Cancellations, Renewals, and Resurrections

By on May 22, 2012 in In Production |

Along with all the hoopla about the broadcast networks’ new shows, upfront season is also the day of reckoning for their existing lineups.  And this month’s renewal and cancellation news has been nothing if not surprising.  Here are my thoughts. The vultures were already circling when Cougar Town returned to ABC in February to even worse ratings than before, but then—huzzah!—TBS announced that it would be rescuing the show.  First Conan, now Cougar?  Dammit, TBS, I could kiss you all over the face right now. And speaking of criminally-underappreciated comedies, FOX’s Raising Hope and NBC’s Community were granted renewals.  And I’m not worried at all that Community is moving to Friday nights—its small, diehard fanbase will move right along with it. Though I only saw one episode of Once Upon a Time once upon a time, I’m so pleased that a non-procedural...

GenreTV: “Wide Awake”

By on Mar 14, 2012 in Affiliates |

I am happy to announce that Primetimely has a new affiliate: GenreTV, a fantastic blog written by my good friend Kayti Burt which focuses mainly on that television content deemed “genre” (not your typical cop-lawyer-doctor fare, to say the least). I’m happy our two blogs are besties, especially because we can repost awesome entries from each other’s blogs. Speaking of, here’s what she had to say at the beginning of this month about Awake, an ambitious new NBC drama which I’ve been chomping at the bit to see ever since watching the preview. Warning: This trailer [embedded below] gives pretty much everything away from the first episode – though, the show is so good, it might not matter. Awake premieres tonight at 10 p.m. on NBC. Awake tells the story of Michael Britten, a man who, after getting into a horrific car accident with his family, creates two...

2011 Pilot Watch: The Best of the Winners

By on May 27, 2011 in Tinseltown |

The tribe has spoken. The networks have voted. And this development season’s pilots have either received series orders or have been all but forgotten about. After watching clips of (or, at least, reading synopses of) the new shows, I’ve decided which shows I can’t wait to check out. (And my track record is pretty great: only two-thirds of the shows I recommended last year were cancelled! Hey!) Alcatraz Another in a proud line of mysterious dramas from J.J. Abrams, FOX’s Alcatraz deals with the sudden reappearance of prisoners and guards who had disappeared three decades prior. I’d be excited for the Abrams-ness of it all, but it also features an enviable cast (Lost’s Jorge Garcia, Jurassic Park’s Sam Neill, ER’s Parminder Nagra). Apartment 23 ABC’s roommate-from-hell comedy works because Krysten Ritter (Veronica Mars) is...