Another TBD for ABC’s midseason:  the high-concept comedy MIXOLOGY.  The entire season takes place in a single night, at a bar where 10 single people are looking for love (or a close substitute), which–if things don’t go well–has the potential of feeling like one long night.  Think of it as a sitcom 24, but […]

  Here’s another of CBS’s “behind-the-scenes” blurbs, this time about the thriller HOSTAGES, which will occupy the Monday 10PM slot during the fall (to be replaced by Intelligence) at midseason. All the piece does is establish the show’s premise, which is that Toni Collette plays a Washington surgeon scheduled to operate on the President, and […]

  Kyle Killen’s Lone Star and Awake were two of the most ambitious network series of recent years–and two of the most resounding flops.  He has to be hoping that his third time (and third network) is the charm, with ABC’s TBD midseason series MIND GAMES.  It features Steve Zahn and Christian Slater as brothers […]

  ABC has started putting up its Upfront trailers for the network’s new series, so we’re going to chime in with some instant impressions.  As always, remember that a trailer isn’t necessarily a real sign of what a TV series will be (sometimes it’s not even a sign of what the pilot is).  It’s the […]

  For any comedy developed at CBS, the grand prize of pilot season is the slot behind THE BIG BANG THEORY on Thursday night.  That prize went this year to Greg Garcia’s THE MILLERS.  It’s an unusual multi-camera comedy for Garcia, with a first-rate cast that includes Will Arnett, Margo Martindale, Beau Bridges and J.B. […]

  ABC has had no success at all in the Thursday 8PM slot for years, which is doubly frustrating now that 9PM and 10PM are humming along beautifully with the Grey’s Anatomy/Scandal duo.  The network is trying something familiar and yet new next season:  the spin-off ONCE UPON A TIME IN WONDERLAND, which in theory […]

  The first day of network Upfront presentations features a doubleheader, with NBC followed by FOX.  That means another stack of trailers (unlike NBC, FOX also released the materials for its midseason shows), so let’s take a look.  Reminder:  it’s patently unfair to judge a TV series based on a 3-4 minute trailer, except that […]

  No name has more cachet at CBS than Chuck Lorre’s.  He’s given the network The Big Bang Theory, 2 1/2 Men and Mike & Molly, and hopes are high that his MOM, taking over the Monday 9:30PM timeslot this fall, can join those at the top of the ratings heap.  The network’s behind-the-scenes featurette, […]