Hey, David, Check This Out

About a week or so ago I posted my ratings predictions results of last
May for first and second place showings for this fall. I couldn't
find that posting in Google [damn them for always monkeying around
with my posts] to provide a more accurate count here of what was in
it, but going by rough memory of it, I got 10 out of 19 hours
[Saturday excluded] correct for first place showings, 5 right for
second place, and 4 wrong, but those 4 were due to the last-minute
changes to the sked that ABC and NBC made and which I just didn't get
around to making any modifications on my predictions for those hours.
Nevertheless, not bad, huh? In total, 15 correctly picked hours out
of 19.

Now this time - and this should be of particular interest to you - I'm
giving my results on some of the new shows' premise potential and my
interest, or lack of, in them before having seen a single frame of
film of any of them. I know how you love to deride me for my ability
to know how well or not a show will do in the creative sense. Well,
here's a reprint of that original post, Assessing Fall '07, with my
additional comments on the general gut-level impressions I had back
then. Then tell me if I'm dead on or not in most cases. Of course,
you have to remember this is strictly all from my p.o.v. and what I
ended up watching and not watching.

From May 17:

Ok, let's break it down.

MON

ABC
Sam I Am - Not sure how long they'd be able to sustain its premise
comedically enough, and the preview left me neutral as to its
possibilities, but I'll give it a glimpse or two.
CBS - I've rooted for The Big Bang Theory since last season, but
typically and wastefully, it's been watered down to being just
another
young geek thing in another pseudo-sex comedy.
NBC - Nothing for me here. Journeyman looks like it'll be a big dud.
FOX - Prison Break has worn out its welcome, but I think I'll still
keep track of it now and then just to see what it's up to. K-Ville
could be intriguing with its post-Katrina New Orleans backdrop.
CW - Don't think Aliens in America will add up to much, but I'll at
least check out the pilot.

--- My doubts on Sam I Am [now Samantha Who?] were confirmed by the
overhyper-sitcom-without-a-delivered snicker approach this show has
and so my initial neutrality has become total disinterest. I still
think The Big Bang Theory would've worked better had it been about a
pair of geezers [i.e. John Lithgow and Jeffrey Tambor from 20 Good
Years] paired up with a smarter young sexy blond - much more genuine
contrasting comedic potential there. Prison Break has gotten a
reprieve from me, while K-Ville is quite a letdown. I was pretty
right about Aliens in America.

TUE

ABC - I see how Cavemen will be playing itself out just on the basis
of the preview and I think I'll stick around with this one for as
long
as it works. Unless I'm somehow missing the big picture, I don't know
where Carpoolers is going.
CBS - Cane could go one of three ways: Dallas, Scarface, or Dallas
and
Scarface. I might be able to stomach either of the last two, but not
the first.
NBC - Nothing for me here. Chuck has "Season's First Big Dropout"
screaming all over it.
FOX - New Amsterdam may have something going for it, but the idea of
an immortal cop looking for his true love could run dry real quick.
CW - Reaper has been done before, a la Brimstone, but while I found
Brimstone too darkish, this one strikes me as being too lightish.

--- Cavemen kind of work for me by the preview clips I saw last May,
but the show as a whole flunks out. Carpoolers looks like it's
desperately trying to be a frantic sitcom, but like I said, I don't
know where the show is going, so the humor is kind of lost on me. I
suspected right with Cane taking on more of a Dallas route than
Scarface, evidenced by the fact that I'm not watching it as I said I
wouldn't if it did do that. I could've been right about Chuck as the
season's first big dropout, but then NBC changed its time slot, so who
knows what really would've happened to it on Tuesday. New Amsterdam
is null and void. As for Reaper initially striking me as too
"lightish," I guess I just didn't pick up on exactly what kind of
lightishness they were going after, but it works for me.

WED

ABC - The network may just have a winning night here with all 3
dramas, and not just any dramas, but all 3 new dramas. When's the
last time that happened? I'll have to go back to the books for that
one. Pushing Daisies might click with me, so long as it doesn't get
too goofy, and Dirty Sexy Money could grab me too, so long as it
doesn't become another Desperate Housewives. I have no use for
Private Practice.
CBS - Nothing for me here. Maybe I'm clueless, but is anybody really
going to give a crap about Kid Nation?
NBC - Nothing for me here. Bionic Woman and Life are both gone by
November.
FOX - At least I might have something to watch at 8 with Kelsey
Grammer's Back to You.
CW - Nothing for me here. Gossip Girl is just a chick show.

--- Well, ABC does have a winning night of sorts here. All 3 new
dramas are doing well enough, but Pushing Daisies is too goofy for my
liking and Dirty Sexy Money has turned into another Desperate
Housewives in tone. Never believed Kid Nation would have anything
going for it, and it doesn't. Let's see if Bionic Woman and Life will
be gone by November, it looks like Life may beat BW to it. I thought
I might have something interesting to watch at 8 in Back to You, but
guess not. And CW bats 100 in the who cares category.

THU

ABC - Depends on whether Big Shots wins me over or not. I suspect it
won't.
CBS - Only the occasional CSI viewing.
NBC - 30 Rock for sure.
FOX - Nothing for me here with two hours of reality junk.
CW - Nothing for me here.

--- I suspected right about Big Shots not winning me over. 30 Rock
I'm still watching with relish, CSI still occasionally, which may now
be an episode every 7 or 8. FOX and CW continue their losing streak
for me on Thursday.

FRI

ABC - Nothing for me here. Women's Murder Club, judging simply by the
preview clip, looks heavily dull and drab and totally miscast.
CBS - Ambivalent on Moonlight. Sort of see something I might like
about it as a series, but the preview of the pilot it had didn't
impress much.
NBC - Will I be lured back to Las Vegas now that Tom Selleck will be
in it? He'd have to do a mighty outstanding job if that's to happen.
FOX - Nothing for me here with a couple of more hours of reality
junk.
CW - Nothing for me here.

--- Yep, Women's Murder Club is not only miscast but badly cast. My
ambivalence on Moonlight waned really quick, replaced by total
apathy. I guess Tom Selelck didn't do a mighty outstanding job of
luring me back to Las Vegas. No winners again on FOX and CW.

SAT
Nothing for me here on all networks.

Overall, I'm most optimistic on K-Ville, Back to You and Cavemen,
hopeful on Dirty Sexy Money, and tepid on Pushing Daisies, Moonlight
and New Amsterdam, with probably one of those 3 winning out in the
long run. All the rest will really have to prove their stuff to
prove
me wrong. So, does that all add up to one terrific season ahead? If
I don't see a Smith-type or 30 Rock-type in that lot, then I guess
not, and this hasn't been any kind of stellar season either.

--- All the shows I was optimistic on - that is, those shows that I
felt could live up to a potential they held if they were done right -
pretty well collapsed under their own misguided vision and/or tone.
Only Reaper has stood as view-worthy, and that's no Smith-type or 30
Rock-type show either. So I suppose all that adds up to this not
really being a terrific season. Light years from it.

Time to fast-forward to Fall '08 now.

--- The sooner, the better.

.

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