Quick Fall Schedule Notes

I'm extremely anal-retentive, so I actually make an Excel spreadsheet of the Fall Schedules when I learn of them. But it's a huge help when I have to plan for what I'm watching as well.

And it gave me some interesting thoughts as I made up the one for this Fall:

CBS is sitting on its heels. During the week, the only new shows are in the timeslots of new shows (that failed) last year. Big Bang Theory takes the place of The Class, Cane takes the place of Smith (and 3lbs), and Kid Nation takes the place of Jericho. Yeah, they're one of the higher-rated networks right now, but ask NBC how sitting on your laurels works. They're still suffering for not looking to find the next Friends and ER when they should have been.

Speaking of NBC, there's only one night there isn't some sort of change: Sunday, since football takes up the whole night. (Saturday doesn't count-- that's a dead night for the networks.) You can also see how much has been put on Heroes. Three of their four new shows have some sort of sci-fi thing going on (enhanced humans, time travel). Their shows all looked good from the clips, but we all know how little the networks actually regard something that is extra-human/sci-fi.

ABC is not losing the "buzz-factor" it had over other networks (Lost, Housewives, Grey's) without a fight. They're debuting eight shows this Fall (the most). You know they're hoping people talk about Private Practice like they do Grey's, and, from what I've heard from critics who sampled pilots, Pushing Daisies will have Lost type buzz. They're taking a huge chance with Wednesday nights with all-new shows airing all night (again pinning hopes on Grey's fans to watch Practice).

FOX, as usual, has a light Fall (since their big hits: Idol and 24 debut in January). Lots of changes as nothing stuck last year (except 'Til Death, which probably got a reprieve because they're hoping it'll mesh with Back to You).

And The CW is actually debuting this season since last season was a UPN/WB mash-up that didn't have time for a pilot process. They're debuting six new shows and keeping the "hits" in place. But will Gilmore Girls and Veronica Mars fans give the network a chance? Gilmore was on its last legs, and Mars never had decent ratings, but fans are pissed both shows are now over. And fans of those shows were extremely loyal. And what they've got doesn't interest me (a mid-'30s male) too much other than Reaper (a "genre" show in the Buffy vein).

Frankly, I'm not really excited about any of the shows (like I was for Heroes last year and Prison Break the year before). There are some that look good, but nothing must-see yet. Of course, once I learn more and read the preview articles in the newspaper and magazines, things will pop, but I kinda miss having that one show I waited all summer for.

And I'm curious as to what happened to the big buzz pilot (other than Private Practice): the Americanized Football Wives. For that matter, what happened to the Americanized Life on Mars? Both shows are BBC hits that have done well for BBC America.

Anyway, if you want a look at the schedule all put together, e-mail me at teameckblog@charter.net, and I'll send the Excel file back.