The first day of school is almost here, as is the fall TV season. As all the summer reality shows come to an end, it’s time to look forward to what the major networks have in store.
ABC
ABC’s most promising new shows this season are its dramas. “Six Degrees,” a new drama from J.J. Abrams (“Lost,” “Alias”), tells the story of six people whose lives are all intertwined, but who don’t know it yet. Abrams has already proven that he knows drama with shows like “Felicity” and “What About Brian,” and the cast of “Six Degrees” is made up of a few already established actors like Erika Christensen of “Swimfan,” Jay Hernandez of “Crazy/Beautiful” and Bridget Moynahan of “Sex and the City,” so the show itself is sure to be well done. “Six Degrees” will air Thursdays at 10 p.m., after “Grey’s Anatomy” which moves to its new timeslot of 9 p.m.
Most successful TV dramas these days seem to have some kind of twist that makes them more than just a drama; “Grey’s Anatomy” takes place in a hospital and mixes medical drama with interpersonal drama, and “CSI” involves mysteries and violent crimes. ABC’s newest drama, however, seems to lack any factor of interest for viewers. “Brothers and Sisters,” Starring Calista Flockhart, is about the interactions of a family of adult brothers and sisters. That’s it. However, its timeslot directly after “Desperate Housewives” could launch it to success, like “Housewives” also did to “Grey’s Anatomy.”
As can be expected, ABC’s biggest dramas, “Lost,” “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Desperate Housewives” will be returning this season. But will “Housewives” spring back from its season 2 lull? And will the slowly unraveling mystery that is “Lost” continue to hook viewers week after week? This remains to be seen.
NBC
NBC’s strength seems to lie in its returning comedies: “Scrubs,” “The Office” and “My Name is Earl.” These shows were the bright spots of NBC’s lineup last season, and together these shows are sure to bring back “Must See TV” on Thursday nights. Although “Scrubs” is not in the NBC fall lineup, it will be returning midseason.
The Peacock Network has two new shows that both take place behind the scenes of fictional TV shows. “30 Rock” features the writers, producers, etc., in charge of the fictional “The Girlie Show.” “30 Rock” is a workplace comedy created by and starring Tina Fey of “Saturday Night Live,” and actor Alec Baldwin.
“Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip,” starring Matthew Perry and Amanda Peet is a drama that takes place behind the on-screen action of a fictional late-night sketch comedy show.
It’s hard to tell if either of these shows has what it takes to draw audiences, but “30 Rock” probably has the best chance, since the funny mind of Tina Fey, writer of “Mean Girls,” represents the brains behind the show.
“Heroes,” a new drama about people who wake up with special abilities like teleportation and may be destined to save mankind, is an interesting addition to NBC’s lineup. Its premise is similar to “The 4400,” which airs on NBC’s cable network USA. It will be interesting to see if viewers will watch “Heroes,” or determine that it’s just too familiar.
CBS
CBS must be very confident in its returning shows this season, because the consistently top-rated network only has four new shows slotted for the fall lineup. The most promising of those four seem to be “Smith” and “Jericho.”
“Smith,” stars Ray Liotta (“Goodfellas”) as the leader of a team of criminals who try to pull off high-stakes thefts. Unlike most crime dramas, “Smith” asks viewers to root for a group of thieves, which is a fresh and interesting angle. Its only competition is from NBC’s “Law & Order: SVU,” so “Smith” should perform fairly well. Viewers may recognize fellow star and young actress Amy Smart of “The Butterfly Effect.”
“Jericho” tells the story of a small, isolated town in Kansas that is plunged into chaos when a mysterious explosion occurs on the horizon. Promos for the show claim that it will keep audiences hooked and guessing all year long, but we’ll see if it succeeds in its mission. Skeet Ulrich (“Scream”), who stars, doesn’t exactly have the best TV track record, since his series “Miracles” was canceled after only a few episodes. Perhaps Ulrich’s luck will change, and the actor will help this show – possibly aiming to be the next “Lost”- succeed.
CBS’ real success, however, will most likely come from its returning dramas. “Cold Case,” “Without a Trace,” all the
versions of “CSI” and the surprise hit “Ghost Whisperer” will all return in fall.
As the major networks find themselves having to fight harder with Fox and cable networks to keep viewers, no one can accurately predict who will emerge the winner in ratings this fall. Fox, and the newly formed CW (a network collaboration made up of programming from UPN and the WB) are making their way up the rating charts. With the return of its last-season hits like “House” and “Prison Break” and the consistently successful “American Idol” and “24,” could Fox perhaps come out on top this fall? Tune in to see.