Thomas and Joss Whedon, and an expansion of McElhenney,
Day and Howerton’s comedic talents. Can’t wait until the
fall…
—Anthony
Letizia (April 15, 2008)
